!!Yard Work?!! ~~ ((Very open))

[Venis Jordianthan]

"Are you absolutely sure that it didn't fall off until you were this far?"   Venis looked down at the furry black cat and shook her head.


MidKnight sat down and twitched her tail.  "Of course I'm sure.  It was my damned tail.  If those kids hadn't ..."

Her words were cut short by the snapping of fingers.  "One, they are not kids any more, nineteen is an adult.  Two, how many years has it been that they would get bored and come over to play in my stuff?  And three, you know better than to let them get a hold of you when they have anything they can put on you.  So do not blame them for you loosing it"  She walked past a bush and a thorn caught the leg of her faded blue denim pants.  She glanced down at the jeans to find a slight tear in them.  And there was a scratch upon her leg that showed a hint of crimson.  The scratch would heal quickly and without a scar, but the jeans couldn't do the same.  "Shit!"

MidKnight gave her that look that cats could get that simply said that they were going to eat your face off in your sleep.  She had mastered that look after so many hundreds of years being trapped as a cat.

Venis moved through the tall grass and weeds.  They were waist high, and that was saying a lot given she was over six feet tall in her stocking feet, and she was currently wearing six inch heels.  Not exactly the best shoes to be walking through the weeds and grass in, but she hadn't expected to end up in this area.

She walked a few more feet, and heard the cat move to keep up with her, then she looked up to survey the area.  She reached back to pull a twig from her long, crimson, curls.  There were little burrs caught in the threads of her green t-shirt as well.  She growled in frustration.  "I know where we are.  This is Tel land.  There's the stables right over there."  She pointed a long, bony, finger towards the stables that she saw in the, not too far off, distance.  She knew the cat couldn't see what she was pointing at, but she could see the direction she was pointing.

She picked at some of the thorny burrs in her shirt and sucked in a sharp breath through gritted teeth as one punctured the flesh of her fingertip.  "I hope everything is ok over there.  I've never seen the land this unkept before.  Run over to the Inn and see if you can find someone who can help you call Cas.  Then get her and the kids to come help me look.  I would just call her myself, but I forgot my phone when you told me what you had done."  She shook her head as she continued to search through the foliage.

"Fine, whatever.  This is still not my fault."  And with that, MidKnight took off in the direction of the Inn.  She wanted out of the weeds anyway.  All those stickers and thorns that were wearing at her clothes were getting tangled in her fur and scratching at her skin.

MidKnight ran past the stables and up to the Inn itself.  She found the door that lead out to the gardens to be open.  So that was her way in.  Once she was within the building, she began to shout out.  "Hello, can anyone hear me?  Is anyone about?  I require some assistance."  To a witch, of any flavor, her cries would sound like words.  But to anyone who wasn't a witch it would simply sound like. "Rrreeeooowww, rrreeeeeoooowww."  The very loud screeches would sound more like a cat in heat.  But if anyone was about, they would eventually hear her as she ran through the building making the ruckus.

[Telguest]

At least the inside of the Inn was kept in a fairly decent manor - couldn’t say about the upstair areas - but down here, in the front, where Oliver stayed, was well. Gave him a place to stay, and a roof over his head, and all he had to do was make sure the place didn’t burn to the ground while the owners were away.

There were a few more things that he had to do, and for the first week or two he was on top of it all! Then a few things started to fall by the wayside. Youthful forgetfulness.  Chalk it up to that.

He had been into nap number. . . .whatever, with his feet propped up on the front desk and his chair rocked back to balance on the two back legs. Chin tucked to his chest and arms were crossed, the boy was having a good rest.  Then the large cat came bounding in and it woke him with a start.  

“W-w-whoa!” Oliver had been started awake and jumped back in the chair, pushing off of the desk.  His arms pinwheeled as he tired to prevent the inevitable fall.  It didn’t help and the poor boy, and the chair, crashed on the floor. Books and papers fell too. all making a nice bit of litter on the floor.

