The Hunt for Drake

[Yoko]

Tybalt leapt up the fence, his young muscles carrying him to the top with ease. He balanced there for a moment, his eyes wide with enchantment as they took in the early dawn. Over the roofs of houses he could see the rising sun, low as it was in sunset, yet the colors seemed lighter and more magical than when the day neared its end. The golden spotted cat inhaled deeply as he leapt off of the fence and into the outside. His landing was smooth and graceful like a sparrow's.

Excited that he would be able to walk the streets as his brother does, Tybalt looked around impatiently for Brooke and Winnie. Glancing up the fence, he saw Winnie's head peering down at him. She was clearly hesitant to jump.

"Don't worry," Tybalt called up to her, a grin spread across his muzzle. "Your body is made for this!"

The expression had come from his silver brother, and to Tybalt's amazement the words convinced Winnie to jump. Though her leap appeared graceful, her landing was clumpsy and stiff with fear. As she stumbled forward Tybalt realized that she would never be like he and Drake. Trying to brush aside the discomforting thought, Tybalt glanced around for Brooke.

"Brooke? Are you coming?"

[nightstorm]

Brooke watched the she-cat jump with a hint of disdain at the housecat's fear, and, in response to Tybalt's call, she jumped as well, landing smoothly beside the brother and sister pair with practiced ease. Her fur rippled as she swivled her head and said, "C'mon."

So saying, she padded off, setting a quick pace that she was sure they could keep up with. Housecats. Too soft for their own good, she thought. Judging by the tom's excitement, she would guess that he had never explored the streets around his yard. Pity. She would have to keep an eye on the two of them, to make sure that they didn't go poking their noses where they didn't belong. Honestly, if only most cats had been born with half the street sense cats like her had.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

There was a brief scrabbling sound, and a moment later a pale-spotted head emerged from the top of a nearby fence. The head was followed by a cat, a young tom who balanced on the fence with clumsy ease, as if he could be graceful if he wanted to, but he wasn't quite patient enough to manage it. The tom turned his head to look behind him, causing the silver tags that hung around his neck to tinkle gently. "Come on, Desi!" he called, his voice attractive and low. "It's easy once you get started. Don't you want to know what this part of town looks like?" There was a small sigh and another muffled jingle, and then another cat was clambering atop the fence beside the first. This one was a she-cat, but she looked almost identical to the tom, with the same frosted brown fur and clear blue eyes. It was obvious they were siblings.

"There's no need to hurry so, Prince," she mewed with slight exasperation, though her eyes sparkled. "The twoleg nests aren't going anywhere." The tom seemed unfazed, and only butted his head affectionately against his sister's. "Come on," he repeated, "you know you're curious. I've never come this far before." Stretching a bit and clawing the rough wood of the fence, the young tom surveyed the area around them, sniffing curiously. He blinked with surprise when he spotted the cluster of cats moving a short distance away. "My goodness, hello there!" he called cheerfully, waving his tail from atop his perch. "Do you know this part of town, friends? My sister and I have never been here before, and it's all rather overwhelming. I wonder if you'd mind our company for a bit?"

[Yoko]

Tybalt smiled toothily at Brooke. He raced ahead of her, then circled around the she-cat. He was so excited. And to think, Drake did this everyday! Wow, would he be suprised to see him and, especially, Winnie, out here.

There were so many things to see, feel, and hear! For one, the ground beneath Tybalt's paws was not soft and springy grass but rather smooth round stones in various colors. The fences, at first Tybalt thought the one around his own house was the only one, stretched everywhere! There were openings in the openings led to more fences! There was a sort of burning stench clinging to the ground but Tybalt could ignore that for now. The sound of pidgeons and crows raised wildly in the open pink sky. And the loudest sound of all were the house dogs. Tybalt had never heard so many at once. He even saw a few of their faces as they ran along their fences.

"This is great!" he mewed in awe.

Then he turned in suprise to hear more voices. He spotted two similar looking cats. By scent, he guessed they were from the same place, probably kin.

