Naoise felt Arutha’s hand on him even as he fought his way through shifting nightmares and dreamscapes. His Touch soothed and settled him, his breath evened out and his body stilled under Aruthas caring touch. Though Naoise’s physical body relaxed and was eased, his mind however was another matter.
Naoise ran through the darkened forest as thick mists obscured his view and his feet, causing him to almost stumble over hidden branches and secretive vines that seemed to slither and move under his paws, seeking him, trying to entangle and slow him. His breath wheezed out of his throat as the cursed collar once again restricted his air flow, even in dreams it wanted to kill him. Naoise cursed it as he continued to run, his main worry was the thing that panted and heaved behind him, its breath heavy and almost upon him as he desperately ran to escape it, one stumble, a slip and it would have him. He ran, his body exhausted and screaming for rest but stopping was unthinkable, he swore he would never be caught again, never be trapped, so he ran, he ran for his life and his freedom.
He swam towards the surface of the water, the surface a silver shimmer of hope above him, promising escape and freedom from the cold, dark depths he was trapped in. His collar grew heavy and pulled him down even as he struggled to swim upwards, his lungs burned, his body ached for air even as he continued to struggle, to swim, to reach that beckoning silver shimmer of hope, yet he sank further into the dark depths and beneath him the thing circled, closer and closer never leaving always present always chasing. The last of his air escaped him in a fit of bubbles as he screamed in frustration and rage.
He ran along the cliff path, his paws leaving bloody footprints behind him with every step, the volcanic glass he ran upon cutting him with every step. The thing was still only mere steps behind him as the wind howled angrily around him, deafening him as it tried to bowl him over, to press him into the volcanic rocks like cheese through a grater. He ran on, is mouth grimacing in a silent snarl of determination, hatred and rage as he strained to reach the clearing at the top of the mountain path. But he was tired, oh so very tired of running, of hurting, of being chased!
His feet touched grass, the feel cool and soft against his sore, cut, throbbing paws. He ran across the soft carpet of green, the grass healing and rejuvenating him with every step, by the time he reached the end of the clearing he was fully healed, strength and vitality pulsated through his every pore as he turned around and launched himself through the air towards the unknown tormentor that chased him.
He landed square on their chest, the force of his jump hard enough and strong enough that they fell to the ground with a loud grunt and groan as the air gets knocked out of them. Naoise snarled deep and menacingly as he raised a paw, his claws extended and ready to swipe across their throat when he looked into eyes as green as his own framed by hair as black as midnight on a moonless night. He slowly stepped back, one paw at a time as he stared into those oh so familiar green eyes. Once he was back on the ground he sat and just stared at his human self as it sat up and stared back at him with his own eyes.
“How by the grace of Danu is this possible?” Naoise asked his human self, unable to take his eyes from the face he hadn’t seen in nearly nine hundred years. To his eyes he hadn’t changed much yet at the same time the changes were profound. He looked the same, the long blue black hair with its single druidic warrior braid that fell to the middle of his back and chest, the same lean taught, muscled body, and the eyes, brilliant emerald green. Yet though he looked the same as he did all those years ago it was no teenager that sat before him, it was a man, a man who had seen all that he had seen, all that he had suffered, lived all that he had lived. It was in his eyes, his mouth, they way he moved his body. The suffering had taught him compassion and empathy and his entrapment as a cat had given him patience, all of which could be seen in his eyes and smile, yet the body portrayed the strength and endurance to destroy his enemies without mercy or hesitation. He was sensual and dangerous yet also kind and caring. He was all that Naoise was and wanted to be.
“How but by the grace of Danu can this not be possible?” he asked the cat back with an amused smile.
Naoise narrowed his eyes and growled.”It has been you chasing me! Why?”He asked his human self angrily ignoring the question thrown back at him.
The man smiled sadly as he sat up and kneeled before the cat spreading his hands in front of him as he did so. “I have not been chasing you for I am you.” he replied softly, sadly. “You however have been running away from me. Why?” he asked, a sad knowing look in his eyes as he looked at the enslaved cat.”You run from your humanity, of who and what you are. It’s time to wake up Naoise, in all ways, wake up and reclaim yourself, stop punishing yourself for the past and start living for the future, for what could be”
Naoise sighed softly and looked at his human image with sad eyes. “I no longer know how to hope, to be other then I am, a cursed cat.”
The human image smiled wryly. “But we are a cursed cat.”He said with a small laugh as Naoise looked at him with disgust. “But we are also human, a thing you try hard to forget, to deny. You must reclaim yourself.”
“And how in the name of Danu am I meant to do that?”Naoise asked angrily. “I’m a bloody cat if you haven’t noticed”
The man stood up and towering above the cat before him he smiled. “You are a man, a man trapped in cat form and you already know what to do, Arutha and Kevla will help to find your name and identify the collar that curses and entraps you, and when they do you can at least stop pretending to be a cat and reclaim your name, your life, your humanity.”
“No, I do not wish to involve them, they don’t deserve this mess.”Naoise said emphaticly
“They are already involved.” Replied the human Naoise. “And how did you plan to break even part of the curse, not to mention the full curse, without them?” he asked the cat.
"The full curse?”Naoise asked in surprise. “I am a bloody cat! The full curse can not be broken.”
The human Naoise scooped up the cat and holding him at eye level he growled softly at him.”You are a Man, trapped in cat form. But a man none the less! If you do not dare to love, to feel love as a man, as a human or more, accept another can love you as a man, as a human, then you are right. The curse will never be broken. But that is your choice, our choice. But if you make the wrong one, I will be pissed, cause I am bloody tired of being a cat. Now wake up! Arutha and Kevla are worrying over you. Again.” Shaking his head he threw Naoise up into the air.
Naoise sailed up through the sky and laughed as he realised he was no longer the cat, but a man flying through the sky.
In the room where Naoise lay unconscious on the bed, the clock struck midnight. The reflection in the mirror of Naoise wavered and was replaced by the image of his human self, laying naked and asleep beside Arutha on the bed. Naoise sighed softly and slowly opened his eyes, his human reflection doing the same.
