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“Pazen, darling, could you please tell me why there is a kitten on your head?” Josephine asked in what he was sure she thought was an amicable tone. “Where did it come from?”
“This is Madame de Fur. She likes my horns,” he said cheerily while the fluffy white cat nuzzled against his hair.
“Madame de fur?” she responded incredulously. “What possessed you to give her that name? And don’t distract me. Where did it come from?”
“Vivienne named it actually. Well, I think Varric suggested the name, but she was the one that said she wanted one named after her. We found them in the Hinterlands. Blackwall had us wait for a mother, but she never showed up, so we took them. I think one of the Redcliffe villagers couldn’t take care of them anymore so they were dumped.” He looked down at her with a pleading look on his face. “I couldn’t just abandon them to die.”
She let out a sigh. “Them?”
Pazen took a steadying breath. “I may have accidentally sort of adopted five cats…” At her wide-eyed look, he took her hand and led her into the war room, careful to walk slowly so Madame didn’t dislodge.
Josephine was silent as she took in the scene before her. Leliana stood off to the side enticing two gray tabbies to play with some druffalo jerky. Cullen stood opposite with a dark orange tabby appearing almost invisible latched onto his mantle. He was murmuring softly to it, but whether he was chastising it for climbing him or cooing gibberish was anyone’s guess.
“You said there were five?” she asked. Pazen had been watching her face for a reaction, but at her alarm, he scanned the room quickly.
“Where is Brennokovic?” Pazen demands sharply.
“Brennokovic?” Josephine asked.
“Varric named them all. This one is Daisy.” Cullen said, indicating the fluff attached to his person.
“Quiet!” Leliana ordered. Even the kittens calmed. “I hear something.”
The room fell silent and a soft pitiful mewing was heard. The group turned toward the doors and Josephine gasped in alarm.
“Brennokovic!” she cried, running to the drapes across the room. “Pazen hurry! You must save him. He’s going to get hurt!”
Pazen hid the smile at her concern. Using a stone ledge, he rocked up on his tip toes to reach the panicked black cat who had found himself much too high for his own comfort. He felt Madame slide slightly, but luckily, she caught herself against the curl of his horn.
“There, there little guy, it’s going to be all right,” Pazen said, holding the tiny cat in one large hand.
“Give him to me! He needs comfort.” Josephine said, stepping up to snatch the cat from him as soon as he was back on the ground. Clutching the quivering fur-ball to her chest, she whispers gently in Antivan.
When she started singing an Antivan lullaby, her eyes flitted up to meet his. She offered up a shy smile and he could feel a radiant heat growing in his chest. In that moment everything seemed to click into place for him. He offered an awkward smile back.
“So we can keep them?”