Join us in an exciting story full of twists, new discoveries, a rich mythology and the search of what lays at the core of the Clans of the mountain. After sealing a pact with two fickle gods, Helios of the Sun and Aletheia of the Moon, twin clans live under the shadow of their pact, and the price paid to live another day.
YOU CAN APPRECIATE THE LIGHT... BUT BEFORE THAT, YOU MUST KNOW DARKNESS.
The Sun and Moon rain down chaos and tragedy over the Clans, as punishment for crimes finally revealed. Tension rises between both groups as they're forced out of their homes, and a call from the past haunts those with enough sense to listen.
The snow-white Bengal tom was not ready to start the day as per usual. But, being kicked in the back by his littermate made the tom in another grumpy mood as he sat up in his nest looking rather groggy. “Stupid molebrain Molepaw.” Growling out the bitterness as he finally stepped out the nest. Dreading even the thought of walking outside the den and into the outside where his mentor Cloverberry was probably waiting for him. Why the old hag of a leader assigned another old hag of a mentor was beyond him. “Both of them are so prehistoric…probably even older than the God’s themselves.” Mintpaw huffing out the bitter words as the angry tom made his way outside the apprentice den with the morning light shining into his light blue eyes.
Squinting his eyes as they adjusted to the light before, scanning them around the camp to lnd on the fresh kill pile. ‘I can just work on my daily chore with the frogs.’ The thought of cutting of the frogs head to leave the bodies sent his tail tip quivering with excitement. Mintpaw snagging a frog off the pile and carrying it in his mouth to the edge of the camp to be in the shadows. Dropping the frog and then using one claw to cut into the rubbery flesh to slice off the head. “Perfect for putting in a queen’s nest later and watching them cry over it. Damn hormonal queens.” Huffing out the thought as he wrapped his tail around his paws and puffed out his chest in a pride that was washing over him.
The sun had began to rise and light slowly seeped into the warrior’s den. As others awoke around her she buried her face closer into Whitedream’s fur wishing not to be disturbed from her slumber. The soothing scent of lavender and honey coated them both and gave her comfort she didn’t desire to leave. Yet as the sun the blanketed them Cloverberry slowly pushed her way out of the nest. “Sleep well love.”
The cool breeze washed over her as the senior warrior exited the den. There had been a bit of surprise when Spiritstar had assigned her an apprentice. The brown tabby had thought her training days had been left far behind her, back in the clans who had turned their back on her long before. Yet here she was rising at the crack of dawn in order to train an apprentice who would much rather spend his day torturing the queen’s then earning his warrior name. It hadn’t taken long for Cloverberry to spot the apprentice who had a freshly cut frog underneath his paw. Her fur raised for a moment as she saw him and her blue eyes rolled. Her legs carried her across the clearing stopping just in front of the tom. “Mintpaw how many times I have told you to stop cutting up the frogs? We’re are given the frogs to eat not to mutilate.” She scolded, using her claw to dig into the frog’s back and drag it closer to her.
“If you want to treat the prey that’s meant to be eaten like this than perhaps it’s time to teach you how to catch it in the first place.” Cloverberry turned away from the tom and headed in the direction of the haunted lake. Was teaching the apprentice how to hunt frogs a mistake? Probably. At least if she did than he would stop stealing it off the prey pile. It wasn’t a solution but it was a start.
Just as the young tom was getting ready to cut into the frog’s body again. His actions were interrupted by his mentor of all cats. Listening to her scold him about mutilating the frog and how he should treat it like prey. “Ahhh..now Cloverberry…what’s the fun in that….can’t I just rip their heads off?” asking the question with a small smirk forming onto his facial features as he watched Cloverberry take the frog from him and surprise him with the fact they were going to learn to hunt them today. Mintpaw’s eyes widening in a shock that the brittle mentor was going to teach him to hunt frogs….his favorite prey today. “You aren’t just pulling my leg huh or just saying nonsense?” asking the question with a half scowl forming onto his face that replaced the excitement. What if his mentor wasn’t really going to teach him to hunt frogs and was instead going to teach him some prehistoric stuff?
The thought’s pulling the young tom’s focus away as he moved his paws quicker to pick up a trot to follow after Cloverberry where she was taking him into the haunted forest of all places. “You know I love frogs so if you don’t like me destroying them…why are you making me learn to catch them?” Mintpaw huffing out the question as he continued to follow the she-cat hoping he wasn’t being tricked. Letting his paws crunch against the leaves that were scattered all around the forest floor as he gave another burst of speed to catch up to the older mentor. “I’ll be better at catching frogs than Molepaw….and better than Mottledpaw. Having a prehistoric mentor will do that. With age comes wisdom or so I’m told by all the older warriors.” Another small smirk forming onto his face as he went quiet with his ears flickering back to listen to the morning sounds around him.
