For once, the grey cat is found in the sunlight, in a corner of the roof, where her long and therefore slightly stringy-looking tail hangs down limp over the edge.  Laying on her side, a paw is stretched out, lightly tapping on a small twig still clinging to the very edge.

Then poor Mister Pig comes along, looking as if he had dropped his favourite toy down a well.  She rolls over and gets up, slowly approaching him where he sits.

Coming up close she lightly headbutts his back where he sits to offer some comfort, then stays close but not too close, offering him a path further in-roof should he so desire.

'We're here, Dreamcatcher,' she says quietly where she sits.

Cardinal Midnight wakes from his afternoon nap to see all the other cats crowded around Sir Percy Higgleston III but since he had heard questions but no answers, rather than add to the questions he waited with a terrible patience for the answer.

Shuddering as the other cats question him, Mister Pig finally sighs, and lets out a mournful yowl.

"I... I suppose I should tell you, since I am most certainly doomed by my own stupidity, and the story may serve as a warning to others."

Another sigh, and a few moments thought, and then he begins...

"I am, as some of you may know, eight years old.  Since I was a kitten, newly parted from my mother, and first carried to my present home, I have had a special blue dish for my meals, with a picture of a happy fish in the bottom.  Last week I jumped onto the counter and accidentally knocked the dish to the floor, where it smashed on the tiles."

"My special dish always made my meals taste better, and eating from it made me happy.  Now it is broken, my meals taste like cardboard, and I am miserable."

He gives another mournful wail.

"But that is not the worst.  Two days ago, as I was sleeping, I dreamed that I met an old cat who told me of a secret place in the Dream where a certain tree grows.  He told me that If I went there and spoke all three of my names, then my dearest wish would be granted."

"But it didn't work.  I spoke my names to the tree, and when I woke up I still didn't have my special dish."

Mister Pig wails again, then continues after further encouragement, "Today I caught a Boggin, a small, weak one.  Before I killed the thing it told me that other Boggins know my secret name.  That I talk in my sleep."

By this point, the poor cat is in an extremely depressed state...

Sunny was paying attention now. Broken dishes didn't concern him as he meals were usually foolish birds and he drank water where he could find it. His family fed Char-key but she wasn't allowed outside. Sometimes a reward was given for his service, but just on a regular dish. If you broke your own dish with your own pounce, that was just foolishness.

But, speaking your secret name was foolish beyond even a bird. Whether in a dream or not, you never speak that name. You only knew it. "Foolish cat. What use are unkept secrets? Though... perhaps we can kill these boggins before they spread the secret further? I wonder about this dream tree though."

"I too wonder about the tree." growls Mephistopheles, "It seems a bit too convenient for my liking.  To my mind, the whole dream, in fact, appears to have been aimed at tricking a cat into revealing his name.  A cruel trap!"

He sits up and starts washing his paw, nervously.

"Who knows how far the unfortunate Pig's name has been spread by now.  Boggins are numerous, and delight in torment."

"The Boggin may, of course, have lied," Sir Percy says leisurely. "They are prone to do so, after all. But it warrants investigation, all the same. We can't let one of our neighbours be undone by the viles of the enemy. We do have certain standards to uphold."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:36, Thu 24 Sept 2020.

"Well, whatever the case may be, I expect that our friend is on the outs already if his name is out. I knew a cat, once, who told his three names to a Boggin, and he was not long for this world. I shudder to think what may have become of him."

Bones Fleabag lounged in a most thoughtful way, kneading Mister Pig's back as he reminisced.

Midnight too considered Dreamcatcher's story.  His humans fed him on a plastic dish on the floor but even though he could jump and climb as well as any cat he knew, once even chasing a squirrel all the way to his feet and then sat outside to wait until the pale human with the white beard called 'Cat cat cat cat cat' (which was much better than the so called name the humans had given him).  Where was he?

Oh yes. Even though all that, he knew that one does not climb or jump in the house. One miaous loudly until a human picks one up.  Nevertheless, he supposed they would have to help Dreamcatcher and prepare for war, destroying any boggin with such forbidden knowledge.

Picturing her own dish shattered, Tickles can relate to the woeful tale of a dish best not thought of any more.  She tilts her head as Mr Pig tells his story about names, Boggins and trees.  Then she listens to the words of the others, tilting her head the other way.  She gently taps a few thoughts to one side, then the other, until one of them gently rolls into place.

'We all make mistakes, no use admonishing our friend, as it will not change what has transpired,' she quietly says, glancing at Sunny with a slow blink.

'My fear is the name is too far spread for us to contain, so there is little time to act before these... things.. do strike.  The question then is, how to act.'  Bones' words gets a nod from her.

Closing her eyes she hangs her head until it rests against her poor friend's back.  Slowly she tilts her head this way and that way.  Once more thoughts are gently tapped and nudged until one finally settles near her tongue.

Opening her eyes she lifts her head anew, 'We should enter Kingdom of Dreams.  The answer may lay therein.'

"A capital notion!" Sir Percy agrees. "It offers the best hope of finding out more. And furthermore, it has the added virtue of not requiring one do to something as disagreeable as leave one's pleasant basking spot."

Sunny was inspecting his paws and contemplating a fight when the comment shot across his attention. He tilted his head and stared at Shadowfoot. Admonishing foolish things was how you taught others not to do something. He looked at their friend and sighed. He understood the impulse here. The notion of entering the Kingdom of Dreams did not comfit him. Sunny was better with tooth and claw and coat. His tail was a thing for balance not magic. Still, if the others thought it best, he'd do what he could.

