Blossompaw's Escape
Part Four: The Newcomers
Blossomfang's nose twitched as dew from the holly leaves dribbled downward. Her blue eyes opened into slits as the first dawn rays illuminated the silhouetted city. She quickly ran a paw over her whiskers and arched her back in a stretch, her muscles were stiff from the cold night air. Her clan mates were just starting to stir. Rabbitleap opened his jaws with a yawn and slowly stood up, eyes still closed. Fawndapple and Foxtooth groomed each other hastily before rising to their paws as well. Blossomfang looked away from the three cats back towards the city.
"Shane knows who I am, and if I set paw on the South side of the city I'll be killed. Niko knows me as well too, but I'm not sure where I stand with her, I think she's neutral about me. But if I bring two toms into her territory she won't be pleased," Blossomfang murmured, trying to sort out a plan. Rabbitleap sat down next to her, his gaze locked on the city scape.
"Foxtooth and I could go to Shane's terf while you and Fawndapple look around Niko's. We meet up back at the holly bush at sun high with any cat that is intrigued about clan life," he suggested. Blossomfang had been thinking that as well, but neither he nor Foxtooth new the city. Splitting the group was risky, but it looked like they had no other choice.
"Alright, but whoever you talk too make sure it's subtle. If Shane or his cronies get wind that anyone is stealing his cats...just be subtle okay? Tell them about Ashclan but don't say where it is. Make sure to explain the warrior code and the training and how safe it is to live with a group who truly has your back," Blossomfang instructed. Rabbitleap rolled his eyes.
"Blossomfang have some faith, we know what we are doing."
Blossomfang glanced back and Foxtooth and Fawndapple to see if they were okay with the plan. Neither cat had any qualms and so Blossomfang and Fawndapple headed to the North end of the city while Rabbitleap and Foxtooth headed southward. Blossomfang watched her friends outlines fade until they completely disappeared.
"Ok," she said with a slight smile. "Let's get started."
...
"I think we came from this direction," Rabbitleap said and turned a corner. The pair of cats ended up on a nearly identical street to the ten others they had just been on.
"Or maybe it was this way," Rabbitleap mumbled and hurried down another road. Foxtooth let out a huff of annoyance but continued to follow the black and white tom. He was just as lost. Foxtooth and Rabbitleap had almost been expecting there just to be cats roaming around in broad daylight, but the streets were mostly empty. They checked ally ways and only stumbled across a few strays, and they had the good sense to not even talk to the cats they had encountered thus far. Unless of course they wanted a claw to the muzzle.
There was one section of the South side of the city that was roughly abandoned. There had been a fire or something that decimated a few structures and the surrounding ones were empty with broken windows and kicked in doorways. Rabbitleap reluctantly realized they were going to have to go in the twoleg dens. It made him feel claustrophobic even thinking about it.
"Let's check this place out," Foxtooth said and nodded towards a complex in front of them. Rabbitleap nodded and they went inside. There was a strong smell of cat, mixes of fresh and stale. Shivers crawled up Rabbitleap's pelt as he looked around the scatters of boxes and glass shards.
"Don't leave me!"
Rabbitleap glanced around wildly.
"Who said that?" he growled. Foxtooth looked at him like he had grown two heads.
"Said what? There's no-one here," Foxtooth said in confusion. Rabbitleap shook his head, he must have imagined it.
"Save me, please!"
Rabbitleap practically leaped out of his pelt, there was someone in the room with them. Someone was shouting in his ear. But as he looked around he could see the only cat next to his was Foxtooth.
"Let's get out of here, you look a little freaked out," Foxtooth suggested. Rabbitleap nodded meekly. They headed for the exit when a group of young twolegs walked past, all yowling and slapping each other on the back. Foxtooth hid behind a discarded box but Rabbitleap was rooted to the ground. All he saw was the white coats, with their cruel stares and cold hands. Before the twolegs could see him Foxtooth had his jaws around Rabbitleap's scruff and was dragging him out of the open.
"Are you trying to get us killed?" Foxtooth hissed. Rabbitleap couldn't even respond for a few seconds.
"Sorry, I just had...flashbacks," he apologized and hurried out of the building and down the street opposite the twolegs. Foxtooth chased after him.
"Flashbacks? Did you used to be a kittypet or something?"
"I was stolen by twolegs and tested on for months alongside Blossomfang and Braveheart and many others. I would've died if she didn't come back for me," Rabbitleap said bluntly. Foxtooth closed his mouth and they walked in silence.
...
Niko had spies everywhere. The cats were discrete, but Blossomfang was acutely aware of being followed. It wasn't long before Niko got wind of Blossomfang's presence in her territory. The outcome wasn't what Fawndapple or Blossomfang had predicted.
