Athena and Merlin's Home

[Ever]

Athena sat on the windowsill of their home. Her golden eyes lazily watched the flurries scatter throughout the gray sky and let out a sigh. The twoleg home that her borther and herself called home was quiet. The sun was nearing the point where it begun to set, about time for the twolegs to come home from wherever they went during the day. She wondered what it would be like to be out there. She had smelled the smells, wonderous and ever so curious through screened windows from time to time in the summer. Now that winter had come she seldom got to smell that fresh air. Her nose crinkled at the stale and familiar scents of the house that confined her. She turned her wide golden eyes to her brother.

"Don't you wonder what it's like out there?" The twolegs never let them out. The fussed about the every action of her and her brother, pointing little suares at them that would sometimes flash like lightning, bathing and brushing them. She sighed and turned her eyes back to the window. "I miss smelling the fresh air. I wonder if we'll ever find out where all the smells come from..."

She trailed off waiting for Merlin to reply and hoping that he would be thinging of the same things. Her tail tapped gently against the wall beeath her windowsill. She chill from the glass she was pressed against seeped into her skin, maing her feel alive.

@Casper Creates

[pidgeon]

@Ever

Merlin sat close to his sister, their silky tails intertwining as the two kittens gazed out the transparent barrier. The sleek, silver cat pressed one paw longingly on the pane, taking note of the icy cold that surged through his pads.

"I wonder, too," the young tom thought idly. Being indoor cats, the two rarely saw the outside world through anything but this damned barrier. Their housefolk hardly left them alone. Merlin had already gotten used to being placed up on that little pedestal with the silky covering, standing stalk still as the housefolk flashed those lights and fussed over the placement of his fur. He thought back to when they were kits, still curled in their mother's nest.

"You must always look presentable," their mother had told them as she showed them the colorful array of ribbons that adorned the walls above her cottony nest. Just outside the nest was a plethora of lovely toys and bowls of glistening, sweet food. "The housefolk bring me these as rewards for my patience. Someday, the two of you may have just as many as I do." Merlin and Athena were descended from a long line of prized show-cats. It was a pampered life, yes, but it was so dull.
Day after day, more flashing lights and little boxes being pointed at them. They had so much--all the fake mice they could ever want, the highest quality food...you name it, and these cats had it all. Except freedom.

"Those cats have stopped coming and going from the garden as much lately," Merlin commented to Athena, watching the icy winter breeze blow across the dying stalks of catmint. "I wonder where they go when they're not here?" He squinted his eyes to try and look as far out on the horizon as he could. Past the houses, past all the streets, was a forest. He dreamed nightly of running through that forest, the wind at his back and the cool grass under his paws. He wanted it more than anything. He wondered how they could ever escape this droning day-to-day life of theirs.

Then he got an idea.
"Athena, what if we left?" he asked her. "What if we escaped, and ran away to the forest?"

[Ever]

The idea had been circling in her head as Merlin spoke it. Her eyes swung back to meet his, the fur on her spine bristling with the excitement of the unkown. They'd never dared voice such an idea. Escpecially not when they were back with their mother, and never yet in this new home. It was so daring, so risky. It meant giving up everything stable that they'd known and venturing into the bleakness of winter. Though she knew it was cold outside, she didn't really know. She had no clue how dangerous or difficult it could be. She was a cat that had never breathed in bitter cold air, nor known the feeling of an empty stomach, nor felt had to sleep on the cold ground. None of those dangers or risks came to mind though as a daring grin swept across her face and her tail flickered with excitement, hitting Merlin's on the way.

"I have never really thought about it much." She said, her voice strained with eagerness. "Wouldn't it be exciting! An adventure, just the two of us!"

Her eyes swept through the familiar twoleg swelling. They had only lived in this comfort for three moons, having spent their first two with their mother. She cringed at the memory of being taken away, both panicked and that feeling of adrenaline. She wouldn't ever forget the wild feeling and beating of her heart as she was swept into a new world. A flood of opportunities seemed to be running from her mind. But where would we go? Into the woods? Infinite adventures? Her fur stood on end and she restlessly dug her claws into the wooden windowsill that supported her.

