Back at the ranger’s lodge, as Jax and Piper told their story, the rest of the rangers settled down to listen to another great tale.
When Piper mentioned the hillsides covered with violet flowers, Cisco sat up and asked her to repeat what she had seen.
“Violet-colored flowers are very rare,” Cisco stated. “Finding a whole hillside would be very unusual.”
“As you know,” he continued, “I’ve traveled all over the territory meeting tribes and trading information. One time I came across a single dwelling in an area that was part of a tribe but didn’t seemed to belong to it.”
“Anyway, I stopped to visit and met an interesting lady cat. It seems she was a member of the nearby tribe, but she preferred living by herself. The cats in the tribe thought she was a little odd, but she was respected as a talented healer.”
“She was interested in plants and herbs and using them to heal various ailments. She had also found that certain minerals and salts could be combined for interesting effects. She even showed me how, when she took two different minerals and ground them together, they gave off a beautiful blue glow.”
“She asked if, in my travels, I had seen any other unusual minerals that she might use in her experiments. I did, in fact, know of a few areas where such minerals might be found. I traded that information for a nice meal and a warm place to spend the night.”
“The lady’s name was Isis,” he concluded, “and I think she would be very interested in these violet flowers.
“Wow,” Piper said, “you really have met some interesting cats.”
“Do you think she would be willing to come and see where we found the flowers? There are other questions about that area that she might be able to answer as well.”
Giving it some thought, Cisco said, “I think she might, but if she’ll come, it would take about a week for her to get here.”
“That would be great,” Piper said. “Bring her here, and then we can head on to the Valley of the Flowers.”
“Piper, why don’t you stay here at the lodge to wait for Cisco and Isis,” Jax suggested, “and then bring them on to the hungry tribe’s new home? I’ll to go on ahead to do some more exploring in that area.”
“You know, we really need to come up with a new name for that tribe,” Jax said with a laugh. “I don’t think they’re hungry anymore.”
Early the next morning, after a quick breakfast with some of the other rangers, Cisco grabbed his travel kit, said his goodbyes and headed out to find Isis.
Normally, Cisco would seek out tribes along the way to gather general information and maintain good relations. On this trip, though, he wanted to make the best time possible so he kept to the main trail, only stopping for meals and to make a solo camp at night.
On the second day, as the trail wound through a dense forest, he came upon two hunters coming from the opposite direction.
They stopped at a reasonable distance from each other and exchanged greetings.
“Greetings, friend,” said one of the hunters, a sleek black cat with a scar above his left eyebrow. “My name is Kato. This is my companion, Zara.”
“Nice to meet you both,” Cisco replied, nodding in return. “I’m Cisco. What brings you two out on the trail today?”
“We’re heading back to our tribe,” Kato said, his tail twitching behind him. “We’ve been hunting for a few days and we’re eager to get home before nightfall.”
“Ah, I understand,” Cisco said sympathetically. “It’s always good to be back with your own tribe after a long stretch of travel. I’m on my way to meet up with some friends myself.”
The three of them stood there in comfortable silence for a moment, enjoying the warm sunlight filtering through the trees.
“Why don’t we stop for a midday meal together?” Zara suggested, her ears perking up. “It’s not often we get to rest and eat with someone new.”
“That’s a fine idea,” Cisco said, smiling. “Let’s find some shade and take a break.”
They sat down on a nearby rock, and Cisco pulled out a small pouch of dried meat from his belt.
They passed the food around, swapping stories as they ate.
Kato regaled them with tales of his hunting exploits, while Zara shared stories of her tribe’s latest celebrations.
Cisco listened intently, happy to be sharing in their camaraderie for a brief moment before parting ways.
As they finished their meal and prepared to continue on their separate journeys, Kato nodded at Cisco.
“Take care out there, friend.”
“And may the sun shine brightly upon your path,” Zara added, her eyes shining with warmth.
Cisco smiled, feeling a sense of gratitude for the brief encounter.
“Thank you both. May our paths cross again someday.”
With that, they bid each other farewell and continued on their respective ways.
Mid-afternoon on the third day, Cisco came in sight of Isis’s home.
It was a solidly built dwelling with well-kept gardens all around.
He slowed his pace as he came closer, calling out a friendly hello.
Before long, a young cat pulled aside the woven fabric that covered the door.
“Hello,” she said in a tiny voice, “What brings you here?”
As he was about to respond, an adult cat moved past the little cat.
“Its that you, Cisco?” she said with a smile.
“Indeed, and you are as lovely as ever, Isis.” Cisco replied.
“It seems you no longer live alone,” he added.
“As for what brings me here,” he said, turning to the young cat, “I have questions that Isis might answer.”
The little cat gave Isis a questioning look.
“Yes, it’s fine, Suki,” Isis said. “Come inside, Cisco, and we’ll talk. I have some sun-steeped tea that you might like.”
As Cisco and Isis made themselves comfortable, Suki brought out two cups of tea.
“So, how have you been, Cisco? Still traveling?” Isis asked.
“I still travel,” Cisco answered, “but not quite as aimlessly as I used to.”
“I’ve joined a group of cats called the Rangers,” he continued. “We try to keep track of what’s going on in our territory and if we find a problem, we try to help.”