"Niko requests your presence at the warehouse. Be prompt," a small dusky brown she cat instructed, she looked young but was large for her age. She had appeared from practically thin air, and wasn't sticking around for much longer either. She turned and trotted away. Since Blossomfang didn't know where the warehouse was she followed the she cat, hoping that's where they were being guided too. Blossomfang wanted nothing more than to turn and run, but she didn't want to ensure a place on Niko's bad side.
A few minutes later they came upon a large gray building shaped like a square. The windows were tinted dark and smoke was pouring out of vents on the roof. The brown furred cat entered through a flap on the door. Blossomfang and Fawndapple hesitantly followed.
Inside the warehouse there was more than a few twolegs wrapping useless items in boxes. Most paid them no mind, a few stooped down to try and pet them. Blossomfang warned them to keep away with a hiss. They followed her up a flight of stairs and to a loft. There were a few cat bowls with food and many cat perches. Was Niko's gang a bunch of kittypets?
"What's your name?" Blossomfang asked as their guide hopped onto a perch. She looked down at Blossomfang and Fawndapple with bright eyes.
"Astrid," she said with a monosyllabic reply. Before Blossomfang could ask where they were and what they were doing, Niko appeared. She had been sitting on a cat bed, her long cream colored fur groomed to perfection.
"Welcome to my Fela, Blossomfang," Niko purred. "Such a shame you didn't bring your dog friend with you."
Blossomfang wasn't sure how to respond to that so she simply dipped her head respectfully, Fawndapple copied quickly.
"Well I say we skip the formalities and get straight to the point, what are you doing here. You caused quite the ruckus with Shane, thank you for that by the way, then you disappeared for a moon and now are sneaking around my end of the city. Suspicious is all," Niko said point blank. Blossomfang clearly couldn't tell her she was looking to recruit cats for her clan, Niko would see that as a threat.
C'mon think! Blossomfang opened her mouth to explain her presence, but no words left.
...
"You look lost? Newcomers?" a gravely voice called out. Rabbitleap and Foxtooth spun around. An old cat was right behind them, could've been following them for a while too. He was white and gray with deep green eyes. His long fur was matted into clumps and from his frail figure he looked old, really old.
"No were just looking around," Foxtooth said swiftly. The older cat clearly didn't believe them. His smile said it all, he'd probably been following them since they entered the city.
"Who are you?" Rabbitleap snapped, impatient.
"My name is Junebug, most call me Bugs," he shrugged. As he lifted his shoulders his head gave a little pull to the side and his eye twitched.
"Right," Foxtooth snorted under his breath. The two toms turned to leave the strange cat behind them, but Bugs invited himself along. They picked up the pace to lose him but the old cat was persistent, they could hear him wheezing behind them as he jogged along. At last they gave up and stopped, Bugs paused for a moment to catch his breath before speaking.
"So what brings you to the South side?"
Neither cat answered his question. Bugs leaned towards Rabbitleap and sniffed his flank. Rabbitleap backed away nervously. Bugs closed his eyes for a moment, deciphering the scent.
"You're from the forest. You wouldn't happen to know a dog named Chance would ya, and a little she cat called Blossompaw?" Bugs asked with squinted eyes.
"Nope," Foxtooth said, only partially lying. He new a dog named Braveheart and a she cat called Blossomfang. "No idea who you're talking about."
"Good, then you won't mind me tagging along," Bugs said with another eye twitch. He wedged himself directly between Rabbitleap and Foxtooth. The two warriors exchanged looks. With Bugs latching onto them there was no way they could talk about the clan. Unless...
"Bugs how long have you lived in the city?" Rabbitleap questioned. Bugs looked thoughtful.
"Years, many years. You know I've lived in the city since before Niko and Shane's reign. Heck I introduced them to each other. That didn't work out too well..."
"Are you very attached to the city?" Rabbitleap continued.
"It's been my home for as long as I can remember, but lately it seems more like a battlefield than a place to spend my last years in," Bugs shrugged nonchalantly. Rabbitleap suppressed a smile, Foxtooth caught on to what Rabbitleap was doing.
"What if we told you there was a beautful place in the forest where a group of cats was living away from the noise and danger of the city. They hunt and patrol their borders, they care for the young and old, and they abide by a code of honor."
"Well I'd say sign me up!"
"Bugs there is someone you need to meet...but first, why did you ask about Chance and Blossompaw?" Rabbitleap asked.
"So you do them huh? Well I've never met them but Shane is making all his cats scour the city for them. He even offered Niko a handsome reward if she turned them over to him, he thinks they are hiding in her territory," Bugs explained indifferently.
"Uh oh," Foxtooth muttered.
"Bugs meet us here tonight at moon high," Rabbitleap instructed before he and Foxtooth dashed away. If Niko found out Blossomfang was in her terf, and Shane had bribed Niko to hand her over, then Blossomfang was in a lot of danger.
...
