Summer 2041
She needed to get out. She needed to find the source of those fascinating and tantalizing scents that held the promise of fulfilling her need. She knew the time was coming soon, soon. She rolled luxuriously about on the ground stretching this was and that. Soon.
A movement caught her eye. The human tom and his grey not-prey.
M’reet rolled over on her chest and through squinted green eyes regarded the room’s other occupants. She was not pleased to find herself confined with two such as these. She thought briefly to groom herself, but that would mean taking her eyes off the interlopers. And that would not do.
Since coming to this place of white, white, white tunnels and strange, flat plants, M’reet, the girl and their not-prey had explored many strange places and found many wonderful things. Licking her lips, M’reet remembered the little yellow peepers who skittered this way and that and who smelled so very tasty. Though they remained elusive it was enough, almost, to know they were here. She would find them again.
For the past many sleeps, the girl had insisted she wear the strange tight band around her neck when they left the den-place, onto which a long tether was attached. It was most undignified. M’reet liked it best when she could explore unfettered, but that took stealth and speed to slip outside the den-place’s doors unseen. And since the girl, mother-queen and the girl’s littermates had left, the chances to slip out had been far fewer. M’reet forgot about the intruders for a whisker’s moment… when would her girl return?
The intruder, a tall, tall human tom with black head fur, stood and walked toward her. M’reet’s attention flashed back to the annoyance in front of her. She turned and leapt gracefully onto the back of the nearest high perch, making her usual, precise three-point landing. Facing the tom, she fluffed her short, sleek fur to its full imposing length and flexed her immaculate claws into the back of her soft, slippery perch. She would meet this intruder on her terms. The human tom reached out a hand as if to touch her and M’reet countered with ears back and a silent hiss. The hand removed itself. M’reet stood her ground and glared. Manners were important… and this intruder had none. Only her girl and mother-queen could groom her with impunity. The human tom walked away again. Better.
Soon, soon, she must be patient. Soon these intruders would leave for a span of time, it was always thus. She must be ready to dart out and go exploring. To find her girl and her not-prey. And just perhaps, to find the source of those tantalizing scents.
The tall, dark-furred human tom made an indeterminate noise and turned away. The sound and scent of her dried food soon filled the air. The dead smell of not-earth soon followed as her sand-box was tended to. As she watched the larger intruder at the tasks, the smaller, grey one trundled past. It was larger and slower then the girl’s not-prey, and regarded her, M’reet, the queen of all she surveyed, with extreme and insulting indifference. Well, then. It was not worth her time to even acknowledge the smaller interloper.
Let the human tom tend to her food bowl and sand box. That was an appropriate task for mother-queen’s mate. It was time to nap. And wait.
~~~~~~~~
Yes! She was out and running quickly, joyfully, searchingly down the white, white, white tunnels. Mother-queen’s mate had been lulled into a false security that she, the huntress of peepers, was content to stay cooped up in that small den-place when she knew, KNEW, that there was more to be found. She sniffed the air for scents to find.
She needed something, but what? She stealthily paced the white tunnels, now darkened into false night. She peered around corners and into open spaces. Doors that did not open she ignored. While she missed her birthplace of real dirt and open skies, this strange place was an engaging mystery to explore. She sniffed again. Yes… there it was. Far, far, but not too far. M’reet went forth, hunting for the tantalizing scent that promised renewal and life. It took much searching and back tracking and patience, but finally she found him.
There, in the place of smells that reminded her of the strange smelly flying machines that had brought her here, there he was. A most magnificent ruddy tom with plush fur and long, long whiskers. His paws were stately in proportion with tufts of fur between each of his many toes and his long, elegant tail waved over his head, gently swaying back in forth in magnificent fullness.
