[META] Chapter Three: Friend or Foe [FIN]

[Blinded By Silence]

Skysong had been about to push through the group to approach the large tom standing in their path when the tiny voice of a kit made her ears swivel. She stopped and turned. A kit? Where? They had no kits with them, she knew. Spying the small grey kitten, she weaved through the throng of idle cats and approached them.

"Hello, little one," Her heart swelled for a moment, seeing the tiny thing. Skysong adored kits, but having been so busy with clan work, had never had the time to dedicate to a mate let alone have kits of her own. The icy she-cat found herself chuckling, "Do we? You're the one who smells funny to me. Is your mother--?"

The white she-cat had just raised her head to search for someone to who this kit belonged when she heard the voice cry out, alarmed. She raised her tail, trying to show that she meant no harm, and hailed the panicked grey she-cat who was running towards them, "It's alright! Your kit is safe!"

Skysong smiled down at the small kit, keeping an eye on them until their mother arrived.

@belloblossom

 

[Blinded By Silence]

Scrap was a bit of a mess. He had twigs in his fur and dirt on his belly. If he had a tail, it would be lashing, a display of a mix of annoyance and nervousness. As he peeked out from under a bush with his wide pale green eyes, he watched as a large group of cats meandered by. He'd never seen so many in one place before! Was something happening? He had been out here looking for herbs to bring back to his family, but with this going on, he wasn't sure he'd be able to bring back anything.

His ears drooped a little. He wasn't big and strong like his not-father. And his hunting skills were awful compared to his not-siblings. If he couldn't even bring back some leaves and roots, what good was he?

The sound of his not-father's voice shook him out of his gloomy thoughts. He peeked out again, curious and, while he couldn't see Rumble, he did meet eyes with somecat beneath the bush opposite of his. A skull-like face with eyes wide and yellow. And a bundle of herbs that lay just out of reach. Looked to him that he and the white-faced cat were in the same situation.

@Nym

 

[Blinded By Silence]

Up in a tree, well out of earshot, sharp green eyes watched the scene unfolding around the pond. His tail lashed as he watched the large tom, Tumble or something, approached the herd of strangers, stupidly unafraid. His ears flattened as he spied a white cat from the group talking to a tiny grey kit, probably trying to snatch it from its wailing mother. His claws dug into the wood. Would there be a fight? Oh, he hoped so. If not today, then one day.

Marten didn't like new cats, especially this close to his family's territory. Those flea brains had better keep out of his way, he thought. He didn't care how many there were, they'd find out real quick what happened to cats Marten didn't like.

He jumped from his perch, landing heavily on his powerful leags. The large tom stood to his full height, glaring back at the trespassers before he moved back into the shadows of the trees, to go warn his mother.

 

[Blinded By Silence]

High up in a tree nearby, the old grey tom did was he was named for and watched. He watched as a group of cats, a colony perhaps, broke the treeline around the pond. He watched the local foster approach the group unflinchingly and heard one of his many children crashing about the woods below. Hunting, he supposed, chuckling softly. He watched as Rumble was approached by one of the newcomers, a brave cat considering their size difference. He watched Smoke, a rather distant loner chase after her child, little Quiet, was it? The tiny kit was bravely bounding towards the group and, oh! A white cat had stopped her. They seemed safe enough. He spied the orange pelt of Pumpkin and the scent of that young she-cat, the one who was always sneezing caught his nose.

The purr that rumbled in his throat sounded like river stones, tumbling over one another.

So many were here, it seemed. Of course. The smell of a grand story was on the air. No one could ignore that.

He blinked, frowning a little as he watched Marten scamper off, his tail lashing.

No, there was no ignoring the shake-up that was sure to follow. How would this story play out, Watch wondered? However it decided to go, he would be there to watch, to capture the story like prey and carry it with him, feeding those around him.

