by Taki Drake
TT agreed but was quite distressed when Jack casually mentioned, << You know, it would help a lot if you got yourself a little dirty. Pure white cats are very noticeable, and they’re also very easy for predators to see. If we are supposed to be sneaking around, you can’t be this blindingly white blob of “come shoot me” fur. Have yourself a quick roll in the mud. It will disguise you, and no one would think that you were a pampered Persian if you look a bit dirty. >>
He was gone before TT could register her outrage. What a disgusting idea, she thought. However, she knew that Jack would not have suggested the disguise if it were not important. Deciding to trust the older cat’s judgment, TT found a mucky area on the shore of the small lake that was filled with the black-looking mud and reluctantly rolled in it.
The miasma of swamp slime assaulted her senses. The feel of the sticky moisture made her skin crawl, and the odor slithered into her throat making her fight a violent desire to empty her stomach. Shaking herself multiple times, TT managed to get most of the thick, viscous sludge out of her fur.
Even without the heavy slime, she knew that her beautiful coat was splotched with strange colors and standing in whirls and spikes. The Persian cat knew that she would be unable to groom herself coated like this because there was no way that she could ingest this quantity of filth and not make herself violently ill.
She was sitting still, wondering what she should do next when a cool, wet nose shoved itself against her backside. Instantly, TT spun around, hissing like a demented tea kettle and with extended claws ready to slash.
Before she could react any further, a large hound with drooping ears and a sad face snuffled her again. His tail was wagging so fast that it looked like a blur and the cat could feel his excitement in every motion. Unable to resist his good-natured inspection with anything approaching anger, TT stood still and endured.
<
<
The dog stopped his sniffing and sat down abruptly. Suddenly serious, he asked curiously, <
<
Boney sat motionless for a moment, obviously thinking. TT watched the dog patiently, not sure of what he was considering. Out of the corner of her eye, the Persian could see Jack easing himself closer. Since her uncle was taking care to remain unobserved, TT made no mention of him to the hound, as the dog worked his way through his ponderous thoughts.
Finally, the dog’s head came up, and his tail began to wag once again. << You can be my rabbit! Food man let me keep rabbit before. Had rabbit for a long time. Boney take you to food man, and he will say. >>
With no more warning, TT was startled to feel herself lift by the scruff of her neck and was towed through the air at a rapid pace. Feeling no threat from the hound, TT held her tongue and waited to see what would happen.
Bony galloped through the crowded area at high speed. Almost without acknowledgment from the crowd, the dog still managed to find clear areas to run. Whether it was his intimidating size or the speed of his travel, TT found it almost impossible to get any mental map to where he was taking her.
A tight, personal comment from Jack reassured her, << I am right behind you. He’s headed over towards the smaller caravan. Even though you can’t see it, there’s a large man who sees him coming and has a big smile plastered on his face. >>
<< It would be very nice if that man allowed us to travel with them. It would be far easier than trying to hide away in one of the wagons and more pleasant to be included rather than more living on the fringe. >>
There is no more time since Boney had come to a skidding halt in front of the largest and ugliest man that TT had ever seen. He would’ve been intimidating except for his blinding smile and cheerful greeting to the dog.
“Hey there, boy. What if you found this time? Have you found another baby?”
TT felt a large but very gentle hand command her body as the dog, obedient to some unseen signal, released his hold on her fur and transferred the cat to his master’s control. Peering closer at the cat, the man said in a gentle tone, “Hey there, little kitty. You look like life has not treated you very well. My Boney does like his little friends, and it looks like you could use a friend also.”
<<<>>>
TT’s inclusion in the caravan was as simple as that. Without any more ceremony or any argument whatsoever, the cat suddenly found herself in possession of a bed of clean but worn rags arranged inside a small box in the corner of the wagon. When the caravan left after a rest at the waypoint, TT had a sheltered and cushioned bed to travel in. While relieved that she had solved the problem of her transportation, she wondered about Jack and where he was. It was not until the caravan had stopped for the evening that she found out.
The group had stopped at what was obviously a larger and more established traveler area for the evening. Each of the wagons pulled into an area that had been set aside for them. All of the teamsters cared for their own animals and any maintenance that needed to be done to their transport. TT was impressed that the teamster, whose name was Hugh, fed all of his animals before he sat down to his own meal. As he laid out generous portions for each animal, the man constantly talked, commenting on how the day had been and acting as if his animals were answering him back.
Looking at the sizable portion that he had dished out for her, TT wondered how on earth she was going to eat it all. She was also concerned that maybe she should be trying to hide part of the food to feed Jack later on. Her worry about her uncle's location was intensifying. Surely he would have found some way of telling her if he wasn’t traveling with them. The lack of communication worried her, and she found herself starting at shadows and with her senses on high alert.
