[Mkguild] Faithful Battles (6/7)

[C. Matthias]

Part 6

Metamor Keep: Faithful Battles
By Charles Matthias


Conley did warn them when the shadows grew long, 
and after a few more polite words, Father Felsah, 
Patric, and Richard took their leave of the 
Lidaman house. Their conversation had remained 
affable and the food they were offered was 
pleasant and filling. Lidaman, despite his spoken 
reservations, proved a gracious host and spoke 
with fervor and pride about his home, answering 
the jerboa's questions without hesitation. In 
turn, Felsah offered a more reserved but with no 
less ardor, accounting of Yesulam and his home in the deserts of the Holy Land.

The warmth of the Summer afternoon still filled 
the air and it was accompanied by a dry breeze 
swept down from the eastern mountains. Long 
shadows stretched across the street and to the 
south, where the aristocratic homes parted, they 
could see the sun half-hidden behind the 
southwestern shield of the Dragon mountains. Dusk 
was an hour away, and true night another beyond, 
providing them plenty of time to return to the Keep and offer Vespers.

The streets were still filled with people but 
already many were in their homes taking their 
evening meal and so all three walked without fear 
of hooves, paws, or boots treading upon their 
tails. Merchants were in the midst of closing up 
their shops and they saw more of them returning 
to their homes than anything else.

As they passed through the gardens, Patric turned 
one eye and cracked his jaws open to speak. “I am 
sorry, Father. I did not know Master Lidaman 
would say those things. I know he is a fervent 
Lothanasi, but he treated the Sisters, Richard 
and I with kindness on our earlier visits.”

“It is of no matter,” Felsah waved his paw and 
flicked his tail upward before letting it brush 
against the terrazzo. The scent of asters, lilacs 
and chrysanthemums filled the evening air. He 
turned and leaned his snout into a lilac blossom 
to savor its fragrance. A ripple rushed down his 
fur and he flared his ears outward before turning 
and continuing his hopping steps. “It is of no 
matter, Deacon. I am a Questioner. I have 
received a worse welcome more times than I can 
count. And I prefer it this way at times; Master 
Lidaman was honest. Perhaps what he said to me 
was his own manner of kindness, a kindness toward 
one he did not know and for whom he had suspicions of ill intent.”

“But he threatened you!”

“Aye, he did. If I bring strife to this city.”

Patric laced his fingers together as his eyes 
turned about in consternation. Richard glanced 
between chameleon and jerboa as he scampered to 
keep up. “I do not understand how this does not 
upset you, Father. I... I... will try not to be upset on your behalf.”

Felsah nodded between hops. “Good. We will only 
drive them further into the arms of the Lothanasi 
if we react with anger. There are times for 
anger, Deacon, do not mistake me, but this is not one of those times.”

Patric nodded, long tail curling tight against 
itself. He balled his fingers into a fist a 
struck his breast. “I will remember, Father. Thank you.”

Felsah cast a fond glance upward at the chameleon 
and paused only a moment to rest his hand on his 
side. “Peace be with you, my son.”

“And with you spirit, Father.”

----------

They hurried the rest of the way back to the 
Cathedral inside the Keep's walls. Two servants 
stopped them briefly requesting prayers for 
family in need and Felsah made a mental note of 
their names to put them on the list for visits 
tomorrow, but they were otherwise uninterrupted 
in their journey. Felsah felt a smile stretch his 
snout and set his whiskers atwitter when he saw 
standing before the doors to the Cathedral the 
ram Sergeant Wolfram, the three-horned reptile 
Zachary, and the other five soldiers in the ram's patrol.

The septet were talking and sharing cabbage 
wrapped potatoes while they waited. Zachary 
tossed a half-dozen into his beak and start 
crunching his jaws side to side when he noticed 
the three of them coming down the hall. He lifted 
an arm to wave, fingers brushing the arched stone 
ceiling, and his companions turned.

“Father Felsah,” Wolfram said as he pushed 
himself off from the wall where he'd leaned. The 
ram's gaze quickly took in chameleon and mouse. 
“Deacon Patric, Richard, we didn't expect all of 
you to be out. I trust all is well?”

Felsah nodded once he reached them and stopped, 
straightening out his robes with both hands. 
“Indeed it is. I am glad to see all of you. Your 
protection during my brother priest's visit was 
welcome; I have asked Yahshua's blessing on each 
of you during my prayers since. Have you all come 
to have your weapons and shields blessed?”

