| Subject: Re: Questions, Questions, and More Questions |
Author:
Jeffrey
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Date Posted: 18:00:20 09/18/02 Wed
In reply to:
Alexis
's message, "Questions, Questions, and More Questions" on 21:17:37 09/16/02 Mon
Jeff blushed fiercely again at Alexis's referral to him as her 'hero' but managed a somewhat articulate response after clearing his throat forcefully.
"I've lived all my life in the city," he said, slightly hoarse. "My father's a blacksmith there. I have a large family-- quite a few siblings-- but most times I prefer the company of my cat." He smiled, and a light stole into his eyes as he spoke of Gwennie. "She's fantastic! Her name is Gwenneveire, but I usually call her Gwennie, or Gwen. She's really small, and white with patches of black and gold, but her fur isn't really soft, it's more wiry and it tickles your hands when you pet her. She has the most beautiful golden eyes, and sometimes I swear she's trying to talk to me. She's really smart... I guess most cats are, but she won't even associate with any of them. She hangs around me all the time, like she's protecting me or something." He laughed delightedly. "It's nonsense, of course. She's been around for as long as I can remember. I love her a whole lot... But just today she disappeared for awhile. I thought she was mad because I'd yelled at her this morning..." He chuckled uneasily. "That's impossible, of course, but she did go away for awhile and I was terrified. But she came back... And she ran right out of the city, like she was leading me, and then she disappeared and I heard you calling." Suddenly his eyes flooded with fear, and he stumbled briefly, catching himself. "I don't know where she is! What if she's hurt, or lost?" He sighed. "I'll have to go looking for her... After, of course, I've seen you safe and sound to your house, miss." He smiled a lopsided smile at Alexis before turning sideways to slide through the brush at the river's edge. He knelt and set Alexis down gently, and was about to speak again when he spied, across the river, the most terrifying sight of his life.
There, altogether on the far shore, were four figures. One was an enormous, solid-black wolf staring straight at him in the alert, contemplative way of a predator. Beside it, half-sprawled on the ground, was a strong, fierce-looking human, and from his dark hair, dusky skin, and bright yellow eyes Jeff knew-- and his breath caught painfully in his throat-- that it was a Cheysuli. And beside them were two creatures so horrible, so incredibly alien to everything he knew to be good and right, that surely they were spawned of the underworld. Their bodies were basically human but their heads were warped into the shape of a cat's, with large ears and pointed noses and whiskers and large, bright, almond-shaped eyes. Their hair was human, but their bodies were covered in strange-colored fur, and from the base of their spines sprouted long, hairy tails that lashed back and forth behind their paw-feet. These were Jellicles, and they crouched beside a Cheysuli warrior and his beast. Four demons, staring straight at him.
He sprang to his feet, eyes bulging nearly out of their sockets, horror and incredible fear coursing painfully through every corner of his body.
"Don't worry, Alexis," he whispered fiercely, surprised at the strength of his voice. "I'll protect you." He hadn't the faintest idea of how he would defend her against four evil, powerful, cruel demons, but he knew he had to try. He moved to stand between the pale young woman and the river, trying to keep his knees from trembling.
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