Limpfoots Visions (A Warrior Cats Manga)

Chapter 18: Safe

All of us looked at one another, as I could tell that it was not just I that was confused as to what it was that she had meant by it. I knew that she was right, and I did not blame her for not thinking it through, as to the fact that she had forgot that we would not go nearly as fast as a normal cat.
My brother and my sister acted like they were the best, and strongest cats to ever walk to world. They did not know that they were simply just kits though, and they were not cats just yet. I shook my head though, as I saw that my sister, Gift, still did not look all that happy with what Nifty had said just now.
I did not blame her for this either, as we had gone a far distance out, without even having a clue as to where we were going in the first place. We had a perfectly fine, and safe place to live at before. I am sure Gift was thinking the same way as I as well, though I felt like he brain was rephrasing those words a bit differently than mine.
I knew that she was upset about all of this, and the fact that we had left Nut. I wanted to say something to her, and tell her about how Nut had not even stayed to say a goodbye to us. I knew all along that he only was so nice to us, due to the fact that we were the kits of the cat that he was in love with.
I felt like, or rather, I knew that he had just been acting all cool and nice to us all along, to look good to the cat that he was in fact in love with. I shook my head though, as I did not want to think that bad, or that low of a cat such as nice, and chill as Nut.
I felt like he had a bit of a dark side in him, but to be honest, I did not want to hear about it. I would much rather just stay innocent, and be happy with the way that he had been to us all along. I closed my eyes for just a couple of seconds, as I let out quite a loud sigh.
I knew that the others had heard it as well, but they did not say a word, a lot due to the fact that they all seemed to be a bit trapped in their own world at the current moment. It was a bit of a surprise to me as well, as typically my sister, Gift, did not miss a moment to find a reason to get upset at me.
It was not normal, and, not like I wanted her to do it, but it kind of scared me, as I realized just how much my life was about to change. I was sure that Gift was not going to be like this permanently, but life, as I knew it, was going to be a lot different.
I closed my eyes for just a couple of seconds, which I was not even sure that I needed to do so, as it was starting to get dark out, as it was outside, as we had been standing in this same spot for a very long time. I gulped, as I felt like, at any moment, a dog, or another scary animal was going to come and get us.
I shook my head though, as I then lifted my head up, and then I began to look around at the surroundings that were all around me at the current moment. It was hard for me to see all that much, as I saw lots of twoleg places, with a lot of lights with it as well.
There was not all that much there besides that however. I shook my head, as I then looked over at our mother at the same time too, as she was still yet to say a word. I blinked a few times, as I saw that she had her head quite a bit low to the ground.
It was almost as if, she felt like she might even regret the decision that she had made to leave our home. It was not a good look for her either, as I looked over at Pike and Gift, to see if they had noticed the same as I had. They seemed to be in their own world at the moment though, when I looked over at them.
I let out a much softer sigh this time, as I felt like I just wanted to give up. I just wanted to go back home, as if I would find Brokenfoot and Pintclaw there. I shook my head though, as I then began to stare at our mother. She was supposed to be stepping up, and helping us right now, but instead, she seemed to be acting just like Gift was at the moment.
My mother did not seem to notice me, even though she had her head in my direction, and I saw that she had her eyes open as well. I was going to lower my head to the ground, just like the rest of them, as I felt like, I too, just wanted to give up as well.
I shook my head though, as I kept my self strong through all of this, as I knew that if none of them were going to do it, and no one was going to step up, than we were going to be out here, through all of the scary night. I was supposed to be the weakest of my litter too, but I knew that now was time to put all of that behind me, and now it was time to prove to all of them that I was strong.
I looked at my mother, as this time I did not hesitate with her, as I needed to know what it was that she planned on doing, just a few seconds ago, to give us a safe place for us to sleep for the night. I nodded at her, though I knew she had not seen it, as I rolled my eyes, and then I began to speak to her.
"So... Are you going to take us to your so called place that will keep us safe for the night? There are a lot of dogs barking, like they want us to be our next meal." I said to her, as I then looked at her for quite a bit of some time, as I waited for any sort of response from her.
