The other children stared at Catsa.

"A Giant Chickenfish?"

"It's true! You have to ride on the back of the Giant Chickenfish! I asked my father and that's what he told me!"

The group nodded. Catsa's father was a Judge, so in their eyes, it was as good as fact.

"All right, then," Taran, the oldest of the group, mused. "So far we have three ways we could get to the Castle. We could climb the tallest mountain and jump down to the soft clouds below. We could get someone to use a magic spell to be very light and then swim through the mist on a very misty morning. Or... we could find a Giant Chickenfish."

"THE Giant Chickenfish," Catsa corrected. "There's only one."

"Well, we couldn't get back before dinner if we tried to climb the mountain, so I'm not allowed to do that. And I don't want to wait until morning - because someone else could get there before us. So... Catsa, why don't you be leader today?" Taran said casually, though it did not prevent Catsa from filling up with pride.

Catsa stood up straight, and with a deeper tone than usual - because that's what leaders do - boomed out to the rest of the children.

"All right, then! We're gonna need nets!"