Grimalkin's Test - Chapter Seven (Patreon)

When meeting new people, it is best to keep the customs of their culture in mind. However, one should always remember one’s own culture as well, and if someone expects you to marry them after giving you an unasked-for sheep, one should politely but firmly decline.

-Lady Chatterwick’s Journey

Maria’s eyes flashed to Tobias in amazement. Who was this strange man, and how did he know who she was? But Tobias was looking at Tosep, not Maria, and seemed to be desperately trying to convey some information by telepathy, if such were possible. Though, now that Maria knew magic was real, was anything actually impossible?

“This is Princess Maria, of the human kingdom,” Tobias gritted out, eyes still boring into those of the newcomer. “Petunia accidentally bit her, and invoked the Changeling’s Curse. We’re taking her to the Grimalkin to find a way to reverse the spell.”

Tosep blinked twice before his expression settled into a mask of understanding. He sank back into a graceful cross-legged pose, and as he moved further away from her, Maria was able to see (much to her relief) that he was wearing a fine linen tunic and brown leather breeches. So, whoever the man was, he was powerful enough to shift his clothing when he transformed from cat to human.

The gray-haired man tore his eyes from Maria, looking around the tight confines of the hideaway. “Then why are you here, and not making your way home? I’m sure her Highness would like to return to her human shape as quickly as possible.”

Tobias shrugged, a flush rising up on his cheeks once again. “We, ah, didn’t have enough money to buy a horse, and the princess isn’t used to traveling. We’re taking public transport. I just brought them here to get some money and leave them somewhere safe while I bought better food from the inn.”

One gray eyebrow lifted. “Not enough money? Were you not given sufficient funds for your journey? And there are several boltholes like this in the capital city. I’m certain the Grimalkin would consider this important enough to use the money there.”

Tobias’ flush only deepened, and he seemed to be struggling for words. Silently, Tia slipped between the two males, fur lifted as she glared at Tosep. “He used it to take care of me. I’ve never been to a human city before, and if I’m going to be-” The kitten broke off, glancing at Maria. “I should know everything about the humans! So, Tobias used the money so we could try out a few things.”

A few things? Maria almost giggled as she imagined that those ‘few things’ might have involved a great deal of ice cream. The confection was quite expensive, especially in summer, and the woman in the shop had seemed very familiar with Tobias. No wonder, if he had used all the money from several hidden spaces like this one. The boy was probably one of the shop’s best customers!

Silence stretched, and Tosep pressed one long-fingered hand over his face. Was Maria wrong, or did she see laughter beneath that concealing palm? “I… see,” the Felis said. “Well, in the interests of getting you home quickly, I will offer you a ride. It’s part of my job to check and restock these spaces as needed, so we can leave once I replenish this one.”

Golden eyes impaled Tobias with a meaningful look. “You will come with me to the inn. We’ll need more food, and perhaps some other things as well.” The commanding gaze turned on Tia and Maria. “You two will stay here. Don’t move until we return.”

Tia, whose fur had returned to its slightly less fluffy state, nodded glumly. Her tail was tucked tight against her body, and she was the very picture of contrition.

It took only a few moments for both males to return to their feline forms, and Tobias dragged his clothes out of the cramped space with his teeth. Tosep sauntered after the lanky young tabby, casting a final, very adult, admonition over his shoulder to: “Stay here, and behave.”

Silence reigned over the blthole once the two girls were alone, and then Maria and Tia exchanged speaking glances. After all, they weren’t babies, and it was irritating to be treated as such.

Tia sniffed. “He’s always like that. So bossy. I’ve even seen him try to tell the Grimalkin herself what to do!” The kitten drew herself up into a stiff, regal pose, looked down her fuzzy little nose, and said in clear mimicry of someone, “Tosep, know your place.”

An involuntary giggle escaped Maria at the absurdity of a tone like that coming from such a small and adorable ball of fluff. “Did she really say that?”

