It wasn't supposed to turn out like this.
Icekit let out an instinctive cry as his body slammed into the back of the trunk and promptly fell to the floor in a heap. He ignored the pain in his right shoulder, which had hit the wall hardest, and leapt to his paws with a furious hiss just as a thick gray mass of fur was thrust in beside him and the trunk door slammed shut.
The long-haired gray tom, who turned out to be the deputy, Graystripe, launched himself up at the window on the door of the trunk in a vain attempt at escaping.
"That's not going to work," Icekit growled irritably as he sat down and attempted to massage his shoulder.
Graystripe turned on him, still furious, but his eyes softened into mild annoyance when he caught sight of the kit's injury and the blood on his flank. Graystripe starred at the kit like he didn't know what to say to him, but he ended up just sighing and turning away.
"I won't scold you for your stupidity," Graystripe finally said simply. "But I hope that you recognize how much Ferncloud is going to hurt when you don't come back; she's already lost Larchkit."
For some reason the proclamation stung Icekit in a way that he didn't understand and couldn't remember ever feeling. He glared at Graystripe for as long as he could hold his stare then looked away furiously when the deputy didn't break eye contact.
He turned away and sat down in a far corner of the trunk, eyeing Graystripe every so often to see if his endless waves of disappointment that were shooting off of him had subsided.
They didn't say anything when the car jerked to a start and pulled away from the forest. Graystripe didn't try to look out of the window anymore; there was no point.
Icekit curled up in his corner and closed his eyes, begging for sleep to take him, and eventually it did.
…
His dreams were raked with images of the previous day's fight.
He had hidden in the bushes while Graystripe had explained his plan to the small group of cats that had joined Squirrelpaw and Sorreltail. After they had begun their assault, Icekit followed them.
At first no one had even noticed the small kit as he slashed and bit at the humans' ankles since they were caught up in their own tasks, but eventually Brambleclaw saw him.
His shout had blended together with all of the other sounds of the fight, but it still stuck out just enough to distract Icekit for the half a second it took for the human to grab him.
He couldn't tell if the other cats had escaped after that, and frankly, he didn't care. He liked to think he never cared at all and had just wanted something to do, but he had cared, if only a little. However, that tiny sliver of caring had vanished instantly when he hit the back of the trunk and the door had slammed in his face. All he cared about now was getting out.
…
A loud honk erupted from the truck as one of the humans unlocked it for the new day waking Icekit from his dreams.
There was no way to determine how far they had traveled, but Icekit assumed that it wasn't far because it had been late when this whole thing had started, so the humans couldn't have gotten far before having to sleep.
Icekit blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of his surroundings. He was still in the gray-blue trunk and Graystripe was still in his same position blinking himself awake the same way Icekit was. Icekit glanced through the window that only showed him the sky and recognized the pinks and yellows of sunrise among the clouds.
"Hey, you've gotta feed the little fur balls before we go."
Icekit's ears pricked as he heard one of the workers speak. He hadn't really recognized it in the battle, but it seemed like he could still understand humans. Although, that ability was virtually useless since he had no way of talking back.
Icekit glanced over at Graystripe who was now fully awake. The deputy was glancing around the trunk rapidly; maybe he was trying to figure a way out, but Icekit couldn't tell. Even if Graystripe was trying to figure something out it was useless, there was no way out of-
"Why do I have to feed them?" the other worker complained loudly.
Icekit rushed over to Graystripe and nudged him out of his frantic searching. The gray tom blinked at the kit curiously. "What is it?"
"They're going to have to open the trunk to feed us!"
Graystripe tilted his head curiously. "How do you know?"
"It's just logical," he explained angrily. "The only way in is through the trunk door, and they have to feed us, so when they do…" He waited for Graystripe to finish his thought, but was sorely disappointed.
"I don't understand. Trunk? Door? What does that even mean?"
Icekit hissed furiously at the clueless deputy. "Does that really matter right now?" he growled. "The trunk door is what I'm calling what the two-legs threw us through. Any second now they're going to open it and we can get out!"
For a second Graystripe's eyes lit up, but the light died almost instantly. "There's no way," he said, shaking his head. "They'll never open it wide enough for me to get out fast enough."
Icekit looked away; Graystripe was right. Even though the two humans seemed like complete morons, they couldn't be that stupid.
