Tales of an NPC: Alexander Hamilton de Guevera I - An Origin Story

He was hungry.

That was his first memory, or rather, feeling.  He couldn’t see and could only let out small, pitiful mews as he blindly searched for warmth and a teat to drink.  Though he cried out, his voice was lost in the cacophony of several other mewing brothers and sisters.  Every time he moved to try to get an advantageous position, another small claw would push him to the side.

After some time, the mewing from his siblings faded and he could hear suckling.  Unfortunately, he was not able to get a spot to feed from their mother.

He was cold and losing his energy.  Why couldn’t he get through to eat?  He was hungry, too!

He used up his energy desperately trying to make way.  His little legs were shaking, and his small mouth was dry.

He heard a noise above him and something warm wrapped around his tiny body and lifted him up.  He flailed around, screaming as he was taken from the nest and could no longer feel a trace of his mother’s body heat.

A wave of weakness swept through him.  Was this how he was going to die?

Just as he was about to give up and succumb to whatever predator snatched him from his mother, he smelled the scent of milk.  He tilted his head towards the smell and opened his mouth.

A teat!  He found food!

Never mind whatever was holding on to him; what was important was food.  He latched on and suckled away, not noticing that he was released and piled on top of two of his siblings.  He drank as much as he could before passing out.

The mysterious being that picked him up came again, just as he was on the verge of starvation.  It picked him up and brought him to his food.  He didn’t have to struggle against his siblings.

When the mysterious being came, it would do the same thing: pick him up, move him so he could drink, and then kept his food from being stolen.  It also made noises.  Soft, cooing noises that he couldn’t understand.  Sometimes, the being would stroke his head and body gently.  It was comfortable.

“You are getting big now,” his mother cat said one day as he waited for his siblings to finish eating so he could get a spot.  “You will need to learn to hunt soon.  I will teach you, but you must learn carefully.  You must hunt to eat.”

The mutters of his siblings agreed, sounding somewhat distracted.  However, he was a bit nervous.  If he couldn’t hunt, he couldn’t eat?  What if he didn’t learn well and couldn’t hunt? Wouldn’t he starve?

He looked at his other siblings.  All of them still had blue eyes, not the golden color of their mother’s.  None of them seemed at all bothered, but then again, neither of them had to fight for food, either.  They were all larger than him and had easily pushed him aside.  Perhaps they didn’t take hunting as seriously as he did because they had such an easy time thus far.

He wouldn’t make light of hunting.

As soon as they could tumble out of their box, he’d listen to what his mother said and practiced his form while his other siblings wandered around.  Outside their box, they were in what his mother called a ‘school’ and the massive creatures that constantly walked past were humans.

Every so often, a human would stop to play with them.  They would pick up his siblings and dangle some string.  He began to recognize the humans who came often.  There was a small group who came to check on them, and a few times others came to look at them, but sat further away, looking at something on their lap as they moved their hands across flat boards.

He also recognized the owner of the voice that appeared when he was picked up to be moved so he could eat.  Her voice was much firmer when talking to the other humans, but when she pet them, she sounded warm and comforting.  He couldn’t help but come closer.

“You should get used to humans,” one of the tomcats who lived near them said one day.  The large ginger male called Machete by the humans was draped across the roof of their home and looking at them lazily.  “When kittens are old enough, you will be given away to a human.”

“Given away?” one of his sisters asked.  “What does that mean?”

“The human will take you home with them.  You won’t come back.”  As soon as the tomcat said it, half his siblings cried out in protest.

“Where are they going to take us?”

“I don’t want to leave!”

“Are they going to hurt us?”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” His mother appeared and jumped on top of the house.  She hissed at the tomcat and batted him away.  “Being taken home is a good thing!  If you get a good human, you will get a warm bed, you won’t have to struggle to find food, and you don’t have to worry about being hurt by bad humans.”

“But how do we know if they’re a good human or not?” one of his brothers asked.

He wanted to nod in agreement.  It sounded as if they would be picked at random.  What if the human who picked them was terrible? There was nothing they could do.

“The humans that come here every day are good and they will find good homes for you,” their mother assured them.  “Every time one of us has kittens, they will find homes for you.  They will not choose a bad human.”

“So...older brothers and sisters have gone to good homes?”

“Yes.”

He was still uncertain.

“Mother, how do they pick who goes to a good home?”

“Naturally, the best looking, healthiest ones will be chosen.”

Her words slammed into him, and his small, gray body nearly tumbled over.  His siblings looked at him and almost sneered.

“Oh, runt, it looks like you’re out of luck.”

“Yeah, Mother said that only healthy kittens are picked.”

“You’re so small and your legs still shake when you walk.  You’re not healthy at all.”

“Mother, what happens if a kitten doesn’t have a good home?”

