The Pet Is Chosen

i had gone into town with a few of my friends that day. i had been looking over some new cloths that had just arrived and was exchanging news as i browsed. This was a weekly excursion and one i always looked foreword to. The merchant had just gotten done telling me about the abduction of a Lord Ulrich's slave, zara. Lord Ulrich was said to be sending a group of men around the region looking for his beloved slave who was said to be a Cat Person. zara had been a hot topic for conversation in the market for years because of what she looked like.

i was just about to regroup with my friends when the strange men came riding into town. A few moments after their rather loud arrival a wagon pulled up outside of the market that bore the markings of the Lord Ulrich. Some part of me felt alarmed by this and i quickly pulled my cloak up over my head and made sure my tail was tucked inside. The local people had gotten used to me over the years i had lived there but these outsiders might mistake me for the missing slave. The merchant motioned me towards his curtain back room area and i was thankful to him for it.

A few minutes later a commotion in the street could be heard. The merchant whispered to me to be still and very quiet. Something i was intending on being until these men left. One of the men had grabbed one of my friends and had forcibly removed her cloak and was demanding to know where the kitty was. i knew my friend had to be terrified right about now. i could hear the man demanding to know where the kitty was. i was trembling as i heard him rough my friend up.

"Come on girl, this can all end and you can go home if you will just tell me where to find the kitty. I know there is one here in town."

"No, I'm not going to tell you. She's not the one you are looking for. I've known her all my life."

"Is that so? So this town has been harboring a dangerous animal."

i was trying to decide what to do when i heard commotion in the store next to the one i was hiding in. i could hear noise all around me but so far no one had come into this shop. Something made my nose itch and i sneezed. i could hear the merchant sneezing a few moments after i did in a vain attempt to cover up mine. i moved to crouched down behind a large pile of blankets in the store room. i thought we might get away with it when the curtain hiding me was torn from the wall. i had no where to run. i let the man grab a hold of my cloak.

"Well what do we have here?"

The man dragged me into the street and rather forcibly tossed me to the ground and placed his foot upon my back. Another one of the men tossed him some rope and i soon found my hands tied behind my back and both of my feet tied to that. i tried to squirm a bit but soon found that i wouldn't be going any where. Out of the corner of my eye, i saw my Father approaching the men. i saw in his hands the family bible and wondered why he had brought that with him.

Father stopped in front of the man who was pinning me to the ground. He opened the bible and produced a neatly folded document and presented it to the man. The man read it over and before Father could stop him the man tore it up into little pieces. Father looked in disbelief as little pieces of paper hit showered down over me.

"Old man that piece of paper means nothing. Lord Ulrich has issued an order that all Cat People be rounded up and held until further notice. That piece of paper is meaning less and I'm afraid your precious kitty is going with me and my men."

i could see one of my friend's take my Father's hand and lead him away. i was grateful to my friend for it would tear him apart to see me loaded into the wagon like a common criminal. A hood was soon placed over my head. It had a small slit to allow me to breathe. i was soon lifted and pitched into the straw that lined that back of the wagon.

i felt the straw poke at me through my garb. i was rather thankful at the moment to still have my dress. At least the ropes wouldn't dig directly into my flesh. i didn't have any idea of where these men were taking me but i knew that this day marked a new beginning in my life.

i heard the man who bound me tell the others to wrap things up and get the prisoner back to Lord Ulrich. My heart sunk even lower with those words. i did not want to be taken to that man. i had heard many stories about how he treats my kind. i suddenly felt very alone and scared.

i drifted off to sleep a few hours into the journey. All i knew was that if i slept i couldn't fret over my situation. It wasn't like i could change it with myself all tied up. i couldn't change my position very much but at least had my head tilted in such a way that the straw wouldn't suffocate me.

i didn't awaken until the wagon stopped suddenly and i could hear yelling and commotion outside. i heard the door of the wagon open suddenly and felt hands grabbing at me and pulling me out. i was too scared to struggle and my heart was beating fast. The hood was yanked roughly off my head and my feet were unbound and i was forced to stand. i slowly adjusted my eyes to the darkness of night.

"Fools this isn't my zara! Did you think to try and pass her off as mine?"

"No, M'Lord, we were not trying to pass this girl off as zara. I was told by your Captain that I was to collect any girl who was a Cat Person. I was told that you had rescinded their safe passage in your lands."

"My Captain said this? I highly doubt that as those were not my orders. I only wished my zara to be found and returned to me. In fact I am on my way to Lord Elrik's lands now to see if the Cat Person he has in his hands is in fact my zara."

"M'Lord, I could arrange for you to take this one with you. I am sure she won't be much of a bother to you."

"No, I don't want to be burden with another mouth to feed. I didn't rescind her free passage papers. Return her to her family."

"M'Lord, I must confess that I destroyed her papers."

