We turned toward The Edge. Good. Maybe I could get this one through to the other side. I wanted to go home and not have any more problems. This thing must have come through with the trolls, wandered around a bit, and found me. My magic would be a beacon to anything from fae. I didn't quite know what this was, but I suspected something connected to mythology. Myths always have some magic involved in the tales. If they grow strong enough, the essence of them migrate from the human world to the fae lands.
When they reached the next opening in the trees, the rider faced me as I charged forward. I slowed. I didn't want a confrontation since I couldn't be certain of its powers. He looked like a ghost, but even ghosts can be dangerous.
The horse panted while the rider leaned forward over the neck, patting behind the ears. I could see the odd shape of some helmet on his head. I couldn't make out the shape. I wanted to see more clearly, but the moment I took a step forward they fled once more.
"Damn!"
I didn't want to spend all night running through the woods.
"Kat!" Cato protested when I started away.
"Stay here. I'll come back for you!"
"Stay?" I heard him call as I dashed into the shadows of the trees. "Are you crazy?"
I thought I must be, but I couldn't give up the chase. They were tiring and I thought I might have a chance to get it through The Edge. I could feel the hunger where they passed. This creature shouldn't be in this world and wanting something from here meant a dangerous imbalance.
I thought I could hear Cato panting behind me. Even I began to tire and slow. Off to the left The Edge glowed and I could feel growing magic in the air. I drew a little to myself, hoping I didn't cause more problems -- and hoped whatever I pursued couldn't do the same.
I could see the ghostly shape clearly ahead, where they came to a standstill in a little opening by The Edge. The horse's head drooped down and the rider sat slumped in the saddle.
This was almost over.
"Kat!"
I glanced down to see Cato throw himself in front of me. I tripped over him and landed face down in the snow bank.
From here I could see the wide, deep ravine between me and the rider. If Cato hadn't tripped me I would have tumbled over the embankment. I don't think I could have created magic quickly enough to save myself from some a serious injury -- or from an attack by the rider.
I scrambled away from the ravine on hands and knees with Cato at my side. I looked across to the horse and rider. I could see his face: Dark eyes, almost real, stared at me. We measured each other in a silent moment. I didn't come out the stronger of the two of us.
I panicked, pulling more magic to me; a flash of lightning in the air as I prepared to cast --
The rider turned to The Edge, the horse prancing forward those few steps --
And they passed through without even opening a door or tearing a hole.
"Oh hell," I said softly. The magic danced in my hands as I stared. "Oh, that can't be good at all."
"Can we go home?" Cato asked plaintively. He nuzzled against my side since I still knelt in the snow. "I think it would be very nice to go home now."
"Yeah," I agreed as I carefully let go of the magic. "Thanks, Cato. I think you saved my life."
"Least I could do for half a can of tuna," he said.
"Whole can," I replied.
"Let's go."
I gladly picked him up and carried him away from The Edge. He sat with his paws and head resting on my shoulder and kept watch behind, even when we flew away.
Chapter Seven
We returned to the house about three in the morning. I felt exhausted, but I knew I wouldn't get any rest tonight. After I gave Cato his tuna, I settled in my favorite chair and tried to contact home. Unfortunately, I wasn't calm enough to make the connection. So I made tea and wandered into the living room. I gave some crackers to Shakespeare.
"Know thou the secret of the spirit, bow'd from its wild pride into shame."
Spirit? The bird surprises me when he nearly echoes real life. Cato and I were talking ghosts when we came in, though I didn't know if he really understood or if he'd chanced on the right connection.
"Talk to me," I said to him.
He tucked his head under his wing and even ignored the crackers.
I went and took a quick shower, letting the water ease some of the tension from my shoulders. I pulled on my favorite robe and then decided on day clothes instead. I didn't want to call my father and tell him all this wonderful news while lounging around in my robe. I needed to look professional at least.
The decision to dress proved wise, because when I did finally get through, my father wasn't alone. He was at a clan meeting in the keep, and I could see a dozen others in the room with him. Many sat at a long table, with papers and cups spread everywhere so that it looked as though they had been at work for a long time. I felt a rush of embarrassment for what I almost did.
"Katlyn," he said with a nod. "Problems, I assume?"
I winced. He lifted his hand, plainly contrite.
"I asked because everyone is having trouble. Pieces of The Edge are acting oddly everywhere."
"Ah. Yes. Three trolls came through --"
"Gods all," someone said. "We better get right there --"
"No. I sent them back over to fae. Yes, me. Don't get that look."
My father gave a laugh, which lightened the mood for both the people on his side and for me. I told them what happened with the trolls and what I did afterwards with The Edge. I saw nods of approval along the table where most of the people sat.
"You did well," my uncle Timber said. He headed the clan, and to get approval from him was spectacular.
"Thank you, sir. However, there was another problem."
I related the story of my second encounter, including the last part where Cato saved my life.
"I was stupid to keep racing after him," I admitted. "I just didn't know what the thing was, and I didn't want him lose on this side."
I had drawn all their attention. None of them appeared happy.
"Go check on our side of The Edge." Timber waved a hand towards a couple of my cousins. "See if you can find this thing. Be quick."
