We’re On An Adventure (Stormwind)

“Stalk it,” Newton mewed. “It’s probably too fat to run anyways, but get your body really close to the ground and carefully walk towards it.

Lady nodded to show she heard, watching carefully for the movement of the gay. Her green eyes brightened when she saw it happen and she jerked her muzzle towards it, not looking away even to glance at Newton, fearing she’d lose it if she did.

“You might not be able to see a mouse directly in this case,” Newton mewed softly, “but look for the movement in the hay to tell where one is.”

Lady heard the skittering of little paws and looked in its direction.

Newton watched the hay shuffle and move slightly, swiping his tongue around his jaws at the prospect of catching a fat mouse for dinner.

Lady nodded, pricking her ears.

“First off, listen for your prey. When you know where it is, find it with your eyes next.” Newton instructed, sitting beside Lady and waiting expectantly.

Lady hopped down from the hay bale and blinked at him.

“I’m not the greatest either, Lady, but I’ll do my best.” Newton Replied. He was also used to eating scraps more than anything else, but he had caught some prey on occasion. And with as much skittering as he heard all around them in the warm barn, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a fat mouse or two.

“You’ll have to teach me,” Lady mumbled, suddenly sheepish. While they’d been traveling through the town they’d begged food off of the humans or dig through the garbage; they’d never actually hunted.

Newton watched Barley walk off. He had had a few questions to ask the tom, but he decided to wait until the three of them were settling down to sleep.

For now, he glanced back towards Lady. “I’m sure he could do it himself, but maybe the least we could do to thank him would be to catch a few mice?”

Barley dipped his head before walking off.

Newton smiled. “Thank you, Barley!”

Barley nodded. “Yes. It’s getting late, though, so you can stay the night, if you’d like.”

“Out that way?” Newton flicked his ears in the direction of the boulders he’d remembered seeing some distance away.

Lady glanced at Newton before hesitantly speaking, “We’re looking for the Clans and my grandmother said you might know which way they went? I know it’s been a while but...”

Barley huffed softly. “All I can tell you is that they headed for that large group of tall boulders, which they called Highstones.”

Newton was about to speak, but stopped. Lady was the better choice to explain in this case, seeing as she was the one who actually fully believed in her mission. He was just here to keep her safe.

“And I’m Lady,” Lady added. “Are you Barley?”

Barley slowly nodded his head, eyeing them. “Judging by that question, I’m going to say you were looking for me. Why?” His head tilted to the side.

“I’m Newton!” The tom mewled quickly, stretching out after spending the last few hours lounging around in the hay with Lady.

The old black-and-white tom halted, blinking at the two young cats. “Well,” he said after a moment, “I don’t often get visitors anymore.”

(I imagine him as something like a cool Grandpa at this point, since he still does nice stuff and opens his home to every cat that needs it )

(*flails* I don’t know how to be Barley)

Newton had been nodding off. But when he finally saw the figure of a cat squeezing into the barn, silhouetted by the light coming in between the wooden planks he sprung to his paws quickly. “Hi!” He mewed suddenly, not having spent any time thinking about how to greet the stranger.

Hours passed in this way and the sun was already setting before Barley made his way back to the barn.

Newton didn’t move, Licking at his scraped pads from their walk across the town’s hard surfaces and listening to Lady hum.