From PTT to POGH: Rising from the Ashes

Hello, foreigners and pack-mates. I am Lightning, a former general of The Pack of Towering Trees. I have been in the pack for over a year in IRL time, which means I know lots of things about the group. In order to prove this, I have written a fictional narrative based on the history of the pack that peaked at 146 members. With stealth, speed and tree climbing skills, we adapted to the deep underbrush and survived like **true warriors.** I hope you all enjoy this story!

Safe Tourneys,

~Lightning, Elitist of Pack of Glistening Hollows

* Fathom
* Ripple ( OLD DRAWING )
* Lightning
* Solnedgang, Deceased
* Striker, Elitist
* Oaktail, Elitist
* Grey, Former Member
1/7

### Chapter 1: The Beginning

As Fathom cruised through the deep underbrush, his fluffy fur coat bristled in the howling wind. The deep underbrush rustled as he continued to pad through the cluster of branches and leaves. He wondered what could come, and how he could make a new home. He had carried 2 rabbits that he hunted earlier on his journey.

As he continued on the trail, a wall of ivy and roots blocked his path. There was a tunnel underneath it. Fathom curiously stared at it, and decided to go through it instead of trailblazing. As he entered, a strange warmth flooded throughout his coat. He noticed strangely that moss had been placed on the floor, like bedding. When the tunnel ended, light shined across the huge clearing, almost hurting his eyes.

The first thing he saw was a huge rock and a small group of loners. One of the cats, which had navy blue fur, looked at him first. Her eyes were icy blue, glistening in the sunlight. She started whispering into the other cats ears, as if she was talking about him. The group ended up leaping off the rock and padding towards him. Fathom stayed, but was still cautious. As they got up face to face, the first one to speak was the navy blue-furred cat. "Greetings, I am Ripple. Who are you?" she asked. "Fathom. I'm just a loner." Fathom replied, memories of Frigid Waters stabbing him.

She looked at Fathom, and started thinking. "Me and my friends were starting to think of starting a cat pack, just like other rogues and loners do. Wanna help make it?" Her face turned from blank to smiling. "I used to be in a tribe. Tribe of Frigid Waters." "Well, since you seem to be the most experienced, what shall we name it? Name suggestions, anyone?" She yelled softly, but loud enough. "Well, maybe name it off of the clearing. That's how Frigid Waters was made." Fathom suggested. He noticed that the group was now shifting their gaze across the clearing. "Trees. **Towering Trees."** Fathom's words sparked a fire in the group. "That's it! Pack of Towering Trees! You're a **genius!**" Ripple exclaimed. "Pack of Towering Trees it is, then!" Fathom said excitingly.

### Chapter 2: Setting it All Up

The Pack was being built from the inside. The small group of cats were making a big difference; they knew how to collect herbs, build dens, and even make walls for camp protection. Even best, the camp was just the right size.

Fathom patrolled the area where dens were being built. He also helped get materials for it, such as moss, mud, wood, and leaves. "Okay, Silver, good job on the wall technique!" Fathom thanked Silver. "Thanks!" he replied as he was bunching the twigs together. As Fathom's gaze swept across the den site, he noticed Ripple helping Rose get the roof on. "You just have to make sure it's stable, so that in the winter the roof doesn't come caving in!" She chuckled. "Yeah, that too." Fathom began to move over to the den. "Which den is this going to be?" He asked. "Gladiators. They're warriors in pack terms." He was puzzled by the word. "Okay."

A trainee named Gala was just coming in. "Fathom! Ripple! Russet! Everybody! New recruits!" She shouted as a patrol of new cats came in. "Wow! That's the most we've had the entire session!" Ripple sounded shocked. Fathom and Ripple swiftly dove over to the line of unfamiliar cats.

Gala began padding over to Fathom. "This isn't all of them, you know." She chuckled sarcastically. Fathom and Ripple began laughing. Gala began to talk a stroll across the camp set-up. She was amazed that a small group could get so much done. "Rose, how did you get so much done? We've been here for only a moon!" Gala was surprised and blown away in one voice. "A moon is a long time, you know." She purred, almost beginning to laugh.

