Truffle's Adventures (A Cattails Story)
Oct 6, 2017 1:52:00 GMT -5
reilly, Wolfstone, and 3 more like this
Post by 🌿 ~ Spottedleaf ~ 🌿 on Oct 6, 2017 1:52:00 GMT -5
This is a story that I started writing a couple days ago with a friend off of Falcon Development 's Warrior Cats Untold Tales forums. She does not have an account here, so I will just give her credit by linking her WC:UT profile here: Hollyleaf. I hosted a join.me livestream today and yesterday, and together Holly and I created a character and we gave him a personality. We're basing the story off of what happens in the game.
Here's our character:
Truffle is a smaller than the average tom cat who lives in the Mountain Domain. He isn't kitten-sized, but he doesn't look full grown either. He has chocolate brown fur with some unique markings light brown on his backside, tail, and a little on his paws and muzzle. He has light blue eyes that appear green in low light.
Truffle is a charming young cat with a good heart. He is gentle and affectionate, especially toward female cats. Most of the time, Truffle is well-behaved, but sometimes he is silly and goofs around. Some may dislike him for his mischievousness, but others love that about him. Truffle may be goofy, yet serious when it comes to dealing with things that need to be dealt with seriously. He strives to prove himself, and he works hard to show his loyalty toward his colony. That doesn't mean he doesn't like adventuring, however. Truffle is quite curious of his surroundings, and he often goes exploring while fulfilling his duties as a colony member at the same time.
Pictures of Truffle:
It started at a local pet adoption center in a small town. A small, chocolate-colored cat was playing with the other cats in the adoption pen. As he played, a single mother and a young female child came by and began to observe. Being curious, the cat looked up at the two-person family. While he was not able to fully understand what was going on, it appeared that the child was pleading her mother while making eye contact and pointing at him. After some prodding, the mother finally nodded. In the end, a worker scooped him up and handed him to the little girl.
Before he knew it, he was carried out of the store. He was taken to a large human-made machine that hummed loudly as it rolled down the road. After the ride was over, the little girl carried him into the house and into her bedroom. The little girl named him Truffle.
Truffle lived happily while he was with this small family. He was well taken care of, and the child loved him very much. He enjoyed the attention he was given, and he often purred when being stroked. As long as he was played with, fed, and loved on, he was happy.
Little did he know, however, that this part of his life was only temporary. About six months after being adopted, something suddenly changed. One day, Truffle was thrown into the large humming machine again. Feeling very frightened, Truffle was not sure what was going on, but he could sense that it was not good.
After traveling for what seemed like hours to young Truffle, the machine came to a sudden stop. Before he had time to react, Truffle was jerked up by the child’s mother. The mother tossed him out on the side of the road, and she drove on, leaving him behind.
Truffle was shocked and confused. He had no clue what had happened or why. He felt extremely lost and without direction. While he knew little to nothing about the situation, he knew one thing: his life was never going to be the same.
Truffle was suddenly awoken when he heard soft paw steps nearby. He had barely cracked open his light blue eyes by the time he heard a voice. “Hey, what are you doing here?” the voice asked. Truffle looked up to see that the voice belonged to a female cat. She was fluffy and appeared mostly black in color, though she had white on her underbelly, paws, and muzzle.
There is another cat here? I don’t even remember falling asleep, Truffle thought to himself. His thoughts were interrupted when the other cat spoke again. “You don’t look like you’re from around here. I’m Coco by the way,” she said. Truffle moved into a sitting position. Then, he introduced himself to Coco. “I’m Truffle,” he meowed a little nervously, “I was dropped off on the side of the road and left behind. I don’t know where I am.”
Coco displayed a saddened expression as she listened to Truffle’s story. “You were dropped off and left by yourself? How terrible!” she meowed sympathetically. “If that’s your story, then you have a lot to learn. You are currently in the wilderness where a lot of other cats live. There are three colonies: Forest, Mountain, and Mystic. If you wish to survive out here, I’d advise you to join one of these,” she explained.
Truffle listened closely to what Coco was saying, yet he was still so curious about everything. His thoughts echoed endlessly in his head. I’m supposed to join a colony? Where even are the colonies? Would they even accept me? What if they turn me away? Poor Truffle had no idea what to think of any of it. It sounded interesting, for sure, but he felt slightly afraid of the unknown.
Wanting to know more, Truffle asked, “Can you tell me more about the colonies? How can I join one?” Coco understood Truffle’s curiosity, but she felt that it was more important to show him how to forage, hunt, and fight first, since they were all vital skills to learn. “I understand your curiosity, Truffle, and I will answer your questions, but first I must teach you how to forage plants, hunt prey, and fight enemies. If you can’t do any of that, you won’t survive very long out here,” she informed. Truffle had no experience with any of the skills Coco mentioned, but he was an adventurous cat, so he was willing to try it. “Teach me!” he said eagerly.
Coco was glad that Truffle was confident in learning the survival skills, even though it would be difficult at first. “I’ll start by teaching you about foraging. Why don’t you try finding some Goldenseal? There should be some around this area. It’s a green leafy plant with a bright red berry. When you find some, bring it back to me,” the black-and-white cat instructed. Truffle obeyed Coco, and he searched for the Goldenseal. Soon enough, the chocolate-colored tabby found some. It was just as Coco described, leafy with a bright red berry and not hard to find. He gathered some, and he returned to Coco.
“Great work, Truffle!” Coco praised when Truffle showed her the Goldenseal he found. “I’ll let you keep that. There are plenty of other plants that grow around the wild: Goldenseal, Lavender, Catnip, and Marigold, to name a few. They each have unique uses, so be sure to gather them all. Just be aware that they need time to grow back, and some only grow in certain seasons,” the she-cat explained.
Moving along, Coco carried on with the training lesson. “Not only will you need to know how to forage, but knowing how to hunt is a must out here. If you cannot hunt, then you will starve, and we don’t want that to happen. It’s time for a hunting session,” she meowed to Truffle. While Truffle was an adventurous cat, he wasn’t ever allowed outdoors when he lived with his owners, so he never got an opportunity to hunt or anything like that. This was all new to him. Nevertheless, Truffle felt confident that he could learn the skills and improve on them in time. He was determined.
Interrupting his thoughts, Coco began to demonstrate and explain hunting techniques. “The first thing you need to do when hunting prey is get into hunting position, like this,” she meowed. She lowered herself to the ground and made sure not to put too much weight on her feet. She also made sure to keep her tail lifted slightly off the ground so it wouldn’t drag in the grass and make noise. “You try it, Truffle,” Coco instructed once she formed her hunting position.
Truffle did what Coco instructed and attempted to copy her position. He crouched low to the grassy floor. He evened his weight out as much as possible, and his tail was slightly lifted exactly like Coco’s was. The small chocolate-brown tabby gazed at the she-cat for approval. Coco had been observing Truffle as he positioned himself.
“Nice crouch, Truffle. Now, you must step forward. Remember to keep your paw steps as light as possible so the prey doesn’t hear you. Keep stalking toward the prey, and when you get close enough, leap when the time feels right. If you do it properly, you will have a nice meal waiting for you,” she said, continuing the instructions. Scenting the air, Coco detected mice, “There are plenty of mice around here. Why don’t you try to catch one and put what I taught you into practice? Don’t worry if you miss. Just keep moving and try again. Good luck!”
Ready for his first attempt at hunting, Truffle began by padding off a short distance away from Coco. He was a little nervous about it, but he was desperate to prove himself to Coco. He wanted to show that while he was a beginner, he could do this. Picking up the mouse trail, Truffle formed his hunting crouch. Just as instructed, he stepped lightly toward the tiny gray-furred creature. Soon enough, Truffle felt that he was close enough. He focused on the mouse a little longer before he leaped for it. Truffle almost caught the mouse, but he missed it slightly. The mouse was now completely aware of his presence, and it scurried off into another part of the territory. Truffle cursed under his breath, but he was still determined. He wasn’t going to give up after failing just one time. He attempted again, and this time he succeeded. He caught the mouse! He couldn’t help but feel a rush of pride when the gray-furred piece of prey fell limp before him. I actually did it! He thought proudly.
Truffle proudly carried the mouse over to Coco. “Well done. You’re a natural hunter, Truffle!” Coco commended. She seemed to be clearly impressed that Truffle caught something so soon, considering how new he was to the task. It was not until after Truffle caught the mouse when he realized how hungry he was. His belly made a rumbling noise from hunger. “Go ahead and eat the mouse, Truffle," Coco encouraged when she heard his stomach. Without arguing or protesting, Truffle ate the mouse he caught. He felt satisfied as the juicy flavors entered his mouth. He enjoyed his first taste of mouse.
Foraging and hunting lessons were finished, so the time had come for combat lessons. “Now let’s move on to the final skill I will teach you. The cats who live here don’t welcome intruders very much. If they spot you, they will attack you on sight. You will want to be able to defend yourself so you don’t get injured,” Coco informed him. “I need to know what I am working with here, so let’s spar. Let me know when you are ready, but I won’t go easy on you just because you are new,” she said.
Truffle listened to what Coco was saying. He didn’t have fighting experience either, but like the other skills, he was willing to try. He prepared himself as best he could, and he meowed, “I’m ready.” When Coco heard this, she got into her sparring position, and the fighting session began. Coco and Truffle wrestled and fought with each other for a while, until Coco felt that it was enough. “You put up quite the fight, young Truffle. You still have a lot to learn, but you aren’t bad for a beginner,” she complimented.
