Three is Company

[Kest]

It was midafternoon and the sky was a bright, soaring blue. Here, in this tranquil open space in the grass, it was easy to forget the turmoil of war taking place not far away.

In the case of a certain group of kits, it was especially easy to forget. They had no idea there was a war on at all.

Everyone was the oldest, biggest, and darkest-furred of the three. He was calico like his brother and sister, but the grays in his pelt were more stormy, the browns, more muddy. His eyes were flat amber.
The second was the sister of the group, Anyone. Her fur was the lightest, her body patched with light gray and rosy pinkish-tan. Her eyes were brilliant blue, tinged with aqua shades.
The third was No-one, and he was a very quiet cat. While Everyone and Anyone bickered good-naturedly, he sat still. His fur was gray and tannish-brown, lighter than Everyone's and darker than Anyone's. His eyes were amber, but the right one was ringed with blue. His eyes were the most striking of all.

"Come on, give it, Ev," Anyone cried, tugging on the vole. Her voice rang with annoyance, but there was amusement in her eyes. "I'm hungry and you can afford to share." She eyed his belly meaningfully, hiding a grin.
Everyone lashed his tail. "You sayin' I'm fat?" he hissed dangerously...but like his sister, his anger was all for show. Arguing was a sort of pasttime with them, and it never went far.
Anyone took advantage of her brother's distraction and swiped the vole.
"Hey! An!" Everyone dashed after Anyone, but she danced out of reach each time he lunged.

While his siblings were chasing each other and duking it out over the vole, No-one sat and watched. He was never much of a talker; he just never had anything to say, it seemed.
His ears pricked. He thought he heard rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned and slinked forward, curiosity firing his bright eyes.
It would most likely be nothing. He was, after all, a young cat.

[selissasilas]

Oh, nothing? Now that really hurt.

It appeared Selissa's sparkling pink eyes had caught No-one's attention.

She smiled playfully, while Clio tried to dart out and swat at the young cat's paws.

Silas caught his tail every time.

Selissa jerked her head at her brother angrily; her eyes flared as if saying, 'Let him do what he wants!' Clio darted out of the bush happily, smiling up at the stranger-cat. Hi, there, the little pine marten chirped. Now Selissa wouldn't be surprised if the other cat was shocked; after all, it wasn't every day you say a pine marten, and one that spoke cat.

The lighter tabby -- the sister, you could say -- poked her head out of the bush, pushing her nose to No-one's. Hello, her eyes seemed to say. Clio looked at her, and said to No-one, She wants you to know her name is Selissa. Glancing back at Silas, the pine marten flopped onto his side and rolled around in the grass.

Silas sighed, and slipped out of the bush to thrust his way between his sister and this...tom. Silas didn't like other toms; he knew what they wanted with Selissa, and he didn't want her to get hurt. He grunted at No-one, and sat down, making his sister quite fuddled.

[Kest]

No-one jumped a mile.
The pine martin spoke! It spoke cat!

He was never the sort of cat who doubted what his eyes showed him, though, so he accepted the talking pine martin right away. He was suprised, but not disbelieving.

No-one touched his noce briefly to Selissa's, his eyes flicking to Clio as the martin spoke.
Selissa, he thought. She wants me to know. He is like her translator...

Silas arrived onscene and pushed between his sister and the calico. No-one's ears fell back for a moment, then shot forward again.
"...Hello," he said quietly. His tail curled around one leg and tapped his chest. "No-one," he added, showing by the gesture that this was his name.

No-one was not actually mute, but he did not often speak much. Like Selissa, he had a way of speaking through his eyes, which were just as striking as hers. He looked at Selissa, then glanced to Silas, then back to Selissa; Why so defensive?

[selissasilas]

She hissed as her brother jumped between herself and the tom. Of course. So protective, that Silas was. He acted like her father!

Selissa stepped quietly around Silas to take a look at Anyone and Everyone -- oh, another she-cat! She hadn't had the company of another female since...well, before she could remember. Clio and Silas were wonderful, of course, but she-cats, Selissa could...actually, never mind.

