Chapter Five - Discoveries
---
It was well past midnight, judging from the moon. Jequimas dozed, reluctant to return to a sleep so frequently haunted by the images of his past.
However, more recently his dreams had also been peppered with images of a sleek, dark queen - Lylisan. It had been wonderful to have her back, to spend hours together, sometimes talking, other times sitting in comfortable silence. She had grown to be quite pretty, he often mused to himself. It had been two days since they had last seen each other, but he could still feel the warmth of her hand against his cheek.
These thoughts swimming in his head, he had just started to drift off when he heard her. "Jequimas! Oh Jequimas, you have to be here - it's time, Jequimas, they're coming!"
His eyes flew open and he was at her side instantly, his eyes shining. "Time? Niiva - the kits?"
"Yes! Oh, for Cat's sake, hurry! Follow me!"
---
They raced through the streets, Jequimas' heart pumping fit to burst. He was going home. For the first time in two years, he was going to see his home, his tribe, his family...
But Lylisan made a sharp turn, one that didn't lead to the junkyard - at least not by any way he knew.
"Lylisan," he gasped, "Where are we going?"
"We have to go in the back way," she answered over her shoulder, "You can't be seen!" He followed her, doing something he hadn't done in what seemed like forever - trusting.
---
She led him through the piles of rubbish with surprising deftness, stopping a few yards from the huge, delapidated oven. Pulling him around so that he could see, she pointed and whispered, "There."
He looked, and, quite against his will, he felt his eyes sting as he gazed at the silver queen curled up in the oven.
Though her face was screwed up in pain and concentration, she was still beautiful. Her eyes were mirrors of his own, but full of the life that his lacked. Her coat looked as his might have, silver, black and white. He swelled stomach heaved and she groaned.
Jennyanydots, looking much older than Jequimas remembered, had Jeniiva's head in her lap and was pressing a rag to her forehead. Jequimas' heart gave an odd twist as he recognized the other queen present.
His mother.
Her face was lined with age, but her eyes were the same - full of such a mixture of emotions that it was a wonder she didn't burst. He gazed at her for a long while, then turned to Lylisan, who was watching him with a small smile on her face.
"Where's Rubeus?" he asked as softly as he could.
"Mungo and your dad are keeping him away," she replied, just as softly. "Queens get in a bit of a state when there are toms about while they're birthing. Makes them nervous." She watched for a moment longer, then said, "I'd better go. They'll get suspicious if I'm gone too long. You'll be all right?" He nodded, and she was gone. He watched her approach the scene carefully.
"Lylisan!" Demeter cried, "Where have you been? Jeniiva was asking about you!"
Jeniiva, through her obvious pain, looked suspiciously at her friend. "Off on one of her..." she groaned, "walks, I suspect." With a strained smile, she grunted, "We need to talk about that."
"You're not in any shape to talk about anything right now," Lylisan chided her, and Jequimas suspected that she was skirting an issue that somehow involved him. "Just lie back and -"
She was cut off by Jeniiva's strangled cry. At first Jequimas wondered what had caused it. Then he noticed the small, slimy bundle emerging from his sister.
"Oh Heaviside," he moaned, shutting his eyes and waiting for it to all be over.
---
When he opened them again, his sister was licking clean three very small, very wet kittens. She was obviously more at ease now that the birthing was finished; she seemed relaxed as she cleaned her new children.
Jequimas watched in wonder. He was an uncle. He vaguely heard, over Jennyanydots' coos, Lylisan saying, "I'll go get Rubeus," and suddenly she was with him. "Aren't they beautiful?" she sighed. "Two queens and a tom." She smiled brilliantly. "Congratulations, Uncle. I'm off to get the father!"
And she was gone again. Jequimas turned his attention back to the scene in the oven. His mother was speaking.
"They're beautiful, darling. Do you have names for them yet?" Jeniiva gazed fondly at her kittens.
"The girls are Azalel and Gemini," she answered. "And the boy..." she trailed off.
"Yes?" Jennyanydots pressed, looking excited as always to see new kittens named.
Jeniiva said something so softly that Jequimas couldn't hear her. But whatever it was caused Jenny's eyes to widen and his mother to close hers, as though in sudden pain. Meanwhile, Jeniiva was gazing raptly at the small tom kit was was feeding at her enthusiastically.
"You know you can't do that, Niiva," Demeter finally said. "No two cats can have the same name."
"I'll change it a bit then," Jeniiva answered stubbornly. "But he's got to have a bit of his name in him. He's just got to."
