The Chameleon Shop

Pegasus galloped along a grassy verge of the island for a short way, then Kaylee’s stomach dipped sickeningly as he dived off the island in the sky and down through the clouds. She was thankful for the heavy cloak because the frozen wind in her face was numbing.

They landed softly outside the cave. Kaylee felt as though the gaping mouth of it was preparing to devour her. It was now fairly dark and she felt more nervous and frightened than ever, but Pegasus nuzzled her hand gently, his nose hot and warm in her palm.

She felt rather hesitant to let go of the warm horse now; she had felt so secure in his powerful presence. Nevertheless, he gave her a gentle nudge towards the cave entrance. She summoned her courage, lifted her shoulders and with head held high and, rattle in hand, walked toward the entrance. She averted her eyes from those creepy wasp-combs towering over her head like windows in an abandoned haunted house.

With a loud sigh, she began to shake the rattle and hoped like hell, Ruby found her before anything else did. Talk about poking the hornet’s nest. She wondered why she hadn’t thought to ask Opal for one of those awesome lightening bows to go with the rattle. That would have given her some confidence, for sure.

She stood shivering in the dark, from cold as well as fright, straining her ears towards any sound which might alert her of many-legged things approaching. Eventually what appeared to be a large round snowball came hurtling toward her. She shut her eyes (which she did a lot when scared, much to her annoyance and shame) and held out the rattle for Ruby. Shaking it wasn’t a problem. The terrified girl hadn’t stopped trembling since she set foot in the dirt outside the cave.

It was as though the mysterious trinket had bewitched the enormous fluffy cat. The shiny red ball seemed to be singing to her, though not in any words Kaylee could hear. Ruby’s momentum was that of a freight train. To stop she had to dig her front paws into the cave floor and skid on her backside for a while, barely coming to a stop face to face with Kaylee.

‘You have a message for me?’ She asked. She listened to the ball and tapped it lightly with her paw. Ruby’s eyes were muddy-brown and kind. ‘Wise Opal tells me I must help you safely through the caves so you may speak with the Gnome King, Mossbreath.’

Kaylee nodded, a little stunned at the nearness of the huge fluffy messenger cat.

‘Of course, I will help you through the caves, Kaylee. However, it grows very late and you look about to drop from weariness child. Come, I will keep you safe and warm in my lair until morning. Have you eaten?’

‘Yes I have. Opal fed me well, thank you.’ Kaylee thought the belly full of chicken soup and fish fillets would have made her feel relaxed enough for a nap but she found the feeling of satisfied comfort had deserted her and her belly now felt hollow as a drum as she stared at the dark cave surrounding her.

She could not tell how big it was, but the echo of their voices suggested very high ceilings indeed. It was what she could not see in the dark, that frightened her more and what her mind invented instead, which was enough to give her the sudden urge to turn and run back. However, there had to be a very good reason for her presence in this weird and wonderful place. She had to stay strong and have courage.

Still, she did not expect to fall asleep in this scary place any time before morning. Let alone trust her slumbering body to the care of another monstrously big cat who she had only just met, in the animals own lair of all places.

But then again, she had trusted Jett, had she not?

Cats were considered a powerful totem animal in ancient Celtic legends, she had read somewhere online. They were strong protectors, especially in situations of confrontation. She should therefore, still be alive when morning rolled around.

Then again, her mother’s voice drifted back in her mind; don’t believe EVERYTHING you read on the internet Kaylee.

She sighed again. Were mothers’ truly always right?

‘You have eaten? Well that’s good then. Come along Kaylee. My lair is not far.’

A series of dim lights set in the wall of a narrow passage, lit the path. These lights were oil lanterns, which sat in little alcoves chiselled out of the rock wall, placed there by the gnomes whose homes speckled the lower hills surrounding the tunnel. Ruby told her they had a large gathering hall deeper within the cave.

