Post by Lightningstar on Sept 1, 2008 12:42:58 GMT -5
Title: Fire-Bird's Flight
Chapters: Currently unknown
Author: Lightningstar
Pairing: None
Rating: PG (death, bloodshed in later chapters)
Spoilers: None
Summary: The new Stoneteller of the Tribe of Fallen Leaves makes a promise to explore the regions beyond the Tribe's reach.
Warning: *pokes Rating section*
Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, but all these characters are mine.
Beta: None
Cover: None
Author's Notes: This started out as a one-shot on Warriors Cloud, originally, so if you're a member of Warriors Cloud, this confirms that I am continuing! ;D I just haven't gotten enough inspiration for the next chapter yet.
Stoneteller sat with his head bowed deep within the caverns in the mountain where the Tribe lived. He sat before a pool that still glowed even without the light reaching it from outside, where the Tribe of Ever-Life spoke to him. Spikes of pointed stone rose around him ominously. He had been waiting for a sign all night long; for what, he wasn't quite sure.
"Speak to me," he pleaded, his face illuminated by the pale light off the pool. "I need to hear your voices."
Silence.
Sighing, Stoneteller mewed, "I want to speak to my mother." Perhaps that would provide a satisfactory excuse for them.
"Yes, Panther that Stalks Unheard?" a voice asked. A slim figure appeared out of the pool, its gray tabby form speckled with stars. Light amber eyes stared out at him.
"Mouse that Scuttles Underfoot," Stoneteller retorted. "Mother; please don't call me my real name. I'm the Stoneteller now, you know." His black pelt blended in with the shadows around him, his stunning blue eyes the only thing truly visible in the deep cavern.
The gray tabby purred in amusement. "I have a message for you, Stoneteller," she announced. "You must take a to-be as soon as possible."
Stoneteller's eyes widened in disbelief. "I only recently became Stoneteller!" he cried out, his voice squeaking slightly. "How can I take a to-be now?"
Mouse reached out to touch noses with her son. "Trust the Tribe of Ever-Life," she assured him. "This is the one that will become your to-be."
Another cat shimmered into view beside Mouse, a young light brown tabby with flashes of ginger fur. "This one."
"Bird that Flies Through Fire? A she-cat?" Stoneteller demanded. "Are you suggesting that I take on a female to-be? That's forbidden!"
"The Tribe of Ever-Life wills it," Mouse replied.
Still stunned, Stoneteller asked, "but she is already a to-be; she has been for two whole moons now. Shouldn't she continue on the path of a Prey-Hunter?"
Mouse looked over at the apparition of the young cat. "The Tribe of Ever-Life wills it," she repeated. "Take her as your to-be tomorrow morning at sun-peak." Both cats slowly began to fade.
"Mother, wait! I have more questions for you!" Stoneteller called as his mother dissipated into mist. He clawed the cold, stony ground in frustration, his long, curved claws as black as his pelt. "If the Tribe of Ever-Life wills it," he murmured, "so it shall be."
"From this day onward, Bird that Flies Through Fire shall be my to-be, and she will learn the ways of the Stoneteller."
Several gasps of surprise rippled around the crowd that was gathered in the mountain clearing, and the young she-cat in question was especially surprised. Her bright green eyes flung open in astonishment, and her jaw hung open slightly.
"Stoneteller, Bird is a she-cat," a pale brown tabby with a gravelly voice pointed out, "and you can't take a she-cat as a to-be."
"The Tribe of Ever-Life has willed it to be so, Falcon," Stoneteller announced, his voice wavering. "Do you really think I would do this without orders?"
Falcon dipped his head respectfully and stepped backwards into the throng of Tribe cats. Bird padded forward warily and stood beside Stoneteller, trying to remain calm. The shadows of the tall pine trees cast across the camp, crossing Stoneteller's face as he announced, "from this moment on, Bird that Flies Through Fire shall be known as something different," he announced. Turning to the to-be, he continued, "I pronounce you Fire-Bird."
A chorus rose into the sky as the Tribe somewhat hesitantly called out Fire-Bird's new name. Fire-Bird looked grateful for her name, and she mewed, "that's a wonderful name. Thank you, Stoneteller."