She just continued to stare at the ground for a little while longer, as if she had not paid attention to a word that I had just said to her. I was starting to have a lot of anxiety, as I felt a whole lot of things going through out my body, and they were not the type of things that I would want to feel either.
I blinked a couple of times, as I felt like I should just give up on all of this. If I went back home, would Nut be happy to take me back in? I was not sure of the answer to that at all, and I was not sure if I wanted to find out what it would be either.
Maybe I could take Gift with me, and she would be happy with me, and we could live out our lives over there. I turned my head in the direction that we had came from, as I saw a whole lot of stuff that I did not recognize one bit at all. I was not sure that even if we tried to go back, that we would find Nuts place anyways.
I shook my head though, as that felt like it should not matter all that much to me at the moment. I had told myself, time and time again, that I wanted to go and live out in the wild, so why would I want to go back to Nuts place? Maybe it would be a better idea to just hop over the fence, and find a way in to the forest.
I blinked a few times, as I knew that it was not a good idea either. I did not see the wild out any where around us, and I was not sure if I would even make it to the exit. I was really wishing that we knew the way back home now. I lowered my head to the ground, just like Gift and my mother had theirs.
My brother seemed to be doing just the opposite of all of us, as he seemed to be enjoying all that was going on at the moment. He had a big smile on his face, as I could tell, that within that smile, I could see that he was a bit afraid as well, as he was looking at all of that which was around us at the current moment in time.
I did not even bother to do the same, as I had just about given up at this point. I had made my mind to think the same way that my sister Gift was thinking at the moment, and I hated it. Was she always like this? I shook my head, as I then heard the voice of Nifty, begin to speak up to all of us, once again.
I wondered if I should lift my head up, to let her know that I was listening to what it was that she had to say to me. I did not do so, as I chose to just stare down like the rest of my kin mates, though I did listen to what it was that she had to say to me, or rather to all of us.
"Well... We are already here... There is a ditch right beside the two leg place on our right... That is where we are going to stay the night at." She said to us. I looked at her, for a few moments, a bit surprised, and a bit confused as to what she had said to us.
It made sense I suppose, though I had only heard of the word ditch, used a few times, I knew that every two leg a place had one near them. I just was not too sure as to what it was, or how it was going to keep us safe through out the night.
Pike seemed to be the one that was the most surprised out of all of us, as I could tell that Gift could care less as to all that was going on at the current moment. His eyes had been all over the place a few moments ago, but as soon as Nifty had said those words, for some reason it had gotten his full attention on her.
I wondered if he had been like that all day, and he really had been paying attention to all of us, this whole time. I kind of had a bit of doubt in that, but my brother did often surprise me, so I could not be too sure about it. I blinked a few times, as I shook my head as well, and then I began to listen to him, to hear what it was that he had to say over to our mother, Nifty.
"Nut told us that an abandoned two leg place would be the most safe place to stay the night at, if we were to ever get lost in a two leg place." He said back over to her. My mother looked at him for a few seconds, and then she began to roll her eyes at him, as if this was some sort of joke to all of us.
She began to laugh a little bit, and this time, Gift lifted her head up, as I could tell that she did not find any of this funny to her. She looked over at Nifty, and she stared at her for quite a bit of some time. I could tell that it got to her head as well, as she turned her head away from my sister.
She then shook her head, as a bit of a late response to Pike, as we were all a bit lost on to why it was that she had been laughing so hard. I stared at my mother, as I could tell, that there was some part in her, that was also anxious about all of this, just like I had been.
I wondered just how good her new mate was, if she was suddenly now questioning her decision in leaving the safe home that we had before now. I blinked a few times, as I felt like I should just keep an open mind on all of this, and I listened to what our mother said back to us, as she began to speak.
"An abandoned two leg place is not all that safe, as there are rats, and some times stray cats in there..." She said to us, as I was a bit surprised by it as well, as I had thought that what Nut typically told us, had to be true... He had not told us anything about a bunch of nasty little rats.
I could tell that it was just as much of a surprise to Pike, as it was to me. I did not see much of a reaction from Gift, which was to be normal, as I did not need to worry about her all day. Me and Pike both looked at one another, with sick looks on our faces.
