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Kes was a soldier but he did not enjoy, or in any way, desire killing. Even Bahldour's death left him feeling hollow and tinged with regret. He was not sure why he had stabbed him. It was pleasant to pretend that he acted valiantly to save Raeph and the others. He knew in his heart, however, that he was also motivated by revenge for what Bahldour had done to him. Was death a suitable punishment for rape? The answer to that was unclear to Kes. If Bahldour deserved death, then shouldn't the Juhtmare, also? Kes knew he would never be brave, bold, or foolish enough to attempt such an action. Some Horses were far above any law or justice that he could enforce.

He was not a coward, but he ardently preferred healing to killing and the butchery of war. Whenever he could, he avoided battle and worked with the medics and surgeons to tend the wounded. It was lucky for Raeph that Kes was a good student and had learned much from the healers of the Storfayan army. He effectively sanitized Raeph's belly wound by cleaning it with the strong liquor for which Storfay was famous. With needle and thread, he stopped the bleeding by sewing the gash shut. No vital organs appeared to have been damaged. The blade had mostly penetrated muscle tissue.

Despite this favorable prognosis, Kes' ministrations were a temporary measure to save Raeph's life. Raeph needed to get to a village where he could rest and receive better care so he could properly heal and avoid infection. The last outpost was not far behind them, but it would be an arduous journey nonetheless. Travel of no more than a few hours a day was all that they could risk.

Kes discussed this with Raeph as he offered his Captain some herbs Jak had provided to ease the pain. His captain was disappointed that he would not be able to accompany the Rikifurians on their journey to the ice wall or beyond. Raeph was consoled knowing that he had saved his honor and that his friends would escape unharmed. The unfortunate soldiers he had led out to this wasteland were not so lucky. Cat moved about the camp with grace and deadly precision as she methodically ensured that all of the Juhtmare's guard were dead. Jak began to protest, but surprisingly, Raeph approved of her actions.

"We can't let any of them return to Storfay with us to tell the Juhtmare what really happened here."

Cat stood and smiled after slitting the throat of the Horse that Jak had struck in the face with his shield. "That is the last of them anyvay. I killed the other two that vere sent out to find the Horse thinker."

Airy stopped cleaning Jak's minor cuts and scratches. She tried to ignore Cat as best she could, though in this instance, she approved of the feline dispatching the Juhtmare's minions. Airy didn't want any of them alive to pursue them across the ice. What concerned her more than Cat, though, was Raeph's health and what would happen to him if he did not join her on her journey home.

"What do you mean 'return to Storfay with us'? Surely, you are coming to Rikifur. You are both enemies of Storfay now. The Juhtmare will have you both killed if you go back."

Raeph sighed and grimaced as the throbbing pain from his wound flared again. "I will only slow you down if I try to come with you, Princess. It will be months before I am fit for the kind of travel that you must now undertake. You must not delay your journey for my sake. It will be challenging enough to cross the ice without a crippled Horse, especially now that there are four of you."

"Make t'at five." The entire company, including Cat, turned to stare at Tigan, surprised by her unexpected declaration. She cackled at their attention. "I don't envy you, Raeph, returning to explain all o' t'is to t'e Juhtmare. T'e honesty and honor you prize so highly will be your bane. You'll have to become a better liar to fool her."

"You are correct, Madame Skunk. In that regard, this wound is a blessing. It the perfect excuse to take my time returning to the Juht's court. I will have plenty of time to polish my story and make it convincing. It will be many weeks before I have to stand before her...before I am able to stand before her." Raeph chuckled at his own joke, and then grimaced in pain. Kes urged him to be quiet and lie still, but Raeph held his hand up to silence him. The ache slowly receded, and Raeph found his voice again.

"Kes and I will slowly make our way to the next village and send messengers ahead of us while I recover. There will be ample time for the Juhtmare to accept our version of the truth before she can interrogate me in person. Besides, I suspect that Lithia will be happy thinking that Airy, Jak, Jorveth and Camorra were killed in an ambush led by Cats allied with the Princess and Rikifur. I think it will appeal to her paranoia and cause her to divert some of her scheming thought to our border with Asearth."

Cat displayed her skepticism over the absurdity of Raeph's lie by growling. "Cats vould not join forces to save anyvun but Cats, and maybe not even then."

"You would know better than I, Madame Cat, but there is enough truth in my story that I can convince the lords of Storfay, who only know your kind through myth and mother's tales. They already see your kind as villains. Besides, I have these wonderful scars on my chest that you so generously gave me to show to anyone who doubts that I fought with a Cat. It will take nearly a week for Kes and I to return to the last outpost.

"What about the bodies?" asked Jak. "One look around here will tell anybody vhat really happened."

"As soon as we leave, the scavengers will have plenty of time to begin working on the bodies and destroying the evidence of what really happened here. There will be precious little for the Juhtmare's investigators to discover when they eventually examine the scene."

Tigan clapped her paws together in delight. "T'at's good, Raeph; very good. I t'ink you may just get away wit' it. I almost wish I would be t'ere to see t'e great deceiver herself fooled."

"You just might." Airy was wary of the Skunk. She was grateful for having her life saved by Tigan's well thrown daggers, but there was too much she didn't know about Tigan. What were her motives? Why was she defecting to Rikifur? Was she a spy for the Juht? "I don't remember inviting you to come with us. Why should we take you?"

Airy looked to Jak for affirmation that he approved of her skepticism. Jak also mistrusted the Skunk and nodded slightly to show Airy he agreed.

Everyone expected the skunk to either laugh like a lunatic or rage like one. There seemed to be no middle ground for her behavior. Instead, she did neither. Tigan rose to her hindpaws, strode over to stand in front of Airy, and bowed. "A person wit' a destiny like yours needs a prophet and soot'sayer to explain to t'e common folk how t'e gods our guiding your paws. Princess, I knew t'at from the moment you arrived in t'e Juht's court t'at you were destined to change t'e world. I want to be t'ere to witness every moment of t'at change."

"What about Storfay? It's your country. Doesn't the Juht have a destiny? How do I know you aren't a spy for him?"

That question did make the old Skunk laugh. "A spy? Ha. Ha. Ha. Storfay my country? T'ats amusing, Princess. I belong to no one and nowhere. The Skunks are a free people no matter what t'e Juht and his kind t'ink. We cannot be owned by anyone and are loyal only to ourselves. I do not belong to t'e Juht anymore t'an I will belong to you.

"Instead, I'll provide a valuable service in exchange for you generousously allowing me to join your company and share in t'e resources. I believe t'at I have already provided one valuable service by saving your life today. Agree to let me serve you as your prophet and spiritual advisor, and I'll be able to help you even more."

"If you are what you say you are, a prophet, why are you so good at throwing knives? That doesn't seem like the kind of skill a prophet would possess."

