[Mkguild] Healing Wounds in Arabarb (61 of ?)

[C. Matthias]

Healing Wounds in Arabarb
By Charles Matthias


April 24, 708 CR


On the afternoon of the ninth day the sea birds finally saw the 
spires of Metamor Keep rising into the sky. After many fond farewells 
and promises that they would come back to Arabarb one day after the 
last of Calephas's army was crushed, Quoddy, Lubec, and Machias took 
to wing and left Fjellvidden with a cool, but bright morning to 
welcome them. They said nothing for most of the journey but flew 
together very closely, keeping a watch out for any birds of prey that 
might think them a snack, and any hunters who might think the same. 
They stopped at the many small mountain lakes on their way to grab 
fish to eat. They followed the flocks of other migratory birds when 
they headed southeast. And ever behind them they put the forests, 
rivers, and mighty hills of Arabarb.

Pharcellus had given them advice on a path they could take through 
the Dragon Mountains that would lead through lush, low-lying valleys 
blocked off by high cliffs from the touch of men. These also led them 
quickly southeast toward the Sea of Souls from which navigation to 
Metamor was particularly easy. Wildflowers were in bloom along the 
hills and walls of the valleys, providing a bountiful array of blues, 
violets, lavenders, gentle yellows, and other colors they couldn't 
quite name. Food suitable for bids was plentiful.

It rained a few times on their journey, cool rains that turned to 
snow higher up the mountain slopes, and from these they either flew 
up higher if they could or found shelter. In a strange way it warmed 
Quoddy and Machias to see Lubec complaining about water-logged 
feathers again. Most of the rest of the time he was morose and 
withdrawn. And at night he slept fitfully and only because of exhaustion.

But they made good time and all three felt immense relief when they 
passed over the last range of mountains and saw Metamor Valley spread 
before them. The day was cool with a mix of low clouds and a 
southerly breeze that promised more rain that evening. The mostly 
northern pine and fir they had seen in the last few months now 
allowed for oaks, alders, maples and others. Bright blossoms adorned 
their branches, a sharp contrast to the gray and green world of Arabarb.

They first emerged over the line of lower peaks just north of the 
mighty redwoods that dominated the northwestern extreme of the Valley 
whence lay Glen Avery. Hareford was visible to the east, but their 
path took them well clear of that ancient outpost. Machias squawked 
in an avian laugh that he thought he could hear Burris the woodpecker 
banging his head against a tree, but none of them wanted to stop and 
see. Their hearts were set on Metamor.

Their path took them over Lake Barnhardt, and their eyes stared 
hungrily at the crystal blue water below. But what few fish there 
were swam safely a fathom or more below, and so they contented 
themselves with noting the townsfolk about their business, the many 
homes with their rooftop gardens; their eyes were momentarily 
arrested by a particularly unique plant whose single stem bore 
several bright blue and violet flower bulbs arrayed in clusters along 
the spire. But they soon forgot it as they swept past the angled 
mountain ridge toward the keep with its mighty towers and long, thick walls.

Quoddy and Machias started to bank toward the castle as they neared, 
but Lubec continued south., pumping his wings to speed himself along. 
His bothers turned in surprise and raced to keep up with him, unsure 
of where he was going. They cawed to him but he just shook his head 
and swooped down toward the city.

But he did not land anywhere in Keeptowne. Rather he continued past, 
down the ridge to where the road traveled and the river flowed. 
There, at the base of the ridge lay Euper, the village that huddled 
at the Keep's feet like a faithful dog. Lubec's brothers understood 
then just where the cormorant was going. He was going to visit Emily, 
the head of the Fellowship of the Egg.

The komodo's house was one of those which always smoke trailing from 
the chimney. It was a small house, single story, nestled along one of 
the main roads, with a small stone ramp leading up to the door. The 
latch had been lowered in the years since the Battle of Three Gates 
to accommodate both her and her snake husband's new postures. Only 
one of the windows was ever open and only fully on the warmer days; 
the rest of the time it was cracked merely to keep smoke from 
collecting inside.

Today that window was open enough that one of them could fit through 
at a time. Lubec banked his wings and flapped hard until he came to 
rest on the sill. Quoddy and Machias landed on top of the house and 
peered over the thick wooden awning at their brother. "Emily?" Lubec 
cawed, "are you home?"

The rasping croak of the komodo was unmistakable and delighted. 
"Lubec! You're home! Aye, come on inside! Are your brothers here too?"

