"How does that feel, Cat Rider?" asked Beaver Tooth, an elf of indeterminable age. He had just finished adjusting the last buckle of five, three below the knee and two above. Then he stood up from his crouch, brushed off his leather work apron, and inspected the contraption, which was my own name for the thing. It got pulled onto the stump of Andray's left leg like a stocking and buckled into place. It looked like a thigh-tall boot. If it worked, then my boy would have a chance at walking without crutches. He might still need a cane, or maybe two, but I hoped to see an end to the crutches.

"It feels snug," Andray felt around his thigh where the contraption ended.

"Well, it's supposed to be snug so that's good," Beaver Tooth nodded. "Shall we give it a try, Sleeping Willow?"

The very tall elven healer, Sleeping Willow, stood up from her chair, "I suggest we stand on either side of him." As a healer, she had worked through the winter on ways to improve Cat Rider's mobility. She and the artificer Beaver Tooth had spent most of the time as the leaves fell and then the snow designing and building the contraption. Today was its debut.

"Cat Rider," Sleeping Willow stood on his left side, "do you think you can stand on your own?"

"I don't think so," his voice was doubtful. He was being negative again. It was a bad habit of his and it infuriated me. He was so used to being put into helpless situations that helplessness had become a habit of his. He needed to stop thinking about all the things he couldn't do and start looking at what he could do.

I got up and walked around the back of the stool he was sitting on and slipped my cold nose under the hem of his tunic, placing it on the skin of his back just above the top of his pants.

"Gaaaaah!" He shot up on his feet --- well, foot --- and he was standing. Beaver Tooth and Sleeping Willow grabbed his arms and helped him to balance.

"What did you do that for, Fuzzy?" he accused. I put my front paws on the stool, placed my chin on top of them, and purred contentedly.

"I think Fuzzy disagreed with you that you couldn't stand on your own," Sleeping Willow sounded amused. "I've noticed she's usually right about things like that. Shall we try taking some steps forward? You may need to slide the left foot forward until you get enough strength in your leg to pick it up."

The threesome made several passes of slowly walking back and forth in Sleeping Willow's healing chambers.

"Now," Sleeping Willow stopped, "try some steps on your own. We're right here to catch you, so don't worry about falling. We won't let you."

"Promise?" Cat Rider looked dubious.

"Trust me," she pinched his cheek. "I know you can do this. Start with little steps."

He stood there, just getting a feel of his balance. Then he slid his left leg forward a little way, shifted his weight, and stepped forward with his right foot. Then he froze before he started a repeat of the motion. He walked 12 steps on his own before he lost his balance and Beaver Tooth caught him and helped him back to the stool, which I had already vacated.

"How's it feel?" Beaver Tooth asked. "Pinching anywhere? Does the bottom of the stump hurt or feel bruised?"

"The strap under the knee is rubbing a bit," Cat Rider felt around his left knee.

"Is it bad enough that you want to take it off?"

"No, at least not yet."

"Let's check up on it in the morning then, say soon after breakfast? Can we meet here, Sleeping Willow?"

"Of course," she brought Cat Rider's crutches over. "Do you think you can get the false leg on by yourself in the morning, Cat Rider?"

My boy thought about it too long. The frown between his eyebrows was a crevice and he staring intently at the floor while he mulled it over. I strolled over, put my paw on his good knee, and nodded at him. He gave me an indignant look in return.

"Looks like Fuzzy says you can," Sleeping Willow laughed, "so I will take that as a yes. "

"Well then, I will see you both tomorrow morning," Beaver Tooth put on his cloak and hat, and waved as he let himself out. I reminded myself that I needed to bag a few more wolves so he could finish the wolf fur cloak he was making for his partner, the bowyer Little Deer. She was making a crossbow for my boy modified to account for his immobile left hand and wrist.

"How's the glass eye doing?" Sleeping Willow asked Cat Rider.

"I don't even notice it anymore," my boy answered with a grin. "Cloud Eye says he can make one that looks like the stars at night, and one that will cast a light like a lantern, and another that will have a perpetual flame in it. I think the one with a flame would look really creepy with my new half-mask." Sleeping Willow devoted a great deal of time when she first met Cat Rider clearing out the scar tissue around the empty eye socket and healing it so it would accept a glass eye.

"I've created a monster," Sleeping Willow made in mock despair. "Just give me some warning if you're going to save either of those to surprise Roaming Wren. I want to watch. Now, do you want to move to a chair or are you comfortable getting your magic lesson while sitting on that uncomfortable stool?"

"I'll take the chair," he concentrated, held onto the crutches for balance, and stood up. He had a wobbly moment getting his balance but finally stood up straight without swaying. He then slowly walked across the room to the armchair where he usually sat when Sleeping Willow taught him magic. He managed that without putting the crutches under his arms. He held them in his hands like walking sticks.

"You will hate me soon because I'm going to make you walk until you hurt," Sleeping Willow said as she picked up the stool and sat in front of him. "Once the snow melts, we will start building your arms up so you can pull a bow and cock your crossbow. How's the throwing knife practice going?"

"Uhg," he grimaced.

"That good, eh?" She gave him an appraising look. "Storm Eagle told me you're getting them all on the target now. That's a huge improvement compared to when you started."

"Uhg." He slumped and held his head.

She laughed at his reaction, "just remember, we start learning how to throw knives and spikes and throwing stars when we're children. Now quit moping and show me your spell of light."

Cat Rider held his hand in front of him and recited the spell in the old language. I repeated the words in my head with him out of habit. I had heard them so many times that I was beginning to pick up the sense of the old language. Maybe I should ask if I could get some books on the subject.

Light wrapped itself around his hand but then he looked at me, tapped Sleeping Willow on the knee, and pointed at me. She turned and looked at me. Then her jaw dropped.

"Drop your spell," she told Cat Rider. The light died around his hand. They both stared at me. I had no idea why.

"Fuzzy, did you know you're glowing with light?" she asked me.

What? I was what? I lifted my paw and looked at it. It was indeed glowing. So was my other paw. I turned and looked at my tail and it was glowing too.

"Fuzzy, did you recite the words of the spell to yourself when Cat Rider cast his?" She studied me with an unwavering stare. I nodded.

"You must know the word to end the spell. Say it to yourself now."

Geneg, I said in my head. The glow vanished.

Sleeping Willow sat up straight, "Fascinating. Do you want to learn magic, Fuzzy? It looks like you have a talent for it. You might be able to do the spell of mind talking if you practice enough. Now wouldn't that be something?"

When I recovered from my amazement, I nodded yes.

Cat Rider didn't get a magic lesson. Sleeping Willow spent the rest of the afternoon running through all the spells she had taught my boy to see how many I could do. I could do all of them, though I needed coaching to light a candle, and I could only levitate small objects like coins. I couldn't levitate anything as heavy as a book like my boy could. Cat Rider looked put out that I could do all the spells he had so painfully learned over half a year.

"Oh, quit pouting, envy puss," Sleeping Willow flicked her finger on his forehead, the side not covered with the half-mask. "She's been learning all the same spells as you during your lessons. I'm not too surprised that she cast spells. After all, you and I are just plain mortals while she was born a magical creature. And now I think it's time to head home for dinner."