"Then take her to a slaver then. I don't wish to have her on my hands. I am sure she will fetch a pretty price. She is beautiful but the only Cat Person I wish to possess is my lovely zara."

"Very well then M'Lord I will see to making sure this kitty is taken away."

"Just a moment though. I do think she is a beauty. Have any of your men tried her out yet?"

"No, M'Lord. She was just captured earlier this day. I was not sure about the coloring of your zara and did not wish to touch that which might be yours."

"Well said and it is a pity that she is not my lovely kitty. Have her brought to my camp after she has been bathed."

"Yes, M'Lord. I will see to it that she is bathed and brought to you."

i glared at the men but held my tongue. i knew that i really would not have much say in the matter and choose to leave my words for now. Speaking now would have only caused my captures to become angry and that would mean things would not go well for me. i wished to keep my fur in tact and not be injured in any manner. i was hoping that i might be able to persuade the Lord to not do as he was intending. i was still a maiden.

The man dragged me down to the river and two other men followed close behind us. One of the men carried a basket with him which was set at my feet when we arrived near the waters edge. A small rope was produced and my feet were hobbled together much like a horse's. my hands then were undone and my garments untied and removed from my body. i opened my mouth to protest but realized soon enough that it was useless to say any thing. A length of rope was tied loosely about my neck. i rather felt like i was on some sort of leash now.

i was given a bar of soap and was ordered to wade out into the water and bath myself. i yelped a bit when i slowly made my way into the water. i tried not to stumble but walking hobbled was not an easy task. i did not want to make quick work of this bath. i wanted to delay being brought before the Lord as long as possible. The man who has captured me in town joined me in the water and forced me to move a bit further into the river. He took the soap from me and began roughly scrubbing my fur. i growled a bit at the man as he was not taking care and knew my fur would knot if he continued in that manner.

"Silent kitty or I will smack that pretty face of yours. I don't care if you like this or not. M'Lord wishes you bathed and so shall you be."

"Please don't scrub me like that or you will cause my fur to knot. I don't care to have your men roughly brush out any knots that you cause."

With that said the man smacked me across the face. It stung and i quickly bit my tongue as not to utter another word. i was washed and dunked under the water a few times to rinse off the soap suds from my hair and neck. i sputtered a bit from not being warned. The man seemed amused by all of this. When he was done i was pulled by the make shift leash to stand upon the river's edge.

A towel was roughly taken over my fur and a brush run over my coat several times. i wanted to growl at the man brushing my fur but the look in the man's eye told me to hold my tongue. A comb was run through my hair. My hands were retied and my nails were trimmed very short on all of my paws. One of the nails was cut a little too short and i yelped in pain. The man was told to go do some other work. The blood was washed from my paw and the bleeding was made to stop with a special salve.

A leather collar was placed around my neck and horse lead attached to it. The rope collar was then removed. my feet were untied so that i could walk along side the man without stumbling over everything in our path. The man leading me was thrown a silken garment to slide over my head and i was brought before the Lord. The Lord was busy taking his evening meal when i arrived before him. i was ordered to kneel beside the Lord and wait there. The lead was turned over to the Lord who ignored me while he ate.

Before the food was taken away from the Lord's table a few pieces of meat were extended to me and i was told to eat. i knew better than to refuse what was given to me. i knew that i would need my strength for what ever was to come. i tried not to appear greedy for the food but i really was hungry. i was given a bit of water in a bowl and was told to lap at it like a proper kitty. i wanted to growl at him and remind him that i was not an animal but held my tongue.

With the evening meal done, i was plucked up and was made to sit upon his lap as he heard the evening news and welcomed messengers into camp. He idly stroked my fur here and there. i squirmed a bit and was told to sit still. A firm swat to my bottom emphasized that i was to remain still. i soon felt his hand slip under the garment and touch between my nether lips. This caused me to squirm even more. i did not want this man to be touching me like this.

The Lord took my squirming to mean that i was enjoying this. Out of the corner of my eye, i could see a gleam in his eye. i knew that he was enjoying what he was doing to me. i, however, was not despite what my body was saying. i could feel moistness pooling between my legs. It was a new sensation and was making me squirm even more. i soon felt a few more swats upon my bottom.

i looked at Lord Ulrich and growled low at him for the swats across my bottom. i was not used to be being treated in such a manner and pawed at. i squirmed even more trying to get away from his roving hands. i didn't want him touching me. i didn't like what he was doing to my body. When he grew tired of my disobedience he had me tied to a post to be whipped.

The silk garment was stripped off me as i was tied to the post with my hands bound in front of me as i hugged the post. my legs were kicked apart and each ankle was tied to a stake in the ground. The man who had bathed me in the river leaned in close before carrying out my punishment.

