CHAPTER IX – THE UNIFICATION

The journey for both parties was going without much trouble later on. Bożena and Filemon used the tent to spend a night in and Puss with his companions was constantly closer and closer to the destination.

During the voyage and the sound of horse's hooves walking on the path, Kitty raised his head and asked: „Excuse me… Senor Paweł?"

„Tak?" He responded to the call.

„What are we going to encounter once we get there?"

„I have no idea." He answered with a slight fatigue. „I know for sure that the White Eagle can be very well protected in the mountains. I'd advise some caution."

„With you till the end of the world." Puss summed up. Paweł perked his ears up at these words and turned his head briefly to Puss. However, soon enough, he kept his eyes on the road again.

„It's been a long time since somebody told me that, you know." Mieszkogradzki mentioned. „My thanks."

„Why wouldn't I say that? Not going to lie, Senor, you are the one leading us to a mythical creature." Puss explained further. „It really reminds me of the Golden Goose."

„Tak, I have heard about it." Paweł told him. „This is why I came to San Rikardo in the first place."

Both Kitty and Puss shifted their gazes straight to Paweł and asked from disbelief: „For real?!"

Paweł nodded his head a few times shortly and began explaining: „It was an easy decision. The word was that there was indeed a creature which went by the name of Golden Goose. Able to conjure gold out of itself, amirite?"

„Si, you're right." Puss confirmed and let Paweł continue:

„And that is how you quickly gained your wealth in your San Rikardo town. This was technically the only reason I paid a visit to this town. Just to get some coin since this town was growing. Life as an impoverished noble is not that easy."

„Si, si." Kitty agreed with his words. „San Ricardo really did afford new remedies by the sudden flow of golden eggs. We've even expanded our farmlands, as I've heard. But most importantly, they could afford enough materials and workers to even build a school!"

Paweł nodded once at the mention and said: „That's extraordinary you have the right overseers to build the right facilities."

„I know, right?" Kitty confirmed. „I mean, I haven't really been to any school, but I learnt how to read. My owners had some books and they read them with me and..."

Kitty hung her head down at this memory. Puss immediately hugged her from behind and licked her ear. Paweł turned back again, only to see for himself how powerful their bond is.

„It is alright." Paweł said. „I admire that you are together nevertheless. I initially thought that I was the one who was being irrational with staying to she-cats and giving them respect and affection."

„Come on, Senor!" Puss cut his speech right there. „There are quite a few cats who do that!"

„Senor Paweł." Kitty smiled shyly and clapped Paweł's shoulder. „It is good that you have some emotions… under that Polish Hussar cover of yours."

„I've always thought that she-cats need to be respected and cared for. It struck me once in one of my campaigns that if men knew through what kind of pain their mothers went just to give birth to them, none would ever hurt any woman. I swear. Bożena herself will come here shortly. My only hope in these difficult times."

„Oh, and..." Kitty interrupted while trying to be as polite as possible. „Senor, does she also know how to read?"

„Tak, she does." Paweł answered calmly, since during these times this question was not very offensive. „In our fatherland we have monasteries in which there are classes for those willing to read. Under some proper pay, of course. Wołodyjowski bought such classes for me when I was young and so I did the same for my daughter."

„Interesting!" Kitty gave her opinion. „So, what will Bożena do here?"

Puss leaned to his right and asked Paweł while smiling: „Is she pretty?"

Kitty turned her head to give Puss a death glare, but Paweł only rubbed his eyes and spoke: „You don't understand how many times people admired her looks, if you want to know. Either way, she is going to accompany us. But prepare for the worst."

Soon, he aimed in front of him with his paw and spoke: „We're here. Brace yourselves."

In the Northern Carpathians, there was a small settlement called Zakopane. The party encountered it at this exact moment. Well-hidden in the mountaints and having insulated houses, Zakopane served as a good colony for those who adored hiking. But nobody of the trio was to hike for joy. They were to find a mythical creature correlated to Polish mythology.

Once they entered Zakopane, they were met with commotion similar to what they encountered earlier. There were quite a few busy homes and shops. Hunter's huts were also not an uncommon sight, along with even small beginner industrial enterprises.

Paweł led his horse next to a small tavern nearby. He dismounted the horse and fed it a carrot, which it savoured heartily.

But Puss had another thing in his mind. He noticed that in these lands, cows were more or less abundant, therefore he nudged Kitty in the arm and she immediately understood. They were both going for some milk in that tavern.

Both of them went inside and they asked the innkeeper for some milk. But up to their surprise, the Polish only drank alcohol. Heavy alcohol. What a bad luck for those two Spanish cats.

