The Cats and the Cockatrice

By Malcolm Schmitz

After treating the Queen's pets, Sawbones wants nothing more than to put as much distance as possible between themself and Her Majesty. But when they stop in a small village to buy supplies, they're forced to to take a detour to take on another patient-- a Cockatrice in crisis! Oh, and help a family suddenly left homeless by a wild sorcerer's awakening. If they must. If there's really no one else around to handle it. ...Is there really no one else around to handle it? Nope, just one beleaguered veterinarian on the run from the law. Let's hope Sawbones gets out of town before the witch hunt turns on them.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Malcolm Schmitz
• Release date: Dec 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215312087

Malcolm Schmitz

Author, autistic, apostate. I write SFF about disabled people, trans people, eldritch angels, disappointing unicorns, and lace-making orcs.

Book preview

The Cats and the Cockatrice

By Malcolm Schmitz

Copyright 2023 Malcolm Schmitz

Smashwords Edition

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Table of Contents

The Cats and the Cockatrice

Author's Note

About Malcolm Schmitz

Other Misadventures of Sawbones and its Menagerie

Other Titles by Malcolm Schmitz

Credits

The Cats and the Cockatrice

The unicorns weighed heavy on my arm, and the wicker basket groaned. It was woven to hold a large loaf of bread, or perhaps a sack of potatoes. Not two terrier-sized, overbred, magical goats, both of whom squirmed and bleated like no one's business.

Sweat prickled at the back of my neck and on my forehead, under my mask. I'd spent the last few nights in a stagecoach, and my body registered its complaints with every step. My arms felt like limp noodles, and my knees throbbed when I stood still.

Lucky-- or unlucky-- for me, I couldn't stay still. Not for long. I was a fugitive, on the run from the queen after stealing her pets.

Queen Lilia had hired me to cure her pet unicorn's illness. I'd found out, all too quickly, that her unicorn wasn't ill. The queen simply mistreated them. Badly enough that taking them away was the kindest thing to do for all parties.

Well, except me. Now I was a wanted thief. I'd had to leave my quiet little life and bolt from the castle, with a unicorn under each arm.

And the Queen hated being 'disrespected' far more than she loved her pets. If she caught me, death might be a kinder fate.

If I wanted to stay alive, I had to keep moving.

Had to keep moving, even with the sick worm of fear gnawing at my gut. Had to keep moving, and swat away the nagging thoughts that I was guilty and should give myself up. Had to keep moving, even with the muggy, still air boiling me in my plague suit.

Had to keep moving, until I made my way across the border, to a kingdom where people were more sensible.

The village I'd gotten directions to would have to do, for now.

The road to the village led through thick woods, until great oaks gave way to scrubby spruces and larches, revealing scant patches of pasture. The green grass was studded with rocks and dusted with clover-clusters. Sheep ambled here and there, bleating to each other. They looked well-cared-for, as far as I could tell from this distance. Well-fed, too. A river wound lazily through the fields, just far enough away that I could ignore its babbling, and met the road just past a pair of worn buildings that couldn't have seen paint any time in the last two generations. A single tavern, most likely. And, if I was very lucky, a shop.

I'd been told it was far enough from Her Majesty's reach that she wouldn't start her search here, and it looked like I had heard correctly. She might not even know this place existed.

I lingered in the woods for a long moment, pondering what to do next. Then, I set