"Hey Blondie!" I turned my head to the sudden voice in the clinic. I had heard Anders referred to as 'Blondie' a couple times before and always from that dwarf, so I figured it was just him and went back to lying on Daddy's lap.
"In here Varric."
"Ah good your just writing. We are getting together at the Hanged Man tonight and we haven't seen you around lately so you're coming tonight. No excuses, you don't have any patients right now."
"I can't Varric, I have to work on my Manifesto. Justice has been rather upset with me for spending my time with Pounce instead of working on mage liberation." I looked up at him guiltily but he just smiled and patted my head.
"Oh come on Blondie, you can give it a break for one night."
"Sorry Varric." I jumped up on the table and starred at the dwarf. Daddy explained that he was one of his closest friends but he looked kind of weird to me. No beard, I think that's what it was.
"heh, your cat seems interested. Maybe I should take him instead." I just turned my head to the side wondering if he was serious or not.
"You can't take a cat to The Hanged Man!"
"Why not? I have dog's playing poker there every week." He reached out and scratched under my chin. Have I mentioned how much I love that? "See he's purring he likes the idea."
"I don't trust you to keep an eye on him."
"Oh, you wound me." He moved his hand over his heart in mock pain, but was still smirking, "Believe it or not I consider myself a cat person, I wouldn't let him get hurt. Besides even if he some how got away from me, I'm sure he would find himself back in your clinic in no time. Cats are like that."
Daddy sighed and turned his attention to me, "Do you even want to go with him?"
I thought about it for a little before giving an affirmative meow and jumping to Varric's shoulders. The dwarf laughed and let me stay there, "Well I guess that's your answer."
"Fine, fine. But you better take care of my cat Varric" Daddy waved us off and returned to his work.
I had heard a lot about The Hanged Man from Anders but he typically depicts it in a good light. I couldn't imagine why, this place reeked of ale and vomit. Reminds me of Oghren from back in the Keep. I am kind of glad Daddy gave up drinking.
When we got into the back room I instantly recognized the pirate Isabela from her revealing outfit, Daddy wasn't kidding when he described her to me. Another girl was there too, an elf with tattoo's, I think her name was Merrill but Anders didn't talk about her very much. Just that she was foolish in her choices.
"Where did the cat come from?" The pirate pointed at me.
"He's Blondie's. I couldn't get him to come so I took his cat instead."
"What's his name?" Merrill stepped closer staring at me with her big eyes.
"Ser Pounce-a-lot I think." I meowed positively, "But he calls him Pounce for short."
"Oh this is that cat he always talked about! I'm so glad he got him back." The mage smiled at me, "He talked about you a lot. But he never told me how you got knighted. Do you have a little sword or a dashing cap with a feather in it?" Was this girl serious?
Varric chuckled and sat in his big chair, I jumped to the table. "Where's Hawke? He's usually here by now."
"He's always getting into some kind of trouble. He should be here soon." Isabela answered and if on cue the door swung open with a frantic looking Hawke in the doorway. He was holding something too.
"Something wrong Hawke?" Varric asked.
"Uhh…" His eyes landed on me in recognition, "What's Pounce doing here? Actually never mind, is he good with other cats?"
"I think so? Why does that matter?" For once even Varric looked confused, that was new.
Hawke then uncovered what he was holding. It was a very annoyed and very small ball of fur that I realized was a kitten. He was dark gray with patches of white here in there; and his eyes were incredibly green even for a cat. I looked at him with interest; it had been a long time since I saw a kitten and never one so angry, or fluffy.
"Aww he's so cute!" Merrill seemed to completely forget about me and ran to the newcomer. Which apparently pissed the kitten even more off, if that was even possible
"I wouldn't get so close Merrill, he's kind of heated right now."
"Where did you get him Hawke?" She was literally jumping up and down in joy. Damn kittens they always get all the attention.
"I always took you for a dog person Hawke. Not switching teams on us are you?" Isabela smirked. There was probably some kind of under meaning to that, but any dog person turned cat person was good news for me.
"Uhhh…" He looked extremely nervous "there's a bit of a story to this."
"I'm always up for a good story." Varric smirked with a knowing smile. Of course there was no way he could actually know what happened, but he always just looked like he knew.
"Well… you see… I uhhh."
"No, no, no. That is not how you start a story Hawke. I thought I taught you better then that."
"Right, well, I was practicing some new spells. Mind you I made sure I was home alone before practicing. And they were going really well, I was leaning a lot, you know by myself, in that big mansion, where no one should have been in danger. Then unbeknownst to me, someone did come into my house. They had just arrived, because I checked every room before you see..."
Varric raised his brow in amusement, the grin never leaving his face. This human really wanted us to know he thought he was alone in that house.
"And I might have, kinda, sorta… turned Fenris into a cat." He pointed to the very angry animal in question, "Or rather a kitten."
Isabela burst into laughter practically falling out of her seat; Varric covered his mouth trying to stop the snickering unsuccessfully and Merrill just look confused.
"Oh, you have got to be shitting me." Varric laughed, "Even I couldn't make this up!"
So the little fur ball was Fenris? After hearing so much about the elf I had imagined him to be more intimidating, then again I didn't expect him to be a cat.
"He's so cute!" Isabela who finally recovered from her laughing fit actually had the nerve to try and pick him up. Not a good idea, but when he tried to swipe at her hand he almost fell out of Hawke's palm instead. Cat's had the best balance of any animal I knew of but it works a lot different then humans and elves. Tails take a little to get used to, and I kind of pitied the stumbling kitten, even if he annoyed my owner so much.
"Wait Isabela! He's really, really mad at me, please don't piss him off more!"