I shook my head, as I made up my mind right away, that it was a bad idea to go looking for one. I had seen a rat once my self, with all of the others, and it was one of the most nasty, and also quite possible one of the most scary things that I had ever seen.
Luckily Pintclaw had been with us at the time, and though he might not have been as strong and as good of a fighter as he had once been, he thankfully had killed it, before it had gotten anywhere near us. I knew that they often liked to attack cats, and kits often times too, for prey.
It sounded a bit strange to say that, as they were not all that big at all, but I knew if it were to scratch one of us, it would get us very sick, and we would more than likely die from it, if we did not find an herb to treat it, or a two leg did not take us to one of those scary places that I had once been with the rest of my kin mates.
I shook my head though, as I then turned my head over to our mother at the same time too, to see if she had been serious with what she had said, or if she had been perhaps too lazy to go and look for an abandoned two leg place, and already made up her mind that we were going to stay in a ditch.
She seemed to have quite the blank look on her face, which was hard for me to read any thing out of that, as I was typically very good at reading in to cats, which was a trait that Brokenfoot had told me I had gotten from her as well.
I shook my head though, as I kept my eyes on her for a bit longer. She kept the same blank look on her face, as she looked right back at the rest of us. I blinked a few times, and then I made my decision, that we had wasted enough time as it was, as I then began to speak back to her.
"What is so special about a ditch? It sounds like it might be worse than a place like that..." I said to her. She stood there for a little while longer, but she thankfully responded a lot faster, as to what I had said to her, than the other times that I had questioned her.
It made me feel a bit better as well, as I knew that it meant that she did not have to think through a response that she had made up, to me. She nodded to me, as I nodded back to her as she began to speak. I listened to what it was that she had to say as well.
"A ditch is just a small little safe area... It is not as comfortable as a place like that, but it is a lot more safe... Besides, this area we are in right now, does not have any abandoned homes..." She said to us. I looked at her for a few moments, as she had a bit of a point.
I had been told that the ditches were small and musty, and they did not have much room to fit in... I had not been told that they had been dangerous though, so I had to assume that Nifty had told us, had in fact been right as well.
I smiled a little bit, as I now felt a whole lot safer than I had been just a few moments ago. I looked over at Pike, with a bit of a smile on my face, as I could tell that he was feeling relieved now that he knew that we had a safe place for us to stay the night at.
However, from the other side of me, I heard the voice of my sister, as she decided that she was going to speak up to all of us, like she had done earlier, once again. I still had not gotten it through my head, that she too, like Pike, was listening to all that had been said to us.
I turned my head over to her, with my eyes squinted at her, as I wondered what it was that she was going to say to Nifty, as I had a bit of an assumption that it might have something to do with the fact that we had left Nut. I shook my head though, as I kept an open mind on it, and I listened to what it was that she had to say.
"It doesn't matter... There is no going back now... It is getting way too dark, so please just take us there... I am so tired..." She said to Nifty. I looked at her for a few moments, and then I nodded as well. It was a bit more to my self though, as I was just grateful that she did not have to complain about Nut once again, like she had been doing all day.
I felt bad for her, but at some point, I knew that she would have to get over it, like the rest of us already had. I also realized another couple of parts of what she had said, had also been right as well. As I saw that the sun was now no where to be seen in sight.
I also began to realize, just how tired I was, from the long day of just non stop walking. I almost fell over, just at the thought of how tired I was. I then turned my head to Nifty as well, as I waited for how it was that she was going to respond to what Gift had just said to her.
Nifty nodded to Gift, as it was a fair response to all of what was going on around us at the current moment in time. She looked at each one of us for a few moments as well, as she nodded to us too, seeing that we were all well aware as to what was going on. She then began to speak to us at the same time as well, as I listened to what it was that she had to say.
"It is right ahead of us... Just follow me..." She said to all of us. I looked at her a bit surprised, and also a bit suspicious as well, as to how close we were to where it was that she was going to take us. I shook my head though, as I knew that I had no reason to be that way at all.
I knew that our mother was going to take care of us, just like she had done our whole lives, though at times she could be a bit harsh on us, I knew that she was still a good mother, and also an amazing cat, as Nut had told us a lot more than just one time.
