caroworld

The caravan traveled slowly through the harsh winter.

Harn was busy being a ten year old boy, but he did not forget Lilia and the un-used scarf bed.

A month after the cold night when Lilia had her labor pains, the caravan found itself at the south end of Hidden Forest and stopped to set up camp.

Harn explored the forest, looking for Lilia and her kittens with his sister, Hania. They searched deep into the forest, heading north and northwest, where they thought Lilia and her kittens might be.

They explored every small cave, and every fox den, and every underhanging they could find -- with no luck. They called her name softly and told her they had food for her and her kittens. But no cat appeared and no traces of cat prints or kitten prints were to be found.

Hania decided they had better try a spell.

"If you do not come out right now, all but one of your kittens will die! But if you come out, all of them shall survive, and you too, and you'll be fed well, and we'll pet you and play with you!" Hania declared.

Harn was not happy with that spell, but he did not say anything. He did not think it would work anyway.

But on their way home, the children heard a pitiful sound behind them.

It sounded like a kitten's meow.

They turned back to follow the sound.

And there was Mia, a tiny black lump crawling her way toward them. She was all alone.

Harn was furious.

"You killed them, Hani! You killed all of them but this one!"

Hania began to cry.

"I didn't think it would work," she said.

Harn picked up Mia and cradled her. She was cold and shivering and so small he could have held her with one hand if he'd wanted to.

"We have to name her now," Harn said.

"Mia," meowed Mia.

"Let's call her 'Mia'," said Hania. "And I'll give her as many fortunes as I can to make up for what I've done."

On the way home Hania did her best to ensure that Mia had not nine, but ten lives to her name.