Hilda - Cats Read online

  Hilda - Cats

  by Paul Kater

  Published by the author at Smashwords - Copyright 2011 Paul Kater

  License Notes, Smashwords Edition:

  Thank you for downloading this free ebook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form. Thank you for your support.

  Contents:

  1. Messages

  2. Zelda's house

  3. Follow that stork

  4. Meet the family

  5. Reading the bones

  6. Princes and Princesses

  7. Royalty

  8. Cat hunt

  9. Confusion

  10. A strange meeting

  11. A village trip

  12. Now listen

  13. Watch where you're going

  14. A chat with Jordan

  15. To be a frog

  16. Alarm

  17. Frog

  18. Night watch

  19. Under attack

  20. Boots

  21. Shed

  22. Talks

  23. Scratches

  24. Lindolf

  25. Prince Jordan

  26. The four

  27. Cat woman

  28. A close call

  29. Is that Esmee?

  30. The tough get going

  31. Charge of the light brigade

  32. It's over

  About the author

  Books I published

  1. Messages

  Upon their return from William's wonky world, the magical couple had found the big wooden pole near the house littered with arrows carrying messages for the honourable witch and wizard. The two honourables had collected all the messages and dropped the arrows in a basket outside the door. That way the message archers could fetch their arrows without disturbing the peace of the magical ones.

  The messages had remained untouched on the table for a considerable time, while Hilda and William took long baths, slept, ate and got reacquainted in the relative tranquility of their own many walls.

  When finally they returned to the living room, the house was very much displeased. "I know that it is not my position to complain," it said, "but these two black animals you have brought back... are they going to stay here?"

  Hilda stared at the two cats who had found their home in the home on the highest bookshelf. "Seems so. And you're right. You are here to be a house, not to complain." Then she turned to William, who had arranged for a few cups of tea and a plate of cookies. "What do we do with these beasts?"

  As William came close to the table, both cats jumped to the ground and calmly trotted over to him. It looked as if they owned the place. It made him grin. He put the tea and the cookies on the table. "I think it is neat to have a few cats around. As long as they don't make a mess I'd say we keep them around."

  "I'm still not convinced," said Hilda. She reached down and picked up the cat nearest to her. She put it in her lap and started stroking the soft fur. "I mean, we don't do a thing with them. We don't know what they're good for, and if all they do is sit on the shelf..."

  William watched his witch for a few moments. Then he shook his head. "Here's your tea. And don't drop your cat while you drink it."

  "Drop my- oh..." Hilda looked a bit lost as she noticed what she was doing.

  William smiled. He sat down and the other cat jumped, landing in the wizard's lap. "So what's your peeve with the cats, house?"

  "They are hairy. Cats are hairy, and they shed their hair everywhere," the house announced.

  "And what is your problem with that?" William asked. The cats had not left any hair lying around since they had gotten home. He just had gathered something for them so they could eat and drink, and that was all. Hilda had arranged for a magical litter box that cleaned itself, so that was also taken care of.

  The house was silent, as if it was thinking about a good answer. "There is no problem. Yet. I just want to draw your attention to this before a problem does arise," it said.

  "I doubt there will be a problem, house," Hilda said as she picked up her tea.

  Her cat calmly got onto the table and carefully walked over to the stack of messages. She sat down with it and sniffed the papers one by one. The magical couple watched the animal as she took her time to inspect each and every snippet. Then, apparently satisfied, she walked back over the table and reclaimed her position on Hilda again.

  "We still don't know where they came from, do we?" William did not expect an answer on that question. The cats had appeared from nowhere as they had gone in for the final confrontation with Zelda the witch, and the two had not left them after that. "I like them."

  Hilda slowly nodded as she tried to feed her cat a piece of her cookie. The cat was not set on cookies though. "Meowwww..." the animal complained after Hilda's second attempt. Easily she slipped from under the witch's arm, and soon she was on the top bookshelf again, from where she had a perfect view over the entire room.

  William's cat peacefully stayed where he was. The wizard's hand made him purr gently.

  Hilda looked at the scene and smiled. "They're beautiful, aren't they? I wonder if they have names."

  William grinned. "If they do, they are not going to tell us, sweetwitch." The cat in his lap looked up at him, the two bright yellow eyes shining as if they came from a- "Shadow. That's it. I'm going to call this cat Shadow."

  "Shadow What?"

  "How do you mean that? Shadow what?"

  "Cats of people like us have a double name, William. They also have a short, simple name for when we're alone with them. So you pick Shadow, but something has to go with it. Before or after, but just Shadow won't do." Hilda reached for another cookie.

  A soft purr came from the bookshelf. The couple looked up at the cat that had taken up station there. "Black as Onyx," William remarked.

  "Yes, you are right. Her fur shines like onyx, indeed. How good of you, William." Hilda got up, touched the wizard's hand and then slowly walked to the bookshelves, her eyes on the cat. "Would you like to be called Onyx, black cat?" she asked, calmly reaching up and waiting. "Onyx?"

