• The wind howled through the trees, making them shiver in the night. Someone else shivered, too. A small brown kitten was sitting underneath a big spruce tree, eyes wide. How did I get here? He wondered, staring into the dark forest. Somewhere far off, an owl hooted. The kitten shivered again. Then his eyes closed and he fell asleep. "Hey, wake up!"
    Meadow jumped up.
    "What? Huh? Wait, um, what's happening?"
    "Oh, Meadow," Snowfall purred, "you fell asleep again! You should have seen Silverleaf's face when she was talking and then your eyes went foggy and-" She burst out laughing.
    "Hmph. Well if she would talk about more important things than how the mice are leaving the forest, how the sky will fall on our heads, or how the world will end, i would listen."
    "I have to admit, I think she needs to retire from our Chief. Soon enough she'll lead us into a REAL war with Rock Kingdom," she said, getting up. "Blade told me i should go hunting today. Bleh. I hate learning to catch eagles. They just squawk and flap their stupid wings. I tell, you, we're the ones who deserve those wings."
    Meadow nodded vaguely. His head was sorting through last night's dreams. What was that last dream about? He remembered being lost and alone, abandoned. But why this? Did the Spirits want to tell him, or warn him something? Maybe a kit would escape and..... but then he realised he felt weird in the dream. Captured, enslaved. Like something was holding him down by the scruff of his neck. Oh well, I'm getting nowhere, he thought, rising. Snowfall had left. Probably to catch those eagles, he thought, smirking. At least I have the whole day with nothing to do!
    "Hey, Meadow, guess what?" Blade padded through the clearing towards Meadow.
    "What?" Meadow grunted, hoping he wouldn't be sent off to do some chore.
    "Today's your MoonJourney day! Silverleaf said so!"
    "WHAT??!?!?!?!" Meadow jumped up, no longer sleepy.
    "Yep. You know the rules. You have to go ALL the way to TallGround, climb it, and come back as a member of the tribe. And on the way, the legend says your supposed to find your soulmate. I don't think that's true though. Anyway, better get ready!" Blade shook his long white fur in a superior way and ran off somewhere, probably to annoy some student, Meadow thought. He went back into his den and found some supplies for the long trip. On his way out he found his old Chief, Silverleaf, waiting by the entrance.
    "So you've heard? You shall go the mountain of TallGround and find your internal courage as you climb the rocky ledges of the mountain,"
    "Huh?"
    Hawk interrupted as he padded up behind her with his tiny kitten paws. "She means ya s'posed to climb the mount'n 'n find some kind of courage that'll build ya pers'nalty up," He said in his squeaky voice.
    "Thanks, Hawk." Meadow looked fondly at his little brother.
    "So, young one, i suppose you should get going." Silverleaf said, looking at Meadow through her fiery blue eyes.
    "Um, OK, Silver," he said, picking up the bundle of spare berries. "'Bye, Hawk, 'bye, Silverleaf. Tell Snowfall I'm leaving."
    He walked confidently into the forest. And so it all began.
    ***

    As soon as he got into the thick trees, he took off as fast as his legs could carry him. He felt the wind rush through his fur as he sprung over fallen logs and thick ferns. His heart pounded. Meadow felt wonderful. Finally, his chance to express himself and get to show he wasn't just a freaky swimming cat. And besides, what's the problem with swimming? The fish are there, just waiting fir someone to catch them! Meadow purred as he remembered when he had tried to teach Hawk how to fish. The little kit had stumbled over his own paws and ended up in the river!
    For miles and miles, he ran through the forest, panting. The exhilaration rushed through him ans he pounded through the forest. I'm not a kit anymore, he thought as he leaped over a particularly large boulder.
    ***

