in a foreign place (c)

Felix had told himself, as soon as he began lingering by the forest territories, that he would never cross their border. That was a line both physical and metaphorical that he would not allow himself to step over. He was not here to intrude, and he was certainly not here to make any enemies. It had proven to work well for him so far. He knew that Gray Wind and Fox Trot would have fought with him if he had gone anywhere beyond the line of the fence--and not a friendly spar, either. So why was it that the longer he wandered around the trees, circling almost aimlessly as he waited on some desperate hope to see his family again, that it became more and more appealing? That he wanted to wander his way right to the center of the River Clan's home until he could find Perch and demand that she see him again? It was irrational, he knew. So for now he was staying far from the river area. Instead, he sat atop the spikes of the fence by Sky Clan's land, wondering if he could find someone--Gray Wind perhaps, or a different cat--to distract him from the temptation. Golden eyes peered down into the foliage-shaded grasses, scanning with the hope of spotting another wild cat.

Felix blinked when a wild cat padded out of the foliage with a welcoming, chirpy "hello." He was just running into the friendly cats now, it seemed. Perhaps he'd filled his monthly quota of angry, confrontational cats? Well, it was just as well that he had. If someone akin to Valley had shown up, he might have been upset. But this cat--Sky Clan as well, he assumed--did not unsheathe claws or even give a subtle threat. Instead, she gave him a greeting and her name. The loner responded with a smile of his own.

"Looking for someone?"

Oh, more than you know.

Perched as he was on the fence, all it would take was a simple leap downward, and he would have crossed the well-marked border. But he did not. He remained up there, but swished his tail once in a gesture of greeting. "It's wonderful to meet you, Lightning Breeze," he responded easily. "A stranger I am, indeed. I am a loner who is simply passing through this area. I go by Felix." It would not hurt to exchange names, when she had done the good-faith gesture of giving hers first. "Perhaps you've heard tell of me? I believe I met a few of your fellow forest cats last month. Gray Wind and Fox Trot, they were called. Are you of their same Sky Clan, as well?"

Felix tilted his head slightly, taking in the cat before him. Most wild cats were standoffish. Lightning Breeze seemed far from it. In fact, she was even cheerier than him, standing where she was in her territory and craning her neck up to speak with him. A remarkably inefficient way to conduct a conversation, wasn't it? "If learning something new is your goal, then it is one that we share," he said pleasantly. "It is a welcome surprise to find a forest cat who is willing to talk about such. I, too, enjoy bandying words and exchanging information with those who have different lifestyles. A sentiment that has been remarkably hard to find among your Sky Clan, so far--at least from my persepctive."

It was becoming inconvenient to speak to a cat so far below him. While he did enjoy having the high ground, so to speak--a brief memory of lazing on a rooftop while a gray and white molly remained below flashed before his eyes--it was hard to have a prolonged conversation this way. "Would you care to come up onto the fence?" he offered. "I enjoy a good chat as much as anyone else, but it is somewhat difficult when eye contact is so far away. And I would not dream of crossing such a well-marked border. Instead, you could leap up here somewhat easily, I take it, given what Gray Wind told me about living in trees. Why not speak with me up here, where we can converse face-to-face? I promise that I will not bite without permission." His tail waved welcomingly behind him.