"Yes sir," they chorused and left.
Timber moved to stand by my father and nodded to me. I rarely warranted this much of his attention. "You did very well, Katlyn. I don't quite know what you faced. This thing should never have been on your side -- nor pass back through so easily. We have problems. We have problems everywhere."
He started to turn away, obviously preoccupied.
"Like mine?" I dared to ask, hoping for a few more clues.
"Not quite. Most has been the sort of trouble we would expect. However, in the Sahara we're having trouble with the Nile gods who are trying to break through and begin business again."
The idea of the Nile gods trying to come through unsettled me. Gods are tricky beings. They're fae who sort of moved up the ladder somehow. The step affects their powers and their entire thought process. You can no longer guess what they'll do and you can't reason with them.
"Good luck, sir," I said, which sounded entirely inadequate.
"We shall hold the line," he answered with a quick grin. Timber never shied from a fight. "We've contained them before."
"Yes sir, of course."
"You needn't worry over what I think, Katlyn." He looked straight at me. His dark green eyes held power so obvious it's not safe for him to come over to this side and deal with humans. If they peer into his eyes, they believe in magic. "You have done an exceptional job. I've always thought you were very quick with your mind, which is something I can't say about many of your cousins. They rely too much on power, and sometimes don't think through the full repercussions."
"Thank you, sir." I tried not to remember the couple times tonight when I had grabbed power and not considered what would happen so close to The Edge. I could see my father behind Timber, and he seemed quite pleased. "Is there anything you can
suggest for me to do?"
"The specter bothers me," Timber admitted. "I'll see what we can find on this side."
I bowed my head in thanks, and Timber returned to his other work. My father stepped forward, still smiling. Timber had praised me for the work I'd done in the past, though this was the first time I felt as though I might truly deserve his notice.
"I know you have your hands full," I said. "I appreciate you took the time to talk to me."
"You're problems are important, Kat," he said.
"You guys are battling the Nile Gods! They make even trolls and specters sound like playtime games."
"Trolls are always serious," he disagreed. "And the unknown is worse. I wish I could get free and help you, but right now we're barely holding the line in some places."
"Well, at least Aletta is here," I said.
He looked startled. I saw Paris, Aletta's mother, glance my way from her spot at the long table. She frowned. I would have thought she kept track of her precious daughter.
"Aletta is there?" My father frowned as well. He turned to the table. "Did someone send Aletta to the area?"
"Not I," Timber said.
"Paris?" my father asked.
"Aletta is a free spirit." Paris gave a wave of her hand, dismissing the question.
"Right." My father rolled his eyes as he glanced at me. I nearly choked trying not to laugh. The humor brightened my mood, though. I'd never been much impressed with Aletta. Nice to know I wasn't alone.
"Can you give me any pointers on how to deal with this specter?" I asked, hoping for anything.
"I'll work on the problem. I would think a spell to shatter the form might be the best bet to try. I'll do some research and see if I can find something more. What affect did this creature have on the world?"
"He didn't move through anything solid and he didn't leave death in his tracks, either," I reported. "Which made me think this isn't a real specter. I thought he might be an illusion, but he and the horse both noticed things in this world too well."
"Excellent points," Timber said from behind my father.
I blushed to think he still listened, and approved, of what I noted.
"Yes, good points. I'll see what I can learn. Kat -- you really did do well tonight."
"He left on his own," I reminded him.
"However, he plainly intended to kill you and failed."
"Because the cat saved her," Paris replied with a smirk.
I saw several unhappy people turn towards her. Paris wasn't the most popular person in the clan, but she held considerable power.
"She's very lucky the cat was there, since your daughter wasn't. Are you going to tell me Aletta somehow missed the trouble?" my father asked.
I hadn't considered that fact. Aletta would have felt the first surge of magic and she hadn't tried to contact me, even then. "I wonder what she was doing," I said absently.
"Avoiding trouble and work," my father unexpectedly answered. "Aletta does that very well."
Paris got to her feet, already protesting. I winced at the sound of her shrill voice and saw Timber give my father a look of warning.
Though oddly, Timber didn't disagree or ask for an apology.
"I really need to get some rest." I drew my father's attention while Paris kept prattling about how no one had the right to say such disparaging things about her daughter.
"Yes, do rest. I'll get back to you as soon as I have something."
"Thanks."
I severed the connection and relaxed, glad to be beyond the range of Paris's voice and rage before she turned her tirade on me. I made a quick check and found Aletta still in the hotel. Maybe the wave of magic frightened her or made her ill. I'd give her some benefit of the doubt. And after all, I hadn't called on her to go with me.
Cato pattered over and jumped up on the chair arm, burped, and settled down into my lap, circling twice to find a good spot.
"I'm stuffed," he said, contentedly.
"Good. You did an excellent job tonight, Cato. Much better than Aletta ever would have."
"She can't see past her own nose." He already sounded half asleep.
I sat with him for a while. My legs ached from running, and my head still pounded from the trouble and the magic I'd used. However, Timber and my father both said I handled the problem well. Their praise meant something.
Two hits against Aletta in one day, and there was no doubt she'd hear what had been said over in fae, too. It almost made up for the trolls.