Finally, the training session was over. At last it was time for Truffle to choose which colony he wanted to call his new home. “We are done with our training session today. You did well. Now it is time for you to choose which colony you want to live with,” Coco meowed. Truffle felt unsure about which colony he wanted to shelter with. As if she read his mind, Coco added, “Allow me to tell you about all the colonies. When I finish, you can make your decision.”
Thankful that Coco was going to inform him about each colony, Truffle listened carefully. “First, there’s the Forest Colony. They’re a friendly group of cats that live deep in the oak woods just north of here. They are definitely closest to us. I’m sure their leader, Mayor, would be happy to take you in. There’s also the Mountain Domain, a proud collection of cats dwelling near a waterfall of a rocky basin. Leo is always welcoming new cats to help settle border skirmishes against other colonies. Lastly, there’s the Mystic Colony. The Mystic Colony lives in hollow logs in the wetland areas. They’re strange cats, but they’re good cats at heart,” Coco explained. “Which colony do you choose?”
Truffle thought hard about all the information he was given about each of the colonies. He couldn’t picture himself as a swamp cat, so he decided against the Mystic Colony first. It was hard to make up his mind at first about whether he wanted to be in the Forest Colony or the Mountain Domain. However, something inside him urged him to choose Mountain Domain. “I would like to go to the Mountain Domain,” Truffle meowed at last. “Alright, Truffle. I will lead you there. Let’s go, it is a long walk,” Coco said.
Coco and Truffle traveled north toward the Mountain Domain. As they traveled, Truffle couldn’t help but observe the territories. Lots of water, trees, and other things. While he was nervous about all this earlier, he didn’t feel quite as anxious anymore. Instead, his anxiety was replaced with utter curiosity and desire to get out and explore his new world. He couldn’t wait to see how his life would unfold from now on.
The following morning, Truffle woke up in his den provided by the Mountain Domain. While the young brown-patterned cat was used to sleeping on a warm, soft, and cozy bed when he lived with his house owners, he found his den quite comfortable. Although it was small, it made him feel secure and at home, and his grassy nest in the center felt nearly as soft as what he had been accustomed to. The only thing Truffle had to complain about was that it was only dimly lit by the sunlight shining through the mouth of the den. It was the only part of it that made him unsettled, for he slept near a window that blocked out little to no light. He had always felt content there with the sun’s heat warming him as he slept.
With it getting brighter outside, Truffle pushed himself to his paws and stretched. He blinked the last bit of sleepiness out of his bluish green eyes. The small tom felt that he should not waste his day inside thinking about the den or home. More than likely, he would always be at least slightly homesick for his old life, though he understood that it was in the past now. It was time to move on and begin making new memories in his new life as a cat in the wilderness. He still couldn’t help feeling anxious about it, but he knew that facing it was the only way to overcome that anxiety.
When Truffle stepped out of his den, he gazed around the camp. Not that he hadn’t looked around when he arrived, but it was easier to see his new surroundings now that it was daytime. His new home resembled what Coco had described to him before she led him here. It was in a stony basin surrounded by higher land. In the center of camp, a large waterfall ran over the edge of the surrounding cliffs and foamed white mist into the stream of water below. The water was loud, but Truffle was too fond of the beauty to mind the noise.
As Truffle was taking in the scenery of his new home, a grayish-black tabby tom approached him. “Good day.” the cat greeted. “You must be the newcomer that Coco told me about. I’m Leo, the leader of the Mountain Domain” he meowed in greeting. “What is your name?” he then asked. Suddenly, Truffle felt a little shy. He didn’t want to make a bad impression on his first day, especially not in front of the leader. While he was hardly at all familiar with the colonies that lived here, he already understood that the leaders had the most authorities. That fact alone is what made him feel cautious around Leo, even though he just met him. What if I say something bad and get kicked out? he thought self-consciously.
Despite his shyness, he replied, “I’m Truffle.” He replied in a way that he managed to not express the way he was feeling. “Welcome to the Mountain Domain, young Truffle. I came to greet you on the behalf of our community,” said Leo in a warm tone. “You should introduce yourself to everyone so they will know who you are. Be sure to especially meet Delta, our shopkeeper, and Luna, our healer,” he instructed. “Also, if you need me, I will be by the rocky stairs west of here, though I am usually busy dealing with battles and meetings,” he informed.
At least Leo seems like a friendly cat. Maybe staying here won’t be so bad, Truffle pondered internally. Despite these positive thoughts, Truffle wasn’t willing to let his guard down so easily. Deep down, he knew that he would constantly be trying to prove himself to Leo and show him that he would be successful as a member of the Mountain Domain. “Thank you, Leo. I will do what you ask,” he meowed with much respect. “I will leave you to do that, then. Have fun,” Leo said before padding off in the other direction.
After watching Leo walk away, Truffle wanted to meet everybody, not only because he was told to, but he also wanted to. If he was going to live here from now on, then he felt it was best to start by getting to know the other cats in the community. In addition, he knew that he would be happier if he met some friends. He did not want to live the rest of his life being lonely.
Truffle started walking around the camp. When he was just a few paw steps away from his den, he saw a fluffy white she-cat with darker fur on her muzzle, tail, and ears. I’ll greet all the cats in the order that I see them, I guess he thought. “…Hi…” the she-cat greeted him shyly as he approached. “Who are you? We haven’t met before,” she asked, still in her shy tone. “I’m Truffle,” the brown tabby responded. “…I’m Luna, the healer. So, if you get injured, come see me, I guess,” meowed the she-cat. She is one of the cats Leo told me to make sure to meet Truffle thought. He didn’t even mind her shyness, for he could relate to her.
Next, Truffle spotted a fiery-orange tabby. Wondering if this cat would be more open, he went to meet him next. Seeing Truffle approach, the bright colored tom meowed, “Who goes there? Harken to my words, traveler.” Truffle introduced himself and said his name. “You are not from this realm, are you, Truffle? Thy coming is peculiar! Thou speakest to Arthur, noble knight of the Mountain Domain,” the orange tabby responded. While Truffle had just met Arthur, he liked him. He certainly seemed like a friendly character.
Truffle went on to meet Pebble, a gray-furred she-cat, the shopkeeper Delta, a black and purple cat, and Jag, a tan-colored tom. Like Arthur, Pebble and Delta seemed to be very friendly characters. Truffle felt that he could get along with them easily once they got to know one another. Jag, on the other hand, was not. Truffle felt pretty sure that Jag didn’t trust him, considering he was the guard of the domain. However, Truffle hated to be quick to judge. After all, they had just met each other. Maybe he’ll trust me more after he gets to know me better, or at least until he’s used to seeing me around he thought.
Finally, the brown patterned tabby introduced himself to the only cat left: Robin. Right away, Truffle noticed Robin’s calico pelt. Different shades of brown, black, and orange speckled all about on top of her white underbelly and paws. She is beautiful. Look at all those colors! Robin noticed Truffle looking at her and meowed in a warm greeting, “Hello there. I don’t believe we’ve met before. My name is Robin. What’s yours?” Truffle answered and said his name. “Truffle? It suits you. It’s nice to meet you, Truffle. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always willing to listen. Welcome to the Mountain Domain,” she purred.
After meeting Robin, he already liked her. Not only did he admire the beauty of her fur, but he admired her for her friendliness and warm personality. Robin had only introduced herself and welcomed him to the domain, yet she had been so kind and welcoming to him. She seemed to be the friendliest cat in the colony. I shall try to at least be close friends with her Truffle decided.
Introducing himself to all the members of the Mountain Domain consumed more time than he thought it would. Not that it was a bad thing. It was good for him to meet everyone on his first day. However, it was evening now. There wasn’t much time for him to explore his new surroundings like he’d wanted to. Truffle debated on exploring some before nightfall, but then he reconsidered, for he was unfamiliar with the territory. The last thing he wanted was to get lost in unknown territory at night. With that in mind, he felt it would be safest to start when there was more light left in the day. He would begin the exploration tomorrow.
Curling up for the night, Truffle made his first main goal to at least get more closely acquainted with everyone. He felt that he couldn’t live in a colony if everyone wasn’t at least tolerant of him, especially if he wasn’t accepted by Leo. It would take a while for cats to trust him, he understood. Then, he wondered, maybe if I can win some trust from the cats who do not have much authority in the domain, Leo would approve of my presence here.
Will Truffle find acceptance within the domain, or will he continue to be an outsider?
Truffle awoke to the sound of water. It sounded like buckets of rain being dumped from the sky, but Truffle knew it was too bright outside to be raining. The water he was hearing was coming from the waterfall as it poured over the cliffs surrounding his home. It was almost deafeningly loud, yet peaceful all the same.
The night was still and calm, and Truffle managed to find sleep easily. Now that it was morning, it was time for him to get out and explore his new world. Curious about what was out there for him to see, the chocolate tabby stood to his paws and stretched.
When he finished stretching, he padded out of his den. Outside was about as beautiful this morning as a summer day could offer. The sun was shining brightly overhead, making the water glisten. Butterflies of all different colors flew about. It was hot but not miserably so.
Suddenly, Truffle felt his belly rumble with hunger. That was when he realized that the last thing he ate was the small mouse he caught when Coco taught him to hunt. First, though, he wanted to say hello to Robin. After all, his main goal for now was to get acquainted with everyone, and especially Robin.
