Book 4: Sol's Revenge & Whisper's Path

Whisper

Sometimes I pondered on why the strange badger Midnight decided to train us in her secret way of reading the stars.

Perhaps she saw us do something with our newly found abilities.

Perhaps she didn't.

Midnight was never one to really talk about herself. However she took training us to heart. Morning noon and night she explained every aspect of the stars showing us the past present and future signs. Sol utterly ignored the past and present. He wanted to know the future. I prayed it was just out of curiosity, but I knew Sol had bigger intentions. His eyes lost their care free-ness on the mountains. He became something else back on the ground. Sol intentions were unclear to me but I had a feeling it had something to do with the dark spot in the night sky. Sol always demanded for Midnight to explain what the darkness meant but she avoided his questions nimbly. Her and I both silently agreed that the darkness was better left alone.

...

"I figured it out. Well, Midnight ended up telling me, but still now I know," Sol whispered excitedly one day when we where hunting. His eyes glowed dangerously, as if challenging me to deny that he found out what the darkness meant. He'd been infatuated with the dark spot int eh sky since he'd first noticed it. I was curious too. I was a spot devoid of stars, simply a cave of darkness in an otherwise bright sky. But in that spot all sorts of swirls and patterns could be seen if you looked close enough. I could ask Sol about it, since he was now claiming to know what it meant. Instead I pretended he hadn't spoken.

"I'm hungry for squirrel, what about you?" I asked, completely ignoring his question. Sol's ears flattened.

"Don't play that game with me Whisper. Don't you dare," he said with annoyance in his voice.

"I think I smell squirrel over there," I said, motioning towards a grove of pine trees.

Suddenly Sol charged me. He ran forward so quickly we both went tumbling to the ground. I saw surprise flicker across Sol's face as he realized he had just attacked me. But the surprise changed to anger.

"You and Midnight both treat me like I'm a stupid kit. Well guess what brother, I don't need you to protect me anymore! I can take care of myself. And I will be the most powerful cat in the world now that I know the secrets of the stars!" Sol declared victoriously. I struck his side with my paw. My claws where sheathed however. Sol rolled to the side to avoid my attack. But I still was able to maneuver enough to pummel his shoulder. Sol growled at me and slashed at my face.

His claws where unsheathed.

I reared back in time though, his claws missed my eye and hit my check instead. Blood welled up from the wound. Sol was much larger than me. We both knew it too. However I had longer endurance. Sol could fight well for a very short amount of time. But then he would get winded and he would just utterly give up. I could keep going.

But I wouldn't, I wouldn't let myself hurt my brother. Even in his power crazed delusion. I sighed and stepped back. Sol took the opportunity to lunge forward. For one terrifying moment I thought he was going to attack me again. But he stopped inches from my face.

"It's an eclipse," he growled.

"A what?" I asked. Sol stepped back, calming himself. His fur began to lay flat on his shoulders. Sol was very troubled, it was obvious. He was so focused on the future that he didn't heed Midnight's lessons on the past and present. Those were the lessons he needed. He had so many questions, as did I. But he hasn't looked for their answers. He doesn't want to know the truth. He doesn't want to know that Stoneteller intended for Sol to be the sacrifice for the sharptooth cat, not me. He doesn't want to know if Echo really is out there, haunting him from beyond the grave.