He padded over, overexcited by the newness of the world and overjoyed to meet new cats. "Hi! I'm Tybalt, and this is my sister Winnie, and this is my new friend Brooke! Who are-?"

"Tyyyyybalt!" Winnie whined, choked from having to run and catch up. "They asked a question, not what your name is!"

Tybalt rolled his eyes as his sster padded over to the tom cat. "We'd be glad to help you, but this is our first time out here too."

[nightstorm]

Brooke let Tybalt run around for a few moments, a wary eye cast out, in case of trouble. She suppressed a snarl at the two new housecats, rolling her eyes instead. Geez, was she running a babysitting service around here or what? This was the last time she ever helped someone else out. it always led to unwanted trouble, this time in the form of a large group of inexperienced cats who would likely end up getting chased by a few dogs, at the rate things were going. She'd have to keep an eye on them, that was for sure. One wrong move, and you could end up roadkill, for instance.

Oh well. If that happened, at least it would be one less nuisance for her to worry about. She coughed loudly, to remind Tybalt and Winnie that they had a mission to accomplish.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Taking in all three cats with interested eyes, the dappled tom dipped his head politely. "My name is Prince," he mewed in response to Tybalt's greeting, "and this is my sister Desirae."

Beside him, the dappled young she-cat smiled sweetly. "Call me Desi," she mewed. "Everyone does."

"It is a pleasure to meet all three of you," Prince said with a sincere grin. "And it is not a problem if you do not know the area that well. We would be glad for the company in any case." Looking at Brooke, he tilted his head at her and then glanced back at the two siblings. "I am sorry, were you on your way somewhere? Please by all means, do not let us keep you. We would be pleased to tag along."

"Are you sure, Prince?" the she-cat standing beside him asked. "We wouldn't want to impose."

Grinning smoothly, his blue eyes intense and sincere, the tom dipped his head respectfully once more to all three cats. "Please promise me that you would tell us if we were being a hindrance," he mewed politely. "My sister and I would love to travel in your company, but of course we will not force our company upon you if you do not wish it."

[nightstorm]

These newcomers were too polite. Great. Now, if she snapped at them, and told them to bug off, she would look immensely rude, and she would not let that happen. Bad things happen when cats get offended. She sighed. "We were on our way to look for someone, and I suppose you two could come along, as long as you don't go poking your paws where they don't belong," Brooke said, in as close to a friendly tone as she could get.

"Course, you'll have to ask these two if it's alright. I'm just the guide," she continued. "But I do have rules, if you tag along. They go for you too." She glanced at Tybalt and Winnie.

[Yoko]

Winnie's eyes lit up. Finally! Some cats who knew their manners! She just hoped her brothers wouldn't embarass her now. Especially Drake! She smiled sweetly and opened her jaws to respond but Brooke did first. She turned and looked suspiciously at the loner.

"What sort of rules?" she mewed, squinting a little. She was still distrustful of the she-cat.

[nightstorm]

Brooke looked at Winnie coolly. "Well, for starters, you follow my directions quickly and accurately, otherwise you might end up being run over, or taken by strange Housefolk," she said, her eyes bored. "Secondly, don't go poking around in strange areas, or at strange cats. Many cats out here are spoiling for a fight, and would jump at the chance of clawing your ears off, even if you are only Housecats and aren't much of challenge," she continued. "Third of all, don't let yourself get separated from the group, or you could be wandering the streets for days before I feel like coming to find you. Do I make myself clear? Oh yes, and I reserve the right to make more rules as I see fit."

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Prince nodded at the older cat's directions, though inwardly he was bridling a bit at her demeaning insinuations. Just because they were kittypets didn't mean they were incompetent! He looked curiously around, interested in where they would be going despite his annoyance. He realized that he hadn't even thought to ask where the group of cats were going in the first place, and considered doing so now. With a patient shrug, he decided that they would find out when they got there. Besides, he wasn't the kind of tom who shrunk back from surprises! "We will be careful," he said soberly. "I would not want to cause you any inconvenience."

