Silverclaw

Prologue

 The woman hummed quietly as she spun, her wheel spinning round and round as she worked the wool, expertly teasing it out and feeding it into her thread. The cats watched the wheel move, but didn't come any closer. They knew from experience that if they did and they caught their noses or paws she would just laugh and continue spinning.

 The door opened and then closed again as her daughter entered the house, and a few snowflakes blew in behind her before she could shut the door on the storm outside.

 It had been a week since the woman had started her story telling, but they hadn't had time to continue it, as the weather had rapidly turned bad and they had needed to make sure that the cats and other animals would be safe and warm in the cold weather.

 However, the girl had finished the last of the jobs the day before, and had only been out to feed and water the animals before returning to their home. The girl untied the scarf from around her hair and hung it on a hook by the door as she slipped out of her boots.

 'Esther's given birth, Mama, she's had triplets! Oh, they're such beautiful cubs!'

 'I thought she would sometime soon. Did you give her extra bedding to keep them all warm?'

 The girl laughed happily. 'I did, but all the other cats had already curled up with them! Oh, the cubs are so sweet, Mama. Esther even let me hold one!'

 'Esther is the kindest cat we have, so I'm not very surprised at that. I knew she would make a wonderful mother. Come and sit with me, Sweet, and card some wool for me.'

 The girl bounced over, smiling happily, and sat next to her on the floor, picking up the wool carders that had been waiting for her. Dragging the teeth through the wool, she listened to her mother hum for a while before speaking again.

 'Mama, will you tell me more about Lady Silverfur? Papa never said before that she had four elf names.'

 'Your father didn't want you to know yet, Sweet, because he thought the knowledge would harm you.'

 'Why would it harm me, Mama? Lady Silverfur is just a story, isn't she?'

 The mother paused to look down at her daughter. 'Lady Silverfur is as real as you and I are, Sweet, never you doubt that. However, she does still have a few enemies, ones who would be very happy to learn where she is.'

 The girl titled her head as she looked into her mother's eyes, eyes as blue as her own, and then she smiled.

 'But Mama, she isn't still alive, is she?'

 'She's alive, Sweet. She's just biding her time, protecting those she loves from afar. Now, where were we in the story?'

 The girl's face lit up. 'She had just fallen asleep after the Naming Feast!'

 'So she had. Nothing unusual happened for a few months after that, so I shall pick up from there.'

 Starting her spinning wheel up again, the woman started the next part of her tale.