#jaguarcrown

"If it is not too much trouble, I seek an audience, miss Yarrowshine."

"What about?"

"What would one need to do to avoid angering the spirits when trespassing?"

Evidently the last conversation had spooked Huckleberry in some way. For all his continued drive to enforce unexplained rules among the current residents, he'd begun to shy away from making demands of Yarrowshine. She pondered perhaps she should break up the charade, tell him how much of a farce this whole belief of overprotective territorial spirits was. Especially now that he was asking directly.

The single spirit she'd met insofar was more than friendly. But if Jaguarcrown had convinced the poor fool so, who was she to change his mind? And what difference did it make whether he believed it or not?

"I can tell you know the means of atonement already, no?"

"Ah, I'll explain, my apologies. My family will be passing through soon, I wish to meet with them, but they may step onto the spirits' grounds. Could anything be done to allow them to leave without time spent atoning first?" Interesting for cats to be travelling still, when Leafbare was gripping the land.

"Mm… Difficult. And Cam cannot tell you?"

"Unfortunately she cannot speak to the spirits as you and Jaguarcrown do. If you need time to speak to them, I could return at a later time." Huckleberry swayed on his paws, weight shifting in preparation to turn tail and leave.

"No need. I will request an exception. They will be able to pass safely."

Is it truly a lie if the end result is the same as promised?

"Thank you. It means a lot." The spark of gratitude in the tom's eyes was worth it enough.

- - - - - - - -

Getting Cody used to outside became tougher when winter began to properly creep in. But the colder weather and shorter days also served to keep the human kits in more, if only slightly.

"You think you'll be okay in here?" Kris asked, trying to keep the tone casual as he rolled over on the floor. He wasn't sure yet how Cody felt about him leaving, even if they'd only known each other a month or so.

A noncomittal hum came from inside the cat tree.

"They aren't as bad if you get used to them… Neither is outside, I think you'd love it if you went beyond the fence."

Even only barely seeing the kit's head, he figured Cody looked to be sulking. The news may have hit a bit harder than expected…

"Like I said, I can't exactly stay. It ain't for me. If you really want out, you can come with us. You won't be alone, and if you prefer to come back here we can go. But we'll be going far away. I'm meeting back up with Mars later. You can come with, get acquainted at least. They're family."

The conversation just about died there, from the looks of it. Nothing more to say, no response to pull. So he let the boy sulk.

- - - - - - - -

It had certainly given Weaver something to think about. Not only had Huckleberry been leaving him alone more and more, pending the end of the guardianship, but now he was very aware of Owlgaze and Slatenose awaiting an answer.

Winter was cruel, any cat could tell you that. It was simple out there. You hunt, and you either succeed or starve. You hide, and you either succeed or die, from predators or weather both. He remembered his last winter, if a bit faintly by now. How he'd barely escaped death's fangs many times, feeding on crows or carrion when that was all he had.

Yet here, few cats seemed so fussed. Only the newcomers made any sense at all. Both the MoorClan cats, Huckleberry and Fir, even Cam and Storm seemed barely shaken. Like nothing was wrong when the first snow threatened the land. But, then, the newcomers had, so he'd heard, been barred from sharing in the stockpile.

All this living amongst others, as little as he went out of his way to interact, was a truly complicated mess. All cats act different, all cats expect something unlike the cat before. Longing for attention, longing for solitude, longing for respect, for fear… He hadn't lied when he said all this didn't suit him.

Yet whenever he thought of spending another winter all on his own, his paws seemed unsteady under him, and his tail lashed restlessly. Suddenly staying put in the castle seemed far less daunting. For the moment.

"So I… I um. I gave it some thought." He fumbled, sat in front of all three MoorClan cats, eyes downturned to his own fidgeting paws. "I think. I want to join you? Oh-only as long as you want me around, of course, I don't want to be…y'know, a bother."

He felt Owlgaze before he heard her, nearly barreling into him, the motion in the air shifting his whiskers. "Yes! Absolutely! Right?" She circled around, somehow managing to avoid stepping right on his oscillating tail.

"Nobody is opposed. You're welcome to join us however much you want." Slatenose sounded amused. But Weaver wasn't quite able to bring himself to look up enough to look at Yarrowshine, to figure out what the silence meant.

"Yeah, that. Um. Does that mean I have to sleep here or. Have a name like all of you, how does that work?"

"That would be your own choice. We don't currently have our own leader here to grant you a warrior name, unfortunately, but if you really would like one I'm sure we could grant at least a temporary one?" Slatenose's quiet voice barely cut over the continued sounds of Owlgaze's celebration.

That was one of the worst parts of living together, wasn't it. Decisions decisions. Ones without a simple right or wrong answer and yet so much weight to every option.

"We can leave names for later, I don't mind… I'll tell Huckleberry I'll be moving my nest here… Eventually." He needed a moment after all this. A very long moment.

- - - - - - - -

Sometimes it felt like the world just had it out for him specifically. What was wrong with just living life with his siblings and mother and aunts? Why did the humans decide that just wasn't allowed anymore? Why's everyone always deciding things for him? And yet all he could do about it was curl up in a box and stay there.

It wasn't actually doing him any good, and he knew that. But what was so good about being outside all the time anyway? Mal and Kris kept hyping it up like that best thing ever, but it mostly just seemed cold and wet now that it was all… loud. No more chirping insects or singing birds. Just cars, dogs, crows… It would come back, apparently. But now he was being told he had to either stay here or leave and hope it's as nice as they say? It felt unfair that Kris couldn't just stay until spring.

And yet, when Kris went scratching at the door that evening, Cody followed along, as much as he still felt annoyed at him for crashing into his life and running away so quickly after. The humans didn't stop him either.

"We'll be back by nightfall." Kris promised, hopping up onto the top of the fence like it was nothing.

Cody…went to find another way around, struggling up a bare hedge instead until the fence top was within reach. Then sank like a stone down onto the hard grassy ground on the other side.

From there, Kris lead him surprisingly far from the houses, out into frost-nipped open fields. The occasional sounds of cars were far away, leaving the world almost eerily quiet. He warmed his paws beneath himself while they waited for… Mars, was it?

Except it was two cats. Cody was left staring down a serious looking black cat while a small golden cat grappled with Kris in what he really really hoped was a greeting rather than an attack.

Kris cackled when they detangled. So…

"This is Cody, by the way! Cody, this is Mars. And I reckon you're the Azazel I've been hearing about!"

The tension in his shoulders let up as soon as the staring contest broke. Around 'family' he'd said. Whatever that means here.

"I heard you're Mal's sister's kit, right?"

"Yep! And you're the new kid's Mal's been taking care of." It was playful, Mars was just returning what he'd said, and yet for a moment he'd felt deep indignation at being reduced like that. Not that there was anything wrong with Mal, he liked the older cat and he was always kind of patient. But he wasn't just Mal's kit.

"Ahahah, yeah. Been living with him since summer." The anger never reached his throat, his tone still the same awkward softness.

"He mentioned you were having trouble adjusting to- Az, come on, stop staring there like a weirdo." Mars broke away mid sentence, opting to instead gradually headbutt the black cat towards the huddle.

"Don't worry, he looks all scary, but he doesn't bite. He's really sweet." The golden cat continued, rearing up to rub their cheek to Azazel's once satisfied with his new position.

"Nothing wrong with quiet. If everyone was as crazy as you all the time, we'd all drive each other mad. Besides, Cody gets overwhelmed easy anyway."

"You're the travelling one, then? Mars said she was coming with you to be a night?" The black cat's voice was suitably gruff, almost growly in a way that made Cody almost bristle up. Restrained only by the complete lack of reaction to it from anyone else.

"Mhm, so how much do either of you know about kingdoms?"

"Not…anything, really?" Cody answered first, tilting his head Kristopher's way. For all the stories of outside that he'd told, that one hadn't seemed to have quite come up yet.

"Buckle up then, we'll be here a while. Mars, bite my tail if I get off track, please." The sleek tabby stood, before launching into a tale truly much bigger than Cody had heard from him before. Though, most of it was about how humans lived, so maybe it made sense that he'd not said anything prior. The awkwardness faded gradually in the middle, and Cody found himself interrupting in fascination more and more often, with Mars occasionally jumping in to add things or answer questions herself. There was so much about how humans lived that he'd never even really thought about!

"Woah, and you do all that out there too?"

"Oh, no, well, not exactly. Smaller scale than that, since there's only a few cats, but. Well, I was thinking to really give it that kingdom feel. Why, you interested?" Kristopher teased him back for his excitement, and he found his ears starting to burn before he choked out a 'maybe', earning an 'aww' from Mars instead. Which didn't help, actually.

- - - - - - - -

Chin up, chest out, stone-faced, just like mum had taught. The decision to follow some weird adults they'd found in the woods had been spontaneous. Maybe a bit dangerous, okay, they knew. But the birds and insects had gone silent save for the crows and it was getting scary.

Besides, these cats didn't particularly seem dangerous. Certainly weird, with all the talk of angry ghosts or whatever - and only some of them. But the most harm they'd done him the whole time had been a bit of bruised pride. Seeing as almost nobody they'd spoken to seemed to think they were capable of taking care of themselves!

"I already told you I know how to defend myself." They grumbled, ears low as the grey tabby kept on asking more and more probing questions. Presumably about fighting methods or whatever, they understood maybe half of the specifics.

"I see. Would you indulge me in a demonstration then? Perhaps we could learn a bit from each other?"

"Sure thing, old man." They could tell it was just a different means of getting the same information. But it was more fun this way.

…

Unfortunately, regardless of who attacked first or how, it was always Carnation that ended up stuck on their back, paws at best flailing, at worst effectively pinned. So maybe the old tom had a bit more idea of what he was doing than they did. Even when they tried some of the things he did, it didn't work all that well - so when he corrected them about what they were doing 'incorrectly', their ears just burned.

Both of them flinched, if only a briefly, when a battlecry sounded from a higher pitched voice, followed by an attempt to bite Huckleberry's tail from a, they assumed, kitten - it was a bit hard to tell with how big the other ginger was, but he was pretty sure they were small enough to definitely be a kitten.

"Whatchu doin'?" They peeped, unabashed over having missed the attack entirely. A cat with an odd-patterned face trotted from the same direction the kitten had come from.

"Training." Huckleberry finally stepped off Carnation's chest, letting them roll back to their paws. Seeing the so-called teacher distracted, they leapt to the opportunity to attack - grappling him around the shoulders with both front paws. From the other side, the kitten pounced too, landing against Huckleberry's side with a dull thump and not much else.

Unfortunately, for all the effort to drag down Huckleberry, Carnation was nonetheless easily shaken off. To add insult to injury, the kitten came flying right at them too.

"Hey! You're supposed to be on my side!" They hissed, kicking the younger ginger off without all so much effort, despite the surprise.

"I am?"

In the meantime, the stranger had also caught up.

"If it's not too much trouble, could Fox join you?" The bald-muzzled one announced, almost apologetically.

"I don't think she's much trouble, I'm sure she can stay." Huckleberry looked to Carnation… And as much as they almost wanted to say no out of spite, it just felt mean.

"Yeah… You wanna see how real grown-ups fight, kid?"

Fox gasped, bouncing in place. "I do I do!"

- - - - - - - -

Blast it.

Even as the days passed, Romeo would often see his humans searching for him. Such fervour and commitment was admirable, sure, but the outside world had not yet truly lost its luster either. Most of his fellows had been content to stay inside, he knew that was usually the normal way of things. But was it so wrong for him to not be so? He knew by now he was not so strange after all - many of the cats roaming during day had humans to care for them, houses to sleep warmly within come the cold night.

If only his own would understand him so. Alas, he knew should they capture him, he may never run and hunt freely in the grass again. It was not their will for him to.

What was he to do then? To flee entirely? As much as he hungered to learn about these lands, to venture forth entirely on his own still rung like certain death. Besides, why else would everyone else who lived here be so eager to stay close rather than wander farther afield themselves? Nay. Romeo would have to keep evading for as long as he may. …

Whether by pure chance or by the will of some higher being, however, Romeo happened upon that same molly he'd seen on his first day out. Just with company this time, 3 other cats circled around.

He'd tried to be as quiet as possible when approaching closer, ears pricked in hopes of catching some, even tiny, bits of the conversation. His jaw almost dropped when he did finally pick up enough to puzzle together it was a plan to travel somewhere. Somewhere far.

"Now, if you're not planning on introducing yourself or coming along, I'd recommend you be on your way."

Romeo's head popped up, the burn of embarrassment faint on his ears as he realised he'd been seen.

