Missing the...

"Never thought I would miss that little nuisance," thought Nemmer.  Nemmer was out practicing his archery for the next competition of the Elfshot Guild which was to happen soon, but his heart was not into it.  "It's almost too quiet," he grumbled as he picked up his arrows and starts back to his shooting point for the practice targets he had set-up.

Of course Nemmer was referring to The CAT.  It has been not very long ago when The CAT disappeared in the portal with the Shadows' King and the old Troll King, Druzzy, "Who nobody will miss," thought the archer about the troll king.

Nemmer would not admit it to anyone, being a little stubborn, but sometimes he liked fighting with The CAT.  "Now that stupid CAT has me thinking about him just because he had to go and do something noble," Nemmer grumbled to himself with a slight pang of annoyance and a touch of nostalgia rumbling around in his chest.

"Durn fool CAT.  Why did you let that stupid troll pull you into that portal?  You could have blinked out of there and gotten away," growled Nemmer as he was thinking about what the others told him had happened.  "If I had found Hungry, then I would have been there to save you," Nemmer whispered to himself as he leaned his back against an old oak tree. 

So, that was it!  Nemmer was feeling guilty about not being there and possibly saving The CAT.  "If I was a better hunter, I would have found that Dragon first," moaned the archer.  "Maybe I am not as good as I thought I was," he said as he slumped down the side of the tree to sit on the grass by the trunk. 

It was then that it happened.  An apple fell from the tree and smacked Nemmer on the head.  BONK!  "What the..." the archer said as he picked up the apple and threw it away.  As soon as the apple left his hand, another fell on top of Nemmer's head.  BONK!  "I will get whoever is doing that," he growled as he stood up and started looking into the tree.  It was then that he saw it.  A small portal was floating in the air above him.  

​While he was standing under it and trying to see through it, another apple fell out and almost hit him again.  "Ha!  Missed!" crowed Nemmer prematurely as another one fell out of the portal and smacked him again before it closed and disappeared.

It was as he was rubbing his sore head and looking at the last apple that had hit him he now was holding in his hand when the realization struck him.  "He's alive!  That blasted CAT is okay!  I've got to tell Cornelia and Efem.  They will both be happy to hear that their CAT is still out there causing mischief and mayhem."  It was with that thought Nemmer picked up the rest of his arrows (for an Archer of the Elfshot Guild would do no less) and started out to the cottage he shared with his wife Cornelia.

And where was The CAT and what mischief was he getting into... well, that is another story.