Annabelle's a pretty (petty) kitty

Annabelle had decided to leave her house alone. She had never gone outside without her twoleg before because she was to young, but the cat door was unlocked and her twolegs were upstairs. She padded out into the back yard and started batting at the birds that were at the bird feeder. She soon got bored of the yard, and saw the fence. The little she-kit took a running start and leapt onto it, land about half way up. Determinedly, she started climbing up, although her claws ached. Soon she was at the top, panting for breath from all the climbing. She looked suspiciously at the territory in front of her. It smelled like dirty cats, and Annabelle had heard they were scary.
"I don't fear the wild cats!" she said loudly, hoping to convince both herself and anyone who happened to be watching. She started grooming herself, waiting for something to happen.

Bat skirted the fences, hissing at the occasional dog. He followed the scent of marigold to Annabelle's yard. He came just in time to here the kit's words and shook his head softly, looking down at the garden in search of the plant he needed. His tall and skinny body balanced easily on the fence and an unlucky squirrel hung in his jaws.

Annabelle wrinkled her nose in disgust. This cat knows nothing about manners or food choice! Annabelle scooted down the fence towards Bat and tried to look imposing when she confronted him.
"Who are you and what are you doing in my garden? Also, did you kill that?" Annabelle questioned, not bothered by the fact that this cat was older and most likely a way better fighter than her. She noticed he looked rather skinny, and wondered why.

Bat dropped the squirrel and held it down with a paw. "I'm looking for herbs and, what else am I supposed to eat?" He meowed; the tom looked down at her with his pale eyes. "You must be a pet.." he said, looking at her collaborative. Lucky.

"Isn't the forest full of herbs?" Annabelle mewed in response. In truth, she had no idea what herbs were, let alone no where they were found. "Maybe you could try eating something less, uh, bloody, or furry. Something that doesn't still have eyes, and something that doesn't require work. Like the wet meat my housefolk put on the dry pellets they give me. That tastes good, you should try living with them. And what's a pet?" Annabelle found herself getting curious and disgusted by this cat.

"Housefolk only want cutesy kits, I'm just loner. Besides, hunting keeps me in practice and I have a mate that couldn't be a housecat. They'd put her down for sure." he shook his head. "I avoid going into the forest for herbs if I can help it. Especially SkyClan." he flicked his tail to the tall forest behind them. "Pets are cats that rely on housefolk for food and shelter. Strays run away from their housefolk but don't last long.
Loners like me drift from place to place or live near clan cats. Clan cats live in the best lands and keep us and each other out." he explained.

"You wouldn't need practice if you didn't hunt," Annabelle replied, obviously not getting at all what he was saying. "I guess I am a pet then. And why would anyone want to run away from their housefolk? They must be stupid. And clan cats, whatever those are, don't have the best land, I do." Annabelle looked over her twoleg's house fondly.

Bat rolled his eyes, "Right.. some housefolk stop feeding them or leave them somewhere because they don't want the cat anymore. Others do it to keep their kits from being taken away. There's plenty of reasons." Bat meowed. He looked down into the garden, spotting the yellow flowered herbs. "That's why I need herbs, my mate and I help them and give them a place to stay. Plenty of mice and rabbits too."

"Okay then. Why would housefolk takes kits away? I'm a kit, and I live here," Annabelle replied, then her eyes grew wide. Without my mother. "Oh! My housefolk must have taken me away from my mother!" Annabelle's eyes grew angry for a moment, then turned back to Bat. 
"My name is Annabelle. What's your name, and what are herbs?" Annabelle continued to be completely ignorant.

"I'm Bat," he folded his large ears back. I'm uh.. sure you can tell why.." he meowed and then answered her next question. "Herbs are plants that help heal wounds, cure sicknesses, and dull pain." he meowed. "Growing up without a mother is normal around here, but, strays have to raise themselves, you've got it better than most.''

"Hi Bat. Weird name. Well I've never gotten sick or had a wound before, but I was told my housefolk would take me to something called a vet if I ever did. So I guess I do have it pretty good." Annabelle smiled at this idea. Instead of thinking she had  a lot of luck, she took this to mean she was cuter and better than most. She started grooming herself, and watched Bat take the flowers. 
"Don't take way too many, my housefolk might get angry," she advised dismissively, then continued her grooming.

"I won't." he meowed, leaving the squirrel on the fence as he grabbed a small clump. He just needed some to hold them over. Bear's group was scattered now, they'd slowly trickle back in with their battle wounds from the clans. He'd be there with Pepper to fix them up. "Vets? Never heard of them." he meowed, curious. While he knew more than a clan cat about housefolk, a housecat knew even more, even this young.

"I'm not exactly sure what vets are, actually. I bet that They are probably better than herbs are," Annabelle commented, not realizing at all that she might be being rude. A butterfly flew past her, and Annabelle batted at it not playfully, but fearfully. She suddenly looked at Bat with a worried expression, and slowly backed away.
"You look like you might have bugs on you, do you?" Annabelle asked worriedly.

"You mean fleas or something? Not really, they stay off me since I collect mint.
They seem to hate the stuff." he said, using one of the large oak leaves the make a bundle for the leaves. "Why?" he asked, tilted his head, and looked at the kit.

"Good." Annabelle sighed with relief, then continued, "I hate bugs. A lot. I might have to try collecting mint." Annabelle jumped from the fence into her garden, looking at all the different plants. "Which one of these is mint?" she asked Bat, inhaling the scent of all the flowers, spices, and other exotic plants her housefolk grew.