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Literature Text
Hailpaw dreamed.
There was just darkness. Nothing but blackness in all directions; up, down, left, right, forward, backward. She had no way to tell where she was, where down was, or even how she was oriented. It was strange when there wasn't anything to judge yourself by. She flailed her paws, but that only made it worse; her paws slapped at emptiness, not even air. She couldn't feel air brushing by it, or anything of the kind. She stretched her eyes as far as possible, but no shapes came to her.
Then she felt a striking pain in her chest. No sound, but as she looked down she found she could see herself at long last. The spotted silver tabby sighed in relief until she remembered the pain; it was so sudden and unexplained, she let out a horrid retching sound at it. Her eyes grew wide with fearful pain, and she looked at her chest with terror. Blood streamed down her chest, from a perfectly round hole that dove right near where her heart was. Fear bubbled in her throat before she spat out a glob of blood, and it floated into the nothingness.
She was falling, falling now - she could tell, but he wasn't sure how she could tell. She saw streamers of her own bright red blood disappearing into the blackness above her, frothing out of her mouth like ocean suds. She clawed at the nothingness before her, but it didn't work.
Blood and falling, blood and falling, cold air.
Hailpaw sucked in a deep breath as she awoke, eyes wide and pupils dilated. Her claws were shoved into the ground, and her fur was spiked up in little rows like grassy tufts during Warm Winds. She shakily stood up and recognized her surroundings: she was in the nursery of her Clan, next to her mother who was sleeping soundly. Gorsecloud was such a wonderful mother, honestly, and she wished she didn't have to carry the same burden Hailpaw did.
Memories flooding in from the night before, she stepped groggily out of her den, only to discover that the camp was silent. All of the cats were, apparently, still asleep. She flicked her tail back and forth in bewilderment, tilting her head a little. She glanced around before her eyes caught something dark cinnamon-brown in the dusty snow nearby.
"Hareclaw?" She asked in surprise, pushing her ears forward. "You live?"
Hareclaw shook his head slowly, his tail curling behind him. He shut his eyes slowly, as if taking a deep breath, before opening them and looking into her eyes. It felt like his gaze was burning holes into her face.
"I'm sorry," She murmured in horror when she realized she was seeing Hareclaw's ghost, not his real self. She stepped forward, crouched low to the cold stone, tufty ears flat. "I wanted to save you. I would have, if I wasn't such a-"
Hareclaw narrowed his eyes and gently placed a forepaw on the top of her head, clearly shushing her voice. He then turned and padded toward the camp entrance, ears perked as if waiting for her.
"I'm coming," She said immediately, not wanting to disobey the cat whose death she'd caused. The feeling of guilt hung heavy in her chest, and she padded over with great speed. Perhaps he was showing her a way to redeem herself. And to stop Sleettail from accusing me of purposeful murder again, she thought horribly.
She stood beside him and waited while he gazed out into the territory. She followed it and, to her surprise, she found a dark brown hare sitting in the way of the Camp's opening. It was just a short dash out. Aren't hares supposed to be white in the winter? She looked questioningly at Hareclaw, but he only flicked his ear in waiting.
Finally Hailpaw decided what he meant: he wanted her to catch the hare. A brown hare in winter? It had to be a sign from their ancestors! The Clan would surely see that Hailpaw had been accepted... right?
She bunched up her muscles, wiggled her paws, and jumped into the thick of the blizzard. The brown hare startled, the fur rising on its spine, before it swiveled around and started hopping swiftly through the foggy snow. Hailpaw pelted after it, her paws kicking up snow as she chased after the creature. Hareclaw's challenging me, she thought in surprise. If I give up, he'll never forgive me! Determination welled up in her chest, right where the circular hole had been in her dream.
The rabbit zigzagged around across the tundra, but Hailpaw was directly on its tail. Her panting breaths sent little plumes into the white abyss, and she could see nothing except the bobbing cinnamon behind of the rodent she was about to catch. Her claws slipped out of their sheaths, and her ears were flat to her head. I've almost got it, Hareclaw!
