As soon as they got to the junkyard, Alonzo dropped Chormarelle, who got up with dignity.
"I'm not a kitten anymore!"
"You're enough of a kitten to try and jump into the river to impress the ladies", Alonzo retorted.
"What happened?" Munkustrap asked, coming towards the group the moment he noticed them. "Alonzo, you're soaking wet!"
"Thanks, I hadn't noticed." He pointed at the three kittens behind him. "Moonlit kittens. This idiot" - he indicated Chormarelle - "tried to swim in the river up the hill."
"Tiara!"
Etcetera appeared out of nowhere and excitedly rubbed her head against her friend's. "You're back!"
Tiara happily returned the gesture. Munkustrap looked around at the three Moonlit kittens, then scolded at Chorm.
"What were you thinking? There's strong current in that river."
"We didn't know!" he squealed, upset at being treated like a kitten yet acting like one. "Besides, you're not my leader."
"I'm an older and more experienced cat. I have the right to scold you if you do something stupid. Falling into that river was stupid."
Chormarelle muttered something they couldn't understand.
"What did you just say?" Munk asked angrily.
"I said I didn't fall in. I jumped in."
"Well that's even more stupid. Whatever did you do that for?"
Tiara couldn't hold her tongue anymore.
"Because Artemis told him to, and all of them think she's so amazing and brilliant and wonderful they'd fight a tribe of enraged Pollicle dogs if she asked them", she spat bitterly.
Munkustrap raised his eyebrows, intrigued by her dry tone. Cassandra gave him a nod that everything was okay, and grabbed the ginger kitten by the scruff of her neck again to pull her off. Etcetera followed.
"Munk, Celestiara hurt her paw, and this one" - he indicated Chormarelle with a nod - "is in no state to walk home right now. I said they could stay here until they're good to go. Plato's taken the other three home so they could warn their tribe."
Munkustrap gave him an approving nod.
"You did right. They can sleep in the den if they need to. Did Cass take" he hesitated for a second on her name "Celestiara to Jelly?"
"I'm assuming so."
Alonzo looked around for a kitten, annoyed that Etcetera had run off with Tiara, then noticed Tumblebrutus.
"Tumble!" he called.
The white and brown kitten sheepishly walked over to him.
"Show these two around, and take Chormarelle here to Jelly's den so she can have a look at him, will you?"
Tumblebrutus nodded.
"I'm Tumblebrutus, but you can call me Tumble. C'mon, I'll show you the junkyard."
"I'm Maerissa, and that's Chormarelle. We're from the Moonlit tribe."
"Oh, like Tiara?" Tumble asked brightly.
"Uh, yeah."
The three kittens trotted away and Munk turned back to Alonzo.
"Great job", he congratulated him. Alonzo purred with pride. "Who's Artemis?"
"One of the kittens. She seems to be their leader. You know, a bit like all our kittens copy Vic, except Vic sets up a good example for them."
"What's she like, for Celestiara to be so bitter?"
"Honestly, no idea. She's sassy, proud, hates to be told what to do."
Munkustrap snickered and looked at his friend. He definitely understood why he and Artemis must have clashed.
"Ugh, shut up", Alonzo said, rolling his eyes.
"I didn't say a word", Munk innocently laughed.
Alonzo sighed and pawed at him, his claws sheathed. His friend playfully pushed his arm away.
"Aw, come on. Don't be a kitten."
They looked at each other and laughed fondly, then set off to return to their usual occupations. Munkustrap perched on top of a tire, supervising everything, while Alonzo left the junkyard, headed back to his neighbourhood as he was about to do when he had stumbled upon Tiara.
YOU ARE READING
The cats and the moon - I/ TWO TRIBES
Fanfiction[CATS fanfiction] The story you are about to read takes place in a London junkyard. It is the home of a tribe of cats known as the Jellicles. They live peacefully between their beloved junkyard and their human houses, their bliss only disturbed by t...
