“Head Nurse, I am tired of being under your claws. You constantly pick at and criticize me. No one can work under this stress,” Leana complained.
“It is because of your skill that I hold you to such high standards. After all, you were recognized by the Marquis. That is both an honor and a demand for perfection. After all, we do not want to disappoint him.” Leana’s tail thrashed in response to Thistle’s catty remarks. This was a sure sign of unspeakable annoyance.
“You have forced me to work six days straight. By regulation, a nurse works only four,” Leana argued.
“I can’t help it when our fellow nurses get sick,” Thistle countered.
“Sick? You gave them the day off!” Leana spat angrily.
“That is the price of your position. If you do not like it, you can resign. You can always become a teacher or a harvester. That is what is available,” Thistle snorted childishly.
“I may,” Lea snarled.
Sickened by Thistle’s behavior, Elizabeth rushed down the path to where Thistle and Leana were standing exchanging angry glares. Upon sight of the Duchess, both cougaresses ended their feud and faced her.
“Is there a problem, Head Nurse? I heard raised voices,” Elizabeth inquired.
“There is no problem, Lady Cougar. Nurse Longclaw and I were discussing her commendation from the Marquis,” Thistle replied.
“Was that all?” Elizabeth continued.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Is that true, Nurse Longclaw?”
“No, ma’am,” Leana replied honestly.
Satisfied with Leana’s answer, the Duchess turned her attention toward Thistle, who was visibly flustered.
“May I venture a guess?” the Duchess commented dryly.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Nurse Longclaw was complaining about your attempts to grind her into the ground,” Elizabeth began. “Don’t look so surprised, Head Nurse. Even if I had not overheard your conversation I would have been able to guess. Look at Nurse Longclaw. She is exhausted,” she continued in spite of Thistle’s stammering.
“Nurse Longclaw, is what I heard true? Have you actually worked six days straight?”
“Yes ma’am.”
“Lady Cougar, I am at a loss as to what to say,” Thistle stammered.
“I know just what you are going to say. That you hope that Nurse Longclaw will enjoy the several days off that you are about to give her,” Duchess Elizabeth Cougar informed Head Nurse Thistle.
Ignoring the Duchess was not an option. Her role as Duchess put Head Nurse Thistle under her authority and she knew it.
“As you wish, Lady Cougar. May I ask who will work in her place, though?”
“That answer is simple. You can. After all, your perfection should be shared. I am sure that your fellow nurses will be inspired by your dedication and example.”
With some degree of humiliation, Thistle gave Leana several days off and quickly scurried away to lick her wounds and begin the shift that her nastiness had earned for her.
“Thank you,” Leana glowed as she expressed her gratitude to the Duchess for seeing her plight and acting accordingly.
“It’s no problem, Leana. I need to have a long heart to heart chat with your boss. I believe that it is time that we settled matters and ended her childishness. It is long overdue. If you have nothing planned, I wonder if you would care to join me for lunch.”
CHAPTER 7
A chorus of jays sang in the trees overhead as Cheshire passed underneath. Their melody was lost on him. He was too preoccupied to notice much of anything. Cheshire had hoped to have been included in his father’s plan. He hoped that his father had a good reason for keeping him ignorant.
Cheshire was brought back to the present when he felt his left shoulder brush against another cat. The cat which he had bumped into was small. He would have thought that he had bumped into a cougaress except for Jeremiah Pineneedles’ condescending stance and expressions. Jeremiah stumbled, regained his composure, turned toward Cheshire, and regarded him with a look of superiority.
“I am terribly sorry, Jeremiah,” Chesh apologized.
“Given your condition, it is understandable. Without all your senses I suppose these things will happen,” Jeremiah huffed.
“Is that so?” Cheshire’s tail twitched slightly.
“It is good to see you up and about again. I simply don’t know what I would do if I were in your condition. Well, I must be off,” Jeremiah continued arrogantly.