"Besides, we've never been to this part of town before," Desi added. "I for one don't want to get lost! Our housefolk would get worried." The young she-cat thought fondly of their housefolk and the older kit that lived with them. She was glad that the housefolk let them outside to explore, and of course didn't want to abuse that trust by worrying them by staying out too late. But Prince was just so curious about the rest of the town, and his curiosity was infectious. Desi couldn't help but tag along, and found that it really was exciting. But she wondered if she liked it more or than curling up on her housefolk's lap, and she realized; no, it wasn't that fun. Could she say for certain that Prince felt the same way?

[Yoko]

Tybalt looked disheartened at the mention of rules. Of course, Drake would have set rules too...if he had ever asked Tybalt to tag along with him that is. Tybalt was sure he would eventually, but for now Drake went on all his expeditions alone. Well, now I can show him that I'm ready too! Feeling brighter, Tybalt nodded excitedly. Those rules weren't so bad. But Brooke should know just by looking at him that he was a good fighter. He crouched and flicked his unsheathed claws at an imaginary foe. Those stray cats don't scare me. Ill just...

He noticed Winnie giving him a stern look and he quickly straightened up and gave her a shy smile.

[iI'll just stay out of their way in case...[/i][/color]

Winnie didn't at all mind rules. Her brothers could learn a thing or two about obeying them! What she did mind was the implication that she and her brother were helpless. This place was new to her, and she didn't have much experience fighting true, but she was smart enough not to do anything the she-cat had listed without being told!

She raised her nose slightly to look up at the she-cat. Her tone was flat. "Very well then. May we carry on now?"

[nightstorm]

Brooke returned Winnie's cool tone, and nodded. "We may continue." With a flick of her tail, she beckoned the kittypets to follow her. "Now, we may have to cross a Thunderpath, before we reach the Loner's barn," she told them as she padded ahead, "But no worries. I'll teach you how to get across beforehand. There's nothing to it."

Oh great. Now she was encouraging the kittypets. What next, singing love ballads to the moon? Again Brooke asked herself what she was thinking. Stupid. She should be off, hunting, perhaps even joining the others in the Loner's Barn for once. Not leading a bunch of cats to them. The barn cats would not be pleased to see such a crowd, she thought. Still, perhaps these cats weren't all that helpless...the two toms looked like they could take down one or two rogues...perhaps even the she-cats, if they were lucky.

[. s p o r e l e t t ♪]

Prince strode cheerfully behind the loner, with his sister padding curiously beside him. They had crossed Thunderpaths before, but the only ones they had seen were rather small and disused. The way the loner spoke of it made Prince think that this one might have more monsters on it than usual. No-matter, he thought to himself. It couldn't be that much harder than crossing the Thunderpath near his home.

((Blurgh, short, crappy post.))

[Yoko]

Winnie nodded curtly and made sure that she was barely behind Brooke. She would not let this loner think herself better than a pure bred, well-groomed house cat.

She had never crossed a Thunderpath before but surely it wouldn't be all that difficult. She'd ridden in two-leg monsters plenty of times. She hardly considered them dangerous. Tybalt followed behind, looking excitedly around the neighborhood. He never knew their were so many houses!(

(No Crappier than mine, but the thread has to move.))

[nightstorm]

((I'm just gonna move ahead to where the cats cross the Thunderpath. Just to move the thread along. ^^))

Monsters rushed by, their black paws whirling at blinding speed, leaving a stench behind that filled Brooke's nostril. Her eyes were wary as she glanced at the four lane path in front of her. She looked over her shoulder at the kittypets behind her. "Keep a sharp eye out," she warned. "Sometime the monsters lose their way, and leave the path." She backed up a little, until she stood in the middle of the group. "Now, wait until I say go. What you are going to do is wait for a gap in between the monsters, then run as fast as possible across the Thunderpath. Do not pause in your running, and don't look back. Remember, we only have a short amount of time before the next monster comes. I'll go last, to make sure no one gets hurt. Any questions?" She looked around, her eyes calm and unruffled, though her heart was racing. If any of these cats got hit, the rest would most likely turn on her.