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Description
The camp was a little underwhelming, but he wasn't sure exactly what he expected. The group had led him in a winding path through the city, sticking to alleys, until one opened wider. It was between two tall buildings; the side of one held a ladder up to its top, something he couldn't quite make out from here. The alley itself was fairly well-maintained; unlike the others, which were filled with - and stank of - crow-food, this one had been cleared of it, and nests were arranged with old and discarded twoleg objects. He recognized some of them from his time in a town, so long ago now; a couple plush toys used for twoleg kits, kittypet beds that were torn and used long before the city-dwelling apprentices had obtained them, and cardboard boxes for shelter on cold or rainy nights. Mercy caught him gawking, and flicked her tail, tilting her head.
"I'm sure it doesn't match the glory of your forest camps, but it's home."
The kits dropped off his back, landing on a small pile of stuffing and starting to playfight with each other; Justice and Karma, the orange and white cats, broke off, too, assessing what seemed to be a sort of fresh-kill pile built out of twoleg scraps. Plumstar tried to hold back his disgusted grimace as Justice pulled up a scrap of some sort of processed meat, looking towards Mercy.
"Want to share?"
"I'm good. Split it with Karma and get some rest. I'm claiming first scout."
"You always do," Karma sighed, nudging her playfully as she passed.
"Someone has to keep us fed!"
The other two left, and Mercy turned to Plumstar, ears perked.
"Most of the nests are unclaimed. You're free to take any food you need and get some rest; it's safe down here. The humans won't bother you."
"What about you?"
"I just said I had to scout," She responded, walking away from him and towards the ladder. "I'll swap out with one of the others when the moon's at its highest, and help you in the morning."
With that, she leapt, deftly weaving around each peg of the ladder and climbing up to the top of the building. Plumstar stared after her as her tail disappeared over the top, then glanced around the meager camp. By now, Amity and Courage had tuckered themselves out, and snuggled together in their pile of stuffing; Karma and Justice ate together, murmuring quietly with their backs turned to the forest cat. He grimaced, looking up again; something about leaving a cat who was barely more than a kit to keep watch on her own didn't sit right with him. With a soft grunt, he leapt onto the ladder after her, though his weaving wasn't nearly as precise as hers had been. He slipped a couple times, panicking as his claws failed to find purchase in the metal, but his paw pads did a good job of securing his grip, and he managed to reach the top safely, letting out a few stressed puffs. Wind gently buffeted his fur, and he slowly relaxed, taking in the new sights. From here, the city almost looked pretty, with lights streaming out of the squares in buildings; one, made entirely of something that looked like clear ice, reflected the moon's light; from here, though, he couldn't quite see StarClan's Eye over the tallest buildings. He frowned a little, lowering his gaze to the black molly, who sat on the roof with both forepaws placed squarely on a small ledge. She stared over the city, her ears and eyes focused on scanning the pathways. Slowly, he approached her, careful to make sure his pawsteps were heavy, as not to break her concentration. Despite his best efforts, she still turned to face him, one ear tilted in mild irritation.
"You suck at following orders, forest-cat."
"You'll have to forgive me," He chuckled, sitting next to her. "I'm not used to taking orders from apprentices."
She tilted her head a little at the word, but didn't pry into it, turning her attention back to the streets. He followed her gaze, trying to see what she found so interesting; he failed to, though, only seeing a whole lot of monsters moving up and down like fish in a river.
"I'm watching for food," She spoke to him, as if answering that unspoken question. "Down there, those structures with the red banners. Humans will toss out bags of perfectly good food every night. If we time it right, we're able to get first pickings - and we kind of need to, with Amity and Courage around. If they get sick or underfed, we all suffer."
"Kits have to eat first," He agreed. Mercy nodded, keeping her eyes on the building as he continued. "Do you have to fight with other cats for it?"
"Sometimes, but usually we're quick enough to get something good and bolt before they can attack. When one of us leaves the alley, the others all wake up and listen for a fight, just in case we need backup. Raccoons and possums are more dangerous, though. A couple good cats have died to rabies that they contracted from 'em."
"You don't have medicine cats?"
"You sure do say a lot of weird words, don't you?"
She finally turned to face him again, and he chuckled awkwardly, shaking out his fur.
"I mean healers. Cats who can help you recover."
"Nope. It's life or death out here. We can, technically, try to find a human to help us, but it's risky. Sometimes cats get taken and never come back - sometimes they show up again with a collar."
Plumstar grunted, unsure of what to think as he looked to the sky again, changing the subject. "... You can't really see the stars out here."
"No need," She replied, "The cars and buildings give us enough light to see. Besides, what use are they, anyway? They're pretty, sure, but that's about all they are."
The tom glanced to her, ears twitching. "In the Clans, the stars are important. They represent the spirits that watch over us. The cats who told me to come here," He added, jerking his head up, "Came from the stars. We depend on them to keep things in order."
"You forest cats sound incredibly crazy," She snorted, fixing him with an amused look. Plumstar shrugged, giving her a faint smile in return.
"Maybe we're crazy, but I don't think we're too different. The way you five live almost reminds me of home."
Mercy softened, and looked down towards the food building again, perked to attention.
"You should get some rest, forest-cat."
"I have a name."
"I'm aware. You're our prisoner."
A brief sideways glance, before she tensed. Plumstar followed her gaze once more, watching a human drag out a black bag and leave it in the alley next to their building. Mercy darted across the roof, then, towards the side facing the street. Impulsively, Plumstar darted after, and she paused, looking back.
"You don't have to come."
"You might need some extra muscle. Us forest-cats are really good at fighting."
She snorted. "I guess you are… Fine. Follow me, down these stairs!"
The stars above twinkled a little more brightly as they climbed down. Soon enough, he'd know he found who he'd been sent to find.

