Tiny let out a squeak of shock and pain as he was thrown against a tree, slumping at the base of it as he stared up at his attacker. Tigerpaw stalked over to him triumph radiating from him as he closed the distance.
He looked up, hoping for the return of that blue-grey she-cat, but there was no one in sight. He was alone. He was trembling hard enough that his vision was starting to blue; he could no longer tell if his attacker was cat or dog, the only thing he could clearly see were the sharp, pointy teeth steps away from him. The laughter of his kin seemed to echo in his ears, harsh and mocking, as the creature let out a yowl and a snarl at the same time.
There was no time to react as the teeth shut tight around his neck, digging deep . .
Tiny jumped awake, leaping to his paws as his fur stood on end, making him appear much larger. Frantic, he spun around, searching through the darkness for his lurking assailant. He almost leaped out of his fur when his paw brushed something, only realising it was a fluffy ginger tail after he had exited the bed.
Dreaming, I was dreaming he realised , feeling embarrassment sink its claws into his fur. Ruby and Socks were right; I am a baby. He stayed there for a bit, chest heaving as he tried to get himself back under control and get back in the bed.
Trying to distract himself, he scrutinised the strange tom who had saved him. Why had he done it? That dog could have easily attacked him too. . . He had never seen this tom before, he was sure of it, but something about him, the light patch on his belly and darker fur running down his back, reminded him of something, a hazy memory.
He was careful when setting his paws as he climbed back in, the plush material making it easy to trip and fall over as he made his way back towards his saviour. He curled up beside him, into a small ball. He had no plans to sleep tonight, but he still shut his eyes, leaning into Jake's stomach and pretending he could still smell his mother's scent.
For a moment, when he woke up, Jake forgot about the previous night. He almost fell back to sleep, but a wriggling . . . something, shoved it's cold body into his side. Blinking down at the small black squirming thing, he struggled to think of what it could be-
Oh.
Jake was perfectly still, watching his son twist and turn in his sleep. His son. Of all the things he had been expecting when he heard those strange noises, he hadn't been expecting . . that. To be fair to him, though, it wasn't as if the kitten looked like him; his black and white fur bore no resemblance to Jake's flame coloured pelt, and his eyes were an icy blue instead of green. And while Jake was big and round, this one was small and scrawny. He didn't look like his son. In fact, when he saw the kit, pinned under that dog, sleek black and white fur, he had thought-
Well. He had thought he had been someone else. Another black and white cat.
Still though; he had a son! His fur prickled, excited as he tried to stay still for the kit. And two other kits as well! Though, from what his son(!) told him, they didn't sound very nice. At least they were off to good homes now.
But that raised the next problem; what was he going to do with him? His owners would never allow another cat to live here with him, and he couldn't think of any Households that expressed interest in wanting a new Housecat.
Jake had seen what happened with the streetcats around the place, and the idea of his son becoming one of them made his ears ring unpleasantly, and his stomach twist.
That left one other option. Though he wasn't sure the little black cat would go for it.
His son woke quicker than he did, eyes shooting open as he pulled himself up, wincing at the, thankfully, shallow scratches on his back. From what he was told, the black cat had wandered into the territory one day and had just been attacked. He wasn't sure who he was more disgusted with; the apprentice or the older cat encouraging him to hurt a kitten. He was so glad someone in that forest seemed to have sense at least, judging by the inclusion of a 'blue cat'.
Jake looked outside, checking to see where the sun was in the sky. If he was going to do this, he would have to be travelling, and he didn't want to be gone so long as to upset his owners. But a part of him hesitated, unsure how to broach the subject. Putting on his friendliest, happiest tone, he turned to his son and asked "would you like to be a clan cat?"
He wanted to claw his own ears off the moment he said it. The kit, who had been carefully eating some of the dry food left over in Jake's bowl, jumped back, and send it skidding across the floor, spilling pellets everywhere "no!" His fur stood on end as his ears flattened, terrified. "They'll kill me!"
Way to go Jake.
Trying to take a step towards him just made the small cat scramble backwards, frantic. "They told me to never come back! Why would I want to go back?!" His shrill screech made Jake's fur stand on end.
