⊗ screw all this. snoop on the pale! we need to know the SECRETS
By the time your little siblings are done playing with you, you realise that you're pretty sure your parents have been back and in the shelter with The Gull and The Wild for a while now. Even The Bouncy is out of the shelter again - not The Amber or The Rust, who need to nest, or The Whistler, but everyone who can leave is now standing around outside.
Which means you're clearly overdue for trying to nose in on the secrets! Even though whatever they were talking about before became boring, you're sure this one will be super juicy, as The Bouncy describes them - and, like, you just want to know what's going on in general.
You scamper on all fours, quiet as you can while still being fast, and inch yourself close to the entrance of the shelter - then, looking to your left and right, you veeeeeery softly place one paw inside on the metal, then another. Your shadow crosses the threshold with you, stretching in front of you, so you're glad you stayed down on all fours instead of standing up.
Very carefully, you press yourself to the side of one wall and pad closer inside, hoping they can't see your shadow. You're not sure where they are in the shelter - not too close to the left side or the back, where the dens with slugcats still in them are, but would they be close enough to here?
You can hear voices, but not any clear words. You'll have to get closer.
You press your belly down to the floor, and scoot yourself forwards even more carefully. Eventually, sticking to the corners, you manage to spot your parents, The Wild, and The Gull - they're in the centre of the shelter, standing over someone's nests. From this distance, you can hear them, too. And they're facing each other at different angles, but they're still not looking towards you in the shadows. That's good for you!
— that I could presume what the council was possibly thinking of, The Gull is saying. Some of the clowder thought perhaps The Saviour's apprentice would have been chosen instead as leader, or their offspring when he became of age. But it is the case, sir, that The Noodlefly was chosen by the council for his personality and firm belief in The Saviour's rules. I don't know how he would have led, because we didn't get to see him for long.
Right, yes, The Silky says, thoughtful. Because of the accident you mentioned. What were the circumstances surrounding that?
You realise, much to your disappointment, that it sounds like you really have missed some of the conversation. You bet there was something really juicy in that... But even if there wasn't, now you can't know!
As you know, ma'am, we of The Saviour's live a fair distance up from your clowder, The Gull is standing straight and still, but from where you are kinda-behind her, you can see how the tip of her tail is twitching. And we've lived there for generations. We've seen countless predators try to settle in or near our territory, and we've always stayed - I know we used to have better fighters to help us, too.
I think that's part of why The Noodlefly welcomed The Shining and his child into our clowder, though of course everyone would have objected to him turning them out too. It wouldn't be The Saviour's way. But having someone who could fight was important as well - I'm sure as the leaders you all understand that.
I say with full disclosure that due to being 6 months old myself, not all of this is my own memory, but heard from my seniors. The Shining, to my recollection, was a fixture of the clowder - which is strange, for he was there for less time than The Noodlefly was leader, yet The Noodlefly being leader feels new to me still. I suppose it's because we never really expected The Saviour to die.
That's fair enough, The Pale concedes. They had been leader for so long here, by the time we showed up. It must have felt like they were simply a part of life that was always there, for a slugpup like you. Like the sky suddenly vanishing.
Though The Noodlefly isn't so new as all that, The Wild notes. The Little visited their clowder after he had become leader. They even met The Shining, so he was living with them since at least before your pups, Pale, Silky.
Very true, sirs, The Gull nods. As I said, it's only my perception. In any case...
Like some fighters before him, The Shining often went to patrol alone, rather than with allies. He would bring back food for us, things I've never tried before - dropwigs and spiders. Predators turned prey. I understand that this made him more trustworthy to the adults, so I trusted him too.
The accident occurred... Last month, yes. So he hasn't been leading for long either. The Shining was out on another of his solo hunts, and The Noodlefly left alone too. We don't really know why, and it isn't usual for The Noodlefly. The Shining returned that day with a blue lizard for his efforts, but no sign of our leader.
So the patrols that had been assigned for that day went searching for him. The Noodlefly was found, I understand, with the bites of a lizard on his body. That's why many strongly suspect foul play.
Hmmm, yeah, The Pale flicks his tail and frowns. That's not very hidden at all. Coming back with a lizard when your leader's gone missing and then turns out to have been killed by a lizard, but not making any indication you saw your leader? Not reporting your leader being killed? Did he even try to conceal it?
Maybe his lack of concealment was a fear tactic, The Wild guesses. I mean, it must have worked, since the council didn't complain about him taking the lead. He has enough plausible deniability that no one outright said he did it, and he's been one of their best fighters and hunters from the sounds of it. Perhaps the council also doesn't want to lose that source of protection.
I imagine that they're also far too polite to outright say anything to a slugcat everyone has at least a moderate amount of respect for, The Silky shakes her head. How high ranking did he get to be? That would be another factor among it, I'm sure.
I wonder if his attack on The Whistler was before or after he took over the clowder, She continues to muse. The Whistler did mention that he spoke of trespassing, but was that him laying the groundwork for his plan to rule, or was he already beginning his regime?
At your angle, you can just make out the shut and open of her eyelids as The Gull blinks. I have no idea who that is. I'm afraid I couldn't say, ma'am. As mentioned, he patrolled alone a lot, so I wouldn't know whether he was choosing to start ahead of time or not. I can say The Noodlefly made no such changes on his part.
And it's not all that often that lone slugcats pass through clowders, The Wild nods. So it wouldn't be all that strange even if there seemed to be a drought of such travellers.
Is there anything else we need to know right now? The Pale muses, tapping his chin. I think we most wanted to know just, what the void happened over there - which we have gotten.
The Gull has given us a lot of info, The Wild agrees, giving her a warm smile. I'm sure she's probably a little tired after saying all of that.
If we think of any more questions, we can always ask her for another meeting later, The Silky concurs, lifting her forepaws up and stretching out her back. Thank you for this, Gull. We appreciate all of this. We'll be discussing more of this, and its implications, so the meeting won't quite be over for us... But you may leave now.
Try asking The New Sun for the continuation of your tour - or would it be introductions, now? The Wild flicks his ragged ears, thinking. If all of that's over, you'll probably know the apprentices and pups. I'm sure you'll get settled in at your own pace, so don't let me push you.
Of course. Thank you very much for your time and willing accommodation, sirs, ma'am. The Gull lifts her chin up in the air and stomps her paw down on the floor once, tail held high as she does it, before she turns and starts heading for the entrance to the shelter.
That's probably your sign to get out of here as well. Whatever boring leaderly stuff your parents are talking about isn't really what you want to hear about, and you're also not totally sure if you've been spotted yet, crouching in the shadows. Slugcats might need some light to see, and you might have dark fur, but you are just standing there!
Very, very carefully, quietly, and slowly, you creep back out of the shelter.
You can now view The Shining in the Outside Allegiances page.