• Pacing alongside his new partner, Katt, Drip traveled through the pleasantly damp forest. Then beams of sunlight escaped the treetops' leafy grasp and danced along their pelts, shining down and kissing the soft grass.
    Constant noise buzzed through the active forest, bustling with life. "I can see why you stay here." Drip through the comment past his shoulder and over to Katt,
    Her pink eyes, bubbly and bright, were full of confusion. "The forest is so lively and private. It must be full of prey." She nodded her head slowly as they came to a stop.
    "It's true, but even with all the company, It's so lonely, I'M so lonely." Her gaze casted downward, glazed with sadness. Swiftly, Drip thought and rolled onto his back to see her face.
    "That's the past! Now, you're not alone." He grinned, revealing his sharp fangs. Eyes soft, she purred her response, "Yeah, I'm not."
    After many paw steps had been taken and man stories had been shared, they came across a river. Katt grunted in frustration. "This is where the forest ends.
    Beyond here is an unknown territory." Her eyes glowed, "I'd love to travel there!" the light faded in her eyes and her tail drooped. "But I can't swim that far."
    Drip began Mrr~rowing with laughter, infuriating her. "Relax! We can get across now!" He explained to her. "What are you-?" Drip laced his tail across her mouth to silence her.
    He sat upright and raised a single paw in the air about head level. Katt's pelt prickled at the sudden icy air raking down her pelt like sharp, thorn claws.
    Grinning slyly, Drip quickly pulled his raised paw from his head to his stomach and hovered it about a foot off the ground.
    Katt's eyes stretched wide as she saw the frosty air hurtle downward at the river and as it hit, a thick mist showered around them giving them zero visibility.
    Blinking several times, Katt tried to adjust her eyes to the surrounding. The mist began to clear, and Katt called out frighteningly. "Drip?"
    As the mist lifted, the only thing visible was Drip's teeth bared into a grin. It sent shivers rippling through her pelt. As the mist finally subsided, Katt was astonished at what she saw.
    What beheld her eyes, was the once rapid moving river, now a body of frozen water.
    The tabby fell backward in complete shock. "Y-you... froze it..!" She stammered. "I control water! I can do what I please with it." He reminded her. She shook her pelt, trying to fling the surprise off her like raindrops.
    "It's incredible!" Her excited mew betrayed her serious look. "I can finally leave this place! Travel the world! Look for a home!" Her expression showed her feelings, and her paws itched with anticipation.
    Drip nodded his head, then left it lowered, grinning wildly. "Now..." He lifted his head up to reveal his evil-like expression. "We just have to cross the ice."
    "Cross the ice?! And how do you propose to do THAT?" Katt demanded. "Like this." Stepping onto the ice, he use his hind paws to kick off the earthy soil and his front paws slid forward onto the ice.
    He unsheathed his claws and marked onto the ice. When he stopped moving, a picture, carved to look like a raindrop with a K inside of it. "What is that?" Katt questioned.
    He looked back at her. "It's our mark." He commented. "Our mark?" She qustioned. "Yeah!" Slidding his claws back in, he slid over to her. "It's a symbol we leave to show others where we have been. And it represents us."
    Never had such an idea ever came to her mind, but she like it. "Now come on, on the ice." He commanded. Testing one paw, she found how slick and cold it was. Pulling it back, she shook her head.
    He sighed, prodding her with one paw. "Come on, you have to do it to get to the other side." He reminded her. "I refuse to get on something like that! I might kill myself!"
    Calmly, Drip casted his tail over to Katt's and laced it with his and pulled it infront of them. Confused, Katt kept her tail intertwined with his. His usual laid back self became very serious as he stared her in the eyes.
    "Fighting claw and tooth, I will with you, and chant these words I will speak true." He chanted, his eyes serious, wanting her to understand. Her eyes softened, she understood.
    "A traveler I walk with you as my role, I'll fight with every breath I'll hold." She finished, regaining her confidence. They unlaced their tail and Drip helped Katt onto the ice.
    "Are you sure about this?" She questioned nervously as she wobbled. He flanked her from her left side. "Yes. I won't let you fall." He promised. Gulping, she felt Drip push off and slide across the ice with her.
    She gasped as they sped down the river. "Oh wow! This is incredible!" Her eyes glowed as she saw the last trace of trees leave her vision. Sunflowers and Poppies bloomed all around the surface of the new ground.