Tigan laughed her mad laugh again. "T'ats because you don't understand what it means to interpret t'e will of t'e gods and communicate t'at word to t'e common folk. It is as much entertainment as it is prophesizing. I learned to throw knives as an act. I can juggle t'em, too. I have many magic tricks to bemuse and befuddle. It provides a distraction when necessary as well as a sense of awe when t'at is required."

Airy thought back to the tricks that Blue, the leader of the Winter Pack Wolves, had used to establish his right to rule. The priests of Rikifur relied on solemn ceremony and elaborate ritual to establish their, and by proxy, her family's divine authority. It seemed that the Skunk had a valid point. Another glance at Jak rewarded her with a shrug. Her Wolf mentor and lover was leaving this decision to her.

_"Why not?"_she thought to herself. Another set of paws would increase their chances of survival. Tigan was old, but had given no indication so far on the journey that she could not handle the rigors of travel or would slow them down in any way. Airy didn't see much used for a prophet while crossing the ice, but there were still strange lands to traverse when they reached the other side. If nothing else, Tigan would likely prove to be an amusing companion. She seemed to recall some advice that a tutor had given her once that it never hurt to have a bodyguard who would be underestimated and was good with a knife.

"Very well. I accept your offer of assistance. We can discuss the terms and conditions of your service later."

Tigan bowed formally again. "My Lady is generous. T'ank you."

Jorveth stepped forward from where he had been quietly speaking with Camorra. He looked first at Raeph, and then to Airy as he tried to determine who was in charge of the expedition now. His analytical mind processed the information he had heard. Since he cared not who led them and Raeph was not planning to accompany them to Rikifur, he spoke to Airy.

"We have two sleds and five travelers. We need more sleds to carry the food we will need. I designed the two sleds and harnesses we have. With help, I can build the extra sleds in about two days. I have some ideas to make them better. That is the good news. The bad news is we do not have enough food for five. I don't know what to do about food, though. It is two days journey back to the nearest settlement to get more. Nothing we would want to eat grows here on this rocky plain, and there are no fish in the milky white waters of these streams."

Airy was encouraged by Jorveth's acceptance of her as the leader, and she was determined to live up to the part. "Please begin work immediately on the sleds, Jorveth. Tigan and Camorra can help you. I will give some thought to our supplies."

Jorveth nodded slightly without making eye contact as was his way and began to explain quietly what he wanted Tigan and Camorra to do.

"Food is going to be more of a challenge," Airy said more to herself than to the others still present.

Cat heard her, though, and stepped forward to confront Airy. "There is plenty of food here."

"Where?" asked Airy wondering what the obnoxious feline was talking about.

Cat pointed to the feral horse corral. There was a collective gasp from Airy, Kes and Raeph. Jak remained silent and neutral of expression. He had been thinking along the same trajectory as Cat. He decided to hold his tongue and see how Airy responded to this challenge to her leadership.

Cat ignored the response of the others. "Ve have many more horses than riders now. Horse Captain and his soldier colt only need two. Ve can't take the others on the ice. Might as vell slaughter them and dry the meat to take vith us. That solves the food problem."

"Eat them? Are you mad? Arrr...." Raeph tried to stand but his wound made him double over in pain. Kes helped him to sit back down. "You can't kill and eat our horses."

"Vhy not? They are fine to eat, perhaps somevhat tough, but better than the flatbread, oats and cheese in your rations."

Raeph groaned in distress. "Madame, please don't tell me that you have already eaten some of our horses."

Cat did not understand his distress. "Fine. I von't tell you that."

Frustrated by the recalcitrant Cat, Raeph looked to Airy for support. "Princess, you must not let her do this. I beg of you. Our horses are like children to us. Every rider raises his mounts from young colts and takes care of them until they die. My horses are as much a part of my family as my parents and siblings."

"Bah!" Cat responded before Airy could intervene. "You gladly killed these other Horses as enemies. Their mounts should be enemies, too."

"It is not that simple. Feral horses are innocent. They do not pick sides..."

Airy had listened to this exchange as patiently as she could. Now, she interrupted Raeph to confront Cat. "You are making a great assumption by assuming that you are joining us on this journey across the ice. I have neither invited you nor agreed to allow you to accompany us."

Cat's body tensed, and the fur on the back of her neck stood up in anger. "You cannot stop me. I have followed you easily enough until now."

Despite Cat's provocative stance and defiant words, Airy remained calm. She was in charge of this expedition now; just as she had been in command of military units in Rikifur. Insubordination and rebelliousness could not be tolerated during the ice crossing. There would be natural hazards aplenty. Airy did not need discipline problems to exacerbate the danger.

Cat was, as Jak had often said, a potentially valuable ally. Airy saw that now. The feline had proven her worth against the Storfayans. Even so, Airy was prepared to send her away if the beast didn't recognize her authority and agree to be subject to it. Convincing Cat of that would not be easy, but Airy had some hidden cards to play. This would prove to be a delicate negotiation. She gave Jak a wink before addressing Cat again. The Wolf was puzzled by what she was up to but did not interfere.

"That is true, but up until now, you have been traveling in country where wild game, or the unfortunate horse of the riders you killed, was available. Nothing that we know of lives on the ice. Out there, we will only have what we bring with us. You don't have a sled, and we don't have to give you one. You cannot carry enough food on your back to make it to Rikifur alive."

Cat's anger was obvious. She snarled menacingly and strode up to Airy to loom over her.

"Who says you are in charge, Bunyic? Vhat gives you the right to decide who gets vhat? I saved all your lives. Vithout me, you vould be dead Bunyic. You owe me debt."

Airy made no move to draw her sword or to retreat from Cat's aggression. To try to kill her would be pointless; Airy had learned that already. To back down from her would destroy her credibility with the others. Camorra and Tigan had stopped talking with Jorveth and were watching the exchange. Airy stood her ground as she always had with Rabbit bucks that were much larger than she was but were under her command nonetheless. It was necessary to get Cat to recognize her right to lead. Airy would yield much to achieve that result. Though it pained her greatly to even talk with Cat, Airy was ready to admit her value and even accept her as an ally, but she would settle for nothing less than acknowledgement of her authority as leader in return.

"I do owe you much. I owe you my thanks for saving my life twice now."

The hackles on the back of Cat's neck dropped noticeably, and her aggressive stance softened slightly at this surprising admission from the Princess, who hated her so much. Cat was caught off guard, and could not think of a reply. Even Jak's ears perked up, and his tail wagged unconsciously.

Airy continued through the uncomfortable silence. "You have proven yourself to be both useful and trustworthy. I am prepared to put our past differences behind us, but the boundaries of our relationship need definition first. Do you want to join us on our journey across the ice?"