  The cat on the shelf seemed to contemplate the waiting hand. Then lazily she reached out a paw and touched Hilda's hand a few times. "Mworrr..." was the cattish comment.

  "Yes. You are an Onyx cat, aren't you? Come here, Onyx cat," Hilda said. She held up both her hands. The cat got up, looked around the room from her high post once more time and then lightly jumped from the shelf, full of trust. She landed in Hilda's hands. "I think you and I will be good friends, Onyx," said the witch as she turned and beamed a smile at the wizard.

  "You need to add something to that name, Hilda. Just Onyx doesn't do it."

  "Oh, hush you. What do you know?" Hilda walked to the table and sat down. "Only the things that I tell you." She frowned. "Hmm. Those are good things. Hmm." The witch sipped some tea. Then she looked at the cat in her lap. "Do you think you are a Grimalkin?"

  Immediately the black head turned and the yellow eyes stared at Hilda.

  "Crappedy crap, she really reacts to that name. Grimalkin." As she said the name, the cat's stare intensified for a moment.

  William watched the scene and noticed the reaction of Onyx cat as Hilda said the name. "She does, Hilda. She reacts to Grimalkin." He had barely said it when Onyx's head turned to him. "I think you found her name."

  Hilda picked up the cat with both hands and looked at the small face. "Very good, you. And your familiar name will be Grim. Like mine. Grimhilda. Grimalkin. You are Grim."

  William, watching her, had stopped stroking his cat. Shadow did not seem to like that, it jumped up, knocking William's chin with his head. "Ouch, that hurt!" the wizard
muttered. "That animal has a head hard as rock."

  "Obsidian," Hilda said. "He's black, so it should be obsidian. Obsidian is hard as well."

  "Obsidian, eh?" William said, as he rubbed his chin. "That sounds pretty nice. Obsidian Shadow." It was more his hand touching the cat than the name, that made Shadow lie down and relax again, but the name had a good ring to it. "And the short name will be... Obsi?"

  "Obsi?" Hilda stared at her wizard. "What kind of name is that? Obsi. Obsi."

  "Now, then explain Grim to me. Sounds grim enough, you know." Obsidian Shadow looked up at William. "Muwhhh," he said. "See? He agrees. Obsi agrees." William grinned.

  Then Grim and Obsi both looked away, to the same spot. A moment later, Hilda's large crystal ball started making its pinging noise, which told them that someone was trying to talk to them.

  Hilda frowned. Onyx jumped on the ground as the witch got up to walk to the ball. "It's Babs!" She waved over the ball. "Hello Babsi baby!"

  "Hilda!! You are there, finally! Where have you and your wizard been for so long? I heard all kinds of rumours about that strange person Griselda having disappeared, and that you are somehow involved in that?" The ugly witch sounded concerned about the wellbeing of her friend.

  "You would not believe what we have been through, Babs," Hilda said. She told her friend all the things that had happened, what they had endured, and how glad they were to finally be back home again. As Hilda was talking, William was walking around, cleaning some things up.

  Babs kept peeking as she saw the wizard walk along and suddenly had to interrupt Hilda's flow of words. "Hilly baby, now you have to tell me something. I see your wizard walking around, but what is that dark thing on his neck?"

  "Huh?" Hilda looked at William, who had Obsidian Shadow draped over his shoulders. The cat lay there are calmly as if it was on a cushion in front of a fireplace. "Oh. That's Obsi."

  Baba Yaga frowned. "Obsi? What's an obsi?"

  "It's William's cat. We ended up bringing two black cats back here," Hilda explained. "His cat is Obsidian Shadow. And mine is called Onyx Grimalkin. Grim, come here, girl, and say hello to Babs."

  Grim leapt up into Hilda's arms and was presented to the ugly witch, who stared at the black animal for a while. "Grimhilda has a cat. Now that is scary," Baba Yaga finally stated.

  "There is nothing scary about having a cat, Babs," Hilda lectured, "cats are very nice and clean animals, and they are a witch's best familiar."

  "Yeah, sure. I've come along without one fine for all my life," Babs cackled, "but you go be happy with your cats, Hilda. But now that Zelda has ended up somewhere in the hands of a strange creature that took her into a mirror, what are you going to do about her house?"

  "Her house?" Hilda wondered what she had to do with Zelda's house.

  "Yes. Someone has to release the magic from the house and dissipate it. Or take it in. If you leave it there, anything can happen. Do you want to take the risk that some lone wizard or magician comes along, assimilates the magic from the place and turns into a second Lamador?"

  Hilda swallowed. That name still gave her a shiver. The powerful sorcerer that once had served King Herald was dead and gone now, but the fight she and William had had to put up for that was etched in her memory. "You're right. We have to do something about that. Quickly."

