Back Cave
This is the back cave of the Cave of the Past.
*drip drop drip drop* The water is dripping from the ceiling, and a small pond, clear blue, lies in the middle of the cavern. You feel the dense, cool air, and on the roof, the blue water is reflected. There are stories inscribed all over the walls, and you walk forth. There seems to be magic in this place, and the beautifully illustrated images on the walls seem to move....
The Stubborn Kit
Once there was a single tom-kit, who, just a day before, was crushed by a monster on the Thunderpath. He had had a hard time getting to Moonclan, but Kariben, a cat who led lost cats on their Journey to Moonclan, had found him. 'Oh, kit, oh, kit, where do you go there?' cries Kariben, and the kit replies, 'I don't want to die, I will return.' 'Oh, kit, oh, kit, you are already dead.' cries Kariben, 'No, I want to go back, to my mother's warm milk.' mews the kit, 'Oh, kit, oh, kit, you must come now. You are to go to Moonclan, where dead cats can vow.' cries Kariben, 'But I miss the stuff I have not done, and I want to do it.' retorts the kit, 'Oh, kit, you cannot, you are dead, you belong there not.' cries Kariben, 'But I miss things I need to yet discover, and I want to go back, to my mother.' meows the kit, 'But what is there to miss if you have not done it yet? What can you miss if you do not know what you are missing?' cries Kariben. There is a long pause, and the kit takes a step back, tears in its eyes. 'I miss the prey I will never hunt, the taste I cannot not taste. The battles I will not fight, the nights I will not sleep. The experiences I shall never experience, and the stars I cannot seek. I miss the scent of my mother, and....' It climbed back down, slowly to the earth, below the stars, away from where it belonged. It looked back, its eyes full with sorrow, '....the life I will not live.'
He Who Could Fly
If I could fly, I would feel the air on my fur. I would glide through the clouds. I would be fufilling my dream. A young, ash-grey warrior, that of Airclan, about nine moons, was watching the sky, his dreams floating about his mind. I would be able to know of the wind, I would tell cats why we are called Airclan. He closed his eyes, feeling the wind, as many cats casted confused looks at him. He loved the wind, and he was the son of Air, the first Airclan leader cat. He was brave, and all the cats in his family seemed to like the wind, even the most dangerous. He opened his eyes, and looked at the cliff in front of him. What if I can fly... what if I can live a life that no other cat can live? He padded across to the edge, most cats glaring at him, bewildered. They knew how much he loved the wind. They looked up from their eating, chatting, or their sharing of tongues, and their jaws dropped. The tom cat was beginning to tilt towards the cliff. But before they could stop him, he fell, plummeting down, into the depths of the gorge. Many cats stared after him. Would he be okay? Just then, many fox-lengths away, a small figure rose out of the gorge, mysteriously looking like a cat, galloping across the sky, stars falling out behind itself. But the odd thing was, the cat couldn't have been of Moonclan, for he was not transparent, but solid, and it was the color of ash-grey. At this, many cats were bewildered, but the tom was never seen again. Airstar was depressed at this, but had a strange feeling that Moonclan had givin' his son the power to fly. Therefore, the tom, until this day was known until He Who Could Fly.
Faopaw's Bravery
Once there was a young cat, his fur a majestic silver with strange but a wonderful color of emerald-green eyes. His father was a handsome, bold, young tom cat but was killed in battle. His mother had drowned in a river, pushed in by a Darkclan warrior. Now all he had was his sister, Hazelpaw. They were part of Fireclan, both apprentices who were going to become warriors that night. The silver-furred tom was called Faopaw, a to be said strange name givin by his mother, 'fao' meant both wolf and river, seeing that he resembled more a wolf than a cat, and river because of the river in Fireclan territory, also the place where she drowned. Faopaw was a great hunter, everyone thought, but his sister wasn't as good, but nearly there. Now Hazelpaw looked less like a wolf, but just slightly. Hazelpaw was a gentle cat, who wished to become a leader one day. Faopaw only wished to become a strong warrior. The other cats from Fireclan always teased Faopaw for being different, even the leader; his name, the way he looked like a wolf, and for his strange eyes. He was never treated properly, except for his sister. But no cat doubted the strength in his legs and his gift of hunting.
