The Jellicle Chronicles - Year Five

Cupid's Arrows

“The wounds invisible 

That love's keen arrows make.” 

Shakespeare, 'As You Like It,' III,v,30.

      Victoria stretched languidly in her day bed, enjoying the sunlight streaming through the window in the morning. She had just experienced the most wondrous dream. The scenery was so vivid and the touches were so real. She looked about her bed, expecting to see the dark hairs of Misto’s fur. Being in her Jellicle form, that fact must mean her Humans were somewhere else in the house. Her ears swiveled, and she did catch some laughter toward the den. Skipping gracefully down the stairs, she peeked into the room where her Mistress and her Mate lounged. She gasped as she first noted the beautiful bouquet of long-stem roses on the table. A card lay on the table next to the vase. A feminine giggle then drew her attention away from the roses. As Victoria listened, her smile broadened. The sounds she heard indicated that she was not the only one experiencing an erotic dream. 

      Since her Humans were occupied, Victoria first leaped up onto a chair, and then up onto the table where the roses were. Able to use her fingers, she opened the card so she could read it. 'To Sandra, with Love,' was the simple message, but Victoria read more into it. Replacing the card, Victoria rose up effortlessly on her toes and sniffed at one of the fragrant blossoms. Sighing slightly, she eased back down and looked about the table. Sounds from the couch kept distracting her, and she kept thinking of Mistoffelees. The Conjurer would be in trouble the moment she saw him now. On the other side of the vase, a box sat on the table. Red and heart shaped, Victoria could smell the chocolate. She knew that she could not even taste the sweet, since it made her frightfully ill one time, but she definitely enjoyed the scent. 

      Roses, chocolate and some friskiness on the couch - all signs that Victoria knew. The weather was just starting to look toward Spring, except last night dumped a brief amount of snow upon the ground. She looked on the top of the box, and read the expected message, 'Happy Valentine’s Day.' Victoria giggled slightly, and carefully leapt back onto the chair and down onto the floor again. 

      As she darted for the pet-door, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. The cold air and the snow made everything fresh and joyful. And, the white powder made it easy for her to hide, if she required it. With repeated trips made with Munkustrap and Skimbleshanks, Victoria knew the one place that she would stop at first. One house on the way to the Yard had roses in a garden, and in a small shed in the back. Unbeknownst to the Humans who lived there, Jellicles had raided the bushes many times for the roses. A bud or miniature rose made the Queens very happy when certain Toms brought them. With a mischievous grin, Victoria saw that the snow did not disturb the roses in the garden. It did not take her long to find the perfect one she wanted. Using a forefinger claw, she easily sheared the rose from the bush, and then skipped away with her prize. 

      Although she was happy, and the sun was well up into the sky, Victoria still kept watch around her. One too many run-ins with a loose dog, or an Enforcer patrol, made her conscious that things can go sour real quick. As she went down the ditch near the tracks, she breathed a little easier. Once in the Pipe, she was relatively safe. 

      “Quaxo?” 

      Not much after she called, the huge Sentinel pulled the clay brick from the Railway Pipe, and smiled at her. 

      “Good morning, Lady Victoria. You are early.” 

      “I could not help it, Sentinel. I had a wonderful dream this morning, and it is Valentine’s Day!” 

      “This is the reason for the rose?” 

      “Yes, Quaxo.” 

      “Did Mr. Mistoffelees gave that to you?”