"How would we do it though? There isn't many options now. We could dash though the door? I've never dared before but I think that would let us outside, to where the humans go... I wonder where they go." Her eyes were staring out at the forest now, wondering at the world.

@Casper Creates

[pidgeon]

@Ever

"Yes, we should wait by the door," Merlin nodded to his sister, plotting mischievously. "When the housefolk get home, we make a dash for it!" Once they were out that door, there would be no going back. No more cozy warm beds at night, no more food handed to them on a silver platter. But Merlin didn't know that. Well, he knew it, but the question was whether or not he truly understood how different life on the outside would be.

But he wasn't thinking about that now. He just wanted to go, to run and be free. But where?

He recalled recent times when the weather was warmer, when the housefolk would leave the windows open and he could gather scents and sounds from the outside world. The best part of that was the cats who would sometimes visit the garden. He recalled the wild tales they told.

"What about those...clans?" he piped up. "Do you remember when the old cat in the garden told us about that? The groups of ferocious wild cats who live just beyond all these houses! What if we became wild cats? How cool would that be, Athena?" He was positively giddy with excitement. He wanted to be in those stories that old garden cats would tell to kits behind window panes. He wanted to be big and strong, and brave!

[Ever]

A daring shot of adrenaline coursed through the kitten as she realized that they were really going to do this. She looked out the window towards the toods. She remembered the whispers and tall tales of the cats that roamed through their backyard during the warmer months. Could they be true? she thought, Are there really clans of cats that live freely in those woods?...

Her eyes returned to her brother. "Yes." She said, quietly at first. "Yes! Let's do it! Let's join them!" Then they could truly lead the fierce life of the woods, hunting and adventuring. She had sometimes dreamed of what it would feel like to have grass under her paws as she chased down wild prey. She never thought that she'd truly have the opportunity to get out there. She had always kind of thought of herself as trapped into the world she was born into. Now it was time for the two siblings to create their own destiny. A grin crossed her face and she jumped down from her perch.

"We should probably get ready." She told her brother, her voice much stronger. "I don't know about you, but I am going to say goodbye to my favorite things here and get a full belly. The twolegs should be home soon, it's almost dark." With a flick of her tail she trotted over to her food bowl and began crunching on the dry pellets that remained.

@Casper

[pidgeon]

Hearing his sister agree to the plan, Merlin let out a mrrow of excitement. It was also then that he realized truly that there would be no going back. Saying goodbye to his favorite things would be a must, and filling up on good food would be a good idea. He joined his sister at the food bowl, eating his fill, before trotting off to look around the house one last time.

His soft, warm bed with all his toys, especially the little fuzzy fake mouse. Maybe I could bring it with me... he thought briefly before shaking his head. No, it will be a fresh start! He continued making his rounds, feeling strangely sad about leaving it all behind. But his hesitation disappeared when he heard the sound of the housefolk approaching the house from outside.

"Hurry, get behind the door!" He exclaimed to his sister, making a mad dash for the corner with all the shoes. His pelt bristled with excitement as he awaited the creak of the opening door.

(Oops--2 days later and I realized I forgot to tag you @Ever )

[Ever]

Athena head the familar sound of a big clunk and the muted sounds of the humans just as Merlin did. His words sent her into a scramble for the entrance to their prison after one last swat at her favorite felted ball. Her fur stood on end as she crouched at her brother's hip, waiting for the small window they would get at the outside world. Her breathing was shallow, her whole body still and crouched. It felt like the air was electric as she stared at that rack in the wall where she knew fresh air and the twolegs would sweep in from. Her tail tapped against the wooden ground beneath them and she let out a shaking breath as she heard the footfalls of the twolegs getting closer and closer. She could hear them talking, muffled sounds that she seldom understood. She could also her the crinkling of bags in their hands, they often came home with a variety of noisy things in their hands, and sometimes did not. She supposed that was a good thing that the twolegs had their hands full, it increased their shot at this. She glanced at her brother as the metallic and scraping noise sounded, it was the sound she always heard when the twolegs left and right before they opened the door.

