Bernard lumbered through the woods, lost not in the trees but in his thoughts. Nothing guided his steps except for the fact that he had to take a winding path to avoid walking into trees. No physical needs plagued him at the moment, and yet he was still driven to seek... [i]something.[/i] The feeling would allow him no rest, and so he walked rather than finding shelter to sleep the next week or so away until he was truly hungry again.

Ahead, there was a brighter area that he could see between the trees. He spotted movement, and the amount of sunlight could only mean that there the trees were ending. Forging through the undergrowth, Bernard continued on. The scent of prey animals came to him as he stepped over a log, but he did not stop. He could now clearly see the two girls dancing in the meadow, and he stopped at the edge of the trees. Still in shadow, he looked out into the light to see what he could see.

Spotting the other Project, for what else could they all be, made Bernard's scars itch. The two of them had rarely been near each other, but he recognized another of his kind that had been subjected to similar treatment. A low growl rose unbidden and his throat, and he started towards the center of the clearing.

If there was going to be a fight, he wasn't going to let it be between to two feline projects.