The Dragon Who Didn't Fly

by C. M. Barrett

  Hathor inclined her head. “Orion speaks truly. I had to bat him into shape several times a day, and look how well he’s turned out.”

  She touched noses with Tara. “I’m your grandmother, and these are your uncles, Atman and Ra.”

  Tara looked at them cautiously. “Sekhmet’s brothers, too?”

  “Don’t hold that against us,” Atman said. “Sekkie’s not that bad. Hathor should have knocked her about more.”

  Hathor growled. “I spun her around so many times you’d think she’d be permanently dizzy, but she was always stubborn and determined to be herself, for good or ill. And the Long-whiskered One help anyone who dared to disagree with her.”

  “My mother did,” Tara said.

  “Then I’m more eager than ever to meet her,” Hathor said.

  Unlike Sekhmet, Hathor and her sons were good-natured cats. Misha took to Orion’s mother immediately, and they spent the afternoon grooming each other and exchanging stories. The uncles accommodated the kittens in their favorite game of Jump-on-the-Cat.

  That evening Tara was batting a centipede when she overheard Orion and Hathor speaking. She ducked behind a bush to listen.

  “The Chosen couldn’t have a better mother,” Hathor said. “Emerald is passionate and brave and fierce in her loyalties. Young Tara needs these qualities. Even the rough tongue may come in handy in talking with village cats. They gave us quite the raised tails when we passed through. Quest, shmest, is their attitude. They’re far from starving, and some live in human homes. They mostly complain about dogs. It’s going to be a challenge to rouse them, but Ra and Atman are congenial enough to make inroads. As for my third son, you’re a changed being.”

  “More than you know. So far, I’m not even interested in catting around. I’d rather be with the kittens. Most of all, teaching and protecting Tara has become my life.”

  The warmth in his voice made Tara feel as if she’d swallowed a piece of sunlight.

  “Tara, you can come out from behind the bush now,” Hathor said.

  She emerged, feeling very stupid.

  “I encourage eavesdropping. How else can you get information? However, be sure to shield yourself. Your thoughts were very quiet, and it’s possible that most cats wouldn’t hear them, but take no chances. What did you think of our discussion?”

  “I’m still not sure how brave I am.”

  “You never really know until you have to be, but with Orion as your teacher, I have confidence in you.”

  Tara snuggled against her father. “His words are like Her rough tongue.”

  Hathor’s eyes beamed. “Cherish his love. You’ll be relying much more on your father when you’re living in the village. And that time is coming soon.”

  Too soon. Hathor set things in motion. She decided that the village cats should be invited to the planned ceremony to announce the Chosen and launch her on her path. Ra and Atman convinced a number of local cats to attend.

  “You could hardly call them devotees,” Ra said, “but they’re attracted to the idea of cats regaining the stature they deserve, and some of the younger ones are searching for a larger meaning to their lives.”

  “How we present the Chosen and the Quest will make all the difference,” Atman said.

  All eyes turned to Tara, making her think of the lights in the city that Emerald had described: unblinking and blinding. “Don’t look at me that way,” she mewed, “because I don’t have any answers for you. And I’m not speaking before an audience.”

  “Of course you are,” Sekhmet hissed. “You’re the Chosen. How can they follow you if they don’t know who you are?”

  Emerald examined the talons on her front paws. “In case you haven’t hunkered down with ordinary folks recently, cats aren’t really follower material. You can maybe convince them that the way you’d like them to go is the way they were planning to go, anyway, but that’s about it.”

  The Sharp-taloned One suddenly purred in Tara’s ear, and she said, “Emerald is the one to speak to them.”

  “What?” Sekhmet screeched. “How badly do you want the Quest to fail?”

  Emerald spat at her. “Back off, bitch. I’m not saying I want to do this thing, but if I did speak, you could be sure some cats would still be awake at the end.”

  Hathor nodded her head slowly. “This idea is worth pouncing on. Tara’s right. No matter how well the Golden-eyed One guides her, you’re still going to have a crowd of cats sitting on their haunches and saying, ‘Too young.’ Let’s give them Emerald’s story instead: inner city cat who’s seen the worst, mother of the Chosen, and a cat with a down-to-earth way of speaking.”