Then the door finally cracked open. She could barely process the next few moments as she was overwhelmed with stimuli and emotion. All the anticipation had tensed in her crouched muscles finally sprung and she flew through the legs of her owners lighting quick. She didn't take time to see if her brother was beside, in front or behind her as she dashed like a mad cat. She skidded on the stone walkway that she had landed on eyes quickly finding the tree line in the distance and turned. Her claws caught footing, her pads stinging on the coarse rock underpaw. She bolted, seeing the twolegs turn on their tracks, dropping the contents from their hands and in turn running after her.

"Athena! Merlin!" She heard the frantic screaming of her owners as she dashed across the cold grass that she had never stepped paw on before. It was suprisingly soft, and slick. She dug her claws in with every pawfall to keep herself steady as she pinned her ears back and pushed herself into a full sprint. It felt amazing. She'd never had such an open space to just run. Her eyes finally began to look for Merlin as she slowed down, having sprinted far enough away that the twolegs voices became distant and the forest approached slowly.

@Casper

[pidgeon]

@Ever

Merlin crouched, trembling with excitement as he awaited that fateful moment. He glanced longingly over to his favorite little toy mouse one last time. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to bring it with me...Just a reminder of home. He sprinted back to their space and grabbed the little mouse by the tail before darting back to the door, only to see that the housefolk had come inside and his sister was already dashing outside. Oh, no! It was now or never!

Pulse racing, while the housefolk were busy scrambling after Athena, he dashed through their legs and out into the cold, leaf-bare night.
"Athena! Wait up!" He yowled through clenched teeth, speaking around the toy he still held in his jaws. He turned his head back as he ran to see if the housefolk were chasing him, and stopped looking where he was going, trusting his paws to carry him where he needed to go. That trust was misguided.

As his paws struck the hard stone surface on which he ran, there was a deafeningly loud vroooom and a strong gust of air that sent the kitten tumbling over a small snowbank. For a long moment he lay there, dazed, not sure what had happened. Once he regained his bearings, he stood and took in his surroundings, and saw one of those great metal beasts disappearing around a corner. That thing almost got me! It attacked me! He thought, though he was too winded to speak. His eyes were widened in shock and he looked around desperately for his sister. He could hear their housefolk yowling desperately in the distance, getting closer.

[Ever]

"Merlin! Over here!" Athena called from the other side of the thunder path. She barely remembered skidding past it. She barely remembered anything from the last few breaths of crisp air. She panted, wide eyes after watching her brother almost get hit by a monstrous blur of metal and bitter smell. "Careful!" She called.

Her paws stung underfoot against the mixture of snow and cold grass. The dames of the days melt was beginning to freeze as the sun began to set on the horizon. She glanced over her shoulder, just a couple more twoleg nests over and they would reach the sprawling field that bordered the woods. She looked back to where Merlin was standing on the edge of the thunder path in a bank of snow. Her skin felt too tight and panic flurries through her just as much as her legs ached to run again and explore. Her mind marveled at the feeling. Then her eyes caught something else.

"Merlin, hurry! The two legs are catching up!"she mowed, looking down the thinderpath briefly for more monsters. Then back to Merlin where she could once again hear the twoleg screams and pleads ringing in her ears. They weren't far behind Merlin now.

@Casper

[pidgeon]

@Ever

Merlin did not think twice. He stole a quick glance behind him before hurtling across the thunderpath. They were faster than their housefolk, as long as he didn't screw up again! He whizzed past his sister, trusting her to follow him, as he darted through the twolegplace at top speed, and this time he didn't stop until he saw the big stone fence that marked the end of the housing development.

"This is it, it must be!" Merlin mewed to Athena. "Over this wall...is the forest! We just have to climb it." He wound himself up and leapt as high as he could, trying to grip the rough stone with his claws unsuccessfully. "Ouch!" he wailed, looking down at his paw. "Okay, don't try to do what I just did. It broke my claw!" Although disheartened, and with one claw throbbing with pain, he continued his efforts. He just had to jump high enough!