From: tyger@netcom.com (Kristen Kohlbecker)
Subject: [CASTLE] Tyger and Co. make their presence known
Organization:  I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove anything!
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 00:20:37 GMT

After a few hours at the near breakneck pace set by Tyger, Marcello and Danita
were most grateful to crest a last hill and see the battlements of the Castle 
of Romance gleaming a brilliant rose and orange color in the late afternoon 
sun...and not very far away. Tyger came to the bottom of the hill, and stopped 
short, gasping suddenly in alarm. Even as she did, Marcello felt an icy finger 
run down his spine, and Danita began to whimper, burying her face in 
Marcello's neck as he bent to pick her up.

"What *was* that?", asked Marcello, his voice trembling. He knew that what he 
had felt was *not* normal or natural, especially given the reactions of the 
two women he traveled with.

"I don't know, but it came from the Castle...it's a presence I've not felt 
in..." Seeing the two staring at her, Tyger regained her composure and said 
calmly to Danita, "I think we ought to consider another form, yes?" Danita
nodded solemnly, gave Marcello a quick hug around the neck and jumped out of
his arms. Tyger looked at Marcello and said, "I trust you can stay calm?"
Marcello nodded slowly, unable momentarily to speak.

Tyger's form shimmered and changed as she closed her eyes to the darkening
day. Soon in her place, there was a wolf with black fur, except for it's 
chest, which was an almost luminescent silver. "This one would prefer that
the cub change now, " she said in the oddly stilted language of the Wolf-
Clan.

Danita, too, closed her eyes, and soon in her place was a cub with blue fur
and glowing yellow eyes, and a silver-furred chest like her mother. The larger
wolf could be seen to roll its eyes. "One wishes the cub could be a little
more serious." Danita had the grace to look abashed, but her color remained 
the same vibrant blue as the flowers on the ground around them.  Tyger padded
silently over to Marcello, who stared at her wide-eyed. "This one would ask 
the man-thing to accompany us. This one and the cub have better warning of 
mischeif this way, and will not let the man-thing fall into mischance. This one
would advise caution. This one is a bit wary " Oddly enough, Marcello could 
understand her prefectly. He stammered, "How is this possible?" Tyger gave him 
a wolfly grin, raised a paw to him, wiggled her toes and said, "Maaaaagic, 
man-thing!" Marcello laughed nevously, but began walking resolutely towards 
the Castle, a wolf to either side of him.

Contrary to their expectations, nothing out of the ordinary happened, and 
just as the last light faded from the battlements of the Castle, the trio
found themselves before the massive oak gates of the Castle. The larger wolf
shimmered briefly, and soon the Witch of Tygerwood stood in its place. " Well,
now we can..." She glanced around, and finally spotted Danita playing with a
young (and hysterical with fear) rabbit. Tyger gave Marcello a hard look, as
if daring him to comment. He prudently said nothing. Tyger turned and called 
to Danita in the speech of the Wolf-Clan, "This one would ask you to leave the 
burrow-creature alone and come here." The pup came over, sulking and dragging 
its paws, shimmered briefly, and resolved into the form of the tiny girl. "Aw 
mommie..." she started to say, but was quickly silenced by a look from Tyger.

Tyger knocked loudly on the gate and called out, " I and my travelling 
companions would ask shelter from the cold. It is I, Tyger, with my daughter,
Danita, and a stray..." She smirked at Marcello, "...named Marcello." After 
some time, and no acknowledgement, and the descent of a biting cold, Marcello 
was about to retreat to the forest, but the furious look on Tyger's face 
stopped him. "They will *not* refuse us!" she snarled and raised her hands, 
palms out, to the door. She closed her eyes, and the gate splintered and 
disappeared, only to re-appear as soon as they had passed through it. A few 
guards came scrambling from their sconces, only to pull up short with 
confusion at the unlikely trio of "attackers". 

"I would know of thee where thy master doth take his ease this night. I 
wish to remind him that tis most unseemly to not give shelter to travellers
on a night such as this. Twice has this one," she gestured toward Marcello, 
"sought some respite from the cold here. Had I not been with him, he would 
have been twice refused. Thy liege would seem to be quite lacking in those
graces befitting Lord of the Castle." Tyger's last words were practically
spat at the Captain of the Guard, who had just joined his men.

"We mean ye no harm, Lady, but there be an evil about, and we know not if
ye be minions to it, or the pilgrims thine accoutrements proclaim thee to
be." said the Captain somewhat nervously. Tyger looked him up and down. 
"You are shaking, Captain, what is this evil that hath thee so in thrall
that the echo of thy knocking knees doth deafen me?" The Captain stammered,
" I *know* not, Lady, I beg of thee, ask me no more...it doth pain me to
think on it...the lady of the Castle trapped in the DreamWorld...my lord
gone after her..." Tyger's eye's widened, then softened. "I am most
aggrieved to hear of your troubles, my lord Captain. Is there another who
can tell me what hath transpired here?" "Aye, Lady, mayhap the lady
Kathrea would be able to give thee the knowledge thou seek'st." "Excellent.
Pray, convey me hence, that I might have a word with Lady Kathrea." 

Tyger followed quickly behind the Captain, but was enough out of his earshot
to deal with questions from Marcello. "How did you learn to talk like that?"
Tyger raised one eyebrow as she looked at him, and answered, " I was not 
always a forest creature. At one time, I too, lived in the Castle." Marcello
decided that now was as good a time as any to shut up, so that is what he 
did. He picked up Danita again, who buried her face in his neck and trembled,
not knowing what the Lady Kathrea might reveal to them...


Tyger
-- 
      Kristen Kohlbecker    And I would choose to be with you
      tyger@netcom.com      That's if the choice were mine to make   
                            But you can make decisions too
      A Tyger and a Lady    And you can have this heart to break 
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