Katsbar

by Michele

Fandom: Beastmaster

Pairing: Tao/f

Rating: PG

Author's Note: A special "Thank you" to my BETA reader Lynne. Without you and your wonderful ideas, this story wouldn't be. Thank you.

/ / Denotes mind speak

The usual disclaimers apply. The boys are not mine. Just borrowing them for a short while and then I shall return them. Thank you Tribune for such great characters to play with.

Archive? Oh yes please!

The full moon was waning. The glowing orb was a pale apricot, shining its faint light through wispy tendrils of clouds. The forest below was softly lit. The night creatures of the forest were singing their songs when suddenly they stopped. Total silence claimed the forest. There was a new predator walking the paths. Something different, something to be feared.

The predator walked through the silent forest. One paw after another placed carefully down as to make no sound as it glided towards an unknown destination. The forest was startling in its quiet. Nothing moved, nothing seemed to breathe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tao and Dar's camp was situated near the banks of a small river. The men were sleeping by a small fire. Ruh was asleep at the feet of the BeastMaster; the ferrets as usual were snuggled up against Tao. The camp was silent except for the slow, steady sounds of breathing. No one saw or sensed the predator as it walked silently by, its golden eyes watching them. Just watching them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As the morning sun started to bruise the sky, Tao awoke. He looked around at his companions. Dar was still sleeping, Ruh at his feet. The ferrets were not happy with Tao for waking them.

"Be quiet and let Dar sleep you two." whispered Tao as he rose from his bed. He walked away from the camp to fetch breakfast and water.

What he ran into on the trail to the river scared him half to death.

Standing in front of him was a leopard, yet not a leopard. Its features were slowly changing to those of a woman.

Tao stared at the transformation happening before him. He'd seen this only once before, when Sharak had changed from an eagle to a man. This leopard was a shape shifter. The knowledge stunned Tao. 'I thought that all the shape shifters were gone. Obviously some survive. Who is this one?' He needed answers and fast.

Tao quietly turned and ran back to the camp, unnoticed by the leopard woman.

He reached Dar and placed a hand on his shoulder. Dar sat up so fast that Tao fell over. Tao was always surprised at how fast Dar could wake up.

"What's wrong?" Dar asked, scanning the camp for trouble.

"There is a shape shifter on the path to the river. It's a leopard and its, its changing into a woman. I saw it changing." Tao's voice was trembling in his excitement.

Dar and Tao raced back down towards the river. There she was. Still changing, more woman than leopard.

/Sharak, come here/ asked Dar. /There is a shape shifter/

/A shape shifter? Are you sure? / Sharak was astonished. He thought he was one of the last of his kind as he flew from the campsite and landed on Dar's outstretched arm.

/You are right, Dar. A shape shifter. A leopard. I wonder who she is. She is changing very slowly. I wonder if she's injured? /

/I'm not injured, eagle. Just very tired. Shouldn't have tried to shift. Too soon. / The 'voice' in Sharak's mind was sarcastic and tired sounding.

/Dar, she's not injured. Just tired. Be careful with this one. She sounds nasty/ /Why would he have to be careful with me, eagle?/ the woman asked with an edge to her 'voice', her "r's" softly rolled as she 'spoke.

Sharak decided to let that comment slide. This woman needed to be handled with care.

/I thought that all the shape shifters were gone. How did you survive? Where are you from?/ Sharak asked the woman.

/I come from the Uplands. There are few of us left there/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tao thought that the leopard woman was exquisite. Her golden eyes were feral. She had stilted pupils, not round. She was soft in woman's places, short and sturdy, wearing breeches and a sleeveless tunic; her nails were like claws, her feet beautiful in their bareness and her hair shortly cropped to her head. He felt impeccably drawn to her. As he started to go to her, Dar reached out his arm to stop him.

"Stay behind me, Tao." He said pushing the smaller man behind him.

"Please. Don't leave." Dar reached out a hand towards the woman. He didn't know why he couldn't 'speak' to her as Sharak did. She glared at him as she rolled her shoulders as if she were in pain, her eyes never leaving the BeastMaster.

Sharak 'spoke' to her /Who are you, shape shifter? /

/Katsbar/ was the short reply. She barely glanced at the eagle. Her golden feral eyes still on Dar.