"We're here!" Quoddy squawked as first Lubec and then Machias flew 
down inside. He followed after them and came to rest in the simple 
main room of the house.

They were greeted not by the warm chirps of Emily and Raymond but by 
a chorus of startled hisses and bared fangs from a dozen scaled 
children. They had been playing amongst Raymond's mottled coils, half 
of them little lizard's like their mother, and the other half snakes 
with arms like their father, though their arms looked more defined 
than poor Raymond whose arms were so weak that he could no longer 
make pottery as he once did. But as soon as the three birds had 
landed in the small, warm room, their posture went from play to 
defend as if they weren't children but guard dogs.

"Oh," Emily gasped, sweeping between the birds and her children to 
keep the more adventurous ones from actually braving an attack on the 
strangers. "Forgive them, they... they're only five weeks old and..."

Quoddy squawked a laugh as he looked at the twelve children, their 
reptilian faces sweet in the way of a child despite their hostility. 
"Not too happy to see us."

Raymond hissed at the children and began coiling them back toward a 
smaller door leading to the room back behind the fireplace. Quoddy 
knew that room was filled with sand warmed by the hearth and with a 
low ceiling, provided a comfortable resting place for their 
cold-blooded bodies in even the harshest of winters. The komodo and 
viper parents guided their children that way and they went, though 
yellow and black eyes cast frightened and angry glances at the sea 
birds who stood and waited against the far wall.

It took a couple minutes, but they did manage, and Raymond assured 
Emily he would keep an eye on them. The viper's voice was full of a 
joyful delight that none of them could ever remember hearing. Emily 
thanked her husband before pulling the door shut behind them and 
waddling back over to her guests. She propped herself on one of the 
raised stones near the hearth on which they could warm themselves.

"They are still very young, and they act more like real lizards and 
snakes," Emily offered with a fondness in her voice. "But they are 
much smarter. We're hoping that they'll better control those impulses 
as they grow up. It's nothing anyone else in the Fellowship blessed 
with hatchlings hasn't experienced already."

"I heard Lord Avery's children act like regular squirrels all the 
time," Machias said with a guarded laugh.

Emily lowered her jaws in an approximation of a smile. Her mottled 
dusty brown hide trembled as she hissed a laugh. "I've heard the 
same. Well! It is so good to see you three again! How did your 
venture up to Arabarb go? Copernicus told me that you were going to 
help gather information. We weren't expecting you back for quite some 
time. Is... Lubec?"

The whole while the cormorant had stumbled forward from the wall 
where his brothers stood, spreading his wings out to either side as 
he neared the komodo. And then to all their surprise, he thrust 
himself forward, laying his head and neck across her one, and 
wrapping his wings over her front. He convulsed and sobbed in his 
squawking voice as he pressed close to her. Emily, shocked, lifted 
one of her heavy paws and gently patted the bird on his lower back.

Stunned, she glanced at the gull and puffin and said, "What happened?"

Quoddy recounted as quickly as he could what they'd seen in Arabarb 
and how the mage Gmork made slaves of those he thought important, 
including their brother Lubec. It was utter agony to have to tell her 
how Lubec had begged Gmork to kill and eat them all so twisted had 
his mind become. With each new atrocity Emily's shocked expression 
turned into one of smoldering anger. She continued to hold the 
sobbing cormorant close to comfort him.

"But once Gmork was dead, Lubec and all the others who were his 
slaves were set free. Calephas is dead too. The land is free, and we 
were able to help free it. We accomplished more than we ever thought 
we could. It was horrifying, frightening, and, while the fighting was 
the sort of thing I once thought we'd all do when we grew up, it was 
so different. That we were able to do anything at all... but Lubec 
was that monster's slave for almost two months, Emily."

Emily nodded and gently rubbed her head against the cormorant's side. 
"You're safe now," she said softly to him in her raspy voice. Lubec's 
sobbing was mostly passed; he continued to tremble against her but he 
no longer squawked or warbled unintelligibly. Quoddy took a deep 
breath and moved forward, resting one of his wings on his brother's 
back. Machias, blinking in confusion, stumbled forward on his webbed 
feet to do the same.

She looked to the gull, still with the fire in her eyes, and said, 
"Did you know that this Gmork could do this?"

He shook his head. "Nobody did. We only knew he was there helping Calephas."

