Martin warms to The Bishop in much the same way as he had to Freckle, only moreso, and Daine can't help a smile. It helps that The Bishop is turning on the charm, of course. He's naturally affectionate and doesn't mind being held even under normal circumstances, so it's no great leap for him to be as sweet as he's being, now. But she'd told him Martin needed someone to be extra kind to him, and he's plainly taken her advice to heart.

I like him, the cat informs her, even as he lets out a soft trill and sprawls sidelong against Martin's chest, one paw hooking into his coat for leverage. He's soft.

"He says he likes you," she translates, even though that's probably clear enough from the way The Bishop's behaving. She elects not to pass along the comment about him being soft, lest Martin take it the wrong way, and instead adds, "And he wouldn't need much in the way of extra care. Mostly you'd just have to make sure you feed him right, and brush him carefully while his fur is still coming back in."