Familiar Travels_In the World of the Federal Witch Read online

  << I will show you that she can be thoughtful and kind. Perhaps she’s come to tell me that it’s all a mistake and that I can go back to the house and back into her regard. >>

  << Would that make you happy, little one? >>

  << Yes! The thought of losing my Witch is an ache in my heart and makes me feel incomplete. Perhaps she was upset by something else or perhaps I should’ve cleaned myself before I went to see her. It’s probably my fault. >>

  The mental tone of the dog was sad, and TT could hear the pity as she said, << It maybe not a big help right now, but I hope you remember what I say. It was not your fault. When one person is always saying it must’ve been something I did, that’s called an abusive situation. We see that sometimes in dogs, but very seldom in cats. >>

  << You will see! I’m sure that she’s just come to correct the problem. She loves me! I know she does. >>

  There is no more time because what seemed like a crowd of people invaded the quietness and peace of the kennel. TT could hear Norbert, the hounds master, saying, “My Lady, to what do we owe the honor of this visit?”

  “I came to make sure that my broken Familiar is being appropriately cared for. After all, I wouldn’t want anyone to say I didn’t do my duty.”

  “Of course, my Lady. However, we had no specific instructions for any special treatment for the cat. I believe though that she is in the building ahead of us. We can go and see where she’s hiding if you wish.”

  “That is acceptable. I just needed to reassure myself that she is still here and that her situation has not deteriorated too much.”

  The sound of her Witch’s voice filled TT with a desperate longing. She hadn’t realized how much she had craved that familiar sound and she could feel something in her reaching out toward her Witch. Always before, that adoration had been accepted and regard had been sent back. But this time, her straining reach for contact slid off a shell. It was as if her Witch had hidden behind a ball of slippery and impenetrable glass.

  TT could see her, faintly feel her mind, but she couldn’t touch the essence of her Witch. All of a sudden, the Persian felt a wall of exhaustion slam into her. What was the use of trying to fix something if she couldn’t? Despite what the dog had said, she knew it was her fault. And if she was this broken, this flawed, wouldn’t she be doing her Witch a favor by going away? Even if that meant that she died of sorrow and loneliness. Didn’t she deserve that?

  So sunk was the Persian in a morass of depression, that she almost didn’t realize that her Witch had entered the area and was standing above her. The cat was only pulled out of that fog of exhaustion when the Witch said in a strange, bright voice, “Oh, there you are. I am so sorry that things have come to this pass, but you obviously weren’t going to be acceptable anymore. I appreciate everything that you’ve done.”

  Eyes still, TT looked up at that beloved face and saw that the woman wasn’t even looking at her. In fact, her beautiful, perfect Witch was staring determinedly off into the distance with a longing expression on her face. Glancing to where the woman was focused, TT saw that the object of the noblewoman’s desire was the door. I disgust her so much that all she can think of is how soon she can leave, thought TT to herself.

  The Witch continued, saying, “I know it is not much, but I thought that I would bring you one last treat. I remembered how much you loved these fish balls and how you would go off to eat them where I didn’t have to smell the stink of your breath afterward. So I had a batch specially made up for you.”

  There was something strange in the tone of the woman’s voice, and TT couldn’t remember ever having a fish ball before. Maybe this was a different name for something that she had enjoyed. At least it was a gift from her Witch. It showed that she cared about her still and the Persian was willing to take whatever sign she could get of that affection.

  The woman bent carefully toward the small cat on the ground. Using one hand to keep her skirts from dragging in the straw and dust of the whelping area, the Witch reached into her waist pouch, a strange-looking pouch made of slick black material. Carefully, she pulled out a handkerchief-wrapped item that smelled strongly of fish.

  Scrunching her face in dismay, the noble Witch flipped the edge of the handkerchief back and offered the treat to the now trembling cat. TT felt like every erg of energy had run out of her. Her feeling of unworthiness and sadness was coupled with despair and the view of a life that was not worth living. There would be no going back to her Witch. That was being made very clear.

  “Come now, TT. Of course, I’m not going to call you Princess anymore, but TT is still your name. Have one last treat for me. Show me how much you love me.”

  Unable to resist her Witch, unable to push this peace offering away, TT obediently opened her mouth. Quickly, the Witch pushed the fish ball onto her tongue. Clamping the cat’s muzzle closed, the Witch gave TT’s head a slight shake and said, “Now you be a good girl. I’m sure something will happen that will make everything better.”

  Without another word, the Witch and her followers left the kennel. It was if a magic spell had evacuated the entire area. The crowded feeling and the oppressive atmosphere evaporated. TT didn’t know how to react.

  << Quick! Spit that out!” thundered into TT’s mind from Adelphia.

  << What? What you mean? >>

  << Get what she fed you out of your mouth! There’s something wrong with it. I can smell it. Don’t swallow and spit it out! >>

  It was just too much trouble to argue. TT opened her mouth and tried to spit the ball out, but it was like a chunk of ice burning in her mouth. Even though she tried again to spit, her saliva just fizzled and dribbled across her jaw as numbness crept more deeply along her tongue and the inside of her cheeks. Finally, the cat tipped her gaping mouth down toward the ground and shook her head. With a sizzling splat, the lump of fish paste dropped to the ground.

