-CHAPTER 1-
Kindle yawned softly as she awoke in her mother's makeshift den. It was warm, calm and safe. She greatly enjoyed it in here.
Or, at least, she did at one point. She and her brothers were growing up. The den was growing crowded. They were six months old now, and they suddenly realized that they would be leaving soon. They didn't want to say goodbye to their mother. Well, her brothers never mentioned it, but she knew they had the same feeling as her. But not as strong, not as strong at all. They wanted to leave: they were excited.
"Come on," Their mother, Gypsy, beckoned. "You three have been sleeping long enough." She purred. "It's a Full Moon tonight, remember?"
All three kittens jumped in excitement. Ringlet scrambled out first, lashing his tail wildly. Mickey came out next, and then Kindle herself. The moon was just exploring the edges of the sky, and it was as wide as a pigeon's egg, shining in the bright sky.
Gypsy led her three children to the edge of the black street, which wound through the cityscape like a black river of tar. No cat dared to cross until there were no cars, unless they were crazy with hunger or fear.
"I'll never cross that," Ringlet vowed.
"Yeah. Nothing in the whole world could ever get me to touch it." Mickey agreed. Kindle cocked her head thoughtfully.
"Well, you guys can't see the future." Kindle said indignantly. "What if there's a rabid Loudmouth after you?"
"Rabid Loudmouths don't exist. Just Loudmouths." Ringlet looked up at Gypsy. "Right, Mother?"
"Of course. Loudmouths like to make noise. They don't chase cats." Gypsy said dryly, turning and summoning her kits with a flick of her tail. "Come along. It's a long walk to the Town Center."
***
Kindle could feel eyes on her and her siblings. Eyes from cats passing them, or already at the Town Center. Kindle wanted to hunch over and dissapear, but her mother would certainly cuff her if she did.
Finally they reached the fountain in the middle of the city. Gypsy stepped onto this section of the road nonchalantly. Unlike the straightaway roads, this roundabout was special - it was sacred.
As they approached the Fountain, they watched as a single cat sat at the top of the charib sculpture, his ears flat with fear. His eyes were wide and his ears were shredded. He smelled of fresh blood, even from her vantage point on the ground. Gypsy showed them how to sit properly at the Fountain, with their front paws resting on the edge of the rim, their tails curled around them. She found herself sitting next to a white molly with ginger ears and a ginger tail. The cat was staring eagerly at the water, eyes wide.
"Excuse me?" Kindle asked. "What's your name?"
"Oh - My name is Milky." She purred, flicking her tail. "Have you ever looked into the water during the Full Moon?"
"Well, no." Kindle lifted herself up a little to peer into the still waters. In the calm reflection sat the clear white moon, which had rose high in the sky by now. It glimmered in a perfect disc.
"Isn't it gorgeous? That's probably why this night is so sacred. The water is so still, you can see the Moon in all its Glory."
Kindle nodded and sat back down. "Yeah."
The black cat raised his tail for silence. All of the catwhispers hushed, and they twisted their ears forward to listen. He sighed and sat down, eyes vacant.
"My name is Torrent." He said quietly.
"Good Moon, Torrent." All the cats said automatically. Kindle thought she remembered Gypsy mentioning a Torrent, but couldn't be sure.
"I became a Tom three Ceremonies ago. I have my rights to speak on a Full Moon." He said quietly. "I have a very urgent message to pass on. Does anyone deny me my right to speak?"
His shaky, nervous stance and injured state kept all wouldbe attackers silent. Everyone gazed at him in curiosity, eyes wide.
Torrent flicked his tail three times. "We are being hunted." His words caused many gasps. But as was the custom, nobody spoke while he was. "Ever notice that we only had one litter? Ever wonder what happened to the Queens who left to give birth and never returned to us?"
Everyone glanced around at one another, eyes massive with worry. Nobody had asked. Kindle hadn't been old enough to even think properly at the time.
"Because they were murdered!" Torrent cried. "There are other cats hunting us! They're going to whipe us out - They told me so."
