The fight against Billy reaches it's conclusion... but how will it all end...?


Gradually, Newton came to awareness again. He felt, a tightness across his chest and belly, but around him was the warm comfort of sheets and fabric, is eyes opening to the increasingly familiar visage of his room in the village.
For a long moment, he was silent and still. Had it been a dream… no, and he wasn’t entirely sure if he’d want that anyway… would he? He let himself dwell on that question for a time. They were all gone, those who went with him. Yet he had managed to succeed, hadn’t he? He let himself linger on the unavoidable point that he’d need to go and, find out what happened. It made his tail twist under the sheets. Dread. He’d made a deal with that Billy cat… more or less. But would that be worth anything… he hated to consider how uncertain that question left him.
Slowly Newton sat himself, wincing slightly, and feeling to his side… it hurt a bit but, not that much, more the surprise of being reminded. He understood the tightness now, pristine white cloth was wrapped around him. A perk of the cats he supposed. He’d seen a lot of things be used to bandage wounds before… but this might be an, actual bandage.
As he eased up, he noted, a nut rested on a small table by the door… suddenly hungry he approached it, touching his paws. Roasted, and still warm… he ravenously ate it, crunching into the sweet, savoury and heavy treat… it eased some of his anguish, for now.
And so, Newton drew a slow breath, and pushed out through the door into the village of mice, looking around the high walls of the closet in which they made home. The air wasn’t as tense as he was. A survey around, gave him some hope. Mice were scurrying like they always did. There was a crowd near the door from the closet, lingering in the wide, empty space there… where they would interact with cats. It wasn’t that huge a crowd though. And nothing looked, different other than that.
He drew in a new breath, the soothing aromas of fellow mice, cooking food, exposed wood. Bolstered, and wary of his side, he dropped to fours and bounded down the main road towards the gathered mice, eyes seeking one in particular. He guessed John would be there… and he quickly proved the assumption right.
The young mouse was lingering alone on the edge of the group, a nervous energy in his twisting forepaws, eyes lingering on the door, glancing to the other mice, listening to the chatter. His focus though, flicked quickly to Newton as he bounded closer.
“Oh, you’re up” John exclaimed, a light smile rising to his features, before falling again “how are you doing…?”
“Well enough, I think” Newton noted, touching a paw to his side “Guess that annoying armour isn’t completely useless”
John nodded mutely, before gesturing in the direction of the door “we’ve heard nothing since Matthew brought you back… well, nothing directed at us” he noted “there was some shouting, and clattering, things got pretty quiet after that. Kinda hoping you can fill us in some”
Newton felt to his whiskers, aware the other mice gathered near the door were starting to gravitate in his direction. He disliked crowds
“I’m not sure” he offered “But…” Newton paused, to sighed heavily “the others are gone…”
“Kinda guessed that, unfortunately” John noted “but, it wasn’t a wipe, so…” he left the question hanging meaningfully
“Well… I beat Billy” Newton spoke carefully, letting the weight of that care hold any excitement at bay “But I’m not sure how they’re handling it”
“Oh…” John’s ears gave a slightly, optimistic perking, twitching with the uncertainty in Newton’s words “that’s good, at least?” his head cocked “but something went wrong, or…?”
“Short version” Newton muttered “Billy, seemed to get into the idea even more than I could have imagined. I thought he’d feel compelled to agree, but his, glee, to be part of that damn game…” he rolled a shoulder “he led us to a weapon, a god killer I suppose, but it was a syringe…”
“Oh…” John pawed along his jaw “oh wow…”
“He crushed that, Arthur mouse…” Newton added “flattened him armour and all… Twine he… he ate Twine” he grunted, the memories, uncomfortable “Martha, I guess you’ll maybe understand it more, she was using the magic of the game, offered herself as sacrifice? To, make that Aaron cat intervene”
“Oh…” John murmured again “that… would mean the, chosen deity would… literally take them as sacrifice… so, he ate her?”
