[Mkguild] Heraldic Beginnings (3/7)

[C. Matthias]

Part 3!  And also thanks to Chris Hoekstra who 
reviewed one of the scenes in this section.

---------


March 23, 708 CR

Charles was grateful that his children so loved 
to be with him that even when he was schooling 
them they didn't cause much trouble. Early 
morning had been spent in play, but, the 
weariness finally getting to him, he and Kimberly 
had settled them down in their quarters in Long 
House and were doing their best to keep them 
still long enough to learn their letters.

In his days as Headmaster for the Writer's Guild, 
he'd had only a few opportunities to teach 
letters; most of the applicants came already 
knowing how to read and write, very few came with 
only their imaginations to offer. And they had 
been youths on the cusp of manhood, either Cursed 
to remain forever at that age, or made into an 
animal too small and weak and without a warrior's disposition to compensate.

His children were not even a year old, and while 
they had already mastered many words, they were 
still very, very young and if not for his deep 
love for the four, they would have surely driven 
him to impatient swearing. But he did love them 
and so whenever their little paws took the bits 
of wood he was rearranging into letters and 
started to gnaw on them, he could only laugh.

Kimberly watched as he sprawled across the floor 
in his four-legged form, moving the bits of wood 
back and forth to form each letter in turn, 
naming the letter and making his children 
practice the sound until they could say it 
without squeaking. Her paws were busy stitching 
the fabric closed on several little dolls she was 
making. They were all little animals of one sort 
or another, and just as likely to be seen for a 
real animal as they were another Keeper. Little 
Bernadette was already hugging the first one 
she'd finished, the little horse's head propped 
up beneath her snout, while her wide eyes fixed 
on her father's letter craft. Little Baerle kept 
looking over at her Mother wondering when her doll would be finished.

And just as the last of the thread had been sewn 
into the fabric, a gentle knock rapped at their 
door. The children leaped to their paws with a 
chorus of squeaks until Charles bid them to 
behave themselves. Their barely repressed 
excitement made his quadruped steps feel even 
lighter as he went to the door to see who had 
come calling. On the other side he found a 
black-and-white furred man standing only a little 
taller than he, with a jewel-studded leather 
patch over his left eye. Charles nodded to the 
skunk, “Master Murikeer! Welcome; to do what do 
we owe the pleasure of your company?”

Murikeer's long tail danced briefly behind his 
head and his muzzle lifted in a smile. “I just 
came by to see how one of my students and her 
children were faring. I'd heard you'd come back, and I'm very glad to see it.”

“Don't make him stand in the door!” Kimberly 
called, as she presented a little stuffed fox to 
Baerle. Charles's youngest daughter gasped in 
delight, pressed the fox to her snout and then 
chest and hugged it tight. “Master Murikeer, 
please come in and sit with us for a few minutes. 
Children, please welcome Master Murikeer.”

All four ran up behind their father who stepped 
back out of the door way. The boys bowed and the 
girls tried to curtsy. “Hail, Master Murikeer!” 
they all intoned with ritual gravity.

The skunk's delight swept over his whole body, 
resembling a joyful peace that only a child could 
instill. “Hello little ones! I brought you each a 
present.” Their eyes widened and they bounced on 
their paws, tails tangling together behind them. 
Murikeer reached into his satchel and produced 
four little quartz stones bound in a leather 
loop, each of them small enough to fit in the 
paws of not-quite one year old rats. “Now hold 
out your hands,” he said, and they did so 
eagerly, each of them pressing closer to the 
skunk who bent down, tail curling around his legs, to be closer to them.

He placed one stone each in their paws, and then said, “Now blow across them.”

They did so, and little sparkling lights like 
stars danced across the surface of each stone, 
reflecting through its translucent depths as if 
it were a will-o-wisp trapped within the crystal. 
Charles smiled in wonder at so simple a delight, 
and his children squeaked in amazement, words 
lost on them as they marveled at the sight. “What 
do you say?” Charles offered gently.

“Thank you!” they squeaked, not even bothering to 
look up so rapt were they by the swirling little 
stars on the stones. The stars glowed alternately 
a bright green or blue, then to a somber red, a 
pale yellow, and a fiery orange. Those little 
lights danced in his childrens' eyes, and 
everything else was forgot as they did.

