Apprentice Cat: Toby's Tale Book 1 (Master Cat Series)

by Virginia Ripple

  “Hey, guys,” said Alie.

  “Hey,” said Lorn. “We thought you were going to be gone all week.”

  “We are. I just happened to check our messages before leaving,” said Dora.

  “So what’s up?” asked Alie.

  “We were wondering if you’d be free for a visit here sometime soon,” said Toby.

  “We’re scheduled to stop by the academy at the end of the month to pick up some paperwork for the High Council. Wanna have lunch?”

  “You’re not stopping by anytime sooner?” asked Lorn.

  Toby shot him a reproachful look. Alie and Dora glanced at each other.

  “We’re not scheduled to be there until Last Day. Why?”

  “Is there any way you could sneak in a visit this week?” asked Toby.

  Dora looked down at something beneath the mirror’s view. Alie hunched over the little cat and pointed to something. The little calico cat shook her head and tapped a delicate paw against what Toby assumed must be a schedule. Alie studied it, shaking her head. Her face brightened and she pointed to another spot to the left. Dora’s whiskers splayed into a grin.

  “Would Fifth Day be soon enough?” asked Alie.

  “Perfect,” said Lorn.

  “Great,” said Alie, snatching a charcoal nub from thin air and writing on the schedule. “You can tell us all about what’s so important then. See ya later.”

  Fifth Day came slowly. Toby and Lorn were shivering at the coach stop as soon as the sun was up. The cold breeze found its way under Toby’s orange fur despite its thickening layers.

  “A warming spell would be nice right about now,” said Lorn through chattering teeth.

  “Do we know any?”

  “I think I remember one my tutor had me try.” Lorn cupped his trembling, pale hands. He opened his mouth to speak the incantation.

  “Before you say anything, are you sure you have the words firmly in mind?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you’re sure you know the correct inflections to use.”

  “Yes.”

  Toby jumped down from the bench and trotted away a couple of paces. The orange tom sat down, curling his tail around his toes. Lorn glared at him.

  “Why are you sitting over there?”

  “I don’t want to get singed when you burst into flames.”

  The young mage rolled his eyes. He cupped his hands again and stared intently at his palms, his brow furrowed. Toby felt his fur crackle as the boy whispered the spell. A small orange ball swirled into existence in Lorn’s cupped hands. The young man grinned at his friend. Toby paced forward. The orange ball remained steady. The tom leaped onto the bench. Lorn sat down beside him and lowered the globe to the cat’s eye level. It was giving off warmth that made Toby grin.

  “Good job,” said the orange tom, looking up at the young mage.

  The sound of horse hooves made the friends look toward the road. In a flash the orange ball sizzled and grew white. Lorn dropped it, cursing as he shook his blistering hands. The ball bounced off the walkway. It shot past Toby, scorching the fur along his side, and up into the sky. Toby watched in horror as the white ball of fire arched through the air and plummeted toward the prize herb garden outside the Common.

  “Ecks PLOden dis PERsal,” shouted Lorn, waving wildly at the impending disaster.

  The ball burst into showers of red, yellow and orange sparks, dissipating before they reached the garden shield. Toby sighed in relief. He wondered if he’d ever get used to things like this happening. As he blinked the afterimages away, he heard Chivato’s dire suggestion about being partnered with Lorn in his mind.

  “I’ve never had anyone set off fireworks for me before.”

  Toby turned to see Alie grinning at them. Dora hopped up beside the orange tom with a little chirp.

  “Sure. The academy liaisons deserve the best,” said Lorn with a smile.

  He glanced at Toby, his eyes pleading with the cat not to say anything. Toby forced his whiskers apart to mimic the young mage’s smile. He managed to flatten his fur, but his tail remained twice its normal size. The tom dangled it out of sight behind the bench and hoped the little calico wouldn’t notice.

  “So, would you care to tell us what was so important we had to schedule an extra stop in our rounds?” asked Dora.

  “Couldn’t you just tell us whatever it is over the mirror?”

  Toby glanced at his companion who gave a small nod. The tom looked back at the young woman and then to the she-cat.

  “Let’s go somewhere quiet.”

  “How about the tearoom in the library?” asked Dora.

  “There’s a tearoom in the library?”

  “Yep,” said Alie with a chuckle. “It’s strictly for teachers and visitors, but I’m sure it’ll be fine as long as you’re with us.”

  The group hurried across the campus. The warm, musty smell of old books was a welcome relief from the bitter cold, as was the hot tea and milk.

  “I’m assuming you didn’t freeze yourselves just to enjoy a nice hot drink with us,” said Alie.

  “No, we didn’t,” said Lorn, looking at Toby.

  “We were hoping you knew something about the dragon willow trade on the shadow arts market.”

  “Other than the general information we send out to the public,” said Dora, “there’s very little we can tell you.”

  “Journeymen aren’t privy to the specifics. It’s a security issue since we’re only in the High Council Liaison Program for three years. After that who knows where we’ll end up.”

  Toby’s ears flattened in frustration.

  “I don’t suppose you could tell us anything about my uncle’s case, then.”

