Stranger of Mistwood

About this story

Rain has erased the scent of the place you left behind. Along an unfamiliar river, a fallen alder blocks the path. A grey-brown cat struggles in a tangle of branches, one foreleg trapped. Across the water, the last exposed stones are slowly disappearing. Then reeds rustle behind you. You have time to choose your first move, but not to wait forever.

Chapters

Places

Fallen BoundaryA rain-soaked boundary path beside a fallen alder. The river is audible beyond the trees; escape routes narrow as water rises.

Root HollowThe Root Hollow group shelters under interlocking roots on a low wooded terrace. Dry sleeping pockets overlook a shrinking communal food cache.

Fern GroundsShared woodland paths and hunting patches. Flood silt, disturbed nesting material and scent traces offer physical evidence, never a magically exact reconstruction.

Reed CrossingShallow channels and reed islands used by Reed Bend. Water depth changes with the storm; no cat can safely swim through every current.

Old QuarryShale Rise occupies a disused quarry with high sheltered shelves. The ascent has a narrow but passable route suitable for coordinated evacuation.

Upstream JamFlood debris and discarded human fencing have trapped branches above the river bend. Cats can observe the danger but cannot dismantle the heavy obstruction; evacuation is the credible solution.