"You not only used magic on him but you turned him into a kitten. He's probably already plotting ways to kill you once he returns to himself." Varric had a strange way of comforting people.
"I know." Hawke groaned and set Fenris on the table next to me
"Hello" I said conversationally.
He jumped, puffing his fur and clawing the table. The stare he gave me was almost comical.
"You don't have to freak out so much. You're a cat now, of course you can understand me." He stared at me in obvious confusion. I guess it would be weird to hear a cat suddenly talk to you, "My name is Ser Pounce-a-Lot. But you can call me Pounce."
"Ser Pounce-a-Lot? You are that abomination's cat!"
"Present."
"Look I think Pounce and Fenris are getting along!" Merrill grinned at us. Apparently she couldn't see the glare he was giving me.
"You think they can understand each other?"
"Probably, I could understand Anubus when I turned into a dog. He's actually really fun to talk to." Hawke answered Isabela before turning back to Fenris. "Man I am so dead."
"Why don't you just use dispel on him?"
"I tried! But shape shifting is a very old magic. It was designed to only be undone by the person who actually changed into the animal. If any mage could just dispel the effect, shape shifting would be useless. I found it in an old book and it looked really fun so I've been practicing it for the last couple weeks by myself." He stopped to stare at Fenris apologetically. "But today Fenris came in and startled me making me lose control and cast it on the whole room. I turned into a cat too but being a mage I could undo it on myself. However Fenris is not so he doesn't have the magic to reverse the spell. I didn't even know it could be cast on a non-mage until now."
"So if only the person who is changed can undo the magic and the elf isn't a mage, how are we going to get him back to his Broody self?" I looked over at Fenris who looked utterly miserable now. Apparently the answer to that question wasn't good.
"I have no idea."
"So Fenris is stuck as a cat for the rest of his life?" Merrill's excitement was gone and replaced with sympathy. I'm kind of glad Fenris didn't see that look; he didn't seem like the type to take sympathy well.
"No! I messed this up I will find a way to fix it." Hawke turned to the kitten, "I promise you Fenris, I will fix this."
"Well at least he got turned into a cat and not a snail. Imagine how frustrating that would have been!" Isabela joked, obviously trying to lighten the mood a little.
"That's true Rivaini. Come on let's get you a drink Hawke." They left the room assuring us they would to return shortly.
"So, you're Fenris. I've heard a lot about you."
"From the abomination?" He snorted, "About how wrong I am about mages?"
"Would you stop calling Daddy that? And yes he thinks you're misguided by you past but you would be surprised at the good things he says about you too."
"He has not been to Tevinter, and spare me any speeches about mage freedom. I am sure he even convinced his cat to back his cause."
"I back his cause, but I choose so. I do have freewill you know."
"You think you do."
Before I could respond the group of humans came through the door again.
"So where is he going to stay then?" Merrill asked.
"I don't know but he can't stay at his mansion by himself, and my house is out of the question with Anubus roaming around. Mabari aren't famous for getting along with cats." The human sighed.
"Well he can't stay at The Hanged Man with me or Varric. The patrons here will probably try to eat him." Daddy said something like that about Darktown. I wonder why, no one has tried to eat me yet.
"He can stay with me in the alienage!"
Hawke, Isabela, and Varric all shared a knowing stare. Even if he was a kitten Fenris would probably try to kill the blood mage the first night. "No thanks Daisy."
"Who else? He can't stay in the Barracks with Aveline, or the Chantry with Sebastian." Where they purposefully avoiding Anders?
"You can stay with me. Daddy takes good care of his cats." I told Fenris and before he could decline I meowed to get the groups attention.
Varric seemed to get my meaning, "Let him stay with Blondie. Maker knows how much he loves cats. And Pounce can teach Fenris what it means to be a cat." I meowed happily.
"What? No!" Fenris mewed.
Isabela laughed, "Oh I would pay to see that! Don't tell Anders who he is, it will be more fun that way."
Varric smirked at the idea. "It will also be a lot easier to convince him to take Fenris, if he thinks he's just some kitten."
"You guys have to be kidding. Fenris is already going to kill me, now you want me to send him off to live with Anders?"
"I refuse! I would rather stay with that dog then with the mage." Fenris hissed. Well it looks like he learned how to hiss fast enough.
"You said yourself he can't stay with anyone else."
They all looked at Hawke who struggled in thought for a little before giving in, "Fine, I guess we don't have any other option."
"What? How could you Hawke?"
"You know he can't understand you right?" I got a nasty glare, "Just sayin."
"That's the spirit. Now come on we have a game of Wicked Grace to play."
"And ale to drink." The pirate added handing the other human a mug.
By the end of the night Hawke ended up getting drunk, like really drunk, and passing out. Varric and Isabela encouraged Fenris to play cards with them even in his kitten form. Needless to say, Fenris refused as way of swatting at anyone who got close to him. I see why they called him Broody now. Merrill spent most of the night petting and playing with me since she was clearly unwanted by the other cat in the room. I didn't complain, more attention for me.
Once Isabela left to her room dragging the practically unconscious Hawke with her Varric took me from Merrill's lap and laid the sleepy elf in his bed. For a dwarf he had a big bed. I wonder if this happens often.
"Well look at that." He pointed to the sleeping kitten at the end of the table. "He would never fall asleep like that if he were his elf self. I guess cats really do need more sleep." I yawned to emphasize his point.
"I'll take you back home in the morning with Hawke and Fenris. It will be an interesting day, that's for sure." He laughed quietly to himself and went behind some curtain, "Goodnight."
I considered sleeping by the kitten but thought better of it and jumped into the other elf's bed. I pondered what Daddy would do with a new kitten, but I knew I didn't have to be jealous. I will always be him number one feline companion.