The night of the two apprentices' ceremony, all the cats were gathered below the highrock, Faopaw and Hazelpaw gazing up at their leader. The leader spoke, "Hazelpaw, Fao-er-paw, you both are now old enough to become warriors." Hazelpaw and Faopaw exchanged exited glances. The leader contined, "From now on, Hazelpaw, your name shall be Hazelleaf." they touched noses, and the leader turned to his young deputy, Emberstone. "You have tought her well."
The leader turned to Faopaw. "Faopaw, I have had a dream, supposedly sent by Moonclan. You shall not become a warrior, you are too much like a wolf." At these words, Faopaw was taken aback. "What? You don't have the right to do that! Moonclan would never...!" sputtered Faopaw, lost in words. The whole clan burst into laghter, all except for Hazelleaf, who was staring in fury. "And you call yourself a leader!" yowled Hazelleaf, silencing the clan's outburst, "Moonclan didn't send that dream! I can see the look in your eyes! You made it up, because you think my brother's different!"
There was a long pause, and no one spoke. Half a minute passed, and Hazelleaf and the oeader were gazing at each other. The quietness was broken by Faopaw's voice, "Then I am no longer Faopaw." The leader looked defeated, and let out a sigh. "Very well. Your name, from now on, shall be Faofur-" But he was interrupted by the apprentice, "No! I mean I am no longer part of this clan. I do not want to be a warrior. I will change by name to Faolan." Another long silence, broken by the leader, "'lan'? What kind of name is that?" "It means gift. And I think having an appearance like a wolf is a gift, and a pleasure. I will move out of the clan. It is not the place for me." Yet another silence.
"I will be called Mhairie." announced Hazelleaf. "I cannot leave the clan, but I will support my brother." A long pause followed the statement, then came the leader's voice once more, "Very well. You may leave, Fao-uh-lan, and er- Mhairie, (mah-ha-ri) you may have this name." At t hese words, Faolan whipped around, and went out the enterance, followed by his sister, who meowed, "Faopaw, oh, Faolan, I'm so sorry. Where will you go? Can I visit you sometimes?" "I will gather cats who have been made fun of, and share my feelings. I will be at the edge of the forest, where mother died in the river. That will be my home; we will be the Silver Hunt gang." And he left, leaving Mhairie staring blankly after him until he was out of sight.
The night of the two apprentices' ceremony, all the cats were gathered below the highrock, Faopaw and Hazelpaw gazing up at their leader. The leader spoke, "Hazelpaw, Fao-er-paw, you both are now old enough to become warriors." Hazelpaw and Faopaw exchanged exited glances. The leader contined, "From now on, Hazelpaw, your name shall be Hazelleaf." they touched noses, and the leader turned to his young deputy, Emberstone. "You have tought her well."
The leader turned to Faopaw. "Faopaw, I have had a dream, supposedly sent by Moonclan. You shall not become a warrior, you are too much like a wolf." At these words, Faopaw was taken aback. "What? You don't have the right to do that! Moonclan would never...!" sputtered Faopaw, lost in words. The whole clan burst into laghter, all except for Hazelleaf, who was staring in fury. "And you call yourself a leader!" yowled Hazelleaf, silencing the clan's outburst, "Moonclan didn't send that dream! I can see the look in your eyes! You made it up, because you think my brother's different!"
There was a long pause, and no one spoke. Half a minute passed, and Hazelleaf and the oeader were gazing at each other. The quietness was broken by Faopaw's voice, "Then I am no longer Faopaw." The leader looked defeated, and let out a sigh. "Very well. Your name, from now on, shall be Faofur-" But he was interrupted by the apprentice, "No! I mean I am no longer part of this clan. I do not want to be a warrior. I will change by name to Faolan." Another long silence, broken by the leader, "'lan'? What kind of name is that?" "It means gift. And I think having an appearance like a wolf is a gift, and a pleasure. I will move out of the clan. It is not the place for me." Yet another silence.
"I will be called Mhairie." announced Hazelleaf. "I cannot leave the clan, but I will support my brother." A long pause followed the statement, then came the leader's voice once more, "Very well. You may leave, Fao-uh-lan, and er- Mhairie, (mah-ha-ri) you may have this name." At t hese words, Faolan whipped around, and went out the enterance, followed by his sister, who meowed, "Faopaw, oh, Faolan, I'm so sorry. Where will you go? Can I visit you sometimes?" "I will gather cats who have been made fun of, and share my feelings. I will be at the edge of the forest, where mother died in the river. That will be my home; we will be the Silver Hunt gang." And he left, leaving Mhairie staring blankly after him until he was out of sight.
