Number of Cats: 6 (f4 | m2) | Next Mana Spirits Visit: post #3 | Mod: SharpieFletcharrow padded softly through the vast fields, not really caring where she ended up. Her paws ached, and the wind blew strong. She kept her head lowered so the tall, dry grass sheltered her from the gusts.
Suddenly, she heard voices not far off. Curious, Fletcharrow turned and headed towards them, uncertain how many of them there were.
Keeping quiet, accustomed to the way the grass might rustle or break, she moved far more silently than they.
Hidden in the shadows, she watched five cats settling down in a clearing, clearly exhausted.
Among their ranks was a tall black cat with colorful flowers growing on his shoulder, a small kitten with green crystals, two younger cats, one scaly, the other with blue-gray wyvern wings and the last was a pregnant she-cat with blue crystals.
Fletcharrow stepped out of the shadows, and immediately the black tom bristled and put himself in front of the others, snarling.
"Don't be afraid, i'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help!" She mewed.
The black tom drew back, clearly not trusting her fully, but the little she-kitten walked right up to her, and sniffed the roses growing on her.
"You smell funny!" She remarked.
"Rowan! Be nice!" The pregnant cat exclaimed.
Fletcharrow chuckled.
"No worries friend. Why don't you all come back with me to my home. It's not far." She offered.
The pregnant she-cat opened her mouth, looking relieved, but the black tom interupted her.
"We're good thanks." He said curtly. The preganant she-cat frowned.
"Crysan, we need all the help we can get!"
"Fine."
Fletcharrow smiled. "Follow me." She purred.
The other cats kept close behind her, with the exception of the black tom, who lagged farther behind, and Rowan, who had trouble keeping up.
Without a word, Fletcharrow picked Rowan up gently and carried her in her mouth. Within moments the little kitten had fallen asleep.
When they arrived at the strange she-cats camp, it was close to dark. Crysan glanced around the small dip in the ground, sandy, but protected.
"Make yourselves at home!" The stranger said, smiling. Crysan followed Tide over to where she curled up, and sat down, not far away. If this stranger turned out to be hostile, he wouldn't be far.
The rose-pelted she-cat placed Rowan beside Tide gently.
Crysan eyed her masdive fangs wearily.
The stranger moved to a corner, pawing at the sand until it was roughly nest-shaped, and settled down.
Just as she was about to close her eyes, Crysan remembered something.
"Hey! You still haven't told us your name!" He called.
"You haven't exactly told me yours either." She mewed sleepily.
Crysan's eartips grew hot. "Oh, well i'm Crysan, the pregnant she-cat is Tide, Rowan is the kitten, Pod and Thistle are the others."
"I'm Fletcharrow." The stranger said. "Is Tide your mate?"
Tide laughed nervously, answering for him, while he sat, blushing even harder.
"No, my mate is somewhere else." She responded.
Fletcharrow merely shrugged.
"Sorry. You guys seemed awfully close, so i figured you'd be the father, and that was why you were so protective... Anyways, good night!"
•••
The next day, Rowan woke up, ready for more walking, then she remembered how the nice stranger had taken them to her home.
Speaking of which, everyone except for Tide was gone, and the pregnant she-cats eyes were darting everywhere, ears swiveling.
"Good morning." She told Rowan, not looking up. Her voice was quiet. Rowan knew what this meant. The others were out hunting or something, and Tide and Rowan had to play the hide-and-be-quiet game. They couldn't move or make any noise until the others returned, in case predators were around. Sometimes they broke the rules and whispered to each other.
Rowan didn't like the game much. It made her scared, and she couldn't play.
It didn't take long for the stranger and Thistle to return, and Rowan was finally allowed to speak.
"You're back!" She chirped, bounding over to the two.
"You bet your whiskers we are!" Thistle said.
Rowan liked Thistle. She was so cool and grown up. Rowan wanted to be like her when she was old enough to hunt and train.
"Hey, Kiddo! You were asleep when we all introduced ourselves. My name's Fletcharrow." The stranger said.
"Fletch... Huh? Tide, why didn't you wake me up!" Rowan cried disapointedly.
"Why don't you call me Fletcher? It's easier to say."
"Okay." Rowan sulked, still a little sad. It was true, Fletcher was nice, but she kind of reminded her of her dad. He liked to call her kiddo too. But now... Tears started to roll down Rowan cheeks as she sobbed.
"Hey, are you okay?" Fletcher asked.
"My, my dad! He's gone!" She wailed.
"Hey, Rowan it's okay..." Tide soothed.
Thistle brushed her shoulders with her tail.
No! None of them undertand! she thought.
"Shh... It's over now. You're safe." Tide purred, wrapping herself around Rowan, murmuring softly. Rowan felt herself calm down and begin to drift off after the many days of walking.
Soon, she fell asleep again.
Pod walked into camp alongside Crysan, prey clutched in his jaws. He looked over at the black tom. Before, Pod had thought that his teeth were so sharp, the deadliest of their group of five, but then he saw Fletcharrows mighty fangs, and realized that they were meant for killing.
As he walked into camp, he nearly laughed out loud at the sight before him.
Fletcharrow was looking disgruntled, with Thistle and Rowan on top of her, and Tide resting her head on her, all three of them fast asleep.
"I ... Can't ... move." She gasped, but Pod could tell that she was enjoying herself.
Perhaps it took seeing them all cozy and asleep for Pod to realize how tired he was, because he went over to curl up with the pile.
"I'll stand guard." Crysan told them.
Pod curled up, and soon felt his eyelids droop, and gave into the pull of sleep.
Crysan stood nearby the pile of sleeping cats. Not long after Pod, Fletcharrow had fallen asleep too. He looked over at them, and his expression softened a little.
Despite being a complete stranger, Fletcharrow had opened her home to them, cared for them, and trusted them.
As Crysan looked at them, he realized that he wanted to do the same. He knew that she was trustworthy now.
Fletcharrow smiled in her sleep, and Crysan realizing how late in the day it was, curled up too, resting his head on her shoulders, becoming one with the sleeping mass of fur and scales.
•Patrols•
Hunting:
-Crysan and Pod hunt
-Fletcharrow and Thistle hunt
Borders:
-Crysan and Thistle patrol the borders
-Fletcharrow and Pod patrol the borders
Raids:
-N/A
•Medical•
-N/ A
•Mates and Births•
-Tide is due in two posts
•Training•
-Fletcharrow trains Thistle
-Crysan trains Pod
•Consumption•
-The Closed Mouth Wanderers Fast (1/3)
•Ancestral Request•
-Fletcharrow requests a runner with the gilded gene