“I guess so” Newton shrugged “I didn’t see him swallow, I was preoccupied, but he said he accepted it and mouthed her right off the tower. I was busy ramming that syringe right into Billy’s leg”
“Was that, the thud?” John wondered “not long before Matthew brought you back, we heard, quite an impact”
“He hit the ground, certainly” Newton rolled his shoulder “not sure what was in it, he said, muscle relaxant? Which I would assume by the name makes his muscles, not respond to him…”
“Sounds about right…” John looked back to the door “It sure sounds like the adventure was a success, if a costly one…”
“Maybe” Newton folded his forelimbs to his chest “assuming they keep their word”
“I mean, mice died over it, I think the village wouldn’t accept them going back on it, it was right there in the quest reward” John asserted “We might yet celebrate today… in the honour of the lost, to the removal of Billy” he offered a slightly more fixed smile, petting Newton’s shoulder “you, and they, might just have done a great thing for the village, Newton”
He rolled the shoulder, trying to discard the paw “I’m not sure the cats expected to need to keep that promise. They seemed a lot more concerned about Billy than any of us… heck, that Raina almost stomped me flat rushing close” Newton shook his head slowly “it still baffles me… they hold you in such a double standard… and yet”
“You don’t really want to have this conversation again, right?” John mused
“No, you’re right, I don’t” Newton sighed “this is your life, I’ll just be happy if I’ve made it a bit better. Might make me feel better about leaving”
“You, don’t have to go” John added slowly
“I wouldn’t be happy here” Newton said with a quick shake of his head
“I guess not” John frowned a little “so… you’ll go back to wandering? Seems lonely… and dangerous”
“It can be both” Newton conceded “But it will be my life till I find, well…” he looked off, towards the door, thinking of the world beyond it “find somewhere I feel comfortable calling home again, I guess… first thing is first though, I think I need to find a way out of the city” he grunted “fool thing I did coming here… I was angry, wanted to prove a cat wrong, and here I am. Grass is always greener, they say… I think I’m learning that despite my best hopes for the city, it’s a worse place to try and survive than where I was, doesn’t help I’m a novice to the common sense of this terrain”
“Well… maybe…” John began, before all mice froze, ears perking. They heard paws, heavy ones, approaching the door.
It was a familiar figure, that loomed into the doorway. Imposing in the way cats always were to the diminutive mice. Newton swore he would never understand how the other mice didn’t, flinch away as the feline capable of… and provably so, of swallowing any of them whole, moved in close to tower over their village. Newton gazed up the fluffy white cliff of Matthew’s chest, to the long whiskered featured of the feline. He folded his forelimbs.
Matthew crouched lower, till his short muzzle hovered over the group. A slight, heat sinking from the breath of the cat “Hey there, little guys” Matthew offered a slightly, tired smile “and Newton… glad to see you’re alright”
“Oh yeah, I’m fine…” Newton chimed in “Luckily Billy’s claws didn’t puncture too deep, and Raina just missed squishing me flat, so… I’m fine. Sure hope Billy’s ok… that’s what really matters”
A slight scowl darkened Matthew’s features above, before a paw rose to roll over his eyes for a moment, down to his jaw, a low exhale escaping the feline “you’d have preferred I tend to your injuries myself, I suppose… with these?” he held the paw towards the mice, flexing the digits, with unsheathing claws “or paced back and forth outside the village perhaps, hoping my footfalls didn’t wobble the surgeon needle too much?” A shrug punctuated his point “I brought you to the best place to help you, but with all due respect, Billy was more important to me in that moment, yes”
“Because he’s a cat, and I’m just a mouse” Newton added
“Newton…” John hissed beside him, before Matthew’s muzzle loomed in closer. Newton resisted the instinctive urge to step back… he’d, seen striking cats, this wasn’t the pose… but still… the proximity of the muzzle was unnerving, as was the cage of whiskers that folded forward to his left and right.
