- Nov 7, 2022
- 43
- 6
- 8
Oaken paws padded through slippery slush as effort came through in exasperated breaths, all the while the elder’s only companion was a silent moon. Soil had waited until the camp was asleep to make his exit. He’d told them all his plan - even given them the date - but pride had demanded the moggy make his journey without saying goodbye. Emerald eyes flitted back and forth as he considered the consequences: a few ruffled feathers whenever he was in camp next, a cavalcade of apologies and placations, but all worth it when compared to the alternative.
Soil wasn’t adverse to the idea of farewells themselves, more so to what it would lead to. Cats would inevitably be concerned about the trek to the twolegplace, some would supply him with food for the short journey, others would insist on escorting the elder lest he stumble and shatter like glass. Paths paved with good intentions, but all ending with embarrassment. He might have been retreating from the more taxing aspects of life in the wild, but the moggy didn’t want to be treated like he was made of paper.
It shouldn’t have taken as long as it had to reach the Twolegplace, but stumbling in shadow kept leading to face-fulls of snow. It was when shaking off the infernal powder that Soil was infinitely grateful that none of his clanmates were there to worry after his wellbeing. Picking himself up yet again, the tomcat said another silent thanks as he finally stepped onto the smooth stone that marked the border between these two ways of life. If all went well, it was a line the cat would walk for many moons to come.
Still, a small scowl of discomfort crossed graying features as aged paws made their acquaintance with the asphalt. It may have been free of snow, but the substance wasn’t as forgiving as the grass and dirt Soil was used to. A huff of laughter left the elder as he thought of how little such a difference would have mattered in his youth - and how the seasoned tom was living up to the stereotypes of his age.
Turning his attention away from trivial matters of comfort, Soil set off along the pathway, emerald eyes scanning his surroundings. The tomcat had enough experience with twolegs in years past to know where to look; if their dens were dark, it meant they were asleep. If one of the stars they kept inside was shining, they were awake. As pawsteps echoed around blackened houses, though, he was acutely aware that the former was much more common.
The creaky cat could’ve admitted that this would’ve been easier in daylight, but that would mean leaving in daylight, which would mean goodbyes and escorts and all the things he didn’t want. No, this was still better than the alternative. After all, one had to still be awake. Even so, it felt like Soil was the only living thing around. There was the occasional rumble of a monster on the periphery, but besides that and the hum of the tree-stars all was quiet. It wasn’t until rounding a corner that it was confirmed the twolegplace hadn’t been suddenly abandoned, as one den shone like a beacon.
Part of Soil wanted to sprint, but a mix of aching joints and an adherence to pride tempered his pace. He would put off degrading himself as long as possible, even if it was only a few extra moments. He’d done the same routine in his youth, but it was always to get food or, at worst, temporary shelter. The knowledge that this was in service to something permanent, though, irked him. A sigh left the former loner as he reached the doorway as he readied himself.
After triple checking there were no cats around to hear this, Soil began making the cutest meows a mewls he could muster, all the while scratching and rubbing against the den’s entrance. It didn’t take long for it to get someone’s attention, but it wasn’t the species the seasoned elder was expecting.
Emerald eyes had been focused on the door, but they were still sharp enough to notice the shape on the periphery. Its face was flush against one of the windows that lined the den, pressed so hard against the pane that Soil briefly wondered if it would shatter. As he stared at the occupant, a kit stared back. A kit with fur the color of the sun that looked like it had been scrawled on with honey. A kit with sky-blue eyes. A kit with a very stupid grin on its face.
It disappeared from sight with a dash, and a few seconds later the elder heard and felt a very loud thud on the other side of the door, followed by a few muffled giggles. Growing concerned and more than a little confused, Soil pressed himself against the crack of the door before calling out. “Hey…you okay?”
Another thud and set of giggles followed before he got a response. “Sorry, I forgot the door was closed. I’ll go get my twolegs! They’ll let you in.”
Silence fell as Soil was left to wonder how the kit had missed the giant hunk of wood, but before an answer could be reached said hunk swung open and two twolegs were standing before him, both trying to stop the kit from getting outside. Soil tried to focus on his routine, but focusing was hard when a honeyed face was bombarding him with questions. “So why’re you here? Hungry? Thirsty? Scared? Lonely?” The kit spewed out in succession, seemingly unbothered with being wedged between one housefolk’s feet while the other held his collar.
“I’ll, uh, get t’ those in a second, okay? Just let me convince your folks to give me a pass first.” however, only a few seconds of maddening mewling passed as the twolegs debated something before he was interrupted. “Oh, them? They say you can come in.” Emerald eyes widened in shock for a moment before Soil padded between the two. Perhaps kittypets were more skilled than he thought? Taking a moment to savor the feeling of soft carpet on his paws, the creaky cat spoke again. “You can understand them? How?”
“Oh, I can’t. But it’s fun to pretend!”
Sure enough, Soil looked up to see a pair of slightly annoyed faces staring back. The elder sighed. Any excuse to stop embarrassing himself was welcome, at least. The former loner turned back towards his excitable host, only to find his face much too close for comfort. “Hungry? Thirsty? Scared? L-“ Soil held up a paw to stop him. “No, no, no, and no. I’m old, and I need somewhere to stay. I was tryin’ to convince your twolegs to let me live here, but that hasn’t gone too well.”
