Again?

[karoia]

The black tom trekked wearily, his chest heaving deep breathes. His usually white dirt covered paws had never carried him so quickly before. Keiogo took a quick glance over his shoulder as if he were being followed be he knew no one was there. No one had noticed him slip off with Kia. Those crazy Clan cats were so involved with themselves it was ridiculous, and Muted... Muted had seemed to disappeared altogether or something. It was strange yet fortunate. However, the old tom couldn't shake the feeling someone would eventually notice and perhaps care that the father and daughter slipped off. But they were far away now...

Keiogo and Kia had taken off after falling behind the group of Clan cats a bit more. They had high-tailed it from wherever they were and literally hadn't stopped moving since. It had been a difficult scamper but they were at least safe... well, safer here than wherever Muted had been taking the DarkClan cats, Keiogo imagined.

Kia finally slowed her pace down and walked over to a small lake to take a drink. She flopped down with exhaustion and carefully lapped up the refreshing water. Keiogo sighed, thankful that they had found a big pool of water to rest at. The tom walked over, briefly watching his wavering reflection for a moment. He had done something he had thought was impossible... he escaped DarkClan, but it had been too easy and it worried Keiogo. But he had no reason to fret now.

He lowered his head and thirstily drank some of the water. After a moment, somewhat familiar scents came to his nose on the wind. Keiogo quickly looked up from the water, ears perked forward. The smells were not in the direct vicinity, but nearby somewheres... Green eyes scanned the area. Kia was now resting, her eyes closed as she lounged sleepily by the lake. She didn't realize her father's sudden alarm. Keiogo looked to his daughter then around at the forest, the thick line of trees looking strangely familiar.

Oh no... Kieogo thought, the realization hitting him. He had been here before! This was some Clan territory he had been at before, and he had been warned to not come back... but he couldn't leave right yet, it was too soon... The tom wearily laid down and sighed. He wasn't having the greatest luck as of late.

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[» &Göldιê™; «]

<sub>The light seal shape moved through the trees silently, glowing blue eyes searching the undergrowth for the telltale scuttle that announced the prescence of a small bit of prey. His ears twitched as he heard a slight scrabbling up ahead. He waited until the opportune moment, then struck the small creature, killing it. He ate it quickly, but a new scent filled his nostrils.

Curious, Ghost wandered forwards, creeping up to the edge of the vegetation. He saw two cats sitting, and they didn't appear harmful. They were wild cats though, Ghost thought, so he'd need to be careful. He slowly strolled from the tree cover, hoping the twitching of the end of his tail wouldn't give away his nervousness. "What a lovely day it is," He mewed, and he was being honest. The day was fair, and the sunlight heated his fur. He blinked, wondering what the tom's reaction would be.</sub>

[Sable]

A dark, ruddy pelt flashed through the trees, her run becoming more and more panicked. Phoenix could have sworn that she had been heading back to safety, back to her secure home, but she only became more and more lost. She was starving too; around this time her Twolegs would have been feeding her a delicious meal of flaked tuna or chicken. To make things worse, her side and foreleg throbbed more than ever. Finally gaining the sense to slow down, Phoenix heaved a sigh, but cut it short as an unfamiliar scent hit her. Although inexperienced, she knew from instinct that other cats were around. One scent was vaguely familiar, as if she'd known it as a young kitten. She shrank back into the undergrowth, creeping forward in what she hoped was a quiet way.

[karoia]

Keiogo was utterly exhausted from the escape from DarkClan. Many thoughts whirled through his head as weariness took over... being in this territory again, being forced into DarkClan, escaping so easily... An image of Muted was vaguely showing in his mind, her face ominous and knowing. She hadn't seemed that way when she was leading them away. She was a strange cat, Keiogo would never understand her ways. And she knew his father...

Keiogo lay his head on his white forepaws. He didn't want to think about his horrible father. To DarkClan he may have been an amazing cat, but to Keiogo he was nothing. Mouse-dung was more important to him. The tom breifly opened his green eyes to look at Kia. He tried so hard to be a good father yet he felt a failure. Perhaps he was just worrying excessively because of his own father?

Keiogo's thoughts kept leading to more thoughts until he was ready to doze off; however, the tom's eyes snapped open as his nostrils suddenly picked up a strong scent. The sound of pawsteps rang in his ears. Keiogo looked at Kia who was fast asleep nearby then looked behind him to see an unfamiliar tom who then spoke a greeting. Keiogo sat up in a defensive position, his tail raising in a cautious manner. This tom didn't smell of the Clan cats he met before. Why was this cat here?

"Lovely day?" Keiogo echoed as if the statement were a puzzle. Why was this stranger speaking to him so kindly? It almost made him suspicious... but Kieogo was wary of everyone. After all he had been through lately he found it hard to trust any cat.

[» &Göldιê™; «]

<sub>Ghost nodded simply at Keiogo's repetition. "It is a fine day out." He sat down on the grassy ground. "And I am, though maybe to your dismay, a kittypet. Though," He added, reaching back to groom his almost white seal-patterned back and emphasizing his thin frame, "I by no means intend to become like the cliche kittypet, boring and lazy."

