FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Ellie crouched low in the meadow as she picked dandelions, grass, and clover. The white and dark brown splotched rabbit munched some grass as she collected it, her ears, eyes, and nose all constantly alert for predators. She froze as the call of a cat drifted across the meadow from the edge of the forest a few dozen meters away. Ellie crouched lower and turned her ears toward the sound. While the cat was still quite far off, she needed to be sure it wasn't coming her way. It was unlikely it was currently hunting, meowing as it was, but that didn't mean it wouldn't take the chance for some easy prey if it stumbled upon her.

"Mom? Dad?" the mewling call came again across the meadow.

Ellie's heart leapt, and she carefully scanned in all directions. Were there other cats here already she hadn't noticed?! She didn't sense anything but was still on edge.

The cat called again, "Mom? Dad? Where are you?"

The voice was getting closer, but Ellie didn't want to reveal herself to the other cats who might be lying in wait. She had never witnessed this hunting tactic with cats, but she knew that trying to startle prey into other predators' claws was a common tactic for other species. Cats usually relied on their ability to silently stalk their prey, but that didn't mean they wouldn't resort to this trickery. However, either by chance or with purpose, the mewling voice kept getting closer to Ellie as she crouched frozen among the weeds, her basket of food forgotten.

"Mom? Dad?"

The voice was only a few meters away now. Ellie could see the grass rustling as the cat approached her. Run! Whether there were other cats or not, she couldn't wait for this one to pounce on her! However, something gave her pause. For as much noise as the cat was making, it didn't seem to be disturbing the grass that much. Moreover, the more she listened to the voice, the more she thought it sounded distressed. What if it wasn't a trick at all? It might have still been safer to run, but Ellie's curiosity was piqued. If she snuck around behind, she might be able to get a look and escape before the cat could pounce. Ellie could imagine her mother scolding her for this foolhardy action; however, she would also feel foolish if she abandoned her basket to run from a kitten.

Keeping low, she crept through the long grass and weeds to the right of the approaching voice. The kitten seemed oblivious, still moving the direction it had been. Soon Ellie poked her head out from behind a patch of long grass a short distance behind it: it was indeed a kitten, a gray tabby maybe half her height.

"Mom? Dad?" the kitten called anxiously, still oblivious to her presence.

Ellie could have slipped away and collected her grass, leaving the kitten none the wiser, but she felt a twinge of guilt at the thought. The kitten was harmless to her, and while it was a predator, it was also a young animal who seemed to be lost and upset. Ellie couldn't leave them alone in the wild.

"Hey there," she called softly.

The kitten whipped around and stared at her in shock, "Wh-who are you?!" they mewed nervously.

Ellie stood, and after standing on her toes to get a good look around, took a step toward the kitten, "I'm Ellie. Are you lost, little kitty?"

"I can't find my mom and dad," the kitten mewed worriedly. "Do you know where they are?"

Ellie shook her head, "Where were you when you last saw them? It sounded like you came from the woods, didn't you?"

The kitten nodded, "I went out to look for them. They didn't come back last night. My brother and sisters are hungry."

Ellie glanced at the sun: it was getting well toward evening. "When did you leave home? They could be back by now."

"I don't know."

Ellie frowned worriedly, "I assume you're from the predator village on the other side of the woods, do you think you can find your way back there? You shouldn't stay out after dark."

"I-I don't know," the kitten whined.

Ellie glanced back at the woods. She knew she could lead the kitten back to his village, but she wasn't about to waltz into the predator village. Even with the kitten in tow to use as an excuse, it would be suicide. Maybe if she happened to run into the kitten's parents first, they would be grateful enough to let her go, but they might also assume she had kidnapped their offspring and kill her anyway.

"I think you should come with me," she decided. "We'll figure out how to get you home in the morning. You must be hungry too."

"Will you help me find my mom and dad?" the kitten asked anxiously.

"I'll do what I can," Ellie replied diplomatically. The last thing she really wanted to do, of course, was find a pair of adult predators, but somehow she would find a way to get this kitten home, where their parents would probably be waiting.

She stepped forward and took their hand, "This way."

Ellie made her way back to her basket full of grass. She grabbed a few more nice dandelion leaves and shut the lid before taking the kitten's hand again in her left hand, the basket held in her right.

"What's that for?" the kitten asked curiously.

Ellie glanced at the kitten and back at the basket they were staring at with their owlish sea green eyes. "That's my dinner," Ellie answered. "Don't worry. I know a hedgehog who can give me something you can eat. I don't expect you to eat rabbit food."

The kitten looked up at her with a worried frown then let out a little cry of surprise. "Y-you're a rabbit!" they yelped.

Ellie smirked, "Did you just figure that out? How old are you, kitty?"

The kitten jerked away from her and stumbled backward a few steps, "I-I can't go with you!" they mewed nervously.

"Don't be scared, kitty. I won't hurt you," Ellie soothed. "I'll help you get home like I said. You don't need to be afraid of me because I'm a prey."

"M-my mom said a prey might kill me be-because I'm a predator!" the kitten rejoined.

"Some prey might, but I wouldn't do that," Ellie reassured them. "As long as you don't try to hurt me, I won't hurt you either."

The kitten still seemed hesitant to go with her.

"You don't want to be out here when it gets dark, do you?" Ellie pressed. "I know there's supposed to be a truce between predators, but that doesn't mean an owl wouldn't eat you if it thought it could get away with it, or even a fox or coyote. If you run into another cat, you might be safe, but I think you should come with me. I won't force you, but, but I wouldn't feel right leaving you alone."

"You'll really help me find my mom and dad?"

Ellie nodded, "I promise."

The kitten stepped back over to her and let her take their hand.

Ellie gave it a comforting squeeze. "So, how old are you then? And you still haven't told me your name."

"I'm five. My name is Oliver. I've never met a rabbit before," he stated.

Ellie was sure he'd eaten plenty, but she supposed he was young enough that he hadn't seen many prey before his parents had killed them. "It's nice to meet you, Oliver. I'm Ellie. I've never talked to a cat before either, but since you're not trying to eat me, I think we can get along."