"Perhaps, also, Fleabag can talk to his friends? Boggins have as many fleas as dogs last I checked or hang out with worse company." He glanced at Higgles and flicked his ears before inspecting his paws again. Sunny didn't often laze about which made him a strange cat.

Miss Cuddles' eyes closed to mere slits in displeasure at the thought of one of her friends being in such jeopardy as Mister Pig!  She listened carefully to all the others' suggestions, her ears twitching first one way then the other as they spoke.

"I agree that the answer may lay in the Kingdom of Dreams, but I also think that Dreamcatcher should not be left alone." She purred loudly as she imagined her friend being caught by boggins!  "Whether he stays with one of us, one of us visits with him either way would work.  I know my mistress won't mind another cat around the house, she is very nice."

Dreamcatcher, caught by a dream in this case, looks relieved, if ever so slightly confused.

"I... I don't know what to say.  I really didn't expect to get so much support, and I do appreciate it.  Thank you all."  He rises to his feet, tail thrashing excitedly.  "I don't know why I didn't think of Dreaming to find an answer, rather than troubling you all."

"I can only say that I was, perhaps, too upset to think clearly.  I do apologise."

"Rumbler, that is an excellent idea. Give me a moment."

Bones Fleabag took a moment to lay back and curl up, examining his own body all over. After a few moments, he came to his inner hind leg, where a flea he knew was currently chewing (with permission, of course).

"Hey, Lace. What can you tell me about a Boggin with a cat's three names around here?"

Pausing in his washing, Mephistopheles looks up.  "A journey to the Land of Dreams does seem like the best way to solve this.  Shall we do it now, while there are still a few hours until dinner?"

He eyes Bones curiously.  He has, on occasion, tried talking to insects himself, but has never received an answer (unless the time he was stung by a bee was actually a particularly unpleasant form of communication).

"There is no time like the present, that's what I always say," Sir Percy says. He lays down his head and closes his eyes.

Midnight just watched Fleabag and then watched some more and said absolutely nothing.  His mother taught him... well nothing but all the same.   His human had brushed insecticidal powder into his cloak so ... but all the same.  "Hasn't that flea been in your fur all the time, Fleabag?"

As others considered the Kingdom of Dreams, Sunny latched onto a different bent, "Yes, someone should sit with Dreamcatcher. I am probably best suited to that and poorly suited to the Kingdom of Dreams." Sunny finally leveraged himself to a sitting position which showed off his size. A cat surely built for fighting. The lack of scars either meant he was untested or a sign of his talent. "I Will stay here with Dreamcatcher as it would not be safe for him to enter the Kingdom."

"I disagree.  Since the problem involves his names, it may be necessary for him to go in and solve it.  While friends can probably help him along the way, he may be the only one who can reclaim his name in the end.  And time is probably of the essence."

'Obviously we all go into the Kingdom of Dreams.  Dreamcatcher might recognise something, and if not, certainly need to be there should we find something of interest.  I doubt Boggins will sneak up here,' says Shadowfoot quietly.

She begins to curl up and lean up against Mr Pig, preparing to enter the realm of dreams.  Her tail curls up over her nose and, with one last glance with on eye at the unfortunate cat, heaves a long, slow breath.

The heartbeat of a mouse later she is asleep.

Mister Pig lowers his head, and says quietly,  "I think I would prefer to be involved in this.  As Tickles said, I may recognise something.  And Mephistopheles may have caught the bird in flight... I will need to be there if my secret name is involved."

"I think this place is safe.  Boggins wouldn't come here, because cats are well known for waking in an instant from the deepest of slumbers.  Besides, we have never seen a Boggin here, in our meeting place."

Bones Fleabag gave quite an offended mrow noise at Lace's response, considering for just an instant that perhaps he had listened right, instead of listening quite wrong as you had to in order to understand buggies. "Didn't I tell you to make some friends, Lace? You bother me. I am going to sleep, Lace. Make some friends, Lace. Get another name like someone civilized, too."

The cat curled up warmly against Mister Pig, drifting to sleep . . .

Sunny mad a very unhappy sound but kept it mostly to himself. He did not like the Kingdom of Dreams and usually only went in to save the boy from nightmares or boggins. Flopping down again, he stretched his paws out and yawned deeply. Making sure to keep his spotted right side up for luck, he let his mind slip free.

It wasn't comfortable for him but he would do what needs must to help a friend. At least the sunlight on his side felt good.

Miss Cuddles nodded imperceptibly as the other cats spoke and then got down to the business of sleeping so that they could enter the Kingdom of Dreams.  Whilst she was comfortable where she lay, however, certain rituals needed to be followed for her to sleep and enter the Kingdom of Dreams.

She stretched her front paws out a bit further, her claws tapping the roof of the shed as she pushed her hind legs up so that her bottom was elevated.  She was certain that she'd heard this position called downward dog on one of the yoga programmes that her mistress exercised to occasionally and a soft, rumbly chuckle emanated from her throat at the thought.  Miss Cuddles then stood on all fours, turned three times clockwise before settling down, her head resting on her flank, her front paws tucked to her chest and with her tail curled around herself making a complete circle.  Circles were safe - and lucky.  Her eyes blinked slowly as she took one last look at her friends before shutting them and willing herself to sleep.  The warmth of the sun and the roof cuddling her like a warm blanket.

One by one, the cats settle down to rest, though Mister Pig, understandably, takes a little longer than the others to enter the Dream...