The goblins lent us a sturdy coach designed to survive bad roads. They also supplied four horses to pull the coach, plus four saddled horses for the two-footeds to use. They loaded the horses’ food and water supplies on the luggage rack on the roof. I got a document saying I could hunt anywhere at any time. The Prince’s troop would cook for all the two-footeds.

Both Cat and Wren wanted to leave as soon as we were packed. The goblins made an excellent case to wait for the humans. If we traveled together, the goblins could provide trip security using the escort already waiting at the outer wall. If we traveled separately, the goblins would need to find another army company to escort the second party.

We left before dawn with Cloud Eye driving. I wasn’t too surprised that he could handle the reining for four horses. I’m still waiting to find something that the boy can’t do. Wren and Owl decided to ride. Cat didn’t feel up to sitting on a saddle that early in the morning, so he and I moved into the coach and went back to sleep on the cushioned seats. We tied the two unused riding horses to the back of the coach.

We woke when someone knocked on the coach door. I jumped off the seat and opened the door latch with a paw. The door swung open to reveal a young human soldier with a basket of paw-sized packages of food wrapped neatly in waxed paper.

“Aaaaaaaa!” he screamed when he saw me. “There’s...there’s…,” he backed away slowly.

“What’s wrong, Bert?” someone called out.

“Fuzzy, are you scaring the humans again?” Cloud Eye accused me from the driver’s box.

“He won’t eat me, will he?” Bert the soldier asked, looking up at Cloud Eye.

“He’s a she, and she won’t eat you,” Cloud Eye replied. I heard his feet hit the ground after jumping from the driver’s box. “Is that lunch?”

“Y...yes,” Bert nodded, not taking his eyes off me. “They’re sandwiches. I have ham, goose, and shaved beef.”

“I’ve heard of sandwiches, but I’ve never had one,” Cloud Eye’s curiosity was aroused.

“Made with butter, white-egg sauce, or olive oil?” a sleepy Cat asked from behind me.

“Butter, sir. We couldn’t find any white-egg sauce for sale in the city, but I know we picked up eggs, vinegar, and oil yesterday, so I believe there will be white-egg sauce soon.”

“What kind of bread?” Cat braced himself against the door frame and looked out over my head. “Also, is there any cheese, lettuce, or anything else on the sandwiches?”

“It’s all sourdough rolls. Prince Willam likes sourdough, so we eat a lot of it when we’re in the field. There are a few slices of mild white cheese and shredded lettuce.”

“I would like a ham sandwich, please.”

I later learned that Prince Willam liked to serve his troops sandwiches for breakfast and lunch. Already-made sandwiches were not only tasty and easy to eat, but they also saved a lot of time while traveling because no time was lost preparing food while on the road.

Now that Cat had woken up and eaten, he and I spent the afternoon reading Achflakalstrebr’s Compendium. The things it said about wyverns stood our former knowledge about them on its head. For example, red wyverns, like those attacking the Blazroggle District, live near riparian forests because of the abundance of herbivores like deer visiting water sources. It was easy hunting for them.

Wyverns usually ate around 12 stone a day, which is about the weight of an average cougar. They like to eat all the animals that cougars prefer: deer, elk, antelope, chamois, bighorn sheep, and mountain goats. Unlike cougars, they don’t bother with the small stuff like rabbits or voles. Wyverns hunt during the day. This might be due to eyesight. All wyverns are farsighted and have poor night vision. They can spot prey that is moving but not prey that can stay still.

Red and blue wyverns do not eat people like elves, humans, or goblins. According to the Compendium, these two wyvern types would leave bipedal life alone unless attacked; however, after an attack, a wyvern would snatch people up, gain altitude, and then drop them. This suggested they were smart enough to pursue revenge. In comparison, white and green wyverns would carry off people and then eat them instead.

We were still reading about wyverns when we stopped for the evening.

The first dinner in the field was interesting. The round-ears brought a decent cook with them, who was now making food for all three races: human, elven, and hobgoblin. I noticed that all three groups sat apart from one another. It would be good if people started mingling before we arrived at Blazroggle since we’ll have to work together when we arrive. Getting the three races to work with each other was a minor concern compared to some of my other concerns.

I had one fear on this expedition that outweighed even the wyverns: Willam meeting Cat Rider. The first occasion where they met was at dinner. The two-footed ones were deep into their bowls of mutton stew when Prince Willam and Duke Sven arrived at our campfire just before dusk.

