people bounded lightly through. Karryl grinned as he recognised the wood sprites whose timely appearance had been so effective at that crucial council meeting. Their delicately featured faces bright with anticipation they ran forward and gathered round Symon, their excited chatter filling the room as their miniature fingers touched his face, hands and hair.
He seemed close to overwhelmed as he looked up at Karryl. “Would you mind fetching my bag? I appear to be otherwise engaged.”
Not wishing to miss more of this unique event than was absolutely necessary, Karryl dashed into Symon’s room, grabbed the bag from the floor at the foot of the bed and dashed back again. Holding the bag, he stood and watched as Symon pushed himself out of his chair. With two sprites holding each hand and two behind him, he moved slowly towards the sparkling portal. Stopping just in front of it, one of the sprites behind Symon skipped forward.
In a high lilting voice which betrayed some difficulty with human language, she addressed the three onlookers. “Master Symon may remain in our care for one cycle of your moon, then he must return. He will be our most honoured guest. Anything he desires it will be our pleasure to provide.”
Before any of them could respond the sprite sprang in front of Symon, craning her neck to look up into his face. “Have no fear. Walk as if through an open door.”
Beaming with delight Symon nodded and held out his hand to Karryl for his bag. “This is amazing, and most unexpected.” His eyes widened. “I may not even want to come back.”
With the bag clutched against his chest Symon stepped into the sparkling green oval, closely followed by his escort of wood sprites. A second later the portal winked out of sight, leaving Karryl, Evalin and Mordas gazing at empty air.
13 - The Jadhra and the Cat
Although Hieronymus Smeers had told Karryl he would not be here, the cold dawn light coupled with the old man’s absence heightened the air of sad neglect within the house. The desolate atmosphere took the young Mage-Prime by surprise. From its perch on the kitchen windowsill the tortoiseshell cat with mismatched eyes glared at him. Karryl picked his way around the baskets and threaded through the mob of assorted cats and kittens.
He reached out and fondled the cat’s ears. “Hello puss. Remember me?”
“ Of course I do. It was only yesterday after all.”
The voice which entered Karryl’s mind was a warm, rolling baritone. He laughed out loud, delighted at this unexpected mental exchange.
“So, who are you really then?”
The sleek tortoiseshell blinked and yawned . “I am Moonstone the one hundred and forty-third. Contrary to what you may have been thinking, I am simply a cat.” Stretching his neck he appeared to smile as he closed his amber eye and regarded Karryl with the green one. “Nevertheless a rather special cat, wouldn’t you agree?”
Gently scratching the top of Moonstone’s broad head Karryl nodded. “I would indeed.”
The large feline pushed his soft muzzle into Karryl’s hand and began to purr loudly.
“Would you like a cat? I’m not committed at the moment.”
Karryl chuckled and gave him a gentle tap on his flat brown nose. “I appreciate the offer but we have a cat who regularly visits, and she might feel a bit ruffled if I turned up with another one.”
Moonstone gave a paw a nonchalant lick . “Ah. You mean Detelia. Not a problem. She and I are old friends. We get on very well.”
The tortoiseshell gazed up at him and adopted an appealing pose. Karryl grinned. “I suppose, when you put it like that …”
He didn’t have time to finish as Moonstone’s ears pricked up . “A stranger comes; through the air.”
Karryl had just enough time to throw a glamour of ancient brickwork and peeling paint over the pantry door before a shimmering portal appeared above the centre of the floor. Unperturbed, the cat looked on as a black-clad figure stepped through,
He seemed close to overwhelmed as he looked up at Karryl. “Would you mind fetching my bag? I appear to be otherwise engaged.”
Not wishing to miss more of this unique event than was absolutely necessary, Karryl dashed into Symon’s room, grabbed the bag from the floor at the foot of the bed and dashed back again. Holding the bag, he stood and watched as Symon pushed himself out of his chair. With two sprites holding each hand and two behind him, he moved slowly towards the sparkling portal. Stopping just in front of it, one of the sprites behind Symon skipped forward.
In a high lilting voice which betrayed some difficulty with human language, she addressed the three onlookers. “Master Symon may remain in our care for one cycle of your moon, then he must return. He will be our most honoured guest. Anything he desires it will be our pleasure to provide.”
Before any of them could respond the sprite sprang in front of Symon, craning her neck to look up into his face. “Have no fear. Walk as if through an open door.”
Beaming with delight Symon nodded and held out his hand to Karryl for his bag. “This is amazing, and most unexpected.” His eyes widened. “I may not even want to come back.”
With the bag clutched against his chest Symon stepped into the sparkling green oval, closely followed by his escort of wood sprites. A second later the portal winked out of sight, leaving Karryl, Evalin and Mordas gazing at empty air.
13 - The Jadhra and the Cat
Although Hieronymus Smeers had told Karryl he would not be here, the cold dawn light coupled with the old man’s absence heightened the air of sad neglect within the house. The desolate atmosphere took the young Mage-Prime by surprise. From its perch on the kitchen windowsill the tortoiseshell cat with mismatched eyes glared at him. Karryl picked his way around the baskets and threaded through the mob of assorted cats and kittens.
He reached out and fondled the cat’s ears. “Hello puss. Remember me?”
“ Of course I do. It was only yesterday after all.”
The voice which entered Karryl’s mind was a warm, rolling baritone. He laughed out loud, delighted at this unexpected mental exchange.
“So, who are you really then?”
The sleek tortoiseshell blinked and yawned . “I am Moonstone the one hundred and forty-third. Contrary to what you may have been thinking, I am simply a cat.” Stretching his neck he appeared to smile as he closed his amber eye and regarded Karryl with the green one. “Nevertheless a rather special cat, wouldn’t you agree?”
Gently scratching the top of Moonstone’s broad head Karryl nodded. “I would indeed.”
The large feline pushed his soft muzzle into Karryl’s hand and began to purr loudly.
“Would you like a cat? I’m not committed at the moment.”
Karryl chuckled and gave him a gentle tap on his flat brown nose. “I appreciate the offer but we have a cat who regularly visits, and she might feel a bit ruffled if I turned up with another one.”
Moonstone gave a paw a nonchalant lick . “Ah. You mean Detelia. Not a problem. She and I are old friends. We get on very well.”
The tortoiseshell gazed up at him and adopted an appealing pose. Karryl grinned. “I suppose, when you put it like that …”
He didn’t have time to finish as Moonstone’s ears pricked up . “A stranger comes; through the air.”
Karryl had just enough time to throw a glamour of ancient brickwork and peeling paint over the pantry door before a shimmering portal appeared above the centre of the floor. Unperturbed, the cat looked on as a black-clad figure stepped through,
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