| Fantasy Fiction posted July 7, 2019 | Chapters: |
...21 22 -23- 24... 
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The day of arrival is here!
A chapter in the book Renaissance of Enchantment
Chapter Seven, Part 1
by Y. M. Roger
| Background It is the day of arrival for Maggie and Addy. |
“Aaay, Mr. Stal’son, sir,” Peadar said as he adjusted the last few pillows on the bed and turned out the light in what was to be Maggie and Addy’s part of the house, “we ‘av ev’rythin’ ready……Yessir, we’ll be waitin’ fer ye ….. G’day, sir.”
He took a deep breath to calm his own nerves. It was time.
“Kato!” Peadar hollered as he made his way to the gathering areas. The rooms for Maggie and Addy were finished, but Peadar wanted to be sure the gaming system and the books and such they had purchased for Addy had been set up and put away properly. “Ka-a-ato!”
Geoffrey had said they would be here soon. Peadar snorted to himself. He had always marveled at the use of the word ‘soon’ as it never actually meant the same to any two people at any given time.
He shook his head at his own musings as he stalked rather than walked through the long hallway. And although Peadar tended to walk that way out of habit rather than anger, this time he was simply determined to find the young male within his limited time frame of ‘soon’.
“Kaa–” Entering the large den that was lined with picture windows to the front porch and yard, Peadar lost his words and slowed his pace.
Kato stood at one of the floor-length windows, his large muscular body obviously tensed and his breathing such that Peadar could barely discern its existence. Kato’s focus was out the window at the huge Live Oak tree that was sprawled across much of that side of the lawn. From his current vantage point, however, Peadar could not discern anything in particular Kato could be watching.
But, whatever it was, it was being watched with great intensity.
Peadar knew not to startle the predator before him poised in an obvious ‘ready’ stance.
Conjuring a slight measure of protection around himself, he stopped and spoke in a low and – for Peadar at least – gentle voice.
“Kato? Wha’ ees it, lad?”
A low though not necessarily threatening growl rolled up from inside Kato with his answer.
“It doesn’t belong here.”
He turned his face toward Peadar and quickly back to the window. The glance was just long enough that Peadar could see that the lion was riding him hard, the amber shining fiercely through his eyes.
Peadar got the message: something out there was a threat…or at least Kato perceived something out there to be a threat. Considering Kato had used the pronoun ‘it’, Peadar felt he could breathe a little easier knowing it wasn’t another one of the dark bitches this evening.
Again, Peadar kept his voice even and monotone. “I’m gonna step up nex’ te ye, okee, Kato?”
Kato’s only response was a simple grunt that might have morphed into a slight growl, but Peadar was not quite sure about the latter.
Slowly and cautiously, Peadar walked to stand beside Kato. When he reached the young male’s side, he looked up – as was necessary due to their height differential – to see exactly where Kato was focused.
Letting his gaze fall across the lawn and slowly up amidst the branches of the grand old tree, Peadar finally located that which had Kato’s rapt attention. And it truly was magnificent, although its presence did not deliver any forebodings inside of him. It was just a…
“Our Shaman always said that a lone Gray always has a reason for its prolonged presence.” Kato’s voice was steady but deep with a hint of feral cat to it. “I just don’t remember if it was a good or a bad reason.”
Peadar harrumphed a bit at that as he casually and without much thought reached up to gently pat Kato’s shoulder in a reassuring manner.
“How d’ye know eez alone, lad? Ee might jus’ be visitin.”
Kato huffed, and a low growl accompanied it, although the young male’s body seemed to relax a bit with Peadar’s proximity.
“We don’t need any unknown visitors,” Kato replied with less lion and more person this time, “especially not one that big and ugly.”
Just as Peadar began to laugh, he shut it off – as though in response to Kato’s derogatory comment, the awesome Great Grey had turned his head to focus on them. From its perch, it maintained its stare and lifted a clawed foot. The owl flexed the knife-like talons thereon and placed it back down. It then proceeded to lift the other one and do the same. Finally, it angled its large head downward and a tad to the right before turning away, its gaze once again falling up the street away from the house.