"I'm not taking you back to the forest!" Jake rushed to add in the silence. "I would be taking you to a different clan."
The kit paused mid-tantrum, eyes narrowing suspiciously. "Other clans?"
"Yes! There are four clans in the forest; I think the one who met was either Thunderclan or . . Shadeclan?" He paused in thought, then shook himself "something like that. I plan on taking you to Windclan, where my friend Talltail is."
"Talltail? The cat from your story?"
"The very same" Jake confirmed. "His clan allowed rogues-cats that didn't have owners and weren't clan cats, to pass through all the time. I'm sure he would be delighted to take you in."
His black fur lying flat once more, he didn't look angry so much as uncertain, tail flicking back and forth as he eyed the tom. "Not all clan cats are mean. That she-cat you told me about, she seemed nice, right?"
He nodded somewhat reluctantly, and looked like he was going to say something, probably something not very nice about the clan cats, but seemed to think better of it, instead piping up"but why can't I stay with you?"
Oh, how I wish you could. " My owners do not want a new cat. Once, a cat stopped through here, and they sent it away. I do not know where your mother is, and even if I did, there's always the chance you'll be thrown out and" he fixed his son with his full attention, the kit squirming under the intensity of it "if you go out on the streets, you will starve, and I-"
"And you what?" The kit asked, eyes narrowed.
"And" Jake slowly sounded out what exactly he wanted to say "I want you to see that not all clan cats are savages. Some are" he thought about black and white fur "some are very nice."
His son's singular white paw came out to bat a pellet absentmindedly. "I-I don't know" he admitted, which was a step up from the major freakout he had had earlier.
"That's okay" Jake assured him, before an idea hit him "tell you what, I'll take you to Windclan to meet Talltail myself. If you don't want to stay with him, I'll take you back and we can figure something else out. That seem fair?"
"I-I" his son looked desperately around, as if searching for some kind of clue as to what was going on here.
The Tom felt a stab of disappointment that he didn't immediately jump on board with his idea, but forced that feeling away. The kit had been through an awful time, it wasn't his fault if he was unsure. "I can give you some time to think it over, if you want" he offered, and the kit nodded, before bolting away across Jake's home.
Jake watched his son scamper away, and hoped he would make the right choice.
Jake's home was different from Mama's. The ground in one area was covered in a soft fur that Tiny liked to sink his paws into, enjoying the sensation even as he made his way towards a window. He couldn't see the forest, but he knew it was there, looming somewhere in the distance. He didn't want to go back there.
Except . . . according to Jake, he wasn't . He was going to a different clan, one that didn't live in the forest, one that was, from the story he had been told at least, didn't attack Housecats. Jake had described Talltail with the same dreamy tone Mama had always used when talking about his father as he explained how brave and kind his friend was.
But how do I know he'll take me in? There was, after all, a difference between liking a Housecat and taking one in. Tiny stared into his reflection, his small, thin frame, flattened ears and helpless eyes staring back. I look pathetic.
Sudden movement caught his attention, and he followed it to see another cat skitter across the path not far from the window, a chunk of rotten meat in his maw. He was thin, ribs showing through his fur even as he bounded away from an angry Housefolk. Tiny felt his fur prickle, is that what could happen to me?
He stared after the departing pale tom for a while, then looked down at his paws and took a deep breath in. He didn't know how this would go; if the clan would laugh at him or attack him, or even actually take him in. But anything seemed better than what he had just witnessed; the sandy pale tom gripping the small portion of rotted meat as if it was the only thing that mattered. He imagined himself like that; small and frailer than ever, always running, always hungry. He imagined his ribs sticking out, covered in scars, eyes dull and lifeless. He tried to imagine his siblings finding him in that condition and shivered.
Anything was better than that life.
But was he brave enough? To face the clan cats again?
"I'm not sure about this Ruby" Tiny said, tail flicking nervously as he stared up at the nest. Beside him, his sister scoffed, sharing a look with Socks.
" Of course you're not, you coward" she spat, fur rising along her spine, before giving herself a brisk shake "look" she said in a far calmer tone of voice "everyone knows how pretty birds eggs are. Don't you think mama would like some?"
