Wanderer 3

Part two here. Archive here.

Finally the quarantine was over. Their guest had been increasingly restless, her kits ever more energetic, such that they had needed to be moved to larger cages several times over the two moons.

“No telling what will happen to you now.” Briz said quietly, putting a brave smile on as she untied the door of the carry-cage. “Let us hope you find a place amongst your own kind. Or as close as we have.”

Their guest - now ex-guest - sprang out the moment the door fell, followed by her kits. Only to freeze and stare around, ears twitching and nose flaring and tail swishing.

Then she settled down in the grass, blinked up at Krix and Briz, and started daintily licking one paw.

The goblins exchanged perplexed looks.

“…Is she a grassland cat?” Krix scratched his ear and squinted at the forest, which at only sixty paces would be shading them if it were afternoon.

Briz’s brow furrowed. “Are there grassland cats? They can’t dig burrows, surely?”

“Er…” The Spirits hadn’t said. Only that it was fine to let their guest go out into the world. Krix shrugged and decided “Well, grasslands or forest, she can surely find where she needs to be.”

***

It has been a fine day. At last I was able to stretch my legs and begin teaching my kits. We have learned many scents and what they mean. Food, shelter, danger… we must become fluent in the sounds and smells and patterns of this world if we are to fulfil the Pact.

But my kits grow tired. So I lead them back along the scent trail that our humans left. Back home.

Our den is gone! We sniff and paw and cry out. Finally the old woman appears. She seems confused. Does she not know what happened to our den? Was it taken away by another?

I leave my kits in the corner of our cage and follow her. I will help look!

She goes to a shed, which is filled with many dens all piled up. As the opening door wafts air across I catch my scent! I hurry to my den and call to her. Here, here! Some silly person put it in the pile with the others! Foolish humans.

Thankfully she understands me, at least enough to get the correct den down and carry it to my kits. I inspect the den carefully, but it seems undamaged. So I chirp and purr my thanks to her and my family settles in to rest.

Part 4 here.