qwen-Fiddlesticks isn't that annoying; just rather immature and...bird-brained if one can say that about a cat.

6. In Which an Effort Is Made to Become Un-lost

The three of us looked around. And at each other. It figures I'd have to be stuck with Fiddlesticks and Olemer when trouble hits. Though the fact that I wasn't stuck with Glitter was reassuring. Almost.

"I don't see the clearing," Fiddlesticks mentioned.

"That's because it's not here," I informed him. "So what do we do now?"

Olemer looked at me blankly and Fiddlesticks was already occupied in stalking a large beetle. It seemed time to take matters into my own hands. Paws.

All right then. "Fiddlesticks!" I shouted, calling his attention back from the beetle, which escaped on shiny blue wings.

"What?" he asked sulkily.

"This is no time for beetle hunts. You and I will scout around the area to see if we can smell the others while Olemer can climb a tree to look for the others, or at least figure out what direction's what. Cats are of course famous for their climbing abilities," I added to the prince, "but I can't say I relish the idea of coming back down."

And so he began his climb up a large pine as Fiddlesticks and I sniffed around, not straying too far for fear we would become separated from Olemer. If we were anywhere but the Forest that wouldn't be a problem, but the Forest shifts, and as soon as someone or some tree is out of sight you may not be able to find it again.

It was a rather humiliating task, really, and feeling quite like a hound (Fiddlesticks most likely didn't notice or care) I was eager to get the job over with. I would never have done such a thing if the situation were any less dangerous.

The two of us had almost covered the area within sight of the tree Olemer was climbing when I caught a distinctive scent. Hot metal, cinders, ash, smoke...fire. I looked up and who should I see standing there but a fire-witch. Not Shiara, but obviously a fire-witch because of his orange hair and the scent of fire that accompanied him.

"Hello," I said questioningly.

He raised his eyebrows. "Since when could I hear other people's cats talk?"

"It's a long story, but the bottom line is that everyone can hear me talk." I decided I trusted him since fire-witches and wizards never get along. "You wouldn't have happened to see a dragon, a witch, a prince, a fairy, or another fire-witch anywhere would you? Or any limbs belonging to them?" I added half under my breath. After all, when transportations go wrong bad things can happen. Like someone being half transported. Not that I thought Daystar would mess up that badly. I started licking my left paw while I waited for his answer.

"I can't say that I have. Wait, there was a fairy here a couple days ago..."

"I rather meant today."

"I'm afraid not then. What brings two cats to this part of the Forest?" It was then that I noticed Fiddlesticks crouched beside me.

"Well, I don't see that it's any of your business--" I cut off at the flames licking the ends of his hair. "Not that I don't trust you of course," I added hurriedly. He raised one eyebrow.

"You might as well tell him. Fire-witches hate wizards and he looks familiar." Now that Fiddlesticks mentioned it, the man did look familiar. It had been years, but I remembered him from when Morwen came back from the journey to find the Sword...

"You're Brandel, aren't you?" He was obviously surprised I knew him.

"Yes. Who are you? And as I asked before, what are you doing here? You're standing on my front lawn." No matter how hard I looked I could not see a house. But that could be figured out later. Introductions seemed in order since I was now certain I could trust him. I like to make sure of those things. Strangers can be...unpleasant.

"I'm Aunt Ophelia and this is Fiddlesticks. We're Morwen's cats." Just then my ears twitched backward to the sound of someone crashing. As my head followed I saw Olemer picking himself up from the ground below the tree he had climbed.

Sighing, I added, "And that's Prince Olemer. As for our purpose, we got transported to the wrong place and we've lost everyone else."

Olemer came up to us gasping out, "That way's north!" Then he caught sight of Brandel. "Who are you?"

Brandel stared at him as if his head was on backwards, and I judged it best to speak for him and save him the indignity of addressing Olemer.

"This is Brandel, a fire-witch."

"Like Shiara?"

"Exactly. He helped recover the king's Sword."

"Oh. Can he help us?"

"That depends entirely on what you expect me to do to assist you," Brandel answered haughtily. I remembered Scorn telling me about Brandel's aversion to princes and heroes due to their incessant plaguing of him while he lived in the Smoking Swamp. They were under the mistaken impression that his sister lived in his tower, and so on.

"For now all we need to do is find the other members of our quest. I'd guess Kazul will be the easiest since she can fly and might find us. Did you see any of them while you were in the tree?" I asked the prince.

"No."

"I hope they're all in one piece. Now where is the clearing we were supposed to land in?" I asked of no one in particular. "Brandel, do you know of a clearing on the northern border?"

"I don't know much of the north, and I suspect there's more than one clearing on the border. And if we're going to discuss things we might as well talk in my house; it's more comfortable." He turned around and started walking, to the west assuming Olemer was right about north, and I began to follow when I heard a whooshing sound behind me and Olemer saying, "Oh, I forgot to mention that..."

When I spun around I caught a glimpse of a large feathered shape speeding toward the four of us. A fireball from Brandel shot toward the flying creature but missed by inches, and the thing sped closer...