As dusk overtook us, I was prancing ahead of the horse without realizing that Lord Kestrel had fallen asleep in the saddle. As he slept, I mused about what else I could learn and see while being in his service. A hint of citrus perfume and brimstone tickled my nose as I realized the second set of footfalls matching mine. A slim human body, raven hair, sparkling red eyes, and white teeth within a pair of black lips meet my eyes walking beside me. She giggled like silvery bells as she noticed me looking at her.
“No worries, messenger of Deidra.” she stated in a soft musical voice. “I am happy she found such a pretty messenger to send word to her cousin.” she continued still giggling. I stared at her dumbfounded gaining me a brilliant smile. “She placed the message here so I am the only one that could read it.” she explained pointing at my heart. “No ill will, no negative effects, no worries, sweet feline.” she informed me with a quick wink. “I am Reina and mostly human, young Kestrel.” she added with another light merry giggle.
“She did not tell me she had done this.” I remarked as a hint of fear returned from last night negative self-contemplation.
“Deidra worries too much to ask for favors but she trusted you with this message to me.” she returned happily. “And I promise she did nothing else to you.” she added. She reached out and glided her fingers along my cheek giggling softly.
“But all I have is your word.” I replied with a shrug.
“Yes, since your heart tells you we are not lying to you.” she returned casually. “And placing a message in you could not harm you or effect you, Kestrel.” she continued easily. “I thank you and bid you a good voyage.” she added before fading from beside me. It was at this moment that Kestrel stirred in his saddle. I chuckled and purred hearing him awaken while not getting embroiled in my unknown messenger service.
“I took a bit of a shorter path along lesser noticeable pathways, sir.” I reported quickly. “We should be entering the town at the same moment or slightly after Sert and Meli.” I informed him nearly dancing forward upon the path. I could not resist giggling as a thought entered my mind. “For them, your discussion was truly a short one.” I stated glancing back at him. I was smirking and happy feeling free within the land.
“You heard and saw what happened?” he asked quietly.
“Nothing happened that I need to report.” I replied casually. “My duties are for you alone and will not speak reports to others without your permission, Lord Kestrel.” I continued easily before turning away. “Therefore, I have nothing to report since you listened and saw everything that happened, yourself.” I added in a singsong voice trying to imitate Lord Death. My purring chuckle drifted back to him as the horsed pranced and neighed it’s own pleasure.
Once in the line trying to gain entry into the town, I left Kestrel side to ask if our companions had already passed through the gates. The guards did at first look shocked as I walked up but quickly calmed as I started speaking to them. One guard stepped aside with me to answer my questions while mentioning the rumors of a heroic feline had came from across the mountains to the town. I did attempt to fluff it off as it could be any cat person but I doubt he did not associate the tales directly with myself as the knighted hero. I did ask about Sert and Meli with a quick description including the heavy mounts they would be riding. This gained me a quick answered that I had just missed them with an offer to cut ahead since I’m a hero of their great lands. I waved this off mentioning I was not traveling alone and it would be impolite allow two of us the privilege of fast entry. He accepted this with a nod as I bowed to him before returning to Kestrel’s side.
“We missed them?” Kestrel asked me. I shrugged and nodded to him.
“They passed through as we were arriving to join the line.” I told him. “And rumors have reached here about a friendly and heroic feline being passing through the area.” I admitted shyly to him.
“And so the legend of the Feline Knight of the Redpath clan is born.” he replied chuckling. My tail swished behind me showing my nervous embarrassment as my eyes raised to meet his. I could not stop myself from laughing at this insane suggestion. “We will be back all together by the time we reach the harbor area of the town.” he stated nearly casually to me. “And we will possibly have a day or two in town before leaving.” he concluded. The hint of annoyance in his tones had me trying to find something to keep his mind occupied while we had to wait in this harbor town.
“If it is the Herald collecting us, they would have waited to resupply until we arrived, correct?” I remarked slowly.
“Yes, it is the Herald we are sailing upon.” he affirmed nodding. “Delaying to have the freshest possible provisions on board for the return trip.” he informed me. I nodded waiting for anything else he wished to reveal to me. “A longboat would collect the daily needs while the Herald safely sits waiting in the harbour for us.” he sated.
