Bela was fitting in well with Zia and her family. He almost felt like he was one of them, a human being. At least that's what he felt.
Bob and Grace were good mentors and friends to him. Bob felt like his older brother, which is how he acted. Sometimes, the trio would have to cross streets, and Bob would help Bela.
One day, Bob and Bela went to the barn they would usually train at, and Grace bounded up to them with an excited expression on her face.
"Bob! Bela!", she squealed. "Guess what I just learned!"
"What is it?", Bela asked.
"There's more than one Pride! We're currently working on the Southern Pride, but there's also the Eastern, Northern, and Western. And I met a cat who is destined to be the Western Pride's leader". Grace turned around, and called, "Hazel, come meet my friends!"
A hazel-furred she-cat trotted over from where she was sitting on a tree stump. Her amber eyes shined with friendliness.
"Hi", she meowed. "I'm Hazel. I've been having dreams of a grey cat with green eyes, who claims to be called Melody"
"Hey, I've been having dreams of her, too!", Bela meowed.
"Well, she says that I'm supposed to be the Western Pride's 'Eagle' or something. Does that sound familiar to you?", she asked Bela.
"Yes, Melody said the same thing to me!"
"I think it means a leader or something. And she also talked about Wings, Eyes, Feathers, Talons, Beaks, and Hearts. They might be..."
"Different roles in the Prides!", Bela finished excitedly.
"Exactly!", Hazel squealed.
Bela looked up at Bob and Grace. "Do you think we should go to the Song Roots for answers?", he asked them.
Bob nodded. "It seems like a good idea. What do you think, Grace?"
"I agree", she responded.
"Can Hazel come, too?", Bela asked.
Grace nodded. "Since you and her are having similar dreams, it makes sense"
"I'd love to come", Hazel meowed, "but I'd have to ask my parents. But luckily, they let me go pretty much anywhere, if I ask them first. And they almost always say yes, except for when I want to go into a human's house. Be right back—you'd love to meet my family!". With that, Hazel disappeared behind a few bushes, and moments later came back with four more cats.
"This is Honey, my mom, Waffles, my dad, Maple, my sister, and Berry, my brother", she meowed.
Honey was like Hazel, with light brown fur, though she had brown eyes. Waffles was a black and white tuxedo tom with yellow eyes. Maple was more of a rich hazel color, with one green eye and one yellow eye. Berry was a lot like his father, but he had a lot less black fur; only half his face and a spot on his back were black.
Waffles stepped forward and meowed, "Hello. Hazel told me a bit about you, Grace. I hear you're on a mission to create the Prides. Well, I want in"
"Yeah", Maple meowed. "It's not like we're leaving all the fun to Hazel, are we?"
"Just tell me what to do, and I'm on it", Berry growled.
"And I'm ready to heal anyone; I know quite a few herbs", Honey purred.
Bela smiled. "Looks like we've got a team!", he purred. "Hey, I know! We can invite Winter and the tabby brothers!"
Bob nodded. "It sounds like a plan. I'll go find the tabby brothers. Grace, you go find Winter. And Bela, you know where the Song Roots are, so take Hazel and her family there. We'll all meet up at the base of the tree"
"I have to lead them?", Bela complained. "But... I'm the youngest here!"
"You'll be fine", Bob assured him. "Grace will lead you most of the way before she finds Winter"
"I know a lot of street cats", Grace meowed. "There's Kevin, Violet, Stripes, Bean, Shadow, Creme—"
"We get it, Grace" Bob's meow was gruff, though there was a hint of amusement in it.
Honey then meowed, "I know a she-cat named Aethalfled" (it's pronounced ETH-al-fled) "She can help us. She's calm, and she's good with kits, though she is fierce when it's necessary"
"Is there anyone else?", Bob asked the group.
"Yes", Waffles answered. "There's Wheat, Coffee, Minty, Bambi, Chibi, Myles, Kylie, Thierry, and Klara".
"Go ahead and get them. We'll leave after introductions", Bob ordered, and Waffles left. Soon after, he came back with ten cats; five she-cats and five toms.
Wheat was a tan tom with amber eyes. Coffee was a white and tan tom with green eyes. Minty was an all-white she-cat with pale green eyes. Bambi was a light brown tom with white and tan spots near his back and belly. His eyes were the deepest blue Bela had ever seen. Bambi seemed to stay quite close to Hazel, so Bela assumed they were mates; he had seen the same actions with Bob and Grace. Chibi was a yellowish tabby she-cat with brown eyes. Myles was a black tom with a yellowish amber shade in his eyes. Kylie was a spotted brown-and-black tortoiseshell she-cat with a fluffy belly and brown eyes. Thierry was a flame-colored tom with eyes as blue and clear as water. Klara was a calico with brown eyes and one grey paw.
But Bela thought Aethalfled was the one who stood out the most. She looked a bit like the Siamese cat that liked to visit Bela's mother when he was young, though with lighter colors. Her eyes were sky blue, and her posture was that of a caring mother, even though she seemed too young to have kittens yet. She looks like she'd be a great mother, Bela thought.
He noticed that Aethalfled kept glancing over at Bob. What's that all about? Bela asked himself.
When he finally turned his attention back to Waffles, Bob was already leaving so he could find the tabby triplets. When Bob left, Bela and Grace turned to the path to the Song Roots.
YOU ARE READING
Origin of the Prides: A New Dawn
ActionAfter a trip to the Song Roots, Bob, Bela, and Grace have created the first two Prides-the Southern and the Western. They've only got two left before they get to live peacefully in the Southern Pride, but how can the lovebirds share a life together...