 

[Nym]

He had pride in his family -- good. A cat she could get along with, then. Family was everything to Minnowclaw, even if some of her many siblings grated on her nerves or she often found herself scrambling to pick up their mess. She nodded firmly, flipping her tail in a gesture of approval.​

​

And yet, the one thing she didn't understand was his claim that not all Twolegs were monsters. He had said it himself; a cat abandoned, another thrown to die, and a third tossed out like an afterthought. She couldn't imagine any kindness a Twoleg might offer -- they took and maimed and eradicated whatever they pleased, as if the world solely belonged to them and them alone. Maybe, and a part of her hated to think such a thing, but the cats who had thought to trust a Twoleg were foolish. She could never.​

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Her nose scrunched as he mentioned his last child, the obvious disgust for the Twolegs that had built clearly showing on her face. Monsters, every single one of them.​

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"They're lucky to have found you," she mewled once the silence lingered, head shaking. "Ramble away; it's not a pleasant topic, but I enjoy hearing your experiences." She dipped her head to catch his gaze. "My family- my clan have suffered plenty, and maybe someday I might tell you of it, but that doesn't mean you can't share your life stories." ​

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How else would cats learn to connect otherwise? ​

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She perked when she caught sight of her leader, quickening her pace. "Sunseer," she called, nodding towards the larger Rumble. "I found a loner; Rumble. He would like to meet you." ​

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@PeterPan_da144 @Blinded By Silence ​

 

[Nym]

Things were going just fine -- no one had noticed him, he was safe in his little hidey spot, and he still had time to slink away and consider his options in life. It was just fine, and Mouse was content. ​

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Until he wasn't.​

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Something dropped on his tail -- something large and very much alive. The unholy shriek that left Mouse was a sound that would echo around them for a few short seconds, accented with a series of 'oh no!' and 'help!' as he whirled around and shrieked again. It took him a good moment to calm enough to realize it was just another cat -- wait, a CAT?!​

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"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to intrude! Don't hurt me! I've never won a fight in my life! Please!"​

@PeterPan_da144​

 

[Nym]

Bone's nerves had moderately calmed, although her fur remained puffed as she squished herself further into the ground. The small she-cat debated her exit plan as she kept her gaze locked on the herbs. Could she make a mad dash? It seemed the group of cats was distracted by other things, and now a shrill shriek added to the fray, likely to grab further eyeballs away from her side of the field. Maybe, if she was quick enough, she could pop out, grab the herbs, and be on her way home before anyone even noticed. ​

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But what if they did see her?​

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She huffed softly in frustration, eyes lifting to scan around her. No cats yet, ex- wait. She caught the glint of green, narrowing her eyes and tilting her head owlishly. Another cat! Instantly she puffed twice her size and dug her nails into the dirt, a look of distrust and fear flashing across her face. She didn't dare move, frozen in place as she mentally begged the other cat not to alert the others. Were they with the crowd? ​

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@Blinded By Silence ​

 

[belloblossom]

Robinflight's interest was rapidly waning now that the tomcat seemed very chatty with Minnowclaw and the thought of bringing him back for Sunseer to check him out held no personal intrigue to her. She flexed her claws and mewed to Minnowflash softly.

"I'm going to do a sweep of the area - seems like loners are popping out of every hole, best to make sure they're all as friendly as this one." If not... well, she wasn't about to let any harm befall Riversong - or the rest of the Clan, of course! After that, she gave a smile to the newcomer and Minnowflash and stalked back into the crowd - and then out the other end of the group. She'd seen Skysong and Eclipsefur standing near a young kit, and a loner she-cat rushing towards them. That was three loners, at least - where there any more present? She heard another cat nearby - one yowling tomcat that made her fur bristle, though she couldn't see clearly as to where it was coming from - four then. SunClan, had they found their way into a loners trap? She started towards a nearby tree and started up it only to mrrow in surprise.

"SunClan - how many of you are there?" She gasped at the older grey tomcat and then, with a tilt of her head. "W-Well, if you don't mind, I'll be one branch above. I don't mean you any harm, uh, I'm just trying to get a better idea of this area. Don't attack me and I won't attack you, ok?" She mewed to the tomcat and then scooted further up the tree, to another sturdy branch, above the grey tomcat. She glanced at down at him. "...I'm Robinflight, by the way. What's your name? Are you with Rumble or anyone else who's approached?" She asked, not entirely certain if he'd answer her questions - or if he had even stayed around to answer them after she'd climbed up the tree to begin with. Moving her eyes back to the scene above, she was careful to note any rustling bush, any flicker of movement, that could indicate a loner attack was imminent. @Blinded By Silence (Robin tagging Watch) @Nym (Robin saying goodbye to Minnow)

 

[belloblossom]

Smoke had finally caught up to the group and found herself in the company of two other she-cats, one white and the other with intricate dark and light patterns. She dipped her head to both of them.

