Chapter 28: The Wild Eagle

I was glad that I had stayed silent with what it was that I had just said, as I could tell that none of the cats that I was with right now, believed a single word that I had said to them in the story that I had told them. I suppose that I should not blame them though, as I felt like if I were in their spot, they should be a bit afraid that a big cat, that looked like a rogue none the less, not even a kitty pet any more, with how nasty that I knew I looked to be right at this very moment in time.

They should be afraid, and I did not blame them for it, as they pretty cat that I had seen from my dream, that I had laid my eyes on before the rest of them, and had my eyes stuck on her ever since then, she was the one that kept on staring at me, as I could tell that she trusted me the least out of all of the cats so far. The younger cat, who was a bit older than a kit, did not seem to care all that much, but she had in fact looked back on me from time to time, not with a suspicious look at all, but more merely a look of concern, and a bit of a lost look.

I did not blame her, as what I had heard so far, was that it must be one of the first times that she had been out of her home, if I had to guess, or had gone at least a fair way out of the home, as it felt like we still had a fair ways to go if I had to guess. It was already wearing me out, but the fact that I was having to go up on such an up hill slope, made it even harder than me, as my body was aching as it was already.

I hoped that we did not have all too much longer to go, as I let out a bit of a soft sigh all at once, as I was fairly certain that we did in fact have a fair bit of distance to go until we got over to the place, based off of the fact that I had seen the tall cliff a few moments ago, and it had been a fair ways up. I also had to guess, as it was starting to make a bit more sense to me now, that the younger kit, that went by the name of, Ginger, as I had come to find out, was her first time going out the far out of their home in the first place.

It must have been a lot easier going down for them as well, than it was going up, as even though it felt like it had been some time already, it was nothing compared to the time that I had to get here, as the other cats did not feel worn out at all. I felt like a lot of that had to do with the fact that they did not have to go on such a long trek that I had to go on, but I also kind of felt like, at the same time too, that a lot of it had to do with the fact that they were in a lot better shape than I happened to be, and they seemed to be a bit more fit for some thing such as this.

It almost seemed like they had been doing this for thousands of moons, although, none of the cats really looked to be all too old at all. I suppose, that they must have been living in the hills for a very long time, for them to get as good as they were right now. I let out a bit of a heavy sigh at the same time too, as I was not going to lie to my self either, I was in fact quite a bit jealous of all of what it was that they had.

I held my self in though, as I knew that jealousy was a very bad trait to have, as I had been told time and time again by Ben. It was what it was, and I just had to get over it. I nodded a bit to my self, as I then saw that pretty cat, that went by the name of, Oister, as she was staring at me with her eyes squinted at me right now, as it was clear that she was a little bit lost with what it was that was going on with me at this very moment in time any ways, which I suppose I could not really blame her for either, as I was not even all too sure as to just what it was that was going on with my self right now.

I shook off all of those thoughts all at the exact same time too how ever, as I felt like it was besides the point right now, but not just that, I then also saw that the cats at the front of the patrol, had all of the sudden stopped them selves as well, as the older she cat, that went by the name of Hawk, then all of the sudden squinted her eyes at me, but in a bit more of a different way than it had seemed that Oister had her eyes squinted at me not all too long before all of this.

Oister was squinting her eyes at me, more due to the fact that she seemed to be a little bit suspicious of me, but Hawk had her eyes squinted at me, not due to the fact that she was suspicious of me, but more due to the fact that she felt like she could not trust me with what it was that she was about to let me do just yet, which I did not blame her for at all, due to the fact that I knew that it was their leader that I was about to go and talk to, and I also knew that their leader was quite an old cat never the less.

I could easily take advantage of the old cat, and kill him if I wanted to, but luckily enough for them, that was not my intent at all, as I never even wanted to think of having to kill a cat, even if it was merely in self defense, and I had no other choice. I let out a bit of a soft sigh all at the exact same time as well, as I then dipped my head a bit low to the ground at the exact same time too, as I was not all too sure as to what it was that I should do right now.

Luckily, I did not have to worry all too much on any of that for much longer, as I finally, then began to hear the voice of Hawk, as she then began to speak up to me. I blinked my eyes a few times, as I was a little bit lost, but I did in fact dip my head up to her, and I then nodded to her, to let her know that I was listening as to what it was that she had to say to me in the very first place any ways, as she then nodded right back over to me, after just a little while longer, which did in fact just make me a little bit more safe, in the slightest.

I nodded to Hawk, to let her know that she had my full attention, and to let her know that I was in fact listening as to what it was that she had to say to me, as much as it might not seem like it, as I was in fact quite a bit lost in head my head, as to all of the familiar sights that I was seeing right at this very moment in time, as it was quite a shock to me none the less, as to the fact that just as Ben had told me, as for some reason I kind of had not believed it, even though several cats had told me about... This was the place that I had been looking for through, and this was my home.

