“A Leap Forward” by MikasiWolf (part 2 of 3)

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You’re listening to The Voice of Dog.

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I’m Khaki, your faithful fireside companion,

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and Today’s story is the second part of

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“A Leap Forward” by MikasiWolf (https://twitter.com/mikasiwolf?lang=en),

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who is a Wolf Mercenary writer.

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“A Leap Forward” had formerly appeared in Claw the Way to Victory by Goal Publications (formerly published by Jaffa Books),

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and Furry Trash by Rabbit Valley Press. https://www.rabbitvalley.com/item.php?item=9809&return_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rabbitvalley.com%2Fsearch.php%3Fsearch_text%3DFurry%2BTrash%26return_number%3D25%26page%3D0 by Rabbit Valley Press (https://www.rabbitvalley.com)

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and you can find links to more of his stories on his Wikifur or Furaffinity page https://en.wikifur.com/wiki/MikasiWolf https://www.furaffinity.net/user/mikasiwolf/

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Last time, Lesaut attended a monthly meeting with the other Roof People,

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and was tasked to mentor the horse Snoss.

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“A Leap Forward” by MikasiWolf,

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part 2 of 3

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Lesaut's ears flicked as he jerked slightly on his perch.

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“What’s that again?”

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he asked, sliding smoothly back to the roof.

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He winced as he kinked his tail against the concrete.

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Liam's tail lashed.

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“You heard me. I need you to mentor Snoss.

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Show him the ropes, what it means to live like us.” Lesaut hesitated, all kinds of thoughts rushing through his head.

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Already the memory of the incident back in Paris started to creep back on him.

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“Why me? Why not yourself or Ahsun or...”

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But even as he spoke, he realized that there weren't many Traceurs who had the time to commit to training others.

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They had delivery contracts, and some like Ahsun had a day job for that matter.

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Many Grounders—or rather

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those who knew the Traceurs existed had the misconception that they were bums who had nothing better to do with their lives,

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and subsisted mainly on burglaries.

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Some, perhaps, but Liam would never allow any of them in the community for the reason of it being against the philosophy of The Movement.

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The philosophy was what kept them together,

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and nothing less was accepted.

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Liam leaned heavily against a chimney stack.

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“Don't think I haven't considered it myself.

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Some may think that with me getting less delivery contracts, I can better commit to mentorship.

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But then...” The cat paused, the corners of his eyes glinting as he looked away. Lesaut

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tapped his claws against the encasement.

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“Something the matter, Liam?”

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The cat sighed heavily,

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scoring his claws across the brick as he did.

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Rarely had Lesaut seen Liam so uncomfortable,

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and never was he lost for words.

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Not even Skaya's barbarisms swayed him,

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as every gathering had proven.

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“I’m moving to ground level,”

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the cat finally said.

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There was a long silence punctuated only by an argument some of the Traceurs had with each other. Lesaut

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opened his mouth several times, but held back as he fought to form the words he wished to say.

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When he managed to give voice to his thoughts,

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Liam had already set his jaw.

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“That's…news to me,”

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said Lesaut, his ears flicking as he fought to comprehend the very thought

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of ground living.

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The danger from others who didn’t understand you,

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the intangible scents all around,

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even claustrophobia within narrow streets and buildings when it came down to it.

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The tendency for police to question you just because you looked and dressed differently.

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Why would any Traceur do such a thing?

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“It is,” said Liam shortly. “I intend to get a place by the end of next week.

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The immigration office informed me yesterday that they had just finished processing my application for a work permit.

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But I will need a permanent residential address.

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Putting down 'any suitable roof' is hardly going to work.”

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He didn't laugh. Lesaut

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tilted his head,

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the black of his mask creasing into a frown.

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“And why would you need a work permit?”

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he asked. “Your clients haven't exactly been asking for it...”

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His voice trailed off as the realization of it set in.

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“You're giving up The Movement,”

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said Lesaut, eyes wide as he studied Liam.

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Liam breathed out with his ears flat.

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“Look, 'giving up' is a strong term-”

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“But that's what you are doing!” growled Lesaut.

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“You're giving up self-growth and development!

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All that in the name of personal gain!

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Do you think money is everything?”

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“I hurt myself, okay!”

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Liam lashed out, his fur fluffing out as he snarled, fangs and claws bared. Lesaut

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jerked backwards against a parapet but dropped immediately into a defensive stance,

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his stronger right foot braced against the base of the low wall.

