TBS | State of affairs

Abe paced through and fro in his den. He'd have to go out soon, having patrol duty awaiting him. Security was tighter then ever after what had passed, though Abe wondered if it did them any good now their youth, their future had been stolen by those followers. His heart ached for those poor and helpless kittens and he didn't dare imagine what those followers were planning on doing to them. He felt guilty even though he knew he and Lotus did their best. They had just been outnumbered, nothing would have changed that. Nonetheless the guilt ate away at him, fuelling his endless pacing.

It had no doubt be Cohen who had fed tactical information to the enemy. If it had been an adult cat, the fire-y male had no doubt turned in furry towards the male. But he was not, he was young. And though his words spoke of hate and darkness, Abe heard the desperation that lay below. Maybe he just wanted to believe in the good, maybe he was deluding himself. Yet others felt the same and maybe, just maybe, belief was all it took to make that belief reality.  He was relieved the vote had ended in a stay. The guard was heavy, but Abe hoped Cohen would see the light and prove himself.

Lotus. His respect for the she-cat had grown even more. She had been willing to look for the good in Cohen and selflessly offered her assistance. As a result the task and responsibility she was forced to bear was great. He swore he would pay her a visit and offer his assistance when the opportunity presented itself.

Right now they had to worry about the followers. Getting those kittens back was priority number one. Their leader's state of mind worried Abe. He feared that his comment on unclouded judgement had been taken the wrong way. There was nothing he could do about it though nor would have requested anything else if he could do it over again. A leader's task wasn't not to feel, but to act beside those feelings. He had worried a couple of times during the trial that Iorek would snap Cohen's neck. However hard, it was needed, such was the burden of being a leader.

From the back of his den a head lifted, a soft voice rising from a curled ball of fur. "Abe dear, stop your musing. Mulling over and over won't get us anywhere anytime sooner." His eyes flicked towards his mother who had slightly raised her head and was looking at him with sleepy eyes. "Come rest with me." She smiled, the action making a little bit of his worries melt away. Heading her request he went over and laid down, curling himself into her side. Their problems were dire, but an unrested cat didn't do anyone ever any good. For the moment he could sleep and in his dream pretend, he was once that unworried kitten again, curling up against his mother's and siblings' sides to be carried of to dreamland.