Guild Wars

~ Guild Wars: Chapter 5 ~

"Come on, Rust," Carter called. Rust slowly followed him, his side still aching slightly.

It'd been two days after Rust had ruined the hunting patrol. He still had no explanation for what had called his name and what'd been watching him for so long. The feeling was still there, and now he was certain he wasn't feather-brained. It was too real to call fake anymore.

Carter hadn't said why he wanted Rust, just simply invited him to come visit his home. Midnight had agreed to let him go, preventing any other cat from joining them.

"Where are we going exactly?" Rust asked.

Carter stopped and turned to face him. "My home," he mewed.

"Helpful," Rust mumbled. "Are we almost there? My side hurts like crazy."

"Almost," Carter reassured him. "Just a little longer."

Rust groaned. "You said that ages ago!" he whined.

Carter rolled his eyes. "You sound like a whiny kit."

"Shut up," Rust grumbled, beginning to limp forward to join Carter. Carter chuckled and lightly bumped his uninjured side.

Carter walked with Rust, having small conversations with him here and there. After a while of walking, Carter finally stopped in front of an old, clearly abandoned, structure.

"What's this?" Rust asked, staring up at it.

"The Safe Spot," Carter replied. "Come on in."

Rust hesitantly followed. Inside, grass was laid out like bedding with some feathers and moss added here and there. There were multiple placed around. There had to be other cats here, but where were they?

"Koi!" Carter called.

A white-and-orange molly padded out of the shadows, multiple older kits running after her. Rust tilted his head. "Are these your kits?" he asked.

"Oh, no!" Carter laughed. "We found them and took them in."

The biggest bounded forward to greet Rust. "Hi," she mewed. "What's your name?"

"Rust," he replied.

"Cool name!" a smaller one chirped.

Rust scanned the kits, there were at least six. The oldest was dark gray with white spots.

"My name's Soda," the oldest meowed. "Over there is Olive, Winter, Snowflake, Lynx, and Cloud."

"Don't forget about CC," the one named Olive meowed.

"CC doesn't count," the youngest, Cloud, snapped.

" 'Course she does!" Lynx protested. "Just 'cause she's sick doesn't mean she's any less important."

Soda rolled her eyes. "They fight all the time. It's so annoying!"

Winter and Snowflake padded closer, eyeing Rust through narrowed eyes. Rust stared at each of the kits. Olive was a calico molly, Winter was a pale gray-blue tomcat, Snowflake was a white molly, Lynx was a white, black, and gray tomcat, and Cloud was white with small black spots.

"Wait, who's CC?" Rust asked.

"Olive's sister," Soda replied.

"Wanna meet her?" Lynx asked.

"Sure?" Rust mewed. "If Koi and Carter are okay with that."

He looked over at the two cats. Carter simply nodded and Lynx cheered. "C'mon!" He led the way to the back of the Safe Spot and went behind an old boulder. Rust followed slowly. Behind the boulder, a small tortoiseshell kit was asleep, breathing heavily.