Hidden Wonders: Song of the Wild

Chapter Two

Seven's whiskers twitched when he felt the nudge of another cat's nose against his.

"Time to rise, Seven."

The younger cat hissed as he leapt up from where he'd lain fast asleep.

"You may want to work on that." He mrrowed in amusement.

"What?" He blinked at the big white cat. Ghost.

"Being startled. The calmer you present yourself the more difficult it will be for others to get a read on you, or to scare you."

"Okay?" He didn't know what the older cat was getting at, but he wasn't going to forget his words too quickly. If this cat had lived the life of a wild cat instead of a house cat he had some wisdom to depart.

"Now that night has fallen and my person is aslumber I can show you how to make a great escape."

Seven's ears pricked forward, eyes wide. "Really? Escape? I thought you said there was only cage."

Ghost purred in amusement. "I needed to know a little about you. Some cats would never choose the way of the wild. Many can no longer hear the song of the wild."

"Song?" Seven blinked and cocked his head.

"If you close your eyes and listen, there is a rhythm, a song. Perhaps a chorus that the wild sings. Easier outside than in. Most persons don't hear it either, but there are a few."

Ghost turned, tail high as he moved back into the house.

"Why are we going inside?" Seven asked.

"Because that's where the way to the outside, unfettered by a cage, can be found."

"Oh." Seven followed with his small paws after the large cats footsteps.

"I'm too big now to fit through here, but you should fit just fine. Follow the scent of cut grass and the sound of the wind, it will lead you beneath the person's wood walk out back and into the trees. Do not let a person see you, ever, or they will try to catch you and you may never be free again."

Seven stared beneath the place where person's often sat. Such things always made a nice soft warm place to rest. "If I could be with my person I would not want to be free."

"But you can't be with them. One small scratch. Even a lick. They could fall ill. Or worse."

He shuddered at the implications. "My person loves me," he turned around and glared up at the larger older cat.

"I don't doubt that, but it is not something they can simply choose. And now you will live as a wild cat, free of the burdens of a house cat."

"There was no burden!" His hackles raised as he hissed.

"Perhaps not. But you do not wish to be a house cat of any other person. The choice is yours, young Seven."

Seven stared at him for several long moments before he blinked and turned. "I'm going now. Thank you, Ghost."

Ghost dipped his head and watched the young cat, only just a four moon old kitten flatten himself against the floor of the house and crawl the best he could beneath the place where person's often sat, sometimes two to three at once.

He looked skyward, at the ceiling and whispered, "May Egan's son find guidance from you, Full Moon."

Seven couldn't hear exactly what the other cat spoke, but his concentration remained upon the path ahead. Of escape. He tensed at the thought, ears flat against his head. One of his forelegs trembled as he placed it down and used his claws to pull him further beneath the person's sitting spot. They weren't his person and would never be his person. He could only hope his own precious person would thrive even if that meant without him at their side.