Chapter 8
"I feel sick", Mistoffelees moaned then ran to the edge of the woods to act on his words.
"I ache all over." Munkustrap complained followed by Bombalurina's complaint.
"I haven't felt like this since the last time I was in labor."
Mistoffelees came back to the two, hand on his stomach. The minute he rejoined them, he dropped to the ground in hopes it would help settle his stomach.
"I think I hit a tree when we got thrust out of the Portal." Munkustrap stated rubbing his head, then as if on cue he fell to the ground.
"MUNKUSTRAP!!!" exclaimed Bombalurina and ran over to him, Mistoffelees weakly in tow. She put her hand behind his head and immediately felt a large bump.
"Oh no..." she murmured as she retracted her hand finding it stained with blood. Upon seeing this and noticing the tom begin to nod off Mistoffelees bent down to him.
"Munkustrap you have to stay awake." Mistoffelees said in a commanding tone. He bit his lip in hopelessness when he saw the tom below him shiver.
"I feel so cold... and tired..." Munkustrap claimed in a slightly drowsy voice as he shook his head trying to clear it of its weariness.
"I know dear, but you can't go to sleep. Not yet." Bombalurina offered in a gentle voice.
She smiled at him reassuringly then got up and went to their sacks. Bending down to rummage through them she quickly pulled out a heavy blanket but also noted that no bandages were to be found. She raised an eyebrow at that, but decided to not bring it up till she had to. Walking the short distance back over to them she flung the blanket over Munkustrap then got under it herself cuddling close to him.
"I'm cold too." she told him when he looked at her in confusion.
"Yes it is rather cold here, isn't it?" Mistoffelees asked rhetorically as he looked about him for a place they could peacefully shelter for the night. "I think if we move into those tree groups over there," he pointed ahead of him as he faced them, back turned to the couple, " that we'll be okay for the night. Here..." Mistoffelees said as he turned back and began to bend down to assist Bombalurina with Munkustrap's weight," let me help you." He swung one of his brother's arms over his shoulder and helped her hoist him up.
"I'm not completely helpless!" Munkustrap protested defiantly stepping out of their arms. The two looked at each other knowing what would follow. He got two steps ahead then found his head beginning to fog up and the world starting to spin. The world beginning to blacken for a second, he felt his legs buckle and felt himself begin to fall.
Bombalurina and Mistoffelees caught him just before he hit the ground. "I guess I could use some help after all." Munkstrap said whimsically trying to lighten the matter, rather unsuccessfully, up.
"Oh come on..." Mistoffelees huffed rolling his eyes then began to help him into the forest. They laid him under a tree when they thought they had gotten far enough in not to be noticed, then Bombalurina returned the blanket to him tucking it closely about him.
"I'll set up camp." Bombalurina informed beginning to go about gathering wood and leaves for a fire, and rolling out the temporary beds.
"I'm going to go a little further out to see if I can find the home of the human creatures so we can start laying out a plan to watch and see if they have a daughter, and if they do, if she's the one we're looking for." Mistoffelees said gathering his bachi closer about him as the chill in the air penetrated his clothes.
"Do you think you could make that sentence any longer? By Heavyside you think too much Misto!" Munkustrap spat out from his spot under the tree.
Mistoffelees eyes narrowed but he bit back the comment he was going to make. He knew it was because of Munkustrap's injury that he had suddenly turned so grumpy. He was a horrible sickie.
"Now, now boys, be nice." Bombalurina warned noticing the sting of both hurt and anger in Mistoffelees eyes.
Mistoffelees just rolled his eyes and turned around and began to walk.
"Be careful okay?"
Mistoffelees couldn't help but smile at that comment... at least his brother realized he'd hurt his feelings with that comment. He raised a hand as he called back over his shoulder, "Don't worry. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."
In wonder and caution Mistoffelees cleared their camp. He'd never been in a forest before. He'd seen and heard of them in pictures and read of them in stories and books, but never actually been in one. The Pollicle lands were ones of prairie and fields, orchards and desert. Open space is what it boasted of.
After a few more minutes of fast walking he came to a lake. He went to the edge and was forced to study his reflection. He looked worn out, drained-, as did most of his people. They all were forced to work harder than anyone should have to. He bent down to see if the water was good to drink when a bolt of pain went up his lower back ending with a horrible tingle in his neck.
"Oh no... not again." he mumbled to himself and straightened his back up as another pain shot down his spine. He ran his hand across the spot where it had started. Instantly he felt blood wet his palm. He'd fallen on his back when he was thrust out of the portal. The slide and the impact had torn the lash wounds back open. He wrapped the bottom of his bachi around the spot and hurried back to camp. With a loud gasp and horrible moan he fell to his knees unable to contain it anymore. Then like a little child he brought his knees up to his chest with a whimper.
