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his mind.
    “To clean off the dirt of the road! It’s been how long since we’ve been able to clean up? Believe it or not, humans like to be as clean as any ‘cat.” He nodded emphatically to drive his point home. “By the way, why didn’t you let me know it was there?”
    ‘There was no problem as long as it didn’t go into the water.’ The ‘cat wasn’t forthcoming with information unless it was clearly needed. Like his help last night with the deer, which showed that self-serving information was the most readily shared. And that was the end of what passed for a reasonable conversation between Braden and the ‘cat.

 
    14 –Like an Eagle
     
    As they continued south, staying far from the road, they spotted a couple more Crawlers, no more cold-water crocs, and plenty of deer. They saw a mutie Bear a ways off, but the horses were able to gallop past before he became interested. The Bears were the most dangerous creatures known in Warren Deep. They could paralyze a creature with their mind. Not that they needed that edge to overwhelm something so insignificant as a human. They couldn’t see very well, but they were smart. Most people were fortunate enough to never see one.
    The civilized areas of Warren Deep had been mostly cleansed of mutants, the kind that would kill a person anyway. When the weather changed or the ground shook, some would appear. Everyone lived with a certain amount of fear. Fear that you wouldn’t bring home enough food for your family. Fear of fire, life, pain. Anything. Animals had an even greater base instinct for fear, even intelligent ones.
    But Braden had never sensed any fear from G-War. Maybe the ‘cat lived completely without it. He was deadly, quick, and prescient. He knew when a fight was coming. Braden suspected that he also knew how it would turn out. G-War seemed surprised that he ended up in the lake during the fight with the croc. Still, surprise wasn’t fear. He looked back at the orange fur ball curled up in a nest that he made within the blankets on their pack horse. Braden expected that his claws were embedded to keep him from slipping off and getting another unwanted surprise.
    Braden smiled. He had been incredibly lucky meeting the Golden Warrior. The ‘cat saved his life numerous times. The bonding was supposed to be a partnership, but Braden felt more like an honored servant. For providing food and basic services, Braden received one forever guardian that questioned his competence at all times, while occasionally delivering life-saving support.
    On cue, G-War lifted his head and looked at Braden. The ‘cat blinked and rose into a sitting position. ‘As it should be,’ he sent over their mindlink, then added, ‘hungry.’
    They entered an area of rolling plains in the foothills of the Bittner Mountains. Rocky islands broke the monotony of the flowing grasses. It was serene. Braden wondered why no humans had settled here. It looked like it needed nothing to be fertile. Maybe because they were a long way from the roads.
    The ancients had laid out a system of roads that tied together the important places. These were still the main travel ways, although the road surfaces themselves were cracked and overgrown. New roads had been made in the dirt alongside those of the ancients. Although the ancients had been long gone, people were still hesitant to move into the wild.
    Braden led his small party to a rocky outcropping, dismounted, and gave the area a good once over. He didn’t like surprises any more than G-War. “Anything?” he asked the ‘cat, trying to avoid another croc crashing the water party incident.
    ‘Yes,’ he answered almost instantly. And so began the twenty questions of their conversation.
    “Will it kill me?”
    ‘Not if it doesn’t go into the water.’ Braden gave the ‘cat a hard look. His demeanor hadn’t changed. His whiskers flicked back and forth, before settling back. Was that a laugh? Had G-War actually made a human-quality joke?