Ellie led the kitten out of the meadow, and eventually, they reached her burrow. The kitten held back as Ellie led him toward the dark hole.

"W-we have to go in there?" he whined.

"That's the tunnel that leads to my house. Don't worry; it's nice inside."

The kitten allowed her to lead him inside. They made their way through the winding tunnel and down the stone stairs deep into the Earth. At last, they reached Ellie's door. She unlocked it, and ushered the kitten inside before locking the heavy wooden door securely behind them. Ellie flipped on the light, and they both blinked as they adjusted to the brightness. The kitten looked around in surprise at the furnished room with wooden floors, ceiling, and walls.

"Nice, isn't it?" Ellie quipped. "I bet you didn't expect to find this at the end of the tunnel."

The kitten shook his head. Ellie took her basket into the kitchen and left it on the counter before coming back out to the living room.

"I don't have anything you can eat here, but it won't take us too long to get to the neighbor. It's this way."

Ellie led the kitten downstairs to her bedroom where she moved aside the rug beside her bed to reveal a trap door. Opening the door revealed a ladder that went into her cellar.

"Follow me," she instructed.

Ellie climbed down the ladder and waited at the bottom. After a minute, the kitten followed her. Ellie unlocked a heavy door on the far wall which led into yet another tunnel, dimly lit with a string of LED lights. The kitten followed her silently through the branching tunnel. Soon, they arrived at Doris' house. As Ellie had said, Doris was a hedgehog, an insectivore. Insects might not be what the kitten was used to, but they were meat, or close enough. She rang the doorbell, and after a few minutes, Doris answered.

"Ellie, it's you," she greeted with mild surprise. Her eyes fell on the kitten, "E-Ellie!? Why is that with you?!"

"This is Oliver," Ellie answered. "I don't have anything to feed him, so I need to buy some of your bugs."

Doris eyed the kitten disconcertedly, "Where did it come from? How did you end up with it?"

"I found him while I was out collecting food. He was lost looking for his parents. I didn't want to leave him alone."

"Why not? It's not your responsibility!"

Ellie frowned, "Because I couldn't leave such a young mammal to fend for himself. It's dangerous out there, even for predators."

"One less pred-"

"Stop!" Ellie cut her off. "I didn't come here to debate it. If I can't buy them from you, I'll go to someone else."

Doris huffed. "Fine. But I don't know why you're bothering." She eyed the kitten skeptically, "What kind of bugs does it like?"

"What kind of bugs do you like to eat, Oliver?" Ellie asked more gently.

"B-bugs? I-I don't eat bugs," Oliver whined.

Doris scoffed.

"Have you ever tried any?" Ellie pressed gently. "I know it's not what you normally eat, but," she paused. "But you know I can't feed you prey."

"I, um, I guess I ate a grasshopper before," Oliver answered uncomfortably.

"Did you like it?" Ellie asked.

He nodded.

"I'll see what I can do," Doris stated dryly.

Doris went back inside, shutting the door behind her. A short while later, she returned with a brown paper bag with the top folded down and held it out to Ellie.

"That'll be three of my hours in the community garden," the hedgehog stated.

"One and a half," Ellie countered.

"Two and a half."

"One hour and forty minutes."

"Two hours, or you can forget it."

"Two hours," Ellie agreed.

Doris let her take the bag then looked down at the kitten distastefully, "I hope it's worth it," she grumbled.

Ellie looked down at the kitten and smiled softly, "It is." She took his hand. "See you around, Doris," she piped cheerfully.

Doris snorted and shut the door.

Ellie took the kitten back to her home. She had forgotten to ask Doris whether the bugs were alive or not, so the open the bag very gingerly before they went inside: the bugs were fortunately dead. Ellie led the kitten back upstairs and to her kitchen.

"I suppose you don't know how to fix these," she stated.

Oliver shook his head.

"Don't worry. I'll fix them up somehow."

Ellie went to work sautéing some of the bugs. She threw in a few spices she hoped the kitten would like. Meanwhile, she prepared herself a salad with the grass she'd picked and a few slices or carrot and radish from the community garden. Oliver watched her silently while she worked. Ellie could tell he was still a little wary of her. When Ellie thought the bugs were done, she scooped them onto a plate. She would have to wash her pan before she could use it again. She set the kitten's food along with a glass of water at one chair of the oaken dining table and sat at the seat across from it.

The kitten crept to the table and sat down, examining the bugs uncertainly. He glanced up at Ellie, opening his mouth as if to say something but then looked back at the bugs uncomfortably. Ellie thought he might decide to go hungry after all, but then his stomach growled audibly, even without Ellie's keen hearing. Reluctantly, the kitten scooped up a bug on his fork, shutting his eyes, and transferred it to his mouth. The bug crunched between the kitten's teeth, which made Ellie a little ill herself as a strict herbivore. The kitten gulped down the bug and looked at the plate with a slight frown.

"Is it not good?" Ellie asked worriedly.

The kitten glanced up at her then back at the plate and shrugged.

"I'm sorry if you don't like it, but you should try to eat something," Ellie replied sympathetically.

The kitten nodded glumly and ate another bug. By the time they were finished, he had eaten the full plate of bugs though he didn't exactly eat them with gusto. Ellie took the dishes to the sink. There were a couple days' worth of dishes there already; she should really do them tonight.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked.

The kitten shook his head.

"I'm going to do the dishes. I might have some cards around if you wanted to play solitaire, or um, do you know how to read? I don't think I have any picture books unfortunately."

The kitten shook his head.

"Okay, um, well, if you wait there, I can read to you when I'm done. Would you like that?"

The kitten nodded hesitantly.

Ellie gave him what she hoped was a warm smile, "Alright then. I'll just be a few minutes."

Ellie got to work scrubbing the dishes. She was almost finished when she glanced down to see the kitten standing close beside her: he was looking up at her conflictedly. She was a little startled but recovered to smile down at him reassuringly, "I'm almost done."

