They waited an agonizing five seconds for River to move past the alleyway entrance. The wait stretched out to what felt like days.

It definitely wasn’t the cat's meow.

Freya held her breath.

It wasn’t until River circled the stables to their right completely that Sela dropped his ready stance. Once he relaxed, she relaxed. The pair moved back through the alleyway and rejoined River on the rear of the stables.

The scent of roaches in the stables was heavy in the air as they withdrew.

Once they were certain they were out, they stopped to inspect their rucksacks.

"Did you find out anything important?" Sela asked.

"Everything," River said, and then she filled them in with the details.

On the road as they approached, carriages began to pass them.

"They’re all heading towards that manor. I really wish I could fly up without alerting every cat in the area."

"So we're doing this then?" Sela said, "Storming the warlords keep?"

"This is a social call, not an assault. If there is to be some action, the regiment will do that."

"If we get separated?" Sela asked as he looked back at Freya.

She hadn’t joined the conversation, but when he looked she tried to smile.

"Frey can find her chickens. You and I can find a way back through Marwei or the furrows. Freya, do not go through the burrow unless you are in danger of dying."

"Yes, druid."

"I mean it. The amount of red mist as a novice…"

She didn't have to explain further. Freya gulped. There had been enough stories of druids who had burned through their bellies as they spent all of their red mist. She would not be one of those.

"I will not throw away my chance, druid."

Freya's sudden resolve garnered her the glare of approval. She kept it like a warm blanket as they approached the outside of the large field they had been in. It felt needed in the cool breeze.

A different pair of guards lazily watched the passers-by. They only barely acknowledged the trio.

"Almost time for you to go make your clams, consultant?" River said once the large manor popped into view.

"It's time. May I have some help?"

"The only luck I can give you is within the bond."

Sela smiled.

"If there are beasts about, then you’re the point otter. Besides I don’t think that there will be much of a threat ahead.”

***

Ahead of them a clutch of lady cats watched. They didn't catcall as visitors appeared in the receiving line, though Freya expected that they should. An elder female cat, clearly a chaperone, watched her charges.

Freya wondered if the cats were as skittish as she was on her first time. She could hear the words now.

“Arrive early, and watch as the lords and ladies arrive, each will be announced and in turn, they will all walk down the steps to the great hall,” Lady Raina had said, “You will learn a lot about how they carry themselves just by observation. Better to observe before you strike, than to arrive late and have to pick someone out of the crowd already assembled.”

Freya posted herself next to River. The pair were as thick as thieves. The simple manor shone as the light from the sconces danced.

It appeared that Warchief Alexa loved winter whites as well as oranges. Freya had arrived with a brown traveler's cloak to a dance, and though she wasn't there to socialize she wished that she could be a bit more fashionable.

Freya missed Holly and Abigail’s silver and red mixed dresses.

Both had been more than acceptable. In a long line of debutantes, they stood out.

The clutch of cats that passed her and River in the receiving line all looked happy to be there. She remembered her trepidation at meeting the queen and how it felt.

The difference between that fear and what she felt against the Wyvern was vast. It didn't ruffle her fur at all to be next to these cats.

At the top of the receiving line Freya could see a cat that if not the most powerful around, flaunted the most power. The regal appearance of what could only be warchief Alexa dominated the long line of supplicants.

Freya immediately realized that she shared a fur pattern with the war chief.

Alexa, a calico cat, wore a distressingly gorgeous white and orange ball gown, replete with war medals on her breast. Next to her, an advisor all in black spoke in to her ear before the War Chief received each person in the line.

“The war chief holds a ball in the middle of a war zone,” a voice behind Freya said, “How droll.”

Ahead of her, Alexa nodded to some unheard comment as River moved closer.

Freya turned to see a cat standing tall next to her in what looked like house garb. The small pin on his chest gave it away. His orange fur was clean and trimmed, giving an appearance of someone unaccustomed to being outdoors.

“Ranger Little Knife.”

“Ranger Jacques.”

The two eyed each other.

“You’ve traveled far. I wouldn’t have dressed up for this but my druid, he wanted to keep up appearances.”

“Mine forced this upon me,” Freya said, hoping that her little white lie read as the truth.

The thought of a panic attack, this close to a bonded ranger gave her pause. Somehow this cat was implicitly involved in whatever was going on, and she doubted that it reflected well upon itself.

Freya remembered to move with grace. All it took was for her to follow Ranger Jacques up through the servants entrance of the manor.

“The badger that owned this place gladly leased it to Alexa,” Jacques said, clearly wanting her to follow.

She wondered what his game was. Surely the Ranger to what had to be a cat druid would know what was going on. Unless the druids kept their rangers completely in the dark?

Someone held out a platter of mugs and Freya sniffed, then accepted it. It would be turned into more red mist, just like every meal had. The fact that she burned everything she ate didn’t bother her, so long as it was delicious.

“This is the better badger brew,” Jacques said.

“Quite. Its taste is exceptional,” Freya replied.

“Does anyone here catch your eye? Or are you one of those that marries her druid?”

They had remained watching from the servants entrance.

Freya returned his look with incredulity. Did he really ask that? She lowered her assessment of his abilities a great deal. That was when she saw the line of suitors.