“All right,” Kimberly said as she stood up and 
brushed out her skirt. “You four run along and 
play. And don't you put those stones in your mouths!”

They didn't need any extra encouragement, darting 
back into their room at the top of the small 
landing. Murikeer chuckled under his breath and 
closed the door behind him. “If I am interrupting 
something, I can return another time.”

“Nonsense,” Charles beckoned with one paw to the 
cushions set against the stone wall beneath the 
little landing. “You are always welcome. Come. 
And thank you for the gifts; how long will the magic last?”

“It shouldn't fail, not for a long time,” 
Murikeer added as she sat cross-legged opposite 
the two rats. Kimberly reclined against Charles's 
lower torso and he wrapped one arm over her 
shoulder. “And before you ask, no, they will not 
hurt the children even if they try to swallow 
them. The magic in each is bound to the first to 
blow across them, so you don't need to fear them 
fighting over whose is whose!” He smiled and 
nodded. “I am glad to see you all doing so well. 
I would have come sooner, milady, but I fear my 
talents were taxed just to keep Kozaithy alive.”

“I heard,” Kimberly replied with a faint tremble. “She is recovering well?”

“And should be ready to travel back to the Glen 
tomorrow. I intend for her to rest, and Glen 
Avery is a much better place for it than Metamor.”

“It is much quieter there,” Kimberly agreed. 
“Things seems slower and more relaxed there.”

“Not always,” Charles grunted and rubbed his jaw. 
The soreness was nearly gone now but every once 
in a while it gave him a twitch. Jo and Lady 
Avery would have pitched a fit if they'd seen him 
change into a taur, but the metamorphosis had 
never touched either damaged ribs or jaw; that 
and it so delighted his children.

“But often enough,” Murikeer finished the 
unspoken thought. “She wants to be here to help 
the rest of the refugees from Bradanes, but in 
this I am going to insist. There's so many here now as it is.”

“I'm surprised we haven't seen more up at the 
Glen to be honest,” Charles said. “We could use a few dozen more able hands.”

“They will come,” Kimberly assured them both as 
she ran one paw along Charles's very long tail. 
“There are already so many down south, they'll 
need to come north of the Keep to find places to live.”

“Speaking of which, that is another reason I wish 
to return to the Glen. Lord Avery has given me a 
parcel of land for a homestead and I should at 
least inspect it to see if it will suit me.” The 
skunk spread his paws wide and glanced at the 
walls of fitted and cut granite around them. “I prefer the woods.”

“I do not blame you. We are returning to the Glen 
after Liturgy on Sunday. You both would be more 
than welcome to come with us. Garigan will be 
there too, but another pair of paws to keep watch 
on the children would be ideal.”

“In two days? That will suit me fine, and is 
probably better for Kozi too. I will tell her.” 
Murikeer smiled to them both, and then with a 
little flick of his wrist, created a witchlight 
which he sent drifting straight to Kimberly. She 
raised her paw, caught it between her fingers, 
and then twirled it around a few times until 
where one had been now there were two circling 
each other like fish in a pond. These she sent right back to the skunk.

“It pleases me to see that you are still 
practicing, milady. Your skills grow. And it 
would please me to continue to instruct you when 
we return to the Glen. Have you given any thought 
to the instruction of your children? I see you 
are teaching them letters.” He sent the twin 
lights to dance around the wooden letters that 
Charles had started to arrange into `RAT'.

Kimberly frowned as her claws tangled around one 
scraggly hair from her husband's tail. “If you 
are willing, then perhaps in a few years when 
they are older and can sit still long enough, but 
for now... they're just children; I still clean 
their sheets almost every morning.”

The skunk laughed and shook his head. “I did not 
mean begin training the now, milady. They are too 
young still, as you say. But my offer to you 
stands. And you, Charles. I know a little about 
the magic of stones. Perhaps I could help you as well.”

“Living with stone and living as stone are very 
different things, Muri. I'm trying not to spend 
as much time using the stone as I have of late. 
But, perhaps you can tell me if there are ways I 
can do things more safely. I've... taken some 
terrible risks in the past and have nearly paid 
for it with my flesh.” He curled his hand more 
firmly over Kimberly's shoulder and she leaned 
into his lower torso, her tail sliding against 
his flanks. “One of the mountains in the Barrier 
Range tried to turn me into an ore deposit, and 
very nearly succeeded. Agathe almost trapped me 
in a cave wall of slate.” That last was almost a 
curse. Even though he was flesh, the granite in 
him seemed to bear ill will against certain type of stone!

