"Willow's Tail" 3

Martha placed Willow's breakfast bowl down near her and went back to her seat at the table.

Willow kept her eyes on the visitor as she lowered her head to her bowl and her ears pitched forward hearing her human ask the worrisome guest how long she needed to stay.

“Oh not long Martha dear, not too long I hope anyway. But I guess it all depends on the forgiveness of one Mr. Appleton.”

“Why must he forgive you? What have you done to him Perfidia?” Martha questioned with keen eyes and a smile that was slowly turning into a frown.

“Oh it was silly really, nothing he should have gotten upset about and  there's no need to go over it now when it will work itself out soon enough, or reasonably soon…anyway, I’ve time now for you to show me around your corner of the world and we do need time to reacquaint, do we not?"

Martha wanted to say, we do not, but her manners were too ingrained and she could not be rude.

“You're welcome to come to the market with me this afternoon Perfidia and see first hand this little corner of my world.”

“Market? Martha why ever do you need to go there? Are the winds not right here for delivery of sustenance?”

“The winds are perfectly fine and not a concern at all. I enjoy the walk to the market and picking out things I like.”

“Ah so it is like an adventure for you? Very well then, I will tag along on this adventure, do we havoc a little as we walk?” Perfida inquired with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

“No, we most certainly do not havoc. These neighbors are not to be tamper with Perfidia, and on this I must insist.”

“No havoc?”

Martha shook her head.

Perfidia glanced at the feline lying comfortably next to Martha and narrowed her eyes on it.

“So this is why your cat is so…plump; it has no activity to keep it in shape.”

“Willow is in perfect shape.” Martha defended.

“I suppose that’s true for a simple house cat.”

Willow didn’t like being the subject of discussion and certainly didn’t care for the visiting human's opinion and purred her annoyance loudly.  Her human may be too kind to put this troublesome human in her place, but Willow had no such qualms.

The red haired human turned speculative eyes her way and Willow returned the look measure for measure with her own special glare.

“Careful,” Perfidia whispered a warning to the feline when Martha took the empty teacups to the kitchen.

Willow meowed low in her throat and stretched languidly, drawing out her claws to stretch them as well. Then she rose to full cat height and flicked her tail at the red haired menace.

The casement windows next to the table flew open and a harsh wind blew in whipping Perfidia's red hair into a mess of tangles and knots that stuck out in all odd angels and would be a challenge to pull a brush through.

Martha ran back into the dining room just as Perfidia managed to close the windows against the force of the wind and flick her finger across the lock to keep it shut.

“What happened?" Martha asked surveying the scene, “Are you alright dear?”

“Oh I am perfectly fine, a little wind storm is nothing to me, and I do see you have no issue with the winds here,” Perfidia smiled with saccharine sweetness.

“No, the winds here are usually quite calm,” Martha said eyeing the two combatants, “but I fear they may be about to stir up a bit,” she murmured.

Willow peered at Perfidia with crystal eyes lit with challenge and Perfidia met the challenge with eyes promising discord.

Martha stepped between them and Willow sauntered from the room flicking her tail warningly as she left.

“I don’t enjoy troublesome weather in my home.”

“No, who would?” Perfidia said innocently, “It’s much better to leave it outside.”

“Exactly,” Martha nodded, “Now are you ready to take that walk to market?”

“I suppose so once I fix my hair,” Perfidia said patting her wild wind hairdo, “the market is outdoors is it not?” she asked Martha with interest.

“No, it’s an indoor market.”

“Oh, well it will be a pleasure to accompany you anyway and see what the fascination is for you at this market.”

Martha sighed heavily, she knew now Perfidia had not changed at all, havoc was still her favorite pastime and that meant Martha and Willow would have to run interference for as long as Perfida decided to stay.

Hopefully, Mr. Appleton would forgive her soon, though Martha had a feeling whatever Perfidia had caused, was probably unforgivable.