M’reet paced toward this magnificent creature knowing he was the answer to her needs. She prepared to drop to the ground to show him her willingness to let him approach when… What was that? Heavy footfalls, coming toward them. The ruddy tom dashed away and M’reet looked this way and that for a place to hide. Preparing to follow the tom, she suddenly recalled what she had recently passed, ahh… M’reet dashed around the corner and leapt up into a container of soft earth and rustling green leaves. Good. These plants were ones with wide, wide leaves, full and bushy. Not one of the flat plants with sharp smelling orange balls. She shook her head in recalled dislike, but then stilled herself to silence.
She hunkered down, carefully tucking her tail around the side of her not-leg. She was small, small, small. She waited. All was quiet. She carefully, stealthily, slowly peered around the leafy fronds that shielded her, and… MeowwWWR! Eye to eye with a strange human tom, see recoiled sharply in surprise.
M’reet scooted back until she could go no further, her rear end bumping up against the warm white wall just behind her. She looked quickly this way and that for a means of escape, her hind leg bunching to jump when she suddenly realized… the strange human tom had not moved at all.
She sniffed the air. There was no scent of fear nor hunger nor hurt. The stranger was bearing his teeth at her in the same manner the girl did when she was pleased. M’reet relaxed slightly and sat up, her tail regally wrapping around her front paws. Well, then. Though her small heart hammered fearfully in her chest, she sat calmly, staring at this intruder to her leafy hiding place. Appearances were important.
The strange human tom sat back on his hind limbs and made the odd not-meows the girl did. There was no threat in the tone. In fact, the sounds were quite nice. Soft and murmuring. M’reet relaxed a bit more and closed her green eyes… most of the way. She tensed only a little when the human tom reached out a black-sleeved arm slowly, oh so slowly, and touched her under the chin with a single finger. He scratched ever so lightly along her chin and throat.
Ooooh, that felt nice.
He ran a light hand along her back. Now this was a human tom who knew how to treat a huntress. His manners were impeccable.
Suddenly, the hand reached around to her soft underside and lifted her up. MeowwWWR! This was a familiarity that had not been invited! A small paw was raised, claws extended in reprimand when a nice, nice, nice feeling shivered down her back as the human tom scratched in just that spot behind her ears as the girl did. Purr.
M’reet went limp in complete trust as the human tom competently tucked her small body against his, supporting her chest along his black clad forearm, still rubbing her ears and murmuring to her. This was a good human tom.
Relaxed, black fur on black-sleeve, delighted to be held at such a dignified height, M’reet watched with interest as the white, white, white world passed by as her tall, silver-furred escort took her to places she had not yet been. Others of the girl’s kind looked at her but accorded her the respect due to one who had successfully hunted the small prey that skittered and scampered. Finally, they passed through the doors to a large den that smelled strongly of the nice human tom that carried her and, yes! Even the scent of her girl.
She was gently lowered to the top of a desk. Briefly, they looked one at the other, and then she looked about curiously as the human tom stepped back. Next to her was a most amazing… tree? It was small, small, small, growing from a flat clay container holding earth and rocks. Why, it was smaller than she! She stretched out her neck and sniffed with a delicate sniff. It smelled of wood and leaves and living green growing places. The delicate branches twisted this way and that and the leaves gently waved back and forth under her nose. Was this strange thing a kitten of tree-kind? A mystery for certain.
Looking over the edge of the table, she jumped for the ground. Then, feeling the need, she flopped to the floor and rolled about, seeing this new place from a different perspective. She looked up at the nice human tom, purring a few notes of curiosity, but he was walking away toward a large round ball in the corner. Staring after him, M’reet gave a feline shrug and sat to groom her rumpled black fur. A brief, soothing time later, M’reet looked around the intriguing room. It was time to explore. Step, step, hop.
The room was generous in size, for a den here in her new home. The ceiling was high and there were even windows to the outside night. Ahh, good. It had been long since she walked in open air.