"Thank you." She said sincerely. "We - I - never quite know what to expect from new cats and yours is such a large group. We don't wish to trouble you, not in the slightest, but please... you wouldn't hurt a kit, for which I am grateful, but who are you, really?" She asked, inclining her head.

"They're my FWIENDS!" Quiet insisted, having plopped down on the paws of the dark she-cat. "I fwound them fiwst!"

"Not until we find out who they are, sweetness." Smoke mewed, inclined to pull the kitten off the unknown cat and back into her own paws, but... These cats didn't seem like they meant any harm, so surely it would be alright to leave her there momentarily. Looking back up at the two she-cats she added. "My name is Smoke. And this troublemaker is Quiet." @Revel (Smoke speaking to Eclipsefur, Quiet sitting on her) @Nym (Smoke to Skysong)

 

[belloblossom]

Just after Branchtail had approached Nutpelt, the Clan seemed to be nearly overcome with new cats approaching them. Branchtail's fur bristled defensively as he looked over his shoulder.

"Do you feel comfortable leaving our Clanmates with all of these loners about?" He found himself asking Nutpelt. "I... I didn't want to make a public showing of what I need to say to you, but I understand the urge to protect our Clan and I will speak to you around others, if you deem it the right thing to do." He informed her, finally looking back to the ginger she-cat.

Regardless of what Nutpelt's answer may have been, when he got the moment to speak to her, whether in the company of their Clanmates (much to his embarrassment, for vulnerability did not come easily to him, especially with other cats around) or privately, he turned his green gaze to Nutpelt's own, though as always, hers seemed all the brighter than his own.

"This isn't easy to say and I'm... not good at speaking from the heart." He warned her. "Undoubtedly I will come across as foolhardy or mouse-brained... Maybe none of it is what you want to hear, but... I hope that you will, Nutpelt, that you will hear me out, until I am finished."

"I... can't make up with Palepaw. Not for lack of wanting to!" He added hurriedly. "I just... I don't think she'd hear me after all the horrible things I said. And, in hindsight, they were horrible. I don't... I can acknowledge..." He started with a resigned sigh, "...that the things I said, while in initially good intentioned, were not things that Palepaw wished nor needed to hear - at least, not in the way that I went about saying them." He had sat down, but his tail flicked so much in his evident anxiety that it was snake-like in its movements. "And I don't think I can ever apologize in a way that she'll really accept it, or forgive me for what I said. I don't think Mothwing, or Poppypaw will either. I'll try to apologize, really, but... I may just give it time. It's still recent in everyone's mind and I don't want to provoke another fight. Especially with so much going on." He glanced over his shoulder, towards where he heard loner voices.

Turning his gaze back to Nutpelt, he cleared his throat, for it had become rough for a reason he couldn't explain.
"As far as we - that is to say, us - er well... I don't quite know where we stand, Nutpelt. I really enjoyed your company over the course of our travels. You're beautiful and you're kind and if I had just stopped to listen to you maybe I wouldn't have dug myself into such an impossibly deep hole with Palepaw - so clearly you're the more sensible between the two of us." He chuckled, but fell momentarily silent, before going on. "But I don't think you want to hear compliments. I think... maybe I'm going to have to show you that I... that I love you. And even if you don't feel the same way, that's okay. I'm not going to tell everyone that we're together, just because that's the future I want to achieve. It's your future as much as mine and... and I'll respect your choice." He was silent for a longer moment this time. Had he said too much or too little? Had he seemed overly dramatic or like he was trying to hard? SunClan, he would much rather be fighting off any one of these loners, than waiting in this tense silence for Nutpelt's reply. Oh! Did she even know he was done speaking? "I'm finished." He added and despite wanting to turn his head away, to crawl off and hide until this impractical feeling of vulnerability passed him, he stayed and he looked at Nutpelt, willing her to speak. @PeterPan_da144 (Branchtail to Nutpelt.)