“Yes, Newton, because he’s a cat” Matthew spoke, the voice thrumming through the smaller mouse “Believe it or not, I was worried about you” Matthew drew back slowly “But, there’s one key difference, and yes… it’s because he’s a cat. Because if he was seriously injured, or good grief, worse, what then? University asking questions, or…” he pawed his face again “if the police got involved… I know he asked for it, but, you stabbed a cat with a syringe… I’m not sure you really grasp how that sounds out of context, especially since… yes, you’re mice. You’re not protected by law, there isn’t exactly trials for rodents., you’re not part of society. Technically you’re animals… except with the added emphasis on your actions attached to thought. Heck, they put a swan to death for killing some idiot’s pet when it literally went right towards its chicks…” he glanced back towards the door “I speak for the others when I say we care for you but… not enough to get a criminal record, we’ve got lives to think about. Worst case scenario, all we could do would be to look the other way and pretend we don’t know about that hole you’ve got leading outside when someone comes along to remove you. Either because your nest has been deemed dangerous, or… just because our club’s activities have been, and it gets shut down… meaning we’d not be able to keep you around”
Newton grunted faintly, it was, an angle he hadn’t really been thinking about. Society, laws, rapid communication. The world of the cats. Mouse settlements were all independent of each other, some… were best avoided. Each had their own rules, but… not quite like the ways of the cats
“That’s why I was so worried, and I’m sorry if it seemed like I didn’t care about you” Matthew tried to offer a weak smile, but it didn’t quite fit well on his features “I was, pretty impressed with that leap of yours… what little I saw, it all happened so fast and, Billy was on the floor, not responding…”
“So how is the lion…” Newton murmured
“He’s fine” Matthew noted “he’s sitting in a chair in the… menagerie. We, called the emergency services… I mean, I wasn’t entirely sure I trusted his explanation of that… thing, first I’d heard of it, you know?” he rolled a shoulder “but the syringe had some information on it… and they talked us through how to move him and… yeah, the panic is over… he’s bleeding a bit but he’ll be fine” He exhaled slowly “now I’m just hoping he doesn’t get spiteful about his… loss, he could still report this.. but, well, don’t worry. We’ve agreed if he does we’ll cover for you that much, so long as it’s just his word against ours and he’s got no, injuries to support his case or that…”
Newton nodded slowly. His mind, drifted back to his time with the panther. Hadn’t he said something about, well, a mouse poisoning a cat. Strange, to realise the cats before him, so immense and, all powerful over the mice here, in and out of game, were still not so all powerful over the village’s fate. It almost made him laugh, how much he disliked that idea… somehow the village’s survival being in their paws made him feel better…
“Oh, and I have some good news” Matthew noted, ears perking as a more genuine grin crept up his features “it’s… hush hush… don’t let Billy find out, I… think he was too stunned to notice, but…” Matthew’s other paw rose into view, curled into a fist. The appendage settling before them before it uncurled, showing a small ball of fur.
Newton felt himself freeze, he recognised the shade, especially as it uncurled into a mouse “Twine?”
The doe wobbled a bit as she stood, nodding to the mice looking her way, before staggering off of Matthew’s paw, holding to the thumb for support.
“Found her on the floor… after everything” Matthew added “I’m not sure if that stuff loosened up his throat… or it was the impact against his stomach… he did, land on one of his arms, or… I don’t know, sheer willpower but, there she was… slimy but, here”
Newton stepped closer, as Twine smiled weakly his way “I thought you were dead” he muttered
“Me too” she rolled her shoulders, glancing to Matthew, who drew his paw back “I was… getting ready for it, hoping… mmm..” she hesitated “I… was hoping I’d die alone… but at the same time desperate not to… I wasn’t thinking very rationally or consistently in… inside”
Newton nodded slightly, resting a paw to her shoulder… so they were two… that, helped.
