Bright, emerald green eyes blinked at the sight, them a little blurry from being woken and from the adaptation overnight to the darkness. They scanned the area, searching the tall tufts of grass and gazing as deep into the shadows around the edges of the clearing as they could. The male's striped tail flicked between one spot and another, most likely because he was conflicted between rousing his mother and other sister, or leave them be.
His head turned to the right as he looked over at the she-cat making various markings in the moist soil just a tail-length away, confusion written on the face he has and his eyes displaying curiosity. The obsidian kit glanced up at him before returning back to whatever she was doing, obviously completely focused on the ground in front of her and not the tom.
"Marie?"
"Yeah?" A feminine voice replied back.
He blinked, a little surprised that the reticent kit actually responded. "Um.. What are you doing?" The tom mentally deadpanned since that wasn't what he desired to say.
Now she fully looked up at him, her narrow blue eyes droopy from being woken just a few minutes ago. With her tail, she beckoned the tabby to her side, patiently waiting while he swiftly crawled over and peeked over her shoulder. "Take a look."
His forest eyes widened a fraction as he gazed over at the small map containing a route to his favorite spot in the wood where he preferred to watch the clouds, and the tom felt his face leisurely heat up from embarrassment. "Why did you draw that?!" He whisper-shouted, careful not to stir the others.
The female cat laughed. "You always get lost out there when you go to find this spot! So, why not draw you a map?"
"I-I don't get lost all the time!" He protested, the brown fur along his spine fluffing up as his distress grew. His sister only grinned humorously at his reaction while erasing the sketch in the dirt, not wanting to cause him anxiety or that sort of discomposure. Unexpectedly, the male widened his eyes even more at his sibling's actions before he shoved her paws away from the ground, speaking incoherently as he did so.
Marie managed to catch a few words: 'stop', 'need', 'lost'. She puzzled together the barely decipherable terms to guess what exactly he was saying, then turned in his direction. "Sorry! I didn't know."
The tabby sighed. "It's alright..."
The sister watched the tom pad over and into the dark shadows overlapping the far end of the cave, ears twitching as she listened to his quiet pawsteps. Soon he disappeared into the obscurity at the end of the den, his long tail being the detail that was last to vanish into the shade. Blue eyes blinked in confusion, the owner staring after the tabby quizzically as thoughts of his possible reason to leave tumbling around in her mind. Okay..?
"Vivian, where are you going?" She called after him, hoping that he was still within earshot. Not receiving a response after a few minutes, she sighed as well and turned away from the direction he went and headed towards the entrance of the cave, not fancying the coolness of the grotto any longer.
Early morning sunlight shone down from between the clouds high above, ridding her charcoal fur of the dank cold that somehow managed to seep into her coat during the night. Dew spread throughout the small field a few tail-lengths away, the droplets randomly settled upon the strands of grass. A calm breeze picked up as she stepped out into the clearing, relishing the feeling it provided her as it ruffled her soft fur. A considerable amount of nuts were scattered across the ground near the trees, and the small kit supposed a squirrel might have made the mess, but she didn't really pay mind to it.
Settling herself just beside a large rock, though not quite hefty to be expressed as a boulder, Marie gazed out over the meadow at the darkness that was underneath the branches of the oaks. Her theories on where her mother was taking her and her siblings later on were cast aside as she thought about other topics, such as a reasonable timespan until they move again. Perhaps the family was shifting from this temporary home to the place where Emeline was bringing them, or maybe they'll remain there for a moon or two more. She didn't know, but she already had enough of moving from place to place.
In all seriousness, the kit along with her siblings, even including their only parent, never expected this type of calamity to occur. To be moving from one residence to another in such a small length of time was completely hardworking and a little tiring, since the kits themselves were wishing for a place to simply call home, a place where they could actually abide and not have to worry about whether or not they'll be moving yet again or staying for another moon.