"I-I do, it's just- what if we get hurt?"
Socks gave him a look that was filled with contempt. "Well, we're never going to know unless we do it now, won't we?" As Tiny continued to hesitate, the other two looked at each other "come on, Ruby, we'll let the baby stay here while we do all the work."
Tiny's claws dug into the wood beneath him, feeling ice start to form in his veins. "I am not a coward" he muttered "and I am not a baby!" He spun around and leaped back down onto the fur covered floor, marching back towards where Jake was.
"Okay" he announced, stopping in front of him with his chest puffed out. "I'll come with you."
Jake visibly brightened, rising to his paws. "You will?" He asked, delighted.
"I will" Tiny tried to sound as certain as he could, giving a firm nod "but" he glanced over his shoulder, back towards the window where that street cat had bolted by "but if I don't want to go with them, you have to promise not to leave me on the streets."
Jake leaned down, and Tiny took a small step back, alarmed, but all he did was gently touch his nose with Jake's own. "Promise" he murmured, and then made his way back towards the flap "let's go then!" He said, before ducking through it.
Tiny paused before passing through it, giving one last look over his shoulder. I really hope I don't regret this.
The weather wasn't exactly ideal; cloudy skies that occasionally delivered light rain, making it hard to see. Had he not had a guide, Tiny certainly would of have gotten lost again. As it was, he had to briskly trot to keep up with Jake's longer legs as the cat lead the way at a leisurely pace.
He didn't even know he was being led back to the path the dog had cornered him on until he felt the rumbling beneath his paws again, and stopped dead in his tracks. Sensing his hesitation, Jake too halted "we need to follow the road to reach Windclan" he explained "we won't step on it, and the Carriers never leave the path."
Tiny hesitated, ears flicking back and forth in indecision as he remembered the awful smell of the area, and of the terrifying creatures that moved on it. Maybe this was a mistake, maybe he could find a way to stay with Jake.
Let the baby stay here.
His tail lashed from side to side, biting his teeth together as he ploughed onward, towards the loud, thunder-like sounds. He didn't miss Jake's surprised face, and felt a bit of bitter pride well up inside of him. That's right, I'm no coward he thought, triumphant.
The closer they got to the path, the louder the roars became, forcing Tiny to tuck his ears tight to his head. That, mixed with the burning smell made it easy to find, sharp and strong to the point he could taste them . Somehow, during the chase he hadn't noticed all of these things, but now they were batting him over the head, making his eyes water and throat clog. When they finally came across it, small rocks, up churned by the 'Carriers', flung themselves in his direction, and while they didn't hurt, they did surprise him, sending him stumbling back into Jake's legs.
Jake had to raise his voice to be heard over the screeching Carriers "we need to go that way!" He yelled, flicking his tail in, to Tiny's relief, the opposing direction of the forest. "Come on!" Tiny did so, trying not to wince when the Carriers came screaming by.
Conversation was hard to make like this, the wind and rain blowing their words away as the Carriers howled beside them, but Jake managed. "We need to find a way to get that collar off of you" Jake commented idly, even as he had to yowl the words, eyeing the purple band wrapped around Tiny's neck. "Windclan will want you to get rid of it when you join-"
"If I join" Tiny corrected, slightly irritated that this was being treated as a given already.
"If you join" Jake amended "and if you want to be a Housecat, nobody will take you in if they think you already have an owner."
Tiny's singular white paw raised, batting lightly at the shiny circle hanging from the collar. His Mama's Owners had given him this. Ruby's had been red and Sock's had been blue, and he had always loved his because it was the same colour as his Mama's.
Except Mama was gone now, and he may never see her again. His stomach jolted at the thought, and he stumbled, dizzy for a moment, before righting himself. He straightened him, dropping his paw as his eyes narrowed, and a feeling of coldness entered his veins.
His Mama's Owners had never really liked him. It was in the ways they would pick up Ruby and Socks, showering them with praise and affection, while Tiny was ignored in the background. His Mama had loved him, he knows, but she had never been all that great of a parent; never stepping in when Ruby and Socks were too cruel, never telling them to include Tiny in their games.
