Tailchaser’s Song

CHAPTER 22

I feel

The link of nature draw me: flesh of flesh, Bone of my bone thou art, and from thy state Mine never shall be parted, bliss or woe.

–John Milton

In his dream Tailchaser was standing at the very pi

Although he knew he was in danger, Fritti felt no fear, but only a sense of the dull inevitable: soon the searchers would exhaust the hiding places in the woods below; inescapably their attention would turn to the spire. The burning eyes would gather at the bottom, then move upward…

Looking out into the swirling fogs that blurred the separation of earth and sky, Fritti saw an odd pattern in the vapors: a strange, spiraling nexus. With the speed and completeness natural to dreams it resolved itself into a white cat, spi

Hovering before Fritti, Eyeshimmer sang out in a high, keening voice: "Even the Garrin fears something… even the Garrin fears…"

Suddenly, a great wind blew up, setting the mists dancing. Eyeshimmer whirled off into the blackness. The wind swept through the trees, and around Tailchaser's rock. He could hear sounds of fear and despair from the hunters below. Finally, there were only the rushing fogs, and the roaring of wind and lost voices…

Tailchaser awoke on the hot, moist floor of his prison, mired in the sleeping bodies of his fellow captives. He tried to hold on to the dream-shards that were even now melting away like frost in the sun.

Eyeshimmer. What had the Oel-var'iz told him that day, so long ago? They had been taking leave from Quiverclaw and his walkers…

"… Everyone flees from the bear… but sometimes the bear has bad dreams…" In the dream, Eyeshimmer had mentioned the Garrin, the bear, also-but what did it mean? Surely nothing about a real Garrin? "Everyone flees from the bear…" Could it mean Hearteater? Bad dreams… was there something that even Lord Hearteater feared? What?

Fritti's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the Clawguard. In the ensuing confusion, the reluctant rising and the scramble up the entranceway to a meager breakfast, Tailchaser's dream faded back into his mind, dissolved by cruel reality.

Aboveground an Eye had opened, shut, and opened again since Fritti had come to Vastnir Mound. The brutal routine, harsh punishments, and hideous surroundings had pounded most of the resistance from him. He rarely thought of his friends: his inability to help them or himself was as terrible as his imprisonment; to dwell on it was more galling than to sink into the mud with all the others, to fight over grubs and squabble over a place to eat, and to keep an eye opened at all times for the Clawguard. Or the Toothguard. It was easier not to care; to live from moment to moment.

Once a muted hiss had run through the ranks of the tu

Small alliances were made among the captives, the cats' natural aloofness giving way slightly under the strain of the situation, but these comradeships were transitory, gone with the first dispute over food, or room to stretch out for a moment. There were few diversions and very little cheer.

One endless night, though, as the captives lay in their underground cave, someone called for a story. The audacity of this request made several captives look around fearfully for the Claws: it seemed as though someone would move to prevent such a straightforward pleasure as this. When no one appeared, the call was repeated. Earnotch, a battered old tabby from Rootwood, agreed to try. For a long time he stared intently at his paws, then with a last, quick look to the entrance shaft, began.

"Once, long ago-long, long ago-Lord Firefoot found himself on the shores of the Qu'cef, the Bigwater. He desired to cross, for he had heard rumors that those Folk who dwelt on the other side-distaff descendants of his cousin, Prince Skystone-lived in a land of great beauty and plentiful hunting. Well, there he sat on the banks of the Bigwater, and wondered how to reach the other side.

"After a while, he called for Pfefirrit, a prince of the fla-fa'az who owed him a favor from days gone by. Pfefirrit, a heron of great size, came down and hovered overhead-but not too close to the great hunter.

" 'What may I do for you, O cleverest cat?' he asked. Lord Firefoot told him, and the bird-prince flew away.

"When he returned, the sky at his tail was full of fla-fa'az of every description. At their prince's command, they all flew down close to the Qu'cef and began to beat their wings, making a mighty wind. The wind blew so cold that the water soon froze over.

"Tangaloor Firefoot set out, the fla-fa'az moving before him, turning the Bigwater to ice in his path so that he could walk across. When they reached the far side, Pfefirrit swooped down and said: 'That pays for all, cat-lord,' and then flew away.

"Well, cu'nre-le, several days later Lord Firefoot had explored all the far country. It was indeed lovely, but he found the inhabitants to be strange and somewhat simpleminded Folk, much given to talking and little to doing. He had resolved to cross back over to his own land, and so he made his way to the water's edge.

"The Bigwater was still hard and frosted, and he moved out onto it to walk home. It was a long way, though-not for kittenplay is it named the Bigwater- and when he was in the middle the ice began to melt. Firefoot ran, but it had been too long, and the Qu'cef melted beneath him, dropping him into the icy water.

"He swam for a long time in the terrible cold, but his great heart would not give up. He struggled on toward land. Then, suddenly, he looked up to find a great fish with a fin on its back-and more fangs than the Toothguard-swimming in circles around him.

"'Well, well,' said the fish, 'what is this tender morsel that I find swimming about in my home? I wonder if it tastes as good as it looks.'

Now, Firefoot had been in despair when he saw:he size of the fish, but when it spoke he was suddenly filled with joy, for he saw a way out of all his troubles.

" 'I am certainly good-tasting!' said Lord Tangaloor. 'All of the swimming cats are tender in the extreme. It would be a shame, though, if you ate me.'

" 'And why is that?' said the immense fish, swimming closer.

" 'Because if you devour me, there will be no one to show you the sunlit cove where my people live and sport in the water all the time, and where a great fish such as yourself could eat and eat and never have his fill.'

" 'Hmmmm,' mused the fish. 'And if I spare you, will you show me where the swimming cats live?'

" 'Of course,' said Firefoot. 'Just let me climb onto your back that I may see the way better.' So saying, he clambered onto the fish's huge, fi