    Drip smiled at Katt's happiness to be freed of the forest. "Now, were about to come to a stop, alright?" He warned her. "Stop? But how do you-" They hit the ground where the river ended and Katt flew forward.
    "STOP!" She yowled, finishing her sentence. Drip raced forward and leaped into the air, letting her crash into him. He flew into the tree Katt would have crashed into.
    "Drip!" She cried, racing to him. Branches and leaves fell onto him, and Katt helped pull them off. "I warned you we were stopping." He joked, wincing. Katt grew frustrated at his actions.
    "Why did you do that? I should be the one laying there injured, not you!" She yowled. With one eye closed tightly, he looked up to her.
    "As long as you're with me, I would gladly place myself in your situation for your sake." He grinned. Eyes narrowed with annoyance, she flicked his ear with her tail. "Stupid furball."
    She sighed, but her eyes didn't conceal the appreciation she had felt.
    After Drip returned the river to it's original state, they were setting off once again. Katt lifted her head to the sunlight and let the breeze ruffle her fur.
    Merry songs of the birds filled the warm void of this day that was missing. The bubbly she-cat squinted he eyes for a while, a look of discomfort plastered on her face.
    Confused, Drip asked her what was bothering her. "I've been cooped up in that forest for a long time! I've rarely seen sunlight. I don't even know what a cloud IS!" She answered, eyes adjusting slowly.
    Trotting along, Drip felt a hollowness in his stomach. All the excitement from that day had emptied his stomach, and he needed to do some hunting.
    Katt must have had the same thought, for she had already dropped to a hunters crouch and was occupied with stalking an unsuspecting rabbit. Deciding to do some hunting of his own,
    Drip scanned the pleasant plain, spotting a field mouse, busily nibbling on a sunflower seed. One pounce, and his dinner was dangling from his jaws. And when Katt returned to him,
    his dinner was dropped from his jaws, and fled away. Embarrassed, Katt set her three rabbits and two field mice onto a mossy bed she had made to settled it in.
    "I, um, got some for both of us." She coughed uncomfortably. "It looks like you caught enough for a whole litter!" He snickered, breaking he awkward tension.
    Bending down, he tested each by inhaling their sweet aroma. Fastening his teeth around the scruff of a plump looking rabbit, he began to tear the fur off in clumps and pile it beside him.
    After his prey shearing, he began to neatly tear the skin off and layer it side-by-side. Katt watched intently, seeing what he may do with his collected supplies.
    Leaving his prey, he pulled soft fluff from the cat tails and rested it atop the moss bedding. Then, distributed the skin neatly over it all and dressed it in the rabbit's fur, then folding the skin down so they could crawl in the bed.
    Casting his glance to Katt, he saw her eyes glowing with interest with his odd actions. "During the night, it tends to get into the 30s or even 20s. In winter, it's usually in the negatives."
    Seeing Katt's confusion, he went onto further explanation. "So, using the skin and fur from the animal make a good blanket. During the night, we can use it to cover our bodies and stay warm."
    He finished, waiting for her to respond. Confused, the only thing that blurted out of her mouth was: "Isn't that what our fur is for?" Letting out a mrr~row of laughter, he prodded the skin.
    "This acts as a second pelt, keeping you warm even in the worst blizzard!" He assured her. She didn't looked convinced, earning a grunt from Drip. "Just, come here." He gestured as the sun was engulfed by the blackened sky.
    Slowly, she approached the questionable bedding and prodded it with a paw. Her eyes widened out of wonder as she withdrew it. "It's so soft!" She squeaked like a kit seeing snow for the first time.
    Pressure plunged onto her hip as Drip nudged her toward the folded part. "Lie down, go on! You'll be amazed." He grinned, waiting for her to test it out.
    Cautiously, she lowere herself onto the bedding, her eyes darting up to Drip's, looking for reassurance. When she finally settled in, she found what was so amazing about it.
    The soft bedding, along with the feathers and cattail shredding, made it as if you had sunken deep down onto a cloud. Drip snuggled up next to her, making the bedding that much more comfortable.
    "And the last, and best part." He mewed, hooking the folded skin draped with fur with his claw and pulling it over the two exhausted cats.
    Warmth flooded over Katt's whole body, making her body tingle at the sudden heat. Luxurious warmth spreading around them could make even the Sun beam with jealousy.
    Roosting deep into the heavenly bedding, and her close partner, Katt felt herself drifting off to sleep. The last words that rung in her ears made her sleep pleasantly: "Sleep well, for it is no longer slept lonesomely."