Blossomfang sat there dumbly, luckily Fawndapple saved her hide with a quick response.
"We want to join the city, life in the forest is tough," she lied smoothly. Blossomfang let out a sigh of relief as Niko accepted the explanation.
"What if I don't want you living in my territory. Trouble follows you," Niko sniffed and shook out her cream colored pelt. Her gang of cats copied her actions and let out snorts of contempt.
"Then we'll be leaving," Fawndapple responded again and began to scurry out of the loft. Niko nodded at her fela and they sprang into action. The staircase was quickly blockaded. One thing was for certain, these were no kittypets. The she cats had muscles hiding under well groomed fur and their claws were sharp.
"What do you want Niko?" Blossomfang said cautiously, biding her time.
"Shane promised me a small chuck of the South end territory in return for your capture. Make me an offer and I'll let you go," Niko laughed gleefully. Blossomfang realized the whole meeting had been a trap. The small dusky she cat who had guided them into the loft looked appalled.
"Niko you said you just wanted to talk to them, if I had know..." Astrid said more to herself than her leader.
"Astrid stay back," another she cat cautioned. She had the same wiry frame and brown coat as Astrid, Blossomfang guessed it was her mother. Blossomfang scanned the sea of hostile faces and eventually her gaze landed on a cat she recognized as Cookie. Cookie had first explained to her Niko and Shane's relationship and how the sides of the city worked. Cookie had by now clearly figured out she was not called Mylph, but the she cat still looked confused about the whole situation taking place.
Fawndapple looked at Blossomfang helplessly. They had nothing to offer to Niko, the only thing they could do was bide their time and wait for a chance to escape.
"My name is Blossomfang of Ashclan, I am a warrior of the forests and cliffs overlooking the sea. I serve and protect my clan under my ancestors watchful eye. I train and hunt and lead a honorable life where I know my clan mates have my back I have theirs," she declared loudly to the onlookers. A few cats looked intrigued, Niko looked bored. Blossomfang lifted her chin higher.
"If you join me now you will be welcomed into Ashclan like kin, if you turn me over to Shane my clanmates will come for you. All of you. And you will regret it with every breath, however few you may have left that is," she threatened. That caught Niko's attention. The cream furred she cat studied the younger warrior with narrowed eyes.
"You're bluffing," she said after a minute, her fangs showing through her smile. Blossomfang returned the smile evenly.
"You saw my dear friend Braveheart didn't you? The dog?" she quipped. A few of Niko's followers looked to their leader in shock as if asking This cat has dogs working for her?
"You have one dog, I have a city. Attack!" Niko ordered. Her cats sprang into action without hesitation. Blossomfang and Fawndapple scrambled up a cat perch in panic.
"Over here!" a cat shouted. Blossomfang looked across the room and saw Astrid sitting on an open window ledge. The young she looked as surprised as Blossomfang that she was betraying Niko. But Blossomfang would take any help she could get. She nodded for Fawndapple to go first. The dappled she cat leaped from the perch and sprang onto the window sill with Blossomfang right behind. They had no time to think since Niko's cats were about to pull them back into the room by their tail tips.
Blossomfang closed her eyes and jumped.
...
The two toms tried to find their way out of the South side as quickly as possible, but where there had been no cats before it seemed they couldn't stop running into chatty strangers.
"What are you running from?" a cat said with a slight chuckle and blocked their path. He was a Siamese, large and muscular. But he looked friendly. Foxtooth opened his mouth to tell the cat to get lost but Rabbitleap beat him to the punch.
"We're lost, can you show us the way into the North side?" Rabbitleap said desperately. Every minute they wasted was another minute Blossomfang could be getting captured...or worse. The cats blue eyes darkened warily.
"Is this a trick?" he demanded.
"We don't have time for this, Fawndapple is in danger!" Foxtooth hissed and pushed passed the Siamese.
"Wait," the Siamese said at last and glanced around to make sure no one was watching. "I know a shortcut."
Rabbitleap and Foxtooth followed the cat as he lead them down a network of alley ways to the North and Southern border. As they crossed over into Niko's territory they realized the tom wasn't turning back.
"My name is Charlie," the Siamese said. "Who are you looking for?"
"A light brown she cat named Fawndapple. She has white spots on her back and green eyes," Foxtooth explained quickly. His worry for his mate was evident.
"And a solid white she cat with blue eyes named Blossomfang," Rabbitleap added. Charlie blinked in surprise.
"You mean the she cat that liberated all of Shane's prisoners?"
"The one and only, now we don't have much time - we need to find them!" Rabbitleap urged.
"Hold on, panicking won't help anything. I know a she cat who might be able to help us out. Come with me," Charlie beckoned and moved expertly through Niko's territory. He had clearly been around these parts before, and he din't appear to be a threat.
