Hullo! It's me again, after another week. ^^

I believe this is one of my longest chapters so far. I hope you'll enjoy it! You get to meet a bunch of other characters in this one.

Nightbird1648: It's fine! ^^ I use that same reason for not updating much more often than I should... Hummingbirds are cute! :3 By the way, do you mind if I call you Nightbird in review replies from now on for simplicity's sake? If you want a different nickname that'll be fine, just let me know!

QLKwriter: Haha, Raven Hood is going to keep her feather on her ear. I feel like having it on her paw would get in the way too much! I'm sorry about the birds, though, do you have a bird feeder or something right outside your window?

Lady Sticks: I'm just starting out, but it'll definitely get more chapters as I continue! ^^ Here's another one, I hope you enjoy it!

Silverkitty16: That's funny! Where did your phone freeze? XD Larks are wonderful, I agree! It also makes for a pretty name :) Is it okay if I call you SK in review replies from now on for simplicity's sake? I'm guessing it's okay since you signed your review with that but if not, just let me know what you'd prefer and I'll go with that!

Shadows of Weeping Wolves: I actually first came up with Ravenkit with the name of Raven, so it was more work for me to adjust to Ivykit than Ravenkit. XD By the way, do you mind if I call you SOWW in review replies from now on for simplicity's sake? Since you sign your reviews with that I'm guessing it's okay, but if you'd prefer something different just let me know! ^^

ShadowHawk540-2: Oh wow, that's really cool! I'd heard of the Peregrine falcon before but I didn't know it could go that fast! And by the way, is it okay if I call you Shadow or ShadowHawk in review replies from now on for simplicity's sake? If you'd prefer one or the other or something else just let me know!

Willowdream of ForestClan: Yeah, I love the name Raven too! ^^ I also really like Rowan, though I guess since he didn't change his name he doesn't get as much special attention. My cat actually could catch blue jays when she was younger, which is pretty cool except for those times when she'd bring them into the basement with her... XD Oh, and also, do you mind if I call you Willow in review replies from now on for simplicity's sake? I'm guessing you won't care since it's basically your name on DA, but I thought I'd ask just to make sure.

Leopardstar2002: Yeah, I loved writing about Shaq. I imagined him as having the same eyes as Owl Eyes. ^^ By the way, do you mind if I call you Leopardstar in review replies from now on for simplicity's sake? If you want a different nickname or anything, just let me know!

Inkblot. Leaf: Thanks! :) I agree, kingfishers and robins are beautiful! Do you remember the art trade we did a little while back where I asked you to draw a certain Royce and Asteria? ^^ Well, they finally make an appearance in this chapter! I hope you enjoy reading about them! Also, do you mind if I call you Leafy in review replies for simplicity's sake? Your current name seems to disappear like urls tend to do and I call you Leafy anyhow on DA, but I thought I'd ask first to make sure you didn't overlook the review reply or something.

I caught up to Rowankit just past the entrance, almost running straight into his hindquarters as he stumbled to a halt as though he'd just hit a dead end, his jaws hanging wide open. My imitation of one of Thalia's favorite sayings, "Keep your mouth shut unless you want a bug to fly in!" died in my throat as I glanced over his shoulder and saw what had stunned him.

Cats.

Rowankit and I had only ever seen a group of about six or seven in one place, max. The Enclave swarmed with at least twice that many. I stared wide-eyed as they walked through the central area, lounged inside or on top of broken-down Twoleg dens, and slunk into and out of shadowy alleyways. Eying those atop the dens, I wondered if they were watching for approaching dogs. The entire area carried a mixed reek containing something like crowfood, mildew, and something charred, like a Twoleg had lit a fire nearby. Thalia told us never to go near a fire if we liked having whiskers.

After absentmindedly reaching up to paw at my fully intact whiskers, I broke out of my reverie. "Come on!" I urged Rowankit, nosing him hard in the side. "Let's explore!"

But even as I lunged forward, excitement and anticipation propelling me into a dash, Rowankit murmured, "I don't know… A lot of these cats look pretty nasty. Maybe Thalia was right."

I stared at him incredulously. "Who was telling me only yesterday I needed to be more impulsive?"

Rowankit sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. Okay, fine." He followed me as I bounded forward again, heading for the largest of the Twoleg dens, thankful that Rowankit's strange impressions had dissolved so easily. I for one thought the cats looked perfectly fine. Why would they hurt kits, anyway?

Two toms lay enjoying the late morning sunlight as I slowed to a walk outside the den. One, a fluffy silver tabby, lifted his head as we approached, staring at us through angular, yellow eyes. "What are kits like you doing here?" he growled. "Shouldn't you be with your mother?"

