Tailchaser’s Song

CHAPTER 6

… cats in their huddled sleep (Two heaps of fur made one)

Twitch their ears and whimper- Do theyd ream the same dream?

–Eric Barker

"Pouncequick! Little Pouncequick!" Fritti loped down the shrub-spotted slope. "It's me! Tailchaser!"

The youngling, from his sagging defensive posture, turned a drooping eye in Fritti's direction, but showed no sign of recognition. The fox turned sharply to look at the oncoming Tailchaser, but gave no ground. When Fritti drew to a halt a jump or two away, the Visl barked a warning.

"Come no closer, bark-scrabbler! I will do for you, also!"

Tailchaser could now see that the Visl was a female, and despite her ruffled hackles, not much bigger than he. She was thin, too, and her legs were trembling-whether from anger or fear, Fritti could not tell.

"Why do you menace this cat, hunt-sister?" sang Fritti, slowly and soothingly. "Has he done wrong to you? He is my cousin-son, and I must stand for him."

The ritualistic question seemed to calm the fox a little, but she did not back off. "He menaced my pups," she said, panting. "I will fight you both if I must."

Her pups! Tailchaser understood the situation better. Fox mothers, just as the matriarchs of the Folk, would do anything to protect their litters. He looked at her protruding ribs. It must have been a difficult autumn for mother and young.

"How was your family menaced?" Tailchaser inquired. Pouncequick, a jump away, was staring fixedly at the Visl, seemingly unaware of Fritti's presence.

The she-fox looked at Fritti appraisingly. "In the morning-dark, I had taken the pups out prowling," she began, "when I smelled predators-large ones. The scent was unfamiliar, but it had something of badgers, and something of cats. I hurried the pups down to the den and lay on them to keep them quiet, but the danger smell did not go away. So I decided to lead whatever lurked out there away from the nest. I told the pups to stay where they were, then broke from a second burrow entrance.

"The smell was very strong-the predators were near. I showed myself briefly and ran. After a moment, I heard something following. I took them down-ravine, and up the basin's edge. I even exposed myself to sight on the long meadow, in hopes of getting a moon-glimpse of what pursued me-"

"What were they?" Tailchaser interrupted. The Visl glared at him, and her hackles bristled. Patience! Tailchaser chided himself.

"I don't know, cat," she said harshly. "They were too smart to follow out onto the grassland.

"When they didn't appear, I had to double back, for fear they had given me up and gone back to seek the den. As I said, though, they were cruelly clever… they were waiting for me when I reentered the scrub wood, and I had to run like Renred to get away. They kept to shadows and underbrush, though. I don't even know to a certainty how many there were. More than three, I think."

Fritti admired the fox mother for her bravery. He wondered if he would be as selfless in a similar situation. The Visl spoke again.

"Anyway, I ran and ran-far enough that I felt safe for my young-and finally left them in a gorse thicket with a few false scents to chase… I hope you're listening very carefully. I seldom speak to cats, and I never repeat myself for them!"

"I am listening with great interest, hunt-sister."

"Very well." The fox looked somewhat mollified. Fritti hoped that they could settle whatever kittenish mistake Pouncequick had made without resorting to claw and tooth.

"Well, after taking a confusing route back, I arrived at my nest to hear my pups making a terrible noise: barking and yelping and calling for me. I found this little monster in the nest with them. Obviously, the others had led me off, and he had then snuck in to do harm to my young!" Again she bristled. Tailchaser was about to say something calming when Pouncequick cried out shrilly. Fritti and the fox turned to see the kitten starting forward, panting.

"No! No! I was hiding! Hiding!" cried Pouncequick piteously. "Hiding from them!" The kitten began to shiver uncontrollably. Fritti, worried for his little friend, began to move slowly toward him.

"Hunt-sister, in your understandable concern for your litter, I think you have mistaken another victim for one of the wrongdoers." He was at Pouncequick's side now. The little cat buried his nose miserably in Tailchaser's flank and whimpered. The fox pi

"What is your name, cat?"

"Tailchaser, of the Meeting Wall Clan," he replied respectfully. His soft singing seemed to have prevented conflict.

"I am called Karthwine," said the fox simply. "I will allow you to take your cousin-son without malice. You, however, must take the responsibility for keeping him out of the dens of my Folk. If I find him again near my pups, there will be no compromise."

"That is more than fair, Karthwine," said Tailchaser, giving a little head-dip of acceptance. The she-Visl looked him up and down, then turned a final glance to Pouncequick, whose face was hidden against Tailchaser's belly.

"You sing well, Tailchaser," the fox said slowly, taking care with her words. "But do not think to rely on that alone in this world. We foxes sing, too, and we know many things. But we also teach our pups how to bite." She turned and stalked away in great solemnity.

The dawn was breaking above them as Tailchaser lay with a shuddering Pouncequick, singing quiet songs of reassurance. After a while, when the kitten's terror had subsided, Fritti led him back to the sleeping tree and curled up around him. As the morning sun rose, covering the woodland floor with crisscrossed shadows, they fell asleep.

The heat of Smaller Shadows woke Tailchaser. Pouncequick was no longer nestled against him.

Fritti raised his head and saw the young catling up and frolicking, soft fur aclutter with pine needles and dead leaves. When Fritti rose and stretched he discovered a great soreness in his muscles. Watching the gamboling kitten with envy, he decided that he would have to set an easier pace until he became more accustomed to this steady traveling.

Pouncequick, still cavorting happily while Fritti su

"Can we talk about it after we eat, Tailchaser?" he asked. "I'm very hungry!"

Fritti assented, and the next part of the afternoon was spent in a none-too-effectual hunt-spoiled in a large part by Pouncequick's tendency to squeak when excited. They did manage to capture a couple of beetles, which-strangely ticklish going down-were at least filling. After finding a still but drinkable puddle of water, they settled down in the shade to digest.

The long, sleepy silence was broken only by the lulling whir of unseen insects. Then, as Fritti felt himself drifting into sleep, Pouncequick began to talk.

"I know I shouldn't have followed you, Tailchaser. I'm sure I'll be a burden, but I want so much to help you. You have been kind to me many times, when Fleetpaw and the rest just cuffed me about, or teased me.

"I knew you wouldn't let me come, though, so I hid until you set out, and then I tracked you. All by myself!" he added proudly.

"Ah. So that's why you were asking about my leave-taking among the Folk."

"That's right. I wanted to know where you were leaving from. I'm not that good a tracker," he added a little morosely, then brightened. "Anyway, I kept my nose to the ground and followed. Everything went fairly well until midday or so; then I became confused.

"For a while it seemed like your trail had turned into someone else's, and then it doubled back on itself, and up and down trees-at least it smelled that way. I got very confused and wandered around for a while; when I found the track again, your traces were pretty cold. I followed as best I could, but it was getting dark, and I was hungry. Actually, I still am. Could we go find a few more beetles or something?"