Hugh radiated a genial good nature and obviously had plenty of friends in the caravan. After he had eaten, others among the drivers would stop by and chat with him briefly, sharing gossip and their observations of the trip. One man, a merchant with a nervous manner, stopped by to ask Hugh’s advice about a repair to the gate on his wagon. As he was leaving, the man looked at TT and said, “I think it’s pretty interesting that we both ended up with cats out of that last waypoint. Mine seems to be a really good mouser, an important thing when you’re transporting grain. Does yours do anything?”
Hugh’s response was gentle but granite in its assurance, “She doesn’t have to do anything. My hound likes her and cuddles up with her. It can be a lonely life when you’re traveling all the time. She seems sweet-natured, and she makes Boney happy, which is all I need from her.”
There must’ve been something in the large man’s voice because the merchant paled slightly and hurried into speech, “I didn’t mean anything by it, Hugh. I just thought it was interesting. And you never know with animals you pick up. After all, she looks like she might be sick.”
“Other than a stained coat she looks like she’s pretty healthy. A little thin, but I’ll work on that. My hound wouldn’t have picked up a sick animal, he is smarter than that.”
Opening and closing his mouth wordlessly several times, the merchant obviously thought better of what he was going to say and instead waved his goodbye and issued a mumbled “thanks.”
When the visitor had left the circle of Hugh’s fire, the big man turned to look at Boney and said, “Sometimes people need to think about what they’re saying and how mean-spirited they’re getting to be. Don’t you worry, boy, your little cat is safe here.”
TT thought about that exchange for the rest of the evening, staring into the flickering fire and cuddled up next to the big hound. She didn’t even register the smell of dog anymore. It had become part of the atmosphere that protected her. Lying next to the big
animal as he started to dream and twitch, TT contrasted where she was at that moment was where she had been a month before. The change from abandoned, hungry, and cold to her full stomach and warm comfort accentuated how much life could change. I wonder if I’m becoming a philosopher, she thought to herself.
<< I think you have a long way to go to turn into a philosopher. I would settle for just having you think before you do things, >> inserted Jack.
<< Jack! I was so worried about you! >>
<< I wasn’t worried about me. When we talked about hitching a ride with the caravan, my biggest problem was trying to figure out how on earth we were going to convince somebody to take a white cat. Instead, you found your own way, and I found mine. It meant that I did not have to take care of you. Instead, you took care of yourself! You made me very proud.>>
TT was conscious of a strange feeling. After a moment, she realized that it was pride, with a surprising intensity of pleasure in her own accomplishment. It had not occurred to her that she had done something to be proud of until Jack said something. The thought dawned that this was what it was like to not be a burden. It was a feeling that she could definitely look forward to experiencing more often.
Chapter 24 – Farewell and Fare Well
The rhythm of the road became a comforting pattern to TT. The bookends of her days were full of the rough companionship of the large dog and his huge master. The daily travel could be cold or rainy but always provided food for her brain in the form of new sights, sounds, and smells. Happy with the slower rhythm, TT found herself gaining strength while healing both externally and internally.
Overall, the weather was getting colder. The caravan had traveled quite a distance and TT still had no grasp of how close they were to Dascha. She did take note of the point that they entered Russia. The discussion around the campfires of the previous evening had warned her that they would be crossing a border into the other country. Each of the teamsters had been reminded to prepare their paperwork for the border crossing.
The following day, when the travelers stopped to talk to a group of people in uniforms, TT was surprised to find out that it was simple to cross a border. A few minutes conversation, an inspection of papers, and off they were again. It was confusing to TT that the countryside looked just like the terrain of the previous day.
When she mentioned it to Jack that evening, he had asked her, << What did you expect? Musical announcements? A different color? A big line on the ground? >>
<< There is absolutely no reason to get sarcastic! I just said it seemed like a trivial thing. >>
<< Sometimes I forget how inexperienced you are. Country borders are just a matter of agreement. Sometimes a disagreement starts it but effectively whoever controls the country says this is the edge of my land. Sometimes, the politicians go through different kinds of wrestling to determine where lines are drawn but to most people, it’s just a line on paper. Many of the people that live close to the borders ignore the line and focus on other ways of marking differences. >>
<<<>>>
There came one day where the rhythm and energy of the caravan were different. There was an underlying excitement that had everybody slightly on edge and made the relaxed pattern of the start of the day crackle with minor variations. TT could feel it but was unsure of what it meant. It was not until they stopped for their midmorning waypoint that everything was made clear.
Boney came bouncing over, tail wagging and almost spinning in circles. << Home, home, home, home! Almost home. Tonight, sleep in a big bed, check out smells, visit friends! >>
<< Do you mean that the journey is going to come to an end today? That we should be done traveling for a while? >> TT asked.
<< Yes! Home! >>
TT was sad, realizing that her time with Hugh and Boney had come to an end. She was not yet at Dascha’s and knew that she had a still long distance to travel. Her time in the caravan had been a time of recovery and had helped her heal at many levels. The rough acceptance and generous care of Hugh and Boney had allowed TT to recover her spirits from the intense drama of her last year. Now, unfortunately, it was time for her to move on and she did not know how to tell her generous friend that she was leaving him.
