Kalein grunted as he pulled the hoe through the hard earth. The sun was right above him in the sky, and he'd been working since dawn. It was the spring of his seventeenth year, but he had no idea; he had never kept track of his age, only lived season-to-season. It was oddly warm for the month, and the wolf wore only tattered working pants.
"Kale!" he heard a distant voice call. His tufted ears perked up and his coal-black nose twitched. He looked out across the freshly-tilled field..he could hardly make out the feminine form in the distance, but he knew exactly who it was. Ignoring his tired muscles and growling stomach, he took off in a sprint for the girl, kicking up dirt behind him.
As he neared, he kept his speed the same. Fearing a tackle or pounce, the girl braced herself and gave a little scream. He stopped just a few feet away, panting and grinning like a fool. The girl, a cat with gorgeous light cream fur, stood up straight and crossed her arms.
"Kalein!!" she growled. "Don't scare me like that! You're FILTHY and this dress is perfectly clean!" She spoke the truth, the canine's silver and white fur was covered with dirt. He only continued smiling at her, and the cat's anger was quickly melted like the winter's frost.
"Didja bring me breakfast?" he asked, eyeing the basket next to the feline's feet.
"Nice to see you too," she quipped immediatly, raising an eyebrow. Kalein rolled his eyes, wondering why women had to be so difficult.
"Lady Alaina, most precious gem," he cooed, bowing down to grab her paw and kiss it gingerly. "Your arrival has brought light into my dark world. To what do I owe this truly blessed visit?" The girl pulled her paw back, sticking her tongue out in disgust.
"EW! I don't want your cooties!" she said, but it was obvious by the pink in her ears that she was blushing. She'd been enjoying that kind of banter for four of the six years she'd known him, but the young wolf always managed to have different compliments for her. "And yes, I brought you food, but it's much closer to lunch now than breakfast." She sat down in the newly-grown grass and pulled the basket into her lap.
"Aw, you know you like it," he retorted, sitting down as well. Kalein watched her as she began to rummage through the basket and hum softly. He admired her hair, shining golden brown in the sunlight, and reflected on how well it matched her green eyes. He remembered life on the farm before Alaina came..boring and empty. The two had grown very close, and both had thought of sharing an even deeper relationship than the friendship that bound them. However, he was much too hungry to think of love at the moment.
"Hmm, couldn't get much today," she spoke up, pulling out a few small loaves of bread and a large slice of yellow cheese. Next to come was a sealed deerskin and two cups. Kalein reached out for the food, trying his best not to drool. She handed him a towel instead. The canine snorted and wiped as much dirt from his paws as he could, and after that she handed him half the cheese and some bread. He muttered a thanks before stuffing the cheese in his mouth.
"The Mistress let me have the leftovers from lunch," Alaina said, uncorking the flask and filling the two cups. "Wasn't that nice of her?"
"No meat this time, eh?" he grunted back.
"No, the Master opted not to save any for you," she said, gathering what was left into the basket. Kalein nodded slowly, and rose to his feet. "Well, lots of work to be done...thanks for lunch."
"Not so fast!" the cat mock-growled, leaping to her feet. She grabbed his wrist. "You can work tomorrow. Lessons today!" The boy moaned and struggled weakly. Though the thought of an afternoon with Alaina was much more inviting than work, he had an image to uphold.
It was nearly dusk. The pair had been sitting in the garden for hours, reading together. The feline would read a page, then help the canine read the next. Soon, they had to squint to see the words in the failing light. Alaina paused, in mid-sentance, and gasped. " It's so late!" She got up quickly. "The Master will be so upset!" She took a step in the direction of the house, but stopped and stared in surprise. A female tiger was walking toward them, holding a tray.
"Mistress!" Kalein called, standing up. " Good eve t' you!" Alaina did not share the wolf's jovial tone.
"Mistress! I'm so sorry!" she said as the older cat neared. Her French accent could be heard more than usual, as happened when she grew upset. The striped one smiled warmly.
"No need to apologize, little one," she said. Alaina was hardly little anymore, but it would be long before she would give up the nickname. "I only brought you some dinner." She handed the tray to Kalein, whose mouth watered at the scent of the fresh stew.
"You cooked? Mistress! You shouldn't be cooking! You should be resting!" Alaina's tone was still worried, but she had visibly calmed down.
"I'm fine girl, believe me." The tiger smiled and put a paw on her very pregnant stomach. Even with the added weight and stress of carrying a child, she was still beautiful. Though the farm's owner was not the richest of cats, he treated his wife like a queen. She was adorned in jewlery, and her jet back hair was pulled up. " You cook every night..I like the chance to do it every once in a while. I hope you like it..." Both teenagers nodded and smiled. They adored her. She had always treated them nicely, and was the only one who could keep her husband's anger in check. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to serve supper..."
"Thank you," Kalein said, bowing as she turned. He watched her disappear into the stone house. It had always seemed like a castle to him. He had only been inside a few times, usually when he was sick or injured. He felt a little jealous that Alaina was in there almost every day. He sat down with her and began to eat his meal. After a few minutes, he noticed the girl was staring at the stars. "Hey, your food's gettin' cold."
The cat sighed, hugging her knees to her chest. "Do you remember your family?" Kalein blinked at the unexpected question. He frowned and continued eating. She hadn't expected him to answer anyway, and spoke again. "You don't, do you? Don't you wonder what they were like? What they're doing now?" The wolf's ears flattened on his head. He set down his empty bowl and looked to the cat. She returned his stare, watching his mismatched eyes. She'd always found his eyes interesting...the right a light blue, and the left a bright yellow.
"We've had this conversation before," he muttered, standing up and starting off. "Kalein! Please stop..." Alaina's voice was too sad for him to ignore. He stopped, but did not turn to face her. " We've never had this conversation. You've never answered me. Please...." He turned to face her. "I don't remember anything about them. I know you miss your family, but you can't let it bother you. This is your life now..this is my life now...there's nothing we can do about it."
"I wasn't forced into servantry. You..what happened to you, Kalein? You don't even know your surname...doesn't it bother you?" It obviously bothered the cat. Her eyes were brimming with tears. " When I work off my debt..I'll be free to return to my family..but you, Kalein. Where did you come from? When do you get to leave? You're not a servant..you're a slave." The wolf growled bitterly at her words, and began walking away. She didn't follow.
Hope she's happy with herself, he thought angrily as he crossed the field. He approached the small, one-room building he'd slept in since as far back as he could remember. Kalein shuddered as he entered, eyeing the door's lock. He remembered younger years, when he'd be locked in for causing trouble. He longed to escape, perhaps even find his parents. As he layed down on the pile of straw he called a bed, he softly cursed himself for even thinking about leaving. He had tried it once, years ago. Kalein knew there was no escape. His past was dead, and nothing remained of it but the necklace he wore. The tiger he served had tried to take that away from him too, but the cord was strong and had no knot. Kalein had grown too big to get it off, but he didn't mind. It made him feel at ease, and he would have gotten no sleep that night had it not been for that small green stone about his neck, calming his troubled mind.
To be continued.