“Helping you understand it and better put it to 
use is all I wish to do,” Murikeer replied with a 
slight smile,nodding to each rat in turn. “That 
and help you in case Marzac should reach for you 
through the stone. Kayla told me how strongly the 
gryphon counseled you against it.”

“Indeed,” Charles admitted with a nod and a 
grimace. How well he could remember Guernef's 
vehemence at their parting three weeks ago. 
“Thank you, Muri, I will take you up on that.”

Murikeer smiled and then stood. “Thank you, both, 
Charles, milady Kimberly. Your children are a 
true delight. I wish I could stay longer, but I 
need to check on Kozi. I will see you both again soon.”

“Give her our love and let her know we are 
praying she makes a full recovery,” Kimberly 
said, jumping to her paws and placing one paw on 
Murikeer's. He tightened his grip on her fingers 
briefly and smiled at the edges of his snout.

“Thank you again.” He and Charles shook paws as 
well, and then the skunk slipped back out the door.

Charles stretched all of his limbs, rubbed his 
chest briefly, and then glanced down at the 
half-formed word, and then looked up at the door 
at the end of the landing from which emanated 
many excited squeaks. “I suppose we should let them play a bit longer.”

Kimberly laid down and stretched out on the 
cushions. “I agree.” A coy smile stretched across 
her muzzle. The two witchlights danced in 
merriment as Charles laid down at her side.

----------

The Deaf Mule was only half full when Charles 
arrived that evening. He'd already shared a good 
meal with Kimberly and his children, and had left 
them in Garigan and Sir Saulius's capable paws. 
Though he missed having them at his side, he felt 
a great joy in the thought of seeing so many of 
his traveling companions again. It had been a 
month since they had all been together, and so 
much had happened to each of them in that time. 
He looked forward to an evening of recollection and reconnection.

It surprised him to find so few people enjoying 
the famous hospitality and merry-making of 
Donny's Deaf Mule – not even Copernicus was there 
towering over the pool table and disappointing 
all challengers – but it did make it much easier 
to find his friends. Standing toward the far 
corner of the Inn and tavern were a familiar 
skunk and hawk locked in animated conversation. 
The hawk noticed him first, turned her head, and spread one wing to beckon him.

Charles did have to slip past a few tables where 
merchants from within the Valley were enjoying a 
boisterous meal, drink, and game of cards, but 
they were the only patrons so animated. The rest 
sat in pairs or trios quietly eating and talking, 
most relaxed, some hushed, and some few anxious. 
What few humans were about were all already 
Cursed; not a single visitor the Valley remained, 
nor were any expected to come in any numbers for 
another week or more, excepting perhaps the last 
of the Bradanes refugees seeking the healing powers of the Curse.

“Kayla, Jessica,” Charles said as he stepped 
around the last of the patrons, and came into 
sight of their table. It was a long table with 
benches on either side that could easily seat 
twelve. Already seated there and talking quietly 
were his friend Lindsey, and Kayla's love the 
Kankoran Rickkter. Charles hated himself for it, 
but he did stumble a moment when he saw the 
raccoon there. Their eyes met briefly, and then both looked away.

Kayla grabbed the rat in one arm and pulled him 
closer. “It's so good to see you. We're still 
waiting for James, and Rick here invited Murikeer 
to come as well. Have you enjoyed your time with your family?”

“The last few days have been some of the most 
enjoyable I have ever had. But it is so good to 
see all of you again.” He stepped up to Jessica 
and was enveloped in her wings. “Jessica.” He 
turned and there was Lindsey, standing up, bright 
red braids hanging down to his waist. He felt a 
meaty hand rest on his shoulder. The rat looked 
up and clasped his friend's arm. “Lindsey. How are you?”

“Managing well enough,” the northerner replied. 
“I have to return to the timber crews in the 
morning. We're cutting the forest back from the 
roads near Sawtry. It's only a few hours ride to 
the edge of the Curse from there, and bandits 
from the south have been hiding in the woods.”

