The Jellicle Chronicles - Year Four

Nocturne

Nocturne: (Music) A composition dealing with or referring to night; a serenade; especially a dreamy pensive instrumental composition. (Painting) A night scene.

      The early afternoon just before the Spring Equinox was warm this year. As a result, the warmth vanquished the remaining patches of snow around the Yard. Jellylorum’s herb gardens were doing very well, even though the Matron was too busy to tend to them. Instead, Tailkinker, the young Healer and Jellylorum’s assistant, moved from plot to plot, and worked the soil. Some of the Jellicles would have disliked this type of chore, but not Tailkinker. She enjoyed working with the herbs. 

      As she weeded and harvested, the young Healer felt more at peace with the world than she had known for some time. When she thought about it, Tailkinker now had a lot of friends, a wonderful Gift, and she got to work with the herb gardens. If that was not enough, she had one thing more to make her happy beyond her dreams - a Tom. 

      Brutus was a mature Tom, tall, broad-shouldered, and muscular - the Guardian of the Railway Pipe. He was gentle for his size, and slow to anger. As Tailkinker had begun to find out, his heart was a big as he was. She did not regret that snowy night when she literally ran into him. She had been crying because she had watched a stray named Littlepurr slowly die, and realized she had no one to turn to for consolation. Grummie, her adolescent love, was gone, and existed to her as only a memory. Brutus was real, there, and cared about her. So, with everything to gain and nothing to lose, she gave herself to the gentle giant. 

      The sun was warm on her back as she worked with the medicinal herbs. She used a Human’s fork as a small spade to tear up a patch she would use for planting tubers. As she turned the still moist soil, a shadow crossed the ground in front of her. A whiff of scent identified the Jellicle as Victoria, which pleased Tailkinker. 

      “Hello, Healer. You certainly chose a beautiful day for gardening.” 

      “It is marvelous, isn’t it, Vickie?” Tailkinker took a deep breath of spring air. 

      “He makes you happier, does he not?” 

      Tailkinker turned to the White Queen, and lightly hugged her. “I owe you a lot for that talk you nearly pounded into me.” 

      Victoria looked a bit shy. “Someone had to talk to you. Everyone wanted it to be me. I guess everyone thought it was just because I knew Brutus.” 

      “Well, they were right. And he does make me happy. He’s everything you said he’d be. He’s very gentle, Vickie, and he treats me like a Lady.” 

      “He always has been to me,” Victoria said with a demure smile. “Now, I do not have to worry about him any longer. He has you to fill his Life.” 

      Suddenly, a bright blue ball of light whizzed up and hovered about Victoria’s right shoulder. Both Queens were slightly startled for a moment, until the White Queen saw what it was. She chuckled musically. 

      “My son is looking for me,” she said as she watched the ball of light dance in front of her. “He has learned this particular magic to help him look for things and parents. I have to go. Pleasant Day, Healer.” 

      Tailkinker watched as the White Queen followed the blue ball of light back toward the Tire. She began to ponder a possibility. The concept of “if” she would have kittens someday ended the moment Brutus returned the Mating Pledge. The question now was “when.” Would she be given a kitten as wonderful as the one Vickie had? If so, the Tribe might have an even better chance. Two thoughts immediately entered her mind. The first one was the poor stray Queen that Tailkinker had touched with her Healing Gift. She had learned that Jellicles went to the Heavyside Layer and later returned to a different Jellicle Life. With every death, there was new life - thus the Jellicle Circle was run. Unconsciously, one of her paws touched her belly fur. Her Gift told her that she was not quite ready yet, but she was getting close. Could she be the one to bear “Littlepurr” into a new Jellicle Life? For a moment, Tailkinker prayed she would be given that honor.