Stoneteller nodded curtly. "Tonight, you will sleep in the Glowing Cave and begin to learn the secrets of the Tribe of Ever-Life," he told her. "Then tomorrow, I shall lead you out to the Jag, where you will see the territory that will soon be yours."
Fire-Bird's eyes glowed with amazement. She could hardly wait for tomorrow morning.
"Fire-Bird, it is time," mewed Stoneteller, poking Fire-Bird's side with his nose. "We must walk out to the Jag."
The newly-appointed Stoneteller to-be yawned and stretched as she got up. "It's so early, Stoneteller," she complained. "Can't we wait until later?"
"We need to get there in time to catch the sunrise," explained Stoneteller, already bounding towards the entrance to the cave. "Now follow me, and try to refrain from asking any more questions."
The two emerged into the pale light of the early morning, and Fire-Bird blinked sticky sleep out of her eyes to see better. She ran after Stoneteller across the mountain, edging around ledges and swerving through the trees. At last, the pair reached an upward-slanted path of stone, and Stoneteller turned to walk up it. "This is it," he told Fire-Bird.
Fire-Bird followed him eagerly, no longer half-asleep. As they reached the top, Fire-Bird could see the magnificence of the Jag. It was a long, jutting expanse of rock that looked out over the glittering lake and another snow-covered peak across from it.
The black-furred Stoneteller padded out onto the rock, his bright blue eyes watching the horizon. The sky there was turning a soft shade of orange and pink, a sign that the sun would rise soon. His to-be followed him, her steps light and precarious.
"Stoneteller, it's so high up!" she mewed. "I know I'm a Tribe cat, but heights like this make me nervous."
"That's what I said when I first came up here," Stoneteller told her. "After a while, though, I learned to love going out on the Jag." He flicked his tail towards the horizon. "The sun is rising over there."
Fire-Bird gazed out at the line of rock and trees and saw the golden splendor of the sun beginning to rise. She took in a sharp breath and then exhaled loudly in a sigh of pleasure. Neither Stoneteller nor his to-be spoke another word until the last of the sun rose above the treeline.
"So this will all be mine when I become Stoneteller?" Fire-Bird asked. "The lake, and the mountain, and everything?"
Stoneteller blinked quickly. "Not the other mountain," he explained, but the lake is ours. And this mountain on which we stand belongs to the Tribe. Only the Tribe of Ever-Life knows what lies beyond."
Fire-Bird promised herself that one day, she would know all the secrets of the Tribe of Ever-Life; even what was beyond the Tribe's territory.
Many moons passed. Stoneteller became weak with age, and Fire-Bird noticed that he was beginning to slip away. She was by his side when he died, but she could barely stand to watch those stunning blue eyes close. She inhaled deeply and tried to mask her tears before emerging from the Glowing Cave.
The mid-morning sun shone down onto the camp, filtered by the pines surrounding the stone clearing. The whole Tribe was already gathered in the center as Fire-Bird entered camp, out of breath and red-eyed from crying.
"Stoneteller is dead," she meowed bluntly. The Tribe cats began chattering nervously. Fire-Birds usually soft voice became strong and determined. "I must take his place as soon as possible. But before that, I have a promise I must fulfill." She looked around. "Falcon that Rides the Wind, Lake that Reflects the Stars, and Kestrel With Curved Talons, come with me." She padded to the edge of the camp, the three cats she mentioned following hesitantly.
"Where are you going?" questioned Flame That Burns The Trees. Her glowing ginger pelt was made even brighter in the sunlight. "You cannot abandon us just as you are made Stoneteller."
Fire-Bird turned her head to look at her Tribe. "I made a promise to myself that I would find what's beyond our territory," she explained. "This is my chance." Her green eyes flashed with courage.
Soft murmurs of concern could be heard from the gathered Tribe cats. Flame bowed her head. "Have a safe journey, Stoneteller."
The tabby-and-ginger she-cat smiled. "Please, call me Fire-Bird," she insisted. "I rather like that name." Then she turned around and wound her way down the mountainside, her three companions following closely behind her.