Two moons later, the pack was *filled* with new recruits. Fathom was starting to think Gala was working too hard.

* Ripple x Fathom ANIMATION
* Oat x Grey kits
* Lightning by Striker
* Striker vs. Enemy
1/4"Gala! You need to rest. You've been working your paws off morning to now." He ordered Gala. "Yes, Fathom." Gala padded off to the main area. She padded into her den, tired out of her mind. She curled her tassel around her mitts. "You've been working your paws off, Gala!" A young trainee exclaimed. "You deserve to be a gladiator **now.**" One of the newer apprentices said, sounding very serious. "Don't worry, I have lots more until I become a warrior." She rested her tail softly, lowered onto the moss, and began to drift away into sleep. "Good night, Gala." The trainees whispered.

### Chapter 3: Family Reunites

As the sun arose from his sleep, the sunlight burst through the clearing and into the dens. "Morning, Ripple." Fathom yawned as he stretched his paws across the moss bedding. "Good morning." Ripple nuzzled across his fur coat, as they walked out of the den. The first cat they saw was Gala. "Oh, no you don't!" Fathom snickered as he padded over to Gala. "Best sleep in moons." Gala stretched. "Well, you worked for a moon, so it's fair." Ripple pointed out.

Cats started flooding out of their dens, running for the fresh kill pile. "Morning!" "Hey there!" "Good morning." The group of cats piling around the fresh kill was a clear site in the camp; the most obvious one. "All cats gather below the High-rock!" Ripple and Fathom yelled. "This is the 10th moon that our pack has standed. In celebration, we will have a big hunt. All members will catch 2 mice and a rabbit. All extras serve for later days. This hunt will start at noon, so make sure you are ready!" Fathom informed to his pack. "Also, Gala will be getting more recruits, as we haven't recruited in a quarter moon." Ripple added on. Looking at Gala, she was excited. "Gala, you may also pick a gladiator to go with you." Fathom told her. She nodded. "Can Silver go with me?" Gala asked softly, turning her gaze to the high-rock. "Okay, Silver, you will be going with Gala to get some recruits. Got that?" Ripple stared at Silver. "Yes, Ripple."

Gala and Silver departed into the forest. As they came to the ivy wall, they ducked and climbed steadily into the tunnel. When they got deeper in, a soothe of warmth was spreading onto their fur coats. Soon, after they got out of the tunnel, Silver asked "Which way?" "Forward. Lots of cats follow the trail." Gala suggested. They began on the search for loners and rogues, not knowing an emblem was nearby, at least to Fathom he was...

( BEGINNING OF NEW PERSPECTIVE )

The black and white tom finished his last bite of rabbit as he ended his rest. He had been on his own for 15 moons, on the lookout for a new home. His family had been lost. As he cruised throughout the clearing, he stopped dead. He had heard voices. His ears pricked in alarm. Had he lost his mind? He hadn't heard the voice of a clear language since he left his tribe. As he continued, the voice got closer and closer. Gala and Silver were just around the corner, he didn't know. As they came from behind the twigs of the deep underbrush, they were surprised to see him. The black tom jumped in surprised thoughts. "Who are you?" Silver ordered. The black tom answered. "Is there a home nearby? A clan? A pack? A tribe?" His words sparked onto their thoughts. "Come with us." He followed.

Fathom and Ripple stood on the high-rock. "Wrap it up, the hunt starts soon!" They informed, yelling across the camp. "I wonder how many recruits she will get." Ripple said. Fathom started wondering the same thing. A wind had come, a swift but weak wind. The voices coming from the ivy wall had ran into his thoughts, his mind racing out of his head.

Gala and Silver had returned. "How many?" Fathom asked. "One, but he seems like the best of them all. The trainee and the gladiator introduced him. His eyes widened. "May I ask your name?" Fathom asked gently. "Lightning. Used to be in Tribe of Frigid Waters." Fathoms mind completely flew everywhere. "You look familiar..." Lightning pointed out.