There was a grumble from behind the desk as he dug himself out.  “Ow…”

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

Titania still brought the twins to the inn so that they might bump into their father's side of the family.   She never tried to keep them from their family.   The twins were about five now, both Bastian and Izzy were a bit mischievous and the nanny that she hired after Xavier and her seemed to have parted ways, more like he just disappeared on her, and no one told her anything that was going on.  It was true that she didn't ask about Xavier, but she had a feeling that his family wouldn't be the most chatty.   So, she didn't ask, instead, she stayed working for Starbucks and made her way up to district manager, and she got herself a nice house not too far away from the inn but not too close.  The Inn was where she had stayed in the beginning and the Inn had a few special moments for her.   So much time felt as if it had passed and most of the times she brought Baz and Iz she never ran into anyone, but she still kept coming back.   Today was no different Titania wasn't sure if she would see anyone or not, but if not perhaps the kids could play outside for a bit to get some of that energy out.

Although it would appear that they arrived right when there was some excitement at the inn, as they walked inside Titania had each twins hand in her own, a bag slung over her shoulder, as she was watching as Oliver, she had seen him a time or two, as he went and fell along with the papers going up and floating down with the grace of birds....even as Izzy called out.  “Momma look its a kitty!!!”  And she started to tug on Titania's hand to get away and go see the kitty, even as Baz was trying the same and she was doing her best to keep both twins under control.  “Kids.  It is a kitty....but you two both need to stay here and hold mommy's hands.”  And Baz looked thoughtful.  “We want a kitty mommy....”  Even as he quit pulling....and Izzy nodded.  “Yes, momma a kitty or a puppy or a fox...”  And well Titania laughed softly.  “Maybe for Christmas...now behave because you know that Santa is watching.”  And the kids both straightened up.  Oh, that age where they were so easy to put into correct etiquette at the mere mention of the man in the red suit.  Titania was looking around trying to get her bearings because normally no one was about.

[Venis Jordianthan]

The house cat continued to run through the halls and peek into doors.  She wasn't expecting to startle anyone.  So when the young man fell over in his chair a few feet away, MidKnight was startled herself.  And this caused her to jump. "Rrreeoowww" "Do you understand me boy?"  She was starting to stalk toward the boy when she saw the woman with the children attached to her hands.  ~Ugh!  Always with the kids.  Don't people send those things to boarding schools, until they're grown and acting right, anymore?~  Not that these particular children had acted up, yet.  But that was MidKnight's general opinion of children.

She stalked closer to the desk.  She didn't want to get too close to the children in case they wanted to try and pick her up or pet her or something.  Kids did that with cats.  "Rreeeeooowwwwww."  "Are any of you witches?"  "Rreeeoowwww."  "Can any of you understand me?"  Her instincts told her that it was hopeless.  The place looked as though it had been abandoned.  It was kept up well enough, but the place seemed nearly void of life at the moment.



While MidKnight was off trying to find a way to call Cas and the kids, Venis was still out in the area off to the side of the stables.  She had to find what she was looking for.  And she didn't think the owners of the Tel would appreciate her burning away all the foliage to try and find it.

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

Now Titania was inside and she did have each child in hand, her fingers wrapped around their little fingers, and she had a pretty good hold.  Of course, Izzy, was all excited for the kitty!  She loved animals.   But she was indeed a little witch, and she was getting practice with her mommy now, but when the cat spoke she looked to her mom a moment.   Izzy dropped her voice, and Titania was almost afraid of what the girl was going to say, “Momma that kitty is rude.   I don't think it got enough kitty hugs as a kitten.”   Of course, the words did come out of a five-year-old, but it wasn't like her kids were ordinary, that would just be silly with their parentage.  Though Bastian wasn't really showing any magic signs, but that boy could transform into a wolf at the drop of a hat.   Titania looked at her daughter.  “Shh honey, what have I told you about the fact you can hear what the animals say?”  And Izzy looked crestfallen.  “Not to say it out loud because there are bad peoples out there.”  And Titania nodded.  “That's my good girl.”

She did start to move, though, because she had indeed acted as if she hadn't heard anything strange out of the cat, and the cat made it's wishes known that it did not want to be disturbed with heaven forbid pets or hugs or other child happy things!  But the cat was speaking and to Bastian, it sounded like a lot of noise.   Izzy looked to the kitty.  “I can.  But you are a mean kitty.”  She sniffed.  “So Izzy doesn't want to help the kitty.”  And Titania looked to her.  “Izzy...is that how I taught you to behave.”  And Izzy pouted.  “No.”   And Titania let out a little sigh because she was hoping that the girl didn't have a nice meltdown.  Normally those were saved for when she was home away from prying eyes.   And Bas was looking to his sister.  “Why do you always get to hear the animals?  I wanna hear too!!!”  He frowned and yep it was going to be one of those days.

