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Description
In the southeastern territory of the city of Rome, a small band of felines trudged through open and rocky terrain. They moved slow, pausing every few steps to take in scents, observe the layout. To an onlooker, they might look confused or lost. But to a trained set of eyes, one could easily figure out what they were really doing; learning.

None of the cats complained about their laggy pace; they had been doing this job long enough to know that sometimes it was necessary to slow down. The only words they exchanged were professional and short. To someone who didn’t know, they might have sounded like they were speaking complete nonsense.
“No mark.”

“Heavy. Frequent.”

“None.”

“Further than last week.”
But they knew exactly what they were doing. They were checking for scents, trying to see where the movement of other cats was heading, and where their enemies seemed to be migrating.

At one point, the cat in the front of the group stood up straight, arching his back. “Augh,” Ben said. “We can see that the loner Defectors are moving, that’s for sure. But why?”

“Perhaps they’re running out of room,” Ace suggested. The smaller cat was by his side, staring off into the east, away from the city. “That’s the only logical explanation. There are more loners leaving the weak-banded Ferox, and they need to expand.”

“Odd, though,” Jax said from behind them, “that we haven’t noticed any sort of decrease in Feroxi numbers.”

“And there haven’t been enough escapes recently that this problem would have escalated this quickly,” Niall mentioned. From beside him, Martius muttered an agreement.

Ben had ordered all of the Elites out on these not-so-traditional territory checks four times in the past few weeks. Something strange was going on, and it bothered Ben that the Hunters didn’t know what it was.
“You’re stressing,” Jax deadpanned.

“No, I’m not,” Ben disagreed. He wasn’t looking at her, but he could feel her rolling her eyes at him.
“Maybe the prey is moving?” Solon offered. “Wouldn’t the Defectors have to move where the prey goes? Since they’re too stupid to just let the humans feed them.” This comment got a few quiet snickers from the group.

“Listen, Ben,” Acacia piped up, walking up to his other side. “In the end, does it matter why they’re moving? I mean, we’re all curious, of course, don’t get me wrong, but as long as we know where they are, we can still capture them, right?”

Ben paused, glancing at her. “You’re right, but...what if there’s something else going on? I almost feel like...the Defectors are planning something.”

Martius laughed. “Oh, man, Ben. They’re Defectors. They’re always planning something. Usually, something stupid.”

The group laughed again, and this time Ben let out a small chuckle, but his mind had sparked. Not caring how the Defectors think maybe made sense to a lot of Hunters. Why should they care? Their job wasn’t to understand their enemies, but to fight and capture them. Why did it matter that their territories were expanding towards the east? But Ben didn’t want to just fight them; he wanted to know them. The best way to take down your enemy is to completely and fully understand them. Scaeden had understood that, so much to the point where he’d forced the Hunters to pretend to be Defectors for a while. Maybe there wasn’t an important reason why the Solii were migrating. But maybe there was.
“They’ve been attacking human caravans more viciously,” Ben said quietly. The Elites were quiet, listening. “And more frequently. Mostly in the northern areas. And then they’ve been also moving south.” Ben paused, thinking. “The Solus must be forming an organized faction.”

There was another pause. “What makes you say that?” Niall asked.

Ben turned to look at his patrol. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. The Solus in the north are gathering and forming more organized attacks on humans. The ones who don’t want to participate are getting nervous and moving south. It’s the only explanation.”
Everyone paused again, thinking about this possibility. Finally, Solon shrugged. “It makes sense. But why are they banding together? Is it against us? But...they haven’t really been attacking us.”

Ben frowned, unsure how to answer. Jax piped, “Maybe it’s the Ferox.”

“Ohh, now there’s a thought!” Ace snickered. “The Defectors going at each others’ throats, doing our job for us. Weakening each other just enough for us to get some easy pickings.”

A few of the Elites smiled, glancing at Ben, who nodded. “If we’re right, this is perfect. A civil war among the Defection could be the opportunity of our lives.” He grinned. “Alright, good. For whatever reason, we’ll safely assume that the Solus and Ferox aren’t happy with each other. We’ll keep a close eye on both of them, and when they’re in a weakened state, we attack the Solus first.”

