Tags: Aloth/F!Watcher, fluff, humor
PoETober 2018
Prompt #10: Key
Aloth woke, not knowing why.
He stared drowsily into the dark cabin, listening to the ship groan and the waves lap against the sides and the dock beyond. It was a calm night, and moonlight painted the far wall in silver streaks through the gaps in the window curtains. En lay next to him, a comfortable warmth against his side, her even breathing a sign she still slept. The peace of it lulled him, and he let his eyes slip shut once more.
But only a moment. He looked about again, strangely ill at ease. He'd long since been a light sleeper, but not without cause. And yet…
Had he simply dreamt it?
Nae, it were nye dream, lad. Though quieter now, Iselmyr still rose up on occasion, particularly when off-guard. But she spoke true; it wasn't his imagination.
Something scratched at the door.
Then it meowed.
"Go away," he hissed. "We're sleeping."
This provoked the opposite effect, as the cat pawed harder at the door and meowed again. En finally stirred next to him with a groan and rubbed her eyes.
"What's going on?" she yawned.
"Nothing to worry about, my dear," he said, turning to her and squeezing the hand closest to him. "Apparently just one of the cats in a mood tonight. Go back to sleep."
The cat meowed louder.
"Oh, that's Gosha!" she cried. "He must be feeling lonely."
He stared at her. "How can you even tell which—You know what, never mind. As much as I cherish your kindness, I'm sure it can go without company for a night. Or find it in Edér."
Again the cat whined, then swept a paw underneath the door for good measure.
"He's just a cat, Aloth," she said. "You'll hardly even notice."
A whisper of essence, and it coalesced into something not quite a vine, nor quite air. The magic of it heated the cabin, like a memory of summer, as it shimmered out from the bed and twisted over to the door. Some clever turn on a druidic spell she'd come into, he surmised as he craned to watch.
Aloth shook himself of his reverie.
"En—"
The bolt slid out, the latch turned, and hardly a heartbeat later the cat shoved its way inside, over onto the bed, and between the two of them. It promptly began purring like a Vailian engine.
"Too late," she said, stifling a laugh.
He surrendered with a sigh as he lay back, then gave the cat several mollifying strokes along its head. It purred harder and kneaded its claws into his side in return. He pried them away with a grimace.
"One of these days," he said, "I'm getting a lock and key for that door."