[Tevildo]

The white cat leapt down from the wall and started to sharpen his claws against the stack of logs sitting on the far side of the yard. The cat's tail flicked menacingly from one side to the other, as he watched the four mice who had retreated under the skirts of the two-legged. Dare he bound out and have a bit of fun with those creatures? They looked so small and enticing, nothing like the powerful beast the man had described in his tale. Tevildo was not hungry but he dearly loved a game, especially one he was certain to win.

Jerked out of his reverie by the two-legged's question, the cat sat back and licked his whiskers as he considered his options. He loved both games and stories, but did not entirely trust the man. An odd memory tugged at the back of his mind. Still, that had been at least four lives ago, and he could not recall the details.

Trying not to notice two small mice who peered leerily out from under the man's robe, the white cat responded in a voice that was tinged with velvet, "I am Tevildo. Some have called me Prince of Cats, but you must judge that for yourself. I believe we have met somewhere before, but you must excuse me for I can not recall the circumstances. I was once a member of the entourage of the Black Foe. My duties were to hunt and snare, to keep the household supplied with meat. Perhaps it was there we met.

"As to stories.... all cats have many stories, since they spend most of their day dreaming. I have a number of delightful stories that I will be most happy to share with you and the rest of this gathering. But first, you must humor me for you have me at a disadvantage. I have told you who I am. Now, I should like to know who you are, you and your friend? Tevildo turned and nodded at the other two-legged. "Then I shall be most happy to tell you a tale I know, one that explains why cats are the most powerful creatures in the world, so powerful that they were chosen to teach the two-leggeds a much-needed lesson....."