Chapter 7: Evening
There was a few moments of silence then the door reopened and the small leopard reentered, followed by another female cheetah and what appeared to be a male gold cat. The three bowed as they entered
The cheetah, Kit noticed, looked very different from Cheeky, not only was she a good twenty years older her fur was dark gold and where Cheeky's had been uniform dark spots covered all the Kit could see. Additionally despite her gender, the cat's hair was short, although no less beautiful. Finally where as Cheeky's face had been spotless this cat's eyes were surrounded by a red colour, eyes that were currently giving Kit a look of reassurance.
Trying not to stare, Kit turned to the leopard. Now that she could get a good look at her Kit noticed that her uniform, which she sheared with the cheetah. It was a long, black sleeveless dress, with a white apron down the front; in addition she wore a white bonnet, with holes for her ears. Her fur was a mixture of light gray and orange, she had the normally medium build and spots of a leopard.
The gold cat made his way over to Lion-O. Unlike the others; he wore a dark tunic and coat over a white shirt. He was middle aged, perhaps past, and walked with a cane and a slight limp. Though that being said it was a limp that said he hadn't weakened.
"You summoned us Prince Lion-O." The gold cat bowed slightly. He gave Kat a stern glance. "I assume that this is the girl."
"Yes, Temick." Lion-O answered. "Tarah, Amu. This is Wilykit, a new slave of our household. Wilykit, this is Temick, my Chancellor." He indicted the golden cat. "Tarah, my head house maid," he indicated the cheetah, "and Amu, one of my parlor maids." He indicated the Leopard before turning back to Temick. "I trust that you'll be able to get her sorted?"
Temick nodded, but didn't smile. "Of course Lion-O. Shell I set her up in the servants quarters, or will she be sleeping in the hall?" Kit couldn't help but feel amazed at how quickly she'd gotten used to her opinion being moot.
"Neither, set her up in my room," At these words the leopard gave a slight hiss, Lion-O ignored here. "It's about time I had a personal attendant." Kit noticed that Temick was looking at Lion-O like he'd gone mad. Lion-O seemed to notice as well. "Yes I know Temick, I always hated the idea, but the King's orders are that they serve me, not just the house."
Temick seemed satisfied with the explanation but he gave Kit a nervous look. "If she, and her brother, are to be your personal attendants then they're going to need…"
"Training and other administrative stuff, yes." Lion-o cut in. "Look Temick can we discuss this later, got a party I want to get to."
Temick sighed. "Very well, we'll have her work as a maid until then." Kit felt a little bit more confidant, cleaning that was something she could do. However this was suddenly overridden with worry as she realized Lion-O was about to leave. She quickly chastised herself; it wasn't as if she had to rely completely on Lion-O.
Lion-O stood and addressed Tarah and Amu. "I'm trusting you two to help her settle in, understand?" The two gave a slight bow and answered yes. "Good." Lion-O said, "Then I leave her in your hands." He have Kit a look of reassurance before making his exit. As he left the three servants gave a short bow, Kit, unsure on what to do, quickly followed suit.
"So," Amu noted, her voice rich with contempt, "You're the little thief."
"Now, now, Amu," Tarah chastised softly, "go easy. She only just got out of the dungeon."
"Quiet, the two of you." The room suddenly fell very quiet, Kit turned to see that Temick was now sitting at the desk with his gaze fixed on her. Kit could almost feel his eyes travelling from head to toe and back, she couldn't help but a sharp gulp. Without looking away, Temick reached into one of the draws and pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill and ink. He scribbled something down and handed the parchment to Kit. "Read this please."
Kit froze at the command, while her father had taught Kat and her to read, the need to work on the farm had kept it basic. She knew enough to navigate a market but no more. She wondered how Temick or Lion-O would react to her illiteracy. Luckily Temick, noticing her hesitation, decided to put her mind at rest. "If you can't read, just say, you wont be punished for it."
