Lost Echoes

-This is the first book in a series called Rise of the Clans by Galix

## Prologue

        A blue gray cat looked up at the moon, and back down at the cats she led. They were gathered in a stony hollow on a mountain, the place that these cats called home. There was snow and ice and barely any prey, but they had lived here for generations. The she-cat saw a glow in the sky and realized there was a star shooting across the path of the moon.

         “Follow the Echo Trail,” a voice whispered in her ear. She whipped her head around, but nobody was there. The shooting star was gone, only the glowing full moon remained.

         “All cats gather! I have news!” She yowled from where she was sitting on a rocky ledge. Once the many cats were gathered below her, she began.

         “We must follow the Echo Trail to a new place,” she announced. Uncertain murmurs rolled around the tribe.

         “There is a trail left by the feet of prey,” a dark golden she-cat hissed, “there is a trail left by the moving water in a stream. There is no trail left by echoes.”

         “Is there?” A light bracken colored tom asked uncertainty. He tipped his head, his dark green eyes showing confusion.

         “Would you go?” A lilac pointed she-cat asked a white cat. The white cat tipped her head.

         “Is there really such a place?” The white she-cat nibbled at a long, shining claw. The lilac she-cat didn’t say anything. She turned her head to another cat.

         “What about you, Full Moon?” She asked. The dark gray she-cat didn’t answer, but her deep blue eyes were thoughtful.

         “Yes, I believe so,” she answered, “Moonteller has never been wrong before.” Another cat sighed.

         “What is it, Misty Water?” Asked the first cat.

         “If there is a place like this, then the Tribe of the Glowing Moon won’t fall. I believe in this, Lilac Meadow.” The pale gray she-cat’s voice was certain.

         “I would go,” a darker patched she-cat said quietly. “I think Ice Claws is right, but Moonteller has never been wrong.” The white she-cat’s icy eyes shone with stress.

         “Thank you, Shaded Moon.” Said Misty Water.

         “Then it’s settled?” Ice Claws asked, “we’re all leaving if Moonteller says so?” The group nodded.

         “Yes,” meowed Full Moon.

## Chapter One

         “Are we going or not?” Swooping Hawk asked impatiently, scratching at the ground with one pale gold paw. Her dark golden fur was ragged and thin, signs that she, along with the rest of the Tribe, had not been eating well for the past moon. Full Moon sighed. The entire Tribe had agreed to move to the new place, following the Echo Trail, but some cats were still uncertain. Such as her sister, Ice Claws. Ice Claws has always enjoyed living in the mountains. Full Moon knew she enjoyed the thrill of not knowing what would happen the next day and hunting for the Tribe.

         “I think we should follow the moon,” Misty Water said. Full Moon shook her head doubtfully. The moon didn’t echo, or make any noise.

         “Wherever we go, at least we’ll be together,” said Full Moon. She didn’t know what hardships the Tribe would face, but knew that they couldn’t survive anything bad in their current state. Full Moon twitched her ear as Moonteller leapt onto the rock.

         “We are leaving the place we call home to find a new home,” she said, her eyes gleaming. “We have no idea what lies in wait for us past the mountains, only that we are going to find a better place, full of sunshine and prey.”  Moonteller paused, “I couldn’t be prouder to call you my Tribe.” Full Moon purred. They were going. Finally!