The little Persian cat was surprised when the hound brought it up himself.
<< Kitty have to go? Or staying with Boney? >>
<< I am sorry, Boney. But I’m supposed to go join my friend, my other friend. She’s expecting me, and I need to keep traveling. >>
<< Boney will miss you, food man too. >>
<< I will miss you, but I can hope to see you again sometime. >>
<<<>>>
When the caravan left the waypoint, TT and Jack remained. Unsure as to their next step, they knew that traveling into the city that was the destination of the caravan would take them further out of their way. Also, the decision to leave the caravan was more easily accomplished in the unstructured security of a group of travelers than it would be to leave the concentrated population of a city.
TT watched until she could no longer see any part of the group of travelers. She was conscious of feelings of regret and farewell but knew that it was the time for her to leave.
Turning to Jack, TT asked, << Where do we go from here? >>
Before the older cat could answer, there was a sharp tug on TT’s neck. She could see that Jack’s eyes had gotten wide and he seemed to be staring at a point just below her chin. She asked, << What is it? What’s wrong? >>
<< That necklace that you been wearing for weeks now and which has been looking like a normal rock, just lit up brightly. It is also standing away from your front, suspended in midair, and is acting like a pointer. >>
Twisting her body around an effort to see what Jack was describing, TT soon found out that no matter which way that she turned, the necklace maintained its directional alignment, pointing them further to the East. Deciding that they had no better option but to follow the magical direction finder, both cats took off down the road.
<<<>>>
Without the rough comfort of the caravan, both cats soon became tired and cold. The weather was getting worse, with storm clouds telegraphing the coming of more snow. The light was dim, and it was getting darker by the minute. Jack had been ranging in front and around TT as she traveled. He was looking for someplace that would be safe for them for the evening. So far he had no luck in finding anyplace that was even marginally safe and warm. It was getting to the point that they were going to have to make do with any location when Jack came crashing through the underbrush toward TT shouting at her mentally, << Tree! Climb a tree quickly! >>
Sprinting into immediate action, TT jumped as high as she could into the branches of a pine tree only a few feet away from her. Not pausing for anything, she climbed higher into the tree, hearing Jack’s panting breath close behind her. When she would’ve stopped, his urgent hiss spurred her to climb even higher.
Finally, they had climbed high enough that the thick branches of the pine tree concealed them from view about two-thirds of the way up the tall tree. Jack was plastered tightly to one of the branches and watching intently back along the path he’d come. TT also looked, unaware what she should be seeing but knowing that if he was silent that there was a reason for it.
At first, the Persian didn’t notice the stealthy movements in the dim light. A ghostly shape slipped from brush to brush, moving closer to the road on the left. A split second later she noticed two other dimly-seen shapes moving on the right. As the figures got closer, she realized that what she was looking at were wolves. The large and aggressive wolves of the Russian forest were hunting, and only Jack’s warning had saved her from a painful and bloody end.
The wolves might not have caught them on the ground, but they certainly knew that the two cats were in the area. While two large wolves searched the brush of the surrounding area, three more inspected the scents left by TT and Jack on the road.
The largest male, a dappled predator colored in shades of gray and black, lif
ted his head and glanced around, growling << They are here someplace. I can smell their scent on the ground, and their odor trace is still in the air. They both smell weak and will be easy to kill. >>
Another of the wolves, a slightly smaller male, snarled his agreement, << They have probably climbed something. At some point, they’re going to have to come down, and we should get them then. >>
Knowing instinctively that speaking at all would only increase her danger, TT stayed silent. Crouched next to Jack on the branch, she dug her claws in deeply, hoping that she was not going to fall off in the middle of the cold night ahead of them. Leaning on each other for the scant warmth that they could share, the two cats set themselves to endure and survive.
It was going to be a very long night.
Chapter 25 – Gossip and News
Zipping through the trees like a little tiny beacon of hope, the brightly-colored songbird seemed almost surreal to TT. The Persian cat wondered if she was dreaming because the bird, unlike most, was not avoiding her. Instead, it darted right up to the cold and aching cat, hovering less than a foot from her face and peering intently at her. With such unexpected behavior, TT wasn’t really surprised when a small mental voice piped, << Are you that Princess cat? All of us Familiars are supposed to be watching for you. It would be so cool if I found you first! >>
<< Yes, I am Princess TT. Why are all the Familiars watching for me? >>
<< Because you’ve gone missing. It was one of the messages that my witch got, and she told me that I could come look for you if I wanted to. But I promised her that I would stay safe so don’t let that big cat with you eat me. >>
Jack chose that moment to interject his voice into the conversation, << I promise not to eat you, little one. >>
<< Oh! Another Familiar. Nobody told me that there were going to be two of you. I knew about some of the other news for Familiars but not that you were traveling with somebody. This is more than cool. This is double cool! >