  “You can say that again,” Sekhmet muttered.

  “I like it,” Orion said. “Are you willing, Emerald?”

  Emerald glared at Sekhmet. “Just to show her I can, I will.”

  The morning of the ceremony, Tara didn’t want to wake up. She snuggled against Emerald. Why had she ever agreed to trade her mother for a flash of golden eyes? She’d rather spend the rest of her life listening to Emerald’s slow, steady heartbeat than be some stupid Chosen kitten in a life that was sure to be lonely, dangerous, and probably brief.

  She whimpered softly, and Emerald opened her eyes and began to groom her. The rumble of her purring shook loose Tara’s grief. She mewed loudly.

  “I don’t want to do this.”

  Emerald tilted her head. “You want to a whole lot more than you don’t want to. I hate to give those cats credit for anything, but the older all you kittens get, the more I see that you’re different from the others. You’re like me. I hopped into that truck with no idea where it was going to take me, and it wasn’t only because Orion had sexy haunches. It was my chance to have a different kind of life, for me and for my kittens.”

  “But you found it. What could be better than this place?”

  “Hadn’t been this place would have been another. I had that restlessness and the urge to do something new. Another month, and this forest wouldn’t hold you, but they say they can’t wait. That’s how city cats are, always in a hurry. And that means you’re leaving before you’re ready, but maybe that’s part of your journey. Maybe that aching need for a mother will guide you where you’re meant to go.”

  Tara looked at her in wonder. “You’re smarter than any of the others. You don’t have to do rituals to talk to Rough-tongued One; She’s always speaking to you.”

  “Hope She speaks to me tonight.”

  Tara tried to contain her nervousness when the village cats began arriving in the late afternoon. Sekhmet guided the elderly toms and queens, mothers with kittens, and young males and females to a clearing near the waterfall, where stones tumbled over each other to create caves and walls. The widening of a stream formed a pool.

  Some cats gathered around the pool, and others lounged on stones. Their thoughts swirled like gnats.

  Look, how precious, those white paws; she’s meant to walk the path of purity.

  And tulip shaped ears for hearing the whisper of truth. Seeing her, I feel my life taking a new shape.

  Awfully young, isn’t she?

  I don’t know why they couldn’t choose someone local.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Orion said. “They’re not voting for you.”

  “But they’re voting for or against being involved.”

  “Yes, and it helps to know what words and actions will win them to our side, but don’t listen to the world; listen to Her. The opinions of others may blow you around like wind flurries, but Her voice is steady and sure.”

  “And don’t think in terms of numbers,” Bast said. “We don’t know how many cats we need for the Quest.”

  “Many,” Tara said, “not at once, but soon.”

  “Did you hear Her voice?” Sekhmet asked.

  Emerald intervened. “Maybe it’s time to stop asking her that. Does it make sense? That’s what matters.”

  Sekhmet growled. “I hope you speak more sweetly to the assembled cats.”
<
br />   “I’ll say what needs to be said.”

  The black cat stalked off, but by the time she’d climbed up a series of stones, her tail had stopped twitching. She introduced herself and her ancestors in great detail. At the point when many cats began to think it would be more entertaining to check out the garbage cans in the village, Sekhmet ended her climb through the family tree.

  “Each cat sitting here has heard the story of the Quest and the Chosen. Some of you are curious; some feel a calling. You are all welcome. Now, I’d like to introduce the Chosen’s mother, Emerald. She will tell you about her daughter and about the Quest.”

  Emerald strolled onto the platform. Tara noticed the admiring glances many toms gave her mother.

  “It’s nice to see you all,” Emerald said, “and I hope I get the chance to talk to more of you in the future. Up until now, I’ve been raising a litter of kittens, and you know how that goes.”

  “Uh huh,” some females said.

  “They’re about grown, and I’m looking forward to some free time, but I worry about them. Some days it seems like they mostly have fluff inside their head, not brains. How are they going to do on their own?”