"Of course, of course! You may call me Romeo. I've got quite the plight weighing on me, dear gents. My humans would like to have me back, you see, yet I wish to remain a free spirit. They would see to it I never step with my paws upon grass again. Surely you would help me, dear strangers? I would be forever in your debt if you were to help me find someplace away from here to stay." He pulled out all the stops, swaying and waving, his voice, too, befitting of a sob story of a so-called desperate cat. He'd always had a charm to him, even if this particular performance was not one he'd had much practice in to speak of.

The laughs it garnered, instead of sympathy, were a bad sign. "I can't imagine life on the run from humans of all things is any pleasure, no. If you think you can handle walking and hunting your own for a moon, you're welcome to tag along." Still, the molly accepted easily, so. Clearly he'd still succeeded.

"My, how could I ever repay you for this, darling?"

"Well, not calling me that would be a start."

- - - - - - - -

The normally quiet stretch of woods and the grassland it bordered buzzed suddenly with more life than summer itself had. Cats of all stripes and colours and splotches spilled across it, all together on a largely unravelled detour to their long journey.

Huck had met them prim proper and orderly, greeting and speaking to everyone in order. Fir had other plans, dashing directly into the sea, seeking out little cousins that were still toddling last he'd seen them, yet now stood at eye level; bumping foreheads with great auncles who had seen their fourth or fifth 'last' winter by now. The energy was infectious, sending him into a rush so powerful he'd forgotten they would not be staying together for long. Up until now, after all, this had simply been a normal ritual whenever everyone reached their destination.

Of course, he hoped they'd come back by in a few moons' time, but it wasn't quite the same anyway. A few hours did not compare to weeks. He could lament on it later, when Spruce wasn't grappling him into a hug.

"Hey, watch the ears!" Fir laughed, trying to topple his older brother over in return. It was in the midst of roughhousing that he stopped in his tracks, to stare at what in first grance seemed like an oddly shaped rabbit, sat away from the group with one of his many cousins.

"Oi, Maggie, is that your lunch?" Both the white-marked cats broke out laughing. Even Spruce did, a little bit, even as he'd tried to mask it behind half-hearted scolding.

"Bunny's just a friend. We're not eating it." Magpie chirped inbetween breaths, whilst her, apparently, friend stomped its hind paws not unlike a real rabbit, whiskers betraying the retained amusement.

"How'd you end up on the trail then, rabbit-cat? Your legs seem a little short to travel that far." Fir finally untangled completely from Spruce, half-skipping on his paws to join the pair even for a little while.

"It beats home I'll tell ya that. Had more fun the last few months than I've had in years, rough or not." Bunny answered back resolutely, seeming to almost try to rise to his height, though its ears hardly reached his chin even with strain.

"We got a real nice place here with a bunch of company if you two want to stick around, y'know. Real interesting types staying the winter." He slipped in, leaning a bit more towards Magpie in particular. If everyone else felt eager to chat to their own sorts, well, maybe he could get more of his own sort to stay.

"Oi!" Bunny huffed, propping itself up on its hind legs just enough to bump Fir's chin. "Eyes down here, fuzzy."

"Sorry, sorry. You're invited too." Fir snorted, falling back and bowing ever so slightly.

"Dang right. So what's this thing you're offerin?"

…

Of course, when Fir eventually found Hickory lounging among a circle of other older mollies, he got the wonderful duty of recounting every detail of the time away. She worried, of course she did, even if he didn't really understand why. She'd never fussed so much over Spruce or Pine or Juniper.

At one point Huckleberry joined them to report about how he'd been 'keeping Fir in check' as well, only to just end up fussed over by Hickory instead, over why he'd gotten so sidetracked in the first place.

"…I've elected to stay and help watch over the land." He'd finished his recap, looking almost sheepish as he finally broke the news.

"Oh, Huckleberry, dear. You should have said so earlier. We'll be sure to remember to stop here to visit."

"No need to worry, auntie. I won't be lonely." His voice turned gruff with restrained emotion. Nobody really needed both of them openly upset.

"Yeah! He'll have me with him! And Maggie said she wanted to stay, and her friend! And there's plenty of other cats already here!" Fir leapt in, voice raised enough to cut through the cloud of upset between them, tail waving in the air. Except it didn't seem to help. Hickory offered him the type of polite smile usually reserved for kittens boasting about a botched hunt. He could only imagine his own grin, still frozen in its place, looked rather silly now. And he wasn't really sure why.

"Are you sure, dear? You won't miss your siblings? And Pine's been talking about another litter come summer."

"Ah- well, of course I'll miss everyone! But I wouldn't want to leave Huck all by himself anyway, and here's been fun. It's not like I'm going anywhere, I'll meet you next time you visit." Fir's smile finally dropped, caught half between his own resolution and the longing to give it up.

"I don't mean to keep you, Fir, I'll be fine alone." Huckleberry added. But then Huckleberry was always like that.

“Hello there. Weaver, I assume.”

The white tom in question froze mid-step, hesitantly turning to face Slatenose.

“Owlgaze asked me to speak to you, if you have the time.”

“Oh…” The reply was quiet, Weaver’s head dipping enough that Slatenose felt tempted to ask what he’d done to assume Slatenose meant harm. “Sure. I’m not busy.”

Tap-tap-tap Weaver’s paws moved.

“You’re alright, nobody’s upset.” He soothed, sitting and curling his tail over his paws. “She mentioned you were struggling with the company here, I reckoned I could help if you’d want it?”

“I’m just not much good at it, I’m sorry. It’s just how I am.”

“Maybe that’s true, I don’t know you. But I have to say, I also thought I wasn’t much fit for Clan life before I started living it.”

“It’s just. Nerve wrecking. Being around cats so much.” Slatenose couldn't help but notice how the other's eyes scarcely met his, despite his own slack posture.

“Well, why do you think so?” He probed gently, attempting to seem more comforting by mirroring the slouched posture, as uncomfortable as it felt in what was meant to be a calm conversation.

“It’s easier when I know what someone wants from me.”

“What if nobody wants anything from you?”

“Everyone wants something from others, though.” It seemed to almost work. He thought so anyway. Weaver's retort was sharper than before, more. Sure. Even if it was in the wrong thing.

“Well, what do you want from Owlgaze, then?”

“I… I dunno.” Weaver withered again, hopefully in thought rather than fear this time. Slatenose let himself relax a bit and sit up straighter.

“That’s how Clans work, just about. Everyone hunts for and defends each other, but at the end of the day nobody expects more than someone can give. Whoever you are, you're enough just like that.”

“But this isn’t a Clan. I’ve never even seen a Clan.” Weaver dismissed it with a shake of his head, perhaps more to himselt than Slatenose.

“If you’d like, I’m sure Owlgaze would be happy to have a friend along. We aren’t exactly MoorClan perse, but we still treat each other like Clan cats.”

The invitation was met with silence, enough so that Slatenose could hear the drip of water over by the window.

“Do you just… take in whatever cat you pity?”

“It depends. We don’t have a leader, so really it just depends on if we want someone along, and they want to join us. And I’m sure you’ll be rather welcome already.” He spoke softly, trying not to overstep or make the timid cat feel too pressured.

“I’ll think about it, alright? I’m sure you’re a busy cat, I shouldn’t take more of your time.”

“I’m not doing anything, if that’s your concern. But I’ll leave you be if you’d like the alone time. You can tell Owlgaze your decision if it makes you feel more comfortable.”

Slatenose could take a hint. He left Weaver to his own devices for the time being, not to push too many buttons at once. Owlgaze certainly lit up when he finally deigned to tell her how the brief conversation went. Not before he felt Weaver had been given time to think, of course. Wouldn't do to have Owlgaze pressing for an immediate answer.

- - - - - - - -

The journey had been long, but uneventful. After a certain point, Kristopher's paws fell into the same invisible pawprints he'd traversed dozens of times, until the road, fences, and houses came flooding across the view ahead. He always seemed to sleep so much more soundly when he knew home was practically a whisker away.

It wasn't unusual to find cats near the outskirts either, mind you. But he'd scarcely ever seen one desperate enough to chase crows when it wasn't the dead of winter.

"Rough week?" He asked, casual, probing. Safely out of reach in case the yellow cat was the type to swipe first ask questions later.

The tomcat seemed startled, hackles raised for a brief second. Kris had seen it, even if he was only 'supposed' to have seen the confident puff-up that followed it.

"You would not believe, dear. Looked much easier through a window." The tom still stood almost protectively over the catch, as if Kris had anything to envy about a scavenger bird.

"Your folk don't let you outside much?"

"Heavens no. Not intentionally, certainly. Us housecats aren't meant to run loose, I fear."

"You haven't met many housecats, then." He could only laugh at the idea, knowing how many of the local troublemakers spent their nights indoors. "I know the place well if you need help getting home."

"No." The offer was rejected immediately, without even a second thought. "No, thank you, dear. I'd like to take my chances to see the town myself."

"Suit yourself. But they're probably looking for you, you know."

"Most likely. They do love me so. It's not all bad, you know. If you've never had your own."

"Mm. I was on the way home to mine, actually." He half-turned in place, tail flicking to the dead bird under the yellow tabby's chest. "And. Word of advice. Crow does not taste good."

- - - - - - - -

She weaved between mama and mummy like a weasel, crashing down onto the brown leaves that littered the ground. Giggling when they crunched, huffing in disappointment when they didn't. All the while her little tail swung side to side like a metronome, her pouncing and hopping never quite matching the beat.

Whatever the adults were talking about never quite reached her, much too enthralled by everything else. The clouds, the open field, the leaves, the chirping of bugs… The weird giant boulder up on the hill. It was only when they got closer that she realised it was actually a cave. Kind of like one of those stories mama told about fighting off bears when she was younger. Fox hoped she got to fight a bear. Maybe that's why they were here!

Except when she tried to bolt towards the entrance, mummy pulled her over instead. "Stay close, dear." She valiantly tried to fight off the hairless paw on her shoulder, but it didn't much work. Which was incredibly unfair, because mama always said she was really big and strong for her age!

"Are we going to fight a bear? I wanna fight a bear. Or, oh, a wolf? What else lives in caves?"

"Some nice cats agreed to let us stay here with them, remember? It'll be warmer in there than the woods." For a moment she was disappointed. But then she remembered that meeting new cats was loads of fun! Or at least meeting mama and mummy had been very fun!

Mummy gave her another quick squeeze before starting to walk again, but it took everything Fox had in order to avoid barreling passed both her and mama. But she was doing a very very good job at following politely, even with her fur fluffed up.

It was very weird inside the cave. Definitely spooky, and darker than it ever got outside in places. Or maybe those were walls. Were there black rocks like that?

But then it couldn't be rocks because a cat walked out of there! Woah!

"Heyy! Last trip?" The big cat chirped at them. Fox decided he sounded fun. Mama didn't seem to think the same.

But they didn't stop her when she dashed to the new cat, so it was definitely fine. "Hi! Hi, I'm Fox!"

"Oh? 'Fox', I like that. I'm Fir!" The big brown cat dipped down when he spoke back to her, which she thought was rude. Because she was soo big, she didn't need aany cat to crouch to see her proper.

"What's a Fir?" She puffed her chest out, stretching out her legs to be as big and tall as she could get.

"It's a tree. They have spikes for leaves and they're always bright and green."

"But mama said the cold bites all the leaves off the trees." And everyone knew mama was always right.

"Not these ones, they're special trees. If the cold tries to bite them, they just Jab it!"

"Nobody ever said there was special trees!"

"It's true. There's trees that stay green in winter." Mummy chimed in. Which meant this other brown cat wasn't lying! Wow!

"Mama, have you ever seen a special tree before?"

"Plenty. I've even fought some. Remember that pinecone I gave you? It's a tooth I knocked off it." Mama overcame her grumpiness enough to respond, only grinning when Fox gave her an outraged gasp in response.

"That's not fair! You never told me you can fight trees too! Or that teeth had- trees had teeth."

"It's dangerous knowledge, little Fox." Mama's big paw ruffled Fox's head, making her squeak.

Fir shifted out of the way when mama walked off to the dark area.

"Mummy said there was cats here! Is there more of you?" Fox recovered quickly, stepping in front of Fir again without hesitation.

"Oh, many! You'll probably meet most of them if you stay long enough. But. I'll have you know, I'm the most fun cat here!"

"Nuh-uh." Fox shook her head, despite how proud the Fir cat looked. "Mama is the funnest cat ever."

"Why am I surpriised, you're just a little mini of your mama, eh?" Fir stuck out his tongue, and Fox answered back with the same out of spite.

