It was almost sunhigh the next day and Fluff was pacing the barn. "Where is he?" She wailed, worry and fear flooding into her voice.
Ginger watched her with sad green eyes, "I really thought he'd be back." She mewed, looking down at her paws.
"What if he can't come back? What if he's injured?" Fluff hissed before flopping down with a sob. Ginger sensed it was best to say nothing.
Rosie and Max had gone out to hunt, they had said they were bored of mice, but Ginger suspected they just needed some alone time. They weren't used to living in a group. The clans will be much bigger groups… Ginger thought worriedly.
"Let's go and look for Benny then." Ginger decided, prodding Fluff with an orange paw.
Fluff nodded and started to lick her ruffled pelt into order. When she had finished, they left the barn together, leaving one after the other through the small gap at the bottom of the wall. Fluff stopped at a puddle to look at her reflection.
"You look fine." Ginger reassured her, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Fluff shook her head, "I was just noticing how much we've both changed since we left our twolegs." She mewed, speaking to Ginger's reflection.
"Well, we've grown fat on mice…" Ginger mrowed, looking back at her in the water.
Fluff shook her head with a laugh, "No. I mean, we look older and there's more in our eyes, if you know what I mean."
Ginger paused to gaze into her own eyes and she could see what Fluff meant. Her eyes then wondered to her right ear which now had no tip, she hadn't seen that before, only felt it. She then looked at her friend and noticed a determined expression and a scar across her throat. She had seen it before, but never really let it sink in until this moment. It was like meeting a new cat.
Fluff laughed as she saw realisation light up in Ginger's emerald eyes. Ginger flicked her ears, "Let's run off some of this mouse chub then." She mrowed.
The two cats scouted around the farm. Suddenly, Fluff stopped. "I smell his scent!" She mewed gleefully. Ginger purred as her friend followed the trail. She trotted after the pretty white she-cat.
Fluff let out a trill of happiness as a stripy shape came into view. She raced over to it before sighing in dismay when she got close enough to see that it wasn't Benny, but another tabby cat.
It spotted them and raised its tail in greeting, padding up to meet them. "Hi, I'm Freya." She mewed politely.
"I'm Fluff and this is Ginger." Mewed Fluff with a small bow.
"Nice to meet you," mewed the friendly cat, "Are you lost?" She asked, pale green eyes wide with concern.
"No, but we're looking for our friend," Ginger replied, "Have you seen a grey tabby tom, around? Pale blue eyes? Scars?"
The light brown tabby paused to think, briefly closing her eyes. "I think so…" she mewed, "Light grey with dark grey stripes? Torn ear?"
"Yes, that's him!" Fluff meowed excitedly.
"Did you see where he went?" Asked Ginger.
"Yep, follow me!" Freya trotted off and Fluff and Ginger followed, "He came this way last night, muttering something to himself. Didn't look too good." Freya called over her shoulder.
Ginger looked sideways at Fluff, whose eyes were round with worry, "I'm sure he's okay." She muttered. Fluff sniffed as she nodded and shook out her downy fur.
The three she-cats raced across a small field of long grass and then Freya paused to sniff at the bushes, "This way!" She called to the other two, waving her snow tipped tail.
They continued through the bushes. "Keep going deeper into the bushes," Freya mewed, "I, err, I have to go." And with that, she raced off as if a band of rogues was chasing her. Ginger watched her suspiciously as she left and narrowed her eyes but said nothing.
"I can smell his scent!" Fluff purred, she looked so excited that Ginger had to try hard not to roll her eyes.
Suddenly, the bushes rustled, and a cat spoke up, "Go away." It meowed in a gruff voice.
The she-cats jumped, and Fluff screeched, "What have you done with Benny?"
The cat chuckled, "I couldn't do anything if I wanted to, and why would I want to?"
"Why wouldn't you?" Fluff hissed to the still invisible cat.
"Maybe because he's my brother?" A smoky grey tom emerged from the foliage and glared at her with dark blue eyes.
"Where is he?" Fluff demanded, desperation in her yowl. Ginger stood behind her, orange tail lashing from side to side and claws unsheathed, ready to attack the strange cat if he got any closer.
"He doesn't want to see any she-cats, so I suggest you leave." Benny's brother growled stubbornly.
Ginger sighed, "Look. Um, wait, what's your name?"