No one said anything, but Ben could feel the excitement buzzing between them, amplified by the gleeful glances everyone was giving each other and the low chuckles.

Jax sighed, a grin spread across her muzzle. “This...is going to be fun.”

A ways away, across the open, rocky terrain, green eyes peered out, watching the armored figures move across the plain, back to the city from where they came.

“Why do they live there and in the woods?” Vin muttered from behind him.
“I think they’re protecting the humans,” Mourey replied quietly.

“Why?” Vin said, but it was more of an annoyed remark than a question.
Mourey just shrugged, still watching the cats walk as if they were going to do something interesting. They didn’t.

Why protect humans? Humans were weak and pointless. Why were the Ferox acting like human slaves, wearing human-made clothes and armor, dying to protect their caravans? Why would they go through so much work when they could easily kill the humans and take over that glorious city themselves? Perhaps they used the humans as a way to survive; they worked for them, and in return, the humans fed them and gave them a place to live. But that was weak and dependent. Wouldn’t they rather be seen as strong and powerful and independent? Why make yourselves look like foolish, bumbling morons when you could be like the Olum; terrifying and strong.

"I don't like them," Vin said methodically.

Mourey inhaled deeply. "Neither do I," he replied, turning away from the patrol to look at her. "And they feel the same way about us."

"They should just agree to live under my mother."

"I agree, Vin," the older snow leopard told her. But they won't, the same way we would never bow to their leader. "Let's go find the other patrol and go home."

Vin turned to leave, but Mourey stopped in his tracks, shocked by what he had just said.

Home.

Mourey glanced up at the sky. The snowless, aura-less, blue sky.

This wasn't home. It never would be.

Hmmm and it seems Mourey thinks that the Hunters are just another group of Ferox who live in the city and protect humans :Ic How wrong he is...

And Ben thinks the Olum are just organized Solus. Again, very wrong. Both wrong. You both fail your tests.

1162 Words; Full Illustration; 6 Extra Characters; ?? deni for Ben

Jax (c)
Ace (c)
Niall (c)
Acacia (c)
Solon (c)
Martius (c)
Vin (c)
Mourey, Ben (c)

Description
In the southeastern territory of the city of Rome, a small band of felines trudged through open and rocky terrain. They moved slow, pausing every few steps to take in scents, observe the layout. To an onlooker, they might look confused or lost. But to a trained set of eyes, one could easily figure out what they were really doing; learning.

None of the cats complained about their laggy pace; they had been doing this job long enough to know that sometimes it was necessary to slow down. The only words they exchanged were professional and short. To someone who didn’t know, they might have sounded like they were speaking complete nonsense.
“No mark.”

“Heavy. Frequent.”

“None.”

“Further than last week.”
But they knew exactly what they were doing. They were checking for scents, trying to see where the movement of other cats was heading, and where their enemies seemed to be migrating.

At one point, the cat in the front of the group stood up straight, arching his back. “Augh,” Ben said. “We can see that the loner Defectors are moving, that’s for sure. But why?”

“Perhaps they’re running out of room,” Ace suggested. The smaller cat was by his side, staring off into the east, away from the city. “That’s the only logical explanation. There are more loners leaving the weak-banded Ferox, and they need to expand.”

“Odd, though,” Jax said from behind them, “that we haven’t noticed any sort of decrease in Feroxi numbers.”

“And there haven’t been enough escapes recently that this problem would have escalated this quickly,” Niall mentioned. From beside him, Martius muttered an agreement.

Ben had ordered all of the Elites out on these not-so-traditional territory checks four times in the past few weeks. Something strange was going on, and it bothered Ben that the Hunters didn’t know what it was.
“You’re stressing,” Jax deadpanned.

“No, I’m not,” Ben disagreed. He wasn’t looking at her, but he could feel her rolling her eyes at him.
“Maybe the prey is moving?” Solon offered. “Wouldn’t the Defectors have to move where the prey goes? Since they’re too stupid to just let the humans feed them.” This comment got a few quiet snickers from the group.

“Listen, Ben,” Acacia piped up, walking up to his other side. “In the end, does it matter why they’re moving? I mean, we’re all curious, of course, don’t get me wrong, but as long as we know where they are, we can still capture them, right?”