The more that I looked around, I began to see just how vast, and just how beautiful the land was, as I could not help but to crack a bit of a smile on my face at the exact same time too. This had to be my new home right? Surely I wanted to stay here for sure right? I had thought that the barn was amazing, but this was just beautiful, and perfect. I let out a bit of a soft sigh how ever, as I then did my best to try to shake off all of those thoughts all at once, as I remembered that Hawk was in fact speaking to me right now.

She still had his eyes squinted at me, and it did make me feel a bit bad as to the fact that I might not have given them quite enough information to be let in to their home, but it was too late for all of that at this point, as I just had to hope now. I got all of those thoughts from out of my head, all at the exact same time as well, as I kept my eyes and my focus on Hawk, as I then began to listen as to what it was that she had to say to me in the very first place any ways never the less.

"You are about enter our den, and if we see you try some thing any sort of fishy on any of our cats, do not think that we will not hesitate to tear you a new one." She said to me, as it was a bit of a soft threat, but it was a threat that I knew would scare any one that had come here with any sort of ill intent on what it was that they were doing. I was not all too sure as to all that she had meant by what it was that she had said, but I did in fact nod to her, to let her know that I had heard as to what it was that she had said to me either way.

I knew that I did not have any sort of bad intent, so there really was not all too much that I needed to be worried about right now, if I was going to be completely honest with my self. I was just a little bit interested in what the place was like, and what was even in there home. Surely these she cats had mates right? I mean, there was no other way that a younger cat like Ginger could be born if that was not the case at all, I was quite sure of.

Oister, the beautiful cat, that was just out of my view right now, I hoped that she did not have a mate, as bad as it might sound. I thought on her for just a few more moments, and all that I liked in her so far, as I then did my best to try to shake off all of those thoughts at the same time as well, as I felt like it should not matter all that much any ways. It was clear that this she cat did not like me all that much, at least, as far as I had seen from her, so I should not be all too focused on any of that.

Besides, I was not even too sure yet if this was meant to be my home, so I felt like I should not get too worried about any of that just yet, as for all that I knew, I could simply just be finished with the first step of a very long journey that I had ahead of me. It scared me to even think on all of that, as I shook off all of those thoughts all at the same time as well, as I then got my focus on what it was that was going on right now, as I was a bit worried as to the fact that they had noticed that I had shook my head.

Luckily that was not the case at all how ever, as I saw that now the she cats had seen that I had in fact nodded, to agree with them that I was about to go in to their home, the felt like they had to keep on going. I blinked my eyes, as I saw that they had got a fair distance ahead of me at the same time as well, as I let out quite a bit of a heavy sigh, and I then began to speed up a bit, to catch up to them, and follow them in to the big and dark cave that I saw ahead of me right now.

I was quite a bit afraid of the big and dark cave that I saw, if I was not going to lie to my self, as I shivered at just the thought of what could be in side, as I was a little bit worried that this could be a trap. I was quick to shake off all of those thoughts how ever, as I knew that I was the one that had walked in to their territory, and I doubt that they had been waiting for me. Would it really be worth it? For one cat?

I gulped, as I felt a little bit sick to even think on those thoughts, as I then let out quite a big and heavy sigh, as I then began to go follow them in to the cave, as they did not even look back on me this time, to make sure that I was in fact following them. I shivered, as I then began to take the first steps in to the big cave that was all around me right at this very moment in time, as it took a while for my eyes to get settled in to all of the lighting that was all around me at this very moment in time as well.

Once I did, I then saw all that was around me at this very moment in time, as I saw that there was a lot of cats that were staring me down, just as Oister had been, as I saw that they had theirs eyes squinted at me, as if I had done some thing that had been dark, or it had been a little bit evil, which was not the case at all, so it did in fact leave me quite a bit confused none the less, as I let out quite a heavy sigh once again, as I did my best to ignore all of them.

I heard a lot of voices speaking quietly in the cave, as it was clear that they did not want me to hear all of the news and all of the rumors that they were already spreading about me, even though I had just got here. I wanted to close my eyes at the same time as well, but I knew that I could not, as I needed to keep my eyes on Hawk, as I then saw that Oister and Ginger began to walk away from where it was that Hawk was taking me right now.

I was a little bit lost, and a bit surprised by it, but I did not say a thing, as I knew that like they had told me not all too long before now, Stoneteller was in fact the leader, and he more than likely did not like there to be all too many cats in his presence all at the same time too. I did not blame him, as I knew that if he did let it be that way, than a lot of cats would not respect that he was the leader of course, and they would be all over him a lot of the day.

