After he was gone, Piper turned to Isis: “I’ve got some things I’d like to talk to you about.”
“Okay,” Isis said. “Why don’t we go sit down by the stream and relax a little?”
Once they were situated, Piper began, “When Jax and I got to the cave this morning, it was still in shadows, so we went in with torches. It turned out that the zigzag entrance would have blocked even the brightest sunlight.”
“Farther in,” she continued, “we found a chamber that showed signs of having been worked on by someone. The walls and the floor had been made smooth. When I looked closer at the walls, I could see faint drawings, though in the light of the torches, I couldn’t make out what they were.”
“It wasn’t long before the smoke from the torches drove us outside,” she said. “And that brought up a few problems. If we use torches, there’s too much smoke, and we can barely breathe. Besides that, all that smoke could cover the drawings with soot. If we don’t use torches, how do we get light into the cave?”
“We did have one idea,” Piper said, leaning forward. “Cisco mentioned that when he first met you, you showed him how to produce a blue light by mixing two minerals. Could that be used to light the cave?”
“Well, I’ve never tried to use the blue light as the sole light source,” Isis mused. “I’m not sure it would be bright enough or if I could make it last long enough to be useful.”
“Luckily, those minerals were among the supplies that the Rangers brought from my old home,” Isis said. After some thought, she added, “I need to run a couple of experiments, but I should have an answer for you by morning.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” Piper asked.
“Not really,” Isis replied. “Cisco’s been working with me. It turns out that he’s very good at this sort of thing.”
“Alright then, I’ll leave you to it,” Piper said. “I might turn in early. Jax insisted that we started out at a ridiculously early hour this morning.”
“You go on then,” Isis laughed. “I’ll go find Cisco and get to work.”
Later that afternoon, Jax entered the Clinic, where Willow, Star, and a young cat sat talking.
“Hey Mom, how goes the battle?” Jax asked as he walked in.
“Hi Jax,” Willow replied. “I hope you have news about the kitten. We’ve been too worried to get any work done.”
“The short story is, the kitten is going to be fine,” Jax said with a grin.
“Thank goodness!” Star exclaimed. “What a relief, he really looked in tough shape.”
“So, what did Isis find wrong with him?” Willow asked.
“Well, the most serious thing was that he was totally dehydrated,” Jax explained. “He got some honey for a shot of energy, and then they had him lapping up some warm, meaty broth.”
“By the second feeding, the little bugger was even talking, well, only a word or two, he is just a little kitten after all,” Jax continued.
“The only other thing,” Jax said, “was that the little guy had a bad case of parasites. Isis gave him some medicine for that.”
“I imagine she gave him a dose of Whisker’s Bane,” Willow said.
“That’s right, I’d forgotten what she called it,” Jax replied. “Oh, and she wants to keep the kitten until she’s sure he’s out of danger.”
“Well, that’s just good all around, isn’t it?” Willow said. “Now we can relax, and maybe get some work done.”
“So, who’s our young friend here?” Jax asked, turning to the young cat.
“This is the kitten’s older brother, Chase,” Star replied. “He was watching little Dash while his Mom and Dad were out hunting.”
“He’s been helping us here while we waited for news about his brother.”
“Which reminds me… Chase,” Willow said, “Do you want to stay here at the clinic until we get Dash back, or do you want to go home?”
“I’d like to stay here, if that’s alright,” Chase replied. “But I should go and tell my neighbors where I am in case my parents get home while I’m gone, then I’ll come right back.”
“Of course you can stay with us,” Willow said. “You’ve been a big help already.”
“That was a smart thing you did, bringing little Dash to my mother,” Jax said. “She’s helped a lot of sick kittens.”
“She even helped my best friend Piper when she was a little kitten with a broken leg,” Jax added.
“That’s right,” Willow said. “That was when you found her injured in the forest and brought her home. You spent more time taking care of her than I did, if I remember right.”
“That’s true,” Jax said with a smile. “And we’ve been looking out for each other ever since.”
“You two are definitely a pair,” Willow laughed.
“Besides the sick kitten, how are you doing with getting the tribe healthy again?” Jax asked.
“I’ve met most of the families and have a pretty good idea of how to proceed,” Willow said. “The one sticking point was that the tribe will need their own healer when I leave.”
“I asked Kikki, but she said she preferred staying with the group in the upper valley. So, I talked to Luna a little while ago. She said there are two young cats who have shown an interest in learning to be healers.” Willow continued. “If that works out, I’ll have plenty of help getting the tribe healthy again.”
“What about what you came down here for, Star?” Jax asked.
“Have you found anything interesting about the Old Tribe?”
