The tall red tom was crouching behind a large brush along with his brother.
His whiskers were twitching with excitement as he watched the two
beautiful queens walking and laughing. His red fur was long and a bit
unruly and his eyes were shining green. His eyes were focused on the
small, black queen. She was the most wonderful queen he'd ever seen –
the golden highlights in her fur and her slender figure was unlike anything
the tom had ever caught sight of. And every time he heard her voice he
felt lightheaded.
The younger tom had his eyes trained on the taller of the young queens.
He was smaller than his older brother and his fur was a mix of red and
black. His black eyes seemed deep and thoughtful – quite the contrary
of his usual, fun loving character. He was very taken with the light queen
and he listened intently, trying to capture every word she uttered. To him
the young queen seemed like a vision.
The two toms looked at each other and the elder one spoke quietly, "let's
reveal ourselves Tanocor. We can talk to them. It would such a waste to
let them go without getting to know them."
The smaller tom agreed and they quietly appeared from behind the bush.
The queens had their backs turned and didn't hear anything, but then the
large red tom stepped on a twig, causing it to break with a loud crack.
Demeter and Niameh jumped in surprise and quickly turned to see if there
was any danger. They saw the two toms and looked suspiciously at them.
"Who are you?" Niameh demanded cautiously, trying to act all grown up in
front of her best friend.
Demeter looked at the red tom with apprehension, but also interest in her
eyes. "Yes," she said, "we haven't seen you before. Where do you come
from?"
The red tom stared at Demeter with an almost dazed look on his face and
his brother took it upon himself to answer. "My name is Tanocor," the
black and red tom said, "and this is my older brother. His name is
Macavity. And who might you be?"
Demeter smiled shyly at Macavity and quietly answered, "I'm Demeter
and this is my best friend Niameh."
"Yeah, nice to meet you," Niameh added and sent a guarded look in
Tanocor's direction.
Macavity regained his composure and sent a dazzling smile at Demeter,
showing off his sharp, white teeth. The small queen blushed and looked
away.
"Aren't you awfully far away from home?" Macavity asked, "a beautiful
couple of kittens like yourselves should be protected carefully from any
harm."
"We know this place well," Niameh responded, "we can take care of
ourselves."
"Nevertheless, won't you allow my brother and I to walk you home?"
Tanocor asked tentatively looking at the annoyed cream kitten before
him.
"Sure," Demeter answered, poking Niameh's back to keep her quiet,
"we'd be glad to."
The four cats had walked slowly talking about all sorts of things. At first
Niameh had seemed irritated, but eventually she'd opened up a bit.
Demeter had talked and laughed charmingly while sending occasional
looks in Macavity's direction.
Finally they reached the Jellicle lodge. Some of the other Jellicles were
outside the lodge, playing or doing their daily chores. When the four cats
approached, a young white queen and three young toms looked up from
what they were doing. The queen waved cheerfully at the two queens
and the strangers, but two of the toms – a red and white one and a white
and brown one – looked suspiciously at the stranger toms and the third
young tom – a gray and black tabby – looked at Macavity with pure hatred
in his eyes. He ran towards the four cats and yelled, "Get away from our
queens, you murderer."
His whiskers were twitching with excitement as he watched the two
beautiful queens walking and laughing. His red fur was long and a bit
unruly and his eyes were shining green. His eyes were focused on the
small, black queen. She was the most wonderful queen he'd ever seen –
the golden highlights in her fur and her slender figure was unlike anything
the tom had ever caught sight of. And every time he heard her voice he
felt lightheaded.
The younger tom had his eyes trained on the taller of the young queens.
He was smaller than his older brother and his fur was a mix of red and
black. His black eyes seemed deep and thoughtful – quite the contrary
of his usual, fun loving character. He was very taken with the light queen
and he listened intently, trying to capture every word she uttered. To him
the young queen seemed like a vision.
The two toms looked at each other and the elder one spoke quietly, "let's
reveal ourselves Tanocor. We can talk to them. It would such a waste to
let them go without getting to know them."
The smaller tom agreed and they quietly appeared from behind the bush.
The queens had their backs turned and didn't hear anything, but then the
large red tom stepped on a twig, causing it to break with a loud crack.
Demeter and Niameh jumped in surprise and quickly turned to see if there
was any danger. They saw the two toms and looked suspiciously at them.
"Who are you?" Niameh demanded cautiously, trying to act all grown up in
front of her best friend.
Demeter looked at the red tom with apprehension, but also interest in her
eyes. "Yes," she said, "we haven't seen you before. Where do you come
from?"
The red tom stared at Demeter with an almost dazed look on his face and
his brother took it upon himself to answer. "My name is Tanocor," the
black and red tom said, "and this is my older brother. His name is
Macavity. And who might you be?"
Demeter smiled shyly at Macavity and quietly answered, "I'm Demeter
and this is my best friend Niameh."
"Yeah, nice to meet you," Niameh added and sent a guarded look in
Tanocor's direction.
Macavity regained his composure and sent a dazzling smile at Demeter,
showing off his sharp, white teeth. The small queen blushed and looked
away.
"Aren't you awfully far away from home?" Macavity asked, "a beautiful
couple of kittens like yourselves should be protected carefully from any
harm."
"We know this place well," Niameh responded, "we can take care of
ourselves."
"Nevertheless, won't you allow my brother and I to walk you home?"
Tanocor asked tentatively looking at the annoyed cream kitten before
him.
"Sure," Demeter answered, poking Niameh's back to keep her quiet,
"we'd be glad to."
The four cats had walked slowly talking about all sorts of things. At first
Niameh had seemed irritated, but eventually she'd opened up a bit.
Demeter had talked and laughed charmingly while sending occasional
looks in Macavity's direction.
Finally they reached the Jellicle lodge. Some of the other Jellicles were
outside the lodge, playing or doing their daily chores. When the four cats
approached, a young white queen and three young toms looked up from
what they were doing. The queen waved cheerfully at the two queens
and the strangers, but two of the toms – a red and white one and a white
and brown one – looked suspiciously at the stranger toms and the third
young tom – a gray and black tabby – looked at Macavity with pure hatred
in his eyes. He ran towards the four cats and yelled, "Get away from our
queens, you murderer."