 

[belloblossom]

Albatross, or Alba - as he preferred, couldn't resist the commotion. He hadn't been anywhere near the pond, but gossip travels as fast and as far as birdsong and Alba was hurrying off to the pond to see this new large group of cats the moment he heard of it. Once he got within the general range of the pond - and indeed could scent the large group and hear them up ahead, he lingered back around the bushes. He glanced one way and then the next, his gaze sweeping low and then high to see who might be around. There were two cats, barely visible among the bushes near and a few in trees, but no one particularly close to him. Other cats proceeded forward to socialize, some willingly, like the large tomcat or the orange speckled tom, some who seemed reluctant like the queen and her kit. He opted to move out of the bushes, away from the two who appeared to be hiding there.

Sitting at a midway point, his tail curled carefully over his tail, he looked out to the group and then played a mental game of "I See" for any other notable cats in the area. If there was someone of either group, whether loners or this new group, they were plenty able to come approach him, but the question was really if any of them would be brave enough to. @Nym (brief mention of Bone) @Blinded By Silence (brief mention of Scrap)

 

[belloblossom]

Leopard had always been particularly unusual in the way that he loved water. Since he was young, he spent a considerable amount of time at the pond, practicing swimming in the still water and building his muscles to try more challenging bodies of water, like the fast-moving river. Even as an adult, he would come back to pond frequently and indeed today had been one of those days. He'd been submerged in the water, his nose poking out from time to time as he collected algae on his back. It wasn't until the yowling began that his ears poked up out of the water. Flicking the water and grime from them, he started to swim slowly to the edge of the pond, through some reeds that would hide him from view - though he doubted that many would think to look IN the water for another cat. He hadn't found any other felines who cared for the damp and wet as much as he did.

Peering through the reeds, he caught sight of a large group of cats, some being approached by loners, but not one cat among them that he particularly recognized. There were plenty of loners that lingered by the pond, but Leopard had never been especially keen to meet any of them. Too many tomcats seemed to be present in every loner group he saw. No, Leopard enjoyed the company of she-cats, when he could find it.

Moving his gaze away from the gathered cats, his gaze turned to some nearby bushes that may provide him a little more cover. He hadn't yet learned how to attack a cat on the shore while he was in the water and if it came to it, he'd prefer to be less vulnerable to damage if he could help it.

Heaving himself out of the water, he dripped and drizzled his way into the nearest bush - only to find that it was already occupied by a black and white she-cat with peculiar markings.

"Oops, sorry, but erm, move over a little, please?" He whispered to her. "I'm sure we can both fit here and I don't know what might happen if those cats see this bush moving around too much." He added. @Nym (Leopard to Bone)

 

[Revel]

Eclipsefur didn't move as the kit sat on her paws, it wasn't very comfortable but it was the first time a kit had shown her any real attention. "We are Mountainclan... or.. we were" she said, ears lowering slightly "We're trying to find a new home, i apologise if we're in your territory, we truly don't mean any harm" she looked at the kit and smiled "One of our rules in our Warrior Code is that we don't hurt kits, they're innocent, no matter what clan, or not, they come from" She resisted the urge to lick the kit between the ears, she was being very careful not to make any kind of move that would make the mother cat feel the urge to aggressively protect her kitten.

"I'm Eclipsefur" she said, she would let Skysong introduce herself, she chuckled at the introduction though "I'm guessing she is anything but her namesake" she smiled at Smoke before slow blinking her reassurance that mother and kit were safe, that she was non threatening. Before they'd travelled she would have been more self deprecating about her size alone being none threatening but given she'd taken down OWLS during their journey, she had more confidence in herself and in her strength in the clan.

