Alexander the Caracal's Christmas

Christmas Day Continues

With the presents no longer beneath the tree, Alexander and Roxana both made their way under it and lay upon the blanket that had been placed around it. Be they common house cat or caracal, this was the way of the feline.

While everyone talked and opened their presents, Alexander stared and listened. Hippolyta and Olga were playing with their dolls, the students were discussing what they had gotten, Captain Smith and his brother Mr. Smith were speaking of a past Christmas when a snowy owl had perched itself outside their bedroom window, there was so much going on.

Looking over to Alan and Gemma, Alexander could hear the former say: "It is so strange both of them not being here, Gemma, still I know it will hurt less as time goes on."

"It will indeed get better with time, Alan." Gemma uttered. "Though my memories of her are faint, I still miss my mother and the loss of her did hurt... Sometimes it still does."

Alexander's mind turned to Egypt and his own parents, the champion hunters Amen-Ra and Olympias. Did they both still live? Alas, he knew not. How could he know? Egypt was in a completely different world. He may have heard the children read of stories on Mars, but to Alexander this continent of North America, this country of Canada, this estate of Quebec Castle, was a world all its own, but he was no stranger anymore nor was it strange... Though perhaps it was still a bit strange. Snow for instance was new and strange to him, though it would doubtless become less strange once he had seen it come and go enough times.

Yes, given enough times, nothing would seem strange to him... Though Alexander had to admit, humans would always be strange in some manner.

The day continued on and Alexander made his way to the kitchen where Helene Neuwirth, Andrew Barnett and the kitchen staff were busy at work. He did not stay long, especially not after one of the kitchen staff dropped lettuce upon him by accident.

Upon feeling the lettuce fall upon him, Alexander looked up at alarm. The individual who had dropped the salad, merely smiled at Alexander, knelt down and gave him a pat on the head. It was something that Alexander liked very much.

After that pat on the head, Alexander took a moment to sniff the lettuce. It smelled like lettuce he wasn't exactly sure wherefore he expected it to smell differently simply because it had landed upon him. He was a funny creature, that much he could acknowledge.

Making his way out of the kitchen, Alexander saw Ian and some other children proceed to run up the stairs. Immediately, he followed after them, pawing at their feet as they went. Why did he do that? He knew not, he simply did. Once they had reached the top of the stairs, the Northern Caracal then ceased his following of the children and proceeded to lick his right shoulder before hearing... Alas, he truly knew not... A dying moose giving birth to a hedgehog? What ever could make such a noise?

Following the sound to the parlour outside of Captain Smith and Igraine's room, Alexander found Captain Smith playing the violin... Playing the violin? No, no... Alexander had heard the violin played before and like all music it was an inferior magic to that of the written world, for music could not transport one as the written word did when a human read aloud, but that violin had sounded marvelous. Captain Smith's playing on the other hand... Oh, it caused the fur on Alexander's back to stand on end, his eyes to widen, his ears to flatten against his skull!

Standing in the doorway, a few others of the household present such as Igraine, Mr. Smith, Alan, Gemma and Mr. Cortes, Alexander stared at his master he played the violin. Captain Smith was many marvelous things, but a master violinist was not one of them.

Cnut was there too and one would have expected the wolfdog to howl. Instead, he simply proceeded to bury his head beneath a cushion on the couch that Alan and Gemma were sitting on.