Raina rolled her eyes as the Matron went into a furious frenzy.

“How could you say something so ridiculous! Raina, this is your life we’re talking about!” she hissed. “Grow up! Some things are simply too dangerous!”

“I’m an adventurer, in case you hadn’t heard,” Raina said with a scowl. “Danger is my constant companion.”

“Yes, and so that makes it all okay. Your mother made the same argument and look where that got her! First, she showed up here out of the blue, looking for work which I gave her. I took her under my wing. I showed her everything there was to know about non-magical healing, but that wasn’t good enough for her either! That nasty raven kept whispering in her ear, and the next thing I know she’s an adventurer travelling all across the countryside, and did that do anything for her in the end? No. It did not. In the end, she retired alone in the forest, and you cannot convince me that the bright young lady I knew was content with that!”

“Is she breathing between all those words?” I asked as the Matron continued down another tangent.

“Hard to say,” answered Raina, which earned her a scowl and another onslaught of negativity.

“What I wouldn’t give for hands, right now,” I said, stretching my paws forward and kneading them more on Raina’s lap.

She looked down at me. “Hands? What would you do with them?”

“This Matron looks to me like she could stand to be picked up by the scruff,” I answered. “She’s trying to dictate your future when you’ve already made your decision.”

“Oh, she’s just blowing off steam. She’ll calm down eventually.”

“I most certainly will not calm down, young lady! Corruption is irreversible!” the Matron interjected.

And that was where I finally lost my temper. I yanked my slate board from Lord Erik’s grasp and set it on Raina’s lap before scribbling an angry message with my chalk. All the while, Raina watched in fascination.

If corruption is so bad, why does the order corrupt their recruits?

You could have heard a mouse scurry across a rug with how much silence followed my one simple question. The Matron looked at me in horror. I just stared at her, a growl forming in my throat. When no answer was forthcoming, I continued my scribbles.

Don’t try to fool a familiar when it comes to corruption. I saw the Rite of Cleansing. Controlling corruption is something this temple is skilled at, or they wouldn’t send a lone paladin to do it alone and unsupervised.

“That’s different!” the Matron protested.

How?

“It’s controlled!”

I’m insulted you think I can’t control our corruption.

“You weren’t there when this corruption happened,” she continued.

Who neutralized the corruption at the attack?

“Well, you, but-” I hissed to stop her from continuing that thought as I scribbled my next line.

I dare you to do better.

The Matron had nothing to say to that, so she turned to Lord Erik. “Say something, Erik! Elana was your friend, wasn’t she? This familiar is a bad influence on her daughter!”

Lord Erik rubbed his eyebrows. “I just spent the last several days with Malzy trying to understand him better. He’s brash, but he’s clever. If anyone can do what he claims, it’s him. His own ego won’t allow him to fail.” Raina snorted in amusement. I just flipped my tail. He almost seemed to be on my side, even if he had a funny way of showing it. “Besides, lest you forget, Wilhemina, I’m one of those adventurers who stole your precious Elana away, and I don’t think for a second that she regretted that decision.”

“She always spoke very fondly of her adventures with you and the others,” Raina added. “I remember bedtime stories about your triumphs over Hazelthorn the Briar Witch and fighting through the depths of the Tanglewood on the border with Teralys. Her story of saving you and Lizzie when you were afflicted by the dungeon boss’s hallucinogenic poison was always my favorite.”

“Of course, she’d tell you that one,” Erik answered sheepishly. “Not my finest moment, raving mad as I was at the time, but a fitting tale to show her prowess as a witch.”

“Mother always used to say that it was the duty of the strong to help the weak. What better way to do that than by using my strengths to do the most good where I can?” Raina asked of the Matron.

“And if you die young? Who will you help, then?”

I won’t let that happen.

Raina stared at the words written on my slate with my messy pawwriting. I stared back at her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you promise to actually help someone other than yourself,” she said. I flipped my tail back and forth, trying to decide on the best response.

If you die, I die.

