Eirairr and The Cat

Eirairr and The Cat

By. S Greyholt

Today was one of Twin Feathers’ rare off days. Qlul was out, shopping in the Plus Market. Ecirr sipping a mug of tea in the front of the inn, window cracked beside him, allowing the crisp winter air in. A handful of other patrons were here, but they didn’t mind. Ecirr was like a regular fixture in this place—or, at least he felt things appeared that way. Every time they had an off day, Ecirr came to read, study, or write in this exact seat, window cracked open this exact amount… a mug of this exact tea in his hand.

Ah… the wind felt marvelous against his feathers. And Eirairr was behaving, too. Presumably. Though he didn’t quite know where the elf had gone, he knew he was nearby, at least…

Oh, it truly was a perfect—

A horrible yowl shattered the calm. Ecirr blinked and cast a glance out the window. Eirairr. What the hells…?

He was dragging a burlap sack. Something was fighting for dear life within, kicking and punching and screaming bloody murder. A hiss. Had Eirairr kidnapped a catfolk…? Ecirr could feel his heart seize up and his blood chill. Eirairr was going to get himself arrested. Where was Qlul? They’d have to explain away all of this, or Eirairr would…

Ecirr set the cup down, gently, calmly, despite feeling anything but.

Eirairr dragged it past the window. Ecirr stared, and stared, and stared, mind ticking, gears turning… the door opened. In Eirairr came, dragging the sack behind him. “Come on!” he laughed, face full of childlike glee. “It’s a fun ride! I wish I could be in a-“

“Eirairr.”

Eirairr froze, like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. Ecirr peered down at the sack. Whatever was inside was still squirming about. Suddenly, he felt sheer relief hit him. Whatever it was, it was far too small to be any of the sapient races. It was… probably a cat. No, without a doubt, it was a cat. Catfolk didn't hiss...

Ecirr sighed. Discomfort written clear across his features as he flitted his gaze between it and the elf who just stood there, with that same silly smile on his face.

“Okay. Let the cat go, Eirairr.”

“Okay…”

Slowly, Eirairr untied the rope holding the bag closed. The moment it was no longer sealed, there was a flash of movement, of bristling fur and a hiss; and then the cat found itself curled up, back against the far wall… where it stared, wide-eyed with terror, at the pair.

But worse than that to Eirairr, was Ecirr’s stare. They had only been in Hamelan for two days, and already…

“Eirairr…”

“I- I thought, I thought it’d… like it.” His words were sad. He clearly hadn’t meant to harm it. Ecirr knew that. He’d only known him for… oh, about a year now, but… he knew Eirairr would never hurt something innocent on purpose.

“Eirairr.” Ecirr breathed at last. “Cats do not like being put in bags and… dragged to Gods know where.”

Eirairr’s ears drooped and his face fell with his shoulders.

“I’m sorry.”

Ecirr glanced over at the cat. It was terrified. But it looked to be unharmed.

“Well.” He smiled softly as he turned his attention back to his friend. “Let this be a lesson, all right? You won’t do it again, will you?”

“No…”

“Good. And you understand why cats don’t like that?”

“Yes!”

Ecirr nodded. Yes… in the end, perhaps it was his and Qlul’s fault for not keeping a closer eye on him. The elf knew nothing. Ecirr knew, deep down, that Eirairr truly had no inkling that such an experience could be terribly traumatic for a cat… he well and truly, innocently, earnestly did believe that it would simply be “fun” for it. In the end, no harm had been done. The cat was safe. It was fine.

“All right, then. Don’t fret. I won’t tell Qlul.”

“Thank you!”

Qlul certainly would have given him an earful. Qlul was gentle-hearted and soft in tone, so all Ecirr was really doing was sparing him a second lecture. After all, if anything, Ecirr was the harsher, stricter of the two…

In the end, it was not Eirairr’s fault. He knew now. He would not do it again. That was what mattered, yes? And Ecirr could not fault him—for he knew Eirairr truly was like a small child. Eirairr hadn’t even known how to eat or drink when they’d met him… it was a miracle that full-blooded elves were spared some of the more… nasty bodily functions, to put it mildly.

Ecirr shivered at the thought of teaching someone of full-grown body how to… he shook his head.

At Eirairr’s great, beaming smile, Ecirr laughed through his nares. Noticing him watching, Eirairr chirped out, “Thank you!”

“Yes, yes.”

He laughed again, quieter and shorter this time, as Eirairr approached the cat, only to flinch backwards as it lunged at him… then fled down the hall, and out the open window.

Eirairr began to sob openly. Perhaps wail was more accurate, as his cries came in waves and reminded Ecirr of an infants. His cries were timed so, that Ecirr hadn’t heard the front door swing open, Qlul’s yelp of surprise as the cat darted by him, or said door close…

“…It’s all right, Eirairr.”

“Noo…!” Eirairr protested through his tears. “It hates me… the cat hates me… I don’t… I didn’t…”

“It does not hate you, Eirairr. It was- Ah…”

Ecirr looked up to see Qlul. He was back early…

“Welcome back, Qlul.”

Qlul blinked at him and then at Eirairr.

“Qlul…. The cat hates me… I put it in a bag and now it hates me… I just wanted it to have fun and…”

Qlul sighed and looked with a questioning gaze to Ecirr. Ecirr knew he wanted an answer. And he wasn’t likely to get a clear one from Eirairr, of all people…

Ecirr smiled at him. “We had a bit of an… incident.” He chose his words carefully. “I have already spoken to him about it.

Qlul glanced back at the window down the hall. Back to Ecirr and the tearful Eirairr…

And he sighed.

“I leave you guys for two hours…”

In the end, Qlul let it go. Eirairr stopped crying. And their lives continued, as they always did.

#

One year later…

Ecirr had Eirairr by his collar, as he raised a hand in farewell to Taka and Beriyl, while simultaneously giving the go-ahead to the driver.

“Be safe, Taka. Be safe, Beriyl.”

“Bye,” Taka smiled up at him. “Be safe! Uh, see you for the festival!”

Even Beriyl raised a hand, though he offered no words. And so, the carriage began to roll, gently away, down the cobbled street. Taka and Beriyl grew smaller, and smaller… Ecirr toned out Eirairr’s screaming and kept his grip firm, lest the elf fly out the back and roll down the street. It was a genuine concern, with him.

It wasn’t until Taka and Beriyl could no longer be seen that Eirairr, at last, quieted down. Ecirr sighed and watched the houses go by.

Moments passed…

“Hey!” Eirairr suddenly exclaimed, pressing his face up against the glass. “It’s that same cat from last time!”

Ecirr shook his head, but looked anyway. “Is it? That seems highly unlikely.” Truth be told, he could not tell. Though, then again, he didn’t tend to give much thought to remembering the appearance of cats.

“It is!” Eirairr insisted.

“Ah, is that so?” Ecirr wasn’t paying attention now. He’d let his eyes fall down to his lap, where he had a small journal flipped open to a blank page.

Neither of them noticed as the cat ran just a little faster under Eirairr’s stare.

Eirairr and The Cat – THE END