“I’m guessing that has something to do with why you’re here,” Isis said.
“I’m impressed… insightful and beautiful,” Cisco said with a grin.
“OK, now that we’re done with the flattery, let’s get to your questions,” Isis smiled back.
“If you don’t mind my asking,” Cisco said, “I’m curious about Suki. How did she come to be living with you?”
“Suki should tell you that story,” Isis said, nodding at her young companion.
“I suppose I should,” Suki said, and settled into a comfortable position on the floor.
Suki sighed and began, “A little over a year ago, I got really sick.”
“My family tried everything they knew to get me better,” she continued, “but nothing helped.”
“The tribe started to worry that my sickness might spread,” Suki said. “They told my family that we would have to leave the tribe.”
“That’s when Isis stepped in,” Suki said. “She was already living by herself, away from the tribe, so even though my family was very sad, they agreed that it was best for me to go with her.”
“Isis set to work and had me try many of her herbal potions,” Suki said. “Most of which were really terrible tasting, until she came up with one that started to make me feel better.”
“That was a start, and after more nasty-tasting brews, I was finally all better,” Suki concluded.
“I would say the rest of the story is Isis’s to tell,” Suki said.
“Little Suki was a very sick kitten when I brought her home,” Isis said. “But she was very brave putting up with all the medicinal concoctions I made her drink.”
“I’m just happy that I finally found something that helped her,” Isis continued. “As she was recovering, she took an interest in my studies and experiments.”
“At the same time, I had grown very fond of having her around,” Isis said. “We decided that she should become my apprentice, and my adopted daughter.”
“Is your curiosity satisfied?” Isis asked, sipping her tea.
“It sounds like it worked out well for both of you,” Cisco said.
“And now I have a story for you.”
“Mind you, all this is second-hand.”
“A couple of friends of mine found a tribe in trouble and helped them find a new home where they could thrive instead of barely survive.”
“In the area of their new home, they’ve found some interesting features as well as a few mysteries.”
“Which brings me to my first question.”
Cisco took a sip of his tea, then continued.
“Do you know anything about violet flowers?” he asked.
Isis pondered the question, then said, “I only know of one violet flower, and it’s part of an ancient legend.”
“Let me try to remember the main points of the legend,” she said.
“A very long time ago,” she began, “there was a sickness that would appear every few hundred years. It would spread through the land, infecting all the tribes.”
“Each time the sickness came, it would ravage the tribes, wiping out some entirely,” Isis said. “The last time the sickness descended on the land, the healers from all the tribes came together to share their knowledge and find a cure.”
“They did find a cure,” Isis said, “but by then nearly half the cats in the land had perished. The cure they found was a medicine made from all the parts of the plant of the violet flower.”
“Though it had saved the remaining cats,” Isis added, “by the end of the sickness, the plant had all but disappeared.”
“You could say the violet flower had become a thing of legends,” Isis said with a sad sigh.
“I’ve never heard of anyone who’s seen one,” she continued. “I know it’s just a legend, but if that sickness did come again, what would we use to save us this time?”
Isis looked so sad and worried that Cisco leaned over and gave her a reassuring hug.
Then he said with a sly grin, “What would you say if I said I could show you an entire hillside of violet flowers?”
Isis quickly replied, “If you’re telling tales, I’ll smack you.”
“But if you show me violet flowers,” she said with a shy smile, “the smack will be a kiss.”
Cisco asked, “Does that mean you’ll come with me to see where they grow?”
Isis nodded enthusiastically. “Of course I’ll come,” she said, “and Suki too. I couldn’t leave her behind.”
There was an air of excitement as the three cats hit the trail the next morning.
The sun was high over the forest terrain as Cisco walked alongside Isis and Suki, their paws padding softly on the ground.
They had been traveling for hours, and the excitement to reach the Valley of Flowers was still palpable.
“Come on, ladies,” Cisco said, his voice soothing, “let’s take a break; we don’t want to push ourselves too hard.”
Isis and Suki exchanged a look, their ears folding back in disappointment. But they knew Cisco was right – exhaustion would only make the journey more difficult.
As they settled down in the shade of a leafy tree, Isis began grooming her whiskers, her tail twitching with agitation.
“I just can’t wait to see the valley,” she said, barely above a whisper. “You’ve told me so many amazing things about it.”
“You have to remember I haven’t actually been to the valley myself,” he said. “We’ll all get to see it at the same time; from what I’ve been told though, it is amazing.”
Suki’s ears perked up at this, and she leaned in close to Cisco.
“Do you think we’ll see any rare flowers?” she asked, barely above a whisper.
Cisco nodded thoughtfully.
“Of course,” he said. “The violet ones, yes, they cover entire hillsides.
Isis’s eyes grew wide at this, and she let out a low purr of excitement.
“Oh, I just can’t wait to see them!” she exclaimed.
As they sat together, enjoying each other’s company and the peaceful surroundings, Cisco leaned back and smiled.
“Well, we’ve got three or four days ahead of us,” he said; “let’s make sure to take it easy and enjoy the journey – after all, the valley will still be there when we arrive.”
The three friends sat together in comfortable silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts and dreams of the wonders that awaited them in the valley.