Ajax sauntered down a small alleyway. It was dim, carpeted with dirt, and decorated only with an occasional empty trash can. He didn't care about any of that. He was just glad it was empty. Lately there had seemed to be a rise in new cats living in the area. Ajax hadn't run into any of them yet. He hadn't been avoiding them, but he hadn't been searching them out either. Everywhere he went, though, he could smell them. They smelled of the woods, of dust and dirt and the wilder parts of the river. He was just starting to wonder why Clan cats would be invading Twolegplace when he heard a scuttle behind him. Ajax deftly leaped behind a close trash can and got low. He had been too deep in thought to register what exactly made the sound, so he dared to peek his curious nose out, pupils wide with excitement and adrenaline. He had expected a rat, probably a large one. Instead, as he looked around the corner, his eyes met another set of feline eyes.
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