The Tortoiseshell Mirror Ch. 03

This story is a romance but it also contains fantastical elements including a character's transformation into a non-human, feline humanoid which may not appeal to some readers. There is some sex but it only comes at the end of Chapter Five.

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It was already well into the afternoon when Marianne awoke. She felt snug and refreshed in her bed and lay there just gazing at the pattern branches outside as the made shadows on the white-washed walls of her room. Finally she pulled herself from the bed and went to the bathroom. A good soak soon cleaned her. It was only when she was dry again that she felt she was truly back in the world of the humans. She returned to her bedroom to get dressed and realised it must be close to a day since she had worn clothes. With just a small sense of guilt she sneaked a look at herself in the mirror, admiring her fine tortoiseshell fur, now so clean after her bath. A little voice in her head told her that soon it would be dark and it could be so nice just to slip back into that beautiful feylin form and run and find Paurr, that he would be surprised and pleased to see her. Feeling a little naughty Marianne sat on the bed and slowly began gathering her thoughts into the shape that she trusted would transform her.

Marianne then stopped. What had she been thinking? For a start she had not eaten a thing since the previous afternoon and secondly it was far too early to change, the sun had not yet set but, with so little of the afternoon left, she would be wasting a chance. Paurr might not thank her for turning up tonight. She had to prove to him that what she said went and that meant being patient until the agreed time. Then another thought came, reminding her of the worries she had had the night before. What if being a feylin was addictive? Surely for the sake of retaining her human identity she needed to resist the siren calls to change form again so soon. Marianne picked up her dressing gown and as it brushed against her body she could not help imagining it was Paurr running his paws softly over her. That was enough, now she quickly pulled on layers of the least sensuous clothes she had and went downstairs.

A quick survey of the kitchen showed she was going to have to find somewhere to get fresh milk and bread or be short by the next day's dinner. She recognised that having a mission for the next day would be good, if nothing to else, to distract her from the coming rendezvous with Paurr. For now she grabbed some snacks and the sequel to the novel she had enjoyed and retreated to her bed. Lost in her reading the rest of the day passed quickly and she found she could again get to sleep promptly.

Marianne rose early and, after breakfast, with her map in her bag, she set off for the village. As she got close to it, her mobile phone bleeped from her bag telling her she had come back into signal range. She checked the 'phone and found that there were a handful of text and voice messages waiting for her. She ran through them as she walked. The first one was from Helena wishing her all the best on her break. Then a couple from her friend Lisa, at first jolly, but then the tone changed to one of exasperation. It was familiar story, their mutual friend Amanda was going through a crisis and insisting on seeing the pair of them immediately. The final one was from Amanda herself, almost demanding Marianne came back from 'wherever on Earth' she was and sort out the situation regarding Justin, her latest ex, who not only had run off but seemed to have stripped her well-appointed flat too.

Marianne tried to dismiss all thought of these calls, but guessed her break was going to be cut short. She envisaged Lisa and even Amanda making an appearance in the next day or two. She guessed she had to enjoy the tranquillity here to the full for as long as it lasted. For now she focused on her shopping trip. The walk took her an hour each way. Fortunately the village had both a newsagent and a petrol station and she was able to get bread, milk and various tinned foods from either. She also grabbed treats like chocolate and tasty biscuits, feeling that she had earned them by doing the walk. She came back by a different route, following a ridge which she guessed equated to where she and Paurr had looked out in his world. Though the area was rural, it was divided geometrically into packets of land and marked with roads and a whole assortment of farm buildings. Back at the cottage Marianne made a light lunch and decided to head into the garden. It was rather overgrown, looking like no-one had attended to it since high summer, but Marianne followed the brick paved path to a wooden seat and enjoyed sitting there scenting the various herb bushes around her and watching the activities of birds and squirrels that entered the garden.

