[Mkguild] Nunly's Lutins - part 11

[Mythril Vulpes]

On Sun, Dec 6, 2009 at 5:55 AM, Kit <stormkit10 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Well what do you know? MK finally has its stealth carpenters! For at least a
> year now there's been an 'in' joke around the guild that invisible lutins do
> the construction around MK while no one's looking. Never thought someone
> would actually make it actually happen! I have to ask where you got this
> idea, did someone tip you off or is it just a really amazing coincidence?
> Either way I found that I really liked this story as it's rare to find a
> comic relief character that is actually competent (even if it's by virtue of
> being incompetent). Excellent story that can stand on its own if need be,
> but can also easily be expanded upon.
>
> Kit

Kit.

  I had to wait all day before replying so that I could stop laughing.
The thought of this crew of Lutins actually building anything left me with a
vision of Metamor Keep meets Dr. Seuss.

  For some reason, that has an odd appeal about it.

  I can't remember having seen anything about stealth carpenters before,
but I've been mulling this idea over for at least a year.

  And, I'm VERY glad you can see promise in expanding it. This story was
supposed to be a couple of paragraphs explaining some history that I could
insert in the story I actually was writing. Somehow, the story just took
on a life of it's own.

Thanks for the note.

Mythril Vulpes
>
> On Sat, Dec 5, 2009 at 11:26 PM, Mythril Vulpes <mythril.vulpes at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>>
>>                          Nunly's Lutins
>>
>>                         by Mythril Vulpes
>>
>>
>> ------------ Part 11 -  Recording the Story
>>
>>
>>  Mock tromped into the the Bookmaster's cave, carrying a large
>> basket of feathers.  He looked at the the load tally on the wall and
>> smiled as he realized that this would be his last trip. He lost a bet
>> with the Bookmaster and had to gather 20 loads of feathers as a result.
>>
>>  "Here are the last of the feathers-ers-ers---AH-AH-ACHOO!" Mock sneezed
>> with enough force to blow three small feathers out of his nose.
>>
>>  "Why do you want these things, anyway?"
>>
>>  The Bookmaster looked at the feathers that blew out of the basket and
>> gave
>> a low growl.
>>
>> "The good ones I can use to write with. The bad ones I stick
>> up noses of dumb Lutins."
>>
>>  Mock gave a low laugh. "I know a good use for feathers up the nose.
>> Put them up Hognose's nose.  You have any extra?"
>>
>>   "Take some," the Bookmaster laughed, "but don't get caught. Hognose
>> only likes jokes on other people. Ha."
>>
>>   Mock laughed and said "I will. What are you writing?"
>>
>>   The Bookmaster pointed to some animal skins hanging on a wall.
>> Black marks on the skins were lined up across the skins, looking like
>> rows of claw marks. Mock decided he liked the look of them, whatever they
>> meant,
>> and was looking for a way to take one without being noticed. Since he had
>> been there before, the Bookmaster was keeping a sharp eye on him.
>>
>>   "I like the ones that look like chippy-munk scratches." Mock said.
>>
>>  "You know," the Bookmaster sighed, "if you would learn to read, you
>> would know what was written down. Then, you would probably like it ever
>> more.
>> For instance, here I am writing down the history of our tribe since we
>> came to this place.  That's why I need a lot of quills, the long feathers,
>> to do this. I believe that our learning how to read and write is so
>> important,
>> I call this the Time of the Quill."
>>
>>  "Hey," Mock interrupted, "can you read me the story of Sir Heraldry
>> again?
>> Sir Heraldry want me and Goom to be his squirts!"
>>
>>  The Bookmaster groaned "not again. Every since we opened that backpack
>> and Wat-Chee found the book on knights, I have to read that book or
>> another
>> one like it every night. Why doesn't someone else learn to read around
>> here?
>> At least to give me a rest once in a while."
>>
>>  "And besides," he continued, "Wat-Chee only listens to the parts he
>> wants to hear, mostly about the knights jousting with each other on
>> horses, or off performing some kind of glorious deed so that they name
>> could be recorded in a book, or something. And now he wants to two
>> to be his squirts! What's a squirt, anyway, and STOP TOUCHING THAT!"
>>
>>  Mock yanked his hand away from the skin he wanted to take, and turned
>> back to the Bookmaster.
>>
>>  "Hey, your the one who grabbed all the books when we found the sack.
>> And you seem to really like to help read those books on ale making for the
>> Muddo every night, especially since she keeps filling your cup."
>>
>>  "Hmm, yes, well, she listens when I read, and the ale is just for
>> testing to see if the ingredients are right." A smile broke out on the
>> Bookmaster's face as he thought about it. "And he should have the
