She twisted. Got her tail and head and two legs free and bit deeply into King Death’s hand. This gave pause to Death."So, little rat,” he said. “You would bite Death. Well, you shall know what you have tasted.”
He spoke a Word. That Word rang through her; woke her up. It echoed in her and she did not simply know the sound, but also found she knew its meaning; and, following on that meaning came things like ... thought; awareness; and, smaller words.
She thought the first little words ever thought by rat, in the presence of King Death: I am afraid.
- The Far Roofs, Jenna K. Moran