Prologue

     Flames licked up around the edges of the canyon, taking anything living into it’s grasp. The sound of yowling cats rang through the air, as they tried to get thought the wall of flame, toward the river and safety. A branch fell, crushing a brush den and it burst into flames. Yowls of pain rang through the air.

     To him, it was quiet, everything around him moved in slow-motion as fear coursed through his veins. Where was his mother? his father? His brother and sister? What about Blueshadow? Roseheart?

     The cats ran and bolted through the camp, grabbing kits, elders or wounded warriors and hauling them to safety. The fire grew larger, threatening to lock the cats inside.

     Thunder rumbled above the cat’s head’s as the lass of the cats climbed out of the canyon, “Where’s Mousepaw?” A cat yowled, and Rowanpaw looked away. He had been standing on the edge of the canyon, staring at the flames. Mousepaw? He looked around for his brother then looked back down into the canyon, he could see something moving amongst the fire and debris.

     Rowanpaw looked around, no cat was allowed back in the canyon, but he couldn’t leave his brother behind. Mousepaw had something in his mouth and was limping toward the wall off the canyon that the cats had climbed out of. He leaped onto a ledge, and started climbing his way up. A branch fell and he jumped back, falling back into the canyon and laying motionless on the ground. The kit he had in his mouth, he laying a few inches away, also motionless.

     “Mousepaw!” Rowanpaw yowled and launched himself down into the burning camp. He slid down the wall, then jumped onto a ledge, avoiding the branch that hit his brother. He looked down, ti wasn’t too far, so he jumped, landing on his paws. He bolted over to his brother’s side, and he looked down at him, “Mousepaw!” He looked down at the kit and gasped, It was his sister, Valleykit. But she was long gone, he could tell, she wasn’t breathing, and when he touched his nose to her chest, her couldn’t feel a heartbeat. He had to leave her behind to save Mousepaw.

     Thunder crashed over heard and rain began to fall, softly, not doing anything to douse the flames. Rowanpaw grabbed Mousepaw’s scruff and started to haul him toward the ledge, and the part of the wall that wasn’t blocked off

     “Mousepaw! Rowanpaw! Valleykit!” The fanatic queen’s yowl rang above the crackling of the flames.

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

A interesting introduction. You create a new world and I like the description of the locations and all the strong names of the cats. I will read on to see where you are taking this story.
Coyote