He heard a twig snap, and his ear twisted to catch the sound. He slowly turned to find the source of the noise, what could possibly be another tasty meal. The eager six-month kittypet slowly turned, carefully scenting the air It ws difficult to place a paw on the source of the noise... It was upwind, so he faced the vague direction, then realized the scent was of another kittypet. He relaxed, subconsciously realizing that he'd tensed up, and paced over to the brush.

A ginger she-cat caught his crystal-blue gaze. He vaguely recognized her as one of the local kittypets... what was her name? Phoenix, he remembered. "Hello, I don't suppose you'd recognize me. I'm Ghost." He sat near the brush. "You seem a bit scratched up," He mewed, gesturing to her paw.</sub>

[Sable]

Phoenix sat up hastily, her orange eyes narrowed. She adopted an air of nonchalant carelessness, ignoring the pain in her foot. Studying the thick-pelted younger cat, she recalled seeing him once -- on one of her many travels across Penbrook; as a young kitten her Twolegs had stopped in to see his, leaving her to become aquainted with a non-show cat cat. "I remember you," she mewed in a slow, dry voice. "You were that common little pet, weren't you?" One thing she prided herself on was not being considered a pet. The ginger cat coolly ignored the other two felines nearby.

[» &Göldιê™; «]

_{Ghost felt a twinge of annoyance. "Oh yes, I am fairly common," He mewed. "I'm sure you could find your way back to Penbrook on your own." He yawned, stretching lazily, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw the miniscule motions of a tiny gray vole. He lazily turned to it and in the blink of an eye he struck it, killing it instantly. He yawned with it pinned under his paw, then glanced nonchalantly at Phoenix.}

[karoia]

Keiogo just blinked as another cat came up. The first had declared himself a kittypet. Were those the cats that were kept in the large nests? The tom shook his head. He didn't know much about other cats use of language and ways.

As the two unknown felines chatted for a moment as if they knew one another, Keiogo just looked away to see that Kia was thankfully still asleep. She'd be rather uncomfortable in the prescence of strangers, especially after just departing from DarkClan which was full of strangers. It was the last thing she needed right now.

Keiogo remained silent, unsure of what to say or if he should even speak. Why were these cats here in this territory if they weren't Clan cats? It wasn't his right to ask, he thought, considering he wasn't even suppose to be here.

[/size]

[Sable]

Phoenix twitched an ear, equally nonchalant. She stood as smoothly as she could, considering her bruised and possibly broken ribs. Turning, she swished her plumed tail across Ghost's face and began walking away, one paw leaving faint red tracks.

[» &Göldιê™; «]

_{Ghost glared darkly at Phoenix. "Would you care to rephrase that?" He spat. He darted in front of her, blocking her way and hissing. "I'll bet you couldn't last two days in here alone." He growled menacingly, ssnarling.}

[karoia]

Keiogo blinked. These cats weren't going to fight where they? The older tom watched as the she-cat walked off and left blood behind. She was in no shape to fight and hopefully the other tom was smart enough to realize that...

[/size]

[Sable]

Phoenix forced the prickling hairs on her spine to still. "I don't think I do." she murmured quietly. Although her flame-colored eyes were cool, there was a burning behind them that even she couldn't tame. "And anyway, I'll get out of here somehow -- without help." Her eyes flashed proudly.

[karoia]

Keiogo didn't mean to intrude on the two stranger's conversation but he couldn't keep himself from jumping in after the she-cat's comment.

"Not to intrude, but have you been in this territory before?" He asked simply. "This area is the most confusing place I've ever been in. There's so many trees and turns and scents it's hard to determine up from down." Keiogo shook his head. He was speaking the honest truth. He had gotten himself lost here before, not many moons ago. "Luckily we're not too deep in the forest." The tom said the last part softly, mostly to himself as he glanced at Kia. "We shouldn't even be here on this land. we were told not to come back."

[/size]

[» &Göldιê™; «]

_{Ghost glanced at Keiogo, considering. "I could help, I know this forest like the back of my paw. I may live with twolegs, but that doesn't mean I can't be free. And," He said, turning to Phoenix, "At least I'm not an object used only for the purposes of showing. Hey, you need to go to a vet and soon," He added, glancing at her paw and ribs. "I guess I may as well take you beck to Penbrook if you are willing to listen to me."}

[karoia]

Keiogo was thankful the tom wasn't going to be foolish and want to attack the she-cat for her disdainful words. Had they been Clan cats, he was sure they would've been fighting one another with or without the she-cat's injuries. Especially if they were DarkClan cats...

They called themselves 'kittypets?' They seemed to be the kind of cats he wouldn't mind being around, although he assumed they lived with the twolegs...

"Vet?" he wondered aloud. It was a strange word to roll off his tongue. It had to be some sort of twoleg related thing?

[/size]