Chapter 62: Personal Desires
I woke to an empty nest, not like I was sharing it anymore. It was like an awful taste in my mouth. I padded out of the den mostly ignoring the feeling. Ravenfeather was waiting out there for me, but he still couldn't meet my eyes. Maybe he just needed some space. I've been tying myself down catering to my friends' feelings, and now they didn't want my attention. Maybe it was time I did something just for me. That's what I decided. Today, I'd do something for me. I wouldn't consider what my friends and mate wanted. To do this, I needed someone to look after Ashpaw today. Ravenfeather also needed something to take his mind off our fight.
"Can you take Ashpaw out today?" I asked Ravenfeather simply.
"Sure, but what are you up to?" He asked tensely.
"That doesn't concern you. I just need a day to myself." I slightly growled.
I still hadn't quite forgiven him for being mad at me for something I couldn't understand. Whatever. Today wasn't about him. I was doing what I wanted, and the thing that irked me the most since joining the clan was my lack of information. The isolationism the clans enforced cut off all interesting tidbits I usually heard from the far corners of the city. Sure, there was gossip to be had at the Gatherings, but they were too infrequent, and I wasn't always guaranteed to attend. Since today was about me, I decided that I would not be bound to the clan's rules, if only just for today.
I stalked off into the forest, intent on visiting the city. Hattie would be my first stop. It didn't take long for me to find Fireheart's old home. Thankfully, Hattie was already outside. Though, she didn't look as happy as I expected. Something was worrying her. If she was to act as my main informant, it wouldn't do for her to feel threatened.
"Hey Hattie. It's me, Smudge. I was hoping to get an update on the current goings on in the city. You don't look so hot. Something going on?" I mewed at the young moly.
"Smudge! You can't be here! Bloodclan has taken over the territory. There are Bloodclan patrols passing through the area all the time. It's terrifying… and I'm worried. Just a couple days ago, a molly named Trixie was snagged up by them. She was a kittypet, and they just catnapped her. She was one of my girls, the one who kept tabs on what the twolegs by the vet were up to. We're all just trapped in our yards hoping that no cat decides we're interesting enough to steal away. Henry… he's gone. I saw it when it happened. One of those cats didn't like how many mollies he was seeing. They killed him…. And… and…" She sobbed.
"Calm down. I will handle this. Just tell me which way is the Bloodclan camp, and you'll soon have your freedom." I calmly answered.
"No! You can't!" She frantically cried. My eyes met hers, forcing my steely calm upon her. He let out a few more choked sobs, but ultimately, she gave in. "They have a base not too far from here. It's the old alley where Bark and Scratch used to meet. I think I heard Scourge would be there today."
It was on familiar territory. That would be a huge boon for me. I still remembered the rarely used walkways and sections were jumping from roof to roof was viable. I managed to get there unmolested. Sure enough, there was a large congregation of cats there. In the back corner, I saw what was obviously a kittypet forced into the rogue life. Her pink collar still sit snuggly on her neck, and she had the posture of a cat consumed by terror. That must have been Trixie. I could probably sneak her out. A section of the brickwork back there was crumbly enough to just dig through and end up in an abandoned home's yard, but that wouldn't solve the issue. I decided to just watch for a few moments, so I could get a read on how these cats operated.
It didn't take long for an argument to break out among some of the cats. Then, a cat of surprisingly small stature gestured for silence. Every cat fell in line with his motion. His voice was cold as he ordered. "Blood will settle this. Fight for it."
The cats swiftly formed a ring with the two who started the argument in the center. They slowly paced around each other until something broke the tension. The brawl was swift and fierce. These cats were definitely lacking in training, but they made up for it in sure bloodthirstiness. Finally, one struck the other hard. His head hit the ground with a crack, and he moved no further. I did not know if he was dead or just unconscious, but that seemed to have satisfied the small yet commanding tom.
"Very good. You've won your argument, and you've entertained our watcher." The small tom who I could only assume was Scourge mewed, flicking his eyes up at me. The coldness within them sent familiar lances of cold within my own bones. Those eyes weren't of a madman. They were exact, calculating, inhumanly logical. They were eyes I once bore, and this cat wore them well.
The cats below bristled, realizing they had been spied upon. Instead of retreating or responding in kind, I just calmly leaped down meeting Scourge's eyes without flinching.
"Tell me stranger. Who are you and what do you want?" He mewed in a mechanical monotone.