Jake, a complete stranger, was nicer to him than his own kin.
It was hard for him to wrap his head around but he didn't want to meet any of his kin again, didn't want to be brought back to his siblings or Mama. Didn't want to have a connection to them. And right now, the only connection he had to them was this collar. Whatever new life he wanted to lead, he would never be able to with this collar.
So he bit, hard as he could, down on the material. It made his jaw ache, so he just bit harder, imagining every cruel taunt his siblings had ever thrown at him, at his mother's refusal to step in, at every single moment in that household. Not fair, not fair, he chanted as he bit down so hard his teeth ached.
"Woah, woah, hang on!" Jake meowed, alarmed. "You'll get hurt if you try doing it like that. We need to find something to open it with."
Tiny dropped the collar from his mouth and he immediately sniffed at the ground around him, looking for something to help him get this thing off. The stones around the path were too blunt or too small for them to do anything. But a sharp, thick scent caught his attention. Blood.
To his surprise, not too far away from their location was the spot where the dog had cornered him. He could even see the sharp corner he had taken which led them to the path. The blood scent he was picking up came from a small patch on the path where the dog had been hit by the Carrier.
There was no sign of the dog anymore, save for the smell of blood and dog hair. And . .
Tiny squinted, before darting away from Jake's side. The tom let out a cry of alarm, but Tiny remained off the path, sticking to the sides as he prowled closer, calm in ways he had never truly been, completely focused on his goal. The thing wasn't on the path, but rather beside it, on a piece of flattened grass. It must have fallen out when the dog was hit.
He picked up the dog's tooth carefully, inspecting its size and sharpness, before digging it into his collar. He didn't even notice Jake come thundering up to him, he was so focused on getting the collar off of him.
Tiny let out a small cry of shock when the tooth pierced through the collar, thankfully not drawing blood as it hit his skin. Jake stopped still, green eyes wide. "Are you okay?!" He demanded, sniffing Tiny's face and chest anxiously.
Feeling a little embarrassed now, Tiny explained "yeah, just surprised me" he grunted, trying to remove the tooth, but to his horror, it was stuck, caught in his collar. "It won't come out!" He hissed, trying to twist his head so he could bite it.
"It's not hurting you, is it?"
Tiny closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. Other than being slightly restrictive- "no" he said, opening them again.
Jake nodded, thoughtful "okay, so we wait until we can take your collar off, instead of messing with the tooth" he tilted his head to try and get a look at the point of the tooth, pushing against Tiny's throat. "Don't want to accidentally hurt you, after all."
Tiny took another breath in and nodded, marching off again with Jake falling into step beside him. The ice, while weak, was still there though, in his veins, making him feel cold and distant. He glanced up at the sky, seeing the sun start to make it's return from behind the clouds. Hopefully I'll warm up soon, he thought
It was quiet after that, the two focusing on their journey, using bushes as cover to keep them safe from the Carriers. Occasionally, the houses on the other side of them would have cats, who would call out greetings and questions to the two of them, but, while he was polite, Jake never stayed around to chat, keeping the two moving. Sometimes, he would glance up at the sky, judging the time, before lowering his head and trudging on, sometimes picking up the pace a little before realising how much Tiny was struggling to keep up and slowing once more.
He's worried Tiny realised, fur prickling. Of course he is. If his owners get home before him, he could be kicked out. The idea was nauseating; Jake, who had saved him, helped him, living on the streets as one of those starving street cats. He's risking it all for you. All because you were stupid and fell for Ruby's stupid lies.
"I'm sorry" he croaked out, dropping the tooth he was holding carefully in his teeth. "If you want to go home, you can go."
Jake looked baffled, as if he had no idea where this was coming from "why would I do that?" He meowed, confused "I thought you agreed to meet Talltail."
"I did- I do! But- but you can just give me the directions. You don't have to come."
Now he just looked hurt. "Do you- do you not want me to come?" He asked carefully, round ears flopping down.
What are you doing, you're just making him sad! "I do! But if you want to" he turned back in the direction they came "if you want to go home and stay with your Owners, I-I wouldn't blame you."