The silver parent did explain the possible explanations to these unfortunate events when they first moved into the den, which was just a short distance away from the black cat, and some were probably so dreadful that the kit refused to remember them. At that moment all three of the kits were at a very young age, most likely not understanding what their mother was telling them then. They did try to get their mother to retell the story a few times, but it seemed Emeline didn't want to discuss it any longer.
A rustle in the undergrowth broke through her thoughts, and Marie glanced over in the direction it came from just beside an juniper berry bush. Icy orbs narrowed at the dead leaves piled on the floor, and the feline suspected there was something hidden under the foliage. Slowly standing up on her small paws, she crept quietly to the bundle, only stopping a few feet away from it when the leaves flew away with the wind, revealing an empty spot.
Hm... I was sure I heard something..
Turning back and beyond the place where the stack was previously, she padded towards the area where she was sitting. Retaking her position comfortably in the grass, sapphire eyes stared out once again into the forest that lay just ahead of her. The female still suspected that there was something or someone near, yet she stayed in place and ignored it.
Inside the cave not too far from her, two cats were beginning to stir from their rest, them being the she-kit named Louise and the eldest of them all, Emeline. Emeline, now wide awake, gently prodded the black and white female's flank beside her, waiting for her daughter to wake. Teal eyes shot open shortly afterwards, their pupils wide with surprise and anger. The fur along the kit's spine began to bristle and her feathery ears flattened against her head, a paw soon lashing out in the direction of the mother, claws outstretched.
Feeling fur clump in between her weapons, Louise growled lowly. "Marie, I'm trying to sleep. Go away, please?"
Hearing nothing but the steady breathing of another animal, she blinked open her eyes to see who exactly she attacked. Orbs widened several fractions when they caught sight of the victim, the kit's mouth hanging open in surprise. A slender tabby stood before her, their forest green eyes glaring down straight into the kit's large ones.
"Ma! I'm so sor-"
The adult cat hushed the young one with her soft tail, her expression clearly speaking in favor of actual conversation. A scolding was provided to the kit not a moment too soon, leaving her regretful and slightly furious with the punishment she was assigned. She was supposed to clean out the nests, if there was any, when all four of them arrived at their destination later on that day, but Louise refused to go along with that plan, even if it meant she would get into more trouble. The kit would make sure someone else took the blame, anyway.
"Come along, we need to eat before we start heading out today." A deeper voice spoke, and Louise turned to see Emeline standing just in front of the shadows residing at the rear of the cave, her head facing the direction of the gloom. Bright, green eyes glowed in front of her, and they looked as if they were two emeralds floating in mid air.
A tabby stepped out from the shadows, his large ears perked up with interest. "Are we going to see that place you told us about yesterday? The one by the place where it snows?"
"Yes, Vivian, we are." Emeline's long tail was then placed on the tom's shoulder, acting as a guide towards the mouth of the cavern. "Now come. If you want to see the snow tonight, we'll need to leave early." Continuing their stroll, the two exited and left the she-cat staring after them, her teal eyes shaped to where it resembled a confused expression. Emeline hasn't told her, or Marie about any snow at all, and that fact was beginning to cause her suspicions to escalate.
Eventually the stubborn kit trailed after her sibling and parent, meeting sapphire blue eyes as soon as she stepped out of the cave. They held a curious glint to them, their deep hues swirling with curiosity that aggravated the larger kit. The owner of the blue hues twitched her left ear, noticing the slight change of her sister's attitude, however, she didn't seem to be bothered by it whatsoever.
It seems like Louise received a scolding.. That must be why she's glaring at me like that.
She opened her mouth to respond soon after, but immediately following the opening of the kit's jaws, a more enthusiastic voice interrupted her. Blue eyes turned in the direction of the source, their black pupils contracting at the brilliance from the continuously brightening sky, and they slowly focused on a slightly blurry brown creature standing around a tree-length away. The animal's tail was waving at them from afar in an effort to catch the two females' attention, only idling the movement when he acknowledged that their eyes were gazing over at him.