I glanced sideways at Rowankit, suddenly nervous. Should I tell this cat we were abandoned? But that seemed a little personal to tell a stranger. Maybe Rowankit was right; we shouldn't have come to this unfriendly place. But the tom stared harder at me, pinning me with those unnervingly yellow eyes and the easiest thing to say was the truth so I blurted out, "We don't have a mother."

The tom huffed, turning away. "Orphans," he muttered. "Don't expect pity from me; most here are parentless."

"No!" I stammered. "I—I mean, I'm sure you might be an orphan—or even if you yourself aren't, but other cats…" I took a deep breath. "Our mother might still be alive. We don't know. She… she left us."

The tom nodded almost unconsciously. "Yeah, that happens a lot too. Most everyone here's parentless." He gazed hard between Rowankit and me. "You two stick together," he warned. "Siblings are your closest ally in this world. My brother," he nodded at the roof, "he and I guard each other's backs. We're a team." He gazed at us and I noticed a little warmth seemed to have entered his previously suspicious eyes. "I'm Wasco," he meowed. "I don't believe I ever learned your names?"

"I'm Ravenkit," I said proudly, lifting my chin. Ivykit was a thing of the past. I was Ravenkit now!

"I'm Rowankit," Rowankit added, appearing to find his voice again. I glanced over at him and saw, to my relief, he was starting to relax. He nodded at the grungy, scraggly-furred tom above Wasco, whose dappled gray fur was barely discernable under a layer of filth. "Who's that?"

Wasco glanced up at him. "Oh, that's Bug," he said dismissively.

I snorted into my fur. "Bug?"

Rowankit knocked his shoulder into mine. "Don't make fun of other cats' names!" he hissed. "It's rude!"

I know! I got that lecture too! I wanted to retort, but Wasco was speaking again.

"It's not his real name," he assured me. "No mother would be cruel enough to name her kit something like that. We just call him Bug because we don't know his real name."

"Can't we just ask him?" I reasoned. "I'd certainly want to be called something other than Bug! Even I didn't want to say my real name!"

"We could ask him, sure," Wasco meowed. "He just wouldn't answer. He got his tongue cut out, see? Show them, Bug." Bug, who had apparently been listening to our conversation, wearily stretched open his jaws, revealing a set of broken teeth and the scarred stump of a tongue. I shivered at the sight, rubbing my own tongue against the roof of my mouth. I couldn't imagine life without it.

"But… why Bug?" I insisted. "Why not a nicer name?"

"Because he's weirdly attracted to light," Wasco chortled, grinning up at Bug.

A soft pattering of pawsteps on the roof drew my ears upward, closely followed by my eyes. Another dark silver tom, identical in every way to Wasco, leaped down almost on top of me. I scrambled backward, almost tripping over my long, fluffy tail, backing behind Rowankit.

The new tom looked us over with a cold, level stare. Glancing up at him, I saw that, unlike Wasco, his yellow irises were separated from his pupils by a ring of green.

"Oh, hullo Rimfaxe," Wasco purred, smiling widely. "This is Rimfaxe, you two," he added to Rowankit and me, "my brother." He turned back to Rimfaxe. "Is it time to head on out?"

Rimfaxe glanced toward Wasco, pointedly turning his tail on us. "Yes," he murmured, barely loud enough to be heard.

As Wasco rose, shaking out his thick fur, Rowankit stepped forward. "I thought… well," he meowed, glancing at the ground as Rimfaxe's cold glare turned on him once more. He trailed off into mumbles.

"Sorry, what was that?" Wasco asked, coming up beside his brother.

"Um, I was hoping you'd maybe, you know," Rowankit tried again, glancing up from under his eyebrows. "Show us around?" he finished, trailing off hopefully.

Rimfaxe's face darkened. Shooting a glare at Wasco, he hissed softly, "What have I told you about associating with outsiders?"

Wasco scuffed a paw on the ground. "They're kits!" he defended himself. "They won't stay long!"

Huffing angrily, Rimfaxe shot us one last window-shattering stare before stalking off, tail twitching. Wasco gave us a sympathetic glance and whispered, "Royce can show you around. Hang on." He pelted after Rimfaxe.

Rowankit and I looked at each other, his confused expression mirroring mine. "Who's—"

But I cut him off, nodding ahead. "Look!" Wasco had skidded to a halt next to an orange tabby Turkish Van. It might have just been that he was standing beside rather malnourished Wasco, but the tabby looked rather plump.

