"Hurry up or we'll be late!" Jaguarpaw called from several tail-lengths ahead of Crimsonpaw.

She rolled her eyes and quickened her pace, slipping into the alleyway after him. Her tail fur was spiked in caution, her ears pricked for any sounds of danger. Twolegplace was strange. So many odd scents and sounds. The damp ground underpaw was too hard, it made her pawpads hurt. "Where are we even going?"

"It's a surprise." The golden tom replied, leaping nimbly onto a green twoleg box. Crimsonpaw scrambled up after him, her lip curling at the reek coming from within the box.

"What is this?" She muttered, watching as Jaguarpaw scooted up the wall and onto the windowsill of a twoleg den.

"A twoleg rubbish bin." Jaguarpaw replied. "It's where they put their leftovers."

"Ugh." Crimsonpaw gagged, quickly following him onto the ledge.

"You'd be surprised what you can find in them. I once found a complete fish in there." He chuckled as he led the way to the next windowsill. "It was a bit old, but still tasty."

Crimsonpaw flattened her ears and muttered. "I hate fish."

"You've never tried it." He pointed out.

"I would never want to." She replied with a snort. "It stinks terribly."

"Well I think it's rather delicious." He flicked his spotted tail in her muzzle before bunching his muscles. He pushed off from the ledge and skillfully shimmied up the wall until he reached the roof of the twoleg den, leaving Crimsonpaw staring up at him from where she perched on the ledge.

"Uh... How am I getting up there?" She queried, eyes narrowed.

"The same way I did." Jaguarpaw replied. "Come on, it's not that hard. And I'll catch you if you fall."

Crimsonpaw still didn't feel reassured at all but shook her head and crouched down, readying herself to spring onto the roof. However, just as she was about to jump, there was a shrill meow from below her. "Polka Dot!"

Jaguarpaw glanced down at something below Crimsonpaw and his eyes lit up. "Stripes!"

Crimsonpaw glanced down to see a light ginger she cat with dark stripes running down her back. She had blue eyes that matched Jaguarpaw's exactly. Who is this? She wondered. And what's up with the nicknames?

Jaguarpaw climbed down from the roof, brushing past Crimsonpaw to leap down to ground level. "What are you doing here?" He wondered, giving the she cat a brief nuzzle.

"My housefolk are away, so I thought I'd sneak out to look for you." She replied, returning the gesture before glancing up at Crimsonpaw. "Who's this?" Her tone of voice sounded slightly protective as she eyed the red she cat.

"This is Crimson." Jaguarpaw meowed, giving Crimsonpaw a silent order not to say anything about being a clan cat. "I met her a few days ago."

"Oh, nice to meet you Crimson." The she cat smiled sweetly. "My name is Tiger. I'm Jaguar's sister."

So that explained their similar eye colour. Crimsonpaw clumsily jumped down so that she stood beside Jaguarpaw. "He never mentioned having a sister." She noted.

"I never had the need to." The golden spotted tom replied, glancing between the two she cats.

Tiger chuckled. "Oh, Dot, always so secretive. Always saying the bare minimum."

Jaguarpaw rolled his eyes before fully turning to his sister. "Enough with the jokes now. I have something important to tell you."

"And what is that?" Tiger asked, narrowing her eyes.

"I'm not going to be around anymore. I'm going on a trip far from here." Jaguarpaw meowed, his whiskers twitching nervously as he faced his sister.

Crimsonpaw watched the two, not saying a word.

"Why?" Tiger asked simply.

"If I told you you'd hate me." Jaguarpaw sighed, shuffling his paws.

Tiger frowned. "But... You're all I have left.."

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave." Jaguarpaw brushed his nose against her cheek. "That's why I came back today, to say goodbye."

Tiger sniffed, her eyes glistening with fresh tears. "No, please Dot.. don't leave."

"I'm sorry, but the rogue life just isn't for me." He replied.

"Then join me, my housefolk will love you!"

He shook his head. "I'm not housecat either.."

"Then what are you going to do?" Tiger demanded. "Tell me!"

Crimsonpaw felt Tiger's gaze on her and she noticed the striped she cat take a deep sniff at her. Then she gasped. "She's a clan cat! You're joining her clan!"

"No!" Jaguarpaw denied, eyes wide. "I'm not!"

"Don't deny it! I can smell her filth on you! You traitor! Do you remember what happened to Mum and Dad?! How are you so eager to join the cats who killed our parents?" Tiger snarled, her ears flattened.

"It wasn't this clan, they were killed by another clan!" Jaguarpaw hissed.

"They're all the same!" Tiger growled. "Ruthless killers!"

"Hey!" Crimsonpaw hissed. "We're not killers!"

"Shut up, clan scum!" Tiger snarled. "You don't understand!"

Jaguarpaw growled at his sister. "Leave her alone!"

Tiger let out a bark of a laugh. "So now you're on her side now? I bet you're going to kill me now that you're one of them!"

Crimsonpaw bared her teeth. "Shut up!"

Tiger rounded on her, her claws slicing across Crimsonpaw's cheek. She squeaked and backed away in surprise. The striped she cat glared down at her. Why is everyone so much bigger than me? Crimsonpaw wondered with an inward sigh.

"You better start running before I slice up more of your pretty little face!" Tiger snarled, her blue eyes blazing in anger.

Crimsonpaw felt her breath hitch in her throat as the kittypet prepared to claw her again, quickly darting away. Jaguarpaw called for her to come back, but Crimsonpaw had already fled from the alleyway, her tail streaming behind her.

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