    By nightfall he was well over halfway to TallGround. He had slowed down a little after stumbling into a river and getting soaked. He felt embarrassed because the river, the one who had supplied him food for so long, had almost killed him. But now he stumbled to a stop and crawled into a small crevice in a fallen log. He thought about his day. I'm the fastest student ever! he thought. I bet I'll set a new record for the other students! He licked his chest fur proudly. Then Hawk's little face popped into his mind. I wonder how Hawkie's doing... I hope Silverleaf makes him a student soon! He doesn't fit in the nursery anymore....
    And with thoughts of his little brother in his mind, Meadow fell asleep.
    ***
    When he the time he awoke, it was well past noon.
    "What?" he said, gazing up at the sun, "Oh, its past midday! i have to keep going or ill never get back in time! I only have 6 days... That means i have 5 days to climb the mountain and get back to camp."
    He got up and stretched, the sun lighting up his speckled brown fur.
    "Ow! I think i ran too much yesterday!"
    He trotted over to a puddle of water and took a few sips. Then Meadow sighed and took off running at a slow, steady pace.
    He kept running for a long time before his surroundings became dimmed by a long shadow. Started, he looked up and saw a huge mountain looming up before him.
    It wasn't really a mountain- its sides cut almost straight up out of the ground, making the peak look even higher. There were a few little ledges scattered here and there- but still, climbing up would be hard. Besides, Meadow thought, it's getting dark. I should stop here and climb tomorrow.
    With a dull plop, he sprawled out onto the grass.
    What's wrong with me? He wondered, stretching out onto a particularly soft patch of grass.
    Why isn't this easy? I was waiting for a time to show that i am strong... but now my chance is slipping away! Why can't I just sweep through the forest like wind? Maybe... Maybe I'm just not as strong as the others... Maybe I've never fit in, like Hawk. Maybe it's no hope.
    ***
    This time Meadow awoke far before the sun even stretched its long fingers over the horizon. Grumbling to himself, he drowsily started his journey to the very base of TallGround.
    He got there in less that an hour. Hesitantly, he looked up. Wow. I can't even see the top, he thought. He arched his neck, but it made no difference. Well, i guess i should get going. What did i practice jumping cliffs at home for? I can do it better that any student, better than any member of NightTribe, he thought proudly.
    Jumping up proved to be as easy as he thought. He felt a feeling of pure satisfaction and of freedom as he leaped from ledge to ledge. The rocks were made of a scratchy material that was easy to grip, so after just a few hours he was halfway up. Meadow slowed down and stopped to rest on a wide ledge. The sun was beating down hard on him, even in high altitude. Then he looked far out in the distance.
    It seemed like the whole world was spread beneath him, sprawled out like on an atlas. Far off, he thought he could make out a clearing with a few tiny black figures. He smiled when he thought about what they would say if they knew he was watching from here, so high up. Too high up. Dreading what he would see, and ignoring his friends' advice, he looked down. Rocks tumbled down the steep wall and split into a million shards as they made contact with the hard earthy ground below. Meadow gulped. Had he really climbed this far in a few hours? Agreeing with himself not to look down again, he took a breath and climbed on.
    ***

    When Meadow finally reached the famous flat ground at the sumit, it was well past sunset. The tiny surface at the top of Tallground was about five feet long and wide. Meadow smiled as he remembered one of the stories he had heard as a kitten:

    "Before, TallGround was a mountain with a tall peak that reached Star Kingdom where our ancestors live. But as beautiful as it was, TallGround was a sacrificial place. Hundreds of the ancient MountainClan cats carved many caves out of the soft rock with their large claws. They would live in these caves, after being chased out of Rock Kingdom. The caves worked well, keeping the heat in at night and the cool in during the hottest part of the day. However, one day, there was a terrible shake and the earth roared in anger, rattling the forest for miles. The beautifully built caves crumbled and were no more. The mountain cats fled out and prayed to their god, Pinza. It was said he pitied them and sliced the top of TallGround off to make a flat surface for them to live on. They thanked him and climbed up to the peak. They slept there, and in the morning, the mountain cats had left and were never seen again."
    Stretching out on the small surface, he looked up at the stars and wondered if his mother was up there, watching him. He sighed and located his favourite constellations, Draco and Leo. He loved the way Leo looked like a snake, curled up and ready to strike. And Leo, well, Leo was just his favourite. Leo gave Meadow courage, the courage of a lion.
    ***
    Meadow beat the sun again, groaning as he got up. OK, maybe the ground isnt as soft as the stories describe it, he thought, wincing as his muscles protested.
    he peered over the edge of the platform. Wow. And double wow, he thought, his stoumach lurching. How will I make it down?
    - thats it, hope you like it.-