Alliance Book One: The Forest

Chapter One: Rain Training

The day was wet and dank, the sky murky grey with the occasional flash of lightning, and then the roll of thunder. Yet the city was as alive as usual, with the cars in their usual jam on the busy streets. It was a miserable day, yet everyone had something to do, despite their obvious want for being inside, safe from the sheets of rain. The same could be said for the cats of the city too.

About half a dozen cats were on one of the many rooftops, absolutely soaked to the bone. Irritation could be sensed from them as they muttered amongst themselves, either pressed together or hunched over alone, fur flat with water. A few had their ears laid back, eyes narrowed in annoyance, as though they rather be doing anything other than this. Every cat seemed near adulthood, but maybe just a few months from full maturity. Everyone also sported a few faded scars of some sort too, from the many fighting sessions they had. Not that they seemed to mind; it was a sign of strength to have scars.

All chatter stopped once another cat clambered onto the roof, not even tired despite having just climbed the fire escape. This tomcat’s fur was littered with scars of all sorts, and his flanks rippled with muscle. His ears were laid back to shield the insides from water, his claws splayed to keep from slipping.

The young cats instantly straightened up, some still bitter, but otherwise respectful. A few perked their ears as they waited for instruction.

The stocky tabby narrowed his eye at them, the mutilated side of his face prominent once lightning struck. Tail motionless and stiff, he stalked over to them. He examined the group, and then sat down. “Okay, trainees. Today is rooftop training,” The tomcat growled, his voice gruff and cold. He glared at a trainee who’d voiced her opinion in a mutter, then shifted his gaze back to the group itself. “This is an important skill you’ll need in order to catch cat’s who’ll try and run away—most try doing it by rooftop.”

As he droned on, the Trainees seemed to listen attentively. But there was one who was blatantly not listening, his mouth agape in a yawn for a moment. The cat’s fur was long and white, flattened to his sides by the water. He opened strange, bi-colored eyes to examine the scene, only to turn his gaze to the stormy sky. This cat’s name was Kallo. The white tomcat sighed, wrapping a long tail around his rather large paws. This is boring, he thought to himself as he angled his good ear to the battle-scarred tabby. 

There were many things he could’ve been doing at a time like this; being dry in the den he shared with his brother for example.

But no, he thought bitterly, I have to be training to jump rooftop to rooftop in the middle of a downpour. He began to lick a forepaw. It’s wasn’t like cats ran away often, and those who tried to do so by rooftop were obviously stupid.

The tabby shot his head over to Kallo. “Kallo, you’re up first.” He stated, his eyes narrowed. He obviously had known the Trainee wasn’t paying attention to a word he’d been saying. And right he was.

Kallo paused in mid lick, realizing that he’d been called on to do something. He placed his paw back to the rain-covered rooftop. Ignoring the sigh of annoyance from his brother, and the snickers from everyone else, he looked at the tabby, raising an eyebrow.

“What did you want me to do?” He asked nonchalantly, flicking his ear again.

With a hiss, the battle-scarred tomcat seemed to consider whacking Kallo, but sighed in extreme irritation and turned to the next rooftop.

“If you’d been paying attention, you would have known. I told you to demonstrate how to jump across, and not fall off.” The tabby turned back. “That is, if you can manage.” That sent two siblings snickering again, and Kallo got briskly to his paws.