Mice were lovely for keeping out of sight. Still, they weren’t the fastest of creatures, and she was in a hurry. Mother wouldn’t take long to send those soldiers packing. As the intruders’ shouts of rage turned into fear, Cordelia raced as quickly as she could out of the room and onto the narrow stone platform that overlooked the sunny main courtyard. As soon as she was safely outside, she shifted into a cat, long-legged, sleek, and muscular.

Much better! She twitched her dark-gray tail with satisfaction and shook out her supple, cream-colored body. Her pointed ears swiveled, following a soft, humming sound in the distance even as distracting scents rose up to call to her sensitive nose from all directions.

There.

She knew that sound. Alys was puttering around the kitchen gardens, humming the tune that Mother had always sung to the children when they were small and needed comfort. If anyone knew the answers Cordelia needed, it would be her … and if Cordelia got to her while Mother was distracted, she might even admit to some of them.

Springing as a cat felt almost as glorious as flying. Cordelia leaped from the stone platform and landed safely on all four gray paws on the weathered paving stones where Rosalind had practiced fighting earlier. The upturned clay urns and broken plants were still there to prove it, along with the discarded sword-stick. Cordelia jumped carefully over her sister’s mess, whiskers prickling with distaste, then sped for the ivy-covered stone archway that led toward the second inner courtyard.

There were no hard paving stones here. It had been planted long ago with gardens that filled the air with flavor and drew bees and other insects from the forest. Large chickens bustled about self-importantly, making rounds and clucking loudly as Cordelia prowled through the archway. The family’s three grumpy goats, Honey, Marmalade, and Muck, stood chewing and glowering menacingly at Alys as she kneeled over the herb beds, still humming to herself. She didn’t seem to notice the pointed glares of the goats, the distant shouts of battle, or anything else …

Until Cordelia landed on her wiry back, claws extended, and firmly nuzzled her slim neck.

“Ack!” Herbs scattered everywhere as Alys jerked with shock.

Cordelia loved being a cat! She twisted neatly in midair as she fell and shifted back into her own human body as she landed on the ground.

“I might have known.” Groaning, Alys scooped up the cut herbs that she’d dropped and deposited them in a large bowl nearby. “Shouldn’t Connall be looking after you, you menace?”

Cordelia pointed at her closed lips.

“Oh, for goodness’ sake!” Shaking her head, Alys reached into her apron and took out the polished gray river stone that Mother had given her years ago. She touched it lightly to Cordelia’s face, then turned back to the herb bed, dropping the stone into her pocket for the next time it was needed.