Chapter One: Smokey’s Tale (The Legend of KaTu-Ra)

Readers: I found this note along with my cat’s blue collar at my back door last week. My cat was nowhere to be found.

Dear family,
When I was a tiny kitten, I had no idea what life had in store for me. I want to thank you for adopting me from the animal shelter and welcoming me into your cozy home. The year I spent with you in Stoneham was a happy one. I grew to love you all, even my adopted brother, Speck the dog, although I still feel he got more attention than I did. Dogs are such needy creatures. Cats like me are so much more independent. I know you appreciated my mouse catching abilities. I got really good at it, too. Outdoor hunting comes easily to me as I am black as midnight and my green eyes can see in the dark. For some reason you didn't seem to like the bird I brought home to you a few weeks ago. In my world, catching a chirper and leaving it on your doorstep is the ultimate gift a cat can bestow on a family. You showed your appreciation by tossing it in the trash. I’ll never understand human beings.

Little by little I've been expanding my neighborhood boundaries. The people across the street are really nice and their children enjoy petting me while I lay in their driveway. A few doors down there are comfortable porch chairs where I’ve slept on hot summer nights when I didn’t feel like coming indoors. I've even made it across the busy road to Spot Pond once or twice, although it's not my most favorite place because of the treacherous water (and it's named after a dog). As you can see, I've left my collar for you as a memento. I want you to have something to remember me by while I am away on my journey. I can't bring any trappings of civilization with me where I'm going. I've been preparing for my little adventure for quite some time. Almost all my life.

Last week behind the garage of a vacant house on my street, I attended a meeting of The Nine (the society of cats that patrol the Stoneham area). My whiskers detected faint vibrations of trouble stirring in the air. I’ve listened to the ramblings of rabid raccoons telling stories of impending doom. I've heard chipmunks chattering that something big was about to happen. I wanted to get the true facts from the elders of feline society. I crashed their private meeting to find out the truth for myself.

The Nine were very surprised to see me enter their hidden den. In fact, a scrawny, wiry feral named Freddie wanted to start a catfight with me, but I wouldn't take the bait. The large orange tabby, King Thomas, commanded the group to be silent. He said he knew I would be making an appearance before the council. He ordered me to move to the middle of the circle. His ferocious stare forced me to obey. He asked me to raise my head so the group could see the tiny white markings on my chest, which were barely perceptible to the naked eye. The Circle of Nine stepped back and bowed their heads, meowing in unison with a low mournful moan.

Suddenly I understood my destiny. I was the chosen one. I was the little black kitten of legend sent here to rid this town of a great evil. The markings on my chest indicated I was “The Tenth” whose coming had been foretold ages ago. I always knew deep inside I was destined for greatness, so I was not surprised by this revelation. It was time for me to accept my destiny.

I really didn't want to leave my comfortable home, but after meeting with The Nine, it became clear to me I am their only hope. After quietly training for the last year, I am finally ready to begin my quest. I have honed my hunting skills on field mice and crickets. I can move faster than any bird in the backyard. I am smarter than a dog and more cunning than a fox. I am quieter than the night and I am invisible in the shadows.

By the way, my name is not “Smokey”. It never was. I answered to that name before I had knowledge of my true calling. According to the prophecy, my real name is KaTu-Ra, which roughly translated means "Coyote Hunter".

I'm heading into the woods across from the Stone Zoo to capture a creature that has been wreaking havoc on the animal population in the vicinity of Woodland Road. My blood boils every time I see photos of my brothers and sisters on signs attached to telephone poles. “Lost” or “Missing” –– I think not. These disappearances are the work of a rogue coyote named Gar-Deth who has been terrorizing the countryside for quite some time. I am destined to bring the creature down or perish trying. Tonight I am heading into the woods to assemble a small band of warriors who will help me achieve my goal.

I will send you a sign during the next full moon to let you know I am all right. Do not try to find me while I am pursuing my quest. I shall return home when I am victorious with a souvenir from my battle. If I fail, I shall be moving on to my next life without you. Know that you are always in my heart and, by some chance of fate, our paths may cross again.

Forever in the moonlight,
KaTu-Ra (Smokey)

Note from Scott: If anyone sees a black cat in the south Stoneham area, wish him luck on his mission and tell him his family misses him.

