In a world where Parkour traceurs live on the roofs, away from the discrimination and persecution of life of the ground, Lesaut the african civet was tasked be the community leader to mentor a newcomer by the name of Snoss. Lesaut was however concerned due to an experience in his past. As Lesaut shows him the way to his rooftop home they would stay for the night, Snoss seems like he has plenty to hide about his past, however…

Today’s story is the third part of “A Leap Forward” by MikasiWolf, who is a Wolf Mercenary writer.

"A Leap Forward” had formerly appeared in Claw the Way to Victory by Goal Publications (formerly published by Jaffa Books), and Furry Trash by Rabbit Valley Press and you can find links to more of his stories on his Wikifur or Furaffinity page.

This is the conclusion of a three-part story.

Read for you by Khaki, your faithful fireside companion.

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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 third and final 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

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on his Wikifur or Furaffinity page https://en.

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//en.wikifur.com/wiki/MikasiWolf https://www.furaffinity.net/user/mikasiwolf/ [if this is the second or third entry] Last time, Lesaut and Snoss leapt off the top of a moving train in a bid to escape the cops.

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What happens next?

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“A Leap Forward” by MikasiWolf,

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part 3 of 3

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He dropped to a roll a quarter-second too late,

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and he felt something sharp scratch several parts of his pelt as he tumbled over in a jumble of fur and tail.

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His body ached and hurt even as the largest brunt of the fall was dissipated, and he groaned,

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clutching his sides

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as he lay painfully on the uneven ground.

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Taking a look around as he staggered slowly upright,

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the civet saw that he was on top of an uncompleted building,

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tools and machinery lying about.

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Looking down, there was no end of debris that could have caused the cuts on his back,

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despite his thick fur.

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His tail hurt worse than it ever had,

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and he was surprised it still worked.

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Snoss lay on his side next to a stack of I-beams, and Lesaut

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stumbled towards him.

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To his relief, the horse was still conscious,

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clutching his hooves as he breathed.

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“You okay, Snoss?” asked Lesaut as he bent over him.

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Slowly and carefully,

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he flipped his mentee over.

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“Fuck! My leg hurts!” cried Snoss, and Lesaut was quick to assess the situation.

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The wall of his right hoof had a large split down the middle,

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and it appeared to have gone through his skin.

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Already a trickle of blood had seeped through it,

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staining the dirty concrete.

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“You'll be alright;

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it’s only your hoof that's broken,”

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said Lesaut, pressing his pads over the horse's leg

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to check for broken bones.

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The civet hid his relief.

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“What were you thinking, Snoss?

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You know better than to land that high without dropping to a roll!”

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Snoss moaned. “I won’t ever let them catch me.

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And your pelt's bleeding.”

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The sound of police sirens came from far off, and Lesaut knew their respite

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was only a short one.

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His whole body hurt, but Snoss was still his responsibility until they were safe.

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He would like to know why the police were after he who was thrust under his care, but Snoss was hardly in any shape to explain.

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The worst thing that could happen was for him to panic,

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and Lesaut needed the horse calm to be evacuated.

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Despite being so much lighter than the horse was, Lesaut

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lifted Snoss slowly and gradually,

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draping him across his shoulders.

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At least his toned muscles had shown to be useful in more than just

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The Movement. *** “Tell me, Liam.

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Is Snoss a criminal?”

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The two of them sat on a tiled roof overlooking a series of shorter ones after the cat helped patch both mentee

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and mentor up with some plasters and antiseptic.

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This used to be the post office until the newer one was built closer to the main train station.

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Even Traceurs rarely came here because of the long jump that had to be made to reach it,

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but Lesaut had set up a pulley system with a rope he use to climb up the side.

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The winch mechanism was padlocked so he was assured of some privacy.

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Some of the old mail sacks from the building allowed him to craft a sort of

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tent in which Snoss now rested.

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Other than the jitters of having almost been caught by the police

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and his cracked hoof, he seemed

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to be fine. Lesaut

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had an old digital watch, but he didn't need to look at it to know it was nearly midnight.

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The familiarly that came with knowing the city

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from running countless circuits through it was like a second instinct.

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He had called a cab for Snoss

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after making his way down the stairs of the construction site, and the driver had accepted their tall-tale of a rough night in the alleys,

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though the coyote's nose never stopped twitching from the scent of blood and fear.

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Fortunately, Liam still had enough prepaid credit to answer his cell,

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and had come down as soon as he heard what happened. Liam turned his muzzle towards him, ears barely twitching.

