Clan of the Eclipse by Amanda and Tabitha (read an ebook week txt) 📕

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“We need to wait for the others to get back, River. And maybe until you’ve gotten over this.”
She shivered. “Yeah. Don’t want to join you sick, do I?” She purred.
I just need to find a way to welcome you!

The Shaman left the den to sit at the roots. River was stable, but now she had another problem. She had to find a way of helping these cats understand how major this decision was, and to have her ancestors actually listen to her and approve of them. After all, there were no blood ties here.
She watched the wind rush through the trees. It drew her in; the sound of the breeze almost was as if she could hear a cat speaking…
Slowly, the Shaman thought of the words to use, listening to the rustling branches. She had just worked it out when Raven, Maya, Frost, Pepper and Ghost returned with a small amount of prey.
“You’re just in time. River agreed. Everybody leave the prey and come into the den.”
Shrugging, they set it down and followed her.
“They’re returned. It’s time we welcomed you both into our clan.” Eclipse meowed formally. “I, Eclipse, call upon our ancestors to look upon this cat. She has shown honor, courage and loyalty and has requested to join this clan as a Warrior. I ask that you bless this cat, and that she always has a place in our ranks. May the stars always light her path!” She reached down and shared breathes with River.
Then she flicked her tail. The others looked at one another, then followed her example and shared breathes with the cat. Their Shaman turned to Frost. “You have shown skill, courage and compassion, Frost. For that, I welcome you as a Hunter. May the stars always light your path!” And they shared breathes with Frost.
“We are kin and clan.” Eclipse told them. “Now let us eat in celebration.”
They brought in the prey. Since there wasn’t enough to go around, Eclipse gave her prey to River. Pepper gave his to Ghost, muttering that he’d not done much today. Frost and Maya shared a mouse.
This is only the beginning, and already prey is short. This winter will be hard.

Raven woke to the sound of the powerful wind. She shivered, curling closer to Eclipse. Eclipse purred as she lay down. The hunter lay her head on her old friend. She had never seen her silver friend so happy than the end of today. She had seen her more concerned for Pepper and Bramble than River; wounds were harder to manage than a chill as long as there was a way to stop the chill from becoming a fever. And Eclipse had known what to do. But what had made her day, Raven knew, was the ceremony which had welcomed both a skilled hunter and a skilled warrior into their group.
And Bramble had proved he was a true healer.
The black she-cat shifted again, but knew she wouldn’t sleep. The cold was making her shoulder throb. At least River needed to be kept warm; the cats had been stuffed into the warm little rock den to get them out of the snow as well as keeping River warm just in case she fell ill overnight. The she-cat was fast asleep in the center of a circle surrounded by Bramble, Ghost, Pepper and Maya. She licked her shoulder a little. Finally, the pain was too much. She rose and poked Bramble awake. There was no need to bother Eclipse – he knew what to use for her shoulder. He’d proved that already.
“Huh?” He blinked awake, looking at her with sleeping, confused green eyes.
“My shoulder hurts.” She whispered. “Can I have something for it?”
He rose and stretched. “Pain…something for pain…”
He sniffed the herbs thoughtfully.
“Well…let me look at it.”
Raven came around and sat where he could see it. He sniffed it.
“It’s swollen. I’ll give you some of the horsetail, though I wish we had comfrey...” He meowed quietly, still with a sleepy look in his eyes.
“Horsetail won’t be much use there, Bramble.” Eclipse meowed, making them both jump. “But there’s no comfrey…”
“Maybe there’s some still alive…”
“Perhaps. If there’s been a thaw. But I don’t think there has been. Fire weed would help the pain, but…”
“No fire weed.” Raven finished, inwardly groaning. But outwardly, to not worry her friend, she shrugged. “Never mind. It’s not too bad. I think it’s just stiff.”
“And swollen.” Bramble growled. “You need comfrey.”
“Nah.” Raven shrugged. “I just need exercise. I’ll get Ghost up and go hunting.”
Eclipse sighed. “Fine. But only because we don’t have comfrey to begin with.”
Raven got up and poked Ghost awake.
“Eclipse says we need to hunt.”
“Should I wake Frost and Maya?”
Eclipse shook her head. “We’ll send them around high sun. Maya and Pepper guarded the den last night. Frost was up with River to make sure there was no fever. I told her that if she started shivering to give her a feverfew and an ironweed leaf; I showed her what they looked like, in case River didn’t remember.”
“Anything happen?” Ghost looked worried. Raven began to wash.
“Nothing that River couldn’t handle.” She rose and began to groom. She looked at Bramble. “How’s your leg?”
“Stiff and swollen, though not as bad as Raven’s.”
“Fine. We’ll need to go find the comfrey, then. Check on Pepper, but don’t wake him up unless you have to. His scratches may have re-opened last night.”
Raven and Ghost left the den together. Misty was right there.
"Can I come?" She looked eager. "I wanna learn to climb a tree and hunt!"
Raven and Ghost looked at one another. "I don't see why not. Tell Eclipse, alright? I don't want her wondering if you've left alone." Raven said at last. The young cat slipped in, said it and slipped out.
"She didn't say no."
Raven purred. "So let's go."
“Where should we go?” Ghost asked, looking as nervous as ever. Raven thought quickly, coming up with a game plan on the spot.
“Let’s try the banks first – see if any voles are out. Then we can try the forest near the river. I don’t know my way around this part of the forest, so let’s not wonder too far.”
She nodded, and followed Raven along the banks. Raven scented the air. Her heart plummeted. The air was strong with snow and ice, but not of prey. Ghost looked just as thwarted. Misty quietly followed behind, looking more subdued and determined than Raven remembered.
I'll have to ask Eclipse or Bramble to make sure she's not getting sick or something!