A smile graced his face. "Marie! Louise! Come on! Mother said we're leaving!"
The black sister blinked at him, sluggishly getting back up on her paws and padding towards the tom. She glanced behind her to see the white and black she-kit following her, the kit's paws practically being dragged instead of actually being used to walk, and the latter had to hold back a snicker of amusement due to witnessing the humorous sight.
"Alright, Vivian, we're coming.. Hold on for just a minute.." It was difficult for Marie to reply, the laughter she held in a moment ago still continued to fester within her chest.
When the two she-kits reached the two other family members, the mother dipped her head to the shady cat as gesture of greeting before turning around and taking the first steps of leading the kits into the forest. "We're going to hunt for breakfast first, then we'll head on towards the place I'll be showing you today, got it?" Murmuring in agreement, the kits followed after the silver tabby, making sure to stick close to her side. "Remember, there are dangers in these woods if you are not cautious. So, stay by me at all times."
"Yes, mother!" They side in unison, but Louise's reply was a bit less keen then the others.
"Good." She smiled as well, warmth filling her chest at the display of ardor the kits were showing her. "Let's proceed then, we have a long way to go."
------------
It was already close to sundown by the time the four reached their destination beside the much larger timberland than the one close to home. Tiny specks of light dotted the sky, hinting that it was indeed near to nightfall, and the full moon shone brightly in the sky, bathing the land in dazzling moonlight. The trees and their spindly branches swayed with the wind, creating an eerie sound that echoed throughout the whole glade, though it was not loud enough to spook the three young ones. A humongous building loomed over most of it all, inducing long shadows to overlap each other along the ground that soon turned into unkept grass as one would get adjacent to the edifice.
A group of animals, felines to be more specific, strolled at a diligent pace towards the building, not bothering to address the other structures littering the lawn just a few meters away from them. They simply headed straight for the edifice, which soon identified itself to be an average-sized mansion. What it was doing this far from civilization, the kits didn't know. Only the mother cat had a clue as to why this building was there in the first place, and she continued to wish the reason was still present, but she knew they weren't.
Halting at the foot of what appeared to be a doorway blocked off by a decaying wooden door, Emeline sighed tiredly before swiveling her head to glance at the three siblings standing just behind her, their wide, curious eyes gazing up at the mansion in awe. A silver tail flicked the nose of a brown tabby whom was trying to ingest some sort of building material lying on the ground, and the tabby classified it to be a piece of the roof that must have broken off. Receiving all three's attention after some efforts, the mother instructed the kits to stay very quiet and stealthy to avoid disrupting anything, if there was anything at all, in the house. Though, she had doubts that the adolescents even knew what the word 'stealthy' means.
Once they nodded in accordance, the eldest firmly pushed the door open, allowing the family to enter the home. Yet, before they made another step further, Emeline turn to gaze hardly at the siblings once again, her emerald hues holding a glint of warning. "Now, like I said a few moments ago, you all need to stay very quiet. We do not need any inhabitants of this place discovering our presence. If any of you make just a single sound or even sneeze, you will be given punishment once we make ourselves comfortable here. Understood?"
Marie and Louise nodded determinedly, but the male kit was too busy focusing on a beetle crawling along the floor to pay any attention, and that emanated a nip at his ears from his mother. Chuckles followed soon after, Louise being provided a laugh from her sadistic nature due to witnessing her brother's pain and embarrassment. However, that didn't go unnoticed by the quiet one standing next to her, who decided to step on the female's tail that was settled on the floor to give her sister the message to behave.
The silver tabby sighed once again, yet this time it was exasperated and tinged slightly with anger. "Louise, you will sleep by yourself tonight, no buts. Vivian, you'll have to stay inside tomorrow, no playing outside, okay?"
The teal-eyed female widened her orbs in astonishment, staring at her parent in surprise. However, that emotion rapidly converted into fury not even a second later. She was about to object to Emeline's decision when Marie gently butted her in the shoulder, giving Louise a look of admonition before quietly speaking.