Tia flopped over on her side and swiped at the twitching white tip of her own tail with a desultory paw. “Yep. There was a pack of wolves trying to settle in the woods near home, and Tosep was leading a group of warriors to convince them to move on, since we often use those woods for proving quests and to gather wild herbs. The Grimalkin said she was going, and Tosep tried to convince her to stay home.” She snorted. “As if the Grimalkin would listen to him. He’s her son, you know, not just one of the warrior leaders.”

Maria tore her own gaze from the tantalizing tail tip and murmured, “Oh?” Blinking, she focused on the conversation and said, “Oh?” again, but with more interest.

The fluffy black and white kitten nodded, twisting so that her shoulders and hips seemed to momentarily be going in two different directions. “The next Grimalkin is usually one of the previous Grimalkin’s daughters, but our Grimalkin only had sons. She’s getting old now, and she wants to start training a granddaughter as her successor.”

As if realizing she’d said more than she meant to, Tia flipped entirely over, covering her fur in brown dust as she scrambled to her paws. She began licking herself clean with focused effort as Maria waited for her to say more.

When the silence, broken only by distant, muffled sounds and Tia’s rasping licks, became too much, Maria urged, “And? Did she pick one? A granddaughter? It must be nice to be the heir. My sister Jalinda is the oldest, and she’s terribly bossy, just because she knows she’ll be Queen someday.” She giggled. “Sometimes I think my parents would like to have been able to choose, because even though Malcolm is the third, he’s much calmer than Jalinda. Mother says Jelly will have to marry someone very boring to do all the paperwork for her, but Mal says he’ll stay and do it, because he doesn’t want to get married anyway.”

Maria could practically feel Tia’s attention turn to her, but the Felis simply continued cleaning her fur, though her bright yellow eyes watched Maria with interest. Maria stumbled on. “If you’ve been watching us for a while, then I’m sure you know how Jelly is. She has a new suitor every week, it seems, and by the time she’s actually ready to wed, I think she’ll have worked her way through all of the suitable noble boys in the entire kingdom.”

Tia puffed a little laugh that blew the fur on her flank into dandelion fluff. “She’s just like your mother, I think. But Malcolm might be a little too boring. He never wants to do anything except putter around in his hidden little workshop at the top of his tower, trying to make flying machines.”

Maria blinked. “Flying… machines? No, he doesn’t. He just goes to school, and when he gets home, he goes to his room to do his… home… work…” She trailed off, meeting Tia’s mocking gaze. “Or not?”

Tia shook her head, smoothing a paw over one gleaming black ear. “His room is covered in diagrams and books about birds. He has bird skeletons everywhere, and he keeps trying to figure out how they can fly. You wouldn’t believe how many ropes and pulleys he has strung up all over the place. If Jalinda is like your mother, and Michel is a copy of your father, I wonder who Malcolm is like?”

A sharp pang of homesickness stabbed through Maria, and she suddenly, desperately missed her quiet second brother, who was the only one of their family who even occasionally seemed to understand Maria’s need to be allowed her own space and thoughts. Before she could lose herself in miserable loneliness, however, Tia’s big eyes widened even further, staring at something behind Maria.

“Move!” the kitten shouted, and leaped toward Maria, needle-like claws abruptly extended and slashing.

Maria did exactly the opposite, and froze. An instant later, a vise-like grip closed on her tail, where it had been lying in the dust behind her. She yowled and tried to leap away from the terribly uncomfortable feeling, but she was instantly brought up short. Whipping around, she stared into two big brown eyes set into an innocent, if grubby, young face.

“I got one!” The child shouted, pulling at Maria’s tail with his fist. “You were right! There’s two cats in here, and I got one!”

An equally grubby, but larger, face peered in through the narrow crack between the buildings. One skinny arm stretched out. “Give ‘er here, and get the other one!”

But Tia’s scythe-like claws had reached their mark. Her first swipe had missed, as the boy holding Maria jerked away, and the second had caught in his sleeve, but the third tore long, red stripes down the child’s arm. He howled and released Maria’s tail. Her back legs, which had been suspended in the air, dropped to the ground, and she found that her feline reflexes were kicking in again. Before she could make a conscious plan, she was tearing out of the enclosed area, paws throwing up dust as she fled, with Tia close on her heels.