Short Story: Ratdaw

A black tom popped over a log, a dead mouse hanging from his jaws by its tail. A dark brown tom's nead lifted and he noticed, giving a look of approval. “You're a really good hunter, Jackdaw,” he purred. “I'm glad we've stayed together.”

Jackdaw climbed over the lop and plopped the mouse onto the ground, looking away at his friend's compliment. “Thanks.”

“You don't need to thank me. You're a better hunter than me any sunrise, that's for sure.” Sunlight beated down on Jackdaw's pelt as he stared up at Ratfang, blinking with surprise at how kind he was. I've lived in the forest all my life and no cat has spoken or been nice to be ever since my parents died.

Sadness casted a shadow over him. I wish I burned in that fire instead but if I did I would never have been able to meet Ratfang. He's so kind to me. . . He shook his thoughts away as Ratfang seemed to be examining the mouse carefully. “What are you doing?”

“Checking to see if the mouse is safe to eat,” Ratfang replied.

“Why wouldn't it be? The forest is safe except from foxes and badgers. There's nothing wrong with prey.”

“Didn't any cat teach you anything?” Ratfang questioned. “You can't have cats check to see if prey is eatable for you all the time. You're like a kit, you know that? You're both so oblivious to almost everything.”

“I am not a kit!” Jackdaw protested. “You don't even know a single thing yourself!”

“You're not just a kit, you're my little kit,” Ratfang meowed teasingly as he flicked him with the tip of his tail. “Don't worry, I'm just kidding. You're like a younger brother to me.” Jackdaw blinked. No cat has ever said that to me before.

“Th—thanks?”

“You're not much of a talker, are you? You sound so awkward right now.”

“I'm not awkward, I'm just surprise you're so nice. I thought all forest cats were scary and horrible but you proved me wrong.”

“They're not that scary unless you step on their tails.”

“Uh, I accidentally did that once but it was a fox,” Jackdaw replied slowly, feeling embarrassed.

“Bad luck then.”

Jackdaw narrowed his eyes. “I could have got eaten.” Does he really care or is faking his kindness to me?

“I know that. I am aware foxes love to eat the fur off cats. I may not be extremely clever, but I'm not blind either. I think you should have watched out for that fox's tail. It must have thought you were trying to eat it so it demanded you to give some of its fur back. You could have made yourself a nest out of it.”

“I prefer sleeping in trees where it's safe. My parents taught me how to climb trees so I could be safe in case an animal tried attacking me. It works.”

“Really? I thought a bird taught you how to fly!” Ratfang answered sarcastically.

“Err, no.”

“You're named after a bird so I wouldn't get too surprised if you suddenly started flying.”

“I'll let you know if I do, I guess.”

“You go do that. I'll be killing rats while you flutter through the forest and go into a tree or something. It's getting darker so you may as well go into a tree in case a badger comes and tramples you since you'll be able to blend in well.”

Badgers scare me with their tiny eyes. No, the entire forest scares me so much. Jackdaw nodded. “Maybe I can fly up.”

lopsided

Ratfang nodded. “Go ahead and try. Make sure you don't wake me up this time. I want to catch that giant rat this time without you interrupting my dream.” I can't help it if my dreams terrify me. It's not my own fault!

Jackdaw squealed as he woke up to see a brown tom that wasn't Ratfang balancing on the branch in front of him. He jumped back until he let out a shriek as his paw slipped on the wet branch. He slid off it but hung as the tom grabbed him by his tail.

The forest was upside down as he felt his heart ready to burst out of his chest from the fear of almost plummeting to his death. “R—Ratfang!” he whimpered.

The tom put him back onto the branch giving a look of amusement. “Terrified, eh? Be lucky I saved your tail once because I'm not doing it again. It was stupid of you have to jumped back and make yourself slip.”

Jackdaw let out a low growl. “You made me slip because you scared me!”

“Jackdaw, I saw you hanging from that tree. What were you trying to do?” Ratfang asked. He then paused as he noticed the tom. “Who are you, and why are you in our tree?”

“I heard your friend. He was on about some giant cat chasing after him while he yowled.”

Jackdaw looked at his paws.