Description: Book 3: Of Death and Separation from Kitten's POV
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters. Everything belongs to Tamora Pierce.
Author's Note: Kitten is a year older again and far more observant and more intelligent than people give her credit for.
Chapter 3
We are on a boat to Carthak. Papa is very scared, but he doesn't want the other humans to know he is scared. Mama and I are very excited to visit Carthak. Mama has been asked to heal the emperor's birds and I got my own invitation because everyone want to admire me! Papa used to live here but doesn't like to talk about it very much because it makes him sad. The emperor tried to kill Papa and he is afraid because he still thinks the emperor wants him dead. Mama and I will protect him though. I am sad that Cloud and Spots could not join us. Cloud said she did not want to travel on a boat, but Spots said he would not mind if he had to.
We have been introduced to a man named Kaddar. He is a prince like Roald, but he wears a lot of jewellery and smells funny. While mages ask to admire me, Mama jumps into the river to save a new friend. I tell her off for jumping in and spoiling the pretty clothes that Papa liked. Papa could have used his magic to get the tiny monkey. She did not have to jump in and get wet and smelly. Mama is very embarrassed, but Papa lets her wear his fancy black robe so she won't get cold. I can make it clean again with my magic later. I don't like these new mages. They want to look at me, but they think I am stupid like a chicken. Why is Papa the only mage who will talk to me like a person and not study me like a book or a magical item?
Mama's new monkey friend is called Zek. He is a marmoset and was kept as a pet in a cage. Mama and Zek had to have a bath but I was sensible and didn't jump into the river. Mama's new rooms are very big with lots of interesting things to look at. Mama does not like the dead tiger skin on the floor. She does not like hunting or eating dead animals now she can turn into them. There is a flash of light when Mama touches the tiger skin, and it moves a bit. Papa will be very excited if Mama can do new magic.
The palace is very big with lots of gold, paint and jewels. It is much grander than the king and queen's castle back home. Papa keeps staring at Mama and I think he likes the pretty clothes she is wearing. Mama doesn't wear dresses very often, but I think Papa would like it if she did. We are taken to see the emperor who wants to kill my Papa. I get close enough to smell him, but he does not smell evil. He smells of perfume that makes me sneeze. He treats me as if I am Mama's pet so I show him what I can do and magic the jewels on his fingers.
Papa is very scared until he starts talking to another woman who smells of perfume. I am glad Mama does not wear perfume; it smells very bad! The emperor tries to sneak up on us, but I know he is there and reveal his invisibility spell to Mama. I don't like the spells that human mages use to make them invisible because it rings and hurts my ears. All magic resonates at different frequencies and can be sung to if you whistle the right notes or make the right sounds. I'm not even sure if Papa is aware of that and he is very smart.
The emperor takes Mama, Zek and I to the menagerie so Mama can heal the birds. The emperor leaves us with Papa's friend, Lindhall. Mama makes all the birds better, but they make a mess of her dress, one that even my magic cannot fix. Lindhall takes us back to Mama's rooms so she can sleep. I agree with Mama that Papa's friend is nice. He makes me think of Papa because he talks to Zek and I like people not pets.
The next day we are taken to a menagerie. Mama likes meeting all the new animals and I was enjoying it too until the prince took us to the other menagerie. They have Immortals of all types in cages. I do not like this place and it makes Mama and Papa very angry. Papa cuddles me once we have left and tells me he will not let me be caged. He should know that no cage can hold me!
There is a goddess in Mama's rooms when we get back. She put a silence spell on me so I cannot speak! I do not like this goddess! When she takes the silence off me, I give her a piece of my mind until Mama tells me off. I don't think Mama realises this woman is a goddess. The goddess gives Mama the tiger skin and this time Mama nearly faints when she touches it and there is a bright flash of light. The skin definitely moves this time because it is standing up like a real tiger! Mama needs to tell Papa about this new magic because it is very interesting.
The food in Carthak is very different to what I am fed at home. I have never tried most of the foods that are served here. Mama and Papa don't like it very much even though Papa is not sitting with us again. I can eat all their food if they don't like it. After the meal we are taken to listen to the negotiations. Mama gets bored and leaves, but I like to listen to human speech. I am trying to understand politics and attend as many of the king's meetings that I am allowed. The talking goes on for a long time, but they don't seem to talk about anything important. I find Papa afterwards and ask him about it. Papa has been learning my language from Tkaa. He is not as good at understanding it as I am at understanding human or the mind-speech of The People and Immortals, but he tries. I love that my Papa is trying so hard to talk to me.