  Tara sensed that every female who’d ever borne a litter was now totally with Emerald.

  “It’s what any mother goes through, except that I’ve got this one kitten who’s the Chosen. What does that mean? They tell me she’s going to save the world, but I don’t see how one little kitten can do that on her own.”

  Tara heard Sekhmet suppress a hiss.

  “You’ve been invited here because she needs help, but let’s talk first about why you came tonight. Maybe you’re curious. I would be. Maybe you’re restless. I know that feeling, too. And maybe you think your life could be better. Maybe you’re wondering if there’s something for you in this Quest idea.”

  Emerald gazed at all of them. “I don’t know about your lives, but I can tell you about mine. I was born in the city in a dirty warehouse. There were plenty of rats and mice to eat, but some of the rats were as big as a cat, and you’d find yourself fighting for your life instead of trying to catch a meal. But that wasn’t the worst of it.”

  She paused, and Tara saw her tremble as painful memories coursed through her.

  “When I was a kitten not yet weaned, humans came to round up strays. They took my mother and my littermates. My grandmother, Misha, and I were lucky. They didn’t see us, but I’ll never forget my mother’s desperate cries or the mewing of my brothers and sisters.

  “Misha and I scratched along, doing our best to survive and stay clean. Even though I didn’t believe any of her stories about a better life for cats in the Green, I realize now they carried me through the hard times, the hungry times, the times when I was so tired I could hardly groom myself.”

  She pointed to Orion and Bast and Sekhmet. “Then these cats came, talking about the Quest. I didn’t believe them, either, but I was in heat, and Orion looked like one fine tom. You ladies will know what I’m saying.”

  “I hear that,” a few females muttered.

  “I would have mated and been done with him, but these cats told me they could take me away from the filth and the smells of the city. I knew it was my chance, and I pounced on it. Think about that. What we’re talking about here might be your chance.”

  All over the audience, ears pricked up with interest.

  “Some of you might not be thinking you’re Quest-type cats, but it’s not about you turning into holy cats who forgive every human who ever hurt you. You ask me, you don’t have to forgive even one. You want to hiss at them, shit on their doorstep, I don’t care.”

  “Then what are we supposed to do?” a cat called out.

  Emerald changed her stance, hunkering down. “Listen to me, cats. You ever sat in front of a mouse hole for hours because you knew sooner or later that mouse was going to come out? That’s what the Quest is right now. We know things are happening, things are changing, and we have to be ready to pounce when the moment comes. And while we’re waiting, we can do something.”

  Her eyes showered green light on them. “I was talking to this kitten today, trying to give her courage for what lies ahead. Cats, she’s so small to be doing this thing. I’m not sure I know why it has to be this way, but this morning I started to understand. She’s a kitten who still needs her mother, but she has to learn how to set her sights higher. Orion and the rest talked from the beginning about ‘the Mother,’ and I didn’t get that any more than I got the Quest, but this morning I did. I realized She came to me after my own mother was taken. I think She looks out for motherless kittens. Tara’s losing me so she can reach out for Her.”

  Emerald raised her head high. “You can do that, too. Maybe knowing Her won’t make your stomachs growl any less when you’re hungry. Maybe it won’t save the lives of your kittens, but you’ll know there’s more than suffering in this world. You’ll know what it can mean to be a cat, and you’ll be proud of who you are. She brought me out of a stinking warehouse to the Green. Who knows what letting Her into your life can do for you?”

  Tara felt the rising tide of excitement. Cats’ eyes glowed in the darkness. Many purred.

  “Let the Chosen speak to us,” cats began to call out.

  Tara climbed up the stones, her heart crowded with emotions tumbling like a litter of wobbly-legged kittens. She remembered how Orion had taught her to breathe deeply from the tip of her tail to the end of her whiskers. She let the cool night air fill her. Her paws tingled with the deep rolling of the earth beneath them.

  The Mother told her to say a few words and then keep her little mousetrap shut. “I could not outdo my mother’s wisdom with words. Now is a time when we can go beyond words, guided by the Sharp-taloned One. I’m going to ask the Mother if She’ll speak through me to you.”

