Rev ran down the path, clutching his lute as he was chased by the large Kensha Beast.
     "Why did you have to sing right then you Idiot!?  If you hadn't woken up that thing, we wouldn't be in trouble like this!" a voice cried from his pocket, Darania berating Rev for his actions.
     "I can't control when inspiration strikes!  I had to play to get the song out . . . to FEEL the music."  Rev puffed his answer as he continued running as fast as he could.  "Besides, we are rather lucky."
     "LUCKY?  We are being chased by a giant six legged wolf who can gulp us right down, and you say we are LUCKY!?!"
     "Most of the time, they hunt in packs"  Darania's response to this bit of information was an unintelligible scream.  Rev continued to run flat out, luckily all of his adventures as he traveled the multiverse had given him great endurance and a good running speed.  Unfortunately, this predator seemed to have great endurance and speed as well.  It was also just a dumb animal, preventing him from trying to talk or sing his way out of mealtime.  He felt himself start to slow as he began to tire, when he caught the glint of metal as a small object was tossed on the path in front of him.  He found himself starting to count as he passed it, and just as the Kensha Beast started to pass over it, the grenade exploded, throwing heated shrapnel everywhere.  The blast threw Rev to the ground, and he rolled, curled into a ball to protect his lute and his tiny friend.  Finally coming to a stop, he waited until his dizziness stopped and shakily got to his feet.  As he looked back the way he had come, he saw a male neko with a large ax chop off the beastie's head finishing it off.  He saw four other nekos around the beastie, weapons at the ready.
     These nekos were different from the ones he was used to seeing.  All were at least seven feet tall, and all were powerfully built.  The three females had long hair, the two males short, and all their hair was naturally striped black on red.  The males had fur over their lower arms and lower legs as well.  All had thick leather armor covering their torsos that didn't restrict their movements at all.  All had several weapons.  As Rev walked over, the oldest, a male walked to meet him while the others took turns butchering their kill, or watching the forest for other attackers.
     "I am Snrr'rok of the Tiger Clan, leader of this hunt group.  The cubs,"  he looked back at the others, "are currently on their naming-hunt time.  When they have proven themselves worthy of a self-name, they will be given their names by our shaman.  We are Tiger Clan, first clan of the Tigers.  What is your clan, one who runs from battle?"  the experienced warrior looked down contemptuously at Rev.
     "I am Rev, the great bard!  I and my companion travel all lands to gather and spread knowledge and song!"  Rev drew himself to his full height and stared straight into the large neko's eyes.  Snrr'rok looked surprised and laughed, clapping Rev on his shoulder, making him stagger for a moment.
     "Ahh, a lore-keep!  Of course, battle exceptions are made for such as you.  Yours is a battle of the mind!"  he looked pleased at the unexpected meeting.  "You must come with us back to the clanhome and share your lore with our shaman, and our lore-keep.  The meat we have brought down will feed many of the clan as well.  This is truly a great day!"  He turned back to his students.  "Have you cubs finished yet?  We shall be back to the clan quickly."  He looked with satisfaction at the others, already finished and with a pack of meat weighing almost as much as themselves next to each of them.  Another pack sat in front for the leader.  He hefted his pack easily and set off, calling for 'Lore-keep Rev' to follow.  The pace set by the longer legged Tiger Clan was hard for Rev to keep, but he persevered as they made sure that other predators couldn't track them to their clanhome.  Arriving at the Tiger Clanhome, Snrr'rok looked slightly disappointed at their rock and timber defense.  Set on a rock plateau that strangely rose high above the forest, a large space had been cleared of trees around it for visibility and building materials.  Work crews moved to strengthen the defenses while warriors patrolled the walls, some with firearms, but most with bows and the occasional crossbow.
     "Behold the Tiger Clanhome.  Better, I feel if we did not have to rely on rock to keep the Cubs and Queens of the clan safe from the great beasts that live in this testing-land, but the testing-land requires such things, our shaman says, and the Lead Tom agrees, so we do so."  He sighed heavily.  "I must agree as well.  We are only starting to regain the numbers we lost in the Confusion Time many years ago when we were first brought to the Testing-land."  He grinned fiercely.  "But we are the stronger for it.  We have lost the weak, and the strong have become stronger as the clan grows again.  Let the Lion, Panther, or Cheetah clans come, we will best them!  None can best our strength!"  He raised the greatsword he carried in one hand and yowled.  Rev looked puzzled.
     "You fight with the other nekos on Felarya?"
     "What?  In the testing-land we have only seen the littles.  They give us no quarrel, and are no challenge to a true warrior.  We have no conflict with them."  Snrr'rok seemed almost to pity the 'littles' as he called the normal nekos.  "Come, let us enter and add our meat and you shall confer with the Lead Tom, shaman and lore-keep as is proper."  Snrr'rok lead them across the bridge that was lowered after he had yowled his greeting to the keep.
     Rev was awed as he entered the clanhome.  Many of these new 'TigerNekos' were in the keep, and they were all busy.  Most wee fighting or training, even the children barely able to walk.  If they weren't fighting they were working on improving the keep.  No distinction was made between males or females, with the exception of pregnant or nursing females.  Rev was taken to meet the Lead Tom as the 'cubs' who were with them took the meat to storage along with several other groups that had also returned with meat.
     The Lead Tom was a 7 1/2 foot tall middle-aged Tiger-neko with numerous battle scars, one of which took an eye.  He seemed unaffected by his years or scars and stood proudly as the hunt-leader presented Rev.  On his right stood and elderly tiger-neko that stood as well, proud, but showing signs of his advanced age.  To his left stood a female tiger-neko with a drum.  Great intelligence shone from her eyes as she examined the newcomer.
     "Welcome Lore-keep!"  the Lead-Tom boomed.  "Come, share with us your lore as we share ours!  Welcome to the Clanhome of the Tigers!"
     "Grateful am I for your hospitality, Lead-Tom of the Tiger Clan!  Let me play a song to show just how grateful I am!"
     "Ah, *censored*"  said Darania as she hid herself further in Rev's pocket, holding her hands over her ears while Rev readied his lute.

     *     *     *

     "Well," said Darania, "This is another fine mess you've gotten us into, Rev."
     "I don't understand!  I played the best I could for them, really!"  Rev puffed as he ran from 50 enraged Tiger-nekos intent on punishing him for his 'music.'