"Uh-huh! I'm big and strong and I could beat anything up just like mama. I bet I could beat up a tree or a bear!"

"A bear you say?"

- - - - - - - -

As soon as he got the humans to finally open the door, Kristopher got the treatment of a true king. Carted around, lavished in affection and attention, free kibble on demand. The whole works. It was odd how much such nigh timeless beings noticed his time away every time. Had he not seen their kits grow larger over years he'd think them timeless.

But none of that was really the goal in returning, even if the perks were (for the most part) pleasant. He'd taken the nearest opportunity he could to get loose and plop down next to the heater with the older black tomcat.

"Hey, Mal." He chirped, headbutting gently before picking his own spot right next to him.

"Kris!" Malcolm purred back, leaning over to start grooming him as if an unruly kitten. "It's good to see you're unharmed this time. It's not good for my heart you know."

"The humans can fix anything, it's fiine. Important bit's just getting home." He knew Mal didn't seem all that convinced of it, but Kris at least hadn't yet seen them fail. Like Henry next door, getting his leg up in tip-top shape even after a nasty break like it was no problem.

"Mm, well you picked a good time to be back. Won't freeze your ears off out there for once. Miracle they're still straight." Kristopher cackled when Mal reached them, nipping at the fur at the base to help get rid of any bit of tangles.

"Maybe I just have a knack for finding ways to sleep warm."

He surrendered eventually, in the form of returning the favour of grooming Malcolm at the same time, taking turns telling stories of whatever either had missed over the time apart, like how Mars had found a mate recently or Charlie had gotten reclusive again. At least until Kristopher's attention snagged onto movement by the cat tree like a burr to fur.

Before, at a glance, he'd thought it was an awkwardly sized plush toy, probably left there by one of the human kits. But evidently it was an actual cat.

"Who's the big guy?"

"Cody. They brought him a few months ago. He's a bit sensitive, so we can ease him into getting used to you a bit later, okay? Don't crowd him."

"This mean I have a brother?"

"Sure, we can put it that way." Mal chuckled.

…

It didn't take long to realise the warning had indeed been a very serious one. While Cody seemed to at least tolerate him - answered back when spoken to, didn't shy away from eating together or playing near each other, it was the kits that had proven to be the biggest issue. So much of what Kristopher had learned long ago to filter out and ignore seemed to effect the poor golden-brown cat greatly. The yelling, the running around, the picking up and carting around. All of it spooked Cody.

Kris tried doing what he could, of course, to help. Attracted the attention his way so he'd be the one they messed with when Cody wanted to hide, or ran about underfoot to make the kits slow down a bit when they got too rowdy in the living room. If nothing else, it did seem to make Cody like him more.

Even a few days later the humans kept the door stubbornly shut, no matter how much he yelled at them. There wasn't much better to do than work on introductions and getting along. Apparently Cody wasn't all that old yet, despite how big of a cat he already was, bigger than Mal easily and twice as broad. At first the shyness had reminded him of Weaver, but Cody came around much quicker, started to initiate. Kris started to tell stories, of course, of all he'd seen out there in his years. It was sad how much Cody's life had been confined behind walls and windows. Even if the idea of needing to look out for dangers and fight for food looked to frighten him. He could learn. Baby steps.

He had plenty of practice hunting toys anyway, Kris saw how good his instincts for it could be whenever one of the humans set out one of those self-moving toys or lead around a dot erratically. Real prey was much more predictable than that.

…

Kris had convinced Malcolm to bring Cody outside with him on a warmer day, one of the last of its kind.

"It felt so much brighter outside, but it's so cold." The caramel tabby commented as soon as they came back in, shaking each paw in turn. Especially comical to watch for both older cats, since there wasn't any snow outside yet to shake off.

"It'll get colder in the next few months. The humans keep outside warm for us, so don't worry." Malcolm added.

Kristopher countered almost immediately. "You can get used to it, especially if you go outside a lot. Couldn't be hard with all that thick fur you've got."

"I dunno. Will they let me back inside if we ask?"

- - - - - - - -

"Ohh so you just go to the same places every time, you're not travelling just away all the time."

"The same cycle, yes, if we can help it. If someone breaks off, it makes it easy to find them again."

Huckleberry weaved in and out of the trees with ease on his now near-daily circuit. With the leaves good as gone it wouldn't be long before the first few cats passed through on the way to the winter hideout. Best not to miss them. Owlgaze kept to her own tradition, staying out in the grass and sun.

He'd always expected more questions now that his family became important to know about, so the only surprise had been how long it took for them to start properly coming through. Especially with how dull the work must seem for the time being.

"So what happens if you come back and someone else lives on your territory?"

"We usually share. Failing that, there's enough of us to be intimidating. I've heard stories of us having had to find new places before, but it hasn't been within my life at least."

"Do you ever fight? With other groups of cats, I mean." Owlgaze padded along in zigzags not unlike his own, though tighter due to the lack of obstacles. Occasionally he glimpsed her spinning in a circle to avoid getting too ahead.

"We avoid it. No use spilling blood. We can defend ourselves if we must, but foxes and coyotes make themselves more frequent enemies."

"But you seem pretty protective of here, right?"

"The spirits that live here don't want trespassers. I merely do as the Crown would to keep peace with them."

"Jaguarcrown hasn't explained much. Is that like his ancestors that live in the stars?"

"Ah, well. I have no ability to commune with spirits myself. But they don't live in the stars. They live here. That's the danger - if you anger them they can simply retaliate."

"Oh. That's definitely interesting."

The line of questioning continued, morphing topics until Weaver, what with Huckleberry's assignment to keep an eye on him, got naturally brought up. Only for crunching to break the chatter up abruptly as both cats stopped to gauge the sound.

"Pretty sure it's a cat." Owlgaze mumbled, having crept closer now.

"You think so?"

"Saw orange. And stripes. So it couldn't be a fox."

…

Normally, Huckleberry wouldn't have bothered following this deep into the wood. It wasn't the Crown's or the spirits' domain anymore, but this time he needed to know if the passerby was familiar.

The, apparently, ginger tabby was much faster than he'd hoped. Owlgaze had gotten turned around a few times before they got from just tracks to actually finding the cat responsible. Unfortunately, as he got closer it was rather clear this wasn't anyone he knew.

"Hello there, traveler." Huckleberry greeted.

"And who the blazes are you two?" The ginger bared teeth immediately, pelt fluffed in a defensive display. Looked quite young.

"We saw you passing by and wanted to ask if you know a large travelling family of cats perhaps. They ought to be migrating through here and I'd awfully appreciate the visit."

"Never heard of one."

"Thank you, then, anyway."

"Aren't you too young to be all on your own?" Owlgaze spoke instead. The ginger balked.

"I'm old enough to not need no mommy and daddy following me around bloody everywhere."

"How old are you then? You look like an apprentice at most." She pressed, almost concerned.

"Like 8 months. Grown."

Now, Huckleberry was well aware plenty of cats went on to live on their own at, what, 6 months old? But that had always seemed like far too much of a stretch to himself. He'd rather not think of this young cat meeting his first winter without assured shelter. "Winter is coming. If you would like a place to stay out of the wind and lack one, we may be of assistance."

"I'm not that bloody helpless, you know." Still, he looked to be considering, posture slowly relaxing and eyes wandering. "But heck, man, if I like it, I'll crash. I like havin options."

"I'll lead the way then. Come along Owlgaze, and..?"

"Carnation, if you gotta know."

- - - - - - - -

It took some convincing, approximately 16 days of it in fact, before Kristopher managed to convince one of the humans to let him outside again. They always got so darn clingy whenever he was gone a while. Still, the important part was that he got out, even if one of the kits watched him a while to make sure he didn't bolt out of the backyard immediately. But they always get bored, as kits wont to do, so the boy vanished indoors before too long.

And Kris jumped the fence not long after. Luckily, Mars' house wasn't exactly that far, so all it really took was finding a spot to lay down and wait. The sun was still pleasant enough, even if the warmth was waning.

…

The little golden cat crashed into him, and he played as if surprised, 'defending' himself in a violent yet harmless tussle. Maybe Fir really had helped him keep in practice for these.

They were both not far from winded by the time they fully separated. "Did you really miss me that much? I was barely gone this time." Kris snorted, flopping back down onto his side as Mars settled into a loaf on the cold wood beside him. Twin balls of bushy fresh winter fur.

"Just because a year ain't long for you, doesn't mean it ain't long for the rest of us." Mars huffed, headbutting his shoulder.

"You have a point. I've got like. A whole brother now and, what, a cousin in law?"

"You mean Az? Maybe if you stick around longer than a week you'll meet 'im."

"Well actually I've been home for at least 2 and I still ain't met him."

"You know what I mean."

…

Before they knew it it was nearly sunset, though by then Mars had gone to get the rest of the family together for a meet up. Well, at least Alexandra and Cooper, since Charlie wasn't one they could quite get ahold of.

The recounting of the whole uniquely weird circumstances he'd found himself in these past months had been especially long. He'd never tended to try to keep it all that brief, and the details jumbled and were added in odd orders. But it was easier than organising his brain beforehand.

"Well, you sure had quite the adventure." Alexandra chirped, sat between her two kits.

"Dude, that's insane." Mars in particular jumped up as soon as he'd been done.

"I know! So I have like. A kingdom now. I mean, I doubt most of 'em are actually gonna stick around. But I know Huckleberry really wanted to. And it's a really neat place, even if it's y'know, a lil drafty, buuuut I do think the place's haunted, though. Crazy thing, I know."

"What makes you say that?" Cooper was still wide-eyed after the whole overwhelmingly dense story to begin with, looked a bit taken aback by the accusation.

"Well, when I was there I just didn't really wanna leave? Like something was keeping me there, not like usual."

"Ooor you just liked it there and wanted to live there. No ghosts required." Mars added.

"Maybe. It seemed a little crazy when I got my head screwed back on straighter. Still, I just get the vibe, y'know."

"I think you really should spend the time at home a bit more, kiddo, it'll do you good." Alexandra leaned in, cuffing him over the ears playfully, though not as rough as he was used to Mars doing.

"Yeah yeah. I know you lot don't believe in ghosts." He rolled his own eyes, leaning back.

"Ghosts or no ghosts, are you going back then or what?" Mars rounded right back onto him instead, butting into his line of sight.

"Well, I do want to. At least to talk to Cam, not leave her hanging. I said I wouldn't be longer than a couple months."

"If you're so scared, maybe you need a knight your Majesty." The title was a tease, and somehow caught him off guard enough that he burst out laughing.

The more the days passed, the more Huckleberry couldn't help but wonder exactly who those odd guests were. Far be it for him to question the Crown's decisions, but all 3 stood out quite sharply in both name - startlingly similar to Jaguarcrown himself's in structure - and function. Unlike Weaver, Fir, or himself, they'd never been granted any real duties or orders, given nothing to atone for in their service. None that he could tell at least.

Owlgaze had been agreeable enough, chatted gladly about far off lands, journeys, and plans. He could be satisfied with just one cat's word out of them all. And yet it nagged at him how much the grey tom and patched molly kept to themselves, a separate unit all their own even within the land.

It was uncommon to catch either of them alone, much less not busy with something. So when the opportunity presented itself, well… Weaver could handle himself for a bit. It had been enough moons to trust he'd not be eager to just run off.

Having found one sat in the sun by the hillside, he approached carefully, announcing himself with a polite 'good afternoon' when he was sure he could be heard. The brown cat regarded him with little warmth, yet made no move to leave or shoo him away.

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Nothing that can't be picked up later." She answered with an ear flick, even now not fully facing him. It was a sort of distant look that struck him as oddly familiar. Like Jaguarcrown's more distracted moments.

"Great. I was hoping you would be willing to answer a few questions." He felt then that he'd crossed an invisible line he'd not been meant to, from the way she looked at him now, turned to fully face him.

"What is it you need to know?"

"Owlgaze has shared some of the story, but I wanted to hear from another perspective. You three, what makes you all stay here? As far as I've heard, you have somewhere to be."

Silence followed, nothing but the movement of the air, fallen leaves fluttering like giant moths upon the breeze. He watched those tall ears flick. And then…

"We each have our reasons. The companionship is appreciated, so I've voted to stay for a longer time." The molly's response was calm, measured. He felt it was not just a failing of his own that he couldn't tell what hid behind them, for once.

Huckleberry's eyes narrowed, but his curiosity drove him to push rather than retreat. He couldn't be satisfied with an answer that made no sense.

"Appreciated by who, if you don't mind the question? Owlgaze has been a joy, yet seemed anxious enough to leave herself."

