"Willow's Missing Tail" 34

Martha ran ahead of Perfidia and Dillon into the garden calling Willow’s name. She was desperate to find her and her heart was beating in triple time with fear she’d lost her feline friend forever.

She rounded the blueberry bushes and stopped short.

Dillon's dog and three cats, Max, Chaos and Ram were running towards her but she didn’t see Willow and her heart thumped with pain. Then her knees nearly buckled when a fourth cat came into view, it was Thistle.  

Had Thistle won? Was she the victor in the sibling challenge? Had Willow lost her magic and her memories? Was she lost to her forever?

“No…please no,” Martha cried out.

*

Ten minutes earlier in the library:

The sun began its slow ascent but in the library the Ramulus surged with power, enticing the cats to claim it before the final minutes of night were spent.

Willow and Thistle stood in opposing positions facing the enchanted stick. It was the same stance they’d held all night as they resisted the desire to claim its magic but now it was mere minutes before sunrise, and both cats were tiring.

Their ability to combat the powerful pull of primordial magic was waning after hours and hours of resisting the enchanted call. The siblings were exhausted, close to breaking point, dangerously close to it, and the Ramulus knew it.

It had ramped up its siren song.

The ancient stick twisted in the air, mesmerizing and taunting the cats.

Willow fought hard against the desire to claim the magic for herself but she couldn’t stop her claws from extending for battle.

Thistle had already moved into a battle ready stance.

Their cat eyes intent on the stick while both tried valiantly to ignore the call to attack. War was not what either cat wanted, but soon that wouldn’t matter.

The Ramulus knew there were precious few minutes until sunrise so it emitted a powerful sound, like wind whistling through a dense forest, to compel the cats. 

The sound heightened the cats focus, now both cats looked at the Ramulus with covetous eyes.

 *

Outside in the garden just beyond the library’s window, the canine Frankie woke up from a deep, dog sleep. He’d fallen asleep under the delphiniums but woke up now with a jolt of awareness. He wasn’t sure what it was that woke him but something had tickled his canine senses.

He noticed it was still dark and rolled onto his back to look up at the sky. His canine circadian rhythm told him sunrise was near. He lazily yawned and stretched then he rolled onto his paws and looked towards the house with thoughts of food. He was hungry but his eyes focused on a different kind of fascination. 

There was a glowing light coming from a window in the house. The light was a distracting but it was the object within that light that had the canine jumping up at attention.

It was a sturdy stick and it was playfully spinning in the air.

Since the window to the room was open, Frankie didn’t hesitate to act. He pushed his little dachshund legs to super speed then jumped up and sailed in through the open window.

He expertly caught the stick in his eager mouth before landing on all four paws on the stone floor of the library, happy with his prize until he noticed the two cats in the room. They were in a hissing stance and their cat eyes were gleaming with a golden fire. That was a concern but it was their sharp claws, extended for a prime attack, that told him it didn’t bode well for the dog in this room.

Frankie decided a retreat was in order, but he was keeping his prize stick of course.

He jumped back out of the open window and into the garden holding the glowing stick tightly in his jaws. He ran away from the house and deeper into the garden.

 

Willow and Thistle now fully under the control of that hypnotic power, gave chase.

Frankie pushed his little dachshund legs to a speed no cat could match but these two were proving to be exceptional in their pursuit of him.

He saw a weeping willow tree ahead with long thick branches that touched the ground and ran under it to hide but instead of the sheltering vines he’d expected, he found himself in an unusual meadow.He didn’t know how he’d ended up in a meadow but didn’t have time to figure that out, because the two cats were closing the distance.

 

Frankie ran deeper into the meadow and he kept running until he entered a thick forest of old trees. There he had to slow down because his little legs were getting tired. He had to rest and he stopped next to a tall tree with a wide trunk hoping to catch his doggie breath.

 

The ancient tree registered the presence of the Ramulus and the odd canine presence that was holding it.

The ancient tree began to lower its long vines.

Frankie looked behind him and didn’t see the cats so he thought it was safe to rest by the tree. He thought he might even chew on his new, prized possession as he rested there but a loud, deep voice jolted the happy thought from his furry, little body.

“Drop the Ramulus!” The giant tree commanded the dog.

Frankie looked up, all the way up, and he saw two knotty eyes staring down at him framed by long thick vines.

The vines began to slap the dog until he dropped the stick.

Frankie backed away from the tree and left the now unwanted stick on the ground near its base. He no longer desired it for a toy.

 

Willow and Thistle had caught up to the dog but skidded to a stop behind him. They were frozen in mid-stride by the power within the Ramulus.

