SNOW

               A rabbit sat in front of Snow, unaware of the white she-cat’s approach. Snow darted forward, claws unsheathed, and the rabbit raced away. Snow ran across the moor, following the rabbit’s path. She noticed it was heading towards a small tunnel in the ground, big enough for the rabbit to squeeze through but too small for Snow to follow it. Snow leaped and crashed on the ground, missing the rabbit by a fox-length. “Mouse dung!” she hissed as the rabbit faded into the tunnel.

               “Come on, Snow!” her teacher, Mouse, meowed disapprovingly. “A kit could have done better than that! At this rate, you will never be a soldier!”

               Snow sighed. She didn’t want to be a soldier. It was so boring, hunting and patrolling the borders all day. And what did other cats think was so fun about fighting? Snow didn’t want to spill blood, she just wanted peace. Why was she so different from every other cat?

               “Did you hear me, Snow?” Mouse’s voice was saying in her ear.

               “Huh? What?” Snow asked.

               Mouse sighed unhappily. “Mouse-brain,” he muttered under his breath. “I said you can come with me and Tiger to patrol the RedCats Pack border.”

               “I don’t want to,” she mumbled.

               “That was an order!” Mouse called as she darted away.

               Snow kept running, away from the camp and away from Mouse. She stopped as she reached the Stonetrail at the far edge of their territory. Spinpaws raced across the Stonetrail, their unnatural pelts gleaming in the fading sunlight. Snow coughed on the terrible scent.

               Snow realized no more spinpaws were coming. She ran out onto the Stonetrail, feeling warm light on her fur. Looking up, she saw a spinpaw bearing down on her, its glowing eyes staring right at her. Snow ran even faster, and gasped with relief as she touched the grass on the other side.

               Snow continued onwards, only stopping as she saw a tunnel out of the corner of her eye. Slowly, she crept forward. “Does any cat live here?” she called into the tunnel.

               No cat responded. Maybe Snow could live here, away from the SunCats Pack. She stepped into the tunnel, and a voice whispered, “Welcome to the Tunnel of the Shining Stone.”