"You are not the only denizens of this land."

"The spirits then?" Huckleberry blurted out without even thinking. It was the only logical answer, surely.

"Are you one to believe in spirits?"

The question made him huff with a prideful sort of determination to back himself up, especially with almost-amused as the asker seemed. "Certainly. Every kit in my family is taught not to upset them."

"Interesting… Then we may say my presence is desired by a spirit here…I take it you are not acquainted." He could only assume the gesture of the head was meant to point him towards something in the thin air she'd been staring at before.

"I fear I am not so blessed as to see or commune with the spirits the way Jaguarcrown himself is. But you are?"

"Perhaps."

"Can you prove it?"

"Must I?"

- - - - - - - -

Fresh air and sleep had done him well enough. No longer was the nagging of unseen danger gnawing at his skin, at least. Even if any odd touch or movement in the corner of his eye that shouldn't be there still caused him to jump. There was resolve, now, though. He knew it wasn't just a fleeting impulse. That it would last the journey home.

He stared from a distance. Watching quietly as Cam searched for prey. If he was going to leave, at the very least she should know. It was only decent. The rest, he knew, would largely be long gone by the time the snow came down proper. And with the changing leaves, he'd better leave sooner than later if he didn't want to get snowed in himself.

It just felt like such a betrayal. To spend so long trying to show he would be there, only to leave. It's not like it wasn't something he'd done many times before. It just wasn't a good habit.

He watched her talk with Fir, only to separate and pad back his way… It was as good a time as any.

"Fancy a break, Cam?" He hopped down from the log, abandoning the catch he'd been 'guarding'.

"Mm… Might have more luck with a clearer head." She sighed. "But I take it that means you want to talk."

"So long as it's not a bother, my dear friend. I must confess it is serious."

"I can tell, you're doing that thing."

"What thing?" He found himself off-beat, ever so briefly, picking through possibilities a mile a minute in the seconds it took to get an answer.

"You're all performative. Like you're hiding something."

"Huh." It felt. Odd. To have the mask called out so blatantly, even if he hadn't meant to be wearing it, necessarily. Even more so that it came from someone that hadn't known him since, well, since before he flew the coop at least. It took a weird amount of effort to drop it, less of a relief than it usually would be, when he forced himself to relax a bit.

"You can say whatever it is, I'm listening. I'm sure it's nothing too much."

"Yeah… So point is, I'm going to go visit family. I don't know when I'll be back, but since we're neighbours, I reckoned you ought to know. You and Storm can stay in the castle if you want - actually that would be quite lovely. I could leave you in charge then until everyone scatters their own way anyway. Or I can ask Huckleberry."

"So you just want me to keep your den clean for you. Unbelievable." Camomile scoffed, batting at his shoulder with a paw, despite the slight smile on her face. "What do you even do in there? That Huckleberry cat makes you seem like a right tyrant."

"Honestly, not that much. Hunt, sleep, a bit of running around for the heck of it. Huckle just really bought into the whole kingdom shtick way back when. If you know what a kingdom is."

"Can't say I've heard of it, no."

"Makes sense. It's a human thing, actually. But I'll bore you with the details later, so Fir can't bowl us both over for sitting around."

- - - - - - - -

She didn't like to admit that it might have slipped her mind just slightly, but… It's always better late than never. Besides, Slatenose is easy to flag down, it's not like she missed her chance.

"Need any help?" Owlgaze chirped, trotting at a quick pace to catch up with the healer, only to fall into step beside him.

"Always welcome to join. Can't say it'll be anything interesting, though." Slatenose answered, steering her along to where he was going, the motion familiar in a way that only clanmates seemed to reach.

"Great thing I have something I wanna talk about then!"

"Oh, you do? Made new friends?" The tom didn't quite match her energy, focused on his own work as she talked.

"Something like that. You used to be a loner, right?" Owlgaze leaned in, careful not to get underpaw as Slatenose examines some wilty plants.

"I'd say so." His ear twitched her way this time.

"Well, this cat named Weaver was too! He seems fun, but he's struggling to get used to living around other cats." Even some days later, it was a concept she struggled to quite wrap her head around. That's why having cats around who weren't Clan cats at heart from birth seemed like a help.

"That can happen sometimes. Not every cat enjoys much company."

"Well, I think he would like it! He just needs some help to not be so shy!" The idea Weaver would just…never come around to company just felt wrong.

The answer hadn't been quite as quick this time, Slatenose stopping to think, perhaps weighing her viewpoint a bit more.

"Keep at it then. Just be careful not to overwhelm the poor cat."

"Well actually I told him I'd ask you to talk to him. Since you know what it's like living alone better than me." She weaved around to the other side of him as Slatenose spun to move the other way, her tail tipped higher up.

"If you'd like me to, I can certainly try sometime. What's he look like, then?" He'd answered with a friendly sort of huff.

"Very white, it would be hard to miss him. The one with the brown tail."

"I'll keep an eye out. Now, would you mind carrying these?" And, well, once her teeth were busy with the flowers, there wasn't quite so much room to chat on the way back.

- - - - - - - -

It was a calm night. But it was getting harder and harder to ignore away the biting chill. Even the trees were starting to prove little help. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

They'd seen the milling about of a half dozen or more cats out there. Smelt it, too, hard not to. Frankly, just because some pompous furballs think they own everything, doesn't mean they actually do. They can share a star forsaken den, it ain't gonna kill them.

When Wolf could no longer offer her a reason for them not to go, all caution was tossed to the wind rather quickly. Where Wolf kept to the shadows, slinking along silently, ears alert for any kind of sound, Fire felt no need. A cat would need to be blind to not notice the bright orange fur anyway. At most she kept her distance from her friend.

It didn't take long to find what seemed to be a food storage area. Rodents, rabbits, birds, piled up together in a sight that made her mouth water. Enough to feed a family for weeks, maybe, if it didn't spoil. Fox would appreciate extra pickings if nothing else.

"C'mere. They won't notice if a little goes missing." She whisper-yelled over her shoulder, grabbing at the leg of a rabbit to drag it towards the way they came, watching as Wolf caught up enough to grab something smaller.

"Aren't we only supposed to be scouting?"

"We'll find someplace to hide out in later. Unless you wanna go ahead while I get this outside. Your choice."

She could feel the silent judgement even if she couldn't see it, chortling in response.

All in all, despite Wolf's reservations, everything went fine. There hasn't been a single sign of a cat awake, even. Weirdos.

The thrill of success lasted maybe all of 5 seconds, though, before Wolf was back to shivering, and Fire was reminded of the main reason they went in there in the first place.

"Come on. Gotta be somewhere we can nest in. They can't be using the whole place."

…

The second plunge was slower, carefully scanning for any tunnels or crevices a cat could fit into. Unfortunately, whatever forces had build a cavern such as this wasn't exactly that considerate. Mice or rats, mostly, that'd how big most of the open crevices were, save for the massive towering passages, and those were much too open.

They're doubled over about 3 times and split up another 2 by the time they met back up in the food chamber of this twisted warren of half-tree sized rabbits. "Nothing." Fire spat, anger directed at nothing in particular. Maybe just the stones themselves. Her tail lashed with restless energy as she paced back and forth.

"I found a gap in some flat wood that I could squeeze through." Wolf reported, her hushed voice much calmer, sat by the corner, keeping watch of the passage she'd last gone through. May as well, with how confusing this place was.

"Finally!" Fire grumbled, throwing her head up before stepping forward, headbutting Wolf's shoulder on the way through.

Then. A different voice echoed through from that very same direction. And another.

Fire stood her ground, listening, half-crouched and hackles raised. They'd wasted too much moonlight here to just run away now. The voices bantered, growing clearer and more distinct as the distance closed.

"I've been practicing!" "Sure, but you still lack tact, I'm telling you." "You're only avoiding a match cuz you think you'd lose!" "I'm avoiding one because I would prefer not to have you pouting at me for a rematch all day when I kick your tail."

The moment a dark shape appeared, Fire pounced. Her claws met fur just as paws grappled onto her in turn, each trying to steer the other in opposite directions.

The lighter tabby had disappeared from her peripheral vision in the meantime, yet apparently hadn't joined the fight. Good enough. She dug her teeth into thick neck fur, as teeth snapped at her ears, missing the curled-away tips of them. The tussle went to the bigger cat - Fire brought the dark tabby down onto his back eventually, despite the pushback. Paws battered her belly, even as she ignored them for the time being. It was claws almost nicking her eyes that had her pulling sharply away, creating enough of an opening for her opponent to slip away. They stared each other down now, snarling and hissing, wordlessly daring the other to take the next attack.

"Found another one!" The other stranger's voice rang out. Cold rattled its way down Fire's spine.

Without a thought, she spun, abandoning the fight in favour of rushing to the cornered, growling Wolf. Not that she got very far, a weight crashing directly into her flank a heartbeat later, a paw tugged out from under her enough to sent her rolling mid-run.

"We were just looking for a place to stay, away from the cold. I'm not looking for a fight." She heard Wolf reason, tense and barely audible over the fight where Fire and the stranger wrestled.

"Well, ya coulda just said so. Jag left, but usually he just let's anyone stay here. Just, uhhh. I don't think we're supposed to fight."

As surprising as the lighter stranger's attitude was, she didn't stop just yet. Just as well, the dark tabby looked to have little intent of stopping either. She'd much rather not be stuck on, mostly, her back batting away and trying to anticipate strikes from every which direction. She took the first opportunity to get back on her paws she could find, leaping up fast enough to nearly catch the enemy in the jaw with a headbutt, only for her forehead to land with a dull thud on the tom's chest instead.

It wasn't dark grey in front of her when Fire opened her eyes, however, rather the larger light brown cat.

"Could you not? I said we can just talk, alright?" He chuffed in her face, though she honestly didn't find him that intimidating. Size didn't mean all that much, even if he was huge.

"What's there to say? Either we stay, or we have a problem to settle with claws."

"There's a lot more of us than there are of you." The dark tabby growled from the other side, shifting instead to stand beside his fellow.

- - - - - - - -

With all that Jaguarcrown had made it sound like a peaceful job with nobody ever bothering him, Cam very much did not expect to get dragged out of sleep before dawn even broke.

She did her best to listen to the explanation being given, hoping Storm would catch the parts she missed in case any of it was important.

"So why do you need me there again?" She asked inbetween yawns, half-tempted to burrow back into her brother's side to avoid the chill of the autumn night seeping through.

"Usually Jaguarcrown would be who we ask, but he said while he's gone you're in charge, remember?" Fir had a lot more energy than she could ever imagine at a time like this, bouncing ahead a few steps at a time like an excited fox pup.

"Right." At least in the old foxhole, she didn't have to worry about interrupted sleep. But Fir seemed a nice enough fellow, it would be rude to just brush him off.

The tension they ultimately walked in on helped wake her up a bit more. Huckleberry and a ginger cat glaring one another down, with a 3rd cat crouched beside the stranger. At first they'd just looked like a tabby at a glance, but Cam found herself stepping back a bit when they stood up and stepped forward, noting the prominent bare patches of skin. She'd seen ill creatures look like that before.

"Sorry for the disturbance. Really. Terrible of us to barge in. Would you kindly hear us out?" The voice was soft, almost unexpectedly smooth.

Cam turned her head after feeling a tap on her shoulder, watching as Storm did his best to make his gestured words clearly visible even with the dark blending his fur with the shadows. She'd heard the mention of a fight somewhere within Fir's story, but. If they were the instigators, that was much more of an issue.

"We'll hear what you have to say, I'm sure." She tried not to let the hesitation show through too clearly.

"We're desperate, that's all. My fur just doesn't protect me well in the cold, and we've a kitten in our care that hasn't encountered winter before. Here just seemed like the only place to overwinter safely for us."

Were it her own den, Cam would have felt inclined to turn them away, admittedly. As much as she didn't have the heart to abandon cats in need, they were simply a danger. But this wasn't her den, not really. It was a giant structure more lived in by everyone else. And from the sounds of it, it hadn't seemed like Jaguarcrown cared too heavily for it, not in the same way one would care for a den…

"I'm sure it's not too much trouble to allow your stay over the winter."

"May I say something?" Huckleberry spoke up, even having yet to take his eyes off the larger stranger.

"What is it?"

"The spirits do not like trespassers. That certainly means we'll anger them if we let intruders stay without paying back the Crown for the insult."

Right. Jaguarcrown had mentioned something like that.

"I think it's fair enough then that during their stay, our guests should hunt for themselves instead of taking from the cache, right? Save for the kitten."