“Can we invite ourselves to your campfire?” the red-haired Duke asked. “I brought good brandy.”

Wren looked at Cat, “your call, Cat.”

Ever since we left elven territory, Cat had worn his hood up. All you could see was the black cat mask, his green eyes, his strong chin, and a few wisps of his dyed hair, which he wore short. He spoke with an elvish accent and used elvish idioms. If you could believe there was such a thing as a short elf, Cat’s disguise worked.

“We need to be able to work together,” Cat stated. “We should also share the information we recently gained on wyverns. Fewer people will die if we do. And we need to tell the hobgoblin captain since the goblins have suffered high losses.” Cat frowned as he looked up at his uncle, the Duke, and his brother, the Prince, “Did you not recognize that veiled, opaque, and indirect hint? Sit down, already. I’m getting a sore neck just from looking up at you. I’m Cat Rider, by the way. You’ve met Roaming Wren and Fuzzy. The one with the long braided hair is Cloud Eye. The tall one with short hair is Motley Owl. You two must be Duke Sven and Prince Willam.”

“That’s right,” the Prince replied, studying Cat.

“So tell me, which one of you is the Duke, and which is the Prince?” Cat’s face was carefully neutral with just a pinch of anticipation.

“What?” Willam was gobsmacked.

Cat nodded, smiling to himself. He stuffed the last of his stew into his mouth.

Wren swatted Cat on the arm and rolled her eyes, “Prince, You just fell for one of my brother’s little pranks. I’ll warn you now that you’ll be a target if you’re gullible.”

“Ah,” the Duke raised an eyebrow, “So that’s how it is.” He chuckled, wondering if Willam had finally met his match.

“I’m curious,” Willam recovered his composure, “Why do all four of you wear those masks?”

“They do it to distract from the mask I always wear,” Cat remarked. “I didn’t ask them to. They did that on their own.”

“So why do you wear a mask?” Willam asked bluntly.

“Willam, manners!” the Duke chided. “Apologize.”

“I’m not offended, Your Grace,” Cat shrugged.

“No, I do apologize,” Willam looked sincere. “That was tactless of me. I need to remember to think before I speak.”

“As I said, you gave me no offense,” Cat pulled down his hood and undid the mask laces. “I wear a mask so people aren’t forced to look at my hideous face.” He fumbled for a moment to pull the mask off and revealed his face. It was covered with angry red burn scars that started in the upper left quarter. The scarring reached back to what remained of his left ear. Instead of a left eye, an eerie flickering flame burned inside the eye socket.

“Merciful Matadee! What’s wrong with your eye?” Willam stood up in shock, stepped back, and tripped over the tree stump he had been sitting on. He landed on his rump, still gaping.

I could tell Cloud and Owl were working hard not to laugh. Wren just looked disgusted.

Cat blinked, “The spell must have worn off. This will only take a second.” He began to mutter an old language chant softly. At the same time, he held up his right hand and made a gesture. He dropped his head into his gloved left hand, which brushed past his left eye. When he lifted his head, a normal eye faced the world once again.

“What was that?” Willam demanded, eyes still wide.

“Even if I could tell you,” Cat gave Willam a reassuring smile, “I doubt you would understand the explanation.” He looked at the other elves, “Would one of you please help me with my mask?”

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Owl got up and walked behind Cat. He stretched out his hand, took the mask from Cat, and retied the laces. “Is that alright, or is it too tight?”

“It’s just about perfect, Owl. Thank you.”

Owl grabbed Cat’s hood and put it back up, “If you forget to wear this, your skin will start to blister again.”

“Nag, nag, nag,” Cat grumped, just for fun.

“Cat Rider,” Owl chided

“Yes, Mother. Whatever you say, Mother.”

Cloud Eye finally started laughing in earnest, unable to hold it in any longer.

“Might I ask about the hood and the blistering skin?” Duke Sven asked.

“Cat has what we call sun disease,” Wren replied. “Even a few minutes of sunlight will cause red bumps to appear, which will turn into painful blisters after one or two hours. He always wears a hood and long sleeves during the day.”

“That sounds like quite an imposition,” Willam said.

“Trust me,” Cat said, “it’s not a lot of fun.”

“So, how did you acquire a lame leg?” Willam’s tact was losing to his curiosity.