M’reet squinted her eyes and judged angles and height… yes. Step, step, hop. She padded over to the nearest window, hunched down and called upon her strong hind leg’s muscles to put her where she wanted to be. She no longer even thought of her not-leg, it had been gone for so very long a time. Whiskers twitching as she contemplated complicated geometric relationships, she leapt for the high window, intending to pause but briefly upon the ledge before continuing her exploration outside. The line of her jump was clean and elegant, the landing site approaching quickly, quickly and… thump.
Her nose hit an invisible barrier in a most undignified and painful manner. She lost her balance and fell back to the floor. Too startled to do much but shake her head, she immediately righted herself and jumped again, but this time landing just upon the near edge. It was good that her proportions were dainty and refined; there was but little space to maneuver within. Sitting carefully, she reached out her nose and sniffed. It was not unlike the invisible barriers she had upon occasion found in her birth den in the place of open air and sky… but different somehow. She carefully placed a paw upon the smooth barrier and then stretched high and reached even higher. Like other strange barriers in this new place, she was confined.
There were the sounds of human noises behind here, and she turned to see the tall, tall human tom watching her, amusement plain to read in his body and tone. Well. M’reet jumped down in all dignity and walked toward the human, tail held high in the air. She really didn’t need to go outside just now.
The door opened and M’reet instantly changed direction and skittered under the nearest chair. It was a right-smelling chair made of wood, like those of her birth place. The good human tom she rather trusted, but strangers had to be considered carefully for their manners. She watched and sniffed carefully as three pairs of human feet walked in. One set was large and belonged to a human queen and two sets were smaller and ran about as kittens of all species were want to do. Yes, she would stay put for now.
M’reet peered carefully from under the edge of the chair and saw a tall, silver furred female walk over and rub against the good human tom. She must be his mate. M’reet looked carefully, there was something very familiar about this strange female that reminded her of her girl. But this human did not have the scent of one who liked her kind. Ah, so. She sat still except for the twitching of her tail tip and watched closely this dignified mother-queen who seemed so tantalizingly familiar.
MeowwWWR! Something had touched her tail! She spun about and saw one of the human kittens lying on the floor, hand under the chair and reaching toward her again. She would have scratched the intruder, but mother-queen had impressed upon her repeatedly that human kittens were not to be reprimanded so. Looking this way and that, she spied the far wall opening and ran in that direction, to escape this suddenly crowded place and perhaps, just perhaps, find the ruddy tom whom she had not forgotten.
~~~~~~~~
She kept to the shadows along the edge of the night-darkened room. The row of windows overhead was tempting, but no doubt held that same strange not-to-be-seen barrier. There were a few tall humans moving about, but none looked down at her, one more small shadow hid deep in a room of shadows. Noises caused her ears to twitch, strange peeping and chirpings and flashing of small lights. These were not the sounds of real peepers, she knew that now, but rather the sounds of the flat tablets the tall ones carried. And they most assuredly were not tasty.
Looking over her shoulder, she saw once again movement behind her from the den she had just fled. Seeking quiet and safety, she turned and ran through the door under the large colorful flashing not-window and down another white, white, white tunnel darkened into night.
~~~~~~~~
Stairs. Those strange abrupt discontinuities in the ground were something M’reet had discovered since her arrival to this new home. They were inside strange, tightly curving tunnels that led to wonderful new areas to explore. Just here, in the middle of the empty darkened tunnel where she had finally come to rest, she could smell the scents that held the promise of healthy earth and green growing plants. M’reet had no doubt that a stairwell lurked just in front of her, if she could but see it. The girl had let her explore such odd curving stair-tunnels on one of their forays about, but…they hid behind doors and that was an undoubted dilemma. These doors did not have the touchpads that caused them to open as the home-den had, and that were amenable to the scratchings of a small feline explorer. One had to wait until a human opened these strange throughways. So, M’reet, safely hidden within the dark shadows, composed herself to wait.
