a cluster of cats moved as a closely huddled mass, trepidation gnawing their hope bit by bit, draining them as their weary days continued. their pelts were thickly laced with grime and dirt, ears flattened to their skulls, and tails exhaustively trailing behind.

they had endured so much already. the loss of their camp, their families, and their friends, tackling foe that threatened the well—being of their peers along their journey.

but their will remained undeterred.

the paws that had known only soft, rich grass were now battered and sore from unrelenting rocky paths. the winds of an alien place licked their sides until they were as brittle as fallen leaves.

and hunger — hunger like they never knew clawed their bellies day and night, innards gurgling for a fresh, warm meal.

they were far from the fertile, hilly fields that they once called home, their lives and identities violently ripped apart when the twolegs came, tearing up their homes with their monstrous machinery.

in the shadows of each evening, their dreams would turn to desperate prayers. prayers that they would in fact make it to this destination their leader sought.

eventually, their grueling journey brought them to the crest of a towering mountain, the peak reaching for the cloud—painted skies.

beyond the jagged path, relentless climb and pointed mountains, lay a breathtaking spectacle before their disbelieving eyes. a grand valley, rivers twining and looping across the landscape like threads of a divine embroidery, and trees as varied and plentiful as the cats themselves decorated the vast land.

they tasted the unfamiliar aromas carried on the breeze — the freshness of pine, the solidity of oak, the heady scent of thriving wildlife, so different yet enticing from the dankness of their old land. the new territory hummed with potential, as promising as a well—stocked prey pile.

a low murmur rippled through the survivors, as heads began to lift and spirits sparked back to life. their hunger, exhaustion and anxiety, which had built up to monstrous proportions in their long, laborious trek, suddenly seemed conquerable.

it was then that gorgestar stepped forward. her once—glossy fur now dulled, her eyes dimmed with the long journey. but, a fire in her heart blazed, sparked by the scene before them.

❝ there lies our new beginning, ❞ she murmured. the reverence in her voice spread like a wildfire among the cats beside her.

an untouched land, rivers filled with fish and woods bursting with prey. the clans hope was potent. they were survivors. their journey had only just begun, and a nice life was laid out before them.

❝ this is it... ❞ berrykestrel gasped as he gazed down at the land below. his eyes drifted left and right as he drew in all the beauty.

gorgestar dipped her head. ❝ yes, this is it... our new home, ❞ she bellowed loudly, a comforting purr just tickling her throat as she imagined life in this new land.

a scent carried in the wind. a drift of feline passed to their nose, and gorgestar frowned. a land so promising wouldn't come so easily to them. a land like this was bound to have been captured and used by something else.

angrily, the leader kicked at a rock. it bounced off the peak, clattering as it hopped down the side of the stone structure they perched on. the she—cat's eyes narrowed, and a grin smothered her maw.

❝ look... down there, hidden in the mountains, ❞ she began, pointing her nose in the direction of a slightly flattened area of stone, with tufts of greenery, grass and sprouted branches.

❝ that will be our home. we will nestle within the rocks and crevices. greenclan is no more, they will forever be in our hearts... from now on, we continue our story as peakclan — cats of the tall and towering mountainous peaks, ❞