THE HORSE NAMED CAT

"I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then." - Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Dan had read a great many books in his lifetime. He was not choosy. And there was once a happier time in his life when he spent many, many, hours pouring though the pages in the royal library everyday.

The royal library was a large hollow dusty enclave in the belly of the castle and while the sections for history, politics, geography, management, biographies and whatever the previous dynasty had considered worthy were kept in order, Dan had found a trove of literary treasure simply chucked in piles in the backrooms. Most of them were gifts, some still in half wrapped in paper and unopened boxes.

Among the gifts Dan had discovered treasures of old hand drawn lycan books, ancient magic scrolls (that Dan had fruitlessly studied), and story books - so many story books, Dan supposed they were meant for the pleasure of young princes and princesses.

Dan could only conclude from the sheer volume of untouched book-gifts that the previous royal family did not enjoy reading fiction (and magic was also largely regarded as fiction to the scientific mind.)

Dan had read them all, at first out of curiosity, and then because he coveted the prose and elegance, and then he found himself enjoying the childish pleasure of stepping through the pages and watching another world through the eyes of someone quite different from himself. He especially enjoyed the ones where a poor slave boy might somehow escape his cruel master into a grand adventure. You'd be surprised at the number of stories about such poor slave boys.

They were pure fantasies of talking war horses, magic, and everything that would never happen to him because he was someone who was born into the real world, one where hunger wasn't just a few passing words to incite the reader to feel a little sorry for the boy, but a repeated gnawing desperation that he never wanted to return to.

But Dan read every book, from the ones with talking animals to the ones with royalty who didn't seem to have anything to worry about except finding true love. It was his guilty pleasure, his secret stash, and when his King asked what he did all day in the library, he would sometimes pull out an old scroll or map or something he found among the books for him. Or else he would just shrug, "I was sorting out the backroom."

"Oh? What did you find there today, my friend?" The King asked.

"Nothing that would be of use to you, my King." Dan would honestly assure him.

There were some books that had been gifted multiple times, and one of them was about a girl named Alice. Dan had read it more than once, not because he liked it but because it was one of the few books he could not understand at all.

He would have categorized it under the nonsensical book category, BUT it had been repeatedly gifted - no other book was thought as an apt gift for the royal children as this one. Dan tried very hard to uncover the analogy behind the tale. It reminded him of the Bear named Winnie the Pooh. Dan could not relate to it either.

He would quote it to sound flippant, and the dignitaries and their socialite wives would describe the conversations they shared as "charming."

Dan was an intelligent and charming diplomat, who quoted Faust and Plato, but every now and then delighted his companions with a light-hearted quip through Alice's looking glass. He was very popular at parties because official parties that diplomats attended were at large a dreadful bore and Dan's conversations were considered particularly sparkling.

It was most unfortunate that Dan had no chance to show off this side of him to the wolves at Moon Bell. So far, he had only proven to be a blubbering stammering dolt who ended up breaking down in tears while telling his life story in all its sordid details.

So Dan rather surprised himself when he walked out of the Control Tower with Wolfgang, Wilhelm, and the cats feeling a new spring in his step and a buoyancy in his heart. Was this the feeling of freedom?

And suddenly Dan understood Alice in the Wonderland.

-"I knew who I was this morning, but I've changed a few times since then." -

"We have some time." Lord Wolfgang checked his watch, "Let's meet Captain Zane at the Watch Tower."

There were 12 watch towers - one for every hour. Don't ask. The entire Walking Fortress was mind-boggling, BUT it was also a giant sundial, with the Control Tower in the center and 12 Watch Towers around it, only if it were faced in the right direction in respect to the sun though.

This was because Alpha Sam thought it was very funny. Get it? A Watch Tower? So it had 12 hours all around the circumference? It was most unfortunate, that Roulette, the chief architect of this metal monstrosity was as crazy as the Blue Alpha. The two of them together could rip a hole in the very fabric of reality.

This was all according to Lord Wolfgang and although he sounded most disapproving of the alleged insanity, Dan couldn't help be feel Wolfgang might secretly be a little proud of the achievement too. But only if Wolfgang was a cat, specifically the one named Peri, which he was not. Dan had to very firmly remind himself. The last thing he needed was to say another stupid thing.

Captain Zane was an impressive Alpha Wolf a little older than Dan, but Wolfgang spoke to him as if he were a pup. Dan was very impressed because Captain Zane only nodded and answered the fire wolf's overbearing demands with a polite, "Yes, sir."

It seemed that Wolfgang wasn't exaggerating when he said he had taught every young alpha wolf in Moon Bell. Captain Zane was the Captain of the Walking Fortress. This was a different kind of Captain from Dan's Captain of the guards. In Moon Bell, every Captain had about 500 warriors under his command.

