Chapter XI
Aftermath
Although the sun shone down now, a stormcloud of grief soaked Rockpool to the core. She looked down on the body of Sandyshore, dangling limply from her jaws. A jolt of pain went through her body, remembering the sun-like aura he had always had and the same aura that he brought to the cats around him.
Rockpool bended over, gently dropping the golden, limp carcass beside his mother. Turning around towards the Denrock, Rockpool raised her voice. "Rockywave, Bloomwater, Sunray, Smoothpebble, Eveningcloud and Graysky may pay their final respects to Oceanwave, Sandyshore, Darkshadow, and Starteller." she called. Her voice sounded much calmer than she really was. "Sunray shall bury Oceanwave; Smoothpebble, Sandyshore; Eveningcloud, Darkshadow; and Graysky, Starteller. Crescent, you will now be known as Midnightcrescent. You shall be a cave-guard. I will be receiving my nine lives at the Mountain of Endless Cliffs."
"What?!" voiced Mountainsummit. "Nine lives?!?"
"From the Tribe of Endless Hunting; yes. Every Healer receives nine lives." Preparing for yet another long walk, Rockpool started off.
She could feel a gaze of worry burning into her, and Rockpool didn't have to turn around to know it was Cloudflyers'; her pregnancy had reached full term. She would bear his kits any day now. Rockpool just hoped no cat had noticed.
***
Rockpool dragged herself up the small ledge that separated the Cliff of Salty Pools from the rest of the mountain. Blood still stained the Cliff, like glistening pools of pain. Rockpool forced herself to look away from the red liquid, and try to focus on the pool that lay ahead of her.
She carefully dipped her nose into the pool. Just as the chilly water hit her nose, she felt a twinge in her belly. A very painful twinge. Rockpool began to panic.
No, no no! she thought.
Any time but now!But although Rockpool didn't know, she fell into the black fog of sleep.
***
Rockpool stretched out on the rock, daring to open her eyes. Many cats were gathered around her. "Hello, Rockpool." meowed a smooth, clear voice. It sounded like every cat she had every known. "Are you prepared to gain your nine gifts?"
"I am." she said determinedly. One cat padded forward. Rockpools' stomach twisted in grief. It was Sandyshore.
"The gift I have to give is light-heartedness." he murmured. "Take it to calm your Tribe in times of trouble." The gold tom stroked his tail along Rockpools' leg. The life felt bright and happy, pure joy. It was if pure sunshine was streaking down into her body. She couldn't wait for eight more of this!
Sandyshore stepped back, disappearing into the mist. Next came her kithood friend Leaf which Falls in Wind, who had been killed during a prey shortage, and his sister Streak of Light in Sky.
"The gift I have to give is endurance," Streak squeaked. "Take it to be the last to eat and the first to fight." The first life had lulled Rockpool, and she wasn't prepared for the pain that struck her now. She felt hunger, weakness, battle blows. But each hit faded in strength, and soon it was nothing.
"The gift I have to give is hunting skill." mewed Leaf. By his tone, Rockpool could tell the light brown tabby with dark stripes was trying to sound like a strong cave-guard, but it was all very comical since he was about the cutest kit in the Tribe of Endless Hunting. "Take it to provide your Tribe with food in times of famine." His tail brought almost stomach-twisting hunger. Rockpool realized that this life was critical; this was what her Tribe would feel during prey shortages if a great hunter wasn't in the Tribe.
A small smirk grew on Streaks' face. "My gift was better than yours," she said to her brother. Rockpool was reminded of the bratty, big-mouthed kit she had been while she was still alive. The only reason Rockpool had hung out with her was her brother. She imagined what would have happened if Star had never been attacked by Sharptooth. Would her kits be Leafs'?
"No, it wasn't!" retorted Leaf. "Who needs to be able to endure hard times when you can just hunt for the entire Tribe? Right, Rockpool?"
"I think they were both equally important." she mewed.
"Mine was
still better," meowed Streak as the siblings walked into the mist.
"Nuh-uh!"
"Uh-huh!"
"Nuh-uh!"
"Uh-huh!" The bickering siblings' calls faded, and they finally stopped.
The next cat to come was unfamiliar to Rockpool. His pelt was the color of some of the shells Rockpool had seen on the beach, and his sparkling eyes a rich, mossy green. "Hello, young Healer," he mewed. His voice was deep and smooth. "I suppose you do not know me, correct?" He did not wait for her to answer. "I am Teller of the Pointed Rocks, Rockteller. I was Healer before that brute, Stoneteller. I was killed when Stoneteller pushed me off a steep part of the mountain with sharp rocks beneath." Rockpool shuddered. She knew Stoneteller was cruel and crazy, but not
evil.
"Then why did he receive his nine gifts?"
