Dolce's Story Chair - The Littlest Guardian (Part 1)

Dad: Welome Back to Dolce's Story Chair. The catmilk is ready, as are the tuna and catnip cookies as well as some leafy greens and munchies for our vegetarian furriends. Dolce and Baci are sleeping at my side as I tell this part. They stayed up while I wrote this so they are a little tuckered out right now. So please, pull up a cushion. Help yourself to some refreshments and enjoy part one of "The Littlest Guardian"


Cirrin watched as Elbereth crossed from the Boundary of Earth to the Meadow of the Rainbow Bridge. She placed the three cats from her robe onto the ground and lovingly
watched as they curled about each other, rubbed cheeks and caressed each other with their tails. Two of the cats held angelic wing feathers in their mouths. Cirrin found this quite strange. He wondered why two cats coming from Earth to the Rainbow Bridge would have angelic wing feathers. He looked towards the Boundary and then towards the creatures that cavorted and played amonst the flowers and bushes of the Rainbow Bridge.

An older grey cat approached Cirrin. He had a small ball in his mouth, which he dropped at Cirrin's feet. Three other cats approached and waited. Their eyes moved from the tiny ball to Cirrin and back to the ball. Cirrin gave a weak smile and then he picked up the ball. He tossed it through a dense patch of catnip and pansies. The four attentive cats took off after the ball and disappearred into the thick catnip as a rolling tumbling ball of multi-coloured fur. Seeing the cats happy lightened his little cherubic heart, but Cirrin still felt he needed something more. He was not an Angel like Elbereth, who brought the Bound to the Rainbow Bridge to wait for their beloved humans, or like Antonius, who found all the lost kittens and cats souls that had been abandoned by the humnas. Cirrin was a simple cherub who found himself playing with the vast multitude of Earthly creatures that waited for their human friends.

Cirrin was confused by the two cats that held angelic feathers in their mouth. The only person he could think to ask about this quandary was his long lost brother, Malachi. Malachi was not really lost, but he had chosen to separate himself from the rest of the Angelic Host. Cirrin had tried to ask Antonious about it, but even Antonious found it too painful to discuss. Cirrin knew roughly where Malachi was, but it was a long ways from the Rainbow Bridge. It was for too great a distance for a small cherub.

Cirrin crossed the small creek separating the vast meadow of the Rainbow Bridge and Heaven. He found Dulcinea smiling and laughing with a human with forty cats, kittens, dogs and puppies all milling about the human's ankles. Cirrin patiently waited. He watched as Dulcinea placed a kiss on the human's forehead and then pointed the way to the center of Heaven.

"Dulce" Cirrin asked."Who was that?"

"A human." Dulcinea smiled.

"But he had so many animals accompanying him." Cirrin was stunned.

"His grandmother taught him to love all creatures." Dulcinea replied. "He tried over the years to help all those creatures. Some lived to be very old, some did not. But each one was loved by him and sent to the Rainbow Bridge to wait for him. Elbereth told me to watch for him as she has visited him many times over the years."

"But so many creatures." Cirrin stammered.

"As each Angel is called to their True Purpose, some humans also find themselves called." Dulcinea smiled. "He had a simple life. He worked, loved and laughed amongst his fellow humans, but felt the need to do something more. He opened his heart over and over to creatures less fortunate than himself and his family. Many of those creatures are over there waiting for the families that took them in after he raised and nurtured them."

"Why?" Cirrin asked. "Those of us who cannot travel to Earth hear about that terrible things that humans do to each other."

"He was special." Dulcinea said with a hint of sadness in her voice. "He was a Fosterer."

"Fosterer?" Cirrin asked.

"A Fosterer takes in animals and nurtures them back to health both physically and spiritually." Dulcinea explained. "They teach animals that may have been abused or hurt by others that love and affection are still possible on Earth. Sometimes they keep the animals that they have helped and sometimes they let them go to other homes that will continue the work that they started. It can be a path full of sorrow and heartbreak. Many start it, but only the very strong can remain on it."

"Maybe I could help out these Fosterers?" Cirrin felt a flush of excitement as a possible True Purpose dawned befofre his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Cirrin." Dulcinea apologized. "But time has proven that cherubs cannot bear the strain of a True Purpose."

Dulcinea's eyes drifted towards the far horizon where she knew Malachi sat and wept.

Cirrin sighed and realized that Dulcinea was right. ALthough he wanted a True Purpose like her and Elbereth and Atonius, Cirrin knew of the disasterous effect it had on his brother Malachi. Cirrin looked over at the multitude of creatures playing in the Meadow. Cirrin looked down at his hand. The mist swirled and twisted, and slowly formed into a ball covered in multi-hued feathers. He threw it across the creek and let out a small chuckle as it disappeared in a rolling mass of fur and paws. He was about to cross back to the meadow when he heard his name being called.

"Cirrin." A deep booming voice called out to the little cherub.

"Yes." Cirrin slowly turned to face the commanding angelic voice.

There before Cirrin stood a Guardian Angel. Cirrin had seen them fly/run over the Meadow as they made their way to Earth. He had always found them somewhat scary, so stern and focussed on their True Purpose.