Outside Moon Bell, Captain Zane was also known as Zane Reid, heir of the financial giant, Reid Inc. By now, Dan stopped being surprised at the revelation of alternate multibillionaire identities of the wolves he met. By now, Dan had long accepted that reality did not apply in Moon Bell.

"We still have a bit of time." Wolfgang checked his watch after they left the Watch Tower, "Is there anything or anyone you'd like to meet, Dan?"

"If there is a talking horse…" Dan joked. That was his favorite story. If he had to fall through the rip in reality, why not THE HORSE AND HIS BOY?

And although Dan should have known better by now, his jaw dropped when Wolfgang nodded, "Why not? Captain Zora's tribe is nearby."

Who? What?

That was how Dan was introduced to Captain Zora - a talking horse, and his entire tribe of talking horses. (No, of course, Dan didn't call Captain Zora a talking horse.) Dan bowed politely and felt very much like a boy again. The horses were wild and were the size of the largest warhorses Dan had ever seen. Captain Zora was a handsome dark grey dappled stallion. He reminded Dan of an ink painting.

{A human?} Captain Zora had snorted. Dan was startled at the voice in his head, but that was how the horses "talked."

"This is my friend, Dan Lion." Wolfgang informed the horse.

Captain Zora nodded his large heavy head. Dan admired how his mane was like flowing ink. Dan had seen many noble steads while accompanying his King, but really, Captain Zora was like an ink painting come alive, {How magnificent!}

The horse looked surprised, and then he laughed, {Thank you, Dan Lion.}

Dan was very sure he only thought that. He covered his mouth.

But Wolfgang, Wilhelm, and Zora were suddenly talking about some troublesome horse without a name. Zora was worried because every horse in their tribe had bonded with a wolf except this particular one. Wolfgang didn't think it was a big deal, it had happened before in Snow Moon. Not every horse would find a rider.

Zora was less understanding. It had never happened before in Moon Bell.

Wolfgang was more interested in the result of the drill he taught the other horses this morning.

Zora snorted, {Give it time, Hotstuff. Our horses and wolf riders both are far wilder than the ones in your Snow Moon.}

"The wilder they are, the more discipline they need." Wolfgang said firmly.

Dan Lion waited for a point where someone told him that Zora was also known as (fill in another multibillionaire name here), but instead, Zora brought him to meet the last nameless horse in his tribe.

{No one could name him.} Zora told Dan as they followed the horse captain over to a lone horse at the other edge of the meadow, {He's usually running in the valley, but I summoned him to meet Hotstuff this morning.}

{I told you, Zora,} Wolfgang folded his arms to show he was firmly against it, {I won't bring him with me. I cannot promise you his acceptance in the other tribe, and he might not bond with a rider in Snow Moon either.}

"Hello!" Dan raised a hand to greet the light brown horse. On closer inspection, his mane and tail were white. A Palomino, that's what these were called. Dan had only seen one other horse with such a coloring. This one had a white streak down the center of his face. He was a beautiful horse. Why was he nameless? But Dan didn't dare to ask without understanding the possible cultural insinuations of such a question.

{What is this creature?} The Palomino asked.

"This is my friend, Dan Lion." Wolfgang stepped forward protectively, "He's a human."

{I'm not bonding with a human.} The Palomino snorted, {I'd rather stay nameless.}

Zora snorted louder to signal his dissatisfaction with the Palomino's words.

"Who said I was here to bond with you?" Dan asked. Why was it that the Palomino also reminded him of a cat? Dan smiled wryly, well he had gained some recent experience with cats, "I'd rather drive a car."

{I hate those noisy smelly things.} the Palomino opined testily.

"Have you ever driven one?" Dan asked, "They drive like a dream."

And then Dan added, because he was having so much fun meeting a talking horse that he had to tease it, even if it were just a little, "How would you know what it's like to ride a car? Or run with a human? I bet you've never met either in real life."

{Ha!} the Palomino stomped and whinnied and shook out his mane, {I met you! And I don't like you. At all. So there!}

Dan laughed, "You're a terrible liar."

{You're annoying!} The Palomino threw back.

"A car wouldn't tell me I'm annoying." Dan said.

{I bet you've never rode a horse before either!} the Palomino snapped.

"Actually, I have." Dan grinned, "But none of them talked."

{Don't compare me to those mindless beasts!} the Palomino was most indigent.

"Cat." Dan said.

{What?} the horse said.

"Your name." Dan said, "Because I think you must be a cat at heart."

{Now I know you must be provoking me on purpose!} Cat squealed, his head and tail held high in warning.

"Dan, command Cat by name." Wolfgang suddenly instructed.

"Stop." Dan raised his hand in front of Cat's face.

Cat stopped and blinked.

Dan clicked his tongue in approval. Cat nickered, and then flared, {I'm not a dumb beast! Don't click at me.}

Dan laughed, "Do you think I can ride you?"

{Do you think YOU can ride ME?} Cat challenged. Dan smiled, that was all the invitation he needed.