Madame Askew and The Grand Arbiter

Originally posted to our Patreon

I am deeply pleased to introduce dear Lunaria La Dulcea. Lunaria grew up in the plazas and alleys of Barcelona. So acquainted was she with every alley and nook of her city, that she need only flick a single whisker and sniff the air once to know her location exactly. Though she was a street kitten of no known lineage, her sweetness and cleverness endeared her to many of her neighbors who would leave treats and fresh water near their doorsteps for Lunaria and her siblings.

When she was not so young a kitten, she met the local poetess, Señora Sofia Prieto. Much charmed by Lunaria’s keen wit and gentleness of character, the poetess immediately invited the kitten to live with her. Lunaria became a source of inspiration for the poetess but also for the the poetess’s neighbors who were impressed by her kindness and sweetness to all she met. The poetess dedicated her most famous volume of poems to Lunaria and penned her most famous poems whilst Lunaria cuddled in her lap and suggested the occasional editorial change or offered her keen feline observations upon the human condition.

Lunaria was famous, also, for leading lost travelers and children safely through the twisting streets of Barcelona. She continued to use her encyclopedic knowledge of the city to guide people carefully through the narrowest paths and the easiest corridors until they were once more at the homes or hostels.    When a child was lost or a guest had gone missing, it was often Lunaria to whom the locals came for assistance in finding and guiding their loved ones to safety.  She continued to be a friendly and endearing guide until she was almost entirely white about the face and her aching joints kept her home with her poetess.

She spent her elder years blissfully sleeping in the window of her poet’s favourite sitting room, soaking up the gentle heat of the sun, dreaming of verse, and imagining a gentler world in which every kitty could have such a lovely home. She took her final nap happily listening to her poetess declaim her latest poem on the bravery of noble cats.

Lunaria has gone onto her forever haunt where she continues to aid her family in forever finding their way home and where she always offers a gentle presence to those who need a little extra kindness.


Three cheers and a bold salute to dear Lunaria!