The ponderous movement of the entry line was mostly due to the mass of visitors and nothing about the guards being inefficient. Lord Kestrel looked around slowly at the sheer volume of people before us and lining up behind us. I listen to the crowd but was confused by the mixed comments I heard. As he looked down at me, I shrugged and shook my head in confusion. I paced slowly along the length of the line to the front and back to the rear before returning to Kestrel without an answer to give him. My tail was reflexively coiling and uncoiling around my leg as we faced the friendly guards. I noticed they quickly had us moving through the gate’s of the town once they heard we were boarding a ship, unlike the masses that had stood and followed us in the line. They were mostly all sending supplies and other things while not boarding the ship themselves. Once within the town proper, Kestrel dismounted to walk beside me giving us a chance to speak in whispered words.
“It is nothing clearly defined for this heavy flow of outgoing supplies to the other harbor towns and cities along the coastline.” I informed him. “And multiple rumored reasons alluded to but nothing as a common ideal or reason.” I reported slowly and quietly under my purrs.
“Odd but not truly uncommon when multiple rumors fuel their actions.” he remarked too casually. He waited watching me as my tail coiled and uncoiled around my leg and my whiskers twitched while I purred pensively. “What are your thoughts, young Kestrel?” he asked in that same overly casual tone. I was not sure if this was a mystery he found uninteresting or if he was testing to see if I could figure out something he had already solved. We ended up upon the wide way taking us directly to the docks of the town.
“The sheer amount of goods seems very high for these lands, sir.” I hazarded slowly. I was still placing the information in order in my mind as we walked. “You do not dispose of all your goods and supplies unless something very bad is going to happen soon.” I remarked in the same purring slow speech. “The reasons I have overheard do not suggest such a dark event coming upon them.” I added before looking at him once more.
“Yes, it is an odd event.” he returned with a quick nod of the head. “But not truly something we should worry about at this time.” he told me. Though his words were soft, I saw it as an order to ignored it. I could not reply nor question his words as Sert voice reached our ears. With a quick glance, I spotted him yelling and waving to get our attention as he stood at the land’s edge of the dock. “Seems we found them.” Lord Kestrel remarked. We moved together to reach our friend.
“It will take three days or more to resupply the Herald with how overworked the port-men have been lately.” Sert told us as we reached him. Meli’s voice had me turning to see her sitting on the dock’s edge looking towards the water while speaking Atlantian. A tap on my arm had me rushing to her, crouching by her side looking at the longboat from the Herald holding a pair of sailors.
“The kitten found you?” one sailor remarked but received no answer.
“It is not war or colonization since the items are being spread out mostly evenly along the coastline.” the other was telling Meli.
“And multiple different reasons being claimed without a single dominant reason stated to the sailors?” she remarked softly. Both sailors nodded to her. “Intriguing but mostly only a delay in our case.” she concluded.
“A delay is acceptable since Lord Kestrel’s last meeting seems to have invigorated him.” I whispered to Meli. She glanced at me to receive a quick nod. She told the sailor to hurry the resupplying and send word to the closest inn once they were ready to depart. They saluted us and the longboat drifted away while we rose and turned to returned to Sert and Kestrel.
“Captain Destine’s sailors could add nothing from what they have overheard while visiting the town during the wait for our arrival.” she reported to Kestrel. “It’s an exodus of supplies, goods, and minor treasures, but no one is traveling to those towns or cities by water.” she added to them.
“Something about this has my whiskers twitching.” I told them. I know my tone came out in a whining growl getting all their attention. Kestrel nodded to me while scratching idly at his chin. “Could it be some sort of magical enchantment?” I asked Meli. My question lead to a long moment of silence.
“It could be possible but too powerful an ability in lands lacking strong magical energies.” she replied slowly and softly. “I know a magical ether area exist nearby because of the harpies, Lacona, and what feels like a Fairy Mound within an hour or two from this town.” she announced to us. “But nothing strong enough to enchant this many people into action.” she assured us before turning towards Kestrel. “Or am I missing something, Lord Kestrel?” she added to him.
“No magic on those in the entry line nor upon anything or anyone within the town.” he informed us. “We are the only exceptions present and your assessment is correct Lady Mekiliean.” he assured her. “It is simply something we cannot perceive at work here.” he summarized for us.
