Trodden Fields

Chapter One

 A warm brown spotted she-cat nosed a long plank of wood stretching to the ceiling, the scent of tar stuck to her nose as she pawed the corner of the barn. A mouse had slipped right through her claws, darting through the gaps in the wall. She wrinkled her nose, and a tight frown pulled across her maw. Mice loved to frequent the barn, which was why the Twoleg owners allowed her to stay, but they had begun outsmarting her. Taz sighed, shaking out her fur and padding back over to the pile of hay she used as a bed. It wasn't comfortable every day, with the itch of the hay pressing her fur in the wrong direction, but the wooden loft splintered and made her paws ache. The light had ceased streaming from the propped open door an hour before, dooming Taz to a hungry night. She was used to those by now.

Soon, leaf-bare would arrive, with it more prey flocking to the shelter of her barn. But with leaf-bare would come cold nights and shorter days. Leaf-bare brought numb paw pads and snow seeping under the door. Leaf-bare brought irritated Twolegs that were no longer fond of her.

Taz tucked her muzzle underneath her paw as a gust of wind wound its way through the empty barn. Her fur raised at the cold air washing over her. It had been a long day, one spent prowling around the farm and sniffing at mice that kept escaping her. She would try again tomorrow, of course, but there was no guarantee it would go any better than today. Or the day before. The she-cat let her eyes fall shut, her ears perked up in the hopes of hearing the pitter-patter of prey claws. Of course, throughout the course of her rest, she heard no such thing.

She woke to the sun peeking through the barn door, stretching out along the floor to reach the cat strewn across the hay. It roused her from her sleep, pulling her up and leading to her stumbling out of her nest. Taz blinked, regaining her conscious mind, before leaping from the loft and patrolling the last traces of shadows. The rodents must've still been fast asleep, hidden inside the wall away from the arching sun. She yawned, shaking the sleep out of her fur, before turning back to the large door. Perhaps she could spend her day bounding across the farm, cherishing the last few vestiges of warmth leaf-fall allowed.

Slipping through the cracked door, Taz resigned herself to a long day of hunting. Her belly rumbled at the thought, reminding her of the long night spent with an empty stomach. The early morning air tickled her whiskers as she tasted the air. The fresh scent of rabbit trailed down a rare trodden path, winding down into the forest surrounding the fields. This area of fields was barren, having been harvested by the Twolegs before they moved on to the others. Taz flicked her ear, making the decision to fuel her hungry soul by following the trail.

She tasted the air to be sure as she stalked down the path. The rabbit nosed its way through the underbrush, skirting its way out of its den nervously. She crept ahead quietly, framing herself against the wind so it wouldn't pick up on her scent. Her claws arched against the soft dirt, desperate to seep into some prey. The rabbit gnawed at a patch of grass, giving Taz the perfect opportunity to pounce. She sunk her teeth deep into its flesh, relishing in the resistance of the skin right before it broke. It fell limp in her grasp, blood seeping onto her tongue. Taz set straight to work on devouring it, letting the rich meat soothe her hunger.

Once she had finished her well-earned meal, she began her way back up the hill to the farm. Her tail swished behind her as she walked, pleased with her catch. It was unlikely she'd be able to scrounge up anything from the barn today, so it was handy that she decided to set out. A faint background noise of tumbling pebbles under pawsteps was so mundane that it didn't even occur to Taz that there was someone only a few foxtail lengths behind her.

"Halt!" A she-cat called out, bemusement tinting her voice. Taz spun around, the sight of a blue-gray tabby gracing her eyes.

Taz flicked an ear in greeting, shocked at seeing another cat so close to the farm. It happened occasionally, of course, but they never stayed for long and always seemed disgusted by her. She made sure to stay polite as she answered, "What do you need?"

The stranger eyed her oddly, gaze trailing to her neck as if looking for something. She murmured something under her breath, before making eye contact. "What are you doing so close to Dazeclan's border? You should know better."

"Dazeclan?" Taz echoed, confused. She had heard the name before, muttered by the strange visitors with either apprehension or wistfulness, but she had never built up the courage to ask what it was.

The tabby tilted her head, unsure what to make of Taz. "The Clan only a few strides away? I know you're a kittypet, but other cats have visited here. Surely you know something?"

"I've heard about it, but I never asked. I'm sorry if I took your prey," Taz apologized, unsure if that's why this strange cat had seen the need to speak to her.

"No, no, you're fine. I wasn't hunting it. I just needed to make sure you weren't planning on trespassing. I'm Sleethrun," the tabby introduced herself, nodding her head playfully.

"Taz," she replied with a smile. "I'll try to keep away from the border. Can you point it out for me?"

"Of course," Sleethrun answered, flickering her tail in an invite to follow her as she headed back down the hill. Taz trailed after her, hopping down the rocky slope. The warrior gestured between two trees a few strides away, one of which was split in half and resting against the other. "As long as you don't cross these you should be fine."

"Oh, alright," Taz said, pleased with the other's behavior, "thank you for the warning."

Sleethrun gave her a smile, already trotting back towards the border. She looked over her shoulder and called back to the brown she-cat, "It was a pleasure to meet you!"

Taz smiled back, giving her a friendly tail twitch of goodbye. "You too!" She called to the disappearing figure, already readying herself for the walk back to the barn. Today had gone much better than yesterday.