"My name is Smudgefoot. I've come here on behalf of Hattie. Your cats have been holding up her information network and even catnapped one of her valuable informants. Normally I wouldn't care, but I still require that information to monitor the current goings on in the city. I am here to request you release the one known as Trixie as well as ignore the comings and goings of Hattie's cats." I replied in a direct and commanding tone.
"And what do I get in return?" He asked with a tone that scarcely implied amusement.
"If Hattie's cats are able to do their job, you've got an unbiased network of cats willing to tell you about the other factions of the city. Sure, they'll have to be paid, but they won't be identified as Bloodclan, so information will come easier." I replied carefully.
He actually seemed to be taking my proposal into consideration before giving a response. "Your proposal interests me, but you've got to prove you want it. Tell you what. If you manage to entertain me in a spar, I'll so as you asked." He replied in a tone that chilled me to the core.
It appeared I wasn't the only one intimidated by Scourge's reply, but I choked down that fear and gave him all the answer he needed with a slightly feral grin as I sunk into a battle-ready position. Scourge leapt off his overlooking position and padded forward. We were now in an improvised dueling ring. The other Bloodclan cats watched. I could faintly even hear some taking bets on how quickly Scourge would kill me. I realized this wasn't a threat I could beat normally. I'd have to rely on what I'd been suppressing for so long. I'd need to surrender to the cold.
As I sunk into that familiar calculating state, all my fear vanished. It was not pertinent. I could tell my face returned to an almost unfeeling state. My eyes were just as cold and calculating as my opponent's. Phase one of the fight began. This was the time to feel up my opponent, get a measure of their strength and reach. Those claw extensions that clicked on the ground told me plenty. I couldn't afford to tank his hits. My reaction speed in this state was almost instantaneous, so it wouldn't be too hard to react. I had perfect control over my body. My opponent likely had the same.
Scourge led in with a swipe I dodged by less than a whisker length. I replied with my own, but he slipped past it. He moved to do a diagonal slash, but I pushed into him, forcing myself out of effective swiping range. I tried to force him into a grapple, but he was slippery. His small form and flexibility let him get away without a scratch. I ducked his counterattack which had been directed at my eyes. It wasn't something a cat body was accustomed to, but I managed to land an uppercut which seemed to have more amused him than rattled him.
"Strange. You looked like a normal cat, but now you feel like me. You've proven your entertainment value." He stated in a disturbing calm.
It felt like I had to claw my way out of an icy lake to force myself out of my calm. My heart was hammering, and I was panting like I'd just run a marathon. Unfortunately, Scourge wasn't above being petty.
"Regardless, I cannot leave you unscathed, but I will grant your request." He mewed before I felt his claws dig into my right shoulder.
He left three long scratches that oozed blood. They were guaranteed to scar. They stung fiercely, but I knew I got off easy. He let me limp away with Trixie back to Hattie's home. Hattie looked so relieved to see Trixie until she noticed my shoulder.
"Smudge, what happened? Are you ok?" She fussed.
"I'll be fine. The medicine cat won't be too happy, but I've gotten Scourge's word that he won't mess with your cats. He'll probably even seek to work with you and leave your informants unmolested." I replied.
"Thank you! You don't know how much this means to me. Do you need me to walk you back? That wound looks deep?" She mewed gratefully.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be visiting occasionally to get the latest gossip. I'll get back on my own." I mewed reassuringly.
I got back to camp as the sun began to set. Ravenfeather sat outside the warriors den, clearly having been waiting for me. He looked at my return with both relief and horror.
"Smudgefoot! What happened to you? You're bleeding, and those don't look like cat scratches. Where have you been?" He frantically fussed.
I calmly explained what happened over the course of my day drawing a confused reaction from him. "Let me get this straight. On a day you decided was all about you, you went out of your way to free a catnapped kittypet at the behest of your 'acquaintance' Hattie. You even managed to arrange a long lasting pact between her and the local tyrant? Maybe you aren't so heartless after all."
"Hey! I had stakes in all that. I did it for me. Now I've got my information network back up and running." I argued back.
"Sure. Sure." He dismissed pressing into my side, taking my weight of my wounded leg. "let's go get you patched up. Then we can head back to our den."
After Yellowfang patched me up and scolded me, we entered the warriors den. There what waited for me was not two separate nests, cold and distant. There was just one, one big and familiar one. I felt tears prick my eyes at the sight, but I said nothing as I took my familiar position. Ravenfeather's weight lightly agitated my wounds, but I wouldn't give it up for the world.