Tailchaser’s Song

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 i

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.

Pi

"Do you cry 'enough'?" growled the Thane into Fritti's neck fur. Fritti was trying to catch his breath long enough to surrender when suddenly the jaws were gone from his neck and an ear-deafening yowl was echoing through the clearing.

Tailchaser rolled weakly onto his back in time to see Quiverciaw-leaping and twisting like a demon-cat-batting with his paws at Pouncequick. The kitten was hanging on grimly, needle-sharp kitten-teeth sunk to the gums in Quiverclaw's shiny black tail.

Finally able to dislodge the young cat, the Thane slid to the ground in pain and exhaustion less than a jump from where Fritti lay. Quiverciaw licked his wounded tail and stared reproachfully at Pouncequick, who haughtily returned the look.

The other cats surrounded Pouncequick, growling angrily, but Quiverciaw caught his breath long enough to wave them off, saying: "No, no, leave him alone. His protector fought bravely-and he, too, is courageous enough for his age. Not too wise in his choice of enemies, perhaps… well, no matter. Let him be."

Seeing Pouncequick safe, Tailchaser rolled onto his back with his paws in the air. First he saw myriad tiny spots floating above his eyes, and then for a time he saw nothing at all…

When he awoke, Fritti found that Pouncequick had become the center of attention.

The group of strange cats were huddled around him with expressions of surprise and amusement on their faces. Pouncequick was apparently telling them about Eatbugs; Tailchaser saw Quiverciaw laughing as Pouncequick attempted to duplicate one of Eatbugs' capering leaps.

Drawing himself quietly up into a sitting position, Fritti surveyed the cluster of strange cats. They seemed friendly enough, now-they had certainly put Pouncequick at ease-but Tailchaser was not so quick to trust. Who were they?

It was obvious that Quiverciaw was the leader. Even laughing, lolling on the ground, he had a look of controlled power and command. Beside him sat a fat, grizzled old torn, orange-and-black body striped like summer lightning, his stomach flattened against the ground between his stocky legs.

On the Thane's farther side were two more cats: one gray, one patched in black and white. Neither was as large as Quiverciaw, or the old tiger-stripe, but they were lean and well-muscled, with the quiet look about them of successful hunters.

The fifth cat, crouching along outside the perimeter of Pouncequick's audience, was very different. Seeing him, Fritti went cold all over.

The fifth cat was white as ice-thin, too; as slender as a birchtree branch-but this was not what disturbed Tailchaser.

He had strange, frightening eyes: milky-blue, and larger than any cat's eyes that Fritti had ever seen. Tailchaser remembered Pouncequick's story. For a moment he wondered if they were in some sort of cruel, slow trap.

But no… Pouncequick had told him of terrifying eyes, but Pounce must have seen this white cat.