The komodo opened her snout to ask something more, but they were 
interrupted by a knock at the door. Machais rushed over and pulled it 
open with his wing claws, and in stepped a rather uncertain coyote 
dressed in livery of a court messenger. He bobbed his head when he 
saw them and and his tail wagged nervously. "Kee," Emily noted with 
dry bemusement. "Oh good, I wanted to send a message."

"I have message from hs grace for Quoddy, Lubec and Machias," Kee 
said after catching his breath. "He wishes to meet with you and hear 
your report. I was told that you weren't expected back in Metamor so 
soon and he very much wants to know why you've come back."

"When?" Quoddy asked.

"As soon as you can."

Quoddy turned his yellow beak toward his black-feathered brother and 
sighed. "Tell him we'll be there in an hour."

Emily leaned forward a bit, glaring at the coyote, "And you tell his 
grace that Emily wishes to speak with him promptly afterward. And if 
he doesn't know me, you tell Thalberg. Do you understand?"

Kee nodded his head and clasped his paws together. "I will pass your 
message along to his grace." He glanced at the cormorant who had 
managed to still himself, but who still held tightly against the 
komodo. "I hope he's feeling better soon." With that he yipped and 
dashed back down the street. Machias heaved a sigh a swung the door shut.

----------

They waited another fifteen minutes for Lubec to regain his composure 
before even suggesting to him that they start heading to the keep to 
meet with Duke Thomas. Lubec, after stretching out his wings, legs, 
and neck, assured his brothers that he would be fine for now, and he 
thanked Emily for listening and for being a mother to them. The 
komodo nuzzled him one last time and assured him that she'd always be 
there for them. She then went and told Raymond through the door that 
she was heading into the Keep and would be back later that evening. 
He hissed back a simple reptilian proverb, "Stay warm!"

The sea bird brothers chose to keep the komodo company on the long 
walk from Euper up to the Keep. They stayed in their most human guise 
to make walking as easy as possible, though it would never be as easy 
as flying for them. Still, walking did force them to keep at a 
consistent pace and made talking easier. They asked Emily about her 
children and the others in the Fellowship. She asked them about the 
dragon Pharcellus and more about Lindsey who was now fully a dragon 
too. She studiously avoided asking about Arabarb itself or about what 
the brothers intended to do next. Lubec was not quiet, but he was 
more reticent than he used to be, and there was an ever so subtle 
divide between the brothers now, something that had not existed before.

By the time they reached the keep, the sun was nearing the edge of 
the dragon mountains and would soon disappear behind them. Quoddy 
asked Emily how she could possibly get all the way back to Euper 
without getting cold and falling asleep, but she assured them that 
she'd be fine and already had a plan in mind. They did not press.

Copernicus was waiting for them at the second gates and escorted them 
in with his usual enthusiasm. He led them directly through familiar 
halls to one of the Duke's meeting chambers. It was the same one that 
Copernicus had directed them to three months ago, and nearly the same 
cast of characters awaited them within. Only this time, in addition 
to the horse lord, his bat spymaster Andwyn, and the head of the Long 
Scouts Misha, they were also joined by Prime Minister Malisa.

"I'm glad to see you three home safe," Thomas said with a warm smile 
as he stood and beckoned them in. He turned to Emily and nodded to 
her. "Kee relayed your message. I can have a fire prepared for you in 
the other room if you'd like to wait there until we're finished."

The komodo accepted the offer and while the three birds were given a 
comfortable cushion to perch on, he escorted her through a door 
leading into a smaller room with a sitting table, hearth, and shelves 
with books. Emily situated herself near the fire while Thomas gently 
closed the door.

Copernicus brought bread and fruit for the birds, setting ti before 
them on little plates, before he lumbered his massive three-hundred 
pound lizard's body over to a chair that had no back and sat down.

"So," Thomas said after retaking his place, "tell us what happened. 
What brings you back to Metamor so suddenly?"

Quoddy regaled Thomas with much the same detail that he'd told Emily. 
He spoke of making contact with the Resistance, but much of that 
they'd already known from the reports he'd sent back with Pharcellus. 
Thomas gently rushed them to the time when Lindsey arrived. Quoddy 
described meeting the boy with Pharcellus, taking them to see 
Gerhard, visiting his old home, and then meeting his mother in Vaar. 
Misha chuckled when he heard that Lindsey's mother disguised herself 
convincingly as a man, while Malisa appeared oddly wistful at the notion.

