Chapter 7: What the Cat Remembers

The cat's name, it claimed, was Ash. Whether that was its true name or merely a convenience, Sera couldn't say. Names, Ash had told her once, are cages for things that don't wish to be caught.

That night, camped at the base of the Wall, Ash spoke for the first time about its past. It had been here before — centuries ago, when the Wall was young and the sky above it still had color.

"What happened to the color?" Sera asked. Ash closed its eyes. "Someone swallowed it."