[Milestone1] First Stories

The sun was still weak, breathing new life into the world as the cycle of seasons began again, the first blossoms of spring still new and the snow freshly melted from the fields.

The world seemed oh-so fragile in its current state, not unlike the the small kits nestled at their mother’s belly, happily suckling as their parents looked on with fond eyes.

“We need to name them,” the molly murmured.

“We will in time,” the tom assured softly, head bowing to lick his mate’s head fondly. “Let us see at least a little of who they are first.”

And so, the trio of kits grew. The largest, a thick-furred tom with blue fur, was soon named Boulder. The next, a tiny molly with swirling patches of white, blue, and black fur, was name Flicker for the way she always seemed to be moving.

And the last, a gray-and-cream calico molly, was named Shred for her habit of tearing the family bedding to tiny pieces.

Shred didn’t often think of the world beyond their small den, simply made of heather branches bent together. Sure, her father and soon enough mother would often venture out and return with fresh prey, but that seemed like an entire world away to the kit.

She’d much rather just stay inside with her siblings and play mossball, or catch the mouse.

She mewled in protest as the day’s game was interrupted as her mother drew her close, the tuxedo-patterned tortoiseshell chuckling as she licked at the dirt in her daughter’s pelt.

“Mom!” Shred whined, writhing despite the futility of it.

“Hush.” Her mother smiled, whiskers twitching in amusement. “I’ll tell you a story about our ancestors if you’re good.”

Shred rolled her eyes, but finally complied as her father rounded up her littermates for their own baths.

Only once the trio of kits were well-groomed, eyes heavy as the energy of earlier started to fade and left them all to cuddle between their parents, did her mother speak again.

“Long ago, on a far away mountain, there lived a clowder. They were numerous and powerful, guided by the shadows of their ancestors.” The molly’s ear flicked as she considered her words. “For a time, things were good. The cats lived in harmony with one another and their home, and in doing so they flourished. Kits grew strong and healthy, young ones learned well from those with more experience, and the balance was maintained.”

Shred’s ears pricked, her siblings fast asleep even as she listened attentively, her mother’s eyes far away as if she were picturing the story unfolding before her.

“But that all changed when a new leader rose to power. They were bold and they cared little for the way things were, wanting only more power for themself. They thought the clowder could take more territory, could expand their reach and their power.” Her mother bared her teeth for a moment, shaking her head. “Many of the clowder were scared of this. Life on the mountain was not always easy, but it was known and they knew where the dangers lay in their territory. To expand it would risk not only conflict with outsiders, but the safety of all they’d known.

“And yet, their leader still had support, and with little way to stand up to them, the clowder was forced to do as told. That was the first of many mistakes, that their greed outgrew their need.”

“One?” Shred whispered.

Her mother sighed softly. “Yes, one. There were more, and one day I will share them with you.”

“So… what happened?”

“Their territory grew, and with it came new dangers. Areas they did not know, threats they were unaware of, outsiders who had called the land home and weren’t too happy to share… Many were injured or even killed while their leader looked on with apathy.

“And in the end, after nearly an entire generation of mistakes and bad decisions, the clowder was driven from the mountain by the very ancestors who had once guided their paws. These… Forsaken Ones ran far, spread out and separated. They reached all ends of the world, made new lives and families, and they passed down their story. And the promise that was made to them.”

“A promise?”

“Yes, my little one, a promise.” The molly smiled once more. “The ancestors drove them from their home and all they’d ever known, but they made a promise… One day, the clowder would rise again and return to the mountain. When or how was never clear, but one day the kin of the Forsaken Ones would return. And so, their story and the promise lived on. In their kits, and their grandkits, and their great-grandkits, throughout countless generations…

“Through me, and now through you and your siblings.”

Shred stared, wide eyed in awe. “We’re their kin?” she marvelled.

“Yes, little one.” Her mother smiled, nuzzling her. “And I will tell you more stories another day. Now, sleep.”

“Okay…”

Shred yawned, curling up and letting the world drift away.

As the days passed, she and her littermates grew bigger. Her mother’s stories continued, weaving a world of the past for them all to learn. Their world grew to the space outside the den under their parents’ watchful eyes.

As she looked out over the endless stretch of plains, Shred thought she’d be happy there, with her family for as long as she could stay.

“Shred, c’mon! Let’s play chase!” Boulder mewed, interrupting her thoughts.

She laughed, turning as she shook her head all too fondly. “Okay, okay! You’re it first though!”

“Alright! Better get going then! You too, Flicker!”

For now, though, there was nothing better than playing among the grasses around the den.