“It never completely recovered from the fire that scarred the rest of me,” Cat said, looking and sounding unhappy. He was beginning to wilt from all the questions about his infirmities.

“No more questions,” Motley Owl stood up and glared at the Prince. “I care not that you are somebody’s human princeling. You will stop now.” Owl was angry, which was rare for him. “Every day, he is in pain. The pain never stops, and the scars make it impossible to move. The only reason I have not called you out for the insult to my brother is that you are ignorant that you have offended.” Owl clenched his fists, glowering at Willam. “I’m going for a walk,” he stomped off into the twilight.

“Maybe you should follow him,” Cat told me, looking worried.

*He’s walking away from camp, and he’s well-armed. Leave him be. He never stays angry for long. He’ll return in one or two hours, back to his usual self and wanting to apologize for losing his temper.*

“He had a point,” Willam sounded troubled. “My circumstances have made many things easy for me. As a result, I have a hard time remembering that many people don’t have a good life, free from hunger, pain, and overwork. I apologize for my thoughtlessness, Cat Rider.”

“I can’t fault you for being curious,” my boy sounded weary. “Owl is my best friend, and he appointed himself my protector several years ago. We both grew up in Storm Eagle’s house. The boys of the household sleep in two large rooms: one for those six to eleven years old and one for those twelve or older. The bullying and harassment are rough. Owl protected me from most of it.

“Before he got to be so big, Owl was on the receiving end of the hazing. He, too, survived a fire that took his family from him. He is scarred on his backside from his neck to his heels and down his arms. Like me, he spends every day in pain. He can’t fully extend his left elbow or shoulder because of the burn scars.”

A miasma of silence settled in until Cloud Eye dispelled it. “We were going to start talking about wyverns but got sidetracked. Shall we reconvene tomorrow?”

“Yes,” Duke Sven nodded in agreement.

“Good, that will give me time to make copies of what we found in Achflakalstrebr’s Compendium,” Cat slowly stood up, grasping his walking stick as support.

“Wait,” the Duke looked excited, and so did the Prince. “You mean the rare and impossible-to-find Lector Achflakalstrebr’s Compendium of Races, Monsters, and Arcane Creatures?”

“Is it really that famous?” Cat was surprised by their reaction. “I know goblin scholars think highly of it, but I didn’t know it was famous outside of Gorgurak.”

“Was the Compendium you used the first or revised edition?” The Duke looked like he was on the verge of drooling.

“Revised edition with the appendix intact,” Cat raised an eyebrow at the Nordvegkkians’ reaction.

“I take it you made notes based on reading the copy in the Academy Library,” Willam commented.

I looked at Cat, and Cat looked at me. “No, the Royal Gorgurak Library on the thirteenth ring,” Cat answered. “We met a retired librarian who used to work there while we were in Kizdengengar.”

“I think I’m coming down with a bad case of envy,” Prince Willam bit his lip.

“Me too, nephew.” Then they both sighed in unison.

The two Nordvekkian royals strolled back to their camp.

“I believe we shouldn’t tell anyone that we have that book in the carriage,” Cat pronounced. “I don’t think they would try to make off with it, but there is virtue in keeping honest people honest. We need to remember to tell Owl when he gets back.”

* I am going to stretch my legs, * I told my two-footeds. Before anyone could protest, I cast invisibility on myself and ran after the Duke and the Prince.

“… eye is the same, but the left eye is scary, Uncle Sven,” Willam said.

“The left eye is not a good basis to eliminate Cat Rider as your long-lost brother,” Duke Sven pointed out. “The elves have some talented healers. It’s possible that the contents of the left eye socket are artificial and made to look like an eye. It could also be a glamour. That’s the explanation I like best for the eye-to-flame-to-eye thing we saw. It would be easy to do that with a glamour. Don’t forget that they have two powerful mages in their party. So I wouldn’t take the left eye as proof that it’s not Andray.”

“He’s too short to be a member of the Nordvek family,” Willam said.

“You’re a year and a half younger than your brother. When you were 11, you were already taller than he was. He was short of stature for as long as I knew him. He took after his mother, who was a tiny slip of a girl. Also, both Queen Eleanor and Prince Andray caught the sweating fever. Andray was one of the lucky few who survived it, but he never caught up physically after that. He always had fragile health, and childhood illness can affect height.”

