Tailchaser’s Song

Quiverclaw was interrupted again, this time by a high-pitched chattering from the treetops. Fencewalker and the Thane exchanged a glance.

"Teats on a torn!" groaned Fencewalker ruefully. "I'd forgotten."

"It sounds as if they are aware of that," said Quiverclaw, as the angry noises resumed. "Please, Lord Pop!" he called. "Forgive us our discourtesy and come down. We have been careless of time."

A procession of Rikchikchik-Lord Pop in the lead, a disdainful expression on his round, toothy face- shinmed single-file down the trunk of a poplar. Although Pop himself wore a look of insulted dignity, the rest of his train appeared goggle-eyed and nervous in the presence of the three cats.

Lord Pop drew the crowd to a halt. His own nose, however, remained pointing conspicuously skyward until Prince Fencewalker made an embarrassed coughing noise.

"Terribly sorry, Pop. Really am. Didn't mean any offense against Rikchikchik. We just forgot, you see." Fritti wondered if the Prince's discomfiture was due to his mistake, or having to apologize to squirrels.

The Rikchikchik chief eyed the uncomfortable Prince for a moment. "Only came to tell so-brave Tail-chase cat," he said, a little huffily. The squirrel-lord then turned to Fritti. "Pledge kept, you see-see. Rikchikchik do right. Now, must bring more Rikchikchik back-back. Badness most gone." Pop performed a jerky head-bob, and Fritti returned it.

"Your folk are very brave, Lord Pop," he said. "Is that Master Plink? You did well, courageous Plink." The young Rikchikchik buck fluffed his tail; the other Rikchikchik chittered admiringly. Lord Pop also clucked approval.

"Squirrels…" mumbled Prince Fencewalker. Pop fixed him with a bright eye.

"Tell Tailchaser what we have declared, Fence-walker," prompted Quiverclaw.

"Well…" said the Prince, embarrassed again, "well… Dewdaws! You say it, Quiverclaws. It was your idea," he finished peevishly.

"Well," assented the Thane, "it has been declared by Prince Fencewalker, son of Her Befurred Majesty, Queen Mirmirsor Sunback, that in recognition of their service the Rikchikchik may live unhunted by the Folk within the confines of Ratleaf, and that the First-walkers will enforce this ban to the best of their powers." Tiny whistles of approval came from Lord Pop's entourage. "Of course, outside the bounds of Ratleaf you had better look to your tail-plumes," Quiverclaw added in a not unfriendly way. Lord Pop looked at Quiverclaw appraisingly, and made a satisfied clucking sound.

"So," chirped the squirrel-lord. "Now all done-done." He turned back to Fritti. "Nut-gathering luck, so-strange cat." Lord Pop faced around and led his rump-bobbling procession back into the branches. Within a moment they were gone.

"I'm sorry, but it just doesn't seem proper," grumped Fencewalker. "Squirrels…"

When Smaller Shadows arrived, Roofshadow came to take Fritti to Pouncequick. She led him away from Fencewalker's camp into a grove of cloud-tall trees. When he saw Pouncequick's pale, fluffy shape in a patch of sunlight at the center of the stand, Fritti pulled away from her and dashed forward.

"Pounce!" he called. "Little cu'nre!" Pouncequick looked up at the sound of his voice, and rose-with a grace belying his kittenhood. Tailchaser was on him in a moment, sniffing and head-butting, and Pounce-quick's aloofness gave way briefly to pleased wriggling.

"I'm so pleased to see you finally!" Tailchaser declared as he circled his friend, smelling the familiar Pouncequick scents. "I never dreamed that we could all be together once-"

Fritti broke off, staring gape-jawed in shock.

Pouncequick had no tail! Where his furry plume had once waved there was now only a healing stump, curled tightly against the youngling's haunches.

"Oh, Pounce!" Fritti breathed. "Oh, Pounce, your poor tail! Harar!"

Roofshadow stepped forward. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Tailchaser. I wanted you to see that Pounce-quick was alive and healthy first, or you would have been sick with worry when you yourself were in need of healing."

Pouncequick pulled a quiet smile. "Please, don't be so upset. Tailchaser. We all lost things and gained things in that place. When vou attacked Scratchnail in the Flume cavern you saved me from worse than this."

Fritti did not feel comforted. "If only I'd arrived sooner…" he groaned. Pouncequick met his eye with a knowing look.

"You couldn't have," said the tailless catling. "You know that you could not have. We all played our part. A tail is a small thing to lose so that one can find a tail name." Pounce's face took on a distant expression, and Roofshadow gave Fritti a worried look.

"What do you mean, Pounce?" Fritti asked.

"We freed the White Cat," said Pouncequick dreamily. "I saw him. I saw him in his sorrow, and I saw him in his joy-when the mound fell. He has returned to the dark body of the Allmother." The kitten shook his head as if to clear it. "We all lost something, but gained something far greater"-he looked pointedly at Roofshadow-"even if we do not yet know it."

Fritti stared at his small friend, who was making dreamspeech like a Far-senser. Pouncequick caught his look, and his small mask crinkled with warmth and affection.

"Oh, Tailchaser," he giggled, "you look so comical! Come, let us go find something to eat."

As they walked, Pouncequick spoke raptly of White-wind.

"… There is something, after all, in what Dew-treader said. A fela will sacrifice herself for her kittens; you were willing to give yourself for us."

"It wasn't that simple, Pounce," said Tailchaser uncomfortably.

"Viror wants us to be whole, I think," the kitten continued, "but Dewtreader… well, Prince Dew-treader sees many things, but I think he is too gloomy. Whitewind always loved to run, to feel the wind in his fur-he doesn't want his children to brood and grow mystical, only to remember that if they are not willing to give back the gift he has given them-at any time-then the gift will do them no good."

"I'm afraid that all your dreaming and thinking has put you far beyond mv ideas. Pounce," said Tailchaser. Roofshadow was grimacing.

"But you yourself taught me the most, Tailchaser!" said Pouncequick, amused. He stopped to turn over a fallen branch, sending a startled bug scurrying away. With a leap and a bound the catling had imprisoned the scuttling insect; in another moment he had crunched it up.

"Anvway…" Pouncequick spoke with a full mouth. "I have decided to go back to stay at Firsthome. There are many wise ones there-including the Prince Consort-and I have much to learn."

Like cautious parents, Roofshadow and Tailchaser paced silently behind the frisking Pouncequick.

CHAPTER 31

The best is like water.

Water is good; it benefits all things and does not

compete with them. It dwells in places that all disdain. That is why it is so

near the Tao.

–Lao-tzu

While his body slept, packed snugly between Pounce-quick and Roofshadow, Tailchaser met Lord Tanga-loor in the darkness of the dream-fields. The legs of the Firstborn smoldered with rosy light, and his voice was music.

"Greetings, little brother," said Firefoot. "I find you in better spirits than when we last spoke."

"You do, my lord."

"Why have you not then set out to finish your quest? I have told you where you may find what you seek. Your troubled ka tells me that you need to discover this resolution."

In the shadowy spaces of sleep, Fritti heard the truth in Firefoot's words. "I suppose it is only because of my friends," he said. "I fear that they will need me."

A low, pleasant laugh welled up from the Firstborn. "My little brothers and sisters are strong, Tailchaser. Our Folk do not let love bind them that way. The strong meet in strength." The shadowed form of Tangaloor began to fade away, and Fritti cried out.