“More importantly, should we get involved in this oddity?” Sert asked boldly. This had me focusing on the crux of our decision. “As foreigners, they might not wish this mystery solved or find a way to blame us to prevent us solving it.” he gently reminded all of us. A warning as we thought and decided our path. Meli nodded and I followed suit. Kestrel nodded slowly his agreement with Sert acceptance in a quick nod. “And are we acting as representatives of Atlantis, Diadem’s Knight, or simply for justice and honor?” he asked with a half smirk.
“We should not simply interfere in this because it seems not to be causing any direct problems to this land’s people.” Lord Kestrel reminded us softly. “Delays and extra work for the dock-hands is not a hardship which needs changing, correct?” he asked us. With a sigh and a nod we each agreed but still must have looked unconvinced. “And my main goal at this time is returning to Atlantis to recover fully.” he added in a whisper. I stiffened matching Kestrel’s veteran traveling companions while we turned to face him directly. Ser honestly excused himself but I felt Meli and myself feigned our concern. In my case, it was because I knew from the look in his eyes that he had regained much of his strength during the nightlong event with Lacona. He lead us to the nearby inn to claim rooms for the next few days until the Herald was ready to sail us home.
Meli had shot pass me the next morning mumbling about visiting the Fairy Mound that sat near to the harbor town. I had nearly offered to accompany her when my instincts screamed to mention this to Lord Kestrel. His annoyed reaction was not what I expected but his comment did have Sert turning pale. A mound that trained blood lust faeries did ring a warning bell in my mind but it did not feel bad to myself with my constant control over my feral predatory half. While Kestrel kept Sert with him to ride out to the mound, he ordered me to rush ahead to find her and keep her from causing problems.
Her scent was easy to follow but what I discovered upon my arrival was truly sickening to me. The reek of blood warned me what I was about to find, the first of her victims. Skin torn from within as Meli had used his blood to rip him apart from within. I paused trembling as a soft growl had started forming in my throat from the blood heightening my feral instincts. Second body was not in any better a shape as I slowly followed the path of destruction more worried about Meli with every step. The growl became a roar as I found Meli. The scent of her blood lust hit me as she stood cackling maniacally over her latest victim. I could hear his breath and his weakened heartbeat while big sister Meli reveled in bubbles of blood floating around him.
I barely noticed Kestrel’s prompt arrival with Sert at his heels. The hit like a thunderclap upon Meli’s face sent her spiraling as her eyes went dark and closed into unconsciousness. I moved freed from the rage of my feral beastly form to scoop Meli up before she could hit the ground easily tossing her over my shoulder dodging pass Kestrel towards Sert. The warrior spun on his heel clearing a pathway for me as I rushed her towards the exit. I did not hear if Kestrel spoke but heard his footfalls behind mine matching our speed. Sert at point encountered less resistance as the fairies of this mound cleared a path for us to leave quickly. The world ahead of us blurred as my claws forced a stop as we were suddenly upon the deck of the Herald.
“Captain Destine, re-provision and head home at your own pace, since we are taking a faster path.” Kestrel snapped at the Herald’s captain before a second blurring disc appeared which he motion us to rush through it. Kestrel’s anger was palpable in the air as we skidded to a momentary stop in our own foyer back in Atlantis. The first thing a saw was Cole shocked Face as we nearly ran him over redirecting our path directly to Meli’s room. Once she was safely in her bed, I left Sert to watch over her while I returned to Kestrel’s side. I was jumping from the inner upper balcony listening to Cole Speaking to Lord Kestrel.
“Sir Kestrel, we have a problem.” he stated as I launched from the upper floor. “Seems you had an issue with Lady Mekiliean?” he remarked as my padded feet touch the floor stepping to Kestrel’s elbow. “And when did we inherit a house cat?” he concluded with the hint of a smirk of his face. My growl was ignored as Cole’s eyes meet Kestrel’s. He stepped back trembling while I heard Kestrel taking a deep breath. I expected a shout from the man who’s name I bore, but…
“What is the problem?” he stated bluntly but at a regular level.
“The royal Advisor Coltæn is possibly involved in something nefarious but we lack proof to act.” Cole reported hesitantly.
“Redpath! To work!” he ordered and I moved. For once I used the main door but was quickly and quietly slipping between shadows before gaining roof top passageways increasing my speed in my natural element. Everything I would and could find would be placed in Lord Kestrel’s hand quickly since I was his unseen eyes, ears, and claws upon the land’s of Atlantis.
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