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“What makes you think that?”

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His voice was careful, calculated even.

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“The damn police tried to catch us.

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What more evidence do I need?”

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demanded Lesaut. “And Snoss was looking over his shoulder the whole night like a hunted

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feral, and I thought he was just plain timid.

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But he’s wanted for something, isn’t he?”

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“If he is, will you retract the promise you just made?”

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Liam asked coolly. Lesaut

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snarled and got up,

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and already he was prepared to thrash the cat where he sat.

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But Liam stayed where he was without blinking,

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and Lesaut had to fight to keep his fur down.

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“Of course not! But I don't like the sound of this. Here we are, minding our own accursed business, when this guy comes along.

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If the cops are after him, that means they will soon take to the roofs. And once that happens,

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all of our Traceur brethren will lose their rights to The Movement!

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Our clients will cease dealings with us,

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and we will be without purpose, having to find our lives on the ground.

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And I'll be damned if I ever let that happen. It’s dangerous down there, you know?

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Especially for me.” Lesaut

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pointed at the spots on his arm.

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Liam sighed. “Look, Lesaut, I admit that I didn't expect any of this shit to happen. But I promise you,

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Snoss ain’t no crook.

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He's a runaway, just like the rest of us. His aunt put out a notice for his retrieval.” Lesaut

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stared back at him.

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“But why?” That was certainly a

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first. “Snoss' parents died 4 months ago,”

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said Liam. His voice became steadier now that Lesaut was listening.

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“His parents left a trust fund for whoever was to take care of him after their passing,

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and it was to be paid in monthly installments as long as Snoss lived with his guardian.

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His aunt had volunteered,

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and the reason why she’s demanding for his return

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is that she only took him in for the inheritance.

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Snoss overheard everything she said to her boyfriend.

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He ran off a week back and

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took the train here with less than a hundred quid and The Movement to guide him.

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He left behind everything he had ever known,

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friends, family, his familiarity with the city, but it was too much for him to take, Lesaut.

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You know what it’s like to be held against your will, in a place where nobody understands you?

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His aunt never cared for him,

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and as long as I'm alive, I'll make sure she never gets him.

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I found him trying to rough it out in the docks district, will you believe that?

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As his only source of support,

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we have to show him how to live to his full potential

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and avoid the coppers till things die down.

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That's where you come in.”

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“But how did the police track him all the way from New York?” asked Lesaut

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as he paced.

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All kinds of thoughts were racing through his mind, and he didn't know if that was good or bad.

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In Clichy, things were simple:

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you avoided the cops to avoid trouble.

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Now, they had a greedy aunt right out of a movie to content with.

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“Intersection's an intercity transit hub just like New York.

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It’s not like it’s the first place New Yorkers have to go if they want to get anywhere else.”

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“Remember those tracker cams I told you they have in London?”

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asked Liam as Lesaut nodded impatiently.

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“Well, New York has them too.

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They must have cross-referenced his image at their station with those from the shitty cams at our very own train station.

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Whatever it is, we can't let them find him.

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There's only so much we as Traceurs can do to hide him from the Grounders,

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so we have to teach him how to survive,

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staying out of sight in the topside.

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I'm not just asking you to be a mentor, Lesaut but a big brother too. Snoss

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is alone. He needs someone to look up to.

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The kid's only sixteen, and you know how vulnerable they are to influence at that age.

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Make sure it’s a good one.” Lesaut's

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eyes flickered.

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“Yes, but-” “Skyler convinced me and the other cubs

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that he was doing it to help us,

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but now I know all of that is bullshit,”

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said Liam. His face was a mask of calm,

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and there was no anger for his former mentor.

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“We were being used,

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and I, being the fool I was,

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believed him. The same thing

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must not happen to Snoss or anyone else we have the means to help.

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Do you understand that?”

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There was urgency in his tone, and Lesaut knew Liam had told him all he could about the horse under his care.

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No lies, no trickery.

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Only honesty, one of the principles of The Movement.

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“Of course.” said the civet as he breathed out.

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“Is there something you're worried about?”

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asked Liam. With his cap off, Lesaut could see that he was genuinely concerned,

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ears turned to him.

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What little light there was reflected off his eyes, as they frowned to better see him.

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“You know you can always talk to me about anything, no matter what it is.

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Earlier today, you seemed worried about mentoring Snoss.

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Why exactly? Did something like this happen before?” “I...” Lesaut swallowed, fighting to take a breath. “I was nervous about it, that's all. I wasn't exactly a great teacher back in Paris. Don’t worry, Liam, I’m fine.

