A Havanese's Journey

Chapter ll

Ginger felt the windy breeze tickle his fur. It felt good. He's never been to such an open space, or had such freedom. Leafy would have loved this.

Ginger remembered his previous conversation with his sister and shrugged. Leafy would only get in the way of this quest in first place.

After Leafy's misunderstanding, Ginger caught himself a sparrow, before rolling in a stalk of thyme to disguise his scent. He knew neither Granny Onions or Leafy would be able to follow him that way.  If they did catch up, Ginger would have to tell them everything. They would call him ridiculous and make him come back. 

They don't know how important this is to me!

Storm clouds began forming above Ginger. It's going to rain soon. 

Ginger stopped to hunt, catching a mouse. Just as he was about to enjoy his meal, rain began sprinkling down onto his fur. 

A loud boom sounded above Ginger's head, and a strike of lightning scorched his pelt. Ginger flinched in pain. They never had to worry about thunderstorm's back in camp, the trees had sheltered them away from the rain and cold.

The rain kept falling, faster and faster, Ginger was soon cold and soaking wet. A loud crash sounded above his head, and a branch struck his back. Ginger yowled and broke into a run. 

I have to find shelter.

Ginger winced whenever his hind leg touched the ground. He had twisted it from tripping over the roots of a ancient sycamore.

Ginger couldn't see more than 5 feet in front of him, but he quickened his pace. He let out a wail as he stumbled over a sharp shiny object. It pierced at the leg he twisted. Ginger saw large bright lights coming towards his direction. He struggled to get up, fighting back the pain. The lights grew brighter and brighter. Four huge paws showered rocks at Ginger's face. He whimpered in pain as the gravel hit his eyes. Oh, what do I do? Frozen in fear, Ginger pressed himself as low as possible onto the hard ground and waited for the worst.

"Watch out!" A shape hit his side hard, and both him and the shape flew and tumbled towards the edge of the road. Ginger saw bright green eyes gleam in the dark. Leafy?

It wasn't his sister. Ginger didn't recognize the strange scent at all. 

"That was a stupid thing to do!" the stranger spat. "You could have gotten us killed!"

Ginger blinked back confusion as the stranger continued. "You ran straight in front of a car!"

A car? What's that? Ginger felt the warmth return to his body. "I didn't mean too!" he snapped. "And you didn't have to save me either!"

"Us tribe cats help animals in need!" The stranger hissed back. 

She sniffed at the cuts on his leg. "You're hurt!" she gasped." Shelter under those bushes over there", she flicked her ears towards a row of flower bushes." I'll go fetch some lichen and yarrow."

How did I get myself into this?

Ginger dragged himself towards the bushes and plopped down onto a nest of leaves. 

By the time the stranger returned with plants clung to her jaws, the rain has stopped and a silver moon emerged from the clouds. Ginger got a good look at his rescuer for the first time. She was a long furred russet red she-cat with a large, well-muscled built, and had the most brilliant  green eyes. 

Oh great. Ginger thought in humiliation. I got rescued by a cat.

"And I got rescued by dogs plenty of times", mewed the she-cat. She seemed to be able to read his mind. "I was the one who sent you the vision, actually."

Ginger didn't know whether he could believe the she-cat or not. He winced as the cat patted a leafy-green paste onto his hind leg. "It's yarrow". the she-cat mewed. "Yarrow ointments are good for cuts, and wrapping lichen around your leg should be able to keep germs away from your wound."

Ginger shook his head in surprise. He did feel better after the she-cat's treatment. "Are you a stray? he asked. Where did you get this information from?"

"I'm currently a domestic cat." the she-cat shifted around awkwardly, and Ginger saw a green collar with a silver stone tied to her neck. Ginger tipped his head as the cat mewed, "that's the collar and tag my owner gave me. My mother taught me all this information when I was a kit, in case it might come handy someday."

The cat looked around nervously. "Well, I better get going!" she mewed, "good luck on your journey!"

The cat began fading away. Am I hallucinating?  Ginger thought. But when the cat began to speak again, he knew he wasn't. "Oh, and by the way, beware of who you trust." The cat was gone.

  Ginger woke up with a start on a bed of leaves. It was dawn, and there was lichen wrapped around his leg.