I looked over at Gift, as I saw that she just had her eyes squinted at Nifty, as she did not say a word back to her, as if she was a bit upset as to what it was that Nifty had said to us. It was as if she had wanted us to not be in a safe place for the night, almost.
I shook my head, as I tried to not think of those thoughts, as I then looked at my brother at the same time too, as I saw that he was a bit surprised too. He saw me look over at him, from the corner of his eye, as he too then looked at me as well.
He had a bit of a sad smile on his face, as it seemed like he was now like Gift was, and he was just thinking about Nut. I had to assume that it was true, as there would be no other reason for him to be this way. He nodded to me, as I hesitated for a few moments, but then I nodded back to him.
He let out a bit of a sigh, as he then looked up at the sky, and up, and over to the moon as I could see, just by the bit of reflection that I saw in his eyes. He then looked back over at me, and he began to speak to me, after a few moments of silence had passed through us.
"Come on... Nifty is right... I did not see very many abandoned two leg places with us... It is safer down there any ways." He said to me, but also loud enough so that Gift could hear him from right behind me. I nodded to him as well, as I knew that he was right, and what he had said was smart.
I expected Gift to add something to all of it, but I knew that she was not the same Gift as she had been just the day before. I wish that Nut had been there to say a goodbye to her, as I felt like she might be a bit different than she was at the moment, if that had at least been the case.
I shook off all of those thoughts though, as I knew that it no longer mattered, and that I should not be too busy to dwell in the past, like Pintclaw had told me, had been their way of not being too upset, or hurt by the fact that the clans had fallen apart.
He had told me, "think of the positives, rather than the negatives... For example too, if they were still here, than you would not have been born... Brokenfoot was a medicine cat... They cannot have kits, as it takes away from them helping our clan, and protecting us."
He was right with what he had said as well, as I wished that I could tell that to Gift, to try to make her feel better, but I had little doubt that she would listen to a word that I had to say to her. I looked over at Nifty, as I saw that she had her eyes locked on me for some reason, in particular.
I blinked a few times, as I was a bit surprised by it, as I typically was not her favorite kit out of all of us, as Gift was always quick to remind me of that as well. I kept myself strong though, as I nodded back to her, at the same time too, doing my best too stay stronger than ever, through all of this.
Once she saw me do so as well, she nodded back to me, and then she looked over at Pike, to make sure that he was ready as well. I looked over at him too, to make sure that he was, as well. He blinked a few times, but in the end, he too nodded back to our mother, Nifty.
Nifty smiled just a little bit, as she nodded back to him. She then turned her head away from us, as she then began to walk forward as well. I was not sure if she had not done the same to Gift, as she had done to us, because she knew that Gift was not paying any sort of attention, or if it was because she had already done it before I had been paying attention.
I had to assume that the first part of my theory, was the one that was the most likely out come. I shook my head though, as I knew that I should not have my thoughts on all of that, at the current moment. I then looked over at Nifty, as I saw that she was a fair distance ahead of me now.
I also saw that Pike, and also Gift were already heading over there with her, as I shook my head, and then I began to do the same, as I did my best to run over to them, to quickly catch up to them, which was a bit hard for me to do as well, due to the fact that I had such a bad limp.
It was the reason that I had gotten the name, Limp, in the first place, as it kind of hurt me, to the fact that my mother had given me that name, just due to the fact that I had something wrong with the paw on my front right, and my back left side.
I caught up to them, as I then looked over at Nifty. She was gone though, and I was a bit confused as to where it was that she had disappeared to. I looked at my brother, Pike, and my sister, Gift, as they did not look quite as confused, and as shocked as I was.
They just stopped where it was that they had been walking. I did the same as well, looking around, a bit confused as to all that was going on, and where Nifty had just now disappeared to. I sat there for a bit of time, waiting for some kind of response from someone.
I got one after a bit of some time as well, but it was not from either of them at all. I heard the voice of our mother, as I quickly turned my head over to where it was that I had heard her speak from. I was still a bit confused as to where it was, for just a few moments, until I saw her head poking out at us, through a big concrete pole.