“Then they will certainly need your axe.” Charles 
sat down at the table, as Kayla and Lindsey 
joined him. Rickkter nodded in his direction, and 
Charles noted that he looked in much better 
health than the last time he'd seen him. “You 
seem to have made a full recovery, Rickkter.”

The raccoon offered a thin smile. “More than 
recovered. I'd help Lindsey deal with his bandits 
if Misha didn't keep promising me he'd need me for some grand scheme of his.”

“That is rather like our friend,” Charles said, 
trying to keep his voice amicable. “So why...”

“Am I here?” Rickkter finished for him. “Because 
Marzac has touched you all and somebody needs to 
make sure you aren't going to turn into some 
stinking dragon and try to eat us all. I 
understand James recently had a little bell that caused you some problems.”

Charles rubbed his jaw and nodded. “He destroyed 
it himself. So what are you going to do?”

“I'm going to keep watch on all of you. If 
there's any of Marzac's corruption on any of you 
still, I'm going to find it.” He crossed his arms 
and scowled, though not at the rat. It was a more 
universal expression of the great inconvenience 
and irritation that all things Marzac had become 
for the raccoon. Kayla slipped and arm around his 
shoulder and drew his snout toward her own with 
her other paw. He let her do this, and their 
noses touched briefly, the grumpiness ebbing from his body as they did so.

“I do wish Abafouq, Guernef, Andares, or Jerome 
could have been here,” Jessica opined softly as 
she settled on top of a perch at the head of the 
table. “I never realized how much I would miss 
their company until they were gone.”

“We may see them again,” Lindsey said as he ran 
his fingers down a red braid. “Jerome may only 
have kept away because of the plague. We might 
see him again in a few weeks when word reaches him.”

“If he knew, he probably would have found a way 
to check on me,” Charles pointed out. “Wherever 
he is, I hope he is all right.” The rat laughed 
and felt the vine about his chest pull a little 
closer. He had returned it to its place in his 
back shortly after returning to a two-legged body 
that afternoon, and its soft embrace comforted 
him. “Somehow I can't imagine worrying about 
Andares or Guernef. But Abafouq... I hope he 
comes back. I can't imagine him trying to live up in the mountains again.”

Lindsey patted the rat gently on the back. “That 
little man is quite the survivor. I wouldn't worry about him.”

“That he is, but... “ he heard a familiar set of 
hooves clopping across the wood and turned to see 
James, dressed in his scouting gear, slip through 
the crowd, long ears lifted and eyes wide as he 
looked for them. Charles smiled and scrambled up 
from the bench. “James! It's good to see you again!”

The donkey and rat clasped each other on the 
arms, then hugged, laughing and slapping each 
other on the back. Lindsey was at their side a 
moment later, to give James a firm hug as well. 
Jessica and Kayla were quick to follow suit.

“It's so good to see you all again,” James nearly 
brayed in his delight. “Lindsey, Kayla, I haven't 
seen either of you in weeks. How are you both doing?”

“How are you doing?” Kayla insisted, guiding the 
donkey to the table. “Charles and Jessica told us 
about the bell. You have to tell us too.”

“Aye,” Rickkter agreed as he leaned forward 
across the table. “I don't see any corruption on 
you anymore, but I am going to make sure of it.”

James glanced back and forth between skunk and 
raccoon, and then the rest of his friends, before 
settling down on the bench, tail dangling behind 
him, the tuft flicking back and forth as he tried 
to decided which question he should answer first. 
At least he turned to the skunk and said, “I'm 
doing very good. Baerle and I have been on patrol 
this last week up north of the Glen. It's been... very good for both of us.”

Charles grabbed his friends shoulder and squeezed 
lightly. “And does she have feelings for you too, 
my friend?” Kayla and Jessica leaned forward anxiously.

James frowned, lowering his ears. “Some, aye. She 
knows that I love her no matter what. I don't 
think she's used to the idea that somebody could.”

He gave his friend one more gentle shake. “She'll 
come around soon. She's a good woman; I'm so very happy for you, James.”

“Yes, yes,” Rickkter muttered. “But what about the bell?”

Kayla swatted her raccoon in the chest. “You wait 
your turn!” She then was all smiles again and 
practically half stood up in her seat as she 
learned toward the donkey. “So what's she like?”