Their mother let out a sigh.  “They will end up a street cat.  The lives of street cats are dangerous.  Most do not live more than a few years.”

The older tomcat who lived near them was called over to explain to them the dangers of living out on the street.  With each horrifying word, the gray kitten shrunk further into himself.  It was difficult to find food.  He would have to fight for territory.  He could get injured or worse - killed, trying to fight for territory.  He needed to find his own place to sleep and sometimes, others would try to steal it.

If he couldn’t hunt or scavenge, he’d become even weaker.  Forget fighting for territory.  He wouldn't have the strength to run away from danger!

I’m going to die.... He looked down at the leaf he’d ‘caught’ beneath his little paws.  He shook his head.  No.  He couldn’t die.  As long as he could hunt, he could eat.  If he could eat, he could grow strong!  Before the humans came to pick, he needed to drink as much as possible and hone his hunting skills.

Unfortunately, despite his drive, he was still the smallest of the litter.  His brothers and sisters didn’t hesitate to shove him out of the way when it was time to eat.  Two of them even often fell asleep in the midst of eating and he was too small to push them out of the way.

It was embarrassing that he had to rely on the human to pick him up and give him a chance to eat.  However, he had no choice.  If he was too weak, no one would want him.

One by one, his siblings began to be weaned.  They no longer spent their time eating.  The little gray kitten was excited to have more time, but just as he was able to get to his mother to feed, she would get up and go hunt.

“Mother!  I haven’t eaten yet!”

“You should be hunting by now,” his mother told him in a stern voice.  “How are you going to survive if you can’t hunt?”

He was trying.  He was trying very hard, but he was little and didn’t have full control over his body.  He tried to mirror his mother’s posture and took into consideration everything she told him.  The best he could do was a slow-moving bug.

“You’re going to have to do better than that,” the old tomcat said.  “You’re about that age when the humans come to pick kittens.”

“Old Scimitar, what do you think my chances are of being picked?” the gray kitten asked.

The grizzled brown tabby looked him up and down.  “You are the smallest of your brothers and sisters.  Some humans may think you are ‘cute’.  You have a chance.”

“Really?”  The kitten rolled on the grass in joy.  “I have a chance!”

“Of course, no one wants a weak kitten who may not survive, either.  You should keep practicing hunting.”

He froze and dropped his head.

The weather grew warmer, and he began to follow his mother more to learn to hunt.  He had yet to catch a rodent, but his success rate with bugs was increasing.  If he only grew a bit bigger, he’d be faster and be able to control his movements.  Then, he could move up to mice.

With this in mind, he made his way back to the wooden box that was their home.  It was nestled against a shed of a garden, where he did the majority of his practice hunting bugs.  He saw three humans standing over the box.  They were making noises, but he didn’t understand.

He didn’t need to.  His eyes went wide as he saw two of his siblings being carried off.

“They were chosen,” Old Scimitar said from the roof of the shed.  “It has begun.”

The gray kitten scrambled forward and darted in front of one of the humans.  He meowed as loud as he could to try to get their attention, but all one of them did was make a warm noise and stroke his head and back.  Then she walked away.

He was not chosen.

“Kittens don’t get picked all at once,” Old Scimitar said, noticing his dejection.  “Your other brothers and sisters are still here.  The humans will return.”

The gray kitten could only nod.  He climbed into the wooden box.  Sure enough, his other siblings were there and seemed upset.

“Why wasn’t I picked?” His sister with the multicolored coat curled into a ball.  “I’m healthy!”

“Maybe they don’t like your long fur.”

“My long fur is very soft!  How could they not like it?”

The gray kitten nestled into a corner of the wood box.  There would be more chances, as Old Scimitar said.  After all, Old Scimitar had been around for a long time.  He knew what was going on.

The old tabby was right; the humans did come again.  And again.  And again.

And no one picked up the gray kitten.

His tail drooped as he shivered in the corner of the box.  Several days passed and the humans visited and played with him, but didn’t take him away like his siblings.  It was disheartening.

Every time a human came, he'd rush out with his tail up, mewing adorably in hopes of being chosen.   Despite his efforts, after a few pets, they would walk away, leaving him alone.

It was just him and his mother, who kept telling him that he had to leave eventually.

Where would he go?  The last time he tried to explore the area, he was chased by other cats and told to stay in his own territory.  But this wasn’t his territory either.  Would he be forced to leave the school and live on the street?

There were carriages and horses that could trample him, like Machete, told them.  And bad humans who would kick and yell at him. When the gray kitten followed Machete once, he was told to stay by the fence and observe.  There were other cats that passed and occasionally, one would be yelled at.  He also saw one almost kicked by a small human.  It chilled him to the bone.

