Prologue
Two small cats wandered the dark forest by night. One, an orange tabby, groaned in pain. The second cat, a white one who was pink behind the ears, looked at her. His eyes were heavy with sleep, but he had to go on. His wife was two months pregnant and almost ready to deliver. She could not go much farther.
“I’m sorry, Dora,” said Fergus. “I should have taken you home. But it is so far away now. Take our kittens to the land of Men. Cats are beloved by humans, and they will probably treat you well.”
“Don’t talk like that,” Dora urged. “We’re both getting out of here alive.”
“You know what they want.” Fergus looked back. The sound of hooves was approaching. “They want revenge on me. They want our kittens. You know they have my blood blended with yours. I told you what that means.”
Dora nodded.
“Go,” said Fergus. “I will hold them off and slay them if I can. Remember, the land of Men. I promise I will come back for you if I can. I fought in the Great War and earned infamy among Bogles. I shall do so “again. Yet if I do not come back, promise me one thing—if… if any of our kitten show signs of being different, don’t let it become known.” He choked, holding back tears. “The Bogles have many spies. If they believe they can use our children or their blood, know that they will stop at nothing to take them. They seek vengeance on my kind.”
Dora looked into his eyes. Fergus could see that hers were wet with tears, but she said nothing. Fergus choked, searching for some last words of farewell.
“I love you,” he said at length.
“I love you too,” said Dora.
“Now go,” he commanded.
Dora hurried into the thicket. They’d been chased for a month, and Fergus had to put an end to it. He turned toward the sound of the hooves. He took a deep breath and grew to the size of a tiger. He took another deep breath and roared like a lion. Only one thing was on his mind: Protect Dora and our kittens.
Fergus bounded toward the hooves. Into view came fourteen men in hooded black cloaks. They halted. The one in front of him dismounted and tore off his hood. Fergus would have recognized that face any day. He was bald, his skin as white as death, and he wore an eye patch. Fergus had torn out his eye long ago.
“Hail, Fergus MacBrian,” said the man.
“Hail, Balor of the One Eye,” said Fergus. “How does the eye patch suit you?”
“I wear it as a badge of honor,” said Balor. “You shall tell me now, where is the cat?”
“You mean, where is my wife?” said Fergus.
Balor scoffed. “Your wife! Men build these great ships to sail to other shores, and they build great kingdoms to conquer the world, and Dwarves make great mines and produce great masses of wealth in silver, gold, and gems, and even compared to them, you are a god. Yet you leave your family and marry a cat?”
“You seek power and greatness,” said Fergus, “but as for me, I have a love for my wife that you will never understand.”
Balor sighed. “Then I suppose you shall not be willing to tell me where she is at this moment.”
“Nay, Balor. I love her and our kittens more than my own life.”
Balor drew his sword. “Those are strong words. Let us put them to the test. Attack!”
The other thirteen Bogles rode toward him. One swung his sword at Fergus’s face. Fergus raised his paw, blocked the sword, and drove his claws into the Bogle’s chest. The Bogle fell to the ground. A second one rode on his horse to Fergus’s side and thrust a sword at him. Fergus dodged, bit into the Bogle’s body, shook him, and dropped him onto the forest floor.
Fergus growled and leaped twice his height into the air and above all the Bogles. After turning in the air, he landed on the oth- er side of the crowd and faced them. Balor ran toward him, sword in hand. Fergus raised his paw to block the sword. Balor pressed it into Fergus’s palm, and blood spilled out. Fergus cried out and leaped backward. A Bogle rode to each side of him as if to strike. Fergus turned toward the rider on his right, seized the horse’s head in his mouth, swung his hind legs at the second Bogle, and tore him to the ground. Fergus recovered and turned to see Balor and one other Bogle running on foot toward him. Fergus growled and swung his paw at Balor, but Balor was too quick. The Bogle ducked under Fergus’s arm and drove his sword into the cat’s shoulder.
Pain resonated through Fergus’s arm. He was weary and didn’t know if he could keep fighting much longer, but that didn’t matter. If Dora and their kittens were safe, all was well.
Fergus prepared to bite Balor. Balor slid to Fergus’s side and thrust his sword into him. Fergus clenched his teeth, knowing he could not take the pain much longer.
Another Bogle galloped toward him. Fergus turned to swing his paw at him and knocked the Bogle down. Balor drove his blade into him again, closer to his heart. Fergus collapsed on the ground. His heart pounded quickly, and blood spurted out of his wounds with every beat. Fergus’s breath quickened.
Balor backed up a few paces out of Fergus’s reach. “You have done well, MacBrian. Still, you are slower than you once were. I re- member when you slew thirty Bogles standing on the bridge. Well, my eye is avenged. Tell me, where is the cat?”
“Never,” Fergus muttered, as the whole world faded into darkness.
“Then I shall find her on my own.”
