Chapter 4
As he rode on, on a tiny colt from the stables probably not much older than himself, Sir Timoteo Montenegro III began to have serious doubts about his whole plan. He didn't even know where he was going, he just followed the last vague directions he had received in regards to where Senor Puss in Boots was.
They led him to the edge of a town, at night. He wondered why he had to be doing things at night so much, just the natural order of how the sun rose and fell he supposed, still he would have rather walked scary hallways and searched strange towns out in the bright light of the sun.
Leaping down from the colt's back, Timmy tied it at a nearby stable and flung the owner a bit of the gold he and his siblings still got as payment for their services.
The owner watched the tiny booted kitten glance about unsurely after having done this. "Can I help ya, kid?" he offered.
"I'm looking for Senior Puss in Boots" Timmy tried to sound as grown-up and confident as he could, "a group of...um, I think they were ranchers...said he was last seen here".
Even the should be just innocent ranchers had seemed slightly creepy as they glanced up from their camp fire's glow to address his question. Then again, maybe that had been the night again.
"Yes, I believe he's still down at The SpitGlass" the stable owner pointed down the road to the local saloon.
"Oh, thankyou!" it was the first real glimmer of hope Timmy had had in a while. If Puss was in the very town, then maybe he really did have nothing to fear. He quickly skipped off towards the building the stable owner had pointed out.
Luckily it was a loose, all but lawless town, and what laws they did put up didn't involve kids walking into saloons, so none stopped Timmy as he walked under the swinging doors and glanced about.
A few turned to glance towards him as he slowly walked further down the middle of the wooden floor. He wasn't sure if it was because he was a cat or a kid, but figured maybe it was best to assume the last.
"Well, looks like the dog drug in a little bit of fluff this time" a patron laughed. More laughter followed his statement, not the whole tavern just yet, only a few of his friends.
Timmy paused, turning towards the man and trying to determine if he should take offense. His slightly insulted frown seemed to have already taken offense though.
From a corner of the room, a black hat tipped up and green eyes just watched.
Timmy attempted to recall all the trouble he and his siblings had been before, how they were a set not messed with, and thus capable of their job as the princess' guard in the first place. That and he had just rode out across miles of desert to find the one place that Senior Puss in Boots was most likely in. He was no push over.
Yet...then the kid recalled his own fear and hiding from the fiend that now wreaked havoc on the castle. That and...he hadn't ever really done anything without the support of his siblings, and, truth be told, needing Perla to give the orders on what they did in the first place.
"What's wrong kitty? Get yourself lost from your mama?" another tavern patron joined in the teasing.
Timmy stood straighter, "I'm looking for Senior Puss in Boots!" he stated, "have either of you seen him?"
"Aw, kitty's lost his washed up outlaw papa" the first patron laughed. Now more joined in. "What, you need him to save you from stray doggies?"
From over in the corner, the black hatted figure's hand went to his sword and gripped it hard, yet the figure struggled to control himself and not leap out and meet this insult. Not yet.
Sir Timoteo swallowed and went on, forcing courage in his voice, "It is a matter of royal safety" he stated, "and I would...uh...thankyou if..." his grand speech fell a bit as the three men to have been teasing him now stood. "...you would tell me...where...".
Much as he tried to go on, Timmy was cut off as one of the men roughly hoisted him up by his collar.
From the corner, the figure now sat up, and green eyes flashed dangerously. None else had noticed, though.
"Oh, so you serve royalty, huh?" the man asked. "Hey boys!" he turned to the other two, "How much do you think we could get for this little loyal guard's ransom? Would this Princessa hand over half her gold, huh?".
Greedy though outlaws of his status could be, he was still mainly just teasing and having fun with the kid. Not that he wouldn't explore ransom options if they actually did prove a worthy track.
Scared stiff, but also highly annoyed, Timmy flailed, trying to free himself. "Let me go!" he shouted, then more pleading, "Please! You...even you don't want to face what she does now! I must find Senor Puss!"
Another of the men laughed, poking at the kitten just in further tormenting fun.
Annoyance growing stronger, Timmy frowned, and as the human's hand came back over, the kitten lashed out, scratching at it deeply.
