Chapter 1
Warm golden sunlight bathed Ace's spotted fur as she sat atop her wooden fence. A light breeze blew her whiskers back, carrying with it the sweet scent of flowers from the yard next to her. The young she-cat stretched, yawning lazily and blinking sleep from her eyes. It was a little after dawn, the sun climbing higher into the sky as time passed.
Ace wasn't usually up so early, much less outside at this time, but today her housefolk had opened a window and stepped outside for a walk. She wasted no time in squeezing underneath the small opening and jumping outside.
She didn't get a lot of time to herself, between the housefolk kits picking her up and playing with her to the older cats she lived with training her and teaching her about life, she got a little worn out. She wasn't even allowed to be outside by herself. When she was a little kit, Ace ventured into her backyard to play around. She didn't pay attention to her surroundings or hear the heavy beating of wings. A hawk swooped down from the sky, snatching her up in its sharp talons. Her screeches of pain and fear alerted Steve, the yellow tom she lived with.
The tom raced out of the housefolk nest and leapt into the air to tackle down the hawk as it attempted to carry Ace away. Steve had rescued the kit, but Ace was left with deep scars on her shoulders and flank. She almost hadn't lived through the ordeal.
Shaking the memories from her mind, Ace turned her attention up to the sky. The last few stars were winking out of sight, the pinkish orange glow fading into a nice blue as the sun took its place in the center of the sky. Ace's ears pricked at the sound of a laid back meow from behind her. "Hey there, kit." Clint, a friendly cat that lived close to her den hauled himself up onto the fence next to her. His silver bell tinkled loudly as he moved, a noise Ace didn't particularly care for. She'd never keep her own collar on, even after her housefolk removed the bell. It just wasn't comfortable.
"Hi Clint." Ace mewed back, waving her tail in greeting. "Nice day today?" She said shuffling her paws. Ace caught the knowing glance in the tabby tom's eyes. He knew good and well that she wasn't allowed to be outside alone, but he wasn't too strict about it. He believed, just as she did, that she was big enough, and capable enough to protect herself. "Fine. What are you doing out so early?" It was a two sided question.
"The housefolk left the window open, so I decided I'd get some fresh air before the others woke up and began training with me." A purr rumbled in Clint's throat. "Oh, you silly kit." He teased. "When will you learn that you're never up before Steve?" It's true. Ace thought. It's almost as though he can't even sleep! "He probably knows I'm out, just keeping a watch somewhere." Ace mumbled, a little disappointed that she wasn't entirely alone before Clint showed up.
"Oh I'm sure he is." Clint meowed. "But if he's letting you stay out, he must trust that you're fine on your own." Ace brightened at this, her chest swelling with pride. "Or he's confident he'll be able to pull your disobedient rear out of danger if he needs to." Bit a tight voice. Natasha, a small russet she-cat who lived with Clint jumped onto the fence next to her tabby friend. "Clint. Teaching kits bad habits again?" Natasha said, her voice unamused.
Natasha's hot gaze rolled off of her friend's shoulders as he shrugged. "I didn't tell her to come outside." He half defended himself. "But you didn't tell her to go back in." Natasha hissed. Ace gripped the wood of the fence in her claws. "But Nat! It's so boring in there roaming around!" The small she-cat's gaze slid over Ace, and she instinctively flinched back. "You know the rules, Ace. I don't think we should have to keep reminding you why we tell you to stay inside."
Ace instinctively curled her tail around as much of her scars as possible, looking down in hurt. Natasha seemed to notice this, and softened her eyes. "Look. We tell you this because we care about you. Later on you'll thank us, but for now you have to wait for one of us to come out with you if you feel like exploring." Ace looked back up
"But it's not fair! I'm not a little kit anymore! I'm almost bigger than you, Nat, and you taught me how to fight! Aren't you confident in me?" Ace felt her ears burn. Maybe if she proved she could hold her own, they'd leave her alone!
"No means no." Natasha said flatly. "That's the end of it." Ace flattened her ears and slumped her shoulders. Disappointment flooded her senses, and her eyes began to sting.
Ace faintly registered Clint's tail being laid on her shoulder in a comforting manner. "Cheer up, kit. I'm sure you'll be ready to come out on your own one day." I should be ready now. Ace thought bitterly. She nodded, sitting up straight. I'm seven moons old. When will they trust me?
Changing the subject, Natasha cleared her throat. "Today we'll teach you how to fight against a cat bigger than you. If you fare well enough, we can talk about a walk around the territory." Ace's fur pricked in surprise and excitement. "Really? Yes!" She cheered, her tail curling in delight.
Ace ducked a blow from Steve's outstretched paw, it barely missing her ear. She quickly pounced forward, not giving the tom another chance to attack once more. Steve stepped to the side, letting Ace fly by harmlessly.
After returning from the backyard, Ace ate a little of her kibble, brown pellets her housefolk fed her daily. The pellets smelled like they were supposed to taste good, the scent of meat clinging to each round ball, but there was no taste.
Ace picked around her food a little bit more before meeting up with Tony, a sleek brown tom who hung around the neighborhood, and Steve. Tony agreed to watch and asses Ace's training while Steve wrestled with her.
"Try again." Steve meowed calmly. "A little faster. I could see that pounce coming before you even crouched to do it." Frustration heated up Ace's ears, but she nodded graciously, taking in the constructive criticism. "Okay. I think I'm ready now. Try me." Ace hadn't quite caught the mischievous gleam in the yellow tom's blue eyes.
Readying herself to attack again, Ace was caught off guard as Steve pounced first, but she was able to roll out of the way in enough time. Steve lost his footing on the smooth Twoleg den floor, and fell upon his side with an, "oof," legs sprawling out.
Without wasting a single heartbeat, Ace flung herself upon Steve's back, wrestling around with the larger cat and pummeling his white belly with her back legs. Steve let out a startled yowl, fuelling Ace's attack. It didn't hurt the tom, her claws were sheathed.
Suddenly Ace was kicked off, Steve's powerful back legs launching her across the floor. Ace recovered quickly, scrambling to her paws and crouching down for another attack. Tony raised his tail and stalked over to the two cats, signaling the end of the mock battle.
"Nice job Ace! You showed Spangles a thing or two." The brown tom purred addressing Steve with his kittypet name. Steve's mother had called him Steven at birth, but when adopted by his new housefolk, Steve's new given name was Spangles. He'd never forgotten his name, even moons after his mother became sick and died. In an attempt to honor her memory, Steve no longer answered to Spangles, but called himself Steve instinstead.
Padding over to her with a satisfied light in his eyes, Steve playfully cuffed Ace's ear with a paw. "Good job. You got lucky though, try not to depend on your opponent slipping on the ground. I sure won't next time!" Ace purred and lifted her tail in pride. "I won't need to. I'll beat you again, without help!" She meowed confidently.
"Confidence, I like it!" Tony mewed curling his tail around his paws. "Think you can take on the world now?" For a moment, she really did. Ace's legs shook with excitement, and her tail-tip twitched uncontrollably. She beat Steve! Sure, it was because she'd pounced on him when he slipped, but it didn't change the fact that she was able to hold her own.
A purr rising in her throat, Ace turned to see the russet furred silhouette of Natasha watching her from the window as she sqeezed inside. In the she-cat's pretty green eyes, Ace saw the same pride and thoughts reflected in the deep leafy pools. How's that for a tame kitty? Watch out! I'm getting stronger everyday!