[Venis Jordianthan]

The words of the child perplexed MidKnight.  She sat down and tilted her head as her tail twitched.  Why would the child think her rude?  "Rrrreeeeoooowwwww."  "How could asking for help be rude?"  Unless the child had heard her thoughts?  Which is just as rude, if not more so.  In which case, this child had no room to talk.

But, regardless.  "Rrrrrrreeeeeeeeeooooooowwwwwwwwww rrreeeeeeooooowwwwwww."  "Listen, Izzy is it?"  Pause for a nod or a yes or whatever.  "A, I've been trapped as a cat for over 400 years.  Which is not a very pleasant state given my lack of thumbs and only witches being able to hear me.  You'd be a little crabby were it you.  So take my advice little witchling, don't anger the powers that be, or you could end up like me.  B, I need help making a phone call, due to the previously mentioned lack of thumbs and only witches hearing me.  But if you're not willing to help me, I'll keep searching for help.  But the least you could do is check on this guy back here that fell over.  He might be hurt or something." 

MidKnight stood and arched her back in a stretch.  She needed to find someone who could help her make that phone call.  Venis was going to get extremely angry if she didn't get some help outside, and soon.  And MidKnight didn't want to make V more mad than she already was. 

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

Izzy was watching her mommy who was trying to keep the girl calmed down and the cat was probably not one she wanted around her daughter. She was five and very strong willed, not that that should really shock anyone, least of all the girl's mother. “You.” Was the simple response to the cat, she was a baby witch, it wasn't her fault she could hear things because cats that speak were so often and happened every day it wasn't her fault that things didn't seem to switch what was talking and what was thinking, especially in a cat that was 400 years old he should have better control of things to block it out from baby witches!

A yes nod or whatever, and the cat was saying a five year was rude, the cat had 395+ years on the girl and he seemed to not be very friendly either! Izzy nor Bas had grabbed the cat, pet the cat or anything of the like. Izzy heard the cat but she looked towards her mom after the cat was done preaching. “Mommy....I don't know if I like cats anymore. I thought I did when I watched Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Salem was funny....but seeing this cat it sure isn't a Salem.” Yeah, she said that one. And Bas looked towards her

The whole time Titania had her hand on the kids because it was keeping them in line as much as possible, she looked over to the man behind the desk, trying to see if he needed any help. Titania was watching them because she had a feeling that at any moment she was going to have to drag her kids out before they said something or did something that wouldn't go well. So she called out because the cat seemed to freak out the boy from behind the counter. “Are you okay over there … I kind of need a hey I didn't break anything so I can take my daughter outside to play.” Why did she bring her inside? Ugh.

[Telguest]

Once he got over the initial shock, Oliver was okay. The embarrassment that was taking a bit longer to get over. Here he was, on the floor, paper odds around him, and on the other side was a pretty girl. It didn't matter if she was twice his age, he saw what he saw!  Now it was time to pull together some sort of pride.

Oliver dug himself out from the debris, using his foot to slide things behind the desk.  He wasn't quite sure, but he thought he heard the kids talking to the animal.  Cat. People talking to animals wasn't anything new to him, he couldn't do it so that this kid made him a little bit jealous. The knotted brows and confused look on his face left quickly because he didn't want the pretty lady to think he wasn't grown and mature.

The fourteen-year-old boy brushed down his shirt and cleared his throat. "Y-yes.  Hi."  He cleared his throat and made to stand up straighter.  "How can I help you all."  and he flashed his best boyish grin at the lady.

[Venis Jordianthan]

Under 'normal' circumstances, MidKnight was a very pleasant lady to be around.  At least she thought so.  But she had just gotten in trouble for something that kids had done to her.  So yes, she was feeling a little unusually spiteful towards children.

But, seeing that the kid behind the desk was ok, and seeing that the woman with a kid on each arm was asking about him, MidKnight didn't see any reason to continue to sit and be brow beaten by the witchling.  So, she started to walk away.  Still making the loud, hideous, sound that had startled the boy. "Rrrreeeeeoooowwwwwww."  "Can anyone understand me?"  "Rrrrreeeooowwwwww."  "I need help."