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He and Liam eyeballed each other

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as the seconds trickled past,

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both panting as they realized what almost happened. The scent

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of fear and fury mingled in the air, and only the sounds of the night came to them.

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The Traceurs on The Patch had already resolved their argument, but here

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it was just beginning.

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“Dammit, Lesaut, let’s

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—let’s talk like civilized beings, ok?”

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Liam's growl meandered away as he stood back straight,

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his fur flattening as he willed his claws back.

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“I'm sorry about that.

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Peace?” He stood ashamedly with his right paw out as Lesaut stood back up.

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“And I am sorry that I accused you,”

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said Lesaut. He gripped Liam's calloused pads briefly.

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“Peace.” Liam and Lesaut found a ledge where they could sit and let the cool night breeze wash over their fur

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as they watched the cityscape far ahead.

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From this distance,

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the city was a jungle,

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bright points of light like fireflies among the leaves.

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Light traffic hummed in the silence of the night.

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Up here, it was a world that belonged only to them, and once again, Lesaut

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wondered how Liam could give up the peace,

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tranquility, and freedom the roofs brought.

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Here they were a people,

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a community that respected one another for the simple reason

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that everyone was a unique individual,

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despite your lifestyle or species.

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Something that the surface

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seemed to be absent of each time he had the chance to go down and see for himself.

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Once Lesaut had tried walking the streets, and almost got beaten by someone who told him to get his spots back to where he had come from.

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If it weren't for his talents he might have been killed,

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just another statistic in a long list of victims.

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That’s if the city office even cared to list him.

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“You remember me telling you I was fifteen when I came here? Sixteen, if you count the fact I had my birthday on the ship towards here.”

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The angora flicked his ears.

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“Point is, I was a runner back in London.

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Had a mentor by the name of Skyler.

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He taught me and a coupla others all I knew about The Movement.

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We were a buncha homeless cubs before then, and he believed he could make something out of us.

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We had good living,

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but life ain't a bed of roses,”

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His lip curled. “A few of us got caught,

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but Skyler said it's

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'cause those of us hadn't followed the guiding principles of The Movement and suchlike.

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We’ve all had fellows who we knew for a while, only to be gone from our lives the next day.

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When the good mentor himself got shot down by coppers during a job,

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it was the last straw for the rest of us.

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Some fought over the rights to certain territories based on previous jobs,

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and the others joined the local Grounder gangs,

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but I'd had enough so I up and left.

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London's no place for our kind,

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after what the good government's done to it.”

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“Whatever do you mean?” Lesaut

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knew by word of mouth that London had one of the largest roof communities in the world.

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Over there, they called it Free

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-running, but it was essentially The Movement in a different ideology.

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“You know those street cams you come past once every

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three blocks?” Liam gestured vaguely in the direction of the main city.

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“Quality's like shit; you can't tell badger from skunk from the raw footage alone.

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London used to have tech like that, but not anymore. They've

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now got doohickeys that captures every strand of your fur in full HD, and analyze your characteristic moves

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to identify you when you're out of visual range.

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And all this is connected in a central network so the coppers know if you've been from Kensington to Piccadilly. They've

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got an entire dedicated unit trained in roof pursuit,

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all with the moves

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but none of the principles.

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Hell, The Movement's all about freedom, but the London coppers were all over curbing it.

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I had enough of stealing and

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life on the run, so I caught the first boat here.

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“The fact is, Lesaut buddy,

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there’s got to be a better life than all this.”

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Liam looked seriously at the civet.

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In his eyes, Lesaut saw fear.

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“One day you may be as full of life as the other guy, the next

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you're just another stain on the sidewalk.

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Here, take a look.”

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Liam pulled his shirt off,

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and Lesaut stepped back in alarm.

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But the cat turned his back towards him,

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and there Lesaut could see several angry welts

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that had cut into the thick fur just above his midriff.

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It looked about two weeks old by the way it had started to heal,

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yet remain swollen.

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Traceurs of all people were no stranger to injuries,

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and one didn't last long on the roofs without some basic medical knowledge.

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It was one of the reasons why some Traceurs worked in pairs.

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“Was this from a bad roll?”

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asked Lesaut, and only then realized how ridiculous it sounded.

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Like other feline Traceurs,

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Liam didn't need to perform a roll to dissipate the force of a fall like everyone else.

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Rather, he landed straight on his feet and paws,

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the stretched muscles of his body and spine a natural dampener.