He didn’t want to leave the safety of his box.

His mother began to bring him food, if only to keep him alive.  She lamented that he needed to do his own hunting, but his skills weren’t good enough.  Bugs tasted weird. His mother began staying away from the wood box that was their home for longer periods of time.  He began to depend on the offerings from humans.

At night, he could only curl into the corner, bury himself with the rags they used as a nest, and try to keep himself warm.  He wondered how his siblings were doing.  Did they like their new homes?  Were their humans nice to them like their mother said?

He wished he had a nice human.

A few voices were heard outside the box.  Since his last sibling had been picked, there had been few visitors and even then, no one came to take him home.  However, sometimes, they brought him food.  There was a bowl of water in a dish outside and occasionally, some pieces of meat on a piece of paper.

Were the humans refilling their offering?

He peeked outside and saw the familiar ‘girls’ that often came by.  One in particular was there more than the others.  She was the one who helped him eat when he was smaller.  She often gave them offerings.  Thinking that she was going to do so once more, he climbed out of the box.

Her hands reached down, and he was picked up.  He didn’t panic; he was used to this.  He sort of liked being picked up and carried; it reminded him of when he was about to eat.  He licked his mouth and sure enough, a small piece of meat was held in front of his mouth.  He quickly snapped it up.

“This is chicken!” he said as he looked up at her.  Her eyes were blue, like his when he was smaller.  “I like chicken the best!”

She said something to him, and he tilted his head.  He didn’t understand, though her voice was very nice.  Even if he didn’t understand, he meowed to answer.  She laughed and cradled him against her.  She turned around and began to walk away.

Only this time, she didn’t let him go.  He grasped her shoulder and pulled himself up.  He looked over and watched the wooden box get further away.

“Where are you taking me!?” he cried out in a panic, only to feel a warm hand stroke his back.  “Don’t try to distract...oh...that’s nice....”

The girl was speaking once more.  She nuzzled his head and held him gently.

The gray kitten shivered as the realization hit him.

He was chosen.

He got a human.  A human picked him!

“You picked me!  You won’t regret it!  I’m small now, but I’ll get bigger!  I’ll get bigger and I’ll hunt food for you.  I’ll keep you warm.  When you’re sad, I’ll stay with you.  I promise!”  He pushed his head against hers, assuring her over and over that picking him was the best decision she’d ever made.

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“Alexander!” He liked the way his new human mom said his name.  It was light and musical, like she was singing it.  It was his favorite word.  “Time to eat!”

And that was his favorite sentence.

He stretched out from where he had been laying on the bed.  At night, when he came home from his patrol, he slept on a soft, fluffy bed with her.  He pushed himself up and stretched out before trotting to the edge of the bed and gracefully hopping off.

He pushed his way through the curtain that separated the room where they slept and the room where she worked.  He saw her at once; the girl who picked him up, gave him a home, and said she’d love him forever.

She was a human called Tori and right now, she was in a wheelchair.

Some time ago, she had left to do ‘business’.  Alexander hadn’t understood what that meant until he came home at night, and she wasn’t there.  Her friend who had been with her at school would bring him food, and the two little humans with her would play with him and carry him to another tent at night, but he always slipped out once they were asleep.

That had been his first time away from Mom since he went home with her.  Why didn't she come to sleep?  He had waited on their bed every night for her to come home.

He had begun to miss her humming and low singing when they were alone.   He had begun to miss how she jumped around as she sang and flailed her arms.  Sometimes, she’d pick him up and go circles.  It was annoying, but he had missed it.

His mom didn’t come back for some time. He didn’t understand what ‘crystal shock’ or ‘crystal fatigue’ was, but from what it had sounded like, his mom got sick while she was away, and it would take time for her to return.

He had been worried, though the little girl human called Ava assured him that his mom would be fine.  She had said his mom was 'super strong'.

When his mom did return, she was in a  chair that rolled called a ‘wheelchair’ and couldn’t stand.  She couldn't walk or jump around when she sang or carry him in circles.

Alexander had jumped on her lap, telling her he missed her and rubbing his head against her.  Mom had tried to hide it, but she was sad because she couldn’t move her legs.  Alexander hoped that by purring while on her lap, she would get better.  He always felt better when he purred.

This morning seemed like any other before she left, only she was in the wheelchair.  He had heard that it was only temporary.

“Good morning, Mom!”  He meowed as he trotted out.  He made a point of rubbing his head against her before focusing on his food in his metal bowl.  “Oh...steamed fish this morning.  What a way to start the day!”

“Is it delicious?” His mom reached down from the side of her wheelchair to scratch the top of his head.

“Of course!  The kitchen does a great job, as usual.”  He replied, but he didn’t think his mom understood.