"Do you like me?" he asked worriedly.

Ellie maintained her smile, "Sure, I like you."

"The lady with the bugs didn't like me," he murmured uncomfortably.

"Don't worry about Doris; she's just grumpy," Ellie replied.

"She didn't like me because I'm a predator," he mumbled. He stared up at her worriedly, "But you like predators?"

Ellie glanced back at the plate she was washing, "Um, well, I understand why they do what they do," Ellie answered awkwardly. "We all have to eat. It's not their fault that, um, it's just their biology."

The kitten didn't seem to know how to respond to that, but he continued to watch her worriedly while she finished the dishes. Ellie dried her hands on a dish towel when she was done.

"Do you want me to read to you now?" she asked cheerfully.

The kitten nodded, but then he asked, "Are you afraid of me?"

"No," Ellie answered simply. "Are you afraid of me?"

The kitten shook his head.

Ellie smiled, "That's good. I'll take you home tomorrow, kitty. You don't need to worry."

"I miss my mom and dad," he murmured sadly.

"I know," Ellie replied sympathetically. "I'll get you back to them. I'm sure they'll be waiting for you when you get home."

The kitten stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist. He pressed his face into her belly fur as he hugged her. Ellie felt a little awkward, but she petted his head to comfort him.

"Everything's alright," she soothed.

After a minute or two, the kitten let go, and Ellie led him out to the living room. She went to her bookshelf to find something to read. Unfortunately, she mostly had horror novels; she didn't want to scare the kitten. Fortunately, she did have one of the Redwall novels, Mossflower. Unfortunately, the main villain of the novel was a wildcat. However, she knew she wouldn't get far through the novel anyway; she selected it as her best option. The kitten followed her to the brown microfiber couch and sat close beside her. Ellie lifted the book to read, and the kitten leaned close against her side, tucking his head under her arm. Ellie decided to allow it and began to read.

Ellie read until she noticed the kitten had fallen asleep. Setting aside the book, she scooped him up as gently as she could so as not to wake him. She carried him downstairs and tucked him into the bed in her guest room. She felt a little guilty that she hadn't made him brush his teeth first, but she decided it wasn't worth disturbing him.

Ellie went to the bathroom and brushed her own teeth before taking a shower. Once she had showered and blown herself dry, she checked on the kitten and then went to bed. She had a trouble falling asleep worrying about how she would safely get the kitten home tomorrow, but eventually exhaustion won.

Ellie was awoken around 1am by the need to pass her caecotrophs. She proceeded to the bathroom where she had her messy midnight meal, cleaned up, and brushed her teeth again. When she opened the door, the kitten was standing outside.

"Did you need to use the bathroom?" she whispered.

He nodded.

Ellie left the bathroom light on and headed to her room, and the kitten went inside. Ellie was almost back asleep when she felt someone crawling into her bed. Only the nightlight Ellie kept in the bathroom to help her get around in the otherwise perfect darkness of the underground house allowed her to see the dim outline of the kitten's pointy ears in the darkness. However, his slightly tangy feline scent would have been enough for Ellie's sensitive nose to identify him. Ellie rolled onto her side to face him.

"Your bed is in the other room," she whispered.

The kitten paused on the edge of the bed. "Can I sleep with you? I'm scared."

"I guess so," Ellie allowed reluctantly.

The kitten crawled under the covers and lay next to her. Ellie turned over on her other side and shut her eyes.

When Ellie awoke that morning, the kitten was still curled up on the right side of her bed, breathing gently. Ellie quietly slipped out of the bed, went to the bathroom to pee, and then crept upstairs to get breakfast ready. She tried mashing up some bugs and mixing them with oatmeal into a kind or porridge. It looked revolting, but she hoped the kitten would find it palatable. She fixed herself a little plain oatmeal to eat with dried dates. She also used the last of her fresh grass to fix a small salad. Unfortunately, rabbits needed to eat a lot of grass, so she had to go out to pick it everyday.

"Is it morning?" the kitten's sleepy mew came from the entrance to the kitchen.

Ellie turned to address him, "It is. Try the breakfast I made you. Then I'll take you home," Ellie answered.

The kitten ate without complaint. Ellie put the dirty dishes in the sink then went to her coat closet to don a long black cloak. With the cloak fastened at the neck and its ample hood pulled down over her ears and face, Ellie hoped she might be mistaken for a small mustelid if a predator saw her with the kitten. However, even her long feet were a bit of a giveaway.

Ellie led the kitten up through the tunnels and out into the cool, sunny spring morning. Taking him by the hand, she began to make her way toward the predator village. Ellie was determined to take the kitten home, but as they entered the woods that surrounded the predator village, her anxiety began to rise. She wanted to dash from cover to cover, but not only would this behavior have been suspicious if they were spotted, it would have been difficult with the kitten in tow. Ellie squeezed the kitten's hand as her heart pounded in her throat. Just act casual, she told herself. Still, she was walking into the jaws of death. It took all her effort to hold her composure.

"Are you scared?" the kitten's mew made Ellie start.

She glanced at him and swallowed nervously though her mouth was dry. "I've, uh, just never gotten this close before," she admitted uncomfortably.

The kitten lifted her hand up to his cheek and rubbed his cheek on her, "Don't be scared. I won't let them hurt you," he mewed.

Ellie felt a little silly having a kitten try to comfort her. Besides, she doubted there was much he could really do if she was discovered. However, she summoned her courage and took a deep breath. "Come on."

Ellie stopped when the houses of the village came into sight. She really didn't want to walk into the village itself, disguise or not. "Do you think you can find your way home from here?" she asked.

"I, um, I guess so," the kitten answered. "Don't you want to come with me?"

Ellie shook her head, "If you can find your way, I'd like to stay here. But, um, I promised I'd help you find your parents, so if they aren't there, hurry back and tell me, okay?"

The kitten nodded and started toward the village.

"Actually," Ellie stopped him. "Can you come back either way? I want to know you found them alright. I'll hide here and wait a little while, but hurry back as fast as you can, okay?"