Suddenly the hare disappeared. Just as she realized that it was gone, her paws were suddenly dangling into nothingness, and the whiteness cloaked any way of knowing where 'up' was, just like her nightmare. She flailed in the air as she felt herself starting to drop, eyes wide, fear going down her spine.
Wild pain blossomed in her chest, and everything went black.
There was just darkness. Nothing but blackness in all directions; up, down, left, right, forward, backward. She had no way to tell where she was, where down was, or even how she was oriented. It was strange when there wasn't anything to judge yourself by. She flailed her paws, but that only made it worse; her paws slapped at emptiness, not even air. She couldn't feel air brushing by it, or anything of the kind. She stretched her eyes as far as possible, but no shapes came to her.
Then she felt a striking pain in her chest. No sound, but as she looked down she found she could see herself at long last. The spotted silver tabby sighed in relief until she remembered the pain; it was so sudden and unexplained, she let out a horrid retching sound at it. Her eyes grew wide with fearful pain, and she looked at her chest with terror. Blood streamed down her chest, from a perfectly round hole that dove right near where her heart was. Fear bubbled in her throat before she spat out a glob of blood, and it floated into the nothingness.
She was falling, falling now - she could tell, but he wasn't sure how she could tell. She saw streamers of her own bright red blood disappearing into the blackness above her, frothing out of her mouth like ocean suds. She clawed at the nothingness before her, but it didn't work.
Blood and falling, blood and falling, cold air.
Hailpaw sucked in a deep breath as she awoke, eyes wide and pupils dilated. Her claws were shoved into the ground, and her fur was spiked up in little rows like grassy tufts during Warm Winds. She shakily stood up and recognized her surroundings: she was in the nursery of her Clan, next to her mother who was sleeping soundly. Gorsecloud was such a wonderful mother, honestly, and she wished she didn't have to carry the same burden Hailpaw did.
Memories flooding in from the night before, she stepped groggily out of her den, only to discover that the camp was silent. All of the cats were, apparently, still asleep. She flicked her tail back and forth in bewilderment, tilting her head a little. She glanced around before her eyes caught something dark cinnamon-brown in the dusty snow nearby.
"Hareclaw?" She asked in surprise, pushing her ears forward. "You live?"
Hareclaw shook his head slowly, his tail curling behind him. He shut his eyes slowly, as if taking a deep breath, before opening them and looking into her eyes. It felt like his gaze was burning holes into her face.
"I'm sorry," She murmured in horror when she realized she was seeing Hareclaw's ghost, not his real self. She stepped forward, crouched low to the cold stone, tufty ears flat. "I wanted to save you. I would have, if I wasn't such a-"
Hareclaw narrowed his eyes and gently placed a forepaw on the top of her head, clearly shushing her voice. He then turned and padded toward the camp entrance, ears perked as if waiting for her.
"I'm coming," She said immediately, not wanting to disobey the cat whose death she'd caused. The feeling of guilt hung heavy in her chest, and she padded over with great speed. Perhaps he was showing her a way to redeem herself. And to stop Sleettail from accusing me of purposeful murder again, she thought horribly.
She stood beside him and waited while he gazed out into the territory. She followed it and, to her surprise, she found a dark brown hare sitting in the way of the Camp's opening. It was just a short dash out. Aren't hares supposed to be white in the winter? She looked questioningly at Hareclaw, but he only flicked his ear in waiting.
Finally Hailpaw decided what he meant: he wanted her to catch the hare. A brown hare in winter? It had to be a sign from their ancestors! The Clan would surely see that Hailpaw had been accepted... right?
She bunched up her muscles, wiggled her paws, and jumped into the thick of the blizzard. The brown hare startled, the fur rising on its spine, before it swiveled around and started hopping swiftly through the foggy snow. Hailpaw pelted after it, her paws kicking up snow as she chased after the creature. Hareclaw's challenging me, she thought in surprise. If I give up, he'll never forgive me! Determination welled up in her chest, right where the circular hole had been in her dream.