Afterwards Marianne took her sketch pad and headed out. She was hesitant about entering the woods for a variety of reasons, so she skirted it and instead followed footpaths over neighbouring fields until she reached the top of a small hill that gave her a nice view. She started sketching some of the wild flowers around her and then tried a landscape. Ultimately she turned to forms of people, distinguishing between male and female outlines. Before long she was sketching Paurr. She had his shape, the nature of his face, embedded in her mind, so it was easy. There was an elegance, almost a chivalry about his posture that Marianne found very appealing. His face had shown her happiness, a serious side and concern and she liked the fact that whilst they were so alien his features could express so much she understood.

She really got into a sketch of him lounging against an oak tree that she knew and stood close to the pool. Of course it did not exist in this world, but it was in his. He was lounging and soon another form appeared between his legs and without thinking Marianne was producing a sketch of two feylin lovers, the male embracing the female as they sat relaxed in that beautiful location.

Eventually a breeze sent a leaf skittering across her page and Marianne looked up to see that the shadows were lengthening. It would not be long to sunset. With a determination she walked briskly back to the house, following the road rather than again skirting the woods. By the time she had had a quick snack, it was almost dark. Marianne had not really thought through her strategy. She quickly stripped from her clothes, wondering how to trigger the change; worried she would not be able to pull it off this time. Should she set herself up in the living room again? She had left the front door on the latch so she knew she could get out whatever form she assumed. She picked up the mirror, this had to be a key element. As she looked into it she was glad to see her feylin face looking back. Yet, as she gazed at it the cat-like features began to fade and within a minute, it showed her as a human. For an instant Marianne felt concerned. Had the magic gone? Then she glanced at her hand and saw it was fur covered. She let the mirror fall on to the bed and jumped up, transformed. For the fun of it she swished her tail across the counterpane. Then she ran down the stairs, her strong leg muscles making her speed easy. She lifted the latch and having gone through the door let it bang closed behind her as she ran towards the wood. There no car in this world to block her path and only grass, not gravel, to cross before she circled the house to reach the trees.

In minutes Marianne was approaching the clearing. She had been so pleased that she had been able to change again that she had not thought much about what it was going to be like to be reunited with Paurr. The clearing was empty and for a moment Marianne was worried that she had been stood up. She laughed a little to think that she might be the only woman to be deserted by males from two species. Then again, she knew that in this world time was looser; she imagined there were no clocks and that meant people had to be patient. She lent over the pool and had a quick drink. As she straightened up to stand she felt a warm grasp. She was delighted as she looked up to see that it was Paurr with his arms wrapped around her. She pressed a quick kiss on his lips, hoping it did not seem too much.

"Mouryann, I am so glad to see you. It seems like weeks since we last met."

"For me too. I so wanted to see you, I almost came here last night and then again today. I had to hold back from changing."

"You did?"

"Yes. It might be strange in the shape of a feylin, we're effectively quadrapeds standing on our back legs, but these sleek lines, this soft fur, well, they're special."

"You're what makes them special. You are beautiful among feylins."

"Thank you." Marianne went quiet, recognising a heartfelt compliment. She aimed to shift the mood a little. "And you're the handsomest male feylin I know." She smiled.

"You've not met any others."

"No, but I'm certain what I say is true. Well, we have all night, show me more of this world."

"As promised. Keep close."

"I will."

As before, the pair broke into a run and sprinted down slender woodland paths. The route was unfamiliar to Marianne and she made sure to keep up with Paurr. Eventually they came to a vast clearing, almost a break in the woods. A large circular hut with stone walls and a pitched and thatched roof sat in the middle. Around it were pens holding sheep and cattle, between were sleeping hens. Small gardens with neat rows of vegetables radiated out from the roundhouse.

"This is my village. Quiet, most will be asleep."

As directed, Marianne followed Paurr with gentle steps, neither disturbing the livestock nor the residents. Paur opened a small door away from the main double doors to the roundhouse. Marianne followed Paurr as he ducked inside. The roundhouse was divided into sections separated by varnished wood. Curtains hung from most making them private from the large central area where a low fire burnt in a pit. From behind each came the sound of feylins asleep. In the centre three males and a female sat drinking from clay mugs.