>> latest batch ready for testing tonight. Good old Sir Heraldry is going
>> to just have to wait until tomorrow to hear about knights, and battles,
>> and squirts, whatever they are."
>>
>>  "Hey, ever since Sir Heraldry followed Nunly Cat through the fire rose,
>> everyone thinks he is a real hero, just like the knights in the books.
>> And to be a real knight, he need a couple of squirts to take care of his
>> horses, and shine his armor, and carry his banner all around. He even said
>> he would buy us a cup of ale for our work. That sounds like a good idea
>> to us."
>>
>>  The Bookmaster rolled his eyes. "He was lucky that he followed Nunly Cat.
>> He probably wanted to throw him in the water again and Nunly Cat just got
>> away.
>> And he scared that poor human and his horse so bad the horse broke loose
>> from the wagon he was pulling and drug the human away. Then he takes
>> everything from the wagon, and gets lucky that the barrels contain
>> ale making supplies. That is not enough to make him a knight, and if
>> Chief Yammi finds him sneaking out of the valley again he won't
>> live to be a night, or even live long enought to see the night.
>>
>>  "Besides, he doesn't have a horse or armor, or even a banner."
>>
>>  "Well, you could make one for him" Mock said, "so that I could be a real
>> squirt and hold it for him."
>>
>>  "It's not squirt, it's squire" the Bookmaster said through gritted
>> teeth. " And I'm not taking time to make a banner for him if he can't
>> even come and ask himself. I have readings to do for people." The thought
>> of the ale maker's product made him lick his lips. "And I'm still working
>> on writing down the history of our clan before we came here."
>>
>> "I bet if you read that, everyone would fall asleep" mock said. "What do
>> you
>> call that, the time of snore quill?"
>>
>>  "Ha, ha" the Bookmaster replied. It may not be exciting to you,  but
>> this will be important someday. Especially if we can use it to figure out
>> what happened to us. If we can figure that out, we just might have
>> something."
>>
>>  "Nobody will understand any of it, so why bother" Mock said. "Maybe you
>> could call it quill-on-bird?"
>>
>>  "Mock" the irritated Bookmaster replied, "put that DOWN."
>>
>>  Mock dropped the skin he was looking at.
>>
>>  "I am calling it the Pre Quill, and I don't need you to tell me if it is
>> any good or not, because you are in it, so it must not be all that good."
>>
>>  "Mock," came a horse voice from just outside, "Where are you?"
>>
>>  "Goom, I'm in here!" screamed Mock.
>>
>>  The Bookmaster pressed the palms of his hands against his forhead.
>>
>>  Goom came rushing in breathing hard, plowing his way through the
>> narrow passageways of skins. He skidded to a stop and socked Mock in the
>> arm.
>>
>>  "Mock, we have to get to the ale maker's right now. Sir Heraldry is
>> there and wants us there right now. Big things are happening."
>>
>>  Mock gave Goom a punch in the arm back. "What is going on?"
>>
>>  "Someone gave Nunly Cat some of he new ale the Muddo made.
>> He just lapped it up and then started meowing for more. So the put a big
>> bowl in front of him. He drank it all, and started to walk around, but
>> he was so drunk all he could do was stagger in a circle. Then he got
>> the hiccups. Then, every time he hiccuped, a mouse would appear. So they
>> gave him more ale to cure the hiccups, but he got drunker, and the mice
>> got bigger. Sir Heraldry wants us to help get rid of the mice. Hurry."
>>
>>  Mock smiled. "This is our chance to be heroes. Bookmaster, come with
>> us so you can write down our story. We will be heroes."
>>
>>  The Bookmaster just shrugged and said "Why not just let Nunly Cat eat
>> the mice, anyway? He seems to like them well enough doing the day."
>>
>>  Goom said excitedly "All Nunly Cat can do it lie on his back and hiccup.
>> And sometimes he spins around and around in a circle. Makes me dizzy.
>> When he looks at the ceiling and hiccups and a mouse just falls down near
>> him.
>> Hurry Mock, Sir Heraldry needs us." Goom exited the room at a run.
>>
>>  "Come on Bookmaster, we are needed!" shouted Mock as he ran right behind
>> Goom.
>>
>>  The Bookmaster put down the quill he was waving and picked up one of
>> the books
>> on ales. This looked like a good night for reading and listening to new
>> tales of the tribe.  Well, with those two on a mission, this would
>> probably
>> not be a good night for quiet reading, but certainly a good night for
>> tales.
>>
>>  The Bookmaster looked at the last page of the Pre Quill he was working
>> on. He sighed and put it away. Too much new was going on to worry about
>> the past that few Lutins even remembered. It looked like the Pre Quill
>> was done.
>>
>>  Now, it was time for ale.
>>
>> 
>>
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>
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