Giving a sigh of relief Kit focused on the writing "A cat." She began, knowing the first to words gave her a bit of confidence, not that it did any good. "A…lizard and a." She paused, the next word started with an 'e' but Kit had never seen it before. She looked at the rest, noticing that they increased in length, the last taking up half a line. Defeated she gave the paper back to Temick.
"Little," Temick noted, making Kit feel more down, "but above what I would have expected for a Wildcat kitten." The remark made Kit feel slightly better, 'slightly'.
"Can you clean, Wilykit?" Temick asked.
"Yes."
Temick seemed like he wanted more than a nod. "Yes what?"
"Yes sir." Kit added. She made a mental note to remember that.
"Wash clothes?"
"Yes sir."
"Work in a Kitchen."
"Yes sir." Kit was thankful that at lest some of the chores Kat and her had done on the farm where paying off.
"Are you hungry?"
The question caught her off guard, not only as it was out of the blue but also because she'd forgotten she was. After a day or two without food, the body tends to stop craving food, having more of a silent hunger. Now that she did, she realized she'd barely eaten since that damn cheetah had locked them up. "Yes sir." She nodded
"Amu," Temick called the maid forward, "please go the kitchen and prepare something for Wilykit. We'll be along shortly.
"Yes sir." The maid bowed and, giving Kit a scowl, left.
"Tarah," He addressed the cheetah, "Would you be able to fit Wilykit with a temporary uniform, I trust you can find one her size."
"Of course sir." Tarah answered, giving Kit a smile.
"I'll meet you in the kitchen in about an hour." Temick said. "I expect her dressed and feed."
"Certainly sir." Tarah answered. She placed a hand on Kit's shoulder. "Come, lets find you a uniform." Knowing she had little choice, Kit followed as Tarah lead her gently out of the room.
Kat groaned, his head was heavy and his back felt like embers. He tried to move but his body was void of emery, he gave another moan and rolled his head to the side. Two fuzzy white blobs sat across from him, he blinked and the blobs took the form of two cubs, a male lion and a female cheetah.
He tried to talk but only managed a small grunt. The two cubs, who'd been engaged in conversation, turned to look at him. The cheetah jumped off the lion's bed and, in a flash, was at Kat's side. "Hey, you're awake, how are you felling, sorry that's a stupid question, of course you're feeling terrible you've just been whipped, I've never been whipped before, I've been birched and I thought that was painful, can't imagine how feel, I'm Cheeky by the way, nice meet you."
Kat took in about a third of what the girl said the rest just made his head hurt more. He closed his eyes, trying to ignore the girl and go back to sleep, a prospect the girl seemed to want to deny him. "By the way that's Feli-x or X as I like to call him, be careful how you act around him as Iber is a little defensive, he's also the King's nephew but its Iber you have to be careful of, he's the one fixed you up if you were wondering, he should be glade to see you're awake, maybe he'll be less annoyed at me…" footsteps drummed through Kat's already aching head "doubt it." Kat felt his bed suddenly shake, as Cheeky seemed to clamber underneath it. "I'm not here." She added, even through his haze Kat made out a hint of fright in her voice.
"He's not going to miss you." Feli-x pointed out with clear amusement.
"Hush."
Kat gently open his eyes. Since he clearly wasn't going to get back to sleep he decided he might as well gain some understanding of his situation. He heard the creak of a door and he turned his head to see and old lynx walk in. Kat immediately recognized him but it took him a moment to remember his previous moment of consciousness.
"I see you're awake." Iber said as he made his way over to Kat. "How are you felling?
"Sore," Kat answered as Iber placed a hand on his head, "where's Kit?"
"You're sister is safe and sound." Iber reassured. "She left with Lion-O after I made sure she was fine."
