the last thing she remembered was the infinite blindness
of

the Eyes

taking her sight.

darkness swallowed her whole,

the All Mother grasping around her

and squeezing until she
could no longer
breathe.

Maybe this is just a nightmare.


Dovefeather awoke with a sharp inhale, her body twisted around itself, trapped in by walls that tried to crush her ribs. She twisted, struggling, against the solid stone that surrounded her. It took a massive effort, but finally the stone cracked, and with a great heave, she managed to break through the wall.

The shell of stone that had encased her-- it must have been a chrysalis, had she been reborn somehow?-- shattered, jagged edges scratching at her skin. She tried to stand up and heave the stone off of her so she could see and breathe, but darkness surrounded her. Something was pinning her down still, and as her whiskers twitched and she peered at the blackness, gently reaching her paw to feel the space around her, she realized.

Vines had encased her chrysalis. An entire system of roots, thorns-- plant life, she presumed-- completely encased her and the stone that threatened to slice her open if she wasn't careful. Considering the darkness, either the caves had gone dark once more, or she was trapped deep in the thick undergrowth. The smell of leaflitter was thick, and she wondered if she was surrounded by living matter or rot, plants that had been choked out from its neighbors and drowned in the shadows.

She was tired from breaking free, and the daunting task of trying to escape the labyrinth seemed too great. She couldn't remember... The darkness was the only familiarity she had in her first few waking moments. It felt like home, and she did not know if she should be scared. Was this the All Mother's embrace?

the All Mother does things for a reason.

Dovefeather reasoned quietly, her breathing steadying. It took her a moment to remember how to purr, and then, she slowly began to buzz. The gentle rumble of her chest kept her heartbeat rhythmic. She had time to think, time to breathe. Now was not the time to panic.

She would not cripple without knowing you had the strength to persevere through it. She would not take a life without reason, without purpose.

these trials that She gives us, She gives trusting our bravery and will, that we can overcome through our faith in Her.

These were very basic tenements of her religion-- she remembered them, and they came to her easy. She had believed in these simple things since the day she first awoke, the day she had met Blackfeather and Owlfeather.

what then of my sisters.

Blackfeather.

Owlfeather.

They both were gone now, she had once collected their stones. She had no idea where those stones were now, where she was. They had vanished, leaving behind nothing but their gems. She... She needed to find those gemstones. She couldn't remember why.

what then of my love.

Pressing further into her memories, the last thing she... The last thing she could remember was that of a vicious panther, chasing down her and Basil... Sorrel.

Sorrel had turned to fight the panther. She had heard the screams. Darkness had consumed her when she begged the All Mother...

What had happened? How long had she been here? Plants like this did not grow overnight.

why have i been given second chance?
did She bring them back?

All Mother.

LET ME SEE.

A soft, warm golden glow erupted from the feline, at first immediately blinding and stinging the cat's fully dilated eyes. With a soft hiss, she recoiled into a ball.

Eventually, however, she adjusted to the light, and found herself exactly as she thought: trapped, surrounded by thorny brambles and interwoven vines. Her breathing clawed at her raw throat, her ears twisting this way and that for any signs that anything had noticed her light.

Only the distant sound of wind through leaves. She had always been deaf to the All Mother.

Dovefeather stretched her paws in front of her, carefully edging dangerously sharp shards of chrysalis away from her body. There wasn't much room due to the wall of brambles surrounding her, and it definitely seemed like the vines had been encasing her stone shell of protection and now tangled around her like netting. The last thing she wanted was to get a vine tangled around a limb, or her throat, especially if something suddenly yanked on the plant and choked her. The thought sent a shiver down her spine.

With her glowing white legs in front of her, she stared down at the black dots upon her pelt. The two symmetrical markings reminded her of the Eyes of the All Mother, the pools that had grown dark and sick.

She did not have a lot of energy to expend. There would be no prey down here to hunt, nothing that she could eat to gain strength. Water would be limited unless rain made its way through the thick undergrowth... There was, however, something she could do.

Rest... Rest and reach out. She had walked in other's dreams before... If she could reach someone, while conserving her physical energy as much as possible. Right. This was obviously just a test. There was no need to panic. She just needed to remain calm, and close her eyes.

Falling asleep, however, was not as easy as it seemed. The soft, ethereal glow of her fur was still immensely bright in what was otherwise pitch black, and she dare not let up that magic in case it drew attention. Splitting her concentration seemed unwise, but the peril of the situation grew exponentially the longer she lay unable to do anything at all.

The All Mother did not give tests without reason.

She just had to believe. The All Mother would guild her, she just had to visualize...

Dovefeather's head slumped into her softly glowing legs, and her spirit stepped out, passing through the forests of Eridanus in a blur of greens and browns. She did not so much walk as phase through the caverns, unable to see what had become of the outside world-- but yet, she could see.

The cat found herself in a room of bones.