Throwing the Book at Us (Tuesday october 15th, 11:30 pm)

[Shaper Jenn]

Chapter 2 

Grand Society

The next day, the weather was perfect and the sun had warmed the forest. The pair went off into grand society. Many serpents were resting amid the rocks and beneath the petals of the wild flowers, or slung themselves like banded vines over the arid stumps of trees the wind had pushed over. Most of them only gave a cursory glance at the arrival of another snake. 
“As if there were not enough of us already.” Said one as she admired her mate’s scales in the golden sunshine. “And what a bizarre object is walking beside it. It looks like a cat! Serpent eater!” 
“Egg thief!” 
“Murderer!” 
An adder with a face on either side of his head, noble since his moment of birth, paraded into the clearing and took his place upon the favourite rock, which towered over all. He looked down, disapproving of what he saw.
“A cat and a serpent must never be. It is an abomination. Little one, get yourself away. That cat only means to eat your brethren. Murderous cat, you have my permission to leave. If you choose to be obstinate, I will bite you with my poisonous teeth.” 
“This is my littermate.” Said the snake hatchling as the kitten balked. 
An outburst of voices was silenced with a flick of the adder’s tail. 
“Listen, Little one, every animal has a place. That cat has been here five minutes and the entire forest is in disarray. It can’t live where it doesn’t belong.”
“Than neither of us will stay.” Said the snake affirmatively and the pair left the patch for the farm yard, with the snake astride the cat so she may keep up.
As they slept under a bush for the night, the snake made them a delicious dinner of bird eggs. Using her own shell tooth, she cracked them open onto a patch of wild mint and the taste was like nothing the kitten had enjoyed before. After their meal, the kitten told the serpent stories about the creatures that lived in the sky: the bear, the eagle, the two fish. The story was  like nothing the serpent had ever heard before, and soon the pair fell fast asleep together, dreaming of mint eggs and sky creatures. 
The next morning, they went onto the cow pasture. It was easy to get trampled by milk heifers and oxen, but the pair made it across intact by noon with only one close call involving a playful calf that bucked and bellowed at the sight of something new to chase around. 
When they came to the yard, they saw tame pigeons and chickens pecking at the barley corn as the magpie had pecked at the nest. The rooster, who had been born into the world with the loudest voice and really fancied himself a master gossip, announced their coming. 
 Most of the livestock only gave a cursory glance at the arrival of another cat. 
“As if there were not enough of us already.” Said a snaggle toothed barn cat as he admired his mate’s fur in the golden sunshine. “And what a bizarre object is slinking beside it. It looks like a serpent! Milk thief!” 
“Cow killer!” 
“Kitten murderer!” 
A tom cat with a face as sharp as an arrow, noble since his moment of birth, paraded into the yard and took his place upon the hitching post, which towered over all. He looked down, disapproving of what he saw.
“A cat and a serpent must never be. It is an abomination. Kitten, get yourself away. That serpent only wants to steal our earnings, right from the udder. Snake, you have my permission to leave. If you choose to be obstinate, I will rip you apart with my claws.” 
“This is my littermate.” Said the kitten as the serpent balked. 
An outburst of voices was silenced with a flick of the tom cat’s tail. 
“Listen, Kitten, every animal has a place. That snake has been here five minutes and the entire barnyard is in disarray. It can’t live where it doesn’t belong.”
“Than neither of us will stay.” Said the cat affirmatively and the pair left the farmyard for worlds unknown.