Fall 80, 511 A.V.
Arrow sat in the patch of midday sunlight, his eyes glued on the paper before him. Carefully his hand moved, copying the text that he held open on the table beside him. Focused on his task, he was slightly startled by Trouble’s sudden appearance at his elbow. “What’s up?” He asked in his kind voice as he turned to look at the girl.
“I think you should come see something.” She replied, an excited expression on her face. “Out back.”
Arrow quirked one eyebrow up but didn’t bother to ask questions. Trouble knew better than to disturb him at his copy work unless something really needed his attention. She was well able to handle most domestic issues that might crop up. Setting his quill down, he rose, glad for an excuse to stretch his cramped muscles. Trouble hopped in front of him, across the small room and through the back door into the brewing shed behind their home. Behind the shed was an alley – well, most days there was an alley. Some days, like all the thoroughfares of Alvadas, it took it in mind to go have a little jaunt and went elsewhere for a while. But it always returned, sooner or later. Arrow had a feeling that the alley liked them, and had some attachment to their little establishment. Maybe it liked the smell of beer.
Trouble slowed her pace at the opening to the shed, and paused, peering cautiously around the wall. The alley was there alright, Arrow saw as he stood behind her, looking out. Today, it had decided to dead end a few meters past the shed, in a blind cul-de-sac. Leaning out slightly over Trouble’s head, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders, he saw a sight unusual for a city, even Alvadas.
A large, sleek sided, black cat was crouched on top of the brick wall which now formed the end of the alley. In the noon sun, Arrow could see the shaded dapples that ran under and through the dark glossy coat. He had seen such creatures before, far to the south, near Taloba. But that had been long, long ago. It was unclear whether the jungle cat had been in the process of jumping into the alley or out of it, but the reason for Trouble summoning him was readily apparent.
Cat, the immensely fat stray tabby that been the cause of Trouble coming to live with Arrow in the first place, had chosen to sun herself on top of the same wall. The arrival of the black panther was more than a bit unsettling for the creature, and she was crouched, backed up against the side of the house, her tail bottled out to twice its size, her lips pulled back in what was supposed to be an intimidating snarl. But she was so fat, it seemed that she would topple from the wall any second. It was really rather humorous, for the man and the girl, if not the cat.
Making a reasonable assumption, that a black panther appearing in his back alley without explanation was probably an indication of some sort of magic at work, Arrow chose a course of caution and did not immediately rush to Cat’s aid. Instead, he spoke in his low, even voice. “Um, I think our cat would greatly appreciate it if you could hop down from there, one way or another. Was there any particular reason you came this way? Or . . . “ As was so often the case in Alvadas. “Have you lost your way? Or has the city lost it for you?”
Trouble had twisted her face around to look up at him over her shoulder. “She’s Kelvic.” She said in a low voice, as if it might be a secret.
“That was my guess,” Arrow replied with a smile.
