Elven World
Wooden House
They all turned to look around searching for the voice's source.
"There" whispered Marguerita pointing towards a corner.
She was clung to her mate's arm and looked like she wasn't sure how she would feel.
If she must be afraid or surprised to see an old man sitting on a chair where before there wasn't anyone.
Munkustrap tensed and looked at the newcomer.
Marguerita was at first surprised by Munkustrap's reaction, then she realized never he had felt the stranger presence.
Who would he be?
A friend or, she shivered and closed herself to Tugger, a foe?
Tugger embraced her and nuzzled her hair.
"Who are you?" Munkustrap asked putting himself between the man and the Jellicles.
Demeter was holding close to her chest Electra, looking wide eyes to the stranger.
Bombalurina moved softly and hugged her daughter, comforting her.
Munkustrap shot a grateful glare to Bombi and turned to face again the man.
This last was a short man, with white curled hair and two backcombed sideburns.
He had a pair of golden fine glasses, encircling two brightening and amused pair of blue eyes.
"How I can serve you, my honorable guests?" he asked bowing from his chair.
He was surrounded by huge piles of books and had several in his lap.
"You are Mastro Bernard?" asked Old Deuteronomy walking at Munkustrap's side.
He was using an ancient human's world for Master, Wise Teacher and similar.
"Maybe yes, maybe no, my friend" was the answer from the old man.
Munkustrap and Tugger tilted their heads aside, astonished.
Marguerita whispered to Demeter, now at her side with Bombalurina.
"Who's Mastro Bernard?" she asked.
"He is the Elven Gate Keeper" replied the black and golden queen in a whisper.
"I thought Old Deuteronomy had met the Keeper before" Marguerita said surprised.
Why Old Deuteronomy wasn't recognizing him?
It was Bombalurina who answered her, smiling knowing still looking at the strange man.
"The Keeper change his appearance very often" she explained.
Both the young jellilces princesses nodded and turned to look at the old man.
Now Munkustrap and Tugger were at each side of their father.
Cassandra was at Tugger's side with Alonzo, while Tantomille and Coricopat were at Munkustrap's.
The old man stood up and walked towards one of the tables.
They hadn't previously noted them due to the huge piles of books submerging them.
The old man had a strange way to walk, like one of his legs didn't work right.
"And how we can find if you are him or not?" asked Tugger smiling charming.
"It's depend on what you search and who wants him" said the old man.
It seemed that Tugger's power haven't work on him because he didn't even look up at them.
He was still looking among his books.
"We have to meet the Elves" replied Munkustrap "we are waited"
"Oh I see" replied the old man still walking among the book's piles.
"We are the Jellicles" added Cassandra speaking with her soft voice.
She was really intrigued by this strange man, like were her twin siblings.
Tanto was looking at every movements of the old man, her tail twisting.
Marguerita had learned that it was a sing of anticipation.
Tantomille was waiting for something to happen.
When even the always calm Munkustrap and Coricopat started to get annoyed, the old man spook.
"Well well" finally said the old man.
"I see" he added "but you can tell my why the curiosity kill the cat and then he is alive?"
Everyone looked shocked at him.
A lot of jaws fell and they all starred wide eyes at the old man.
Had he went mad? Completely?
"Because the satisfaction bring him back" replied Marguerita.
They all turned to look at her, all, but Old Deuteronomy, surprised.
The old patriarch was smiling at his daughter in law, with proud.
"Right right" mumbled the old man making all the Jellicles again turning towards him.
Some Jellicles massaged their necks, having stretched them.
"Do you like some tea?" asked the old man.
Munkustrap starred at him and his jaw felt too.
The old man had a teapot in one hand and was working at some little fire with the other.
Munkustrap looked first to him, then to Marguerita, then to his own father.
Old Deuteronomy smiled at the old man and nodded.
"It would be graceful" he replied moving towards a new appeared chair.
He sat on it and waited for the old man to finish his working.
The old man took several teacups from under the books and put them on the desk.
"Please, can you all look under a book and take your own cup, I'm a little busy with this pot" he asked till not looking up.
All the Jellilces looked at each others then tried to do as requested.
To their amazement under the first book they took up, they found a prefect china cup under it.
The teapot whistled a melody, puffing out some steam, and the old man gently patted its side.
Suddenly in all the cups there was a sweet smelling tea.
A little bottle with a strange top appeared in front of Demeter.
Marguerita recognized it as one of the bottle with whom Munkustrap sometimes feed Electra while Demeter was sleeping.
"I think some sweet milk and tea would be nice to her" said the old man, this time smiling at Demeter and Electra.
Demeter smiled back and took the bottle.
She presented it to Electra's lips, after having sniffed it herself for safety.
The kit tasted it and then almost grabbed the bottle with her paws, sucking hard and happily.
"Tell me why are you searching for the Elves?" asked abruptly the old man.
"Well it is a matter of a certain delicate situation" said Knok looking around apparently not knowing what to think.
Meanwhile Marguerita realized the quite crazy situation she was in.