Charles and Lindsey glanced at each other and 
chuckled. Rickkter gave the skunk a reproving 
look before rolling his eyes and standing up. 
“Fine, you get your gossip. I'll go get us some 
drinks and then figure out what's keeping my 
student.” Laughing, Kayla gave him one more swat 
with her paw as he left for the bar.


They were joined a candlemark later by Murikeer 
and Kozaithy. The white-furred skunk looked 
tired, with heavy eyes and often distant 
expressions. But most of the time she was in good 
spirits and listened with rapt attention as James 
told his story, and then as the rest of the 
travelers recounted their adventures and many 
memories of each other, the places they had seen, 
and their friends departed for our lands. They 
ate a hearty meal of stew, with a fruit cobbler 
using strawberries fresh from the greenhouse, and 
washed it all down with Donny's mead. Even 
Rickkter, though constantly denied his 
opportunity to discuss Marzac's corrupting 
powers, nevertheless relaxed and enjoyed himself.

Donny brought coffee around after they had 
finished everything, and the sharp brew cast a 
serious edge on their gathering. They each 
sipped, the jovial conversation dwindling as the 
candles continued to burn low, the hour drifting 
well past the time for the evening meal. The 
patrons of the auruch's establishment were now 
coming for cups rather than courses.

Charles cradled the cup of black brew and cast a 
glance over his shoulder at the other patrons, 
before shaking his head and turning back to his 
friends. “It's so empty here. I've come here for 
years now and can't remember the last time I saw it this empty.”

“There's no merchants left at Metamor,” Rickkter 
pointed out as he lifted his cup to his snout. 
His tongue darted out and gave him a quick taste. 
“And all of Metamor's merchant class is out 
traveling too. More patrols tan usual are out 
too. Have you seen George anywhere? Exactly. 
DeMule? Him too. Even Copernicus. That lizard 
left to head up a sweep through Lorland two days ago.”

“And you're stuck here,” Lindsey noted with a curious quirk to his lips.

Rickkter growled as he darted another taste from his coffee. “That too.”

“Well,” James suggested in a somewhat more 
assertive voice than they were used to hearing, 
“we're all here now. You wanted to examine us for Marzac's touch?”

“With Muri's help,” Rickkter nodded to the 
one-eyed skunk. With three skunks all in close 
proximity, the mage's scent-masking spells were 
appreciated by them all. “He can see these things 
better than I can. Between us, if there's 
anything there, we ought to be able to find it.”

“What do you want us to do?” Kayla asked.

“Stand where we both can see you. And then just 
stand there until we say otherwise,” Rickkter 
suggested, pointing at a spot just past Jessica 
where a lantern hung from the wall casting bronze 
light on their table. Jessica hopped from her 
perch until the lantern illumined her chest and beak.

“Will this do?” she asked.

“Aye, that is perfect,” Murikeer said as he stood 
up and stepped around to her other side. “Relax and do nothing.”

Jessica remained standing with her wings folded 
around her chest while Rickkter and Murikeer 
stared intently at the hawk. A few of the other 
patrons pointed at them and laughed, almost 
certainly thinking them well and truly drunk. 
Jessica paid them no mind, nor did the mages. 
Charles stared in anxious hope. What if there was 
some glimmer of corruption yet waiting to blossom 
in horror as had nearly taken place in Lindsey, 
Kayla, and James? What if some of it was clinging 
to him eating away at his conscience and seeking 
some entrance into his soul? How would he really know?

They sipped their coffee while they waited, but 
after several exhausting minutes, both Rickkter 
and Murikeer found some wall or pillar to lean 
against as they shook their head. “I saw nothing 
unusual,” Murikeer admitted after catching his 
breath. “You've been casting some interesting spells lately, but nothing dark.”

“I've made Maud into a giraffe,” she admitted 
with a shrug of her wings. “I can see things 
about the Curses that I didn't before. It's part 
of the gift that Pelain of Cheskych gave me when 
I passed through the Imbervand.”

“Pelain of Cheskych?” Rickkter asked in 
astonishment. “No, don't bother telling me. But I 
want to take another look. You say you can see 
the Curse better? Maybe there's something there.”

“I use it to help people,” Jessica objected, but 
then she sighed and nodded. “But please check to be sure.”