In the beginning, when she first chose him, he didn’t know what she was saying.  He learned that his name was ‘Alexander’ and to respond to it when it was called, but it took him a while to understand what the noises she made meant.

His cat mother never said that they’d understand human speech.  Usually, they judge a human based on their movements, their tone, or the general sense they got from them.  Alexander didn’t think he’d ever understand humans.  It was a bit annoying, but it didn’t matter as long as they were good to him.

And they were exceptionally good to him.

He had a comfortable bed, scheduled food and drink offerings, toys to play with and toys to climb.  No one yelled at him, tried to kick him, or chase him.  Everyone liked to pet him because he was soft.  At night, he’d get brushed and some treats.

His only real gripe was that after particularly busy days out, he would be picked up, brought into that small torture chamber, and doused with water until he could barely walk with how heavy his fur became.

No one heeded his cries for mercy.

Every time he was ‘bathed’, he swore to himself that he would run away and never forgive Mom, but in the end, he would be wrapped in a warm towel, carefully brushed with a special warm brush, and then get cuddles.

Ah...I’m so weak....

When he had been ‘adopted’, as his mom called it, either she or one of her friends would carry him.  He had gotten to ride in a carriage pulled by horses.  It wasn’t as scary as he thought when he was inside.  At first, the movement and the loud noise it made had startled him, but he quickly got used to it.

Alexander had slept on someone’s lap and throughout the whole ride, there had been water and chicken for him to eat.

They had taken him to ‘Viclya’.  It was a village made of tents - quite different from school, and for the first few days, he had been carried around or followed by someone as he explored.  There were many little humans who were interested in him and, though he was nervous at first, he had allowed them to pet him.

Whenever they saw him, they’d give him pieces of dried fish or chicken.  Little humans weren’t so bad.

Mom had forced him to wear something around his neck called a collar.  He didn’t like it.  It was stifling and he didn’t like the dangling thing in the front.  Naked was best, as far as he was concerned.  However, Mom had gotten upset when he refused to wear it.  Her face had scrunched up and she looked disappointed.

He couldn’t disappoint her, so he had begrudgingly worn it.  At first, he’d only keep it on when she was there and then wiggle out of it as soon as she left, but he found that she became anxious when he didn’t wear it, so now he wore it all the time, except during his water torture.

He wasn’t sure when he began to understand humans.  It happened gradually.  He already knew what he was called, but then he figured out words for food offerings, the names of people and things.

For instance, Mom’s friend with a nice voice and long brown fur - sorry, hair -  on her head was Ilyana.  The hairless one was Ewan.  The boy that smelled like horses was JP and the girl, his sister, was Sonia.  The one with the ball of hair on his head was Henrik.  The loud one was Albert and the calm one was Constantine.

Alexander liked Ilyana the best of his Mom’s friends.  She was soft and smelled the most like Mom.

“Tori, have you seen Master?”

Ah, that voice belongs to Mom’s favorite lackey.  The one called Piers.  Alexander didn’t bother to look up as the tall human spoke to his mom.  He wasn’t there as often as Ilyana, but he was still there a lot.  Sometimes, he also smelled a little like Mom.

The ‘master’ he talked about was Mom’s older brother, Uncle Sebby.  Alexander had talked to some of the horses at the stables; apparently, Uncle Sebby was a really good swordsman.

Alexander licked his mouth.  His bowl was now empty, and he moved on to drink some water before he left.  “Mom, I’m leaving now!”

He looked over his shoulder before slipping out of the tent.

Ewan told him that Viclya was his territory because Mom was the boss of all the humans in it.  Therefore, Alexander assumed that he would have to be in charge of all the animals. It was a challenging task, but Mom couldn’t understand him, what more understanding the other animals?  He needed to help her.

There were two other cats, but they were old and stayed with their humans. There were a few dogs, but they weren’t allowed to wander around by themselves.  They were always chained to their humans if they weren’t chained to their home.

They didn’t have the freedom to strut around the village like he did.

Everywhere he went, humans stopped to greet him.  Little humans often followed him around.  If he stopped by the kitchen, all he had to do was wait at the back door and they would bring him more food.

“Master Alexander, you can’t tell Lady Guevera that you’ve eaten again,” the chubby human woman looked a bit concerned as she offered him a small plate of dried fish.  “You are getting so large.”

“It’s fine!  The bigger I am, the stronger I am!” he replied as he finished eating the offering.  He then sat up and gently pushed the plate forward with his paw.  He then walked around it and stood in front of the woman.  He put one of his front paws on her shoes and looked up.  “Thank you, human!  You have pleased me!”

He then turned around and trotted out.  His days were busy.