The kitten nodded then ran toward the village. Ellie dug into some damp leaves between an oak tree and a briar bush and did her best to hide in the musty hollow. She waited for what seemed like an eternity, her whole body telling her to get away from the predator village before someone found her. However, when she was about to give up on the assumption that the kitten's parents hadn't let him back outside after his disappearing act, she heard a small mew.

"Ellie?"

Ellie poked her head up and saw the kitten wandering around a couple meters away. She scrambled out from behind the briar bush and tried to brush off the leaf detritus. "Over here, Oliver," she called softly. "Did you find your way?"

"You must be Ellie then," another meow startled Ellie from the left.

Ellie jerked toward the voice to see a full-grown brown mackerel tabby tom striding toward her through the woods. Ellie's heart leapt into her throat. Run! But the kitten dashed up and caught her by the hand.

"This is Ellie, Uncle Jason!" he piped excitedly.

The tom stopped a few steps from Ellie and bowed low, "Thank you so much!" he meowed. "I-I thought I'd lost him! I haven't been able to sleep since he disappeared!"

"Y-you know this cat, Oliver?" Ellie squeaked nervously. She hadn't expected him to bring someone back with him. She'd only wanted to know he'd made it home safely.

The tabby tom stood. "Oliver is my nephew. I'm supposed to be watching him for my brother and my sister-in-law, but I didn't get to their house until late. Then I overslept. By the time I got up, he'd run off to find his parents. I thought he was gone for good!"

"S-so his parents are alright then," Ellie responded.

The tom nodded, "Marie's mother had an accident, but they're all fine. They'll be back this afternoon. I," he paused and sniffed. His mouth opened to reveal his enormous fangs as he tasted the air. He gave Ellie a funny look, "Are you a rabbit?"

Ellie's heart dropped into her stomach, and she nearly wet herself. There was no escape now; he was too close. If she turned to run, he'd be on her. Shaking, Ellie raised her arm and pulled off her hood. She could feel the cool breeze wash over her long ears, hot from the confinement, but she wasn't able to enjoy the sensation. This was the end.

"I, um, I see," the tom meowed awkwardly. "You're, uh, you're really the one who found Oliver and brought him home?"

"Ellie's really nice, Uncle Jason!" Oliver mewed happily. "She fed me and read to me. I, um, I didn't really like eating bugs, but they weren't that gross."

To Ellie's surprise, instead of seizing her, the cat bowed even lower than before, "Thank you! I can never repay what you've done!" he meowed. Standing he reached out his hand, "Please-" Ellie flinched away, and he stopped. He retracted his hand and went on more gently, "Would you please come back with us and make yourself comfortable? I'll escort you home as soon as I'm able, but I'd hate to let you go and not know if you made it after all you've done. This is a dangerous place for prey to be."

Ellie eyed the cat warily. If she went with him, there would be no escape. Maybe he wouldn't want to upset Oliver, but once the kitten's parents got home, he'd be free to drag her back to his own home and dispatch her. On the other hand, if she outright refused, he might kill her here and now. "I, um, I think I can manage on my own," Ellie replied cautiously.

"Please!" the cat implored. "I promise you'll be safe. I just want to make sure you make it home like you helped Oliver."

"Please, Ellie," Oliver mewed. "I want you to come home with us too! I want my brother and sisters to see how nice you are!"

Ellie smiled at the kitten sadly. He was too innocent. He didn't understand that prey didn't 'visit' predators' homes, no matter what they'd done. But the tom didn't seem to be taking 'no' for an answer, and Ellie also didn't want to upset the kitten. He didn't need to see her die; she just hoped the tom would make it quick.

"Alright," Ellie agreed wistfully. "Let's go meet your siblings."

The tom asked Ellie to put her hood back up and then led them back to the kitten's home. Oliver held Ellie's hand as they walked, chattering happily now that he was back in his domain and knew his parents were alright. He had nothing to worry about. Ellie wished she could have been happier for him, but the world was too cruel. Would Oliver grow up to be a bloodthirsty monster like his uncle? It seemed inevitable. This world wouldn't let innocence last. They reached the house, a two story with white siding. It was unremarkable except for the fact that Ellie had never been inside a predator's home before. Still, she wasn't very interested in the architecture. She forced herself to walk through the door, and her heart sank as she heard the tom close and lock the door behind them.

Ellie let Oliver lead her to the dining room. Three other kittens, presumably Oliver's littermates, were at the table eating breakfast. Ellie couldn't help but notice it was meat, another prey. Why would the cats even consider letting her go? She was food to them, helpful food who had brought home their kit and willingly walked into their home, but food nonetheless. You didn't have an obligation to set food free. If it was in your house, it belonged to you.

"Let me take that for you," the tom murmured behind her. His paws reached around her to undo the fastening of her cloak and he lifted it away.

Ellie felt strangely naked without it despite not normally wearing clothes.

"This is who saved me!" Oliver piped. "Look, guys! This is Ellie!"

The other three kittens goggled at her. One of them was a gray tabby like Oliver, and the other two were brown tabbies though none were mackerel like the tom.

"That's a rabbit!" the brown and white tabby yowled in surprise.

"She is, but she's really nice!" Oliver returned happily. "She helped me get home. She gave me food too. I had to eat bugs, but they were okay."

"You had to eat bugs?!" the brown tabby without white gasped. "That doesn't sound nice! She sounds mean!"

"She's nice, Julie! She, um, she couldn't feed me prey because, um," he looked up at her.

"Because prey don't hurt each other just like predators don't hurt each other," Ellie finished.

"If she's prey, does that mean we're going to eat her?" the brown and white tabby asked.

"No!" Oliver shouted angrily. "You're stupid, Nikola! I told you Ellie's nice!"

"I'm going to help the bunny get home safely after your mom and dad get home," the tom rumbled as he paced back into the room. "Eat your breakfast, and then I'm sure she'll answer your questions. But be nice; she's our guest." He glanced at Ellie embarrassedly, "Unless you'd like your privacy that is. I can show you a room where you can rest until it's time to go."