Wasco flicked his tail in our direction, talking earnestly to the tom. He turned his wide face toward us, blinked a few times, then nodded. Wasco grinned, nodded once, and darted once more after his brother's retreating back. The tom, however, padded toward us, his middle swaying from side to side with each step. I couldn't help but stare—no Twolegplace cat was fat. We all had so little food, it was considered normal to have ribs showing.

"Hello, kits!" the tom purred as he drew close, blinking amber eyes at us. "I'm Royce. Wasco asked me to show you around."

I couldn't help but notice his smell—that of something pungent and slightly salty. I tried to refrain myself from wrinkling my nose, as he was close enough to notice and it might be rude. "I'm Ravenkit," I meowed, trying not to stare at his round belly, as that might be rude too. Where did he get his food? Maybe he ate crowfood Monsters left behind. It would certainly explain the weird smell, though the odors weren't quite the same.

"I'm Rowankit," Rowankit echoed vacantly, apparently as mesmerized by the sheer vastness of Royce as me.

Royce's grin widened. He turned to look over his shoulder at Bug, who still lay draped over the box in the sunlight. He appeared to have gone back to sleep. "You've met Bug?" he asked. Rowankit and I nodded. "Then I guess we can move on from here. Come on, I'll take you to meet our leaders."

I glanced nervously at Rowankit. The leaders?

"Nothing to fuss about," Royce called over his shoulder. "Marmalade and Pixie aren't that grumpy. Usually."

Rowankit shrugged. "At least we get to see more of this place," he whispered.

I snorted. "Finally come round again?" I retorted.

"Hey, I just didn't want to see you hurt again!" Rowankit defended himself. "It was enough almost watching you fall to your death because of one of my stupid plans!" He bounded ahead to walk beside Royce. As he departed, I caught a glimpse of his eyes, bright with what was most likely rage, though it could also have been something else.

I stayed behind, gazing at my brother's agitatedly swishing tail. I never would have thought he'd feel guilty about my fall. It was me who lost my footing, right? Absentmindedly, I batted a paw at my raven's feather. Again, the question flew across my mind: Why did it save me?

"We're here!" Royce announced. I blinked at the den. It was certainly most fit for a couple of leaders. Though by far not the largest, it was the most stable, built with faded bricks and not-yet-crumbly in-between stuff. The roof appeared mostly intact, and while it would block out much of the sunlight, it would also provide the most shelter from the rain. It was definitely the least decrepit out of all the dens.

Royce waddled to its entrance and called, "Marmalade! Pixie!"

A wordless yowl sounded from within. I shrank against Rowankit, my fur on end. Did these leaders want guests at the moment? Maybe we should meet some other cats and come back later.

"We can go in," Royce assured us cheerfully. "Follow me!" He led the way into the interior, striped tail held high. With one last nervous glance at Rowankit, I followed.

Despite the outward appearance, the interior was just as damp, smelly, and mildewy as the other dens, probably because of the lack of sunlight. I wrinkled my nose at the stench and squinted, trying to make my eyes adjust faster to the dim light. They refused, though, and I could only make out the vague outline of the giant, blackened structure in the middle and the two elderly cats in front, stretched out luxuriously on a nest of yellowing grass.

The she-cat looked up from grooming her still-fluffy white fur. "Who are you?" she growled. The large, ginger tom rolled onto his back and didn't pay us any attention.

"This is Ravenkit and Rowankit," Royce meowed loudly, touching his tail-tip to the tops of our heads in turn. I blinked at the familiarity and ducked away, edging closer to Rowankit. I'd just met him, why was he trying to touch us? "They're here—"

"Aha, Clan kits, eh?" the she-cat rasped. She scrambled toward us, claws gripping the floor for support. "Have you two heard of Yellowpaw and Raggedpelt?" she asked, shoving her face into mine.

I tried to shake my head no, but her death glare pinned me in place. I remained crouched, ears flattened against my skull, trying to hide from that powerful, murderous stare.

"Pixie!" the tom called sharply from the grassy nest. "Stop terrifying the kits!"

Pixie growled under her breath, but stalked back to his side anyway. "I hated those two," she muttered, slouching next to him. "Who did they think they were, coming in here all bossy like?" She put on a high-pitched imitation voice. "Oh Pixie, we just want to ask a few questions. Oh Pixie, we're from ShadowClan. Oh Pixie, we're better than you!" She broke off, returning to her normal growl. "Puhleeze."

The tom rolled onto his belly and looked us over. "I'm Marmalade," he meowed shortly. "This is Pixie, my mate and co-leader. If you have a problem with the way things are run around here, come talk to us. Otherwise leave us alone." He turned his back, curling into a ball of ginger fur. Pixie, after one last annoyed glare, did the same.