When Truffle approached the gorgeous calico, he meowed, “Good morning Robin.” Robin smiled and replied in the same sweet tone she greeted him yesterday for the first time. “Do you have big plans for this summer, Truffle?” the brown, orange, and black speckled she-cat asked him after returning his greeting. Truffle hesitated to respond at first, as he didn’t expect that sort of question. For now, his plans were to adjust to the life of a Mountain Domain cat and develop his basic survival skills more. “Oh, just to adjust to life as a member of the Mountain Domain, and practice hunting and fighting more, for this is all new knowledge for me,” Truffle responded, voicing his thoughts. Robin nodded and advised for him to not spend too much time on one thing and to keep his schedule balanced. “Thanks, Robin. I will,” the chocolate tabby replied.
After their conversation concluded, Truffle’s belly rumbled again, reminding him of his hunger. I need to hunt, Truffle voiced in his mind. He headed out of the camp’s far western entrance, and he exited the camp. He traveled to the Northern Plains, which was just one tile west of the camp. He knew that others in his domain likely traveled farther than this, but Truffle was still new to the area. While he was adventurous, he didn’t want to get lost. Besides, his current focus was hunting, not exploring. He would explore after his hunger was satisfied.
It was just a short walk, so it didn’t take long for Truffle to reach the Northern Plains. After arrival, he scented the air for nearby prey. Soon, he spotted a squirrel. He had only practiced with hunting mice, but he figured that the technique was not too different. Maybe the timing and range, but that was all. He decided to try it anyway.
Recalling Coco’s instructions about stalking, Truffle formed his hunter’s crouch. With as little weight on his feet as possible, and with his tail lifted just barely off the grass, Truffle was in hunting position. He slowly crept toward the brown-furred creature, keeping his steps as light as possible. He did not want to startle his prey because he knew what would happen then. After a few more steps, Truffle decided to make the leap. However, the squirrel must have heard Truffle’s quick movement because it started to run away. Truffle tried to chase it, but it was no use. He watched in frustration, disappointment, and dissatisfaction as the squirrel scurried off into the woods.
Still hungry, Truffle knew that giving up would get him nowhere. The only way he was going to improve anything was if he kept going. Back at it again, Truffle began to stalk another squirrel. Despite his eager second attempt, the squirrel got away again. Poor Truffle grunted under his breath out of utter frustration. How was he going to make it in the wilderness if he couldn’t even take care of his basic needs?
This time, his rumbling stomach was what motivated him to keep trying. He ventured off to a different area, hoping he would have better luck. Truffle traveled farther south until he made it to River Corner. Maybe I will have better luck over here, Truffle desperately hoped.
Sniffing the air, the chocolate tabby detected mouse. Hoping to succeed, he dropped low to the grassy floor and stalked toward it. Luckily, he managed to time his jump just right, and he caught the mouse. It was a rather messy kill, but he caught it. His first kill on his own without Coco or anyone was a success! The mouse might have been on the smaller side, but food was food to him at this point.
Truffle was so hungry that he couldn’t help but dig in right away. Food at last, he thought in relief as he munched it down. He ate it down to the bones in a matter of minutes. When he finished, he was satisfied. He licked himself clean and rose to his paws. It was only mid-afternoon, and Truffle wanted to practice hunting some more before nightfall arrived.
For the rest of his hunting session, Truffle hunted in a few different areas. He stayed at River Corner for a while, then traveled south to River Bend, and east to Central Field and Blossom Lake. After some time, he caught one small mouse and two rabbits. Hunting still wasn’t easy for him, but he felt that he was slowly getting better the more he practiced. He had the basics of the technique down. He understood the hunting crouch, and he understood how to sneak around. The part he was having the most trouble with was timing his pounces correctly. Even still, Truffle felt confident that he would improve overtime. Practice makes perfect, after all.
Being curious as a kitten, it was impossible for Truffle to solely focus on hunting. The small tom stole the opportunity while he was out to explore around the few areas he visited, and he poked his head in nearly every corner. While he was at it, he was unable to resist foraging and gathering plants. By the end of his foraging expedition, Truffle collected some leafy green plant with a bright red berry, which he recognized as Goldenseal. Then, he gathered a vibrant orange flower with a thousand little petals, which he assumed was Marigold. Lastly, he picked some Valerian, a light purple flower.
Truffle gathered as much of each plant as he could when he saw it. He planned to give some of what he gathered, and hunted, away to other cats within his colony. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he could begin to win their trust, or even friendship, if he showed them kindness by offering them presents. Although he was nervous about giving a gift that a cat didn’t appreciate, he was willing to risk it. After all, he was new in the domain, and he wasn’t at all sure about what any of the cats liked. The only way to find out was for him to try, and that’s exactly what he planned to do. It is the thought that counts, Truffle reminded himself as he headed home.
Night had fallen by the time Truffle made it back to the Mountain Domain camp. The night was a beautiful, clear, and starry night. The moon illuminated brightly in the dark sky overhead, reflecting on the blue waters of the waterfall, bringing tranquility all around. It was the kind of peace that was almost too beautiful to last.
Not a soul was still awake when Truffle crawled into his den. He was exhausted after struggling to hunt, finally catching something. Would hunting always be so difficult for him? This was his new life now. Every day he would have to hunt to survive in this wilderness. He knew that it would be a challenge, but he was willing to accept it.
Truffle was no longer the house cat he was a couple days ago. That part of his life he would never return to, and he had already accepted that. His life had changed so much in such a short time. Now he had experienced his first real taste of what it is like to live out in the open.
The young cat knew every part of this life would be a struggle for him, especially at first. He would have to be brave. It would probably become easier once he adjusted, yet it would still never not be a challenge. Truffle was grateful to at least be part of a colony where cats took care of each other, but he understood that he was responsible for caring for himself and the others within it. It would take time for him to get used to this new responsibility, but Truffle felt that he could handle it. After already enduring this much change in life, he felt that if he could take this much, then he could take on the world, if he put his heart in it.
Morning seemed to arrive quickly after Truffle fell asleep. It was as beautiful of a morning as all the others had been since he arrived in the Mountain Domain. The sun shined brightly in the cloudless blue sky, its light dazzling over the waters. The morning was so glorious that it seemed like nothing could disturb it. It seemed to promise that nothing could go wrong.
While the morning was beautiful, summer was beginning to reach its peak. It felt hotter than it had felt in the last few days. Despite the heat, it was a heavenly sight. Butterflies of gorgeous colors fluttered about. All areas in the forest were lush with green and abundant with prey.
Hot or not, Truffle knew that this day could not be wasted. No one would ever approve of him if he lazed around all day only because of the heat. If he was going to be accepted as a Mountain Domain member, he would need to show that he was loyal and responsible even on blisteringly hot days such as this.
After rising to his feet, Truffle padded outside. Remembering all the prey he caught yesterday, the chocolate-colored tabby felt generous and he wanted to share it with some of the cats within the domain. Sharing prey would be an excellent way to start making friends. He also wanted to share some of the herbs and flowers he gathered. Truffle decided to share with the others first, then hunt for himself. After all, he was the type to put others above himself.
Truffle had not the slightest idea as to what any of the cats liked, so he was going to have to guess and hope for the best. Luna’s den was nearest to his, so he decided to start there. The whiteish-gray she-cat greeted him as shyly as she did when they first met. Truffle gave her Goldenseal. While shy, Luna seemed appreciative of the leafy plant. “I do kinda like those,” she told him. That went well, Truffle thought to himself.
Next, Truffle approached Arthur. He gave him a rabbit. Arthur was grateful, and he thanked him for the lovely gift and his generosity. The chocolate-colored tabby was happy that his first gift-giving experience had gone so well so far. However, he had only given gifts to two out of the seven cats in the domain. Therefore, he still had five more to give greatly accepted gifts to.
He felt that giving Robin a gift would not be too hard. She seemed the friendliest of them all, and Truffle felt she would be pleased with anything colorful. It made sense to him because of all the colors in Robin’s fur. Truffle decided to give her Valerian. It was pretty with its light purple color, and it smelled nice. When he gave it to her, Robin loved it, and she accepted it gratefully. Already, Robin seemed to be even friendlier than in the beginning, if that was possible.
After some time had passed, Truffle had given items to all the members within the Mountain Domain. All the cats seemed to appreciate their gifts alright. Well, maybe except for Jag and Leo. They still seemed to be deciding whether to approve of his membership with them. Would those two ever like him? Truffle was trying not to get discouraged at this, but it was difficult not to.
By now, Truffle felt famished again. He had been so focused on trying to be friendly by giving away gifts to others that he had forgotten about eating anything for himself! Not only that, but he had given all his food away. However, he knew that this was not a bad thing. It was good of him to be so generous. He would just have to hunt again.
Then, Truffle felt his belly growl to remind him of how hungry he really was. It was mid-afternoon by now, and he had not eaten since yesterday. No matter, Truffle thought. He figured he could easily manage to catch something for himself. Truffle headed out of camp again.
Suddenly, as he scented the air for prey, he detected scents that did not smell like Mountain cats. Before he even had time to think in his mind, hissing confirmed what he was thinking. Uh oh, Truffle thought. He was in an area where a battle was taking place. The Forest Colony enemies had already spotted him, and they were coming his way. There was no turning back now.
This was Truffle’s first battle he had encountered since his arrival. The time had come for him to use the fighting techniques Coco taught him on some real enemies. He was nervous, but he knew that there was no running away. He might be an inexperienced fighter, but he was not a coward. Truffle knew that he had to at least try to fight. Not fighting would put a bad reputation on him if others found out, and he was not going to let that happen. At least he had some allies.