However, the keeper seemed to understand their wish and went to a farmer nearby to get a galloon of milk. He soon carried it back, poured the liquid into small glasses in an act of Polish hospitality and Kitty and Puss spent a nice afternoon drinking their favorite drink.

Some time later, Bożena arrived with her companion Filemon on horseback. As she went into the settlement, she really got admired by its slightly primitive yet at the same time impressive architecture. Even though only hundreds of years later it happened to be one of the main tourist places in Poland, it still was wonderful back then, especially for Bożena.

After quite some time, Bożena got a bit frustrated by the fact that she couldn't find her father. To ease her negative emotions, she halted her horse next to one of the hunter's huts, dismounted, and waved to Filemon.

„I guess I'll have some fun, then. You can join me if ye want." Bożena told Filemon and dashed up to one incoming hunter, thankfully unarmed.

She began walking on her all fours and then the hunter noticed her. Soon afterwards, she flopped down on the ground and rolled on her back. Her flat and fluffy abdomen was now completely exposed.

„Oh, man, yea, I trust ye a lot, hunters. How about you show me with what you hunt? Crossbows? Matchlocks? Go all on!"

The hunter, however, was an air breathing human and didn't really have her words in regard. Instead, he crouched down and rubbed her belly once. Bożena stretched her paws and purred a little.

The hunter pet her abdomen for the second time and Bożena shifted in her lying pose.

But then he pet her for the third time and a switch happened in Bożena's mind.

She promptly swiped her claws right against his arm and scratched it, drawing quite a lot of blood. This poor hunter nearly fell down in pain while screaming. But at the same time, Bożena just stood up and slowly walked away. This scene was witnessed by Filemon himself who was just staring in shock and disturbance.

„What on Earth have you just done, panno?" He asked, his voice cracking a bit.

„Look, I can't understand people!" She exclaimed when her victim's screaming were still hearable in the background. „I've been literally telling him in every way possible that I TRUST this guy that he won't touch my abdomen, but what does he do? HE F***ING RUBS IT!" That was when she nearly burst down crying.

„Calm down, panno." He tried to console her even thought his own fear made it difficult for him. „i mean, you have a nice stomach." Then, he smiled.

„Screw yourself." Bożena scoffed right at him and walked away, just to look around for her father more.

And there she eventually found him. Paweł, her one and only father, was sitting on a bench reading a map and writing on it. Upon this sight, she immediately ran up to him as fast as she could and hollered:

OJCZE!"

Paweł jerked his head up and quickly put his map aside. He smiled at the presence of his daughter, even though she herself was literally lunging at him. She then leaped right into him and hugged his powerful chest and neck. Paweł hugged her too while smiling, albeit with controlling himself.

„Cholera, ojcze!" Bożena said. „I was missing you so much!"

But Paweł's face went a bit blanker. „Glad to see you too… but I have been out just for a few days."

Then, Bożena let go off of her grasp and told him emotionally: „Seemed like an eternity for me! Where are we going then? And who are your companions?"

„I appreciate your input, Bożena." He told her calmly as he stood up from the bench. „But I will be the one going into the cave in which the White Eagle resides. I do not want anything bad to happen to you."

„Whaaaa?" She asked in disbelief. „Are you serious, ojcze?!"

„Tak, you stay here and guard the entrance." Then, he looked around just to see if anybody was eavesdropping or following them. He soon enough noticed Filemon – the brown tabby tomcat who was just looking at this conversation and was unsure what to do.

„Whom might you be?" Paweł asked and walked slowly towards the stranger, but Filemon only stepped back.

„I, I, uhhh..." Filemon's voice stuttered and he raised his paws up a bit. „I am Filemon…?"

Bożena went in front of him and said: „Yea, yea! He's the one who guided me to Zakopane in the first place. Not such a dumbass as I thought at first."

„I see." Paweł responded. „Be careful, however."

He grabbed one of his pouches and pulled out three silver coins out of it. Instead of just tossing them to Filemon, he actually gently handed them to him.

„Your struggles are rewarded. Here, take it and eat something. There's a fisherman's hut in this settlement."

Filemon could not believe his eyes that somebody like Paweł Mieszkogradzki paid him in coin „Thank you… Thank you, Panie!"

Then, he quickly walked away and muttered under his nose: „I can't believe I've met Pan Mieszkogradzki himself!"

But then Paweł turned to the side and, while holding his paw on his head, he said: „I can't believe I've just passed him nearly the rest of my entire coin."

After shaking his head, Paweł faced his daughter and pointed at one of the caves' entrance. „See this cave?" He asked.

