No miracle happened. The damned mouse in hoody had appeared in his dream again. With her thrice-cursed sword with a word on it that was not to be said in a nice company. Cluny sat on his bed and cursed all mice separately and together. He didn't get better. His mood could not be worse. Sleepy and angry he left his tent mumbling threats to the imagined mouse.

From far away he heard ratty's lively voice, that wafted all over the meadow. Cluny saw the ratty standing over a huge steaming boiler and stirring the broth with a ladle. Rats free from work were crowding around her and listening to her attentively. Cluny was really angry because of it, though he didn't know the reason. Probably because he had not been able to sleep well because of this nasty skinny mouse in hoody.

"If only I knew that you are the warriors of the famous Cluny, " the ratty continued her started phrase, "I wouldn't be so nasty. I'm ready to kiss your paws for your bringing me to him! That's a slice of good luck! What a score! Thanks a bunch!" She gave a broad grin as if she'd just kicked her mortal enemy. Suddenly her lips started to shake and her eyes started to shine with the coming tears. "Damn it! Cluny heard me cursing! What would he think about me? Everybody started to console her, and the ratty cheered up again. She started to stir the boiler contents even more violently."

"But he has released me! Guys, imagine, he has let me tidy up his tent! Can you imagine – entering Cluny the Scourge's tent! I could little dream about it…"

Cluny heard enough. Sweet talk and run around again. Surely he didn't wait the ratty to scold and curse him while she was imprisoned by him. Everybody wanted to live. Cluny entered the tent and prepared a surprise for the ratty. He had drawn a plan of attack on the fortress and tucked it under the pillow so that its' corner stuck out a bit. An old trick that still worked out so many times! Just as many times as Cluny did it. He smirked and walked around the tent to spend enough time for the rats to have breakfast. After leaving the tent he kicked almost all of the rats out to the forest to build siege towers and huge crossbows so that the camp got almost empty. He sent off the majority of guards to hunt, and didn't wake up the rest, he would get profit from their today's sleep. It was time to have fun! Cluny came up to the ratty who was washing the boiler. With a most serene look he commanded:

"Tidy up my tent, while I'm out!"

"With pleasure!" The ratty smiled and ran to the tent. Cluny pretended to have left the camp going round, and quickly approached the tent. There were high bushes on the backside of the tent, and there were a special hole for spying that Cluny closed with a thorn when he didn't need it. Cluny looked in the hole. The ratty was signing and sweeping the earthen floor in the tent with a broom made of tied branches. She was spinning round the room, her every move showed her joy as if there were nothing more pleasant in the world than sweeping the floor. She was smiling, her pointed snout radiated her good mood. The ratty seemed to give Cluny her smile so that he also smirked. The sweeping was finished, now the ratty started to tidy up the table piled up with papers. She stacked the scrolls quickly and carefully, casting no look at them to Cluny's surprise. Wasn't she curious at all? Looking at the food left for Cluny the ratty wrinkled her nose ridiculously.

"Is it really food for Cluny? Will he allow me to cook lunch for him, I wonder. I'd make something special!"

Could she play the hypocrite with herself? If not, it was really strange… Cluny kept on spying. The ratty hung Cluny's coat and started to make the bed. There she noticed a sticking edge of the plan. Cluny knew what was going to happen. The ratty saw that the camp was empty except for sleeping guards. A perfect chance to disappear with the plan that would come into a snag of money from desperate defenders. Cluny smirked. Here we go.

"How can you hide important papers under pillow?" Shaking her head the marveled ratty stuffed the plan under the pillow so that it wouldn't stick out. She didn't read the plan that was under the pillow just like the papers on the table.

Keeping on singing the ratty looked around the tent, set right the blanket and came out. Cluny went round the tent, came in and took a good sip of his barley-broth. He would never believe this unless he had seen it himself with his only eye. Let him never kill his single enemy, it was damn interesting! What a strange creature. But Cluny had more tests for the ratty.

The ratty's pointed snout appeared in the doorway.

"May I come in? I noticed you've arrived."

"Speak up."

The ratty came into the tent and stopped before Cluny, she was considerably nervous but it was quite clear – she was talking to Cluny the Scourge. Pressing her paws against her breast with a stupid text "I love Cluny" the ratty started to talk:

" I… I've come to… to say sorry."

"Hell, for what?"

"For my yesterday night trick. I'm… really sorry. I…" the ratty inhaled more air. "I misunderstood you…"

"Hell with that, forget it!" Cluny wrinkled remembering the yesterday's scene. For some reason he didn't want to discuss her behavior. A foolish idea occurred to Cluny, may be because he liked it? Smirking at this foolishness Cluny wanted to send the ratty away when she started over again:

"Thank you! I wanted to suggest you… well… " the ratty started to stumble again which drove Cluny nuts.

"What else? Say it quickly and get out of here!" Cluny washed down all his anger with barley-broth.

The ratty worked up the courage and shot out:

"I heard you wanted to learn playing chess. So, for me it would be a great privilege if you let me show how to play."

The ratty jerked up her chin looking upwards at Cluny with her shiny eyes.

Cluny burst out laughing. A small vixen! It was getting interesting with her, and Cluny got his trophy-chess from the trunk.

" So, show it! We play?

The ratty brightened.

- Absolutely!"

Cluny felt that he was not alone playing the game where other animals were just action figures. The ratty also conceived something. But Cluny the Scourge always won. Always, everywhere and at everything!