M’reet waited with the long patience of her kind. As it was night, few of the girl’s sort were moving about. It was only after an unmeasured time she heard footfalls from behind the wall in front of her and prepared herself to slip through the opening about to occur. The door opened, and much stronger now, the tantalizing scents wafted over her. She darted toward them and down, down the turning stairs, carefully keeping her balance as she ran on her three strong legs. The stair-tunnel was very, very long. Now, panting ever so slightly with effort, she waited under the landing at the bottom of the curving tunnel becoming small, small, small until this next door should also open.
~~~~~~~~
She hungered, but this was ignored as all mighty huntresses ignored such inconsequentials. But the thirst, that was becoming an agony. She could smell water faintly, distantly and most assuredly somewhere among the scents of green growing things. But the door remained closed. To make the agony of thirst bearable, M’reet allowed part of herself to sleep, keeping only that part of herself that was ever vigilant to wait and watch.
Suddenly, abruptly, from a light doze M’reet awoke. The door in front of her was closing! Without much grace but with much determination, the small black huntress squeezed her small body through the rapidly closing door.
In the wall that was once a door, there were but a few black tail-tip hairs left behind.
~~~~~~~~
This cave was wonderfully large with green plants growing in endless rows. The rocky cavern did not smell exactly like those of her birthplace, but a stone cave it most assuredly was. Looking high and turning her head this was and that she could see the plants reaching up, up to the rocky ceiling hidden far above, as yet shrouded in nighttime.
M’reet dropped down to the warm earth and rolled and rolled. She knew it would take much grooming to remove the dirt, but she cared not. It felt so very good. Taking care of her body’s needs and carefully burying the bad smell, she looked about and sniffed. Yes, fresh water was near. She padded through the darkened plants, her whiskers outstretched and her ears drinking in the sounds of rustling plants. There was a steady breeze present that ruffled her fur. This was a good place. Searching carefully, she finally found small containers of water. Carefully extending her nose toward each container, she sniffed cautiously… and sneezed. Several of them held bad smelling water, water that was not right. She shook her head to rid herself of the rotten smell of decay and badness. But there… yes, one was set aside from the others, and this water was good smelling and good tasting. Her thirst was slaked.
Step, step, hop. As she padded about, she found that the cavern was wondrous and full of many different scents. The tall, tall plants were in bloom and the smell was rich and indescribable. M’reet settled down on a patch of warm earth to rest and contemplate the fullness of life. Her thoughts turned to renewal and kittens, when… what was that? There, among the blossoms just above her moved a… something. Focusing all her awareness on this strangeness, what she saw bewildered and tantalized.
It was smallish, only slightly larger then one of the yellow peepers, but with long, long legs. It crawled deliberately among the blossoms as it… hummed? It was shiny bright even in the twilight and had legs, many, many legs, many more then the proper four and was busy, busy, busy. M’reet sat up for a better look. She sniffed. It smelled of oil and metal. She doubted it would taste any good. It was not proper prey. She settled back down tucking forepaws under chest preparing to nap when, utterly unexpectedly, the thing… FLEW! It flew from one plant to the next, with whirring, buzzing, clicking sounds. M’reet jumped to her feet, muscles taut with anticipation… if it skittered or scampered or FLEW maybe it WAS lawful prey! Carefully, carefully M’reet looked about, but no, there were no large protective flyers about waiting to attack a small huntress.
She looked at the small flyer. It remained oblivious to her, intent upon its walk through the blossoms. M’reet carefully, stealthily crept up upon the flyer, remaining hidden behind rustling leaves. The flyer did not seem to sense her. She crept closer and closer until she was right beside it, tail lashing in barely suppressed anticipation. This flyer ignored her to its peril. She slowly, carefully, purposefully reached out a paw and touched it lightly upon its shiny back. It ignored her. She patted it harder. It still ignored her, completely. She sat back down, head canted to one side in bemusement.
Dumb flyer.
Something so stupid deserved to be eaten, if it was eatable. But, as this flyer smelled most assuredly not edible, perhaps she would just take it back to the girl. It was ever the duty of a huntress to teach the young ones how to hunt, and to wit, she would bring back this lawful prey.