For a long moment, Jake just stared at him, not saying anything. The silence was heavy and expectant, and made Tiny's fur prickle as he waited for him to say something. Finally, Jake crouched down so that they were at the same height, practically pressed into the ground as he stared at Tiny expectantly.
Oh! Tiny leaned in as well, and touched noses with the tom, a thing he had seen other cats do before, a sign of trust. "I want to travel with you" Jake said at last "my Owners will be worried, yes, but this isn't the first time I disappeared on them. This time won't be as long either." Jake's tail wrapped around Tiny's, practically engulfing him with his thick fur.
Tiny tried to say "oh, okay then" but it came out small and muffled as he spat out a piece of soggy ginger fur. Jake just laughed and seemed to get the message, running his tail down Tiny's spine with an almost fond look before they set off once more.
The further they travelled, the less cats began to appear. "Not many Housefolk live here" Jake explained to him "most leave here when nightfall comes, so there aren't many cats."
Housefolk are dumb, Tiny thought. They had all this land and they only used some of it during the daytime? Weird.
This meant they had to wait until nightfall to go back into the Housefolk place for food. Tiny opened his mouth and breathed in, hoping to smell something edible even as his muzzle crinkled at the acrid smell permeating through the streets. Beside him, Jake did the same as they wove through paths, the faint sound of Carriers fading away in the distance.
The sound of footsteps had them both backtracking, hiding behind a huge green box that smelt awful. "I thought you said they would leave" Tiny hissed.
"I thought they would" Jake said, tense "this one must be late or-" he stopped, putting his nose in the air and taking a deep breath in.
"What?" Tiny whipped around to face him properly "what is it? What's wrong?"
Not answering, Jake instead leaped up on top the green box. Tiny made to follow him, but was too small to leap that high and instead settled for watching the tom paw around the top of it, looking for something. Finally, he placed his paws on the very edge of the box, and with a grunt, lifted the top off of it.
"Woah" Tiny muttered, eyes wide. Jake didn't acknowledge he had spoken, instead leaping into the box, to Tiny's alarm, causing him to leap to his paws with a startled "wait!" He uselessly batted the sides of the box, it's exterior too hard and shiny for him to get a proper grip.
With a clang , the top opened up again, and something, not Jake, fell out. Tiny stared at the fleshy thing for a moment, before taking a cautionary deep breathe in. He immediately recognised the smell; bacon! It had a slightly sour smell around the edges, but other than that, it was just like how it was back at Mama's Home!
Silently, Jake jumped down beside him, and Tiny was distracted from his growling stomach to recoil away from him. "Yeugh! You stink!"
Jake looked down at his coat, which, while not grimy, gave off a smell that was almost as bad as the fumes around them. Then, quickly, he pulled Tiny in, rubbing him against his foul smelling coat. "Hey!" Tiny yelped, twisting around "no fair!" He lightly batted the tom on the head, and he dropped him, pretending to stagger back.
Tiny chose that moment to pounce on him, little claws digging uselessly into Jake's fluff as the older cat mrowed in amusement, dancing around with Tiny clinging onto his back. "Oh no!" He wailed, shaggy tail swishing from side to side "whatever shall I do?" Tiny only had a brief warning before Jake had risen up onto his back legs, making the kit squeak and grip on harder.
"I think I may fall!" Jake teased.
"No, no, don't" Tiny squealed, feeling giddy and light in spite of himself.
In the end, Jake didn't fall, but he did shake himself, sending Tiny stumbling to the ground, where he tried to tackle the older tom. "I'll get you for that!" He said, standing on his hind legs as he attempted to push Jake back.
Jake, who had yet to move, just yawned dramatically and sat down "I can see that" he said, whiskers twitching.
Tiny opened his mouth to challenge his boldness, then snapped it shut as he scented something new. Another cat . . .
He dropped to all fours once more, and turned his head this way and that, trying to pick up where the scent was coming from. Jake, picking up something was wrong, also tasted the air, only for his head to snap around in a specific direction; behind them.