Venis was still outside.  She was starting to wonder if MidKnight had flaked on her and left her out there to search on her own?  She wouldn't put it past the cranky feline.  Oh why hadn't she grabbed her cell phone before she left her room?  She saw something sparkling on the ground where the light came through the trees, but it turned out to be foil covered paper out of a box of something.  So, the search continued.

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

Titania was moving a bit closer to the desk though where the boy was.  Glad she would be that he was okay, and her eyes lifted and moved over to spot him.  Hey, she wasn't quite twice his age..she had exactly ten years on him and he was about nine or ten years older than the little ones!   But Titania wouldn't treat him as if he was just a youngin', she would treat him as a young man that was behind the desk.  But when the boy was free from the desk and the way that it worked and yes her daughter did talk and he would see her son was jealous of his twin.  

Titania smiled to the young man behind the counter as her eyes were over towards him and she smiled.  “Hello.”   And the twins shifted both of their attentions towards the older boy.   “We just came in to see if anyone was around.   I used to come in here so the twins could see the other half of their family but it looks as if everyone is away still.”  She smiled to Oliver.  “Though if you happen to see any of the Cauthons can you let them know that I brought the twins in?”   She figured if he worked here he might be able to pass that on....maybe.

And the cat was being spiteful because of things that the twins had nothing to do with.  It wasn't their fault that the cat had gotten into trouble.  And only because the little girl was spiteful she looked to the older boy.  “The kitty says she needs a bath because she has fleas.”   And Titania nudged her daughter.  Iz huffed.  “Fine.  The kitty probably does have fleas and need a bath but the kitty is saying it needs help.”  She took her arms and folded them the best she could when her mom kept her hand in her own.  Bas was still a bit upset that his sister could talk to animals and he couldn't his mommy tried to explain that her gifts passed down to the eldest female born, normally the only female born from the one with the gift but he didn't like that answer.

[Telguest]

“The cat needs help? And a bath?“  

Oliver sounded a bit confused as he said this and looked at the kids to the animal, and then to the pretty lady. A few things had been said, words exchanged, but that is the first thing that he picked up on. Was the cat looking for help from him?

His brows knotted and he cleared his throat as he squared back his shoulders. Alright, boy, it was time to be impressive and remember all those things he learned about manners and how to be polite. He could score some major points here if he handled this situation right. He tugged on his slightly worn jacket and would address the little lady first since she seemed able to communicate with the cat.

“Perhaps you can ask the cat what kinda help it needs?” Oliver nodded to himself. Being rather proud and all for making a well put together statement.  “You must be rather proud of having a ga-girl like that,” he smiled. That statement was directed to the lovely lady, of course. Maybe she didn’t even notice his slip up.

To ease his own self, Oliver took a step to the left and put himself back behind the podium and started ruffling for the ledger. “Cauthons you say?”  Hurry up, Oliver, hurry up!  He said to himself as he looked for a mailing he got recently.  A-ha!  He pulled out a folded sheet and opened it.  

“Yes ma’am, um…”  He squinted at the paper and started to soundless mouth the letter sounds. He wasn’t about to admit that he couldn’t read well.  How would that look?  He could make out a few letters and their sounds and said softly under his breath, “Ch-children to r-ro-oom 1-0-3-b.”

Then Oliver looked up with as bright a smile as he could muster and not look embarrassed. “Children to room 103b.”

[Venis Jordianthan]

MidKnight stopped mid step when she heard the witchling speaking to the kid behind the counter.  She sat down and was quiet for a moment.  But when she heard the accusation of the fleas, she hissed. *hhheeeeeeee*  "I do not have fleas, witchling.  My human takes better care of me than that."  She was going to get up and walk away again, but the witchling's adult nudged her and she corrected herself.  Partially.

To say that MidKnight was shocked would be an understatement.  The witchling, Izzy right?  Izzy had helped her even after saying that she wasn't going to.  And when the kid behind the counter wanted to know what MidKnight needed help with, she walked closer and lifted her chin so the girl could see her tag on her collar.