I felt a bit relived, and a lot safer than I had just been a few moments ago, now that I saw that she was okay. I was a bit confused as to what it was that she was doing, as I just shook my head, and then I listened to what it was, that she had begun to say to all of us.
"Come on... Come in here with me... It is safe." She said to all of us. I looked at the other 2, as I saw that they too were quite a bit relived as well, that we had a safe place to stay for the night. This time though, they were not looking at one another, as I could tell that they were all too tired to care at this point.
We all 3 began to start to walk over to where to concrete pole was in front of us, as our mother walked out of it, so that we could get in to it, before she went ahead and got in. I was a bit confused as to why, as if she had said that it was safe, than she should not be worried about us.
I suppose that it made sense as to why she was though, as Brokenfoot had told me that a mother was always worried for her kits, no matter what the circumstance was. I was thankful for the relief was well, as we all went in one by one, Pike being the last of us to head in, and me being the first, so that I was deeper in than the others.
Once we were all in, that was when Nifty went in with the rest of us, nodding to us, to make sure that we were all safe, and comfortable. The first part of that had been correct, but the part about us being comfortable, had been quite the opposite of how it was that I was feeling at the moment.
I could tell that my siblings felt the same as I did, just based off of the fact that they continued to shift around, to get into a spot that would be okay for them to be able to sleep okay for the night. Once Nifty saw that we were safe, she then sat down right in front of Pike.
It mostly blocked out the view of the out side as well, which I should not complain about, as there was not much for me to see out there, at the current moment anyways. I shook my head, as I was just happy that we were safe, and that there was not much to be worried about right now.
That is when it hit in, at the current moment, as to what it was that Nut had told us about these places. The scent that I got from the room, was one of the worst scents that I had smelt in my life. Worse than the smell of the rat that had got in to the house, threw the cat door on the outside of the house.
I felt like I was going to puke, but I held it in, as I knew that there was no use for me to complain about it at the moment, as I knew that it was better that we were just safe. Gift seemed to think the opposite of me though, as I heard her begin to speak up in a bit of an angry voice in front of me.
"Why are you so happy about all of this, Pike?" She began to yell a bit, as I then opened my eyes, to see as to what was going on ahead of me. I saw Pike turn his head over to her, a bit confused, as Gift then began to continue to speak to him. "We left our home! And we are in the most nasty place that I have ever been at!"
I looked at Gift, as I felt like a little bit of what she had said, was right. A lot of that being the fact that we were in a place that was not nice at all, but also the fact that we had left our home as well, to a place that we were not even sure whether or not we would like just yet.
I was not agreeing on the fact that she was not happy with Pike, as to the fact that he was happy, and he was excited for what the future was for us. As it seemed as if she wanted the rest of us to be the exact same way that she was at the current moment, which was, upset, and angry.
I let out a bit of a soft his, that I knew that Gift had heard, though she had chosen to ignore that fact that I had done so. Pike stared at her for a few seconds, and then he rolled his eyes at her, as if she was being a bit stupid, as he then responded to what it was that she had just said to him, and I listened to what it was that he had to say to her too, as I was a bit interested in it, for once.
"Oh... I am sorry... Do you want me to be hurt, and to cry such as you are? That is not the way that I want to live..." He said to her. I looked at Pike, quite a bit surprised at what he had just said to her, and how bold that he had been as well. I could not help, but also agree a bit as to what he had said back to her though.
I knew that it was not the way that I wanted to live, as I could not help but have a bit of a smile as to what it was that he had said. I saw that Pike saw it as well, as he winked at me. Gift did not notice it luckily though, as she let out a bit more of a louder hiss than I had just had a few moments ago.
The hiss was loud enough to get the attention of our mother too, as I saw her turn her heads over at all of us, not too happy as to what was going on. It seemed as though she had not heard a word of what had just been said, as she squinted her eyes at all 3 of us, not happy with any of us at the current moment.
I could tell that she was tired, which I did not blame her, as I knew that this day for her too, was also tiring for her, as she shook her head at all of us. It at least got Gift to shut up, as she stopped a bit frozen, and she did not say a word. Nifty smiled at us a bit sadly as well, as she began to speak.
"I will get up early to get us some food... You 2 stop arguing, and just be happy that we are safe..."