"Now, remember your training. Leap from the rock to the wall, then up to the low roof. Run along the edge, jump down to the fence, onto the second level and then into the bushes. Then climb into the trees, run along the branches and drop down here."
A small dark shape detached itself from the shadows and leapt onto the rock. It jumped to the wall and ran along the low roof, jumping down onto the fence, then the second level, then into the bushes. It climbed lithely into the trees, ran along the branches and dropped down besides the mottled dark brown cat. The small dark shape grinned.
"I did good, didn't I, Maggie?"
"Yes, Linden, that was fantastic. Next time try and drop quicker onto the fence, I'm sensing you're a bit hesitant there. A Finder needs to be absolutely confident with everything."
"Yes, Maggie."
Linden look up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering over the garden that Maggie had taken her to practice. It had been 6 moons since Maggie had adopted her and begun to train her as a Finder. A Finder had to be lithe, agile, a good fighter with an excellent sense of smell and sight.
"Come on then, Linden, we should probably head back. Solomon will want to hear how much you've progressed." Maggie told her.
Linden followed her silently, thoughts churning. Tomorrow was the big day. The ceremony. The point where she was allowed to go out into the city, herself. She would still continue her training, though, for at least another 6 moons. Then she would have the expertise to take over Maggie's job herself.She couldn't wait to tell Constance.
That afternoon, with a full belly, Linden and Constance were lying in Linden’s room, Constance reeling off the gossip of what had happened in the past few hours.
“And Honeydew might be having Orix’s kits! I don’t know how that’ll turn out, Orix being the head of defence and all. How do you think it happened? Everyone thought Honeydew was mated with Sorrel and….”
Linden was only half listening. She was lying with her head on Constance’s caramel-and-white-tabby-furred back, thinking about the ceremony. Constance was an apprentice in the Nursery, she helped out with looking after the elders and kitten-sat the kits. She was always updated on the latest gossip from around the clan. She was Linden's closest and only friend.
“Hey, Constance” Linden spoke up “Do you think that maybe on one of my runs by myself… you could sneak away and come with me?”
“…and then Orix was all he-WHAT?!”
“Could you sneak away and come on one of my Finding runs?”
“Um, maybe, I guess. It’d be pretty easy once I’ve cleaned out the elders room and set all the kits to bed. I could sneak out the back too, the tunnel that goes up into the church garden.” Constance said, with growing anticipation. “We could go look for kits together! You and me, if I got back without being caught.”
“That’d be fantastic… but wait. Constance, you’re such a light colour. How would you escape without being seen by the clan and the dog-bandits?”
“Well, you said it looked like it was going to rain, so maybe by tomorrow there’ll be loads and loads and loads of mud and I can roll in it and I’ll be all grey and brown and I’ll be camouflaged!” She said excitedly. Linden had to laugh at her enthusiasm. What kind of normal cat would be willing to roll in mud just to escape the Nursery?
“Well, ok then. Meet me the day after tomorrow? There’ll be a big celebration when I leave, you know, going out into the city for the first time and all…” Linden trailed off.
“Oh my goodness this is going to be SO MUCH FUN!”
~~~~~
“Linden! Are you still sleeping at this hour?!”
Linden blearily opened her eyes. And there, right in front her face was Maggie. Linden shrieked and scrambled backwards, her back hitting the wall. Maggie sighed.
“That wasn’t funny, Maggie!”
“Well get up. The ceremony’s in less than an hour and you’re not even out of bed yet!”
Now that woke Linden up. The ceremony! How could she forget? Today was the day she would gain a step on the social ladder of the clan. And tomorrow she was able to explore the city herself – and maybe Constance too.
In a flash Linden was out of bed and streaking past a shocked Maggie.
“Constance Constance ConstanceConstanceConstance!”
“Wha…what…?” Now it was Constance’s turn to blink blearily into Linden’s face.
“It’s the ceremony today! The CEREMONY!”
“Yeaaaah… whatever Linden… I’m sleepy… I’ll be excited in a bit… k?” And with that she dropped back off to sleep.