"Rrreeeeoooowwwww." "Thank you for helping me, Izzy, right?"  "Rrreeeeeeeooooooowwwwwww."  "I was wrong about you. I'm sorry."   She twitched her tail a few times as she sat there.  "Rrreeeeoooowwww."  "The second number on my tags. I need someone to call it and tell Miss Casandra to bring the twins here, please."  She would wait for Cas and the kids and they would just follow her out to Venis.

She had one thing to add.  "Rrrreeeeeooooowwwwww."  "You said Cauthon?  My human is Gawain Cauthon's best friend."  "Rrrrreeeeeeooooooowwwwwwwwww."  "She's out by the stables if you wish to go see if she's heard from the ones you seek."  MidKnight hoped they would get someone to make that phone call before they went to wherever they were going to go.  But she was willing to have patience since they had been willing to help.

[-:|[ Titania ]|:-]

Izzy nodded to the boy.  “Mmm hmm.  He has fleas.”  She smiled to the boy, Oliver, when she said it.   Izzy wasn't sure what the cat needed for sure but she knew that he needed something.   But Izzy nodded to the boy when he said that and she looked towards the cat, and she had ignored the cat saying it did not have fleas because she thought the kitty did need the bath.  

It took a few moments when the cat was speaking, Iz wasn't sure how she felt about the cat, but seeing the nice boy asked she would find out.  She looked back towards Oliver, and she smiled to  him, because he seemed nice.  “The cat would like you to call Miss Casandra to bring the twins here, please.  Whatever that means.”   Izzy wasn't sure whom that was or what twins but it was there.   “The cat says its the second number on her tag.”   Yes Iz wasn't sure if the cat was male or female so she changed the he and she bit.  Cat voices all sounded the same, and we are not suggesting her to check.

But Titania smiled encouragingly towards Oliver when  he said that.  “Thank you Oliver.”  She smiled and she had both of her childrens hands in her own, before she looked to him.  “I will go ahead and take them up.”  And before she could move the cat was talking to Izzy who looked to the cat.   “My daddy is his son.”  She nodded she didn't know if he had another or just her father, but she shook her head.  “I want to see what Oliver said about the room.”  She looked to the cat.  “Thank you though.”  And Titania waited and took Bas, who was still pouting at the lack of animal communication he could do, and Izzy up to room 103b.

It took a bit, as the kids chattered with each other about this and that, but once they reached the correct floor she had the children help find the room before twisting the door knob and going into room 103b...almost scared.  

[Telguest]

Oliver felt pretty proud of himself. Not only had he been able to read the paper, but the pretty lady understood what he said.  The bad news was that now she was leaving.  He tried to suppress the frown that was creeping across his lips, but his eyes gave him away. "Thanks for your help ma'am. You too, small lady."

Then he realized something.. how was he going to communicate with the cat if she was leaving? Suddenly the young boy was stuck trying to figure out if it was rude to ask the lady to stick around, or not. She did have things to do, and the girl had told him what the cat wanted.  Oliver watched her go and sighed.

"So," Oliver said to the cat.  "She said you had a number for me to dial.  I'll just..."  and he moved out from behind the desk and started to look over the cat for the collar. "Hold still now and I'll get it."

[Venis Jordianthan]

MidKnight twitched her tail at the witchling.  No need to assault anyone's ears with a simple ok and a thank you.  And that would have been her only response to the girl saying they were going up to the room.  Then she watched them walk away.  If she wasn't careful, she might actually start to like kids if more of them acted like Izzy.  After all, the kid had sass and spunk, yet was still kind enough to help her out.  Gotta respect a kid like that.  

Now she was left with the guy behind the counter.  He was not but a kid himself.  But if he was willing to make a call on the shell phone for her, then she was ok with him too.  After all, it wasn't like she could call Cas herself.  

She watched him come out from behind the counter and approach her.  She would have jumped up on the counter for him if he hadn't come out first.  She sat down and looked at the ceiling.  This afforded him the best possible view of her tag on her collar.  Though he might have to move some of her long fur aside to read it.

The tag was blue, and in the shape of a rectangle.  She had picked it out herself.  The first thing the tag said was her name.  'MidKnight'  It was in fancier writing than the rest of the tag.  The next line, and all the rest of them, were in a plain text.  It said 'Jordianthan' with a phone number below it.  Then it said 'Lightheart' with a phone number below it.  Then it said 'Cauthon' with a phone number below it.  If she was ever lost or injured those were the numbers to call to have someone come and get her.