Truffle fought with all the strength he had. He was a weak fighter, yet he managed to leave a mark on the intruders. His allies had managed to chase some away as well. Soon enough, the Forest Colony invaders retreated. By the end of it, Truffle had a few scratches but otherwise he was unharmed. He felt guilty that the allies did most of the fighting, but he also felt proud that he contributed at all. He just helped fight his first real battle and won!
Now for some food, Truffle remembered. After all that fighting, he was even hungrier than before. He would have to get something to eat now, and soon. In addition to making him feel more famished, the battle took more time out of the day. It was getting nearer to the evening now.
Even though Truffle was getting more and more familiar with the territory, he still felt that it would be better on him if he did not stray too far away when it was close to dark. The last thing he wanted was to get lost, after all. He also did not want to risk running into any more enemies. Truffle knew that he probably would not have any allies this time, and he felt that taking on so many enemies on his own was not wise. He was still not that skilled of a fighter, and any enemies he met would be a lot stronger. It would be dangerous if he was outnumbered.
Truffle’s belly rumbled again, interrupting his thoughts. He felt that he was even hungrier than he was after he finally caught food yesterday. He could only hope that hunting would not be such a struggle for him this time. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he headed toward another area.
Arriving in a location called “Oak Wood,” Truffle scented the air for prey. He was half successful and half unsuccessful with this hunting session. While there was plenty of prey around, he failed to catch anything. His extreme hunger was distracting him and making it harder to focus.
Truffle could not help but feel that he should be better than this. Why was he such a bad hunter at the wrong time? This was the second time it had occurred for him, two days in a row. Would surviving always be this hard for him? What if he just was not meant to be a wild cat? If he was struggling this much to even catch a measly mouse, maybe it was true.
Sunset had rolled around, and it was stunningly beautiful. Its numerous shades of red, orange, and yellow made it look as if it belonged in a painting. The tall mountains that stood in the background only added gorgeousness to the scenery.
All this beauty reminded Truffle of Robin. To him, Robin’s different colored splotches on her fur were as beautiful as the colors in the sunset. It was this that kept Truffle going. The thought of her encouraged him not to give up.
Soon, night fell upon him. After all this time, and even with Truffle’s strong will, he was unable to catch anything that night. The chocolate Bengal gathered a decent collection of Valerian, Goldenseal, and Marigold, but no prey. He was practically starved by now, but it was late. It was time to head back before it got any later.
Surprisingly enough, luck struck him on his way home. While he still did not catch any prey, he found something else. It was a special type of plant that even he recognized from when he was a house cat. The plant had three leaves of green attached to its stem, and it smelled sweetly. It was a Catnip. He figured that if he couldn’t catch anything, then at least he could sell items and buy something from Delta. Of course, Truffle didn’t want to rely on this, but he had to do something now. He gathered it up and started walking again.
However, Truffle’s struggle to find something to eat was not over. It was quite late now. By the time he arrived in the camp, most cats had gone to bed. The only cat left awake was Arthur. When Truffle walked by him, the orange-furred tabby spoke to him. To his surprise, even Arthur seemed to notice how desperate he was for food. Arthur didn’t give him anything, though he did order him to eat something. He even recommended getting something from Delta.
Once their conversation concluded, Truffle headed to his den. He really wanted to buy food from Delta, but the shop was closed until morning. He would have to wait. Truffle didn’t feel that he could sleep easily because of his hunger. Despite this, he curled up in his nest to try and get some shut eye. After all, the day was exhausting for him. Eventually, he drifted off into sleep.
Just as expected, Truffle’s night was rough for him. While he managed to fall asleep, it was a restless kind of sleep. He kept having dreams on and off about looking for prey and not being able to find any. There were other dreams where he actually caught prey, but no matter how hard he tried, he never got to eat it. He had always woken up before he got the chance.
When morning finally arrived, Truffle dragged himself out of his den. He was exhausted from not getting a good night’s sleep. Additionally, he felt hungrier than ever. He never wanted to go to sleep feeling that starved again, even though it would be too good to be true.
The morning greeted him in a different way than usual. Light still glowed, but the sun was hidden behind the clouds that covered the sky. Although it was cloudy, it didn’t look like rain. It was just overcast. At least with it being cloudy, it wasn’t miserably hot.
Quickly as possible, Truffle made his way over to Delta’s shop. He was relieved to see the blackish-purple cat standing outside her den. Finally, he would be able to get some food into his belly, as soon as he could sell what he had. He couldn’t wait to eat something at last.
Delta greeted him in a friendly way when he approached her. “I have some items to sell,” Truffle told her politely, trying not to make it obvious how hungry he was. The chocolate-furred tom ended up selling all the items he had: all the Goldenseal, Marigold, Valerian, and Catnip. He wished to keep some of it to give away, but he wanted to make sure he had enough to purchase something to satisfy his hunger.
Once everything was sold, Truffle took the mews he was given and used them to buy a mouse. Even though it wasn’t much, it was better than nothing. At last, he had something to fill his belly. Truffle ate the mouse almost as quickly as he bought it. Finally, he thought, feeling extremely relieved. After scarfing down the mouse, Truffle still felt hungry, but he felt much better.
Now that his hunger was somewhat satisfied, Truffle wanted to try again at hunting. He still longed to feel accepted from the leader. If he kept this up, that would never happen. Despite these feelings, Truffle tried not to feel too discouraged. He was still as strong willed as before, if not even more so.
The longing to prove himself might have increased his determination. Of course, this was not the only reason for him to keep going. Truffle wanted to improve himself just as much as he longed for acceptance. It would take hard work, but he knew it could be done.
At least with him not being as hungry, hunting should be easier for the time being. Sure enough, Truffle finally caught something this time around: a crow! He was thrilled with himself when he caught it. He wasn’t sure how he managed it, but he did.
Still feeling quite hungry, Truffle decided to go ahead and eat the crow. He sat down where he was and munched on the black-feathered bird. After eating the crow, Truffle’s hunger was fully satisfied. Feels good to finally be full, he thought.
Although Truffle still felt drained from the restless sleep, he felt that it wouldn’t be right for him to return to his nest. The day had only just started, after all. He decided to stay out. Now that his hunger was satisfied, he wanted to go ahead and keep hunting.
After the experience he just had, he knew that he would remember to always have some food with him. While this was an experience Truffle would rather forget, at least he learned something from it. Making friends in his new home was important, taking care of himself was equally vital. Because of this lesson, Truffle knew that he would always remember.
Five days had passed since Truffle had gone so hungry. Although it had only been a few days, Truffle felt much more confident about it all. Of course, like everything else, there was still room for further improvement, but at least he was getting better and better at it.
In addition to getting plenty of hunting practice, Truffle had also spent his time growing closer and closer to the other cats in the colony. He felt himself growing fonder and fonder of Robin each time he spoke to her. She was always incredibly friendly to him, and he always felt more than content when he was around her.
Then there was Arthur, Truffle’s second closest friend so far. By the way Arthur spoke, Truffle knew how important the Mountain Domain was to him. Whenever they talked with each other, Arthur was almost always talking about defending the colony, and what it is to be loyal. Based on this, Truffle could tell that Arthur was brave and willing to protect the Mountain Domain and everyone in it, even if it would cost him his life. He admired him for this, and he hoped that he could be brave like him one day.
As for the rest of the cats in the Mountain Domain, Truffle was getting more acquainted with them too. Luna was still shy around him, but the chocolate-speckled tabby understood that this was just part of the healer’s personality. She was just naturally reserved and quiet around others, and Truffle respected that. At least Luna was friendly, and Truffle thought that maybe she would come out of her shell a bit more as they got to know each other more.
Jag and Leo were the only two colony members Truffle still felt like hadn’t accepted his coming yet. Of course, Truffle couldn’t just assume that this was true. He just felt this way because of how both cats spoke to him. Then again, Truffle hadn’t even been an official member for a full season yet. Jag and Leo were only doing their jobs as the guard and leader of their home, making sure things went smoothly within it. Truffle could only trust that they would accept him eventually, after they could be sure that he was a trustworthy cat.
After all these thoughts went through Truffle’s head, he was ready to see what else this colony life had in store for him. Luckily for him, morning had already arrived. He was happy because morning meant that a new day had begun, and a new day meant new adventures.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Truffle stood up and padded outside of his den. It was as beautiful as ever outside, even though it was just another typical summer day. The sky was blue and clear, with the bright and spherical, yellow sun being the only object in it.
Despite this, something suddenly seemed off to Truffle. Although he could still hear the waterfall rushing over the cliffs, it seemed strangely quiet to him. After a few moments of looking around the camp, Truffle realized he was the only one there. Not even Jag or Leo were around. He was completely alone.
Where is everyone? Why would everyone leave without telling me? What could be going on? I hope everyone is alright, Truffle wondered. Trying not to worry about everyone’s sudden disappearance, the chocolate-speckled cat thought back and tried to remember if he was told about something that would cause this to happen. He thought back to his very first day in his new home, the day after Coco brought him here.
Thinking back, Truffle remembered Leo introducing himself the minute he walked out of his den. He remembered being told to introduce himself to each member of the Mountain Domain, and he remembered Leo telling him about something that happened at the end of each season. There is a festival on the final day of each season, Leo had told him.
