Thornpaw's Day Off

Mercury gestured to a broken down two-leg nest, there were holes in the wall and a bit of the roof was missing. "In there." She meowed. She trotted forward and hopped through one of the holes. There were many cats inside, they spanned all ages.

Thornpaw quickly followed. He jumped through the same hole Mercury had. Once he landed he glanced around inside the two-leg compound, "Nice little clan, you got here." he muttered.

"This is only two families" She muttered back. She took a step forward and raised her voice. "Attention cats of the Fang and cats of the Feather. This nest is no longer safe, gather what you must and be prepared to move on at high noon." The cats didn't question her, they were used to moving at the drop of a feather. Queens gathered their kits and older cats pulled together soft pelts, dirty with age. An elderly tabby gathered up some scraggly herbs.

"Where are you taking them?" Thornpaw asked, as he watched their activity.

"I am not taking them any where. They know what must be done." She meowed and turned to look at him. "They are heading for the abandoned construction site, I would show you but it is a quarter month away."

"That far?" Thornpaw said amazed. "Why?"

"Because it is the safest place for us. It is the only place The Rogue Queen dare not go." She meowed. "It is protected by fierce guardians. Now come with me, I need to find this nest's scouts." She meowed. She flicked her tail in farewell to the cats and the nodded in return. She hopped back out into the light snowfall.

Thornpaw easily followed her, jumping out of the two-leg house.

(This is my last week of TAFE before I get two weeks off!!!)

Mercury led him back onto the roofs, her nose in the air as she searched for the scent of the scouts, it would be hard to find but the snow was lessening.

( TAFE? ))

Thornpaw was about to follow her when he heard the squeal of a kit. He looked back to see a kit, tipping over the hole they had just jumped out of. It was about four tail lengths off the ground. A fall like that could kill, or at least fatally injure a young kit. Thornpaw bunched up his hind muscles, and uncoiling them like a spring, he jumped. He caught the kit by its scruff in his jaws. In another leap he was back inside the two-leg house.

(It's a education system outside of school.)

Mercury turned around, her eyes wide. "Thank the Ancestors you caught it." She meowed as the kit's mother padded up to them a look of relief on her face. Mercury turned to look at him, her eyes shone. "You're skilled for a forest cat."

((....That kit will die.....))

Thornpaw grunted rolled his eyes "I haven't been a forest cat for long, I suppose I still have some of my old skill, before the forest made me soft." He licked his paw, then looked up as the she-cat approached. He nudged the kit toward her with his muzzle, but it seems he didn't have to, for the young kit went running towards his mother, but clumsily tripped and skidded to rest at her paws.

(Poor kitty. Oh well.)

"We must still find those scouts." She meowed. "I do not believe forest cats are as soft as you think... although they do not grow up with the terrors of the alleys." She flicked her tail and jumped out the hole again. "Are you coming?" She asked looking back in.

Thornpaw nodded, he glanced one last time at the silver tabby kit as it burrowed into its mother. Before he jumped out of the hole and followed Mercury.

"My brother is on this scouting party, so we must hasten to find them. We never no when She will strike and we must have as many cats as we can for what we have planned." She meowed as she wound through the Alleys and onto the roofs once more. "We strike at dusk."

((We find them dead, have Thornpaw scent the blood.))

Thornpaw nodded, easily following her. "Where is-" he cut himself off as he veered away from her down a side alley towards the scent of blood.

Mercury jerked around to follow him. She wondered what he was doing until she too scented the blood. "Oh ancestors please let Bronze be ok." She whispered. Their was allot of blood. She could see where the ambush had happened, there were no bodies, just trails of blood leading further down the alley. She knew if she followed them she would find the scouts.

Thornpaw flicked his tail as he stopped. He glanced farther down into the alley but all he could see was the dark shadow of looming buildings. He wanted to investigate deeper into the alley but a glance at Mercury stopped him in his tracks.

Mercury snagged a tuft of red/brown fur on her claw. "Oh Ancestors, what have we done to deserve this." She meowed letting the fur float away. She closed her eyes, crushing her emotions. "Let us follow the blood trail." She meowed, her voice breaking on the last word. She stood up and started following the blood.

Thornpaw nodded and silently followed her. He was impressed by her determination and courage to see the place where her brother's dead body most likely lay.

Thornpaw paused. Then again, he din't want this she-cat to turn out like he had. Always thirsting for revenge. He sped up and flicked her with his tail, indicating she should stop. "I'll go take a look ahead, you should stay here." he suggested.

"Eh? Ok...." She meowed. She was confused, why was he offering to do this? She shook her head. "Just... D-don't move the bodies." She stuttered. She sat down and hung her head, she was holding back the tears, she would cry later.

Thornpaw nodded curtly, he turned and disappeared into the darkness of the alley's shadow. The stench of blood grew stronger, he wrinkled his nose as he padded deeper into the darkness of the shadows. Bile rose in his throat and he felt like retching. But he held it back as he searched for the bodies. He was looking for one in particular a tom that resembled Mercury or Copper.

The tom was brown with red tinged in his fur, he was bulkier them both of his sisters, but not as tall. His throat had been torn out.

Mercury paced back and forth in front of the Alley-way, keeping herself warm and making sure no one went past her. The movement also helped distract her mind.

Thornpaw found four cat bodies. A gray tabby tom, a silver she-cat, a brown tabby she-cat, and a brown and red tom. The last tom resembled Copper in ways, his scent was a bit like Mercury's too. Thornpaw looked down at it, guessing it was Mercury's brother. Holding his breath to prevent the stench, he closed it's eyes with one paw then turned around and padded out of the dark alley, towards Mercury.