When have I ever (open/stranger)

If there was an afterlife, she wondered briefly if it would be any better than what she had now-- wandering. There was little purpose to it, no real reason for her dappled paws to move ever more, they just stayed mobile, transfixed. Curious. Yes, she figured curiosity was her greatest adversary that just might actually send her to her inevitable death.

Mist briefly let her amber eyes travel over the barren tops of the trees, her belly rumbling. A squirrel idly chattered, but there was nothing aside from that. The prey had been somewhat scarce in her area, and for good reason. As much as she doubted her reasoning for following a trail deeper into the forrest, she could smell cats, other cats, and that intrigued her. The dilute tortie stopped as she came to a small brooke, the water's cold surface running rampant against pure clay. Nothing. Disheartening as it was, Mist couldn't give up. Not now. It had been way too long since another loner had even come close to her, not to mention actually seen the female face-to-face.

The long furred she cat on the other side caught the molly's attention swiftly, prompting the immediate raise of her head in acknowledgement. She seemed regal, powerful-- far stronger than her, she supposed, given her lithe and pathetic frame. Mist wasn't anything over thirteen moons, and she certainly looked the part. Taking a careful step back from the stream should the other attack, her fur only settled when Ragged spoke. Another glance guaranteed her suspicion of the wide gap. Either she'd have to swim or jump and neither two skills was she all too confident with. After a moment of careful observation, the marbled feline let her breath escape, one she hadn't noticed she'd been holding. "Oh, hello there miss." Mist could have kicked herself for being so friendly, but here she was, deciding it was certainly better than being killed. "Um, you don't smell like you are from around these parts. Are you a wanderer, too?"

So she was apologetic? Lowering her tail, the femme nodded, as if to signify she understood. It explained the strange scent, but she was slightly concerned. Others? What others? Were they a band of cats? "Oh, no, I just pass through this area sometimes when hunting," the tortie explained, accidentally knocking some dirt into the creek. It seemed the only way around it was climbing one of the overhead branches-- though it provided a good barrier in case the strange cat before her was actually full of malicious intent. As for the mention of hunting, her belly gurgled, like a monster clawing at her empty insides. Her eyes were terrible, not blind, but not good. They'd seemed to weaken in the cold, perhaps by opposition of the bitter wind. Mist had taken quite the break from eating, solely because it didn't seem anything was around. As she focused more on the trees overhead, the feline realized, perhaps she was just clueless to the prey. The branches did seem to contort on random sometimes.

"Others?" She finally voiced, finding it in herself to do so. "Are you traveling together?"

---

Ooh boy another stranger. It seemed as though a lot of people were beginning to find each other here. Were they possibly meant to? Was all of this happening for a reason? It was a strange thought for Hazel to have considering that she had practically no memory of her life before this. All she knew was waking up like a kit with only a name to guide her way. She had...recollections but they were foggy and unclear to her. But hey at least she had found a family of some kind to stay with for the timebeing. "Hi!" the young feline mewed as she approached from behind Shade. "Welcome! I'm Hazel."

---

TAGS (1/19):