Today was the last day before the start of autumn, so that meant there was a festival today. That was when it hit him. Everyone must have already gone to the Sacred Temple, the place where the festivals were held! I’d better hurry so I don’t miss out on all the fun, Truffle said to himself. Not wanting to be any later, Truffle started heading toward the temple.
To be continued...
Here's our character:
Truffle is a smaller than the average tom cat who lives in the Mountain Domain. He isn't kitten-sized, but he doesn't look full grown either. He has chocolate brown fur with some unique markings light brown on his backside, tail, and a little on his paws and muzzle. He has light blue eyes that appear green in low light.
Truffle is a charming young cat with a good heart. He is gentle and affectionate, especially toward female cats. Most of the time, Truffle is well-behaved, but sometimes he is silly and goofs around. Some may dislike him for his mischievousness, but others love that about him. Truffle may be goofy, yet serious when it comes to dealing with things that need to be dealt with seriously. He strives to prove himself, and he works hard to show his loyalty toward his colony. That doesn't mean he doesn't like adventuring, however. Truffle is quite curious of his surroundings, and he often goes exploring while fulfilling his duties as a colony member at the same time.
Pictures of Truffle:
Truffle’s Adventures
Prologue
It started at a local pet adoption center in a small town. A small, chocolate-colored cat was playing with the other cats in the adoption pen. As he played, a single mother and a young female child came by and began to observe. Being curious, the cat looked up at the two-person family. While he was not able to fully understand what was going on, it appeared that the child was pleading her mother while making eye contact and pointing at him. After some prodding, the mother finally nodded. In the end, a worker scooped him up and handed him to the little girl.
Before he knew it, he was carried out of the store. He was taken to a large human-made machine that hummed loudly as it rolled down the road. After the ride was over, the little girl carried him into the house and into her bedroom. The little girl named him Truffle.
Truffle lived happily while he was with this small family. He was well taken care of, and the child loved him very much. He enjoyed the attention he was given, and he often purred when being stroked. As long as he was played with, fed, and loved on, he was happy.
Little did he know, however, that this part of his life was only temporary. About six months after being adopted, something suddenly changed. One day, Truffle was thrown into the large humming machine again. Feeling very frightened, Truffle was not sure what was going on, but he could sense that it was not good.
After traveling for what seemed like hours to young Truffle, the machine came to a sudden stop. Before he had time to react, Truffle was jerked up by the child’s mother. The mother tossed him out on the side of the road, and she drove on, leaving him behind.
Truffle was shocked and confused. He had no clue what had happened or why. He felt extremely lost and without direction. While he knew little to nothing about the situation, he knew one thing: his life was never going to be the same.
Chapter One
Truffle was suddenly awoken when he heard soft paw steps nearby. He had barely cracked open his light blue eyes by the time he heard a voice. “Hey, what are you doing here?” the voice asked. Truffle looked up to see that the voice belonged to a female cat. She was fluffy and appeared mostly black in color, though she had white on her underbelly, paws, and muzzle.
There is another cat here? I don’t even remember falling asleep, Truffle thought to himself. His thoughts were interrupted when the other cat spoke again. “You don’t look like you’re from around here. I’m Coco by the way,” she said. Truffle moved into a sitting position. Then, he introduced himself to Coco. “I’m Truffle,” he meowed a little nervously, “I was dropped off on the side of the road and left behind. I don’t know where I am.”
Coco displayed a saddened expression as she listened to Truffle’s story. “You were dropped off and left by yourself? How terrible!” she meowed sympathetically. “If that’s your story, then you have a lot to learn. You are currently in the wilderness where a lot of other cats live. There are three colonies: Forest, Mountain, and Mystic. If you wish to survive out here, I’d advise you to join one of these,” she explained.
Truffle listened closely to what Coco was saying, yet he was still so curious about everything. His thoughts echoed endlessly in his head. I’m supposed to join a colony? Where even are the colonies? Would they even accept me? What if they turn me away? Poor Truffle had no idea what to think of any of it. It sounded interesting, for sure, but he felt slightly afraid of the unknown.
Wanting to know more, Truffle asked, “Can you tell me more about the colonies? How can I join one?” Coco understood Truffle’s curiosity, but she felt that it was more important to show him how to forage, hunt, and fight first, since they were all vital skills to learn. “I understand your curiosity, Truffle, and I will answer your questions, but first I must teach you how to forage plants, hunt prey, and fight enemies. If you can’t do any of that, you won’t survive very long out here,” she informed. Truffle had no experience with any of the skills Coco mentioned, but he was an adventurous cat, so he was willing to try it. “Teach me!” he said eagerly.
Coco was glad that Truffle was confident in learning the survival skills, even though it would be difficult at first. “I’ll start by teaching you about foraging. Why don’t you try finding some Goldenseal? There should be some around this area. It’s a green leafy plant with a bright red berry. When you find some, bring it back to me,” the black-and-white cat instructed. Truffle obeyed Coco, and he searched for the Goldenseal. Soon enough, the chocolate-colored tabby found some. It was just as Coco described, leafy with a bright red berry and not hard to find. He gathered some, and he returned to Coco.
“Great work, Truffle!” Coco praised when Truffle showed her the Goldenseal he found. “I’ll let you keep that. There are plenty of other plants that grow around the wild: Goldenseal, Lavender, Catnip, and Marigold, to name a few. They each have unique uses, so be sure to gather them all. Just be aware that they need time to grow back, and some only grow in certain seasons,” the she-cat explained.
Moving along, Coco carried on with the training lesson. “Not only will you need to know how to forage, but knowing how to hunt is a must out here. If you cannot hunt, then you will starve, and we don’t want that to happen. It’s time for a hunting session,” she meowed to Truffle. While Truffle was an adventurous cat, he wasn’t ever allowed outdoors when he lived with his owners, so he never got an opportunity to hunt or anything like that. This was all new to him. Nevertheless, Truffle felt confident that he could learn the skills and improve on them in time. He was determined.
Interrupting his thoughts, Coco began to demonstrate and explain hunting techniques. “The first thing you need to do when hunting prey is get into hunting position, like this,” she meowed. She lowered herself to the ground and made sure not to put too much weight on her feet. She also made sure to keep her tail lifted slightly off the ground so it wouldn’t drag in the grass and make noise. “You try it, Truffle,” Coco instructed once she formed her hunting position.
Truffle did what Coco instructed and attempted to copy her position. He crouched low to the grassy floor. He evened his weight out as much as possible, and his tail was slightly lifted exactly like Coco’s was. The small chocolate-brown tabby gazed at the she-cat for approval. Coco had been observing Truffle as he positioned himself.
“Nice crouch, Truffle. Now, you must step forward. Remember to keep your paw steps as light as possible so the prey doesn’t hear you. Keep stalking toward the prey, and when you get close enough, leap when the time feels right. If you do it properly, you will have a nice meal waiting for you,” she said, continuing the instructions. Scenting the air, Coco detected mice, “There are plenty of mice around here. Why don’t you try to catch one and put what I taught you into practice? Don’t worry if you miss. Just keep moving and try again. Good luck!”
Ready for his first attempt at hunting, Truffle began by padding off a short distance away from Coco. He was a little nervous about it, but he was desperate to prove himself to Coco. He wanted to show that while he was a beginner, he could do this. Picking up the mouse trail, Truffle formed his hunting crouch. Just as instructed, he stepped lightly toward the tiny gray-furred creature. Soon enough, Truffle felt that he was close enough. He focused on the mouse a little longer before he leaped for it. Truffle almost caught the mouse, but he missed it slightly. The mouse was now completely aware of his presence, and it scurried off into another part of the territory. Truffle cursed under his breath, but he was still determined. He wasn’t going to give up after failing just one time. He attempted again, and this time he succeeded. He caught the mouse! He couldn’t help but feel a rush of pride when the gray-furred piece of prey fell limp before him. I actually did it! He thought proudly.
Truffle proudly carried the mouse over to Coco. “Well done. You’re a natural hunter, Truffle!” Coco commended. She seemed to be clearly impressed that Truffle caught something so soon, considering how new he was to the task. It was not until after Truffle caught the mouse when he realized how hungry he was. His belly made a rumbling noise from hunger. “Go ahead and eat the mouse, Truffle," Coco encouraged when she heard his stomach. Without arguing or protesting, Truffle ate the mouse he caught. He felt satisfied as the juicy flavors entered his mouth. He enjoyed his first taste of mouse.
Foraging and hunting lessons were finished, so the time had come for combat lessons. “Now let’s move on to the final skill I will teach you. The cats who live here don’t welcome intruders very much. If they spot you, they will attack you on sight. You will want to be able to defend yourself so you don’t get injured,” Coco informed him. “I need to know what I am working with here, so let’s spar. Let me know when you are ready, but I won’t go easy on you just because you are new,” she said.
Truffle listened to what Coco was saying. He didn’t have fighting experience either, but like the other skills, he was willing to try. He prepared himself as best he could, and he meowed, “I’m ready.” When Coco heard this, she got into her sparring position, and the fighting session began. Coco and Truffle wrestled and fought with each other for a while, until Coco felt that it was enough. “You put up quite the fight, young Truffle. You still have a lot to learn, but you aren’t bad for a beginner,” she complimented.
Finally, the training session was over. At last it was time for Truffle to choose which colony he wanted to call his new home. “We are done with our training session today. You did well. Now it is time for you to choose which colony you want to live with,” Coco meowed. Truffle felt unsure about which colony he wanted to shelter with. As if she read his mind, Coco added, “Allow me to tell you about all the colonies. When I finish, you can make your decision.”
