Sly dropped from her housefolk fence gracefully, landing in a soft patch of leaves. Catching the scent of another cat, Sly scanned the top of the nearby fences, waiting for Fox or some other cat to show. But none did. Catching the scent again, Sly opened her mouth and took a deep breath. The scent was stronger now, and one she didn't recognize. Scanning the forest on this side of the fence, Sly thought she caught site of a pale pelt moving stealthily around in the tree roots and bushes. Stalking closer to the edge of the trees, Sly tried to spot the pelt again, but lost concentration when she heard a screech from nearby. Glancing around frantically, she watched from a great distance, as a cat she new, Honey, bolt from the trees persued closely by another cat that Sly didn't recognize.
As quickly as she could, Sly climbed back up onto the fence and bolted down towards Honey and the stranger, calling out a warning to each house she passed. Soon, Sly was joined by three other cats: Black, a pitch black tom with one white patch between his eyes; Leopard, a pale orange she-cat with grey and brown spots covering her pelt and a long tail; and Auburn, a beautiful orange-red she cat with a large bushy tail and a star shape on her chest.
"What's going on, Sly?" Black growls from behind her as they race down the fence.
Sly turns her head slightly but doesnt take her eyes off of the strange cat. "Honey is being attacked!"
As soon as the four cats reach the stranger and Honey, the three larger cats jump down, Auburn landing on the stranger's shoulders. Landing slightly tipped, Auburn lets out a screech and rolls the stranger off Honey, and flings him across the grass. She gets back to her feet and, while Black, Leopard, and Auburn stand between the stranger and Honey, Sly jumps down and approaches Honey. "Are you alright, Honey?" She asks the golden tabby.
Honey staggers back up on her paws. "I'm fine." She growls and stands next to Leopard, facing the other cat."Why did you attack me?" She growls again.
The stranger, a grey tom with lighter streaks and green eyes, remained in a crouch. "You tresspassed onto our territory." He growled. "I was defending my clan!"
"Your clan is deeper into the forrest! There is plenty of prey for everycat!" Black growls and takes a pace forward. "Why attack a cat over one piece of kill?!"
"Because there ISN'T enough!!" The other cat screeches at Black and charges him, but grinds to a halt as Sly bounds in between them.
"Wait!" She wimpers,and causes all four cats to stop. Sly moves quickly to the grey tom's side, and sniffs his pelt.
"What are you-" He begins, but is cutt off by his own grunt of pain. Sly was pressing one forepaw into his flank. Hard. When she pulled it away, it was coated in blood.
"Your hurt." She meows softly. "You need help; that's alot of blood."
"Sly, what are you doing?!" Black growls again and bounds to her side, dragging her away from the tom by her scruff.
"He needs help, Black!" She whines.
"He doesn't get it if he attacks one of us."
"I DON'T CARE!" Sly screeches and hits Black hard in the nose. He dropps her and she scurries back to the tom's side. "Come with me." She says and leads him off toward a small break in the fence. Auburn and Leopard follow, slowly and hesitantly.
Black recovers and blocks Auburn and Leopard's path. "Where are you two going?!"
They look at eachother for a second, then continue walking, around Black. "To help." Leopard murmers.
Black yowls after them. "Then you are all TRAITORS!!"
~~~
Auburn and Leopard carefully scratch together a large pile of leaves, grass, and dirt for the grey cat, who had started limping and leaning on Sly a bit. They had made it a ways down the fence to the abandoned housefolk den at the end of the territory. The cats from the housefolk territory have been coming here for moons. Sly was even born here in late coldmoons. "Is that enough?" Auburn asks Sly as the pair of she-cats push the last bit of leaves on the pile.
