<Episode 35>
Elliot and the other wolf knights were totally spaced out for a second.
'Is the Little Miss's birthday party such a serious matter?'
'I thought something big was going to happen….'
However, even as they relaxed, the Gridwolf couple's expressions were too serious. They were going back and forth, just like during a strategy meeting.
"If we make it too grand, Kitty might feel burdened, so let's keep it simple. A five-tiered cake should be fine."
"Let's invite only about a dozen or so painters, just a handful...."
"Let's have her wear that outfit we had made and get a quick family portrait painted to hang in the mansion."
"Let's also make a small portrait to stick on a hand mirror."
And for a 'simple' birthday party, these ideas were kinda out there.
'Where exactly is this simple? They only invite two painters for the Young Lords' birthday parties….'
Elliot didn't get it at all, but he figured one thing out.
If he wanted to stay Jackal's right-hand man, he better make a good impression on Kittia.
Dinner was the usual family affair. I sat down between Eden and Theo.
'Guess everyone's done shedding.'
Except for me, a cat, all the wolves had cool fur things on their shoulders.
I barely managed to take my eyes off them and was eating the delicious food, clutching my fork as usual, but today, my temporary family was staring me down hard.
I was even eating my veggies, like a good little almost-seven-year-old cat.
I kinda tilted my head, but Caris just shook hers.
"Kitty, I heard your birthday is next week. Is that right?"
I couldn't figure out how something I mentioned briefly during class today had reached Lady Caris by midday. Judging by their reactions, Lord Jackal seemed to know as well.
"Yeah, but you really don't have to get me anything..."
Caris quickly cut in, as if to say, "What are you talking about?"
"Every little wolf wants a big, fancy birthday party."
"Ah."
"It's like, a baby wolf thing."
Since Lord Jackal agreed too, I kinda had to go along with it. If liking birthday parties is a baby wolf thing….
"A-actually, a really big cake would be awesome! And, like, tons of colorful balloons!"
Then Theo and Deon started looking at their parents all impressed. Caris chuckled and asked me,
"Sweetie, what do you want for your birthday?"
"Little wolves always ask for crazy stuff on their birthdays."
Jackal added quietly again this time.
Whoops. Guess knitting needles and a sewing kit aren't exactly 'wolf-y' presents.
I mean, they got me like ten outfits at once, so the Gridwolves were loaded.
All the wolves were looking at me, eyes all sparkly. I blurted out the biggest wish I could think of.
"I wanna go to the market and buy, like, ALL the yarn!"
"......"
Everyone looked kinda bummed, so I gulped. I couldn't let them find out I was a cat because of some silly present.
I was gonna say I also needed tons of boxes for the yarn, but Theo and Deon jumped in.
"See? Kitty wants to go to the market and buy everything."
"Uh, I just meant yarn..."
"And hey, Soft Paw said she wanted to check out the market earlier, too."
Checking out the market was super important for, you know, the future, so I nodded fast.
Jackal pondered for a moment, then exchanged words with Caris.
"Since she's part of the Gridwolf family, even if it's just for now, we gotta make her tough."
"You're right. If the First Knight Order and Theo and Deon go together, it'll be just right."
If my brothers and a whole bunch of knights come, I'll be totally surrounded by wolves before I even get a chance to be tough...
"But it's her birthday, so we should throw in the Second Knight Order, too. Like, as a present. Cleed's her bodyguard, so the Fox Squad's gotta come too, obviously."
"Yes. Anything more would be, like, way overprotective."
Lady Caris and Lord Jackal looked all proud of themselves, like they weren't being totally overprotective.
Isn't this, like, already overkill? I tilted my head at the two wolves and asked.
"Isn't that, like, a ton of people just for me?"
"Not at all."
Jackal answered firmly. Caris answered a little more gently.
"But Kitty... I just wouldn't feel right if some stranger even touched your little paws."
Theo and Deon started chiming in.
"That's right, Kitty. What would we do if you got kidnapped?"
"Two knight orders should be enough to scare off any creeps staring at Soft Paw while she's, you know, working."
The wolves' eyes were, like, glowing gold. I asked, just in case.
"Whoa, is this, like, that wolf obsession thing?"
Then the whole Gridwolf family shook their heads at the same time, like they'd rehearsed it or something.
"Sweetie, are you, like, annoyed by all the guards?"
"It's not that."
"Then it's not obsession."
"I see! Obsession is too hard to understand..."
I mumbled that, and Theo gave me a big hug. Eden, next to me, just kept eating, looking totally bored.
Finally, my birthday arrived.
Soon as I woke up, I did my stretches, hopped down from the big bed, and went over to the display case.
The magic pendant thingy kept the flowers from Mom, Dad, my brother, and the little ones all fresh. There were even a few buttons from the clothes I wore when I first got here.