Chapters: Currently unknown
Author: Lightningstar
Pairing: None
Rating: PG (death, bloodshed in later chapters)
Spoilers: None
Summary: The new Stoneteller of the Tribe of Fallen Leaves makes a promise to explore the regions beyond the Tribe's reach.
Warning: *pokes Rating section*
Disclaimer: I do not own Warriors, but all these characters are mine.
Beta: None
Cover: None
Author's Notes: This started out as a one-shot on Warriors Cloud, originally, so if you're a member of Warriors Cloud, this confirms that I am continuing! ;D I just haven't gotten enough inspiration for the next chapter yet.
Chapter 1
Stoneteller sat with his head bowed deep within the caverns in the mountain where the Tribe lived. He sat before a pool that still glowed even without the light reaching it from outside, where the Tribe of Ever-Life spoke to him. Spikes of pointed stone rose around him ominously. He had been waiting for a sign all night long; for what, he wasn't quite sure.
"Speak to me," he pleaded, his face illuminated by the pale light off the pool. "I need to hear your voices."
Silence.
Sighing, Stoneteller mewed, "I want to speak to my mother." Perhaps that would provide a satisfactory excuse for them.
"Yes, Panther that Stalks Unheard?" a voice asked. A slim figure appeared out of the pool, its gray tabby form speckled with stars. Light amber eyes stared out at him.
"Mouse that Scuttles Underfoot," Stoneteller retorted. "Mother; please don't call me my real name. I'm the Stoneteller now, you know." His black pelt blended in with the shadows around him, his stunning blue eyes the only thing truly visible in the deep cavern.
The gray tabby purred in amusement. "I have a message for you, Stoneteller," she announced. "You must take a to-be as soon as possible."
Stoneteller's eyes widened in disbelief. "I only recently became Stoneteller!" he cried out, his voice squeaking slightly. "How can I take a to-be now?"
Mouse reached out to touch noses with her son. "Trust the Tribe of Ever-Life," she assured him. "This is the one that will become your to-be."
Another cat shimmered into view beside Mouse, a young light brown tabby with flashes of ginger fur. "This one."
"Bird that Flies Through Fire? A she-cat?" Stoneteller demanded. "Are you suggesting that I take on a female to-be? That's forbidden!"
"The Tribe of Ever-Life wills it," Mouse replied.
Still stunned, Stoneteller asked, "but she is already a to-be; she has been for two whole moons now. Shouldn't she continue on the path of a Prey-Hunter?"
Mouse looked over at the apparition of the young cat. "The Tribe of Ever-Life wills it," she repeated. "Take her as your to-be tomorrow morning at sun-peak." Both cats slowly began to fade.
"Mother, wait! I have more questions for you!" Stoneteller called as his mother dissipated into mist. He clawed the cold, stony ground in frustration, his long, curved claws as black as his pelt. "If the Tribe of Ever-Life wills it," he murmured, "so it shall be."
***
"From this day onward, Bird that Flies Through Fire shall be my to-be, and she will learn the ways of the Stoneteller."
Several gasps of surprise rippled around the crowd that was gathered in the mountain clearing, and the young she-cat in question was especially surprised. Her bright green eyes flung open in astonishment, and her jaw hung open slightly.
"Stoneteller, Bird is a she-cat," a pale brown tabby with a gravelly voice pointed out, "and you can't take a she-cat as a to-be."
"The Tribe of Ever-Life has willed it to be so, Falcon," Stoneteller announced, his voice wavering. "Do you really think I would do this without orders?"
Falcon dipped his head respectfully and stepped backwards into the throng of Tribe cats. Bird padded forward warily and stood beside Stoneteller, trying to remain calm. The shadows of the tall pine trees cast across the camp, crossing Stoneteller's face as he announced, "from this moment on, Bird that Flies Through Fire shall be known as something different," he announced. Turning to the to-be, he continued, "I pronounce you Fire-Bird."
A chorus rose into the sky as the Tribe somewhat hesitantly called out Fire-Bird's new name. Fire-Bird looked grateful for her name, and she mewed, "that's a wonderful name. Thank you, Stoneteller."