Thankful that Coco was going to inform him about each colony, Truffle listened carefully. “First, there’s the Forest Colony. They’re a friendly group of cats that live deep in the oak woods just north of here. They are definitely closest to us. I’m sure their leader, Mayor, would be happy to take you in. There’s also the Mountain Domain, a proud collection of cats dwelling near a waterfall of a rocky basin. Leo is always welcoming new cats to help settle border skirmishes against other colonies. Lastly, there’s the Mystic Colony. The Mystic Colony lives in hollow logs in the wetland areas. They’re strange cats, but they’re good cats at heart,” Coco explained. “Which colony do you choose?”
Truffle thought hard about all the information he was given about each of the colonies. He couldn’t picture himself as a swamp cat, so he decided against the Mystic Colony first. It was hard to make up his mind at first about whether he wanted to be in the Forest Colony or the Mountain Domain. However, something inside him urged him to choose Mountain Domain. “I would like to go to the Mountain Domain,” Truffle meowed at last. “Alright, Truffle. I will lead you there. Let’s go, it is a long walk,” Coco said.
Coco and Truffle traveled north toward the Mountain Domain. As they traveled, Truffle couldn’t help but observe the territories. Lots of water, trees, and other things. While he was nervous about all this earlier, he didn’t feel quite as anxious anymore. Instead, his anxiety was replaced with utter curiosity and desire to get out and explore his new world. He couldn’t wait to see how his life would unfold from now on.
Chapter Two
The following morning, Truffle woke up in his den provided by the Mountain Domain. While the young brown-patterned cat was used to sleeping on a warm, soft, and cozy bed when he lived with his house owners, he found his den quite comfortable. Although it was small, it made him feel secure and at home, and his grassy nest in the center felt nearly as soft as what he had been accustomed to. The only thing Truffle had to complain about was that it was only dimly lit by the sunlight shining through the mouth of the den. It was the only part of it that made him unsettled, for he slept near a window that blocked out little to no light. He had always felt content there with the sun’s heat warming him as he slept.
With it getting brighter outside, Truffle pushed himself to his paws and stretched. He blinked the last bit of sleepiness out of his bluish green eyes. The small tom felt that he should not waste his day inside thinking about the den or home. More than likely, he would always be at least slightly homesick for his old life, though he understood that it was in the past now. It was time to move on and begin making new memories in his new life as a cat in the wilderness. He still couldn’t help feeling anxious about it, but he knew that facing it was the only way to overcome that anxiety.
When Truffle stepped out of his den, he gazed around the camp. Not that he hadn’t looked around when he arrived, but it was easier to see his new surroundings now that it was daytime. His new home resembled what Coco had described to him before she led him here. It was in a stony basin surrounded by higher land. In the center of camp, a large waterfall ran over the edge of the surrounding cliffs and foamed white mist into the stream of water below. The water was loud, but Truffle was too fond of the beauty to mind the noise.
As Truffle was taking in the scenery of his new home, a grayish-black tabby tom approached him. “Good day.” the cat greeted. “You must be the newcomer that Coco told me about. I’m Leo, the leader of the Mountain Domain” he meowed in greeting. “What is your name?” he then asked. Suddenly, Truffle felt a little shy. He didn’t want to make a bad impression on his first day, especially not in front of the leader. While he was hardly at all familiar with the colonies that lived here, he already understood that the leaders had the most authorities. That fact alone is what made him feel cautious around Leo, even though he just met him. What if I say something bad and get kicked out? he thought self-consciously.
Despite his shyness, he replied, “I’m Truffle.” He replied in a way that he managed to not express the way he was feeling. “Welcome to the Mountain Domain, young Truffle. I came to greet you on the behalf of our community,” said Leo in a warm tone. “You should introduce yourself to everyone so they will know who you are. Be sure to especially meet Delta, our shopkeeper, and Luna, our healer,” he instructed. “Also, if you need me, I will be by the rocky stairs west of here, though I am usually busy dealing with battles and meetings,” he informed.
At least Leo seems like a friendly cat. Maybe staying here won’t be so bad, Truffle pondered internally. Despite these positive thoughts, Truffle wasn’t willing to let his guard down so easily. Deep down, he knew that he would constantly be trying to prove himself to Leo and show him that he would be successful as a member of the Mountain Domain. “Thank you, Leo. I will do what you ask,” he meowed with much respect. “I will leave you to do that, then. Have fun,” Leo said before padding off in the other direction.
After watching Leo walk away, Truffle wanted to meet everybody, not only because he was told to, but he also wanted to. If he was going to live here from now on, then he felt it was best to start by getting to know the other cats in the community. In addition, he knew that he would be happier if he met some friends. He did not want to live the rest of his life being lonely.
Truffle started walking around the camp. When he was just a few paw steps away from his den, he saw a fluffy white she-cat with darker fur on her muzzle, tail, and ears. I’ll greet all the cats in the order that I see them, I guess he thought. “…Hi…” the she-cat greeted him shyly as he approached. “Who are you? We haven’t met before,” she asked, still in her shy tone. “I’m Truffle,” the brown tabby responded. “…I’m Luna, the healer. So, if you get injured, come see me, I guess,” meowed the she-cat. She is one of the cats Leo told me to make sure to meet Truffle thought. He didn’t even mind her shyness, for he could relate to her.
Next, Truffle spotted a fiery-orange tabby. Wondering if this cat would be more open, he went to meet him next. Seeing Truffle approach, the bright colored tom meowed, “Who goes there? Harken to my words, traveler.” Truffle introduced himself and said his name. “You are not from this realm, are you, Truffle? Thy coming is peculiar! Thou speakest to Arthur, noble knight of the Mountain Domain,” the orange tabby responded. While Truffle had just met Arthur, he liked him. He certainly seemed like a friendly character.
Truffle went on to meet Pebble, a gray-furred she-cat, the shopkeeper Delta, a black and purple cat, and Jag, a tan-colored tom. Like Arthur, Pebble and Delta seemed to be very friendly characters. Truffle felt that he could get along with them easily once they got to know one another. Jag, on the other hand, was not. Truffle felt pretty sure that Jag didn’t trust him, considering he was the guard of the domain. However, Truffle hated to be quick to judge. After all, they had just met each other. Maybe he’ll trust me more after he gets to know me better, or at least until he’s used to seeing me around he thought.
Finally, the brown patterned tabby introduced himself to the only cat left: Robin. Right away, Truffle noticed Robin’s calico pelt. Different shades of brown, black, and orange speckled all about on top of her white underbelly and paws. She is beautiful. Look at all those colors! Robin noticed Truffle looking at her and meowed in a warm greeting, “Hello there. I don’t believe we’ve met before. My name is Robin. What’s yours?” Truffle answered and said his name. “Truffle? It suits you. It’s nice to meet you, Truffle. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m always willing to listen. Welcome to the Mountain Domain,” she purred.
After meeting Robin, he already liked her. Not only did he admire the beauty of her fur, but he admired her for her friendliness and warm personality. Robin had only introduced herself and welcomed him to the domain, yet she had been so kind and welcoming to him. She seemed to be the friendliest cat in the colony. I shall try to at least be close friends with her Truffle decided.
Introducing himself to all the members of the Mountain Domain consumed more time than he thought it would. Not that it was a bad thing. It was good for him to meet everyone on his first day. However, it was evening now. There wasn’t much time for him to explore his new surroundings like he’d wanted to. Truffle debated on exploring some before nightfall, but then he reconsidered, for he was unfamiliar with the territory. The last thing he wanted was to get lost in unknown territory at night. With that in mind, he felt it would be safest to start when there was more light left in the day. He would begin the exploration tomorrow.
Curling up for the night, Truffle made his first main goal to at least get more closely acquainted with everyone. He felt that he couldn’t live in a colony if everyone wasn’t at least tolerant of him, especially if he wasn’t accepted by Leo. It would take a while for cats to trust him, he understood. Then, he wondered, maybe if I can win some trust from the cats who do not have much authority in the domain, Leo would approve of my presence here.
Will Truffle find acceptance within the domain, or will he continue to be an outsider?
Chapter Three
Truffle awoke to the sound of water. It sounded like buckets of rain being dumped from the sky, but Truffle knew it was too bright outside to be raining. The water he was hearing was coming from the waterfall as it poured over the cliffs surrounding his home. It was almost deafeningly loud, yet peaceful all the same.
The night was still and calm, and Truffle managed to find sleep easily. Now that it was morning, it was time for him to get out and explore his new world. Curious about what was out there for him to see, the chocolate tabby stood to his paws and stretched.
When he finished stretching, he padded out of his den. Outside was about as beautiful this morning as a summer day could offer. The sun was shining brightly overhead, making the water glisten. Butterflies of all different colors flew about. It was hot but not miserably so.
Suddenly, Truffle felt his belly rumble with hunger. That was when he realized that the last thing he ate was the small mouse he caught when Coco taught him to hunt. First, though, he wanted to say hello to Robin. After all, his main goal for now was to get acquainted with everyone, and especially Robin.
When Truffle approached the gorgeous calico, he meowed, “Good morning Robin.” Robin smiled and replied in the same sweet tone she greeted him yesterday for the first time. “Do you have big plans for this summer, Truffle?” the brown, orange, and black speckled she-cat asked him after returning his greeting. Truffle hesitated to respond at first, as he didn’t expect that sort of question. For now, his plans were to adjust to the life of a Mountain Domain cat and develop his basic survival skills more. “Oh, just to adjust to life as a member of the Mountain Domain, and practice hunting and fighting more, for this is all new knowledge for me,” Truffle responded, voicing his thoughts. Robin nodded and advised for him to not spend too much time on one thing and to keep his schedule balanced. “Thanks, Robin. I will,” the chocolate tabby replied.