After breakfast, he’d go through the tents to check on the humans, then get a snack in the kitchen.  After his snack, he crossed the road to get to the stables.  Once, he was following Ewan and Ewan had taught him how to cross the road to avoid being run over.  Luckily, there were not a lot of carriages or horses in Viclya like he remembered there were by the school.

The stables were near the supply yard, where Alexander went to practice his hunting as there were often a lot of mice and lizards there.  He’d bring them out to the guards and be praised for his skill.

The stables also had large, corralled areas on either side of it so that the horses could go and exercise when they weren’t being ridden or pulling carriages.  Alexander was familiar with many of the horses.

He slipped through the partially open door and into the well-lit stables with rows of pens on either side of him.  He jumped and scampered up to the beams overhead.  This catwalk was his own personal walkway.  If he walked on the ground, one of the stable hands could run into him.  He nearly had his tail stepped on once.

If he walked on the sill just above the pen doors, he could be pushed off by a particularly unfriendly horse.  On the beam overhead, no one could touch him.

“Good morning, Alexander.”  He heard a chuff and looked down.

“Good morning, Ciel Noir!” He jumped down, onto the sill, to nudge the head of the pretty white horse.  Ciel Noir belonged to Sonia, and was elegant and refined in her movement and speech.  “Did you eat breakfast already?”

“We were just served our breakfast,” Ciel Noir said, turning her head towards her trough. “What about you?”

“I ate at Mom’s...and at the kitchen.”

“Kid, if your mom finds out, she’ll put you on a diet,” Nuage said in a teasing voice.  Nuage and her sister, Ciel Noir, looked almost exactly the same, but Nuage was a bit rougher and more playful.  “You’ve grown quite a bit since you first got here.  I remember when you could fit on a human’s hand.”

Alexander raised his tail high.  “Of course, I’m getting bigger!  I’m growing!”

Another horse chuffed from across the way.  “Yeah, fatter.”

Alexander snorted and rolled his eyes.  “Good morning to you, too, Ice Nag.”

“I told you not to call me that!”  Ice Queen was also a white horse, but unlike Ciel Noir and Nuage, who were friendly, she had been antagonistic towards him since they met.  Alexander didn’t know why; he hadn’t done anything to offend her when they met.  Some of the horses that belonged to knights said that she was just ‘difficult’.  “I am a respectable princess!”

“Of what?” Nuage snorted before returning to her food.

“Soleil!  My master is the esteemed first prince of Soleil!” Ice Queen stomped her hoof to make her point.

“So what?” Alexander climbed back onto the beam overhead.  He lifted his tail high and snubbed her.  “Your master will do whatever my mom says and even offers me food.”

The other horses in the barn let out low chuffs.  Alexander ignored Ice Queen in favor of walking across the stables and greeting the rest of the horses.  He was the Lord Cat of this domain; these animals were his subjects in a way.

After the stables, he went to visit his human fishing buddy, Dr. Cooper-Fontaine.  The old man was already at their favorite fishing spot by Turtle Run Cove, and as Alexander hopped down the rocks to get to him, the old man greeted him.

“Ah, you came today, Alexander.  The tide is coming in.  It’s a good time!”

“That’s good to hear, but low tide is better for me.  I can get closer and poke around.”  Alexander sat as close to the water as possible.  He looked over his shoulder at the man who already had a fishing line in the water.  A piece of cork bobbed up and down.

It didn’t take long for the cork to disappear beneath the surface and Dr. Cooper-Fontaine let out a cry as he tugged on the rod.  A moment later, a silver and gray fish flopped onto the boulders they were seated on with its mouth opened wide and fins fanned out.

“We have quite a large perch this morning, Alexander!” Dr. Cooper-Fontaine laughed as he carefully lifted the fish into the bucket. “You always bring me good luck when you come fishing with me.”

“Naturally,” Alexander said as he walked to the bucket.  He stood up on his hind legs and put his front paws on the edge to look inside.  “This one is pretty big.  You should dry some for me.”

“I will dry some for you and give it to Lady Tori, all right?”

“I knew I could count on you!”  Alexander happily rubbed his head against Dr. Cooper-Fontaine’s leg before climbing back up the embankment.  Lately, he would keep Mom company since she did more work in the tent.

Next, it was naptime.

He usually awoke sometime in the late afternoon, in time for a snack before dinner, but today, someone new arrived.

The woman was taller than his Mom, but she smelled nice, and Alexander couldn’t help but feel warm and safe in her arms.  The woman was called Mama, according to Mom.

“Alexander, you are a Guevera,” she told him as he sprawled across her lap, getting his side petted.  “It’s all right for you to show your belly like this to us.  We are family.  But as a Guevera, you must remember to have some decorum and pride.  You come from a marquis family - a family of warriors.”

“Yes, Mama, I understand.”