Papa really likes the dress Mama wears to dinner that night, but I think he likes the smelly woman's dress more. The smelly woman takes Mama to a seat far away from Papa but does not even look at me! I do not like that woman or the attention she gives to my Papa. I wonder if Mama will let me bite her. I like Kaddar better now he is treating me like a person, and he even got me my own chair so I can sit at the table like everyone else.
After more delicious food, Mama and Papa talk with the Stormwing from Dunlath. The emperor came to talk to Mama about the birds, but he still treats me like a pet and uses an illusion spell again. Mama and I enjoy the gardens while she speaks with a colony of bats. I try to show Mama the goddess talking to the Stormwing, Rikash, but she thinks she is just an old woman. The Stormwing asks Mama to give the emperor a steel feather. There is something interesting happening here, but I cannot sniff it out.
Mama lets me stay in bed with Zek while she visits the birds. Like Papa, I don't like to get up very early if I don't have to. Alanna came looking for Mama and was not happy when she wasn't in the room. I cannot talk to Alanna so I can't tell her where Mama has gone. When Mama comes back, she is very upset. I was going to scold her for being late to breakfast, but now I am worried. Papa looks very sad and pale too. I do not know what has happened, but Papa asks to speak to Mama after breakfast. This will be good for both of them because it will make them happy again, but Alanna says she must go with them. The humans having been behaving very strangely while we've been here. I take Zek back to Mama's room to explore all the drawers and things I know Mama won't let me play with when she is here.
Mama comes in later followed by a large dead bird. She must have shown Papa her new magic. She scolds Zek and I for playing but makes me tidy it up. When Alanna comes in moments later, Mama tells her Papa tried to hit the emperor. I wonder what the emperor did to make Papa so angry as he doesn't usually hit people.
The goddess came again and used magic to take Mama a long distance in a short space of time. Her magic is not like Papa's so I can't see what she does, and it vexes me not to understand magic when it is used. We spend a nice day with Kaddar looking at temples until he takes us to the temple of the goddess who has been toying with Mama. She is the Graveyard Hag and the ruler of Carthak. Mama has the silence put on her like The Hag put on me which makes Mama angry. This goddess is tricky, and I do not like her paying so much attention to my Mama.
Kaddar takes Mama to a field where the men talk to her very rudely. I help her when she asks to shoot a bow and show off her skills to shut them up. The men are very impressed afterwards and all of them seem to like Mama very much. I don't like the attention they are giving my Mama and I wished Papa was there to make them stop.
I am not certain, but I think Mama and Kaddar like each other more than friends. I do not understand human relationships very well, but I understand the difference between friends and mates. I know Papa has been spending a lot of time with the smelly woman. Is Mama angry with him and choosing a new mate? I like Kaddar but he isn't Papa.
When we return to the palace, lightning melts the statues of the emperor. In Mama's room the goddess, the Graveyard Hag, has written on the desk and taken the big dead bird. We eat dinner on a boat this evening. Papa comes to scold Kaddar for trying to take Mama as a mate, but Mama is angry with him about it! I am quite upset about this because now I know something is wrong between my parents.
After dinner, mages make the boat float high into the air which frightens me. There are a lot of mages on the water using their magic to light hundreds of ships. I think they mean to scare the humans because all I can smell from everyone is fear. If that wasn't bad enough a giant statue comes to life and starts talking. I don't like Carthak anymore. I want to go home so my parents will stop fighting and gods and goddesses will stop doing scary things!
I am scared and do not go to breakfast with Mama. Apparently, the talks are not going well. The Carthaki's are making stupid demands that we will not agree to and threatening us with all those ships. Papa is not talking to Mama and has made an illusion of him reading on the bed. We go to the university with Kaddar to see Lindhall. Kaddar is smiling a lot at Mama in the way Papa does and Mama is smiling back. I don't like it!