"Paurr, is there some problem?" One asked in a soft voice.

"No, this is Mouryann, she is from a distant clan, four days' walk from here."

"Greetings Mouryann." The female said, sitting upright. "I'm Rremmah. This is Matrerr, Rauff and Arrpah."

For a moment Marianne was nervous, wondering if this female would see through her or simply take her as some kind of competitor.

"Are you staying long?" Rremmah continued.

"Erm, I've not yet decided. I like the countryside here and Paurr has been an excellent guide."

"You'd be welcome, unlike some clans, we have a good amount of space here. If you wanted you could even settle here, it's good to mix the blood of the clans, it brings strong kits and lessens the chance of conflicts between clans."

For a moment Marianne's mind reeled with what Rremmah was saying. She had given no thought to the possibility of staying in the feylin world and the thought of 'kits', which she guessed was the feylin term for offspring, seemed just bizarre. Given she was not considering children as a human, how could she do so as a feylin in a world she barely knew? Would it even work?

Was there not the chance she would find herself a naked woman among a roundhouse of feylin?. Marianne calmed herself, but swore not to return here. Dealing with Paurr was one thing, handling his whole clan was something else.

"Are you seeking a mate?" Arrpah said rather coarsely and Marianne wondered if these feylins were drinking alcohol.

"If she was, I'm sure she'd go for Paurr rather than you." Rauff jibed.

"Don't scare her off." Matrerr said, sitting upright. He put a gentle arm around Rremmah and Marianne realised they were a couple. "I arrived here three seasons ago from the North and I found this village to be the place I wanted to stay."

Rremmah nuzzled her mate and they smiled briefly and kissed.

"Erm, well there's so much to see in this world. I, I don't know. I'm sorry to have disturbed you. We had better get on, there's so much Paurr needs to show me tonight."

"Stay, drink with us. It's rare we have visitors, tell us about your clan and about the others you've met between them and us." Rauff said with genuine interest.

"Erm, no. I need to get out and see things."

Nervously Marianne turned to Paurr who was standing, clearly watching how she reacted to the others. She hoped he would not make it hard for her.

"Paurr, you said the view from that hill had to be seen in moonlight. Shall we go there now?"

"Yes, Mouryann, you don't want to miss that."

Marianne was so grateful when he stepped forward and gently touched her arm.

With a little more confidence now, Marianne turned back to the group. "Thank you for letting me in here, your, your house. Erm, maybe I will see you again." With that she quickly went to the door with Paurr doing his best to keep up. Marianne breathed deeply once she got outside.

"I'm sorry. I did not expect you to be questioned by them. It was a mistake, you're only just getting to know this feylin body and I throw a feylin clan at you."

"No, it was well-intentioned. I am glad to have seen how you live."

The pair of them were walking back to the edge of the clearing.

"And do you approve?" Paurr asked.

"I don't really know. It's a simpler, more honest life, but you know I'm a city girl."

"Well, ignore their questions, you don't have to come here again. Anyway, I am enjoying having you to myself too much."

Marianne turned to look at Paurr and hoped he could see her smile clearly. He was handling this so much better than many men she had known would have done. "Do you want to see the view from the hill, Meytawn Hill?"

"So there is a hill you want to show me? I just made that up."

"Well, it was a good guess."

Paurr smiled and Marianne felt weak. This was the kind of contact she had been missing in so many of her relationships, something shared between her and her partner that no-one else in the world knew. Was that why Paurr was good to be around? He was Marianne's secret that she knew no-one in her version of Earth would ever know. As she thought about it, this whole existence here was known to her and Paurr alone. Even his fellow feylins did not guess she had a connection with the human world. Here, even more than at the cottage, she could start again, slough off all the concerns which had plagued her. Here, Rob had never even existed and any life she could speak of would be a world away from this reality.

"Is this real?" Marianne thought aloud.

Paurr was standing still, looking at her with anticipation. Hearing her question he smiled again and his tail gently stretched out to wrap supportively around her leg.

"Yes."