Demeter sighed, looking at Jennyanydots helplessly. "They're her kits, Demi," the older queen sighed, shaking her head. "So be it."
Jeniiva nuzzled the tom kit gently, and Jequimas could just barely hear (or feel, he wasn't quite sure) her whisper the kitten's new name into the night.
"My little Quimas."
---
Over the next few weeks, Jequimas' visits to the junkyard became more and more frequent. It was worth it to him to have to sneak and skulk about his old home in order to catch a few glimpses of his nieces and nephew. He had to be extemely careful, however; he had almost been caught once.
It wasn't long after the kittens' eyes had opened. Jequimas was hiding under a pile of rubbish, watching the kits tumble about with a pair of much older kittens who, by the look of them, must have been the litter with which Bombalurina was pregnant when Jequimas was banished. He was just wondering where little Quimas had gotten off to when suddenly a pair of bright blue eyes appeared directly in front of his own.
Quimas blinked quizzically at him, and Jequimas stared back, shocked. After a moment he forced a grin and put a finger to his lips, saying, "Shhh. I'm hiding."
It appeared that Quimas understood and endorsed this idea. He smiled and nodded, then turned and bounded away.
Jequimas sighed in relief.
---
About a month after the incident with Quimas, Jequimas decided to sneak to his family's old home under the cover of night. Visits to the junkyard were all very well and good, but they had placed in him a desire to see his real home.
He twisted through streets and alleys, finding that he still remembered perfectly the way to the house his humans owned. He reached it and peered through the window to the washing room, where his den had always been.
His mother lay curled up with her younger sons, Grimterra and Phileasimal. They looked very peaceful; Jequimas suddenly had to fight down the desire to cry.
He missed this.
The next instant, a body slammed against his own, knocking him from the window. Jequimas' fighting instincts took over, and he immediately rolled out of the attack unharmed. His attacker lept onto his back, pulling him to the ground. They scuffled; Jequimas was sure he got in at least one good rake of his claws.
When he flipped the other tom, throwing him a good distance away, he turned, looking him full in the face for the first time.
Their eyes locked.
And in the moment before his father could say his name, Jequimas fled.
---
A/N: Sorry this chapter was so short. I'm sure I'll make up for it.
---
It was well past midnight, judging from the moon. Jequimas dozed, reluctant to return to a sleep so frequently haunted by the images of his past.
However, more recently his dreams had also been peppered with images of a sleek, dark queen - Lylisan. It had been wonderful to have her back, to spend hours together, sometimes talking, other times sitting in comfortable silence. She had grown to be quite pretty, he often mused to himself. It had been two days since they had last seen each other, but he could still feel the warmth of her hand against his cheek.
These thoughts swimming in his head, he had just started to drift off when he heard her. "Jequimas! Oh Jequimas, you have to be here - it's time, Jequimas, they're coming!"
His eyes flew open and he was at her side instantly, his eyes shining. "Time? Niiva - the kits?"
"Yes! Oh, for Cat's sake, hurry! Follow me!"
---
They raced through the streets, Jequimas' heart pumping fit to burst. He was going home. For the first time in two years, he was going to see his home, his tribe, his family...
But Lylisan made a sharp turn, one that didn't lead to the junkyard - at least not by any way he knew.
"Lylisan," he gasped, "Where are we going?"
"We have to go in the back way," she answered over her shoulder, "You can't be seen!" He followed her, doing something he hadn't done in what seemed like forever - trusting.
---
She led him through the piles of rubbish with surprising deftness, stopping a few yards from the huge, delapidated oven. Pulling him around so that he could see, she pointed and whispered, "There."
He looked, and, quite against his will, he felt his eyes sting as he gazed at the silver queen curled up in the oven.
Though her face was screwed up in pain and concentration, she was still beautiful. Her eyes were mirrors of his own, but full of the life that his lacked. Her coat looked as his might have, silver, black and white. He swelled stomach heaved and she groaned.
Jennyanydots, looking much older than Jequimas remembered, had Jeniiva's head in her lap and was pressing a rag to her forehead. Jequimas' heart gave an odd twist as he recognized the other queen present.
His mother.
Her face was lined with age, but her eyes were the same - full of such a mixture of emotions that it was a wonder she didn't burst. He gazed at her for a long while, then turned to Lylisan, who was watching him with a small smile on her face.
"Where's Rubeus?" he asked as softly as he could.
