"Willow's Missing Tail" 5

Perfidia pulled into the parking area of the Arcane Gardens and Pet Rescue and stared at the nondescript building ahead with a skeptical eye.

“It doesn’t look like it has magical pets.”

“Familiars don’t advertise,” Martha informed her as they got out of the car.

“Well that’s not helpful. How are we supposed to find the extraordinary pets if we don’t know where they are?”

Martha didn’t answer and kept walking towards the building.

“Mysterious, aren’t we?” Perfidia grumbled behind her back as she followed.

Martha didn’t enter the building she walked around it to a path that led into the Arcane Gardens behind it. The garden’s lights were just coming on as the day was turning to dusk.

Perfidia was impressed by the well cared for gardens and the healthy mature trees that lined it.

“It is nice here; if I were a familiar, I’d like this place,” she said with a nod of approval.

“It is enchanting back here,” Martha agreed stepping over to a garden bench and sitting down.

Perfidia thought it odd to just sit there; shouldn’t they actively look for those familiars?

“So, you want us to sit here and wait?”

“Yes.”

“For how long…?’ Perfidia groused as she sat down next to her.

“Patience, Perfidia.”

“Still haven’t any, Martha.”

Martha chuckled. “I’m aware.”

“Fine, if we have to wait…tell me how are things with you and Dillon?” Perfidia asked with a gossip’s glee in her eyes.

“Only if you tell me how things are with you and Jon first.”

“Okay, sure,” Perfidia shrugged, “he wants us to consider sharing a space.”

Martha turned a quizzical look her way.

“You mean he wants you to move in with him?”

“Yes…but more permanent…he wants me to marry him.”

“What? That’s wonderful…when did he ask?”

“He hasn’t asked, yet, but he hints at it. I think he’s afraid to ask.”

“He’s not sure you’ll say yes,” Martha stated with an understanding smile.

Perfidia nodded.

“Should he worry about your answer?”

Perfidia shrugged, she wasn't sure she was ready for total commitment but, she was very sure, she was done examining her feelings.

“Okay, I’ve talked about Jon; now it’s your turn. What’s going on with you and Dillon?”

Before Martha could respond or deflect that question, Nora, the proprietor of the pet rescue, walked into the garden leading two adorable puppies out to play but stopped when she spied the visitors.

“Martha? I’m surprised to see you out here.”

“Why? I’m here to enjoy your lovely garden,” Martha replied.

Nora was unconvinced and turned her attention to Martha’s companion, seeing it was Perfidia her eyes grew pensive.

“Hello Perfidia. I must say I’m truly surprised to see you here.”

“Why?”

Perfidia’s defensive tone prompted a chuckle from Nora. “No reason, just an observation but I suppose, I can be wrong.”

“About what…?” Perfidia asked, openly frowning at her

“Nothing, enjoy the evening ladies,” she said and walked the puppies back along the path towards the building.

“That was cryptic,” Perfidia mumbled to Martha.

“Nora’s astute when it comes to familiars and companions.”

“Then why didn’t she stay and find one for us?”

Martha remained silent but her eyes were patiently waiting for Perfidia to figure that answer out for herself; it didn’t take all that long.

“Oh…okay, I remember, familiars can't be found; they find you.”

“That’s right.” Martha agreed and was about to add they may not be found but, at that moment, a familiar did find them, or to be perfectly accurate, one found Perfidia.

A cat with the distinct markings and coloring of a tiger jumped onto Perfidia’s lap.

Perfidia nearly screamed and had to stop herself from pushing it off. She looked down at the regal cat on her lap with concern. Her eyes darted to Martha for help. “What does it want?”

“Stay still Perfidia,” Martha instructed,” It’s considering you.”

“For what…oh…,” Perfidia’s brows rose in surprise; she hadn’t thought it at all possible.

Perfidia's eyes grew less shocked as she stared at the cat staring back at her.