  The Persian cat tried to take a deep breath and found that she could not. Waves of heat and icy cold were taking turns submerging her. Each wave brought more pain as the intensity of burn in her mouth and along the top part of her throat grew larger. TT felt like she was at the bottom of a trough and beaten by waves against sharp rocks. The pain would alternate from one side to the other, smashing down on her as if she were being beaten with a large stick.

  Bam! First, the heat would sear her nerves and make her lungs feel like they were turning to ash. There would be no time to take another breath before the crashing sensation slammed in from the side that was icy cold. Now instead of the heat burn, there was a different kind of searing that you get with too much ice. That one actually hurt more because it left aching echoes along her nerves.

  Her head was pounding, and her vision was disappearing in a collection of blotches. Once again, the strong voice pushed into her head, demanding, << Do not swallow this! Let it rinse your mouth and dribble out. Focus! I need you to help! You’ve been poisoned, and if you don’t help us we can’t help you! >>

  Those words didn’t make any sense to TT. At this point, she was just trying to breathe. The cat smelled the puppies and the mother dog’s milk as a huge paw flipped her over and slightly warm water was dumped on her face and into her mouth. The drained little cat had no energy to do anything proactive. She laid there as the two dogs took turns carrying water in their mouths over to rinse her mouth. The puddle under TT’s head grew as the animals kept up their unceasing attempt to rescue her.

  Dimly, TT heard the tiny scrabbling sound that she associated with puppies. Through her patchy, disintegrating vision, the Persian saw that one of the young puppies had crawled close to where she was lying in an attempt to reach his mother. The fluid that had been used to rinse the cat’s mouth was puddled in a tainted collection of mixed poison and water. With such a small puppy, even touching that diluted toxin would be harmful.

  TT did not want to acknowledge the fact that her Witch had just tried to kill her. But the puppy was innocent, and he did not deserve to die for TT’s self-delusion.
Pulling her mind together in a heroic effort, TT managed to broadcast to the female dogs, << Keep the puppy away. He doesn’t deserve to die. >> That effort was too much for the cat to sustain. The previous waves of pain were nothing to the smash of darkness that rose from the abyss and shattered TT’s fragile hold on consciousness.

  Chapter 5 – Disappointment

  This is getting old, TT thought to herself. Once more, the Persian cat was waking to the prickle of straw poking through her belly fur and the comforting pound of Adelphia’s heart. The small feline tried to move her muscles, but nothing was responding. Panicking, TT lashed her unresponsive body with demands for a movement that went unanswered. With each refusal, the wellspring of her terror rose higher.

  << Peace, little one. The master gave you some medicine to keep you from accidentally going into the shaking fits again. We almost lost you, and he said that the medicine would wear off shortly after you woke up. So, don’t be panicked, just be patient. >>

  << Okay, I suppose I can just manage to lie here for a bit. Also, it appears that I have you to thank for my life. >>

  << I can hear that you’re not thinking much of that gift right now. But trust me when I say that it will become a more valuable gift later on. You’ve been betrayed and hurt. It takes a while to recover from that and some of those injuries we never truly do get over. Some of them are so severe, we just learn to live with them. >>

  Comforted by both the beat of the huge dog’s heart and the obvious concern in her mental voice, TT fell asleep once more.

  <<<>>>

  The second time that TT woke up, her muscles were responding to her, even though they were a little sluggish. Struggling to sit up, the Persian cat showed only a shadow of her former grace. In many ways, it felt like a replay of the previous day. The only difference was that Adelphia was not growling. Both of the other mother dogs were there, still tending to their babies. TT was relieved to see that all of the pups in the litter were present, healthy and active. Apparently, her warning had been enough to save the puppy’s life. That was one thing that she had done that was good.

  There were no watchful or antagonistic glances from either of the other two adult dogs. This time, TT was simply another member of their pack. There was no need for posture and certainly no need to display aggression.

  TT sat quietly for a while, attempting to even out her breathing and to see if she could get her muscles to respond with some shadow of her former agility. Her success was spotty, but at least the cat felt like she was making progress.

  Now that TT was awake, Adelphia got up and was moving around. The hound was restless, pacing the entire width of the whelping area by the closed swinging gate.

  << Adelphia, what is wrong? >> asked the small terrier.

  << I don’t know Markey, but I can tell that something is going to happen. I just don’t know if it is dangerous or not. >> answered the huge female.

  The mother terrier cocked her head to the side and looked at the alpha female. In a worried tone, she asked, << Should we hide the babies? >>

  << I don’t think it’s come to that yet. However, it might be good to separate TT from the rest of us for a little while. There’s some danger swirling around her right now, and I don’t want to risk you or the puppies. >>

  The white Persian was surprised, shocked to her core. The dogs were having a conversation that included the concept of foreknowledge and pre-cog. Something that was very rare in Familiars and unusual even for Witches. But these dogs acted like it was an everyday thing. What on earth was going on?

