Winter's Coming

[Munkustrap Etc.]

Tumble reached out slowly. He hesitated for a moment, and then put his paw on Quaxo's shoulder, drawing him close for a hug. "It must have been horrible, having him as a dad," he said quietly. Tumble was lucky, with Jennyanydots and Skimbleshanks for his parents, he was raised in the Jellicle tribe from birth.

Munkustrap growled as Cassandra left, but since she wasn't running, it wasn't a retreat, and since she didn't seem to be fleeing him, he didn't have any urge to chase after her. With a final hiss in her direction, he turned to look around again. No more enemies. No more enemies.

No more enemies.

As it sunk in, Munkustrap felt the bloodlust wash away, leaving him hurt and exhausted. He looked around again, at the blood spattered everywhere, at the fallen Cattivo, and shuddered, making his way back to Jellicle land as quickly as he could.

[[scean]]

Quaxo returned the hug and smiled a little as he pulled away, shaking his head. "Not really. Being the son of... er, him," he paused, not really wanting to say Macavity in the presence of the other Jellicles that might happen to be around. "... it really does have its perks, you know? I got food whenever I wanted it, I pretty much had slaves to order around." He gave a little laugh and shook his head. "He found out who I was, today, though... as you know. And... I'm afraid he's going to come after me after his shoulder heals."

[Munkustrap Etc.]

"Munkustrap won't..." Tumble trailed off, tucking his tail tightly around his paws. "Well, Munkustrap wouldn't want him to hurt you, but he got in anyway, to catnap you..."

Jerrie and Teazer were dead, and the others...? Munkustrap fought back a yawn. It would be a very bad idea to curl up and fall asleep in the middle of Monnik lands. The others were supposed to have left. He didn't know if they actually had or not.

[Arya]

Cassandra stormed into the dresser and looked at the cats. "Munk had gone mad, he get on lashing out at me like he had rabies!" She exclaimed. "And he seemed to get really mad when I mentioned Rumple and Mungo." She added then looked at the cats. "Did something happen to them?" She asked raising a soot covered eyebrow.

[[scean]]

"Yeah... so..." Quaxo shrugged slightly and glanced up, looking in the direction from which they'd come. "Where is Munkustrap, Tumble... I should have gone back to help him! What if he got hurt?" Quaxo suddenly felt worried tears in his eyes and he stood quickly, biting his lip gently. "Tumble, you have to come back with me and try to find him."

[Munkustrap Etc.]

"Munkustrap's gone mad?" Jellylorum asked, her ears going back in alarm. "Rabies?" Rabies was a very real threat to the feral cats, not quite as bad for the house cats. If Munkustrap, their protector, had rabies...!

Plato looked up from where Jelly was tending to him, turning a sad expression upon Cassandra. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer... they D-R-O-W-N-E-D." He spelled out the word, seeing that Etcetera's ears were alert, even if it looked like she was sleeping.

Tumble reached out and caught Quaxo's arm. "He told us to come back and stay here, Quaxo! We shouldn't disobey him!" Now, though, that they were out of Monnik territory, Tumble was feeling more and more like going back to save Munkustrap, even though their leader had told them not to. This was land he knew, and it gave him more confidence.

Munkustrap stumbled slightly as he crossed back into Jellicle territory. At this rate, he probably wouldn't make it back to the yard, but at least he was in a place of relative safety. Maybe if he found a place to rest for the day, he could return tomorrow.

[Arya]

Cassandras eyes started to water. "RUMPLE AND MUNGO DROWNED?!" She didn't understand she shook her head. "Is that why Munk was so upset?" She asked a tear streaming down her face.

[[scean]]

Quaxo pulled away from Tumble's grip and looked back to him sadly, frowning a little. "Tumble, he's our Protector... and the cat I love," and my uncle... Quaxo turned, bounding off out of the Junkyard once more, prepared to fight every Monnik there was to get Munkustrap back. Instead of having to go back into Monnik territory, however, Quaxo spotted Munkustrap crossing the borders and he smiled, going quickly toward him.

"Munkustrap!" he called, taking Munkustrap's paw in his own and sliding an arm around his waist. "Come on, let's get you to Jellylorum."

[Munkustrap Etc.]

"WHAAAA!?" Etcetera leapt straight up from her feigned sleep, staring wide-eyed at Cassandra and Plato. "Mungajerrie and Rumpateaza DROWNEDED!?"

Jelly gave Cassandra a disapproving look as she hurried over to comfort her distraught daughter. "No, no dear, that's not what Cassandra meant. They're visiting their friends in Downing." She named a little town not too far from here - some of the more adventurous cats had gone that far and returned. (Only Grizabella had gone farther, in Jellicle knowledge).