/Why are you here? /

/I'm being hunted by an evil king named Zad. He has chased me for days. If he catches me, he plans to use me to defeat his enemies. Namely a boy-King, Voden. I am not interested in their war. /

/Dar, her name is Katsbar and she is being hunted by Zad. / Sharak informed him.

Dar stood silently as the two exchanged words. He knew what it was like to be hunted by Zad. He wondered at their ability to 'mind speak'. He tried to 'speak' to the woman and couldn't.

Katsbar asked Sharak /Who is this man? / Motioning to Dar with her head.

/He is the BeastMaster. His name is Dar. He will not hurt you. /

/And the other? / she asked with a slight uplifting of her jaw towards Tao.

/A friend. An Eiron. His name is Tao. He will not hurt you either. /

Dar 'spoke' to Sharak. /Ask her to join us at the fire. Tell her that we will help her. /

Sharak didn't get a chance to relay his words. Katsbar's nose twitched, sensing danger. Her huge golden eyes looking for it, finding it behind Dar, her ears hearing it in the gravelly voice of King Zad.

"Well BeastMaster, we meet again. And in such lovely company. I see that you found my shape shifter."

The leopard woman snarled her anger and distaste at Zad's voice. Her body crouched in a defensive stance, the muscles in her legs bunched; ready to pounce or flee, as the situation demanded. Her lip lifted in a snarl, hands curved like claws. She was a magnificent sight. Tao was amazed at the feline grace of the woman. He couldn't keep his eyes off her. Unfortunately, the next thing he knew, he was a captive.

"I belong to no one!" Katsbar growled. "I am not yours."

"Oh, but you will be. Look around you. I hold the BeastMaster's little friend as hostage. Come to me or he dies!"

Dar could not believe that he had not heard Zad's approach. Everyone on the path had been so engrossed in Katsbar that they had failed to notice him.

One of Zad's men had a strangle hold on Tao. One hand covering his mouth had kept him silent. The angry look in his eyes gave away his feelings.

'Why is it that every time we run into Zad, I'm on the wrong end of things?' thought Tao as he struggled fruitlessly to escape the hands that held him.

Dar sent Sharak into the sky. "Let him go Zad." Dar growled.

"I don't think so BeastMaster. He's just what I need to get her." Zad's hand was pointed at the leopard woman. " I want her and I want her NOW!" Zad's voice roared.

"I will not go with you, Zad. You don't own me. I do not know these men. Do with them what you will." With that statement, she fled into the forest. In an instant she was gone. Dar and Tao couldn't believe that she was gone. Zad was dumbfounded, his men shocked into silence.

It took Zad a moment for him to scream at his men. "Find her. Find her or I will kill you all!"

The man holding Tao dropped him and ran with the rest of Zad's men. Zad walked over to Dar and Tao. "This isn't over yet BeastMaster. I WILL have that woman." Tao was rubbing his face where the man's brutal hands had held him.

Dar replied, "She doesn't belong to you or anyone else. Leave her be." He stood tall against Zad's fury.

Zad, pointing and shaking his finger in Dar's face, said, "Never. We will meet again. You can count on it." Zad left the trail, going after his men.

In moments, Dar and Tao were the only ones left on the trail. "I can't believe that she left. Or that we are not prisoners of Zad." Tao remarked as they walked back to their camp.

Dar was thoughtful and then replied, "She did what she had to do Tao. In a way, she saved us. When she left, the danger went with her. Zad is following her now and leaving us alone."

"For awhile." finished Tao.

"Yes, for awhile." agreed Dar.

PART TWO

The woman fled deeper into the forest. She found a likely hiding place in the branches of a tall tree. Climbing quickly, she was soon hidden in the deep green foliage. Zad and his men went past her tree. She could hear them talking to each other.

"Where did she go?"

"There are no tracks anywhere."

"Find her or you will all be dead!" This last from Zad, whose anger made him glower all red and fierce looking. "She couldn’t have gotten away from us that easily." Zad started to go back the way they came.

Katsbar was feeling very fortunate that she had escaped from Zad when her luck changed. The branch that she was hiding on decided to give way and she found herself falling towards the ground. There was no way to stop her fall. ‘Great’ she thought.
‘From safety to prisoner.’

With a snarl, she landed at the feet of King Zad.

