Meeting the Wilderness || A Smudge AU

i.

Smudge's gaze traced the line of the woods expectantly.

Where is he? He wondered, worry clawing at his chest. He should've visited me weeks ago.

The black-and-white tom anxiously paced the edge of the fence, almost slipping off a few times due to uncoordinated pawsteps.

His tail flicked impatiently, hoping desperately for the arrival of his kithood friend.

"If I know Rusty, he should've been back to visit by now." His paws tingled with anticipation. "I hope nothing's happened to him." He murmured under his breath.

He heaved out a sigh, narrowing his eyes to see deeper within the dense forest.

Nothing.

"I really do hope he's alright." Smudge carefully leapt down from his fencepost perch and into the small bed his housefolk laid out for him with a small canopy above.

The black-and-white tom lightly kneaded the soft, cushion mat before lowering his head to his paws.

Smudge let out a long yawn, stretching his forepaws forward.

Remembering what he'd stayed out for, he shot up and began tasting the air for any sign of Rusty.

Still nothing? He wondered. Maybe Princess has seen him since he left, she is his sister after all.

Smudge rather ungracefully climbed the fence to the left, trailing along about five houses before he hopped off into a little grassy patch with the occasional tall, white lilies that sprung after rain. "Princess?" He called out softly.

Princess delicately flew from a large, swinging perch that dangled from two silver bars attached to the porch covering. "Smudge! To what do I owe the pleasure? Don't you and your housefolk live four or maybe even six houses away?"

"Five," the black-and-white tom corrected. "But that's irrelevant right now. I came wondering if you had any news on Rusty the past few weeks?"

"Rusty?" Princess furrowed her brows. "I haven't seen that forest-lover in what feels like moons." She shifted her paws uncomfortably. "Has he gone missing?"

Smudge searched for the right words. "Well, not exactly. He told me he was leaving to live with some wildcats. He said he would visit, but he left almost three whole weeks ago and I'm starting to worry about him."

"Rusty can handle himself." The pretty tabby reassured him with a gentle headbutt. "I'm sure he's okay, especially if he had company."

Smudge nodded softly; she was right after all. Rusty always had a way with taking care of himself that the black-and-white tom couldn't ever wrap his head around. "You have a point," he acknowledged.

"Did he tell you anything else about where he was going? Like maybe where the wildcats live?"

Smudge thought back to their conversations for a moment. "Not that I remember right now. All he said about them was their names. Bluestar, Lionheart, and Graypaw."

"Seems to me like it's a job for Smudge to find them."

"I'm not sure I'm following." Smudge tilted his head.

"I think you should go into the forest and find Rusty yourself. I know one or two tips from Jake." She smiled softly before continuing. "First, you'll want to grab some beech leaves. They shouldn't be too far from the line that separates us from the forest. It's a tall, very thick around tree and its branches sprout lower than others, so it should be fairly easy to spot."

Smudge nodded, showing that he was following.

"Second, keep your head and tail low, ears up, and don't you dare drift off."

He grimaced slightly. "Seems as dangerous as I thought."

"It's probably more dangerous than you're thinking right now. It's filled with foxes, badgers, even wolves from time to time from what Jake told me about it."

Smudge shuddered at the thought of a hungry, prowling fox. "Well thank you for the tips, I'll be sure to keep them in mind. Do you know anyone else who might be able to teach me a thing or two, or that might know about Rusty's whereabouts?"

Princess shook her head. "No, I'm the only one as far as I'm aware. Henry might know, but I highly doubt it."

The black-and-white tom nodded gratefully. "Regardless, I really appreciate the information. Thank you so much, Princess." He nudged her shoulder affectionately.

"Any time, good luck finding him!" She called as Smudge bounded off towards his own house.

Crossing the long line of fences, Smudge couldn't help but constantly watch the edge of the forest for Rusty.

Please be okay.