Tulip the kittypet lay down on the floor of her housefolk's nest, tucking her paws beneath her. Her kit, Paws, lay curled in front of her, listening attentively.
"Do you see that opening, Paws?" Tulip asked, flicking her tail towards a part of the nest where the wall had swung away, revealing the outside.
"Yes," squeaked Paws.
Tulip leaned in close. "I want you to run away through there."
Her kit gasped in surprise and frowned at her.
"A long time ago," Tulip meowed, "A cat came to this Twolegplace. He talked about a place where cats lived in the wild, without any housefolk to trap them. You could see the stars every night, and you could catch your own food!"
Paws's ears pricked up at that.
"And the best part," Tulip continued, "Is that the cats lived in Clans. Big groups that worked together to survive. I think you'd be happier in one of those Clans than here in the life of a kittypet, where every day is the same. You're six moons old now. That's the age Clan cats get apprenticed. I think you're old enough now to travel to the Clans and join them; I'm sure they'll welcome you."
"Well, alright," Paws said hesitantly.
"I don't know how much longer we have before the wall swings shut again, so quickly! Run!"
Paws shook out his soft brown fur and bolted out the opening as fast as his small little legs could go.
"Goodbye!" Tulip yowled. "Good luck!"
Paws didn't stop running until he was certain his housefolk weren't chasing after him. Pausing for breath, he looked around him at the nests of the Twolegplace. A little farther away, outside of the countless housefolk nests, he could see a forest.
"Live in a Clan?" he muttered. "Working with other cats my whole life? No, thank you."
He raced toward the compelling nature.
"I don't need any other cats," he decided. "I'll live by myself, free."
He reached the trees. "My name isn't Paws anymore," the kit announced. "My name is Trail."