Paurr spoke softly and for an instant Marianne wanted to make a witty reposte that even if he was part of her dream he would say that, but then realised that would spoil things; his answer was more important than that. Recognising its strength Marianne pondered if he thought she was asking about something else, not this world, the body she was in, but beyond that to her relationship with him. Now she felt embarrassed. For her this was some fantastical waking dream that took her away from her worries, but for the first time she realised that others may see it differently. Marianne remembered what Rremmah had said; she had perceived Marianne as a serious visitor, not simply some dream-tourist. If Marianne had been a harder woman she would have given it no more thought, but her sensitivity was probably what had made Rob's betrayal so tough to get over. Of course she realised that her concern about other's perspectives were not really about the views of a female feylin she had just met, but those of the male one she was now spending a second night running around the woods with.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes." Marianne replied, trying to put energy into her response; she would have to think these things through later.

"The night's passing." Marianne said. "Take me to Meytawn Hill before the sun rises."

Paurr looked reassured. "I certainly will."

Paurr burst into a run and Marianne was right beside him as they sprinted through the woodlands and out into more open country. It seemed a little familiar and as the pair bounded up the hillside, Marianne realised why. The road to the village skirted this hill in her own world. She had seen this place in its human version. Soon they were close to the top of the hill and Marianne could see the summit held a large clump of trees.

"Well, once we are in there we won't be able to see a great deal." Marianne stopped to catch her breath.

"You're right. You're supposed to go round the trees for the view. There's no value if you can see it all from one spot."

"I can understand that."

Marianne straightened up and looked across the moonlit landscape. Here and there patches of water reflected the white light, giving the scene even more of a magical feel. A breeze blew gently feathering Marianne's fur. She realised if she had been standing here as human she would be a lot colder.

"Come with me." Paurr said, his eyes looking intently at Marianne.

For an instant Marianne wondered what he expected to happen. In her ignorance of feylin ways had she given out the wrong signals? Had he forgotten she was human and simply brought her up here so that he could toy with her the way he did with any other wandering feylin female? A sudden sensation startled Marianne as part of her realised she was not averse to having Paurr do what he wanted. Was that the feylin part of her speaking? Were her human sensibilities being subjugated by feylin urges? She knew cats came on 'heat' at certain times of the year, was that now?

"Are you alright?" Paurr asked again.

Paurr looked genuinely concerned and Marianne wondered where all her concerns had come from.

"I just wanted to show you something hidden in this clump. It may come in useful one day, I don't know." Paurr explained.

Marianne realised she had been foolish. Paurr had never shown her anything but gentlemanly characteristics. Maybe she was wrong to think it was feylin urges pushing their way in, it was more likely to be her very human suspicions intruding on her feylin thinking.

"That would be good. Lead on."

Marianne reached out her hand to Paurr in an effort to calm his concerns and as a kind of apology on her part for doubting him. Paurr took it and led her through the trees. Suddenly they came on a small clearing. In the centre of it was a carved stone chair, resembling a throne. The markings on the arms and legs of the chair made them look fur-covered. A carved stone tail ran round the back of it. Marianne wondered if this was some ritual site, important to the feylins.

"It's erm, beautiful." Marianne said. "Who made it?"

Paurr shrugged. "We don't know. It may have been humans, it may have been feylin, or both. There are chairs like this where the divide between the worlds is weak; there are a number on the perimeter of these woods. In the past when the tools of humans were closer to ours there was benefit in humans or feylins crossing over; someone always saw an advantage in contact between the two species. Yet, few had the abilities you have, this was a gateway for everyone else."

"So it's not just decorative, it's practical too. How does it work?"

"It's simple. Watch."

Paurr stepped forward and sat on the chair. In moments he seemed to be fading away, as when Marianne had seen him from the cottage at day break. Soon he was gone entirely and the chair seemed empty. Marianne waited, wondering what Paurr had done. She was not surprised any longer that a chair in a wood could make him disappear and she knew that he must have known what would happen. However, she was glad when he began to reappear.