WHAT? WELL, OF COURSE YOU ARE. YOU'RE A CAT, I CAN ASSURE YOU. AND YOU'D HAVE A HARD TIME CONVINCING THE MICE YOU TERRORIZE AROUND HERE THAT YOU AREN'T.
I AM NOT A CAT. The tabby raised his head, and for the first time the squirrel noticed a small collar of braided leather clasped loosely around his neck. Do YOU SEE THAT?
AYE, the cat sighed, IT IS, AND SO I THOUGHT WHEN SHE GAVE IT TO ME.
The wren. The squirrel was beginning to have a headache. He closed his eyes and burrowed his nose into his front paws. CAT, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
The tabby purred softly. WHAT CONFUSES YOU, LITTLE ONE?
DREAMS, the squirrel sighed.
DREAMS… The cat cocked his head. DREAMS?
YES, DREAMS. AND SQUIRRELS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO DREAM. I KNOW THAT. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I'M A SQUIRREL. BUT I STILL DREAM.
AND YET, the cat said, YOU WEAR NOTHING.
The squirrel blew his cheeks out indignantly. OF COURSE NOT, OR NOTHING BUT MY SKIN. AND THAT ONLY BECAUSE THERE'S A CAGE BETWEEN YOU AND ME. WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO WEAR?
YOU'D BE WEARING SOMETHING IF YOU WERE MORE THAN A SQUIRREL. THE WREN WEARS A GOLDEN CHAIN. I WEAR A COLLAR. IT KEEPS US, DESPITE YOUR FORM, WHAT WE ARE.
The squirrel's headache was getting worse. I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I AM A MAN. MY NAME IS PYTR. THE WREN IS A WOMAN WHOSE NAME IS, WELL, WREN. Pytr stretched lazily, then curled up on the table next to the cage. It was a long tale he had to tell, and he thought he might as well be comfortable. It had begun to snow again, and the day was waning. He was hungry and restless and worried. It helped a little to have someone to tell his story to, even if it was only a squirrel with a headache.
.. AND SO, the wren sighed, WHEN I WOULDN'T
AGREE, WHEN I REFUSED TO FORSAKE PYTR FOR HIM, THE MAGE LAID AN ENCHANTMENT UPON US BOTH. "WREN," HE SAID, and she fluttered her wings a little, a small shudder, "WREN YOU ARE CALLED AND WREN YOU SHALL BE." AND — AND PYTR HE MADE INTO A CAT. THEN I ESCAPED. I FLEW FAR AND CAME TO SOLACE WHERE I FOUND THE LITTLE KENDER WHO HEARD ME AND CAME TO HELP. AND NOW THE MAGE HAS HIM, TOO.