05: How I met Socks

I left the Guild and strolled down the winding alleys. Wherever I find myself, my first step is always toward the market, for it is there that life pulses strongest – and why should Tarcania be any different?

I love diving into the colours and scents when travelling, even if the aromas are sometimes less than pleasing or the sights a bit challenging for European eyes. I remember the Arabic souks with their butchers and camel heads hanging from hooks. The clearer the eyes, the fresher the meat – that’s what my guide once explained, though I’ve never felt the need to try everything. Although refusing offered food is generally seen as rude, citing religious reasons is usually accepted—and that’s often how I managed to avoid camel, beetles, and other unidentifiable dishes.

In Tarcania, the market that weaved through the narrow alleys burst with colour and life. It was really fun to snack the dried peaches, crack the roasted pistachios, or simply take a break with a glass of spiced wine. There were also many fruits I didn’t recognise. It was clear I looked like a stranger, and now and then a merchant would offer me a small taste. My favourite was a fruit with a purple rind and white flesh – sweet, juicy, yet with a hint of tartness. I’ve forgotten the name but never the taste. The closest I found later was dragon fruit, which I tried in Mexico.

I still had Marcus’s coins, but I absolutely had to find a way to earn money myself. I hoped the guild would support me in that. I made a mental note to ask Sereina when I returned.

Of course, I was also drawn to the different Tarot decks. There were so many varieties, yet the core idea was always the same. It was probably for the best that I had so little money, or I would have returned to the Guild with at least three or four new decks. One in particular caught my eye – the Fool, my favourite card, was a woman, and instead of a dog, she had a cat as her companion.

Back home in Falkenstein, we had dogs, of course, but also cats that lived in the granary, keeping the mice in check. I loved their independence, though they were half-wild and sadly not the sort you could cuddle. I always regretted that a bit, but I admired their grace and self-assurance.

I let myself drift through the streets and alleys of Tarcania, slowly getting used to the thought of staying here for a while. I probably had no other choice, if Leonora’s words were to be believed, so why worry too much about something I couldn’t change?

The market stalls became fewer as I moved further down into the city. Instead, there were more houses and taverns. I saw women washing clothes in tubs, and children playing with hoops, balls, or small dolls sewn from scraps of fabric. The whole city had a peaceful and pleasant atmosphere. I really felt comfortable in Tarcania, and bit by bit, my usual sense of adventure started kicking in again.

The afternoon was slowly giving way to early evening, and I remembered that I had planned to meet Sereina in the dining hall at sunset. But then, as I passed a narrow alley, I heard a pitiful meowing. I couldn’t just walk on. The Tarot image of the female Fool with her cat came back to mind.

I turned into the alley, and there, sitting right in the middle of the path as if waiting for me, was a small black kitten. He looked at me with such soulful eyes that I couldn’t resist picking up this little bundle of fur. I have to admit, he was irresistibly cute, but he smelled like the gutter. And he meowed so pitifully, as if he hadn’t eaten in days.

It took less than a heartbeat for the little fellow to enchant me. I fell in love. I looked around, but there was no one in sight – no mother cat or other kittens. I glanced into the courtyards and asked a woman who was hanging up laundry if she happened to know where the little guy belonged. She just laughed and said he belonged to no one – a street cat, like so many others.

I looked into his eyes and asked, more to myself than to him, “What are we going to do with you, little one?” And then I heard a voice in my head: “Feed me, what else? I’ve chosen you, and now you’re responsible for me.”

Tarcania continued to surprise me constantly, and that wouldn’t change until the day I left. Alright then, I could apparently communicate telepathically with at least one animal here. Why not? This could get interesting.

“So, you’ve chosen me. And what’s your name?”
“You have to give me a name, for I am your soul companion, your familiar, and you are responsible for me,” the little cat purred.

Well, he was black, with white paws. “How about Socks?” In that typically feline way, he replied, “As good as any other name. So be it. Now, my stomach’s growling. What’s for dinner?”

Hunting mice was out of the question – he was far too small for that, and now that he was apparently my familiar, I had to take care of him. I had hoped he might be as low-maintenance as our farm cats back home, but that hope was soon to be proven wrong.

Socks climbed onto my shoulder, and so, with my new friend, I made my way back to the Guild. Along the way, I started to worry a bit. I had no idea how Leonora or Sereina would react to Socks.

Just before sunset, I returned, and Sereina was already waiting for me. When she saw Socks on my shoulder, she grinned. “You’ve already found your familiar – that was quick. Some of us have special animals, but most people don’t. The fact that you have a cat, even such a young one, shows that you really are the chosen one.” I sighed, resigning myself to fate.

“Don’t worry about Leonora. She knows, and she has a familiar herself, as do I. Mine is a tortoise. There’s one thing you must remember: never, under any circumstances, reveal the true name of your familiar to anyone. That name is for you alone. Never speak it aloud, because you never know who might be listening. This is really important.” Sereina grew very serious, and I took her words to heart, promising to follow this rule.

“And only you can hear your familiar’s voice. If he has called you, then you truly belong together. Was that the case?” I nodded. “If it makes things easier, you can give him a second, public name. That often simplifies things,” she added with a grin.

“Now come on, you two – dinner is waiting.”