The light threw their shadows across the opposite wall, making Ruby’s size even more magnified. Kaylee began to tremble from fear as well as the chill from the cold stone walls, even with her green cloak. She pulled the hood up, suddenly imagining all too vividly the thought of some creepy crawly dropping down her neck. An instant shiver ran through her body from head to toe. ‘Brrrrr!’ she shook it off. Get a bloody grip, Kaylee Browne!

Crunching over things in the dark that sounded disturbingly like small bones, she tried to pretend they were just sticks or shells. Kaylee followed Ruby through the comb-like caverns of the cave, hearing the occasional scamper of many legged creatures along the walls, but nothing came near enough to identify, though she was sure she could feel eyes boring into her back in the dark. There were shadows that looked like bats above her, but nothing seemed inclined to swoop down and give them a welcome, not with the massive ball of fur, Ruby, by her side. Opal was right about that, at least.

Within a short while, Ruby stopped at a smaller cave off to one side of the passageway. Ruby’s lair was a cosy nest of furs on top of a thick layer of bulky pillows. The big cat climbed in, turned in a circle, then again and finally settled plucking at the furs beneath her until she was comfortable. Then to Kaylee’s amusement, Ruby began to purr like a tractor, rumbling loudly in content. The purr echoed in the cavern sounding like there were twenty Ruby’s, instead of just the one.

Kaylee stood awkwardly looking about the lair, wondering where she was supposed to sleep. There appeared to be no other beds or blankets in the little cavern. Then again, why would there be? She thought stupidly.

‘Ah ... Ruby? Where should I sleep?’ She slipped her backpack off her shoulder, letting it slide lazily to the floor and rubbed her arms. She was feeling very cold and tired and could have dozed off right where she was, even on the cool stone floor.

Ruby stopped purring, ‘Oh you poor furless wee poppet. Your pelt was not made to sleep in Mountain caves, I would guess. You’re frozen, aren’t you?’ Kaylee nodded silently holding back tears that threatened to fall whenever someone spoke kindly to her since coming to this place.

‘Well as you can see, I have fluff and fur to spare. Come sleep next to me little one, do not be frightened. I will keep you safe and warm. You need not fear me. Rest your weary head and sleep. You cannot succeed in your quest, if you do not give yourself time to rest and recharge.’

A dim light was given off by the few lanterns hung on the cave walls. It lit the honeycomb as if they were Chinese paper lanterns. Kaylee could barely see Ruby, although thousands of glow-worms twinkling like stars in the cavern ceiling above them helped a little.

She had to admit, that white and grey fur looked incredibly soft and inviting. Kaylee was so tired she didn’t think she would have noticed if the big cat mistook her leg for a chicken drumstick in the middle of the night. She crept forward slowly, climbed up and snuggled in close, feeling immediately warmer. The soft rumbling purr of the big teddy bear-like cat was guaranteed to lull her into a deep sleep.

She was feeling drained, not just physically but emotionally as well. She missed her mother.

Paul ─ her mother’s boyfriend ─ not so much.

In fact, she would be pleased if he would just crawl back under whatever rock he crawled out from under and she planned to tell him just that, as soon as she got home ... if she ever got home.

She missed her home and their little town. She had never stayed away from home much. Their relatives lived out of town, or even worse, out of the country. This place was nothing but strange and unexpected. Still, ‘some’ of its people and inhabitants were friendly and Ruby seemed to be one she could trust.

She began to weep in release of the anxiety that had been gnawing at her subconscious all day. Completely without warning, little shaking tremors began to run through her body. She sniffed back the tears and used her sleeve to wipe that darn drippy-nose that always appeared like magic whenever she began to cry.

Ruby noticed the little girl’s distress and curled her big fluffy tail round Kaylee’s body snugly, then leaned over and licked Kaylee’s head, as a mama cat does to her kittens. The tongue rasped roughly but the kind gesture warmed Kaylee’s heart, not to mention also pasting her brown locks firmly to her head.

‘Thank you,’ she whispered to Ruby and sunk her head into the pillow of fur, finally surrendering to exhaustion and sweet slumber floated her away.