The older human man – Gweir, Felsah recalled – 
stepped forward and turned his stout bow over in 
his weathered hands. “Some of us are Lothanasi, 
Father. But Wolfram and Zachary are our brothers. 
And you are a good man, Father; we gave you our 
help before. We will accept your blessing now.”

The younger human man hefted his double-blade ax, 
the stag his bow, the peccary his sword, and even 
the little mouse wizard lifted a small dagger. 
Zachary did not lift his massive sword, nor did 
Wolfram draw his own or his shield, but their 
beak and snout parted in gratitude and 
brotherhood at what their fellow soldiers did.

“Deacon, bring out the aspersorium. Richard, please fetch holy oil.”

Zachary pushed open one of the doors for the 
both, and chameleon and mouse slipped inside the 
Cathedral. While they were gone, Wolfram held out 
a cloth covered basket. “Would you care for one, 
Father, before Zachary eats the rest?”

Felsah shook his head and then caught himself 
scratching behind an ear with one foot. After 
stopping himself he straightened his robes again 
and said, “Not before Vespers, but thank you. If 
you save one for each of us, we will gladly partake after the evening prayers.”

The wizard mouse Kindle stepped forward and 
offered an amused whisker twitch. “I sometimes 
scratch with my foot too, Father. You'll get used to it.”

Felsah and Kindle stood almost the same height 
and it set a part of him at ease. “How long have you been a mouse?”

“Since the Curses were cast. Where's your chewstick?”

Felsah patted his side where he tried to keep it 
tucked between the cord about his waist but found 
nothing. “It must have fallen out again as I hop. 
I'll have to find a better way to keep one on hand.”

Kindle fumbled at his side and drew a small patch 
of leather out of a pouch. His blond furred tail 
bounced as he moved about. “Here, I like to use 
leather myself; it's less bulky and works almost 
as well. Out in the field, well, any twig will do!”

Felsah lifted the leather to his incisors and 
gave it a good bite. The leather did not break 
and the pressure felt good on his teeth. “Thank 
you, Kindle. Oh, do you put clothing on your tail 
in Winter? I know the cold of desert nights, but 
not the cold of snowy forests and mountains.”

Kindle nodded. “I've a fur-lined leather coat 
with a wide tail I can wrap about my tail and 
button up. It feels bulky and uncomfortable 
having your tail wrapped up at first, but after 
an hour in the cold you will be grateful for it. 
I can show you where I had it made when we return from patrol if you wish.”

“Thank you, Kindle.” His ears lifted at the soft 
sound of his friends returning with the requested 
items. Felsah took another gnaw on the leather as 
chameleon and mouse stepped out of the Cathedral 
doors. They came to his side, Richard carrying a 
small glass bottle filled with an amber-hued oil, 
and Patric cupping a golden bowl in his long 
fingers, a golden rod rested in the bowl and the holy water within.

“All of you, please stand in a line against the 
wall and we can begin. Hold out whatever weapons 
and shields you wish for me to bless. No, don't 
hold them up, you'll wear out your arms, just 
hold them comfortably out. Aye, aye, good.” 
Felsah stepped toward them, standing half-way 
between them, with Richard and Patric flanking 
him. He lifted one hand high and trace the sign 
of the yew, intoning the ancient prayers in a chittering sing-song voice.

Of the seven soldiers gathered, only Wolfram and 
Zachary made the sign of the yew in return. The 
others watched and listened as Felsah chanted in 
a language they did not know. Felsah, at first as 
his tongue and throat shaped the well-known 
prayers for blessing before battle – one 
Questioners used every day they were on a 
Questioning – did his best to ignore the chitters 
and squeaks interjecting despite his best 
efforts. But half way through he realized they 
were part of his voice, much as the hopping, the 
gnawing and the scratching were all part of the 
unique nature given to him when he'd become a jerboa man.

And so in his chittering, squeaking way, Father 
Felsah finished the prayers and made the sign of 
the Yew before each of the soldiers. He turned to 
Richard and bid the mouse remove the stopper from 
the oil. Light on his paws, he stepped to 
Sergeant Wolfram who held out his treasured 
blade. Felsah pressed his thumb against the top 
of the bottle and Richard tipped it up slowly 
until the oil ran to the other side. The mouse 
lowered the bottle. Felsah drew the sign of the 
Yew across the haft of Wolfram's blade, intoning 
another prayer, naming Eli, Yahshua, and the 
Spirit Most Holy with each invocation. He then 
did the same for the ram's shield. The amber gold 
of the oil perfumed the air with a powerful odor both sweet and astringent.