"Cheeky ran into her before," Feli-x added, "She said she was fine." Although it bought him some relief Kat still worried. He had no idea what Lion-O planned to do with his sister and he didn't overly trust the people here
"Good," Iber said happily, "and since we're on the subject." Iber suddenly knelt down and reached under the bed. Kat gripped the sheets as it shock, there was a scuffling sound, followed by a snarl before Iber withdrew his hand, holding a dangling Cheeky by the back of the neck. His arm was, surprisingly, only slightly scratched.
Like all kittens and cubs, Kat cringed at the holds use. Any young cub or kitten held there would immediately go limp, as if their limbs no longer followed commands. His mother had always told him that it was put there by the Omens themselves to help a mother prevent her kittens from doing something dangerous. Of course she, like most other adults, also used it to get their attention. Iber let go and the girl dropped, landing on all fours as the lynx toward over her.
"Hello Iber," Cheeky stuttered as she rose, "I was just…er…. checking the floor…for…um…stones which it of course needs to have to be a floor. Don't worry, it's definitely a floor." Iber gave her a look that would make any cub shut their mouth and pray to Omens…well almost any. "Hey look," She indicated Kay, "Wilykat's awake, isn't that great, you must be so…" Iber grabbed her neck again, silencing her.
"We'll be back soon." Iber told Felix. "Keep Wilykat company till then." He walked off half-dragging half-carrying Cheeky with him.
"She'll be okay right?" Kat asked, he wasn't overly sure what the girl had done but Iber seemed pretty angry. He wasn't sure how the Lion would take a slave asking him a question, but he was friends with Cheeky and she didn't seem to care about his status.
"She'll be fine." Feli-x answered. "It's not the first time she's angered Iber and I doubt it will be the last." The room was silent for a moment; the there was a sudden yelp from the other side of the door. "So where are you from?" Feli-x asked trying to ignore the obvious sound of his friend being beaten.
"Tailed pass." Kat answered despite his sore head.
"From outside the city." Feli-x exclaimed. "It must be pretty out there. I'm from here obviously. What's it like on a farm?"
"If I may," Kat chose his words carefully, the last thing he wanted was to be whipped again. "Why are you talking to slave?"
Feli-x sat back, his face showing signs of hurt before flooding with understanding. "I see. You're confused as to why the king's nephew, a member of the royal house, is talking to a lowly slave like yourself." Kat nodded. "You not simply a lowly slave, you're a temporary slave, which makes a difference.
"What difference." Kat asked, up until now he just assumed a slave was a slave, that they would be worked from dawn till dusk and whipped for even the smallest mistake.
Feli-x shrugged. "Don't really know, Loopy would, all I know is the temporary slaves are considered closer to servants than permanent slaves in my family." Outside Cheeky gave a shriek. "Anyway, I've been stuck in here for a fortnight, I'd talk to a lizard if one was allowed in."
Deciding that the boy's offer of equal converse was genuine Kat asked. "So why are you here."
"I have this sickness." Feli-x answered the best he could. "It makes me weak. Sometimes I'm okay, other times…" Feli-x gave a sigh and laid back, "other times I can't move. Part of the reason I'm talking to you, most cubs my age don't want to associated with a weakling."
So the nobles are strength orientated Kat thought. Due to his time on a farm and in a slum he and his sister had had little interaction with the upper classes but the rumors had always been that they looked down on those weaker than them. Kat smiled, this made Feli-x a little more trustworthy.
"So my sister's okay." He asked, felling a little more secure about conversing with a royal.
"Think so. Cheeky literally ran into her before coming here, you'll probably have to ask her." As if on cue, Iber and Cheeky re-entered. Cheeky's eyes showed signs of crying as she rubbed her head and backside. Iber seemed slightly less gruff.
Cheeky moved a lot slower than before as she walked over and hopped up on to Feli-x's bead. "Just remember, I'll going to get you for telling." She whispered.
"I didn't tell." Feli-x whispered back in protest. "I said no one told me, he assumed it was you."
"You could have said it was Loopy."
Iber, who had begun to close the drapes and shutters, gave a short laugh. "Yes and while he was at it, he could have said he meet an honest fox." Cheeky hung her head in a huff at the realization that Iber could hear them.