It took Tiny a second to realise what he was looking at; the cat's black patches blended in with the shadows so well. But it was the white part of his coat that eventually revealed him; a huge black and white tom with bright green eyes, staring out at the two of them.
"Hello" Jake said, friendly but cautious "I didn't see you there."
"I didn't know there were other Housecats here" Tiny piped up, seeing the blue collar wrapped around the huge toms neck. Jake shot him a warning look, to his surprise. "What, is that supposed to be a secret?" He whispered, but the ginger tom just shook his head and moved to block Tiny's view, to his annoyance.
He couldn't see the cat anymore, but he could hear him, the sound of his paws against the hard ground as he neared them. Jake's fur spiked up, making him appear even bigger than he already was. He jumped when he heard the other cat speak, much closer than he had been expecting "my name" he rumbled "is Bone. And this is my territory."
Tiny blinked, confused. "But you're a Housecat?" He said, kneading the ground with his paws.
The other tom hissed, and Jake made a sudden move, jolting forwards slightly as his ears tucked tight against the back of his head. "I am not Housecat" he spat, and finally he moved around Jake so that Tiny could see him; a huge hulking tom with a smooth coat stretched tight over muscles. "My name is Bone, and you are trespassing on my land."
"I thought this place belonged to Housefolk?" Tiny mumbled to himself, quiet.
But not quiet enough. Bone whipped around and batted Tiny, claws sheathed and light. He still let out a yowl of shock, landing on his back, before struggling quickly back to his feet, back arched as he backed away as quickly as he could. Not again, not again, stupid, stupid.
A ginger paw scooped him up, and he panicked, trying to squirm his way out until he was dumped unceremoniously before a bristling Jake. The ginger cat looked down at him for a moment, assessing, making sure he was alright, before he looked back up at Bone.
"Okay then" Jake said, calm, before raking his claws down Bone's muzzle.
Tiny let out a hiss, shocked, as Bone reared back, blood staining his silky white coat. Immediately unsheathing his claws, he swung at Jake, to Tiny's horror. They didn't pierce flesh, instead getting caught in Jake's long fur. Bone growled and ripped out a chunk of it, causing Jake to yowl and Tiny to shriek as he pinned his friend to the floor.
Blood welling up from where Bone's claws were digging into him, Jake spat up at the tom, furious, but Tiny could see the fear there as well. He saw it because he had been in this situation before. The terror, the shame . . His claws tried to dig into the ground but it was too hard.
The terror from watching the fight, his helplessness at the world around him . . . all of it was replaced from a warm feeling, an uncomfortably warm feeling; fire had made it's way into his veins.
He never wanted to see anybody that scared ever again. He never wanted to be that scared ever again.
Tiny leaped, pouncing on Bone's back, small, stubby claws digging into his skin. Startled, he blinked and shook the small kit off without a second thought-he was too light to do any actual damage, but it gave Jake the opportunity to kick the tom off of him and dazed, Bone was sent stumbling back.
He almost thought Jake was going to attack him now that he was caught of guard but he didn't. Instead he quickly picked up Tiny and ran back the direction they had come from, leaving Bone, and their meal, behind.
Jake's fur didn't lie flat even after they reached the path, and Bone was out of sight, nor did he loosen his grip on Tiny's scruff. He tried kicking his back paws, to encourage the tom to set him down, but he did no such thing, and eventually Tiny admitted defeat, slumping over.
So he was, understandably, caught off guard when Jake dropped him unceremoniously beside a thorn bush and whirled on him, furious. "What was that?!" He spat, back arching. Tiny stared up at him, eyes wide "you shouldn't have jumped in like that" he continued, not letting Tiny say anything "you could have been injured!"
"So could you!" Tiny shot back, looking at the missing clump of fur on Jake's shoulder.
"I can handle myself, you know."
"Oh, is that what 'handling it' looks like?" He fired back, annoyed by the entire conversation "he was going to kill you! I wasn't just going to let that happen!" The fire from the fight still roared in his ears, making him rock back and forth on his toes, almost drowning out the hunger pangs from not having eaten since that morning.
Jake looked like he was going to say something, but then just shook his head and stomped off. Tiny watched him go for a couple of minutes, before scurrying on after him, making sure to stay behind him. Ungrateful oaf, he thought, pelt spiked up in irritation.