He then turned to his right and took the 
aspergillum from the golden aspersorium cradled 
tight in Patric's long-fingered hands. He shook 
the rod as he chanted the blessing, holy water 
spraying across the blade, the shield, and the 
ram. Wolfram made the sign of the yew, his eyes 
wide and his chest stout. His nostrils flexed 
drawing in new, fresh air. Felsah met his gaze 
and lifted his whiskers in a pleased smile.

Zachary was next, and the tension in the 
three-horn's face was clear, despite having a 
hard beak and mostly immobile scales. The sword 
he offered was taller than Felsah by at least six 
hands and outweighed him thrice. Felsah could see 
colored smears in the blade where his reflection 
should be. He let Richard dose his thumb with 
another drop of oil, and he offered the same 
prayers of blessing upon the massive blade before 
sprinkling it with the aspergillum. The 
kharrakhaz let out a long sigh as he traced the 
yew over his snout and chest, shrinking down for 
a moment, before standing confidant, beak cracked into a saurian smile.

One by one Felsah blessed what was offered by 
each of the others. Gweir, the older human, 
offered a bow for blessing, while the younger man 
standing next to him – Ross, he recalled only 
while tracing the oil – offered an axe. Kindle 
smiled as he offered a dagger for blessing; 
Felsah was grateful he hadn't offered a spell 
book or wand or whatever it was wizards used as 
he was not sure he could have blessed any of 
those. The boar-like peccary named Owain held out 
a sword similar to Wolfram's if not of as fine a 
craftsmanship, and the stag, Burkhart, held a 
large, powerful bow Felsah could only reach half-way up.

After offering each the blessing, Felsah returned 
to the center of the hall and intoned a final 
prayer. He could not strengthen the words of the 
prayer with his intermittent squeaking and 
chittering, but in time he knew it would be 
natural. Richard and Patric joined him in the 
prayer, their voices adding their own unique 
beastly noises. Felsah stood as tall as he could 
and lifted his hands high, ears folded against 
his back, as he traced the yew one more time 
before each of the soldiers. Wolfram and Zachary 
traced it over their chests again, while the 
others fumbled a moment but did nothing.

And then it was done. Felsah lowered back down on 
his paws and smiled, turning first to Patric and 
Richard to say, “Thank you both, please return 
the aspersorium and oil and then prepare for 
Vespers. I will be there in a moment.”

Zachary was kneeling before him a heart beat 
later, holding out his large hands, the sword 
sheathed across his back. “Thank you, Father. I 
feel a weight lifted already. I will laugh at 
them if my prayers are disturbed again. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Felsah put his small mouse hand on one finger of 
the reptile's hand and nodded. “There is 
something I want you to consider, Zachary, and to 
pray about. When you return from your patrol I 
wish for you to come by yourself and find me. I 
will tell you then. Until then, pray your heart 
would be open to doing Eli's will in whatever way He calls you.”

His beak cracked in a wide saurian smile and for 
a moment Felsah could see the thick tongue, rows 
of grinding molars on either side, fading to 
darkness at the back of his throat. And then the 
tongue shifted slightly and subtle shimmering of 
shadow from his throat presaged his voice. “I 
will, Father. And I will do all I can to protect 
my friends and bring them home safe too.”

“I know you will.” His eyes turned aside to 
Sergeant Wolfram who approached on the 
kharrakhaz's right, and then to stag Burkhart who 
came up on his left. “Your friends are here for you as well.”

“Aye, we are,” Burkhart said in a voice soft and 
with a sweetness as gentle as the velvet covering 
his antlers. “Do not fear, Father, we will return him safe and sound.”

Wolfram laughed and patted Zachary on the 
shoulder. “Aye! We're going to keep each other 
safe. It's what brothers in battle do. Now come, 
Father has to lead Vespers, and we'll have to 
help our friends understand them!”

Burkhart nodded. “You did promise, Zachary.”

Zachary chortled, a blast of air pressing all of 
Felsah's whiskers against his jowls. “I did. 
Thank you, Burkhart, for coming. I know...”

“Say nothing of it.”

Zachary stood and offered thanks again to his 
Lothanasi friends for being there, while Felsah 
leaned back on his haunches and flicked his tail 
from side to side. Brothers in battle truly, each 
striding without hesitation to the aid of their 
own. The whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

But what parts!