“Next thing I knew, everything was tighter” Twine added “I wriggled, and, I squirmed, and…” she sighed “I don’t remember much but desperation. I think, I got shoved into his throat and… maybe crawled my way high enough his body, chose out as the way of clearing his throat of the blockage”
Matthew cleared his throat “As I was saying, technically Billy caught and ate her fairly… so, maybe keep her out of his view… We, could take the stance that she also escaped fairly… but I’d really, really rather not have that conversation”
“So…” Newton looked back up to the looming feline “I did win… right. Billy isn’t allowed to come here anymore”
“Right…” Matthew pawed along his whiskers “that’s, my understanding of the agreement… he hasn’t said much but, hopefully he won’t throw up a fuss…”
“If I may, Matthew” John chipped in “it is the village’s understanding on embarking on the quest that, Billy’s continued absence would be part of the reward. We’d hold you to that”
“Well… it is our club now, he’s only here as a guest, so, he can’t really object” Matthew muttered “you need to understand though, this is an awkward situation, we’ve never had, you mice effectively ban a player before. But… I’m not saying that’s wrong; it seems fair enough if you’re willing to, well, take the risk to make it so, we should respect your decision” he rolled a shoulder “makes me wonder if we should have your approval before we add new members? I think myself and the rest need some time to talk about all this… but, Billy… he shouldn’t, come back…”
Newton felt a frown deepen at the hesitance… he hoped, it was just Matthew being nervous of possibly having to drive away another cat, rather than hesitance to hold up their end.
Newton saw Matthew’s ears prick up suddenly, before the sound of an approach echoed behind, from the room beyond… there were voices too, sharp but unintelligible.
Matthew turned, as into the doorway, came a figure that made Newton freeze… the lion. Billy, didn’t carry the same air of careful control. His mane wasn’t as neat, the fur on his face was dishevelled, and he was wearing different glasses, which his paw rose to adjust, regularly.
“Billy… what are you doing?” Matthew’s tone held an air of warning as he, kept himself in the doorway.
A scowl darkened the loin’s visage “oh, get out of the way, Matthew… I’m not going to hurt any of the squeakers… but I want to see, that one”
“I’m pretty sure he doesn’t want to see you…” Matthew muttered
A low growl stirred in the lion’s throat, as he adjusted his glasses again “I’m a cat of my word, Matthew, you know me better than that. I’m leaving, but I want, to see that mouse…”
Newton felt himself, trembling… but, he wasn’t sure what feeling was driving it. The lion didn’t seem, wild and vengeful to his eye… but was he willing to risk his life on that, not really…
“Compromise…” Raina’s voice came from behind the Lion “Matthew holds the mouse… and you look, without touching”
“Good grief” Billy grunted “fine, fine… I don’t appreciate being treated like a damned convict though”
Matthew turned, an apologetic grimace as his paws descended, scooping around Newton “sorry… but… this’ll be quicker”
Newton wasn’t quite sure how to respond, but any words he’d have formed fell away as he was lifted, up to the level of the cats, Billy looking… less imposing from this height. Matthew’s fingers curled protectively around him, as Billy leaned in a little closer. He tried to meet the feline’s sharp gaze… but it was difficult, his instincts rejected staring the predator in the face.
“Newton… was what you were called” Billy noted slowly “I underestimated you, I can admit that…” he clicked his tongue “wood mouse… well” he leaned back a bit “I hope we meet again, mouse…” his gaze flicked to Matthew “feel free to come along to any of my games, offer goes to all of you, mind you. This, little event saves me the trip of coming out here anyway”
“We’ll consider it” Matthew murmured, as the Lion eased back, the rest of the group scattering away as the Lion gave faint nods to them in passing, skulking for the far door… out of the room, and, Newton noted with some satisfaction, out of the world of these mice.
“Well, that went better than I feared” Matthew sighed heavily, fingers unfolding from around Newton.
The mouse flopped to his backside on Matthew’s paw… he was glad it was over… he looked up, to find Matthew looking at him… it was an odd thing. Part of him expected the paw to rise, jaws to part… but part of him knew this cat… wouldn’t be doing that to him. The fight between his instinctive knowledge, and his understanding, was hard to resolve.