I began to relax for the first time in almost twenty-four hours. I needed to meet David in a couple hours. I could use a magical sleep spell and as long as nothing went wrong between now and then --
I almost cursed myself for even thinking such an ill-omened thing. I closed my eyes and did a quick sweep of The Edge and found everything reasonably steady.
Strange.
I felt something much closer to home -- from the town, in fact. Not a solid feeling, but as though tiny bits of magic kept popping in and out and lingering as traces along the streets. Magic in town? Close to technology? I sat up so quickly I won a growl from Cato as he lifted his head.
"Don't tell me there's more trouble." He turned to me with both ears laid back. Even Shakespeare moved uneasily on his perch, unsettled by my sudden movement.
"Not The Edge. I can feel something odd in town."
"Aletta?" he asked. "She's odd enough, right?"
"I wish this was her." I stood and put Cato into the warm chair. He snuggled down into the cushion.
"You aren't leaving, are you?"
"I'm going to walk a couple blocks. You don't have to go along."
"Good. I'd waddle. I don't want to waddle." He put a paw over his nose and closed his eyes to sleep.
Sleeping cats are always cute -- somewhat the same way sleeping baby trolls are cute. He also reminded how I wanted to go to bed. I still went to the door and stepped outside.
I stood on the porch in the predawn dark. A dog barked down the block, and the wind dashed some leaves across the yard. I couldn't hear any birds. I wanted to know what they'd seen. I hated knowing I'd been stupid when I ignored the nuthatches.
I walked down the path through the deserted yard and past my car. The winding road took me from my house to the next as I moved through darkness and darker shadows, my steps loud in the otherwise silent world. I don't usually spook; this time I glanced over my shoulder a few times and wished I'd brought Cato along after all.
I stepped from the shadow of the trees to a view of Estes Park. Lights shone brightly down the hillside, those human-made guards against the darkness and the darker things humans didn't even realize existed. I felt better seeing the city --
And then, for a brief, very odd moment, everything all seemed unreal, as though the reality of this place slipped a notch.
I blinked and the city settled back to normal. The moment had been a figment of my imagination, brought on by exhaustion and by looking for something else to go wrong. Fae can search too hard for trouble and make problems happen. We're warned all our lives and we still make trouble for ourselves sometimes.
I shook my head and lifted my hand. Yes, the bits of magical power still drifted lazily through the town. I stretched farther and could feel Aletta, already awake and moving through her room. I wondered if she'd miss her beauty sleep.
I jogged down Fairy Tale Lane and finally stopped outside Mrs. Hale's house, hoping neither she nor the neighbors saw me loitering there.
"Mrs. Miniver? Can we speak?" I whispered softly.
I waited a couple minutes. Mrs. Miniver is not a cat who does anything quickly. She finally came out, tail high and eyes wide.
"Good morning, my dear," she said in a cute little proper British accent which goes with being a British Short Hair. "We're certainly having odd days, aren't we now?"
"Yes, we are." I knelt down on the walkway in front of the house, half hidden by the picket fence. I didn't want Mrs. Hale to accuse me of trying to steal her prize win
ning, purebred cats again. "Do you have any information you can tell me?"
"Not nearly enough, I fear," she replied and rubbed against my leg. "The boys came by yesterday -- did you see them?"
"Yes, when I drove past. I had someone with me, or else I would have stopped and asked what was going on."
"And risked being spotted by the good woman of the house? Not wise at all, my dear, especially since we couldn't have told you much. The boys think there's some odd stuff in town. They're doing some hunting."
"Good for them." I stood slowly. "You will let me know if there's anything else?"
"Oh yes." She started to step away and stopped. "And how is my son these days? A scoundrel just like his father?"
"Cato saved my life twice tonight."
She stared into my face. "Did he, now? Brave after all, is he?"
"Oh yes, quite brave."
"Excellent. I guess blood will tell after all. Give him my regards."
"I will."
She sauntered toward the house with her tail held in a high, happy arc. I watched, trying to decide what to do. A car drove along the street, the driver jumping out and delivering newspapers at every few houses. I took my newspaper, saving her the drive to my house. The woman gave me a sleepy nod of thanks.
I tucked the paper under my arm and headed toward home. I decided the bits of magic might be left over eddies from the blanket of magic that hit before Cato and I went off on our little troll adventure.
I needed to settle down. The walk helped, and by the time I reached the house I thought a nice, magically induced super-nap would help me through the coming day.
I jogged to the porch and went inside. Cato momentarily lifted his head. Shakespeare glanced my way and apparently didn't have any handy quote, so he kept quiet.
I tossed the paper down on the shelf by the door and caught the glimpse of the front page. I grabbed it back up and tore the paper open.
Odd New Rodent Species found in Rocky Mountain National Park
And below those headlines I found a rather blurry picture of what could only be a peripix.
"Oh hell!"
"I don't want to know." Cato buried his head in the corner of the chair.
I went to the dining room table and spread the paper to see the article. I scanned the words: new animals, believed to be related to chipmunks, extremely friendly toward humans, but difficult to get pictures --
Kat Among The Pigeons Page 7