A bark of laughter left the kit, seemingly unconcerned with his plight. “Well you wouldn’t have convinced them anyway. Your fur is all messed up, your face looks weird and gray, and you smell.” something about the tone told Soil it wasn’t meant as an insult, more a matter of fact, like the kit was commenting on the weather. “Don’t worry, though, I know what to do!”
without hesitation the kit pressed himself against Soil, purring loudly. Emerald eyes darted back towards the twolegs just in time to see a pair of hairless paws that were reaching for him hesitate and pull away. The twolegs talked amongst themselves for a few moments, and one left the room while the other crouched down and reached out to cautiously stroke seasoned fur. Soil had to suppress the instinctual growl growing in his throat as the hand made its way across him, but after a few moments he couldn’t deny how good it felt.
The other twoleg returned with a bowl of food and water, and a self-satisfied grin appeared on the kit’s face. “They’ll have to get a bed for you tomorrow, so you get to sleep with me tonight!”
Soil was an early riser. He was used to being the first one awake in camp, and as emerald eyes opened with warmth radiating through him like he hadn’t felt in moons, he thought the same was true of the twolegplace. The grandpa knew his stay wasn’t guaranteed, they could still choose to toss him out, but it seemed the kit’s desire for a companion swayed their spirits for the time being. A contented sigh left him. Even if it wouldn’t last, the elder was determined to enjoy this peace.
“You’re finally up! We can talk now!”
Well, “peace” might not be accurate.
Emerald eyes swung around to see a honeyed face staring back at him, full of energy. It seemed he wasn’t the first one up, and this kit had spent his time coming up with questions. Seeing someone overflowing with youthful energy reminded the elder of days long past, and a soft smile crossed graying features. “Before anythin’,” he grunted, standing up from the soft bedding, “I want t’ know your name.”
“Peach!” the kit called back, volume a clear (if painful) indicator of excitement. “What’s your name? And last night you said you were old. How old are you? Ten moons? Twenty?” aged eyes blinked in bemusement as he answered. “My name is Soil, and I’ve been here a hundred n’ fifty moons, give or take.” The utterance of a number that big seemed to fry Peach’s brain a bit, so Soil decided it best to distract him with something else. “Say, why don’t you give me a tour o’ this place?”
The morning continued in that same vein, with Peach showing him around slowly and stopping every few minutes as the tiny kit tried his best to process revelation after revelation thanks to Soil regaling him with stories. It was already after noon when the pair had finally finished the tour and covered the basics of wild life. He and Peach were eating from a bowl of pellets near the twolegs when one of them went into a room that he hadn’t been shown.
“So you can actually eat squirrels?”
“‘Course you can. You can eat just about anything you set your mind to, really” The elder answered between bites of the tasteless rocks, half-paying attention as emerald eyes focused on where the twoleg had gone.
“Could I eat you?”
“You can try, but I wouldn’t taste very - what is that?” The twoleg had come back from the room with some strange creature in paws. It looked like a twoleg, but it was much too small and round. Soil stepped back as it was seated at the table, and Peach let out a satisfied laugh. “Do I know something you don’t? That’s a twoleg kit.” Soil didn’t believe him. He’d seen twoleg kits before, they were loud and obnoxious, but not that tiny. This one was closer to Soil’s size than one of the housefolk. sensing his confusion, Peach continued, proud to be informing the elder. “It’s a young kit. They get bigger later, I think. I know it looks weird, but It’s pretty friendly! You should go say hello.”
approaching with caution, Soil hopped onto the table and padded towards the toddler, reaching out tentatively. Before any of the older twolegs could intervene, though, a chubby hand reached out and grabbed hold of his ear, pulling at it like it was made of rubber.
Fur spiked, and for a few moments all he could hear were the concerned babbles of the adult twolegs before a laugh sounded from below, and Peach gave some advice. “Yeah, it’s gotten me like that a few times. I think it’s too dumb to know better, though, so try not to be mad! Treat it like you would treat me.”
Forcing himself to be calm against his instincts, Soil imagined the nursery. He liked kits, and he liked babysitting, so all he had to do was pretend this was a big kit, right?
Reaching out his paw again, the elder gently tapped the toddler on the nose a few times. It took a moment, but a small smile crossed the child’s face and the curious grip loosened. Soil wasted no time in stepping down, and he looked back to see the twolegs with relieved expressions. plastered across their faces. The tomcat sighed, and went back to his meal.
As day turned to night, it became apparent that the housefolk hadn’t gotten him a separate nest, so he was with Peach yet again. Despite the difference in age, though, the two chatterboxes seemed to be getting along. “Thanks for convincin’ your folk t’ let me stay, by the way” he said, filling one of the rare spaces of silence between them. “No problem” Peach replied, pressed into oak-hued fur as the kit tried to get comfortable. “So you’re gonna be visiting sunclan soon?” he asked, melancholy underpinning the question.
“Soon as I can manage” Soil replied, not bothering to correct the kit. “All my friends are there, I gotta let ‘em know I’m settling in okay.” Another long silence followed, eventually broken by Peach’s next question. “You’re gonna come back, though, right?” Sunset-hued fur shifted beneath him as the kit stood up. “It’s fun to pretend to understand twolegs, but having someone to talk to is really nice…”
Emerald eyes softened as Soil realized how lonely the kit must’ve been, young and full of energy but with no one to expend it with until now. “‘Course I am” he answered simply, letting his tail droop over the young cat’s back. Peach settled back down into his fur, almost ready to sleep, but he allowed one more question to pass through a honeyed maw.
“Soil?”
“Yeah?”
“Can we be friends?”
A loud laugh left the elder at the question. Holding the kit close, he answered. “I thought we already were.”
