Please Help [Open]

[Annikia]

Sally could hear tiny mews coming from under the box as the queen crawled under the rubbage bin. She wrinkled her nose at the food they had picked. There was plenty of mice in the abandoned twoleg nests. She continued to watch the black cat, trying to remember him. All she new was that he was bad news. She tried to remember, and she found something, stuck in the back of her mind... She shook herself, her neck fur rising. She remembered that cat. Sammy had told her a story once, of a small black cat... She was sure that was him. She crawled to the back of her cave, to where she had left the remains of a mouse the day before. She finished it off, and turned back to the cave entrance. She was lucky she had gotten a lot of sleep, she would be up for a while, watching.

[synkah]

Synkah watched the queen's anger flare with his eyes half closed. Her frustration would not anger the little black tom, he didn't care what she thought. He wasn't so sure that her kits would grow up, or even if she would watch them. Tomorrow she may very well get run over by a twoleg monster, neither of them knew, and she was too used to her soft, kittypet life anyways.

He sniffed as she apologized. He gave a slight nod, "Of course you have," he said in a soothing voice. Syn thought that she would politely excuse herself and then dissapear beneath the dumpster, and so he hadn't waited for her, but she only told her kits to wait before she jumped up to join him.

He looked over at her as she dug for food, and his eyes narrowed when her back was facing him. He found that what little meat he found was suitable for him at the moment and he sat back on the ledge and began to groom himself.

The small black tom nodded his head as she dismissed herself. He tucked his paws under his chest and looked out into the dark alley, musing over what trouble he could possibly lead them into.


Dawn was barely upon them. The suns rays hadn't even begun to shed light on the alley, but Synkah could hear human activity, and it made him jumpy. He doubted that this kittypet could handle moving at night, when it was actually safer. She wouldn't know that, though. She didn't know anything.

Syn had caught a small mouse during the night, and he set it down before he crouched down and peered under the dumpster. "Come on out," he called to the queen. "I caught you breakfast so we can get moving faster."

He backed up and sat down next to the mouse, his tail curled neatly over his dainty paws.

[Swimfast]

Jewl yawned, and lifted her head, while she blinked her eyes open. Her kits were tightly curled against her stomach, still asleep. So she softly purred, "Thanks, I'll be right out."
She quietly lifted herself, and crawled out from under the box.

The sun was bright, although the air was crisp, and damp. She shivered, and shook herself. Then looked at the mouse, her stomach churned as it's warm, meaty smell drifted up her nose. What she had ate last night didn't keep her filled very long. But, she was used to that, from living under a bush with her kits. Sometimes she had gone almost a day without eating, and her kits were hungry because she didn't have enough milk to feed them.

Jewl flicked her tail, and bent to nudge the mouse with her nose, "Do you want any?"

[synkah]

Syn waited, the tip of his tail twitched in irritation as the sun began to rise. Twoleg activity would be almost unbearable. He bit back a grimace as the queen crawled out.

"I already ate," he told her flatly. He hadn't stayed on top of the dumpster all night.

Synkah hated not moving at night, it was his time, and he wasn't going to just sit up there and play guard. So he had gone out wandering early, caught a mouse for himself and brought back another for the queen. He highly doubted that she knew anything about hunting.

He stood up and stretched, and then parted his mouth to taste the air. The little black tom looked around before sitting down and licking the fur on his chest a few times.

[Swimfast]

Jewl flicked her ears, "Oh. Okay. Well, thanks."
She smiled faintly, then leaned forward and bit into the mouse. It was warm, and juicy. Probably the best meal she's had in awhile.

Once the mouse was gone, and her belly was filled, she stood. "I'll go wake up my kits, then we can go." She turned, and crawled under the box. The soft sounds of her kits breathing echoed around it, and she sighed. "Kits, wake up. Hurry, we have to move. Come on." Gloria stirred, and mewed, "But we're hungry!" She licked her head tenderly, "You can eat later, come on. We have to go now." She nudged the kits, and they began to yawn, and stand. Once they were awake, she pushed them out from under the box, and meowed, "We're ready. How far are we going?"

[Annikia]

Sally blinked awake. She looked out of her little cave, alarmed. Mouse! She thought. How could I fall asleep? She sat up and watched intently.

We're ready. How far are we going?

meowed the queen. Sally lifted herself up. She slipped on a stray mouse bone, scattering rock below. She backed into the cave, sure the evil black cat ad heard the rocks clatter onto the ground. She closed her eyes, wishing he did not hear, but she knew it was useless.

[synkah]

Synkah waited as patiently as he could while the queen went to wake her kits. He could hear them complaining and smiled faintly, but when they emerged, he was straight-faced again and flicked his tail as he stood up.