“Let’s skip right to the forest, then.” Raven quickly offered, hoping they could catch something there – at least a sparrow for River or Eclipse, who were both a little too lean for her taste. She led the way to the willows and elms. Raven scented the air. The smell of prey was faint, but it was there.
“I’ll search the trees; you see if you can track a squirrel or rabbit.” Ghost sniffed the air before turning deeper into the trees. Then she turned to Misty. "I want you to watch me carefully, Misty, and bury anything I carry down. If you see anything scary at all shout at the top of your lungs. Look for red and white pelts."
"Okay. I'll try hard."
“That's...uh...great.”
Raven knew the trees better than any cat she’d known. She climbed an elm to a high branch and crouched. The caw of a crow made the black cat look upward. The large, black bird landed on the end of her branch with an egg in its talons. It broke into it and began to pick it out. Thankfully, it didn’t even notice her as she crept up on it. Just as it turned its head, she leaped onto its wings. It went to peck and scratch at her, but she was too fast – she cracked its neck with a swift bite. Panting, she dropped the thing.
“Got it!” Misty called.
“Thanks.” She meowed, looking around for the nest it robbed the egg from.
There. Three branches up. Eggs meant birds. She promptly ascended to the branch right above the nest. Then she settled down to wait. It didn’t take long for two jays to land. They sat side-by-side. Raven pounced, killing one on impact. The other called a warning and took wing. Just before it could get far, however, she soared upward. Raven caught it in her paws, thrusting it onto the branch. It was dead instantly.
“Wow!” Misty called from below as she tossed them down. “Hey Raven! Look! I caught a mouse!"
She caught something? Huh.

“That’s all we’ll get! The jay warned everything around us before I could kill it!”
“Come on down!”
Ghost appeared out of the trees. "Did Raven catch a mouse too?" She asked Misty.
"No! I did! She caught all of those."
"Excellent. Both of you. I managed to catch a dove."
Raven gradually descended, suddenly feeling the pain of her shoulder. When she reached the last branch, she was panting, and the pain was so bad, she was straining to see straight.
“Are you alright, Raven?” Ghost sounded worried. “You’re shoulder’s bleeding pretty badly!”
“I’m fine.” She meowed weakly. She barely landed on her paws. Ghost steadied her. Raven saw the concern in her eyes. Misty paced back and forth, sniffing the shoulder.
"That smells really hot, Raven. Eclipse isn't going to be happy."
“Let’s get you back. You shouldn't have been climbing!”
“Right.” She panted, picking up her jays by their necks, then Misty's mouse by its tail.
“I’ll carry the crow. Misty, carry the dove.”
She nodded and took the mice by their tails as Ghost picked up the crow.
“Did it do that?”
“No. I just re-opened it with all that climbing.”
They walked back to the den slowly, Raven limping more and more heavily. The rocks proved impossible with the prey; she had to leave it on a rock and cross leaning against Ghost, who went back to retrieve it. Then they were back in the den, Raven panting. Frost was instantly on her paws, shocked, and tried to lick the wound. But it was too swollen and hot to the touch for her to clean it without making Raven yowl in pain.
“What’s going on in here?” Eclipse’s voice made them all jump. They moved back from the entrance to allow her in. Raven purred, recognizing the blue flowered plant that Eclipse put on Bramble’s leg when it swelled. “Raven! How can you purr with that cut?” She growled