  Adelphia came over to TT. Bringing her huge nose down close to the small cat, TT felt the brush of the huge dog’s thoughts against hers. << Are you well enough to move? >>

  << Yes, I am, as long as we don’t have to race. >>

  TT felt more than heard the snort of amusement from the big dog. Nudging the cat once to get her moving, Adelphia led the way out of the whelping pen and into a smaller enclosed area across the hallway and to the left. There was a scrap of blanket on a pile of straw in the corner and TT made her way toward that rough bed. She knew she would miss the warmth of the big dog but was too proud to comment on it.

  Adelphia must have read her body language because she said, << Don’t worry. When the danger passes, we will bring you back into the whelping box. It’s kept warmer than any other area and that way we can all guard you while you sleep. >>

  Gratefully, the cat sank onto a scrap of blanket. Realizing that she was weaker than she had thought, TT was grateful that the walk had not been longer. Alone with her thoughts, the small cat was surprised when she heard the voice of the Butler questioning the hound master. Abruptly shifting to active listening, TT overheard, “… Don’t know what you expect, Draco, but I do not track every animal on this estate. I have my hands full with the hounds, and that is what I pay attention to.” It was the voice of the hound master, and he sounded irritated.

  The supercilious voice of the Butler responded, “I understand that this is an unexpected invasion of your territory. However, my lady insists on knowing if the severely ill cat has died. After all, a Familiar with health issues is a danger to their Witch. Obviously, it couldn’t have continued.”

  “Well come on, you can look for yourself and then you can get out of my kennel.”

  “With pleasure! The stink of it will follow me around for the entire day.”

  “Then just watch where you step.”

  TT smiled internally as she heard the Butler’s footsteps stop immediately. She could picture him, frantically checking to make sure that he had not stepped in any noisome deposit. At a different place and time, TT would’ve been even more amused. However, in the current situation and with the forewarning of Adelphia, the small cat couldn’t help but wonder what the Butler was doing down in the kennels.

  Many times, she had heard him disparaging those that worked outside of Manor itself. To have him come looking for her made the Familiar suspect an alternative motive. She hoped there would not be another shock like she had suffered through the previous days. TT wasn’t sure that she could manage to hold up under any more of them.

  The cat heard the hound master’s tread and the more staccato sound of the Butler’s shoes coming closer to her. Deciding on the spur of the moment to act more feeble than she actually felt, TT arranged herself on the blanket in a dramatic pose of exhaustion and illness. She was ready none too soon.

  “My goodness! I did not recognize the cat. She is filthy! Madame would not tolerate a slovenly Familiar.”

  “Draco, give the poor thing a break. She has not been feeling well and whatever this mysterious illness is has been too much for her to function normally.”

  “Be that as it may, there’s no excuse for letting standards lapse. Madame will be most annoyed if she ever has to encounter this sort of sloppiness.”

  “You can see that the cat is here and has not received any special treatment, per our instructions. What else do you want to know? I am positive that you did not come down here for the pleasure of my company.”

  Draco did not respond directly to the hound master. Instead, nostrils pinched an unconscious effort to not smell any of the odors of the kennel, the man leaned forward closer to TT and visually examined the cat. Turning to the kennel master, he asked, “Are you sure that this animal is still alive? It looks mostly dead.”

  TT thought that it was time for her to make some sort of semi-dramatic statement, so she let out a small pained sound. Recoiling away from her with commendable speed, the Butler hurried into speech, “I see that it’s not quite dead. However, it doesn’t look like it’s long for this earth.”

  Nodding his head in agreement, Norbert remarked, “I suspect you’re right. I don’t think that this cat will be around much longer.”

  “Well, that is too bad. However, the animal was obviously flawed because otherwise, our mistress would not have dumped her. After all, as one of the foremost families in Paris, actually in all of France, we cannot tolerate s
lovenly behavior. Keep me informed as to the animal’s status.”

  With that parting shot, the Butler spun on his heel and tried to march grandly out of the kennel. His attitude, coupled with his footwear, combined to ruin that dramatic exit with a partial slip. Arms flailing to regain his balance, the Butler ended up scurrying out of the area and into the main hall of the kennel.

  TT glanced up in time to see a look of profound satisfaction on the face of the kennel master. It was a face that was alive with amusement and a certain gleeful malice. Obviously, the two men were not friends.

  Drawing the man’s attention with a soft noise, TT found herself under scrutiny. Looking at her, the man’s face was full of concern. Obviously, she had done her acting too well.

  Straightening up, the cat tried to show with her body posture that she was not as sick as she been portraying. The Persian was pleased that she had read his body language correctly because when he saw her moving more freely the tenseness in his face eased and a smile broke out on his face. “Good girl! Smart girl,” he murmured.

  When another voice was heard outside of the room that they were in, the hound master brought his forefinger up against his lips in a warning to be silent. Both he and TT listened intently as they heard the Butler say, “The stupid thing is not dead yet. You’ll have to come back and dispose of it after it finally gives up.”

  The supercilious voice of the head footman responded, “Very good, sir. Just let us know when you want us to take out the trash.”

  The retreating steps of a pair of boots told TT that the footman and possibly an assistant were moving away. However, the Butler was still there. She hadn’t heard him leave and thru the veil of her broken heart, the Persian suspected what was coming next.