"Well, well, well. What have we here? A kitty who’s lost its way? Poor kitty. Come to Zad." With that he reached out a hand and grabbed Katsbar by the arm. Bad idea on Zad’s part, for as she whirled away from him, she slashed his arm with her claws. He yelled in pain as the blood flowed from the deep slashes that she had given him. His warriors, upon hearing Zad’s yells, quickly surrounded the woman. Her head whipping back and forth looking for an escape, she leapt over the warriors in a desperate bid for freedom. She almost made it. One warrior, who was smarter than the others, reached out with his club
and made contact with her as she flew over him. Her body, stunned by the blow, hit the ground hard. The breath knocked out of her, she couldn’t move. The warriors hauled her up to face Zad, their hands punishing her for the merry chase she had led them on.

Gasping for breath, she stared into the eyes of the man who held her life in his hands.

Seeing what was to come, she tried to duck, but was unable to. Zad’s fist plowed into her face and she saw or felt nothing for a long time.

"Bad kitty" was all he said.

PART THREE

Dar and Tao were breaking camp, so they could get away from Zad and his warriors, when Sharak called to Dar.

/Zad has her/

/Who? / Asked Dar.

/Katsbar. /

Sharak 'showed' Dar the woman being hauled up to face Zad. He 'saw' Zad's fist lash out and hit her. Dar growled; a low, menacing sound that boded ill for Zad. Dar didn't like to see anyone or anything being mistreated.

Tao watched the exchange with growing trepidation. He had a feeling that whatever the two were "discussing", it had to do with Katsbar and Zad. When he heard Dar growl, he knew that it meant he and Dar were going to help her out. He just knew it.

'Oh great,' he thought, 'here we go again. Hopefully, it will be easy to handle. Doubt it though. I'm certain that we're headed for trouble. Of course, if we go to help her, I'll be able to see her again. Her voice, the way it seems to rumble from her throat,
makes a man want to hear it again and again.' He looked about to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

Dar looked towards Tao. "Zad has Katsbar."

"I know Dar. Let's go and help her out of this. Right? Any ideas? Or are we just going to rush in and take her?" Tao kept mumbling suggestions and answers to himself as he picked up his things and led the way.

Dar stared after him, one eyebrow cocked and his head shaking. 'Oh Tao.' he thought. He picked up the pouch with the ferrets in it. He ran to catch up. "I don't have any idea what we'll find. I'm sure that Zad will be taking her to his camp. Why don't we beat him there? Are you up to a good run?"

Tao groaned and said, "Why does this always happen to us? Isn't there anyone else who could ....?"

Dar simply smiled, ruffled Tao's hair with his hand and said, "Just us, Tao. Just us." The two men set off at a good clip, Ruh running next to Dar. The ferrets in their pouch beat a smooth stacco against Dar's side. Each of them was hoping that they would beat Zad to his camp.

And they did just that by running through many thickets of thorns of which Tao complained bitterly. Dar silently laughed at the things Tao said.

"Darn thorns. Grabbing at a man when he's in a hurry. Get out of my way!"

"Tao, I don't talk to the plants. Why are you?" Dar asked with a smile on his face.

" It's just that I'm in a hurry and these, these plants are in my way. You just seem to slide right through them. Why can't I?" Tao grumbled.

"Maybe it's because you carry so many things that the plants want to know what you have in there." Dar suggested with a laugh.

"Oh yes. Laugh. Well, some time soon you might just appreciate what's in these bags of mine. Just you wait and see." Tao said, shaking his finger at Dar. He was not too happy with Dar's laughing at him. "And not a word out of you two rodents, either." This last bit being directed at the ferrets that had pushed their heads out of the pouch to see what was happening. A bit of ferret chatter was heard before Dar pushed them back down.

/Quiet you two/ Dar 'said' to Kodo and Podo. /No dinner if you make Tao mad! / That threat was enough to silence the ferrets.

"What did you 'say' to them?" Asked Tao.

"Oh, just told them there would be no dinner if they made you mad." Dar replied.

"Ah, hit them where it hurts the most. Food. Good thinking, Dar." Tao snickered.

As Tao was going to add something, Dar held up his hand.

"Quiet. We're close to Zad's camp. Be careful."

Dar had Ruh wait for them far enough from Zad's camp so he wouldn't been seen.

/Watch for any Terrons coming this way. Let me know if you see anything / Dar 'asked' the tiger.