Cat's eyes narrowed. It was a simple question, but was one she did not wish to answer. Openly stating her desire felt like begging to her. Cat did want to join the group. Jak seemed more open to her advances than before. She liked that possibility for the sake of Jak's affection and not just to hurt the horrid Bunny. In addition, she felt with this group a small sense of the belonging that she had when her family was alive. That feeling had been lost utterly when she left her brother. What would she do if she didn't say yes? Would she stalk Storfay as the prairie demon for the rest of her life? Would she return to Asearth and find a mate? No. It was too soon to go back among her own kind. The memories of pain and heartache were still too fresh. Here before her was a chance at acceptance by non-Cats, whose expectations were less. She needed time to find herself before she could hope to have a normal life and maybe even a family of her own.

The Bunyic was right that Cat needed their help to make the journey. She could not travel alone as she pleased and hope to make it alive. Reluctantly, Cat nodded, but there was still defiance in her voice. "If I don't come, who vill save your lives again next time vhen you are in danger?"

"I shall take that as a yes. Very well. In exchange for providing a means for you to carry food and protective clothing, I require one thing from you in return." Airy wanted to require more than she was about to ask such as Cat keeping her paws away from Jak, but this was not the time or the place for such a conversation. She would have to deal with that issue as the journey progressed. Besides, if she could get Cat to come to heel under her leadership, the rest should follow.

"Vhat is this one thing?"

"You must recognize me as the leader of this expedition and obey my commands."

Cat snarled. "Vhy we need leader? Ve should all go as equals."

"That is not how we do things in Rikifur."

"This is not Rikifur. Here and on ice, ve are in no country."

"I am a Princess of Rikifur. Where I stand and where I go are always Rikifur. Jak, Camorra, Tigan and Jorveth have all pledged themselves to become part of Rikifur. Our mutual goal is to return to my country. They recognize me as the leader of this expedition and their future queen."

"You have still not answered my qvestion. Vhy do ve need leader?"

Airy sighed inwardly in frustration. Cat was used to a life of nearly complete freedom. Other than whatever she yielded to her brother, there had likely been few restraints on her actions. It would be difficult, perhaps impossible to make her understand the concept of leaders and followers. Airy would try to explain it to her, but it really wasn't important. Understanding was less important than acquiescence.

"The ice crossing is perilous. We need discipline and teamwork to make it. We may have to ration food. There will be obstacles like crevasses to cross or go around. We will have to work together to do that. There will be bad weather when we will need each other for warmth. Someone has to make decisions about what direction to go and how to ensure everyone has enough to eat. We work together and all make it, or no one makes it. This is not a free for all. No one can hope to make it alone."

Cat was willing to concede that Airy had given this more thought than she had. The little Bunyic had a gift for logistics. Perhaps she had some uses after all. It did make sense to work together in a place where there was no way to live off the land. Cat was less willing, however, to subjugate herself to Airy's authority.

"Vhy you? Vhy not Jak be the leader. He is big, strong and has more experience."

Airy's patience was running out. "I already explained why I am the leader. I am a Princess of..."

"It's not about who is the biggest and the strongest," interrupted Jak to give Airy some time to calm down. He also wanted to offer her his support. "It is about the perceived legitimacy of rulership. I have sworn my loyalty to Airy because I wish to live among her people and be accepted by them. Jorveth and Camorra have done the same. When we reach Rikifur, Airy will be accepted by everyone as a leader whether you like it or not. As a Cat, you will be seen as an enemy just as I will. You and I will need her protection and the credibility that she has with her people to gain acceptance among them."

Airy was grateful for Jak's words, but she was ready to make her final stand with Cat. "You indicated earlier that you want to come with us. All that Jak has said is true. Cats and Wolves are the traditional enemies of my people. The hatred that they have for you will be difficult to overcome, but if you help return me to my land, as Jak has promised to do, I will recount to my fellow Rabbits your acts of heroism and sacrifice that helped bring me home. I swear that I will do everything in my power to win you a place in Rikifur."

The feline frowned and snarled, feeling that she was being forced into a corner to give up her natural freedom. Then, she considered Jak, and what would likely happen between him and the Bunyic if they reached Rikifur. If Wolves were the enemy, then a Princess would not be able to keep a Wolf lover. Jak could be Cat's then. That was worth the indignity of taking orders from the Bunyic, for now.

Smiling with satisfaction knowing that she would get the better of this deal, Cat gave in to Airy's demand. "Very vell. I agree that you are leader."

"You will obey my orders?" Airy was suspicious of Cat's sudden capitulation.

"As long as I decide to stay with group, yes, but I have demand of my own that must be met. There is still problem vith food supply. You must solve that to my satisfaction. I don't eat Horse food." She glanced wickedly at Raeph. "Just horses."

Victory over Cat was short lived. Airy now had to solve this serious issue. The only solution offered so far was Cat's, and Airy did not like the thought of butchering even one of the feral horses. The very thought of Cat and Jak eating them made her feel sick. No alternatives were available to her, though. There was not enough food in this rocky wasteland to supplement their existing, inadequate supplies. The feral horses would provide plenty for Cat and Jak to eat. The food that had been brought for the Juhtmare's soldiers would add enough that Airy, Camorra, Jorveth and Tigan would not have to eat meat.

The only other option was to go back into Storfay for more supplies. That would delay them at least a week and would destroy Raeph's ability to hide what had really happened out here. The Horse Captain would not be able to fabricate a plausible reason why he needed to deliver more supplies to the ice wall. Even if Airy sent Cat away, Jak needed food. There was not enough of the Horse food for five. For four maybe, if they were careful, but not five let alone six.

Airy kneeled down next to Raeph and took his hands in her paws. The Horse captain was one of the bravest and most self-assured furs that she had ever met, but now he seemed on the verge of tears. "I am sorry, Raeph. I see no other way. We have too many mouths to feed and not enough rations. What choice do we have?"

Raeph groaned from the pain of his wound and from the agonizing decision before him. "My life has been plagued with difficult choices since I met you, Princess. Here is one last quandary for me before we part company, possibly forever. Do I help my friends by sacrificing the very thing that makes me a Storfayan, my horses?"

Tears began to form in Airy's eyes in sympathy for her friend's dilemma and for the feral horses, too. They were beautiful creatures that had served her well by bringing her so speedily to the next leg of her journey. It was tearing her heart open to have to order any of them killed.

As she prepared to ask Raeph for his permission to slaughter some of his mounts, Jorveth spoke from behind. "There are moose nearby. The carnivores can eat those instead."

Airy was puzzled by Jorveth's statement. "What? Where?" They had seen no sign of anything larger than a marmot since they had left the prairie.

"Moose. A large feral herbivore bigger than a horse. Plenty of meat. To the east or west. I think to the west will be closer."

Jak was also confused. "I have spent my whole life hunting, and I have seen no signs of such creatures. There is not enough forage here for an animal as big as you describe to eat."

"That is why you have to go west to hunt them. We are on a large alluvial, fan shaped deposit of material being carried off the ice sheet by the meltwaters that coalesce here. This is all coarse sand and gravel that does not support good fodder for moose. To the east and west, the land is lower and covered with many small lakes and better soil. The moose will be there feeding on the grass and shrubs that grow in and around the small lakes."

