Arye had been unsuccessfully looking for Mosi and Lassra, since he had news to share from Miaama and he wanted to know how the dinner had gone. Turning a corner from inside the kitchen, Arye began to hear dramatic voices speaking quickly and assuredly, and Arye just assumed it was palace gossip until he heard one of the women speak.
“The boy’s dog died!”
At those words, Arye's nose twitched as the cat thought of Farucan. Arye picked up his ear for listening as the familiar woman's voice explained what had happened to the hound belonging to the heir. Poison? Poison...poison...poisoned...poison! The dog! Ha! Arye thought, images of the dead hound convulsing running through his little head. Then Arye shook his head, remembering that their goal was to kill the boy, not the dog.
“What about Earnil? Is the boy alright?”
Yes, yes! Is the boy alive? He isn't...he's dead, right? Arye wondered impatiently, hoping for the best so that his Mistress' cares could be eased and lessened. Miaama will be fairly mad if he isn't dead...
“The boy’s fine. He didn’t eat none of the food. That’s what they think did it…the food. They think it must’ve been poisoned!”
Ha! I knew it, I knew it! Poison! I'm some detective... Arye thought proudly, before he could even think about what the woman had said. Hey, wait a minute! Alive? The boy is alive? Farucan's in trouble now!
Without another second of hesitation, Arye pranced out of the kitchen and into the dining hall, where Lassra lay dozing with Mosi chasing his tail nearby. Arye darted over to where Mosi was circling about the floor, and shouldered his brother so that the other black cat fell to the floor, dazed and confused.
Farucan messed up again! Arye hissed, but from the blinking stare he got from a dizzy Mosi, Arye decided that his brother was not the right cat to tell. Arye leapt over to where Lassra was snoozing, and jumped over her back and stomach, jolting the older cat awake.
What is it, Arye? What now? Come, tell me! What now? Lassra demanded, supressing a low growl from her lungs.
Farucan tried to poison the boy's food! The dog died instead! Farucan missed! Arye explained hurriedly.
Surely if Farucan continues to try and kill the boy suspicion will arise more than ever. What does Miaama think of it? Lassra asked, taking the information all in a stride. Mosi stood back up and continued to chase his tail.
I don't know, I just found out myself. Shall we get Miaama to tell Mistress?
Someone will tell her soon, if she does not know already. I will go, to soothe her stress. You and Mosi will go to find out anything else you can. If you see or hear anything important, come to me or Miaama. Understand? Lassra asked quickly, and without getting an answer from Arye the fatter cat stalked off to Beruthiel's quarters.
Arye felt he had the bad end of the whole thing, stuck with Mosi. Surely Mosi would cause too much trouble and commotion. Still, Arye could not leave his brother, and so Arye bit Mosi's motion-blurred tail to get his attention. Mosi yowled and listed to Arye as his brother explained their task. Though he didn't quite understand what Arye had tried to tell him, Mosi followed his brother out of the dining room and into the slightly chaotic hallways.
[ September 28, 2003: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]
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...Come down now, they'll say. But everything looks perfect from far away - Come down now! But we'll stay.
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