Ben paused, glancing at her. “You’re right, but...what if there’s something else going on? I almost feel like...the Defectors are planning something.”

Martius laughed. “Oh, man, Ben. They’re Defectors. They’re always planning something. Usually, something stupid.”

The group laughed again, and this time Ben let out a small chuckle, but his mind had sparked. Not caring how the Defectors think maybe made sense to a lot of Hunters. Why should they care? Their job wasn’t to understand their enemies, but to fight and capture them. Why did it matter that their territories were expanding towards the east? But Ben didn’t want to just fight them; he wanted to know them. The best way to take down your enemy is to completely and fully understand them. Scaeden had understood that, so much to the point where he’d forced the Hunters to pretend to be Defectors for a while. Maybe there wasn’t an important reason why the Solii were migrating. But maybe there was.
“They’ve been attacking human caravans more viciously,” Ben said quietly. The Elites were quiet, listening. “And more frequently. Mostly in the northern areas. And then they’ve been also moving south.” Ben paused, thinking. “The Solus must be forming an organized faction.”

There was another pause. “What makes you say that?” Niall asked.

Ben turned to look at his patrol. “It’s the only thing that makes sense. The Solus in the north are gathering and forming more organized attacks on humans. The ones who don’t want to participate are getting nervous and moving south. It’s the only explanation.”
Everyone paused again, thinking about this possibility. Finally, Solon shrugged. “It makes sense. But why are they banding together? Is it against us? But...they haven’t really been attacking us.”

Ben frowned, unsure how to answer. Jax piped, “Maybe it’s the Ferox.”

“Ohh, now there’s a thought!” Ace snickered. “The Defectors going at each others’ throats, doing our job for us. Weakening each other just enough for us to get some easy pickings.”

A few of the Elites smiled, glancing at Ben, who nodded. “If we’re right, this is perfect. A civil war among the Defection could be the opportunity of our lives.” He grinned. “Alright, good. For whatever reason, we’ll safely assume that the Solus and Ferox aren’t happy with each other. We’ll keep a close eye on both of them, and when they’re in a weakened state, we attack the Solus first.”

No one said anything, but Ben could feel the excitement buzzing between them, amplified by the gleeful glances everyone was giving each other and the low chuckles.

Jax sighed, a grin spread across her muzzle. “This...is going to be fun.”

A ways away, across the open, rocky terrain, green eyes peered out, watching the armored figures move across the plain, back to the city from where they came.

“Why do they live there and in the woods?” Vin muttered from behind him.
“I think they’re protecting the humans,” Mourey replied quietly.

“Why?” Vin said, but it was more of an annoyed remark than a question.
Mourey just shrugged, still watching the cats walk as if they were going to do something interesting. They didn’t.

Why protect humans? Humans were weak and pointless. Why were the Ferox acting like human slaves, wearing human-made clothes and armor, dying to protect their caravans? Why would they go through so much work when they could easily kill the humans and take over that glorious city themselves? Perhaps they used the humans as a way to survive; they worked for them, and in return, the humans fed them and gave them a place to live. But that was weak and dependent. Wouldn’t they rather be seen as strong and powerful and independent? Why make yourselves look like foolish, bumbling morons when you could be like the Olum; terrifying and strong.

"I don't like them," Vin said methodically.

Mourey inhaled deeply. "Neither do I," he replied, turning away from the patrol to look at her. "And they feel the same way about us."

"They should just agree to live under my mother."

"I agree, Vin," the older snow leopard told her. But they won't, the same way we would never bow to their leader. "Let's go find the other patrol and go home."

Vin turned to leave, but Mourey stopped in his tracks, shocked by what he had just said.

Home.

Mourey glanced up at the sky. The snowless, aura-less, blue sky.

This wasn't home. It never would be.

Hmmm and it seems Mourey thinks that the Hunters are just another group of Ferox who live in the city and protect humans :Ic How wrong he is...

And Ben thinks the Olum are just organized Solus. Again, very wrong. Both wrong. You both fail your tests.

1162 Words; Full Illustration; 6 Extra Characters; ?? deni for Ben

Jax (c)
Ace (c)
Niall (c)
Acacia (c)
Solon (c)
Martius (c)
Vin (c)
Mourey, Ben (c)