As Newton looked back down, he found himself looking along the broad shape of Aaron and, paused. There was a shape, sitting on his shoulder “Martha?” Newton blurted
Matthew cocked his head, and smiled faintly “right… Aaron, we didn’t let them know”
The ginger furred cat eased a bit closer, bumping his cheek to the mouse on his shoulder. Newton, struggled to recognise her… without the robes, but… it seemed to be.
“Short version is, she did sacrifice herself, to her god, so she’s mine now” Aaron noted “but… it’s not like her character died, so, I figured I’d take her home instead. I’ve, got a lot of fond memories with my high priestess”
Behind, Jason folded his arms “we’re setting some precedents carelessly, in my opinion”
Newton considered, Martha. He couldn’t see her too well, the distance between the cats a lot more immense to a mouse perspective. But… he saw her nudging to the neck of the feline, with what he had to consider, fondness. It did remind him… two of the cats had… literal service to their god as part of their religions in the game… and she was high priestess. It, brought a smile to his lips, oddly enough. Not imagining what that must mean, but, more realising how little he’d known about that older doe. He, hoped she’d have a good life there, she seemed happy.
“Anyway…” Matthew spoke above Newton “let me put you back, and, we’ll leave you mice in peace…” he cleared his throat slightly “mostly in peace… I assume you’re all going to be, celebrating the victory, we might have something to contribute”
The table, and village upon it, swept up beneath Newton again, as Matthew turned, and lowered the mouse back into the world built to his scale, the remaining cats moving from the doorway, before it was shut, leaving the mice, alone.
Newton found himself scratching at his jaw, at a loss, he supposed. What now…? He’d won but, that was a sleep ago. It felt anticlimactic. Still, there was a pleasant warmth in his chest, the relaxation of a danger passed.
He felt a thump to his back, before John eased in beside him, a wide grin on the younger features “you actually did it, Newton… I saw that, staring down a cat… Billy no less”
“I wouldn’t put it that way” Newton muttered
“Well, that’s the way the bards will tell it” John winked to him “come on... word is spreading, we’re going to have a party, the whole village. You’re mouse of Honour, Newton”
“I, see” Newton found the words sliding out slowly. A party… he couldn’t remember the last time he was at a celebration that deserved such a, wild and free name. Mice living in the walls, were a quiet sort. In some ways it made sense… he’d driven off Billy, he’d done a good thing, hadn’t he? He’d hoped to make things better but, he hadn’t really thought about being thanked for it. Especially after John’s scolding over… how fraught a position he’d put them in
“We’ll be, raising a mug to Arthur, of course” John noted, tone becoming a touch more sombre “but… Billy is gone, vanquished, and three of the four remain standing, though I guess Martha isn’t joining us”
Newton exhaled slowly. Yes, Arthur… Martha’s survival… that was in the hands of the gods, Twine felt like a miracle… Arthur… there would be no, recovering from that one. In some ways the reaction of these mice reminded him of the mice outside. They too, gave a slow nod of acceptance to loss, and tried to magnify the good. He didn’t blame them. Still, it had always felt odd to him, almost, disrespectful, to celebrate the good, while a mouse’s life had passed. He supposed, that was probably foolish thinking though. He’d not known Arthur for more than an hour if that, but still he felt the mouse would prefer to be remembered in a bittersweet way such as this, than to be the cause of sorrow. He felt most mice he’d met who ventured into danger were like that.

What came was, more of an event than Newton felt comfortable with. Large tables dragged out into the main plaza, food brought out in plenty, by mice with beaming smiles. The door only opened once, the cats delivering a long column of wrapped biscuits, which were torn to pieces and served.
More than one mouse lingered around Newton, faces he didn’t know, to congratulate or thank him. It was more depressing than heartening, and not just because each thanks came with a hint of their personal tales of woe regarding the lion. He didn’t feel he deserved any of it, and the whole event made him uncomfortable. It was hard, to push aside completely, the instinct to be quiet and still. While he watched so many mice feast and dance around each other. His home, or, what had been his home, it had never been quite like this. There had been a yearly event or two, held deep under the tree’s roots, but, it had been with guards and watchers, and though he had been young then he had noticed a lot of the adults had been so, alert. He’d come to understand why. But there was a sincere, peace that filled the joy of those around him. Here, in their home, they knew no fear.