"It is you!" Fathom seemed happier than ever. He had finally found his long lost brother. "So glad to see you." Lightning purred in happiness. "Who is he?" Ripple's curiosity was obvious to the pack. "My brother. My long lost one. Before I joined the pack." The crowd of cats began to speak in confusion. "Well, I may as well show you around. Since I know you got taught from your mentor, you will be a gladiator." Lightning stood next to his brother in delight. "Yeah, I'm glad that I finally found a home, especially with you. I wish Teighan and Lillith were here..." Lightning and Fathom got stabbed by the memory of their family. The entire pack watched the reunion. They haven't met in 15 moons...

### Chapter 4: A Strong Pack

As the dens flooded with sunlight, the eyes of cats glistened. As they crept out of their den, coldness struck them like a paw. "The beginning of leaf-bare, snow, snow, snow." Lightning padded over to his brothers den. "Morning." Fathom purred as he stood next to a tired Ripple. "I'm freezing! You guys are lucky to have such thick, nice fur coats." She started to nuzzle Fathom for warmth. Fathom and Lightning snickered. "Well, it's a family tradition." Lightning exaggerated.

The sun was rising above the pines, clouds fading into white. Gala's eyes slowly opened, the light scattering across her gaze. She saw other trainees wake up as the sun painted the sky. Gala shivered. "The start of leaf-bare, this is gonna be a cold one." A trainee pointed out, as he saw the group of trainees shiver their way out of the den.

Lightning stood on the high-rock with Fathom and Ripple. They watched the cats swarm out of the dens, As morning approached. Cats of all sizes were trotting over to the fresh kill pile, grooming each other, having conversations. What gave away their feelings were the shudders of coldness shown from each of the cats.

"May all of those cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the high-rock for a pack meeting!" Fathoms words echoed across the camp, alerting all members. "Today is a special occasion for the pack: The Great Hunt. We will send out 4 patrols, each splitting up to catch as much prey as possible." The cats gathered below turned into a scramble of words, purrs and mews. "Lightning, Ripple. Please organize the patrols." Lightning and Ripple nodded, and called the pack members over to split into patrols.

Tired after organizing patrols, Fathom had allowed Lightning and Ripple to go alone and let the patrols choose their own parts of hunting. Lightnings tail stuck straight, so the underbrush didn't rustle it. He unsheathed his claws, scenting the atmosphere. *Fawn,* his nose pricked, answering his question.

Lightning slowly lowered into the undergrowth, trying to hold in his watering mouth. He pawed his way toward the scent, soon picking up a sight of the young fawn. He tried to keep himself as low as possible, due to the undergrowth not favoring his black and white pelt.

He made a silent rustle in the tall grass, and saw the young fawns ears prick. As soon as the fawn was alarmed, he blew his way out of the grass, leaping towards the prey. He pawed his way close to the fawn, drawing warm blood with a bite. As the fawn attempted to escape, he nipped at the leg of the young deer, letting it collapse to the ground.

He drew the killing bite, and the deer went limp. Its fur bristled down onto its body, and blood poured out. *This deer is going to feed the pack for days! My brother will be so proud!* Lightning began to drag the limp prey through the grass, leaving blood dripping out.

Lightning heaved his paws forward, waiting for the passageway to camp to slowly appear. Over the scent of deer and blood, he scented his camp. *Ripple.* He recognized the scent of his sister-in-law. Fur rustled through the bushes, and she appeared.

### Chapter 5: Pack Duties

Lightning and Ripple dragged the recently killed prey into the camp. The rustling was loud enough that everybody in camp pricked their ears. Ripple and Lightning emerged from the bushes, heaving into camp. Fathom slithered up the High-rock, gazing at his two relatives carrying the fawn through camp. Fathom marched down the huge rock, greeting his siblings.