"Mungo and your dad are keeping him away," she replied, just as softly. "Queens get in a bit of a state when there are toms about while they're birthing. Makes them nervous." She watched for a moment longer, then said, "I'd better go. They'll get suspicious if I'm gone too long. You'll be all right?" He nodded, and she was gone. He watched her approach the scene carefully.
"Lylisan!" Demeter cried, "Where have you been? Jeniiva was asking about you!"
Jeniiva, through her obvious pain, looked suspiciously at her friend. "Off on one of her..." she groaned, "walks, I suspect." With a strained smile, she grunted, "We need to talk about that."
"You're not in any shape to talk about anything right now," Lylisan chided her, and Jequimas suspected that she was skirting an issue that somehow involved him. "Just lie back and -"
She was cut off by Jeniiva's strangled cry. At first Jequimas wondered what had caused it. Then he noticed the small, slimy bundle emerging from his sister.
"Oh Heaviside," he moaned, shutting his eyes and waiting for it to all be over.
---
When he opened them again, his sister was licking clean three very small, very wet kittens. She was obviously more at ease now that the birthing was finished; she seemed relaxed as she cleaned her new children.
Jequimas watched in wonder. He was an uncle. He vaguely heard, over Jennyanydots' coos, Lylisan saying, "I'll go get Rubeus," and suddenly she was with him. "Aren't they beautiful?" she sighed. "Two queens and a tom." She smiled brilliantly. "Congratulations, Uncle. I'm off to get the father!"
And she was gone again. Jequimas turned his attention back to the scene in the oven. His mother was speaking.
"They're beautiful, darling. Do you have names for them yet?" Jeniiva gazed fondly at her kittens.
"The girls are Azalel and Gemini," she answered. "And the boy..." she trailed off.
"Yes?" Jennyanydots pressed, looking excited as always to see new kittens named.
Jeniiva said something so softly that Jequimas couldn't hear her. But whatever it was caused Jenny's eyes to widen and his mother to close hers, as though in sudden pain. Meanwhile, Jeniiva was gazing raptly at the small tom kit was was feeding at her enthusiastically.
"You know you can't do that, Niiva," Demeter finally said. "No two cats can have the same name."
"I'll change it a bit then," Jeniiva answered stubbornly. "But he's got to have a bit of his name in him. He's just got to."
Demeter sighed, looking at Jennyanydots helplessly. "They're her kits, Demi," the older queen sighed, shaking her head. "So be it."
Jeniiva nuzzled the tom kit gently, and Jequimas could just barely hear (or feel, he wasn't quite sure) her whisper the kitten's new name into the night.
"My little Quimas."
---
Over the next few weeks, Jequimas' visits to the junkyard became more and more frequent. It was worth it to him to have to sneak and skulk about his old home in order to catch a few glimpses of his nieces and nephew. He had to be extemely careful, however; he had almost been caught once.
It wasn't long after the kittens' eyes had opened. Jequimas was hiding under a pile of rubbish, watching the kits tumble about with a pair of much older kittens who, by the look of them, must have been the litter with which Bombalurina was pregnant when Jequimas was banished. He was just wondering where little Quimas had gotten off to when suddenly a pair of bright blue eyes appeared directly in front of his own.
Quimas blinked quizzically at him, and Jequimas stared back, shocked. After a moment he forced a grin and put a finger to his lips, saying, "Shhh. I'm hiding."
It appeared that Quimas understood and endorsed this idea. He smiled and nodded, then turned and bounded away.
Jequimas sighed in relief.
---
About a month after the incident with Quimas, Jequimas decided to sneak to his family's old home under the cover of night. Visits to the junkyard were all very well and good, but they had placed in him a desire to see his real home.
He twisted through streets and alleys, finding that he still remembered perfectly the way to the house his humans owned. He reached it and peered through the window to the washing room, where his den had always been.
His mother lay curled up with her younger sons, Grimterra and Phileasimal. They looked very peaceful; Jequimas suddenly had to fight down the desire to cry.
He missed this.
The next instant, a body slammed against his own, knocking him from the window. Jequimas' fighting instincts took over, and he immediately rolled out of the attack unharmed. His attacker lept onto his back, pulling him to the ground. They scuffled; Jequimas was sure he got in at least one good rake of his claws.
When he flipped the other tom, throwing him a good distance away, he turned, looking him full in the face for the first time.
Their eyes locked.
And in the moment before his father could say his name, Jequimas fled.
---
A/N: Sorry this chapter was so short. I'm sure I'll make up for it.