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“It came from a bad fall.”

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clarified Liam. “I was wall-jumping off the side of the Administrative Center to reach the next building, just as always,

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and part of the brickwork crumbled.

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I dropped into the damn alley and couldn't get my arse out of there for a good half-hour.

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It bloody hurts, man.

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You don't know what it’s like lying there among the dumpsters, unable to move,

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and yet have others walking close by.

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Any one of them could beat me just for the fun of it,

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and I couldn't do a blasted thing.

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The pain stopped after a while, so I made it to my client and got a

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pay cut for being late,

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and I couldn’t even tell him why.

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There's a lot about the city beyond our control, Lesaut,

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but we alone determine our own decisions and destiny.

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I'm not asking you or the guys to give up The Movement, matey.

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I'm just asking that I take things as they come

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on ground level.” Lesaut didn't quite understand Liam's fear, but each person had their own way of handling it.

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In Liam’s case, it seemed to be avoidance.

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He knew, however, that being a follower of The Movement was

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being yourself, and if Liam decided it wasn't for him,

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so be it. He got back up to his feet with a nod,

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and realized from the overall silence on The Patch that most of the other guys had already left.

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Liam had taken a big bet in trusting him,

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despite knowing his own dedication to this way of life,

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and Lesaut vowed to respect it.

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His fingers kneaded the pendant hanging from the elastic collar around his neck.

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The two embossed letters of his brother’s initials,

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C.M., looked back and he quickly turned back to the cat.

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“So, when do I start?”

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asked Lesaut, and Liam's features relaxed.

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“Tomorrow, if it’s fine with you,”

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said Liam. His tail no longer lashed as it had earlier.

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“I'm hoping you can let Snoss bed in at your place, at least for tonight.

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It’s dark; you're better off showing him possible dens during daytime.” Lesaut

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didn't think much of that;

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Traceurs valued their privacy almost as much as their freedom, and it took a great deal of trust for one to let others

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be privy to where their few worldly possessions were kept.

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But he followed Liam across the jump to their gathering point.

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Only Ahsun and Reed were still there,

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chatting about their families back home

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as Snoss sat close by, listening. Lesaut

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spotted several beer bottles left behind in the corner by Skaya,

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and bit back a growl.

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That lout would be the perfect example of how not to be a Traceur

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if it weren't for the fact that he was so good at getting around.

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Respect also extended to the environment around oneself, as one lived and moved in it. “Yo, Snoss. Ready to get going?”

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asked Liam, and Snoss' head jerked up quickly.

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“Relax, no one's gonna mug you up here.

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My pal Lesaut offered to show you where you can kip for the night.

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Sleep is just as important

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as keeping fit, you know.” Snoss' eyes widened.

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“You coming with us?”

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He seemed fearful for some reason, and Lesaut couldn't help but be annoyed.

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“I've got to put out the fire and finish up here with the others.

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Don't fret; Lesaut won't jump you if you don't beat him to it.”

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Liam grinned and turned back to the remaining Traceurs.

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Lesaut led Snoss to the edge of the Patch,

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and from there he could hear the hum of the city,

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a never-ending buzz of engines.

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Always there, hardly seen.

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Just like them. Sometimes,

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he felt he could run these roofs forever,

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but there always came a time when his energy waned, or the roofs ended abruptly.

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But he was a disciple of The Movement,

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and he would have it no other way.

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“So, how far to your place?”

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asked Snoss warily. Lesaut

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stretched, blinking his eyes.

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Already he could feel the onslaught of the long day’s activities upon him.

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“Many miles south in the old district.

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I'm kind of tired, so I hope you don't mind if we ride the subway there.”

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“But Liam...” Now Snoss turned towards to the cat

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back at the campfire.

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Liam and the Traceurs laughed loudly, clutching their sides in mirth

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as Reed cracked a joke.

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“Liam doesn't decide how we get around the city,”

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said Lesaut impatiently.

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“Part of The Movement is knowing your limitations, and I'm sure you're raring to run all the way back to my den,

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but I do not wish to miss a step just because I’m tired from the day’s work.

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Is that understood?” Lesaut

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folded his arms,

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and Snoss looked back at him fearfully. Damn,

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here he was trying to be a big brother, and he only succeeded in scaring his ward.

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“Come on, Snoss. When we get to the ground, I'll buy you a coke, alright?”

