"Oh, a wild cat." A soft female voice purred from behind a fence. As he approached the fence, Stagfang noticed the thin white, black, and ginger she-cat. He noticed the blue collar around her neck and huffed. "Kittypet." He smiled at the she-cat politely. "Excuse you, my name's Bright, not "kittypet"." The she-cat waved her long tail slowly. She hopped off her fence and sat down next to it, staring at the tom in front of her. "Are you on patrol?" She tilted her head, a curious glint in her turquoise eyes. "I am. Making sure that no kittypets or rogues are on my clan's territory." Despite her lack of aggression, Stagfang sat down, still wary of the kittypet. "Do you live nearby? You're quite thin for a well-fed kittypet." "I live right here." Bright nodded her head towards the fence behind her. "My owner is in bad shape, so I have to catch my own food." "You should avoid the forest. That prey belongs to my clan." Stagfang frowned, but Bright just licked her paw, drawing it over her ear casually. "Don't worry. The house and yard are infested with mice. They have a hole in the wall that they enter through. Now, mr. Unnamed wild cat, tell me about this clan of yours?" Stagfang's fur bristled slightly as he felt a twinge of embarrassment. He wasn't even aware that he hadn't introduced himself. "Stagfang," He introduced himself quickly. "My clan is Leafclan. We live in that forest over there." He looked towards his home. "But you won't get anywhere near our camp. We patrol our borders often, so there's no way you could get close." He went on to explain. Bright nodded, her eyes wide with interest. "I've noticed a bunch of cats coming and going from there. Way many on a full moon night. Why?" She cocked her head, nudging herself closer to the wild tom. "We gather on a full moon." Stagfang didn't want to tell about the gathering, in case this cat would try and barge in to the traditional meet up. Bright nodded. "Gather with who? More clans?" "That's not for me to say, or for you to know." Stagfang growled lightly. "Go back to your twoleg." He stood up, walking and then running back to his home, making sure Bright didn't follow. And she didn't. She just watched curiously from the grass by her fence.
Bright was surprised to see Stagfang by her fence as she emerged from the forest near her house. They'd met by her fence many times before, but this time she was carrying prey from the forest. Stagfang stood up and walked over to the she-cat, an angry expression on his face. "I thought you said you had plenty of prey." He let out a growl. Bright tensed at his hostile tone, but she forced herself to relax. "Yes, I did. But they've all vanished." She said with the mouse in her mouth. "This morning, I couldn't find or smell any of them." She hissed lightly and took a step back as Stagfang approached her. "You can't take just any prey! The forest belongs to Leafclan, you know that." Stagfang looked at the plump mouse in Bright's mouth, then noting the she-cat's hungry eyes. "I'm not going to starve, even if I have to take prey from you. Stagfang, I'm sorry, but this prey is mine. I hunted it so it bel-" "That was caught in my clan's territory, so give it to me. Now."Bright was interrupted by the tom, though he appeared to be reluctant to do so. "I know you're hungry. But Leafbare is coming, so my clan needs every little bit of prey." Stagfang's fur smoothed out and his expression softened. "Please. If someone else picked up on your scent, they could have followed you home and attacked you. But I'm not going to do it; after all, we're friends, aren't we?" He watched as Bright lowered her gaze, guiltily looking at the grass. "We are. But I don't want to starve." Bright sighed, setting her prey down. Stagfang didn't take it, sitting by the she-cat. "Then why don't you join Leafclan?" Stagfang gently pressed his nose against Bright's shoulder. "I'd like to have you as a clanmate. Icestar would accept you, I'm sure... I'm sure she'd let you join if you prove your worth." Stagfang spoke softly, flicking his ear. "I'll..." Bright looked at her mouse, closing her eyes. "I'll consider it." She leaned lightly against Stagfang. "This time, you can keep the mouse." After a while, Stagfang meowed. "But I'm going to have to take it back next time." He gently nuzzled Bright's neck. "I'll return in a few days, so keep an eye out." As he padded back home, Bright looked after him with uncertainty.
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