"you really must be a stupid kitty. All you had to do was sit still in his lap and let him do what he pleased. Now I have to tan your hide with this whip. I expect to hear you cry out."

"Give the kitty 20 lashes. I think she needs to be reminded that decisions are no longer up to her."

"Yes, M'Lord, 20 lashes of the whip it shall be."

i began to prepare in my mind for the whip to hit my back. i had never been spanked with a belt as a child so i had no frame of reference to look upon in my mind. i breathed deeply and tried to focus on something else in a vain attempt of blocking this out of my mind. The waiting was making me tense up and i sought to test the bindings.

The first crack of the whip broke the stillness of the night. i cried out into the night in my pain. The whip stung as it caressed my fur down to the skin beneath. Each lash seemed to be harder than the last. Tears were running down my face and i was trying to keep my crying as quiet as possible. The bindings dug a bit at my flesh. He was nearly done when i heard him cry out to Lord Ulrich.

"M'Lord her skin is tenderer than I thought. I have broken her skin. Do I proceed with the final 5 lashes or do you wish me to stop?"

i could see movement out of the corner of my eye and saw the Lord strike the man to the ground. The Lord grabbed the whip from his hands and proceeded to rain lashes of the whip upon the man until he too was bleeding. A part of me felt sorry for the man but i knew the pain that he was now in.

"You fool. Is this how you treat property that is not yours? You have bloodied her and now she is of no use to me. You are of no use to me as well. I suggest in the morning that you are gone before I rise or you will not live to see another day. Take this pathetic excuse for a kitty with you. I have no need for a kitty that bleeds so easily."

Those with the man picked him up off the ground and cut me from the pole. i didn't make a sound as i was tossed into the back of the wagon with the man. His people quickly broke camp and we headed off into the darkness of the night to escape the Lord's wrath. i must have blacked out from the pain and came to again when someone was seeing to the wound.

"Hold still kitty or I won't be able to see that this mends. I am sorry for the pain that I have caused you, but I had to save you from the Lord. I had over heard one of his men joke around about what the Lord intended to do with you. I wanted to save you from that. I knew you would be unable to sit still. I am sorry that I had to be so harsh with you."

"Please may i know who you are? May i know what you plan to do with me?"

"I suppose I owe you that much. I am Draven. I am not more than a hired man who has no true allegiance to any of the Lords. I was sent by the Lord's Captain to bring back a Cat Person whether or not they even vaguely resembled zara in hopes that the Lord would not start war over the girl. I am sorry to have taken you from your family. I was told the Lord wanted a replacement. I know now that was not the truth. I know of a handler near Lord Elrik's kingdom who would take you in and see that you find a new home. I know that you will not be safe in Lord Ulrich's lands and neither will I be. I do not know what kind of life you will be leading from this point on."

"It was only a matter of time before Lord Ulrich or one of his men learned of my existence in his lands. i had lived there with my family in that town for all of my eighteen years. i know that it is rare to see one such as myself away from their people. i want to thank you Draven for allowing me to remain a maiden at least for a little while longer. i do not know what my future may hold but i will pray for you as you travel in the lands in search of peace."

"How can you be so calm about all that has transpired since I took you from your home?"

"Would you rather that i was trying to scratch your eyes out? i have no strength at the moment Draven for that. i am just grateful not to be touch further by that vile man. Do you know he reeks of sickness?"

"I generally don't get that close to the man."

"Most humans wouldn't be able to smell it upon him. His dark passions are fueled by his illness and not by some interest in those practices. Don't look upon me as if i have grown a second head upon my shoulders. i know very well why some men here take a Cat People bride."

"Forgive me if I chuckle at you. How could a naïve girl like you know of such sports?"

"A Cat Person can hear many things that you can not...just as i can smell sickness upon a man. Even a naïve girl can have urges and wants but a good girl saves herself until she finds the One she wishes to belong to."

i chuckled as Draven cocked an eyebrow at me. When he was done dressing the wound on my back i asked him to allow me to attend to his wounds. He yelped and screamed as i tended to the open wounds. The Lord had been rather precise in use of the whip and all of the lashes had opened his skin a bit. The man driving the wagon shouted inside to check upon us when he first started screaming out.

When the wounds were seen to i curled up upon a fresh bit of the straw to catch some sleep. We stopped for a moment when we neared a river crossing and blankets and some bits of clothing were handed in to us. Draven turned his head as i carefully wiggled into the offered clothing. It hurt a bit to have anything upon my back so i left the shirt off and opted to curl upon my stomach to sleep.

Draven bunked down next to me and i was thankful to hear a heart beating next to mine as i began to drift off. They were thankful that the screams had stopped from within the wagon. The men traveled carefully through the night wanting to put some distance between themselves and Lord Ulrich's men. A few groans and yelps of pain crossed our lips as the wagon moved over uneven roads. There was no helping the conditions of the road.