"Well, not as far as I'd like to go. They won't be able to go very far and, between the both of us, we only have two mouths to carry them."

He sighed and began to lead the way out of the alley, back the way they came, cautiously peering around to check for twolegs. "Twolegs see these kits and it will be all over with. I'll try to keep us away from them, but they're most active at this time, as I'm sure you know."

He paused, hearing a noise from behind them. He spun around, fur fluffed out, and glared in the direction of the sound. Stiff-legged, he padded towards the dark crevasse from which he could scent another feline. Fear-scent struck his nose and he curled his lips back in a strange smirk.

"Why so scared?"

[Swimfast]

Jewl was bending to nudge Echo forward, when the black cat's fur fluffed, and he jumped.

She gasped and spun around. Putting herself between her kits, and the danger. The fur around her neck bristled, and she watched him look into a crevice. "Is it another cat?" Her eyes grew wide, and she faced her kits again. Gem mewed, "What is it?"

Jewl pressed her muzzle again the little kit's side, "I don't know, go over there, and hide. I'll be right back." She watched her kits scamper off to hide under the box, then she padded toward the crack in the wall.

She stopped a few steps behind the black cat, and peered over his shoulder. Squished inside the tiny opening in the wall, a pair of wide eyes stared at her. A strange scent also struck her, and her ears flattened against her head. "Who is that?" Jewl felt the fur on her tail fluff, and her muscles tensed.

[Annikia]

Sally narrowed her eyes. She jumped at the black cat, hissing, attempting to pin him to the ground.
"Die, Murderer!" She screeched in mid-air.

[synkah]

Syn flicked his ears at the queen's question. How was he supposed to know? "I don-" He broke off as the she-cat that was hiding suddenly leapt out from the shadows at him. Without even thinking, Synkah jumped to the side.

"Die Murderer!" Her words rang in his ears as Synkah's front paws hit the ground and he spun around, tail lashing, to face her.

"I'm no murderer!" He growled in his rather high-pitched voice. This she-cat was going to ruin his plan! He bared his teeth. "Who are you, anyways?" Syn asked, hoping she wouldn't lunge at his throat, or worse, try and tell this queen just how horrible of a cat he really was. All the stories of lost kittypets led to their deaths, run over by monsters, lost.

[Annikia]

Sally curled her lip. "Run, Queen!" She yelled and jumped the evil black cat, turning in mid-air to surprise him.

[Swimfast]

Jewl backed away, her fur sticking straight into the air. Her eyes grew wide and she looked from cat to cat, "What? Run..."

Jewl swallowed, "Why would I run from him?" She looked at the gound, confusion blurred her mind. She murmured to herself, "He helped me... He's... Still helping me.... Isn't he?"

She jumped into between the two cats, and faced the black cat. "What is she talking about! Are you helping me or not!" She glanced at the box where her kits were hiding, "Is.... There something I don't know...." Jewl turned to face the new cat, and asked, "Would you care to explain to me, why you're talking to him that way?"

[padamay]

Milkpoppy walked into a fight. She still very sad about leaving her kits in Riverclan. She knew it was the right choice no mater what she thought. Her belly growled with hunger as she walked into the twoleg place filled with hissing, and frightened cats. It was like vemon in the air when she stood there listening. She had come here very often when she was wanted a home. Most of the cats welcomed her and some did not. She saw a mouse crawl swiftly around the dirt ground. Before the mouse could reach the hay stack. She caught it with a swift bite on the neck and it laid limp on the ground. Before she started to eat it she started to listen into the vemon like talking from the cats gathered in the area. "Whats going on?" she asked.

[synkah]

Synkah braced himself to meet the she-cat in a fight but the Queen jumped between them. Not a very smart move... he thought, though he was glad she saved him from having some fur ripped out.

"Yes, I'm still helping you!" Synkah growled. "Why else would I have helped you and your kits when I could have been sleeping? I caught you a mouse, found you shelter, what else do I have to do to prove that I'm helping you?" He sounded desperate to prove that he was honest, that he wasn't trying to lead her into the maze of twolegplace to get her lost and abandon her.

"This she-cat's mad! Don't listen to her!" He spun around as yet another she-cat walked up. This one asking what was going on.

"This she-cat, who I don't even know," he pointedly turned to stare at the she-cat who was denouncing him as a murderer, "claims that I am a murderer. I haven't killed anyone," he tried to keep the anger from his thin voice, but a hint of a growl could be heard in his throat.

