Doe's Pilgrimage

**Doe's Pilgrimage**

**Part One**

*Escape*

Doe padded down the alleyway outside of her old apartment. Trash cans littered the side of the building. The American Bobtail walked up to the nearest can, pulling out a half-eaten fish. She ended up knocking the can over, rats spilling from the foul-smelling crowfood. The young she-cat stepped backward, her thick neck fur bristling.

One of the rats leaped at Doe, biting into her scruff. She screeched loudly and unsheathed her claws. The feline clawed at the nearest rat, but another replaced it soon enough. The vermin were swarming the entire alleyway now. Even more rats filled the gutters.

Doe was completely surrounded. No matter how many rats she killed, more would take their place. The she-cat looked for a place to escape. There was nowhere to go but up. It might be impossible to make it all the way to the top, but she had to try.

Doe ran forward, jumping to the nearest trash can. She hopped to the next biggest trash can and the biggest one after that. Doe then took a running leap towards a clothesline, onto a windowsill, and then to the roof. Finally, she had escaped.

**Part Two**

*City Park*

The brown tabby feline snuck a look over the edge of the apartment. All she could see was the mass of confused rats retreating back to their lairs. The flea-ridden cowards would show their faces again if she decided to come back down.

Doe came to the conclusion that she should head to the city park to hunt. When Doe arrived, she raced over to the creek.  A clump of scales glinted in the water. She reached her paw into the creek, snagging a fish and pulling it out. Thanking her ancestors for the prey, she sat down to eat. It was the best food that she had found in weeks.

When the feline was done with her meal, she set out to find a place to stay in the park. Doe scoured through hollowed-out logs, spacious bushes, and old tree stumps. When finally, she found her new home. It was perfect! A huge cave near the creek lined with willow roots. The floor was covered in small, white river pebbles, and the walls had many niches to hide her treasures.

Doe collected some leaves that were laying around the cave, shaping them into a nest. The feline curled up on the makeshift bed, watching the stars through a small hole in the roof.

**Part Three**

*Herbs*

When she awoke, Doe raced out of the cave to catch another fish. After she had eaten, Doe sat down at the river banks to think. She probably wouldn’t be able to defeat all of the rats alone. It was time to find layed “SpiritTeller, her half-brother who lived outside of the city.

Doe set out to collect traveling herbs that would help her on her journey. As Doe padded through the trees, she could hear the birds singing and the breeze ruffling her brown spotted fur. Maybe fighting the rats isn’t such a good Idea after all? Doe thought. No, she had already collected all she needed. Her journey would start the next day at sunrise.

**Part Four**

*Town*

A drop of morning dew fell into Doe’s ear. It was sunrise. The feline padded about her den, the bundle of leaves and flowers hanging from her mouth. She carefully waded through the creek, being careful as to not drop her important traveling herbs into the water. When she reached the other side, she gulped up half of the herbs. They would reduce her hunger until she had time to hunt.

As Doe exited the park, she became more cautious. Humans were starting to go about their day, and she couldn’t be caught. Not after what they did to her. The small feline crouched low to the ground and snuck past all of the people.

She narrowly escaped being seen on many occasions as she slunk behind cars and buildings. Eventually, she made it to a more residential area outside of the bustling city. Doe could hear a dog barking in the distance, so she decided to hurry up her pace.

As Doe walked briskly past white, wooden fences, she was starting to feel anxious. She almost felt as if she was being followed. Doe decided to keep going, though she turned her head to see if anyone was behind her from time to time.

Eventually, she began to grow tired of walking past the same beige houses. Doe looked around for somewhere that she could rest, finding it in a cluster of pine trees that formed a perfect hiding spot. After eating the rest of her herbs, she curled up on the bed of pine needles. Soon enough, she was asleep.

Doe woke to the silver-colored face of a house cat staring down at her. “Finally, you’re awake,” the strange feline observed as Doe got to her paws.

“How long have you been following me?” Doe replied. The she-cat shrugged. “I had better get going to The-”, Doe mumbled as she ignored the stranger started padding off. The cream-silver Somali cat wearing the gold collar began following her again.

**Part Five**

*Rose*

Doe ignored the house-cat, but the she-cat continued padding after her. “My name is Rose. Would you care to tell me your name?” the feline finally asked after a long while of walking.

“It’s Doe,” The American Bobtail replied gruffly. The diminutive brown tabby sped further up the sidewalk, Rose swiftly chasing after her. Doe suddenly stopped as the sidewalk ended. When Rose caught up, she nearly ran into Doe. An almost never-ending line of cars blocked their path.

“If you’re going to come with me, then we’re going to have to cross this road,” Doe said loudly as she was trying to make her voice heard over the loud noise of the cars.

“Ooh, sounds fun!” Rose replied as she crouched low to the ground. Rose got ready to make a run for it as she watched for a break in the cars. A shiny, ebony truck zoomed down the road faster than Doe had ever seen before. As soon as there was a gap, they bolted over to the other side, barely making it across before another car zoomed past.

Doe took a deep breath as they start padding away from the dangerous road, “Why are you following me anyway, Rose?”

“Well, I’m bored with my life as an ordinary house-cat. You seemed interesting, and I wanted to join you in whatever crazy mission you’re going on,” She answered.

“That’s really... nice of you?” Doe finished awkwardly. The two she-cats began walking again.

**Part Six**

*Rabbit*

They started to turn away from the town and headed into the woodlands surrounding it. Doe relaxed as the pair padded through the forest, leaving the loud noise of the town and city behind them. Suddenly, Rose darted off in the direction of a large tree. She was chasing a rabbit! Doe watched in amazement as Rose swiftly followed it, eventually pouncing on the rabbit. When Doe caught up to her, she congratulated Rose on the great catch. The felines then sat down under the huge oak tree to eat the rabbit. The pair finished their food and Doe got up. She started to trot again with renewed strength from the meal. Rose stretched and padded after the American Bobtail.

As the sun set, they approached the end of the forest. Doe wove between the last few trees, trying to see what was beyond the shady forest. She leaped over a fallen log and onto a huge stone that overlooked their new surroundings. They had reached the farmlands.

Doe started gathering nesting materials while Rose went back into the forest to catch a sparrow to tide them over until the next day. Doe collected a few pine branches that were near the overhang and began draping them over the rock to form a den. When she was happy with the outside, she started scratching off moss that was growing on the underside of the boulder. Gathering it up, Doe created a nest big enough for Rose and herself out of the thick, fuzzy moss.

By the time she was done with this, Rose had returned with a plump sparrow clamped tightly in her jaws. Doe clawed it in half, eating her share in one bite. Rose neatly finished her half soon after. The two felines flopped down onto the nest, falling asleep as fireflies danced in the field in front of them.

**Part Seven**

*Hunt*

Doe blinked. The sun was rising and the field was bathed in gold and orange. Being careful to not wake Rose up, she quietly padded out of the den. The American Bobtail wanted to impress her new friend, and set out to find something to hunt.

Doe opened her mouth, trying to catch the scent of prey. When she finally caught the scent of a mouse, she crouched low to the ground. The feline stalked closer and closer to to the small field mouse.

Before she could get closer to it, the mouse heard Doe’s footsteps and scampered away before Doe could pounce on it. Frustrated, Doe continued hunting. She finally caught the smell of another mouse.

The feline followed her natural instincts, pouncing on the harvest mouse after getting as close to it as possible. After giving the unfortunate mouse a quick nip on its neck, Doe headed back to the woodland cave. When she arrived back at the overhang, Rose was nowhere to be found.
“Oh, I see that you’ve brought us breakfast. It took you long enough,” a familiar voice remarked, breaking the silence.