When Kay woke up, the first thing she did was to pull her hands out from under the blanket and examine them carefully. Much to her complete surprise, they were CLEAN. What had happenned to the grass, the blood, the feathers ? And more importantly, where was her fur and her sharp claws ?
"What the ..?", she exclaimed softly. Kay distinctly recalled stalking a bird, killing it with a single blow from her paw, and plucking out its feathers before eating the choicest bits raw. The meat had been tender and flavourful. But why hadn't the human-kitten wanted any ?
Then it suddenly dawned on her -- it wasn't SHE who'd eaten the bird. It had been the CAT! "Oh Hell", she sighed to herself, "I must be REALLY messed up if I can't tell the difference between HER memories and MINE. Raw meat ... ugh ... I've NEVER liked sashimi, not even back on Terra in a restaurant".
Mairead looked up at Kay with an inquiring meow. She didn't understand what was wrong, and that bothered her. In reply, Kay gave a soft chuckle and began to gently stroke the kitten's short black fur. Radiating reassurance, she giggled "I guess I'm just a bit mixed-up right now, little one .. don't worry ... it's ok".
Something needed to be done about this. But who could she ask ? Of all the sorcery-folk she knew, Dolo was too far away, and Melissa has already claimed that she wasn't qualified to help. Anwyn and Louis knew even less she she did, and she was fairly certain that Master Painter's talents were NOT related to communication with animals.
Disturbing kiyu Ceroill didn't seem like a wise option either -- she could still dimly feel that he was still trying to adjust to his own 'growing pains'. And the longer she stayed here, the more likely it was that her presence would attract someone more dangerous. He deserved better than that.
That didn't leave many other possibilities. Kay also didn't want to go seeking Melissa's cousin again. Katie was Tower folk, and Tower folk were dangerous because they were ruled by a Keeper. Serving a demon didn't neccessarily turn you into one. But no sane person ever trusted a demon -- that was the quickest way to end up enslaved, insane or dead. What if Katie let something slip out by accident ? Or what if the Keeper thought she was hiding information and pulled it from Katie's memory ?
Kay considered this problem for a moments. Then an idea occurred to her. Being fairly new to this world as well, and being of the same faith, Dani might be a safer person to approach. Even if her Power came only from the Maiden. the Mother and the Holy Crone, her greater degree of experience was still likely to be of help. And if Dani also knew how to handle the fey sorcery that the people of this world called 'laran', so much the better.
Having made up her mind, Kay quietly got up. Amadaine stirred at the movement, so Kay gathered up the small sleepy hawk in the crook of her arm. This made Mairead curious, so she decided to follow along and see what was going to happen next.
When Kay got back down to the kitchen, she poured herself a cup of tea and sat down at the table with a pen and a piece of paper. Hopefully kiyu Ceroill wouldn't mind.
Choosing her words carefully, she wrote "Dear Damisela Lanart-Aldaran, I wish to ask a favour of you (in the name of She whom we both worship). There is much that I never had the opportunity to learn from my teacher back home on Terra, and I have my reasons for not fully trusting anyone who calls a Tower their home. If you are willing, then I would ask that you come visit me in my quarters at Thendara Base for tomorrow's evening meal".
Then she signed it "Yours in service to the Holy Trinity, Kay", sealed it and addressed it to "Danette Lanart-Aldaran". Now how was she going to deliver this ? This seemed to be somewhat of a problem -- until Mairead tapped at her knee with one small paw.
*Seek ? Please ?*, the kitten asked Kay. The more she talked to her human this way, the easier it was becoming for her to express herself in ways that Kay could understand. And she was a wonderful tracker -- surely she'd have no difficulty in finding the den of this other she-human.
When Kay dug through her pockets, she found a hair-ribbon. That worked nicely to tie the note so that Mairead could carry it comfortably (and so that Dani's name was readable). Stressing the need to be careful, Kay pictured the route to the Castle in her mind. Still worrying about the kitten's safety, Kay let her out the front door and watched her dissapear down the road. *Goddess guard my little one*, she prayed softly, hoping that everything would go okay. At least Mairead was black and would become more and more camouflaged as the hour approached twilight and the falling of darkness.