The rabbit zigzagged around across the tundra, but Hailpaw was directly on its tail. Her panting breaths sent little plumes into the white abyss, and she could see nothing except the bobbing cinnamon behind of the rodent she was about to catch. Her claws slipped out of their sheaths, and her ears were flat to her head. I've almost got it, Hareclaw!
Suddenly the hare disappeared. Just as she realized that it was gone, her paws were suddenly dangling into nothingness, and the whiteness cloaked any way of knowing where 'up' was, just like her nightmare. She flailed in the air as she felt herself starting to drop, eyes wide, fear going down her spine.
Wild pain blossomed in her chest, and everything went black.
***
Hailpaw could hear nothing, see nothing, smell nothing. Her whiskers twitched as, at last, consciousness came back to her. Her eyes slowly opened, and she felt some pressure on her side. Perhaps she was dead; perhaps Hareclaw had led her off a cliff so he could take her life away the same way he had lost his own. Perhaps this was just revenge for how he'd died.
"Little one, you're shaking."
Hailpaw's eyes fluttered open as surprise jolted her. She hadn't realized how scared she'd been, or how ready for an attack of some kind. She flicked her ears and wondered who that voice belonged to; it wasn't a Clan voice. She could recognize her Clanmates anywhere, anytime, even if they didn't talk much previously.
"Who are you?" She croaked, lifting her head and opening her eyes. "Why are you here? Am I dead?"
The voice chuckled gently; Hailpaw studied the owner closely. It was a silvery tabby, with thick black stripes lashing her sides. Her eyes were a grey brown, and she was unusually skinny for a cat that lived in the mountaintops.
"For why I'm here; I found you at the bottom of a cliff, all torn up and ratty. I couldn't just leave a kit like you there, so I toted you a safe distance into the tundra forest and cleaned your wounds. And no, dear, you're not dead."
"I'm not a kit," Hailpaw moaned. "I'm an apprentice." That was all she could think of saying right now.
The queen smiled. "Of course you are, dear. What's your name?"
"Hailpaw," The spotted apprentice meowed.
"What a strange name," She meowed curiously. "Hailpaw. Your paws look nothing like hail."
"That's not what it means," She hissed, fluffing up her abnormally short fur to try and wake herself up. She was feeling particularly grumpy, considering the last memory she had was chasing a hare off a cliff. "Hail- is for my fur, furbrain. -paw is because I'm an apprentice."
"Ah, so your name has some meaning then," She chuckled. "Well, I'll call you Hail Paw then."
"My name isn't said like this. It's all one word: Hailpaw."
"Of course," She purred again. "Anyway; my name is Feather Tail. And this is my mate, Crow Wing."
Hailpaw blinked a few times, wondering how on earth the name Feather- worked at all. As she glanced up, she noticed a gray, almost black tom with dark green eyes that looked almost liquid. He glared at her in silence, his fur fluffing up.
"Who are you?" Hailpaw growled at last. "What's your Clan's name?" I hope you don't ask for mine. My Clan doesn't have a name!
"Clan?" The tom growled, his voice scratchy and gruff. "We know nothing of Clans. You must have hit your head harder than you thought. We belong to a Colony, and nothing else. You better show us respect."
Colony? "What's a Colony?" She meowed.
"A group of cats, goofball," Feather Tail chuckled. "We all live under one tom's lead. He protects us, and keeps our territory safe from predators and enemy cats that want to hurt us and steal our prey."
Hailpaw tipped her head. "That sounds sort of like my Clan. We live together, too, and we keep the territory safe. What's your leader's name? My Clan leader's name was Snowstar. She-"
"She!" Feather Tail gasped in shock, and the fur on Crow Wing's back rose with horror. "Your leader is a female?"