“You represent Tori, so you can’t be afraid of other cats.  Of other beasts.  You are very smart, so if you cannot win against them with strength, you can outsmart them.”

“Mama, he’s not going out to fight for territory,” Mom said from her desk.

“Alexander will be an adult cat soon.  He’ll have to eventually,” Mama replied.  “He comes back with leaves and dirt on his fur...it must mean he’s out, exploring.  You don’t know what he’ll run into.”

Did she mean that he needed to be stronger?  Braver?  Better at hunting?  Alexander looked at his soft and somewhat protruding belly.  Perhaps he was eating too much.  His life since he was adopted was quite pampered.  If he kept this up, he’d become useless.

He froze.  How could he become useless?  He’d embarrass his mom!

He wiggled out of Mama’s arms and exited the tent.  He needed to become a formidable hunter in order to help Mom.

┍————·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙☆*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ /ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙☆*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙————┑

Uncle Blue River was probably the smartest horse Alexander knew, and there were many smart horses in the stables.  The three horses that came with old man Dede were pretty worldly, but Uncle Blue had seen war.

“But I know I can help!” Alexander sat on the sill in front of Uncle Blue’s pen.  “There must be a way for me to go.”

“Little Gray, you cannot hide in the saddle bags during extended rides as they are always carrying something,” Uncle Blue told him in a deep voice.

“But if I don’t hide, they’ll see me and make me stay!”

“Then why don’t you hide somewhere where they won’t see you?” Nuage asked from across the walkway.

“Don’t encourage him,” Ciel Noir turned her head towards Nuage.  “Since Alexander came here, he’s never left the village.  He could get lost.”

“The kiddo’s adorable, too,” Maple, the bay horse that came with old man Dede said.  “I heard that some people will just take animals they like if they don’t see an owner.”

“Catnapping is a possibility!?” Alexander drew his head back.

“Oh, are you scared?” Ice Queen mocked him from a pen a few spaces away.  “Well, I suppose that’s why there is a term ‘scaredy cat’.”

“I’m not scared!”

“Ice Queen.”  Uncle Blue huffed in Ice Queen’s direction and stomped his massive hoof once in warning.  He turned back to Alexander.  “Little Gray, it’s unlikely, but Lady Tori and her party will stop overnight in one of the villages.  What if you stray and get left behind?”

“Then...I won’t stray.”

“Then, how will you eat if you don’t hunt?” Sprite, the other bay horse that came with old man Dede stuck her head over the pen gate.  “If you lose track of time while hunting for food, they could leave without you.  But if you don’t, you’ll be hungry.”

Alexander’s ears flattened against his head.  “Maybe...maybe I can bring food with me?”

“If you hide food, I’m sure Lady Tori or one of her attendants will find it,” Ciel Noir said.

His tail curled around him.  “Then...what should I do?  I really want to go.  I’ve been practicing.”

Ice Queen snorted.  “I doubt they’re going to hunt for mice and lizards.”

“Why are you so mean to him?” Maple snorted in return and stomped her hooves.  “He’s brought in more pheasants and rabbits than Sonia and JP!”

“Yeah, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Sprite added.  She stuck her head over the pen to look at Alexander.  “They are hunting for pheasants, rabbits, deer, foxes, and boars.  You’re too small for some of those, but you can help with pheasants and rabbits.”

“If he really brought in all those pheasants and rabbits, where are they?” Ice Queen demanded.

“I took them to the kitchen.  That’s where meat goes to be prepared,” Alexander said, as if Ice Queen were too stupid to understand.  “You can check with the kitchen ladies! They like me and always give me a little after I give them my kills.”

“How am I going to check with humans?  We can’t talk to them!  In fact, I’m surprised you can understand what they’re saying.” Ice Queen's ears flattened back and she bared her teeth.  “Do you really understand humans?”

Sprite gasped.  “Alexander, are you a magical cat?”

“I don’t think so,” Alexander said.  “But Mama says I’m very smart and talented, and that it’s expected of a Guevera de Sophos.”

A few horses looked impressed, but Ice Queen turned her head away.

“If you’re so smart and talented, then why do you need to ask us for help on how to follow Lady Guevera to the Fekete hunt?”

“Sometimes, genius needs inspiration to work!  Uncle Sebby says that if you look at it from different angles, you can figure....”  Alexander trailed off.  His eyes widened as his ears perked up.  “I got it.”

“Oh?” Uncle Blue asked.  “What is your plan?”

Alexander let out a small snicker.  “I’ll tell you when we’re at the hunt!”

He jumped off the sill and scampered out of the stables.  He ran to the carriage house next door and crawled through a window.  The carriage that would take his mom and her friends to Fekete was the same royal carriage they took when he had first come to Viclya.  He knew the layout well.