  “According to what little information we have, it’s pretty cut and dried. I’m sorry, Lorn, but every scrap of evidence we’ve seen points straight to your uncle as being a traitor,” said Alie, leaning forward to put a gentle hand on the young boy’s. Dora looked from Lorn to Toby, eyes intent.

  “You already knew all that, though. What’s this really about?”

  Toby glanced around the room, then leaned forward.

  “We’re trying to find out what my father was doing just before he disappeared. He was on the trail of someone connected to Gravin Arturo’s House who was buying large amounts of dragon willow on the shadow arts market. Somehow Lorn’s uncle is another piece to the puzzle, but we don’t know how and we can’t get access to any of his notes.”

  “We were hoping you might be able to find out something. You know, keep your eyes and ears open.”

  Alie captured her bottom lip between her teeth and looked toward Dora.

  “We can do that, but I don’t know how much we could help.”

  “We hear a lot of gossip and rumors, but that’s about it.”

  The young calico’s fur shivered, her eyes wide. The young woman cocked her head to the side.

  “What about the records we’re shelving all the time? There might be something in one of those.”

  Dora licked a paw, her tail twitching. When she looked back at the partners, her whiskers were drooping.

  “I don’t know. It’s a long shot.”

  “A long shot is more than we had a moment ago,” said Toby, ears perking up. The calico’s ears swiveled outward as her brow furrowed.

  “We’ll see what we can dig up. In the meantime you two be careful.”

  The she-cat cast a sidelong glance at her companion. The young woman studied her hands, sliding them below the table. When she looked back at Toby, she wore a thin smile, her dark eyes shining from a face that had paled. The tom turned his gaze back to the she-cat. Her whiskers were clamped tight.

  “If there is someone in the Hielberg House into dragon willow tra
fficking, you can bet they won’t find it hard to track down two nosy apprentices.”

  Chapter 7

  Sitting on the top of the stairway, Toby marveled at the extravagance of the Fall Harvest Festival. The celebration after the partnering ceremony seemed like a thrown-together gathering by comparison. The banquet hall was adorned with everything from horns of plenty to tepees of cornstalks and mountains of pumpkins. Large tables laden with treats surrounded three sides of the large room. Dignitaries and students mingled amongst smaller tables bearing fall-colored table cloths. A few couples danced at the end of the room to the music of a small quartet.

  “Lovely, isn’t it?” asked Lilith, sitting beside him.

  “It’s absolutely amazing.”

  “Yes. It’s not as grand as last year, but considering one-third of the kitchen staff left I’d say they did a wonderful job.”

  “Why did so many leave?”

  “Most of them have family in the Lower District to care for. Others went to help friends.”

  Toby was speechless. The Brothers had said there were a lot of people dying, but he thought they had been exaggerating. He stared across the crowd and tried to imagine what it must be like in the Lower Districts now. He wondered again if he should volunteer to be a part of the relief group working with the Brothers. Would that make things better with Terence?

  Lilith cleared her throat, making the young tom turn his attention back to her.

  “How are you enjoying your apprenticeship?”

  “It’s harder than I expected, but not as difficult as my mother made it out to be.”

  “I’m sure you’re doing fine. Just remember to ask for help when you need it.”

  Lilith splayed her whiskers and laid a gentle tail over Toby’s shoulders before pacing down the stairs. Toby scanned the crowd for a familiar gray and white shape. He spotted Terence making his way toward one of the small tables, a plate piled high with food floating behind him. Toby raced down the stairs and wove his way around groups of visiting humans and cats. He wanted to ask after the little tom’s mother, find out if she had the sickness and if he could do anything to help.

  “Hey there,” said the orange tom, hopping onto a stool beside his old friend. “What are you up to?”

  “Well I was gonna enjoy a nice plate of food, but I just lost my appetite.”

  Toby’s ears flattened to half-mast. He looked down at his paws.

  “What do you want me to say?”

  This wasn’t the conversation he’d intended to have with his friend, but if he had to apologize for getting Terence in trouble to save their friendship, he’d do it. The orange tom looked up at his friend. The little gray and white cat’s eyes were cold.

  “You could apologize for the lies you’ve been spreadin’ about Gravin Arturo.”

  Toby blinked.

  “What lies?”

  “You know what lies.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “You’ve been tellin’ everyone that Gravin Arturo is sellin’ dragon willow to shadow arts mages. So now the gravin’s tied up answerin’ a lotta stupid questions instead of workin’ on changin’ the way the High Council is run so us cats can have a real chance at a good life.”

  “I haven’t said anything to anyone about anything. And what do you mean a chance at a good life.”

  “You know what I mean,” said Terence, raising his voice to just below a yowl. “We cats are second class citizens. Always have been. But Gravin Arturo and Chivato are gonna fix that.”

  “Fix what how?” asked Toby, raising his voice to match.

  The toms faced each other, fur fluffed, claws extended. This was crazy. He knew things hadn’t been good for Terence and his mother, but he’d said that was just part of living in the Lower District. Had the gray tom said something that changed his mind or was it that Terence’s mother was suffering from the sickness? Terence showed his fangs.

