For dinner, there was a thin vegetable soup with forest herbs and some sheep's milk. I declined the latter, but the soup was nice. For my sake, we ate outside. While I could squeeze through the narrow, low door, this big girl filled almost half of the hut. The stench of sheep droppings and stale furs inside did not help. Turning around, taking great care not to get my fur and especially my tail near the dying fire, I repeated the cat going through a mousehole action. Not to do it again, outside it was.

As said, the soup was good, a nice complement to the earlier uncooked grass and sorrel feast.

Jenks was not a man of many words, unsurprising given his hermit's residence. Anyone traveller passing by was a major event in his life. A healer fresh from the battlefields was like a year's worth of news, so he urged Freya to talk more. Freya seemed content in her role as VIP (I was probably in the alien from outer space category) and happily told him about whatever he wanted to hear, helped by the wine. I could barely guess the direction of the conversation.

As darkness fell, the wolves began to howl in the distance. I helped Jenks herd the sheep inside. He did not trust my assessment that his dwelling was not in their territory. Freya went in too and continued her stories. I made myself comfortable on the other side of the door, blocking it from any wolves.

Suddenly I woke up. The howling came again, much louder and closer. An almost full moon had risen. I rose as well and walked towards the howls. Here and there I rubbed my lower shoulders and my fur against various bushes without thinking. 'Kiara, you are marking your territory, you crazy cat,' my old human self protested weakly. 'If it gets us some undisturbed sleep, why not,' I rationalised.

I climbed to the top of the ridge where I had seen the first wolf tracks, the border of their territory. The next howls were close. Again, without thinking, I roared. It would have been more impressive if I hadn't stopped in the middle by a coughing fit. But it had silenced the wolves, probably more out of surprise.

I turned south and walked around the hut in a large circle, still marking the bushes. Halfway around, the wolves howled again, but in a different way. This time I took a deep breath before answering with my roar. I still stopped prematurely, coughing. But the wolves were silent again.

Half an hour later I was back at the hut. Jenks was standing outside the door with a wooden stake, ready to defend it.

"No wolves coming," I said confidently, my voice hoarse.

"Really?"

Freya shot out of the door and hugged me. "You crazy cat. You scared us so much!" Luckily, she was only using mindspeak.

"All gooding!" I patted her back. "Now sleeping back in hut!"

Despite my assurance, we sat outside for another half hour. But no further howling just leaves rustling in the wind and an owl hunting. When the first night birds began to sing, Freya and Jenks finally went inside. And I slept on my forepaws, securing the front door.

* * *

The door slammed into my side. "Ouch!" What a rude awakening. The sun had yet to light the treetops on the ridge, but the sheep wanted out. I shuffled to the side and stretched until my bones cracked and I was somewhat awake. Jenks came out too, with rings under his eyes. He did his business, drank some water and sat down next to me.

"Kiara, did something happen to you?"

"Sorry, not speaking well."

"You animal?"

"No, not at all." I was not offended. Last night's roar had certainly not raised my status as an educated human, and my poor command of the language did not help. "No, quarter animal. Most woman."

"Why, how?" He struggled for simpler words.

"Talking to Freya, she best talking."

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"You eat grass?"

Uh, unexpected turn. "Yes, some. Not all good." I ripped some tastier stalk within my reach. "That good. What name?"

"Sheep grass," he chuckled. "You're strange, but feerunty."

"Thank you."

We sat quietly (or I munched more sheep grass) until the sun came over the ridge and warmed us. Finally, Freya appeared in the doorway.

I got up and put on the saddlebag. Given our circumstances and lack of facilities, Freya took a surprisingly long time to get ready.

* * *

We still had no food, Jenks had almost nothing to share except a small sheep's cheese for Freya. But the way down along the brook would lead to a valley with a village. From there we would be back on the right path to Krenburg. So we followed the valley down from the hermitage.

Out of earshot, I had to know: "Freya, did I scare you?"

She chuckled. "Yes, when I heard the roar, I didn't realise it was you. Sometimes you can be quite a fighting machine."

"Sorry."

"Cheer up, now and most of the time you are the biggest and cutest squirrel-cat, more adorable than ever." She stood on my back and started nibbling at my ears. My legs almost buckled.

