MountainClan History [story]

[Kato.Dragon]

Travels of the Raven



Deep green eyes glowed in the darkness as he watched a rabbit nibble on fresh blades of grass. His tummy growled violently as his mouth began to water. It had been two days since he had eaten something, but now that the warmer weather brought more pray he didn't mind his hunger.
Prowling without a sound toward the small rabbit, he got himself ready to pounce. The rabbit had paused in its eating and sniffed the air. Smelling the cat, it darted away but it was too late before the black cat jumped on it and sank his teeth into it's neck. The cat purred with delight as he chowed down on the prey, savoring eat bite.
His ripped ear twitched backward as he heard something come toward him. Opening his mouth he smelled the air, and recognized the scent. It was a friend. "Finally caught yourself something, eh Raven?" The unusually large black and gray cat teased. Raven glared at the cat.
"Look who's talking, all you can catch is the injured or prey too old to run." Raven bit into his rabbit again, not averting his eyes from the cat.
Frowning, the black and gray cat sat down and wrapped his tail around his legs. His eyes looked golden in the light of the almost full moon. "Whatever Raven. Just make sure to bring something back for Tawny. She's going to have her kits soon." The scar on the cats face gleamed slightly as he glared at Raven. Then he walked back into the darkness, leaving Raven alone.
Suddenly, Raven didn't feel as hungry anymore. Tawny was his best friend, and he hated knowing who the father of her kits were, and having only the three of them made it hard to share his troubles with "One of these days Rarco, I'm going to make you beg for mercy. Thats a promise..." He got up, and started hunting for more prey.
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Raven stood on a rock that stood above a cliff. It wasn't that big for a human as he noticed when one casually jump down to the bottom. But for him, he'd be glad if he didn't fall at all. He stared up at the moon. It was full tonight, and it's glow made Raven wish it would stay that way forever. It had been a few days since Tawny had kitted, and had three healthy kits. Which made him happy for her, just not for Rarco.
Raven yawed, and realized he hadn't been getting much sleep. Stretching, he looked for a comfortable spot on the rock to fall asleep.
Sleep came fast for Raven, they always had strange cats in them. Talking amongst each other, and never noticing he was there. Raven could never make out what they were saying, it was all a blur when he woke up, except for the faces of the cats he had seen. But this dream was different somehow. A pure white she-cat walked up to him, his eyes wide with shock. This was the first time they had even looked at him.
Her eyes were like pools of bright blue water. She stopped and touched his nose with hers. "I am called Whitetooth. I have a message for you. Great danger comes to those you care about most." Her eyes looked sympathetic for a brief second before he woke up with a jolt of shock. He gasped at what he heard, and ran back to Tawny.
His heart was pounding, and he hoped so much that the pretty she-cat was wrong. He didn't know why what she said made him want to check on his best friend, but something was pulling him there. Racing hard, Raven finally made to the tiny clearing that the three shared. Stopping at the entrance of their home -a box covered with tree branches and brush- Raven poked his head inside, the darkness made it hard to see anything. "Tawny?"
As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, Raven stared as he was suddenly struck with horror. Rarco stood over Tawny and her kits, blood dripping from his mouth and claws. The blood sodden cat looked at Raven and smirked. Fury flashed through Raven at the sight. "Rarco! How could you do such a thing! Why in the name of the Moon did you do it!" He bared his teeth and hissed. Rarco didn't say a word, except he grinned menacingly at Raven.
In an instant, Rarco lunged himself at Raven. They wrestled with each other for a good long while, which surprised Raven. He had thought Rarco wasn't this strong. When Rarco jumped on Ravens back to make the final bite, something white caught his eye. It was the cat from his dreams. Then out of no where another cat joined her, a creamy tabby with soft blue eyes and a motherly smile. Tawny! Raven felt a new jolt of energy and threw Rarco off his back.
The cat fell against a tree trunk, and gasped for air. His eyes flashing with hate, but the smell of him showed fear. Raven walked up to him. "I made a promise, that one day I'd make you beg for mercy," He put a paw on Rarco's neck, making it hard for the cat to breathe. He was also to weak from fighting to properly defend himself now. "but now I don't think I'll make you beg, that might be to civil for you. Instead, I'll make you wish you never laid eyes on Tawny. Ill let you run this time, but I swear by the light of the moon, if I ever see you again, Ill kill you." His paw lifted, and Rarco gasped for air again. Fear became more prudent on the cat now.
Raven scratched at Rarco once more before the fear stricken cat ran away. After he was out of sight, Raven sighed and walked inside the hut and walked to Tawny's still body. "I'm sorry Tawny." He spent most of the rest of the night burying her body with her kits. Raven laid next to the mound of dirt that covered her and slept.
