When Cats go a courting
Merle looked at the old woman,
"soul mates?" she asked.
The woman looked at her for a moment in disbelief
"kitten, you've never heard of soul mates? Didn't your parents inform
you when you where just a mewling?"
Merle bowed her head and looked at the ground and spoke softly,
"I'm just an orphan, my parents left me and I grew up in Fanelia under
the care of the royal family and Van-sama."
The older woman's eyes visibly softened and she proceeded,
"I'm sorry kitten, your loneliness must be great. I will tell you about
soul mates in their place."
Merle looked back up at the woman and blinked out her unshed tears.
The older woman continued,
"in the beginning of time everyone had one perfect counterpart their
souls were connected to each other and were infinite. Everything was in
perfect balance until the great evil had befallen and the souls were torn
away from each other. So to this day there still one perfect match for
each being and we are to find it."
Merle contemplated this for a moment and then asked,
"How do you know someone is your perfect match?"
The older woman thought for a moment,
"... if I remember correctly, for my husband was my soul mate until
he passed on into the next life, when you first meet your soul mate you
first realize you love this person in everyone way and can look past his
every fault. Next, you will know when you first meet you will emotions
will..."
Merle interupted her with a glazed look in her eyes,
"...soar, even though you have no wings. The music of your being will
perfectly harmonize with your mate's though you have no past music experience..."
Merle blinked and then she stopped. The older woman looked in her eyes,
"kitten, you seem to have wisdom beyond your years. How has such insight
come to you?
Merle shook her head sadly,
"...I don't know...they just came to me..." the older woman shrugged
then quickly changed the subject.
"Kitten, have any relatives here?" Merle shook her head.
"Can you cook, sew, and house keep?" Merle slightly nodded.
"Then come with me, I know just the place."
The older woman took Merle by the paw and led her out of the home, and through the village. The village was bustling with cat people engaging in lively discussions, buying, selling, shopping and decorating. Merle pointed to the people,
"Why are they doing that?"
The older woman stopped, and pointed to some finished decorations,
"Tomorrow they're celebrating the Day of the Predestined, of The Soul-mates
day. When the forest is pitch black the bachelor toms and the bachelorette
females will be placed in the forest a mile a part. There will be no sound
and all soul mates are supposed to find each other."
Merle smiled with a hopelessly romantic grin on her face. The older
woman continued to lead her to a home. She knocked on the door and a cat-girl
about Merle's age answered.
"M'lady can I help you?" The older woman pushed Merle forward a bit.
"This kitten was found in the forest, do you have room to let another bachelorette in?"
The cat girl smiled,
"of course we do."
She reached and pulled Merle in. Merle bowed deeply to the older
woman then respectfully gave her thanks. Then the older woman left the
two girls together. The two girls faced each other, awkwardly for
moment then the other broke the silence,
"My name is Chent, and your name is?"
"Merle" Merle replied in an even tone.
Chent then moved away a bit then gestured for Merle to follow her. Merle followed. Chent continued talking,
"How did you get here, where are you from?"
"I'm from Fanelia, and I walked here. I guess I must've passed out or
something in the forest because I woke up here..."
Chent looked at her for a moment, then continued walking.
"Did you say you were from Fanelia?"
Merle nodded
" Why did you leave?"
Merle shrugged, "I don't know, I need to go out and experience life on my own and by myself..."
Chent looked on "I know what you mean, but, to give up the favor and gifts of a King? That's got to take some real courage."
Merle slightly nodded.
The two girls walked into a simple room with a small bed in the corner
and a window that looked out into the forest. Merle sighed, walked across
the room and fell down onto the bed. Chent stood in the doorway and softly
chuckled.
"So, are you going to participate in the holiday tomorrow?"
"I guess" Merle spoke "what have I got to lose?"
Chent continued, "well if you are than I recommend to you be in the center of the village before sun down of tomorrow. Okay?"
"Okay" Merle sighed and Chent left the room.
The next day Merle left her village before than sun rose and walked
a mile or so till reached a good spot to sit. She felt bad for leaving
everyone, she didn't even say thank you. She felt especially bad for leaving
Garr, she didn't know exactly why though. Absently she played with the
nail file that was hanging from her necklace. Gazing at it she suddenly
realized it had a strange stone that looked oddly like Hitomi's.
"I wonder if I could communicate with her...." she thought. Gripping on to it tightly she concentrated on Hitomi. Suddenly she felt a strange connect with Hitomi form.
"What?" she heard Hitomi say in her head.
"This is Merle" the spoke/sent back
"Mer...Merle?" Hitomi's voice sounded anxious "where are you. Van has nearly half the kingdom searching for you and the wedding's only a week away."
"Only a week away, I thought it was a month... I better leave tomorrow, or else i won't get to your wedding on time..." Merle thought back, "oh, and tell Van-sama not to worry, and I'm sorry. " She then felt Hitomi's concentration went else where than returned to her.
"Merle, he says it's okay. He... no we were just very worried about you....." her connection faltered a bit "oh, and he also says he'll try to talk to you later. Okay?"
"Okay." Merle answered then let go of her nail file and broke the connection.
She looked off into the sky and gazed at the setting sun.
'Oh no... ' she thought , 'there's no way I can make it back in time...'
She then stood up and started walking. " I might as well go back to Fanelia..."
she spoke aloud.
~~Er... sorry everyone. My mistake. This chapter was done about a month
or so ago but, I kinda forgot about it. Oh well. Next chapter is the last
one in this lil side trilogy.