“Did he just challenge us, Peadar?” The lion had crept back into Kato’s voice.
Not only had Peadar’s laughter at Kato’s comment died, but the hairs on the back of the Leprechaun’s neck had reacted to the oversized bird of prey’s actions. Peadar stepped closer to the window, and he felt Kato step up right behind him, the heat rolling off the exercised Kato lingering there.
“’Tis strange tha’ eez out durin’ th’ day.”
Kato rumbled his agreement.
“Who’s out during the day?”
Both Peadar and Kato startled at Memphis’ question. She breezed into the room and took up a position at the windows near the two of them.
“That owl right there.” Kato pointed over Peadar’s head. “We’ve nev–”
“Aaaah.” Memphis smiled and the aura she carried glowed somewhat brighter. “It seems Lord Demetrius needn’t have worried so. If she has such a sizeable attendant, then her presence will be more than enough to –”
Peadar tore his gaze from the owl and looked over at Memphis.
“Ye mean te say that thin’ belongs to this Marg’rit?”
Memphis chuckled warmly as she inclined her head toward the sizeable owl.
“Well, I’m sure he would not agree with your use of ‘belong’, My Lord.” Memphis bowed her head slightly in deference to Peadar. “But the creature is most certainly hers.”
Once again, as if on cue, the Great Grey turned toward the window. This time, however, the large bird nodded his head in what appeared to be an acknowledgement before turning back toward the street.
“No way! Did you see that?!”
Kato’s voice was a mixture of amazement and aggression, and Memphis reached out to rub her palm up and down his bicep in gentle, rhythmic strokes. Before she could issue any calming words to accompany her actions, however, Kato tensed up all over again.
“Listen! Car’s coming….sounds like Mr. Staltson’s sedan.”
“I don’ eer anythin’, lad, but yer eerens a site better ‘an mi…look out!”
As Peadar had begun to speak, the Great Gray had spread its massive wings and taken flight, angling itself such that it was headed straight at the window. Both Peadar and Kato ducked out of pure instinct, while Memphis stood unmoved. As it pulled up at the last second to avoid the window, the Grey let out a loud hooting screech before disappearing over the roof.
“Magnificent.” Memphis’ steady voice was filled with awe as she reached outward as if to touch the bird as it flew upward and away. “She must truly be –”
Her words were interrupted by a very aggressive growl from Kato who had gone from slightly on edge to extremely tense in a matter of seconds. Both Memphis and Peadar turned toward him – Peadar taking a few steps away as Memphis stepped directly in front of him and raised her voice.
“Kato! Kato, look at me!” She demanded, looking up at the towering young male.
Those luminous amber eyes did not seem to acknowledge the beautiful nymph’s presence, and Peadar took a few more steps back as the young male’s hands and teeth began to show signs of shift. Peadar looked back at the front yard as Memphis waved a hand near Kato’s face to break his line of vision with whatever held it –
But from behind her Peadar sounded wary. “Memphis? We migh’ av a wee problem…”
Memphis had begun stroking Kato’s arm and whispering softly to him. When she turned to see that to which Peadar was referring, however, she caught her breath. A large black cat was skulking from around the other side of the Live Oak and walking quite unafraid toward them, toward the front porch. Although its posture was not threatening, it was, without a doubt, focused on the three of them through the window as it moved closer to the front steps – defiance and determination in each graceful step.
And the closer the black cat came to the house, the more Kato lost of his person. Memphis held fast to his shoulders as he fell to the floor on all fours, a purely lion growl telegraphing his shift.
“My Lord, to the door! It will not enter without her!”
Peadar hurried to the door and planted himself in front of it.
“Th’ cat ees 'ers, too?” Peadar tried to keep his nails from extending with his growing irritation with the whole situation. “By Artio*!”
Memphis huffed at Peadar. “She won’t be much help, I’m afraid,” she said under her breath, her ministrations finally beginning to have a positive effect on Kato.
