+Ember+ | Chapter 2

Instructions

*time skip hehe* 1 MOON LATER Ember expertly padded down the street he usually took to avoid the brutal rogues in this area of "Twolegplace," as he had heard the wildcats say once. He guessed that today he became around 3 moons old, and he wanted to celebrate by going on an adventure. He sighed, pausing briefly to lick his rough paw pads. It seemed like so long since he had lost his family, and he couldn't even remember what color they were. But... Twolegplace was dangerous. He couldn't risk his life by searching for them, right? He had to keep his head in the game, at least for now. He hadn't even lost all his kit fluff yet! Ember shook himself out and padded forward again, his ears pricked in case there were any dogs. He was okay at scrap-searching, but he didn't really like the foul taste of Twoleg leftovers. Instead, he had worked more on his hunting, and he could now catch a stray mouse or rat, or, if he was lucky, a small pigeon. He knew he had to brush up on fighting, too. Rogues, Twolegs, dogs, foxes. The dangers seemed endless... Small as he was, he could still fend off any kittypets if he had to. Many of the dogs in this area were also avoiding him after a good scratch. Ember froze, a dog bark sounding close by. He recognized this bark; the dog was usually tied up. Still, better safe than sorry. He crouched, gathering up some strength, and leaped onto a fence, carefully walking along the thin surface. Sure enough, the wiry brown dog was stuck in its yard, barking its head off. "Rat-brain," Ember muttered under his breath. Suddenly, a loud yowl rang in his ears, filled with terror. Ember hesitated for a moment. He had to think. This could be a trick... but he couldn't ignore a call for help, even if it was a stranger. Grunting, he made a choice. Not too long after, he pinpointed to location of the yowl. Luckily, rogues didn't hang around that area often; it was inhabited by kittypets and close to the forest of the wildcats. Ember cautiously peeked around, hidden by the safety of a bush. A scared-looking tan she-cat that smelled of the woods was being cornered by a dog. Not just any dog, the only one he hadn't managed to win a battle against. He had come out defeated and battered that day... what if he got hurt again? He flexed his claws, sighing. This stranger had better repay him for this. Ember crept along the fence, staying in the shadows with his claws unsheathed and ready. He had to be smart about this. He had seen many a rogue lose their lives to this white-haired beast of a dog. He crouched close to the creature, close enough that he could see the muscles rippling under its short pelt. Ember shivered in fear, steeling himself for the fight to come. He had to act now, or this cat would be gone. His fur fluffed up, he dropped down on the dog, his claws sinking into its back. His enemy yelped, leaping around wildly to shake him off. Gripping tightly onto the dog's back for life, Ember briefly noticed the shocked expressions of the cat he had rescued before he was finally thrown off. Luckily for him, he landed in a trash bin instead of crashing into a wall. He leapt quickly out of the bin, hissing menacingly. The dog didn't look like it was going to give up soon... Ember urgently whispered to the tan wildcat that he had saved, "If you can get up that fence behind you, you should be safe. A kittypet lives in that yard, but she shouldn't be a problem." The cat looked like she was going to object, but the dog had other plans. It snapped its jaws at Ember, just catching his shoulder. Grimacing, he yowled, "Go!" and faced his opponent again. How was he going to win this fight? It seemed impossible. Nevertheless, Ember slowly inched to the side so that a brick wall was positioned behind him. He had to time this exactly right or the consequences would be serious. He lashed out a paw at the dog, taunting it to strike. Sure enough, it did, lunging at him with its sharp fangs bared. Ember narrowed his eyes to slits in concentration, poised to run. Although every muscle in his body begged him to escape, he had to wait for his plan to work. Just a split second before his enemy caught him, he leaped to the side, skidding to a halt. The dog, however, crashed into the brick wall with a loud crack. Ember hissed at it, warning it to stay out of his territory. It whined in pain and quickly trotted away, limping slightly. Battle won, Ember decided to check on the stranger before he left. Ducking into the kittypet's yard through a small hole in the fence, he found the tan she-cat crouched anxiously in the corner. "It's safe now. You can come out," he grunted, wincing as pain shot through his injured shoulder. "R-right. Thanks," was the sheepish-sounding reply. After a pause, the cat hesitantly added, "I'm Quailwing. Who are you?"