Tobias The Cat: A Short From The Nexus 5 Where It Hurts

"Rumor, you said." Her words were crisp and enunciated - completely losing the accent she'd picked up over the last decade. "And Uncle Tom knows, before any of our allies, that Cita is awake?" Tobias fingered the tip of the black arrow as she looked up at Mikey's startled eyes. "Sounds like we have a rat. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Wha - who are you?" Mikey asked in confusion.

"Ya've drawn ta Cat, Mikey," McDougal counseled. "Best be answ'rin', and quick, 'fore he pulls 'is claws." Tobias kept his gaze locked on Mikey, waiting for the telltales that would prove him a liar and a double-crosser.

"I … Bilal said he thought Ryka was mad about being reined in. She wants to finish Uncle Tom now, before Bilal stops the night raids. She's using their camp as bait." Sweat beaded on Mikey's face and he struggled to meet Tobias's gaze. Tobias slowly twisted her head sideways, seeking cracks in Mikey's facade. "He's drawing in everyone that owes him loyalty or can be bought."

"Well? Whas it ta be, lad? Is he leadin' us do'n ta fairy path?" McDougal prompted Tobias.
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"He's nervous. But not directly lying. Doesn't mean he's not misleading us though." Tobias kept watching Mikey, waiting for the flinch. She got it and smiled evilly in response. "Uncle Tom was supposed to be too wiped by last night's raid to muster anything for at least a week. He's probably thinking he can snag Cita while our pants are down and use him as leverage to win this thing."

"Yah," McDougal drawled, looking at Mikey. "Mack, he dun' wander. E'ryone else - gear up." Mack folded his beefy arms and squared up to Mikey with a grin. Tobias broke her stance and rushed back to her room. She s.n.a.t.c.hed up a cross-body pouch and her daggers. She hesitated, looking at the arrow tight in a white-knuckled grip. She hadn't tested it - it might not fly true. But if Uncle Tom was serious about mounting an offensive, he would have his launchers. The sparker might be the only thing they had to stop the crockery bombs, unless one of the other gangs had come up with something since they last met. Tobias slung her pouch and fumbled the daggers into place one handed. Then she grabbed the quiver she'd made, modeled after the one Cita had carried, and dumped the wood-shafted arrows on the bed. She stowed the modified arrow carefully. She grabbed her recurve bow as well. She'd practiced with it and was a pretty good shot, even if she wasn't as good as Cita. She ran back out of the room, slipping past Nick as he came to grab his gear.

"Hey! Ya ferg't cher arrows?" he called after her. Tobias shook her head and hurried over to the gathering men.

"Eh, Tobias … yain't tha good wit ta bow," Mack offered, looking at her mostly empty quiver. Tobias hesitated. She didn't want to get everyone's hopes up.

"It's summut ma' fix Uncle Tom's toys," she muttered. "Dunno ifn it'll w'rk."

"Tha wh'cher b'doin' wit ta arrow, lad?" Tobias just nodded in response. She had been working on the sparker some of the time she'd been contemplating the arrow. McDougal strode back into the common room, armed with his chosen a.s.sortment of axes. Tobias giggled a little at his hairy legs poking out beneath his kilt, matching the hairy chest criss-crossed with the leather straps from his weapons harness. She sobered quickly under his a.s.sessing gaze, as he swept the a.s.sembly.

"M've out," he calmly announced. All but a couple men turned and headed out the door. Those left behind took up posts to guard their home. Tobias felt a frisson of unease, thinking about how unprotected their home would be. It felt a lot like five years ago.

The fighters quickly fell into their usual routine when moving quickly through their home district, with scouts ahead and behind and runners checking the side street. Mikey was kept close between McDougal and Mack. When Tobias moved to take up her usual post on the right flank, McDougal drew her back. A flick of the leader's ma.s.sive wrist sent Hans das.h.i.+ng off to cover the gap. Tobias fell into step close behind McDougal and waited. Whatever he had to say to her would come out in his time, not hers.

"Ya like ta lad - Akicita, I mean." Tobias felt her cheeks burning as soon as McDougal started this like of questioning. Mack studiously focused on the way ahead, but Mikey looked over with interest. Mack smacked his arm and he turned back to the front. Tobias knew both were listening, as were the five men walking around them. Nick even lengthened his steps to make sure he didn't miss anything. "Don' b'ther s'yin' nay. 'Vry'ne saw, wh'n ya led 'im ta the Wall ta f'rst t'me."

Tobias looked down, watching as the crumbling black street was interrupted by increasing numbers of cobbles. They couldn't arrive soon enough, if it would end this discussion.

"B't lad, he w's forced 'nta … that kinda t'ng when Uncle Tom t'k'im'n. I dun' th'nk 'es ready ta step out wit ya."

Sudden fury sparked through Tobias. It wasn't the same, because she was a girl, not the men who had taken advantage of what Uncle Tom offered on Cita'a behalf. And Cita knew her, too - they were friends. But McDougal didn't know she was a girl, and after what happened five years ago she didn't dare let him or any of the others find out. And Cita hadn't known anyone since he returned. She took a deep breath before answering.

"I know that, sir. I would never force anything on Cita - not even a name he's chosen to stop using. Frankly, I'm offended that you think I would." McDougal eyed her warily at the first crisp word and also paused before responding.

"Dun th'nk ya w'ld. B'tcha pined fer a year - wh'n'e l'ft n wh'n we f'nd ta strangers 'n 'is c'mp. Dun w'nta see 'im h'rt. B't na'cha, 'ther." In her anger, Tobias had difficulty parsing McDougal's thickening accent. She replayed it carefully in her head, trying not to miss anything. He didn't think she would force herself on Cita. But he'd seen her wistfulness when Cita left, first trying to get home and then when he returned with the strangers. And McDougal didn't want either of them hurt.

Tobias looked up and saw McDougal waiting for acknowledgement. She sighed and nodded. She couldn't promise she wouldn't be hurt. But she'd do her d.a.m.ndest to make sure Cita wasn't wounded any more.

A sharp whistle from the forward scout announced they were at the alley that led to Cita's interst.i.tial pocket. McDougal whistled back, letting the scouts know they needed to fan out around the alcove and keep watch for Uncle Tom. Tobias saw one of the scouts climbing to the rooftop, and knew the others would too. Keeping the high ground was key, especially anywhere the gla.s.s-fronted buildings touched.

McDougal took the lead, striding purposefully into the alcove.