Charles turned his cup around in his paws, first 
to the left and then to the right as he waited. 
Murikeer and Rickkter traced their paws in the 
air, as if drawing away cobwebs only they could 
see. Jessica remained placid, keeping her eyes 
closed, her breathing deep and peaceful. A subtle 
wind seemed to catch at her feathers, lifting 
them and blowing them back and forth, but none of 
those sitting at the table felt even the 
slightest stirring of air. The neck fur on both raccoon and skunk stood on end.

“Nothing!” Rickkter said with an exasperated sigh 
as he slumped against the wall. Kayla reached out 
a paw to steady him, but the raccoon was pushed 
himself off the wall before she could reach him. 
“Nothing at all. If there's any corruption on 
you, Jessica, I can't see it, or even a hint of it!”

“Neither could I,” Murikeer admitted as he rubbed 
at his temples around the edge of his eye-patch. 
“Maybe we should check those who we know were 
tainted. James first; his is the most recent. It might show us something.”

While Jessica moved to the other side of the 
table, the donkey stood and moved to just beside 
the lantern so that everyone could see him 
easily. He wrapped one hand about his wrist and 
waited, long tail flicking back and forth while 
his ears turned at every laugh, every swill, and 
every bawdy joke erupting from the other patrons 
in the main part of the Mule. Murikeer and 
Rickkter exerted themselves anew as they poked 
and prodded at the donkey with their minds.

But Rickkter gave up in disgust, grabbing his 
coffee and lapping the cup dry. “This is 
disgusting I hate Marzac! I can't see anything 
unusual at all with you, James. You look like any other Keeper.”

“Maybe because the corruption was in the bell and 
not in me. And the bell is gone.”

“Possibly,” Murikeer admitted as he rubbed at his 
forehead again. Kozaithy rose and brought him his 
cup. But the mage glanced at it, grimaced, and 
shook his head. “I think I'd rather have some tea, thank you, Kozi.”

“I'll fetch you some.” So saying, the 
white-furred skunk took both Muri's and her own 
cups back to the bar. A few drunk patrons 
whistled in her direction, but nobody did more 
than that. Muri watched her go and glowered at the ribald drunks.

Rickkter rubbed his paws together, fangs set 
tight in his jaws. “Marzac's magic is damn 
difficult to find. It's like it's not even there. 
Jessica shows nothing; James who was just freed 
from it shows no signs of even being manipulated 
by magic. And I've looked at Kayla often enough 
in the last month to know there's no sign of evil on her.”

“You had better have been looking at me for more 
than evil magic!” Kayla said with a little arch laugh.

Lindsey snorted into his coffee, and even Charles 
had to suppress a laugh to keep from spraying 
what he'd just drunk all over his friends. 
Rickkter blinked and glanced back at her for a 
moment before his eyes warmed and he shook his 
head with a laugh. “Oh, aye, I have definitely 
looked at you for more than just that, my love.”

“Good. Then I will let you look at me for evil 
magic one more time... now that you've something to smile about!”

They waited for Kozaithy to return with the tea 
which Murikeer downed in one gulp. After the 
skunk's headache was soothed they examined Kayla. 
After they found nothing evil or even a 
suggestion of evil about her, they did the same 
for Lindsey. Again, their efforts were not 
rewarded with any hints as to how the last 
remaining dregs of Marzac's power worked.

“You mean there's just nothing that you can see?” Charles asked in disbelief.

“I saw it all while in that damn Belfry,” 
Rickkter scowled and smacked his fist in his paw.

“And I saw it at the Patriarch's camp, and in 
Sathmore. But I don't see it here. And, now that 
I think of it, I didn't see it when I fought 
Agathe either. I only saw it after she fled and 
then only because she used the same magic as she had in the Patriarch's camp.”

Though Charles had already heard the story of how 
the skunk had braced the corrupted Runecaster in 
a narrow mountain pass near Silvassa and how he 
had only narrowly survived when she fled after 
the siege engines began lobbing heavy boulders at 
her, it still amazed the rat and his friends that 
Murikeer had faced that woman alone and survived. 
After an almost involuntary gape, the rat managed 
to ask, “Well, what of me then? You have yet to inspect me.”