Unfortunately, all the places he could get in and out of easily were visible, and the places where he could hide were difficult to get in and out of by himself. He circled around the carriage. This left the outside area as his best choice.  The sides would be difficult.  He’d be seen by the escorting knights even if he was able to hide from his mom.

The driver’s seat had a shelf beneath the bench, but it had tools and a place for food.  If the driver or footman reached under, they could grab him and reveal his location.  The back had only a metal rack to hold luggage.  The bottom was an option.  Attached to the bottom were two spare wheels and a box of additional spare parts.

He knew because he watched the carriage house staff routinely check the parts before the carriage was used.

Alexander jumped onto the wheel and parkoured onto the driver’s bench.  From there, he jumped on top of the carriage with a mouthful of small, dried fish for a snack.  It was high enough that he wasn’t easily seen, and there was enough room for him even if luggage and supplies were placed on top.  In fact, it would be good if there was, then he could hide amongst them.

It was perfect.

The morning Mom left with Sonia and JP, Alexander waited behind one of the nearby tents, watching knights load the carriage.  Once the items on the roof were secured and the knights climbed down, Alexander crept forward.  He took the first chance he got to race up to the top and wiggle into a spot between some boxes.

He was sure no one saw him.

The ride to Fekete wasn’t bad at all. In fact, he spent most of his time sleeping.  It was only when they stopped for the night that he had some problems.  He had something to eat, albeit a little, but he needed to relieve himself and drink.  There was no water on the roof.  The carriage and secured luggage was parked in a carriage house that didn’t seem to stop being busy.

There were also people coming and going.  When he realized that he couldn’t wait for an opportune time to sneak out, he felt as if he were dying of thirst.  He wasn’t used to this.  In Viclya, there was always water in his water bowl.

In order to avoid the humans coming and going, moving carriages and carts, he stayed close to the wall.

“Hey!  Who let a cat in here?”

I’ve been spotted!  Alexander darted forward, towards the open door at the far end of the carriage house.  People were yelling and tried to stop him.

“He’s too fast!”

“Just chase him out!”

“What if he gets into the stables and spooks the horses?”

“Then grab him!”

Alexander darted from side to side.  At one point, he scaled a wall and jumped over some human’s head to get away.

“Do you have a net?”

“I have good aim! I’ll hit him with my boot-”

“No, you idiot!  He has a collar!  What if he belongs to a guest?”

His heart was racing as he flew out of the door.  He skidded to a stop and made a sharp turn.  He wasn’t stupid.  He wasn’t going to run far and get lost.  He needed to stay close to the carriage house and the stables nearby that reeked of horses.

Alexander went to a place where he knew he’d find water - the stables.  He slipped in easily and walked along the pens.

“Alexander!  You made it!”

“We had a bet with that Ice Queen.  I can’t wait until she sees you at the hunt!”

“Maple!  Sprite!”  Alexander had never felt so relieved to see familiar horses.  He trotted to their pens and slipped inside.

“Where were you hiding?” Sprite asked.  “I thought I smelled you, but we didn’t see you.”

“On top of the carriage.”

“The whole time?” Maple sounded surprised.  “Aren’t you hungry?  Thirsty?  Quickly, drink some water!”  Maple lowered her head and gave him a gentle nudge to move him closer to her water trough.

Alexander took his fill and jumped on top of Maple.  “Can I stay here with you tonight?”

“Of course.  It’s more comfortable here than in the carriage house, right?”

His tail curled around his feet, a bit embarrassed.  “Actually, I don’t like sleeping without Mom.  But I can’t let her know I’m here....”

“Aww...then stay with us,” Sprite said.  “We won’t leave you behind.”

Alexander jumped down and found a place on a haystack to sleep.  He was a light sleeper and without the familiar comfort of a bed, he woke up before dawn.  He drank more water and told them he was heading back to the carriage house to get into his hiding place.

He frowned when he found that his remaining dried fish that he’d saved for breakfast were gone.  He sniffed the area and scowled.

Mice.  He wanted to find them and get revenge, but they were leaving, and he couldn’t risk being left behind.  He would have no way home if he was.

Thankfully, the ride to something called Granite Tower was shorter than yesterday’s ride.  He sat up and looked around as they went through a tall, stone gate.  The carriage lined up with others and Alexander took in the unfamiliar environment. There were many humans and horses.  More carriages than he’d seen before.

Their carriage stopped and the door below him opened.  Now would be the perfect time to appear.

“Alexander!?” Mom’s bewildered, if not a bit horrified, cry did not sound as excited as he’d expected.  He was gathered into his arms at once and he immediately began to rub against her in an effort to placate her.