“Not a threat to you, Kato,” Memphis crooned in her low voice, “He’s just a cat. That’s all. Just a big cat.”
Memphis pulled up short with that comment. She really wasn’t sure if it were true, although she suspected it probably was. Honestly, they were all going to have to wait and see.
“He’s here for Marguerite, Kato, not you,” Memphis continued to whisper as her words coaxed him to lie down in front of her. She continued petting his arms and head that were now fully human-form again, the amber glow finally fading from his eyes.
Peadar relaxed and began walking away from the door, his scarlet locks of hair flowing back and forth with his head shake. “Wha’ kind o’ witch ‘as two –”
Lyca chose that moment to walk into the big room.
“Hey, what’s going on in here?”
With the surprise distraction, Kato leapt to his feet and was past Peadar before the Leprechaun could move.
“They’re here!” The young male announced as he flung open the main door, leaving only the storm door between him and the front porch...and the large black cat at the bottom of the stairs.
“Kato!” Peadar and Memphis called out in unison, but Kato ignored them and proceeded to open the latch on the storm door as Geoffrey’s car was pulling up to the front curb.
Lyca looked at Memphis in question, and Memphis nodded at her.
“Kato!” Lyca demanded, and Kato stopped all forward motion at the sound of the dark female’s voice. He ducked his head, let the storm door re-latch, and turned around to face her – his entire posture non-aggressive and pleading.
“But there’s another cat out there, Lyca!” If Kato hadn’t been so large, the scene might have been more like a child pleading with his mother.
Lyca’s face went from authoritative to annoyed in the blink of an eye. “What do you mean there’s a…?”
She trailed off as she stepped up beside Kato at the door. Lyca tensed as the intruding black cat turned to face them, his chartreuse gaze narrowing in defiance.
“What in Hells’ name is that panther doing here?” Lyca turned and directed her question solely at Memphis.
Just as Memphis was about to open her mouth to answer, the back door to Geoffrey’s car flew open and Addy burst out, running as fast as he could across the expansive lawn toward the cat.
An ecstatic Addison hugged the cat as the large feline simply allowed him to do so.
Memphis’ arm gently brushed Lyca’s as she moved into the doorway to get a better look at what was happening out front. At their contact, Memphis felt Lyca tense up at first. Shortly, however, Lyca’s muscles returned to normal. At least Lyca did not pull away this time, and, for some odd reason, Memphis was secretly grateful for that small victory.
Addy laughed and teased the cat, and the enormous feline seemed to have all the patience in the world with the young boy. Memphis smiled and chuckled before stepping back to give Peadar her vantage point – she’d meet their new Guardian Protectress soon enough.
“Welcome to The Refuge, Marguerite Atkinson,” Memphis said to herself as she made her way to the kitchen, shaking her head slowly at everything that had just transpired, “I have a feeling it will be an experience for all of us.”
To be continued…
Maggie - Marguerite B. Atkinson. Maggie is Rosemary’s great-niece.
Addison (Addy) Westmorland - little boy with Maggie, being raised by her
Dorothy Westmorland - Addy's mother (deceased)
Bongo - Maggie & Addy's large, black cat
Twilight - Great Gray Owl seen outside the diner and at Maggie's apartment in New York
Rosemary - (deceased) Rosemary Fenna, Sister of the World Wide Hecate Order (WWHO) and Guardian Protectress of The Refuge
Demetrius - tall, mysterious male resident of The Refuge, marked for death (perhaps more) by the WWHO
Peadar - Irish male resident of The Refuge, helped Rosemary with upkeep
Lycaois - (aka Lyca) Goth, warrior-looking female resident of The Refuge
Freki - Lyca's over-sized pet 'dog'
Koko - Native American male resident of The Refuge, has unending optimism and warmth about him...most of the time
Kato - large male Refuge resident who wears the clothes of a teenager. Kato is a young lion-shifter.
Memphis - nymph from Demetrius' original homeland, now auberge factotum to The Refuge
Geoffrey Staltson - Rosemary's lawyer and friend to the residents at The Refuge
He took a deep breath to calm his own nerves. It was time.