He then described those fateful two days in Fjellvidden. The gull 
didn't get very far before he had to recount Gmork's power over 
minds, even that of their brother Lubec.

"Over minds?" Andwyn asked, the bat's eyes opening wide and his wings 
pulling tighter around his chest. His voice, always high pitched, was 
now squeaking with actual horror. "He can control minds? How?"

Lubec spoke softly and slowly, explaining what had happened to him. 
Thomas ground his teeth together, his ears lowered, and he snorted as 
if he were pawing the ground. Misha's paws clenched tight. 
Copernicus's usually cheerful demeanor turned dour and he grabbed the 
table as if he'd fling it across the room. Andwyn lowered his head 
and trembled. Malisa put her hands before her and held them tight.

After Lubec finally trailed off while trying to describe the things 
Gmork had made him want, Andwyn let out along breath and lifted his 
snout. "I am so sorry. If I had known he could do this, you would 
never have been sent. I am so sorry you had to endure that."

"As am I," Thomas added with a nod. "As we all are. But what happened 
to Lindsey? You said he was being held prisoner."

Quoddy told them that Gmork tried to use them to interrogate Lindsey 
but Pharcellus rescued them. Misha pumped his fist when he heard 
that. Quoddy didn't mention having to lead Lubec on a chase, but he 
did state that they made contact with the various parts of the 
Resistance and lead them together, where they decided to launch an 
attack against the city to allow Lindsey's mother time to get into 
the castle. The rest of the story he told from Lindsey's perspective.

"So, Calephas was trying to turn himself into a dragon," Malisa 
mused. "That does shed some light on the trade we know has been 
taking place between Arabarb and the northern cities."

"Something we'll have to keep a closer eye on," Misha pointed out.

"But how did he fail? You wouldn't be here if he had succeeded?" Thomas asked.

Quoddy bobbed his head up and down and swallowed a little bit of 
bread. "Lindsey did it, even chained and poisoned, Lindsey did it." 
He then told them of how Lindsey had goaded Calephas's tiger slave 
into murdering him.

Misha guffawed and with a vicious snarl declared, "Justice is very 
sweet! Oh how I wish I could have seen that!" And then the fire in 
his eyes dimmed and he asked, "But what about Lindsey? And Gmork?"

Quoddy then explained the bit that was still so hard for him to 
believe despite seeing it with his own eyes. Misha's jaw dropped when 
told of Lindsey's true ancestry. Andwyn was flabbergasted. Thomas and 
Malisa just blinked in shock. Copernicus started laughing and 
slapping his thigh with one hand. "I always knew Lindsey belonged in 
scales. But never... praise Eli, that is something else!"

"And so he's a dragon now?" Thomas asked after regaining his wits.

"And still up north. Pharcellus, his older brother, is teaching him 
how to fly."

Misha shook his head, jowls curled into a bemused grin. "I hate to 
say it, but he's very lucky to have that dragon for an older brother. 
I can't imagine a better brother to have."

The joy on hearing Lindsey's fate was replaced anew with horror when 
they learned of Jerome and how close he had come to becoming one of 
Gmork's twisted and vile children. A more sober fox said with jowls 
twitching in anger, "I'll have to tell Charles. He's the only one I 
know who might be able to help."

"Jessica too," Malisa added. "But we dare not send them to Arabarb."

Misha nodded with along sigh. "Charles will kill anyone who separates 
him from his family again; not after that plague kept them apart."

"I hope you don't mean that literally, but I have no intention of 
sending him or anyone else to Arabarb just yet," Thomas added with an 
equine nicker. "Besides, you said that they plan on bringing Jerome 
back here once Pharcellus's wing is healed; is that not so?"

"Aye," Quoddy said with a bob of his beak. "He said it would take 
about a month."

"And when he gets here," Thomas continued, "He can tell us more of 
what is developing in Arabarb. So what happened to Gmork?"

Quoddy shook his head. "He died, but if Jerome is right, his spirit 
or whatever it is that he is, moved into the body of one of his other 
pups. None of them were ever found."

"That's not good. An enemy like that cannot be allowed to survive." 
He turned toward the bat and glared. "How could you not have known 
what Gmork was capable of? You were a spy in Nasoj's castle, and this 
Gmork worked for Nasoj for years!"