“Don’t be mad, Mom!  I’m here for a good reason!  I’m going to hunt for you and make you proud.”  He purred and Mom held him tight.  He continued to act like a kitten to soften her heart, but her grip on him tightened.  She felt tense against him, and he slowed his movements.  “Mom?  Are you okay?”

“Good evening, Baroness Hart.”

He turned his head to look in the direction where she was looking and instantly felt his fur want to stand on end.  He did not know who that girl was, but he didn’t like her.  He didn’t know why.

Without warning, her hand reached out.  He knew that movement well and for most people, he wouldn’t mind allowing them to pet him.  He was gracious.

“Touch me and I’ll scratch your eyes out!” But he didn’t know this woman and hissed at her like he hissed at that jerk dog in Viclya.

The girl snatched her hand back, but he didn’t let down his guard.  Sometimes, humans would try again.  They liked to test their limits.  Alexander crawled over his mom’s shoulders and draped himself across.  He felt safe there; the girl wouldn’t get too close.

He kept his eyes on her until she left and only then did Mom hand him over to Sonia.  He heard he was going to be fed and allowed Sonia to carry him into the building.  Their room was quite spacious, and he ran around exploring until servants came with food.

“This is the mixture prepared for the Duke’s cats.  If it is not to Master Alexander’s taste, please let us know.”

“Are you kidding me?  This is delicious!”  He looked up, face deep in his bowl with bits of the chicken and lamb on his face.  “You have pleased me greatly!  I will tell Mom to reward you well!”

“I think he likes it,” Sonia said.  “Thank you for your assistance.”

“Wait, before she goes! I want another bowl! I’m starving!”  Alexander nudged the half empty bowl forward and patted it with his paw.

“Oh, I think he wants more.  He was hiding in the carriage, so I don’t think he had anything to eat.  Can we get him another bowl?”

“Yes, Miss.  I will have another prepared at once.”  The servant gave Sonia a bow and Alexander finished off the bowl.  He had just licked off the last morsel when the second bowl arrived.

After he gorged himself, he sprawled across one of the beds to recover from his trip.  Another servant arrived with a box of fine woodchips for him to use as a toilet.  It was left on the open balcony, but his mom told him to stay in the room and not to leave the balcony.

As soon as she and Sonia were gone, he rolled off the bed and went to check the balcony. They weren’t too far up, but a jump from this height could still hurt.  He looked at one side and then the other.  The building was made of stone bricks, but they weren’t flush.  He was sure he could get down easily.

He rested for a while longer and then gave it a try.  Alexander found he was a bit shaky, but once he got the hang of it, his journey down was short.  When he was close enough to the ground, he jumped.  He climbed back up, just to make sure he could, and then back down.  In order to join the hunt, he needed to hide in one of the empty saddle bags.  In order to find an empty saddle bag, he had to find the horses.  Horses meant he needed to find the stables.

He circled the area, staying close to the buildings as he sniffed around.  In the end, he caught sight of some horses being led into a large building.  His tail perked up and he did his best to sneak towards it.

There were the scents of other cats in the area, and he didn’t want to cause any trouble.  It would upset Mom.  He climbed into an open window and sat on the sill.  Rows of pens filled with horses were laid out before him and he drew his ears down.   That was a lot of horses he had to go through to find the right ones.

All their smells also mingled together, and it was difficult to single out a familiar one.  The only thing he could do was go down each aisle to try to find a familiar horse.

“Careful with that one.  She’s Prince Piers’ horse!”

“Ice Nag!”  Where Ice Queen was, Uncle Blue River would be close by.  Alexander followed the sounds of the humans and saw the familiar white horse.  He didn’t care about her.  He looked from side to side and saw a large head within that familiar grayish-blue coat rise with a mouthful of food.

Alexander gleefully snuck forward.  He jumped onto the pen door and balanced himself precariously on the top.  “Hi, Uncle Blue!”

“Little Gray!  You made it!”

“Heh....”  Alexander’s tail moved from side to side.  He looked over at Ice Queen and was ready to gloat.  “Surprised to see me?”

“Yes.” Ice Queen said drolly before turning around and ignoring him.

“How did you get here?” Uncle Blue asked.  Alexander regaled him with the tale of his adventure and his subsequent plan to hide in a saddle bag the next day.

“By the time they realize I’m inside, it’ll be too late!”

┍————·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙☆*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙ /ᐠ｡ꞈ｡ᐟ\ ·͙*̩̩͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩̥͙·̩̩̥͙☆*̩̩̥͙˚̩̥̩̥*̩̩͙‧͙————┑

Author's Note:

I'm holiday posting.  :D By the time this is posted...I will probably be asleep, as I have to get up to early tomorrow to cook (one dish).  

Eventually, I will finish the part of the side-story depicting the Fekete Forest Hunt from Alexander's POV, including his thoughts has he wrestled with that fox.