The number the boy needed was the second one.  The number marked 'Lightheart'.  And MidKnight heard Izzy tell him to call the second number, so she hoped he'd get it right.  She had heard the way he spoke to the woman and her kids and she thought that maybe reading wasn't his strong suit.  So, patience.  Patience was the key to getting this done right.

[Telguest]

The first thing that came to his mind was that this cat had a pretty thing about it’s next, and wondered how all this ‘writing’ could fit on something so small.  He scrunched his nose up as he spent close contact with the feline. The cat didn’t smell or anything, it was the fur and that was causing his nose to feel tingly. He sniffed, cleared his throat, and narrowed his eyes at all the writing and numbers on the collar.

He knew his numbers pretty good, especially when it came to counting.  The problem arose when he had to look and read.  Lined blurred or jumped from one place to another. Oliver blinked a couple of times and rubbed his eyes.  He even squinted a bit but he still could not make out the first thing the collar said (which happened to be the feline's name) because it looked like squiggly lines. It didn’t have any numbers by it, but the second thing did.

Hmm…Oliver thought for a moment.  The little girl had said the second number, not the second thing.  Maybe she was wrong?  Maybe he had heard her wrong - which was quite possible on his end.

“Many things on here,” he was talking more to himself than the cat.   “Let’s try this one.”

The boy got up and rummaged for the Shell Phone which was behind the desk.  It looked like an ordinary conch shell with numbers engraved on the inside curve.  A person would only need to hold it to their ear and mouth and speak out the numbers, or dial, and a call was made. Oliver brought the phone over and looked between the number for “ Lightheart” and the shell as he made the call.

[Venis Jordianthan]

MidKnight sat very still for him to look at her collar and get the info he needed.  She was capable of being a good girl after all.  And when the boy spoke to himself, she thought he was talking to her.  So she answered him.  "Meow."  "Good job."  A whisper of a sound given that the boy was right there in front of her.  She didn't want to hurt his ears or anything.  But she hoped that he would figure out that her soft sound was telling him that he was doing good.  Then she waited for him to figure out how to do the rest of what she needed him to do to help her.


While MidKnight was inside learning to show some respect to others, Venis was still out in the bush.  And she was losing patience very quickly.  It was all she could do to not get cut badly enough to cause blood to drip.  Her blood could fortify these weeds and make them next to impossible to kill or even cut down.  Want proof?  Go look at the metallic silver roses planted outside the main gates of The Society of the Blood Rose.  Even after all these years they still grow, and bloom, year round.  As do the roses and other flowers in her rose garden at her house.

Frustration setting in, and a few new holes and tears in her clothes, she reached into the pocket of her jeans.  A sigh of relief when she felt what she was looking for inside.  She pulled out a pocket knife.  The blade wasn't for protection, she certainly wouldn't need a knife for that, but she carried one anyway.  She mostly used it to cut open mail or packages, cut the occasional string or whatever, but now she had a new use for it.  

Being mindful of the thorns, she began to grab handfuls of the weeds and cut them down with her knife.  It wasn't the easiest task, but it needed to be done.  Some of the weeds she could simply pull from the ground, but they all went into a pile.  Progress was starting to be made.  Just not as fast as Venis wanted.

[Casandra Lightheart]

It was fall and Cas was out in the stable with Ivan and the twins. They were all working with the new horses. Nat was quietly pouting her date had not gone well it had been a disaster actually.

~RING RING~

Cas jumped as the phone vibrated in the pocket of the jeans she was wearing. Yes Cas in jeans; that used to be something that was never seen because she preferred dresses; but since she had been spending so much time with Ivan she had been wearing more of them.

She pulled the phone out of her jeans....

"Hello? ..... Yes I know that cat, her name is MidKnight. ..... She is where? ..... "Of course I'll be there soon."

She hung up the phone.

"Well guys it looks like I need to go get MidKnight. She is at the front desk of the Tel'Ranaemyn. I think we should all go if the man was calling me something is up. Why didn't Venis answer her phone?"

She knew she was the second number on the list she could count on one hand the number of times she had been called to get MidKnight.