"Hello. I see you two have brought back a big surprise." The two dipped their heads, greeting their leader. They both didn't realize they still had the deer on their backs, and it slid down, landing on their heads. Alarmed, they dropped it onto the ground. Fathom snickered a bit. "Did you both catch it? Or did one of you?" Lightning muffled a mew out of his jaw. "I did. By myself." Fathom's eyes were in a surprised manner.

As the sun put on its pajamas and rested into bed, a loud roar flamed through the camp. "May all of those old enough to hunt for themselves gather below the High-rock for a pack meeting." A flood of fur circled around the rock, eyes gazing up at their leader.

"Tonight, we celebrate with a feast. We have an overloaded prey pile. Over those, we have one particular warrior; Lightning caught a fawn big enough to feed half of us. I acknowledge him because I´m proud of his agility and strength to catch such a big piece of prey." Lightning smiled as his brother looked down at him from the rock. "Youth and Elders may go first. Lightning may go after that. The rest of you know the order." He dismissed his pack, vanishing into his den.

Lightning flew over to the prey pile, standing behind the elders and kits. His mouth began to water. As he stepped up, he ripped off a fresh piece of the fawn and trotted over to the stream to relax. He curled up and began gnawing on his fresh deer.

"Hey, Lightning. How's it going? I have to admit, that was a pretty good catch that you made. You should be rewarded." The sound of a warm voice came from Gala, a fox-length away from Lightning. "Yeah, it was a pain in the tail to get, but it was worth it. This is really good. How did you do on The Great Hunt?" Lightning hadn't thought of how everybody else did, considering he went alone.

"Oh, I did good. I caught 2 squirrels and a plump mouse. My pelt was hard to adapt to, so I got noticed a bit." Lightning wasn't surprised that Gala's pelt had been noticed by the prey. As he pivoted his head away from the stream, he noticed Ripple and Fathom sharing a piece of the fawn that he had caught. He began to rise up from the ground and pawed his way over to the couple.

"Hey, Fathom. Hi, Ripple. Enjoying that fawn, aren't you?" Lightning stared at the two, chewing down viciously on the prey. "Yes, delightful. I'm surprised somebody as small as you could catch a fawn. Usually, only the leopards and lions of the pack catch those." His comment twisted his gaze around him, looking at the diversity of the pack; leopards, lions, dogs, and many more.

"Anyways, I'll leave you so that you guys can finish your meal." Lightning turned his paws and trotted off. His pelt softly brushed the side of the opening as the small ocelot tom slid tiringly into the den. As he curled his tail around his tiny body and slipped onto the moss, seconds away from drifting into sleep, he heard the yowl of a leopard. 'Why are they still out hunting? We're feasting.' His ears pricked as the yowling died down. He slithered out of the den, following the yowl behind the den, into the deep forest.

Lightning slipped through the deep underbrush. As he went deeper into the forest, he started hearing voices. "We must catch enough prey for the gathering tomorrow! Work your tails off!" One yowled. 'What is going on? A gathering? Is there another pack invading our territory?' Lightning swerved his body backwards and sprinted towards camp.

The small, black tom flew through the bushes, panting as if his lungs were deflating. "What is going on, Lightning? What is wrong?" Ripple greeted him from the side of his gaze, puzzled on why he had looked so shocked. "I think another group is invading our territory! They were saying 'We must catch enough prey for the gathering tomorrow!'. What gathering, though?" Dismay flooded the yowls of the pack around him. Next thing, Fathom slithered out of his den. "What is all this racket? I can hardly sleep." Lightning spotted sleepiness in his brothers eyes. Ripple explained what Lightning had been talking about. Fathom nodded, and turned to the high-rock.

"Alright, everybody settle down! This entire invasion nonsense is nothing. A moon ago, a pack leader came to me speaking truce, and wished to set up a gathering with us. They also wanted to feast. I told them that they may hunt in our territory the night before the gathering. I am deeply sorry for not reminding all of you about this. Now, it would be great if we could all get to sleep. Good night, everybody."

### Chapter 10: **Rising From The Ashes**

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