The cat began to paw at Perfidia’s woolen pants and she had to suck in her breath not to reprimand it but then it curled up on her lap and closed its eyes.

“Now what…?” She whispered to Martha.

“Now, you have a familiar.”

“I do?” 

“You do?”

“That’s it?”

“Yes, you’ve been chosen.”

“Huh, imagine that…so what do I call it?”

Martha looked at the cat curled contentedly on Perfidia’s lap just as a collar with a shinny charm appeared around the cat’s neck.

Martha reached over and lifted the charm to read it.

“Chaos.”

Perfidia nodded, wholeheartedly agreeing with the assessment.

“I’ll say it is; I don’t know how to take care of a pet Martha; it’s definite chaos.”

“No, that’s its name, Chaos.” Martha clarified with a chuckle.

Perfidia’s brow furrowed. “The cat’s name is Chaos?”

“Yes, it’s on its collar.”

Perfidia looked at the silver charm and nodded.“You know Martha, somehow that makes sense."

Nora walked back into the garden and seeing the cat on Perfidia’s lap, she gave her a knowing nod.

“I thought I felt a connection happening out here but I’m surprised to see this; Chaos hasn’t cared to bond with a human before. You should feel honored Perfidia.”

“I should?” Perfidia asked, but at Martha’s quick shake of her head she realized questioning it was a mistake. “I mean yes, I do feel honored, very honored.”

Nora was satisfied with Perfidia's about face answer. “Good; I have a care kit and guide book to give you; it will ease your transition into your new role.”

“Great,” Perfidia said with a genuine smile for the cat on her lap had begun to purr and she had to admit, it felt amazing to have been chosen by a familiar.

“I’ll go inside with Nora and get those items for you,” Martha suggested, “It’ll give you both a chance to bond.”

“Okay,” Perfidia nodded and gently placed her hand on the cat’s stomach feeling the vibration of its purring; it put her at a level of peace she’d never felt before.  

Chaos opened his eyes and stared up at the human he’d decided to befriend, knowing she had a lot to learn but knowing he’d found a kindred chaotic soul in her, he gave a contented meow.

“Chaos…,” Perfidia mulled over the name, giving the cat a curious look, “Why is that your name?”

The cat’s eyes twinkled at her as he sat up on her lap; then he looked out over the garden and trees and blinked once.

All the trees in the park shook violently, dropping dozens of familiars out of their hiding places like loose leaves. The cats fell from the trees, landing on their feet on the ground, and all of them were visible to the human eye.

The cats in unison hissed their annoyance at Chaos before vanishing again.

Perfidia laughed loudly at the prank then smiled down at the cat with respect. “I think we’re gong to get along just fine.”

 Martha returned with a large bag and an even larger book.

“That’s for me?” Perfidia asked, eyeing the thick book with a worried frown. It appeared to hold too many rules to be imagined, or followed.

“It is,” Martha confirmed, “Now let’s go to your house and acclimate Chaos into your world. Then we'll see if he can help us locate Willow and Max.”

“Okay, sure.”

Perfidia was about to lift the cat from her lap when he disappeared.

“Where did he go? Did he change his mind?”

“I think he prefers to go places on his own; hopefully, he’s waiting in the car for us.”

“How does he know which car is mine?”

“I’m sure he knew when you drove up in it.”

“Huh, I do have a lot to learn about familiars don’t I?”

“Yes you do.” Martha agreed and handed her the book.

Chaos was waiting for them in the car and the engine was running and so was the heater, making the interior toasty warm for the tiger cat napping in the back seat.

*

After Ram and Thistle had used their combined, sibling force to capture and contain Willow and Max, they soon found they were no match for their sibling’s practiced magic.

When any weakness occurred in the links of the magically, reinforced cage, Willow and Max would use it to their advantage and send a well aimed hex out to the other two cats.

Thistle, Willow’s older sibling, decided she needed a break and she jumped out the cat door leaving Ram, Max’s sibling, alone to keep watch on the two captured cats.