  Okay, open up. She opened her mouth and was surprised to hear liquid song spill out. Her voice was that of the meadowlark greeting the sun and of the nightingale singing the day to sleep. Cats began to sway softly, their eyes closed.

  Golden light began to fill the grove, diffusing, until every cat was enveloped in it. Some responded with surprise; others resisted. Some reached for it as a mother cat reached with her tongue to groom her newborn kittens. Others grabbed at it like starving kittens. Every cat felt at least the whisper of Her.

  Tara let the moment spin out. Before it faded away, Orion vaulted onto the rock beside Tara. “It’s time for us to honor the Chosen and send her on her way. The jewels, please.”

  Ra carried a small pouch of animal skin and spilled its contents onto the stone. All cats gasped at the explosion of rainbow-colored light.

  “My family, the family of the Chosen, has had these gems for generations,” Orion said. “Our forebear took them from a human home, not knowing why, but certain that they would be needed. They haven’t yet revealed their significance to us, but Tara will take them with her.”

  He replaced the jewels and fastened the loop of animal skin that held the pouch around Tara’s neck. “Let’s all wish the Chosen safe journey. And if any of you would like to stay for a while, we have some choice catnip and a selection of freshly killed mice for refreshments.”

  Tara’s heart thumped, and Emerald rubbed against her. “You’ll be coming back to visit. I made that big-tailed tom swear to it.” She and Tara’s littermates touched noses with her, but Tara pulled away before their sweet fragrance turned her into a whimpering mass of kittenhood.

  “See you soon.” I hope.

  At first, Tara and Orion made good speed through the fields, but then Tara began to stumble and weave, the path blurred by her last sight of Emerald, her legs weary from the longing to run back home.

  “Time to rest,” Orion said. “We don’t have to be there until morning.”

  “Where?” she mumbled.

  “Don’t give me that terrorized kitten look. Once you’ve had a good nap, your awareness will be more focused. Close those big eyes.”

  She was glad
to obey, but as sleep began to lick at her, she became aware of a cat approaching. Orion was already on his paws.

  “Greetings, friend,” he said in a rumble that wasn’t too friendly.

  An adolescent male lowered his white head in deference. “Greetings, Chosen, and Father of the Chosen. I am Whiskers, and you moved me beyond words. I’ve given up any thought of catting around and acting like a normal male of my age. I want to devote my life totally to the Quest. What can I do to assist in your journey?”

  “Nothing at the moment; we’re about to sleep.” Orion lay down again.

  “Then, perhaps I could stand guard in case of danger.”

  Orion yawned. “Excellent. We can talk more after our rest.”

  “Don’t worry, Chosen, I’ll protect you.” Whiskers politely moved several feet away, his ears pricked with alertness.

  Tara sniffed, wondering at the strange muskiness that pervaded the young male.

  “A sexual odor,” Orion said, “and a problem I never thought about, although I’m sure those sly females have. He says he’s given up the pursuits of a normal tom, but he hasn’t succeeded.”

  The fur on Tara’s spine rose. “But I’m way too young.”

  “Of course, and unlike human males, toms don’t force a female who isn’t ready. We’re going to have big trouble, though, when you become mature. You’ll need to have a talk with Sekhmet and Bast before long.”

  “Not you?”

  “I couldn’t teach you much about controlling that kind of urge.”

  Tara felt refreshed when they woke up a few hours later. Moonlight silvered the tall grass, and the world looked like a soft place. Where now? she asked herself.

  In the valley, lights glowed in the holes of the humans’ houses. The lights from one seemed brighter than the others. Her heart thudded against her chest. “I know our direction.”

  “I knew you would. Before we leave, we need to catch a few mice.”

  Tara bounced to her paws. “Oh, fine idea. I’m so hungry.”

  “You may have one, but we’ll have a use for the others. You’ll see.”

  Tara glanced over at Whiskers, who was sleeping. “Some guard.”

  “His intentions were good. Do you smell mice?”