Disclaimer: I do not own anything in Harvest Moon.
AN: This is for the Village Square Contest, which this time around is The Long Road Home. After thinking about it for a while, I thought about this unique approach.
The breeze blew gently, ruffling the black and white fur of the creature moving forward. Four paws touched the earth, moving at a slow pace. Clouds blanketed the sky, and the smell in the air hinted that it was going to rain soon.
The kitten meowed softly as she left the forest and started to walk into a village. She had no idea how long she had been walking. As far as she could remember, she had been alone in this world, with no one to look after her. It was becoming increasingly difficult to take care of herself.
Her tummy rumbled, reminding her that she didn't have anything to eat for a while. The little cat was willing to eat a lot of edible things, as long as they filled her stomach. But how much longer could she last?
She let out another meow as a small raindrop tapped on her head, wetting the fur in that area. The kitten knew she had to find shelter soon, but this was a new place, and she didn't know where she was going.
When she finally stopped walking, the little cat found herself in the middle of the village. There were a few houses, along with two bigger places. Those places seemed different, but the kitten didn't know the reason why, besides the size.
At that moment, raindrops came at a steady pace, causing her to meow again unhappily. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, and tried to curl herself up, but it didn't protect her. In this new place, she didn't know how to escape the rain!
Suddenly, much to the kitten's surprise, something soft was wrapped around her. The feline gave a curious meow as someone lifted her up and began to carry her in the direction of one of the big looking houses. A hand reached out and opened the door, and she was brought inside.
The inside felt so cozy and warm, and no raindrops could land on them. The kitten could hear the drops tapping on the roof of the building. There was a counter on the far side, with some bottles behind it, and some stools where people would sit on. There was also a few tables, and from the smell of the wood, one of them had been just been added.
The cat was laid gently on the table, and then she could feel the soft blanket being rubbed all over her, as though her rescuer was trying to dry her off. The human that she still couldn't see, because of what was going on, was being as careful as possible.
"There you go," said a man's voice gently. "That feels much better, doesn't it?"
At that moment, the blanket was removed and for the first time, the kitten had a good look at the human who came to her aid. He had brown hair, a brown mustache, and a gentle smile that was covering his face.
The little kitten meowed at the man before her in a questioning manner. It was though she was saying, "Why?"
The man continued to smile, as he reached out and gently started to pet the cat's fur, which was still a little damp, but she wasn't soaked. His strokes were loving and just as gentle as when he rubbed the blanket all over her. "I saw you outside in the rain," the man explained. "I just couldn't leave you there." The mustachioed man looked at her neck. "I don't see any tags," he murmured. "You must be a stray."
As though she understood the man, she meowed again in reply.
"You look like you could use a nice place to rest," the man went on. He scooped the kitten into his arms and headed over to another room. The room was much smaller, but still had the same cozy and warm feeling. There was a bed on one side of the room and a dresser on the other side. A guitar could be seen resting against the wall near the dresser. But none of those objects were what the man was looking for.
On one of the corners was a small basket. There was nothing inside it currently, it usually didn't hold anything. The man looked inside and figured the basket would be perfect, but it was missing something. He walked over to the dresser and opened up the bottom drawer. There was a soft, blue blanket resting right on top.
He set the kitten down on the table and picked up the blanket. He moved toward the basket, and carefully placed it inside. He patted it a few times, making sure it was firm, and wouldn't move around much. Then he walked back to where he left the feline.
The cat didn't resist as the brown haired man picked her up and moved her over to the basket bed. Carefully, and gently, he put the cat on top of the blanket. "You stay right here. I'll be back in a little bit," he said as he scratched her between her ears.
The little kitten watched curiously as the human got up and left the room. She didn't know what was going on, but she was grateful. She curled herself in the basket bed, finding that it felt much more comfortable than the grass she used to lay on.
The cat had no idea how long she had been alone when the man returned to the room. He carried a blue bowl in each hand. He placed the bowls next to the bed revealing that one was filled with water, and the other had some type of food that she had never seen before.
"You need to eat to get your strength up," the man informed the cat, pointing to the bowl with the food.
The kitten meowed in agreement, and crawled out of the basket bed. She was so hungry that she would eat anything at this point! She lowered her head to the food and sniffed it curiously before taking her first bite. A new taste she never experienced before entered her mouth, and she had no idea what it was she was eating. Yet, it tasted so good! It was much better than anything she had ever had before.
The man smiled warmly as the cat ate the food before her. "So, you like the tuna flavored cat food, huh? I'll need to make sure to ask Jack where he gets it from."
The kitten meowed happily and she continued to eat, taking sips from the water bowl every now and then using her tongue. Once she had her fill of the food, she walked over to the man and began to rub against him. She started to purr contently, grateful to the man's generosity, and she was saying 'thank you.' She had never done it before, but it was on instinct.
The human scratched under the cat's chin. "You're welcome," he told her. Then he smiled more as an idea came to him. "How about this, would you like to stay here? I promise to take real good care of you."
The kitten meowed happily when she heard the man's proposal. This meant she no longer had to fend for herself. She didn't have to worry about the rain soaking her fur. She would get love and someone to care for her. Something she had always wanted.
"I'm going to call you Angel," the man said. "Do you like that name?"
The kitten purred and rubbed against the human again, causing a smile to cross his face. "I'll take that as a yes," he remarked. "My name is Griffin. And my home is your home now."
Just as Angel was snuggling into her new owner's arms the door to the room opened. The feline turned her head in the direction and saw a woman with golden blond hair standing in the doorway. A smile lit up the woman's face when she noticed the furry bundle in the man's arms.
"So Jack wasn't fibbing when he told me you found a cat," she squealed in delight. "I thought he might be trying to put something past me, but I see that wasn't the case! "
Angel watched carefully as the woman approached. She readied her defenses and if the need would arise, she had her claws! But much to her relief, instead of being hit, the woman began to gently scratch her between the ears.
"She's such a cutie Griffin! Are you really going to keep her?"
The man nodded and gave her a smile. "Yeah, I am." He smiled down at Angel. "Angel, this is Muffy and she lives here with us," he explained. "Muffy meet Angel."
"Aw, she's adorable. May I hold her?"
"I don't see a reason why not." Griffin answered as he gently handed the cat to his barmaid. "Just be careful, I'm not sure if she completely trusts humans just yet."
This was certainly true in Angel's mind. For almost her entire life she had been shunned and shooed by humans. But now as she rested against Muffy's soft bosom, a contented purr escaped her throat.
The long walk had finally ended for the kitten. For now she was safe and warm. No longer did she have to wander around outside alone. Angel had journeyed along a treacherous road but at long last her trip was over… for now she had a home, at long last.