  "Good girl," Baba Yaga said with a nod. "Stay in touch, Hilda. No running off and making your oldest and bestest friend worry where you are, can we agree on that?"

  "I promise," said Hilda. "Unless there is an emergency."

  "If there is an emergency, you have to let me know. Don't keep all the fun for yourself!" With that, Baba Yaga's face disappeared from the crystal ball.

  "Does this sound like we are going out?" William asked.

  "Yes, that is how it sounds," said Hilda as she draped Grim over her shoulders.

  Her cat calmly got onto the table and carefully walked over to the stack of messages. She sat down with it and sniffed the papers one by one. The magical couple watched the animal as she took her time to inspect each and every snippet. Then, apparently satisfied, she walked back over the table and reclaimed her position on Hilda again.

  "We still don't know where they came from, do we?" William did not expect an answer on that question. The cats had appeared from nowhere as they had gone in for the final confrontation with Zelda the witch, and the two had not left them after that. "I like them."

  Hilda slowly nodded as she tried to feed her cat a piece of her cookie. The cat was not set on cookies though. "Meowwww..." the animal complained after Hilda's second attempt. Easily she slipped from under the witch's arm, and soon she was on the top bookshelf again, from where she had a perfect view over the entire room.

  William's cat peacefully stayed where he was. The wizard's hand made him purr gently.

  Hilda looked at the scene and smiled. "They're beautiful, aren't they? I wonder if they have names."

  William grinned. "If they do, they are not going to tell us, sweetwitch." The cat in his lap looked up at him, the two bright yellow eyes shining as if they came from a- "Shadow. That's it. I'm going to call this cat Shadow."

  "Shadow What?"

  "How do you mean that? Shadow what?"

  "Cats of people like us have a double name, William. They also have a short, simple name for when we're alone with them. So you pick Shadow, but something has to go with it. Before or after, but just Shadow won't do." Hilda reached for another cookie.

  A soft purr came from the bookshelf. The couple looked up at the cat that had taken up station there. "Black as Onyx," William remarked.

  "Yes, you are right. Her fur shines like onyx, indeed. How good of you, William." Hilda got up, touched the wizard's hand and then slowly walked to the bookshelves, her eyes on the cat. "Would you like to be called Onyx, black cat?" she asked, calmly reaching up and waiting. "Onyx?"

  The cat on the shelf seemed to contemplate the waiting hand. Then lazily she reached out a paw and touched Hilda's hand a few times. "Mworrr..." was the cattish comment.

  "Yes. You are an Onyx cat, aren't you? Come here, Onyx cat," Hilda said. She held up both her hands. The cat got up, looked around the room from her high post once more time and then lightly jumped from the shelf, full of trust. She landed in Hilda's hands. "I think you and I will be good friends, Onyx," said the witch as she turned and beamed a smile at the wizard.

  "You need to add something to that name, Hilda. Just Onyx doesn't do it."

  "Oh, hush you. What do you know?" Hilda walked to the table and sat down. "Only the things that I tell you." She frowned. "Hmm. Those are good things. Hmm." The witch sipped some tea. Then she looked at the cat in her lap. "Do you think you are a Grimalkin?"

  Immediately the black head turned and the yellow eyes stared at Hilda.

  "Crappedy crap, she really reacts to that name. Grimalkin." As she said the name, the cat's stare intensified for a moment.

  William watched the scene and noticed the reaction of Onyx cat as Hilda said the name. "She does, Hilda. She reacts to Grimalkin." He had barely said it when Onyx's head turned to him. "I think you found her name."

  Hilda picked up the cat with both hands and looked at the small face. "Very good, you. And your familiar name will be Grim. Like mine. Grimhilda. Grimalkin. You are Grim."

  William, watching her, had stopped stroking his cat. Shadow did not seem to like that, it jumped up, knocking William's chin with his head. "Ouch, that hurt!" the wizard muttered. "That animal has a head hard as rock."

  "Obsidian," Hilda said. "He's black, so it should be obsidian. Obsidian is hard as well."

  "Obsidian, eh?" William said, as he rubbed his chin. "That sounds pretty nice. Obsidian Shadow." It was more his hand touching the cat than the name, that made Shadow lie down and relax again, but the name had a good ring to it. "And the short name will be... Obsi?"

  "Obsi?" Hilda stared at her wizard. "What kind of name is that? Obsi. Obsi."

  "Now, then explain Grim to
me. Sounds grim enough, you know." Obsidian Shadow looked up at William. "Muwhhh," he said. "See? He agrees. Obsi agrees." William grinned.

  Then Grim and Obsi both looked away, to the same spot. A moment later, Hilda's large crystal ball started making its pinging noise, which told them that someone was trying to talk to them.

  Hilda frowned. Onyx jumped on the ground as the witch got up to walk to the ball. "It's Babs!" She waved over the ball. "Hello Babsi baby!"