Windclan

The mansion turned out to be a labyrinth of rooms and corridors. It looked like it was built with the intention of making it as hard to navigate as it was humanly possible. What could possibly be the intention of building something so inconvenient to live in remained a mystery. The deterioration of the house over the years only added to the effect. Some floors had partially collapsed making it impossible to cross a room and making the only optional way forward down onto a lower floor. Fallen rubble blocked doorways turning corridors into dead ends. There was broken glass in some of the windows and open holes in quite a few walls, so the cats weren’t completely locked in and could easily escape to the outside. However, Blue and Feather were already inside when the others decided to wander in as well. At the time it made sense to reunite before heading back home. Besides, Ash worried about leaving Blue on his own. Through a clan leader, the white cat was very young and had very little knowledge of the real world. He was gullible, trusting and way too optimistic for his own good. There were some many terrible things that could happen to an unsuspecting cat. Fallen stone, rusted nails, broken wood. Maybe even wolves or humans! Who knew what his within this haunting mansion.

“Bluecloud! Blue, where are you?!”, Ash yelled and heard his own voice echo around the walls. His ears pricked up when he thought he heard an answer. It was muffled and sounded like it came from far away, but he heard it. Together with Heart they trudged on across the old, decaying carpets and cold bricks.

“I heard one of my friends. They’re probably worried. Let's follow the voice and we’ll be out of here in a jiffy.” Bluecloud smiled to his new friend and Feather followed along with a similarly positive smile on his face.

Blue was wrong. It took them nearly an hour to finally reunite. They crossed corridor after corridor and explored room after room, but their path kept getting blocked. There were a few points where they could hear each other right across the wall, but when they found a way that should lead them towards the others, instead it led upstairs or downstairs or turned on itself and looped back away from their goal. If sped up, their adventure would have looked like an episode of Scooby Doo.

While Ash grew increasingly more and more agitated, Blue and Feather had a lovely time where they talked about various subjects and Blue learned that Feather split from his family to go exploring and now couldn’t find his way back. When the gang was finally together, Ravenash wanted nothing more than to go back to their cliffside home and never venture out here again, but the leader convinced him to help the poor, lost kitten.

Shiningheart had the most knowledge about the area and swiftly led them out of the forest and onto fields where a summer house stood. Feather recognised it as his temporary home and the cats frolicking in the garden as his family. Bluecloud stiffened when he noticed that there was a twoleg with them. He never expected that the loving and caring family that his new friend told him about would also consist of humans. He could not understand how anyone could want to return to those evil creatures. They made him experience nothing but pain.

He watched as Shiningheart escorted him all the way to the house, until they looked like they were the size of mice. The white cats paws grew softer as they got closer and when Heart finally turned around, leaving Feather with the humans, Blue was laying on the ground and shaking slightly. The pupils in his eyes grew wide with fear. Ash stayed with him. He sat down next to Blue, touching his shoulder with his own, hoping that this little bit of contact would comfort him at least a little bit. He wasn’t good with words, so hopefully this would suffice.

“I don’t like them either”, he said, trying to say something that could help Blue relax, even though his head was empty of ideas. “but apparently there are some decent humans. I guess. Maybe.” They sat in silence for a moment, Ash could still feel the shaking. “What I’m trying to say is that Feather will be fine.” He looked down at Blue, whose expression has not changed. “And you will be too. You’re safe with me.”

This finally made the white cat turn his head and look at him. His eyes weren’t filled with panic anymore, but they looked slightly more calm. The shivering also seemed a little softer. “I think I would like to go home now”, he said quietly. Ash nodded his head. “Okay, let's go home., he answered, wishing he could say something more encouraging, but he grew up in a tough neighbourhood where nice words and supportive behaviour were considered a weakness so he had no experience using them. He wondered if he would ever be able to learn. Perhaps it was better not to even try. The world was a harsh place while Blue was a very soft kitten. A leader like that needed someone tough like Ash to support him or he would get eaten alive. Yeah, Ash would be strong enough for the both of them so that Bluecloud could stay himself and create a wonderful clan for all cats to live in and not have to worry about anything.

The white cat stood up, looking at the ground and only raised his head after he turned around and faced the trees of the forest, leaving the house and frightening humans behind his back. His paws still shook a little from time to time as they made the long way back, Shiningheart quickly catching up to them. Bluecloud wanted adventure, but for now that would be enough attractions for him. They would stay away from the humans. Even if some of them weren’t bad, there was no point risking it.