"How do you know all this, Jorveth?" Airy was continuously amazed by the breadth of the inventor's knowledge.

"I am working to improve our maps of this region. The guide was very knowledgeable about the local geography. He told me about the moose and explained the local topography."

Cat was interested in this new beast. "Vhat does moose look like? Are they good to eat?"

Jorveth stepped sideways so that Airy was between him and the feline. His nervous posture made it obvious the Cat frightened him. He answered Cat's question but spoke to Airy instead. "It looks like a large deer with huge, flattened antlers. I...I don't know how they taste, but you should have no problem finding and killing one."

Jak was willing to save Raeph from his painful decision no matter how the moose tasted. "How far to the west, Jorveth?" The Horse smiled again briefly when Jak spoke to him. Why he was comfortable with one predator and not the other was a mystery.

"About ten miles, according to the guide. That sounds about right based on the shape of the land here."

Airy stood and hugged Jorveth, who did not return her embrace, but did not flinch away either. He seemed to tolerate her contact as if it were something he learned to endure from others. "Thank you, Jorveth. You have saved us from a dreadful choice." Raeph nodded his agreement while closing his eyes. Kes checked Raeph's bandages and tried to make his captain comfortable.

Releasing the inventor from her embrace, Airy addressed Jak and Cat. "I do not approve of eating animals aside from birds and fish. I am certain that Jorveth and Camorra feel the same way. I'm not really sure about Tigan."

The skunk smiled, showing a mouth full of sharp teeth like Cat and Jak's. "I eat what is available and freely offered."

Airy continued. "Jak has agreed not to eat red meat as long as he is in my company except when the choice is between that and starvation. We are now faced with the latter alternative. Jak, Cat, take as many horses and whatever weapons you need, go hunt the moose, cure the meat away from here and bring it back when you are done. How long do you think it will take?"

The question was put to both carnivores, but Jak answered. "Maybe four days assuming that we have quick success in the hunt."

"And vhat if ve find no moose?"

Airy hoped that they would but was prepared to sacrifice the horses if needed. She looked to Raeph. A tear rolled out of his eye and onto his snout. He nodded subtly before closing his eyes again. Airy was grateful for his sacrifice. "Bring back fewer horses."

With nothing more to discuss, everyone prepared for bed. Jak led Airy away from the group. They would be sleeping outside tonight. Airy had forfeited the tent to Raeph in deference to his injury.

"I know that agreeing to slaughter the horses if necessary was a difficult decision, Airy. I'm proud of how you handled it and how you handled Cat." Jak embraced her, and she returned his hug vigorously.

"Thank you, love. I don't expect that she will be as supportive as you. There will be trouble with her. She won't like taking orders from me."

"I am here to help you. I am always on your side. Together we can keep her in line."

"I just hope that she is worth the effort."

"So far she has been, but let's deal with that when we have to. Come lie with me, and tomorrow we will go see the moose together."

"No, Jak. I can't bear to be around to witness you killing and slaughtering the moose or the horses if that becomes necessary. Besides, Raeph and Kes must leave before you return. He can't stay here any longer. He needs better care. Someone has to protect him and the others."

A silent moment passed between them as they both wrestled with the implications of Jak being alone with the seductive Cat. "I trust you, Jak. I will stay here and do my duty."

Jak was touched by her faith in him. There was nothing more to say, so he kissed her deeply and held her in his arms until they were both ready for sleep.

Raeph would not let Jak or Cat leave the next morning without saying a few parting words. The two carnivores sat astride their horses gazing down on the injured Captain, who lay propped against the bedding that Kes had provided to keep him comfortable.

"This wound pains me, but our parting pains me more. I have met few Wolves and only one Cat. I never thought that I would be able to call either a friend or suffer such grief at saying goodbye. Do not look so surprised, Madame feline. Unbelievably, I do count you among my closest friends despite these wonderful scars you put on my chest. You came through when it counted and did your part to help me restore my honor.

"Jak, I thank you for trusting in me when I needed trust more than anything else in this world. I think that while I have been in your company, I have learned more about honor than I ever would have in a lifetime without you. I will be traveling back to Storfay before you return from your hunt. Please do me two more favors. Keep the Princess safe. She must be returned to her people."

"What is the other favor?"

"Find the moose, and don't eat my horses. Just turn them loose when you are done with them. They will find their way back to the last outpost, where I will be waiting for them."

"I'll do my best."

"I know you will, Jak. You are a fine Wolf. You are a great warrior. Nothing would give me greater pleasure than to meet you again someday even if we are on opposite sides in battle. If not, may we meet again in the afterlife. I leave that to the gods to decide."

Cat was impatient to go. Speeches and long goodbyes were alien to her. She pulled her mount's reigns eager to begin the hunt, but Jak had his own parting words for Raeph. He grabbed the bridle of Cat's horse to stop her from leaving. "Of all the Horses that I have met, and they number more than the Wolves you have encountered, you are the most worthy of calling a friend. Let's hope that whenever and wherever we meet again, we don't cross swords except in practice. Farewell, Raeph. May you and your family prosper."

Having had enough, Cat kicked her horse to trot to the west with three packhorses in tow. Jak did the same, turning only to wave one last time to Raeph and Kes and then to blow Airy a kiss.

As Jorveth had predicted, Cat and Jak found that the gravelly land sloped down to a flat, lake covered terrain less than a day's ride from camp. In the boggy region around the lakes, the ground was too soft for the horses. How something as big as a moose managed to move about safely was a mystery to Jak and Cat. They left their mounts corralled on firm ground and set out on foot together with spears and bows.

The moose were exactly as Jorveth had described. They were strange looking beasts that spent most of their time in the water eating the plants that grew there. It was ridiculously easy to stalk and kill as many as they needed. Jak was almost disappointed that the hunt was not more challenging. The moose were clearly unused to being preyed upon by Cats and Wolves. If there were feral predators about, the two hunters saw no sign of them.

As if in trade for easy kills, it was nearly impossible to drag the dead beasts any distance without the help of the horses. Retrieving the dead animals from the water, was an exhausting challenge. Hauling them back to where the horses were corralled was nearly impossible. The moose were huge. They had to cut the usable meat into quarters and make multiple trips carrying it on their backs. By twilight on the second day, they were cutting the meat into thin slices, salting it, and jerking it over a fire inside of a tent they made from blankets and other gear they had scavenged from the Juhtmare's dead troops.

It was hot, dirty, sweaty and bloody work. Jak and Cat reeked of death. Airy had been right to not come with them. When all the meat was hanging around the fire to dry, Jak went to the nearest lake to bathe leaving Cat to tend the fire. She was chewing on a large hunk of roasted moose.

"This is much better than horse. Captain Colt can have his children back."

Jak had never tasted horse and was grateful he would not have to sadden Raeph by doing so. The moose was tasty and a welcome relief from the herbivore fare he had committed himself to eat for Airy's sake. He was almost ashamed by how good it made him feel to be hunting and eating red meat as part of his diet again.