"He didn't." replied Rockteller. "He just has healed amazingly. Anyway," he continued. "The gift I have to give is faith. Take it to support your Tribe and make it through." His life was similar to Sandyshores', in a way.
Rockteller vanished into the mist, and subsequently another figure appeared. Her next gift-giver was but a feeble young kit. The kit was a fluffy, pale gray. The kit was being carried by a slim ginger tom. "Hello, Rockpool." said the tom. "I am Sun which Sets In Flowing-water; Sun, and I am honored to meet you."
"Who is the kit?" questioned Rockpool.
"He is nameless." replied Sun.
"Why has he been chosen to give me a gift?" Sun looked down, apparently not wanting to meet Rockpools' eyes.
"I'm very sorry, Rockpool." he began. "This kit is yours." Rockpool stepped back in shock. Her own kit-dead so soon? He must have been only a few hours old when he joined the Tribe of Endless Hunting. Her eyes became opaque with grief.
"Rockpool?" asked Sun gently. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, her voice wavering. "I'm just sad."
"As any cat would be," said Sun. "The gift he has to give is love. Take it for the sake of all the cats in your Clan, and for yourself, also." Sun put Rockpools' kit gently down before her. Rockpool bent and moved slightly to the side so her kits' tail lightly stroked hers. His gift made Sandyshores' gift feel like torture. The sun of flowing-water flowed into her, laughter was ringing through her head, Leaf was beside her, then Cloudflyer was. All the innocence of a newborn kit was in her mind. Then the gift ended abruptly, and Cloudflyer was gone. Rockpool was sad that it was so quick.
"Goodbye, Sun, and goodbye...Haze which Shimmers on Water, or Shimmerhaze." Sun turned his head as he walked away with Shimmerhaze dangling from his jaws, and nodded his head in acknowledgment of the kits' naming.
The next cat to come was Oceanwave. Rockpool admired the brave cat, although she was sharp-tongued. It was a tragedy that she had died. Unlike Rockteller and Sun and Shimmerhaze, she got straight to the point. "The gift I have to give is loyalty." she said. "Take it to be a strong Healer and to never waver from your Tribe." Oceanwaves' gift was like reliving the battle when Oceanwave had been killed. To fight fiercely for her Tribe was exhilarating yet satisfying at the same time. By the time it was over, Rockpool was short of breath.
Now there were only three more gifts to receive. The last three cats came out together. The first was a dark gray tabby, the next a small, wiry black cat, and the last was a muscular black cat. It hit Rockpool with an odd sensation of both grief and joy that these cats were Mountain, Darkshadow, and Starteller.
Mountain stepped forward. "The gift I have to give is courage," he said. "Take it to lead your Tribe well." At once, a jolt of energy hit Rockpools' body. At any moment, Rockpool felt she would explode, until finally the pain ebbed.
Darkshadow walked up to Rockpool. "Oh, Darkshadow," breathed Rockpool, "I've missed you so much." Darkshadow smiled humorously.
"Well, I'm here now, am I not?" Starteller gave her a look, and Darkshadow continued on with her gift giving. "The gift I have to give is humor. Take it to lighten up your Tribe in times of need." Her gift was warm and joyful.
Darkshadow began to leave, but Rockpool stopped her.
"Wait!" she called. Darkshadow turned. "I thought you didn't believe in the Tribe of Endless Hunting."
"As soon as I realized you were right with your prophecy, I believed." replied her friend "And Rockpool?"
"What?"
"Goodbye." With that single word, Darkshadow vanished.
Now it was Startellers' turn at last. "Welcome, my dearest daughter," she said. "Are you ready for your final gift?"
"Yes, Starteller." she replied strongly. "I am."
"Then the gift I have to give is judgment and following your heart. Take it to lead your Tribe justly and kindly." Starteller moved closer to Rockpool and stroked her tail down her leg. Startellers' gift was an odd combination of all the previous sensations. Rockpool felt pain and joy, hunger and laughter.
When it was over, Starteller raised her voice so loud that the whole Tribe of Endless Hunting could hear. "I now hail this cat by her new name, Teller of the Salty Pools; Poolteller."
"Poolteller! Poolteller!" chanted hundreds, maybe even thousands, of voices in unison.
Poolteller woke with a jolt. Four kits were by her belly, one of them Shimmerhaze. The three live kits were sound asleep. Two were blue-gray, and the other was a gray tabby.
Poolteller left the kits in a warm cavern and left. She knew the Tribe of Endless Hunting would care for them. She buried Shimmerhaze next to Mountain, and rubbed off the kitscent on a sickly-sweet shrub.
When she arrived back at the Denrock, she looked up at the sky before announcing her return and new name, Poolteller looked up at the setting sun. It may have been setting instead of rising, but Poolteller knew it was a new dawn.