The Vogeltal was considered the most beautiful valley in the Kingdom of Nordweg. It was 15 leagues wide at its southern end. As one traveled north, the elevation of the valley floor rose and the two mountain chains to either side approached each other – the Zuggalpen on the right and the Vogeltauern on the left. Blessed with more precipitation than the rest of the kingdom, the valley hosted stands of timber, fields of spelt, and dairy farms. The area was best known for its cheeses and kuchen.

The Vogelpass was where the two mountain chains came together. Once over the pass, the South Trade Road from Zanklandt and Zimlakuliku dropped into the breadbasket of Vorvall, where most of the kingdom’s small grains were produced. Once in the Vorvall, the South Trade Road intersected the eastern end of Perguy Road to Gorguruk. It then continued north to the ford over the Green River into Osterius.

Because Zugg on the east side of the Zuggalpen was a land of boulder-strewn forests and impassable bogs, all north-south trade into the four northern kingdoms went through the Vogelpass. The road over the pass was guarded by the fortress of the Vogelberg. Nordweg collected a modest toll from each foreign merchant who crossed the pass.

Nordweg’s control over the north-south trade route was the motivation for Osterius to drain the Gan swamp. Osterius planned to build its own trade road on the east side of the Green River. That venture had not made much progress. The soils of a drained swamp are still swamp soils, which are inadequate to support the weight of freight wagons.

Osterius did not have the capital or expertise to build a ballasted highway over 60 leagues of a former swamp. Now Osterius was about to learn that draining the Gan swamp made it easy for Zimlakuliku to invade from the southeast.

It did not escape my notice that Dukes Valgard and Sven grinned like highway robbers after a heist every time Cat mentioned the 5,000 Zimlakan cavalry riders coming up the Green River to feint into Gan.

We landed in the inner courtyard on the palace side of the fortress complex. Waiting as we landed were the Viscountess Alianora and her husband, Lord Estevan Zill, younger son of the Count de Zill and the grandson of the now-deceased Count de Vogeltal, who died without heirs. The red-haired Viscountess was short and round, full of energy and talk. She had three red-haired boys and two red-haired girls to make life interesting. Her children, who also came out to greet us, were happy bundles of too much energy and far too many pranks.

The oldest boy Johan, who was 14, made the mistake of thinking my boy could join in with their antics and roughhousing the way Willam did. Willam and Johan obviously knew each other well and their greeting was more like a tussle than an embrace. Though after Johan unbalanced Cat and Cat fell, badly, I’m afraid I lost my temper just a little bit. I wasn’t going to hurt Johan. I just wanted to make a point. All I did was trip him so he landed on his butt, and then I pushed him down on his back with my front paws.

Growling like he was going to be my next dinner selection might have been overkill because Lord Estevan got upset and pulled his dagger and jumped at me. I might have gotten stabbed if not for Father Garshom, who levitated Estevan in mid-jump. Garshom disarmed Estevan and left him floating. Then he put his foot on my tail and applied just enough pressure to get my attention.

"Lady Fuzzy, let the poor lad up," he knelt and scratched between my ears. "It was just honest horseplay between boys. He didn't mean any harm. Johan probably didn't realize Prince Andray was missing a foot. I don't think he had ever met Prince before now."

* But he hurt my boy! * I heard both the Viscountess and Lord Estevan gasp, probably because they hadn’t heard me mind talk yet. * I was just making the point that one must take care not to hurt my boy. I just wanted to scare him a little. He won’t forget now that one must be careful with Andray. *

“Don’t you put your ears down at me, young lady,” Garshom gave me one of his looks. He leaned over, wrapped his arms around my back and under my front legs, and lifted me off of Johan. “You should apologize for scaring Johan and his father,” he glanced at the Viscountess, “and his mother too.”

* It’s my job to protect him,” I grumped. “I’m not sorry about that. He’s my geas. I wasn’t going to hurt the kid. I was just warning him. *

“Fuzzy,” Garshom went all authoritarian on me, “you need...”

“It’s alright, Your Eminence,” the Viscountess walked over and addressed Garhom as if he was still a senior bishop. “It’s just a misunderstanding. Spirit beasts are so rare that I never expected to have one in my home.” She leaned over to look at me closely, “what beautiful eyes. I’m Viscountess Alianora de Teep and that boy you tripped is my oldest idiot offspring, Johan, who doubtless will never repeat this mistake." She smiled knowingly, "after all, he should have properly introduced himself first, and then started roughhousing." She winked at me.

She was being kind which made me feel bad. * I’m sorry, I guess I got a little carried away. It’s just that… *

“Hush,” she put her finger over my mouth. “We understand your priority is the Crown Prince. Let’s just put this behind us and finish all our introductions, assuming Bishop de Welk will withdraw his spell on my darling husband.” She smiled sweetly at Garshom.

“My lady Viscountess, consider it done; but please, I’m not a bishop anymore. I’m just simple Father Garshom.”

"Oh, poppycock," she gave him a look of motherly admonishment. "You'll be at your former See of Tammerhof or Arch Bishop in under two months if I've gauged the purpose of this visit correctly. Shall we finish the unfinished introductions now?”

“Well, Alianora, we should wait,” Duchess Dora was kneeling next to Cat, who was still on the ground but sitting up holding his left arm protectively. “I want this young man inside where we can get the houppelande and doublet off him. I need to set the broken bone and then heal it before we do anything else.”

Johan leapt to his feet and ran over to Andray. He dropped to his knees, “it’s broken? I’m such a dunderhead. I’m so sorry, your Royal Highness!” He looked like he was ready to cry.

“Lord Johan,” Cat pulled out the crowd-winning smile, “you didn’t know my left leg was fake. You may have pushed me over but you had no intent to hurt anyone. It was an accident. I’m not upset. Well, it hurts a bit, but there was no real harm done. Alright?”

“But...but...but...”

"I see," Cat knitted his brows together and suppressed the grin. "Lady Fuzzy, I think Lord Johan needs to be acquainted with the punishment of tongues before he goes apologizing for the rest of the day."

* The punishment of...? * I had to think for a moment. * Ah! The punishment of tongues! * I strolled over next to the kneeling Johan. * I hope you are prepared, young man, for this is what the prince had ordered. *

“What’s the punishment of...”

I didn't let him finish his question before I applied my wet tongue to Johan's face.

“Eww!” Johan displayed his comprehension appropriately. Since he did, I gave him an encore.