The morning sun had risen high into the sky when Tailchaser was ousted from slumber by the kneading pressure on his chest and stomach.
Pouncequick, still dozing, was treading softly with his paws as he lay curled against Fritti. The kitten, only recently weaned, was probably dreaming of his mother and nest. Tailchaser again felt a prick of worry over exposing his young companion to the dangers of the quest. The Folk were normally solitary hunters and adventurers once out of kittenhood; responsibility felt a little unnatural.
Of course, he thought, many unnatural things have been happening of late.
As Pouncequick continued his sleepy milk-tread Fritti was reminded of his own mother… and was suddenly glad for the security of another warm, furry body to curl up with in these strange environs. He licked the soft fur of Pouncequick's inner ear and the sleeping kitten rumbled happily. Fritti was just drifting back down into sleep when he heard a voice.
Eatbugs was up and stalking around, talking to himself. His eyes had the faraway look that Fritti had already seen. He carried his tattered, grime-spattered body erect and tensed.
"…Pounding and pumping and trapped… here we are… trapped! Pinned beneath this wall, this wiggly-woggly wall and all…" Eatbugs mumbled vehemently as he paced back and forth before Fritti's fascinated stare.
"…The birds and the shrieking, shriking, jelly-eyed red ones… laughing and dancing-can't get out!… scratch at the door, where is it?… must find it…"
Suddenly the old cat went all abristle, as if surprised by sound or smell. Fritti sensed nothing. Hissing and spitting, claws shot, Eatbugs flattened himself against the ground and snarled in a voice forced out between bared teeth: "They're here! I feel them! Why do they want me? Why?"
He yowled, looking wildly from side to side, as if surrounded by enemies. "They need me, and it… hurts… Ahhh!… the Vaka'az'me… forgive… Ah! There's a crack! A crack in the sky!"
With this, Eatbugs squirmed and shook all over, then sprang away into the underbrush. The commotion of his flight quickly receded into the distance.
At Tailchaser's side, his young companion had awakened.
"What was that?" he yawned sleepily, and stretched. "I thought I heard the most terrible ruckus."
"It was Eatbugs," Tailchaser responded. "I think he's run away. He was having one of his fits-he seemed to think that something was following him." Fritti shook his head from side to side, trying to shed the weird image of Eatbugs.
"Well, I expect it had to happen," said Pouncequick matter-of-factly.
"He may be back," Fritti pointed out.
"Oh, he's not a bad sort, really. Mad as a mockingbird. Tells good stories, though. I quite like the one about Redlegs. Who was Redlegs, anyway, Tailchaser? I've never heard Bristlejaw sing of him. Or of Queen Cloudleaper either, for that matter."
"I really don't know, Pounce," said Fritti, and was about to suggest a hunt for breakfast when he finally noticed that the birds had stopped singing. The forest air was completely silent.
Suddenly, as quietly as grass growing, several large cats appeared out of the surrounding vegetation: stranger cats, every one as silent as a shadow. Before the startled Fritti and little Pouncequick could say a thing, or make a move, the strange cats had drawn themselves into a wide circle around the pair.
Pouncequick began to whimper in fright. The strange cats stared at them with cold, cold eyes.
CHAPTER 8
My body translates mysteries with ease.
My body is the Book of How to Go.
I swear my ways are as deep as water's ways.
I send a message with my arching spine. But keep back more a message than 1 show. I lift my paw and give a secret sign.
–Philip Dacey
A moving ring now surrounded Fritti and his companion. The strangers circled them, passing each other with sinuous shrugs, sniffing and sniffing and not making a sound. The ring drew tighter, until finally the strangers were nosing Tailchaser and Pouncequick.
Fritti could feel the small cat growing ever more frightened. The strange cats could sense it, too. Tension hummed between the outer circle and the inner core of two.
Finally, Tailchaser could not stand it anymore. As one of the strangers brushed by, snuffling at Pounce-quick, Fritti hissed and struck him with the flat of his paw. Instead of attacking, or leaping away in surprise, the strange cat merely nodded his head and stepped back a pace.
He was all black. His muscles rippled glossily beneath the short fur of his coat. His eyes were narrow slits, chinks of smoldering color, but he did not seem to be angry. This cat was not angry at all, but terrify-ingly calm.
"So," said the black cat. His voice was like gravel sliding. "Now we know where we stand. Good." He lowered himself to the ground in front of Tailchaser, his ears back, his eyes low-burning embers. Tail-chaser-caught in a reflexive response-found himself crouching in mimicry.
The black one spoke again. "I was wondering how long it would take mela-mre'az like you to respond honorably." With this remark, the black cat paused and looked at Fritti expectantly, as if waiting for him to say something. Tailchaser-already terrified-had no idea what he was supposed to do.
"Do… do you want me to surrender?" he asked tentatively. The black cat looked at him appraisingly. A moment passed.
"Well? Get on with it!" said the stranger.
"Well… well… I won't give in to you!" blurted Tailchaser, in an agony of fear and confusion.
"Excellent!" boomed the black cat. "Now we're getting somewhere!" All four of the black one's companions now drew back from where he and Fritti crouched.
"I am Quiverclaw, Thane of the First-walkers," proclaimed the black cat, tail lashing back and forth hypnotically behind him. "Offer your face name, trespasser!"
"I am Tailchaser, of the Meeting Wall Clan… and I am no trespasser!" finished Fritti. He was angry now.
Quiverclaw seemed pleased by this, for he nodded, but nothing but readiness showed on his face. Hugging the ground even more closely, the black cat's haunches began a slow, rolling motion, and his tail thrashed wildly. Tailchaser unconsciously adopted a similar pattern. Their eyes locked and held.
Fritti suddenly realized that Quiverclaw was almost half again as big as he himself was-but as he stared into the stranger's eyes, it didn't seem important. What was important was that slinky black tail, lashing this way… and that way…
"Well met, Tailchaser," hissed Quiverclaw. "I commend your ka unto the bosom of the Allmother."
"Tailchaser!" cried Pouncequick, his voice full of panic. Fritti turned and pushed the kitten away from his side and out of danger.
"Be quiet, Pounce." He turned to the black one again and stared hard at the almond eyes. "Do not be so quick to neglect your own ka, Thane of Bullies." Fritti leaped forward. A whoop went up from the other cats, overwhelming Pouncequick's bleat of fear.
Everything seemed to happen at the same moment. Fritti felt a shock of impact as Quiverclaw sprang. Then he was on the ground, thrashing, trying to get away from the claws of the bigger cat. He rolled onto his back, bringing up his back feet to pummel the belly of his opponent.
Quiverclaw pulled back slightly, and Tailchaser was able to slither away and climb onto his feet. But it was only a moment's respite, and then the black cat was on him again.
Over and over they rolled-clawing at one another, yowling in sliding, swooping discord. Tailchaser gave as good as he got for the first few seconds- kicking at Quiverclaw's stomach, biting and scratching at legs and chest-but he was young and inexperienced. The black one was big, and obviously a veteran of many battles.
The two combatants pulled apart for a moment, and circled each other, hissing. They both felt the pull, though, the need for resolution; after a heartbeat they threw themselves together again.
Pinned beneath Quiverclaw, Fritti managed one final effort-writhing and twisting in the larger cat's grip, then wriggling free long enough to bite down hard on the black cat's ear and draw blood. Then his strength was gone, and he was again crushed beneath Quiverclaw's weight. He felt the jaws clamp down on the back of his neck.