A Starry Night

A black and white cat was seen staring up at a starry sky. He licked his paw and then set it down hard. A grasshopper bounded past and the cat caught it. Darkfang killed this prey but just left it there. It was too small to be worth to eat. He sat down on the rock outside of the underground tunnels and caves. His whiskers flailed in the wind as it sped by. He felt too tired to catch a peice of rabbit or other prey, so he lay down on the cold rock. The lights of the stars overwhelmed him. He hated it when they were out.

They were like ticks that never went away. Darkfang never went out in the sunlight because it just reminded him of his dumb rogue mother. He crawled into his tunnel, and was eaten by darkness. His eyes could see though, and they seemed to give him the strength to walk slowly on the cave floor, which was very slippery. His black paws was a definate sign that he had walked in the black steams every night, which were polluted with Twoleg trash. Darkfang jumped up to his ledge where he would soon be leader of this tribe. He would announce meeting and hold wars. He liked the feeling of having power.

Darkfang curled up on his bed, which was made out of a few feathers. His claws made a scraping sound on the cave that he loved. His tail curled up next to his nose, and he fell half way asleep still alert for other cats out there.

Leafstream approched the entrence to the tribe. One of the cats who stayed every now and then at the barn told her where it was. She could smell the scent of a cat. Here goes nothing. She stepped in and looked around. "Hello? I know your in here whoever you are!", she said, her head held up high. She waited for someone to acknowledge her. A wind buffeted her fur as her beautiful gleaming eyes over looked the camp.

Darkfang lifted his head. He saw a female cat in his entrance. He stayed in the shadows and then splashed through the cinder streams. His bright green eyes glared through the darkness, and his pelt seemed to ripple from the anxiousness that had come. "This is my tribe's land," Darkfang said smugly, "Have you come to join me?"

He patiently waited for her reply. His eyes narrowed as he scented her in case she attacked. His tail arched high as he watched her carefully.

"Yes , I have come to join your tribe. My name is Leafstream. What is yours?", she asked. She walked up to him. This must be the leader.She thought with an amused look in her eyes.

Darkfang stared blankly at her for a minute and then said, ''Darkfang. If you were accepted, then what position would you be?" Darkfang shifted his paws on the cold stone floor.

Leafstream sat down and curled her tail over her paws. "A deffender or an herb cat.", she replied

Darkfang almost sighed sighed with releif that a cat was to finally join him but that would show a weakness. He thought carefully. "How good are you at being an herb cat?" he asked.

"I used to take care of traveling cats in a barn not too far from here. They often arrived with wounds to treat and I eventualy figured out most of the herbs and what they are used for.", she said with pride. A wave of thankfulness swept over her. Lucky for me I put those herbs to memory. This is probley the only thing that is helping me get into this tribe.

Darkfang nodded assuming that was experience. "You will be the Tribe of Golden Brooks new medicene cat," he announced. Darkfang leapt onto his perch and then said with his bak turned, "You can pick you den. I would suggest somewhere kind of high because water flows freely here." His paws led him to lay down beside the edge. He wanted to see where she would pick.

Leafstream burst with excitment inside. With a smile on her face she turned to look around the camp. She saw a couple of places that would suit for defenders, attackers, or to-bes. Finally, she saw on a little hill in the farthest corner from the entrance, an over hanging rock with leachen dangling from the rock that served as the roof. Leafstream's eyes brightened as she walked over to it. Inside were roots from nearby trees intertwinning in and out of the earth's back wall. "Those could easily work as shelves for my herbs!", she said to herself. "This is perfect Darkfang. Thank you.", she said as she walked out of her new den.

Darkfang nodded in agreement and then layed his head in his paws. His confidence increased with this new cat here.

Leafstream walked up to Darkfang and asked, "Would you like to show me around the territory? I need to know where and what herbs grow here. We can also talk to each other about ourselves. To have a close bond with all the tribe members makes it strong. Thats at least what I think." She waited for a reply.

Darkfang silently agreed, but decided not to show it. He grudgingly stood up from his laying position and then waited to follow her.

Leafstream followed Darkfang out of the camp and into the awaited territory.