" As soon as I jumped out of that window I ran as fast as my pregnant belly would let me. I soon scented two of The Pack behind me. I raced for the nearest thing I thought was safe which was not in Quendlinel. It was here." Aspen gestured with her tail to the old upright’s place and the canopy of ivy above and around her. Then turned back to her two kits, Quince and Cinder. They were both wide eyed.


“ Then what happened? “ Cinder’s dark grey tabby pelt sparkled in the bright sunshine.


“ Well Secret helped me of course. “ Aspen blinked gratefully at the black female. Secret dipped her head respectfully. “ Together we killed the two packmates. Almost right after that I started kitting. I have stayed here ever since. “


“ What happened to Valor, mama? “ Quince looked a lot like Aspen but she had grey tabby striped legs like Valor. Cinder looked almost exactly like Valor.


“ He died. Saving me, and you, and you. He gave his life to protect us. One of the last things he said to me was ‘ I love you, and our kits, tell them about me. ‘ Then he told me to run for my life, and I did, for your sake. I thought that you were ready to be told this since you have reached the age of twelve moons. “ Aspen paused, searching for words. ” Bane is still searching for that stone. His mind can’t stop thinking about it.“


Cinder puzzled over this. The Banarr Stone that her mother told her about, Bane himself. He killed her father. She wanted to do something. She wanted to stand up to him. “ Mama, I want to find the Banarr stone and destroy it. “ Cinder knew it would be dangerous, but she wanted to do it.


“ Me too. “ Quince chimed in.


Aspen just glanced from one to the other. “ No. No. You can’t, you could die. I am not letting you. “ Cinder and Quince glanced at one another. Quince looked determined.


“ We can’t promise you anything mama, but for now we will stay here. “ Quince spoke. Aspen relaxed a little.


“ Good. I am going out to hunt. Want to come? “ Aspen asked lightly.


“ Yes! “ Cinder and Quince said at the same time.


Later that night, Cinder lay on her back, thinking about the father she never knew. Thinking about Bane. Cinder turned over so that she could see Quince. Her breathing was long and deep, she was asleep. Cinder flicked her ears. She heard voices outside of the den. It was her mother and Secret, quietly talking. Cinder got up and stalked over to a window so that she could hear them better. She jumped up and crouched in the shadows of an aged, crumbling wall. Secret was talking.


“ Bane is still looking for that stone… I hear he is getting closer to us. I heard it from Yew. You know how trusting she is. “ Secret spoke softly but urgently. “ I almost wonder if we should leave. “


“ No.. we will be safe here. Bane will not find us. “ But even as Aspen spoke her voice quavered with deep fear. “ One day Bane will be stopped and Kismetarlind will be free from his horrible wrath. “


“ Hopefully that day is soon. “ Secret whispered. Aspen nodded. Cinder watched the two friends watch the stars overhead. Cinder got up and slowly creeped back to her nest with Quince. She curled up close to her sister and drifted slowly into sleep, thinking about what she had just heard.  


The next few days passed comfortably, with plenty of prey to go around. It was the fourth evening after Aspen’s story that The Pack’s scent hung heavy in the air. Secret smelled it first. Her head flew up, her ears pricked. Aspen smelled it next. Her eyes scanning the rolling hills and woods behind them. Secret and Aspen quickly nudged Cinder and Quince into their hidden den.


Inside Secret nodded to Aspen. Aspen nodded back, she turned to Cinder and Quince. “ I want you two to run as fast as you can to the Enchanted Wood. Find somewhere to hide deep inside of it. We will meet you there. “ Aspen’s voice was full of command but behind that was sadness.


“ But.. What about you and Secret? “ Quince mew was unrecognizable, like a piece of rock had lodged in her throat.


“ Me and Aspen will fight the good-for-nothing rogues while you two escape. We will meet again. “ Secret rasped. She touched her forehead lightly with her white front paw. Aspen did the same. Cinder and Quince did the gesture back to the two females who had raised them. Aspen licked their heads and shoved them out of the hidden exit.


Cinder ran and so did Quince. Neck to neck they darted as fast as they could to the Enchanted Wood. After running awhile they looked back once, only to see their mother and Secret fighting hard against the vicious pack. Even as far away as the two were they could here the distant cries of their mother caterwauling as she slashed pack cats with her claws. “ Valor! Valor! Valor! “




 Cinder and Quince were in the safety of the Enchanted Wood, but still running. Finally after running for awhile, they reached a cave and collapsed into it and instantly fell asleep. They woke to an orange female with a dark orange chest with creamy tints. She was standing in the mouth of the cave. Cinder kicked Quince lightly to wake her. When Quince spotted the cat she jumped up and her fur started to puff up.