"Ow!" the man jerked back. Timmy next got the one holding him to release him by way of lashing his other claw out to come in contact with the man's cheek. With a cry as well, the man dropped him.
Timmy turned to try and land correctly as he tumbled towards the ground, but, again, couldn't quite recall the correct technique, and instead was headed down stomach first.
He felt himself nudged aside and aided to the correct landing position though, and coming to his back feet perfectly, he glanced over to find Senor Puss in Boots himself standing there between him and the men, sword drawn.
"I would not be trying it!" the orange cat and legendary outlaw stated as the men made to charge forward. "This kid alone could rip you to shreds and we really don't want to find out what happens when I help, do we?".
The men did seem to falter. They didn't retreat, though, and so Puss figured they needed further encouragement. He flexed his claws, and three pairs of pants dropped to reveal bright boxers.
Puss next leaned forward with a hiss. Even from Timmy and his siblings' early outlaw history as well, the little gray kitten had become very good at taking cues and being intimidating with his siblings, so he now backed up his mentor with a hiss of his own as well, even of it came out less intimidating.
With cries, the three fled the tavern, and the other patrons quickly disappeared as well.
Relaxing and sheathing his sword once more with a side grin, Puss laughed. "Humans". He then turned to face the kitten behind him. "Well, Sir Timoteo Montenegro the Third" he of course used the kid's full title he had given him, in this instance.
"Senor Puss!" the kitten smiled very, very happily; yet also removed his little hat to begin to bow in honor. He was interrupted and distracted from this though, as suddenly Puss moved forward and hugged the kid.
Timmy paused. Such shows of his true feelings and affection were always hard pulled from Puss and thus more showing and shocking when they did come.
The legendary outlaw stepped back after a short bit though, but the happiness was hard to not see in his face as well. "What is this of a terror in the Princessa's castle?" he nonetheless asked on what he had figured out even from the kid's talk.
He instantly sort of regretted the question, necessary though it was and hard avoided for long from a cat of business such as Puss was. Still, instantly, with the inquiry, Timoteo Montenegro III's smile fell, and pure fear filled his eyes.
"It...it...". Head shaking, the kid faltered with his words yet again.
Puss kept an arm about young Timmy's shoulders, seeing how shaken the kid was, as he led the both of them over towards a table in the now all but abandoned tavern.
He knew the bar keep was still there, though, and snapped his claws, "Two leche!" he ordered. These were immediately brought over and when Puss paid, he handed the man some extra coins. "For the...uh, chased off revenue" he gave a small sort of apologetic smile, never liking to interfere with the day to day business of more or less hard working citizens.
The man nodded, "Thank you, Senor. I will, uh, bring cookies as well" he walked off to get the treats, complimentary. After he left, Puss glanced back over to the kitten sitting across from him and staring down at his milk, a bit distracted and possibly worried over something.
"How are your brother and sister doing? Good?" he questioned, trying to get the kid to talk at least a bit. He meant the question in general a bit, but Timmy glanced up to answer it specifically.
"I hope so" he said. "I mean we've been good, even fought back a few small threats".
"As I had no doubt you could" Puss smiled proudly, nodding as the bar keep returned with complimentary cookies and then left.
"This time is...different?" Puss went on to ask.
Timmy nodded, meeting his mentor's gaze, "I uh...Sir I don't know what it is?" he stated simply, and the fear came back once more to both his voice and eyes, "because it seems to be everything!".
He wasn't surprised when Puss looked perplexed, he still didn't understand it himself. "One of the knights saw something that knocked him out, and after seeing some of the...thing, I believe him when he said it could do it. Then I went out and found a small bird on a windowsill, but it didn't stay a bird. It...it turned into...well first a bear and then a...a great green sort of...monster that chased me down the hall and outside!".
Timmy riffled in his pockets, "I drew a picture of the monster part I saw, I dunno if that's what it looks like most times or just another...thing for it to look like, but...it's the only thing I don't recognize as anything".
Pulling out a sheet of brown paper, he unfolded it and handed it over to Puss. Both of the cats noticed the bar keep had come back over to their table. Puss stared at the rounded head of a something with great teeth and two round ears that stuck out on either side.
"What...is that?" he asked himself.
The bar keep's eyes went wide and he took the paper, breathing but one word as fear clouded his own voice. "Ogre...".