After their conversation concluded, Truffle’s belly rumbled again, reminding him of his hunger. I need to hunt, Truffle voiced in his mind. He headed out of the camp’s far western entrance, and he exited the camp. He traveled to the Northern Plains, which was just one tile west of the camp. He knew that others in his domain likely traveled farther than this, but Truffle was still new to the area. While he was adventurous, he didn’t want to get lost. Besides, his current focus was hunting, not exploring. He would explore after his hunger was satisfied.
It was just a short walk, so it didn’t take long for Truffle to reach the Northern Plains. After arrival, he scented the air for nearby prey. Soon, he spotted a squirrel. He had only practiced with hunting mice, but he figured that the technique was not too different. Maybe the timing and range, but that was all. He decided to try it anyway.
Recalling Coco’s instructions about stalking, Truffle formed his hunter’s crouch. With as little weight on his feet as possible, and with his tail lifted just barely off the grass, Truffle was in hunting position. He slowly crept toward the brown-furred creature, keeping his steps as light as possible. He did not want to startle his prey because he knew what would happen then. After a few more steps, Truffle decided to make the leap. However, the squirrel must have heard Truffle’s quick movement because it started to run away. Truffle tried to chase it, but it was no use. He watched in frustration, disappointment, and dissatisfaction as the squirrel scurried off into the woods.
Still hungry, Truffle knew that giving up would get him nowhere. The only way he was going to improve anything was if he kept going. Back at it again, Truffle began to stalk another squirrel. Despite his eager second attempt, the squirrel got away again. Poor Truffle grunted under his breath out of utter frustration. How was he going to make it in the wilderness if he couldn’t even take care of his basic needs?
This time, his rumbling stomach was what motivated him to keep trying. He ventured off to a different area, hoping he would have better luck. Truffle traveled farther south until he made it to River Corner. Maybe I will have better luck over here, Truffle desperately hoped.
Sniffing the air, the chocolate tabby detected mouse. Hoping to succeed, he dropped low to the grassy floor and stalked toward it. Luckily, he managed to time his jump just right, and he caught the mouse. It was a rather messy kill, but he caught it. His first kill on his own without Coco or anyone was a success! The mouse might have been on the smaller side, but food was food to him at this point.
Truffle was so hungry that he couldn’t help but dig in right away. Food at last, he thought in relief as he munched it down. He ate it down to the bones in a matter of minutes. When he finished, he was satisfied. He licked himself clean and rose to his paws. It was only mid-afternoon, and Truffle wanted to practice hunting some more before nightfall arrived.
For the rest of his hunting session, Truffle hunted in a few different areas. He stayed at River Corner for a while, then traveled south to River Bend, and east to Central Field and Blossom Lake. After some time, he caught one small mouse and two rabbits. Hunting still wasn’t easy for him, but he felt that he was slowly getting better the more he practiced. He had the basics of the technique down. He understood the hunting crouch, and he understood how to sneak around. The part he was having the most trouble with was timing his pounces correctly. Even still, Truffle felt confident that he would improve overtime. Practice makes perfect, after all.
Being curious as a kitten, it was impossible for Truffle to solely focus on hunting. The small tom stole the opportunity while he was out to explore around the few areas he visited, and he poked his head in nearly every corner. While he was at it, he was unable to resist foraging and gathering plants. By the end of his foraging expedition, Truffle collected some leafy green plant with a bright red berry, which he recognized as Goldenseal. Then, he gathered a vibrant orange flower with a thousand little petals, which he assumed was Marigold. Lastly, he picked some Valerian, a light purple flower.
Truffle gathered as much of each plant as he could when he saw it. He planned to give some of what he gathered, and hunted, away to other cats within his colony. He thought that maybe, just maybe, he could begin to win their trust, or even friendship, if he showed them kindness by offering them presents. Although he was nervous about giving a gift that a cat didn’t appreciate, he was willing to risk it. After all, he was new in the domain, and he wasn’t at all sure about what any of the cats liked. The only way to find out was for him to try, and that’s exactly what he planned to do. It is the thought that counts, Truffle reminded himself as he headed home.
Night had fallen by the time Truffle made it back to the Mountain Domain camp. The night was a beautiful, clear, and starry night. The moon illuminated brightly in the dark sky overhead, reflecting on the blue waters of the waterfall, bringing tranquility all around. It was the kind of peace that was almost too beautiful to last.
Not a soul was still awake when Truffle crawled into his den. He was exhausted after struggling to hunt, finally catching something. Would hunting always be so difficult for him? This was his new life now. Every day he would have to hunt to survive in this wilderness. He knew that it would be a challenge, but he was willing to accept it.
Truffle was no longer the house cat he was a couple days ago. That part of his life he would never return to, and he had already accepted that. His life had changed so much in such a short time. Now he had experienced his first real taste of what it is like to live out in the open.
The young cat knew every part of this life would be a struggle for him, especially at first. He would have to be brave. It would probably become easier once he adjusted, yet it would still never not be a challenge. Truffle was grateful to at least be part of a colony where cats took care of each other, but he understood that he was responsible for caring for himself and the others within it. It would take time for him to get used to this new responsibility, but Truffle felt that he could handle it. After already enduring this much change in life, he felt that if he could take this much, then he could take on the world, if he put his heart in it.
Chapter Four
Morning seemed to arrive quickly after Truffle fell asleep. It was as beautiful of a morning as all the others had been since he arrived in the Mountain Domain. The sun shined brightly in the cloudless blue sky, its light dazzling over the waters. The morning was so glorious that it seemed like nothing could disturb it. It seemed to promise that nothing could go wrong.
While the morning was beautiful, summer was beginning to reach its peak. It felt hotter than it had felt in the last few days. Despite the heat, it was a heavenly sight. Butterflies of gorgeous colors fluttered about. All areas in the forest were lush with green and abundant with prey.
Hot or not, Truffle knew that this day could not be wasted. No one would ever approve of him if he lazed around all day only because of the heat. If he was going to be accepted as a Mountain Domain member, he would need to show that he was loyal and responsible even on blisteringly hot days such as this.
After rising to his feet, Truffle padded outside. Remembering all the prey he caught yesterday, the chocolate-colored tabby felt generous and he wanted to share it with some of the cats within the domain. Sharing prey would be an excellent way to start making friends. He also wanted to share some of the herbs and flowers he gathered. Truffle decided to share with the others first, then hunt for himself. After all, he was the type to put others above himself.
Truffle had not the slightest idea as to what any of the cats liked, so he was going to have to guess and hope for the best. Luna’s den was nearest to his, so he decided to start there. The whiteish-gray she-cat greeted him as shyly as she did when they first met. Truffle gave her Goldenseal. While shy, Luna seemed appreciative of the leafy plant. “I do kinda like those,” she told him. That went well, Truffle thought to himself.
Next, Truffle approached Arthur. He gave him a rabbit. Arthur was grateful, and he thanked him for the lovely gift and his generosity. The chocolate-colored tabby was happy that his first gift-giving experience had gone so well so far. However, he had only given gifts to two out of the seven cats in the domain. Therefore, he still had five more to give greatly accepted gifts to.
He felt that giving Robin a gift would not be too hard. She seemed the friendliest of them all, and Truffle felt she would be pleased with anything colorful. It made sense to him because of all the colors in Robin’s fur. Truffle decided to give her Valerian. It was pretty with its light purple color, and it smelled nice. When he gave it to her, Robin loved it, and she accepted it gratefully. Already, Robin seemed to be even friendlier than in the beginning, if that was possible.
After some time had passed, Truffle had given items to all the members within the Mountain Domain. All the cats seemed to appreciate their gifts alright. Well, maybe except for Jag and Leo. They still seemed to be deciding whether to approve of his membership with them. Would those two ever like him? Truffle was trying not to get discouraged at this, but it was difficult not to.
By now, Truffle felt famished again. He had been so focused on trying to be friendly by giving away gifts to others that he had forgotten about eating anything for himself! Not only that, but he had given all his food away. However, he knew that this was not a bad thing. It was good of him to be so generous. He would just have to hunt again.
Then, Truffle felt his belly growl to remind him of how hungry he really was. It was mid-afternoon by now, and he had not eaten since yesterday. No matter, Truffle thought. He figured he could easily manage to catch something for himself. Truffle headed out of camp again.
Suddenly, as he scented the air for prey, he detected scents that did not smell like Mountain cats. Before he even had time to think in his mind, hissing confirmed what he was thinking. Uh oh, Truffle thought. He was in an area where a battle was taking place. The Forest Colony enemies had already spotted him, and they were coming his way. There was no turning back now.
This was Truffle’s first battle he had encountered since his arrival. The time had come for him to use the fighting techniques Coco taught him on some real enemies. He was nervous, but he knew that there was no running away. He might be an inexperienced fighter, but he was not a coward. Truffle knew that he had to at least try to fight. Not fighting would put a bad reputation on him if others found out, and he was not going to let that happen. At least he had some allies.