"I need your assistance." The Guardian Angel said. "I am needed on Earth, but part of the need I cannot fulfill."

"What can I do?" Cirrin asked. "I am only a lowly cherub. I have no True Purpose."

"I can help you cross to Earth, but you must help me." the Angel stated.

"Certainly." Cirrin replied.

"You will need these." The Guardian Angel replied as he pulled two feathers from his wings and then stabbed them into Cirrin's tiny cherub wings.

"Ouch!" Cirrin cried out as he flexed his wings.

"I cannot carry you." The Guardian Angel said. "You must be able to cross on your own and you must be able to keep up. We must go now."

Cirrin felt the new found strength in his wings that the Guardian Angel feathers had given him. He also heard the plaintive plea from Earth.

"We must go." The Guardian Angel commanded as he turned towards the Boundary.

Cirrin followed the Guardian Angel towards the Boundary. The ground blurred past his feet as he took on the half-run half flight pace of a Guardian Angel. The Boundary to Earth parted like a foggy mist before him. The Guardian Angel was several strides ahead. He looked back several times to see if Cirrin was keeping up. Suddenly, the mists parted and Cirrin found himself in a tight downward spiral as he hurtled towards Earth.

Cirrin and the Guardian Angel landed in schoolyard. Cirrin looked around. He could sense the danger in the air. The Guardian Angel was also tense. Something terrible was happening here.


"Why are we here?" Cirrin asked.

"A human called out for us to watch over a loved one." The Guardian Angel replied. "That is the call all Guardians answer to. But this call had another request. One that we did not how to answer. That is why you are here."


The Guardian Angel motioned for Cirrin to follow. He lead Cirrin across the schoolyard. Cirrin spotted two humans not more than a hundred yards apart. One glowed with the aura of a Protector, the other cast a deep dark shadow. Cirrin gasped as he felt the evil that only humans are capable of projecting for the first time. He suddenly felt another aura in vicinty. This one also glowed with the aura of a Protector but it was far brighter that of the human's.

"I was called to watch over the human, the police officer." The Guardian Angel stated. "But as I answered the call, I sensed the presense of the other. It is not within my True Purpose to watch over him. It falls to you to watch over this one. Watch, Protect, and if all else fails, Take him Home!"

Cirrin flew to the police dog's side. The Rottweiller barely glanced up as he strained against his lead.

"I am busy!" The dog growled. "There are children nearby. I must protect! I must guard! There is danger!"

"I am here to help you, dearest friend." Cirrin replied as calmly as he could. "What is your name?"

"The humans call me Ceasar!" The dog strained against his lead. "If you are going to help, you had better keep up."

From the corner of his eye, he could see the Guardian Angel hovering over the human at the end of the dog's lead. The Guardian Angel's wings folded over the human's
shoulders like a shield.

"To Protect!" the dog growled as he felt the tension in lead give way.

Cirrin was startled as his chosen ward took off after the source of the dark shadow. Cirrin flew after the police dog named Ceasar. He tried to cover Ceasar with his wings as the Guardian Angel had protected the human. The first blast from the shotgun was deflected by Cirrin's wings, but the second and third hit the police dog as he slammed into the gun-wielding human. Cirrin tumbled to the ground next to Ceasar. He could hear the other human's shouting at Ceasar's assailant.

"Did I protect?" Ceasar whimpered as he laid on the ground."Did I guard?"

"Yes, Beloved Friend." Cirrin said softly to the mortally wounded police dog. "You have guarded and protected well. You have earned your peace."

Cirrin suddenly understood what the Guardian Angel had told him as they flew to Earth. Watch. Protect. When all else fails, take him home. Cirrin placed his tiny cherub hand on the Rottweiller's chest and helped him cross over.

"Ceasar, do not worry about your human friend." Cirrin spoke softly to the spiritual form of the police dog, "My sister, Elbereth will make sure that you find each other."

Cirrin sat and watched the animals playing in great Meadow of the Rainbow Bridge. His eyes naturally drifted towards a single animal. Although he played and cavorted
with the other dogs at the Rainbow Bridge, Ceasar was always a little set apart. He had his own True Purpose on Earth. His death in the line of duty had not removed that True Purpose from his spirit. Cirrin smiled and tried to think of the joyous reunion Ceasar would have with his human. Cirrin finally understood what had broken the hearts of Malachi and of Dulcinea.
A faint voice in his ears shook Cirrin from his reverie. A human was calling out. Cirrin closed his eyes and listened to the human's prayers. Cirrin stretched out his
wings, which had grown significantly in the last few months. He took one last look at Ceasar and then he turned towards the Boundary and headed for Earth.


To be continued...


Pee Ess: Ceasar was a real police dog and hero. I was taking a Unix course when the gentleman sitting beside me received the call that Ceasar had been killed by a gunman outside an elementary school. He was the brother of the Edmonton Police Officer who was Ceasar's handler.

Ceasar was given a burial with full police honours as befitting any officer who has lost their lives while on duty.