“Kato!” Peadar hollered as he made his way to the gathering areas. The rooms for Maggie and Addy were finished, but Peadar wanted to be sure the gaming system and the books and such they had purchased for Addy had been set up and put away properly. “Ka-a-ato!”
Geoffrey had said they would be here soon. Peadar snorted to himself. He had always marveled at the use of the word ‘soon’ as it never actually meant the same to any two people at any given time.
He shook his head at his own musings as he stalked rather than walked through the long hallway. And although Peadar tended to walk that way out of habit rather than anger, this time he was simply determined to find the young male within his limited time frame of ‘soon’.
“Kaa–” Entering the large den that was lined with picture windows to the front porch and yard, Peadar lost his words and slowed his pace.
Kato stood at one of the floor-length windows, his large muscular body obviously tensed and his breathing such that Peadar could barely discern its existence. Kato’s focus was out the window at the huge Live Oak tree that was sprawled across much of that side of the lawn. From his current vantage point, however, Peadar could not discern anything in particular Kato could be watching.
But, whatever it was, it was being watched with great intensity.
Peadar knew not to startle the predator before him poised in an obvious ‘ready’ stance.
Conjuring a slight measure of protection around himself, he stopped and spoke in a low and – for Peadar at least – gentle voice.
“Kato? Wha’ ees it, lad?”
A low though not necessarily threatening growl rolled up from inside Kato with his answer.
“It doesn’t belong here.”
He turned his face toward Peadar and quickly back to the window. The glance was just long enough that Peadar could see that the lion was riding him hard, the amber shining fiercely through his eyes.
Peadar got the message: something out there was a threat…or at least Kato perceived something out there to be a threat. Considering Kato had used the pronoun ‘it’, Peadar felt he could breathe a little easier knowing it wasn’t another one of the dark bitches this evening.
Again, Peadar kept his voice even and monotone. “I’m gonna step up nex’ te ye, okee, Kato?”
Kato’s only response was a simple grunt that might have morphed into a slight growl, but Peadar was not quite sure about the latter.
Slowly and cautiously, Peadar walked to stand beside Kato. When he reached the young male’s side, he looked up – as was necessary due to their height differential – to see exactly where Kato was focused.
Letting his gaze fall across the lawn and slowly up amidst the branches of the grand old tree, Peadar finally located that which had Kato’s rapt attention. And it truly was magnificent, although its presence did not deliver any forebodings inside of him. It was just a…
“Our Shaman always said that a lone Gray always has a reason for its prolonged presence.” Kato’s voice was steady but deep with a hint of feral cat to it. “I just don’t remember if it was a good or a bad reason.”
Peadar harrumphed a bit at that as he casually and without much thought reached up to gently pat Kato’s shoulder in a reassuring manner.
“How d’ye know eez alone, lad? Ee might jus’ be visitin.”
Kato huffed, and a low growl accompanied it, although the young male’s body seemed to relax a bit with Peadar’s proximity.
“We don’t need any unknown visitors,” Kato replied with less lion and more person this time, “especially not one that big and ugly.”
Just as Peadar began to laugh, he shut it off – as though in response to Kato’s derogatory comment, the awesome Great Grey had turned his head to focus on them. From its perch, it maintained its stare and lifted a clawed foot. The owl flexed the knife-like talons thereon and placed it back down. It then proceeded to lift the other one and do the same. Finally, it angled its large head downward and a tad to the right before turning away, its gaze once again falling up the street away from the house.
“Did he just challenge us, Peadar?” The lion had crept back into Kato’s voice.
Not only had Peadar’s laughter at Kato’s comment died, but the hairs on the back of the Leprechaun’s neck had reacted to the oversized bird of prey’s actions. Peadar stepped closer to the window, and he felt Kato step up right behind him, the heat rolling off the exercised Kato lingering there.
“’Tis strange tha’ eez out durin’ th’ day.”
Kato rumbled his agreement.
“Who’s out during the day?”