Sel! Silas hissed, his tabby tail flicking and light blue eyes flaring. She was his sister, he was older...how could she go off and do this when she couldn't even speak for herself? Clio seemed to hear what he was thinking, and narrowed his eyes. I am her voice, he mouthed angrily.

But Clio had always been sensitive. Selissa cared for the little weasel more than Silas did.

[Kest]

One of No-one's ears twisted back; his siblings, noticing the newcomers, had approached.

Anyone noticed the tension in the air, between Silas and Selissa, and Silas and No-one. It suprised her--why would Silas feel tense around No-one? He was almost mute!
Attempting to diffuse the tension, as well as eager to speak to some cats who weren't related to her, she meowed brightly, "Hello! I'm Anyone!" Flicking her tail towards Everyone, who stood on No-one's other side, she added, "...And this is Everyone. We're siblings. I assume you are too."

Everyone grinned. "'Lo," he meowed in greeting
Suddenly, he noticed Clio. Everyone tensed, his claws twitching in their sheaths.
No-one gestured to the pine marten with his tail. "Their friend," he said, casting his brother a warning look.
Everyone relaxed, but only slightly.

Anyone didn't seem to care at all. "Hello!" sge called down to Clio.

[selissasilas]

Clio tensed as Everyone looked down at him. Surely he wouldn't eat him?! I am Clio, he snapped, shooting a glare at the darkest-furred sibling. I...'translate' for Selissa. It wasn't really translating when she wasn't saying anything, was it? Selissa pawed the pine marten lightly, knocking him gently over onto his side. Be nice, she looked at him.

Selissa smiled suddenly and brushed past all the cats, Clio at her heels. It was good to get away from Silas, even if only a few foxlengths away.

[Kest]

Everyone turned his attention to Silas. "What's your name, then?" he asked, sounding ever-so-slightly bossy.
Anyone, who usually smacked her brother when he acted like that, was far more interested in Clio. "How come he speaks Cat?" she cried eagerly, her endless curiosity resurfacing.

No-one padded after Selissa, curious. "Can you speak?" he asked, his voice quiet as always. He was soft-spoken when he did speak.

[selissasilas]

Silas grunted good-humouredly at Everyone and Anyone's questions. M' name's Silas, he mewed, nodding to Everyone, and then flicked his tail to the place Clio had just disappeared at -- they were behind a rock. And Clio speaks Cat because we taught him to. Sel'll get him to explain, he added, making sure he didn't say that Selissa would explain directly.

The darker tabby grinned at the brother and sister, eyes resting for a fraction of a second on Anyone. What? She was a she-cat, and Silas liked she-cats.

Which was why he was so suspicious of No-one padding after his sister: he knew what toms like himself wanted, and he didn't want Selissa to get hurt. Of course, not that he intended to hurt any girl in his life.

As she padded around the enormous rock, inspecting every clump of grass that came from its edges, Selissa's ears flicked. So the cutie No-one had followed her? Clio pawed at her foreleg, gesturing that No-one was there. Can you speak? This question dampened her day slightly, but after a moment Selissa was happy again.

No, Clio responded politely. He dipped his head to the calico tom; he was a nice cat, and Selissa thought so, too. Selissa flicked her ear at the pine marten, and he nodded. She was in a fight with a badger, and it hurt her voice really badly, Clio explained. But what about you? What are you and your siblings doing here? he added, speaking for Selissa.

[Kest]

Anyone turned her bright blue-green eyes on Silas, her gaze bright and friendly. "How did you mean him, anyway?" she asked, tilting her head.

Everyone glanced back at Clio, but the look was more curious than threatening. It seemed No-one had wandered off with Selissa. It suprised him slightly. Well, she is a pretty she-cat, he thought, shaking his head.

No-one was not, in fact, the sort of cat Silas needed to be worried about.
He continued to look at Selissa while Clio was speaking; he understood that, although the words came out of Clio's mouth, it was really Selissa saying them.
His ears twitched in sympathy for her; he could speak when he wanted. He could barely imagine not being able to speak at all.
"Sorry," he meowed--using only one word but conveying honesty and a bit of sympathy in his voice and expression.
As his second question he explained, with the fewest possible words, "No reason. We stay together and have nowhere else to go."

