A/N: I lost the first chapter.... blush I'll get it up soon. Till then it's being skipped. I figure

anybody reading this will be the ones who already did anyway.

Chapter two:

Pat grumbled and hissed and glared, and every other manerism of things he could think of to show his displeasure without actually hurting her. Shanara just held him tighter, trying not to laugh at his antics. That would only make the big cat's mood worse, and she didn't want that.

She hummed softly to herself, walking happily throught the vast hall ways, heading for the library. Not that she had ever bothered with reading the books it contained, but it was the ideal place for playing, and staying away from her father. Pat pawed at her face gently and said, "Were are we going?" thinking he had sounded a bit eager he added for good measure, "Not that I really care, but you have no clue how to hold a cat. Your hurting me. The sooner we get there the better."

Shanara, takeing this seriously, shifted him slightly, then said, "We're going to the library. It's fun." "I thought you didn't read..." Pat said, giveing her a patronizing look. "Oh, I don't."

"Then why would it be any fun?"

she simply shrugged, the result being that she nearly dropped him.

"Watch it!" he hissed and climbed up to perch on her shoulder.

After a few moments of grumpy silence he said, "You're one strange kid you know that?" she didn't answer, so he fell silent, trying to think of the best way to escape this predicament.

Shure, he loved the girl all right, but not enough to want to spend the rest of the day with her, more than likely trying to see how many ways she could hurt the books.... he shuddered slightly.

Unfortunately for him, they arrived at their destination before he could come up with a good escape plan.

Shanara enterd the great library slowly, looking around for a candle or something, for the room was a little more than dark. Seeing none, she walked carefuly over to the large stone fireplace (there was one in about every room of the castle) and set Pat down in front of it. "

Erm, can you light it?" Pat scoffed at her and said, "No. What do I look like, a match? And even if I could, I wouldn't, so there." he settled down, obliviouse to the dark and the cold, and licked his forpaw, slightly irritated.

"Sorry. I just thought, well, father can light fires,and you being magical and all that..." she sat down beisde him, trying to think of what to do. She had no intentions of going back to ask her father for help. He probably wouldn't anyway.

Pat glared at her and said, "Yes, I am magical, but more in the terms of being a magical, generater, lets call it. I don't cast the spells, I simply give energy to help in their casting. Besides, you've got magic too, why don't you light it, eh?"

Shanara returned his glare and said, "I would, but I don't know how. You could teach me...." T

he cat looked disgusted at that. "Teach you?! Ha! Like you'd learn it even if I tried, miss I don't even read! I bet you don't know how to do that either. Once you figure that out, then mayby I'll teach you magic, but not before."

Shanara bit her lip, a little hurt at his harsh words. Seeing this, Pat sighed. "Alright, I'm sorry." he stood up and rubbed against her hand, purring. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings." but she just glared at him even more, so he gave up.

"I do know a little magic. Watch!" she closed her eyes, concentrateing, trying to remember how she had done it the first time. But then, the first time had been a bit of an accident really....

Pat watched her with sympathy, thinking as her father did that she had very small talent for magic. And then quite suddenly, the fire place was filled with flames! He jumped a good 5 feet in the air, hissing and spitting, completely shocked. It was then that he realised it wasn't a real fire. It made no sound, gave no warmth..... it was an illusion, nothing more. A really good illusion...

Shanara opened her eyes, and the fake fire disappeared. "See, I told you I could!"

Pat just stared at her, slightly shocked. A child her age, while yes, she should have shown some talent for magic by now, should not have been able to control it so well.

He was especially shocked that it had been so realistic. Just wait till the master found out...!

He was quite suddenly dragged from his thoughts by Shanara prodding him in the shoulder.

"I asked you what you thought..."

Pat, still in awe of what she'd done said simply, "Amazing!" then comeing to grips he continued

"How did you do that? How long have you been able to do that? Why didn't you tell us? We were starting to think you didn't have magic.... amazing!"

Shanara stared at him, not shure which question to answer first. "Well, not long actually. And I didn't think it was that big a deal.... I'm shure father can do way better than that, I didn't think he would care..."

Pat was exasperated. "Of course he'd care!" he practicaly shouted. "I mean, honestly, he's been hopeing for ages that... well, you know, he didn't think you could do anything like that! And sure, he can create illusions, but I honestly think that was better than anything I've seen him do...." Pat was purring with actual happiness now. "Come on, we've got to go show him!" the large black cat was on his feet and darting out the door before he'd even finished his sentence.

Shanara had to run to keep up with him.

"So kid, when was the first time you did that eh?" he said, a little breathlessly for all his running.

"Well, I know I'm not supposed to leave the castle, but well, it seemed so nice, and he had told me to go away..."

Pat groaned, thinking that mayby his master wasn't going to be so happy after all..... she could very well have been killed out there, the creatures that inhabited the forest and mountains cared little for humans.

Shanara ignored his groan and continued, "I ran into some centaurs.... real centaurs Pat! They were amazing! But, well, they didn't see me but they heard me, and they looked kinda unhappy, and I thought I really need someway to hide, and oh Pat, it was amazing! I'd never known I could do anything like that! They walked right past me, didn't even see me!"

By this time they were once again right outside Tharn's study and Pat practicaly hurled himself at the door.

Lucky for him, it oppened pretty easy.

Shanara fallowed him in, timidly.

Tharn looked up from his book angrily. "I thought I told you to go play! Go on, out!"

Pat leaped up onto his desk and said, "Please Tharn, I know you're buisy but I. well, we, have something to show you." he tunned to glare at Shanara who nodded eagerly.

"Oh, you'll be pleased, I promise!"

Tharn closed the book, realising he wasn't going to get anything done untill he hear them out.

Besides, it must be something worth seeing.... it took alot to get Pat excited.

He smiled at his familiar affectionately and said, "All right then, show me."