"Look, just go feed the stupid cats, we have to go!"
Icekit hadn't realized that the two workers had still been arguing while he and Graystripe had been talking.
"Fine, whatever."
Icekit looked at the door, but made no move to run.
"What are you doing?" Graystripe snapped. Icekit turned to look at him and was surprised to find rage in the deputy's eyes. "You're still getting out of here."
Icekit blinked at him; he hadn't expected this. If he had been in the opposite position he never would have let Graystripe leave without him.
"Get ready," the deputy commanded, poised to pounce. "I'll get his hand while you escape, and I'll follow you if I can." He didn't seem very convinced that that would be the case. "Once you get out do not stop running, got it?"
Icekit nodded, mirroring Graystripe's position; this would be their only chance to escape.
The trunk door opened slowly and cautiously. Icekit blinked. Guess he wasn't stupid enough to let them both out, pity.
When the food bowl started to appear on their side of the trunk door, Graystripe launched himself at the worker's hand. The man cried out in pain as Icekit made a mad dash to the exit. He slid out without hesitating and jumped to the ground in a small garage for storing the animal control trucks. Icekit located the exit to the garage without slowing down and sprinted towards it. He could hear one of the workers chasing him, but he couldn't tell which one it was. It didn't really matter. In a second neither of the workers were chasing him; he had made it outside.
At first all the sounds and smells overwhelmed the small tom, but he forced himself to keep running. He ran until his lungs burned and all that he could do was collapse under a bush in some lady's yard. He didn't want to sleep yet, but he was exhausted, so he closed his eyes for only a second.
…
When he opened them again it was after noon and the old lady who lived in the house had come outside to stitch a blue scarf that was only going to be big enough for a three year old girl.
Icekit stretched himself out and snuck out of the lady's lawn as silent as a mouse. He looked left and right at the seemingly endless mass of houses surrounding him; he had no idea how to get back to the forest, so he picked a direction and traveled that way until he was sure he was incorrect, and then he would turn and head another.
The cycle became tedious quickly and soon it was nearly nightfall and he was crouched under another bush.
"What are you doing out of your house little guy?"
Icekit jumped at the voice that seemed to come from nowhere.
"Are you alright?"
A plump black and white tom landed next to him after a not-so-graceful jump from the fence above.
Icekit glared at him. "Yes, I'm perfectly fine. Now go away."
The tom blinked at him. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your housefolk? It's going to be dark soon."
Icekit rolled his eyes. "I don't have any housefolk, whatever they are, so I would appreciate it if you just let me get some sleep so I can find the forest tomorrow."
The tom's expression didn't change. "Are you one of those wild cats that live in the forest?"
"Did I not just say to- Wait, you know about the forest?"
"Yeah, I know about them. My old friend, Rusty, joined them a long time ago. The forest is right next to my garden." The tom nodded at Icekit, whose eyes were wide with the shock of discovering something useful in the overweight mound of fur.
"Well, then take me there," Icekit commanded, breaking out of his daze.
"Alright," the tom agreed before padding off down the street.
Icekit followed him, but tuned out his constant remarks on how his house was 'just over the hill' and 'just one more block away' until they finally reached their destination.
"There you go," the tom mewed, smiling at his accomplishment.
"Yeah," Icekit responded quietly. He mumbled a nearly silent 'thanks' that he was surprised he even knew how to say and sprinted off into the woods.
Once he was in the forest it wasn't difficult to navigate Thunderclan territory. He got momentarily lost because he had only left camp three times, but eventually he made it to Sunningrocks. There was an odd scent in the air somewhere around him, but he chose to ignore it.
He just stood there and gazed at the entrance to the makeshift camp for a long time wondering what the other cats would ask him, and what answers he could give that wouldn't give him away. However, he managed to push the thoughts out of his mind. He took a deep breath and walked through the camp's entrance; whatever happened now, he could handle it.
…
I've successfully updated the story when I promised! Granted, it's 11:15 at night on the day I was supposed to update, but it's still done, right?
Yes, this one's shorter, but they can't all be the same length. Hopefully I will be updating this story on the first of every month at least, so unless I enjoy writing the next chapter, which is possible, the next chapter will be up on June 1.
Thanks for reading. 8D