"I'm fine," Ellie replied tersely.

The kittens quickly finished their breakfast and then crowded around her. One of them batted at her scut, and Ellie flinched with a squeak of surprise as their needle-sharp claws poked her.

"Be nice, Nikola," the tom scolded. "No claws."

"Will you play with us, Ellie?" Oliver mewed.

Ellie wasn't really in the mood to play, given her impending death, but she agreed anyway, "Okay, what do you want to play?"

"What if you hide, and we hunt you?" Nikola asked.

"How about you hide, and I'll try to find you," Ellie suggested as cheerfully as she could. "I wouldn't know any good hiding places in your house."

"Okay," Oliver agreed.

"I'll count to fifty, and you hide," Ellie instructed.

She closed her eyes and covered them with her hands, "One..."

She heard the kittens scamper away. When Ellie had finished counting, she opened her eyes to see the tom watching her.

"Hey," he meowed awkwardly.

Ellie tromped past him. If he was going to eat her, at least he could be less weird about it! Ellie found the stairs and headed up them. She found Nikola first under a bed. Then she found Julie in a closet. The other gray kitten she found in the clothes hamper. There were a lot of cat smells throughout the house, which limited the utility of her nose, but her keen ears could easily pick up the kittens' breathing and movements. They weren't prey nor were they yet trained hunters; they weren't very good at keeping still. Ellie couldn't find Oliver upstairs, so she made her way back downstairs. She couldn't find him there either.

"Is there a basement?" she reluctantly asked the tom, who was awkwardly hanging around the entryway, presumably guarding her escape.

"Yeah, I'll show you," he answered.

The tom showed her to the stairs to the basement. The light was on, which Ellie figured was a bit of a giveaway. Still, the musty basement seemed a little scary for a kitten, but Ellie guessed that Oliver was obviously brave enough to leave home to search for his parents, so maybe the basement wasn't a big deal. She heard a sneeze and quickly headed in that direction. Another door opened into the room with the water heater: Oliver was crouching in one corner.

"Found you," Ellie piped. "Come out, kitty."

Oliver stood and bounded to the door where he threw his arms around Ellie's waist and hugged her tightly. Ellie petted his head, wistfully wishing this playdate could be how Oliver imagined it. He let her go, and she led him back upstairs.

They played hide-and-seek a few more times. The kittens asked to tom to join them, but he declined. Ellie knew he wouldn't give her a chance to escape; although, without her cloak, she would have never even made it as far as the woods if she had left the house.

The kittens had lunch. The tom offered Ellie the few vegetables they had and took her out to the backyard to collect some dandelions and grass. Ellie tried to ignore the fact that even Oliver was eating prey at the midday meal. Although, the tom ate a foul-smelling can of something he called tuna, which was evidently a type of seafood. Ellie had never been to the ocean and had only seen small fish in the local streams, but apparently a tuna was like those, only bigger.

After lunch, they played Go Fish, and then Oliver asked Ellie to read to them. He selected a book from a series called Warrior Cats. Ellie found the book a bit gruesome with its descriptions of the cats killing prey and eating them raw. Afterward, they played board games, and even the tom joined in. One particular game called Hunt was rather unassuming as it featured a fox that hunted and ate rabbits. Fortunately, the other games were less macabre. However, Ellie was never able to forget what the ultimate conclusion of her 'visit' would be. The tom kept giving her awkward glances, and it made Ellie's stomach churn. She almost wished he would just say it: "I'm going to eat you." What was the point in playing coy?

At last, Ellie heard the front door unlock and open. The tom leapt up from his seat.

"Wait here, okay?" he instructed her.

He hurried out to the entryway, and Ellie could hear him meowing to the other cats, but she didn't pay attention. She looked at the kittens sadly. It hadn't been a horrible last day, but she wished it could have been a little longer. Soon, the tom came back into the room, followed by another brown tabby tom and a gray tabby queen: the two new adult cats eyed Ellie intently. However, they were momentarily interrupted as their kittens ran to greet them. There was much purring and cheek rubbing; it would have been heartwarming under other circumstances.

"So, this is your 'friend' then, is it, Jason?" the other brown tabby tom meowed skeptically.

"That's right," Jason replied. "This is Ellie."

His brother sighed wearily, "Please don't tell me she's actually your girlfriend."

"Sh-she's not!" Jason replied embarrassedly. "We're just friends."

Ellie was a bit confused by the conversation. Surely, the tom would have simply told his brother and sister-in-law that he planned to drag Ellie home for dinner. Why did he need to make up this lie about them being friends? Unless they wouldn't let him have me to himself.

"I hope you haven't been letting her give our children strange ideas about eating prey," the queen put in annoyedly.

Jason shook his head, "They've just been playing together. She's been helping me keep them entertained. I'll take her home now, so you don't need to worry."

"If she likes, she's welcome to stay," the queen replied suggestively. "We'll be able to make use of her."

Oliver looked at Ellie hopefully, "Will you stay longer, Ellie?"

Feeling sick to her stomach, Ellie shook her head, "I'd better go with your uncle," she murmured.

Oliver bounded across the room and hugged her, "Will you come play with us again sometime?"

Ellie petted his head and smiled down at him sadly, "I will if I can."

Jason got Ellie her cloak, and then he took her hand to lead her outside.

Ellie glanced back as he led her to the door, "Goodbye, kitties," she said wistfully.

The kittens waved. "Bye, Ellie!" Oliver mewed.

The tom led Ellie out the door and shut it behind them. Ellie didn't look at him. She could feel his hand grasping hers, and she knew she couldn't run away. She didn't need to see the smug look on his face as he told her what she already knew.

"I can take you home now, but it looks like it may start to rain. If you want, you can come back to my house for the night, and I'll take you home in the morning," he meowed awkwardly.