At the heart of the matter, I needed Raina. The Soulbond wouldn’t let us be parted by my paw. And, while she could live without me, I couldn’t live without her.

Of course, there was more to it than that. Raina and the others were useful hench-humans, and I wasn’t about to give up on perfectly good servants so easily. Not to mention, I still didn’t know why they’d come back to save me. Until I learned at least that much, I needed to continue trying to find out on my own.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Don’t worry. Soon, I’ll be all the healer we’ll ever need, Raina.

Before anyone could muster a reply, I hopped off the bed and went to the door. Twisting the handle, I chirped at the rest of the party who were waiting somewhere nearby. A moment later, Terrowin poked his head into the hall. Seeing me, he called to the rest of the party, and they returned to room.

The Matron did not bring up the subject again, which was good, because I was prepared to bite her if she did. Instead, Aelisra lifted Raina’s spirits by recounting the tales of other adventuring parties who’d returned from jobs since we’d left.

Turns out, many of them had been sent to deal with the monstrous servants of Qelona. They stalked the southern road, ready to set upon unsuspecting travelers with a rain of bark shards and wooden claws. More than hounds filled their ranks now, with several cats, deer, and birds being reported in her employ.

Raina hung on her every word. Determination filled her gaze. I purred in satisfaction at the sight.

* * *

“Malzy, I want to go shopping,” Raina insisted a few days later. She’d been getting impatient and fidgety after recovering some in the infirmary.

I looked up from the diagram of a human skeleton that covered the page in front of me. I’d been studying fiercely, stopping only to eat and glare at the Matron every time she passed by.

“Why the sudden urge?” I asked.

“My cloak was burned in the dungeon, my best dress was sliced apart by the assassin, and the rest of my clothes are torn and dirty from travel,” she explained. “I haven’t brewed a potion since your summoning, because we were too broke to afford even a small cauldron, and I am tired of sitting around.”

I blinked at her. “Let me guess, with the money you got from the guild for completing our two quests, you want to replace all your stuff?”

“My last attempt at going shopping ended rather abruptly, as you’ll recall.” She scowled.

“I remember.” With a stretch, I rose to my paws and stepped off her lap. “Do you think you’re strong enough?”

“Of course I am!” She swung her legs out of bed. As she put her weight on her feet, she stumbled, catching herself on the bedpost. “I’m fine! I’m fine!” she insisted.

I flipped my tail, watching her carefully as she slowly let go of the bedpost. She wobbled slightly as she walked towards the door, but I kept an eye on her, ready to catch her with telekinesis if she fell.

By the time Raina made it to the temple door, her footing was surer, and she slipped out without anyone noticing. I followed, staying on the ground, lest she topple over from my additional weight around her shoulders.

“The market isn’t too far,” she said. “Once we get our things back in order, we can get back to work.”

We received many strange looks as we navigated the busy streets. It was clear to anyone watching that Raina was not supposed to be here. She was clothed in a simple shirt and trousers provided by the temple, which wouldn’t have been abnormal on its own, I don’t think. Where people began to notice, was that she wasn’t wearing any shoes. Not that I thought that weird, after all. Personally, I believe that they should just get better calluses on their feet, as I have on my paw pads, but that’s the cat in me.

“First thing’s first,” Raina said upon reaching the market, “The cloak we ordered the other night should be ready.”

During the day, the market was filled with all manner of sights and sounds. The middle of the square was filled with colorful stands advertising all manner of goods, many of which caught our eye.

Raina stopped at a merchant selling fresh herbs, and another selling monster parts from faraway lands. At each one, she picked over the goods with a trained eye before making her choices. Once they were bottled and bagged, Raina tried to carry them…which only added to her instability.

I took pity on her. I might only be able to carry one thing at a time, but after consolidating everything into one bag, I volunteered to carry her purchases. It was a purely selfish offer. After all, a happy witch would be more compliant to my requests in the future. It’s all an investment.