The stone, truly, was not something that earned Yarrowshine's love so easily. It had its charms the same as any structure or den might, certainly. It was not a wonder why others may settle there, but there was no goal nor purpose here for any of them three. A temporary resting spot like any other.

Only at first.

It had only taken a day to notice someone else lived here, underneath the residents' very noses. A spirit. Wispy and frayed at the edges, clinging on to the mortal plane after cycle upon cycle. By the second day, the spirit had noticed her back. By the third, they'd relished in the attention, though she'd quickly learned the old spirit could not speak back. Rather miming rather clumsily as a means to communicate, the motions so faintly visible in the night even trained eyes would struggle. One had to wonder how long it had been since they'd been given the decency of someone to talk to at all. Few had the ability to sense spirits, much less so wholly experience them, after all.

Nevertheless, what kind of heartless cat would Yarrowshine be if she'd simply left a soul in need be ignored evermore?

…

It was a routine night by now, when she slipped away from the peaceful pile, leaving Owlgaze and Slatenose to their dreams, sitting in one of the communal areas so the echo of the twoleg cavern's need not reach them.

The spirit drifted in eventually. Many nights they hardly looked like a cat anymore, any colour or pattern faded. Like a cloud distorted by the wind. Limbs moved as if stepping, despite the lack of gravity to adhere to, motion quickening into a pretend gallop as they spun and weaved in the excited greeting she was steadily growing used to.

"It's a pleasure to see you back as well. Did you have an interesting day?"

The spirit bobbed up and down, used to exaggerating the motion in case the outwardly distorted anatomy might fail them otherwise.

"I take it you've shadowed Jaguarcrown again, no? Has he been off to the wood alone again?"

Simple questions were a staple, the easiest way to communicate information with only the rudimentary methods available. Yet it always trailed off soon enough, replaced with Yarrowshine telling them about her own day, or life within MoorClan, or even before it. Like lulling a kitten to sleep with bedtime tales, until the spirit's excitement gave way to what she assumed to be quiet contentment.

…

The visits were frequent these days. And when Slatenose had suggested they plan a time to leave, it was difficult to not think of the sheer excitement of her unseen acquaintance whenever they had time to speak. Besides, Owlgaze did look to be making the effort to make friends here and it suited her far better than isolation.

Ultimately, what reason was there to rush? Why not see this play out, the way fate perhaps intended? The castle's spirit might not meet another gifted cat before they faded too much for even her to see.

- - - - - - - -

He liked most cats. It was hard not to, even if they didn't seem to get on with him very much. It was just easier to stay open and friendly and avoid kicking up a fuss for the rest of the… Well, this wasn't a family anymore. But who's to say it was that different?

Point is, none of them picked each other, yet live together anyway. For all that Huck seemed so insistent that they needed to treat Jaguarcrown like some kind of leader, Fir never really saw it that way? The guy was his own age for one. If anything, Huck should be leader, if they were picking anyone. For two, Jaguarcrown seemed happy enough to just be on equal footing, tussling and running around like a friend. And y'know it was starting to feel like they were friends. They just matched each other's energy so perfectly! It was great!

Except for today. Fir kept letting himself get distracted in anticipation for some kind of joke, a prank maybe, some kind of communication at all even. Whenever he and Jaguarcrown happened to go out hunting together at around the same time, it was always so lively. And then Jaguarcrown would bring back about as much prey as he'd expect from a focused hunt! Sorcery!

And now it was just. Nothing. Like he wasn't even there. It made him worry, y'know, the whole energy was just. Missing.

"You alright, dude?" The question was mumbled over a mouth full of vole. He was met only with a mumbled yes. Fir tried to follow as his friend padded off, intent on being stubborn about it, until he was met with a growl instead after about the 5th time. Okay. A cat can need his space sometimes.

- - - - - - - -

Apparently the outing with Fir had not been the last Huckleberry would push upon him. This one was far worse, though. Weaver had been there to hear it, how they were supposed to all be on alert for another cat trespassing on the territory. That sounded like a conflict waiting to happen. What if there was a whole group of them out there? What if they were attacked and Weaver of all cats would get caught up in it. Sure, Huckleberry had assured him he could flee and get help if a fight broke out. But what if he didn't get the chance?

Anxiety swirled like a storm in his belly as he followed at a slight distance as Huckleberry and the two-coloured tabby they'd brought along drifted along the edges of the open grass, Huckleberry dipping deeper here and there. Their conversation fell on deaf ears, in one and out the other…

"If you don't feel well, you could always go back. I can talk to Huckleberry for you." A voice offered kindly to the side of him, where he found the curled-eared molly hovering near him.

"No. No. It's fine. No need to fuss about little ol' me-EE-EE." Weaver jumped as a twig snapped, tail bristling, yet all he got was a stiffled laugh from his temporary companion.

"Sorry. I shouldn't laugh." The tabby shook her own head, before giving him an encouraging nudge to the shoulder. "If it helps, I'm trained in combat. I could fight off 3 cats at once if I gotta."

"Yeah? Actually?" Flighty as a baby deer, Weaver followed her lead, trying not to stray too far. "Well I've. I don't think I've ever fought a cat before."

"If you want, I could teach you a few tricks?"

"Oh, no no. I just. I prefer just keeping out of trouble."

The molly seemed satisfied with that answer anyway. And Weaver let out a breath he'd been holding, having half expected her to insist.

Things went quiet again after he'd calmed down a bit, his fur laying flat, and his temporary company scampering off to catch up with Huckleberry instead.

At least now they both knew he was a coward…

- - - - - - - -

It was maybe about halfway through the loop that he saw Owlgaze veer off towards a log near a deer trail, glancing to take stock of Weaver's position before he too leapt to follow. Evidently, even at the slight sense of imminent danger, his young charge had stopped to watch from afar, huddled in the grass, while Owlgaze plunged deeper.

"You can stay there. We'll fetch you." Huckleberry called back towards Weaver, and rushed to follow into the wood.

He'd caught up easily over the mostly open trail, and perfectly in time as well. For only a foxlength or so travel later and they spotted a shape moving into the brush to avoid them.

"Halt, stranger. We wish to speak with you." Huckleberry moved to intercept by himself, well-enough versed with the undergrowth in ways he already had heard Owlgaze was not.

The smoky-furred stranger bristled, ears pinned back, yet utterly silent. No answer, no threats, no nothing.

"Have you, or anyone you know, recently hunted in the clear, beyond these trees here?" So Huckleberry continued, shifting his stance to slightly more relaxed, indicating direction with a sweep of his tail.

The stranger regarded him, narrowed eyes calculating. Regarded Owlgaze, who had finally caught up after fighting her way through shrubbery, too. Then came nothing but a resigned nod before the grey cat turned to continue without a word.

"I fear that means you owe the Crown, fellow traveler. If you come with us to speak to Jaguarcrown, I can promise you a full belly at the least." Huckleberry simply cut him off again. He could see how weary their adversary was. No good cat alive would want to fight someone already so worn.

A weary sigh was all the response he got even then, but it didn't look like the tired traveler was in any mood for a fight either. As unhappy as the smoky cat looked about the situation, they'd allowed themselves to be herded back out into the clear without a fuss.

- - - - - - - -

Naturally, once they reached the 'camp', Owlgaze had been quick to fetch Slatenose to get the new stranger examined. Just in case. Huckleberry stayed with them as well, keeping guard.

Leaving Owlgaze with Weaver, the poor tom looking quite lost without Huckleberry. "They'll be fine, you know. They weren't even aggressive when we met them, so I don't reckon there'll be any fight or anything." She tried to reassure him, though it was a bit of a blind guess.

"It's not that. It's just. Well, y'know, I'm just… You're scary." The white tom blurted out. It was… honestly kind of cute, how bashful he was. Though Owlgaze had to suppress a chuckle all the same.

"Oh, come onnn. I'm not that much bigger than you. And we both live here, not like I have any reason to hurt you anyway."

"Yeah, well. I dunno what I'm supposed to say. Or do. I've always just been. Alone. Peace and quiet and all of that."

She nodded along to the, clearly, loner's speech, as if commiserating. Yet she couldn't ever imagine herself alone like that. To be left so woefully isolated seemed like the most terrible punishment one could possibly devise for a cat.

"What if we just walk, then?" Without fully waiting, she stood, stepping once, twice forward.

"What if Huckleberry needs us?"

"Then he can find us. Come on." She waved his concerns off, trying to gently pressure him out of that awful shell of solitude. When he got up to follow too, her paws felt ever so slightly lighter. "See, usually cats just talk about whatever's on their mind. Sometimes you just talk about the weather, or what you did that day…"

She couldn't help but notice how Weaver's ears and tail twitched again. Not quite as prominently as they had during the patrol, not really. Hopefully it meant she wasn't pushing him too far.

"So y'know. Well, we haven't really gotten to know each other. Where did you live before? We could start with that." She continued.

"Oh, just… Wherever the food was…" She let him trail off as they walked, the occasional pebble underpaw skittering and echoing within the twoleg cavern. Best to gather his thoughts without her saying anything more.

"Usually just wherever cats didn't already live. Nobody likes to share, usually. Here just had these, y'know, rabbit burrows and stuff. So I was here a while… Then Huckleberry and, err, Jaguarcrown found me. Said I had to stay until winter." She'd almost given up on hearing him elaborate on his answer, her tail twitching to rest slightly higher when he spoke back up.

"I lived in MoorClan. Pretty much my whole life, with my family. Yarrowshine and Slatenose also lived there. It was nice, very open, and a lot of cats all looking out for each other."

"Oh… Wasn't it overwhelming?"

"Not at all! It's why I like it here, actually. It's been just me, Slatenose, and Yarrowshine for a while, so having more cats around feels a lot like home away from home." No matter how much her heart ached on many nights, wishing even just her siblings were here with her, wishing somehow StarClan blessed her enough to cross paths with her Clan once more.

"Maybe you should try talking to Slatenose sometime. I think he used to be a loner like you, before he joined MoorClan. He might have more ideas on adapting." She kept up the chipper attitude, though, keeping her tail held high and her pawsteps bouncy.

"Sure… I could probably do that… But he looks busy most of the time, I wouldn't wanna bother him." Despite the shaky, uncertain tone that lingered to his words, Weaver at least looked to be fidgeting slightly less, which Owlgaze was more than eager to take as a good sign.

"Then I could ask him for you, yeah? I'd never be upset about a request from a friend."

The word friend felt weird in her mouth in that moment. Clanmate was what she was used to saying, it was what felt correct, and yet she knew this was not a Clan. For all of how informative her chat with Jaguarcrown had been, he'd never really mentioned how cats in a 'kingdom' refer to clanmates. She'd need to find time to ask.

Though Weaver seemed like he needed friends anyway. She'd like to talk to him more too. Quietness and shyness and whatever elss included.

- - - - - - - -

There had been a calm here. Something that grabbed at his paws and whispered to him 'stay here', suffocating his eternal spark. It's only now that it started to ebb that he could see it for its truth. Treacherous as the eerie peace that lulls one to sleep at the vet.

What manor of foul spectre dare crawl beneath his skin and pull his strings so? There was no way it was done with. Nay, it must have slithered to somewhere, someone else.

What possible means did he have of warding it off? When had he last had such free thought? And yet every thought and action he could trace felt just as wholy his own as anything. Save for staying so many months, rooted in place. It didn't make any sense. And yet it made perfect sense. Why else would it be able to hide so well?

As he let his paws drag him mindlessly in one direction, he found himself missing his dad. Mars, Alexandra, even. Everyone who knew him so well, who could unwind the strings of fact and fake like nothing else. He couldn't have that. Not so far away from it all. Here lived only new faces, most of which only knew a mask and nothing else.

He liked them, though. Like it or not, he liked them. He wanted Cam to trust him. He wanted to know more about the strange lives these travelling cats all lived. He wanted to play the twisted game and yet how could he know it was his own desire? Kristopher, if nothing else at all, was not a cat who would ever. EVER. Let himself be blatantly controlled. So how could he make sure the strings were back in his own adept paws instead, firmly driven by no ghoul… It was this place that had possessed him. So then what he needed to do was leave. Like he'd done his whole life. Find answers first, think with a clear head.

Surely home wasn't too far. Not that dad believed in ghosts. Would probably just humour him. Even though it wasn't the first time he's interacted with ghosts! The others just weren't ever bold enough to try to possess him.

When he noticed pale fur, the most likely conclusion was to take it as a manifestation of the ever so bold apparition. His first instinct too was to tell it that he knew, that he would retaliate.

Then his eyes met with sky blue, and doubt smoothed his temper.