It felt even better to slip into the cool, shallow water of the lake as the western horizon glowed orange and pink with the setting sun. The water wasn't nearly as warm as the pools where he and Airy had bathed before they first had become intimate, but the cool water soothed his tired muscles and washed away the bloody stink that hung about him. Thinking of the hot springs was a pleasant memory that made him smile and his loins tingle. A light splash interrupted his reverie and signaled he was not alone.

It was Cat, of course. Jak had instructed her to watch the fire and guard the meat, but her disobedience was no surprise. He suspected her purpose in coming out here involved more than having a bath. She glided out gracefully towards him and rolled over onto her back as she drifted close. Her small, round breasts poked just above the water. Her white chest fur was in bright contrast to the black mirror like surface of the lake that reflected the fading blue and deepening orange and pink of the sky.

Jak moved away, but she stayed stubbornly near. "I thought we agreed that you would stay and guard the meat."

"Bah. You agreed. I said nothing. Meat is fine. Fire vill last for a vhile and vill keep meat drying and scavengers avay. There is plenty of time."

"Time for what?"

Cat's large eyes blinked mischievously at Jak as she circled around him slowly. "Vhatever ve vant, sveet puppy. I know vhat I van't, and I think you are a clever enough old dog to guess vhat it is."

She was very close now, but not quite touching Jak. The lake was shallow enough that they could both stand. Cat let her hindpaws sink to the silty bottom.

"There is nothing subtle about you is there, Cat?"

"Who needs subtlety? That is for liars and cowards who can't be open about vhat they vant and who they are. I am Cat. This is me." She stood up straight to her full height so the surface of the lake was just below her breasts. Tiny rivulets of water rand down from her head to coalesce in her small cleavage. Small droplets glistened at the tips of her erect nipples.

She was attractive in a way that was different from Airy and all the Wolf bitches he had known. She was lean, athletic and full of hypnotic grace. He could not see much underwater due to the reflection of the sun, but imagined that she was as naked as he. Ages old instincts and decades of being the alpha male in his pack were struggling against his vow to Airy. The image of Cat riding astride him on the day she forced him to make love to her in the canyon rose uninvited to his consciousness. The thought of that humiliation and the rising sexual tension within him made him want to grab her and force himself on her in return. Instead, he moved away from her slowly. She followed.

"I can't give you what you want, Cat."

"Not can't, silly puppy. You mean von't. I know that you can. You are vell equipped for that. You have given me vhat I vant once already."

"Fine. Won't then."

"Vhy not? Bunyic is not here. She vill not know." Cat circled behind Jak, and put her paws on his shoulders.

"I will know, and I promised. Airy trusts me. I want to keep her trust." Jak brushed one of her paws off his shoulder.

Cat was silent for a moment, and then began rubbing Jak's shoulders and back.

"Cat, you need to stop."

She held out one paw, over his shoulder to show him the bar of soap that she had brought. "You stink of horses, dead moose, battle and sveat. I don't mind your musky smell, but the rest makes you unpleasant company. Let me vash your back, then you vash mine vhile ve talk. Ve need to talk."

Jak sighed. "You may wash my back as long as that is all you do." She purred in response, and began working lather into his fur using her strong, slender paws to knead the muscles in his back. It felt so good; Jak's tail began to wag underwater brushing rhythmically against Cat's thighs.

"Tell me, Jak, vhat vill happen to relationship betveen you and Bunyic vhen you reach Rikifur?" His muscles tightened beneath her paws, and the delightful caress of his tail between her legs stopped. Cat mourned the absence of his tail, but delighted that she had guessed true.

"She said Volves are her enemies. She is Princess. She cannot have Volf husband. Is this true?"

A high pitched whine escaped Jak's snout. "I don't want to think about it."

Cat finished scrubbing his back and reached around to scrub his muscular chest and flat stomach. Her body pressed against his back. "You need to think about it. She is using you. She must know the truth. Vhy bind yourself only to her? You vere Volf Chief once. I know Volves. I have killed enough. I know vhat being Chief means. You vere top breeder and had your pick of the bitches. Yet now you are like Bunyic's slave."

In his distress over their conversation, Jak was oblivious to Cat's violation of their bathing agreement. "You think you understand Wolves, but you don't if you believe that I am her slave. We are pack creatures, Cat, not loners like you. I lost my challenge and was banished from Blackrock Pack. That is death for Wolves. We do not survive alone unless we are insane. I joined Airy's pack to stay sane and alive. I agreed to live by her pack's rules, at first reluctantly. Now I have come to love her, and I follow her rules gladly."

Her impish paws moved lower to massage the fur on his buttocks and thighs. "Vould you make love to me if there vas no Bunyic?" She paused her willful exploration, awaiting his response.

Jak's ears went flat and the fur on the back of his neck stood up as his shoulder muscles tensed again. "If you ever try to harm her, I'll..."

Cat laughed. "Not that I haven't thought of that, but that is not vhat I meant. Stand down, puppy. I won't hurt your sveet little Bunyic Princess. That von't bring you closer to me. All I have to do is vait until she hurts you. Vhen she his back among her own and there is no place for her Volf lover, vill you lie vith Cat then?" Her paws moved forward to cup his balls and grab his sheath. "Vill you let me do this to you?"

Jak did not know what to say or think. The future that Cat was predicting was the most likely outcome if they ever reached Rikifur. It was so easy not to think about it when his immediate future was so uncertain. He had been living his life one day at a time for so long, expecting death to claim him, that he had become blind to the future.

As Jak struggled with his thoughts, Cat felt his shaft swell in her paw. "I think that I have my answer. I vill vait and see vhat happens if ve ever reach Bunyic's home." With reluctance, she released her grip and turned her back to him. She held the bar of soap over her shoulder. "Your turn, stud doggie, and I make no rules. Feel free to touch me vherever you like. Just vatch vere you poke your little volfie. Heh. Heh."

Jak scrubbed her back as he had promised while his "little volfie," as Cat called it, shrank and retracted back into its sheath. He meant initially to stop with just her back, but a defiant feeling grew inside of him, and he felt like giving Cat back some of her own teasing. He let his paws work their way up and down her sleek sides and then around front until he held her breasts.

"Oh! You naughty puppy," she purred in response to his touch even though he did not linger beyond what was necessary to clean her fur. When he scrubbed her tight buttocks and the backs of her thighs, she gasped, and her tail wrapped around his left thigh.

Jak moved his paws to the front of her thighs, while staying behind her. She clutched his right paw with both of hers and forced it between her legs, hard up against her sex. Jak tried to pull away, but she was phenomenally strong. He could not break her grip.

She moaned and ground herself against his paw. The heat of her passion was a source of warmth in the cool water.

"Cat, let go."

