After what felt like a terribly long period of time following the road, they arrived at the outer edge of a village.

The storm had waned, leaving only strong gusts of wind as a reminder it had ever been.

Daphne set her sister down on the dirt road. "I'm so tired," she said.

Theresa believed her. Daphne's breathing was ragged and heavy.

Yet they still needed to continue on. Theresa tried to tell that to her sister, but the only sounds were another series of meows.

She felt horrible frustration at her lack of ability to communicate and she suspected the feeling would only get worse the longer she was trapped in this form.

Theresa experimentally moved the limbs that used to be her arms and legs. They moved at her command, but her mind had trouble comprehending the movements.

"This must be Drayton ahead. I think we should try to find somewhere to stay," Daphne said tentatively.

Theresa dreaded the thought of her biddable sister trying to negotiate for a room.

Daphne has always been easily convinced into doing pretty much anything and Theresa was quite sure any number of people would be willing to take advantage of such a naïve and beautiful young woman.

While Theresa had never been allowed to venture out into the world outside Waldwick, she knew with grim certainty that the people occupying it were not all good.

Her tyrannical aunt had manipulated them for years and not one person from outside had ever bothered to help them.

Going into the nearest town and staying there was far from a good idea. Theresa made the newly unfamiliar muscles of her neck move her head back and forth, hoping Daphne would see it as a shake of her head.

Unfortunately, Daphne did not notice her jerky movements. Theresa gritted her teeth. Her canines were so long, it felt strange.

"Maybe you should wait right here and I'll look for a room. I think there's probably an inn or something." Daphne's forehead wrinkled.

Theresa wanted to tell Daphne they needed to put more distance between them and Francine. Instead, she just meowed.

Frustration rolled through her. She clenched her jaw again. The movement felt both familiar and foreign at the same time.

"I don't know what you're trying to say!" Daphne complained sharply.

Theresa meowed and shook her head as emphatically as was possible.

How could Daphne not realize what obviously needed to be done? They needed to run, not sit around and wait for Francine to find them at her leisure.

"How am I supposed to know what to do!?" Daphne asked, her voice rising along with her obvious desperation.

Theresa felt desperate too. She was not capable of doing what needed to be done thanks to their horrid aunt. She meowed loudly.

At the sound, Daphne burst into tears.

Theresa watched as her sister crumpled down to the ground in a pathetic heap.

Theresa wanted to tell her sister to stop crying because there were so many more important things to be done, but she held back the frustrated yowl she wanted to throw at her sister and waited for her sister's tantrum to end.

It never took that long for Daphne to cry herself out.

While she waited Theresa bemoaned her troubles. Did Theresa really have no choice but to follow Daphne?

Theresa could not very well leave her behind. She loved her sister and could not leave her to fall back into Francine's control.

Obviously, trying to disagree with her sister was not particularly productive.

She could neither tell Daphne what needed to be done, nor make her do what she should do. Maybe it would be best to just try to help with whatever plan Daphne came up with. Maybe Daphne would find a good idea somewhere in her scattered mind.

Theresa felt slightly bad for her younger sister, but there were bigger problems to worry about.

It was not the time to fall apart, why could Daphne not see that? If Theresa pushed her, Daphne might have another little fit and then she would be no good to anyone.

Theresa dug her claws into the soft earth beneath her feet and tried to be patient.

Finally Daphne's sobs began to subside and Theresa decided she had waited long enough. She rubbed up against her sister's leg, hoping to sooth her.

"Oh, Theresa, I wish that you could talk! I don't know what to do!" Daphne wailed.

Theresa tried to meow sympathetically. Hopefully it would prevent another bout of crying.

Perhaps it worked, because Daphne seemed to finally pull herself together.

She had reached a conclusion. "I'm going to go find somewhere to stay."
Theresa tried to roll her eyes but could not seem to make them move in such a sarcastically human gesture.

Instead she forced her unfamiliar musculature to nod her head up and down.

She just knew it was a bad idea to stay so close to Waldwick.

If Daphne pushed herself, they could make it a lot further that night. There was no need for Daphne to carry her any more. Cats could walk just fine. Theresa was figuring her distorted body out, she would manage nicely.

However, if she tried to push Daphne not to follow through on her plan, she might just break down again and it would waste even more valuable time.

Which was the better option? If she let Daphne have a break she would handle the challenges ahead better.

