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A full moon lit her neorld She pulled back a heavy leather curtain and looked outside Everything was suddenlyshe had experienced before A fire blazed in a courtyard Three youngabout it on low stools

As she watched, a drinking horn passed between thehtly coloured clothes, sat on either side of a boy as ht-blue eyes stared out over the fire Alison saw the chain about his neck It was the one with the stainless steel catthe one she'd exchanged for his talis of a bear Her heart missed a beat In her dreams he had called her Little Cat and she had called him Little Bear He picked up his harp, stru and beautiful is the fair oak tree I strove beneath its bows to please a maid My cloak upon the bracken was our bed And, one and one together, one e Hark, Little Cat Why do you think of sleep? Listen to the wild lynx crying for itsin yonder thicket does not wait' Alison's heart beat wildly It was as if everything she had ever wanted had suddenly arrived She pushed open the door and went outside The three young nition She walked into the circle of light and let the hood of her cloak fall down, revealing her face

No one htest move in her direction They see yet the words see for a sign For a moment she feared she was an intruder Then he turned his head towards her and she knew she was the reason for the song

'Bir Moreth threatens but I do not despair I have rets My choice is to be with you, my love You are my chosen one What am I to you? Why are you so silentand one of his co horn to her She held it to her lips A taste of honey and aroain and when she had finished, she stood with the horn in her hands, feeling its se shapes Her feet felt light and when she tried toa hair's breadth above the ground Her vision clouded and when it cleared the scene had changed