Cluny quickly grasped how to play chess. When they started to play Cluny didn't doubt that he would outgame anyone quickly. But the ratty was a good player; she moved her pieces crafty and wisely, made traps for Cluny's pieces. Every time taking a Cluny's piece off the chessboard she rejoiced like a child clapping her paws. Her passion and joy went viral on Cluny, and he also started to yell, knocking her pieces down. Giving all his mind to mate the ratty's king Cluny smirked:

"Surrender, baby, you get mate!"

"Nothing of the kind!"

"It's mate, damn it!"

"It's not!"

Cluny stretched out to take her king off the board, but at the same time she stretched her paw not to let him to. Both grasped the piece, their paws touched and eyes met. Something happened, something more than a touch, Cluny felt something new, it was much better than drown enemies in their own blood. For sure killing thousands of enemies wouldn't bring about the same feeling. It was damn strange… The ratty interrupted the hanging silence:

" It's mate!"

…The maneuvers turned out to be a failure. Likely because Cluny could not completely focus on commands as his thoughts were occupied by the ratty. The damned ratty was smiling, winking, putting chess pieces on the board, sweeping the floor. Cluny couldn't think of anything else. Why hadn't she stolen the plan finally? A strange and ridiculous creature.

"Have you said something, master?"

Suddenly Cluny realized that it was a long time since he had murmured something in front of his whole army as a crazy idiot. Damn it! Cursing Cluny gave orders to Redtooth to replace him, and he himself would walk along the fortress wall to look if somebody from the siege had shown. It was hot as in hell, and Cluny didn't wear his armor. Wrapping himself up in his coat he quickly headed to the wall defending the fortress.

Silence hung in the hot air, even insects were not buzzing. The besieged fortress that ventured to have challenged Cluny the Scourge also kept gloomy silence. Everything seemed all right, and Cluny had already turned back when suddenly the bushes moved slightly, and wooden dart pierced Cluny's paw. Yelling out plenty of curses Cluny removed the dart from the wound and cast it back to the bushes hoping to stab the shooter. Cluny was followed by arrows and darts while cursing anything and everything he was running back to his camp. Yelling and shrieking the rats were scattering every which way.

"You idiots! Siege, damn you all! All forest is filled with these damn shooters! I will teach you, bastards, how to make war even if you won't stand my lessons! Everyone's out in the forest for security sweep, and if a single scoundrel in the forest stays alive you'll know Cluny the Scourge in anger!"

Cluny screwed up his face rubbing his wounded paw, leaving red track behind. Damned shooters! Cluny just began cursing the shooter himself and his family when ratty's voice interrupted him:

"Oh, you're wounded!"

Cluny spit at her side.

"Yeah, babe, you're so watchful!"

Dodging the spit the ratty took Cluny by the healthy paw.

" I will bind you up! Come quickly!"

Noticing how threatened the ratty was to see the blood Cluny burst out roaring.

"Don't you think this scratch will kill me? I'm not a civilian!"

The ratty answered nothing. Having frowned she almost dragged Cluny to his tent.

Sipping his barley-broth Cluny cast a look at the ratty who was nursing him. She was carefully cleaning the wound.

" Does it hurt?"

Suddenly Cluny thought that only this ratty meant him well in his life truly and sincerely. Not because of fear, not hoping to get an ample award, not wishing to get promoted. She just wanted to help him. Not answering her question Cluny asked her:

"Tell me, sweetheart, what is love? You're always saying "love", "I love…" I think it's as stupid as honor, dignity and other stuff like this."

The ratty stopped and wide opened her eyes:

" How can you say things like this? To say this is to deprive yourself of a glorious feeling. It is to close the door to a beautiful and wonderful world yourself. Shall I tell you what love is? But this is what thousands of poets and writers work at, and they can't describe it. I will tell you what it means to me. Each day plays out in bright fresh colors, every days seems like a festival. You feel like you walk in the clouds, and the sun gently kisses your cheeks. Something wonderful settles down in your soul, and even one moment with your sweetheart gives you strengths and joy. You laugh, and you can do anything. A weak who has fallen in love becomes strong, a coward - brave, a stingy - generous, an evil – good. Love provides us most uplifting experience. You seem to wake up after a long sleep, open your eyes and see the beautiful world around. And it is likely to be so good if you find out that your feeling is mutual! – The ratty began talking in a low voice, gradually her voice became louder, and she almost cried out the last words. She seemed to see what Cluny didn't see or could not see, as if she were in a different world, in a fairy tale."

"And what if the feeling is not mutual?"

"Then you should take a grip on yourself and wish happiness to your sweetheart. Even unanswered love is a priceless gift from our fate. If I had a choice not being in love or to have unanswered love I would choose the second. Because I am happy when I love. I believe you will find one whom you'll love and who will love you back." The ratty lowered her head fixing the bandage, though Cluny had a chance to notice tears shining in her eyes. "I wish you happiness. Get well soon." The ratty got up easily and left the tent.

Cluny followed her with his eyes. What a speech, damn it! Should he have fixed it?! He yawned and went to bed. He could still hear her words in his head. "I wish you happiness!" He was already happy! Who had the most powerful army? Cluny the Scourge did. Who had killed so many enemies that he lost count to them? Cluny the Scourge did. Whose name terrified everyone in the world? His name did. So who was finally the happiest one? Cluny the Scourge was. Everything was simple and easy. However, Cluny was not able to say exactly what happiness was. It seemed to be as stupid as love, honor and dignity. Cluny fell asleep with these thoughts.