Truffle fought with all the strength he had. He was a weak fighter, yet he managed to leave a mark on the intruders. His allies had managed to chase some away as well. Soon enough, the Forest Colony invaders retreated. By the end of it, Truffle had a few scratches but otherwise he was unharmed. He felt guilty that the allies did most of the fighting, but he also felt proud that he contributed at all. He just helped fight his first real battle and won!
Now for some food, Truffle remembered. After all that fighting, he was even hungrier than before. He would have to get something to eat now, and soon. In addition to making him feel more famished, the battle took more time out of the day. It was getting nearer to the evening now.
Even though Truffle was getting more and more familiar with the territory, he still felt that it would be better on him if he did not stray too far away when it was close to dark. The last thing he wanted was to get lost, after all. He also did not want to risk running into any more enemies. Truffle knew that he probably would not have any allies this time, and he felt that taking on so many enemies on his own was not wise. He was still not that skilled of a fighter, and any enemies he met would be a lot stronger. It would be dangerous if he was outnumbered.
Truffle’s belly rumbled again, interrupting his thoughts. He felt that he was even hungrier than he was after he finally caught food yesterday. He could only hope that hunting would not be such a struggle for him this time. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he headed toward another area.
Arriving in a location called “Oak Wood,” Truffle scented the air for prey. He was half successful and half unsuccessful with this hunting session. While there was plenty of prey around, he failed to catch anything. His extreme hunger was distracting him and making it harder to focus.
Truffle could not help but feel that he should be better than this. Why was he such a bad hunter at the wrong time? This was the second time it had occurred for him, two days in a row. Would surviving always be this hard for him? What if he just was not meant to be a wild cat? If he was struggling this much to even catch a measly mouse, maybe it was true.
Sunset had rolled around, and it was stunningly beautiful. Its numerous shades of red, orange, and yellow made it look as if it belonged in a painting. The tall mountains that stood in the background only added gorgeousness to the scenery.
All this beauty reminded Truffle of Robin. To him, Robin’s different colored splotches on her fur were as beautiful as the colors in the sunset. It was this that kept Truffle going. The thought of her encouraged him not to give up.
Soon, night fell upon him. After all this time, and even with Truffle’s strong will, he was unable to catch anything that night. The chocolate Bengal gathered a decent collection of Valerian, Goldenseal, and Marigold, but no prey. He was practically starved by now, but it was late. It was time to head back before it got any later.
Surprisingly enough, luck struck him on his way home. While he still did not catch any prey, he found something else. It was a special type of plant that even he recognized from when he was a house cat. The plant had three leaves of green attached to its stem, and it smelled sweetly. It was a Catnip. He figured that if he couldn’t catch anything, then at least he could sell items and buy something from Delta. Of course, Truffle didn’t want to rely on this, but he had to do something now. He gathered it up and started walking again.
However, Truffle’s struggle to find something to eat was not over. It was quite late now. By the time he arrived in the camp, most cats had gone to bed. The only cat left awake was Arthur. When Truffle walked by him, the orange-furred tabby spoke to him. To his surprise, even Arthur seemed to notice how desperate he was for food. Arthur didn’t give him anything, though he did order him to eat something. He even recommended getting something from Delta.
Once their conversation concluded, Truffle headed to his den. He really wanted to buy food from Delta, but the shop was closed until morning. He would have to wait. Truffle didn’t feel that he could sleep easily because of his hunger. Despite this, he curled up in his nest to try and get some shut eye. After all, the day was exhausting for him. Eventually, he drifted off into sleep.
Just as expected, Truffle’s night was rough for him. While he managed to fall asleep, it was a restless kind of sleep. He kept having dreams on and off about looking for prey and not being able to find any. There were other dreams where he actually caught prey, but no matter how hard he tried, he never got to eat it. He had always woken up before he got the chance.
When morning finally arrived, Truffle dragged himself out of his den. He was exhausted from not getting a good night’s sleep. Additionally, he felt hungrier than ever. He never wanted to go to sleep feeling that starved again, even though it would be too good to be true.
The morning greeted him in a different way than usual. Light still glowed, but the sun was hidden behind the clouds that covered the sky. Although it was cloudy, it didn’t look like rain. It was just overcast. At least with it being cloudy, it wasn’t miserably hot.
Quickly as possible, Truffle made his way over to Delta’s shop. He was relieved to see the blackish-purple cat standing outside her den. Finally, he would be able to get some food into his belly, as soon as he could sell what he had. He couldn’t wait to eat something at last.
Delta greeted him in a friendly way when he approached her. “I have some items to sell,” Truffle told her politely, trying not to make it obvious how hungry he was. The chocolate-furred tom ended up selling all the items he had: all the Goldenseal, Marigold, Valerian, and Catnip. He wished to keep some of it to give away, but he wanted to make sure he had enough to purchase something to satisfy his hunger.
Once everything was sold, Truffle took the mews he was given and used them to buy a mouse. Even though it wasn’t much, it was better than nothing. At last, he had something to fill his belly. Truffle ate the mouse almost as quickly as he bought it. Finally, he thought, feeling extremely relieved. After scarfing down the mouse, Truffle still felt hungry, but he felt much better.
Now that his hunger was somewhat satisfied, Truffle wanted to try again at hunting. He still longed to feel accepted from the leader. If he kept this up, that would never happen. Despite these feelings, Truffle tried not to feel too discouraged. He was still as strong willed as before, if not even more so.
The longing to prove himself might have increased his determination. Of course, this was not the only reason for him to keep going. Truffle wanted to improve himself just as much as he longed for acceptance. It would take hard work, but he knew it could be done.
At least with him not being as hungry, hunting should be easier for the time being. Sure enough, Truffle finally caught something this time around: a crow! He was thrilled with himself when he caught it. He wasn’t sure how he managed it, but he did.
Still feeling quite hungry, Truffle decided to go ahead and eat the crow. He sat down where he was and munched on the black-feathered bird. After eating the crow, Truffle’s hunger was fully satisfied. Feels good to finally be full, he thought.
Although Truffle still felt drained from the restless sleep, he felt that it wouldn’t be right for him to return to his nest. The day had only just started, after all. He decided to stay out. Now that his hunger was satisfied, he wanted to go ahead and keep hunting.
After the experience he just had, he knew that he would remember to always have some food with him. While this was an experience Truffle would rather forget, at least he learned something from it. Making friends in his new home was important, taking care of himself was equally vital. Because of this lesson, Truffle knew that he would always remember.
Chapter Five
Five days had passed since Truffle had gone so hungry. Although it had only been a few days, Truffle felt much more confident about it all. Of course, like everything else, there was still room for further improvement, but at least he was getting better and better at it.
In addition to getting plenty of hunting practice, Truffle had also spent his time growing closer and closer to the other cats in the colony. He felt himself growing fonder and fonder of Robin each time he spoke to her. She was always incredibly friendly to him, and he always felt more than content when he was around her.
Then there was Arthur, Truffle’s second closest friend so far. By the way Arthur spoke, Truffle knew how important the Mountain Domain was to him. Whenever they talked with each other, Arthur was almost always talking about defending the colony, and what it is to be loyal. Based on this, Truffle could tell that Arthur was brave and willing to protect the Mountain Domain and everyone in it, even if it would cost him his life. He admired him for this, and he hoped that he could be brave like him one day.
As for the rest of the cats in the Mountain Domain, Truffle was getting more acquainted with them too. Luna was still shy around him, but the chocolate-speckled tabby understood that this was just part of the healer’s personality. She was just naturally reserved and quiet around others, and Truffle respected that. At least Luna was friendly, and Truffle thought that maybe she would come out of her shell a bit more as they got to know each other more.
Jag and Leo were the only two colony members Truffle still felt like hadn’t accepted his coming yet. Of course, Truffle couldn’t just assume that this was true. He just felt this way because of how both cats spoke to him. Then again, Truffle hadn’t even been an official member for a full season yet. Jag and Leo were only doing their jobs as the guard and leader of their home, making sure things went smoothly within it. Truffle could only trust that they would accept him eventually, after they could be sure that he was a trustworthy cat.
After all these thoughts went through Truffle’s head, he was ready to see what else this colony life had in store for him. Luckily for him, morning had already arrived. He was happy because morning meant that a new day had begun, and a new day meant new adventures.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Truffle stood up and padded outside of his den. It was as beautiful as ever outside, even though it was just another typical summer day. The sky was blue and clear, with the bright and spherical, yellow sun being the only object in it.
Despite this, something suddenly seemed off to Truffle. Although he could still hear the waterfall rushing over the cliffs, it seemed strangely quiet to him. After a few moments of looking around the camp, Truffle realized he was the only one there. Not even Jag or Leo were around. He was completely alone.
Where is everyone? Why would everyone leave without telling me? What could be going on? I hope everyone is alright, Truffle wondered. Trying not to worry about everyone’s sudden disappearance, the chocolate-speckled cat thought back and tried to remember if he was told about something that would cause this to happen. He thought back to his very first day in his new home, the day after Coco brought him here.
Thinking back, Truffle remembered Leo introducing himself the minute he walked out of his den. He remembered being told to introduce himself to each member of the Mountain Domain, and he remembered Leo telling him about something that happened at the end of each season. There is a festival on the final day of each season, Leo had told him.
Today was the last day before the start of autumn, so that meant there was a festival today. That was when it hit him. Everyone must have already gone to the Sacred Temple, the place where the festivals were held! I’d better hurry so I don’t miss out on all the fun, Truffle said to himself. Not wanting to be any later, Truffle started heading toward the temple.
Chapter Six
To be continued...
