Wegie (Original)

Chapter 2

Morginn and Hyrr sat, waiting for theirmother. They were often left alone for long periods of time. Their mother, Tungl, was rather aloof.

The dilute calicoanxiously looked around. She scented the air, but her mother'sscent was stale.

The pale gingertabby-and-white sighed, "Where is she?"

Morginn whimpered, "Iwish she'd come home soon."

They were hiding awayin a cliff overlooking the Goddess Pool. Their mother was apure white she-cat with blue eyes. Tungl was the high priestessand often very busy with her job.

But her kittens yearnedfor her attention.

Listening to theirhearts beat, the kittens waited for their mother to return.

Finally, she did. Inher jaws was a pike, large enough for them all to split.

"Mama!" the kittenscried out when she reappeared into the crevice.

Saying nothing to them,she dropped the fish and watched as they began eating ravenously.

"We missed you,"Morginn said after swallowing a mouthful. Her green eyes werebright with hope that for once her mother may respond.

But she said nothing.

Hyrr's golden eyesglanced to his sister, his mother, and then his sister again. Hesaid nothing, but continued eating.

After they finishedwith the fish, the kittens groomed themselves, knowing their motherwouldn't do it for them.

At one point, the whitequeen stood up and padded out of the den.

"Not again,"Morginn mumbled.

But to her surprise,Tungl called back to them, "Come on!"

Exchanging glances, thekittens jumped to their paws and raced out of the little cavern. They followed their mother down the rocky path until theyreached the shoreline. There, they saw cats were alreadygathering.

"What's going on?"Hyrr asked.

Morginn was thoughtful,"It must be the day of no night."

Tungl said nothing. Morginn reminded herself that Tungl was deaf to mortal cats. She could only hear what spirits or the goddess told her. Ifthat was what her kittens were saying, she could respond, but if itwasn't, she'd have no idea they spoke at all.

Morginn looked at allthe cats. Each one had thick, fluffy fur and most had the samesort of face. But there were only three sorts of forest catthat lived around the Goddess Pool, and of those, only two lived inOpe. Most of these cats were Norwegian Forest Cats, or Wegies.

Tungl led her kittensto a large rock. She easily leapt on top of it and sat there,gazing out at the great pool. He kittens had a harder timeclimbing up, but they managed to seat themselves beside their mother.

They watched as onland, cats gathered and, in the Goddess Pool, large black and whitecreatures played in the water.

"What're those?"Hyrr asked.

After a moment, Tunglsaid, "Orcas, the wolves of the sea."

Morginn felt her furprick with anxiety. Wolves were very scary and to think theylurked in the water too...it was terrifying.

All was still forseveral heartbeats. All the cats had gathered and the sun wasstill in the sky.

And then, the first crybroke the air. Tungl meowed, "Meow!"

The other cats followedher lead.

Morginn cried out asloud as she could, "Meow!"

"Meow!" my motherdoesn't love me.

"Meow!" my brotherdoesn't care.

"Meow!" I don'twant this life.

Morginn continuedmeowing even when her meanings were being repeated. Surely thegoddess would hear her and provide some sort of assistance. Maybe,she would even get to be a priestess like her mother despite herhaving no blue eye.

The meowing continuedringing through the air until the sun began to set and night fellover the area. It was not long after nightfall that lights litup the sky. Green and purple and some blue, it was beautiful!

But it meant the timewas to move.

Tungl leapt down fromthe rock. "Come kittens," she commanded.

Hyrr and Morginn morefell from the rock than they did leap. But they were not hurtand managed to follow their mother as she began weaving through cats.

Morginn noticed atortoiseshell-and-white queen with three kittens. One of themhad a blue eye. That's who they were headed for first.

"The first newpriestess!" Tungl declared.

All the cats stared inawe as she laid her muzzle atop the calico-tabby kitten's head. The kitten shivered with fear.

The cats cheered. Themother forced a purr, but Morginn could tell it was as fake as whenTungl purred for them when they were newborn kittens.

"Morginn," Tunglsaid.

A lump formed in herthroat. Her heart seemed to stop, and her stomach tightened.

Tungl continued, "Thisis your proper mother. You shall stay with her, and Sannindiwill come with me."

Thetortoiseshell-and-white lowered her head to touch noses with Morginn.

But Morginn would nothave it, "Why me?"

Tungl didn't reply. Instead, she wrapped her tail around Sannindi and began walkingaway.

Morginn was going torun after them, but she felt a pressure at her scruff. Once thepressure was gone, there was a tortoiseshell tail in front of her anda body near hers.

"I know this must behard for you," the mother mewed, "it is for me. But we mustabide by what Goddess wills."

Morginn looked up atthe queen in horror, and then at her birth mother. She wasgrowing small in the distance, Sannindi kept close and Hyrrstruggling to keep up.

"Mama!" Morginncried out, "Mama, come back for me!"

But Tungl would nothear it.

Vigr pressed close toher new daughter. The toms looked at her warily and with greatpity.

        The other cats scoldedMorginn for not wanting the same thing the goddess wanted.