Her breath was coming in short gasps as she ignored him and increased the pace and friction of her sex against his paw. "Oh, Jak. Just let me have this small pleasure, please. Let me pretend that you are mine."

It would take a fight to break free of her, so Jak ceased struggling and let her take her pleasure from his paw. She leaned back into him and laid the back of her head on his shoulder. Jak could feel her body begin to shake and tremble as she bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood.

"Bite me, Jak, please. I svear I vill obey Bunyic as leader if you do. I vill cause no more trouble for her."

Jak had never heard her beg for anything before. There was desperation in her voice that was so unlike the Cat he thought he knew. It was possible that she might not honor her oath, but Jak decided this was a small price to pay for the chance to bring peace between her and Airy.

As his teeth clenched on the muscles of her neck, the trembling of her body increased. She wailed a loud screech, held Jak's paw against herself tightly and stopped rubbing against him. Jak felt a warm rush of fluid engulf his paw then dissipate quickly in the cool water.

Cat soon stopped shaking, so he released her neck. Her cat scream faded, leaving an eerie silence behind. The noise of birds and insects slowly returned as the local fauna recovered from her vocal expression of sexual bliss. Turning again to face Jak, her expression was of a deep contentment. She hugged Jak tightly and purred.

"Thank you, Jak. I promise not to tell Bunyic about this. Ve can keep it our secret."

"I don't like having to keep secrets from Airy. You keep putting me in awkward situations. That has to stop."

Cat surprised Jak by continuing to be plaintive and remorseful. "I am sorry. I vill not do it again...at least until ve get to Rikifur. I vill keep my paws off you until then."

"I'll hold you to that promise, though it should be an easy enough promise to keep, once we are on the ice. There will be no chance for you to try to get me alone out there."

"I know. I am prepared to obey Bunyic unless she becomes unreasonable. I vill leave if I have to."

"I hope it doesn't come to that."

Cat's normal, sassy playfulness was returning. "Vhy, Jak, vould you miss me?"

"Yes. I would. You are a good ally."

"Nothing more?"

"Not at present."

Cat pushed her body away from Jak but held onto his shoulders while staring down into Jak's eyes searching for a deeper meaning. She found the uncertainty she was looking for, and smiled mischievously.

"I think I have reason to journey across ice after all. There is possible hope for me on the other side." She let go of Jak and held her paws open. "Paws off. I follow orders now, so I am going back to tend the fire and the meat as instructed. Thanks for the bath. It vas very...stimulating."

Like a fish, she glided effortlessly back to shore, leaving Jak with a bar of soap and an uncertain future.

Raeph and Kes were gone, and the extra sleds were ready when Jak and Cat returned with the dried meat carefully wrapped in the cloth they had used for their smoking tent. It was late on the fourth day after the battle. Jak noticed that only a few feral horses remained. Airy dragged Jak off his horse and held him tight.

She whispered in his ear so that no one else could hear. "This is our last night alone with the tent. We can take it for emergency shelter on the ice, but we'll be sharing it with the others. Speaking of which, I promised Camorra and Jorveth they could use it tonight after we are done."

Laughing quietly, he kissed her. "I'm glad there are no more couples in our group. I want as much time alone with you as I can get before we cross the ice."

Hundreds of feet high, the edge of the ice sheet was a magnificent sight and a seemingly impossible barrier to further northward progress. In places, the ice was as blue as topaz. Elsewhere it was gray and dotted with rocks and boulders. It rose up vertically from the pile of rock and gravel at its feet. If they had not been told to continue eastward upon reaching the ice, where they would find a cleft carved by meltwater, they would have despaired and turned back. Even with that knowledge, the ice was intimidating. It was like a giant, slow-moving beast that creaked and groaned, threatening to awaken suddenly and crush anyone unlucky enough to be in its way. Boulders popped loose from the melting front with no warning and crashed to the ground, sometimes exploding into fragments on impact with the remains of the thousands of other rocks that had previously made that fall.

Airy kept their train of horses as far from the drop zone as she could, and yet, there was a far more deadly menace that they couldn't avoid. They only witnessed the event once, but the sight encouraged them to hurry and find the cleft as quickly as they could. Several miles to the west, a deafening cracking sound signaled the onset of the collapse of a portion of the ice wall. They watched in awe as a slab, large enough to cover all of the many acres of the Juht's camp, broke away from the face of the ice sheet and toppled northward to shatter with a sound that rivaled the recent eruption of the Earth Spine's volcano. As they looked fearfully about their own path, they observed many huge blocks of melting ice and realized that the calamity they had witnessed could happen anywhere and anytime.

Therefore, it was with great relief when they finally came to a place where the height of the ice wall had been cut in a broken sided, v-shaped notch by melt water that originated high and to the north. It was a path to the top, but not one without perils of its own. They could not hope to move against the icy torrent of water that poured down that cleft. Instead, they were forced to choose a path of stair step-like ice blocks that had fractured away from the sidewalls on either side of the cascade. The routes up either side of the rushing water looked equally hazardous, so rather that cross the melt water, Airy chose the side they were already on.

Raeph had prepared them well for this journey despite the Juhtmare's desire that they never reach this point. Many lengths of sturdy rope had been provided as well as special covers with metal spikes that fit over their boots so that they would not slip on the ice. There were even wooden glasses for their eyes with narrow slits that would cut down the blinding glare of the sun off the snow.

Though they were prepared for the climb, it was going to be a difficult task to haul all of their sleds and supplies to the top. Airy begrudged any delay, but ordered the company to make camp even though it was only noon. She wanted a whole day to make the ascent. Spending a night perched on the potentially unstable blocks of that canyon was too dangerous just to save half a day. Instead, they made their preparations for the next day by unpacking all of the gear from the horses and distributing it on the sleds. The horses could not possibly climb the ice and were thus of no more use to them. It was time to send them home to their masters.

Despite being freed of their burdens and encouraged to go back to Storfay, the beasts seemed as reluctant to part company as the travelers. Cat finally got them moving by roaring, snarling and chasing after them until they were galloping back the way they had come. Airy sincerely hoped they made it back safely both for their own sake and for Raeph's.

Cat surprised Airy by being generally cooperative and volunteering to scout ahead while the others assembled and packed the sleds. When she returned just before dusk, Cat reported that she had made it to the top and thought the whole party could easily make the summit in a day. She had driven bronze spikes in the ice at strategic locations where they would have to use ropes to haul the sleds up steep slopes or over wide crevasses between blocks of ice.

Before turning in early to allow them to begin the ascent at sunrise the next day, they sat before the last campfire they would have until after they made it to the west side of the Earth Spine. It would also be their last cooked meal. Jak and Tigan had found some tasty tubers, herbs and game birds that they cooked in the fire. The smell was intoxicating and all the more precious to them knowing that dried rations were all they would be eating for the next several weeks.