"That's our cue to leave," Royce whispered loudly. He seemed to naturally raise his voice, as though he thought everyone around him was half deaf. Only I knew for sure I wasn't half deaf, and Rowankit had the best hearing of anyone I knew. But I didn't mention anything as Royce beckoned with his tail and led the way outside again.

Once we were back in the sunhigh light, he added, "Well, that went about as well as I could've hoped." Upon seeing my expression he added, "Marmalade's okay, but I think Pixie might have gone a little loopy with age." He rolled his eyes a couple times to illustrate his point, then grinned again. "So what next?"

Rowankit and I glanced at each other. "Let's—" I began, but Rowankit cut me off. "Let's go meet other cats!" I glared at him; I'd wanted to climb a den like Rimfaxe. But then again, Rowankit probably wouldn't let me climb anything for moons after my fall. Sighing in annoyance, I didn't argue.

"All right then!" Royce exclaimed, glancing around. "How about I introduce you to Shadow?"

"Sh… Shadow?" I asked nervously. "She doesn't sound too nice."

"Well, her real name's Asteria," Royce confessed, leading the way across the open space again. "Everyone just calls her Shadow because that's literally what she is. A shadow."

Rowankit and I glanced at each other. Rowankit shrugged as if to say, Oh well, and bounded after Royce. After a heartbeat, I followed, coming up beside Royce and dodging his middle before settling into an easy stride beside him.

"Hey Royce?"

"Yeah?" He glanced down at me with a fatherly sort of expression. I glanced down momentarily, shivering inwardly a little. He was nice and all but I really didn't want him to be my father. I'd much prefer to find my real father. But pushing that aside, I remembered my question and looked back up at him.

"Marmalade said he 'ran things' around here. But what exactly is that like? I thought the rule of the Twolegplace was every cat for themselves?"

Royce nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Yeah, that is the general rule for cats like us. But this place is different, see. It's peaceful here. It's a place where we can come and know we can be safe. Many of us make our dens here and wander elsewhere during the day. Some of us come to socialize in the day and sleep elsewhere." He shrugged. "It's a loose sort of group. The one rule is no violence allowed, which is good for, say for instance, sleeping safely at night, but it leaves a lot of wiggle room. Many of us refuse to trust the other members of the Enclave. We can steal prey, insult each other, splatter dirt on each other's fur, even push other cats off the dens if we can make it look like an accident."

I shivered, remembering with stark clarity my tumble yesterday. Suddenly I was glad Rowankit suggested meeting other cats.

Royce paused outside a smaller den. "We're here!" he meowed excitedly. He glanced inside the entrance and his face suddenly fell. Pressing his lips together, he turned back toward us and meowed quickly, "Maybe now isn't the best time, though. We can come back later."

"Why?" I glanced between his legs at the shadowy interior. I wondered if Shadow, or Asteria, or whatever her name was was inside. After hearing Royce talk about her I was interested to meet her. Why tell me enough about a cat to spike my curiosity, then turn around and whisk me away again?

Royce glanced into the den again, lowering his voice. Rowankit and I leaned closer to hear as he muttered, "Her sister's here."

"Well we can just meet her sister too, then, can't we?" I argued.

"No, you don't understand, you're too young." He gave us a pained look, pressing his lips together again. "She's a munchkin."

"What's a munchkin?"

"Well, see—" Royce paused, fixing his unfocused eyes above my head, trying to think of the right words. "They're… they're not like the rest of us. Their legs are oddly short, so they can't walk or jump or anything like the rest of us."

"What?" Rowankit looked horrified. "How terrible!" he meowed, aghast. "Imagine not being able to walk properly?"

"They're fit for rooting around inside spilled Twoleg rubbish," Royce nodded. "They can't get to anything else. We, as real cats, can catch real prey and find the best Twoleg rubbish to eat, before the cans topple over and spill whatever's left onto the ground."

I peered back around Royce's front leg, shivering to myself. Munchkins sounded revolting. I bet they stank worse than Royce if they dug around in rubbish piles all day.

My eyes detected a flicker of movement amongst the shadows and I shrank backward, my haunches pressing against Rowankit's hind leg, my fur sticking up in a ridge along my spine. Out of the den walked a cat, or at least, she was a cat from the belly up, as there really wasn't much underneath.

She looked full-grown if I narrowed my eyes so I couldn't see her legs, but it was difficult even to see that, as her eyes were disconcertingly close to the ground, almost on a level with my own. Her black fur was covered in patches of white, one blanketing her right eye, which was pale blue in color, while her other was dark brown.