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I'll be okay after a good sleep. I'll take good care of Snoss. That I promise.” He forced a smile back at the angora. Liam didn't look convinced, but he wasn't

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going to get anything more out of the civet.

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“Well, you know how to reach me,” said the cat with a smile.

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“Just don't call after nine tomorrow alright?

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I’ve got stuff I need to take care of.”

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In a blink of an eye, he was gone,

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a silent shadow flowing down the building by the various foot and pawholds it offered. Lesaut

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got up on the parapet and looked down at the lithe form of the cat

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dashing towards a neighborhood,

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his dark chocolate pelt barely a signature on the unlit streets.

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The cat was pure confidence and courage,

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perfectly at ease on the ground as he was on the roofs.

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Something told the civet

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this would be the last he saw of the cat in full form,

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a master bidding a silent goodbye to his disciple.

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There was no ceremony and fanfare when passing on the reins of mentorship,

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for those of The Movement knew to take things as they came. Lesaut

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hung his head as his elbows rested on the parapet.

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So much happened in such a short space of time.

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His life had just taken a large turn,

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but was he who let his brother fall

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worthy of the duty thrust upon him?

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Snoss had taken an unnecessary risk as Cicel had,

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but he was fortunate enough not to have met the fate of his predecessor.

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What if it happened again?

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Looking down at the height that separated him from the ground, Lesaut’s knees buckled as he sobbed,

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memories of long past overwhelming him.

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No one knew why he had come to Intersection,

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and he had to bear the burden of it alone.

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He had resolved not to let the past control him, but sometimes,

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it was all too much. *** Lesaut

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fiddled with the locket around his neck,

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staring out over the roofs

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of the ever-evolving city.

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Life below moved forward, while life above followed close behind.

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The morning sun peeked out from the tops of the roofs that had ensnarled it,

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rays of light bringing with it

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life and renewal to the city. It was the dawn of

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a new day, promises were reaffirmed, and important decisions were sealed

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as rest brought new perspective to them.

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He had come a long way from where he was,

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one little civet in an ocean of so many others,

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all brought together by a common desire.

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A desire to live,

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survive, and belong,

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each new day an affirmation of life’s little successes.

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He had made his way alone to this spot near the city center once more,

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knowing that in the days that would follow,

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he may not be able to.

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He had peeked in on Snoss right before he left,

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and left a breakfast of flame-boiled oats with a note telling the horse to wait for him.

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Liam had mentioned that he may be visiting the city center today,

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and Lesaut needed to be sure of a hunch.

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It was too early for a football game, and a lone rabbit gardener could be seen reseeding the field,

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his large brown ears twitching. Lesaut

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settled himself more comfortably against his gargoyle friend and waited,

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humming softly to himself.

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A lingala folk song took his fancy, and soon he was bouncing along with the words.

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Just as the public clock showed the time as 8.50am, Lesaut

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spotted the distinct form of the angora’s chocolate pelt alighting from a bus,

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and Lesaut couldn't help but stare.

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Liam had always hated public transportation,

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but here he was, a commuter of the masses.

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He had never seen Liam wear anything other than his assortment of tee-shirts and jeans,

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and here he was in office work clothes, looking rather uncomfortable and out of place in them.

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Beside him was a female British shorthair,

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her prominent hips visible even from afar.

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Lesaut whistled as he took in her swagger of a dance across the sidewalk.

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She was dressed in the off-white apparel of a nurse,

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and the civet figured that she was heading to work. Liam's gaze kept darting to the front door of the Transport Authority building as they stopped before it.

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He lifted his head to the morning air

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and breathed heavily

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even as the female spoke,

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her paw clutching his shoulder.

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Liam grew calmer as the minutes passed,

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even laughing as he spoke to her. The glass door to the main lobby opened,

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and a uniformed wolf stepped out, setting a placard on a poster stand.

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Upon it was printed:

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“Walk-in Interview for Logistics Assistant:

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9-10am”. Liam took one last breath before turning to his companion.

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He and the female hugged,

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and it was then Lesaut knew why Liam had really left The Movement.

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He had found his love by chance when he had hurt himself,

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meeting her in the hospital

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in a stroke of fate.

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Like the Traceur he was,

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he had surmounted the obstacles of life to move from one stage of it to another,

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each obstacle a new opportunity,

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a new chance his life.