The houses had given away to grass- long and stretching high above Tiny's head, nothing like the grass back in the Housefolk Place, or even the forest-before Jake said anything again. "I am grateful, you know" he commented, shouldering through the stems, leaving a path for Tiny to follow "what you did was very brave."
Brave! Tiny felt a small thrill run through his body. Nobody had ever called Tiny brave before. IfRuby and Socks could see me now. "Thank you" is what he says in return, unsure of what else to say.
"I mean it" Jake turned so that they were face to face "risking your life to save someone else; it's the kind of thing a clan cat would do. You should be proud."
Tiny tried to nod as solemnly as possible as his pelt warms, the fire from earlier a small ember now. "I made myself promise to be brave, and Mama always said to keep your promises" he squeaks. He doesn't know how to mention how scared he had been when he was the one being attacked, in the forest, without sounding like a huge baby, and that was the other half of his promise so he just keeps silent.
Jake looks prouder of him than Tiny himself, and he bends down to touch his nose very quickly before turning and bounding away, hopefully towards some food, and as he races to keep up, Tiny wonders why he took being compared to a clan cat as a compliment .
The hunger is starting to get to Tiny now-making him drag his paws and slow down. Jake is sympathetic, but still insists they must keep going. "Talltail will make sure you don't starve" he had assured him. "He isn't fond of kits dying on him."
Tiny eyed a bird that was on a tree, beside the dirt path they were now travelling down. "Don't clan cats catch their food?" He asked.
Jake looked at him from the corner of his eyes before responding "yes, they do, but we're entering clan territories now, and it would be best not to antagonise the cats who will be taking you in."
"Might be taking me in" Tiny corrected absently "I'm still not sure about all this." Although it did seem like a waste to come this far and just turn back, and for what? A life like Bone's? Then what Jake actually said registered "wait, antagonise? I thought you said they were nice."
The tom's tail flicked impatiently. "Not all clan cats are evil, you know" he snapped "they're cats, like you or me. Some are good, and some are bad. But having two" he rolled his eyes skyward "Kittypets steal their food will not help us at all."
Tiny grumbled, but kept walking. He could see the forest getting closer with every pawstep he took, and the smells were starting to overwhelm him. The air was so . . . fresh out here, so clean. While he wasn't exactly aching to enter the forest, the faint smell of pine made something in him relax, remembering the pine tree one of Mama's neighbours had had.
The sound of water made him turn his head to see what could only be a river, and he actually faltered a little. The biggest body of water he had been before today was a puddle. It's huge! He thought, eyeing the long, winding water path in awe. And so pretty , he added when he saw the way it sparkled, even in this slightly damp weather.
They actually got to cross the river, as the path went over it, and Tiny got to see how deep it was; like a wound in the earth itself had been filled with water. I'm seeing things that Ruby and Socks never will , he realised, tail flicking excitedly.
After crossing, Jake veered sharply to the left, going off the path in favour of the grass. Surprised at the sudden change, Tiny hurried after him, pausing when he caught the smell of cats. They smelt of stone and grass, sharp enough to make his nose twitch before carrying on. A lot of cats had been here, he realised, with nervousness beginning to settle into him again.
He had thought they were going to go further, but after walking for just a few minutes more, Jake stopped and sat down. Tiny gave him a bewildered glance. "Talltail told me they have cats patrolling their borders" he explained, stretching out his front paws "won't take them that long to find us."
That's what I'm worried about , Tiny bit his tongue to keep saying, remembering Jake's words about how each clan cat was different, just like they were. The encounter with Bone sat heavy in his mind, reminding him that even Housecats were capable of violence. And Jake has yet to steer me wrong , he told himself, willing his fur to settle back down.
He tried to distract himself from his rising trepidation, looking around the area that apparently belonged to Windclan. It was quiet here, much quieter than back in the Housefolk Place, and he was able to hear the sound the wind makes when it runs through the tall grass; a soft whoosh-whoosh sound that reminded him of his mother's tongue.