  “They gotta plan that’ll get cats a paw up into helpin’ run the government. ‘Bout time we showed those stupid humans that cats are just as smart.”

  “Terence, I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Cats and humans have always worked together.”

  “Just go away, Toby. You don’t know nothin’.”

  “That is very rude, young trainee,” said Gravin Arturo, striding up behind Terence.

  “Might I suggest you lower your voice, as well. Your argument is beginning to draw attention,” said Chivato.

  Toby looked around. They were the center of a wide circle of staring humans and cats. He licked his ruff and forced his fur to flatten, then focused his attention on the gravin and his companion, glancing at the crowd.

  “Sorry.”

  Terence continued to glare at him. Chivato floated a stool beside the gravin and hopped onto it as Arturo pulled a chair from a nearby table. He sat down, frowning at the two cats.

  “Now, then, would someone mind telling us what this little dispute is about?”

  “Toby’s the one whose been tellin’ lies about you an’ gettin’ the High Council all stirred up,” said the little tom. The gravin raised his eyebrows.

  “Is that true, Toby? Have you been spreading rumors about me?”

  “No, sir. I asked some questions about the shadow arts market in Hielberg County, that’s all.”

  “I see.”

  “There’s no harm in asking questions, though questions about the shadow arts market tend to be a hot issue these days. It’s a problem when those questions lead others to wonder about their governing leaders, especially when those leaders are doing everything in their power to bring criminals to justice. Do you understand what I’m saying, Toby?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And, Terence, you’ve accused your friend of lying,” said Chivato. Terence turned his head away from Toby.

  “He’s not my friend.”

  “Friend or not, accusing anyone of slander is very serious. It is nearly as detestable as spreading those lies yourself.”

  “But he is lying.”

  “Do you have proof?” asked the gravin.

  “Yes. No. I guess not.”

  “Until you can prove otherwise, we must assume Toby is telling the truth.”

  “Now that that’s settled,” said Gravin Artuor, slapping his knee. “There are a few people here I would like to introduce our trainee to. If you will excuse us?”

  Toby watched as Terence fell in behind the gravin. Chivato turned to leap to the floor.

  “Sir, may I ask a question?” asked Toby. The gray tom looked over his shoulder at him.

  “Of course. I’d be surprised if you didn’t have any questions.”

  “Terence said you and Gravin Arturo were working on trying to get cats into government roles. Is that true?”

  “As a matter of fact, we are. You know about the terrible epidemic in the Lower District, correct?”

  “Yes. Two Followers of the One came to our Basic Health Class to ask for volunteers.”

  “Ah, yes. The Followers do what they can, but their efforts are ineffectual. They believe everyone adheres to The Priceless Measure. What they do not realize is that preaching we should treat each other as equals will not make it happen.”

  “What would?”

  “A stronger government.”

  Toby watched the large gray tom flow to the floor and melt into the forest of legs and tails. Hadn’t Toby’s own thoughts been similar? He remembered his orientation interview and wondered just how different his ideas were from Chivato’s. A stronger government could make a difference in the lives of those living in the Lower District, but at what price?

  The orange tom looked around for his human friend. He spied Lorn several tables away talking with his father and
a woman who alternately dabbed at her eyes with a large handkerchief and patted her bosom, all the while beaming at the young mage.

  Lorn shifted from one foot to the other, clenching his hands together behind his back. When the young man’s eyes locked on Toby, they pleaded for rescue. Toby smiled. He turned to leap to the floor and spotted Reginald and his cronies at the next table.

  The white cat stared back, his whiskers splayed and eyes narrowed. He turned his head just enough to whisper something into the ear of a haughty looking she-cat. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at him, then smirked. Her tinkling laugh made Toby shiver. Trotting toward Lorn, he pretended not to notice as their stares bored into his fur.

  “Hey, Toby,” said Lorn, his teeth gritted in a smile. “Where have you been?”

  “I’ve been speaking to a friend.”

  “And who might this charming young feline be?” asked the woman, fluttering her eyelashes.

  “Mother, Father, this is Toby, my partner and friend.”

  “A pleasure to meet you,” said the young cat, dipping his head to each.

  “Toby, my dear, if you don’t mind my asking, were you born such a striking shade of orange?”

  “Elsabeth,” scolded Lorn’s father.

  “It’s quite all right,” said Toby. Elsabeth nodded sharply at her husband.

  “My coloring comes from a magical accident. When mother was pregnant with me she was helping Master O’dorn mix a remedy and someone burst into the workroom, startling mother and causing her to inhale quite a bit of glow beetle powder. Needless to say she insists on a “do not disturb” sign on the workroom door now.”

  “Then I would say you may be the perfect cat to work with my son, since he is prone to accidents,” said Lorn’s father.

  “Henry,” scolded Elsabeth. Lorn rolled his eyes.

  “I’m sure the head masters had many good reasons to partner us. Speaking of whom,” Toby continued, turning to face Lorn, “Master Jalen would like to see us.”