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Just as Lesaut had left Clichy to avoid arrest,

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Liam had given up The Movement

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to be with his love,

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someone he kept secret from the others to avoid misunderstanding and discord within their fragile community.

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And Lesaut didn't blame him.

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All of them sought purpose in their life,

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and Liam of all people

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had been no less deserving of it,

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which was more than Lesaut could say for himself.

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The Movement was the angora’s life,

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and the civet knew how much it would have hurt

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to give up everything he had spent his life perfecting.

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Without him, they may not have a community that understands each other,

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and the Traceurs would be lost among the masses,

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important beliefs and philosophy worn away by neglect.

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He watched Liam give one last smile to his girlfriend as they parted from each other,

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disappearing into the confines of the building.

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The civet couldn't help but feel a rush of happiness for the cat,

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and tears started to fall.

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Looking back, Lesaut realized that

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he had learned more in the last one day than he had in the past six months.

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Life was about moving forward, not staying in the past, as Ahsun had said,

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and it was only after crossing an ocean that it came to him.

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To live in the past

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was to die in the present.

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And with changes came new opportunities for one to go further,

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be it in life or The Movement.

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All of them had different fates,

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different goals, and each person's journey was different.

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Sometimes, it takes not just themselves, but others that they knew and respected

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to give them that boost in their jump,

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that purpose in their life.

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Snoss was without somebody to guide him,

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but it didn't have to be so.

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He needed someone

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not to restrict him,

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but to protect him as he spread his wings to go further.

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What happened to his brother back in Clichy

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has been his greatest mistake, but Lesaut

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had learned from it.

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Even masters at the art made mistakes,

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but there was always something to learn from both successes and failures.

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Should the law ever come knocking,

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Snoss would have learned how to survive,

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with Lesaut as the brother he needed to guide him.

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And, through the philosophy,

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Snoss would learn that life was more than simply running away,

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but facing and embracing change when it came.

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As in the words of the founder:

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“The key to The Art of Displacement

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is realizing that obstacles are part of your pathway.

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And to move is to live,

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for Movement is life.”

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Liam had moved on,

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and so would Lesaut. Lesaut

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got to his feet even as Liam's girlfriend settled herself onto a bench,

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and made the dash towards the roof’s edge.

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His brother's locket no longer held bad memories, and was now a comfort against his neck ruff

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even as the wind soaked into his fur,

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the drop of the edge opening below him.

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And with a leap, Lesaut moved forward,

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not merely to the next place,

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but the next stage of his life. ***

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Two years later... Snoss wondered why anyone would choose to drive when they could run.

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He had gone for driving lessons when he turned sixteen, and had hated it from the start.

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It gave little freedom to one who was used to lots of open space around him,

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and a vehicle was little more than a moving cage.

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His peers had been nothing short of surprised when he chose walking to school over catching a ride.

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Only that he walked paths

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no one else had. Blocked alleyways became open roads,

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fences mere gates to another path.

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The sounds of Intersection's early-morning traffic jam were audible even from up high,

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amplified rather than softened by the buildings around it.

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Snoss reared forward on his handhoofs

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as they lightly gripped the parapet,

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the momentum of his swinging legs throwing him forward into a spinning arc.

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His hoofs contacted the concrete landing of a lower fire escape perfectly and he rolled,

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landing smoothly back up.

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The file placed within the small of his back

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rubbed slightly even as he shouldered the emergency door open with a bang,

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finding himself in the all-too-familiar multi-story garage.

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And who else would be waiting for him

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but the cops? Snoss knew he could back out the door and make it to the next two levels down before the cops cried foul,

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but here was a complete lesson in The Movement all set up for him.

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Ever since his mentor saved him from near-capture,

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the horse was determined

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not to run away from any of life's difficulties.

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He knew that the cops had probably staked out the place based on intel from

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cross-referencing reported

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and digital sightings,

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but no matter. The horse

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sailed over a Camorra in a dash vault,

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eyes taking in every detail of the parking garage.

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Already the cops had started towards him,

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nightsticks and telescopic batons out as they yelled for compliance.

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He recognized the pine marten barking out orders from the day he had met Lesaut,

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and noted with some mirth that he was still a sergeant.

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Snoss dropped to his feet and palms, flinching to the side as an overzealous officer struck out at him.

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Throwing his body forward with arms outstretched,

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he narrowly dodged the whistling metal implements,

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and heard the cops yell as the cracks of metal on flesh resounded.

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Snapping his head back up,

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his eyes locked on the sergeant exactly as they had two years back.

