Lost, and to be found

"Are you sure?"

"Would I be making this up?" Reta barked back before hurrying back outside. KuliKuli fumbled with her shirt, before running behind her with only her shorts on. Felix would have called her back, but he figured the disappearance far outweighed her brief nudity. Besides, her mother and sisters have been nude for a while now without any embarrassment or shyness so, that had quite the effect on him.

Still, now is not the time to reminisce.

"Where did they go?" KuliKuli asked Janette as they met at the front doors. She was in the middle of lighting her torch.

"East, that way. You're going with me to the west."

She nodded. "Any chance they might be safe."

"Your family was calling for them for a while so, I hope so. But, I don't know." Both girls ran to their direction, pushing shrubs and bushes aside. She glanced over at her friend, "You run on ahead, you can move faster so get to it and see if you find something. I'll stay close to the house."

"What about Felix and Reta?"

"I told her what to do, they'll be fine. Right now, let's focus on finding your girls."

She smiled and nodded before pouncing off the bark of a large tree and climbing her way up the branches. She lost sight of her, but the following leaves shaking and falling lightly told her that she was moving from tree to tree. "Wow."

Shaking her head, she kept running forward, her eyes looking left and right searching for anything useful or curious to find.

"Felix, you stay here."

"What? Like heck I am-"

"Don't argue!" Reta yelled back as she stepped in front of him. "They have their speed to work with, and Janette knows the woods around here. You're not a monster-"

"Neither are you!"

"That's not the point! How do we know they get back if we aren't here? How do we help without getting in the way?" The look in her eyes and shortness of breath meant she wasn't going to back down. He looked to his shoulder, thinking things through.

"What about you?"

"I don't like it either, but I can't see why they would want us. Three kitties in the woods and a woman who knows the place, we don't have much to add to that."

"I can see in the dark."

"Not as good as a monster. Not like us."

He closed his eyes and breathed in, but nodded. She kept silent, turning around and sitting on the front steps. He sighed and leaned against the door, aggravated but understanding to an extent.

---

The light from the torch was helpful, but Janette was cautious not to push it near any objects. The last thing she wanted was a forest fire, that would be devastating for everyone around. Keeping the torch low, she squinted at a tree she had nearly passed by. Creeping closer, the torch helped her make out several marks embedded into the wood. In perfect timing, she heard someone pounce behind her as her tails dangled around like loose vines almost.

"Did you find something?"

"Yea, claw marks it looks like- DAH!" She shrieked and fell backwards as KuliKuli swung upside down to get a closer look.

She turned around seeing her friend recovering. "Careful, it's muddy and wet."

"Thanks." She replied sarcastically, being sure to snatch the torch up and checking to see if anything was lit. No fires, that's a relief. Wait a minute... she looked closer into the ground and caught an odd looking shape in the mud. "Hey, what's this look like to you?"

"Uhhh, really ugly feet?"

She frowned. "Boots, not feet. And none of us are wearing any. Smell it."

"Ew, the feet?"

"No-smell the area! You're a Nekomata, you can smell people remember?" KuliKuli shrugged and leaped down, landing on all fours above the footprints. Well, they may not be as good at tracking as dogs but, better them then nothing I guess.

"Huh... I think I smell something weird... and something sweet?" She looked puzzled before a lightbulb went off. "No wait, that sweet smell is her!"

"Great, can yo-" WHOOSH! Just like that, she was left with a shadow of a Nekomata instead, watching her friend just go off in that direction. Stumped and speechless, Janette looked around before realizing she was alone, all bets were on her now.

"Glad I could help?" She said before placing two fingers in her mouth and drawing in breath.

---

Felix and Reta looked over at the direction from where the whistle came from, their hopes slowly lifting. He drew a sigh of relief before she shut him down. "Not yet, that could just be a clue. Nothing is certain until they're back."

He nodded and sat beside her, a bit of a mood killer but she was right. Best not be too hopeful yet.

---

"Mom?" Syri cried, pausing in their sprint as a loud whistle cried far from where they were. Emyri gave a puzzled look, facing at both directions and now uncertain as to what she was tracking before. Her daughter looked even more worried, she needed a direction and fast.

"Go to them, that's the whistle. I'll follow but mommy needs to catch her breath okay?" Nodding, she stretched her legs before running off in all fours again, giving her the opportunity to continue moving forward. If they found them over there, then what was it she was tracking here? Slowly, her hope began to crumble as things weren't looking so confident for her. She was running low on stamina, in time she will need to rest. But the smell was growing stronger, she was so close.

Hearing the sound of hooves clocking onto a dirt path could now be heard, and before a second thought she drew her fangs and pounced over the other side of the shrubbery, only to find a wandering horse all alone. With it, two large sacks were being carried at each side, holes poked in as they let loose a small drain of a weird looking sandy texture onto the floor. Looking behind it, she noticed the trail it left, her eyes beginning to swell as she fell to her knees.

It was a diversion.

---

KuliKuli panted endlessly, pushing herself to run harder and harder, ignoring the scratches and slaps that twigs and branches would leave on her. That scent was growing stronger, she recognized that she was beginning to see a clearing at last. Can't slow down, can't slow down....

Her paws scraped at the floor hard, she found herself now arriving at the main cobblestone road that she and Felix often took in their walks to the market. Her chest was breathing up and down, her lungs exhausted yet her claws drawn. She could hear her heart begin to race as she stood on all fours, locking eyes with a shocked strange man and a horse and small carriage beside him. The carriage was open and she could make out someone laying inside, her tails dangling out.

Now certain she had found them, her tails raised up high and her limbs readied themselves. The hunter realized once she drew her fangs that she was ready for a fight.

"Let go of my sister, RIGHT NOW!"