Upon Paws

Chapter 9~Children

Chapter Nine~Children

I immediately tensed up, wanting to mew with distress. The only thing that shut me up was that if I meowed, the children would no where I was.

"Kar-kar!" The female toddler screamed, "where are you?"

The male preteen rushed out of the room, maybe to the bathroom, but he was the least of my worries. The other three kids were still here, weren't they?

Tazan peeks around the corner, "She's up there," He lifts his green hand and points to my small snout poking over the edge.

Tazan! I thought you were on my side! I shouted at him, jumping up and scrunching myself into the corner.

I could just see Tazan's face; his face contorted into surprise then confusion; shaking his head.

"Can I climb it daddy? Please please please!" The male toddler wailed.

"Yes. The bookshelf is nailed into the wall, it shouldn't fall." Tazan answered, looking out at the hallway.

He backed out of the room, leaving me alone. Well, not completely alone.

I decided that since they already knew I was there, so I poked out over the edge to look.

The male toddler—"Be careful, Tyler!"— Tyler, was slowly but surely climbing up the shelves towards me. The female—"Lizzy, I'm fine!"— Lizzy, was standing underneath him, holding out two chubby hands as if to catch him if he fell.

The older female stood motionless, looking up at me with pity. She was my favourite. Quiet, kind, caring.

A sharp yowl cut threw the air.  The older male—"Taran! Dat hurt my ears!"— burst into the room, holding a snarling ball of fury. Tyler, balancing preciously on a shelf, suddenly toppled over. His sister was holding her ears in from the loud noise, so she didn't notice the flailing toddler tumbling toward her. In a flash, the female reached out to long arms a gracefully caught him, putting his flailing to a stop.

"Tyler! Two moons, that was frightening! Don't ever do that again," she exclaimed, hugging him close.

The boy at the doorway stopped, struggling to hold Iggy. He tossed him towards the bed and quickly turned, slamming the door.

"Whew! Guys, I caught him!" He said, wiping his face.

Tyler struggled, "Lesy, let me down! I'm okay!"

"Lessa, your being over dramatic! He has fallen farther then that before," the boy exclaimed, waving his hands.

"Hey!"

"It doesn't matter! Mama would be mad if he got hurt, and Tazan would be blamed! That isn't fair or right. You know how mad mama will be," she added, gently placing Tyler in the ground.

"Hello?"

"Then we would blame Rusty!"

"That doesn't make sense."

"Well, the stupid cat is up there, isn't it?"

"Don't call the cat stupid, Saran," Lessa said sharply, glaring at him.

Lessa and Saran were suddenly in a heated argument, waving there arms and walking towards each other.

A sharp cry interrupted them; Lizzy was pointing at Iggy with her mouth open.

Iggy has been pacing the bed; constantly looking at the door then towards me. He had taken flight and was flapping his wings hard and climbing up to me.

Why is it weird that he's flying? I thought, remembering all the times he flew around me.

Maybe he was trying to show off, said a small voice, trying to win you over.

Well. Whatever. Not that I care.

I looked down at him and found myself nose-to-nose with him.

I backed up in a hurry, arching my back and hissing.

"Shut up!" He hissed, then saw my face and added more gently; "look, truce, ok?"

"Truce?! Leave me alone!" I hissed back, pressing myself even harder into the wall.

"Let's forget about this morning, ok? Just while the kids are here. Then you can tear me apart, ok?" He said, exasperated.

"I have a different idea, thanks."

"Two moons, Fern! Why are you so difficult! I've been showing off, trying to win you over, gain my trust! I can't believe—"

I didn't hear the rest off his sentence; I had jumped off and was sailing through the air.

If I landed on the ground I'm not sure I could twist my body fast enough to land on my paws; but thankfully I was heading in the right direction.

I landed right on my target; Lessa's hood.

I dug my claws into the hood, hoisting myself onto her shoulder.

At first she had jumped; but then immediately stilled; as if she knew it was me.

I flopped down into her outstretched arms. She froze at first, but then shifting me to a better position. She then timidly raised a hand and let me smell. She slowly started to pet the length of my back, sometimes scratching between my ears.

I closed my eyes in content.

She stood there for a while, I slowly went in and out of unconsciousness. I woke once because Saran tried to pet me also; I hissed at him, but soon fell asleep again.

Only when she left I realized she had been warm.