“What about the spirit beast with a bond for Princess Roaming Wren? It protected the Princess from me.”

“It doesn’t fit,” Sven reasoned. “The spirit beast carries only Cat Rider. No one has ever seen Wren ride the spirit beast. The spirit beast spent the day in the carriage with Cat Rider and tagged along behind Cat Rider every time I saw him. There’s another line of evidence, though it’s more circumstantial. A spirit beast in the form of a mountain cat was confirmed in the forest around Herman’s Close about a half year before your brother disappeared. That spirit beast visited your brother most afternoons in Lord Herman’s garden. When your brother disappeared, so did the spirit beast.

“But the...”

The Duke cut the Prince off, “I have more. Two of the men I sent to infiltrate the elven realm were stopped by a mountain cat spirit beast. That spirit beast lived at the home of the King of the Green Elves.”

“Cat Rider talks like an elf.”

“He’s lived with elves for over three years. You’d talk like an elf, too, if you lived with them for that long.”

“Blond hair.”

“There are bleaching dyes that can make darker hair into blond hair.”

“The left leg.”

“It’s a fake. All the motion is in the knee. That tall boot is just a wrapper around a wooden leg.”

“You’re not making this easy, Uncle.”

“Of course. I confess it would be wonderful if this young mage is your brother, but we would then have a succession crisis on our hands. We must be sure it is Andray before the opposition discovers him. Did you know that when Prince Andray tested for magical talent, he passed, but your father refused to have him trained?”

“I did not,” Willam was surprised, “but why refuse to train that talent? A King who was also a mage would be an incredible combination. For starters, people would think twice before cheating you or invading you.”

“I asked my brother that question many times,” the Duke’s tone of voice was bitter. “He said that if he could prevent Andray from becoming a mage, that terrible prophecy would not come to pass.”

The royal uncle and his nephew walked in silence for a way, then Willam asked: “What do you think the goblins will do with the Bishop of Tammerhof?”

“It will be a difficult decision for the goblins, Willam, and don’t be fooled by the fact that they let us go free. They can take us into custody any time they want. If they declare war, they will. The men working for the Bishop invaded the house of the First Minister, who is also the Goblin Queen’s sister, intending to murder foreign royalty while the Goblin Queen herself was on the premises. That’s cause for war right there. Personally, I would throw a party if the goblins found cause to hang the Bishop or cut off his head,” Duke Sven smiled at the thought.

“I think I would settle for cutting off his hands, cutting out his tongue, and gouging out his eyes,” Willam said. “That way, he would be unable to order any further murders, framings, and maimings. Then I would put him in a cage with a starving bear.”

“We do not have conclusive proof that the Bishop was behind the last attack on your brother,” Duke Sven cautioned.

“Uncle, if Cat Rider is my brother,” Willam looked up at the stars overhead, “then half of that prophecy has already come true.”

Duke Sven turned around and looked down the line of tents with a frown, “I’ve had this itchy feeling on the back of my neck as if someone was following us.”

Prince Willam turned and looked, “We’re the only two people I can see. Most of the troopers who aren’t on sentry duty are over at Georg’s wagon, making sandwiches for breakfast and lunch.”

“Willam, here’s a serious question for you. If Cat Rider is Andray, what will you do?”

“I would determine if he would be a good King, Uncle, because I do not want to be King of Nordvek. If he looked like he would be a bad King, I would find a way to prevent his rule, even if it led to bloodshed. Then I would take the throne unless, of course, I could foist it off on you.”

“No, no, no, you don’t. I do not want to be King.”

“Uncle, here’s a hard question for you. If Cat Rider is Andray, would he be physically able to be King?”

“Yes.”

“What?”

“Here he is, a weak and lame boy who could have stayed at home with no recrimination for doing so, and yet, he is out adventuring despite his disabilities. That’s inspiring behavior, and I find his refusal to take the easier, softer path through life admirable.”

“I see. I guess I didn’t look past what was obvious on the surface.”

“There’s another thing you missed, nephew. Do you have any friends who would stab themselves through their palms just to warn others away from insulting you? Those three friends gave up the traditional forms of adventuring to allow Cat Rider to go adventuring despite his being lame and having a useless arm. What does that tell you about Cat Rider?”

“That he can inspire deep loyalty from highly competent people,” Willam replied.

“And that, Willam, is a kingly quality.”