The Darkest Moons (Warrior Cats)

58. Acclimating

     Palemist awoke with a start, gasping as his eyes snapped open. He sat up and groaned from the ache in his body. He searched his surroundings for his Clanmates but found nothing. I'm alone. 

     He had no idea how long he had laid in the blanket-nest, hidden beneath a twoleg den. He had woken several times, plagued by fever-dreams, but always fell back into the darkness of sleep. He had faint memories of eating a scrawny mouse and dipping into a nightmare, but that was all.  

     Slowly, he stretched his legs in front of himself. As he stood, he felt wobbly and weak. He could see the light outside, grass tempting him to leave the darkness. He was cautious as he trekked out. The sun burned his eyes, and he blinked and shook his head wildly. "Mousedung," he muttered hoarsely. 

     "Mellow! He's awake!" A she-cat called. 

     She's Cotton, Palemist reminded himself.  

     A black cat slipped through the hole in the nearby fence. "Hey!" He purred. "Finally up and at it? Come here and get something to drink." 

     And that's Mellow. 

     Palemist dumbly followed, too dazed to make his own decisions. He felt wretched, like he'd been drug through brambles three times over. In the shade of a cleft hanging from the twoleg nest was a strange, blue container filled with water, perfectly round and sloped at the sides. "You have to be parched. My housefolk just put it out, so it should still be cool." 

     Palemist stared at the still water for a moment and slowly lapped a bit up. Mellow had been right: it was still cold, and Palemist didn't hesitate to drink more. When he was finished, he swiftly wiped his whiskers off with one paw. "Thank you," he mewed. 

     Mellow beamed. "You're welcome! You've got to be hungry. I might be able to find something good. The housefolk aren't here right now, or they'd feed you." 

     "I don’t eat kittypet food," Palemist answered. "But thank you." 

     "I did my best to keep your wounds clean. I think they're nearly healed! And I tried to get the mats out of your fur, but you flip around so much that I figured we'd wait until you were finally up." Mellow turned to the cat that was his littermate. "Stop looking hateful and introduce yourself." 

     "I'm Cotton," the kittypet huffed, and she turned around on the fence and sat with her back to the pair. 

     Mellow shrugged. "She's prickly, but she's good. She'll warm up to you." 

     Palemist blinked at the kittypet. "I'm not staying." 

     "Where are you going?" Mellow asked gently. "You gave me the impression that you were a bit lost and all, like something horrible had happened." 

     "I left home," Palemist answered curtly. He did not wish to say anything else. "I'm looking for a new place to stay." 

     Mellow offered a soft purr. "You can stay here as long as you want."
 
     "He'll stink the place up!" Cotton argued. "He smells like the woods, Mellow. He's one of those feral wild-cats. He'll cause some trouble or other." 

     Palemist backed away. "I can leave now." 

     Mellow glared at his littermate. "You're being ridiculous. He's not a dog." Palemist was startled to see concern in the kittypet's face. "You can stay as long as you wish, alright?" 

     "I . . ." Palemist studied Mellow. The kittypet's eyes glowed with a friendly warmth. He was completely relaxed, as calm as if he were with a littermate; welcoming, even, with a gentle twitch of his clear whiskers. Palemist swiftly looked to his paws. He felt shamed and broken. The thought of being alone felt like stone teeth grasping Palemist's chest. Everything had an acrid tang here – a scent which haunted his dreams – to remind him that he was far from his home, and that he had no-one.