"I'm Zack, what's it to you?" The tom turned on her.
"Woah," Ginger stepped back, "Look, Zack, Fluff here really needs to talk to Benny, he knows her. Could you take a moment to look deep, (maybe very deep in your case), into your heart and find the kindness to let her talk to him?"
Zack hissed at the insult, "Look, I'm usually a pretty kind cat, easy-going if you like, but one of you broke my brother's heart and now he's really down, so I don't feel like being Mr. Nice Guy, okay?"
"B-broke his heart?" Fluff whispered.
"Ah, so it was you. Funny, you don't look like his type." Zack quipped, wrinkling his nose.
Fluff ignored the dig and stared sadly at the ground, (I broke his heart? She thought), but Ginger snarled.
"What do you mean she's not his type?" She growled, standing up for her friend.
"I mean, she looks soft. You are soft, right?" Zack replied bluntly, aiming the question at Fluff. She was still staring into space, unhearing.
"Well, you don't seem like any she-cat's type." Ginger sneered.
"How's that?" Zack meowed, raising his eyebrows.
"Well for one, you think you're funny, but you're not. Disappointing." Ginger mewed, mocking his blunt tone.
Zack laughed, "You're a clever one, I'll give you that."
"You don't have to give me anything."
He laughed again as Ginger turned away, about to comfort Fluff. Her green eyes widened. The feathery white she-cat was nowhere to be seen.
"Hey! Where's the softy gone?" Zack yowled.
Ginger glared at him, "I've gotta say, you're a terrible guard." She dodged past him in a heart beat and chased after Fluff's scent.
Zack shook his head in disbelief and followed but his eyes still twinkled with amusement.
"Benny!" Fluff yowled up ahead. The silvery grey tabby stood facing away from her, standing very still. Ginger skidded to a halt beside her friend and Zack raced past, getting between his brother and the two she-cats.
"I think you should go." He mewed quietly, a hint of warning in his mew.
Fluff stepped forward, "I'll go, when I want to go." She growled.
Ginger admired her, as just then in that moment, Fluff was a fully wild cat: ruffled fur, hackles raised, ears back, claws unsheathed and a fire of determination blazing in her expression. Ginger stepped back with a smirk, Fluff had this.
Zack's eyes flicked to Ginger's, "Please." He mewed.
She shrugged and nodded to Fluff. The ex-kittypet flew at Zack, bowling him over and raking his belly with her claws. Benny still didn't turn, but he unsheathed his claws. Ginger felt uneasy as she saw them, sharp tips digging into the mud.
Fluff screeched as Zack bit her tail and Benny turned with tears in his eyes, he ran towards the fight and Ginger started rushing over to help Fluff, before realising that Benny was attacking his brother, not her.
"Stop!" He yowled.
"You told me to keep them away!" Zack protested.
"You could never keep me away from him." Fluff hissed, standing her ground.
Zack shook his head and stalked off, he sat down three fox lengths from Fluff and Benny, Ginger went to sit beside him. Zack turned away from her and she just snorted and started to wash her pelt.
"Why did you leave?" Fluff demanded with a pained expression.
"I told you I loved you, and you shot me down. I thought you hated me." Benny mewed sitting down, he looked lost.
Fluff sighed, "I hated what you did. You hurt my friend."
Benny nodded, his vision blurred, and he swallowed, "I'm sorry." He whispered.
"I don't hate you." Fluff mewed, nudging him to make him look at her.
He looked up with a happier expression, "Well that's reassuring." He purred.
She pressed against his side, "Come back to the barn."
He nodded, "I've missed you."
Fluff purred, they would have to speak more later, but for now that was enough. They went over to Ginger and Zack.
"Finally, a cat who can take my brother down a peg." Benny mrowed with a wink, he must've overheard their conversation. Ginger snorted and lashed her fiery tail, getting to her paws.
"Goodbye Zack." Benny meowed.
Zack didn't answer for a moment.
"Can I come with you?" He asked the others after a pause. Benny raised one eyebrow and he explained, "It gets pretty boring around here when you're at that barn." He mumbled, looking at his paws.
Benny looked at Fluff, "Can he come?"
"Uh," mewed Fluff embarrassed about the fight they had had, "Sure."
Zack bowed his head respectfully, "Thank you, and sorry about earlier." Fluff nodded in response to show he was forgiven.