By the end, she visited the tailor to pick up her new cloak and buy several more sets of traveler’s clothes, an alchemist’s supply shop to purchase a new cauldron, and a leatherworker for something she wouldn’t tell me about. In fact, she made me wait outside while she entered that shop alone. When she came out, it was with a wide grin on her face, but no additional bags in her hands.

“What was that for?” I asked. She just smiled knowingly.

“Oh nothing, just making a custom order.” She began walking off, leaving me to continue carrying her things.

“Come on, tell me! Who am I going to tell?”

She turned around just long enough to pick me up and scratch me behind the ears. “You’ve become quite the chatty little kitten since you got your chalk, Malzy. You could tell anyone.”

“But…”

“No buts! You’ll find out in due time!” Then, she seemed to get dizzy, forcing me to jump from her arms. Once it passed, she moved to a nearby bench and sat down. “I can’t wait to get brewing again. Let’s go to the guild next.”

“If you want to be scolded by Lizzie for being out of bed, be my guest,” I answered. Raina stuck her tongue out.

“I’ll just explain that I’m fine, but I need a fire and the fireplace at the guild is perfect.”

“Your funeral.”

“I’ll make you something special if you come with me,” she offered with a wink. “Don’t think I didn’t notice you staying up last night reading.”

“I have to make good on my declaration,” I explained. “Level 20 isn’t far, you know. I need to learn all I can to get the title I want.”

“And if I made you something to make that task a little easier?”

In an instant, I was in her lap with my front paws on her shoulder. “You can do that?!”

“I could, if you help me get there.” She kissed the top of my head before I was able to hop to the ground. I lifted all her bags and carried them mightily with my magic as we made the arduous trek uphill to the guild.

As per usual, the guild hall was filled with raucous activity, which allowed us to slip in unnoticed by the ever-watchful Guildmistress-in-all-but-name. She was busy scolding one of the level 12 parties for failing to account for collateral damage with their fire spells. It was a common lecture, and one that Lizzie knew by heart after giving it so many times.

With her distracted, we crept to the fireplace where Raina sat cross-legged on the hearth. I lounged on the warm flagstones as she pulled the new cauldron from the bag of purchases and hooked it on a metal hook just above the roaring fire. Then, she began sifting through our purchases, adding a healthy helping of brown powder and sugar to the pot.

“What are you making?”

“Something you’ll love.”

“That didn’t answer my question.”

“Just be patient!”

“I have no patience!”

She rolled her eyes in amusement. “I know.”

I watched as she stirred the mixture. I followed as she snuck to the kitchens. I carried the carafe of stolen milk back to the fireplace. Even after all that, she didn’t tell me.

“Now, for a bit of imbued potency, but the energetic variant this time,” she muttered. A spell was cast on the cauldron, and it sparked and bubbled. “Yes!” She exclaimed. “Go fetch a cup from Lizzie, and you can be my first taste tester.”

No argument from me. I ran over tabletops, darting between adventurers, and leaping onto the bar. I grabbed a simple wooden cup that was big enough for my head to fit in, if needed, before doing the whole gauntlet all over again to return to Raina’s side.

My witch poured the steaming brown liquid into the waiting cup. It smelled…strange. Neither good nor bad, kind of sweet and a little bitter.

“Here you go!” she set the cup before me. I peered at it.

“What is it?”

“Try it and find out.”

Gingerly, I dipped my tongue into the hot liquid. A normal cat would have run with a burned tongue, but I was far too intrigued to not see it through. It was…bitter, but in a good way. The milk and the sugar eased out the flavor, giving it a rounder and fuller flavor.

As soon as the first drops went down my throat, though, I felt the potency like a shockwave that made my hair stand on end. I was filled with so much energy that the very idea of sleeping was suddenly ridiculous.

“What do you think?”

“WhatisthisnewthingRainatellmemoreitssogood!”

She burst out in a jolly laugh that made tears run down her cheeks. “It’s magically enhanced coffee! I’m glad you like it.”