- - [нєαтωανє] - - [stray cat story]

[~Moonheart~]

The life of a stray is hard. Survival is everything.

Welcome. Please enjoy this story. I first launched in in deviantArt, but nobody's really seen it because I am such a new member, so I wish for the people of this community to perhaps read it as well <3 As usual, I love it when people comment on work of mine. They all mean a lot to me, so if you have something to say, I'm open, and I won't bite <3
Thank you, have a nice day C:

[~Moonheart~]

P A G E 1
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----The sun beat down on the bare concrete roads of the city, merciless and hot enough to send people and animals alike scurrying for shade. The beings lucky enough to have cool running water at the flick of a tap handle were gulping it down in buckets and turning on their air conditioners to full blast, pointedly keeping away from the heat wave on the other side of their doors. Others, though, weren't so fortunate enough to have a home such as this.
---- "Siki, I'm so hot," mewed a small kitten to his mother. Panting, he leaned his small, fuzzy body up against the brick wall of a building in his family's alleyway, his tiny white-tipped ears seeming to pulse warmth. Having an almost pure black pelt of fur didn't help in these circumstances either. At least it was shady in their alley.
---- "I know you're overheating, Flint." A sleek calico female glided out from behind a trashcan, the shade rippling over her multicolored fur. She sighed, her pawsteps heavy with the warmth, though her amber eyes were gazing with sympathy at her dark colored kitten. She sat down beside him, careful not to lean herself up against him, as much as she would have liked to; she didn't want to heat him up anymore than he already was. Instead, she curled only the tip of her colored tail around his paws, yet still he squirmed and wriggled in protest.
---- She was silent for a few heartbeats, until she continued. "It's just becoming an abnormally hot summer dearie, I know. But think about how Silva must feel. She has a pelt the color of yours and her fur is thicker yet!" In an attempt to comfort him, she gestured with a flick of her tail towards a scarred old she-cat perched with her paws tucked neatly underneath her on top of a nearby trashcan. Her yellow eyes were half-closed, and although she didn't show it, the other cats could tell how overheated she really was. Noticing their looks, she flicked the tip of one notched ear before grunting and looking away.
---- Flint gazed over at the elderly feline, and felt that same old curiosity that sparked within him whenever he laid his eyes on her tough old pelt. She was Siki's mother, ancient and brittle, but part of the family nonetheless. And although she didn't talk much, she told amazing stories on the rare occasions that she did open her mouth about the scars on her body and accounts of old battles against some of the other family groups that lurked around the city. Although, her breath was rancid and one of her eyes was cloudy in the beginnings of becoming blind.
----"I'm hungry Siki," mewled another kitten. Flint dragged his gaze from the now dozing Silva to see that his sister Pepper was approaching them. Her coat of white with a few splashes of ginger here and there easily kept her much cooler than him, and the shadows in the alleyway dappled her patches just like Siki's. It was easy to tell that they were related. But Flint didn't envy his sister a bit. In fact, he rather pitied her.
---- Her brilliant green eyes portrayed no sadness or loss, but as an even tinier kitten, a stray dog had torn wildly into the alleyway. Siki and the other adult felines residing here had suspected the foam disease, which was also known as 'rabies,' which is extremely feared by all the feral felines of the city.
----The dog had snatched one of her other kittens, Flint and Pepper's brother, and in a wild and uncontrollable savagery, had lunged for Pepper as well. She had shrieked in pain and complete terror as the dog had cornered her up against the alley wall. Her tiny, almost newborn claws had scrabbled for a purchase on the bricks, but being too young, she couldn't scale the wall. She squealed as the dog's eyes, crazed and unfocused, had locked on its prey. It sprang, flecks of spittle and foam flying out behind it. Luckily, their father Lance had swooped in, scooped her up in his scruff, and catapulted himself up the bricks, but Pepper had not escaped the danger without harm. The dog, in desperation with the realization that his prey was escaping his snapping jaws, reached up with his massive paw. His claws, though blunt, extended and scraped all along Pepper's flank, leaving four long, jagged scars scoring across her young haunches. She wasn't crippled - far from it - but she was always given notice from other felines that were not within her family group.
----The whole community just hoped that the dog never returned.
----Just then there came a yowl of greeting. Flint looked up sharply and noticed with pleasant delight that his father and a couple other family members had returned from a hunting party around their claim of territory around the streets. His dark pelt was coated with sweat though, and his mouth was open in a pant as soon as he dropped the pigeon and the rat that he had managed to snag in his claws. That was impressive, Flint thought, to be able to catch that much in this unbearable heat wave.
---- Almost immediately though, Flint noticed that something was wrong.
----He and all the others approached the returning cats. Siki rushed up to her mate and rubbed against him, completely disregarding the perspiration that lathered his body.
---- Suddenly she noticed the blood almost as soon as everyone else had.
----"What has happened?" she gasped in horror, her bright amber eyes widening at the claw marks tracing lines over his body and everyone else who had gone out. As soon as the words had left her mouth, she began licking him ferociously, but gently, he guided her head away with the tip of his tail.
----"We were ambushed in the park by another group," he growled, his yellow eyes alight with anger. "They sprang out of nowhere. We were badly outnumbered so we had to flee with what he had caught." His tail trembled with fury. "How dare they ambush us in our own territory?"
---- The other two hunters clearly shared his feelings with the silent rage that gleamed in their eyes.
----"This has been going on for awhile already," Lance continued with a quiet snarl deep in his throat. "We've seen them here and there, but it was always only one or two cats, so we were never concerned. Until now. They must have been planning this..."
---- "Lance, calm down, the kittens are here," Siki murmured, her calm tone usually quieting him during troubles, but her soothing voice had no effect on him today.
---- "They've gone far enough now," he growled, raising his head. "And the sooner our precious children learn about the hardships of being a street cat, the better. I declare war against Hawk and his band!"
---- Siki desperately tried to seek reason with her mate. "We don't have as many full grown cats as them!" she protested. "And Silva is far to elderly to lift a claw! Not to mention that insane dog running around!" At the mention of the beast, Pepper hunkered down and trembled. Flint wrapped a protective paw around her.
----Lance paid no heed. "I'm leader of this band," he growled. " So Hawk had better watch out. He just made enemies of us all.
This is war!"