"Are you okay?" Bombalurina asked looking up at him from the sacks concerned.
"The taskmaster's whip wounds reopened. The scabs must've gotten torn off when we got shived out of the portal." he answered in clear pain.
"Shived... now that's a good word..." Munkustrap mumbled wearily under the tree.
"Well as you keep saying Munk I am a walking book." Misto hissed at him, not meaning it to come out nastily, but whimsically, yet the pain he was in prevented that.
"Sorry... just trying to make you smile..." Munkustrap said grimacing at him...
"I know... I didn't mean that comment to come out that way. Sorry eeeeee... owwww." Mistoffelees ended in a yelp as he straightened his back.
Bombalurina got up with a shake of her head. "You two... you spat back and forth like a bunch of kittens..." She put her hands on her hips looking as she looked at Mistoffelees then at his packages. "Did you bring any bandages? She STILL couldn't believe she'd forgotten them!
"Yeah, I think so..." Mistoffelees whimpered in reply.
"I'll check" she answered already bending down and opening his bachi material sack. She pulled out the cloth bandages and zertil suave that was used for anti-bacterial, immediately finding them on top. *At least someone here was thinking...*
"Here..." she called heading to Mistoffelees.
"No. Tend to Munkustrap first." Mistoffeless insisted as he looked at the gray tabby who was staring at the treetops.
She nodded partially in understanding, and partially in thanks then went over to her mate. Lifting his head up gently she dressed the wound. A couple of times Munkustrap was heard making low growling sounds and hisses using his claws to dig into the dry earth beneath him to brace himself of the pain.
"That's as good as I can get it in this light. I don't dare make it any tighter. It could make it worse," she said after a couple minutes eyeing her work.
"It's fine." Munkustrap reassured and lay back down.
With a soft smile she got up and went to tend to Mistoffelees. The tom gathered his bachi in his hands and clasped it with all his strength refusing to yelp out when the pain became immense. Munkustrap watched the tom refuse to cry out as his wounds were carefully redressed and restitched. Grimacing Munkustrap could tell it was taking all Mistoffelees had in him not to scream out, and also concentrate on keeping his tail from hitting Bomablurina in the face at the same time.
Not crying out usually antagonized the taskmasters, often making the beating worse. Sometimes they beat you for working too slow or for breaking rules or for talking back. Other times for some offense only they could see and at times just for the fun of it. *Maybe now it'll end* Munkustrap thought. *All we have known for 400 years is the whip, the earth, the hunt, and the sacraeh. The death... somehow a welcome concept.* While in thought Munkustrap continued to gaze at the treetops relishing in the planet's peace.
He as broken from his reverie as his red queen had brought out the fire stones they used to contain the fires they had. He watched in fascination as fire colored fur was lit with the glow of amber flames making her unbelievably more beautiful. Then dusting her hands off she walked over and joined him. The 4 blue stones glowing brightly at the fire's base. To his left he heard Mistoffelees rummaging around with almost no sound as he lay down and pulled his blankets around him. He looked in his direction, finding him lying on his stomach, head rested on his hands and he was just gazing straight ahead as if in a daze.
Munkustrap shook his head. *Why did he have to be cursed with such a heavy life? Dying children, a horrible owner... why is my brother, the most gentle one, forced to have such a life?* He knew that the dead child was what was on Mistoffelees mind. He looked away to his wife. She was looking above her at the canopy above.
"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" she said after a while.
"I know." Munkustrap answered, then bent over placing a deep tender kiss upon her lips, and then nuzzled her cheek.
"Shouldn't Mistoffelees join us for warmth?" he asked her glancing at his brother.
"I already asked him. He says he wants to be alone tonight. He needs to think, or so he says." she replied knowing the answer she was going to get form her mate.
"Oh, that was always his problem...he thinks too much." Then he bent back over her to lay another kiss upon her lips. "Oh well. His loss."
Bombalurina laughed teasingly, "Woah down boy... you shouldn't be getting so feisty... you're injured." The mischievous smile still hung on her lips when he growled in protest then laid back down. Bombalurina giggled, shook her head, then adjusted herself so she could wrap her arms around him and he her. Munkustrap contented himself with the warmth of her presence and the peacefulness of the trees.
Occasionally he would look at Mistoffelees, needing to check in his mind that Mistoffelees was still there. He was being even quieter than usual. But he was there, and not asleep, just staring straight ahead in daze. He never moved, never spoke, just gazed straight ahead, with the hint of tears heavy in his eyes.
Mistoffelees was thinking of Victoria and how she would be waking up with no one there to comfort her when she dreamed or thought of their dead child. His thoughts were repeatedly the same in his mind. *I shouldn't have come. I shouldn't have come...*