Chapter Two: The Bride of KaTu-Ra

As told to Scott Mullowney by Little Bear

I am a small black female cat who has many names. My adopted family calls me Little Bear, because to them I look like a little bear. How original. I am so much more than that. I am LaRa-Tu, which loosely translated in human language means “Warrior Bride”. I am the chosen mate of KaTu-Ra and I am here to fulfill my destiny. If you’re not already familiar with the legend of KaTu-Ra, you soon will be. His name will be on the teeth and tongue of every animal in the Fells once he fulfills his quest.
Everything was going according to plan. I was obtained by the Stoneham Cat Society and put up for adoption at the exact moment my host family would be looking for a new cat. I worked my magic and made them fall in love with me. I learned from the other ferals that my beloved KaTu-Ra, once known as “Smokey”, was adopted into this same family on Gorham Avenue. However, when I arrived at my new home, KaTu-Ra was already gone. The calling was too strong and he could wait no longer. I tried to communicate with the old lummox of a pet dog who lives here, but he was no help. He won’t even give me the time of day. Stupid oaf. I need to summon all my strength not to scratch his eyes out when I walk near him. I only let him live out of respect for our adopted family.
When KaTu-Ra (Smokey) left this house, I was supposed to be by his side. We were to be married in a ceremony conducted by The Nine behind the abandoned garage that serves as headquarters to the Feral Guardians of Stoneham. King Thomas, our leader, expected my arrival months ago. I encountered one small obstacle – my new family loves me so much they won’t let me visit the outside world. I am a prisoner in my own home.
I’ve broken free on a few occasions. I gathered what information I could before I was picked up and returned to confinement. Once I spoke with a fellow feline named Freddie by the bushes in the side yard. He told me the ferals were waiting for news of KaTu-Ra’s mission in the woods but there were no recent reports. My only glimmer of hope came from Samantha, the mangy tabby who lives beneath the trees on the perimeter of my family’s property. She told me there was chatter on the street about KaTu-Ra. Some of the animals passed along stories of a feral cat who is recruiting a ragtag battalion of animal soldiers in the woods at Spot Pond. They are going to ambush the evil coyote king, Gar-Deth. Their goal is to free the town’s missing pets who are held hostage in the coyote’s den. None of the woodland animals knew where or when the battle would take place. The nervous sparrows, who love to twitter about anything and everything, were strangely silent on the subject even when Samantha threatened them.
I need to be with my betrothed. Our marriage was foretold in ancient times by the desert sand-cats in the days of Bast. My innate fighting skills are at the peak of their power. I am ready to stand beside KaTu-Ra and fight to the death. It’s only a matter of time before I unleash my power and claw through these window screens. The last time I spoke to Freddie through the screen door in the back of my house, I asked him to take a message to King Thomas. He must tell the ferals in town that the time has come. I know King Thomas is frightened of the prophecies. The King is living his ninth life. KaTu-Ra will soon ascend to the throne of the council of The Nine. I will proudly sit at KaTu-Ra’s right paw as his queen. Together we are destined to rule over the Feral Cats of Stoneham, free from the coyote’s dark reign of terror. The day is coming when we will live side by side with the population of the town and not be feared. No longer will we skulk in the shadows stealing scraps of food. We shall take our rightful place in the animal hierarchy of the Fells and usher in a new era of harmony among all the wildlife.
Yet here I sit, trapped in my seven-room prison with this senile buffoon of a canine dogging my every move. I must make my escape soon. I must find KaTu-Ra or at least communicate with him. The brown rabbit who occasionally bounces through my yard refuses to forward my messages to the other animals. She is afraid of me since the baby bunny incident. One night I slipped through the open door and made my way to the backyard. When I saw the tiny rabbit, my warrior bloodlust surfaced and the hunter within me possessed my soul. It was not a pretty sight. Now the birds fear me, as do the mice and the chipmunks. I have no one to turn to. I am completely on my own.
I spend my nights trying to contact KaTu-Ra. Sometimes I pick up flickers of signals on my whiskers but they are too faint decipher. I transmit messages through my dreams but I get no response. I know KaTu-Ra is out there somewhere. What happened to my soul mate? Did he succeed in his mission to defeat the coyote king, Gar-Deth? I fear the future feline king is fighting for his life beneath the full moon – without me.
To read more about the legend of KaTu-Ra and other stories of the animals of the Fells, go to www.spotpond.net