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| - Damaris looked around helplessly, then scowled down at her companion. "I told you that going off the path would be a bad idea." Arithe rumbled noncommittally. "Shortcut, sure, I'm all for that," Damaris grumbled, stepping over the roots of a tree. She had to stop when the tip of her bow caught on the branches inches above her head. While she separated the two, she continued, "I like saving time. But this is more like the scenic route! We'll never get to Northshire Abbey at this rate. Stupid book." The non-sequitor at the end was less random than it seemed. While visiting the Cathedral in Stormwind, Damaris had bumped into Brother Kristof, who had asked her to fetch a book from Northshire Abbey. Not having anything better to do, Damaris agreed. Now, she was well and truly lost in Elwynn Forest. Arithe let out laughing whuffs when the just-released branch whipped back to slap Damaris in the head before becoming caught in her bow yet again. "Elune help me," Damaris started, glowering at the Nightsaber, "but if you don't stop laughing--" Arithe stopped, but still had an abominably amused air about her. Muttering under her breath about head-strong, annoying cats and impossibly uniform forests, Damaris untangled her bow a second time, and then strode onward. Arithe ran to catch up, and then trotted happily by her side. "Insufferable beast," Damaris said, not looking at Arithe. The cat just kept walking, as if to say, 'I love you too.' They walked a few more steps before a loud, desperate 'mew!' stopped them. Unsure what had made the noise, the two friends froze, ears straining, eyes darting. Arithe relaxed first. A second later, Damaris followed the cat's lead. "That sounded like a kitten," Damaris realized. Arithe set off into the undergrowth, and Damaris scrambled to follow, carefully keeping her bow free from the branches of bushes and trees. Finally, Arithe stopped beneath a tree, and looked up. Damaris stood next to her, and craned her neck upward. There, amongst the leaves, was a tiny black kitten with glowing yellow eyes. It mewed pitifully. "Oh, Elune bless," Damaris breathed. "I'm going up to get the poor thing. Watch my stuff." Damaris quickly shed her cloak, cape, bags, and bow and quiver. Then she caught hold of the first branch, and pulled herself up. Quickly and quietly she moved to the branch the kitten had gotten stuck on, and slid along the wood. Once she was close enough, she reached out her hand, only to yank it back as the kitten swiped at it. "Arithe, tell it I'm not going to hurt it," Damaris yelled down to the large feline. Arithe growled. The kitten stopped glaring at her, and looked at Arithe with a questioning, "Mrow?" Arithe answered, in a deeper voice, and the kitten looked up at Damaris again. Then it carefully walked up to Damaris's hand, and nuzzled her knuckles. Damaris smiled. "Hello, there." The kitten began to purr, and Damaris gently picked it up. It was so small--But then I'm used to Arithe, Damaris mused. Balancing carefully, Damaris let herself down, one hand cradling the purring kitten to her chest. When she was on the ground, she set the little thing on Arithe's shoulders. As she was re-equipping herself, she thought out loud, "It's too well-kept to be wild, and it's too small to have wandered far from its home. Well, Arithe, you have the better nose; pick a direction." They found the small house fairly quickly, as Damaris had surmised. Cats and kittens were everywhere. The little black kitten, asleep on Arithe's back, paid no mind to the chaos around it. Stepping over, and not on, the myriad felines was something of a challenge, but eventually the three made it to the doorway. Damaris knocked. The door opened to reveal a bright blue eyes set in a face much younger than Damaris had expected. Straw blonde hair was pulled into a disorderly bun. The woman smiled politely. "Can I help you?" she asked. "I think we found something of yours," Damaris replied, and gestured to the kitten on Arithe's back. "Oh, thank goodness," the woman sighed with relief. "All the kittens wander off occasionally, but find their way back fairly quickly. This one's been gone for some hours. I was starting to get worried." "The silly thing climbed up a tree and got stuck," Damaris explained. "I rescued her, with Arithe's help." "Lovely creature," the woman murmured, admiring Arithe. "Glossy coat, no sag. You take good care of her." "I try, but mostly she takes good care of herself," Damaris said with a smile. "She doesn't like me fussing over her; head-strong, independent, that sort of thing. I'm Damaris Satinsun, by the way." "Donni Anthania," the woman replied, opening the door wider. "Come in. Can I get you something to eat? A drink?" "Just some water, and maybe milk for Arithe," Damaris said, navigating among the cats. They seemed to be in equal abundance inside as out. Arithe rumbled deep in her chest. The elf added, "And whatever you feed the kittens. I'm sure the little one's hungry." "It's nice to meet another cat lover," Donni remarked. She moved among the cats gracefully, never once looking down or tripping up. "There aren't enough of them. Though, I must admit, I don't see many of your kind down here. You're a long way from home." "I don't have the luxury of staying close to it," Damaris said solemnly. She seated herself at the small table in the corner of the little house. "Few do," agreed Donni sadly. She placed a glass of water in front of Damaris, then a saucer of milk before Arithe. The cat reached around to nudge the sleeping form on her back, who woke with an absolutely adorable yawn. Smelling milk, the kitten's ears perked forward, and she jumped off Arithe's shoulders. She stumbled a bit upon landing, and then scrambled to the saucer. Arithe joined her. "I do believe you're smitten," said Donni wryly. Damaris jerked slightly, pulled from her fond observation of the black kitten. "What?" "The kitten. She's yours for 40 silver, if you want her," Donni said. "Oh, but I couldn't possibly--she's yours--" protested Damaris. "Bah," Donni dismissed. "She'll be going to a good home. I have more than I know what to do with; I wouldn't mind you taking her off my hands." Damaris bit the inside of her lip, eyes lingering on the two cats at the saucer. "Sweetling, what do you think?" Arithe glanced up at her, then over at the kitten, then rolled her shoulders. Damaris grinned. The elf turned to Donni, "All right. We'll take her." Damaris counted out the forty silver pieces, dubbed her new kitten "Bastet," and spent the rest of the afternoon in casual conversation with Donni. As evening fell, Donni pointed the three towards the road, and they left, Bastet riding on Damaris's shoulder. "This has been a good day," Damaris decided. Arithe flicked her tail in response.
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