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said Lesaut, forcing a smile.

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He placed his paws upon the roof edge

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and started making his way slowly down the paw and footholds at the side.

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He looked up every few seconds to make sure Snoss was doing fine in his descent,

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keeping five feet below him at all times.

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The horse had the jerky motions of a child learning to walk, let alone climb,

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but that was good.

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Snoss stumbled against a loose pipe and Lesaut froze, bracing himself to reach a paw out to slow him,

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but the horse regained his hold quickly.

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Ten minutes had passed by the time they reached the bottom,

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and Lesaut was itching to get back home.

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He jogged with Snoss towards the station entrance at the next block.

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Snoss was quiet, his eyes turning about,

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and the civet was surprised by how similar he was to his little brother, Cicel.

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The difference was that Cicel was more confident,

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boisterous even, and that was too much for Lesaut to handle,

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even as his brother plunged to his death.

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The police had since initiated a manhunt for a training session gone wrong,

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and he had to leave Paris just for that.

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They passed a 7-Eleven, and Lesaut bought him the coke and a veggie wrap, which Snoss accepted gingerly.

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He obviously hadn't eaten that day,

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and Lesaut wondered how long he had actually been in the city.

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“You got your...belongings with you?” asked Lesaut

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as they went down the steps to the station,

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Snoss chomping on his meal.

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“No, I stashed them somewhere safe,”

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said Snoss between a mouthful of greens.

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“Look, I can pay for this if you want—”

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“It's not that,” said Lesaut,

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trying to keep Snoss close in the crushing mass of people.

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This was a transit station which linked up to the intercity train line,

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complete with different platforms on different floors.

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Travelers of all scents and hues pushed past them,

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and once again Lesaut was reminded of why he hated travelling by ground.

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There was so much to take in,

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with all the loud noises and bright lights,

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and if anything happened,

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he wouldn't be able to move quickly enough out of here.

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Everyone was so against anyone utilizing The Movement to get around, even though it was so painstakingly obvious

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it was faster to vault or leap over a railing

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rather than walk around it.

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The train service at their platform led to the end of the line

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at the worker's district about five stations away, so it wasn't nearly as crowded as the others.

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Heaving a sigh at the open space around them, Lesaut

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stretched himself vigorously before sitting himself at a bench

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with Snoss. “Relax, brother. Not everyone's out to get you,” Lesaut

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said with a chuckle.

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The horse was still looking all around him, and the civet found it

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as comical as the French comedies he remembered watching in Mama Sulu's home.

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“Just what are you worried about?

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Did you piss off a bus driver on the way here?”

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A train pulled up at the platform,

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but a glance at the electronic board indicated that this wasn't for passenger use.

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No wonder; the train was already full.

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The civet turned back to Snoss,

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seeing only that the horse had just gotten up,

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backing away with his gaze fixed behind Lesaut.

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“Shit, the cops are here.”

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whinnied the horse, and Lesaut leapt to his feet, spinning quickly as he did.

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He could see a wave dissipating across the commuters at the stairs to the platform,

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a team of four uniformed police making their way through them.

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The smallest of the lot,

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a pine marten sergeant with three stripes and a scowl consulted a document in paw.

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He looked up, eyes meeting Snoss.

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The moment the marten darted forward, Lesaut

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knew something was up.

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“Run, brother!” The civet leapt past Snoss,

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pulling him towards the other end of the platform.

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He ignored the squeals of protest of a mouse couple they knocked over,

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along with the snarls of the other commuters as coke sprayed everywhere.

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He figured he would need to take a shower sometime soon.

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The police officers had spread themselves out across the platform, and even if they got past, there were probably more waiting upstairs.

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Only one way out,

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and that’s forward. Lesaut

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delivered himself to the Flow,

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avenues of escape evolving quickly in his mind’s eye.

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Dodging past a panda businessman,

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he slammed a footpaw atop his luggage, springing up to a series of pipes underhanging the station’s ceiling.

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Catching onto a pipe with one paw,

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he let the momentum of his jump carry him onward to the next few pipes,

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switching paws quickly as he swung himself over the gaping onlookers down below.

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Out of pipes, he drop-landed onto a vending machine

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and chanced a look back.

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Snoss had followed his example,

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albeit much slower than he had.

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He lost his grip on the last pipe, however,

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hooftips slipping off the painted metal.

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He landed poorly with a loud clack

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and Lesaut winced at how much it would hurt to have hooves.