[me-mo]

42 digrees heer

[~Moonheart~]

P A G E 2
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----The night in the city was the same as any other night, cooling off the roads once the sun disappeared and enveloping the city in a welcome blanket of mild nighttime chill. The evenly spaced streetlamps illuminated patches of the streets in dim yellow circles of sickly light while insects hovered around the bulbs, attracted to their glow. A few stray vehicles putted around the avenues while downtown where the cat's alleyway hid tucked in shadow, car horns still blared and their headlights lit up the streets. Restaurant signs and grocery stores that were still up and running gleamed as well. And all the while, cats from bands all over the city prowled, their eyes glowing from around buildings and behind trashcans.
---- Flint watched his father Lance. The same anger that had burned in every twitch of his tail earlier that day had decreased to a silent brooding. His golden eyes reflected the city lights, leaving a hint of a gleam in their powerful depths. He guessed that he was thinking of Hawk and his band with his trespassing into the meager space of territory that they had laid claim for. And despite being little, Flint thought he could understand his father's irritation. It was difficult, he guessed, to hunt within the cramped walls and corners of this place, and the park was rich with small birds and the occasional squirrel. Now that Hawk had snatched their prime hunting grounds from right under their claws, Lance hadn't stopped thinking about how they could get it back.
----I wish I could do something to help, he thought, settling himself up on top of an overturned garbage can. If I saw Hawk or one of his cats, I'd show them my claws!
----Satisfying himself with this thought, he gazed out into the streets across from their alley, until a large fly caught his eye. It was buzzing it's way over toward one of the trashcans in the corner of their home. Flint's yellow eyes traced it's movements until it landed, and shifting himself around, he waggled his haunches back and forth, preparing to spring. Then, with a tiny growl, he pounced, his small claws extended. Instead of catching it though, he found himself flying toward the metal can, and with a clang, he knocked himself into it.
----Siki walked up to him, a purr of amusement rumbling in her throat. Gently, she picked him up by the scruff and walked over to where her other kitten Pepper lay. She placed him down beside her, and his ginger and white sister playfully swatted his ear. Her eyes glittered teasingly as she said, "Still haven't caught a bug yet Flint?"
----Embarrassment was probably clear on his face because his sister purred even louder. But his humiliation was soon overtaken by mischief. With a cheerful growl, he launched himself at his sister, batting at her fluffy shoulder. Together they tussled, happy and content.