Was part of him dreading leaving this place? Maybe. The reasons to leave felt increasingly vague even to him. But he couldn’t help seeing this place as a honeytrap. There were a lot of things he could draw on to justify that… but, a fair few against it in turn. But, he told himself yet again, a mantra that, he had to admit felt slightly hollow, that this place just wasn’t for him. This couldn’t be his home. Even if he acknowledged how happy the other mice seemed here. Even if he let him deciding he had to leave soon, because the risk of changing his mind was too great.
Newton did eat, but kept himself to the fringes, and was happy when mice stopped coming to him. A part of him wanted to release his grip, that grasp on the ball of tension in his chest. The weight keeping him from joining the joyous mice. When Twine came to his side, rested a paw to his shoulder, and nodding off from the gathering, he went with her. All too happy for the excuse to tear his eyes away from the sight that plagued upon his hopes.
She didn’t speak, as she led him back to the room where he was lodged. She didn’t need to, when she brought him inside, and probed her muzzle under his jaw. They weren’t loud, even with so much noise outside to drown them. Newton met the eyes of the doe as she pressed him to his back, and eased herself upon him. She was like him, he knew. From the same world as him, where mice were silent.
Together they rolled, muted squeaks lost beneath the layers of fabric, grasped close, and relaxing into the physical pleasures of each other. They took their time. Newton found he liked her scent, nosing against her ear as he rocked with her, listening to the slightest hint of her voice in each panting gasp for air. And yet it felt so brief. She held him to the bed as he went limp with pleasure, and as her body drew from him what she had come for. He licked back as her, as her muzzle came in close to lick at his whiskers. But then, she left, and the bed felt cooler for her absence.
Newton caught his breath, and let the woozy afterimage of the sleek doe drift him towards sleep. There was no love in their union, nor the bittersweet romance of some lovelorn tale. It was not the act of repayment, or a tender farewell. It was simpler than all of that. A release of emotion, of confusion, in the simplifying act of unity. It wasn’t Newton’s first such meeting. He’d had females slink into his room, for similar trysts… if ones he felt, less eager to be part of. Such was the way of the wild mice. A passing traveller was new blood… if they were male.
In Twine’s act, Newton felt a more, pure acceptance. An acknowledgement of his base worth. He doubted he’d see her again, as he dozed off.

Newton slept well, and though time was hard to judge in the closet, he felt the weight of time he had been asleep. He cast a look around the room that, could in theory have become his life, before stepping out into the paths of the village. The presence of a cat was, immediately apparent. Only Matthew, but the cat seemed lower than he normally was, while perched by the open space where they interacted with the mice.
He gave fate a moment, but John didn’t appear to spring on him… nor, he mused idly, did Twine. His mind swam with the doe for a moment, a slight, wistful exhale, before he put her from his mind again. He didn’t want anything poking from his fur…
He had a fairly good idea where John might be, if Matthew was overlooking the village, and with that in mind, Newton scurried down the path for the looming presence of the cat. Well aware when the eyes flicked his way, and lingered.
“Well, good morning” Matthew greeted him with a smile to his muzzle “I was asking after you”
Newton replied to the cat with a nod… he still felt a little uncomfortable in the feline shadow. But, despite himself, he liked Matthew… somewhat. So long as he didn’t remind himself that the cat ate mice. Perhaps, nice for a cat, was how he’d label his feelings towards the white and grey feline. As expected, he saw John there, sat to his backside, looking round at him. The two had been talking, he supposed. John was free of his normal, attire, though there was a bag next to him.
“Not interrupting, am I?” Newton wondered
“I wouldn’t say that” Matthew mused. One elbow was settled like a pillar of muscle and fur to the edge of the mouse village, the cat’s head resting on the paw. Now he was closer, Newton could see more of the cat’s posture… must be sitting on something “Myself and the group did a lot of talking yesterday, about everything that happened and so on. I won’t bore you with the rules talk… I know you don’t really care but, I wanted to get some, murine perspective”
“Like me” John chimed in, tail swishing.
