Homeward Bound

[dino.]

[ closed ]

Smolderingpaw really had turned into a fat, lazy kittypet, hadn't he?

He'd just wanted to help. The dogs (or maybe they were coyotes, he couldn't quite recall) that had swarmed part of ShadowClan's territory. He wouldn't have been permitted, but he'd wanted to help anyways. He'd snuck out after the others had left, but a wrong turn was taken; he'd wandered too far, fallen, broken a leg and a paw, left to die on his own until miraculously a housecat found him and led her Twoleg right to him.

His broken bones had been healed for moons. Six, if he was counting right. He missed Darkfall and ShadowClan, but he'd also liked the security of Twolegplace, the warmth, the good food (it hadn't been pellets, it'd been a plethora of real food every day!), the friend he'd made. Hailey, she said her name was. Older than he was, more like a sister than anything.

The guilt had started to get to him. He'd put on weight, wore a collar with tags that called to his domestication, and spent his days curled up next to his Twoleg. All while his former Clanmates struggled and fought to survive in the feral world. How could he not feel guilty?

Smolder had bid Hailey goodbye, ventured out into Twolegplace, and then promptly gotten lost. He huddled underneath a porch as snow fell around him, thankful for thick fur and extra blubber. His only issue was finding his way OUT. This place was a maze.

[sillycreatur]

ᗢ leaf
she/they . kittypet . 21 moons . tags ; @dino.

trigger warnings for this post: none

leaf's tail twitched. the smell she scented was definitely not a cat like her, though it did smell of the food she ate and the warmth of a twoleg home. she leaped off the porch and wiggled under it, slim body snaking beneath her home and locating the scent.

' oh. who're you? ' disappointment coated her words at the sight of a slightly chubby cat cowering under her human's porch. she circled around him, tail-tip twitching annoyedly. ' you're not from around here- what're you doing under my porch- my human's porch? '

[dino.]

Smolder lifted his head and blinked as a she-cat older than he was slipped under the porch with him. Apprehension made his fur prickle and he tried to shrink away from her, even though the way she circled him made it almost impossible.

"Sheltering," he answered curtly. "Before I try to find my way out of here. What are you doing?"

@finley.exe

[sillycreatur]

ᗢ leaf
she/they . kittypet . 21 moons . tags ; @dino.

trigger warnings for this post: none

seeing how the other cat shrank away from her, leaf continued circling, pausing every couple seconds to sniff the cat to figure out their origin. they were definitely not a house-cat like she was, and this made her bothered. what was this cat doing under her porch??

' protecting my home. slash territory. where are you going, if you're leaving here? ' she was curious this time, but fierce protectiveness over her humans still ruffled her fur.

[dino.]

He sniffed. Territory. Was that at thing kittypets had? He'd only met a few aggressive cats around here in the moons he'd been around, but they'd never referred to their yards as territory.

"I was a forest cat." Smolder lifted his head, pride shining through his expression. "ShadowClan, best in the forest. I broke something in an accident and I've been stuck here for moons. I'm just trying to get back home, but this stupid place is a maze."

@finley.exe

[sillycreatur]

ᗢ leaf
she/they . kittypet . 21 moons . tags ; @dino.

trigger warnings for this post: none

' forest cats.. shadowclan.. moons. huh. ' leaf pondered this new information, then perked up. ' oh! you mean the weird ones that my humans always yell at? now i think about it, you smell a bit like 'em. ' tilting her head, she stopped circling and sat in front of the other cat.

' if you tell your clan, or whatever it's called, to get off our human's land n stuff and stop coming back, i can try t' lead you home. try. ' she emphasized, knowing it was likely this cat would do anything to get home. human, or more specifically, collared-life was getting boring. a lot of repetition. leaf's paws itched to go, to do, to hunt, to run-

' but that's not stuff i can do here. ' she murmured, almost to herself, but shook the thought off. ' so. whattya say? '

[dino.]

Was she making demands of him?? Smolder wrinkled his nose, inching back once more when she sat down in front of him. Who did she think she was?

...Maybe this was a strategic move. Hailey had been smart. If she wanted to be strategic, he could be, too. "I can do that," he said, tilting his chin up. "I'm the leader's son. You've probably been seeing so many of my Clan around here because there's been searxh parties. Once I get back, they'll stop."

@finley.exe

[sillycreatur]

ᗢ leaf ᗢ

she/they . kittypet . 21 moons . tags ; @dino.

trigger warnings for this post: none

leaf pondered this. ' leader's son. that make you special? fine. uh- if you leave here, your clan'll stop bothering me? one of them tried to attack me when i took prey that was rightfully mine! ' leaf gestured to the scar arcing across her nose with a hiss.

[dino.]

He couldn't help but feel like she probably did something to deserve that.

Smolder sniffed again and stood up, slightly ducking so he wouldn't hit his head against the bottom of the porch. "Yeah, my mom will make sure they stop. Like I said, it's just because I've been missing that they've been around here so much. If you can take me to the edge of this maze, I can get back myself."
@finley.exe

[sillycreatur]

ᗢ leaf ᗢ

she/they . kittypet . 21 moons . tags ; @dino.

trigger warnings for this post: none

leaf's tail lashed. this cat was giving off weird vibes and she wanted to keep her territory safe. ' mm mm. ' she shook her head, claws sheathing and unsheathing. ' if you want me to get you back home, we're walking all the way there and i'm telling your mom to get off my human's territory myself. or else you're not goin home. 'lright? '