Unexpectedly turned into a cat, Kat falls into Middle-earth with the mission to prevent a death. In a feline form she can only communicate with the elf Legolas - and that he is such an attractive specimen is certainly not helpful...
A humorous (but...
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"I believe you find life such a problem because you think there are good people and bad people. You're wrong, of course. There are, always and only, the bad people, but some of them are on opposite sides."
― Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!
33. The White City
The ride continued, and now that Kat knew Gandalf could understand her she felt a little less lonely. But it was probably true he had to concentrate hard to do it, because half the times she said something he didn't reply. Or perhaps that was just his way.
Shortly before sunrise the day after they saw the beacons, they arrived at a grey stone wall which seemed to be still under construction. Despite the early hour there was a bustle of activity; men walked to and fro with wheelbarrows full of square stones, and a hammer sounded nearby. A row of torches spread light over the building site.
Pippin was sleeping as usual – he had done little else since his encounter with the palantír – so Gandalf turned to Kat when he described what they saw. "This is the Rammas Echor, a very long wall that surrounds the Pelennor Fields and Minas Tirith. It looks like they have posted guards in front of the opening, but I am well known in these parts so it should not be a problem to be let inside. But it is probably best if you hide in Pippin's cloak, just in case."
Certainly. Kat slipped under the soft, elvish fabric. Pippin moved in his sleep and wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head against his chest.
Though she enjoyed all forms of cuddling, Kat could not help but miss another one's arms – and his scent. Morosely she thought of how slim the chances were that she would ever feel that again; even if they both survived and were reunited, Legolas would be more careful now that he knew her feelings.
They arrived at the wall and Gandalf exchanged a few words with the guards. They spoke quickly and the sounds were muffled from under the cloak, but as far as Kat could understand the men were distrustful of the sleeping hobbit – and their leader Ingold seemed to think he was a dwarf.
Gandalf then praised Pippin's resourcefulness and bravery in a way Kat had never heard him do before, and even called him a "very valiant man".
"Man?" The guards chuckled.
Pippin had woken up during their conversation and straightened his back. "Man! Indeed not," he said indignantly. He was a hobbit, and not a very valiant one, either. They shouldn't listen to Gandalf.
Ingold seemed surprised at the outburst, but also curious. He had never heard of a 'hobbit' before.
Gandalf explained that Pippin was a halfling, and Pippin filled in that he had been travelling with a man from their city – a certain Boromir.
"Boromir!" That name certainly caught the men's attention. "You know where he is?"