Dar and Tao stopped near the edge of Zad's camp.

"I wonder which yurt they will put her in?" Asked Tao.

"They won't put her in one. See, there's a cage set up over by Zad's yurt. I think that's where they'll put her."

"Well, if they put her in the cage, it won't make it easier to rescue her. Do you have any ideas as to how we're getting her free?" Wondered Tao.

"We'll wait until everyone leaves and send in Kodo and Podo to chew the ropes on the cage. We'll be there to help her out if she needs it and we'll run for it."

"Wonderful. More running. And if that doesn't work?" Tao asked.

Dar wasn't able to answer Tao as Zad and his men rode into camp. The two men crouched lower so that they wouldn't be seen.

Katsbar was lying face down over Zad's saddle. Zad rode up to the cage by his yurt and threw Katsbar to the ground. Her body hit the ground with a thud and she just lay there. He directed his men to put her in the cage. He'd deal with her later. He called to his wenches to bring him food and drink.

"Hunting a shape shifter is work to make a man hungry. Hurry with my food, wenches. You'll be my dessert."

Zad's men picked the woman up and put her in the cage. Making sure that the cage was shut tight, they left. Dar and Tao got as close to the cage as possible. Dar whispered, "Katsbar. Katsbar, can you hear me? Katsbar, wake up!"

There was no reply to the BeastMaster's urgings.

"Dar, look at her face. I don't think that she'll be waking up for a while. Her eye is swollen shut and her lip is bleeding. Zad or someone must have hit her hard. Look at the bruises on her arms. I wish I could get close enough to help her."

Dar raised an eyebrow at that. "After all the complaining you did to get here, now you want to help her? Tao, you surprise me. And by the way, it was Zad who hit her. Sharak 'showed' me that."

"Well Dar, she's hurt. I'm a healer. I'd do the same for you."

"Thanks Tao." Dar was appreciative of the times that Tao had done just that. He knew that if they got out of this mess alive, Tao would be able to help Katsbar.

PART FOUR

The two men crept back into the shadows of a near-by yurt to wait for Katsbar to awaken. Fortunately, they didn’t have to wait long.

Katsbar slowly opened her one good eye. She couldn’t see much. "Oh gods, my head. Stop spinning world." She rotated her head to get the pain to stop.

A whisper made her start. "Katsbar. Over here."

"BeastMaster?"

"We're here, Katsbar."

"Where? I can’t see you."

"By the yurt to your right."

"We’re going to get you out. Do you think that you can run?"

"Run? Yes, I can run."

"Lie back down so that the guards won’t think that you’re awake. Kodo and Podo will open your cage. When they do, we’ll get you out and then we’ll run." Dar pulled the two ferrets from their pouch. Their squeals were angry for Dar had awakened them from a nap.

/Enough, you two/ Dar ‘scolded’. /Get through the ropes closing the cage. We need to get her out/

Kodo asked to eat. Dar replied /Tao will give you a piece of fruit later/.

"What did he want?" asked Tao. He could tell by Dar’s face that the ferret had said something to annoy him.

"Oh, Kodo wanted to know when he could eat." Dar shook his head. "I need him to do something important and all he thinks about is eating. Ferrets."

"Well" Tao said, "he’s your ferret. Not mine. You can find him something to eat later."

"Too late" Dar said. "I already told him that you would give him a piece of fruit later. Sorry. Anyway, they aren’t ‘my’ ferrets. I don’t own them. "

"Yeah, right." Tao grumbled.

Katsbar lay back down and waited while the ferrets did their work. The two rodents did so quickly and soon the ropes fell away. She slowly rolled over to the door of her cage, opened it, and crawled out. She met Dar and Tao by the yurt. Tao tried to look at her injuries, but Dar said, "No time for that now, Tao. We have to get out of here." He quickly gathered the ferrets into their pouch.

Dar, Tao and Katsbar carefully made their way out of the Terron camp. As they made their way to the forest and Ruh, one watchful guard caught sight of them.

"The leopard woman is escaping! The BeastMaster and that pesky Eiron let her loose! Get the king!"

The three ran through the forest without a word. They could hear the Terron horses closing in on them. They reached a meadow. There was no way that they could out run the horses on flat land. Tao was breathing heavy. Dar and Katsbar were slightly winded. Ruh was enjoying the run.