I shook off all of those thoughts all at the exact same time too, as I saw that all of the chatter in the cave that I was in right now, had managed to die down a bit, luckily enough for me, as I really did not like it when I had a bunch of eyes, and a bunch of attention on me all at the exact same time too. While, that did seem to still be the case, due to the fact that I could in fact see a bunch of cats still staring at me, I was at least glad that they were no longer talking about me any more.

I knew that I did not need to have my focus on any of that how ever, as I then kept on following Hawk in to further in to the cave, where it only seemed to get darker and darker, which brought even more shivers, and more chills down my spine. I knew that this was not a trap at all at this point, but it still did freak me out to be in such a dark place like this, around a bunch of cats that I did not know, and had never met, nor had I ever seen them before, not even in my dreams.

I suppose that was where it was that I was going to right now how ever, as it Hawk was trying to take me to the cat that I had in fact seen in all of my dreams, as I could not help but to at least get a little bit excited about all of it, as a little bit of a smile then popped up on my face at the same time as well, as I then kept on going to Hawk, as I then saw that she all of the sudden seemed to stop, which of course, confused me a bit as to why that was the case in the first place any ways, and just what it was that she was doing right now.

I stared at her, with my head tilted just a little bit for just a few moments, as Hawk then all at once, turned her head over to me at the same time as well. I was still quite a bit lost as to what it was that was going on right now. I stared at where it was that we were at, as I saw a bunch of pebbles on the ground below me. I was a little bit lost as to what it was that we were doing in this spot at this very moment in time, and why she had taken me here.

I let out a bit of a soft sigh to my self all at the exact same time too, as I then got my eyes, and my focus off of all of the pebbles, all at the same time too, as I then nodded to Hawk all of the sudden, as it seemed like at the same time too, I had managed to think of some thing that I should say to her. I blinked my eyes just a few times, as I then all of the sudden did in fact start to speak to her, with out any sort of a warning.

"Are you telling my that those pebbles are who you call Stoneteller? I've heard some strange stories, but, that can not be true, right?" I said to her, with a bit of a blank, and a bit of a worried look at my face at the same time too, as I knew that pebbles were in fact stones, and also, there was a lot of them on the ground below me, so perhaps a cat could say some thing such as the fact that the stones said a lot of things, and told them a lot, giving them the last part of the name, teller.

I felt like it could not be the case at all, due to the fact that I had seen a cat in all of the dreams that I had been having as of late, but at the same time as well, I still felt like you could never know, as I then sighed. It could have all just been a name that they gave the stones, and it some times came to them in dreams as a cat none the less as well. I kind of felt like I was going quite a bit crazy, if I was going to be for real with my self how ever.

My vision seemed to be a bit blurry as well, which I felt like could be due to a lot of things right now. My main concern was the fact that I was going crazy, but I also felt like it could just be due to the fact that it was really dark in the room, and I was just really tired right now, which would explain as to the fact that my brain was not working all too well for me right now. I still could not help but to feel quite a bit worried for my self how ever.

I did my best to get my focus off of all of those thoughts, all at once as well none the less, as I instead got my focus on the fact that Hawk was laughing at me right now, for some odd reason or another, as if I had done some thing funny, which surely could not be the case at all right now right? As I was not all too sure as to just what it was that I was doing right now any ways, if I was going to be for real, and completely honest with my self too.

I tilted my head at the she cat, letting her know that I was a little bit lost as to what it was that she was getting at right now, which I could tell that she did not notice at all, as it was clear that she was not all too good at reading emotions, nor the looks on the faces of a lot of cats as well, which was some thing that I was actually fairly good at, but I felt like would not work for me at all right now all too well, due to the fact that I was just so lost in my head, which I still felt like had a lot due to the fact that I was just so tired.

I let out quite of a scared and heavy sigh all at once, as I did my best to try to not think on it all too much at all either, as I knew that, of course I still was good at reading the looks of cats, even right now, as that was the reason as to why I had noticed that she did not understand the look that I had at all on my face right now. I did my best to just try to shake off all of those thoughts, all at once how ever, as I then all of the sudden, began to hear Hawk start to speak back to me, at the exact same time as well, as I blinked my eyes a few times, still a little bit lost, but at the same time too, I also knew that I did not want to miss a word as to what it was that she had to say back to what it was that I had said to her not all too long before all of this.

I nodded to her, to let her know that I was in fact listening to each and every word that she was saying to me right at this very moment in time, as luckily enough for me, this time, I did see her nod right back over to me, which did make me feel just a little bit better as to all that was going on right now. I let out a bit of a soft sigh, as I moved my self in to a more comfortable position for me to be sitting in right now, as I then all at once, began to listen as to what it was that she even had to say to me in the very first place any ways.