Camomile didn't seem to mind, or notice, his current state. He didn't have the focus to cover his disarray anyway.

"What are you looking for?" He asked eventually, his voice coming out almost flat.

"Storm. He was coming back, I can smell it, but his trail cut off."

"Storm..?"

"My brother. Dark grey, big ears, big scars. Have you seen him?"

"Can't say I have… Huckle or Owlgaze might've… We could go ask." If she noticed anything, she still didn't say. But at least followed him on his way around the back of the castle. That was new. He would have found it fun before. Now it just felt strange. Like it wasn't a coincidence. Why would a cat so thoroughly against coming near here be so eager now?

It didn't help his suspicions when she suddenly surged ahead of him as soon as they got near the door. Definitely possessed. How was he supposed to tell her that, though?

'Hey, sorry, I think the castle ghost might be controlling you?' Of course he wasn't gonna say that to someone.

Except. He didn't expect there to actually be a dark grey cat with big ears…or approximately 5 eyes staring at him as soon as he caught up.

"We found this cat near the perimeter, Jaguarcrown." Huckleberry reported swiftly.

"Are you okay, did something attack you?" Came Cam's voice at the same time.

"Everything appears to be scared over or healed. A full belly is all he needs to get back on his feet." Slatenose reported, almost to nobody in particular.

"And who might that be?" Huckleberry whispered, now closer.

Kristopher said nothing, watching the tearful reunion of brother and sister. Frankly. He didn't even know she had a brother! Not that she knew he had family either.

It definitely seemed like it was his cue to speak, though.

"Cam's a friend. The other guy's her brother."

"Well he's been hunting on the territory. We told him he'd have to talk to you about compensating for it."

The way Huckleberry was looking at him. Probably thinking something was wrong with him. Not realising he wasn't the wrong one, everything else was what was wrong. It made his tail twitch.

"Right." He was almost getting tired of this game. "He can stay a week or so. Get his strength up. Then it's up to Cam. She lives 'round here. Tell 'em that for me?"

Huckleberry still looked at him like that. Whatever. It was gonna happen eventually.

Kristopher just wanted to get back out into fresh air again and think.

- - - - - - - -

Why Kristopher, or anyone, was acting weird just wasn't much of a priority when she was half-convinced something had carried off her brother to be eaten, so close to coming home.

For all the lighter grey tom's attempts to comfort her, she knew a bit better. That some of the scars were new, mainly. That while Storm was always sleek, he was not usually this thin.

Storm kept on assuring her too, in his own silent way, licking her shoulder or signing encouragement and joyful hellos. She wanted to call him an idiot. She wanted to laugh at how serious he looked after a joke. She wanted to thank him for coming back alive.

None of that happened, though, as Cam buckled and instead nuzzled into her brother's side, purring gladly and ignoring the other cats around.

"I swear, I'm banning you from adventuring." She cuffed him on the ear, earning only a huff of laughter as his weight shifted further onto her shoulder instead.

After an evening housing unannounced guests, a slow morning felt like exactly the thing needed. And with all the gifts from the night prior, she could have more than just her fill without a need to hunt. Even if it was a tad stale. A wild cat need not complain about being fed.

The little clearing outside was mercifully quiet and empty when she emerged, save for the faint scents of passing creatures and the chirping of birds and insects… And the smell of Kristopher near the clearing's edge, far too fresh to have been from the night.

She knew then that she would find him at the log, sunning himself and humming, draped across it when she reached it. Camomile could see the faint twitch of his body when she got closer - as if he'd nearly gotten up, even as he pretended to not have noticed her at all. Not until she spoke.

"Were you so eager to see me?"

"Ohh, nah. Just figured I'd check out the commodities, neighbour." He'd curled his tail, rolling halfway onto his side.

She rolled her eyes at his lax response, leaping up far enough away even his tail could not reach her.

"Shame. Here I thought you liked spending time with me."

Persistence was something she was used to. Any cat was relentless whenever they felt they had something to gain or wanted something. Even just attention. It did not shock her, not yet. Given a few moons, he would get bored and move on to another territory, like many before him had.

The tom only responded with a hum, offering a few absentminded notes to start. She huffed in amusement, and obliged, harmonising and following with her own, only for him to pick back up whererever she would end. Spinning an aimless tune together in the sun.

If nothing else, perhaps she would be a little sad about this one leaving. She was used to pushier cats. Suitors looking for fun. Or just looking to nick food from someone they thought weaker.

Maybe the moons alone were just making her soft. But she didn't intend to let herself be won over by a fake.

- - - - - - - -

Sharing a den, however spacious, with Fir had proven to be almost everything that Weaver had anticipated. Less stolen food and shows of dominance, sure, but the loud and rowdy energy of it all was still there. Mercifully, he spent most of his time being shadowed by just Huckleberry, or vice versa. The older tom was kind and peaceful, helping him slip away from unwanted attention from both Fir and all of the others. The peaceful silence whenever they were alone was pleasant - both familiar and so deeply safe.

Today was not going to be a peaceful day. He should have known that when he was accidentally woken up by one of Fir's paws hitting him in the jaw, waking them both in the process.

Instead, he only caught on when Huckleberry urged him along with a gruff "You'll have to work together eventually." Weaver felt a bit betrated.

But there was nothing to be done but to follow out into the damp dawn outside, Fir at the lead. All was eerily silent until the birdsong and waking light finally reached them. Evidently none else had risen with the sun… Or they were already out, for all he knew.

It… Shocked him a little bit more than he'd liked to admit to see Fir genuinely quiet for once, more focused on the hunting that Huckleberry and him had been talked into coming along for, than on the usual roughhousing and chitchat. Weaver even missed his warden's grey pelt disappearing in another direction, he was so mesmerised in watching Fir quietly rooting around in search of prey tracks on the ground. Like an entirely new cat, compared to how Weaver knew him.

He came to with a jolt, realising he'd idled for far too long, dipping his head and tail down as he crouched and snuck to hide the stark white of most of his coat better under the long long shade of trees. The dew on his whiskers almost tickled as he crossed the grass. When he found the faint scent of prey, he was forced to resist the urge to shake the dew away, and followed it along to where a little rodent snored faintly.

It took a lot of concentration to snake a paw around it without startling it awake, but the patience was well worth it when he got to sink teeth into its scruff and it could do much more than flinch over being pushed before its own end.

Weaver himself flinched moments later, as he stepped backwards into something unexpectedly solid, his hackles raising until he twirled around to come face to face with Fir. Still wide-eyed, he watched as the large tabby made a gesture with his paw that Weaver didn't recognise, yet could only guess was friendly, only to continue padding on wordlessly in another direction, leaving Weaver alone again.

Weaver didn't see very much more of either of his companions for quite a while after that, settling into a peaceful and familiar rhythm of a lonely, yet sadly uneventful, hunt. Though when they all regrouped to head on home, he got to hear quite a bit from both cousins how Huckleberry had startled a sparrow out from the bushes. And how he would've lost it were it not for Fir swooping in to help by actually catching it. Well, according to Fir, at least. Weaver felt rather inclined to believe Huckleberry's claim of having had a handle on the situation.

- - - - - - - -

The petrichor was still heavy in the air when he left, his pelt buzzing with the energy of it. It pecked at him like an angry crow, urging him out into the wet grass to take advantage of prey leaving cover in search of their own food.

For once in his life, he ignored the urge to rush. For one, he'd been late to the chase, at least so Owlgaze informed him - what with Fir already having taken his own hunting party out. She seemed as antsy as he was, though, so he entertained the notion of a walk together at least. Might as well know what type of houseguests he'd been keeping.

"The place you come from sounded awfully interesting." He began, ending with a raised note and a glance to prompt a response, curious to hear more. It would be a wasted opportunity to not hear of the strange land his new guests hailed from. With whatever StarClan and medicine cats (he assumed doctors) they boasted.

It told him a lot, the way she responded to each further question. The way her tail raised and chest puffed with clear pride for this 'MoorClan', tinged with grief whenever she felt forced to append a past tense to any statement.

"…I'd consider this open area here kind of my own territory. Just. More of a kingdom." He'd gestured with a sweep of his tail across the grassland and towards the trees framing its edges.

The way she'd occasionally paused or watched him, contemplating, as if unsure what to make of him. That too told him a lot. When she seemed curious, he offered more, comparing that fable of kingdoms and brave knights he'd heard growing up to the Clan she spoke of.

"… See, a kingdom has a ruler - a king or queen. They're the ones who own the land, so they make the rules." As they wandered closer to the forest's edge, he couldn't help but notice the lingering scent of another cat - and as many as there were staying in the castle already, it didn't seem familiar at all. It didn't let it distract him from the conversation, not yet. Owlgaze seemed still quite engrossed, and there were still answers he didn't have.

"They also typically wear a crown, to signify their status."

"…So is -crown like your version of -star? Jaguarcrown instead of Jaguarstar." She seemed to struggle a bit still with the unfamilliar words, which he didn't bother commenting on. He'd yet to meet anyone outside the cities and towns who'd really heard of a jaguar or a kingdom.

"I suppose it is! Though I assure you I've only the same one life as anyone else. What about -gaze, then? Do all your Clan names correspond to your job?"

"No no. Warriors have different suffixes given by the leader depending on their skills or their personality, or their fur… So gaze was given to me for being clearsighted and having good judgement. But Slatenose is really good at tracking and distinguishing scents, I think." Kristopher nodded along to the explanation, mulling it over in his head.

"So…if I wanted to call Huckleberry 'Huckleberryshell' because he's closed off..?"

"That would be one way to do it!"

That sounded fun, didn't it? Like assigning a nickname to everyone. Still, it was getting harder to ignore the scent that almost followed them as they went along. Someone must have really wandered far.

When it swerved back towards the trees, he followed it more deliberately, paws light and silent over the cover of old pine needles and moss.

"Speaking of territory. I've another visitor, if you'd fancy seeing who it might be."

Owlgaze nodded, proving more than happy to follow the trail ahead of even him. Like falling into an old habit. So he followed at a more leisurely pace, paying closer attention to the surroundings. For any branching paths or traces of fur on shrubbery or bark.

When he finally found where his devil-horned compatriot had stopped to circle restlessly like a hound, there was no one else there. Just remnants of an eaten bird, and the scent of cat sponged into the damp earth.

"Stand down, soldier." He joked, raising up a paw to his forehead in a salute. A gesture that she clearly did not understand. And he did not bother to explain. "We'll get 'em next time. When we get back, would you mind telling Huckleberry? And Weaver might know something, just tell them both."

He gestured with his tail for her to follow, retracing their steps back to the open air where the half-white molly looked that much more comfortable again.

"You said you guys mark your territory, right?"

… When he got a demonstration, he couldn't help but think it more than a bit uncouth. Okay, maybe it made sense why other cats would do it, but as far as he was concerned, if someone did it at the castle they'd be barred entry. At least there were multiple methods. He'd much rather claw a tree.

- - - - - - - -

It was like a gift from the stars. After what felt like moons of travelling for most of the day, even just a few days of time spent napping and sharing tongues left him feeling simultaneously more tired and more relaxed than he'd ever been.

When the rains hit, the cover of sturdy stone was exceptionally welcome, keeping the cold winds and pelting raindrops far away.

He woke gently and slowly, like floating up gently through water, only to realise his nose was buried deep into dark fur. By the time his eyes opened, he realised he'd been halfway laying on Yarrowshine, one of her back legs trapped under his belly as she groomed any spot of her fur she could reach without jostling him in the process.

Slatenose offered an apology as he rolled off, slurred and a bit deep with a leftover sleepy rumble to it.

Owlgaze was already gone. She usually was anyway, so it didn't exactly alarm him. They'd all learned quickly enough that each of the 'castle's' inhabitants were friendly enough, in their own way.

The morning was slow, full of Slatenose brushing off sleep only to fall right back into its charms a moment later it seemed.

"You're wasting daylight."

Yarrowshine eventually nudged him up, his fur sticking up in odd angles, short as it may be. Before it could tempt him again, he leapt down from the soft-topped structure, smoothing grey tufts down about as quickly as he could. The rain probably rejuvenated the herbs, and they already had such precious little to their travelling party's name. They had to make it count.

…

It surprised him a bit when Yarrowshine came with him. Sure, he didn't expect her to try to socialise and blend in as much as Owlgaze. But she'd always struck him as a cat happy to just have her alone time. Not that an extra set of teeth weren't a massive help all the same.

