Being Wild

On the road

"Look out!"

Minka yowled at the sudden sight of an acorn coming to fall directly on Sparta's head. Not supposed to look up, Sparta did. She saw just an second of the acorn tip falling, then ponk. It hit her right ont her muzzle. She wrinkled her nose, then said:

"Ow!"

"I warned you", Minka said with a hint of amusement in her eyes.

Sparta looked at her friend. It has been a while since she last saw her friend. After leaving their nests, she hasn't been very happy. Being out in the forest was really not her style.

They have been padding deeper in the forest, with new sights to see. After sleeping in their other nest, they were determined to find their permanent home. Under tree roots, not enough space. Cave, too cold. They needed something bigger, enough for the both of them, and that they could line it with moss, feathers, bracken. So far thye haven't found anything useful for a home.

All of the sudden, Sparta pricked her ears to the sound of rustling of leaves nearby behind them. Minka had obviously heard also, she was glancing wearily around her. Sparta's dark green eyes narrowed on the bushes waving wildly behind her. She turned around and started, pawstep by pawstep, walking towards it. Minka stopped looking around and focused her gaze on Sparta, then on the noisy bushes. As the black cat approached, a muzzle thrusted its way out of the bush. Sparta reared back a little then came back. Then, a head, white with two black stripes from his ears, going over his eyes, then stopping an inch away from its muzzle, appeared. Sparta had no idea what it was, but she jumped back, fur fluffed up twice her size, back raised into an arch, claws unsheathed, ears flat. Minka reared up also. Sparta's green eyes stared threatingly at this creature. Then the animal pushed itself completly out. The two cats haven't seen another animal as big as this. It growled, and stepped forth. Minka started to come stand bravely beside her black friend, and lashed out a paw. The monster thrust out a paw too, missing Sparta's muzzle by a whisker. They couldn't fight this.

At once, a brown tabby tom rocketed out of the tree overhead. It landed clumsily on the creature, but steadied himself before he fell. The striped face waved his head around to see what was on his back, and once he saw what that was, he had grown furious. It started moving its body violently, like if it was tring to shake off water off its pelt. The tom clung on, digging his claws deep in the animal's back. It didn't look to have hurt, so he quickly started raking his claws down his spine. The monster yowled in agony, but that just made it worse. Seeing that it hurt, he bit down hard with his teeth. It yowled even louder.

All this time, Sparta and Minka were watching the cat defeat the animal. They stared in suprise, but still aware, fur still bristling. The tom was starting to lose his grip and losing. Sparta jumped into battle, closely followed by Minka. Minka landed on its head, while Sparta landed beside the tom. She helped, then the creature shook so violently they all fell off. Admitting with a cold stare at all of them defeat, he marched away from the three cats.

"Weuh, that was some battle!" , the stanger said, eyeing were the creature left.

"What was it?", Minka panted, flanks heaving.

"Badger. Very dangerous if you don't know how to attack it" he replied.

''Who are you?" Sparta asked, eyes wide with suspicion and curiosity.

"My name is Rocky".