Willow and Max quickly saw the advantage in having only one cat to distract, and pounced on it.

Ram’s wary eyes followed the caged cat’s every move but his attention was diverted when a tender morsel of fish suddenly appeared in a bowl in front of him.

He tried to ignore it but it won his hungry attention and made him lose his magic focus on that cage, creating an opportunity for a corner of the enclosure to unravel, right near Max.

Max took quick advantage, escaping through the opening before Ram could magically re-secure the links, but more embarrassing for Ram, Max flicked his ears and sent Ram into the enclosure to take his place, then he jumped out the cat door to go after Thistle.

Willow flicked her tail and trapped Ram in a bubble that hid him from anyone looking into the cage and the bubble was sound proof too, no one could hear the cat’s angry hissing.

Ram’s angry meows echoed in the bubble as he bounced off it, trying to break out. He was furious at having been caught and furious at Willow for trapping him.

Willow watched the cat’s futile attempts to escape and didn’t feel joy at having to trap a fellow member of her species so she placed a bowl of treats in the bubble, in front of Ram, to apologize for the necessary capture.

Ram gave the bowl a suspicious sniff. Then he took a taste and when it posed no threat to him, he dove in and ate it up. His stomach full, he realized it might not be a bad circumstance, being a captive. He didn’t have to keep watch over these cats anymore or answer to that scary human or her parrot; he could relax.

Ram slunk down onto the bubble’s cushioned air bottom and began to purr; he was content to be a captive and decided to take a nap.

 Willow settled down on her cat bed too but she missed her beloved delphiniums.

She eyed the destroyed plant tossed near her cage with sad cat eyes until she notied a small chink in the chain of the cage and she flicked her tail sending her magic out to heal her beloved plant.

The delphiniums were restored and the vibrant plant sat in a patch of soft earth in the cage and directly under a small skylight in the roof above it.

Willow sauntered over to her restored delphiniums, rolled onto her back and looked up at the sky outlined in the skylight above her; now she could take that well deserved cat nap.

*

Max had escaped out the cat door and had easily captured that sibling of Willow’s too.

Thistle was bound in yarn and couldn’t disentangle herself. She meowed angrily at Max who was dragging the cat by the yarn.

Max was thinking how much fun he and Willow would have teaching these cats, that parrot and it’s human, a well deserved lesson when a sparrow landed on his back.

The sparrow dropped a blank business card on the ground in front of him and Max knew his human had sent a message.

Max looked at the  card on the ground and twitched his ears to flip it over twice and a message appeared. Max understood his human needed him, immediately and the card gave a new location for his human.

Max hesitated, thinking about Willow, he wanted to go back and release her first, but his human’s message did not allow the time. He knew, even with the enclosure keeping her captive, her magic would keep that bird and it’s human away from her, until he could bring his human, and her human, here to free her.

When he returned, they’d teach that parrot and its human the danger in abducting familiars.

Max decided to take Thistle back with him and held the yarn in his mouth keeping the captured cat bound in it as he twitched his ears and they both disappeared. 

*

The singing menagerie of sparrows told Avery, Max had been found and he was happy to receive this news but surprised, in the next moment to find Max sitting in front of him with a captive cat wound up in yarn.

“Glad you’re back Max but who’s your friend?” Avery chuckled.

The tangled cat meowed frantically but then the yarn dropped away and she hissed wildly at her captor as shook off the last of the threads.

Her eyes glowed with revenge and aimed at her captor began to twitch her tail.

Max was quicker and twitched his ears placing a bubble around the feline, containing her and that vengeful magic within it.

“Ah, this must be Thistle, Willow’s sibling,” Avery stated the obvious.

Max gave a cat nod and was pleased when Avery instructed someone to bring a big bowl of food over for Max.

“Good work Max and we may have a job for this feline; if she’s willing to switch loyalties.”

Thistle’s eyes narrowed with mistrust on the annoying cat’s human; she’d rather stay in this bubble than befriend or trust another of that species.

*