1. the whole story or at least the beginning of it

Well hello there! Welcome my friends! Have a seat. Care for some tea or a cookie or two? It's good to see you and it's been a long time. Ah yes I'm doing well. So you've finally come to have me tell you the whole story? Well it is a long story you know but since you ask and have the time and are willing to listen to an old owl tell her tales, I think then you're right. It is time. So get comfortable now and do remember what you hear is what I remember and what has been told to me by the others.

It was all the King of Cats fault. Oh yes, don't try to tell me otherwise. You weren't there and I was and I'm going to tell you why. So just sit back and listen. Perhaps you will be amused and then again maybe not.

I should have realized what I was getting myself into but as usual I didn't and now here, since you asked, I am finally able to tell you the whole story of the King of Cats and the Gathering of the Ten or at least as much as I can remember.

Long ago and not so far away was a land called ET. At that time it was inhabited by two groups of barbarians. As you all know quite well barbarians of different tribes seldom are able to get along without an occasional fight or two so you can well imagine ET was a lively land to say the least. But this story is not about their adventures.

ET was like any other frontier land. Civilization had definitely not engulfed them yet. However, there was the Overlord who imposed his might upon the inhabitants and kept the peace such as it was. But this story is not about the Overlord either.

I can see by your faces you're beginning to wonder just who the heck this story is about. Well just be patient I'm getting to that.

Within the land of ET there was a group of ruffians who spent a lot of their time in a tavern called "Nothing".

Strange name for a tavern, eh? Well, it's like this ... Remember when you were a kid and your mom asked you what you were doing? You probably answered "Nothing, Mom". Same thing. We all hung around doing practically nothing so the name was quite appropriate, wouldn't you think so?

Oh we ruffians had a great time spending our days and nights in Nothing. Lots of fun and always someone to talk with. We told stories, shared poems, told jokes and sometimes just got plain silly. Life was good. Occasionally one or two of the barbarians would complain to the Overlord about closing us down. Thought it wasn't right to have a tavern in ET. Now you would think that they being barbarians would enjoy spending some time whooping it up in our establishment but oh no, not them. They were the most straitlaced barbarians I've ever met. But the Overlord did listen to them and thankfully every time he was petitioned he decided that ET needed Nothing. The barbarians always went away grumbling but couldn't do a thing about it.

Now you may think that all we did at that time was spend it in Nothing, doing nothing and you'd be wrong. There was much to do in ET and we all did have our own lives to contend with.

Another place we hung out in, mainly for a rest, was the Asylum. Yup, we were a crazy bunch but don't you ever call us insane. We definitely were not insane. The Asylum offered free room and board. Just don't eat the cookies. Nurse Ratchet always laced the cookies with mind altering substances. Not a good thing. Don't eat the cookies.

I want to make something clear to you now. Nurse Ratchet may sound familiar to some of you but she's not THE Nurse Ratchet, a cousin perhaps and just as ... well you know ... we avoided her at all costs and got pretty good at it too.

The Asylum was our second home and we had many adventure there. Infact some of what is to be told happened within those walls.

Okay, I can by your shifting in your seats that you're wondering just when I'd get to the story. Alright, I'll start now. You'll just have to pay attention because being an old owl that I am I do tend to ramble a bit.

I did tell you didn't I that I was friends with the King of Cats? I didn't? oh, okay ... I was and I still am but he's getting a little grey in his ear tuffs and we don't see each much anymore. But he was a magnificent beast back then.

Life was going mostly peacefully in ET and we all were having a jolly time in Nothing. Nurse Ratchet was on vacation so it made the Asylum a very comfortable place to spend the off hours. I hadn't visited with the King of Cats for a long time so I decided to fly over and see how things were going with him. The flight was uneventful. I should have known something was up because I usually met up with a few friends on the way however I was just happy to be out and about on such a nice night.

It wasn't long before I got to the Kingdom of the Cats. As the custom with cats many were up and about doing what cats do. All seemed as it should be. When I reached the King of Cat's home it was just before dawn. I noticed that his place looked a little bit .. hmmm how should I say ... ah, shabby. Things seemed out of place and unkept. I didn't think much of it, being not much of a housekeeper myself, so I landed, went up to the door and knocked.

It was awhile until I heard the door unlatch. I thought that a bit queer since the King always had an open door policy but I soon forgot that thought when my friend opened the door and I went inside.

Then concern for my friend grew as I walked in. There was a large table off to the side near the fireplace. It was strewn with books and old scrolls. The drapes on the windows were closed and there was no fire in the fireplace. The room had an almost musty smell to it and was in a state of disarray. I took a good look at my friend and, well, he looked as if he hadn't had any sleep in days.

Noticing my quizzical look he asked me to pardon the clutter since he had been busy elsewhere and then showed me to a seat by the table. He pulled a scroll from the top of the pile, unrolled it and asked me what I thought of it. I took a look and saw that it was a map.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. In a hushed tone my friend told me to hide the scroll in my cloak and so I did. He then got up and went to the door and while throwing a look for me to keep silent, he asked who was it knocking so late. There was no answer. He then turned to me and motioned for me to leave by the hidden door next to the fireplace. I wanted to ask what, why but there was no time and so I opened that door, closed it behind me and fled down the tunnel to the river and the open land beyond it.

Oh my, my young ones. Am I catching you yawning? Is my story so sleep inducing that your mind drifts? I think the time is late and I am growing weary also. It is a good time to stop. A cliff hanger some would say. I see you have brought your bed gear with you and you are most welcome to stay. We can pick up the story tomorrow once we've had a good sleep.