As it turns out, the open sun looked to support a good few flowers, bright colours proud below the still slightly cloudy sky, dotting the slope down the hill. Daisies weren't a hard find, though he was careful all the same as he skimmed leaves to avoid more damage to the plant than necessary. It helped, too, to be mindful of his paws, lest he lose them on a patch of looser mud. Still, silence wore on him before long, what with little room for daydreams.

"How long do you reckon we stay? We'll have to give an answer eventually." It was the first time he'd dared openly ask, especially as Jaguarcrown (thankfully) had not pressed for one.

"We'll be welcome through the Leafbare. Most likely."

"We still have moons before Leafbare. We definitely could leave before then… But. Yeah, you have a point. Might be safer here than out in the unknown, right? If it kept the rain out, it might keep the frost out."

At least he thought that was Yarrowshine's point. The hum and nod meant she at least agreed with it anyhow, and that may as well be good enough.

"There are some that could benefit from company. I doubt Owlgaze would disagree."

He watched her sit, with her tail over her paws, watching the distance as he worked, taking stock of the area, making mental note of spots to revisit or to search later.

"No, yeah. Yeah. She certainly seems to be enjoying herself. But y'know, she said some of those lads plan on leaving too, before Leafbare. What if Jaguarcrown decides we aren't welcome anymore when it's just him and us left here?"

"I would hope he would not."

"Hope doesn't fill our bellies. But I certainly hope you're right. I don't think Cam would be hospitable a second time. I wouldn't want to have to chase a cat out of his own home if it came to it. Y'know?" He faintly recognised himself rambling as he circled back around. Yarrowshine didn't follow him anymore, even when he got far enough to be out of earshot.

That was well enough.

"Oh my stars!" As he circled the sunny wall of the castle, it took him a moment to realise exactly what he was looking at - the soft purple towering columns of flowers, disturbed in places in ways clearly indicative of some. Well. Most likely some cats rolling around amongst it, he supposed. Though he'd never fully understood why others were oh so eager to destroy such a rare and previous medicine. He gingerly broke off part of the taller, undamaged, plants.

"All clear!" Owlgaze's voice rang out.

That brown tail drifting this way and that like an autumn leaf in the wind as the young molly scouted out the path diligently, reporting back here and there, if only to make sure he and Yarrowshine had not vanished in the interim.

None of them earnestly knew where they were going. But the travel felt like doing something. Felt like there was a destination somewhere. So they went.

It had to be stressful.

Slatenose himself had certainly been stressed. To go from being surrounded by friendly cats all day every day, buzzing like a beehive, to just their little group of 3 stragglers had felt like the end of the world.

But then, he'd grown up largely alone. The old instincts and habits had bubbled to the surface eventually, once the shock wore away. But Owlgaze had spent her whole life in that Clan. Owlgaze had siblings she suddenly didn't know the fate of. Poor kid...

At least Yarrowshine was handling it well! Er. He thought so at least. She was rather difficult to read, but she'd never really complained or seemed frightened so. She was probably fine. At the very least it was probably better now that she didn't have to hear his anxious rambling.

Granted, Owlgaze hadn't exactly vocalised being stressed either. It was just clear to see. The constant need to be doing something, the need to protect and be responsible. He'd tried to remind her several times that all 3 of them were equally capable and nobody needed to take more responsibility than the other. He'd stopped some days ago when Yarrowshine told him to leave it alone.

The days certainly felt a lot slower now. Greenleaf offered plenty of prey and herbs. Much of their time was spent either slowly travelling in whatever direction felt right, or stopping to gather whatever they could and rest. Never taking more prey than strictly necessary. The comforting scent of various herbs filled his mouth and nose. Birds, rodents, insects, filled the world with gentle noise in all direction. Occasionally Yarrowshine's ears would twitch one way or the other.

It was so easy to let his thoughts wander at times like this.

But what would become of them when Leafbare set in?

- - - - - - - -

Okay, so sure, maybe things were going better than initially anticipated. Fir was still completely in tact at least, save for a few tufts of fur lost during overly enthusiastic jackrabbit-esque scraps.

Still, Huckleberry couldn't help but feel like it was only a matter of time. Eventually his cousin would push too far and get kicked out. Or worse, invoke the wrath Huckleberry clearly warned him might be coming over and over again, despite how little Fir wanted to listen.

It was oh so difficult to play damage control for a cat who believed there was no such thing as a social faux pas. Just because Jaguarcrown entertained his antics often enough didn't mean he didn't still expect respect!

And the tomcat was remarkably difficult to get a hold of - asleep, away, busy. Never a good time to poke for answers. Or offer apologies.

It felt like the spirits had finally endulged his pleas when the tom himself suddenly asked if he wanted to come with him on the way out.

Except it got more and more awkward the longer he stuck to Jaguarcrown's side, unsure when or how to start. But, then, usually excursions together meant hunting together and they hadn't separated yet. And he seemed so focused on something else whenever Huckleberry tried to start speaking, so he didn't want to break his concentration either. What if he interrupted something more important by accident!

... Then he kept catching the golden tom staring at him.

"I just wanted to apologise for Fir's behaviour. Truly. Thank you for being so patient with him. He's used to being around family and. Well, you've met him."

"...So I've heard. You two plan on leaving? When?"

The king was clearly...distracted, giving Huckleberry the bare minimum attention. Not like he usually did. Fair enough then.

"When the rest of the family are heading back. They'll come to collect Fir, maybe another 4 or 5 moons from now? Truthfully, if we've not overstayed our welcome by then, I would like to stay, at least over the winter."

"I did already tell you you could stay. So did you see anything yet?"

"Oh. No?"

Huckleberry froze, scanning the nearby grass and the distant treeline for any trace of whatever he was supposed to have been looking out for.

He was rather sure he wasn't told to look for anything at all, actually.

Things went quiet after that.

Then, he spotted white fur through tall grass moments after he was signalled to circle around.

A cat, too distracted with their head in a hole to notice the approach, apparently. Huckleberry managed to get within reach of a shifting brown tail before he got any indication as to what the king's plan was.

"Helllo there!" Jaguarcrown yowled, leaping out in front of the stranger, startling him into recoiling right into Huckleberry, left frozen in the middle of the pair.

"It's rude to ignore royalty on their own land, you know." Jaguarcrown pressed on, before the stranger even had time to respond. The white cat looked bashful, clearly caught between them both.

Huckleberry, for his part, stood up straight in his best imitation of a bodyguard.

"Oh, terribly sorry, friend. I didn't know anyone owned here. See, I was just looking for a place to hunt... And the rabbits seem to like here..."

Huckleberry almost missed Jaguarcrown staring at him over the flustered tom, the prompt dropped when it earned no quick response.

"I take that means you don't know each other, then."

Ah.

"No matter. This isn't the first time I've seen you around here, but we can smooth this out nice and easy, yeah? As penance, lend your claws and teeth in service to the crown until the first snows. And you're free to run along afterwards at your leisure... Of course if you don't agree, I'll have to come up with a different means to settle things, without your input."

For all the harshness if the words themselves, the king's words were smooth and sweet as fresh prey blood. He'd seen how forgiving he often was firstpaw, however, perhaps that alone was also why he could sense no malice.

"Oh, that is... I'm not much of a fighter, but. I mean, I can hunt enough to share, if that's alright?"

"Perfect! Now, if you're not opposed, I can show you around the castle - where you'll be staying at. Your new neighbour Huckleberry here can keep an eye on you, I hope? He doesn't bite, ask him for whatever you need to your heart's content."

"Of course, Jaguarcrown." Huckleberry dipped his head in turn. The weight of responsibility was familiar enough. Couldn't be much harder than keeping kittens (...and sometimes adults) out of trouble like the last however many years.

When Jaguarcrown started herding the muddied stranger away toward home, he followed along a tail's length behind, withholding a smile to maintain the serious appearance. He was actually trusted!

- - - - - - - -

It was usually time to rest when her paws began to ache. Or was that the thorn she'd dug out from between her toes before?

Either way, the sky overhead, where it was even visible, looked to be turning gold. Best to find somewhere safe to den before the coyotes began to roam in search of an easy meal. They didn't have the numbers of a full, well-rested patrol. And a pack of coyotes was something even a whole Clan would sometimes fear.

Part of her ached with the urgency to make sure Slatenose and Yarrowshine were still following behind. She couldn't afford to lose the last scraps of her Clan. But. Slatenose was right. They knew how to take care of themselves.

So she steered herself forward yet, ears swivelling wildly in search of any trace of approaching danger as she honed in on a place to stop and rest. The others would have caught prey for them all by the time she found one, probably. She'd learned already that hunting on the way just created surplus to abandon by morning. Most days.

The trees were still confusing, no matter how many scattered nights spent among them. Forced to wind in zigzags, never a true straight path forward, never able to see far. Maddening beyond belief. How Slatenose and Yarrowshine seemed to take no umbridge to it, she could not possibly understand.

Her eyes caught on a gaping hole below a tree while she grumbled to herself. Immediately, she dropped lower, holding her tail straight out to not stand too far out, and crawled towards it slowly.

There was no trace of predator scent in the tiny clearing around it, though she could see the odd tiny bone from a mouse or bird discarded and forgotten in the grass.

The den was deep. No doubt belonging once to something else. Perhaps a fox? It was hard to tell, the scent of earth mingled only with cat even from up close.

She leapt backwards just as sharply as if it were a fox all the same when something gold appeared from the darkness, wide blue eyes fixed on her.

"Hi!" She chirped automatically, ears pulled back sheepishly as she realised she'd been caught trespassing on someone else's...camp?

"Who... Are you exactly?"

The stranger's voice was measured, though with no aggression behind it. Even as the masked molly drew herself out of the deep - Owlgaze couldn't help noticing how small she was, subconsciously lowering her own head to avoid appearing threatening - there was no raised hackles or bristling white & gold fur in sight.

"Owlgaze. Of MoorClan. Me and my Clanmates are looking for a place to den for the night, if you'd happen to know a place."

Blue eyes narrowed. But she couldn't quite tell if it was suspicion, anger, or confusion. Not all cats knew what a Clan was, or at least Yarrowshine said so.

"How many of you are there?"

"Three! Me, Slatenose, and Yarrowshine."

"Right..."

The smaller molly hummed, scanning the area.

"You can stay here. A friend of mine might be able to offer someplace more comfortable. If not l, the fox den has enough room. For tonight."

There was a reluctance to the invitation, but it was understandable. Even if they weren't planning on kicking her out of her home. It must be awkward to share home with several strangers.

"Thank you, thank you! How could we repay you, kind stranger? Would extra prey for your fresh-kill pile be enough?"

The stranger seemed quite amused when Owlgaze stood up straight, tail raised straight up, bouncing on her paws in preparation to find the others.

"That would be lovely. And you can call me Cam."

- - - - - - - -

By the time the tour finished and the tall cat vanished off to somewhere, Weaver was feeling a little dizzy, his head buzzing with the muddled directions, names, and other chatter from the past several minutes.

He'd already said yes, though. So what else was there left to do than settle in, so to speak. Still his paws brushed idly over and over against each other, brushing drying specks of dirt off rather ineffectively just for something to do.

Huckleberry had seemed satisfied enough to have settled on the... Well, he wasn't really sure what that was? It wasn't made out of stone like most of everything else, he could tell that much. Some of it on the bottom looked like wood. Definitely like wood.

They'd probably tell him when they needed him to do something. Just gotta wait and hopefully he wouldn't have to ask for how to get somewhere alone. If he was gonna be guarded, they'd probably come with anyway...

How many of them was there anyway? It sounded silly to assume it was only uhhh Jaguar? Something? and Huckleberry of course. But then he hadn't seen anyone else.

Eventually he just accepted nothing was going to happen just yet and took to mirroring his warden in grooming himself, washing the taste of grass and soil from white fur.

It gave his mind the room to untangle whatever the heck had just happened, and what he'd potentially agreed to to begin with...

A peace that unfortunately did not last long. It may as well have been thunder with the way the sound made his fur bristle.

"Heeyyy, Huck, are you back yeeet?!"

The shout echoed before a massive tomcat came barreling right in like a boulder tumbling downhill.

"Oh, hey, cousin. You're new!" Weaver's hope of not being noticed was dashed when the tabby's eyes fixed right on his frozen form. And. Cousin? He was quite sure they never met...

"Jaguarcrown found him hunting his rabbits. Remember what I told you about me having to hunt for trespassing?" Huckleberry thankfully provided an answer while Weaver straightened up, untangling his own limbs, pressing one paw on his own twitching tail.

"Ohhhh. How long you in for?"

"Uh.. 5? Moons? Til the first snow..." Weaver finally found his voice. Part of him screamed danger as both tabbies stared at him, even as the rational half reminded itself everyone was being friendly... But being outnumbered just never ended well for a lone cat, not on someone else's territory.