Tigan entertained them as they ate by juggling knives and other objects while telling stories about the gods, the creation of all the races, the history of Storfay and pure nonsense that was set to verse and had them all laughing. Even the cynical Cat and the normally reserved and quiet Jorveth laughed, clapped and sang along with her. However, the Horse still made sure that he was as far away from Cat as he could get without leaving the circle.

They began their uphill struggle with the first tentative light of dawn. It was a difficult ascent that was made worse by the amount of equipment they were hauling and because no one in the party had much experience on ice. Since Cat had been up the path already, Airy let her be in front. Jorveth then asked to be in the rear, but Airy needed Jak in that position to keep anyone from falling behind. Airy went after Cat with Camorra, Jorveth and Tigan behind her in that order. The Cow seemed the least steady on the ice. Airy wanted her in the middle. Jorveth would not be parted from her and so accepted a position closer to Cat than he liked.

They had been making good progress with plenty of time to reach the top, when Cat stopped abruptly causing Airy to nearly bump into her from behind. They each had a rope pulled over their shoulder that they were using to haul a sled up the uneven path of ice blocks. Over and over, they had been dragging one sled up a few dozen feet, securing it and then returning to repeat the process with their second sled. Airy was tired, and grumpy. They were so near the top that she could almost convince herself this ordeal would soon be over and done. Thus, her response to Cat's unannounced halt was surly.

"Why are you stopped? Now I'm towing all the weight."

Cat hissed her irritation. "I stop because of this Bunyic." Cat reached back, grabbed Airy and lifted her up. The feline was strong enough, that the sled came with her. She put Airy down in front of herself at the edge of a wide crevasse. Airy's hopes faded when she saw it. It was wider than the length of a sled and likely too far for any of them to jump. The bottom was lost to darkness filled with the sound of rushing water.

"You said you made it to the top. You didn't mention this obstacle."

"Of course I didn't. This vas not here yesterday. The ice must have moved during the night."

Airy quickly looked around to survey other routes, but the canyon was narrow, the sidewall steep and the impassable rush of water that carved the canyon was close. It was a dead end.

Airy growled her frustration. "If we turn back here, we will have to start over again on the other side tomorrow. Another day wasted, and I am not sure that we will have the strength to do this again."

Cat began searching in the sled while Airy complained. She did not reply. Instead, she took off her pack and any other gear that might hinder her. In each paw, she carried a sharp bronze spike.

"What are those for?"

Cat shrugged as she moved back to the edge of the slab of ice as far from the drop off as she could. "In case I don't make it."

As Airy tried to make sense of Cat's remark, the feline began running as fast as she could. The spikes on the soles of her boots dug into the ice and sent sparkling shards backward with each powerful stride. Without a sound or a chance for Airy to stop her, Cat reached the edge and leapt across the gap. It was too far, and she fell short of the perch on the other side. Airy watched in horror, helpless to do anything. Cat had not even tied a rope to herself.

The shelf towards which Cat had leapt hung out over the gap. Her trajectory carried her just under it. Before she disappeared beneath the lip, she drove both spikes down as powerfully as she could into the protruding ice. One spike bounced off the hard surface and clattered downward to vanish from sight. The other spike found purchase, driving deep into softer ice. Cat held onto it by one arm as her body swayed back and forth over the abyss like a pendulum. Mustering all her strength, she hauled herself up with the arm that held the spike until she could extend the claws of her free paw and grip the top of the ice shelf. She paused a moment to recover before hauling her body the rest of the way onto the ledge.

Realizing that she had been holding her breath, Airy let it out when Cat was safe. "Thank the Maker that you are alright." It had been an amazingly far leap and an astounding act of strength, but Airy couldn't help but be upset that Cat attempted it without her approval. "Are you crazy? You could have easily died doing that."

Cat was nonplussed by Airy's concern or her outrage. "Then there vould be one less mouth to feed, and you vould be no vorse off than before except for the loss of two spikes."

Airy did not agree with Cat's logic or her rash, unauthorized decision, but an argument was pointless. They had work to do if they were to escape the ice canyon before dark. Shaking her head and muttering under her breath about the luck of fools, Airy hammered a spike into the ice. She then fastened the end of a rope to it and tossed the other end to Cat, who moved the spike that saved her life to a more secure location and anchored the rope on the other side of the chasm. They now had the beginning of a bridge.

It took most of their rope and several hours, but they managed to ferry all of their gear and everybody to the other side safely. Jak's acrophobia was problematic, but Airy talked him through it, and he made it to the other side without embarrassment. Everyone was amazed that Cat had made the leap and insisted on hearing the tale from both Cat and Airy more than once. Tigan listened with great interest until after the story had been told several times, then remarked, "T'is is how legends are born."

The mood of the party was improved considerably by Cat's daring success and because the top of the ice was in view. There were no more visible obstacles to their progress. Only an hour more of back breaking labor separated them from their goal. Airy was relieved that they had daylight to spare, and was secretly grateful for Cat's heroic jump.

Just as their ordeal seemed nearly over, the ice block that had shifted during the night, moved again. Most of the sleds had already been hauled to stable ice when it happened. They were in the process of lifting the last sled up a short vertical wall. Jak, Jorveth, Airy and Tigan were on top pulling on ropes as Cat and Camorra helped lift and steady it from below. A new gap opened separating Cat and Camorra from the wall. The sled was pulled up just as the ice moved, leaving the Cat and Cow with no support for balance. Always agile, Cat kept her footing, but Camorra was unused to so much intense physical labor and working in such a dangerous environment. She slipped and fell into the gap.

Cat dove after her without hesitation and grabbed onto the Cow with one arm while arresting their descent into this new, narrow chasm with the claws on her hind paws and her free forepaw. With Cat's help, Camorra was then able to scramble up and out to where she had stood before she fell. The Cow reached safety just as both blocks of ice moved again. Camorra screamed and fell spread eagle on the ice fearing the worst, but the blocks stopped suddenly. She was safe.

Cat, however, was nowhere in sight. Camorra crawled carefully to the edge of the new gap that had narrowed again. The rest of the party peered down from above at the same time. Orange and black striped fur could be seen trapped below a chunk of ice that was wedged in the narrow space between the two large ice blocks. If the blocks moved any closer together, Cat would be crushed. They called down to Cat but heard only the echo of their own voices.

The gap was barely wide even enough for the slender Cat. It was possible she was already dead, but they would not know for certain unless someone could reach the stricken feline. Airy realized she was the only one in the group small enough to get to her.

Without discussion or any further thought, Airy stripped off all but her underclothes, tied a rope harness around herself, grabbed an ice pick and ordered the others to lower her down. Jack tried to stop her.

"No, Airy. It's too dangerous. The blocks may move again. Let me go."

"You're too big. You are all too big, even Tigan. I'm the only one who has a chance of reaching her."

When Jak continued to object, she silenced him with an order. "Time is against us. The blocks of ice are unstable. You know I am right. You must obey and let me do this, Jak." There was stern conviction mixed with pleading in Airy's eyes. Jak hung his head in defeat, then nodded.