Andwyn pulled his wings tighter around his chest. "We tried to learn 
more about him and everyone who was close to Nasoj. But Nasoj 
deliberately kept Gmork at a distance and he and his children were 
only rarely allowed in the castle. It was difficult to learn anything 
certain about him except by what others said of him. Given the number 
of wards Nasoj himself erected, learning anything in his castle was 
nearly impossible. Every moment of our lives was spent in direst risk 
there. I cannot tell you how many friends I lost in that place 
because they turned left when they should have turned right." The 
bat's voice grew more and more venomous as he spoke, until finally he 
took a deep breath and huffed it all out in one final exclamation. 
"Damn be that house to Hell!"

Thomas put one hand on the bat's shoulder to still him, a look of 
understanding and mutual loathing there on his brow. Once the bat had 
his emotions under control again, Thomas turned kind eyes on the 
birds and offered them a genuine smile. "I am all here are so very 
grateful for what you've done. Because of you one of our foulest 
enemies is dead, and Arabarb may yet be free and an ally again. For 
sacrifices above and beyond what you were asked to do, and what for 
success beyond our greatest hopes, I am going to reward you with 
honorary membership amongst the Long Scouts." Misha's one eye shot up 
in surprise. "You will enjoy all of the privileges members do, but 
you will not have to go anywhere you do not wish."

Machias blinked in surprise. "What privileges are those?"

"You'll receive a monthly stipend and you will be exempt the Keep's 
taxes. And if you're not careful, Misha may decided to paint for 
feathers pink some day." The fox studiously tried to look somewhere 
else as Thomas and the others chuckled under their breaths. The birds 
stared at the fox uncertainly but with good humor.

"Thank you, your grace," Quoddy said. "But we don't really need that. 
We've not really needed any money since... well since this." He 
lifted his wings to indicate his body, and then lowered them against his back.

"It's not about the money," Thomas pointed out. "It's about the honor 
that you deserve for your heroism. And I think you know of others who 
could always use the money."

Quoddy looked at his brothers who shrugged with their wings. The gull 
sighed and tried to smile with his beak. "Thank you, your grace. I'm 
sure we'll think of something we can do."

"Good. Now that that's settled, tell us more of the political 
situation in Fjellvidden and the challenges they still face. As much 
as you know."

----------

The meeting took almost two hours at which point Thomas thanked them 
again and stepped aside to let his daughter and others to disperse. 
Copernicus shepherded the birds over to the door and talked quietly 
with them for a moment. Andwyn excused himself , the intention of 
rearranging his spy network to reflect what they knew evident in his 
usually placid and unreadable face. Malisa left with a similarly 
hurried expression.

Misha approached the Duke and whispered between his teeth, "Your 
grace, you can't go making people Long Scouts without my approval!"

"Honorary," Thomas replied with a gentle laugh. "And can you tell me 
that they don't deserve it?"

The fox grunted and lowered his one ear and stilling his wagging 
tail. "Nay, I cannot. Still, next time, could you warn me first?"

"Aye, I should have this time. My apologies."

"And don't spoil the paint surprise!" Misha added with more of his 
usual mischievous nature returned. "Now I'll have to be extra careful 
to find a time and place they won't expect it!"

Thomas laughed. "I'm sure you'll manage, my friend!"

The fox seemed pleased with his new puzzle, and his manner towards 
the three sea birds was companionable and friendly. It would not take 
much more to tip the scales in the fox's heart to brotherly. A few 
more words passed between them before the fox excused himself, and 
Copernicus lead the birds out into the hall beyond. At last the room 
was his own.

The horse lord went immediately to the small sitting room and opened 
the door for the komodo. Emily looked up at him with an expression 
that would be inscrutable if not for the fact that his Steward was a 
reptile like her. She almost hissed when she spoke, "You deliberately 
put me in a room where I could hear everything, your grace. Why?"

Thomas gestured for her to come out and make herself comfortable by 
the hearth in his meeting quarters. "Because I know who you are and 
what all members of your Fellowship mean to you. And aye, before you 
ask, my Steward Thalberg has explained these thing to me in private. 
I do not understand all, but I understand enough to know how 
important your work is. And do not be angry with Thalberg. He is the 
most loyal of servants any man could have. Of all the people I know, 
he is one of the few I can truly call my friend. For a man in my 
position, that is a rare luxury."

Emily waddled over to the hearth where she reclined on the stones. 
Thomas brought a small stool so he could sit closer to her level. He 
rested his elbows on his knees as comfortably as he could manage, 
long-haired tail sweeping out behind him. The komodo took a deep 
breath, the vermillion radiance from the fire speckling on her dusty 
scales. "That is Thalberg. He himself told me that he can keep 
nothing from you that he believes is your concern. I understand very 
well and would never want it any other way."