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Many moons had passed by, and the season changed from the warm air to cold. Snow neatly covered the ground and trees as Raven slowly padded through it. It had been a long time since Raven even talked to another cat, especially what happened with Rarco, he couldn't really trust anyone anymore. He even tried not to sleep anymore for fear of seeing the white cat in them, or seeing Tawny. Oh how he wished he could see her again, but just not in his dreams.
Raven sighed heavily, sorrow still lingering in his face. He had almost given up the will to live, but he knew Tawny wouldn't what that for him, that was the only reason he kept going. Something else kept him going too. The white she-cat came to him in his sleep the night Tawny was killed, saying that Tawny is in a good place, watching over him. She also said her name was Whitetooth, it was a strange name to him but it fit her well.
The sudden steady fall of snowflakes roused Raven from his thoughts, and he realized he had walked much father than he thought. He was near the waterfall, and the sounds of the water soothed him a little, knowing that this was Tawny's favorite spot to be. Raven looked at the sky, the moon was out and full. The light of the moon reflected off the snow, making it sparkle. Raven loved this time of year, except for the low amount of prey about. Clearing snow off a rock next to the water, Raven lied down, and before he knew it he had fallen asleep.
Waking up, Raven looked around. He was still laying next to the waterfall, the moon was still out, except the air around him was warm instead of cold like when he went to sleep. I must be dreaming then.... Standing, Raven looked around half expecting Whitetooth to come to him. But instead of the she-cat. No one came. Only the faint breeze that carried Tawny and Whitetooth's smell reassured him he wasn't alone. "Tawny? Whitetooth?" Raven walked toward their smells.
Both of the she-cats appeared before Raven, both holding motherly smiles. The white she-cat stepped forward and touched his nose with hers, while Tawny stayed back. "Hello Raven. It's good to see you again." Raven couldn't help but smile at the sweet voice of the she-cat. "It's good to see you too." Raven replied. Whitetooth stepped back beside Tawny, and Raven looked at them a little confused. "Why am I here?"
He expected Whitetooth to tell him, but Tawny spoke instead. "Raven, we all brought you here to tell you something very important." Raven looked more confused. All of us? As soon as he thought that, Whitetooth smiled as if she had heard him.
"Yes, all of us." After the she-cat said that, seven other cats appeared behind her. A very large black tom with cool amber eyes; a tiny gray tabby she-cat who look as if she was walking on air; an orange tom who's coat looked of fire; two she-cats who looked almost identical with their sandy brown fur and white paws; a dark brown tom with a black stripe along his back; an old looking tortoiseshell she-cat ; and finally a white tom with tan splotches and many battle scars.
Raven stared in awe over all of the cats that now stood before him. He had never seen them before, no matter how many times he had visited places in his dreams. He felt very much intimidated by the sight of them all, not really sure of what to think or do. Whitetooth smiled warmly. "Don't worry Raven. We came to you because we had to. There is a very important message that must be told to you now." Her eyes looked worried, which made Raven worry as well.
The gray tabby she-cat stepped forward. "I am called Featherfoot, and I will explain everything to you. You were brought here to start a new beginning for StarClan," She began, but Raven was very much confused by the word StarClan. "you Raven, are strong, protective, and loving. You were chosen by StarClan to lead a Clan of your own." Featherfoot chuckled. The tom with the fiery pelt stepped forward this time.
"I am Flamepelt, I can see you feel very confused, and I don't blame you. I shall explain a few things. We are StarClan, and StarClan is a place for all cats that have left your world. As you can see Tawny here, she is now with StarClan." He motioned to Tawny with his tail, and Tawny smiled at Raven with much happiness.
Raven was still a little confused, and thought a few questions wouldn't hurt. "Okay, I understand this whole StarClan thing, but why do you want me to start my own Clan? I don't even know anyone else." Featherfoot stepped a little closer to Raven, answering his question.
"We want you to start a Clan because there needs to be a balance in the forest. And don't worry about finding cats, we have taken care of all of that." Raven stared at her as if he understood, but he felt uncomfortable around them all. This time Tawny stepped forward, pressing her soft pelt against his side. Raven felt at home just then, listening to her purr.
"Raven, they want you to travel to a place they are calling Four Rocks. It is beyond the waterfall and cliffs, past the Twoleg cave and next to the Great Tree. StarClan will be waiting there for you to give you more information," Tawny licked his forehead. "and so will I." The images of the StarClan cats faded, leaving Raven alone.
Waking up, Raven found himself almost shivering from the sudden cold he felt. The sun was well about the horizon when Raven finally stood to stretch. He was still confused about everything the cats had said, except that he had to go somewhere special. Shaking his fur of the snow, Raven decided to head towards this 'Four Rocks' that Tawny mentioned. He wondered if he would find it, and how long it would take before he did.