Ellie looked up at him confusedly then glanced at the sky: dark clouds were indeed rolling in. She nodded. She'd expected to be dragged to his house anyway. She didn't understand why he was maintaining the pretense of helping her. No one here would have stopped him from dragging away a screaming prey even if she'd fought as hard as she could. Ellie kept her eyes on the ground as the tom led her through the village to his own abode. She didn't want to see the other predators eyeing her hungrily. She didn't even look up as he ushered her through the door and closed and locked it behind them. His paws came around her front and removed the cloak, which he carefully placed in the closet. Then Ellie felt his hand on her shoulder. She squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for his jaws to close around her throat.

"You don't recognize me, do you?" the tom meowed softly.

Ellie opened her eyes and turned to blink at him in confusion.

"I know it was a long time ago. I wasn't sure at first either. But it is you, isn't it? Don't you remember? We've met before."

A memory, another kitten, this one a brown mackerel tabby, flashed through Ellie's mind. She'd only been a kit herself then, but there had been another kitten! "I-it's really you?" she stammered. "Th-the kitten we-"

"I was only a few years older than Oliver. I wandered into the woods and stumbled onto a rabbit burrow. They wanted to kill me, but you saved me, Ellie. You were just a kit too, but you wouldn't let them hurt me. You helped me get home, just like you did with Oliver."

"I remember," Ellie breathed in amazement. "I, I never thought, it's been so long."

The tom wrapped her in a hug, squeezing her close, and nuzzled her ear, "I'm so glad to see you, Ellie! I'm so glad you're still alive!"

Ellie hugged him back and pressed her cheek against his chest. The tom held her silently for a few minutes, stroking her back as he purred. Ellie was filled not only with incredible relief but joy. The kitten she'd saved had grown into this fearsome cat, but he still remembered her. Their kindness hadn't been forgotten; the world hadn't been so cruel to erase the good they'd done.

"I have something to tell you, Ellie," the tom meowed. "E-ever since you saved me, I, I've done what I could not to hurt prey. You saw I ate fish for lunch. As much as I can, I try to make sure I don't hurt anyone like you. I owe you everything, Ellie, and I'm so glad I found you. You're as kind and brave as I remember. Do you have a family?"

"N-not yet," Ellie replied a bit embarrassedly. "I, uh, I know rabbits are famous for our reproduction, but I haven't been able to find the right guy yet, you know?"

The tom released her from his hug but held her at arms length by the shoulders, "You should have one, Ellie! If, if I were a rabbit, I'd," he didn't finish, but he'd said enough.

Ellie felt her ears burning red hot with embarrassment.

The tom crouched down, taking her hands, and gazed up at her intensely, "I'd do anything for you, Ellie. I've always dreamed that, that if you wanted to, you could live with me. I'd keep you safe, Ellie, I'd never let anything happen to you."

Ellie shook her head, "I'm a rabbit, Jason, and you're, well, I appreciate that you don't usually eat prey. But you're still a predator. Do you really think I could live here? Shut away in your house because I could never go outside? I know you want to protect me, but I couldn't live like that." She paused and smiled softly, "But I am glad we met again, and I wouldn't mind being friends. I'll show you where I live tomorrow, and you can stop by whenever you like."

"I understand, Ellie. Thank you for letting me stop by. I'll check on you whenever I can. If you ever need anything, just let me know."

Ellie pulled the tom up, and he stood. She stepped in and gave him another hug. "I knew you were a nice kitty when we found you. I wish we'd been able to meet again before now, but I won't complain. If it had been any other cat, I'd be dinner now."

"I'd hope that if you'd brought their kitten home they would have spared you," Jason replied uncomfortably.

"Your brother and sister-in-law wouldn't have."

"Well, I didn't really have time to tell them the whole story right then. I'm sure I'll get an earful when they hear it from Oliver, but if they'd tried to eat you, I would have told the truth."

Ellie snorted and rolled her eyes, "You're lucky I was around to save your butt again. That's two times, kitty, not that I'm keeping score."

Jason purred and nuzzled her ear.

They fixed dinner. Jason had a somewhat larger selection of vegetables for Ellie to choose from, and he took her out to collect more grass as well. Ellie has a salad and some sautéed string beans, and Jason fixed some pink things he called 'shrimp'.

"They're like big bugs that live in the ocean," he explained.

"How do you get all of this seafood?" Ellie inquired.

"It, uh, can be a little expensive this far from the coast," Jason admitted. "Most predators don't spend much on food because, you know," he paused. "But it's worth it! I get it whenever I can," he finished determinedly.

They ate dinner, and Jason cleaned up. Ellie watched him proudly. She felt a little responsible for the cat he'd become even if he'd been a nice kitty when she'd first met him. He was handsome too. Ellie hadn't considered it when she'd thought she was going to be his meal, but he was sleek and muscular with beautiful fur.

"You know," Ellie spoke as Jason was heading back toward the table after finishing the dishes. "Me moving in here isn't the only option. I might not mind having my very own kitty if you moved in with me."

Jason blinked with surprise and his mouth widened in a grin, "Really?! You mean it?"

"Possibly," Ellie replied airily. "It depends what you mean when you say you'll do 'anything' for me."

"Anything, Ellie! I'd do anything to be with you!" Jason exclaimed.

Ellie put on a sly look, "What if I asked you to sell everything you own and give me the money? Then you could move in as my pet."

Jason's grin fell and his mouth hung open in surprise. "I, uh, is that what you want me to do? I guess if you said I could really be with you, um, what do you mean by 'pet'?"

Ellie wasn't able to hold her composure and let out a guffaw, "Bahaha! I'm joking, kitty! But you would have to eat bugs and work with me in the communal garden. You'd have to live as a prey."

Jason smiled bashfully, looking relieved, "I wouldn't mind that, Ellie. As long as I could be there to protect you, I'd be happy."

"We can think about it then," Ellie decided. "I'll show you where I live, and you can come to visit. We'll get to know each other better first. I'm not the little bunny I was when we met all those years ago, and we barely knew each other a few hours back then."

"You risked your life to bring Oliver home. I know you're as brave and kind as you were then," Jason meowed sincerely.

