The sun was setting as Lennox trudged back home, the cat—his cat—ambling along behind him like it was out for a leisurely stroll. The awkward silence between them was unbearable, and Lennox finally broke it.
"So… do you have a name, or should I just call you 'Cat'?"
The cat didn't so much as twitch.
"Right. Cat it is, then," Lennox muttered. He was so absorbed in his muttering that he nearly tripped over a rock. Catching himself, he glanced back to see if the cat was at least laughing at his clumsiness. Nope. It had paused to sniff a bush.
"Of course. You're not just useless; you're also easily distracted."
The cat finally deigned to look at him. For a brief, fleeting moment, Lennox swore the cat's expression screamed, Are you done whining yet? Then it yawned and kept walking.
Back home, his mother tried her best to put a positive spin on the day. She set a hearty stew on the table, her eyes darting nervously toward the cat that had claimed the corner of the room. It was curled into a ball, tail flicking lazily.
"Well, Lennox, I think it's… lovely," she said, ladling stew into their bowls. "You've got yourself a nice, quiet companion."
"Quiet isn't exactly helpful," Lennox grumbled, poking at his stew. "Elara's got a sea serpent, Mum. A sea serpent. And I get a house cat."
"You don't know that," she replied, ever the optimist. "Maybe it has hidden potential."
"Sure. Maybe it'll grow wings and breathe fire," Lennox said, rolling his eyes. "Or maybe it'll just nap for the rest of its life."
At that moment, the cat stretched luxuriously, as if to prove his point. Lennox groaned.
The next day, Lennox ventured into the village, hoping to distract himself from his misfortune. Big mistake. Everywhere he went, people stared. The children pointed, the adults whispered, and Borin, predictably, found him first.
"Well, if it isn't the Beast Whisperer!" Borin called, leaning against a market stall. "Tell me, Lennox, has your fearsome companion scared off any mice yet?"
Lennox clenched his fists. "Go play in traffic, Borin."
"What's traffic?"
"It's what I want you to get run over by."
Borin laughed, and Lennox stormed off, the cat following at its usual leisurely pace. They ended up by the village pond, where Lennox threw himself onto the grass and stared at the sky.
"Why me?" he sighed. "Why not a wolf? Or a gryphon? Or even a ferret would've been better."
The cat settled down beside him, licking its paw like it hadn't a care in the world. Lennox glared at it.
"You're supposed to be my beast. My partner. Aren't you supposed to, I don't know, do something?"
The cat stopped mid-lick and looked at him. It was just a look, but Lennox could've sworn it said, Patience, kid.
"Figures," he muttered, lying back and covering his face with his arm. "You're just like the rest of my life. Ordinary."
Suddenly, there was a splash, followed by a shrill scream. Lennox bolted upright to see a little girl flailing in the pond, her arms thrashing as she sank beneath the surface. Without thinking, he jumped to his feet.
"Hold on!" he yelled, sprinting toward the water.
But before he could dive in, the cat leapt past him, moving faster than seemed possible. It hit the water with an almost graceful arc, disappearing beneath the surface. Lennox froze, staring at the ripples, when suddenly the cat re-emerged, dragging the girl by her collar with its teeth.
It paddled to the shore and deposited her on the grass, completely soaked but unharmed. The girl coughed and sputtered, then looked up at her savior. "A cat saved me?"
Lennox blinked. "Did that just happen?"
The cat shook itself off, sending water everywhere, and began licking its fur as if nothing unusual had occurred. Lennox's jaw dropped.
"Wait. Wait a second. You can swim? You didn't even hesitate! What else can you do?"
The cat ignored him, of course, but Lennox couldn't stop grinning. "Okay. Maybe you're not completely useless."
The girl's parents arrived moments later, fawning over her and thanking Lennox profusely, assuming he'd done the saving. Lennox opened his mouth to correct them, then glanced at the cat, who was now sitting smugly by his feet.
"Uh, yeah," he said. "No problem. Just doing my job."
The cat flicked its tail, and Lennox could've sworn it smirked.
As they walked home that evening, Lennox looked down at his unlikely companion. "You're still lazy, but I'll admit it—you're full of surprises."
The cat said nothing, of course, but its eyes glinted in the moonlight, and Lennox had a feeling this was only the beginning.