The mouse was looking delicious, Chaara decided, as his green eyes followed the tiny creature skittle around on the forest floor. It was totally unaware of the great hunter, which was Chaara, that watched it from it’s hiding spot in the bushes. Where Chaara had been sleeping since the morning. Chiki had been busy preparing for some great potion, and as he could read on the recipe, it would take all morning. So he had skulked out the door to get himself some sleep in the warm morning sun. That was until this little, annoying creature decided to disturb him.

Maybe he should catch it. Just to show it to be more aware. Or he could eat it? Not that it was his favourite meal. Nothing beat that delicious bird he took down yesterday. It was weirdly coloured and tasted like nothing he had ever caught before. He had thought about taking it back home to show off, but remembered the last time he’d done that. He shuddered and the mouse took off, when the bush began to shake.

Jumping out after it, he hissed in annoyance. He was beginning to grow soft. It was probably that potion he had tried out a few days before, it had made him all dizzy. He still had trouble sharpening his vision. And he sometimes saw flashes of colours he hadn’t know before. He stopped and whirred his head, before sneezing. A piece of grass moved out of his nose and he lifted his paws to cover it. He sneezed again, before looking around trying to get an idea of the time. It was probably time to head home.

Jumping in through one of the windows of the small hut, he easily balanced on the small windowsill, while watching the girl and the pumpking talk. He cocked his head to the side. He’d been with her for a long, long time. Heck, his life before was only shadows in his mind. Frightening shadows, but still only shadows. He still remembered how he found her, when she was just a tiny, tiny girl.

When she mentioned the someone, who always were willing to try out things. He straigthened up his head. She takes me way too granted, he mused inside, before purring, as to let them know he was there. But it was okay, he added, because she was his, his, his. The word sprung around in his mind like a song, while he jumped down and started going around her legs, careful not to lean to much on her, so she wouldn’t drop, what she had in her hands.

His throath hummed in delight, when she uttered his name. He loved his name. His full name, that was. Everyone knew that there was a strange connection between witches and their cats. Like… telepathy, some would say. Maybe it was true, he thought to himself. It could be because of all the magic around the cats. But that wouldn’t explain that Chiki had known exactly what to call him, when she first met him. Of course, she didn’t know his last name. No, that was a secret he kept within himself.

It was something to be earned. His last name. It was an old and powerful, a name, that had been with him longer than the girl. Longer than pretty much everything. He remembered how the name had found him, and taken him in. How it had nursed him back to health. How it had taught him things, he would never dare to use. He remembered how the old witch, that had taken him in back then, had seen at him after he got his name. She’d been afraid. But that was understandable, it was a powerful name after all.

He’d only listened with half an ear, while she had explained, what the potion would do. He didn’t really care about it. He couldn’t find any use for wings. The only ones that had wings, was those feathery ones. The ones with bones, that would easily break between his teeth or under his paws. The ones, who tasted light and on the same time as more. He had no need to be like those. He could move as fast as he needed. He didn’t see much use for being able to move faster.

His intelligent, green eyes followed the young girl, when she began to move aorund in the small hut. When she began to talk about going to the village, he rose and moved to sit in front of the front door. It’d been a while, since he’d been to the village too. Like he would let her go there unwatched and unattended. Who knew, what these humans might want to do. It was quite pathetic, their fear for the unknown. And their destructive way of dealing with it.

Then she began to mumble something about a prodigy blacksmith. And this… Gerri. Chaara didn’t bother to remember human names. He could identify them by smell and sound of their steps. But this Gerri. He would take a note of the name and see him getting ’punished’ in the way he saw fit. The logic of a cat, was sometimes a strange, but firm one.

When she grabbed her basket, Chaara meowed as he rose and moved away from the door, so she could open it without hitting him. As soon as he could come through the doorway without having to squeeze himself through, he walked outside. Royally. Not like some eager dog, who have to pee. No, he had more dignity than that.

Smelling the air, he relaxed a little by the familiarity of the smells. Nothing was unusual today. Not like the time with that bear on a frenzy. He still could remember the fight. He would be more prepared if another one – or something worse – should appear. He glanced to what he could see of his right shoulder and winced a little by the large scars, that went all the way over his back to his left hip. A small reminder.

Chiki began talking and he looked back from his place a little longer up the road. Talk? He scoffed. I’m able to talk, just don’t feel like it. Not like what I say could make any difference. I have no need for talking. He muttered in his head. Before sighing inside. But if that makes you happy I can swallow another of those icky potions. Tasted like mouse, that had been too much out in the sun.

He walked on, always the same distance away from her. And when he came to the village, he went towards ’that’ shop, knowing the way, even though he hadn’t been there with her before. He had to be aware of his surroundings and know exactly, what everybody was up to. Even though those kids had been throwing rocks at him. His face light up in what could be called a dangerous grin. If a cat was capable of making those. They had seen the wrongs in their ways.