Miss Landon and Aubranael

Part 4

'Oh, but look! I must have that lavender ribbon—you must allow me that much, Thundigle, for I assure you I have no intention of eating it.'

'We need to get away from this market,' the brownie muttered. With that he took hold of Sophy's skirt in one small but insistent hand and began to haul her away. He was surprisingly strong for one so small; off-balance as she was, Sophy found herself propelled some distance from the mesmerising ribbons before she could muster any objection.

'This is too bad of you,' she protested, really feeling disappointed. 'I cannot believe a single ribbon could do me any harm.'

Thundigle marched on, implacable. 'It begins with a ribbon...' he said grimly.

'And ends, perhaps, with an entire gown, and a pair of boots to match! I can see no probable outcome any worse than that, so do please be reasonable.' She finally managed to halt Thundigle's march, wresting her gown free of his tight grip.

Barely had she caught her breath, however, before someone large and heavy barrelled into her, sending her spinning away. She collided with a disagreeably solid wall, narrowly avoiding knocking her head against the unyielding stone.

'Well, really!' she gasped, clutching at her bonnet and reticule. 'People in Aylfenhame have fully the most disagreeable manners I have ever—'

She broke off, her eye fixed upon the fleeing figure who had almost knocked her over. He was unmistakeably Ayliri, tall and lithe, dressed in pale trousers, a dark blue tunic and a wide-brimmed hat. All she could see was his fleeing back; his dark brown hair was long and loose, flying in the wind.

He was chasing after an enormous purple cat.

The creature was magnificent; easily three times the size of a typical house cat. Its fur was quite, quite purple—the hue of lilacs in bloom—and highlighted with a sheen of silver. Sophy stared until the cat and the man had disappeared around a corner.

Intrigued and outraged by turns, and with confused notions in mind of admiring the cat and berating its pursuer, Sophy started down the street after them. She soon left the market crush behind and found her way clear; breaking into a run, she hastened to catch up.

The corner gave way to another, and another. Turning a third time, Sophy encountered a dead end. Her quarry stood at the end of it, man and cat facing each other in some kind of stand-off. They were both crouched low, ready to spring; were they going to attack each other?

'Stop!' she called, hurrying down the narrow street towards them.

The cat flashed golden eyes at her in the briefest of glances. The man chose that moment to pounce; but, even distracted, the cat evaded him with ease and tore away back down the lane towards Sophy.

She had no time to move out of the way before it was upon her. But instead of colliding with her, the cat leaped up into the air and began to run along the side of the building, with as much ease as though it ran on level ground. It missed her by a whisker; as it passed, Sophy had just time to observe that it was carrying something in its mouth.

She watched, astonished, as it ran the full length of the street sideways to the road, and finally vanished from sight.

Her attention was caught by the sound of laughter coming from behind her. Turning, she saw the stranger doubled over with mirth.

'Very well; you have earned your dinner!' he called, straightening. His gaze fell on Sophy, and he stopped laughing.

Sophy regarded him in silence, keeping a wary distance. His skin was dark brown; he was much browner than any person she had ever seen before. She could discern little else, for the wide brim of his hat and his unruly hair covered much of his face. Only a single bright brown eye was visible, twinkling with merriment and fixed upon her.