Everyone went into the tack room and took turns washing hands and faces before they all headed to Ivan's truck and drove to the Inn. Cas still refused to even learn how to drive. She hated vehicles she still preferred horses but the truck was easy to use and it was right there no time wasted on getting the horses saddled. When they left the tack room Cas' large wolf Kjay jumped into the back of the truck. Wherever Cas was he was never far behind.

Cas and Ivan were holding hands across the middle of the seat while the twins sat in the back of the extended cab truck. It was thirty minutes before the got to the Tel. Cas slid out of the truck and walked into the Inn.

Oliver would tall woman with long red hair braided down her back come into the Inn. She would look at him with emerald green eyes.

"Hello; you must be Oliver. I am Casandra Lightheart. We spoke on the phone about MidKnight. These are my children Natalie and DJ; and my friend Ivan."

Cas saw MidKnight she looked a bit out of sorts but reading a cat was hard work. She held out her hand to Oliver.

Nat smiled. ""Hello"

DJ nodded his head."Hey what's up."

Ivan put his arm around Cas' shoulder and looked at the kid. "Hello Oliver."

Kjay was in the doorway looking at MidKnight.

~What did you do now cat?~

[Telguest]

Phew.. it was a relief that he made the right call [haha] and reached the correct person.  Oliver patted himself on the back, literally, before getting up to put the phone back to it's position. "They said okay."  That is what he told the cat about the phone conversation.  

What was he suppose to do with the cat now?  This was that uncomfortable silence that sits between people because they ran out of things to say.  He could talk, but he couldn't understand that cat so....  The boy started to fiddle with a loose sheet of paper. It wasn't too long before he heard a car pull up - there were not many that he saw before - and then people arrived.  

His eyes widened as he watched them.  He had thought that only one would be coming. But this was an entourage! They all came in fast, and suddenly there was a flurry of action going on, greetings, people saying his name, and a hand extended.  " Um... Hi.  Well..  Um..  here's your cat?"

[Venis Jordianthan]

MidKnight heard the boy say that he had reached Cas and that she had said ok.  This made MidKnight very happy.  So she wound herself around the boy's ankles and purred.  How else was she supposed to thank him when he couldn't understand her?

She laid at the kid's feet until some of her humans arrived.  Those human's being Cas and Ivan.  She so was not claiming the kids right now.  She got up and walked out from behind the counter where she had been wrapped around the boy's feet.  She sat down beside the desk, but didn't go to Cas.  She needed them to follow her.

Cas would notice that she did have some burrs stuck in her long black fur, and that she had a scratch on her back leg.  Maybe that was why the little girl, Izzy, had thought she had fleas and needed a bath?  But, that was neither here nor there.

She looked at Kjay and tilted her head. ~Why do you automatically assume it was my fault cub boy?  It was your humans who tried to turn me into a display case or something.~ She shook and fluffed her fur.  Just the thought of that thing on her tail made her shiver.

She looked up at Cas and Ivan.  "rrreeeeoooowwww."  "Come on, follow me."  She looked at Kjay again.  ~Venis needs their help out by the stables.  Come on.~  Then she rubbed against the boy one last time to thank him before she headed back toward the door to the garden.  That was how she had gotten in, that was how she was going out.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Kjay looked at MidKnight and growled a bit not like he was going to attack just a short sound showing he was unhappy with what she had said.

~Cub boy? I am no cub, besides whatever the human cubs did to you if they did anything at all you deserved it I'm sure.~

He did not like anyone talking bad about his humans. Cas and her twins had been his to protect for over nineteen years. Now he included Ivan as well.

Cas was going to pick up MidKnight and start picking burrs out of her fur when she heard her meow and saw her run out the door. Great this was just what she needed. What the heck was going on with this crazy cat?

"Sorry to run Oliver but it looks like MidKnight wants us to follow her."

Cas nodded at the kid and followed MidKnight out the door leading to the gardens. It may have been a while since she had been here but unless they had done major renovations she knew where things were.

The twins and Ivan followed Cas out all nodding to acknowledge Oliver as they left. Cas was wondering what the hell was going on with MidKnight. Why would she not let Cas pick her up? Was someone or something needing her help near by?

[Venis Jordianthan]

MidKnight hissed at Kjay.  ~We won't discuss age difference right now cub.  Suffice it to say, you'll always be a cub to me.  And you can just wait and see what those human cubs of yours did.  It was so not my fault.  I was just laying there on the dressing table with my tail swaying.~  She was so not happy about the events that put them there,  but for Kjay to say that it was her fault made it worse.

