The elf's name was Roaming Wren. She slept in the cave with us and then we left before dawn. She led us west along the base of the escarpment until noon. Roaming Wren and Andray ate but I did not. I did not have the time to hunt. I hoped the elves could spare me a haunch of venison or some other substantial meat.

When we finished our break, Roaming Wren instructed the chatterbox on my back to keep quiet. We turned south and scrambled down a steep slope into a ravine. She stopped along the vertical basalt ravine wall, held up her hand, and chanted something in the old language. I felt a vibration through my paws and then a slab in the wall slid back.

We squeezed through and the slab slid back into place. Now it was completely dark, even by my standards.

"Licht," Roaming Wren stated. The corridor was filled with light.

"Wow!" Andray looked around in wonder. "Magic is so cool."

"Andray," Roaming Wren sounded a little smug, "this is nothing."

"I beg to differ, friend," Andray reached out to touch the glowing wall, "for one who has no magic and lives in a kingdom with few mages, every bit of magic is wondrous."

There was enough awe in his voice that she stopped and turned around to look at him. "That was a thoughtless remark on my part. Please accept my apologies for my rudeness."

There was an awkward silence. Andray was at a loss for words. Finally, he said, "I was not insulted. Please think nothing of it. I have already forgotten about it, Roaming Wren." He smiled, "where does this tunnel go?"

"To the plateau at the top of the escarpment," Roaming Wren found her conversational voice again. "When we get there, we will go straight to the bathhouse. None of us smell very good right now and it would be an insult to meet the King smelling like a latrine. That goes for you too, miss fuzzy stinky butt. You may be a divine beast but you still stink."

My ears flattened and I hissed a little. I did not like water, not at all. Water was the enemy. The only use for water was drinking. I did not do baths. Too bad I couldn't tell her that.

"Civilized and cultured cougars do not have smelly posteriors," she insisted. "When we're cleaned up, I will present you to the King. Humans are seldom seen in the High Forest and some elves are hostile because of all the past wars. You need to look and smell good when you meet the King. Our custom of hospitality will grant you at least a season of food and shelter, but if you want to stay, it will need to be approved by all the tribal chiefs. Just let me do all the talking and everything will be fine."

It took a while to get to the top of the passage where there was another magic door. The bathhouse at the top of the passage was huge. Elves must like being clean. While we were there, Roaming Wren ambushed me from behind with a bucket of soapy water aimed at my nether regions. Then all the elf girls at the bathhouse jumped me and rolled me over so Roaming Wren could do a thorough scrubbing. I didn't dare fight back, because I would hurt someone if I did.

There was more water dumped on me to rinse me off. When they released me, I sprinted for safety. Two elven girls followed me with warm towels to rub me dry. That part wasn't so bad.

I put my paw down over the big red bow they wanted to put around my neck. Bows are a stupid dog thing. My dignity would be offended if I let them put a big red bow on me.

When I was dry, a man from the boys' side of the bathhouse appeared and walked up to me. He bowed, "my lady, your young man will be out in just a minute. Would you mind if I put this on your back to keep his clothes clean?" It looked like a white saddle blanket. I nodded my agreement. Another man came out carrying Andray in his arms. Poor Andray was bright red with embarrassment. Then the Prince was placed on my back.

Andray looked great. Someone had replaced his foul clothing with form-fitting hosen and a deep blue elven-style tunic. Someone had cleaned up his half-mask. There was even a new white deerskin glove covering his left hand. These folks really paid attention to detail.

With perfect timing, Roaming Wren joined us. I almost didn't recognize her. She was stunning in a light blue gown over a white chemise and flowers in her hair.

"I just sent a message that we are on our way," she explained. "Remember, let me do the talking. You should only speak if either the King or the Truthsayer asks you a direct question." She then led us through well-kept groves of trees of all varieties, including some I had never seen before. Our route took us to a magnificent longhouse which we entered. A tall elf woman in a dark green robe and a staff of office stopped us on the threshold.

"You, young lady, are back early," she smiled at Roaming Wren. "Might I inquire who you are, young man?" she studied Andray and me. "No, wait, don't answer me quite yet. I think it might be best if you waited in the retiring chamber. Come, follow me." She led us to a side chamber filled with comfortable chairs for humans and sofas that would accommodate even me. Then she said she'd be right back and vanished.

Roaming Wren helped Andray off of me and onto a sofa. I jumped up alongside him and rested my chin on my thigh. He got my hint and started to scratch the sweet spots behind the ears. I couldn't help but purr a little.

"Fuzzy, are you sure you aren't a house cat in a cougar suit?" Roaming Wren laughed. It startled me because it was the first time I had seen her laugh.

The door opened and a couple in magnificent robes of white and gold entered. The elf lady in the dark green robe followed and closed the door behind her. Roaming Wren started to get up and the man waved her back down, "stay seated, Wren."

The elf lady set up two armchairs facing the sofa and the couple sat down. I was sure they were the King and his Queen. But why the diversion to a side room?

"Well, Wren," the King began, "when I told you to investigate the disappearance of the Crown Prince of Nordweg, this was not an outcome I foresaw." He turned to Andray, "Prince, are you requesting asylum?"

"Sir, when Roaming Wren offered me a place to shelter, I jumped on the chance. There is nowhere in Nordweg I can go. What happened this summer was the second attempt on my life. To stay in Nordweg is a death sentence. If you can not grant me asylum, then please grant me a safe passage to some other human land."

"Well spoken," said the woman sitting next to the King. "And what about you, divine beast? Will you follow Andray or do you wish to return to Nordweg?

The alphabet board was absent so I had to make do. In answer, I crawled my way onto Andray's lap though it wasn't big enough for all of me.

The woman laughed, "I guess this means you want to stay with Andray?"

I nodded yes.

"Our custom of hospitality dictates that we will shelter you, Prince, until we can consult with the seven chiefs. Because you are human royalty, there are political consequences to granting you asylum. So I will grant you the boon of shelter until the spring equinox. The usual term should be no longer than a season, but that put us in the middle of winter. I will not send a boy who can not walk on his own to travel at that time of year," the King pronounced. "Who will witness?"

"As your first advisor, I, Red Hawk, will witness this pronouncement," said the lady in the dark green robe.

"As your truthsayer, I, Deer Foot, will witness this pronouncement," the other woman added.

"Excuse me, father," Roaming Wren interrupted, "but why did you send us to a side room? I thought all introductions of foreigners had to be done publicly."

"There is an envoy from King Stephano's court here," the King said. "Red Hawk realized that the Prince should stay out of sight until the envoy leaves."

"Perhaps we should give Prince Andray an elven name to use," suggested Deer Foot, "and not reveal his parentage while he is here."

"Good thought," the King concurred. "He can simply be an orphan that Wren found and brought in. Having a divine beast as a companion is all the recommendation he needs since it shows he has the favor of the gods. Any name suggestions, anyone?"

"Rabbit thief," Roaming Wren.

"Oh ho! Did someone swipe a rabbit from one of your traps?" the King suddenly smiled to tease Roaming Wren.

"That thing did," she pointed at me, "and gave it to him," she pointed at Andray.

The three older elves shared a good laugh. She just glared at them with a look that was the apex of offended adolescent dignity.

"I think Cat Rider would work," Red Hawk regained her composure. "Now what about the divine beast?"

"Stinky Butt," Roaming Wren pronounced.

"No, daughter," Deer Foot shook her head. "We can not call a divine beast stinky butt."

"Her name is Fuzzy," Andray stated. "I've been calling her that for months now."

So despite my desire for a more dignified name, I remained Fuzzy. So much for preserving my bruised dignity.