Newton glanced between the two… a lot, alike, but for their species and slot on the food chain
“But John told me, you’re leaving today” Matthew added “anything I can do to convince you to stay?”
Newton clicked his tongue “stop eating mice forever?”
Matthew chuckled weakly, the act revealing the, very predatory teeth in that muzzle “Were it so easy”
“But no” Newton rolled a shoulder “I’m not really interested in staying here. It has a lot to offer but, I wouldn’t be happy”
“Well, that’s important” Matthew sighed “I wish you well out there, I mean, try to avoid needing rescued. I’d hate to think you left us and got snapped up by a crow or something three steps from the hole” the cat took a weaker smile “it’s a shame… heck, I was already planning games for like, any kids you have” He cleared his throat, voice coming out deeper, and commanding “Son of Newton, following in his legendary father’s footsteps, to find the sword that cut down death…” he smirked down to the mice “I mean, not literally the same thing, of course but, thematically…”
Newton hesitated, as the other paw of the feline rose into view, and swept in closer to him, but it didn’t grasp. Instead, a single digit extended to poke at his chest. Getting the idea, Newton grasped it for a moment, feeling Matthew bob it up and down
“Nice having you around, you’ll always be welcome to come back if you can find your way”
“I, appreciate the offer” Newton muttered. It felt like the right thing to say… it wasn’t entirely untrue, though.
“Well… I guess I’ll go” Matthew eased back from the table, arms rising high, sleek feline physique displayed in a stretch, before he stood from his chair “I’d get in the way of, mouse farewells. I’ll go get lunch and come back later, see you then?”
John nodded up to the cat “Oh, sure, I’ll have time”
Matthew gave a nod to the small mouse, eyes drifting to Newton for a moment, giving a nod in turn, if a slightly more, muted one. The cat’s paw slid to the handle, and he let himself out, a brief glimpse of the huge room beyond, before the door clicked shut.
“Well…” John mused “I guess then, I should take you down to the way out” he shot a glance to the bag beside him “this is for you, by the way”
Newton flicked his eyes to the bag… it was a nice backpack, looked a bit overstuffed “Oh?”
“I was watching you, last night” John added “and I think I was starting to see some of what you normally say, about how, this place isn’t for you” he sighed “you got so tense, when anyone approached you. So, this morning I went round some of the stalls… gathered you some things, you know? I got the feeling, you’d get uncomfortable doing that. Since they’d probably all want to thank you”
“That was, thoughtful” Newton murmured “thanks” he crouched low to the bag, opening it, to peek within… looked, pretty good. Tools to replace those he lost, blankets, cord and rope
“I had a talk with some of the mice who came from outside, to figure out what you needed. I, was going to put your sword in there but, I figured you wouldn’t be needing it”
“Not really” Newton closed the bag once more “it’s not like here, out there… you don’t fight, you run. And honestly, if I felt fighting was the only option… I’d be aiming to bite and run” he looked to John for a moment. The younger mouse seemed, almost sullen “I’ll tell you what… you hold onto the sword… if Twine has any, pups or such… let them inherit it”
“Twine?” John cocked his head, before his eyes widened in realisation, and the mouse looked off “uh, right… of course… sure. Wow…”
Newton eased the bag onto his shoulders. It wasn’t as heavy as it looked… but still he felt he’d want to cut down on the contents… maybe not in view of John. The young mouse had, tried. It meant more than Newton had expected…
“Anyway, this way” John gestured to the rim of grasses that surrounded their village, leading Newton through, to a long, makeshift ramp that ran all the way down from the table to the floor. Newton could make out, the large rock they blocked the hole with
“Do you have, a plan?” John mused as they walked “Where you’re going, I mean”
“Sort of” Newton grunted, looking up to the edge of the table, as the signs of the mouse village started to fade from view “I want to get back where I was, if I can” he noted “or out of the city, I think” he shook his head slowly “I dreamt of coming here, you know? Suppose I figured the cats here would be too busy to bother with mice… and lots of places to hide. And maybe I’m not entirely wrong, but so far I’ve just realised I’m out of my depth here, I’m not, savvy to the ways of this place. I just want to get back to greenery”
“Well, there’s a big green space not far from the exit” John noted “it’s a big square of grass and trees… I’ve never gone that far, but, it seems, pretty” he added uncertainly “a lot of cats go there though. We’re on a university campus, lots of cats”
“Worse” Newton muttered.. he had heard the word, university spoken by felines before, enough to feel he understood a few things about it “teenage cats”
John rolled a shoulder “if… you tried to live there, there would be cats around a lot, they lounge on the grass and play and stuff…”
“Meaning they’d not be too busy to chase a mouse” Newton noted. Sounded a high-risk place. Maybe high reward… but he wasn’t sure he was comfortable with the idea. In theory there should be few dangerous animals except the cats but… a lot of them?