---- But all the while, Lance stood guard on the edge of their alley, his ears erect and his eyes narrowed. Flint could see him and new of the impending danger of a fight, but he forced the thoughts out of his mind and continued the grapple with Pepper. It was for the best anyway, because at such a young age, Flint did not grasp the possibility of the danger of never coming back from a battle.

[~Moonheart~]

P A G E 3
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----Flint woke to the dim dawn sunlight slanting through the sheltering rooftops above the alley. He blinked, his eyes adjusting to the light, and stretched, splaying his claws and arching his back luxuriously, stretching the scraps of cloth that his family used as a nest. Morning already. He twitched the last cobwebs of sleep from his mind with a flick of his head, and then gazed down at Pepper who had curled herself beside him. Her ginger-splotched back continued to rise and fall in sleep, not yet awake, so careful not to startle her, he eased himself away and climbed carefully out of their bedding.
----He padded across the concrete, passing all the familiar nooks, trashcans, and dumpsters to see if he could spot anyone else who had awoken. Silva sat perched high upon her usual nook, her yellow eyes glaring off into the distance. Her many scars seemed to gleam in the weak sunlight.
----"Hi," mewed Flint, his eyes peering in a friendly manner up to her. The old cat just looked down, unresponsive.
----Perhaps she didn't hear me, he thought. Trying again, he lifted his fuzzy front paws up to where she sat and blinked at her, but before he could get any words out, she hissed and swiped at him, the tips of her claws just poking through. Startled, Flint dropped down as fast as he could, though he lost his balance and smacked onto the ground below. He stared up, quite shocked, into the face of the matted she-cat, who in turn, growled, curling her lip.
----Well fine then. If she wants to be that way, she'll never have any company.
----He snorted in indignation as he padded hurriedly away from her, his white tipped ears flicking. What was her problem anyway? His tail brushed his backside. It would be sore for a couple of sunrises now, thanks to that crabby old she-cat.
----"Old Silva give you a scare, did she?" purred a gentle voice. Flint looked up to see Siki in front of him, her eyes twinkling. Seeing her son's scowl though, she bent down and licked the top of his head, smoothing down a patch of his ruffled fur. "Don't take it too hard," she murmured. "She's old and tired, and she has had a difficult past. And it's also best to avoid her in the mornings!" His calico mother continued to purr, and Flint began to feel his anger dissolving. He gazed into her eyes, full of comfort and he became lost in their familiar depths, warm, calm and nurturing. But... was that worry he detected?
----And then he realized that Lance and a whole bunch of the other cats were missing.
----"Mother?" he asked, the stress so cleverly hidden in his mother's eyes seeming to catch. "Where's Lance? And Sparrow and Brick? Silver's missing too, and so is Twitch."
----His mother was silent. She straightened up, the shadows combined with the streams of sun dappling patterns on her fur. She gazed in front of her towards the end of the alleyway, her amber eyes narrowed in concern. Finally she sighed.
----"Lance was talking about a battle to regain our territory, remember?" she meowed softly. "And he left yesterday night already."
----Instantly Flint was disappointed that he hadn't been asked to join the battle party. He was only a kitten, but he was getting bigger every day, wasn't he? He also didn't understand what Siki looked so worried about. Lance was strong and brave.
----And yet Siki continued to strain into the distance, her paws working at the ground and scraping against the concrete. Her ears twitched with every noise and her mouth was open to draw in any scents.
----Although Flint didn't understand how serious a street cat fight could get, he felt worried about his family. He just hoped that they would all make it home safe. He began to wander away from his worrying mother, these thoughts tumbling over and over through his mind. Lance would live. He would. He just had to.

