Smoking Petals[C]

Roseburn shouldn't have come back to these territories. It had been moons that she had spent on her own since the day the world seemed to end. She had been a coward. In a way, she still was. So scared to face the home that used to be hers. Could she even call it home anymore? Did she deserve to?

One thing Roseburn did know was that it wasn't just about her anymore. She had a kit to look after. Batkit. That wasn't a name she had thought she would ever use, but at the same time, maybe giving the kit that name would have meant some part of Batglow would live on in her son. It was the only comfort she could find. Most cats looked to the stars, believing them to be their lost loved ones. All Roseburn had was the memories of the time they were there. And she clung to those memories like a lifeline.

And she knew she had to take care of the family she had left. She had a responsibility to her child now. That was what drove her back to the territories. She didn't think she could take care of Batkit on her own. She could barely take care of herself.

For now, though, her primary goal was to seek shelter. She knew this building. It had some horrible stories behind it, but it had also been abandoned. It should have been the perfect place to spend the night. To be able to get some rest after traveling for so long. It felt like her paws would fall off.

But she froze as another cat appeared, and she ushered Batkit behind her, using her owl wings to shield the kit as much as possible. Of course another cat would have seen an opportunity in this place as well.

"Our?" Was there more cats? Her eyes scanned around warily. Had she just marched her and her kit to their deaths?

"I- We- I'm sorry. I was, me and my kit have been traveling for a while. And I, well..." She let out a nervous chuckle. "This place had been abandoned last time I was here. I didn't know any cat lived here. I never, I didn't mean to trespass or anything. Honest."

Batkit knew nothing about the world, except that it was unpredictable. One second there were plants-the next, he was following Mama on a stony path. She said they were made by cool creatures called twolegs who walked upright.

But right now, Batkit was in a forest. He tasted the air, enjoying all the new scents and smells. His eye were full of curiosity as he sniffed the leafy floor. He weaved around Mama's legs, stopping every now and then to look at something new, then scurry back to her. Mama suddenly stopped too-it seemed she has seen something interesting as well. She was staring a big wall of stones that was connected to three other walls. The walls had little cracks in them, and Batkit swore he saw a frog jump out of one.

His eyes were wide with wonder; what was this giant thing doing in the forest?

Suddenly, a silky voice sounded from Mama's direction. He scampered up to her, only to be met with  a gentle shove behind her. Batkit peeked around Mama's legs nervously, peering at the weird cat. He sounded like a nice cat, since his greeting was welcoming. But his narrowed eyes weren't saying the same thing.

"Mama? Is this cat going to eat us?" he squeaked, taking a step back.

Roseburn let the tenseness in her shoulders relax slightly, although something told her she would not want to push her luck. Right now this cat thinks she is just a loner, so maybe that could be beneficial to her. But she also knew the stigma this building held. She had heard the story of the other groups that had resided here. They tried to act friendly, too. And Roseburn knew better than to let her guard down.

Still, having a place to stay the night could be nice...

"That.... would actually be nice. Thank you."

Although when asked for her name, Roseburn wasn't sure if she wanted to give it. So far, this cat had been kind assuming she was a regular loner. She decided she wanted to keep that image in his head. "My name is Rose. This is my son, Bat. We should only need to stay for one night, I wouldn't want to be too much of a bother. I, uh, I have some friends I was planning to meet up with."

Batkit blinked, his tail swishing. "So...you're not going to eat me? Yay!" he exclaimed, running around his Mama's forepaws. He looked up at Apex and gave him a big smile. He was curious why Mama called herself Rose-sometimes she called him Bat for short, so that was normal. Perhaps Alex couldn't say big names. Arex seemed nice now.

A bit of panic sparked as Ajex offered to guide her to her "friends", but still Roseburn held her ground, trying not to let her fear show. "Oh, no! I couldn't ask that of you! Ah, we still have quite a ways to travel. And, my friends, you see, can be a bit nervous around strangers. And, uh, you've already been so kind! I couldn't ask you to go through all of that trouble!"

She couldn't imagine what would happen if she brought this cat into Clan territory. Living so close to them, he was bound to know about the Clans, and would surely recognize when they had crossed the borders. And Roseburn still didn't know what this tom thought of Clan cats. But she knew most cats didn't form groups like this because they were fans of their neighbors.

Still, she led Batkit into the shelter. They just had to get through one night, and then they could leave. She looked at her son, giving a slight smile and hoping he could not smell her fear. She didn't want Batkit to have any reason to think he was in danger. And in the worst case scenario, she knew she would do anything to make sure he got out of here, even if that meant she would not be able to follow.

She just hoped it wouldn't come to that.