I didn't know why Fallen Leaves ran off like that, but I felt a distinct sinking of my heart when he did.

Like it was my fault- like what I had said had sparked something in him. Had I driven him away?

I suppose it was foolish of me to bring family up. StarClan knows I don't have a stable bond with my family either. But I was so desperate to learn more about him, I suppose I took it too far... tread where it wasn't my business to tread, in a way.

So I wandered through the tunnels, in the general direction he had run off in. Half of my time was spent feeling the wall inscriptions with my paw, as if searching for meaning within them. The other half was spent wasting my breath calling for him until my voice was hoarse and ragged.

"Fallen Leaves!" I yowled into the darkness. I was surprised to hear an answer. It was quiet, and muffled, that reply, so as a result I couldn't quite understand what it was saying.

The voice was too high-pitched to be Fallen Leaves, I knew that- was it another Tunnel Spirit? Fallen Leaves informed me they lurked in the deeper tunnels, where I was now, but I had never met any except for the Wall-Spirits, who, for the most part, did not speak coherently. And, if it was a cat watching me from the darkness, I would be able to see its eyes glittering like two cold flames from within the dark beyond. Burning into me.

"Yip!" Cried the voice again. "Yip!"

"I can't understand you!" I tried to yell, though the still, humid air of the tunnels did not carry my voice far and I doubt they heard.

I took a few tentative pawsteps, and the darkness retreated a little as my eyes adjusted. And finally, my eyes fell on a dark, shivering shape just out of my reach, its ginger fur matted and stained with muck and debris.

It was a fox cub. Its fur was bristled and its lips curled in a snarl as it snapped at the Wall-Spirits slowly closing around it. Even though it was just a stupid fox, I felt sympathy for the poor thing.

So I pounced in the direction of the cub, and quickly the Wall-Spirits dispersed, whispering nonsense among themselves. It looked up at me, dark eyes wide, before fearfully burying its head in my thick fur, whimpering softly.

Then I realized what probably should have crossed my mind earlier.

If a fox cub was able to find its way in... a cat might be able to get out.