When Jeremiah was well on his way, Cheshire thrashed his tail and turned back toward the lynx village. Before continuing on Cheshire took a deep breath and dug his claws into the earth.
“How can someone who is that small be able to spend so much time looking down his nose at everyone?” he muttered.
Being the judge of the Cougar Clan, Cheshire had been trained by his father to look into a cat’s character while searching for the truth. From what he had witnessed of Jeremiah’s ability to care for others, he held little respect for him. How could his neighbors worry about Cheshire being nose-blind while Jeremiah prowled the village?
“Divine Master, guide me,” he prayed.
CHAPTER 8
Having been given the day off, Leana had taken a much needed nap, helped her mother, and had decided to venture down to where Cold Brook cascaded into Trinity Pond. Trinity Pond was a favorite social gathering spot for both the cougar and lynx clans. In fact, it served as a boundary line between the two clans. Upon arriving at the pond, Leana found that several of her friends and fellow nurses were there enjoying the afternoon sun as well. Leana’s presence there took them all by surprise. They were well aware of Thistle’s growing hostility toward Leana. All present were astounded to find Leana out basking in the glorious weather and not under Thistle’s watchful eye and heavy yoke.
“Did you run away?” Violet asked.
“Did Head Nurse Thistle release you from service?” another inquired with a look of concern.
“Heavens, no! I got the day off!”
“How? We thought that Thistle was trying to rip your soul out,” Violet continued.
“I know how Leana got the day off,” Eve interrupted. Eve floated up to the group with a knowing smile.
“How?” the group murmured in unison.
“The Duchess caught Thistle and Leana fighting, and the Duchess settled it,” Eve answered. Wide-eyed, the cougaresses turned their gaze toward Leana.
“You were favored by the Duchess!” Violet gasped.
“Think of the implications!” another exclaimed and then covered her mouth with her paws.
“Heavens! The Duchess only did what was right. I personally admire her,” Leana responded as if nothing special had happened.
“Her son the Marquis is your friend as well as your patient. This is no mystery,” Eve commented authoritatively. Leana’s friends had caught scent of the biggest piece of gossip to be had, and they knew it. They planned on exploring the subject, too. Leana, who was not looking forward to what was coming, braced for the worst.
Before the interrogation could begin, the sound of rushing hooves caught the group’s attention. Seconds later, two white-tailed bucks stood before the group. One of the bucks had an extra-large apple wedged in his mouth and looked miserable. The other one simply looked frantic.
“Are any of you nurses?” the buck without the apple inquired.
“Yes,” Eve replied.
“Thank the Master! My friend here needs help. He cannot spit the apple out,” he continued.
Leana was the first to approach the group’s new patient. She’d much rather work than to continue to be the target of gossip.
“How did this happen?” Leana asked the stag that had accompanied her current patient.
“We had been knocking apples off the tree when Jeff decided to try and catch one before it hit the ground,” the other stag explained. Jeff merely grunted and turned his dismal expression away from his friend toward Leana, who
was busy examining the soundness of his jaw.
“I see,” Leana commented with a nod to one of her fellow nurses. At the signal the other nurse placed a paw on each side of Jeff’s head to steady it while Leana extended a claw and ran it lightly across the apple.
“This will only take a minute,” Leana reassured the stag as she carefully worked her way through the apple with her claw. When her claw cleared the other side of the apple it fell to the ground in two pieces.
“Thank you,” her relieved patient said after working his jaw to see if it was dislocated. Wanting to return to the harvest, the two stags continued on their way with a grateful nod to the cougar nurses who had helped them.
“You’re welcome, but from now on be more careful,” Leana called after the two stags as they bounded away.
Not long after the stags left, Paul and his playmates came walking along, caught up in the midst of a loud debate. Paul was so involved in arguing that he almost walked into Leana, who had been watching the group’s approach. Realizing he was about to walk into someone, Paul stopped, looked up to apologize, and was completely taken by surprise to see his older sister not working.
“Hello, Paul,” she greeted her brother with a smile.
“Hi. Lea, aren’t you supposed to be working?” Paul asked, still in a state of shock.
“No. I got the day off.”
“How? What fell on your boss?” Paul continued.
“What do you mean?” Lea inquired.
“Well, you said that the only way to get through to your boss would be after a tree fell on her and softened her head,” Paul explained, causing the group to break into laughter.
“I’ll tell you about it later. What were you and your friends making such a fuss over?”
“James says that Cheshire is blind. I say he isn’t!” the cub continued.
“My dad says that ALL half-bits are blind,” James added defensively.
“A half-bit is not blind. The venom just muddles the victim’s sense of smell, leaving him nose-blind,” Leana explained to her young audience.
“See, I told you so!” Paul exclaimed triumphantly.
“Thanks, Lea,” Paul called over his shoulder as he and his friends moved on.
“It appears that being a Cheshire Cougar fan runs in your family, Lea. Like I mentioned earlier, he is your star patient,” Eve commented as she examined her reflection in the pond. Eve felt that the crescent shaped patch of white fur above her left eyebrow made her stunning. It was a full time job maintaining her self-proclaimed beauty patch.
“Oh my! Well, he…” Leana began to answer but the arrival of the Duke of Shepherds brought all conversation to a stop. The Duke’s quiet and seemingly aloof nature, combined with his reputation as a fiery battlefield commander, intimidated the group of young females; and they immediately stepped back, opening the circle that they had formed. The Duke eyed the group with an expression of neutral interest, and then he turned his gaze to Leana.
“Are you Miss Leana Longclaw?” he asked
“Yes. I am Leana Longclaw.”
“Excuse me, Miss Longclaw, I need your help,” the Duke addressed Leana,
“You do?” Leana asked apprehensively. She could not imagine why she would be sought out by the Duke of Shepherds. Her life since the Battle of Eastern Pass had been quiet—and she planned to keep it that way. Seeing the male cougars in action once was quite enough. After that, she better understood her father and his desire to avoid conflict and work for peace. His meekness and humility were respected and had often provided just the balance needed within the community.
CHAPTER 9
During the annual Nativity Festival, even the most stern residents of Evermore let their serious side relax and partook in the joyous celebration of the Lamb’s birth into the mortal world of men--a birth that affected all of creation and sealed the Dragon’s fate. The cougars celebrated with a Thanksgiving and Praise ceremony. Then afterward they held a massive feast and social.
Within the feast and social were many lesser traditions that were followed. Traditions like young cougars and cougaresses beginning their first steps of courtship with the stroll. If one followed tradition, the cougar would walk up to the cougaress that he fancied and invite her to walk with him. This tradition many cougars looked forward to continuing, and married couples looked back on fondly.
Chaplain had just closed the service with a prayer and the attendees were migrating to the pavilion where the social was to be held. Among the mass of merry makers, two young cougaresses made their way through the crowd. One had soft hazel eyes and wore a half-circle family mark on her cheek. The other had blue eyes and had a series of thin, dark patches of fur on her muzzle. Both had been friends for years, and they were attending the social for the second season since they had reached courting age. After arriving at the pavilion, both cats found a comfortable spot near some of their friends.
“Liz, do you have any cat that you have an eye for?” the blue-eyed cougaress inquired of her friend.
“Not really. I have my dreams though. How about you, Lily?”
“Does your dream have a name?” Lily asked, curious to see who her friend was interested in.
“Him,” Elizabeth stated reluctantly and bashfully with a nod toward a cougar that was addressing a group near-by.
Looking up, Lily spotted Gabriel Cougar standing and talking to a group of cats. Gabriel was the son of the Duke of Cougars and was next in line to lead the cougar clan. That and the fact that he was both quite handsome and single made him the most desirable bachelor in the clan.
“You do have wonderful dreams. I think we all have the same dream,” Lily commented.
“I met him the other day and he spoke to me. He is really nice.”
“I was there too. You two had just begun talking when Sharon pranced up, butted you out of the conversation, and out of competition.”
“Did you see the way he looked at her?” Liz argued.
“Yeah, I see the way most males look at Sharon. You know, I bet if you pranced around and played the games that Sharon Thistle does, you’d have him,” Lily continued.
“I could never do that,” Liz commented with a shudder.
“Well, she can and does. Look, here she comes now, right toward him,” Lily observed.
Elizabeth and Lily watched as a cougaress confidently strutted up to Gabriel and his friends. The Marquis’ friends seemed quite taken by Sharon Thistle, but surprisingly the Marquis showed no interest whatsoever. In fact, he stepped around Sharon and started walking toward Elizabeth. Wide-eyed, Elizabeth processed what was happening and tried to hide her amazement.
“Elizabeth, you are looking well this evening,” Gabriel greeted Elizabeth with a warm smile.
“Thank you. You look well too, Sir Cougar,” she replied with a gulp.
“Please call me Gabriel. I must apologize for the other day. It was wrong of me to not make Sharon apologize.”
“I am to blame, too. I should have stood up to her. I am not one to make a scene, though.”
“With Sharon you can make a scene whenever you want. Elizabeth, would you care to take a walk with me?”
“I’d love to!” Elizabeth replied happily.
Lily, Sharon, and most of the cougar social world gawked as the couple walked away.
“You know what I love? Sincerity and honesty. It’s okay to let me know if I am wrong,” Gabriel stated as they strolled along.
Elizabeth Cougar often looked back on that day, the day that Gabriel had begun their courtship. It was a memory she would always cherish. It was also a memory, she suspected, that Sharon Thistle hated. Elizabeth also believed that, left unchecked, this memory could create new pain in the present. That is why she had asked Sharon Thistle to stop by so that they could talk.
Shortly after her watch ended, Sharon Thistle arrived at the Cougar Den for her appointment with the Duchess--an appointment she had not looked forward to with great enthusiasm. Sharon had be
en met at the front hatch by Elizabeth Cougar, who invited her to accompany her to the courtyard where they could sit in the shade.
“Is this about earlier?” Sharon asked cautiously after sitting down.
“Yes and no. Sharon, why are you so hard on Leana?” Elizabeth replied.
“She is very talented. You expect a lot from cats with talent,” Thistle answered.
“I think it goes deeper. I believe it goes back to you and me.”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“I believe you are fighting ghosts.”
“Ghosts? Nonsense. What do any of us have to do with ghosts?”
“Okay. If it does not go back to us, then answer me this. Why does your hostility toward Leana revolve around her friendship with Cheshire? It all began when you found out that she knew my son,” Elizabeth countered.
Sharon did not know how to respond. In the past she had been able to mask her hostility with regulations and procedures. The Duchess had caught her breaking regulations so that she could continue her vendetta. As she looked at Elizabeth, she could feel old hurts and emotions from the past bubbling to the surface. The showdown had finally come. Sharon had been cornered and she knew it. She did not know if she would lose her position or not, but regardless of that there was a question she had to ask. One that had vexed her for years.
“How did you do it?” Sharon blurted.
“Do what?”
“Take him? He just met you and POOF he was yours,” Sharon continued.
“Gabriel?” Liz questioned.
“Yes. I thought I had his attention and next thing I knew he only had eyes for you.”
“All I did was be myself,” Elizabeth answered honestly.
“Is that all? I don’t understand it. I thought there was something more, something secret that I did not know. Some method to the attraction,” Thistle rambled.
“There was a secret. Honesty. Sharon, you made it impossible for anyone to know you. You spent all of your time playing games.”
“I was never deceptive,” Sharon argued.
“Neither were you straight forward. Tell me, were you honestly interested in any cat back then, or was it about power?”