Stoneteller nodded curtly. "Tonight, you will sleep in the Glowing Cave and begin to learn the secrets of the Tribe of Ever-Life," he told her. "Then tomorrow, I shall lead you out to the Jag, where you will see the territory that will soon be yours."
Fire-Bird's eyes glowed with amazement. She could hardly wait for tomorrow morning.
***
"Fire-Bird, it is time," mewed Stoneteller, poking Fire-Bird's side with his nose. "We must walk out to the Jag."
The newly-appointed Stoneteller to-be yawned and stretched as she got up. "It's so early, Stoneteller," she complained. "Can't we wait until later?"
"We need to get there in time to catch the sunrise," explained Stoneteller, already bounding towards the entrance to the cave. "Now follow me, and try to refrain from asking any more questions."
The two emerged into the pale light of the early morning, and Fire-Bird blinked sticky sleep out of her eyes to see better. She ran after Stoneteller across the mountain, edging around ledges and swerving through the trees. At last, the pair reached an upward-slanted path of stone, and Stoneteller turned to walk up it. "This is it," he told Fire-Bird.
Fire-Bird followed him eagerly, no longer half-asleep. As they reached the top, Fire-Bird could see the magnificence of the Jag. It was a long, jutting expanse of rock that looked out over the glittering lake and another snow-covered peak across from it.
The black-furred Stoneteller padded out onto the rock, his bright blue eyes watching the horizon. The sky there was turning a soft shade of orange and pink, a sign that the sun would rise soon. His to-be followed him, her steps light and precarious.
"Stoneteller, it's so high up!" she mewed. "I know I'm a Tribe cat, but heights like this make me nervous."
"That's what I said when I first came up here," Stoneteller told her. "After a while, though, I learned to love going out on the Jag." He flicked his tail towards the horizon. "The sun is rising over there."
Fire-Bird gazed out at the line of rock and trees and saw the golden splendor of the sun beginning to rise. She took in a sharp breath and then exhaled loudly in a sigh of pleasure. Neither Stoneteller nor his to-be spoke another word until the last of the sun rose above the treeline.
"So this will all be mine when I become Stoneteller?" Fire-Bird asked. "The lake, and the mountain, and everything?"
Stoneteller blinked quickly. "Not the other mountain," he explained, but the lake is ours. And this mountain on which we stand belongs to the Tribe. Only the Tribe of Ever-Life knows what lies beyond."
Fire-Bird promised herself that one day, she would know all the secrets of the Tribe of Ever-Life; even what was beyond the Tribe's territory.
***
Many moons passed. Stoneteller became weak with age, and Fire-Bird noticed that he was beginning to slip away. She was by his side when he died, but she could barely stand to watch those stunning blue eyes close. She inhaled deeply and tried to mask her tears before emerging from the Glowing Cave.
The mid-morning sun shone down onto the camp, filtered by the pines surrounding the stone clearing. The whole Tribe was already gathered in the center as Fire-Bird entered camp, out of breath and red-eyed from crying.
"Stoneteller is dead," she meowed bluntly. The Tribe cats began chattering nervously. Fire-Birds usually soft voice became strong and determined. "I must take his place as soon as possible. But before that, I have a promise I must fulfill." She looked around. "Falcon that Rides the Wind, Lake that Reflects the Stars, and Kestrel With Curved Talons, come with me." She padded to the edge of the camp, the three cats she mentioned following hesitantly.
"Where are you going?" questioned Flame That Burns The Trees. Her glowing ginger pelt was made even brighter in the sunlight. "You cannot abandon us just as you are made Stoneteller."
Fire-Bird turned her head to look at her Tribe. "I made a promise to myself that I would find what's beyond our territory," she explained. "This is my chance." Her green eyes flashed with courage.
Soft murmurs of concern could be heard from the gathered Tribe cats. Flame bowed her head. "Have a safe journey, Stoneteller."
The tabby-and-ginger she-cat smiled. "Please, call me Fire-Bird," she insisted. "I rather like that name." Then she turned around and wound her way down the mountainside, her three companions following closely behind her.