“I’ve found a few artifacts, but nothing special,” Star said. “I’d like to check out the area around the field of violet flowers. I just have the feeling that there’s something special about this valley.”
“Wait until you see the cave Piper and I found.” Jax said. “There’s definitely something special about this valley.”
“Tell me about the cave,” Star said excitedly.
“Well, all I can say is that the main chamber had been worked on to give it smooth walls and floor,” Jax said.
“Probably more interesting, though,” Jax added. “Piper says she could see faint drawings on the walls.”
“Yes, *drawings* on the cave’s walls might be just a bit more interesting,” Star said sarcastically.
“We need to figure out a way to get more light into the cave,” Jax said. “We can’t see much until we do.”
“That cave sounds fascinating. I can’t wait to see it,” Star said.
“Well, Mom, I just wanted to let you know that Dash was going to be alright.” Jax said, getting ready to leave. “I’m going to head back. We’ve got a lot of things going on.”
“Unless you need me to stay, I’d like to head back with Jax,” Star said, looking around for her pack.
“No, I think I can handle it from here on,” Willow said. “You go ahead.”
After hugs from both Jax and Star, Willow waved goodbye as they headed back up the valley.
“Okay then, we’re done here for today.” Willow said to Chase, who had been quietly listening to the grownups. “Why don’t you go tell your neighbors where you’re staying?”
“By the time you get back, dinner will be ready.”
“I won’t be long,” Chase said as he headed out the door.
By the time Chase got back, there was a nice hot stew waiting. Between spoonfuls, Chase said, “This is really good stew!”
Smiling at the hungry boy, Willow said, “It’s just rabbit with a few vegetables thrown in for flavor.”
Willow cleaned up after dinner and found Chase already asleep. He’d had a long day worrying about his little brother. They both slept well that night.
The next day started with breakfast. Shortly after, Luna made an early visit. She had two young cats with her.
“Here are the two future healers I was telling you about,” Luna said. “This pretty girl is Lisha, and the handsome boy is Remmy.”
“Kids, this is Willow,” she continued. “Listen to her, and you’ll do just fine.”
“Lisha, Remmy, it’s nice to meet you,” Willow said. “I hope you’re ready to work, it’s going to get busy.”
“There’s been a small change in plans.”
“We had a bit of a crisis yesterday.” She went on to explain about the sick kitten, Dash.
“So the new plan is, instead of visiting each family in turn, after the trouble we had with little Dash, I want to concentrate on the kittens first, then the oldest tribe members. Then we’ll move on to the rest.”
“Keep in mind, though, if you notice anyone who you think is in trouble, no matter their age, let me know. We don’t want to lose anyone when we could have helped.”
“Okay,” Lisha said. “Just tell us what to do.”
“Well, have you had breakfast yet?” Willow asked.
“I had a quick bite, I don’t know about Remmy, though,” Lisha said.
Remmy said, “I didn’t want to be late, so I skipped breakfast.”
“There’s plenty left,” Star said, pointing to the food on the table. “Help yourself, you too, Lisha, if you’re still hungry.”
Remmy helped himself to the food, and Lisha joined him. They smiled at each other and dug in. When they were done, they cleaned up after themselves and were ready for the day.
“I should go see if my Mom and Dad are home yet,” young Chase said. “If not, I’ll be back for dinner, okay?”
“Sounds good,” Willow said, “we’ll see you then.”
Willow and her two young helpers started going through the list of families, noting which ones had young kittens. They’d start with those.
Taking her cue from Isis, Willow made sure to pack plenty of Whisker’s Bane and a jar of honey along with her regular kit before the three of them left the clinic to visit their first family. As they arrived at the first family’s cozy home, they were welcomed inside. Willow began by explaining the treatment plan to the family.
“Okay, so we’ll need to give each of you a dose of Whisker’s Bane,” she said, measuring out small spoons of the bitter-tasting medicine. “You adults will need a double dose, while the kittens will get a single dose each.”
Remmy watched intently as Willow demonstrated how to sweeten each spoonful with honey. Lisha watched in fascination as the kittens’ eyes lit up at the taste.
“See, they love it when we add a little honey,” Willow said with a smile. “It makes it easier for them to take their medicine.”
As Remmy and Lisha worked together to administer the treatment to the parents, the two young kittens, Minx and Mindy, played a lively game of chase around the room, ending in fits of giggles.
“Wow, they’re wild little buggers!” Remmy exclaimed, laughing as he tried to corral the kittens.
“Yes, they’re just full of kitten mischief!” Willow replied with a chuckle.
“Now, remember, after they’ve taken their medicine, it’s essential that they get plenty of fluids. If they start to feel weak or quieter than usual, a little honey rubbed on their gums should help.”
