I am a witch’s familiar. I go where I want to go, gathering plants and informations, and sometimes going on quests for Clarissa or for the nearby villages. Being a familiar means that I am linked to my witch, and we can communicate in any circumstances, no matter the distance and the fact that I can’t talk. The transmission gets a bit blurry when it rains, but all in all it is very useful.

I was sleeping on a tree in my favorite part of the tiny forest behind Clarissa’s house when I had a mental shake and my friend’s voice booming in my head. That’s the downside of this communication method. A cat can’t get a nap…

“Milk! I need your help. The little Hyacinthe is in trouble, and I can’t go right now, I am working on that super secret potion I totally didn’t tell you about, remember? You have to go get her out of that hole she fell into, can you do that? Then bring her here, I’ll check for injuries.”

Oh, poor thing. I liked that kid, she always gave me pats on the head when she saw me, and she spoke to me as to an intelligent being, unlike most of her peers. That is always a good thing. I couldn’t leave her in trouble, so I hopped down the branch I was lying on and headed for the vague directions Clarissa had given me. That witch needed to implement a map on our communication system, it would make life much easier for both of us…

The forest floor was mossy, full of fallen leaves and small branches, nicely cool and very treacherous for those who didn’t pay attention to where they put their paws. It would have been a pleasant walk if I hadn’t been so worried for the little girl…

A sudden yelp made me stop in my tracks. It sounded like a pup wolf, but it didn’t seem wounded or hurt. It yelped again, and I started edging closer to the source of the noise to investigate. If anything, maybe it would have some precious informations. As I got close enough to see it, I realized the wolf pup was guarding something. Something in a big, deep hole.

I approached, slowly and carefully so as not to scare the brave canine, and when I was close enough, took a peek at what was in the hole. As I feared, Hyacinthe was curled up, silently sobbing, both of her legs bent in unnatural positions. The poor girl was in a lot of pain, but knew better than to cry out and risk attracting unwanted attention.

I called for Clarissa, telling her we could use some help to get Hyacinthe out of there since neither the wolf nor I had opposable thumbs to make a rope or any other tool. “Hold on, I’m sending you the birds” was the answer to my long explanation. The witch was busy. Now all that was left for us to do was wait.

A couple of eternities later, a dozen of birds sped past us, diving into the hole and grabbing the now unconscious child as delicately as they could in their talons. A quick nod from one of them as they emerged was the signal for the wolf and I to start running towards Clarissa’s house.

Have you ever tried running in a forest that is slowly getting dark? No? Clever. It’s the best way to break your paws. Luckily, we didn’t, although we both slipped several times and got some pretty mean scratches from branches along the way. Still, we made it to our destination mostly unharmed, and only a few minutes after the birds.