"Um Cheeky," Kat asked, "You said you ran into my sister, is she okay?"
"Oh Spikey," Cheeky nodded rapidly "She's find, she got right back up after I knocked her over, silly girl was in my way, and seemed more than okay with it, Lion-O seems to be taking good care of…ow." She yelped as Iber clipped the back of her head. "Hey," she gave Iber an annoyed look, "Feli-x was talking to him to."
"Feli-x is one of my patients and he knows the right way to talk to one," Iber lectured, "which is slow and quiet. Now, if you have nothing else to do, I have some medicine I need you to deliver." Kat gave a blink of surprise that Iber appeared to, in some way, trust the girl he seemed to dislike.
"Not yet." Cheeky moan, she began to lay down on her back before giving a yelp and rolling on to her front, giving the doctor a smile. "You haven't told us tonight's story." To Kat the world suddenly seemed much less alien, his position and upbringing may have been very different from the two cubs but some things were the same no matter where you were. Such as immediately forgetting about a punishment and asking a parent for a story.
"Yes come on Iber." Feli-x joined. "I want to here about Leo and please don't stop halfway through this time
Iber's face softened. "Very well," he conceded, "one tale, the you have work," he nodded to Cheeky, "and you two need to sleep." He took a deep breath and began.
Once, long ago, when the mountains were young and the forests barely shrub, back before Thundera there lived an evil lord by the name of Mumm-Ra. Now Mumm-Ra was evil as can be, he enjoyed crushing puppies beneath his feet and feasting on young cats like you for his supper.
More than that, my dear cubs, Mumm-Ra was one of the ancient spirits of evil, so evil that so long as evil exists, Mumm-Ra exists with it. So remember that Cheeky, you let too much evil into your heart and Mumm-Ra will take you and eat you for supper and he only eats live…
"You're not going to scare me with that anymore Iber. I no longer believe in fairy tails.
"I aware and I thought I told you no interruptions. Now where was I…"
Back then Mumm-Ra, with the help of his loyal lizard followers, controlled almost all of what was Third Earth. All other races had fallen or joined leaving only the cats to oppose his evil villainy. The cats were strong but Mumm-Ra's powers were unmatched and slowly the cats were driven back until only a small resistance remained.
"I once heard a lizard tell this tale," Kat interjected, "he seemed to think that it was the cats that were with Mumm-Ra."
"That's stupid." Feli-x commented. "As if the cats would serve Mumm-Ra."
"Will you please stop interrupting."
It was around this time that two brothers were born under Mumm-Ra's rule. There was Tygus the oldest, loyal and wise, and there was Leo younger and more foolish, but with a good heart."
"They were brothers? Cheetara always said they were cousins."
"Next person to interrupt gets a smack, I don't care how sick they are.
Working on the farm the two brothers grow up fierce and strong with both showing great talent with a sword. When they weren't working the brothers would often spar, with Tygus due to his wisdom often winning. Despite it the two brothers forged a friendship that seemed like it would never break. That is until the day they came home to find their farm burnt to the ground."
You see my dear cubs, unknown to the two young cats, their father had refused Mumm-Ra's offer to take the farm and so the evil warlord had put it to the torch with their parents and younger sister inside. The two swore revenge but while Tygus knew that they were, as yet, no match for Mumm-Ra, the fire in Leo's heart clouded him to his brother's wisdom and he began to follow the warlord's tracks. Tygus not wanting to abandon his brother to a certain death followed.
Iber voice became calm and gentle as the story rolled off his lips. Much like his father's it gave one the felling of peace, of being rocked backed and forwards. Kat gently closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Chapter notes.
Temick: Comes from Caropuma Temminckii the scientific name for an Asian golden cat
Tarah: Comes from the seconded half of the word cheetah (Tah)
Amu: Comes from Amur, a subspecies of leopard.