Lindhall's rooms distract me from my sulking as there are a lot of animals in glass cages. They seem very happy though and have lots of nice things to tell Mama about Papa's friend. Papa is here! I am so happy to see him that I'm not even angry that he used an invisibility spell. Mama does not stay for the secret talk, but I find it interesting. Papa, Lindhall and Kaddar are trying to help slaves and important people escape from Carthak. When we find Mama again, she has made a dead flying dinosaur come back to life. Papa does not look happy, and Mama tells Lindhall and Kaddar about her new magic. Papa has to leave but we spend the rest of day with Lindhall while I play with the lizard-bird called Bonedancer.
Mama and Papa are not together at dinner again. I think the smelly woman is trying to take Papa for her mate. I am angry with both my parents, so I decide to eat all the food I want to annoy them, until I try something that sets my mouth on fire. I don't know what it was, but I don't want to eat it again! The smelly woman brings out a big cake with magic all over it. I can hear the sound of the goddess' magic inside but as I try to tell Mama the Hag puts the silence on me again. Rats burst out of the cake until Mama puts a stop to their mischief and sends them back the way they came. Papa goes to check on Mama until the smelly woman takes him away. I will bite her when I next see the smelly woman!
Mama visits the animals in the menagerie again to give them nice dreams. It is very clever magic Mama uses; Papa would have been proud of her.
The Graveyard Hag tries to steal Mama away in her dreams, but I am wise to it this time and follow. I still cannot take off this infuriating silence! Mama wants to go to the dinosaur bones, but the goddess makes it difficult. When we leave the dream, The Hag has transported our bodies to the Hall of Bones. I don't like magic being used on me that I cannot see. Mama falls over and touches one of the skeleton's and dies! I follow Mama's spirit to another realm where she see's her own parents. The badger god takes Mama back to her body and I berate him loudly for not explaining to Mama exactly how to use this new magic. Papa always explains magic carefully, so Mama doesn't get hurt but the badger god never explains properly. The badger is very mean to me and threatens to take me away from Mama if I do not behave.
Mama goes to check on the birds again the next morning while I sleep. She is there for a very long time and is going to miss breakfast which makes me worry. Nothing is right here. The Graveyard Hag is interfering with Mama and my parents are not behaving like themselves. I do not like this place. I want to go home and have everything go back to normal. The door opens and the emperor throws a black crystal that smokes and stops me being able to move. I am terrified when he uses magic cord to tie my paws and muzzle. I wish I could mind-speak and try anyway before I pass out. PAPA!
I wake to find myself if the menagerie for Immortals as Zek climbs onto my back. I am very confused. The emperor is there but he is now a Stormwing. Papa is here and Mama is a hyena. I know it is Mama because of our bond. I will always know my Mama whatever shape she takes. Rikash chases the emperor away and I think he will make a good Stormwing. Mama is very upset when she sees Papa and looses her hyena shape. Mama seems to think Papa has died. I think I must have missed a great deal while I was magicked, and I hope someone will explain it to me. Then Mama and Papa are hugging, and Mama is crying. I join them when it starts to rain and things seem to be right between my parents again. The Graveyard Hag takes away Mama's powers to bring dead animals to life which is probably for the best. Papa is holding Mama very close while she sleeps. Kaddar carries me back to a house where we can get out of the rain.
Mama is still sleeping and won't wake up. Kaddar's mother is very frightened of my Mama and won't let us stay in her house anymore. Papa and Lindhall take Mama back to the university where Papa won't leave her side. He looks very pale and worried. I want to scold him for not paying attention to Mama and letting bad things happen to her, but I think Papa already is scolding himself. He says some very strange things to Mama while she is sleeping. Why isn't Papa worthy of Mama? When Lindhall scolds Papa for not sleeping I know Papa is feeling very guilty for not protecting Mama.
Papa is screaming! He had a bad dream and looks very scared. I let him cuddle me so he can calm down. Papa doesn't go back to sleep but sits and watches Mama. I think he is worried about her and won't be happy again until she wakes up.
The smelly woman visits Papa but he sends her away which makes me happy. Mama finally wakes up and my parents are happy to see each other again. I am very glad they are acting like themselves. Zek is going to come home with us and Lindhall too. I can't wait to introduce Zek to Spots and Cloud and tell Tkaa all about Carthak. Our boat has arrived, and we will go home tomorrow, and things will be normal with my family again.