Wegie (Original)

Chapter 3

"Why did you pick me?" Sannindiasked the white queen.

Tungl responded, "Thegoddess told me to."

"Why?" thecalico-tabby asked, "I know I have a blue eye, but I'm notspecial."

Looking over hershoulder, Tungl responded, "What do you think, er, Erikson is? Heis not imaginary, you know that."

"Yes," Sannindireplied, "but...what is he?"

Erikson silently walkedalong the she-cats.

"You'll learn,"Tungl told her new daughter.

Not satisfied with theanswer, Sannindi wrinkled her nose.

She noticed the tomkitten, walking quietly with his head down. Should she ask his name,she wondered. She decided not to, realizing she would not benear him long anyway.

The sun was breakingover the horizon when they came to the next priestess to be.

"The next highpriestess," Tungl declared.

The mostly whitecalico's golden eyes widened but then she nodded and said of herdaughter, "I knew she would be; the way she speaks so well butcannot hear a thing. It must be because of the whispers fromGoddess."

The blue-eyed whitekitten had half her tail dilute calico. It was the only coloron her.

"My name is Fiskr,"she said.

"I'm Sannindi,"the calico-tabby replied.

"And you are mydaughters," Tungl told them. Using her tail to gather them,she turned the way she came and began leading them home.

"We're sistersnow," Fiskr excitedly said.

Sannindi nodded,feeling less certain.

"How interesting,"Fiskr mewed at one point.

"What?" Sannindiasked.

Fiskr explained, "He'sattached himself to your spirit. I've never seen thatbefore."

"What do you mean?"Sannindi asked with much confusion.

Erikson explained,"She's talking about me. She sees me like a normal cat,like you do out of your blue eye. She can hear us talking too."

Feeling even lesscertain, Sannindi realized that her conversations with Erikson hadalways been private until this point.

"Be careful how youtrust him," Tungl warned.

"Why?" Sannindiasked. Erikson was her best friend, the cat she trusted morethan anyone.

Tungl and Fiskr weresilent. Finally, Tungl said, "You shall understand in time."

"What're theytalking about?" Sannindi asked her invisible friend.

His response was,"Nothing, just ignore them."

But that did notsatisfy Sannindi. She lashed her fluffy tail but continuedwalking onward, holding a grudge.

Stopping at a log, theymade themselves comfortable for the night. It was odd toSannindi, to be with these cats. She couldn't help but think.

To which, Eriksonreplied, "But you are so important and your journey in life sogrand. Just wait till you begin learning about being apriestess!"

"I just don't knowI want to be one," Sannindi thought to him.

Tungl growled,reminding Sannindi that the queen could hear her thoughts.

Closing her eyes, shedrifted to sleep. Dreaming of her former family, she saw herbrothers and mother. They were all together and happy andnothing else mattered.

But then she awoke andfound herself with two cats who might as well have been strangers.

"Don't worry,you'll adjust," Erikson assured her.

Tungl yawned and Fiskrstretched. Then they began journeying home once more.

"Queen, my queen!"a scared voice shrieked.

The three cats stoppedand looked over their shoulders. A lilac tabby with whiteforepaws was staring at them with wide green eyes.

"Please help me!"she begged.

"What's wrong?"Fiskr asked.

Tungl held her tail infront of her new daughters. She explained, "This cat died anddid not go directly to the Great Garden nor the Sea of Woe. Itis our duty to send her on her way to the correct location."

"I want Goddess,"the lilac tabby told them, "I need her!"

"How do we know whatto decide?" Fiskr asked.

Sannindi asked, "Howdo we send her on her way?"

Tungl told them, "Lookat the air around her. It is called her aura. The colorof that will tell you where she belongs. If it is yellow, red,or blue, one belongs in the Great Garden. If it is green,purple, or orange, one belongs in the Sea of Woe."

Sannindi noticed theshe-cat's aura was a violet, but more blue than red.

"This one is almostblue," Sannindi said, "so what do we do?"

"But it is purpleregardless of how much blue it may be," Tungl explained, "so shebelongs in the Sea of Woe."

Sannindi felt herstomach twist. This didn't feel right.

The lilac tabby criedout, "No, please don't! I need Goddess, I need the GreatGarden!"

But Tungl ignored herpleas. Instead she meowed, "Miaouamer!"

"No!" the tabbyscreeched as she faded away, her essence dropping toward the ground.

"It will follow thegroundwater until it reaches the River of the Dead," Tungl told herdaughters, "and from there, it will travel south to the Sea ofWoe."

"Brilliant!" Fiskrmewed in awe.

Sannindi was silent.

"She deserved it,"Erikson assured her.

Fiskr twitched herwhiskers and thought aloud, "What do you deserve, dear Erikson?"

        To which no one saidanything.