----------

Vespers had always drawn a few dozen Followers, 
and this night was no different. As late as the 
night fell, there was little time for much else 
other than enjoying the potato and cabbage 
Wolfram had brought and saved for them before 
Compline. The final prayers before sleep were 
even more sparsely attended and their three 
voices united in chant felt meager compared to 
what they'd managed when Father Hough and the 
other seminarians were there, much less to what 
Felsah was accustomed in Yesulam.

But the great cycle of the day was completed and 
while Patric tended to the candles, Felsah 
followed Richard into the sacristry. “I do intend 
to keep my promise to you, Richard. If you are interested.”

Richard's round ears perked outward. “What promise?”

“To explore this place together... as mice.”

Richard returned the lectionary to its place and 
chittered under his breath. “Oh aye! But are you 
up to it? You look exhausted, Father.”

Felsah nodded and steadied himself with a hand on 
the stone wall of the small sacristry. “Aye. I am 
not used to days quite so long or with so much 
activity. Father Hough must have heroic virtue to 
do this every day of every week.”

“Well, he does keep Wednesdays for himself; 
unless some one is dying or in desperate need.”

“And spends them working on his ciders. I have seen.”

“I thought being a parish priest is what you said you wanted as a boy.”

Felsah laughed and sat back on his haunches. 
“Aye, it was. And I am grateful to be so these 
two weeks. Eli has a great sense of humor. 
Sometimes He gives us exactly what we wanted so 
we can understand just what we need.”

“And sometimes the opposite,” Richard mused, 
scratching behind one ear before coming around to 
help Felsah disrobe. He removed the green alb and 
dalmatic and hung them from a hook in the wall, 
as Felsah brushed the black Questioner robes 
underneath down to straighten them. “But still, 
Father, are you sure you are up for it?”

“I will be, aye. I've never tried it before, and 
I might need your help. Changing.”

Richard patted the dalmatic down with his paws 
and then chittered a laugh. “Oh. It's easier than 
you'd think. I have to check on Rakka first. Your cell?”

“I will meet you there, aye.”

He left Richard tending the vestments and found 
Patric in the sanctuary replacing a burned out 
altar candle. The fresh candle was wider than 
Felsah's hand and looked to be too heavy for him 
to even lift. Patric handled it with ease in his 
long-fingered hands. The little claws at the end did not even nick the beeswax.

He genuflected toward the altar and yew and then 
waited for the chameleon to finish. Patric lit 
the new candle once it was in place near the 
tabernacle, stepped backward, long tail curling 
up on itself, and genuflected. He then turned and 
focused his eyes on the jerboa standing a few 
feet back. In a quiet voice he said, “All is 
done, Father. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, Patric. Thank you for all of your help 
today. I look forward to the day when I may call 
you Father too. You are going to be an excellent priest.”

“It is what my heart longs for, Father. It is 
what so many here need more of. It surprises me 
you were not a parish priest yourself; people are 
starting to trust and like you, even if you are a Questioner.”

Felsah smiled and lashed his tail up and down. “A 
relief, truly! Before you retire, there is one 
thing more I wished to ask. I am going to spend a 
little time exploring with Richard in our beastly 
forms this night. Would you care to join us? Eli 
has allowed this for us, and perhaps using these 
in part is also part of His will.”

Patric turned one eye around as if looking up and 
down the walls of the sanctuary. “I have tried it 
before, Father, and I need it to be very warm and 
humid when I do. Even then I would be very slow 
compared to two mice. Thank you, Father, but I 
must decline. Besides, you'll need a man to keep 
Rakka restrained in case the Keep lets him out again.”

“In sooth.” Felsah chortled and not for the first 
time wondered if it had been such a good idea to 
bring the dog from Yesulam. Then he remembered 
the wag of the sandy-colored dog's tail and the 
happy bark and bounce of his play and chased such worries away.

“Have you ever tried the animal shape, Father?”

Felsah shook his head. “No. Is there something I should know?”

“Perhaps,” Patric tilted his head to one side as 
if pondering. “It touches everyone differently, 
Father. Some Keepers will live part of the year 
in their animal shape, others have taken to labor 
with it. Some of us use it but rarely if at all. 
I... do not have much use for mine, Father.”

“And perhaps I will have no use for mine either. 
Eli bless you, Patric, and good night. Tomorrow will be another full day.”

“They always are.”

----------

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

Charles Matthias