something's changed (alee)

To many, the day was picture perfect. High above in the vast wash of milky blue the bright speckle of the sun, high and bright. It bled down through the air, bouncing of the smooth glass of the windows, soaking into the dry, dark tarmac of the roads. Small bundles of white smeared their way across the expanse, on a journey with the rushing wind and it tore past high above. The little cottages of the humans stood tall and proud, their bricks and tiles glowing in the heat, the grass and hedges all trimmed and green, glowing with life. Bird singing, human children laughing, the whole bubble of life filled the air around him.

Yet, sitting there on the footpath, his tabby pelt pricked up against that hint of a chill in the wind, Cawnen was bothered. He wasn’t sure by what, but it was there, pricking under his fur. Change, uncertainty, discomfort. Ah, it was all stupidity. The tom gave a sharp shake of his head and a loud huff, hunching slightly as he looked down the long street with sharp amber eyes. Then again, the feeling had been there for a while now, stuck under his pelt like a flea. Maybe that was his issue, a bad case of fleas. Wrinkling his nose, the loner climbed to his paws.

No, it was something more than that. He wasn’t sure what he believed in, or if he believed in a higher power guiding his life. But, when he had an itch it always meant something was changing, for better or worse. What though? It certainly wasn’t his way of life. Ever since he left Seren with the loner near the mountains, he’d been hovering around the village, watching cats go by, stepping in when a fight needed to be broken up. But that was it. He was happy enough with that. There was food by the bucket loads chucked out onto the street, into bins. Plenty of mice and other prey around as well. He was happy, happy enough anyway.

Then again. His paws itched to keep moving. They hummed and thumped under him, a call to keep going, to not stop. Or maybe that was just a mentality that hadn’t left. In any case, none of it mattered, at all. He needed to keep moving. Pulling away from the fence, the tabby padded out to the edge of the road, glancing around before crossing out, and moving across toward the intersection. Hovering around the same area hadn’t done him much since he started running, so why stop? It was more exciting, going beyond the same old areas after all. A few cars rolled past, their engines rumbling, humans bumbling away inside. Life went on.

Moving up the street, it was a voice that made the loner come to a pause, a fretting one over the fence. With his ears pricked, he turned his head toward it. “He does this all the time, but, what if this time is different, Patch? What if he’s gone and gotten himself hurt this time.” Now, that sounded like something he could give a hand with. Cawnen turned and braced himself. “He can’t have gone too far Muffy, the street isn’t all that big.” With a huff, he launched himself up toward the top of the wooden posts, hauling himself the remaining distance with a scrabbling of claws against the planks. “Even so, it’s been hours now! What if he’s trapped or-“ Cawnen cleared his throat.

Below, in the long grass of the unkept garden, two she-cats sat, one tabby and white, the other black and white, both looking particularly exasperated. However, immediately their eyes were up toward him. Cawnen flashed them both a toothy grin. “Yes, hi, I, uh, couldn’t help overhearing. You’ve got a kitten that’s gone astray?” Relaxing, Cawnen slowly dropped himself down onto the grass as the two house cats look at each other, the black and white one, Patch he presumed, taking a step back. “Yes, not mine, mind you, I’ve been fixed for years. But my family’s. The little squirt was only brought home a couple of months back, but ever since he’s gone outside he’s caused all sorts of issues.”

Cawnen bobbed his head understandingly. “Why do you need to know, mister?” It was Patch who questioned him, her eyes narrowed. Cawnen bobbed his head from side to side. “Oh, no reason, not really. Just trying to see if I could help. Y’know, friendly face to help out the community and all that.” Muffy stepped forward, and Cawnen swung his head around to face her. “Who are you, anyway. I’ve never seen you around here before.” he opened his mouth a few times ducking his head. “Just a… just a wanderer, I’m nobody, really. But, your kitten, what’s his name?” The she-cats seemed to ease a little, and Cawnen tried his best not to sigh. “Mittens, he’s a bright ginger, but with lots of white splattered all over him.” Cawnen bobbed his head quickly in agreement.

“Right, where does he usually hang out? I’ll keep an eye on him if I’m heading that way, is all.” Both she-cats narrowed their eyes at him, and Cawnen immediately straightened. “If I know I would’ve gone and checked myself, wouldn’t I?” His ears flattened as the exasperation that Muffy threw his way. “Right, sorry, of course. I’ll get out of your fur then.” Maybe not his smartest move ever, The loner turned, and launched himself back up the fence. “Mind you,” Patch called, making him spin around. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s over on the forest side of the fence somewhere. So many young cats wander over there that they’re going to get themselves killed by one of those wild cats one of these days.”

Of course, the forest. The ultimate temptation. Cawnen nodded. “Got it! If I see the guy, I’ll make sure he knows his mums are very worried about him.” Leaping down from the fence, he flicked an ear at the huffing coming from over it. “We’re not…” He didn’t care. Either way, ginger and white kitten. Only a few months old? Surely he couldn’t be too far from home. Cawnen threw his head in either direction, checking the street, before stepping out onto the tarmac, the heat clinging to his pads. Letting out a long breath, he pushed himself forward along the street in the opposite direction he’d been intending. If they were near the forest, they’d be up the very end of the village, not doubt. Or at least that had to be a place to start, didn’t it?

( alee , it begins >D )