Week 5 Storytelling: The Wandering Queen

Set’s lashing tail swept the sandy metal around his dead brother’s nest, leaning onto his haunches as he settled into his new authority. The big cat’s ears twitched as he looked out on his ill-gotten kingdom: a network of alleyways and drainage ditches, crawling with a dozen other feral cats. They recognized his new status—on the biggest dumpster, Osiris’ throne. They bowed low.

“Find Osiris’ mate!” he yowled. “Bring me Isis!”

~

Soft cat paws padded out a path through tangled subway tunnels. The leading cat was a ruffled black male with large ears who regularly paused to test the still air with his nose. A sand-colored cat followed behind him, thankful for the frequent rests, as her belly was swollen and pregnant.

“These kittens will come anytime now, Anubis,” she warned.

“We’re almost there,” he said.

“Are you sure?”

“I know the tunnels better than anyone, Isis. This is the right way, towards Delta.”

After some time, the pair came to a cracked door in the tunnel. Isis slipped in with some difficulty, and after a brief pause to survey the dark vicinity, Anubis followed. To Isis’ surprise, another pair of eyes appeared before her, yellow eyes that reflected what dim light there was in the small closet.

“Who are you? Why did you come here?” the third cat said, practically hissing.

Anubis slid past them easily. “Lay here, Isis. Settle, Herit,” he added to the other cat, whose tail flicked in what seemed to be recognition. “She’s going to give birth.”

“In my closet, of course.” Herit’s ears twitched in irritation. “You know I don’t like kittens.”

~

Isis’ kittens came quietly, but not easily. By the time all was said and done, she had four blind, mewling babies worming their way towards her stomach. Three had her sandy pelt, but one looked like its father Osiris—white with black stripes across its back. While she purred and cleaned her new litter, Anubis noticed that Herit had disappeared, and padded outside to look for her. He found her with her head bowed so low her whiskers touched the subway tracks. When she saw Anubis approaching, her ears flattened to her head.

“How could you bring her here?” she demanded.

“It was the only place Set would never look,” Anubis said.

“So what? They can take her and her kittens if they like.”

Anubis paused for a long moment. “That’s cruel. I thought, out of anyone, you would want to help.”

Herit rose and turned sharply, disappearing into the doorway. Anubis sighed.

~

While Isis rested, Herit peered at her. Three of her kittens were nuzzled face-first into her stomach; the other mewed helplessly. Grumbling, Herit nudged it in Isis’ direction with her paw. Instead, it stumbled blindly towards Herit.

“Have you ever had kittens?” Isis’ voice drifted up tiredly. “You behaved like you hated them, but now that doesn’t seem true.”

A long silence stretched out between them. Isis’ kitten pushed its nose against Herit’s flank, looking for warmth. “I had a litter.” Herit sighed as the kitten curled up at her side. “But the city wasn’t forgiving enough to let them be. I would give anything for another day with them.”

~

“How did you know she would agree to look after the other kittens?” Isis asked. The white kitten, who she had called Horus, followed at her heels, its white paws weak but determined.

“That’s a story for another time,” Anubis told her. “Come on, we won’t be able to rest until Set is dealt with.”

~

Author's Note: It seemed appropriate to retell an Egyptian myth with cats. I was going to write a serious story set in ancient Egypt, but it was no fun. It also ended up being more about Herit, who is nameless in the original story, than Isis. This story is contained in this passage from the reading:

"Meanwhile Set, the usurper, ascended the throne of Osiris and reigned over the land of Egypt ... The good queen Isis became a fugitive in the kingdom, and she sought concealment from her enemies in the swamps and deep jungle of the Delta ... and [Anubis] became her guide.
"One day Isis sought shelter at the house of a poor woman... The heart of Isis was touched with pity, and she uttered magical words which caused [the woman's] child to come to life again, and the woman ministered unto the queen with gratitude while she remained in the house."

In the original, the poor woman's child is actually killed by one of Isis' scorpions. I decided it would be too hard to explain resurrection in this setting, though.

Sources:
Egyptian Myth and Legend by Donald Mackenzie

Image:
Mother cat with kittens by Ashim71