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With a venomous snarl, the sergeant drew his Glock 17,

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and Snoss ran up against a van and sprang.

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Years of constant training made everything he saw appear to slow,

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foothoofs coming together on the pistol

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as he approached the marten. .

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.Caught in the momentum of the pull,

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the marten tumbled in a mess of tail and fur right before Snoss landed,

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the gun clattering right next to his hoofs.

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Snoss bowed apologetically to the flabbergasted lawmen

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before sprinting out through the other end.

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He could almost hear the radio chatter that would be on the police airwaves,

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but he wouldn't be caught today.

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As long as the Traceurs avoided hurting the cops, they were pretty much safe from retaliation.

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The marten was trigger-happy today, but anyone in his position would be,

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trying and failing to round up the bums his captain had ordered him to.

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He reached the drop-off point of his delivery,

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dropping off the security-sealed file as he cleared an alley.

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Today’s delivery sure was eventful,

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and Snoss was hesitant about agreeing to it.

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The contact he met looked like the nervous military type,

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but he paid well enough to avoid any questions.

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The horse made his way back to his roof,

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throwing in a few false vaults and turns to confuse any watchers.

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Even as the horse stepped into a disused water tower and lay back against his couch,

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he felt almost sorry for the cops.

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They were simply doing their job,

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a difficult one considering the qualities of the suspects they were dealing with.

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But the horse enjoyed his freedom,

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and he was determined to keep it as long as he lived.

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His cell rang, and the horse's face grinned when he saw the number.

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He patched the cell through his Bluetooth earpiece.

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“Yo, Mentor,” neighed Snoss.

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The voice at the other end groaned.

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“Come on, Snoss. I've told you not to call me that.

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that.” “Old habits die hard, I guess,”

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said the horse cheekily

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as he turned on his TV set.

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This close to an office block, Snoss was able to connect a couple of cables to give him all the comforts of an actual apartment.

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He had to admit that the air-conditioning had been a little difficult set up,

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but a couple of jobs he had done alongside Lesaut earned him enough to buy a portable model.

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On the news channel,

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a haggled-looking mayor was assailed by reporters on what was deemed

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“The Topside Problem”.

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Shortly after his near-escape,

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the police had announced that they had reason to believe an unknown number of hoodlums had been living illegally on the roofs of Intersection.

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Aside from unconfirmed witness sightings,

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the police has yet to come up with any progress.

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They would come a day when the cops took to the roofs,

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decked out in Freerunning gear and training, but today was not the day.

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“So, what's up?” Snoss asked the civet. Lesaut

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chuckled. “Aside from the usual drama about us?

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Liam asked if we would like to celebrate his kits’ first birthday with him.

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I told him that I'd check with you.”

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“Count me in, bro!” exclaimed the horse,

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seating up straighter.

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“What do they look like?”

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“I've seen them a month back.

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They're pretty cute.

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Two of them’s brown like him while the other’s grey.” Lesaut

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cleared his throat.

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“But enough about him, eh?

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How are you doing so far? Have you

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made any consideration to your, err...”

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“Coming of age?” asked Snoss.

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Lesaut mumbled in affirmation.

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“Sure have. The moment I turn eighteen a month from now, my aunt no longer has custody of me.

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That means the cops ain't got any reason to catch me no more.

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But I'll still run with you guys till the Flow tells me to take it easy like Liam.”

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“That's not how the Flow works.

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Have you forgotten everything I taught?” groaned Lesaut.

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“And you've got a thing coming if you think Liam has it easy.

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Do you know how many train and bus schedules he's in charge of?

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Not to mention the number of subordinates he has to oversee with a

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pain-in-the-tail boss to answer to.

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And you know just how cats and dogs get along!

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Liam told me there were times he wished he could run with us again,

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but now it’s just a passing dream.

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Delores would have his pelt if he tried anything like that again,

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ever since he became a father.”

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“Nothing like freedom, eh?”

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laughed Snoss. He stepped out of his den,

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looking down at the vast expense of the city that was his home.

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With its countless paths,

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routes, and waypoints, it was a maze of opportunities and lessons abound.

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Not for the first time,

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the horse realized just how fortunate his life was.

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He may be miles from his birthplace,

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but that was simply part of following the Art

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of Displacement.This was the

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the 3# of 3# parts of

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“A Leap Forward” by MikasiWolf,

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read for you by Khaki,

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your faithful fireside companion. Thanks for reading!

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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 you get your podcasts.

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Thank you for listening

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to The Voice of Dog