It rooted them all to the spot.

The sibling cats and the dog watched as the stick lifted up from the ground and flew into the leaves of the giant tree above to reconnect with its ancient branch, just as the sun rose high in the sky and early morning light washed over the forest, over the cats and the dog.

The Sun’s rays warmed as it banished the night’s rivalry, ending conflicts and contests with the breaking of the day.

Willow blinked as her body shook off the vestiges of controlling, alien power. She was happy to be rid of it but to prove it was truly gone, she flicked her tail and watched the sparks of her own magic dance along the ground. She knew her powers were intact.

Thistle slunk next to her sister and flicked her tail for the same reason. She watched another spark of magic dance along side Willow’s, confirming neither cat had lost their magic. 

They’d survived the test, retained their powers and were no longer sibling rivals. 

The twin curse had been broken.

Thistle curled her tail with her sister’s in a sign of family unity, and friendship. Willow purred happy to have her sister by her side. Thistle did the same.

Frankie shook his canine body to rid the strange feeling of restraint that had bound him to the forest ground. He didn’t like this place and growled his displeasure at the tall tree.

The tree tipped its crown forward and its knotty eyes now appeared to be friendly as it looked down on the canine.

“You may go,” the tree’s deep voice informed the dog and a long branch moved to point the way out of the forest.

Frankie didn’t hesitate. He turned on his stubby, little legs and with renewed, canine speed he took the offered exit out of there.

 

Willow and Thistle weren’t inclined to run. They eyed the tree with mutual appreciation and offered grateful meows before leaving the forest in an unhurried, feline saunter.

*

Perfidia had just rounded the bushes and heard Martha’s cry of disbelief. She understood it when she saw the four cats. She couldn’t believe Willow hadn’t defeated that stick and her sibling. Tears formed in her eyes but through those tears she saw a blurry but lovely vision.

“Look Martha. It’s Willow!” Perfidia screamed as she ran up to Martha and pointed to the  familiar black cat that had swaggered into view.

 

Willow didn’t understand the strange expression on the red head’s face. She looked happy to see her, but it was her human’s cry of joy that she drew her full attention.

“Willow! You’re here. Are you okay? Do you remember me?” Martha ran to the cat and scooped her up into her arms.

Willow was not a cat to be coddled but in this case allowed it and even purred her answer. Of course she was okay and she knew her human. To prove it she did something unusual, she licked her human’s tear streaked face with affection.

“Willow, I couldn’t imagine my life without you,” Martha whispered into the soft warm fur and kissed the furry head of her beloved cat.

Dillon had stopped to watch the reunion but now he walked over to Martha and hugged her, with Willow still in her arms.

“I’m glad you’re both okay,” he said into Martha’s ear and lightly scratched behind the ear of the cat that was eyeing him with uncertainty.

Willow was unsure if she approved of this human and gave a disgruntled meow.

Martha smiled at Dillon. “We’re good now and you should go home, everyone should go home and get some rest. It’s been a long night for all of us and I’m not…”

“I know,” Dillon cut off her words, “You’re not ready to talk.”

Martha sighed, “I’m not.”

“Can I call you later?”

“Tomorrow,” Martha suggested with a tired smile.

Dillon wasn’t thrilled to wait but at least she hadn’t told him to go away and never come back.

He decided he’d keep hope alive. “Tomorrow,” he agreed and leaned down to kiss her but the unexpected sharp-clawed paw that smacked his cheek made him step back and raise his hand to the spot. Thankfully Willow hadn’t drawn blood.

Martha shifted Willow in her arms. “I’m sorry. Willow is very protective of me.”

“Good to know,” Dillon eyed the cat with respect, “And I’m grateful she’s a protective familiar.”

“Definitely,” Martha agreed but her eyes twinkled with affection at him, giving Dillon hope they’d get through this setback intact. Maybe they weren’t in the same place they’d been two days ago, but it appeared she was keeping her heart open for him. “I love you Martha, please never doubt that,” he said and leaned down to complete the kiss that had been interrupted, even though Willow still glared at him, “I’ll make amends to you too Willow,” he promised.

Willow gave a guttural meow that could only be interpreted as a 'will see' to that statement.

Martha chuckled. “We’ll revisit that…tomorrow.”

Dillon kissed her again before calling to Frankie and walking out of the garden.with his canine familiar by his side.

“I think we can trust him Willow but I promise to be certain, before there’s a commitment.” Martha’s soft words were only for Willow to hear.

Willow patted her human’s shoulder with a soft paw agreeing that was sound thinking before she jumped out of her arms to saunter towards the house intent on finding her food dish filled with her favorite breakfast.