[Mkguild] MK: Peace and Quiet

[Hallan Mirayas]

Peace and Quiet
   by Hallan Mirayas

     Xavier sat on his cloak in his accustomed spot near the center of the =
hedge maze, his legs crossed and his bright new rapier laid across his knee=
s.  It gleamed against his fine dark leggings, reflecting the white of his =
shirt skyward.  He smoothed the cloak fastidiously against the newly wet gr=
ass, then rested his fingertips on the sword, one hand on the hilt and one =
on the blade.  A black leather scabbard rested by his side.  Closing his ey=
es, the black leopard sought the meditative state he required to weave ligh=
tning into the metal.  After several centering breaths, he reached out to t=
he storm=92s still-lingering energy, praying silently as he did so.  /Lord =
Dvalin, master of sky and storm-/

     "Excuse me, I'm a little lost.  Can you help me out?"

     The leopard jumped, startled, and scowled at the grubby-looking man be=
nding over him.  The man's breath reeked of garlic, strong enough to make h=
is eyes water. Xavier=92s hand leapt unbidden to shield his sensitive nose.=
  "Gah!  That way, your second left, to the T, turn right, then your first =
left," Xavier said hastily, stabbing his finger to the left.  He'd memorize=
d the maze, and his directions would get the man out as quickly as possible=
.  Anything to get away from that stench!

     "Thank you most kindly, sir, and I'm sorry about the garlic," the man =
drawled in a slow, ambling manner, not moving an inch.  "Y'see, my wife, sh=
e dearly loves the stuff=85  She's crazy, y'know, but in a nice way.  Wags =
her tail all friendly-like, all the time.  And she -loves- the garlic."  He=
 leaned down with a conspiratorial whisper.  "Why, just the other day-"

     Xavier's ears lay back, his head swimming from the man's pungent breat=
h.  "Just go!  Please!" the leopard yelled, waving him away and coughing, t=
rying to remember the words for a wind spell that would bring him some fres=
h air.

     "Now, now, no need to get all fussy, mister cat, sir" the man said, fr=
owning.  "I was just-"

     The look that Xavier gave him hustled him on his way without any furth=
er comment, chased by a gust of wind that the leopard finally remembered ho=
w to call.  After a few more fitful coughs and a swirl of air that rippled =
and eddied through his shoulder length silver hair, tugging at the binding =
of his ponytail and the loose sleeves of his shirt, Xavier finally got the =
smell cleared away and settled back into his meditation.  /Lord Dvalin-/

     "And did you see the dress she had on?  Absolutely scandalous.  Why, y=
ou'd think she was a streetwalker dressed like that."

     Xavier sighed as two female voices passed behind him on the other side=
 of the hedge, gossiping snootily, secure in their mistaken belief that the=
re was nobody around to overhear them.  They paused nearby, chattering away=
 while the leopard's battered patience frayed.  Finally, after hearing abou=
t what one of their aunt's second cousin's tailor had heard, he snapped, "W=
ould you two please find some other place to talk?  I'm working here."

     Two startled "eek!"s were followed closely by a matched pair of "Hmmph=
!"s and the sound of feet stalking away.  Xavier smirked and closed his eye=
s again, returning to his prayer to Lord Dvalin.  It wasn't that the prayer=
 to the god of weather was necessary to the spell, but he made a habit of s=
tarting with it in gratitude to that first great thunderstorm that had insp=
ired him to become a weather mage.

     He actually managed to get halfway through before the next interruptio=
n.  =


     "Whatcha doin', mister?"

     The leopard opened his eyes and choked down a frustrated snarl at the =
sight of the child standing before him.  Seated, the tall leopard was still=
 above eye level for the little girl, who stared up at him with wide brown =
eyes like a fawn.

     "Were you sleepin'?" the girl asked.  "Mama says people aren't suppose=
d to sleep here."

     "I was not sleeping," Xavier grumbled, unable to keep a hint of a grow=
l from his voice as he felt the storm's energy dying away.  It would take m=
uch longer to get the rapier enchanted and charged without that boost, and =
these delays were aggravating.  "I was meditating."

     "What's medda-tayting?"

     Xavier sighed and rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on.  "=
Look, kid, what do you want?"

     The kid looked down and shuffled her feet, her brown shoes matching th=
e simplicity of her plain dress.  "I'm lost.  I can't find my mommy."

     The cat groaned.  Yes, definitely a headache.  "Where did you see her =
last?"

     "Outside, talkin' to Mista Damontee.  I wanted to play hide and seek-"

     "And now you can't find your way out."  The leopard sighed, sheathed h=
is sword, buckled it to his hip, and got to his feet.  He shook his cloak d=
ry and draped it over an arm, then offered the little girl his hand.  "Come=
.  I'll show you the way.  What's your name?"

     The little girl grabbed the twitching tip of his tail instead of his h=
and and stroked its velvety black fur, tracing the darker spots with a fing=
ertip.  "Pretty=85"  She smiled up at Xavier.  "My name's Sarah," she said,=
 seeming to prefer her handhold.  "What's yours?"

