'Was this cat being nice to me because I am an attractive mouse.'
Tarou recalled the cat's tight grip the night before. Was the cat trying to get close to him because it was initiating intimacy? Not because he looked tasty?
This cat even tried to console him earlier, could it possible for a cat to be attracted to a mouse?' He shuddered. His body grew stiff and he found himself almost gnawing off his fur while his mind wandered. With eyes as big as saucers, he answered with conviction.
"Boss! !!I'd rather die than commit such a shameful thing!"
I'm a mouse with a healthy appetite. If I see a pretty mouse, I will most likely pounce. It's not like Boss is a mouse, how do we even...'
Slapping his mouth in his mind, Tarou tried to shake off the direction his mind was taking.
Mina looked at the mouse who was vehemently shaking his head, with its ears down. She simply kept her gaze on the mouse while nibbling on her rear claw.
'Who knows what this cat will do if I get caught playing with another mouse? Wifey mouse is scary but a cat scorned?'
The mouse shuddered. He would be torn to a thousand pieces. He winced, thinking about how painful it will be. Before he could stop himself from voicing his thoughts, he already spoke the words.
"I am not into cats!"
Hearing Tarou's exasperated tone, her pupils narrowed. She couldn't help but hiss back.
" Who says I'm into you? I'm not into mice either."
Seeing how Boss reacted, Tarou bolted for cover, disappearing in less than a second. Tarou's reaction did not escape Mina, she caught his movements and she was tempted to strike just to see if she could catch the mouse before it reached the small crevice.
She changed her mind at the last minute and decided to let it go while bending forward for a stretch. A good stretch never failed to calm her down. Dismissing Tarou's cheeky reply, she simply laid the matter to rest. Knowing whether she's a male or female cat is not a matter of survival right now, anyway. She will eventually find out.
Now lying down, she looked at the hole where the mouse disappeared and gently meowed to remind him of something.
" Tonight, we have to raid the bandits' tent again."
--
By evening, Mina had totally gotten over what happened earlier that day but she seems to be the only one who did.
The mouse has been eyeing Mina with caution but she was too focused on food to mind the petty problems of her latest recruit.
Tarou has been keeping some distance between him and Boss. Fortunately, his sense of smell was so good he could tell where the bandit's hideout was by scent alone.
'It never hurts to take precautions, Boss might fall for my charms.'
Oblivious to the mouse's thoughts, Mina just soldiered on worried about tonight's dinner. She might have to transform into a dinner-snatching cat. The young woman was too furious last night after what she did.
Reaching the familiar area, the cat caught a strange scent - the smell of fear. Looking up, she noticed how the guards were extra alert tonight. They were not bantering like they did last night but stood rigid, observing their surroundings.
Realizing this change, she stopped Tarou, motioning him to sneak from an inconspicuous location. From their location, they could smell the fragrant smell of food as she stood with Tarou beside the young lady's tent.
Their timing, like the night before, was impeccable as one of the men were delivering food to the young lady's tent.
Cautious but left without a choice, Mina sneaked inside the young lady's tent after the man walked out. The young lady was still wearing yesterday's clothes. Hiding in the shadows, Mina was surprised with the young lady's appearance.
'Did I make her so angry that she looks like she aged overnight?'
Although bothered by how haggard the woman looked, she couldn't resist the fragrant smell of freshly cooked fish. Imagining how happy Tarou will be when they rip the fish to shreds was enough to make her smile. She was about to pounce when the young lady noticed her presence.
Reaching for a few pieces of meat, the woman grabbed a piece of fish and threw it close to her. Without saying anything, the woman started to eat, ignoring her completely.
She looked at the young lady with inquisitive eyes.
'What just happened?"
She expected the woman to snap or chase her away but none of that happened. Too surprised to care about her loot, the cat just stared at the fish and then the young woman without blinking. Her black tail moved slowly from side to side waiting for something.
The woman focused one eating the fish, ignoring her completely. She had a nagging feeling that something was wrong. Too bothered to eat right there, she grabbed the piece of fish by her mouth and disappeared back into the darkness.
Like the night before, Tarou was already there waiting for her. Mina couldn't help but look back as they left.
The mood in the lair seems to have changed abruptly. The actions of the guards and the woman were highly irregular. Everyone seems to be alert waiting for something big to happen.
Unable to stop her curiosity, she finally asked Tarou if he heard anything while hunting for food. The mouse thought for a while before answering.
"The leader has not returned yet."