"Let’s split up. Maybe we’ll throw them off just enough to get away." Dar suggested. "Tao, go through the woods. You’re too tired to make it through the meadow."

"What about you two?" Tao questioned. His breath coming in great gasps.

"We’ll head through the meadow and go towards the waterfall. We should be able to reach the cliffs and the caverns will hide us. You go back the other way through the forest. Meet us at the base of the waterfall. Do you remember the big tree that was
struck by lightning?" Tao nodded.

"Meet us there. Be safe Tao." Dar placed his hand on Tao’s shoulder. "And Tao, no stopping, no turning back, no matter what you hear, even if something happens to us. Understand?"

"But Dar." Tao protested.

"Tao, please. Not now. Do you understand?"

Tao shook his head. Dar said, " Ruh will go with you. Now go." The tiger growled at Tao and the two of them went into the forest.

"Katsbar, if we get separated, go down the cliffs by the waterfall. The tree is there. You can’t miss it. Run like the wind."

Dar and Katsbar took off running just as the Terrons reached the edge of the meadow. "There they are! Get them!" Dar glanced back and saw that Tao and Ruh had blended into the forest. Zad and his men hadn’t seen them. They were safe. Now that he didn’t have to worry about Tao, he could keep his mind on escaping Zad.

PART FIVE

King Zad headed the charge after the fugitives. The men on horseback quickly gained on Dar and Katsbar. They managed to separate the runners. A few of Zad's men chased Katsbar to the edge of the meadow. It abruptly ended in the cliffs by the waterfall. Katsbar windmilled her arms to regain her balance so as to not go over the edge.

Zad had the rest of his men engage Dar in battle. It seemed to Dar that no matter how many Terrons he took out with his staff or his hands, there was always two more to take their place. Zad simply watched his men battle with the BeastMaster. When it looked like his men would win the day, he turned to the men who had Katsbar trapped by the cliffs. When one of Zad's overzealous men saw Katsbar at the edge of the waterfall, he fired a crossbow bolt at the woman.

Dar glanced up and yelled "Katsbar, watch behind you!"

Zad's voice roared over the meadow, "NOOOOOOOOOO!"

As she turned toward the sound of Dar's voice, the bolt caught her in the left shoulder. She plummeted over the edge. "Daaaaarrrrrr...."

Seeing the woman fall over the waterfall made Zad call off the fight with Dar.

"Get me that woman!" Zad yelled.

As Zad and his men raced to the cliff edge, Dar made his way to the waterfall. Zad dismounted and with his men peered over the cliff's edge, searching for any sign of the woman. All they saw was the foaming waters.

"You fools! You blasted fools! I wanted her alive! Where is the idiot that shot that bolt? I want him now!" Zad demanded.

A soldier slowly dismounted and walked over to Zad. "I shot the woman." he said.

Zad waited for the man to walk to him. He then grasped the man's head with his hands and broke his neck in one swift twist. "Fool." Zad threw the man's body aside. As he walked away from the edge of the cliff, he gave the dead man a swift kick. "Fool." He spat again.

As Zad was punishing his men, Dar reached the edge of the cliff and began to climb down. He couldn't risk diving over the falls if he didn't want Zad and his men to see him.

Dar slowly reached the bottom and found Tao hiding by the tree. In his arms was Katsbar. She had survived the fall. Her face was pale; the bruises inflicted by Zad and his men earlier were vivid. Tao was gently stroking her hair. He was rocking her And murmuring softly to her. "Don't worry Katsbar. I'm here. Dar will be here soon. It'll be all right." He said these things over and over to the unconscious woman.

Tao looked up at the sound of footsteps. It was Dar. He let out a sigh of relief. Tao was so happy to see Dar that he started babbling, "We need to get the bolt out, Dar. She's bleeding. I don't think that's there any else broken. I couldn't believe it when I saw her go over the cliff. She was calling your name, Dar. She went in feet first. Gods Dar, it was the scariest thing I've ever seen. Her falling over the edge like that. I swear that I couldn't breathe. I couldn't find her for a while. I saw Zad and his men looking over. I stayed out of sight. She came up on this side, by that big rock. I think that she was trying to hide. She fought me when I tried to pull her out. She scratched me. A lot. I don't think she knew who I was. It was all I could do to hold on to her. I got her over here and just waited for you."