Both Peadar and Kato startled at Memphis’ question. She breezed into the room and took up a position at the windows near the two of them.
“That owl right there.” Kato pointed over Peadar’s head. “We’ve nev–”
“Aaaah.” Memphis smiled and the aura she carried glowed somewhat brighter. “It seems Lord Demetrius needn’t have worried so. If she has such a sizeable attendant, then her presence will be more than enough to –”
Peadar tore his gaze from the owl and looked over at Memphis.
“Ye mean te say that thin’ belongs to this Marg’rit?”
Memphis chuckled warmly as she inclined her head toward the sizeable owl.
“Well, I’m sure he would not agree with your use of ‘belong’, My Lord.” Memphis bowed her head slightly in deference to Peadar. “But the creature is most certainly hers.”
Once again, as if on cue, the Great Grey turned toward the window. This time, however, the large bird nodded his head in what appeared to be an acknowledgement before turning back toward the street.
“No way! Did you see that?!”
Kato’s voice was a mixture of amazement and aggression, and Memphis reached out to rub her palm up and down his bicep in gentle, rhythmic strokes. Before she could issue any calming words to accompany her actions, however, Kato tensed up all over again.
“Listen! Car’s coming….sounds like Mr. Staltson’s sedan.”
“I don’ eer anythin’, lad, but yer eerens a site better ‘an mi…look out!”
As Peadar had begun to speak, the Great Gray had spread its massive wings and taken flight, angling itself such that it was headed straight at the window. Both Peadar and Kato ducked out of pure instinct, while Memphis stood unmoved. As it pulled up at the last second to avoid the window, the Grey let out a loud hooting screech before disappearing over the roof.
“Magnificent.” Memphis’ steady voice was filled with awe as she reached outward as if to touch the bird as it flew upward and away. “She must truly be –”
Her words were interrupted by a very aggressive growl from Kato who had gone from slightly on edge to extremely tense in a matter of seconds. Both Memphis and Peadar turned toward him – Peadar taking a few steps away as Memphis stepped directly in front of him and raised her voice.
“Kato! Kato, look at me!” She demanded, looking up at the towering young male.
Those luminous amber eyes did not seem to acknowledge the beautiful nymph’s presence, and Peadar took a few more steps back as the young male’s hands and teeth began to show signs of shift. Peadar looked back at the front yard as Memphis waved a hand near Kato’s face to break his line of vision with whatever held it –
But from behind her Peadar sounded wary. “Memphis? We migh’ av a wee problem…”
Memphis had begun stroking Kato’s arm and whispering softly to him. When she turned to see that to which Peadar was referring, however, she caught her breath. A large black cat was skulking from around the other side of the Live Oak and walking quite unafraid toward them, toward the front porch. Although its posture was not threatening, it was, without a doubt, focused on the three of them through the window as it moved closer to the front steps – defiance and determination in each graceful step.
And the closer the black cat came to the house, the more Kato lost of his person. Memphis held fast to his shoulders as he fell to the floor on all fours, a purely lion growl telegraphing his shift.
“My Lord, to the door! It will not enter without her!”
Peadar hurried to the door and planted himself in front of it.
“Th’ cat ees 'ers, too?” Peadar tried to keep his nails from extending with his growing irritation with the whole situation. “By Artio*!”
Memphis huffed at Peadar. “She won’t be much help, I’m afraid,” she said under her breath, her ministrations finally beginning to have a positive effect on Kato.
“Not a threat to you, Kato,” Memphis crooned in her low voice, “He’s just a cat. That’s all. Just a big cat.”
Memphis pulled up short with that comment. She really wasn’t sure if it were true, although she suspected it probably was. Honestly, they were all going to have to wait and see.
“He’s here for Marguerite, Kato, not you,” Memphis continued to whisper as her words coaxed him to lie down in front of her. She continued petting his arms and head that were now fully human-form again, the amber glow finally fading from his eyes.
Peadar relaxed and began walking away from the door, his scarlet locks of hair flowing back and forth with his head shake. “Wha’ kind o’ witch ‘as two –”
Lyca chose that moment to walk into the big room.