"My mates name is Halle, although we usually keep that on the down low since I'm not exactly welcomed on the North side. But if Niko is cooking up a plot Halle would be the first to know. She is Bella's sister after all."
"Bella?" Foxtooth murmured in confusion and slight vexation.
"Bella, Niko's sole confident? Wow you must be really new around these parts. Anyways Halle likes to stay out of all that drama but that doesn't stop Bella from telling her everything."
It wasn't long before Charlie located Halle. She was light gray and had large saucer like eyes, but her innocent appearance was diminished by her lethal looking claws. Charlie gave her a rushed explanation.
"Yeah I know what you're taking about. Niko had Astrid lure those two she cats into the warehouse," Halle said with a flippant shrug. Charlie and Halle began heading in the direction of the warehouse with Rabbitleap and Foxtooth following right behind.
...
A row of hedges below the window broke Blossomfangs fall, but the breath was still knocked out of her. Fawndapple appeared unharmed and was already on her feet. Astrid wasn't quite so lucky. One of her front paws was bent at an awkward angle. Blossomfang nudged Astrid to her feet and allowed the small she cat to lean on her shoulder as they moved as quickly as possible away from the warehouse. Blossomfang new the young she cat was slowing them down but she couldn't abandon her after she helped them escape.
"Go ahead and leave me, Niko won't hurt me. Much," Astrid said after a minute. She dropped down onto her side and began nursing her wounded paw.
"You're hurt, and no one cares for wounded in the city. We have a cat who will heal your paw," Blossomfang said and grabbed Astrid by the scruff. Astrid didn't protest again and they continued to flee. But Niko's fela would be right behind.
"Fawndapple!" a voice shouted from behind. Fawndapple spun around and was met with a colliding Foxtooth. He licked his mates cheek affectionately.
"I was so worried!" he said, out of breath. Rabbitleap appeared a second later, wheezing. Shortly after a tom and a she cat jogged around the corner.
"This is Charlie and Halle, they helped us find you," Rabbitleap pointed to the two cats.
"No time, Niko is after us," Blossomfang said. Without a word Charlie lifted Astrid onto his broad shoulders and Halle began leading the way. When they were almost out of the city they were confronted by three she cats. Cookie was one of them.
Foxtooth and Rabbitleap were immediately baring fangs and hissing. The three she cats made no move to attack and Blossomfang brushed the over eager toms aside.
"Cookie, I'm sorry I lied to you, it was just safer at the time-"
Cookie cut her off with a flick of her tail.
"I understand, what I heard about your clan back at the warehouse, well, we want in," Cookie explained, the two cats beside her nodded in affirmation. Blossomfang wanted to trust her but it was risky, especially after everything that took place.
"I can't take you to my camp right now, not until I know where your loyalties lay," Blossomfang said. Cookie nodded in understanding.
"Send Halle to find us when you want to talk and we can designate a meeting place. Now go, Niko isn't far behind."
The small group made it out of the city without being caught. When they finally made it into the three line Blossomfang actually found herself laughing.
"That was close," she snorted and another wave of laughter wracked her body. Fawndapple let out a nervous chuckle as well. The group made their way to the holly bush and plopped down with exhaustion. Rabbitleap pricked his ears as if remembering something.
"Bugs!" he exclaimed.
"We're in the wild, get used to them," Blossomfang jabbed. He shook his head.
"No, we met a cat named Bugs and are supposed to meet him at moon high, he might join Ashclan," Rabbitleap said.
"We are not going back in the city," Foxtooth said with disbelief.
"I'd feel guilty though, we arranged a meeting and if we didn't show that would just be rude," Rabbitleap pointed out.
"Fine, but that cat is crazy I'm telling you now," Foxtooth gave in.
...
Bugs was exactly where they had told him to wait. In fact it looked as if he hadn't moved at all since their encounter. When he saw Foxtooth and Rabbitleap he jumped to his paws excitedly.
"I almost thought you weren't gonna show!"
"We almost didn't," Foxtooth replied snidely.
"We just came to explain our clan to you, and to see if you wanted to join," Rabbitleap explained.
"But this whole clan thing is more of a trial right now so it might not be a permanent thing," Foxtooth warned. Bugs nodded and Rabbitleap began the lengthy explanation. At the end of it Bugs was smiling widely.
"I'm game, sounds like a real shindig!"
"Right, whatever that means. Now lets go back to the holly bush and get some shut eye," Foxtooth rolled his eyes. Rabbitleap wanted to be happy that they had found another recruit for the clan. He was positive Halle and Charlie would join as well once they new what clan life was all about. But Rabbitleap couldn't be happy because Foxtooth's words were ringing in his ears.
This clan thing might not be permanent. Rabbitleap kept forgetting that in another moons time her might not have a home anymore, he might not even be a warrior. The decision all belonged to Fawndapple and Foxtooth, and he could only hope they wouldn't turn Ashclan away.