@belloblossom

 

[Nym]

Someone shifted out of the bushes, revealing themselves to be a larger and fluffier cat. Bone backed further into the bush, shakily giving up on the herbs for now. Death was preferable over the idea of stepping out into the open and revealing herself to the influx of cats. Why were there so many? That surely wasn't normal! And now there were cats willingly walking into the open, some waiting and some directly engaging. For a cat who had thought the world might have thrown itself into a dystopian waste this was just far too much.​

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Her progressively accelerating scooting further into the bush must have covered the sound of a new and larger cat joining her, and if she had the ability to produce a full sound she would have shrieked when the mentioned cat--who was wet?-- squished against her. Her fur bristled and she shrank into the smallest version of herself, her eyes wide and owlish as she stared up at the tom. ​

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Move? Move over? She glanced from him and then to the distance between them, pushing herself to the side so he could fully hide within the bush. What she really wanted to do was flee, but her legs wobbled far too much for her to find the strength. Well, if he murdered her then and there that'd solve the herb problem, wouldn't it? ​

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@belloblossom ​

 

[PeterPan_da144]

Almost as soon as Midnight made contact with this new prey, a yowl like they'd never heard before pierced the air around them. Their ears flattened as they stumbled back, dropping the mouse in the process with a disgruntled hiss. Prey didn't make sounds like that!

Another shriek followed, making them wince and duck their head, tail lashing. "What did I find, a fox kit or something?!" A scowl erupted over their features before they finally opened their eyes, which had screwed shut with the commotion. Midnight's fur was ruffled and partially fluffed as they huffed, shaking it so that it might lay flat again.

"Hurt you? Why would I--" There was evident confusion in their voice, before they shook their pelt one last time and snorted. "I didn't realize you were a cat! I'm sorry for that. I thought you were a little vole or mouse!" Midnight took a step forward to hook the mouse they'd previously caught with a claw, flicking it up into the air and letting it thump gently back against the earth.

"I'm really sorry if I hurt you," they said, slowly sitting down to peer at the other curiously. A handsome tom cat, it looked like. And without this mouse clouding up their nose, they could smell other cats. "Oh! Are you traveling with friends?" Their ears perked up, tail twitching eagerly.

@Nym (Back at Mouse )

 

[PeterPan_da144]

"We won't be leaving them," she muttered, though the sudden appearance of other cats was... Very... Concerning. Nutpelt and Branchtail were quickly alone as the group became a frenzy. Thankfully it seemed as if most of the cats had... Good intentions? But also, her clan mates were taking this way too easily... Way too breezily... Her pelt fluffed anxiously. They were supposed to be finding a new home. But there were already cats here. Did that mean their journey hadn't actually ended? But the river split here...

Branchtail seemed preoccupied by the thoughts that originally brought him to her. Huffing, she motioned for him to sit with her. Everyone was milling about, more focused on the random cats that had come acros them than each other.

Her eyes gazed into his as he started, though slowly slid away from him to keep an eye on the rest of the clan. Yelping cats and mews of excitement continued to ruffle her fur, making her shiver. It was hard to really focus on what the tom cat was saying to her. Why couldn't he have just waited until they were through all of this? Her frustration was swallowed down as she forced her gaze back to him, tuning back into the conversation.

A sigh escaped her as she brushed her tail lightly against his flank. "You have a lot to work on with yourself, Branchtail, before I can consider any sort of future with you. But," she added, voice growing softer and fonder. "I have also enjoyed the time we have spent together. The fact that you're willing yo admit your mistakes and start working towards fixing them is a very good thing, but it will take me some time to reach any sort of conclusion about the two of us." Her tail brushed him again, gaze turning towards him. It was soft as she looked at him.

"For now, how about we focus on getting to wherever our new home is supposed to be, and figuring out who these other cats are. Focus on the clan until we can settle."