The parents, Midge and Milt, nodded solemnly as they listened to Willow’s instructions.
“Understood,” Midge said. “We’ll make sure to give them plenty of water and watch for any signs of weakness.”
Willow smiled reassuringly at them. “Great! Once everyone in the tribe has been treated for parasites, I’ll be back to check on you all and look into any other problems you might have. In the meantime, if you have any questions, come see us at the clinic.”
With a final round of goodbyes, Remmy, Lisha, and Willow set off for the next family on their list.
As Piper walked across the village clearing, Isis called out, “Morning Sunshine, come on over! We’ve got something to show you.” Piper joined Isis, and they went inside.
Inside, Suki was busy taking care of little Dash, who still wasn’t feeling as well as he should. Cisco was working at the counter.
“Look at what we’ve come up with!” Isis announced, pointing toward the counter. Cisco stepped aside to let Piper see what he’s been working on.
“Well, as you might already know,” Cisco said, “when we grind up these two minerals together, we get a bright blue light. Which, unfortunately, doesn’t last very long.”
“We came up with a few ways to get around that problem,” Isis said, “having multiple bowls of the minerals ready to grind up, one after the other.”
“Another way,” she continued, “would be to have a large bowl and only grind until the light starts to shine, then grind again when the light starts to fade. Of course, someone would have to be assigned to keep the grinding going.”
Piper said, “Well, if we go that way, we should have a second bowl so we can see our way back out of the cave without bashing into the walls.”
“Or each other,” she laughed.
“At first, I thought the light wouldn’t be bright enough,” Isis said, but as dark as the cave will be, it should really shine.”
“There is a potential problem though,” Cisco stated. “We only have a limited supply of the minerals on hand.”
“I don’t know where to get more,” he said, “but Isis knows where to start looking.”
“We’ll make do with what we have,” Piper said, starting to get excited. “Do you two have time to give it a try at the cave?”
“Let me check on little Dash first,” Isis replied. She went over to where Suki was holding the kitten. She gave him a quick check-over and was satisfied that it would be safe to leave him in Suki’s care for a few hours.
~~~ Blue Light Revelation ~~~
It wasn’t too long before the three cats were looking up at the cliff.
“I’ve got everything we’ll need in my pack, so I’ll go first,” Piper said, heading for the big tree next to the cliff. A short climb, and she was standing on the big branch.
“Come on up, there’s plenty of room here!” Piper called down.
Once they were all standing on the branch, Piper said, “Now, just watch what I do, and when I’m clear, you do the same thing.” Piper confidently walked along the branch and jumped down onto the ledge. Moving a bit down the ledge, she turned and said, “That’s all there is to it.”
Cisco and Isis crossed over, and soon the three were standing next to the cave entrance. Standing in the entrance to have a little more room, Piper shrugged off her pack.
“Okay,” she said with a grin. “This is where the fun begins.” Reaching into her pack, she pulled out two bowls and the grinding tool.
“Take these,” she said, handing them to Isis, “and I’ll get the minerals.”
“Here’s the Lustralite,” Piper said, handing Isis the jar.
“That’s a measure of Lustralite to each bowl,” Isis said, “now hand me the Stellarite.” She added the Stellarite to each bowl, and they were ready to go.
“Okay, we’re all set,” she said, handing Cisco one bowl. She held out the other one to Piper. “And here’s one for you.”
Piper stood inside the entrance, looking around at the dark passageway. When Isis handed her the bowl, she began grinding the minerals together using the stone tool. As soon as the grinding began, a faint blue light started shining from the bowl. Piper held it high to illuminate the passage in front of her.
“It’s working!” she exclaimed, stepping forward into the passage. “Let’s get moving.”
Isis followed close behind, her eyes adjusting to the soft blue glow as they rounded the first corner. The light from outside disappeared, and the blue light from the bowl shone brightly, illuminating their path.
“That produces a good amount of light,” Isis commented.
“It does, but it doesn’t carry very far,” Cisco said, bringing up the rear. “It’s pretty dark behind us.”
As they walked farther into the cave, the passage began to narrow and twist, leading them around a final corner. Then, suddenly, they were standing in the cave’s main chamber, an expanse of darkness stretching out before them.
Piper stopped for a moment, taking in the sight. “Wow,” she breathed. “This is it.”
Cisco and Isis nodded in agreement, their eyes adjusting to the dim light. They stood there for a moment, lost in the wonder of the ancient chamber. As the blue light illuminated the space, the walls glowed with a dazzling array of figures and symbols.