Description
The camp was a little underwhelming, but he wasn't sure exactly what he expected. The group had led him in a winding path through the city, sticking to alleys, until one opened wider. It was between two tall buildings; the side of one held a ladder up to its top, something he couldn't quite make out from here. The alley itself was fairly well-maintained; unlike the others, which were filled with - and stank of - crow-food, this one had been cleared of it, and nests were arranged with old and discarded twoleg objects. He recognized some of them from his time in a town, so long ago now; a couple plush toys used for twoleg kits, kittypet beds that were torn and used long before the city-dwelling apprentices had obtained them, and cardboard boxes for shelter on cold or rainy nights. Mercy caught him gawking, and flicked her tail, tilting her head.
"I'm sure it doesn't match the glory of your forest camps, but it's home."
The kits dropped off his back, landing on a small pile of stuffing and starting to playfight with each other; Justice and Karma, the orange and white cats, broke off, too, assessing what seemed to be a sort of fresh-kill pile built out of twoleg scraps. Plumstar tried to hold back his disgusted grimace as Justice pulled up a scrap of some sort of processed meat, looking towards Mercy.
"Want to share?"
"I'm good. Split it with Karma and get some rest. I'm claiming first scout."
"You always do," Karma sighed, nudging her playfully as she passed.
"Someone has to keep us fed!"
The other two left, and Mercy turned to Plumstar, ears perked.
"Most of the nests are unclaimed. You're free to take any food you need and get some rest; it's safe down here. The humans won't bother you."
"What about you?"
"I just said I had to scout," She responded, walking away from him and towards the ladder. "I'll swap out with one of the others when the moon's at its highest, and help you in the morning."
With that, she leapt, deftly weaving around each peg of the ladder and climbing up to the top of the building. Plumstar stared after her as her tail disappeared over the top, then glanced around the meager camp. By now, Amity and Courage had tuckered themselves out, and snuggled together in their pile of stuffing; Karma and Justice ate together, murmuring quietly with their backs turned to the forest cat. He grimaced, looking up again; something about leaving a cat who was barely more than a kit to keep watch on her own didn't sit right with him. With a soft grunt, he leapt onto the ladder after her, though his weaving wasn't nearly as precise as hers had been. He slipped a couple times, panicking as his claws failed to find purchase in the metal, but his paw pads did a good job of securing his grip, and he managed to reach the top safely, letting out a few stressed puffs. Wind gently buffeted his fur, and he slowly relaxed, taking in the new sights. From here, the city almost looked pretty, with lights streaming out of the squares in buildings; one, made entirely of something that looked like clear ice, reflected the moon's light; from here, though, he couldn't quite see StarClan's Eye over the tallest buildings. He frowned a little, lowering his gaze to the black molly, who sat on the roof with both forepaws placed squarely on a small ledge. She stared over the city, her ears and eyes focused on scanning the pathways. Slowly, he approached her, careful to make sure his pawsteps were heavy, as not to break her concentration. Despite his best efforts, she still turned to face him, one ear tilted in mild irritation.
"You suck at following orders, forest-cat."
"You'll have to forgive me," He chuckled, sitting next to her. "I'm not used to taking orders from apprentices."
She tilted her head a little at the word, but didn't pry into it, turning her attention back to the streets. He followed her gaze, trying to see what she found so interesting; he failed to, though, only seeing a whole lot of monsters moving up and down like fish in a river.
"I'm watching for food," She spoke to him, as if answering that unspoken question. "Down there, those structures with the red banners. Humans will toss out bags of perfectly good food every night. If we time it right, we're able to get first pickings - and we kind of need to, with Amity and Courage around. If they get sick or underfed, we all suffer."
"Kits have to eat first," He agreed. Mercy nodded, keeping her eyes on the building as he continued. "Do you have to fight with other cats for it?"
"Sometimes, but usually we're quick enough to get something good and bolt before they can attack. When one of us leaves the alley, the others all wake up and listen for a fight, just in case we need backup. Raccoons and possums are more dangerous, though. A couple good cats have died to rabies that they contracted from 'em."
"You don't have medicine cats?"
"You sure do say a lot of weird words, don't you?"
She finally turned to face him again, and he chuckled awkwardly, shaking out his fur.
"I mean healers. Cats who can help you recover."
"Nope. It's life or death out here. We can, technically, try to find a human to help us, but it's risky. Sometimes cats get taken and never come back - sometimes they show up again with a collar."
Plumstar grunted, unsure of what to think as he looked to the sky again, changing the subject. "... You can't really see the stars out here."
"No need," She replied, "The cars and buildings give us enough light to see. Besides, what use are they, anyway? They're pretty, sure, but that's about all they are."
The tom glanced to her, ears twitching. "In the Clans, the stars are important. They represent the spirits that watch over us. The cats who told me to come here," He added, jerking his head up, "Came from the stars. We depend on them to keep things in order."
"You forest cats sound incredibly crazy," She snorted, fixing him with an amused look. Plumstar shrugged, giving her a faint smile in return.
"Maybe we're crazy, but I don't think we're too different. The way you five live almost reminds me of home."
Mercy softened, and looked down towards the food building again, perked to attention.
"You should get some rest, forest-cat."
"I have a name."
"I'm aware. You're our prisoner."
A brief sideways glance, before she tensed. Plumstar followed her gaze once more, watching a human drag out a black bag and leave it in the alley next to their building. Mercy darted across the roof, then, towards the side facing the street. Impulsively, Plumstar darted after, and she paused, looking back.
"You don't have to come."
"You might need some extra muscle. Us forest-cats are really good at fighting."
She snorted. "I guess you are… Fine. Follow me, down these stairs!"
The stars above twinkled a little more brightly as they climbed down. Soon enough, he'd know he found who he'd been sent to find.