"Yeah...?" Hailpaw mewed, looking up at her.
"She must be taken care of," Crow Wing growled. "She's a danger to the Colony!"
"Crow Wing, no!" Feather Tail meowed. "She's just confused, that's all. She probably just said the wrong thing!"
"No!" Crow Wing snapped. "She must be taken care of before she spreads false belief among our people!"
"You cannot! I won't allow it!" Feather Tail said, stepping in front of Hailpaw to shield her from the black tom's wrath.
"You will allow it!" Crow Wing growled, raising paw as if to slap the tabby.
"She must be killed!"
"Little one, you're shaking."
Hailpaw's eyes fluttered open as surprise jolted her. She hadn't realized how scared she'd been, or how ready for an attack of some kind. She flicked her ears and wondered who that voice belonged to; it wasn't a Clan voice. She could recognize her Clanmates anywhere, anytime, even if they didn't talk much previously.
"Who are you?" She croaked, lifting her head and opening her eyes. "Why are you here? Am I dead?"
The voice chuckled gently; Hailpaw studied the owner closely. It was a silvery tabby, with thick black stripes lashing her sides. Her eyes were a grey brown, and she was unusually skinny for a cat that lived in the mountaintops.
"For why I'm here; I found you at the bottom of a cliff, all torn up and ratty. I couldn't just leave a kit like you there, so I toted you a safe distance into the tundra forest and cleaned your wounds. And no, dear, you're not dead."
"I'm not a kit," Hailpaw moaned. "I'm an apprentice." That was all she could think of saying right now.
The queen smiled. "Of course you are, dear. What's your name?"
"Hailpaw," The spotted apprentice meowed.
"What a strange name," She meowed curiously. "Hailpaw. Your paws look nothing like hail."
"That's not what it means," She hissed, fluffing up her abnormally short fur to try and wake herself up. She was feeling particularly grumpy, considering the last memory she had was chasing a hare off a cliff. "Hail- is for my fur, furbrain. -paw is because I'm an apprentice."
"Ah, so your name has some meaning then," She chuckled. "Well, I'll call you Hail Paw then."
"My name isn't said like this. It's all one word: Hailpaw."
"Of course," She purred again. "Anyway; my name is Feather Tail. And this is my mate, Crow Wing."
Hailpaw blinked a few times, wondering how on earth the name Feather- worked at all. As she glanced up, she noticed a gray, almost black tom with dark green eyes that looked almost liquid. He glared at her in silence, his fur fluffing up.
"Who are you?" Hailpaw growled at last. "What's your Clan's name?" I hope you don't ask for mine. My Clan doesn't have a name!
"Clan?" The tom growled, his voice scratchy and gruff. "We know nothing of Clans. You must have hit your head harder than you thought. We belong to a Colony, and nothing else. You better show us respect."
Colony? "What's a Colony?" She meowed.
"A group of cats, goofball," Feather Tail chuckled. "We all live under one tom's lead. He protects us, and keeps our territory safe from predators and enemy cats that want to hurt us and steal our prey."
Hailpaw tipped her head. "That sounds sort of like my Clan. We live together, too, and we keep the territory safe. What's your leader's name? My Clan leader's name was Snowstar. She-"
"She!" Feather Tail gasped in shock, and the fur on Crow Wing's back rose with horror. "Your leader is a female?"
"Yeah...?" Hailpaw mewed, looking up at her.
"She must be taken care of," Crow Wing growled. "She's a danger to the Colony!"
"Crow Wing, no!" Feather Tail meowed. "She's just confused, that's all. She probably just said the wrong thing!"
"No!" Crow Wing snapped. "She must be taken care of before she spreads false belief among our people!"
"You cannot! I won't allow it!" Feather Tail said, stepping in front of Hailpaw to shield her from the black tom's wrath.
"You will allow it!" Crow Wing growled, raising paw as if to slap the tabby.
"She must be killed!"
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