"You're sweet. That's how I know we'll be friends, but we might really annoy each other trying to live together. We'll see each other for a while, and if we decide that's what we want, you can move in. Otherwise, we'll just be friends."

Jason's long, stripy tail swished across the wood floor behind him, "Does, um, does that mean we're dating?" he murmured bashfully.

Ellie grinned amusedly, "Sure, kitty, we're dating. You'll have to give your brother the bad news when he chews you out for letting Oliver run away."

Jason chuckled embarrassedly, "Heheh, yeah, I guess so."

Ellie got up from her seat and hopped around the table to stand a step in front of the cat. She looked up at him with a soft smile, "I should tell you this too: you're very handsome. You asked whether I had a family yet, but I'm more surprised you don't. You haven't been pining over me for all these years, have you?"

"N-not exactly," Jason returned embarrassedly. "It's just hard to find someone who feels the same about prey as I do."

"I can hardly regret the outcome, but I'm sorry it's made things hard for you," Ellie replied honestly.

"Don't be. I'm glad for how you changed my life. It's other predators who don't want to see the truth, that you're people just like we are, that no one deserves to be killed. The 'natural order' is a choice we make; we aren't beasts driven by instinct anymore."

"They'll see that someday," Ellie replied wistfully. After a moment she asked, "So, what are we going to do now?"

"Is, uh, there anything you need?" Jason inquired awkwardly.

"I'll need a bowl or something tonight for my caecotrophs. Other than that, I guess I just need to know where you want me to sleep, and um, you could show me to the bathroom."

"The couch folds out into a bed. I'll get you some sheets. The bathroom is upstairs on your right. What are caecotrophs?"

Ellie blushed at the last question, "Er, well, rabbits are hind-gut fermenters, so we have to-"

"O-oh, right, they taught us about different kinds of prey," Jason cut her off embarrassedly. "So you want a bowl for that. Okay, no problem."

"You're not having second thoughts about living with a bunny already, are you?" Ellie asked lightly to cover up her own embarrassment.

"N-no! I just forgot."

"That's good. I'm a real rabbit, so I'm probably grosser than the bunny you imagined," Ellie stated matter-of-factly. "But if the idea of me pooping in one of your bowls doesn't scare you off, you'll probably be able to handle the rest."

"The rest?" Jason asked worriedly.

Ellie winked roguishly, "Wait until you share a bed with me. The air under the sheets will be flammable by morning."

Jason smiled a bit amusedly, "Well, as long as we don't burst into flames, I suppose I'll be alright."

"What do you do for fun," Ellie asked after a minute of silence. "Do you want to watch a movie or something?"

"I like to read. We can watch a movie if you want."

"We can read together if you'd like. Do you have any horror novels?"

Jason seemed to have mostly classic literature, but he found Ellie a copy of Frankenstein to read. Once he got the books from his bedroom, they moved to the sofa. Jason sat on one side, and Ellie sat against the arm of the other with her legs stretched out. They read for a while in comfortable silence until Ellie was jolted out of the story by the ticklish sensation of something running down her foot, reflexively jerking her foot away. She looked up at Jason, who had been absently running his finger through the thick fur on the bottom of her long foot.

"Sorry," he murmured embarrassedly.

Ellie extended her leg again, "You can massage them if you want," she teased.

Jason blinked at her and then contemplated her feet for a few seconds. Setting aside his book, he scooted closer and lifted her feet into his lap. After another couple seconds of hesitation, he began to massage them gently. Ellie grinned amusedly as she went back to reading. What a good kitty.

"I'd like to take a shower since I was rolling around in the leaves this morning," Ellie remarked an hour or so later.

Jason looked up from his book--Ellie's feet still in his lap--and gave her a disturbed look, "Really? You don't look dirty to me, Ellie."

"I like to take one most days," Ellie stated. "It's relaxing. Do you have conditioner?"

"Erm, I don't know. Maybe I have shampoo. I don't take a shower unless I fall in gross mud or something."

Ellie frowned disconcertedly, "So what do you do then? Not bathe?"

"I groom myself, you know, with my tongue."

Ellie wrinkled her nose, "That's gross, Jason. If you're ever going to share a bed with me, you'll have to bathe, at least a couple times a week."

"T-twice a week!" Jason yowled in horror.

Ellie narrowed her eyes threateningly, "Once a week at the absolute minimum and only if you don't smell."

"I-I don't smell! I get clean, I promise!" Jason protested.

"We'll see," Ellie allowed. "I haven't noticed any smell so far, but I still think it's gross. Once a week is a minimum."

"A-alright," Jason agreed nervously.

Ellie smiled satisfiedly, "Good kitty. You'll learn to like it, or you'll learn to like letting a bunny tell you what to do. One or the other."

Jason smiled nervously, "Is that a joke?"

"Maybe," Ellie teased. "Maybe not. You don't want to be my kitty?"

Jason shifted uncomfortably and glanced down at her feet in his lap before looking back at her. He swallowed. "You're, uh, more fierce than I remember, but, um-"

"But you like it!" Ellie quipped.

Jason nodded bashfully.

Ellie grinned, showing off her large incisors, "Silly kitty. Don't think that giving up your life as a predator to be with me isn't a big decision. You can't live a double life, eating prey sometimes and sharing my bed the rest. We can be friends as things are now, but if you decide to be mine, then," she wiggled her toes. "You might just be living under a bunny's paw for good. You don't think I'd let a carnivore boss me around, do you?"

Jason shook his head, "I don't think that, Ellie, and I understand. I'll consider it carefully, but," he looked away embarrassedly. "To be honest, I've never been more sure than I am now. Before, it was a dream, but now," he looked back at her. "You're real; you're the real you. I know I don't know you that well yet, but I want to. I still owe you everything, Ellie. I wouldn't mind being your kitty; I think I might even enjoy it."

"I know you will," Ellie replied with calm confidence.

Since Ellie had to forego the shower, they read a bit longer, and then Jason converted the sofa and got Ellie's sheets. He found a beat-up plastic bowl for her to use later.