I put my hands on the glass and whispered.
"Today is my birthday."
Of course, no answer came back, but my heart felt lighter.
I told Mom, Dad, my brother, and the little ones that I made it to seven.
Where I used to live, it always snowed around my birthday. My best birthday memory was making snow-kitties with Mom late at night after work.
After playing in the snow, my hands would be freezing, but Mom would always warm them up.
"Your little paws are freezing! Let's get inside and have some kitty soup."
"Yes!"
I remember how warm I felt after eating the fish in Mom's kitty soup.
'I miss them all so much.'
I kissed the glass and then, all brave, made my bed.
Lena came in, kissed my cheek, and smiled.
"Little Miss, happy birthday. You're a little wolf now, not just a baby wolf!"
"Thank you, Lena! I'm a little wolf now, so I can totally wash my face and get dressed all by myself."
I puffed out my chest and buttoned my shirt, all proud. I even got all the buttons right this time!
"Um, Little Miss. Your shirt's inside out."
"Ah…."
"Don't worry, all the little wolves do that."
I giggled and put my shirt on the right way.
After breakfast, I left my room, and something went poof over my head. It was Theo and Deon.
"Kitty! Happy birthday."
"You're a little wolf now, too?"
They gave me big hugs and kisses on both cheeks. But I felt something in their jacket pockets.
"Oh, did you guys bring snacks for the carriage ride?"
"Nah, we're your bodyguards today. If anything goes down, we gotta handle it with 'Conversation' and 'Compromise'."
Theo and Deon opened their jackets all proud. They had daggers on their belts, under their jackets.
"But... you just said you'd handle things with 'Conversation' and 'Compromise'..."
"My dagger's called 'Conversation,' and Deon's is 'Compromise'."
"Anyone messes with our Soft Paw, these two will take care of it."
"......"
They looked kinda scary for a sec, but I nodded anyway. 'Cause I'm a little wolf now, duh.
"Okay! Let's hit the market!"
I marched towards the front gate. The carriage was waiting to take us to the market.
Sir Elliot and Cleed bowed.
"Teach! Cleed!"
"Little Miss, happy birthday."
"We'll keep you safe today, Little Miss."
"Thank you both."
I took Sir Elliot's hand and climbed into the carriage. Eden was already there, like always.
"Oh, Teacher! You're coming too?"
"I'm not skipping class."
I used to get scared of Eden's grumpy voice, but I'm seven now.
'Eden seems okay, I guess.'
I muttered, looking at Eden.
"Say 'Happy Birthday,' or I'm ditching class..."
"You threatening me?"
Eden said in a low voice. I got a little surprised, and my ears popped out.
Sheesh, he's still grumpy, even though we're both little wolves now. But I didn't let him see that, and just smiled.
"Nah, just kidding. You're my teacher, so you don't have to say 'Happy Birthday'."
"......"
Eden just ignored me and looked out the window again. He's always like that with me.
I stuck my tongue out at Eden a little, then sat down.
"I can see you in the window."
"Oops... Gotta go potty before we go."
I jumped out of the carriage.
Soon, the wolf-pulled carriage took off. Three carriages total, one just for luggage. Plus the knights following along as wolves.
And, so Kitty wouldn't freak out, the Third Knight Order was undercover in the market crowd.
Caris and Jackal leaned on the balcony, watching the whole birthday shopping parade.
"Hope Kitty finds lots of stuff she likes. She doesn't really have anything special, except for those buttons from when she first got here."
Caris said, getting up. Jackal followed her inside.
They were talking about that info Eden spilled yesterday.
That stuff about Jerian, the cat leader, maybe being immune to Blue Moon was huge.
"We're just taking care of her for now, but we got some really good info."
"Yeah. The wolves were only looking at the leopards. So, I wanna do something nice for Kitty..."
Caris pulled out some sharp scissors and a comb from her desk.
"Jackal. Like you saw at dinner, Kitty really wants some wolf fur."
"......"
"She kept staring at them. She's probably feeling left out 'cause she doesn't have any."
"......"
"And if she has wolf fur, it'll be harder for bad guys to track her by smell."
Jackal knew exactly what Caris was up to with the comb and scissors.
Poof!
Magic sparked, and a giant wolf took up Caris's whole office. It was Jackal.
Caris gave her good husband a pat and started snipping.
Snip, snip.
The basket filled up with wolf fur with every snip. Caris continued her bold cutting.
She was gonna make a cloak with the fur and some fabric, and give it to Kitty when she got back.
It'd be super cute if she used the extra-long fur on the hood.
She snipped faster and faster, picturing Kitty's happy face in the cozy red cloak, all excited about her wolf fur.
Snip—
"Caris, was that a huge noise?"
"No, if I just trim this a little... Oh dear."
Snip—
"......"
Jackal gave Caris a worried look.