[Totomew]

This story is great! I can't wait to read more, please continue to write!

[~Moonheart~]

Thank you so very, very much <33

[~Moonheart~]

P A G E 4
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----The sun was midway up in the blue sky, and although it was only morning, the searing heat from the other day had returned. Luckily their alleyway was hidden in shade for most of the day, so the cats didn't really feel the heat as much.
----Flint and Pepper sat nestled underneath the overhanging flap of a cardboard box, sharing a piece of hotdog their mother had found for them in one of the trashcans. None of the residing felines had had a chance to hunt today for fresh prey, as Sparrow, Brick, Silver, Twitch, and Lance were all out somewhere fighting to regain the park.
----Pepper shifted beside him in discomfort, biting off another chuck of slightly old hotdog. She grunted and narrowed her eyes as the heat of the day continued to bear down steadily. Flint understood her, but he envied her coat of white and ginger. Munching thoughtfully on his food, he wriggled deeper into the flimsy box in order to claim more of the shade.
----A sudden yowl from the entrance of the alley made him freeze mid chew. Pepper stiffened beside him, her legs tense and her ears shoved forward. Hurriedly, the two kittens peered around the wall of cardboard. Their eyes widened in amazement at what they saw.
----Lance came pacing into the alleyway, the sun silhouetting his figure from behind. His head was raised and his green eyes glowed with a mixture of triumph and loss, but the light of battle gleamed brighter. He was a magnificent sight standing there, with blood streaked along his flanks and his claws extended. With a spring he leapt into the familiar shadows of the alley, his powerful muscles rippling. He would've been a formidable enemy, thought Flint.
----"Lance!" A wildly joyous voice rang out from the corner. Out bounded Siki, a loud purr erupting from her throat as she rubbed eagerly against him, soaking up his scent and completely ignoring the blood patching his pelt. Her bright amber eyes rivaled the sun in her relief that her mate had gotten home safely. Lance bent his great head, his eyes closed as emotion overwhelmed him, and licked her calico dappled head tenderly and protectively.
----Flint and Pepper came scampering over to their father at the same moment as Silva emerged from her perch, hovering around the returned leader of their band. The kittens bundled themselves against his legs and he lowered himself, nuzzling them and caressing them as lovingly as he did to Siki. "Hello my little kittens," he meowed, a purr rasping in his throat. Flint uttered his own tiny rumble of delight, burrowing his nose in the familiar smell of his father.
----Slowly the other cats that had joined him appeared from behind the large golden tabby. Brick appeared first. His dark ginger pelt shone with fresh patches of wet blood, but his eyes still gleamed from the fight. Twitch appeared next, the crimson almost completely staining his black and white fur, but he didn't seem to notice at all. Rather he flexed his claws, as if yearning for more fur to flay. Silver appeared next. The beautiful silver she-cat stalked ferociously up to stand beside the others. Her fur shone molten silver flecked with crimson battle scars. Standing side by side, the cats were a fearsome looking group, not a band to mess with, but Flint knew that Hawk and his cats were equally mean. And right now, it was difficult to tell if they had won or not.
----"Well?" Siki asked finally. "Did you...did you claim the park as our own?"
----For awhile, no cat spoke, until finally, Lance stepped forward. "We did," he murmured so that all could hear. Instantly cheers erupted among the cats who had remained behind, though the battle patrol remained silent. Without cue, they all moved aside, their expressions sad, angry, and solemn all at once. They waited for the others to notice, and when they did, all sound stopped. Siki's eyes widened, and the two kittens hid behind their mother's forelegs, peering out with wide, scared eyes.
----For there, lying ominously still on the concrete, was Sparrow, blood oozing out a long gash seared across his neck. His eyes gazed sightless and glassy.
----"We won," murmured Lance once more, his gaze locked behind him on Sparrow's body. "But our triumph came with a price."

[Totomew]

Dun dun dunnnnn. But meh like sparrow This was a great chapter though, please write more. I need more