"Good. What then may I do for you?"

Her small eyes met the horse lord with a small measure of defiance. 
"How could you send those three into such a dangerous place for a 
mission they were not trained for? They have been passive spies to 
the south for you, aye. But they were not ready for something like 
this. Lubec sobbed against my neck for nearly an hour when they 
returned. This was too dangerous for them."

"It was," Thomas agreed with a short nicker and long sigh. "And for 
that I am deeply sorry. I knew I was risking their lives. I do that 
for all who are sent from this Keep to brace our enemies. If I had 
known te danger was as great as it was, I would have selected those 
more experienced. I am only grateful that they survived despite all 
the dangers they faced."

Emily lifted one paw and pointed at him before setting it back down 
to steady herself. "But now that you know they can handle such 
danger, you can send them out again."

"I could," Thomas agreed. "And the defense of Metamor may demand it. 
That is the duty of all Metamorians. But you are right. Their 
temperament is not suited to this work and I will not employ them 
again unless there is no other choice."

"Did you have other choices?" Emily asked, flicking her tongue meaningfully.

"When Andwyn and Misha first proposed this, aye, there were other 
choices. But for what we wanted, somebody whose shape would not be 
noticed, and who could stay along the coastline and draw no notice, 
they were truly the best choice. Can you think of any who would be 
better suited to such a task?"

Emily's hard lips tried to frown. "Nay, I cannot. But what of Gmork? 
If he truly is still alive, he may try to seek revenge."

"Andwyn is doubtlessly instructing his spies to seek information on 
this Gmork, Malisa will speak with the mages we have here to see if 
there is any knowledge of a creature like Gmork, and I'm sure Misha 
will be in contact with the Marigund mage's guild to see if they know 
anything. No that we have good information about him, we can finally 
prepare ourselves. And if we suspect Gmork may be involved anywhere, 
I promise you Quoddy, Lubec, and Machias will never be anywhere near there."

The komodo nodded and sighed. "Thank you, your grace. But why make 
them Long Scouts, even honorary ones?"

Thomas reached one hand up to his mane and scratched there a little 
self-consciously. "Well, it was really a way to help you."

"How do you mean?"

"Thalberg... he's told me about your need for more funds. He'd never 
ask for nor accept my personal help. Those three have no need of the 
money they'll now receive. Where else do you think it will go?"

Emily blinked and her tail tip slid back in forth in sudden pleasure.

"And this way, I can help without making my Steward feel guilty."

"You are wiser than I give you credit for, your grace. My apologies. 
I am... still a little upset about what's happened, but... I think I 
understand better why."

"I know," Thomas said with a slight nod. "It is night. Will you be 
able to return to you home?"

"Aye. I will visit Miriam and borrow some of the warming stones 
Thalberg bought for her."

Thomas rubbed his chin in thought, thick lips wriggling with each 
word. "She'll still be in the Kitchens. Hmm...." His brown eyes 
brightened as he rose to his hooves and walked over to the writing 
desk in the other room. Emily craned her neck to follow him but he 
returned so swiftly that she croaked in surprise when he held out a 
sealed note. "Give this to her. She'll supply you with a small 
collection of fresh meats."

Emily took the note in one hand and held it beneath her. "But why?"

"You are a new mother," Thomas explained. "This is not charity and 
this is not to appease your concerns over the birds. It is a gift to 
a new mother and father for their children. Nothing more."

Emily hissed, but this time in delight. "Thank you, your grace. May 
Eli bless you and your wife with many children too."

Thomas smiled awkwardly and then nickered. "Aye, Thalberg would very 
much like that too."

They both laughed with fondness for their alligator friend before the 
komodo bid the Duke a good night and left to find her way to warmth and home.

----------

"And all I could think about was how much I wanted to see Gmork tear 
out my brother's throat and devour his flesh." Lubec trembled at the 
memory, just one of many that he'd confessed to the boy priest Father 
Hough. He nestled on the bench in the confines of the large 
confessional, beak near the iron grille separating him from the boy 
priest who sat quietly on the other side offering a few gentle 
questions but otherwise saying nothing.