"No... Stoneteller is very much a cat, and I am going to go and get Stoneteller, you stay right here, and do not try any thing on any of the cats here, as I already told Oister to just be ready for any thing, to all of the cats... They will see it coming... Don't try any thing on me and Stoneteller either... Even if he is old, and you are big and strong, do not think for even a second that you can beat all of us in a 3 versus 1 battle." She said to me, as she once again had her eyes squinted at me, as it was clear that she was trying to make sure that I had heard each and every word that she had just said to me.

I was still a little bit lost, if I was not going to lie to my self right now, but I felt like I should just go with the flow, as I was sure that every thing was going to end up being any ways, as I let out a bit of another soft sigh to my self, all at the exact same time too, as I then began to see Hawk start to walk out of the cave that I was in with her right now, as I saw that she was going to a different tunneled out section in the cave, that I had some how not managed to notice not all too long before all of this.

It then began to hit me, as to the reason that she had stopped her self in the first place, as I felt like a very stupid cat, as to the reason that I had not realized as to what it was that was going on, and where it was that I was even at in the very first place any ways, as I dipped my head quite a bit low to the ground, letting out quite another heavy sigh, as I then looked away from the dark and skinny tunnel that was ahead of me, as I felt like it was going to be a long time for her to get out of there, as her paw steps were no long available for me to hear any longer.

I let out a bit of a groan all at the exact same time too, as I felt like I should just try to think on what it was that I was even going to say to the old cat that I was going to meet, as he was in fact the cat that I had seen in my dreams, as much as the other cats wanted to laugh at me, and scold me for the fact that I had told them that I had seen him in the dream, as it was clear that they had never seen a cat in their dreams at all themselves never the less, as I had to guess, and I had to figure.

I suppose that I should not be all too bothered, nor should I be all too worried about any of this right now, as I felt like this was how things were meant to be, and the cat that I was going to meet, would know who I was right away, as soon as he was to see me. If he was the leader as well, than that was the only cat that I should be worried about at all right now, which I was of course, not worried about at all, which did in fact make me feel a whole lot better due to all of that.

I shook off all of those thoughts all at the exact same time too, as I figured that I really should not be all too worried about any of this right now, as this was in fact, of course potentially where my new home was, and I might be living here soon, for all that I knew up to this point. That was the hope at least, as I began to look all around the very big cave that I was in right now, looking at the dark view that I saw, and looking at all of the cats that I saw in the cave at the same time as well, as I saw that many of them were staring at me still.

I was still a little bit worried about it, as I then turned my head over to them at the same time too, and I looked right back over at them, but it was clear that they could not handle that at all clearly how ever, as, as soon as they had then noticed that I was looking right back over to them, they quickly turned their heads away from me, as if nothing had happened at all. I rolled my eyes a bit, as I was fine with it, if I was not going to lie to my self, as I really did not need all of the stress and attention right now, as I got my focus off of all of those thoughts all at once.

A lot of that was due to the fact how ever, as to me hearing paw steps from right behind me, coming through the small little tunnel that I had looked in to not all too long ago, as I was a bit lost by it, as I then turned my head over to where the paw steps were coming from too, as I could tell that it was multiple paw steps never the less. I blinked my eyes, as I saw Hawk then all of the sudden step out of the darkness of the tunnel that she had just been in.

Not just that though, but also there was another cat that was behind her, which was a little bit of a surprise to me at the exact same time too, as I poked my head around Hawk, to see just as to who it was that it could be. To no surprise at all, though it did surprise me a bit how ever, even though I knew that it had been coming in the first place any ways, the cat that I saw in front of me, was in fact that cat that I had been seeing in my dreams as of late.

It told me right away, as to the fact that my dreams were real, as I saw quite a smile on the face of the cat that was right in front of me right now, at the same time too, as he then nodded to me. I was still a bit fixated in his face, and the fact that it just so happened to be that all of this was real, as even after the fact that I had heard the name been said, it still seemed to be that this could not be real at all. But, it was real now ever, as I was in just a bit of some shock right now.

I shook off all of those thoughts all at the exact same time too how ever, as I then nodded back to the old tom cat that was in front of me, as I knew that he had just done that, and he was expecting me to do the same back to him, out of respect. After he had seen me do such a thing as well, Stoneteller then all of the sudden began to speak to me, as though I was still quite a bit lost by all of this, still not seeming to be real at all, I did in fact listen as to what it was that he had to say in the very first place any ways.

"It is good to finally meet you Kettle... Come in side of my den... I want you too go meet, the wild Eagle..."