"You did good, Tao. Hold her and I'll pull the bolt out. Hold her tight."

Dar gave the bolt a quick pull and it came out. The wound started to bleed profusely. Tao pressed a hand on it. Katsbar stirred and tried to get up.

"Oh no you don't," Tao said as he gently pushed her down. His tone was firm. "You're not going anywhere. Lie still and let us take care of this shoulder."

Katsbar glared at Tao with unfocused eyes. He gently pushed on her back.

"Down."

Katsbar sighed and lay back down. "Bossy ." It came out as a quiet growl.

Dar chuckled when he heard her. "I think that she'll be all right, Tao."

After the two men bound her wound, Katsbar fell asleep. Tao gently brushed her hair away from her face. He bent down and gave her a soft kiss on her temple. He looked at her and felt warm feelings that he hadn't felt for a long time. It took him a bit to realize that Dar was talking to him. He slowly looked away from the woman and glanced at Dar.

"Tao, let me look at your arms. She scratched you pretty good. She really did fight you getting out of the water. You did a good job." Dar was impressed with the way Tao had handled the wounded woman. After Dar cleaned Tao's wounds, he went to search for firewood and food.

"I'll be back soon, Tao. The two of you stay here. Ruh should be here any time now. I'll leave you Kodo and Podo."

"Oh lucky me." Tao said. "Miserable little rats, just wanting to eat. I suppose that you want me to feed you now. Well, you'll just have to wait until Dar returns. I have nothing for you. Ha!"

While Dar was hunting their dinner, his thoughts kept straying to the moment when Tao kissed Katsbar. He had only seen that look on Tao's face once before. That was when Tao had found Caro.

'I wonder what's going through Tao's mind. Katsbar will probably leave as soon as she can. I hope that she does not hurt him.'

Dar 'asked' Sharak /Is everything all right at the camp? /

Sharak 'showed' Dar that Katsbar was sleeping and the ferrets were bugging Tao. /Yes, the camp is fine. Ruh has come. There are no Terrons around./

PART SIX

The three spent a few days by the waterfall. Katsbar rested and healed. Sharak and Katsbar ’talked’ about their people.

Tao asked Dar how he felt about Sharak and Katsbar spending so much time together.

Dar told Tao, "Sharak and Katsbar might be the last of their kind. He needs to talk to her. Do you understand? She can ’talk’ to him like I can. Yet I can’t ’talk’ to her."

"Yes Dar, I think that I do. If she were to ever leave, Sharak would be the only one again."

/There are only a few of us left, Sharak/ Katsbar explained. /We are in hiding or living only in our human state. We are hunted for our abilities or what‘s left of them. We aren’t even sorcerers any more. Those with the powers are gone. All we have left is
’mind speech’ and very few of us have it. /

/Don’t let Dar know that you have magick. He doesn’t like magick/

/Oh Sharak, I wouldn’t call ‘mind speech’ magick. I know that you ‘talk’ to him the same way you and I are ‘talking’. And besides, it’s a bit late for that. Dar knows that you and I ‘talk’ with ‘mind speech’./ The woman and the eagle silently ‘laughed’
at that.

/Yes, you’re right. He does know it/ Sharak replied.

Dar’s head snapped up to look over at the two talking without words. He could ‘feel’ Sharak’s laughter. Katsbar and Sharak looked over at him and the ‘laughter’ rang again in his head.

"Tao, do you ever get the feeling that someone is talking about you and you don’t want to know what it is they’re saying?"

"Yes, sometimes I do. Why?"

"Well, I just ‘felt’ Sharak laughing and I wonder why."

"Maybe you just don’t want to know." suggested Tao.

"Maybe you’re right." Dar still wasn’t happy thinking that he might be the subject of an unheard conversation.

/I just don’t know why I can’t ‘talk’ to him this way./ Katsbar said.

/I believe that it is because he doesn’t like magick. Our link is also through my eyes. His ability to ’talk’ to the animals was given to him by Curipira. That could be why he accepts the animal’s ‘mind speech‘. Also, he is not a shape shifter. I think
that has a lot to do with it/

/Ahh, you are right. I’d hoped that if you could ‘mind speak’ to him, so could I. He would be interesting to ‘speak’ to. Like as to how he met Tao. /

/Is there something you want to know? / Sharak queried.

