The Tongue Of Cats

Chapter Eight

Aspenfrost's heart was pounding, his head turning from side to side as he sprinted down the street. He clutched his laptop close to him as he ran, grimacing each time a paw scraped against the uneven pavement.

Come on Aspenfrost, you can go faster than this. Move those legs, move them! He snarled to himself angrily. His one goal in mind was to reach the familiar den he called his own. No matter what Tigerpool said, he needed to make sure that his mate and kits were actually gone before he could freak out.

They wouldn't leave me, would they? He thought with much concern. They love me! I'm part of the family!

But thinking those words didn't help ease his worried thoughts. What if they had fled to Landong? What if the Twolegs already attacked and took them away, or even killed them? His mind could not settle as he tore down the gritty road, ignoring the pedestrians who stared at him in curiosity.

The minutes that remained until he reached his den felt like years. When he finally made it to the entrance, he halted and stood there for several moments to catch his breath. After summoning enough courage, he took a few steps inside and set his laptop down on a table.

"Melonsong?" He called out warily. "Winterkit? Iriskit?"

No response. He looked in every room; the kitchen, bedrooms, living room, bathrooms, even the dusty basement, but came up empty-pawed. "What... what could have happened to them?" He whispered in dismay.

Then the realization struck him that Melonsong had said she was going to the market. They could still be there. He mewed internally. It hasn't been too long since they left.

Nodding to himself in determination, he exited the den and wandered back onto the road, this time maintaining a somewhat slow pace. His green eyes scanned the cats passing by, hoping to see his dilute tortoiseshell mate on her way back with the kits. Instead he caught sight of someone he had grown up with and never really liked.

A muscular ginger tom padded toward him leisurely, a smirk plastered to his face as his leaf-colored eyes observed everything around him. "Aspenfrost!" He yowled a bit too loudly. "Haven't seen you in a while!"

Aspenfrost tried not to grit his teeth too hard when he replied. "Flamingleaf. What are you doing away from Naje?"

The tom licked a paw and drew it over his ear. "Oh you know, looking for someone new. What a coincidence that we bumped into each other! I have't seen you since we were fifteen moons old!"

"Yes, I didn't expect to see you so close to the market." Aspenfrost responsed dryily. "I was actually looking for Melonsong and the kits. Have you seen them?"

Flamingleaf shrugged. "Sorry, I would've noticed a she-cat as pretty as yours. That's why I'm currently in Landong; I'm tired of all the same females."

Aspenfrost tried not to spit in disgust of the orange cat's attitude. Flamingleaf had always been surrounded by she-cats, but could never settle for having a relationship with just one. He decided to relieve himself of the topic and change the subject. "Well, it was nice seeing you but there was just a somewhat violent protest and I should really find my mate-"

Flamingleaf didn't let him finish. "Oh, you heard about that too? Well, word is that Igid is fighting against Twolegs as well as Landong."

"I already knew that-"

"And the other Clans are following suit!"

Now this surprised Aspenfrost. He was happy to have a bigger force to protect his family, but the oncoming war wouldn't turn out good for both sides. "Really?" Was all he could manage to say.

"Yup!" Flamingleaf said eagerly. "Well at least Naje is. I'm not positive about Viloci. Regardless, I'm stoked to give those nasty Twolegs what they deserve."

Aspenfrost rolled his eyes, seeing that the tom's old habits of jumping into fights never died.

"That's good for us cats, then." He said slowly. "More of a chance to win if all the Clans are united."

Flamingleaf smiled. "I'll catch you later, Aspenfrost. Rumor is that Igid is taking action right now."

As the large cat padded away, Aspenfrost's mind raced. Igid is doing something now? What could they possibly be doing?

Without a second thought, he ran back to his den to watch the news. His muddled brain barely registered the fact that he was abandoning his previous determination to find Melonsong, Winterkit, and Iriskit. As soon as he arrived back home, he grabbed the remote and turned the TV on.

A reporter stood in front of the Igid headquarters where several cats were yowling in joy. "We have some breaking news today." The cat meowed with a smile. "Igid has successfully driven all of the Twolegs from the city by somehow halting their food supply. Reports from the other Clans say that they will do the same, and we'll be closer to victory. All of us are hoping this fight will be a quick one."

All the Twolegs are gone? Aspenfrost thought as he stared at the flickering screen blankly. They're going to get so angry! I feel as though this war will be longer than the goverment is anticipating...

Written by the fantastic, fabulous, and fantabulous Feather.