"I know you're upset, but throwing your anger out on mom, like you often do, right now is not a good choice. I recommend you shut your mouth while we are in here."
She looked at her for a moment, acrimony brimming her hues as she contemplated this. After a minute, Louise snarled softly in agreement, then turned tail and followed after the tabbies who were now a few tail-lengths ahead. They must have began to walk further in while were talking. Small black paws hurriedly made their way over to the others, careful to make their steps as silent as possible. Reaching the trio, Marie diminished her swift pace and padded just behind them, her blue eyes analyzing the objects around her and her family.
The partly crumbling walls abated the amount of moonlight the halls and rooms collected, resulting in dimness that bothered the kit's eyes for a while. Structures that appeared to be pieces furniture were present along the walls and occasionally in the middle of the walkway, some being a considerable height and few being rather small. The obsidian coloured kit thought she saw a commodity near another entryway to a room that resembled a large fox, but when she turned back to inspect it, the figure was gone, and that frightened her a bit.
Tapping the shoulder of her mother belatedly, sapphire eyes met with concerned green ones. Marie consulted Emeline, describing the event exactly the way it went, not leaving out a single detail just in case if whatever she saw was a danger to the band of individuals. Her mother listened intently, only looking away from her daughter to scan the area around them, her forest eyes narrowed suspiciously. Her pink nose twitched as she scented whatever scents were lingering, and her large ears flattened against her cranium as she did so. After a thorough search, the tabby returned to the siblings gathered around her, green eyes slightly widened.
"Alright, you three," She said, extremely careful in making sure her voice was almost inaudible. "We need to head upstairs to the second part of this building to set up some resting spots. It's getting late, and you need your sleep."
"Upstairs? What's upstairs?" A female voice whisper-shouted, the source being Louise.
Emeline glanced back at the kit, mouthing the word 'quiet!' prior to replying in a much fainter tone. "Nothing you need to worry about, now hurry up; you too Marie. Whatever you seen is gone. You don't need to worry anymore." The male beside the older female blinked in confusion at that last comment, his fur along his spine spiking up in alarm at the thought of a hazard roaming the halls while the cats trekked through the mansion. As a gesture of reassurance and comfort, his much darker furred sister rubbed her muzzle against his and licked his ears softly, her blue eyes warm and caring.
"Don't worry, Vivian, everything will be alright, you'll see." Marie murmured, placing the tip of her long tail on his shoulder. Her brother nodded uncertainly, but he didn't show a great sign of fear any longer.
As if to purposely spook the shy tabby, and just as the group was going to continue on towards the stairs that led to the upper floor above, a significantly loud crash sounded from a room several meters down the hall, resulting in Louise and Vivian to leap in the air, claws outstretched. Marie's fur was bushed out in alarm, making her appear to be a black sheep instead of a cat. Emeline, however, was calm and still, her green eyes gazing warily into the darkness across from them. Seeing nothing, though now fearful for her kits safety, the silver tabby expeditiously rushed her litter up the stairs and into the farthest cubicle from the steps, roughly shoving the door closed behind her.
Breathing heavily, the mother malkin gathered her kits close to her and wrapped them protectively in her embrace, settling them all tightly in the corner furthest from the door. "See, nothing.. Nothing to worry about..." She breathed languidly, rasping her tongue lovingly over the young one's heads before curling her tail over them and over her snout. "Please get some sleep.. Try not to think about anything.. Just sleep."
The oldest sister and the brother yawned, confirming their mother's prediction of their weariness, but the black kit remained awake, her wide, blue eyes glued to the door a few feet away. She didn't believe anything of what her mother said a few seconds ago, she knew there was something out there, and she was sure she had seen it. She had seen those glowing, yellow eyes staring after her and her family when they rushed up the steps, and she wasn't just going to forget that because her mother said otherwise.