There were enough of them left to easily lower Airy into the narrow gap. It was a tight fit even for the small Rabbit. She hoped her three companions at the end of the rope could pull her up quickly if the blocks moved again. There was little enough room as it was.

When Airy reached Cat, she confirmed that the feline was alive but unconscious. Airy began chipping away at the block of ice that pinned Cat in place. She was afraid to remove it all for fear that it was the only thing that was keeping the larger ice blocks apart. The ice groaned occasionally, but did not move. It was a terrifyingly slow process. As Airy worked, the end of another rope was lowered next to her. When enough ice was removed that Airy thought Cat's body could be pulled out, she carefully tied a harness around Cat's body. With Airy alternating chipping away more ice as needed and struggling to dislodge the heavy Cat without hurting her further, Jak and Tigan strained to gently pull her up. Jorveth held onto Airy's rope.

After what seemed an eternity to Airy, Cat's body began to move and she was freed from the narrow gap where she had been trapped. Airy stood upon the much reduced block that had pinned Cat as her limp body ascended to the surface.

Airy watched from below as Cat's black and orange tail slid out of view over the edge to safety. Only then did she breath normally again. It was a short lived reprieve. Without warning or sound, the block upon which she stood snapped under her feet and the ice on either side of her began to move together. She dug the spikes on her boots into the sidewalls and forced herself slowly upward. She was making progress but would never make it out in time on her own. As if in answer to her silent prayer, she was yanked upward rapidly as if Jak, Tigan and Jorveth were all pulling at once. Despite the speed of her ascent, the chasm that was closing together right beneath her hindpaws. She was forced to tuck her legs up against her butt and cleared the surface just before the blocks closed together with an ominous crash.

Airy was surprised to find that it was Jorveth who had pulled her up by himself. Jak and Tigan had been so busy securing Cat and pulling Camorra to safety that the inventor had been the only one available to pull Airy out. She would never have believed that he had the strength for such a thing, but sometimes people did amazing things when under stress. She thanked him quickly wishing she had time to properly express her gratitude, but they had to get out of this unstable canyon as quickly as possible.

The final climb was far more difficult without Cat's strength to help, and he misery was compounded by her weight being added to their burden. No one complained, though. Without Cat, they wouldn't have made it this far, and Camorra would likely be dead. With grim determination, they made the top of the ice with no further mishaps. The difference between the canyon and the relatively flat, upper surface of the ice sheet was astounding. An unbroken field of white stretched into infinity in all directions but south towards Storfay.

It was a pleasure to look south past the fan of gravel that spread out from the cleft to meet the grassy plains, and they were reluctant to part with that view. It would be a long time before they saw anything but ice again. They could not linger, though. Airy remembered the huge slab of the ice wall that had broken off the day before. When she reminded the others of it, no one grumbled at her order to move a mile farther north to safer ground.

Everyone was exhausted by the time they stopped. Even Jak was weary, mostly because he made up for the work that Cat would have done had she not been unconscious. Airy let the others rest while she and Jak examined the injured feline. She breathed, but was not responding to their voices or gentle prodding.

"If only Moon were here. I think Cat needs a real healer." Airy momentarily found herself feeling jealous that Jak would bring up his favorite mate, but saw the sincere grief in his eyes over Cat's condition and understood. What was more astounding to Airy was that she felt no jealousy over Jak's concern for Cat. In fact, Airy found herself feeling distraught that Cat might die. The wild feline had risked her life to jump the chasm and make a route for them to cross, but that wasn't her only selfless and heroic act. Camorra was explaining to Jorveth how Cat had saved her. Airy listened, trying to reconcile what she was hearing with her own assumptions, as she examined Cat's body for any signs of broken bones or other trauma.

"Jak, how can someone so obnoxious and selfish change so quickly?"

"I don't think she has changed. Maybe she is more than she appears. Maybe the way she was in the ice canyon is the real Cat, and the crisis brought her out." The Wolf paused and was silent for a moment. "I don't really know."

Airy considered Jak's words. Was the Cat they thought they knew an act? Airy hoped so, but was willing to have even the rude and roguish Cat back. "Regardless, for her to die now would be a terrible loss. You have to save her, Jak."

"I'm doing my best. My healing knowledge is just what I picked up listening to Moon." Jak was inspecting a bruised spot on her head. "Does she have any broken bones or bruising to her midsection?"

"No. Just that cut on her head that is swelling a bit."

Jak inspected Cat's head wound more thoroughly. "Head injuries like this can be very bad. I think she needs to wake up soon or she may never wake up." Jak searched around in his gear for the stashes of herbs and medicines that he had meticulously collected on their journey. He crushed a pungent herb under Cat's nose. The smell was vile and choking.

Airy gagged. "That stench could raise the dead." Whether it could perform the miracle Airy imagined was unlikely, but it accomplished Jak's intent. Cat coughed and opened her eyes.

She was dizzy and weak. Jak made her sit up anyway and gently slapped her snout until she grabbed his paw to make him stop. "Enough of that, puppy. My head hurts plenty already."

Upon hearing Cat speak, Jorveth rushed over to her side and captured her in an awkward embrace.

"Vhat is this? I thought you didn't like me."

"You saved, Camorra. Thank you. I...I am still afraid of you, but thank you."

Cat would have laughed but knew the pain that accompanied it would be intense. She flashed her impish grin instead. "You are velcome, crazy colt, but who saved me?"

Jak and Jorveth both looked at Airy. This time, Cat did laugh and the pain made her cringe.

"The frightened pony likes me now, and the mean, little Princess saved my life. I must be dead, and this is the afterlife vhere everything is paradise."

Jak prodded at the place on Cat's head where she had been struck and checked her eyes. As he did, he told her how Airy had risked her own life to rescue Cat from between the moving blocks of ice. Cat listened quietly to his tale, then lay back down and shut her eyes.

"No matter how tired you are, you have to stay awake for a while," Jak admonished. "One of us will stay by your side to see that you do."

Cat sighed and opened her eyes again. "I hear and obey, but if I must stay avake, then someone must talk to me." Her weary gaze shifted to Airy. "Princess, vhy did you save me?"

There was no hesitation from Airy. "You have proven your worth to me more than anyone present save for Jak. Perhaps I needed and demanded more from you to convince me of your value because of the circumstances under which we met. That was unfortunate, but I have put it behind me now. I have forgiven you and myself and am ready to move on. If not friends, I would like us to at least be allies."

Cat kept her eyes fixed on Airy with a neutral expression during her speech, but she smiled a genuinely friendly smile when Airy finished. "I am comfortable vith being allies for now. Friendship seems...for another time, perhaps." Cat was quiet for a moment. "Thank you for saving my life, Princess. I am grateful." She closed her eyes again. "Now, everyvun go avay and leave Jak to treat me vith his herbs to quiet this pain in my head."

[END OF CHAPTER]