Flame

Chapter One

Chapter One

       Flame That Burns At Night

Flame That Burns At Night opened his green eyes for the first time. The Tribe of Burning Eclipse was new to him. He felt his mother’s rough, warm tongue on his shiny, black pelt. He squealed and tumbled to the moss-covered floor. The waves lapped gently against the Cliffside that was their home and home to many others as well. Stoneteller pads over to the nest and pronounces, “Sun That Sets On Water, Flame That Burns At Night is to be a prey hunter.” Sun ducked her orange head respectfully and curled her tail with happiness. She nuzzled the top of Flame’s head lovingly. Flame looked up at Stoneteller with curious green eyes and gave a small squeak. The leader of The Tribe of Burning Eclipse, Stoneteller, had just announced what Flame would do the rest of his life. 

 Flame, as he suckled his mother’s milk, would sometimes ask, “Mother? What is beyond the cliff?” the question first startled Sun, but taking this to be restlessness, she would reply, “I do not know, but as I have never heard of anything happening out there, I can’t help but think that there is nothing of importance,” then Flame would sigh and curl up next to her. 

When Flame was old enough, Sun took him down to the sea. Flame had never been there before and was very curious. A seagull landed in front of him; Flame stood his ground. Then he bared his tiny teeth and growled menacingly. The seagull stopped and looked at him, then continued pecking at the sand. Flame, quite enraged, took one step back and hurled himself, yowling at the bird. A squawking, somewhat pink bird flew out of the whirling mass of black. Sun, who had been watching the spectacle, flew into a frenzy of laughter. Seeing that his mother was not going to stop for some time, Flame pranced past her a ways away and stopped. He stared open-mouthed at the scene before him. Pines sat darkly on a hill while Sycamores and Oaks dominated the territory beneath. The shimmering green colors from the leaves cast a cheery glow about the forest. He imagined himself running through the vast undergrowth and shadowy pines and when a wind picked up he could smell the dewy grass, the tall pines and small prey and- “Flame! Where in the name of the Tribe of Endless Hunting are you?!” his mother’s voice floated to him and the feeling of adventure left with a flourish. With a sigh he headed for his mother and home, hoping one day to go to that beckoning place. 

That night Flame couldn’t sleep. He was twelve moons old and tomorrow he would begin his training as a to-be to be a prey hunter. When he finally fell into a light sleep, his dreams were full of forests, training, and his new and unknown mentor. He couldn’t wait.