     "Xavier Antony Marcus.  But you may call me Xavier.  Please take my ha=
nd."  He quashed the impatient urge to shake his hand, and he watched her c=
losely for signs that she was older than she appeared.  He had a sneaking s=
uspicion that these interruptions were not a coincidence.

     Sarah, however, had already gone back to petting his tail, and ignored=
 the hand.  "You've got a funny name, Zayvier.  But you've got a nice tail,=
 like Mommy's.  Why is your fur black?  Mommy's is gold."

     /Lady Artela, grant me the strength not to strangle this child.  Pleas=
e./  Xavier gestured her on toward the maze's exit.  "Come.  Let's find you=
r mother."  When she didn't move, he took his tail away and held out his ha=
nd again.

     Pouting at losing her pretty toy, she took the leopard-man's hand and =
followed along.  She only sulked a few moments before beginning a nonstop b=
arrage of questions, pausing only for a breath between them.  "How come you=
 don't have spots like mommy?  Why is your hair silver when the rest of you=
 is black?  What were you meddy-tayting for?  Are we there yet?"

     "Because that's the way it grew, likewise, to prepare a spell, no, and=
 how old are you?"  Xavier asked, rounding a third corner with the child in=
 tow.

     "I'm six!"

     "No, really, how old are you?"

     Sarah paused, frowning at the leopard as he stopped and turned, a ster=
n expression on his face.  "Rats.  How=92d you guess?" she asked.

     Xavier's frown turned into a triumphant smirk.  "I didn't, until just =
now.  Before that it was just a hunch.  Thank you so much for telling me." =
 The storm was too far away now for him to do much enchanting, but perhaps,=
 if he played his cards right, he could find out who was behind all this.

     "Why, you sneaky little brat," Sarah replied with an impressed smile o=
f her own.

     The leopard threw back his head and laughed aloud.  "Now, if that isn'=
t a case of the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is."

     Sarah laughed as well.  "Alright, you've got me there.  Looks like I'm=
 out two crescents."

     "Two crescents?" Xavier asked, ears and whiskers dipping back.  It was=
n't exactly a surprise, but who would go spending money like that, just to =
pester him?

     "Yeah.  That's how much they're paying me to come in and pester you.  =
Same as the rest of the people they sent in."

     "I'll give you four if you: one, point out who put you up to this; two=
, do it without tipping them off; and three, introduce me to your "mommy" i=
f she really exists."  With each number, he flipped up a bronze coin betwee=
n the fingers of his right hand and dropped it into his left.  On the third=
, he flipped up two at once, and made sure they clinked when he dropped the=
m.

     Sarah's eyes widened at the appearance of the coins, seemingly from no=
where.  "How'd you do that?"

     "That, my dear, would be telling.  So what will it be?  Four bronze cr=
escents, or none?"

     The little girl grinned.  "Yes, she really does exist, and she's my si=
ster.  I figured you would be interested.  Now, if we do this right=85"  Sh=
e beckoned the leopard down, and he laughed when she whispered her plan.

                                                           -----

     Five minutes later, Xavier watched through a small hole he'd opened in=
 the hedge as Sarah walked out of the maze.  Two familiar figures immediate=
ly walked up to her: a white-furred canine, and a black-furred sheep.  "Dri=
ft and Wolfram.  I should have known."  He waited and listened as she expla=
ined how she'd gotten 'that grumpy cat' all riled up and that they should w=
ait a few minutes before sending in the next person 'so he doesn't claw the=
ir face off.'  The two pranksters paid the girl the promised coins, and she=
 walked away toward the agreed-upon rendezvous.  All that remained was to r=
emind these two why annoying a weather mage is a bad idea.  He grinned and =
started the spell, one he'd devised back when his older sister wouldn't lea=
ve him to his studies.

     "I can't believe he hasn't figured it out yet and come out hunting for=
 us," Drift murmured.  "Maybe we should have the next one let him know what=
's going on."

     Wolfram chuckled.  "Nah=85 I've got cash for at least three more."

     "Why're you throwing away your money?  More importantly, why did I let=
 you talk me into joining you?"

     "I'm not throwing it away, I'm spending it on a good time.  Who knows =
what tomorrow will bring?  As for you, you came because it's fun."

     A rumble overhead drew their attention upward as dark clouds swirled i=
nto being about two feet above their heads.  Drift had exactly enough time =
to say, "Uh-oh," before the tiny clouds opened up with an icy downpour.  Th=
ey bolted, but the clouds were 'tethered' to them and kept pace easily, the=
ir own personal rainstorms chasing the pair out of sight.  Xavier laughed a=
s he heard the Samoyed yell, "'Hey, Drift, let's prank the weather mage!  I=
t'll be fun!  What could -possibly- go wrong?=92  Brilliant idea, Wolfram!"=
 and he whistled through his teeth as he headed for the rendezvous with the=
 clever if mercenary Sarah, and her (hopefully) attractive sister.


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