The slimy creature was hooked beneath her claws as she kept her focus on the young apprentice. The warrior was out about an inch taller than him yet it didn’t mean she still couldn’t be intimidating for her size. “Food is not meant to be fun. It fuels our bodies and our minds, but when you take from the pile and not add you’re hurting more than just yourself.” She hoped that the latter would strike a chord with the tom. Cloverberry hadn’t been the only one to notice a distinct lake of the amphibian on the prey pile. There were nights she overheard the whispers of other warriors discussing certain behaviors, especially when a queen was heard screaming from within the nursery. It was always her apprentice’s name that accompanied it and each time she heard it there was a twinge in her heart. If the apprentice was ever to gain the respect of his clan then he had to start somewhere. Maybe contributing to the clan would be the best place to begin.
As they exited the camp she placed the body of the mutilated frog under a bush where it wouldn’t be noticed by another. There were brief moments of silence in their walk out to the haunted lake. With the dawn the sound of robins could be heard chirping from the treetops and the faint sound crickets who were ready to settle underneath the warmth of the rising sun. Those brief moments of silence were interrupted as the apprentice spoke though Cloverberry didn’t mind. If he was asking questions then he was interested and that’s exactly what she had wanted. “Now Mintpaw, what would be gained out of me pulling your leg? If I told you one thing then did another you wouldn’t trust me and it would make training you harder on us both.” She turned her head to smile softly at the apprentice as she spoke. The last thing that she needed was for training the apprentice to get much harder than it already was.
When the young tom spoke again, curious as to why she’d even train him in such a skill she stopped in her tracks. Not from shock, but from the desire to ensure the tom fully understood why this needed to be done. “You have been lucky enough to be born within these clan walls. The land has blessed us with shelter and with prey. There was a time before this in which us prehistoric warriors were not given such luxuries. The woods were not as forgiving to those who couldn’t fend for themselves. There were nights without meals or a safe place to sleep. I’m teaching you this because though I believe these shall not be stripped away I want you to be prepared in case they are.” After the final words left her mouth, she took a pause to breathe before continuing their walk to the lake.
“I’d also like for there for be a frog on the prey pile when I wish to eat one so hurry up.”
It only took them a few more minutes strolling through the woods in order to reach their final destination. The water from the lake lapped along the shore as a soft morning breeze pushed the water. The reeds could be seen swaying slightly side to side as dragonflies flittered above. “If you wish to catch a frog then you must know exactly where to look.”
The words repeating now in his mind from earlier what Cloverberry told him in a strict tone, while taking his frog away. “Food is not meant to be fun. It fuels our bodies and our minds.” But why couldn’t the frogs be fun? It wasn’t that bad him stealing frogs off the prey pile whenever he liked. The mixture of adrenaline always sent him laughing about it. Mintpaw trotted to keep up with his mentor as she asked him why she would be pulling his leg. “I-I don’t know…. cause Monarchmask likes to mess with me a lot.” The simple statement about his mother the cat that birthed him and his littermates into the world that hated his entire existence. “Hey-hey slow down Cloverberry!” calling out as he jogged faster through the forest to keep up with the older, she-cat. “For one who’s this old, she sure is fast.’ The thought making the snow bengal dumb founded.
Minpaw, listening with his ears flicking foreword at Cloverberry explaining about how she and te other prehistoric warriors had the woods that weren’t so forgiving. “So, you were in the founding clans? The Riverclan….Shadowclan…Windclan and Thunderclan? What was it like Miss Cloverberry?” forgetting that he actually used his manners for once in addressing the brown mentor. But all else was forgotten to the snow Bengal who wanted to know more about the clans before the one he was in now. Shaking his head with a grunt at Cloverberry’s statement that made a half eyeroll happen. “Since when have I ever seen you touch a frog?” Mintpaw scoffing out the question as they reached the lake at last.
As Mintpaw gazed out into the lake water with the reeds floating in the distance. All the blood in his body went coursing throughout his veins. “You must first know where to look for the frogs.” The statement now churning in his head while scanning his icey blue eyes around the clearing. “Hmmphhh but I’ve never caught a frog before. Are those little bastards hiding under the water like the fish?” asking the question with a tilt of his head before padding closer to the water’s edge. The soft soil underneath now squishing into his toes as he dipped his head under the water, trying to open his eyes to see anything in the murky water. Raising his head back up with a shiver shooting down his spine from the cold air hitting his face. “No frogs under the water. Do they hide in the mud under the ground?” the frustration now ebbing into his voice as he splashed the water with his paw.