She headed back out to where Venis had been, but there was a clearing and a pile of weeds.  Venis had cleared a circle of the weeds about eight feet across and had started moving out more and more.  She sat down and waited for the others to catch up with her.  She knew that if Venis had started clearing the brush like this, things were not going to be pretty.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Kjay did not even dignify MidKnight with a response; just because his best friend happened to be of the feline variety did not mean he had to be nice to them all. ~Always a cub...~ He was mumbling to himself.

Not to mention that he was blind where the twins were concerned. They were cubs he had watched them grow up from the time they were born he was separated from them for a while but he had a huge blind spot when they got in to trouble. Besides they had never done anything mean to him.

Cas was trying to keep MidKnight in view as she walked through very thick very tall grass and weeds. Thorns were grabbing at her and she got cut a couple times. What the heck was going on? Well it did explain the way the cat looked.

"What the heck is with the crop circle?"

Nat looked around and tried to figure out why MidKnight was sitting in the middle of the cleared patch of weeds.

DJ just shook his head.

"There is no way that this is a crop circle. It is not perfectly flat and the pile of weeds is right there."


He started pointing at the debris pile.

Ivan looked at Cas who had a very confused look on her face and he started laughing. "We really need to get you to spend more time on earth." He pulled Cas into a hug and kissed her gently. "I love you baby girl." He kissed her again before letting her go.

Cas smiled as Ivan pulled her in for a kiss.

"I love you too."

She looked at the cat.

"Ok MidKnight why are we out here in the middle of a cleared patch of weeds?"

[Venis Jordianthan]

Footsteps could be heard coming toward the gathering of beings.  The armload of branches and weeds coming into view before the bared arms and fingers with long, slightly pointed, red fingernails.  "Ask the twins.  I'm sure they have a clue."  Venis stepped free of the brush and weeds to throw the armload she was carrying upon the pile.

Her shirt had a long tear down the side seam, and her jeans had a gaping tear in the leg.  The exposed flesh on her leg had a scratch with crimson dotting along the length of it.  Her nail polish was chipped and her hair had branches tangled in it.  There was dirt on her arms and face and her high heels were covered in dirt as well.  Several holes and small tears adorned her clothing as well as the little sticker things all over her and in her hair.

Without so much as even a glance at the people who had arrived, she turned around and began to tear weeds from the ground where she had just stepped free of them.  "So which one of you actually placed it upon her tail?"  It was a definite sign that she was angry when she wouldn't even stop pulling weeds to look at them.

She would pull weeds, and scan the weeds then the ground below them.  Sometimes, she'd go to pull some and they would be stubborn.  It was then that she pulled the knife from her back pocket and cut away at them.  But she was vigilantly searching every inch of the ground as she went.  Even if it meant moving a stone out of the way.  She was literally leaving no stone un-turned.


MidKnight watched in silence as Venis worked.  And then fearing that she would be in even more trouble, she began to push her head through the weeds and move them with her paw.  She wanted to help as much as she could.  The sooner it was found, the sooner she could get out of trouble.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas saw Venis and was about to say something about the state she was in when she said ask the twins. She turned to Nat and DJ and looked at them.

"What did you two do?"

She was staring at the twins Venis was pissed and being upset with the kids was not normal. Nat and DJ looked at each other  and were about to explain when Venis asked who put it on her. Nat turned pale and looked at Venis.

"I did; MidKnight was showing off her but and waving her tail around. I was looking for the earings you said I could borrow for a date I was going on.

She glared at her brother it was his fault her date had been a disaster.

"I told Nat that MidKnight needed a twinkle tush."

Nat nodded.

"I took a ring out of the box and put it on MidKnight's tail. I'm sorry."

She looked at Venis hoping this could be fixed.

Ivan was standing there snickering under his breath. He just kept thinking twinkle tush. He really  wanted to bust out laghing but was keeping it in. Venis was pissed and he was not going to make it worse.

Cas was gasped as the twins explained. Why would they put expensive jewlery on a cat. She knew it was expensive because V never did anything cheap. There was just one thing confusing her.

"What is a twinkle tush?"

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