They did so without delay. While none of the 
others felt any of the magical probing, Charles 
could not help but feel a sense of nausea as soon 
as the Kankoran reached out and brushed his will 
and power across his Sondeck. There was something 
about the magic common to all Kankoran that was 
instantly recognizable and instantly revolting to 
his own innate magical power. Charles grimaced as 
he felt the intrusion like a strand of kelp 
brushing at him from whatever side the waves swam 
across. Every touch was as caustic as rubbing the 
underside of a fern, and as uncomfortable as a roll in a field of brambles.

Even Rickkter appeared to feel discomfort, his 
face growing pale beneath the fur, and his eyes 
draining of their amber light. Yet, his 
determination was stronger than his revulsion. 
But as the wax dripped and Charles felt every 
part of his spirit prodded until he was nothing 
but a prickly anxious mass with hackles raised 
and whiskers tangled, Murikeer and Rickkter 
continued their inspection. It was all he could 
do to keep from turning to stone and diving into the floor to escape.

But the agony ended, and with a firm hand, 
Murikeer led the rat back to his seat, while 
Rickkter slumped down in his. The skunk smiled 
and then frowned. “There is a lot of strange 
magic about you, Charles, but I cannot see 
anything that looks evil. Peculiar, and some of 
which I've never seen on any other, but none of it looks evil to me.”

“Plenty that I didn't like the look of,” Rickkter 
muttered as he downed his coffee in one swallow. “Damn, I need more mead.”

“We've had enough,” Kayla reminded him. “So 
there's no sign of Marzac on Charles either?”

“None,” Murikeer admitted with long sigh. “Maybe its power is spent?”

“Maybe it's more clever than we suspect,” Jessica 
suggested. “So far it has used temptation to 
strike each of us. And it has isolated us from 
our friends. Lindsey was tempted with the thought 
that she carried Zhypar's child.” Lindsey grunted 
but made no reply to this. “Kayla was tempted 
with the thought of saving you, Rick, while 
James... was tempted by his love for a woman.”

“More or less,” the donkey murmured. “The bell 
wanted me to believe I was nothing without it.”

“So whatever it is makes you rely on it above 
everything else,” Murikeer mused as he rubbed at 
his temple again. “That means you each need to 
keep watch that nothing demands your loyalty more than your friends.”

“I can't think of anything that has asked so much 
of me,” Charles said and then shrugged his 
shoulders. “But if you all see that something is, 
or if you think something has, let me know. I 
don't want to put my family in danger.”

“Nor I,” Jessica added.

Lindsey stroked one of his braids and then 
crossed his arms over his chest. “But we have 
only your word to take on that. We've all gone 
our separate ways; how can we keep an eye on each other?”

“Well, James and I live at the Glen. I hope he'll keep an eye on me.”

“I will, Charles.” James's lowered hie ears and frowned. “You did for me.”

“And Jessica and I are here at Metamor now.” 
Kayla smiled at the hawk who nodded in return. 
“We can keep an eye on each other.”

“That's more than I thought we had,” Lindsey 
admitted with a heavy sigh. “But it will strike 
suddenly, and it will seem the most natural thing 
in the world to listen to its voice.” James 
nodded as the northerner spoke. “And before you 
quite realize it you will be in its clutches.”

Nobody said anything for several long seconds. 
Both rat and raccoon continued to breath heavily 
as they brought their respective magical essence 
under control again. But the rest held back from 
any noise as they pondered Lindsey's words. When 
the silence was finally broken, it was Jessica's 
strident speech that lifted their minds from 
introspection. “If it comes on us suddenly, then 
we ought to meet regularly so we can keep watch 
over each other. With the plague ended, we can do this again.”

“And either Rickkter or I can be here to help,” Murikeer offered.

The raccoon grimaced when he was volunteered, but 
he did nod. “And this time it won't be a month 
later either. I've got ways of making sure I remember things.”

Jessica turned to him blinked her wide intense 
eyes, and cawed, “Good. This is something we don't want to forget.”

“So what now?” Charles asked as he managed to get 
his stomach back in order. Was it any wonder the 
Sondeckis and Kankoran were at war with each 
other? Even touching each other filled them with 
revulsion. “It is late and my family will worry about me.”

“How about one more round of drinks,” Lindsey 
suggested. “And the promise of another round next week.”

“Now there's an idea I like!” Rickkter laughed as 
he straightened up in his seat. Kayla rolled her 
eyes while James and Murikeer got up to fetch another round for their friends.

----------

May He bless you and keep you in His grace and love,

Charles Matthias


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