"Freya!" I protested weakly.

"Just a quickie, I haven't had my breakfast." She patted my breasts.

I hope we really were out of earshot, or Jenks would have another story to tell; if his imagination was up to the task.

* * *

"Freya, you are insatiable." But then I opened my eyes and there was no Freya on me. Instead, a little squirrel was licking my nipple. "What, pest!"

It dug its claws into my skin.

"Ouch!” Nasty critter. I used my forepaws to remove it and put it on the ground

The squirrel protested with a "chuk" with its whole body contracting. "Chuk, chuk." Its tail rose high in the air.

I got on my paws. "CHUK," I replied. I didn't know I could do that.

The squirrel did two more chuks, which sounded more like a challenge.

"Only my girlfriend is allowed to do this," I laughed. The chuk was like laughter. I jumped forward.

The squirrel was already up a tree.

"The hunt is on!" I shouted, landing just a hand's breadth away.

Just out of my reach, the squirrel uttered another chuk.

It was a wild hunt. The squirrel quickly realised that I could not jump onto smaller trees or thinner branches. However, it underestimated the reach of my arms and legs and I almost caught it as I sailed past to the next sturdy tree. But that was a beach. I barely caught it with three claws, digging foot-long skid marks into the bark. A small success: I had swept the squirrel off the branch, it was now much lower, where the trunk could hold me.

Several dangerous near misses later, the squirrel was caught in my right hand, my claws fully extended to form a cage. Loose enough not to crush it, but out of reach of its teeth. I descended, panting heavily, and slowly followed the wooden debris to our resting place.

Freya sat down in a sunny spot and dried herself. "Sweet crazy squirrel-cat was hunting."

"No, not hunting," I said embarrassed. "The squirrel wanting my milk."

"You pipsqueak is no challenge to the mighty Freya." She stroked its head. The squirrel had stopped squirming a long time ago. "Even though you have the same cute ear tufts."

Damn, I had forgotten them.

"But your fur is thinner, pipsqueak." Freya was still talking to the squirrel.

I felt stupid. "'Ok, here." I put it on the floor.

The squirrel looked at Freya and then at me. "Chuk," and it climbed onto my back.

"Pipsqueak, watch those claws!"

"Chuk, chuk."

"CHUK," there was my answer.

The squirrel cowered down, still looking at me with big eyes.

"You speak Squirrel? What have you discussed? Mindspeak tells me nothing."

"No idea." I sighed. "What should we do with it?"

"Let's keep it." Freya had put her clothes back on and tossed me my shirt. "If it really wants to stay."

Squirrel jumped onto my upper shoulder as Freya put the saddlebag on me. My shirt was thick enough that his claws only tickled. Then Squirrel sat on my shoulder, with the strong smell of a wild animal. Well, I could do with a bath myself.

Freya, now on my back, looked at it.

The squirrel remained on my shoulder when I started to walk. After a while, it relaxed (or whatever it means when squirrels drop their tails). "Welcome passengers travelling on Kiara Flight Kern007. Sorry, no seat belts and refreshment service is cancelled until the next stop."

"What?"

Did I say it out loud? "Sorry, nothing. No idea why it won't go away."

"It's cute. Cute like Kiara. Come on, little critter." Freya held out her arm.

The squirrel thought for a long time and then jumped down in front of Freya. They both stared at each other intensely.

"You need a name, little critter. How about Pip?"

I snorted. Oh, Freya.

"Welcome Pip, I am Freya."

Cute Freya. I smiled, happy for her, and happy for a moment.

* * *

It was late morning when we reached the fields and meadows of a valley. I stopped under the canopy of the last trees, carefully lifting Pip from my shoulder and holding him in front of me. "Little Pip, we are going where no squirrel should go. Best to stay in the forest."

"Chuk," what else, "chuk-chuk."

"Not fair," complained Freya from my back.

I put him down. "Go on, have fun with normal squirrels."

I took a step and Pip climbed up my leg (ouch) and was on my shoulder in a second. "Chuk-chuk."

"You're sadistic and cruel, you want to abandon your fellow squirrel," said Freya, "see, you're irresistible."

Great, I have picked up the next lover - I will put Casanova to shame if it continues like this ...