Piper was absolutely stunned. She stared at the vibrant colors and intricate designs, her mind racing with questions. “How can this be?” she said. “Under torchlight, everything was nearly invisible.”
Isis chuckled, pleased to see her friend’s fascination. “It seems that whoever created these paintings used a paint that reacts to the blue light,” she explained.
Just then, the light in the bowl started to fade. Piper quickly ground the minerals to bring back the glow.
Isis bent down to examine the paintings more closely.
“Let me take a closer look too,” Piper said, her eyes scanning the wall.
Cisco followed along with Isis and Piper, staying within the circle of light radiating from the bowl. They moved along both walls, trying to find meaning in the figures and symbols.
“Have you noticed that this symbol appears in many places in the paintings?” Isis asked, pointing to a stylized symbol of a flower. “And have you noticed that it glows with a bright violet color?”
Piper’s eyes lit up as she recognized the flower symbol. It matched the one on the amulet she still carried in her belt pouch.
“And of course, these are cat figures,” Isis continued, “but what they’re doing, I couldn’t guess.”
“Look at this!” Piper exclaimed, pointing to symbols on the wall. “It looks like some kind of ancient script.”
Cisco nodded thoughtfully. “I see what you mean. I’ve seen similar symbols before, but I’m not sure what they represent.”
“This might represent water or a river,” Cisco said, pointing to various symbols on the wall. “And this might be a tree.”
Isis nodded in agreement. “This is going to take some serious study before we understand its meanings.”
As they walked further into the chamber, Piper began to feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale and complexity of the artwork. Finally, the blue light faded, and no amount of grinding could revive it. Piper sighed, setting the bowl aside. “Okay, Cisco, it’s your turn,” she said, handing him the grinding tool. “Start grinding.”
Cisco quickly began grinding his bowl of minerals. Almost instantly, blue light filled the chamber again.
“Good work,” Piper said. “That total darkness, even for a few seconds, was really disorienting.”
“Take a last look around,” Cisco said, giving his bowl of minerals an another grind, “then we’ll use the last of these minerals to light our way out.”
Finally making their way back along the winding passage, they emerged into the sunlight again. They blinked and ducked their heads as their eyes adjusted to the bright light. All three started talking at once, then stopped and burst out laughing, releasing all the tension that had built up inside the cave.
“Wow,” Piper said, with a grin on her face. “That was incredible.”
“Do either of you have any idea what it was that we just saw?” Isis asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Piper shook her head. “I was too busy grinding to really study the paintings.”
Cisco nodded in agreement. “To be honest, I was too dazzled to do more than just enjoy the beauty of it all.”
Isis sighed thoughtfully. “I’m sure there’s some meaning to the figures and the symbols, but it’s going to take a lot of time and study.”
Piper nodded in agreement. “We may need some outside help.”
Isis smiled, nodding in agreement. “This certainly adds to the importance of what we’re doing here in the valley. I’m sure this is related to the violet flowers. Let’s get back to the village and tell everyone what we found.”
Piper grinned, feeling a sense of excitement and purpose. “That’s a good idea, and besides, I’m getting hungry, and we forgot to pack a lunch.”
Willow sat down at the table in the clinic, looking over the list of elder cats that were next to be visited. They had already visited all the families with young kittens.
“Lisha, Remmy,” Willow said, turning to the two young healers in training, “I’m going to take a short trip up the valley to the new village.”
Lisha looked up from where she was scratching out notes on a chart. “What’s the plan?” she asked.
“I’m just going to visit with Isis, there’s something we need to discuss,” Willow replied.
Remmy nodded, his ears perked up. “Don’t worry,” he said. “We can handle visiting the elder cats while you’re gone.”
Willow nodded, checking her list one last time. “I’m sure you can. Just keep an eye out for anything serious that needs immediate attention. If you need to, send a runner up to the village to get me. Otherwise, I’ll be back later this evening.”
Lisha smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Willow. We can handle it.”
Willow grinned at the two. “Good. You two will have to look after your own dinner tonight.”
She shouldered her travel pack and headed for the door.
“Hey, whose turn is it to cook?” Remmy asked as she went out into the bright sunlight.
Lisha chuckled. “I think we can just decide that between us.”
Willow laughed, already starting up the path towards the village. “Don’t let me come back to a big mess in the kitchen,” she called over her shoulder.
As Willow went out of sight, Lisha turned to Remmy with a grin. “Guess it’s your turn to cook tonight.”
Remmy sighed good naturedly. “I guess so.”
Then he brightened. “So I guess that means that you’re getting up early tomorrow to get breakfast
ready.”
“Breakfast, yes… early, no,” Lisha replied with a grin.