/Well, I, um. Why? Um. Well, no. No. / Katsbar turned away from the eagle so he couldn’t see her blushing. Glancing back, Katsbar said good bye to the eagle and slowly made her way back to the camp.

/So that’s the way the land lies/ thought Sharak.

Sharak was saddened to hear that so much of his people’s heritage was gone forever. He flew away from the waterfall and went to sort out what he had learned.

"I think that I’ve upset Sharak, Dar." Katsbar said when she reached the camp. "I told him what has become of our people and he was shocked, no dismayed, that so much has been lost. Abilities and powers that will never be regained."

Dar ‘reached’ for Sharak. /Are you all right, my friend? /

/Yes, Dar. I’m all right. I’m saddened that a great race of people has been destroyed. It’s gifts gone. Now there’s so little left. Soon there will be none/

/I’m sorry, Sharak. I’m truly sorry. / Dar knew just how the eagle felt.

PART SEVEN

Tao found out that Katsbar was a learned woman. She could read and write. She also used numbers. He and Katsbar exchanged views on many topics. He loved to listen to the rumbling of her voice. Sometimes they would argue a point to death, just so he could her speak. Like over Tao’s map. Katsbar pointed out that he placed a village in the wrong place.

"How do you know where that village is? asked Tao

"I was there once." was the reply. "It’s closer to the river bank that bends like a snake. The village is there, not where you’ve put it."

"I still think that this placement is right, Katsbar." Tao worried the point again, to Dar’s frustration.

The two of them arguing could easily get on his nerves. Dar played arbiter when this happened. Tao and Katsbar would laugh and smile when Dar had to get between the two of them.

One morning Dar woke to find that Tao and Katsbar were missing. Wondering as to why they were gone, Dar quietly crept towards the waterfall where he could hear Katsbar’s soft rumbling voice and Tao’s laughter. When he saw that Tao and Katsbar were together by the water, he left them alone.

Tao and Katsbar were wrapped around each other, the moss at the edge of the water pool making a soft bed for the lovers. Tao and Katsbar fell asleep in the sun after their romp. Tao lay on his back with Katsbar curled over him. Her hand over his
head, fingers splayed in his hair. Her other arm and hand resting on his chest. Her leg was protectively over his abdomen. His arm wrapped around her.

Dar silently checked on them again, and had the ferrets leave them alone.

/I wouldn’t bother them now if I were you. Katsbar might eat you! / Dar chided Kodo and Podo.

The ferrets replied /After we got her free? /

/I don’t think that matters right now/

PART EIGHT

At last, Katsbar declared herself fit to leave.

"And just where do you think you’re going?" demanded Tao. " And why are you going?"

"I have to leave here, Tao. This is not a safe place for me to be. I don’t want to live my life looking over my shoulder for Zad. Even if he thinks I‘m dead. What type of life could I have, always on the run?"

"And just, just how do you know that you’re fit to travel?" demanded Tao again. He really didn’t want her to leave.

"Oh Tao" she sighed. "Always asking so many questions. Come here." She beckoned him with a finger. When he approached her, she kissed him. Tao felt the finality in the kiss, the silent goodbye. She turned to Dar and hugged him, whispering in his ear,
asking him to take good care of Tao.

"Thank you both for saving my life. And Tao, I know that I’m ready to leave because I can do this."

Katsbar stepped back from the men and smiled. "Good bye my friends. May we meet again." And to herself a sad whisper, ‘Goodbye my heart, as I leave it with you, my Tao.’ Suddenly a bright glow surrounded her body. Then she started to change into the leopard. This time, the shift took only a few seconds. The glow dissipated and Katsbar the woman was replaced by Katsbar the leopard.

The leopard rubbed her head against Tao’s leg with a deep purr and then ran away.

"I can’t believe what I just saw. One moment she’s a woman. The next a leopard. And I let her walk away." He slapped himself on the forehead. "Fool. Stupid, stupid fool."

Dar placed a hand on Tao’s shoulder. "It wasn’t the time for the two of you. She’ll come back to you when she’s ready, Tao."

"Do you really think so, Dar? Do you really think that she’ll come back to me?" Tao looked to where the leopard had disappeared into the forest.

His answer came from the forest itself. A roar echoed to him. A leopard’s roar.