“Hey, what’s going on in here?”
With the surprise distraction, Kato leapt to his feet and was past Peadar before the Leprechaun could move.
“They’re here!” The young male announced as he flung open the main door, leaving only the storm door between him and the front porch...and the large black cat at the bottom of the stairs.
“Kato!” Peadar and Memphis called out in unison, but Kato ignored them and proceeded to open the latch on the storm door as Geoffrey’s car was pulling up to the front curb.
Lyca looked at Memphis in question, and Memphis nodded at her.
“Kato!” Lyca demanded, and Kato stopped all forward motion at the sound of the dark female’s voice. He ducked his head, let the storm door re-latch, and turned around to face her – his entire posture non-aggressive and pleading.
“But there’s another cat out there, Lyca!” If Kato hadn’t been so large, the scene might have been more like a child pleading with his mother.
Lyca’s face went from authoritative to annoyed in the blink of an eye. “What do you mean there’s a…?”
She trailed off as she stepped up beside Kato at the door. Lyca tensed as the intruding black cat turned to face them, his chartreuse gaze narrowing in defiance.
“What in Hells’ name is that panther doing here?” Lyca turned and directed her question solely at Memphis.
Just as Memphis was about to open her mouth to answer, the back door to Geoffrey’s car flew open and Addy burst out, running as fast as he could across the expansive lawn toward the cat.
An ecstatic Addison hugged the cat as the large feline simply allowed him to do so.
Memphis’ arm gently brushed Lyca’s as she moved into the doorway to get a better look at what was happening out front. At their contact, Memphis felt Lyca tense up at first. Shortly, however, Lyca’s muscles returned to normal. At least Lyca did not pull away this time, and, for some odd reason, Memphis was secretly grateful for that small victory.
Addy laughed and teased the cat, and the enormous feline seemed to have all the patience in the world with the young boy. Memphis smiled and chuckled before stepping back to give Peadar her vantage point – she’d meet their new Guardian Protectress soon enough.
“Welcome to The Refuge, Marguerite Atkinson,” Memphis said to herself as she made her way to the kitchen, shaking her head slowly at everything that had just transpired, “I have a feeling it will be an experience for all of us.”
To be continued…
Maggie - Marguerite B. Atkinson. Maggie is Rosemary’s great-niece.
Addison (Addy) Westmorland - little boy with Maggie, being raised by her
Dorothy Westmorland - Addy's mother (deceased)
Bongo - Maggie & Addy's large, black cat
Twilight - Great Gray Owl seen outside the diner and at Maggie's apartment in New York
Rosemary - (deceased) Rosemary Fenna, Sister of the World Wide Hecate Order (WWHO) and Guardian Protectress of The Refuge
Demetrius - tall, mysterious male resident of The Refuge, marked for death (perhaps more) by the WWHO
Peadar - Irish male resident of The Refuge, helped Rosemary with upkeep
Lycaois - (aka Lyca) Goth, warrior-looking female resident of The Refuge
Freki - Lyca's over-sized pet 'dog'
Koko - Native American male resident of The Refuge, has unending optimism and warmth about him...most of the time
Kato - large male Refuge resident who wears the clothes of a teenager. Kato is a young lion-shifter.
Memphis - nymph from Demetrius' original homeland, now auberge factotum to The Refuge
Geoffrey Staltson - Rosemary's lawyer and friend to the residents at The Refuge
Artio -- Celtic Goddess of Wild Life, Transformation and Abundance
This is only the first part of arrival day, and you can be that Memphis is correct about it being 'an experience' for them all! :) ;)
Thank you for reading me... :) ;)
Image of 'Delightful Southern House Plans' at The Image Fixer [theimagefixer.com]
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. This is only the first part of arrival day, and you can be that Memphis is correct about it being 'an experience' for them all! :) ;)
Thank you for reading me... :) ;)
Image of 'Delightful Southern House Plans' at The Image Fixer [theimagefixer.com]
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