“ Greetings. “ The female dipped her head. “ I won’t hurt you, although you are in my cave. “ She sat still with her green eyes flicking over the sisters. Quince slowly relaxed. Cinder sat next to her and smoothed her pelt with her tail. Quince glanced at Cinder, unsure. “ Well you can introduce yourselves, instead of sitting there like bumps on a log. “


“ What about your name? “ Quince mewed.


“ I will reveal my name when I wish. “ The female cat answered evenly.


“ This is Quince. “ Cinder flicked her tail at Quince. “ I am Cinder. “


“ Why are you in my cave? “ The female cat asked, but not in an aggressive way.


“ We were fleeing from the Pack. They creeped up on us and my mother and our friend Secret told us to leave and run to the Enchanted Wood. We collapsed here and fell asleep almost instantly. “ Cinder paused. She noticed the female’s tail flicked when she said Enchanted Wood.  “ How long have we been asleep? “


“ Most of the night. I came back at dusk and found you sleeping here. It is dawn now. I caught you some prey. “ She picked three mice by their tails from outside the cave. She dropped one in front of Cinder and one in front of Quince.


“ Thanks. “ Quince meowed.


“ No problem. “ The female ate her mouse with the sisters.


Cinder felt that she had to say something. “ So… um… Goldfish. “ Cinder stopped and waited for the female to look up.


“ Goldfish? “ The female’s eyes were full of laughter.


“ Yes. Until you tell us your name. We call you Goldfish. “ Cinder said.


“ Ok. “ Goldfish flicked her ears. She thought it was funny.


“ Anyways, Goldfish. How did you come to live in the Enchanted Wood? “ Cinder noticed that Goldfish flicked her tail again.


“ I grew up here, but farther in that direction. Near Quendlinel. “ Goldfish gestured with her tail toward the place where Quince and Cinder’s father had died. Aspen had showed them the little village from afar once.


“ Near Quendlinel? Our father died there, killed by the pack. “ Quince said.


Goldfish looked Quince in the eye, her face screwed up in sadness. “ My whole family was murdered by the Pack. My mother, my father, my brothers and sisters. “ I barely escaped with my life. I was seven moons old. “


Cinder and Quince gasped. Quince went over to Goldfish and stroked her back with her tail. Cinder went on Goldfish’s other side and they huddled close together like that for awhile. After that the three were as close as sisters. The rest of the day they spent talking getting to know each other.


Cinder, Goldfish, and Quince were chattering like birds when Quince flicked her ears forward. “ I hear something. “ Cinder and Goldfish heard it to. Sticks cracking and waving leaves. Then a voice.


“ Cinder! Quince! Where are you? “ Then something big hit the ground, hard. Cinder, Quince and Goldfish raced out of the cave toward the voice. What they found shocked them. Secret was lying unconscious in front of them, with blood trickling out of several scratches on her body.



Goldfish helped Cinder and Quince drag Secret to the cave.


“ Who is she? “ Goldfish asked.


“ She is our mother’s friend… Or was. “ Cinder mewed. Quince flinched.


“ You don’t think mama died.. Do you? “ Quince asked uncertainly.


“ No. Of course not. “ Cinder could tell she looked agitated. She turned to Goldfish. “ Do you know how to wake unconscious cats? “


“ No. We will just have to wait. “ Goldfish answered.


“ Then we will wait. “ Quince answered and crouched next to Secret and started cleaning her bloddy fur. “ Do you know of any herbs that might help these scratches? “ Quince asked Goldfish.


“ Marigold will keep away infection. Dock and comfrey will help soothe the wounds. “ Goldfish replied.


“ Could you get some? “ Cinder asked.


“ Of course. “ Goldfish left the cave. After a little bit Goldfish came back with three types of plants, which all smell very strong. “ Help me with this? You just chew them up and rub them into the wounds. While you are doing the little ones, I am going to treat the bigger ones. “ Cinder and Quince nodded and started chewing.


The taste was nasty but for Secret it was a mere sour berry on the tongue. “ How did you learn all of this? “ Cinder asked.


“ My father’s father taught me. I am what you call a healer. There are few. I am one of them. “ Goldfish replied.