[selissasilas]

Selissa wanted to purr and tell No-one that it was fine, but instead, Clio said nicely, She says it's not your fault, so why apologize? The light tabby flicked her ear, unsatisfied with her pine marten's 'translation'.

Sel, Silas and I've been travellin' for a while...We en't got a place to go, either, Clio grunted, finally speaking for himself. Selissa nodded solemnly, her pink eyes sparkling.

Silas looked at Anyone for a while, trying to remember the first time he and his sister had met the little pine marten. He was running from a fox, I think, and a fox killed...some one we were close to... He strained to remember his past. Who had that fox killed...?

[Kest]

"Oh!" Anyone waved her tail in realization. "You don't remember, do you? ...Well, you don't have to say if you honestly don't remember. It's just that our lives aren't really all that interesting--our mother never wanted kits and we left because she was never any fun."

She leaned forward slightly, her blue eyes wide. "But it looks like your life has been very interesting so far!"

Everyone snorted. Anyone was being charming again. The little flirt.
He yawned and shook the leaves from his pelt, glancing around him. Damned if he would let Silas take advantage of his sister's trusting tendancies...but for now he would let things lie. Anyone was just being who she was, after all.

No-one sat and looked very closely at Selissa. His striking eyes examined her face.
After a moment, he said, "...We were thinking of joining a Clan." Then, amazingly, he added another whole word: "You?"

[selissasilas]

It's just that our lives aren't really all that interesting -- our mother never wanted kits and we left because she was never any fun. Silas smirked. As Anyone leaned forward and mewed, But it looks like your life has been very interesting so far! his grin grew, and he leaned forward too, flashing a glance at Everyone -- just to make sure her brother wouldn't act just like...Silas himself did... Oh yes, he purred, very interesting.

Silas nodded suddenly, and leaned back. Selissa! He was worried about the same things Everyone was worried about -- No-one taking advantage of Selissa, Silas taking advantage of Anyone. But why worry? Selissa could take care of herself, so Silas relaxed.

Selissa nodded enthusiastically before Clio could answer for her. The pine marten grunted, as if he wanted every bit of Sel's speech for himself. I'd go to any Clan you would, her eyes seemed to say, but of course, they were betraying her -- she didn't exactly want No-one to know that.

[Kest]

Anyone noticed Silas's worry and glanced back over her shoulder. "What?" she mewed curiously, following his gaze. "Worried about your sister? Don't worry, she's with No-one. And there's not anybody around anyways."
She thought he was worried about other cats, not about her brother. So, obviously, her words wouldn't soothe Silas in the slightest.
Looking back to him, she danced slightly from one paw to another and meowed, "We were thinking of joining a Clan, you know. You and your sister have any plans?"

No-one was excellent at reading cats; now he observed how the lights flashed in Selissa's eyes and thought he caught the thought behind them.
He opened his mouth but didn't speak. He merely looked knowing and almost bemused.

[selissasilas]

Silas grunted; that wasn't exactly what he was worried about. But as she asked about his plains, he smirked. Well, he purred, tail flicking. A Clan sounds like a fine idea. His ear twitched; yay. A friend. And a potential Clanmate.

and i have nothing to say for sel. xD

[Kest]

"Why don't we all go!" Anyone exclaimed, bouncing on her paws.

Everyone glanced to his sister, his amber eyes full of mixed amusement and irritation.
But after a moment he softened and meowed, "Safety in numbers, I suppose. How old are you and your sister?"
Ever jerked his head forward slightly, a bold, characteristic gesture he performed almost every time he asked a question.

[Bristle + War]

Silas' eyes brightened. "Why don't we all go!" Glancing around for his sister (he didn't like to make decisions for her, but this could be discussed later) he mewed, "Yeah!" Then his expression darkened. "But I barely know what Clans there are here; how would we know which one to join?" He shuffled his paws and sighed. "Safety in numbers, I suppose. How old are you and your sister?" Silas purred softly; so Everyone didn't completely hate him. He shrugged. "Six moons, about? What about you?" He barely needed an answer; by the way these cats acted and looked he guessed they were his own age.

again nothing for sel |D