It almost made him forget that, like with Bone and Tigerpaw, he was trespassing onto some dangerous cat's territory. He gave Jake another glance, but he was just calmly grooming himself, like it's going to do much , Tiny noted, taking in Jake's fluff. He couldn't imagine having That Much Fur.
The sound of pawsteps rushing towards them made Jake look up from his paw, and Tiny wished that the mean tom who lived next to his Mama had taught him some of those curses.
Thankfully, it wasn't a full-grown cat that came running up to him, but a young she-cat, not much older than Tiny was. She skidded to a stop in front of them, green eyes wide as she took in the two strange cats with collars, one of which had a dog's tooth dug into it.
"Um" Tiny said eloquently, looking up at Jake, who seemed just as surprised by the sight of the silver tabby.
"Runningpaw!" Another silver cat, this one a tom, and significantly older, came into view. He didn't even seem to notice the two at first, focused on scolding the younger cat, Runningpaw. "What have I told you about running off?"
Runningpaw looked cowed, paws shuffling under the older cat's ire. Something in Tiny relaxed at seeing the she-cat react so similarly to how he or his siblings would have under their mother's scoldings.
"Hello!" Jake said, rising to his paws.
The tom barely spared him a glance, just a quick glare and a growled "you're on our territory. Leave, Kittypet." Tiny blinked, having only heard Jake use that term before.
"But Tornear, look, he has a dog's tooth in his collar!" Runningpaw whispered loudly, nodding at Tiny. Oh. He hadn't considered it, but he supposed the tooth did look kind of cool, even if it did make it hard to breath.
Tornear squinted his eyes at Tiny, who shifted, uncomfortable. "Where did you get that?"
"He picked it up after I shoved a dog onto the Thunderpath for trying to eat him" Jake said, cheerful.
Tiny glanced over at him. Thunderpath? What?
Tornear stared . "What." He said.
Jake carried on as if he hadn't heard him "anyways, we're here to talk to Talltail."
"What " he repeated, with great feeling.
"Oh, do you mean Tallstar?" Runningpaw piped up from beside Tornear. "Why do you wanna meet him?"
Jake's eyes widened "he's leader now?" He purred, looking thrilled. "That's great!" Leader?
Tornear paused, and Tiny felt a brief flicker of sympathy for the guy. This was probably not how he saw his day going. "If you want us to leave, we can leave" he said quickly, and Jake gave him a warning look.
"We're not leaving; we had a deal" then he turned back to the two Windclan cats "we need to speak to-Tall star " he meowed, earnest "and we're not leaving until that happens." Then, as if to prove a point, he sat down.
Tiny stared at him in horror, before turning back to the stunned cats. These were trained, wild, cats. There was no way he could take them if they decided to attack them both. While the two had their gazes fixed on Jake, he carefully unsheathed his claws. That doesn't mean I can't try. The idea of trying to take them on was incredibly unappealing, but I owe it to Jake.
After a pause that seemed to drag on forever, Tornear turned to his younger friend. "Runningpaw" he sighed "go to camp and tell Tallstar there are some Kittypets who want to talk to him." She gave them one last curious glance before bolting away, and Tiny watched her go, impressed by how fast she was moving, a grey blur.
There was no conversation between the three. Tiny snuck glances at Tornear when he thought he wasn't watching. He seemed grumpy, but at least he wasn't attacking them, which is more than he could say for Tigerpaw and Bone.
He wondered why Tigerpaw and Runningpaw both had 'paw' in their name. Was it a clan thing?
He wondered why Tornear was called Tornear when his ears were intact. Would it be rude to ask? It felt kind of rude.
. . . well now he actually wanted Tallstar to show up, just so that this awkward silence would be gone and he could get it over with.
At least, that's what he thought, until Runningpaw came back, with a black and white cat lopping along beside her. Tornear turned to acknowledge the newcomer, as did Jake, rising back to his paws with a voice so warm that Tiny half thought he had lived up to his coat colour and burst into flames.
The tom, a lanky, short furred black and white cat, had the same awe-struck expression on his face. "Jake?" He meowed, eyes wide.
Beside him, Jake trembled. "Hello Tallstar" he said, "we need to talk."