"You do brush your teeth, don't you?" Ellie inquired when her bed was made.

Jason nodded. He got Ellie a fresh toothbrush, and she brushed her teeth with his catnip toothpaste before using the toilet. Jason was waiting when she exited the bathroom.

"You, uh, might want to wait a minute before you go in there," Ellie stated embarrassedly as she passed the cat. She didn't wait to see if he took her advice and descended the stairs to turn in. The couch was tolerably comfortable. She listened to the cat moving around upstairs, and once everything went quiet, she soon fell asleep.

Aside from an uneventful trip to the bathroom to pass her caecotrophs, Ellie slept soundly. She was awoken the next morning by the sound of pans clanging in the kitchen. Sitting up and stretching her arms above her head, she smelled the aroma of coffee. Ellie proceeded to the kitchen where Jason was cooking an egg for his breakfast. She saw that Jason had apparently been out already and had purchased her some radishes and picked fresh grass.

"Good morning, kitty!" she piped.

Jason started slightly and turned around with a shy smile. "I bought you some stuff. I hope you like it."

"Radishes are some of my favorites," Ellie replied cheerfully. "Thank you!"

"I made enough coffee if you want some. I didn't know if you drink it."

"Not usually," Ellie admitted. "It's hard to come by, but I'll have some if you're offering. Do you have any honey to go with it?"

Jason frowned, "Honey? You don't have a sore throat, do you?"

Ellie shook her head, "To sweeten it."

"Oh, right, um, I have some." He extracted it from the cabinet. "Do you need anything else?"

"Nope."

Ellie collected the food Jason had gotten her and a mug of coffee and sat at the table. Jason soon joined her, and they ate in comfortable silence.

"Do you, um, want me to take you home now?" Jason asked when they were done.

Ellie nodded, "I'm due for a shift at the communal garden, and I need to make up two of Doris' hours too."

"Alright, do you want to do anything before you go?"

"I'll just brush my teeth."

Ellie brushed her teeth, and Jason got her cloak out of the closet. As they stepped outside, Jason took her hand, and they proceeded toward the woods. They were making their way through the woods when they were interrupted by a call.

"Hey Jason!"

Ellie stiffened nervously as a sable ferret bounded in front of them. She quickly pulled the hood of her cloak down over her face.

"Oh, uh, hey Fitzie," Jason greeted the ferret awkwardly. "How's is going?"

"Great! I just nabbed a fat vole and was going to head home when I saw you. Who's this?" He curved his long body trying to peer under the hood.

Jason stepped partially between Ellie and the ferret, "E-Ellie's a friend. We were just, er, on a walk."

"Mind if I join you?" the ferret asked.

"Erm, actually, we'd like some privacy if you don't mind," Jason replied embarrassedly.

The ferret's dark eyes sparked with curiosity, "Oh? Did you finally find a girlfriend, Jason?" he teased. He twisted around the tom trying to get a look at Ellie's face, "Don't be shy, little lady, I won't bite."

He twisted so close his snout almost brushed her nose, and Ellie leapt back instinctively. She broke away from Jason's hand, but it caused her to land awkwardly, and she fell onto her rear, her feet going up in the air and the front of the cloak flying open the reveal her telltale legs. Jason dashed to help her up, and Ellie quickly scrambled to her feet and wrapped the cloak around herself. But the ferret had seen and smelled enough.

He stared at the two of them disconcertedly, "Um, so that's what you meant when you said you wanted privacy, huh?"

Jason took Ellie's hand again and gave it a squeeze, "Like I said, she's a friend. I told you about the time I got lost and some rabbits helped me get home. I never would have made it home without Ellie. She saved my life back then."

The ferret blinked, "To be honest, I kind of thought you made that story up."

Jason shook his head, "It's all true. Yesterday, Ellie helped me again by bringing Oliver home after he disappeared. I'm just taking her home. Please don't tell anyone or try to follow us, Fitzie. She means a lot to me. If she were to, to get killed because of what she did, I could never forgive myself."

The ferret held up his hands, "Hey, if she saved a buddy of mine, then she's safe where I'm concerned." He bent down to try to look at Ellie again but from farther away, "I'm sorry I scared you. If, uh, if I ever catch you just remind me that you're Jason's friend, and I'll let you go, okay?"

Ellie pulled her hood back just enough for the ferret to see her face and nodded with the best smile she could manage despite her trepidation, "Th-thanks. I appreciate that." Of course, Ellie knew the killing bite could come before you even had a chance to respond, but she also suspected she was a little large for the ferret to take on. They were roughly the same size.

"Thank you, Fitzie," Jason meowed. "Ellie needs to get home, so I'll see you around."

"Sure thing. See you around, little lady," the ferret said with a wave. He bounded away, presumably to collect the poor vole he'd slaughtered.

Ellie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Sorry about that," Jason murmured.

"It could have gone worse," Ellie dismissed. "Still, I'd rather not see him around."

"Er, right, Fitzie's not a bad guy, but I get that," Jason replied awkwardly.

"Tell that to the vole," Ellie returned dryly.

"Right," Jason acknowledged uncomfortably.

The rest of the trip to Ellie's burrow was thankfully uneventful.

"This is it," Ellie stated when they stopped outside the hole. "I know it's a little small for you, but there's a back entrance I can bring you through when you visit. Why don't you stop by tomorrow for lunch if you have time? I still have some of the bugs I bought for Oliver, and I don't want them to go to waste."

"I'll look forward to it," Jason meowed amiably. "And hopefully, the bugs will be alright."

"They'll have to be if you ever move in," Ellie reminded.

"Right. I'll have to get used to the idea of, um, of living as a prey," Jason returned embarrassedly.

"It won't be all bad, you can massage my feet whenever you want then," Ellie joked. "See you tomorrow, kitty!" She crouched down onto all fours and quickly slipped through the entrance tunnel to the wider, deeper section where she could stand. She glanced back at the circle of light and hoped that tomorrow her kitty really would be waiting outside.