As she thought how best to grab it with her sharp teeth, the flyer whirred buzzed, clicked and again rose up to fly to another plant. In mild surprise, M’reet sprung slightly backwards but then crouched in readiness. She considered angles and speed and… leaped a mighty leap to knock the flyer back down to the earth. YES! It landed on its back and thrashed its too many legs unable to right itself. M’reet smugly reached out a triumphant paw to pin the grounded flyer so she could grab it securely in her teeth, and… OUCH! PAIN, PAIN, PAIN! Her front paw burned and stung! The flyer had BITTEN her! M’reet hissed with pained indignation and stepped back to cautiously regard this new development. With only three legs, and one of those now in pain, her movements were awkward and she sunk gracelessly to her belly.
This was unacceptable.
Through squinted green eyes, she watched the flyer still upon its back go in circles, although now only three of its many legs still twitched. Slowly, slowly the flyer’s movements stilled until it moved not at all. Not trusting a prey that could cause such pain, M’reet held her peace and waited for the pain in her paw to lessen, which it did in time.
Finally, In the fullness of time, M’reet stood and turned carefully and moved slowly back to the good smelling water. The return walk to the grounded flyer already hurt much less. She looked down at her prey. Wrong smelling or not, she had killed it and it was hers. She would take this wrong-smelling, no-longer flyer back to the girl. M’reet anticipated much praise and good eats as her reward for her hunting prowess. As it should be. But first, she needed to rest and heal. Batting the dead flyer carefully and finding that it moved not, she picked it up with her teeth. She almost spat it out again as the taste was so foul, but this was HER prey and she would present it to her girl. But still… she growled low in her throat at its awful taste.
She searched for a little and found a warmed rock under some leafy fronds near the cavern’s far wall and, after carefully placing her captured prey beside her, composed herself for a nap. The plants were properly thick and reached high to the ceiling. And as she drifted to sleep she thought how wonderful it would be if only she could show this to her girl and their not-prey. It would be a good place to be together. She slept.
~~~~~~~~
The twitching of her ears caused M’reet to awaken before her body was ready, but the whispering voices were very close. She rolled over on her chest and listened carefully to the soft sounds, human sounds, from a human queen and her tom. She sniffed. The female was in heat and they were mating. All was as it should be. M’reet dosed again.
~~~~~~~~
The lights overhead became bright and M’reet awoke with a start. The humans below her made noises of awakening and stood quickly. With benign interest, M’reet saw them groom one another and then replace the strange coverings they wore in the place of proper fur. The male though, M’reet thought with vague approval, did appear to have a respectable amount of fur on his body… for one of the girl’s kind.
Contemplating her need for food, a familiar scent wafted M’reet’s way. She sniffed, and sniffed again. The ruddy male was here? M’reet looked this way and that but could not see him. No… the scent came from that which the human tom put on. She awoke fully, hungry but not for food. Quickly picking up her rightful prey and slinking carefully around the perimeter of the room, always keeping the orange-sleeved male within sight, she followed him out.
The human tom moved swiftly as did M’reet. She knew she was seen by many of the human kind but she cared not. Her body needed the ruddy male in a fundamental way that would not now be denied. It was not far as human’s counted these things, although the small huntress was panting by the time she arrived at the white, white, white tunnel she remembered leading to the ruddy tom.
Hiding yet again among the plants where she had first met the black-sleeved human tom, she panted as she caught her breath and waited for the door to open as eventually it most certainly would. She placed her prey at her feet. She would take the dead flyer to the girl afterwards.
Yes… although the door was still closed she caught the ruddy male’s scent as he most assuredly had caught hers. Patiently, patiently she waited until human footfalls coming closer told her the time was near. Leaving her prey hidden among the leaves, she jumped down the moment the door opened and swiftly entered the ruddy tom’s domain.
And yes, he truly was magnificent.
12 April 2006
MGK
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