"Stay here, Theresa. I'll be right back."
Theresa nodded reluctantly. Maybe it was the best choice of all the terrible choices. Daphne left.

Perhaps staying at an inn would not be such a poor idea in spite of her misgivings. It was at least better than sitting on the road next to her sobbing sister.

And maybe, if they were really lucky, Francine would not imagine they would be so foolish as to remain in Drayton and overlook them entirely. Theresa could only hope.

* * * * *

Theresa sat primly in the deep shadow of a tree and waited. She tried to keep a sharp eye out for any signs of trouble.

If anyone pursued them, she would follow Daphne and drag the foolish girl to safety. Somehow.

The grass on the far side of the path was waving in the gusts of wind. Theresa moved closer slowly. She felt the most bizarre desire to swat at it. Not for any reason in particular; just because it would feel good to do.

Theresa stopped and reminded herself she was human. There was no reason to swat at grass.

She moved herself back to her former spot and forced her attention back on the path towards Waldwick. She would need to be the attentive eyes and ears on the haphazard journey Daphne was now leading them on.

The scents of the night forest caught her nose as Theresa stared down the road.

She realized she could see far more in the darkness than her human eyes would normally be able to perceive. Theresa looked up into the trees and could see the dark grey leaves moving in the breeze and even some details of the foliage when it once would have been nothing but a dark blur.

At least there were a few advantages to her new form. It was not enough to make up for her lack of ability to speak, but it was at least something positive.

Theresa definitely needed something good to focus on or the whole predicament her wretched aunt had thrust her into would overwhelm her.

Theresa looked down the path Daphne had followed and watched for her sister. It seemed her sense of hearing was much improved as well.

Everything sounded loud and clear.

She could even hear something small moving off the side of the path in the bushes. It also smelled intriguing.

Theresa felt compelled to investigate.

She scolded herself that Daphne would be coming back soon and she needed to wait.

Besides, many other creatures might lurk in the dense foliage, more harmful than whatever it was making such inviting sounds.

Where was Daphne? Theresa was starting to feel impatient. It was hard to keep herself from being distracted by every little thing. How long should it take for Daphne to simply find somewhere to sleep?

Theresa began to worry. Both sisters had been sheltered and confined at Waldwick estate for so many years it was hardly any surprise they might have some difficulty in the wider world.

Theresa was having trouble imagining how she would deal with the task of finding lodging. How much more difficult would it be for her shy sister to handle?

How much longer should Theresa wait? What was Daphne doing? Was she having trouble negotiating? Was someone taking advantage of her naivety? Had she been abducted?

All possibilities seemed horribly probable. In spite of Theresa's sheltered life, she had heard many dark stories of what went on outside Waldwick's safe walls.

Perhaps they should have waited at their castle and planned more. They could have waited until the storm was over and Francine was gone again on some other matter of business. Perhaps Theresa could have pretended to still be under sway of her aunt's magic.

Could patience have helped her avoid this whole mess?

It was agonizing waiting with nothing to do but question decisions.

And all the while she agonized the grass was waving in the wind. Back and forth; over and over. It was mesmerizing. It was very captivating.
Just one little swat would feel so good.

Theresa walked over and gave the grass a good swing with her paw. The grass was crushed down, but it moved back up as soon as she moved her paw. Then she swatted it again.

It was oddly pleasing and focusing on her little game would make the wait go faster. Who knew that grass could be so entertaining?

"Are you playing with grass?" Daphne's concerned voice broke Theresa's concentration.

Theresa narrowed her eyes and shook her head defiantly.

She had most certainly not been playing with the grass; she had been making the wait go by faster. Clearly.

She glared at Daphne briefly but her sister seemed unaware of Theresa's displeasure. Perhaps Daphne could not see Theresa's face by only the light of the lantern, or perhaps it was her cat face which did not convey expressions well.

"I found somewhere to stay," Daphne said tentatively. Perhaps she did sense Theresa's foul mood.

Theresa wanted to know how much it cost, if it was reputable, and any number of other things, but she could not ask and Daphne did not volunteer any information. Theresa was left to silently worry about their finances.

They had both carried equal portions of their funds, but she had no idea what had happened to the portion of supplies that she had been carrying before she had been transformed.

Half their coins were probably waiting on the forest floor for whichever lucky traveler found it. It was a depressing thought.

"Follow me," Daphne said and Theresa did as her sister asked.