Here comes the cat

[Tyger]

"The cat came back, the very next day. The cat came back; you thought he was a goner but the cat came back. He just couldn't stay away"

If the cat had a theme song - that would be it. The orange and black stripped cat was known for a few things: his dislike of men around the females in his life and his incessant ability to show up when he was least wanted. Some called it a curse, to him it was wonderfully ironic. Might even say that he strived for it.

Wherever he was, whenever he showed up, there was a reason for it and there was a reason why he now made his way up the path of the Tel'Ranaemyn Inn. He certainly didn't want to be there but a letter had come about a month ago and it said that a certain someone was alive. Imagine that, alive and kicking. It was something he had to see for himself.

Tyger was only a little bigger than your average house cat, but average he was not. Soon he was inside. The cat looked around and hoped up on top of the reception desk. He needed a good view of the place. Sitting down, he swished his tail back and forth as he waited.

[Gawain]

Gawain just happened to be passing the front area of the inn on his way to the garden when he noticed a scent he hadn't picked up in....well, forever. No way, he thought. As it turned out, yes way, Ted.

"Tyger?! What in the blue blazes are you....? Wait a minute! I smell her! Your fur carries her scent! Is she well? Where? When! Please, I know you despise me, but I must know!"

[Tyger]

Look at that! He didn't have to wait long at all did he? What a pity he didn't get to stalk around and surprise him. This was probably surprise enough. "It's true. You are alive. Mores the pity."

He smiled his Cheshire grin and walked along the desk to get closer to the guy. "Calm down, calm down." He sat down and wrapped his tail around him. Picking up his front paw he casually groomed himself. "Oh she's going to love this. Knowing that you are here. I thought Ryan was lying. Where've you been? Chasing your tail got you dizzy and you lost your mind?"

[Gawain]

"No, Tyger, I have been...away. Far away, and for much too long a time. I can't exactly explain it, because a lot of it is still pretty fuzzy in my memory, but I was trying to come back. There was some sort of...I dunno, power....holding me back, keeping me away. I suppose it was for a reason, but the Light blind me if I know what that reason is."

[Tyger]

The cat continued his grooming not even looking at Gawain. You could almost say he was ignoring him. When he was done he stretched his paw out in front of him and extended his claws. "I'm here because your daughter, mew, you remember her, wrote me a letter. Said you asked her to write to us." Paw came down but the claws were still extended.

"Meow. You know that I always come first." He batted his eyes at Gawain. "Miss me."

[Gawain]

"As insane as it is to say so, yes, I did. You're a part of Airtia's life, and I miss her so badly it hurts. And yes, I remember both of my children. It has been torture to be away from them, but if De'Ryanna is any indication, they have fared well in my absence. Has Xander been giving you Hades? I have a feeling that that is a genetic trait...." Despite himself, Gawain smirked. Her knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Xander had, at least in his youth, given him a good bit of exercise. To say the least.

[Tyger]

That son of his, Tyger would not admit to being chased and hunted down like a dog. Pounced on and tossed around. Worse yet, he couldn't defend himself but too much because it was his master's kid. If it had been anyone else.....

He huffed and stuck his chin up in the air, his tail swatting the desk surface. "Like Father like son. Raur. All of you are hard-headed." Suddenly he sneezed and jumped down from the desk. "She's around. Where I am, Mew, she's not too far behind. Someone has to watch the kids." He shouldn't ask Tyger where he had been, or what they had been up to. Chances are he wouldn't tell.

"Any message?"

[Gawain]

He sighed, leaning on the desk so that he would be a bit closer, yet out of range of the cat's claws, so that he could speak more quietly. "Just that I love her, and I can't wait to see her again. Oh, and there's an explanation. Just that." He paused. "Oh, one more thing. Tell her that I will be out in the garden meditating. That's about all I can think of."

[Tyger]

Just one swipe for old times sake. One swipe. It would be so easy, but then he would get hell for it and he'd rather stay on the other side of wrath thank you very much.

Maybe one day he would learn a bit more of the cat. "You should watch your daughter, mew. I don't like the guy that's following her. Meow." Tyger started to walk away. saying that he didn't like a guy wasn't saying much. He didn't like any. Or very few.

"He collects souls." He never said anything about the message for his master. He would give it.

[Gawain]

"He collects souls."


If anything could have set Gawain off any worse, he didn't know what. "Thank you, Tyger. That was...actually.....quite good of you to let me know. I'll be taking care of that one straight away." Meditation would have to wait. This was serious. He had seen his share of soul-stealers in the past, and he wasn't about to see one snugging up to his only daughter. He'd take care of this if it killed him. Although no one knew it as of yet, there were several minor demons who would make an exception in Gawain's case. He'd be the one they'd come to collect personally. There was simply too much to be done before he allowed this to happen, if he allowed it at all. See, throughout the eons, there have been plenty of demons and false death gods who tasted death themselves.

[Sponsored content]