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He leapt down from his perch and dashed up to the horse. By now,

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the crowd had parted for the police

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and the train had started pulling out of the station.

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The hum of the wheels hurt Lesaut's ears

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even as they flattened,

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and he then realized it was their ticket out of there.

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Smacking Snoss on the shoulder,

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he dashed alongside the safety line, Snoss following close behind.

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“When I stop and turn around, I’m boosting you to the top of the train!”

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yelled Lesaut over his shoulder.

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“Just jump from my paws, alright?”

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“But I haven't done that before!” neighed

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Snoss, eyes wide open in terror.

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“Just let the Flow take you and you'll be fine!” Lesaut

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snarled back. It was important

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that the horse knew that right now,

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or he wouldn’t live to jump another day.

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As the end of a carriage whistled past him,

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Lesaut spun around in a half-crouch,

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paws cupped together.

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Snoss neighed as he leapt, lifting a hoof towards his mentor. Lesaut felt his fingers buck painfully as the rough edges of the hoof collided,

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pushing upright as he forced his body back up like a spring.

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Snoss sailed to the top of the carriage with the loud bang of hoofs on steel resounding across the platform.

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The civet turned back to run alongside the train,

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only to be greeted by two transit police officers ahead.

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Behind him were the group of four from before, and with a jolt, the civet realized

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he was finally boxed in.

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There wasn't space for a wall-jump or tic-tac;

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he needed a running start for that.

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But it was important that he rejoined Snoss, or the kid would surely panic once he realizes he had to go it alone.

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With a yell, Lesaut ran up the column directly opposite the train,

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keeping his legs and tail stretched.

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The familiar pitch of gravity against his body pulled hard, and just before he could be sent back down,

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he pushed off with two muscular feet,

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his body flipping in an arc away from the wall.

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The police watched,

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mesmerized, as the civet landed

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feet-first onto the last carriage,

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dropping quickly into a crouch.

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The wind buffeted against Lesaut’s fur,

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threatening to rip him off the train.

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He saw Snoss up ahead,

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ducking as the train entered the bowels of the tunnel,

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and he followed suit.

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It was both an incredible and frightening experience.

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Here, the force of the air rushing across him was intensified,

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along with the already deafening noise of the train that reverberated throughout every bone in his body and skull.

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It took an effort to hold on, let alone move,

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but Lesaut had to get to Snoss before fear took him.

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The next station was likely teeming with police

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and their chances for another escape were more than unlikely.

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He crawled forward,

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keeping his head down

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lest he get decapitated,

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his eyes hurting from the flash of the occasional maintenance light.

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They adjusted quickly to the darkness of the tunnel, and Lesaut could

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see Snoss cowering behind a ventilator cap two carriages ahead.

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And suddenly they were out in the open. Lesaut

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jerked forward in the sudden loss of air velocity,

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pitching into the clearance between the carriages.

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He instinctively held onto the roof edge

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and threw his feet back.

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Spinning downwards in a vertical arc, his feet broke his overhead flip with a loud bang and tinkle.

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Several passengers yelled, and Lesaut had just enough time to catch a glimpse of several shocked and outraged muzzles

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through the cracked glass before he braced himself off to the next car.

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He scrambled upright,

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just in time to see Snoss standing upright,

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body and jaw tense.

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Ahead of them was a turn leading to the next station, and to his horror,

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Lesaut saw what he intended to do.

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“Don't do it, Snoss!”

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yelled Lesaut but Snoss dashed forward.

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The train slowed for the turn,

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and Lesaut lashed his tail hard to compensate for the jerk of the carriages.

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One thing that separated horses from other athletes was their strength in running jumps,

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and the horse sailed beautifully through the air,

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legs tucked close to his body as his mane flowed out behind him.

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He landed straight down on a flat roof with a loud thump,

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feet buckling beneath him as he crumpled.

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His heart thumping harder than it ever had,

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Lesaut dashed off as well, both paws leaving the top of the train.

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As he sailed through the air,

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memories of his brother's death flashed through his mind.

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Lesaut fought it back as the roof accelerated towards him.

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This was the the second of three parts

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of “A Leap Forward” by MikasiWolf,

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read for you by Khaki,

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your faithful fireside companion.

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Tune in next time for the conclusion,

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to find out what happened to Snoss and Lesaut!

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Why are the coppers after them?

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As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,

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or find the show wherever

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you get your podcasts.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog