Operation Cute Kitten 1

Writers: Francesca, Jane, Kaysea, Paula, Vix
Date Posted: 19th September 2007

Characters: Chalzie, Ednan, Seriand, Hantala, Avia
Description: Five apprentices find a lost, wet kitten.
Location: Dolphin Hall
Date: month 5, day 25 of Turn 4

"Class dismissed," the Journeyman announced.

The lesson that day had been dense, and more than one apprentice gave a small sigh of relief that it was over. Everyone quickly collected their things and exited the classroom, glad the day of classes was finished. Chalzie was one of those students who had sighed. She had tried to absorb everything the Journeyman was explaining in class, but there had been too much information being presented. She knew she would need to spend several candlemarks that night studying the Dolphin-Human Contract. By the looks on the faces of the other apprentices during the class, it seemed like this was not the first time they had heard this information. For her, however, everything she heard was new, and she wondered how long it would take for her to catch up. The girl saw a group of apprentices that appeared to be heading towards the dining hall, and she hurried to join them. "Whew! I'm glad that's over with," she said to no one in particular.

"Only for today," Seriand muttered to the new girl. "Tomorrow he'll be back with another exciting installment. It's enough to drive apprentices to tears."

"Eventually it'll get better," Tala put in. "I've heard that later classes are taught with the pod. The only reason we need to learn all of this beforehand is that the dolphins expect that everyone already knows most of it." "But why does he have to make is _so_ boring?" Avia asked, chiming in. "His voice..." she shook her head, "honestly, its enough to put you into a hundred turn sleep." she closed her eyes briefly and emitted a snore, opening her eyes just in time to avoid bumping into another apprentice entering the dining hall. "Shhh." Tala stopped suddenly, causing the apprentice behind her to run into her. "I heard something."

Avia looked around quickly, worried that the journeyman she had been maligning was behind them. The relief on her face was obvious when she saw he wasn't there, but she too cocked her head and listened for a noise. "There's a feline somewhere," Seriand said, identifying the sound with a shrug, wondering why that should be noteworthy.

"Ooh! It sounds like it's just around the corner," Chalzie whispered excitedly, hearing the sound. The group of them moved forward slowly. She hoped they did not scare the feline away. Ednan almost collided with the group of girls on his way to dinner. "Hey! Why are you blocking the hallway?" he asked.

"Shhhhh. Don't scare it away." Chalzie whispered, recognizing Ednan's voice. "There's a feline somewhere nearby." Many turns ago, the caverns of the Hall had been worn fairly smooth by the waters of the ocean. However, the ebb and flow of the tides had left some ripples, ledges, and crevices in the rock. It was tucked in one of these small crevices that a little kitten crouched, wet and cold from the rain, and meowing in fear. It couldn't have been much more than eight sevendays old, with long mottled gray fur that was a bit matted from lack of care, and green eyes. The kitten shivered and continued its weak meow, too scared to leave its place of security, but aware enough of its hunger to make some noise.

"Huh. Not even full grown," Seriand commented. "Leave it be."

"But just _look_ at it. It's obviously too young to be by itself, and it's all wet." Chalzie crouched down in front of the small hole and gently lifted the kitten up, all while whispering soothingly to it. The kitten didn't look too happy to be off the ground, but was too small to struggle much. "Isn't it adorable? I wonder where it came from." "One of the kitchen's cats, probably." Avia said, reaching out a hand and gently playing with the kitten's ear. "What're you planning to do with it?" she asked, looking up at Chalzie. "I don't know." The kitten was beginning to struggle more, so Chalzie placed it gently on the floor. It walked over to another apprentice and rubbed against his legs. "What do you think we should do? I'd love to keep it, but I think the Journeyman who checks the room will find out." Seriand stepped away from the ball of fur. "Yep. And then you'll be in trouble and have no kitten. Tell the kitchen staff about it - they can take care of it."

Tala eyed the kitten curiously. It was really cute, but. . . "Don't felines carry diseases? We don't know where this one came from so we'd better leave it alone." "Is it a he or she?" Avia asked, watching the kitten padding from one set of legs to another, the pitiful mewling from it becoming louder. "Whatever, it is, it's hungry."

"Even if it is hungry, should we feed it?" Tala persisted. "I don't want to chance all of us getting sick from handling it." Chalzie was not deterred by Seriand or Tala's comments. She knew they were being rational, but couldn't bear the thought of walking away from the kitten. "But we can't just leave it here. It's lost." She picked it up gently. "It isn't skinny, and doesn't look injured or sick. Why don't we drop it off in my room, then go ask the kitchen staff if they know where it came from? And isn't there someone here who would be able to check if its healthy?" "I'm not sure Chalzie, I think the others could be right, maybe you should take it to the kitchens first and see if anyone there recognises it, or the beastcrafters?" she didn't like the idea of any of them getting sick or worse still, getting into trouble. Tala nodded in agreement. "Don't forget - it's not just your room so you'd not be the only one getting into trouble."

"Look out!" Avia hissed, as an senior journeyman approached, "If they catch you with it, they'll think its yours and you'll get into trouble, anyway." She took a deep relieved breath as the journeyman kept on walking, "_That_ was close." she gave an exaggerated sigh. "My sister has a feline," Ednan remarked.

"Is she an apprentice, though?" asked Seriand.

"Yes, but at the harper hall," Ednan replied.

Chalzie had been sitting on the floor, the kitten in her lap. Its fur was drying, and although it was still hungry, it was purring at the attention it was receiving. She sighed, fingers lightly playing with the kitten's ears. The journeyman passing by highlighted the fact that she couldn't keep it, although she still had hopes of bringing it into her room at times to keep her company. That is, if it wasn't sick or infected with anything. Chalzie picked the kitten up again. "Anyone want to come to the kitchens with me? Let's see if it belongs to someone there, of if someone at least wants to take care of it."

Seriand shook his head. "Not me. The only perfect record I have around here is that I'm never late for a meal and I don't intend to ruin that over a kitten. Good luck with him - her. Whatever it is." "I'll come." Avia piped up, mainly because like Chalzie, she really wanted to stay with the kitten; but also she wanted to make sure Chalzie did check with the kitchens - and may be take the kitten to the beasthealers for a check up, too. Tala sighed. "I'll come, too - but I'm not going to touch it myself until we're sure it's ok."

Ednan was tempted, the feline kitten was really cute, but... "I'm busy, I should be eating now and then I have more classes." As a senior apprentice on a brink of walking tables, he didn't want to risk anything. Chalzie shrugged. If not everyone was as concerned with the kitten as she was, that was fine with her. She was glad however that at least Avia seemed to think like she did, and that Tala was coming along. Turning to the boys, she gave a brief smile. "See you two later." And, to the girls, "Come on, let's go." She hoped that the little feline wasn't sick, and that someone would agree to take it in. "Time to hopefully find you an owner," she told the kitten softly, one finger lightly petting it between the ears.

Last updated on the September 23rd 2007

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Operation Cute Kitten 1