He turned his small black head and looked at the queen he had been with since the day before, his yellow-green eyes were round with pleading, as if he was hurt that she might even think that he wanted to hurt anyone. "You don't believe her, do you? After all I've done for you, am doing for you?" His desperation made him sound believable. The ever talented liar that he was, Synkah knew that the queen had no reason not to trust him, and he would play off that.

[Annikia]

Sally narrowed her eyes. There was no way to explain to the queen that this cat was a murderer. He had helped her. "This cat... he kills other cats. My name is Sally. My mentor told me tales about this cat. So did my brother, Sammy. He leads cats deep into twolegplace, making them lost. Then her leaves, and the cat is killed." She had tears in her eyes. All those poor cats! She unexpectedly attacked him again. "Please run!" I will find you later and help you to safety! Please! Belize me!" She screeched.

[Swimfast]

Jewl began to back away, her eyes round, and filled with fear. "I.... I don't know what to do.... "She glanced at the black cat, and swallowed. He seemed so nice, and helpful. But this other cat.... Sounded so honest, and made the story sound real.

Jewl glanced at where her kits were hiding, then she faced the black cat, "Why would you do that? Trick cats into following you, and doing that to them....." She gasped, "I'm not saying I believe what this cat is saying......" She shook her head, "No! I don't need your help anymore! And you!" She looked sharply at the other she-cat, "How am I supposed to believe you! I don't even know you!"

Jewl turned, and sprinted to the box, she looked under, and meowed. "Come on, my kits! Quickly! We have to go!" Her kits crawled out from under the box, and mewed, "Who is that!" Jewl began urging them with her tail, "It doesn't matter! Go, go!" Her kits began to run, and she followed them.

They ran around a corner, and splashed through a puddle. Gloria gasped, "How far do we have to run!" Jewl didn't answer, but she scooped Gloria and Gem up by their scruffs and continued sprinting. They skidded around another smelly box, and ran across some grass. Jewl pushed them under a bush, and curled around Gloria and Gem, and laid her tail over Echo and Mohawk. "Now be quiet, my loves."

[synkah]

Synkah hissed at the she-cat as she rambled off what she had heard from other cats about him. That wasn't even the whole truth. Sure, he took them and got them lost, but he didn't know what happened to them. Maybe the lived, maybe the got killed. Who knew? Well, some were casualties of his mis-timed thunderpath crossings, but that wasn't his fault.

"I wouldn't do that!" He stared at the queen with wide eyes. "Wait!" He yowled, preparing to leap after her, but he felt the she-cat slam into him and he was knocked off of his paws.

He hit the ground hard, but jumped up and sprang away, after the queen as she herded her kits out of the alley. His fur was fluffed out and his claws scraped the hard ground as he tried to catch up and escape the she-cat who seemed very intent on killing him.

"Wait!" Synkah yowled after the queen as she rounded the corner. He pelted after her, nearly losing his footing in the puddle. He lost sight of them when he came around another garbage bin. He was panting, and his fur was ruffled from being thrown to the ground by the accusing she-cat.

He opened his mouth to call the queen's name only to realize he hadn't even bothered to ask her name. Unwilling to sniff around due to his fear of being pursued, he jumped up onto the garbage bin. If that mangey she-cat wanted a fight, well, he'd be ready now.

[Annikia]

Sammy followed his sisters scent trail. He could suddenly smell fear-scent. Oh no! He had to help her, if she had gotten into yet another fight. He found his sister running toward a small, sleek black cat. It was him! The legendary Synkah! He gasped aloud. Sally tuned to him. Help me get him! she meowed. He nodded quickly. He loved a good fight. And the odds were in his favor, too. He smiled wickedly at the small black cat, as he took one side of the ally and his sister took the other. Synkah had no escape. Sammy advanced towards the cat slowly. He had plenty of time. Synkahs last stand. HA! That cat couldn't fight. Thats why he killed queens, mere queens. And kits! Goodness, he does not even kill the with his own claws. He was weak. Completely defenseless.

[Swimfast]

Jewl laid under the bush for a few more moments, then sat up. She nudged her kits back into the bush, and covered them with leaves. Then she stuck her head out, and looked around.

Everything seemed quiet, and she couldn't hear anything. So she quietly pulled herself out of the bush, and scanned the area again, with her ears pricked. She murmured to herself, "I don't need help. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

Jewl turned, and looked under the bush, her kits weren't visible, which was good. She purred, "I'm going to go find something to eat. Stay here, and be quiet. I'll be right back."

She swallowed, and stood, while breathing in the air. A faint mouse scent drifted from a group of trees on the other side of the grass. She crouched, and started crawling along the ground toward the trees.

[Annikia]

(Syn? You gunna post?)