Her mismatched eyes lit up when she saw Rowankit and me. "Kits!" she exclaimed, bounding forward, her stubby legs pressing against the ground with each leap. I wondered if she even had knees; she looked like she was limping with all four legs.

Rowankit and I shrank away, pressing nervously against Royce's furry side. At the sight of our wide eyes and bushed-up tails, the she-cat stopped dead, her expression transforming to confusion, then anger, then sadness in a matter of heartbeats. "So you've corrupted another couple minds," she muttered, glaring at Royce. He stared back levelly, his expression coolly disinterested. With an angry huff, she stalked away.

A voice sounded from inside the den. "I see you've met Seneca." I glanced back toward the den to see a second she-cat, this one thankfully with normal-sized legs, standing to one side of the doorway, half of her body covered in shadow. From what I could see of her, she was black with white flecks around her eyes and a pointed chin. Gazing levelly at us through her pale, almost colorless eyes, she continued, "I hope you won't judge me by that half-cat's impression."

You're not much of a full-sized cat yourself, I thought, noticing her shorter stature. From what I could see, the tips of her ears reached to only just past Royce's chin.

"Not at all," Royce assured her. "This," he added, "is Rowankit and Ravenkit. Kits, this is Shadow."

Shadow rolled her eyes, glaring at Royce. "Oh, please. Not this again." She glanced at us, sweeping her tail from side to side. "I'm actually Asteria. Royce just calls me Shadow to be annoying."

"But, babe, it suits you so well!" Royce protested, leaning forward to press his muzzle against hers.

Asteria avoided his approach with deft ease and continued addressing us. "If I were you, I'd stay away from Seneca. In fact," she took a couple steps backward, "I'd recommend staying away from here altogether. I don't appreciate visitors." A heartbeat later, she'd vanished into a shadowy corner.

Rowankit blinked. "Well. Um, she's… nice? I guess?"

Royce gazed after Asteria with a rather dreamy expression. "I know," he sighed. "She's really sweet if you get to know her."

I'm sure, I thought sarcastically, remembering her almost bored avoidance of Royce's affection, as though she did it fairly regularly.

"So, where to next?" Royce asked, blinking happily.

Rowankit leaped up onto his hind paws. "Food!" he cried jubilantly. Then, dropping back onto all fours, he added in a softer tone, "That is, if there's any available."

I rolled my eyes and decided not to mention he'd just picked what we were doing twice in a row. I'd make sure to let him know later, so I'd get two turns at a game later. Even though I'd probably have picked food, too; my belly rumbled loudly just thinking about it.

Royce's eyes gleamed. "I know just the place," he purred excitedly. "Follow—"

"Hold up," a voice growled from inside the den. Asteria leaped down from a stack of boxes right next to the entryway and stalked out into the sunlight. Casting a warning glance at Royce, she turned to Rowankit and me. "Don't go with him. He'll just take you to the fish shop."

"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a bit of fish!" Royce protested good-naturedly.

"Uh huh." Asteria glanced at his wide middle. "Sure." She beckoned to us. "I can get you some real food."

I glanced at Royce, unsure if following Asteria would make him feel left out. I certainly didn't want to eat fish if it smelled the same as his fur, but at the same time I was reluctant to leave him. He'd been a good tour guide.

Royce smiled encouragingly as he saw my uncertain expression, nodding at Asteria's retreating hindquarters. "Go on," he meowed. "Spend some time with Shadow." He winked. "You might even see her sweeter side while you're out there."

I half smiled. "Thanks. For… you know."

"I know." He nosed me gently. "Now get going. Shadow and Rowankit are getting away."

I glanced ahead and saw he was right; Rowankit's dark ginger tabby fur had almost vanished around the side of a Twoleg den. Without another word, I tore after them.

*stretches and yawns* I gave up an afternoon of doing homework today, which likely means I'll be taking my textbook to school with me tomorrow to do homework in the breaks between classes, but I think it was worth it. I really enjoyed writing this chapter and have been looking forward to writing all week! I won't be able to write again this weekend though, sadly, because I'm going on a retreat with my church to the beach, which should be fun even if I can't write. ^^ I'll most likely post another chapter next week, though if you don't see it midweek it'll go up on the weekend.

Thanks for reading! It means a lot :)

AOTC: I really like mourning doves. It's a comfort thing, I think, because when I was little I'd wake up and lie in bed on the weekends listening to the mourning doves out back. I tend to sleep in too late nowadays to hear them, but when I do it brightens my day. :)

QOTC: I thought I'd ask this after the semi-character spam this chapter. ^^; Which character is your favorite so far?