The Life of a Cat

21. About speculations and stories

While being left alone by you, since you obviously don't care about me, dear reader, I walked towards the Forest.

I'm now at the border of it.

I didn't remember the way. But knowing this thing called instinct that Old Myr always talked about in her stories, I'll probably find the way without remembering. She told those stories always at night, and of course everyone listened because she is the leader and the oldest one.
The Old must be respected.
Old Myr said the instinct is like another cat, that has the power of the Allmighty Cat, and that can guide you wherever you want. It takes over when you cannot.
She said that the instinct sees everything, and only helps you when you need the help.
She also said that you need to respect the instinct. Preferably by saying Instinct with a capital I.
That's just embarrassing.
I can only wish that finding my old friends is something instinct will help me for.

I walked into the Forest. I looked around, trying to find something that I would remember. I didn't want to rely only on instinct. Only lil' kits do that.
Plus, what if Old Myr was wrong, what if instinct doesn't exist?

I still tried to find the right way. I walked in every direction, testing if my paws would remember by themselves. They didn't.
I put one paw in front of the other, slowly so I could see any sudden recall of the way to go. I peeked in every corner, trying to find a hole in the bushes, or something of the sort.
I tried to recall memories of myself going hunting. I watched the memory back until it completely ended, just at the moment where I would have seen where to go.

Not giving up. I can't give up now. I've walked for so long.
I repeated everything I had just tried. I even considered asking a bird. But birds here in the Forest are fearful. Probably of our sharp teeth.

Actually, it's probably because of Old Myr's sharp teeth. My teeth are not that...hem hem, they are VERY SHARP. Just so you know.

Usually cats are night animals. But since I have been up all day, I leaned against a tree. Then I felt it.
It wasn't very sudden. It wasn't like an illumination.

It was a sharp pain from the bark of the tree scratching me.

And I remembered.

My legs walked from them alone. I crawled behind the tree, slid under a bush, walked through numerous clearings, before I finally recognized the way. I didn't need my instinct anymore.

The little path traced by generations of kits and Old was sandy and full of little rocks that pricked my paw pads. I remembered those.
The bushes shoved branches in my way. They were full of thorns and of juicy fruits.
Cats don't eat fruits.

Stepping into the clearing, I saw the Meeting Point where the whole group met for Old Myr's announcements. I saw all the little dens, some hidden in the bushes, some behind rocks, some I couldn't see because they were too well hidden, even for me.
I have been a Cat for a long time. Actually, since I was born.

But I still don't know all secrets. Old Myr being the Leader and the Helper, she shows the Helping Mixes and the Strategies for Leading and Helping to her successor. All of this was transmitted from the beginning of the group until now.
Since I am not her successor, and never will be, I don't know all of this.

I looked around the dens, waiting for someone to come out. I wanted to see Myrow. I was longing for her voice and her touch. I wanted to feel her nose on mine.
It is the custom to, if being a visitor, wait for the host to come out of his/her respective den.

So I waited, and waited. Finally, I heard paws approaching.
I hoped so hard for it to be Myrow.

It was an Old Cat. I wondered who it could be. When I was taken by humans, we had three Old Cats: Old Myr, Mry her mate, and Myro. Three Old Cats. They all had the same black and greyish fur.

But this one was different. He was of a flamboyant ginger color, of a sort that it was impossible to miss him. He had not yet started to grey, but I saw that he was old by his crooked walk and tired eyes.

Suddenly I saw who was with him. A slightly grey tabby. He looked like me.
And I recognized him.

"We need your help", he said, with panic in his voice.

"Mryoyow? Is that you?"