"Hellooo?" His mind focused back on the brown one as the stranger leaned in, half yelling in his face, making him flinch. "Your name?"

"Oh! Weaver, sir."

"Pleasuure to meet ya, Weaver. Call me Fir!"

His haunches raised as a front paw looped over his shoulders, half-grappling him.

Except he was never toppled over.

Or at least not before Huckleberry stepped in to get Fir off him, giving Weaver the opportunity to retreat while they... Argue? Close enough. So long as they kept each other's attention it didn't matter much.

- - - - - - - -

The aftermath of an afternoon nap left Kristopher feeling divine after the interruption in the morning. He stretched out like a worm, with no joints to hold it back.

Ah. But one issue.

When he opened his eyes, there was no trace of the sun to grace the room, the sky outside already dark, dotted only in stars.

Well. Surely Cam wouldn't mind a late visit, right? Nowhere to go this late... And it wasn't like she had other company.

...

The, admittedly cooled, rabbit he brought hadn't yet attracted unwanted attention in the woods either, not by the time he deposited it by the opening of the old fox den. Only to drum on the earth in an agreed on pattern, where it wasn't quite so thick, repeating until he sensed movement from below.

The light smack to the nose he got once Cam appeared earned a faint huff of laughter, whiskers twitching.

"I know, I know. I'm late."

Kristopher hopped away, giving her ample space to come out into the open, fur shining in the scattered moonlight like a fallen star.

"I've been entertaining some guests waiting to meet you, actually. Almost thought you weren't going to show up."

The statement caught him off guard. So much for a quiet night away. It seemed he had a particular part he still had to play. A little warning would have been nice, but oh well.

"Guests? Well, I've had a few to entertain at home as well. Seems just about everyone is interested in this little chunk of heaven lately."

He sighed threatrically, leaning to one side nigh enough to topple over. It earned him the chuckle he wanted.

"Say, is it always like this? I assume you've made your bed here long 'fore I showed up."

"Oh, definitely. Plenty of cats pass by in the warmer months, it's winter that tends to attract the more frightful sort of beasts here." Cam nodded, before gesturing with her head back down the hole. "But if you're so worried, they sound like they're happy to keep moving anyway."

"Hmm. Nah, plenty of space. It's like a mansion in there, y'know. I could show you sometime."

If his house guests get along, it's even better, really. Better than having to keep every lonely cat company at once.

"No, thank you. I'm quite happy in my own den. You know where to find me."

She waved him off with a flick of her tail, not that he was surprised. The disappointed droop of his head was played up too, continuing the little 'game'. At least she knew he was acting.

"Aye, I can respect that. Where's your little guests then? I take it you haven't tossed them out to the moon's mercy like you would me."

"Of course not. I let them get comfortable in the fox hole. I'll go tell 'em you're here, you dramatic furball."

"Aww, I how come I'm still not allowed down there? You're welcome at my home."

Kristopher leaned in closer as he teased, hovering an outstretched paw as if to step towards the void in the earth.

"Oh, shush."

Just like that she disappeared into the earth again, like a spectre to returning to its grave.

He waited, sat and patient, scratching his ears or drumming his paws against a small stone in a makeshift rhythm.

He scanned each cat that later emerged, evaluating whatever he could find. The first looked open, friendly - tail up and body language lax, even if the odd ears confused him at first. He offered a smile back, now an unwavering part of his face, for the time being.

The second eyed him with some caution, and hovered near the cold-faced last.

"Pleasure to meet you all. Most folks know me as Jaguarcrown, I live in the stone structure in the clear, along with my. Companions, let's say." He started once he was sure no other cat would materialise like a rabbit from a magician's hat. Trippling the roommates that quickly was certainly not what he anticipated.

He couldn't help but notice how the tabby seemed to be bursting at the seams at the mere mention of his name. "I heard you lot were looking for a place to stay on your journey?"

A beat, and the dam broke.

"Oh my stars! I never thought we would find another Clan all the way here! We're from MoorClan, far far away! If it's not too much trouble, could we speak to your medicine cats? We lost our Clanmates, see, and we'd really like to ask StarClan if they're doing okay!"

Kristopher stared, the confusion not showing in his face. Even as he tried to quietly untangle what she was talking about.

It was probably better to just keep his own narrative unchanged.

"I'm sorry, but I've never heard of a medicine cat, or of StarClan. I would love to hear about it, but. Perhaps at a later time. You're still welcome to a stay at the castle all the same."

The excited molly deflated in front of him, despite her brave face, and his attempt at a gentle tone.

"Oh. I'm sorry for assuming. Your name just sounded like a Clan name. Like mine, Owlgaze."

The grey tom nudged her shoulder encouragingly before offering his own name.

"Thank you for having us, I'm Slatenose. If you have any minor ailments you need treated, I'd be happy to help. I don't have many supplies on paw, but I'll do my best."

"Yarrowshine."

The last voice was confident and curt.

But those blue eyes boring into him made a wintry chill creep faintly across his pelt despite the warm night air.

Something to remember.

He let his own gaze drift away for now.

"We're all quite well, thank you. And we needn't keep Cam up any longer, though, eh? We could continue this at the castle, if you'd just follow me. Planning on staying the season or just a day or two?"

The way Slatenose's eyes flicked quite obviously between both of his companions after Kris' question, presumably in a silent plee for input, was telling of the lack of a clear hierarchy between them. Not like Huckleberry and Fir.

"How long would you be willing to let us rest our paws?"

"Oh, as long as you like, really. Plenty of prey to go around still."

"Then could it be left up for later discussion, please?"

"Sure!"

...

While the trio collected whatever they'd left behind in Cam's den, Kristopher polite friendly mask drooped to the lax half-smile he'd made a habit out of showing around his new friend.

"If I said you owe me the right to visit again tomorrow, would you honour it?"

"Only if you show up on time this time."

"If Fir doesn't interrupt my morning nap again... You really attract the weird ones, eh, Cam?"

"You're still the oddest here, I'd bet."

Each breath so much lighter when Huckleberry's paws met grass and the gently shifting shadows of trees above rested over his dark fur, for the first time in a couple moons stepping out into open air without the feeling of watchful eyes looming.

The weight of lingering spirits was almost suffocating at times here, especially within the stone walls he'd been sleeping in. Ever aware of unseen guards who need not sleep nor become distracted whilst in their post. He'd grown up with tales of what angry spirits could achieve when angered - plucking out all of ones whiskers, perhaps. Sometimes plucking out eyes or claws as if they were never there at all, supposedly, if truly angered. If the local tomcat really did have any sway over and ability to speak for the spirits he's claimed roamed here, Huckleberry had no such intention of crossing his orders too early.

And now, well. There had to be a boundary. Cross it again and he was free to leave without repercussions, off to the next hunting stop, then the next.

Instead he wound over roots, old branches, inbetween shrubs, tracing the outline of the clearing for the most part, not stepping out into the deer trails he'd usually use for a quick pass through.

You know, for all the seasons he'd spent ranging by the area, he'd never before really stepped to that clearing before. Too out of the way when he could make much more progress without the detour.

He'd never have considered that spirits may congregate here like that. Nor had he seen cats nearby before. Well, besides other travellers, it felt like. Oh, sure, he'd heard some rumours here or there, warning against straying too far in the area - talks of hearing barking, or rumours of overly skittish deer. But these 2 moons he'd not really seen anything particularly big or hostile. At one point he'd even pondered whether the cat he'd met, this Jaguarcrown, was even flesh and blood like himself. It was the unstated aversion to touch, the tendency to vanish whenever conversation lulled. But all the warmblooded prey never left a cold, hollow feeling in his belly he expected. Silly notion, obviously. What would even have been the point of such a trick?

And, seriously. Why was he still here? He was wasting daylight on pointless stomping out here. Maybe it was like those odd cats that lived in the dens of impossibly powerful predators? Never truly leaving even given the opportunity, always returning despite how loud and unpredictable the beasts were? Except, of course, that spirits definitely meant him no harm. Who knows when those hairless beasts would snap.

So was it insane to want to stay here? Probably. He'd been on the move for too long for it to not be. And what of everyone else?

Nobody came asking for him even when the shadows deepened and gold streaked across the sky. Probably should have brought back some sort of prey.

Still, his paws simply continued on forwards, in the same slow circle he'd been trailing since... A bit after noon? Probably.

He stopped abruptly, back arching as he stared down whatever had tried to hide away downwind amongst the bushes, until it collided with him with all the grace of a falling tree, Huckleberry's hiss ringing out lone in the brief tangle. The effort to put a face to his briefly restrained assailant was delayed when rough pawpads slammed against his nose hard enough to disorient, but it hardly mattered as the two toms came apart.

"Relax!" The other warbled, sitting back on the grass to check himself over where claws had snagged into thick fur.

Huckleberry glowered at him with a flicking tail.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the riverbend by now?" Half of the bitter note fell away as he focused more on scanning around in case the new presence had attracted attention- how would he even know?

"Mom told me to check on you."

"You can tell Hickory I'll catch up." His char-grey tail swiped across Fir's face abruptly when he came nosing around at his flank. "I'm unharmed, thank you for asking."

"Ifff you say so- Nice place you got here." The frosty-toed cat bounced off easily, spinning in a half circle to stare across the grass towards the looming structure. "You find yourself some nice humans to cozy up with, Huck?"

Fir wasn't much cowed by Huckleberry's lack of reaction to the playful jab, staying rooted in place as his cousin tried to herd him the other way with gentle prodding.

"Not humans. Spirits live here, actually-" he hardly stumbled when Fir's headbutt connected with his shoulder, resisting the force trying to shove him aside. "And they happen to really not like company so you should get moving."

"They'll get us on the way back, chill out. I'm staying wherever you're staying, spooooky ghosts or nah. Come on."

A rush of adrenaline flooded through him when Fir sprung off towards the spirits' resting place like it was nothing. Next he knew, he was being battered by blind paw strikes with Fir's scruff in his mouth. Well, his front legs were.

"I'm serious, dude. Not funny."

On impulse, he smacked his idiotic cousin over the nose immediately after letting go, too frazzled to acknowledge the confusion or humour the tone of hurt. It was probably fake anyway.

"Fir, if you don't get going, I swear to the stars." Huckleberry growled, ears pinned back, though he never really got to finish figuring out what it was he was swearing exactly.

"Who's your friend?" The third voice to join them was smooth, soft, and very familiar by now.

There, perches on a fallen branch at the foot of an old tree was Jaguarcrown himself, with all his effortless regalness.

Huckleberry dipped his head politely.

"My cousin. He was just here to check on me, he's leaving."

"Not if Huck's not leaving." Fir added very unhelpfully. The blasted fool.

"Oh." Jaguarcrown's plush tail waved in thought, ears flicking as he listened to the spirits' guidance. "If you can feed yourself, you're welcome to stay."

Huckleberry wanted to pull out his own whiskers.

As it turns out, Kristopher's initial impression was spot on. Of course, he'd always known himself a fantastic hunter, but it was all the more noticeable when comparing himself to his scrappy new roommate. In the time it took Huckleberry to catch anything worth feeding a cat, it seemed Kris could put together his own body weight or more...

He'd grown to understand why the superstitious cat dared not question Kris' far-flung tales of speaking to spirits or carrying out their will blah blah. What he didn't understand why the stubborn fool stayed, despite the obvious mounting frustration of failing to repay that false debt.

The bigger meals Kris pushed his way without thinking much of it did look to do him good anyway.

"Jaguar, my Crown, sir." A voice rudely woke him from a midday doze, sprawled out across the moth-eaten ruined bed sheets. In the moment it took for him to stretch out his legs, belly fur exposed to the world without a worry, he faintly wondered why he'd ever come up with such a dumb little title. More importantly, why did Huckle, that fool, listen to him in the first place.

When he looked up, one eye still halfway closed from how his cheek pressed into the bed, he let out a pleased mrowr as he saw Huckleberry with what definitely looked like a fresh rabbit. Winded, and, in Kris' limited experience, honest enough, to have caught it himself for sure.

"Man, you've gotten better. Good job, mate." When Huckleberry stayed standing at attention, clearly expecting more, Kristopher rolled onto his belly, straightening out to force himself to think better.

"Relaaax. Y'know, you've stayed way longer than ya needed, and I can see you've been working hard. Consider your part of the deal paid, yeah?" Kris knew he'd gotten it right enough when the other relaxed enough to sit, tail tucked over his paws.

"Ah! Thank you, Crown... Does that mean I'm required to leave now?"