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Through thick trees, over large plains lightly covered in snow, Raven slowly made his way toward this 'Four Rocks'. It was almost tiring, and he hadn't gotten a decent nights sleep in days. Prey was easy to find, if he looked hard enough, so he was never overly hungry. Soon he came upon a giant tree, that towered over him in the night sky. Raven gasped at the sight of it, he walked around it. He estimated it to be at least 25 cats around, and he didn't even want to know how tall it was, as long as it never fell on him. He then remembered what Tawny told him, that 'Four Rocks' was really close to this tree.
Raven looked around, but the only thing close to it was a small ledge. Maybe it was on top of it. He climbed it easily, and found four giant rocks, neatly placed out in a rough circle. Raven smiled to himself. I'm here Tawny! He looked up at the sky, as if waiting for her face to appear in the stars.
Suddenly, he grew extremely tired. Yawning, he quickly jumped up the nearest rock and layed down to sleep.
His ear twitched, and the scent of Tawny filled his nose. He awoke with her sitting on another rocks in front of him, smiling warmly. "Hello Raven. I have waited for this meeting for a while, I am glad you made it here." Raven stood of all fours, ready to jump over to her but was stopped when he noticed the white fur of Whitetooth. She stepped forward, blocking his landing spot next to Tawny.
"This isn't the time for family reunions." She sounded strained, and her blue eyes weren't as shiny and cool as they once where. "I too, am glad your finally here. But I must explain everything to you now, there will be another time to speak with Tawny." Suddenly the scenery blurred and Raven felt the need to dig his claws into the stone. The blurring stopped, and the image of a mountain side enveloped him.
"What is this?" Raven stared at his surroundings, amazed. Whitetooth stood and walked toward the edge of a small cliff, below them, were many boulders and rocks, all making a path down toward the bottom of the mountain.
"This is where you will make the beginning of your Clan, Coalstar. This is where you will lead your clan, and become a great leader." She never turned around, but her words made raven uneasy.
"What? Coalstar? My name is Raven. And how can I lead a clan here? It looks like a death trap!" He gasped as he edged closer to the edge, but took a few steps back.
"It wont be if you teach others the way of the mountains, and they will pass their wisdom down to others." Whitetooth turned to him, the shine in her eyes had returned. "Your new name is Coalstar, you must welcome that name if you are to lead this Clan. If you do not, then the balance with destroy all we have grown to love. You must take the name Raven!" She sounded almost pleading, her eyes now filled with sorrow.
Raven was overwhelmed, he didn't know what to think. Tawny had walked over, pressing her muzzle into his flank. He felt reassurance. He looked into Whitetooth's eyes. "I will take the name, and teach others the way of the mountain." He inclined his head, not noticing if Whitetooth's mood had changed.
It was Tawny's turn to speak. "I will show you the way through the rocky paths, Coalstar, and protect you and the others till your journal is complete." The surroundings burred once again, and he found himself on Four Rocks once again. "We have chosen loyal followers, they will follow you to their new home Coalstar. They will be waiting at the base of the mountain for you." With that, both Tawny and Whitetooth disappeared. Leaving Coalstar with the frightened words of the white she-cat, he shivered.
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Raven, now known as Coalstar headed toward the mountains that loomed over him on the far side to the northeast. He felt content knowing Tawny would stay with him till the journey was finished, but he would regret when it was time for Tawny to leave him. He sighed at the thought, at least she was happy there in StarClan.
Only a day went by as Coalstar noticed a group of cats waiting by the path just like Tawny had said. He counted them. Fifteen. There were fifteen cats waiting for him. Fifteen cats to start a new life. He watched them for a short while before meeting them. As Coalstar came into view, the cats watched him, eyes wide with wonder. Coalstar stopped a tails length from them and nodded his head. One cat stepped forward. A pale gray tom, with goldish and slightly darker gray stripes. He seemed rather aged. He bowed his head and spoke. "It is good to finally meet you Coalstar. I am called Goldenclaw, and Starclan have appointed be to be your second in command, your deputy." Coalstar bowed his head in return, and watched as a pretty white she-cat stepped forward.
She had pale green eyes, and a small black diamond on her forehead, and black paws. "I am called Whitewind. Starclan have appointed me as the clan Medicinecat. I am still learning, but they said I would do well as a clan healer." She smiled warmly at him and stepped back. All the cats had introduced each other one by one, two of them were really young, not even a year old.
Coalstar then told them they had to climb up the mountain, most where uneasy about the idea, but Coalstar told them that StarClan would be guiding them, and wouldn't let any cat die. So, the cats trudged up the mountain. Jumping over holes, climbing a tree once or twice.
Finally, after much climbing and many sore paws, they all made it to were Whitetooth had showed him a large flat part in the rocks, and many places to make homes and dens and part of the area was covered by a overhanging sheet of rock, to protect them from rain and snow.. He smiled to himself, pleased he had finally made it this far. He watched as all of the cats searched their new home with much enthusiasm.
"So this is how it will start. Thank you Tawny, and Whitetooth for showing me my true destiny..." Coalstar watched as the sun began to climb slowly over the rocks. He turned and began organizing his new found camp.