„Tak, why?" She wondered.

„This is where we are going to go. You'll guard the entrance and make sure nobody and nothing goes in."

„Oh… Alright!" She explained with joy. „Sure, nothing will ever cross this point! Do I put my Hussar armor too?"

„Not required." He explained. „Don't stand out that much. But do stand your ground."

„Alright, alright, what are your companions then? You can't just go in here all alone, can you?!" Bożena worried slightly.

At these words, Paweł grabbed her paw and spoke: „Tak, it is high time you should be introduced to them. Stay tuned, they are Spaniards."

And so they both made their way to the tavern and they entered it politely. Among just a few patrons there was Puss and Kitty sitting together in peace, enjoying the milk the tavernkeeper gave them.

„Bożena." Paweł called when he was next to the door. „Here are the companions."

At the first glance, Bożena could not believe whom she was seeing at the moment. She widened her eyes at this sight and when both Kitty and Puss turned, she felt her heart racing too.

Bożena quickly approached both of the Spaniards and bowed her head down briefly in front of Puss. „Woah, woah, woah!" She said when her father just watched this show in disappointment. „You must be Puss in Boots! That Spaniard who robbed the f***ing giant out of its Golden Goose! And defeated a damn town against a MOTHERF***ING GREAT FLESH-EATING BIRD!"

From her overwhelming enthusiasm, she grabbed the right paw of now confused Puss and shook it a few times strongly. „Tell me, tell me, how big was that?! Would you need a retinue of Polish Hussars to deal with that? Or maybe a whole rota of them?! Huh?! Tell me!" She kept yelling at him from happiness as she shook his paw.

„Uhhh..." Kitty muttered and raised her paw. „I don't like the tone you're speaking to my fiance."

Bożena angrily turned her head towards Kitty and quickly yet clearly spoke: „Shut up, I don't know who you are, go f*** yourself." And immediately continued praising Puss who was now starting to feel uncomfortable despite liking various females.

Kitty slowly went to Paweł and asked him: „Senor?… Is… Is your daughter always this way?"

„I apologize for her behavior." He spoke while still looking blankly at this comedy. „She has been like this since the beginning. And she won't be here with you for long, I promise."

„I see." Kitty commented as she rested her jaw on her paw.

Eventually, Puss just exclaimed while pushing Bożena off a bit: „Alright, enough, enough, Senorita! I understand your joy, but we have work to do!"

„You don't understand how big of a slayer you are." She gritted her tongue and narrowed her eyes while smiling. Soon, both Kitty and Puss walked out of the tavern, however the keeper said:

„You forgot to pay!" He spoke. But then Paweł turned on his boot and pulled out something out of his satchel. There it was – a jar full of bear fat.

„My, my, my!" The tavernkeeper explained. „With that kind of payment you can take much more!"

„A full bottle of a finest vodka as an extra will be fine, then." Paweł responded and smiled.

And that's how the transaction was made. Soon enough, Paweł carried a large bottle for himself and packed it in his horse satchel. Bożena followed right behind him.

„Oh, and please do take care of the horse when we are gone!" He explained as the farewell.

„Understood, panie! For that gift – always!" The keeper waved for goodbye.

Without wasting much time, they four climbed up the rocky hills and eventually got near a cave entrance. Once they went in, they noticed that cave was really dark and seemingly abandoned. They squeezed through a smaller gap and kept walking and walking until they no longer could see the majority of the light from the entrance. There was nearly nothing in this section. However, Paweł rested his paws on the walls and put his ear between them on the wall too.

„There should be a passage here somewhere…" He muttered.

Kitty swiftly leaned closer to Puss and whispered: „Do you think he knows what he is doing?"

Unfortunately for her, Bożena overheard that. She immediately walked up to her and hissed in her face:

„Mój ojciec always knows the way. So shut your mouth and do what he says!"

Kitty raised her paws up a bit at her sudden outburst and said: „Alright, relax, relax, Senorita, I want no trouble..."

Then, Paweł pushed one rock forwards and another passage opened in front of them. It was dark and empty and seemingly long and rocky, since its exit was not seen at all. He turned back to the group and ordered:

„The rules are simple. We stay close together. Bożena, guard the entrance."

After hearing that, Bożena rubbed her ear and smiled: „With pleasure."

Kitty and Puss then walked past her and followed Paweł into the dark tunnel. Right after entering, Kitty lifted up her paw holding a ring of Bożena's keys.

„Now let's see who's the smart one." She smirked as she looked from the corner of her eye at unsuspecting Bożena and hid the keys right on her belt while moving forward towards the unknown.