Chapter 2: Taken Away
Everyone would remember the day Oemm left.
Mrorri, Emmew, and the kittens had a wonderful time together before it happened. Occasionally one of his siblings would ask Oemm why he was a persian when nobody else in the family was. He said that he didn't know, and they went off to play. No one cared if he was different; he was still himself.
Then one day, when the kittens were only one year old, a silver furred cat came.
Orrimi and Mrerem were sleeping. Emree and Oemm were supposed to be sleeping, but Emmew sometimes briefly saw one of their tails waving in the air. Mrorri was out hunting, and looking for a better home, if he could find one. The little old tree was too small for six cats.
The forest was tranquil that morning. A few birds sang, but not many. It was fall again, and just like when the kittens were born, getting close to winter. Few trees had their leaves.
There was some rustling in the bushed, but Emmew was too busy checking on the kittens and trying to make Emree and Oemm go to sleep to notice.
That was when the silvery shorthaired cat stepped out of the bushes. Startled, Emmew whipped her head around to stare at him, her fur bristling. When she saw that he wasn't the cat who had called herself the Time, she relaxed a little. But she still was a bit frightened.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am Stian," the big cat answered. "Are you Emmew?"
How could he pronounce that name? Emmew wondered. She doubted that any other cat could. And how does he know my name? "Yes, I am."
"Have you ever met a cat called Time?"
Time!
Emmew looked away. Her tail made such a small movement that it was almost impossible to tell that it meant "yes". How did he know that cat? How did he know she met her?
"One of your kittens has to come with me."
Mrorri, who had heard this, burst out of the bushes with a yowl, and pounced on Stian, who uttered a yowl as well– but this was one of surprise, not anger. They rolled around on the forest floor, as Emmew and the kittens, who were all wide awake, watched from the safety of the tree. Mrorri seemed to be winning, but that was most likely because Stian didn't seem to want to fight.
"Mriow!" he yelled. Stop!
Mrorri stopped, but only for a moment. In that moment, Stian managed to wiggle out from under him. Mrorri hissed, and, claws out, pounced again. Stian barely managed to dodge him.
"Mriow!" Stian yelled again. "Let me explain!"
Mrorri stopped, but still hissed a warning.
"The thing is, I can't explain. I'm sorry."
Stian leaped at Oemm, who yelled. "Mrii!" Oemm jumped out of the tree before Stian could get him, but stumbled when he tried to run.
Mrorri hissed and pounced.
Emmew yowled as loud as she could. But it was too late. Stian grabbed Oemm...
...And then they disappeared.
-
Emmew cried for many days after. Nothing is worse than losing a loved one.