"I know," Tumble said. "Well... I know about the Protector bit... I'm supposed to obey him! He's my boss! And... wait up, Quaxo!" Tumble ran after the tuxedo cat. "You love him? I thought he and Demeter..."

Munkustrap blinked at Quaxo as the little cat approached, slumping against him gratefully. "Quaxo... are you all right?"

Tumblebrutus came up on Munkustrap's other side, drawing the tabby's paw over his shoulders. "You look horrible, Munkustrap!"

[[scean]]

"Shh, don't waste your energy." Quaxo whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Munkustrap's temple and petting his fur softly. "I'm fine, Munk. We need to get you to Jelly, now." The magician looked over to Tumblebrutus and nodded slowly, starting to walk toward the dresser carefully. It took a good few minutes, but they finally made it back to the dresser.

Quaxo slowly helped Munkustrap into the dresser and slipped the arm tighter around his waist, looking over to Jellylorum. "Jelly, we need your help. He's pretty messed up. Please."

[Arya]

Cassie shook her head and looked at Jelly. "Tell her the truth. Yes, they drowned, helping Misto escape from Macavity." She said being upset right now, she stormed off to look for Alonzo.

Rumple pounced on a mouse in the field. "Thin we should go back yet?" Said Rumple digging her claws into the mouse.

"Nah just a bit longer." Said Mungo streching out in the long grass.

[Munkustrap Etc.]

Etcetera looked between Cassandra and Jellylorum, her big green eyes filling with tears. Jelly gave her a hug and kissed her on the top of her head. "Hush, darling. Zalika needs you to look after him. Can you do that for me? I need to look after Plato. Can you be a big girl and help him?"

Etcetera nodded slowly, wiping at her eyes and curling up next to Zalika again, but this time, she laid down right next to him. If he had been Electra or Jemima, she would have given the other kitten a hug to make her feel better, but Zalika was an icky tomkit. You didn't give tomkits big hugs.

That was when Tumble, Quaxo, and Munkustrap returned, with Tumblebrutus trying to support most of the weight of the half-asleep Protector (Quaxo was injured, Tumble didn't want him hurting himself). Tumble had kept quiet for the whole walk, choosing not to say anything about the way Quaxo was fussing over Munkustrap, even though questions were brewing in his mind.

[[scean]]

Quaxo gently pulled Munkustrap from Tumblebrutus's grip, laying the older tom on a few cushions and gently petting his forehead as he looked up to Jellylorum. "Is Plato alright?" he asked in a concerned voice, crawling over to where the spotted tom laid. After looking at Plato for a moment, Quaxo turned back to Munkustrap and curled up by his side.

The young magician didn't really know what to say to Tumblebrutus, who had been his friend since he'd arrived in this tribe. He felt even more awkward now that Tumble knew his biggest secret - his heritage - and Tumble didn't seem to trust him anymore... for the sole reason that his father was Macavity.

Honestly, Quaxo wouldn't trust himself either.

The young tom stood slowly and looked over to Tumblebrutus, biting his lip softly, then went over to where Etcetera sat with Zalika. Quaxo knelt on the other side of the black kitten, looking over to the young queen. "Etcy, what's his name?"

[Munkustrap Etc.]

"Plato will be fine," Plato grumbled. "However, Plato is going to eat a certain Siamese's tail when he's out of here."

Tumblebrutus looked over at the group before backing out of the dresser. "I'm gonna go tell Alonzo and Admetus that we're all back and okay... it's kinda crowded in here." With one last look at Quaxo and Munkustrap, he turned and ran off.

"This is Zalika," Etcetera said quietly, petting Zalika's uninjured ear. "Munky brought him here today."

Jelly bent over the Protector, tsking. "He shouldn't have been in another fight when he hadn't even healed from the first!"

[[scean]]

Quaxo's ears fell when he saw how nervous Tumble was around them now, and he frowned deeply, looking toward Jelly for a moment. "He was just doing his job, Jelly," he said quietly, reaching over the sleeping kitten to pull Etcetera into his lap. "Etcy, sweetheart," he whispered, licking her ear softly. "... I need you to stay away from this kitten."

He got a bad feeling from the kitten - even if he was just an injured black tomkit. The color wasn't natural, though... Quaxo could tell. He pet Etcetera's fur softly and pointed to a part of the 'black' coat that looked more grey than the color it should have been. "Look, Etcy. It's not natural. Don't trust this kitten, okay?"