“There is something else” John mused “on the opposite side of the green place from us, there’s this… uh, I guess it’s a club like here? Or maybe something more. Some of the mice who came here from outside mentioned it. Apparently they help mice, or so I’m told. Matthew didn’t like to talk about them… actually, he actively avoided it, but it sounds like they refuse to eat mice, think it’s immoral”
“Oh?” Newton mused
“Anyway, according to the mice who came here… they claim to take mice out of the city, to release in the wild, I suppose. Twine considered going, but she reasoned that, while she misses her home, she’d have no guarantee of being taken to, that forest” he smiled faintly “and I like to think she likes being here with us…”
Newton sighed. The younger buck’s attraction felt plain… if understandable “I’m not entirely sure I trust cats enough for that…” he clicked his tongue. But he was hearing this from mice… but, where had those mice heard it from? It sounded too good to be true. Worth trying though? He couldn’t be sure. How else was he going to leave the city? He considered grabbing onto a vehicle again, and dismissed it… no, that seemed a bad idea, he felt lucky to have survived that trip at all. Maybe he could find some mice who made life in the city, in a more… normal way than the mice here.
They reached the floor, and John scurried over to the hole. There were mice there already, and pushed the stone, easing it slowly away. Beyond it… a gap into the wall. Newton swore he could already feel the cooled wisps of outside air wafting through.
“I guess, this is goodbye then” John turned to face him, glancing back to the table, Newton following his gaze.
He could see the shapes of mice above, watching the departure.
“We’ll remember you” John noted “it wasn’t a long stay but… I think I speak for the others in the village when I say, we appreciate you standing up to Billy”
“It wasn’t really me who got rid of him” Newton murmured “any mouse could have done it”
“Maybe” John rolled a shoulder “but… you pushed us to it, if you want to see it that way. I, kinda hope you come back one day to see where we go from here… but I guess that would mean your plans fail… which I don’t want”
Newton smiled gently, petting John’s shoulder “take care of yourself, John… try not to get eaten. You’re, a good mouse, if a little… cattish”
John gave him a slight smile, an embarrassed sway to the mouse “I know it doesn’t make sense a lot of the time but, I really do like cats Newton. Matthew is my best friend, even though he could… and, yeah, in some situations, would eat me. I like to think he wouldn’t, and maybe if it got tested I’d be wrong but, I’m happy with things right now”
Newton gave a faint nod, looking back to the passage out. It was a different mindset, these mice. His thoughts lingered on Twine. Would something come of that, he wondered. Would he have a lineage here, under the paw of cats. He wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that. He could have brood all over, such was the way of mice. If it was so… he hoped they’d be as, happy as John… odd as that was to wish for.
He drew a breath, and stepped forward, into the gap, and into the shadow of the wall, leaving behind the games of cats and mice, listening to the slow grate of the rock being pushed back. A new adventure, he supposed, as he dropped to fours and scurried down the long weaving tunnels. Ironically enough, he reflected… more dangerous than his last.