Alexander the Caracal and the Wedding

Day Two

When morning came the next day, Alexander entered Alan's room and hopped up onto the bed of his master's elder nephew. From where he stood, the Northern Caracal could tell that the sixteen-year-old boy was already awake, just laying there with his eyes open. So, what did the feline do? He walked onto Alan's chest and proceeded to lay down.

Smiling, Alan scratched Alexander's head and uttered: "Good morning, Alexander."

Purring contently, Alexander closed his eyes. This was nice.

"Alan!" Opening his eyes, Alexander sat up and looked behind him as his master entered the room. Captain Smith was already dressed and looking as if he had been searching all over the country house. "Have you seen Olga?"

Olga Asimov was one of the Romani who lived at Quebec Castle. A little girl of six, the same as Hippolyta, she had become friends quickly with Captain Smith's daughter and had quickly taken to dressing up like a combination of Little Red Riding Hood and Alice, wearing a blue dress, a white pinafore and a red hooded cloak.

As Alan sat up, Alexander moved to the foot of the bed, sat back down and proceeded to groom himself, licking his right shoulder. "Uncle Kull, I've only been awake for..." Looking to his clock, Alan then said: "Five minutes. Why what's going on?"

"She wasn't in her bed when her mother woke up and she isn't with Hippolyta." Stated Captain Smith.

"Maybe she is with one of the other children." Alan suggested.

"The students are all ten, there are no other Romani children her age and the only visiting child who is her age is Theobald and he is still asleep." Captain Smith explained. "We've searched the entire house. I know you are supposed to be looking after Julius, Theobald and Natasha, but can you go look for Olga?"

"Sure, Uncle." Replied Alan as he got out of bed.

Leaping down from Alan's bed, Alexander made his way from the room of his master's nephew. Alan's room, like those of Captain Smith, Hippolyta, the students, the teachers and the late Nana Smith were all located on Quebec Castle's second floor, while the rooms of the staff and their families were all on the first floor. As he walked through the upstairs hallway, he made his way first to Hippolyta's room. Occasionally Hippolyta and Olga would have little tea parties and there would be times that Alexander and Roxana would stop on by.

Peering in, the Northern Caracal saw that Hippolyta was not in her room... Was she missing as well? No, no, she must have been elsewhere in Quebec Castle. His master, her father had said Hippolyta wasn't with her, where then was she?

"Alexander!"

Turning, Alexander saw his master's daughter. Six-year-old Hippolyta dressed in her white dress and white pinafore with her black shoes upon her feet, looking the same as ever. There was a little bit of concern upon her countenance, clearly worrying about where her playmate Olga could have been.

Behind her, Alexander saw Darius' spirit, standing and waiting as if saying: "I know where Olga is! Come with me, Alexander!"

And that did Alexander do, following the apparition of the previous Caracal of Quebec Castle, much to the surprise of Alan who upon emerging from his room after getting dress, inquired: "Here now, what's this? Where are you off to, Alexander?"

Alexander heard Alan not. He merely followed Darius down the stairs into the entrance where Gemma and Roxana both were. The moment Roxana saw Alexander and Darius, her eyes went wide and her ears fully erect and so she followed them through the front door, held open by Mrs. Helene Neuwirth, one of the cooks.

"Alexander, Roxana!" Gemma cried. "Where are you two going?"

Neither caracal ceased following Darius. After the spirit of their predecessor, they walked out the door and down towards the river, away from Quebec Castle.

The three caracals only ceased walking when they heard someone coming up from behind them. The turned their heads to look behind them and there did they see Alan and Gemma running up to them. Darius knew fully well that the humans could not see him, so he took a moment to scratch an itch. How strange that even as a spirit he was still bothered by such things. He hungered not, he thirsted not, yet why did he feel an itch? Did he truly or was it just out of habit? He would groom himself as well, though he could not get dirty and did not get hot, so it was entirely possible there was no itch and he was just doing it out of habit.

"Alexander, Roxana, where are you two off to?" asked Alan.

"Do you two know where Olga is?" inquired Gemma.

Roxana gave a meow in response as if saying: "Not us! Darius does!"

But alas, Alan and Gemma understood her not. How could they? They were only humans after all and humans could not understand the tongues of—

A sound coming to their black tufted ears, Alexander and Roxana began to run forward, with Darius joining them, a proud look in his eyes. His young successors would be worthy ones to him.