"Oh great." Ginger meowed sarcastically, "He's coming with us."
Zack looked at Fluff with feint innocence and she glared at Ginger, "Be nice." She hissed.
Ginger just sighed loudly and started leading the way home. The four cats padded out of the bushes and across the field. Ginger was in the lead, with Benny and Fluff running side by side behind her and Zack bringing up the rear. They passed the spot where they had met Freya and Ginger paused to sniff around, wanting to find her. "Not a trace." She sighed.
She then turned on Zack, "Your scent must have scared her off!"
Zack simply shrugged, not knowing what Ginger was talking about, "Probably another softy you're talking about." He mewed so only she could hear.
Ginger lashed her tail angrily and carried on until they reached the farm, the sun had almost finished setting.
Max bounded out of the barn, "Where have you been?" He asked, concerned.
"We found Benny." Fluff purred.
"Ah welcome back," Max mewed with relief in his amber eyes, then he noticed Zack, "And who's this?"
"My name is Zack." He answered, dipping his head.
"He's my brother," Benny explained, "He's joining us."
Max padded over to Zack and gave him a quick sniff before nodding with approval, "Welcome to our barn."
Zack purred, "Thank you."
Ginger stifled another snort and raced ahead of the others, wanting to see Rosie. The two she-cats had become good friends. "Hiya!" She mewed.
"Hi!" Mewed Rosie, "We were getting worried about you two."
The others streamed in after Ginger and there was still plenty of space with all six of them inside.
"Hey Rosie, do you know a cat called Freya?" Ginger questioned curiously.
Rosie shook her head and tucked her paws beneath her in the straw.
"I do." Meowed Zack.
Ginger turned to him, "What do you know about her?"
Zack smirked, "So now you want to talk to me, eh?"
"Fine, don't tell me." Ginger stalked off and curled up in the straw, her tail tip twitching.
"I'd better get to sleep too." Fluff yawned.
Benny licked her ear, "You must be tired." He led her to a dip in the straw and the two settled down together. Max joined Rosie in their corner of the barn.
Zack padded over to Ginger and prodded her with a paw, "I know you're not asleep." He hissed. She opened one eye and glared at him.
"Come on, I'll tell you about Freya."
Ginger opened both eyes and kept glaring at him but said nothing as they left the barn.
"Is there a thorn in that straw or something? A sharp stone perhaps?" Meowed Zack.
"No," Ginger growled, "Your presence just irritates me."
"Well at least you'll appreciate it more when I'm not present." Zack shot back.
Ginger lashed her tail, "Just tell me about Freya so I can go back to sleep."
"You never were asleep." Zack pointed out.
"Wow, you're so clever," Ginger mewed deadpan, "About Freya?" She probed.
"I know I am. And about Freya, she used to be a kittypet but her twolegs left so now she's a loner living off farm mice." Zack mewed simply.
"Oh... she must miss them." Ginger mewed, remembering her twolegs for a moment before shaking the memories from her mind.
Zack watched her with narrowed eyes, "Did you use to live with twolegs?"
Ginger nodded, "Fluff and I left ours and came here, we want to join the clans."
"Huh, I always thought Fluff was a kittypet, but I never thought you were."
"I'm not. And neither is she."
"Oh right, you were."
"I didn't choose where I was born!" Ginger hissed.
"Neither did I!" Zack spat a little too viciously. He backed away, "I'm sorry."
"Do you know anything else about Freya? She's the one who ran off when she caught your scent." Asked Ginger, changing the subject.
"Oh she's the cat you were talking about earlier! Well, I was friends with her sister, but the twolegs took her with them when they left. I guess Freya didn't want to get into a fight with me by accident, since I know her sister."
Ginger's eyes widened, "The twolegs split up Freya and her sister?"
Zack nodded sadly, "I miss Lily."
"Were you mates?" Ginger wondered out loud.
"No!" Zack yelped, "She was a good friend, that's all. She stuck by me like kin when I argued with Benny and he left to go to your barn."
"Why did you argue?"
"I don't think that's your business."
"Fair enough," Ginger sniffed, "I'm going to get some sleep."
Zack sighed as he watched her leave, "I'm sorry." He whispered, too quiet for her to hear.
He watched the sun climb the starry sky until he fell into a restless sleep.