Lightning flashed and thunder rumbled. Sleeping cats littered the straw filled barn floor. Only one cat was awake. Her green eyes flashed and reflected the lightning as it lit up the sky in forks of concentrated light. She was watching a shadow that was climbing through the slightly open window.

She ducked down in the straw and closed her eyes slightly so they wouldn't glint to alert the intruder. The shadow scrambled up on the windowsill and stood up just as another fork of lightning split through the sky.

The strange cat stood silhouetted on the windowsill, its hackles raised and fur standing up on end. The hiding kitten in the straw cowered. She flinched, once, twice. This stranger had danger written all over it.

The intruder leaped down from the sill and shook itself. Water droplets sprayed everywhere. The sleeping cats didn't seem to mind, but one droplet landed on the terrified cat's nose. She flinched again.

The stranger looked up from sniffing a sleeping cat and growled, "Come out and show yourself, kitten." The poor kitten backed deeper in the straw, legs stiff in horror. "I said, show yourself!" The lightning flashed in harmony with the stranger's words.

Quivering with fear, the kitten slowly, warily, dragged itself out of the straw and sat there, shivering. The stranger took a step forward, and more lightning flashed, briefly giving the kitten a chance to see its green eyes and silver fur. The stranger's face was etched with scars, some deep and as healed as they would ever be, and some fresh, as if the cat had fought not too long ago.

It was a very old cat that had gone through many seasons of hunger, war, and pain. Its muzzle, paws, chest and tail tip gleamed white in the light that the lightning brought to the sky. She could also tell it was a she-cat, by the look of her and the sound of her raspy voice.

She lowered her hackles and started to clean her paw, callused after many seasons of traveling.

"So," the stranger said slowly between licks, "What's your name?"

The kitten, who had been watching with horrorific wonder at the stranger's quickly changing moods, jumped in surprise.

"I-I don't have a name..." her voice trailed off as she saw the stranger stop in mid-lick to stare at the nameless kitten with interest.

"Well, then. I'll just introduce myself, and then we'll fix that. My name is Truss. Truss the Traveler. You can just call me Truss. I was named for the way I always seemed to bind other cats and creatures. Paralyze, rather. You know, petrify? Ha, that makes me think of that one time I ran into a badger-oh what am I talking about? I'm sorry, please forgive me. I tend to tell stories of my life, too. See? I do it so much I start doing it in front of a complete stranger that doesn't even have a name yet! What do you think of that, young 'un?"

The kitten just stared.

Truss sighed. "Well. Are you mute or what? Speak up; my ears aren't what they used to be!"

The kitten mewed, "I would like a name, please."

Truss nodded. "Of course 'ya do, young 'un. Lemme see here...hmmm...light brown fur...white paws...ha, there. Blue eyes."

The kitten blinked.

Truss continued, "I once met a cat that looked just like you. Fur, eyes, everything. 'Specially the eyes. Her name was Fogeyes. Good ol' warrior queen if 'ya had ever seen one. But that was back when I lived in the Clans. That was when I was younger...anyways, fact is, you look just like 'er. So I'll name you Mist. Mist'll be your name from now on young 'un. That is, until you...er, or rather if you...oh, never mind that. Well, congrats about the name. Er...would you let me stay here for the night? I don't really care for sleeping in the rain."

Mist nodded happily. She had a name! "Stay here as long as you like," she mewed. "Cats are always welcome here."

Truss stiffened. "Oh, no. I mean only to stay here until dawn. I have to travel, you know. It's my life. Always has been. Always will be."