After leaving Thomas's chambers, Copernicus had suggested they go to 
the Ecclesia Cathedral together, something all three birds quickly 
agreed to. For Quoddy and Machais, the hunger for the Host that 
they'd had to forgo for so many months now was firmly in their mind, 
but they were also keenly aware of Lubec's particular need, and after 
running into the chameleon seminarian Patric and explaining what they 
wanted, their friend sought out his master as quickly as possible.

And so with Patric and Copernicus for company, his brothers waited in 
the sanctuary, paws and wing claws clasped in prayer, while Lubec 
bared his soul of every little detail he could think of. They shamed 
him and horrified him, but he would not let a single one remain 
unspoken. And after an hour he was exhausted in every sense of the 
word. His flesh and bones were weary from trembling, his mind from 
scrounging at every corner of consciousness, and his heart from every 
terrible sin he had committed while Gmork's slave, and all those he 
was afraid he'd committed both before and after.

But finally, he had to slouch his head and wings forward, unable to 
say anything more on his own. "I... that's all I can remember, 
Father. That's all."

Hough stirred slightly on the other side of the grille, his youthful 
voice quiet but comforting. "How much of this was Gmork's will and 
how much was your own? You are not responsible for anything Gmork 
made you do while controlling your mind, my son."

Lubec closed his eyes and buried his beak into his chest feathers for 
a moment, before lifting his neck and replying, "Gmork made me love 
him so much, that there was nothing I wouldn't do for him. I did 
everything because I loved him. It was all my will! All mine!" He 
whimpered a clicking noise as he pressed his beak back into his chest 
feathers to stifle the even greater wail that wanted to escape.

"You are not responsible for loving him," the boy priest said. "That 
was his doing. You know this, my son."

He cawed, "I know."

"But everything else you did, all those other thoughts, all those 
other desires, they were about bringing harm to those you truly love 
for the sake of the one whose evil deed made you love him instead. 
That is the root and source, and it is one that has already been plucked out."

Lubec lifted his head again, breathing in deeply as he listened.

"Let us give thanks for the grace of this sacrament which redeems us 
to Eli's grace, and which now redeems you, Lubec, my son. For your 
penance, I bid you to pray the Pater noster ten times on leaving 
here. Then, you will for the next two months perform at least one 
gratuitous act of kindness and mercy to someone here at Metamor about 
whom you had such terrible thoughts in the last two months."

"What about those at Arabarb?"

He could almost imagine Hough smiling. "If you wish to make amends to 
them at a later time, you may do so, but let not your conscience 
demand it to atone for these sins. Your penance is to be done here at 
Metamor. For our sins are against Eli alone. The practice of the 
virtue of charity here is all that is necessary. Now, make your act 
of contrition."

Lubec felt the words well up from within him and pour from his beak 
as if they were the most wonderful words he could have ever said, 
"Deus meus, ex toto corde paenitet me omnium meorum peccatorum, eaque 
detestor, quia peccando..." How he wished then that he was a song 
bird instead that he might trill his r's and tweet his vowels with 
fulsome joy.

When he was finished, Father Hough pronounced the final words of the 
sacrament that washed away his sins, and made the sign of the Yew 
before the grill. Lubec performed it with one of his wing claws. "Go 
in Eli's peace, my son," Hough said afterward. "I look forward to 
seeing you at Liturgy this Sunday."

"I will be there," the cormorant squawked breathlessly as he hopped 
down from the bench and pushed the confessional door open with his 
wing. "Thank you, Father. Thank you. Eli bless you!"

He didn't quite hear what Hough said in reply as he was already 
rushing as fat as his legs could carry him across the sanctuary to 
where his brothers sat with necks bowed toward the altar and 
tabernacle. Behind them knelt Copernicus and Patric, their 
green-scaled knees resting on soft blue pillows as they bowed their heads.

Lubec genuflected toward the altar and made the sign of the yes, 
before wrapping his wings around Quoddy and Machias and hugging them 
close. They laughed with him and hugged back.

"Are you okay, Lubec?" Quoddy asked after they leaned back.

Lubec craned his neck toward the altar and nodded. "I will be. Let me 
pray for a bit, and then... let's go to the Fellowship hall. I have 
some things I want to do there."

All of them smiled at that idea. They each resumed their prayers 
while Lubec began his own in the company of his dear brothers and 
friends. Before them the evening light shone through the stained 
glass to cast an amber glow on the alter, golden tabernacle, and Yew 
with crucified serene-faced Yahshua born on its limbs.

----------

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

Charles Matthias


!DSPAM:4dedeb9192651804284693!