Just a few years before she couldn't even had think something like that.
She was sitting with humanoid cats, drinking tea in the house of a mad old man, because she was quite sure he wasn't so... mentally sane, trying to enter into the Elven World.
She looked at her mate.
Well probably she wouldn't even had think she would have a mate and a humanoid cat for it.
But she was happy things had turned out so well... even if you put Macavity in the count.
She shivered at this last memory and Tugger embraced her.
"Well it is..." repeated the old man looking down to the pot "but it also will be not"
Munkustrap's head almost spin... how they could pass through that mad old man and reach the Elven?
And who the Hell was that man!
Where was the Keeper?
"It's for this that you want to see Mastro Bernard?" asked the old man.
"Yeah...at least I think" replied Munkustrap a little taken aback
He looked to his brother and father.
"At least I think" repeated the man "you see, my dear young tom, often thinking is not enough... you have to want!"
"Well we want to see Mastro Bernard" replied Tugger nearly to lost his patience.
"And desire too..." said the old man.
"We desire to see Mastro Bernard" replied Tugger.
"And truly need..." said the old man.
"As above" replied Tugger.
"Searching what you need..." said the old man.
"Idem" replied Tugger.
Munkustrap and the others starred in awe at that exchange.
"And understanding..." said the old man.
"We understand that Mastro Bernad is not here" said Tugger.
He stood up and helped Marguerita to do the same.
"Father, I think we should go back to the train and think a new plane" he said helping, with Munkustrap, his father up.
Old Deuteronomy stood up but didn't looked away from the old man.
"I'm not so sure, my son" he said looking at the old man.
"Father he is mad" said Tugger.
At his side Munkustrap nodded.
"Maybe for the fist time" he said "but Tugger is right, father"
Tugger smirked at that statement but didn't replied.
"Maybe we are not too far from discovering the truth" Old Deuteronomy said.
"What do you mean?" asked Cassandra perplexed.
"He isn't what he seem" said Tantomille looking at the old man.
All the presents turned to look at the old man, still working with the teapot.
"Father" said Munkustrap looking back at the door "I don't feel we are sure here"
Marguerita and Demeter shivered.
Some presences could be sensing at the edge of the woods.
The door opened and all the presents, but Old Deuteronomy and the old man, jumped.
The engineers almost stormed into the house.
"Sir!" they called for Skimble.
The High Adviser moved towards them.
"Something happened to the train?" he asked worrying.
The engineers shook their heads.
"So what?" asked Jenny approaching her mate's side.
"The Siamese!" the engineer's chief said "they were approaching!"
Munkustrap cursed behind his teeth.
"We can't reach the train and go back" said Alonzo looking at him.
They were trapped in that house!
"Yeah, they will catch us, and I fear there will not be any Mongolian to help us" added Cassandra from his side.
Demeter hugged her daughter as the Royal Consorts hugged the youngest kittens.
"We have to go to the Elves, it's our last hope" said Coricopat.
"Yes but through what? Apparently this isn't the right gate" said Tugger.
"I doubt it isn't" said Tantomille smiling at her father "dad has always a strong memory"
Old Deuteronomy smiled back at her, thanking her with a nod.
"And the train can't make a mistake" added proudly Skimbleshanks.
Tugger hissed.
"I know, dammit!" he said "but we have horde of Siamese at Macavity's order outside! We have to leave! Now!"
He looked concerned to his pregnant mate.
Munkustrap followed his gaze and then looked to his own pregnant mate and their kit.
He sight.
"I didn't think I would say it two times in a day but again Tugger is right..." he said.
"Macavity's danahs nahe la" the old man whispered from behind them.
"What he said?" asked Marguerita shivering for the strange language.
"Macavity's horde are here" translated Bombalurina looking shocked to the old man.
"It is elven language" added Tantomille.
"You know the elven language?" asked surprised Knok.
"Mastro Bernard" said Old Deuteronomy looking into the old man eyes "it's a long time since we last see each other"
All starred at them.
"Him?" asked Tugger dazed as the others.
They all starred at the old man.
So this was the mythical Keeper of the Elven Gate.
The most powerful wizard never existed.
The one that was said to have taught magic to even Old Deuteronomy and all the others Rulers.
The old man looked at them for a while, then a warm smile started to light his face.
"So it's really you, my dear friend" he said walking, almost hobbling, towards the Jellicles Leader.
Old Deuteronomy smiled back and they hugged.
Marguerita looked dazed at the scene... feeling she had miss something.
She looked around and saw it was a common feeling.
Yells were heard outside and the two old friends broke the embrace.
"Quickly, follow me" Mastro Bernard said motioning towards a new appeared door.
Well this is my work!
I hope you will like it as I do writing it! I find it very funny to write! A bit difficult with the grammar... (hoping you will help me if you find some errors!)
I'm, as always, hoping that someone will press the review button...
It will really help me to update soon!
so... Review! or I'll sent the Siamese's horde towards you! (evil laugh!)