@belloblossom

 

[Nym]

Ashenwillow was not pleased, but then again... when was he lately? He was seriously considering just leaving when everyone was asleep- actually... actually- could they even stop him if he decided he didn't want to be there anymore? Would anyone even notice? ​

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He had joined in hopes of finding friends, a purpose in life, and a community, but in the end, he was only given a famine, a forced move, and not a soul that cared for him. And now he was watching the clan just mill about and welcome new faces as if they weren't suddenly in clearly habituated territory. Was no one concerned? They hadn't traveled to make friends, and life hadn't become any easier; loners didn't automatically mean kind faces. Yet here they were, and Ashenwillow nervously swallowed as he watched his clan. ​

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Maybe this was all a mistake. ​

 

[Nym]

The other cat took their time grounding themselves, and if he was any other cat Mouse might have assumed it was due to his unholy shrieking. No, he just ended up on the conclusion that the tail-grabbing thief was just preparing for their next attack, resulting in Mouse flattening against the ground and pulling his ears back. ​

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Wait- wait wait wait, what? The cat wasn't with them? He slowly rose, anxiously pulling at his collar as he regained his composure. ​

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"I am Mouse," he muttered when he heard his name. Oh! No- the cat meant a mouse. "I mean- my name is Mouse- ah-" ​

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He shook his head rapidly and huffed. Ugh- UGH! His heart pounding wasn't helping his peaked nerves, but Mouse couldn't reason with his flight response at the moment. The other cat didn't look eager to rip his throat out, thankfully -- that helped a little. ​

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"No- I'm sorry, I just don't do well with surprises, uh," he found himself staring at the cat's mouse and swiveled his eyes to his own tail. How did they mistake the two... "They're not with you? I don't know them- I thought maybe you were one of them... do you know why there are so many cats here?" ​

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@PeterPan_da144 ​

 

[PeterPan_da144]

Flicking her ears and tail, Rose continued to pad along, thoroughly irritated. Her sister was getting on her last nerves, fretting over kits who weren't even kits anymore. Even fretting over her!

Tail lashed again as she grumbled, not bothering to hide herself. She knew these woods, knew the cats who wandered them. While she wasn't necessarily friendly with anyone, she wasn't hostile either. There was enough prey and room for the cats who called the forest home. No need to ruffle pelts with them.

That being said, the sudden surge of voices and clamoring put her on edge. Rose dropped into a crouch and stalked closer. Pulling herself slowly across the forest floor, she settled into a bush. Spread out before her was a huge herd of cats, all interacting with each other. Some pelts she recognized, but the vast majority were new. No... That was too many new cats. Worry pricked at her pelt. Would the forest be able to support this huge group, alongside those who already resided here? Surely whoever they were, they were just passing through...

She doubted it, though, in the end. Especially with how friendly the newcomers to the forest were being right off the bat with the loners. And how the loners interacted with the group. Especially since there was a kit involved. Great... Just great...

Through the undergrowth, she spotted a lighter colored cat with icy blue eyes. Her gaze met theirs before narrowing, nose wrinkling as if she was about to pull her lips back into a snarl. But she didn't, not just yet. The other cat was unfamiliar, just like the large group. It wouldn't do her any good to start a fight with them while their friends were nearby... Though, now he'd seen her, and she doubted he would just let her wander away again. What cat in their right mind would? Her tail lashed behind her, rustling the bush ever so slightly.

@Nym (Ashenwillow, I'm sorry, this turned a bit more hostile feeling than I intended xD Feel free to just glare back if that's all you want to do LMAO)

 

[PeterPan_da144]

An ear flicked. Named Mouse? Interesting. Midnight knew cats named after other animals, so it wasn't really a surprise. But... Mouse? That was a prey item. Weird. Though they shrugged that thought off after a few moments. Clearly this cat was ruffled.

Sure enough, they even stated so. And continued to say they weren't part of the group. A frown came across their face as they glanced over towards the sound and scent of cats. "No... My family is much smaller, and a lot of these cats smell brand new to me." Midnight stood and moved closer to Mouse, though their gaze was past the tom, peering through the bush. "I've never seen such a large group of cats travelling at once... Living together, sure. There's a lot in a group on the edge of the Twoleg place. But..." Midnight's fur ruffled a bit, concern coming over their face. They were eager to meet new cats, but this was a large group. Too big. Too big...

Turning back to Mouse, they relaxed them self. "Don't worry, though, I'll make sure you stay safe. My father should be around here somewhere, and at least one of my brothers. If the large group of cats is mean or hostile, we'll make sure to get you to safety." Rumble's words coursed through their head. He was constantly talking about making cats feel safe and welcome, no matter what. Fighting was a last resort. Always.

@Nym (For Mouse)