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