[Mkguild] Gator Courtship (1/1)

[C. Matthias]

I have every intention of writing more than one 
Metamor Keep story this year!  I started this 
during Christmas break, but did most of it this 
week.  I hope you enjoy!  Do let me know what you think.

Metamor Keep: Gator Courtship
by Charles Matthias

July 14, 708 CR

“I thought they would not stare. We are all Cursed aren't we?”

Miriam's worried question made the large 
alligator turn his head slightly toward her as 
she followed at his side through the tight 
streets of Euper. The main thoroughfare was 
choked with wagons and merchants as it always was 
in the Summer, making foot traffic all but 
impossible if the travelers had any intention of 
reaching their destination. The narrow streets 
behind the Inns and other trades along the main 
road were filled with people rushing from errand 
to errand, soldiers on patrol, and street 
sweepers making sure the offal was rinsed into 
the sewers. All eyes turned to the pair of large 
reptiles as they also made their way between 
buildings they could touch on either side and still hold scaled hands.

“We are,” Thalberg replied in his basso rumble. 
His jaw hung open without moving as he spoke in 
the way of many reptiles and birds at Metamor. 
“We are still larger and more impressive than 
most, almost dragonish, Miriam. And dragons are 
always a source of awe.” He then turned his head 
more fully, jaws closing a moment as one yellow 
eye peered behind them. A subtle tightening of 
the eye and slighter opening of his long jaws 
conveyed what Miriam had learned was mirth. “We also walk with ducal guards.”

Miriam turned to look at the quartet of soldiers 
who followed them through the city. All were 
dressed in the blue livery with horse-head 
insignia of the ducal house. One lizard, a 
sparrow, some sort of spotted canine the name of 
which she could never remember, and a human 
woman. She felt a rush of chagrin; she'd spent 
almost all of the last seven months serving with 
Thalberg in the Keep and now she'd stopped 
thinking the ubiquitous soldiers were unusual. 
She knew all four by name and had even bought 
meaty broth to the green anole when he'd been ill last month.

Her gaze returned to the Steward. His stocky and 
broad-shouldered frame confidently marched down 
the street. He leaned forward enough so his long 
green tail would not drag along the close fitting 
stones beneath them and the effluence yet to be 
cleaned. For the same reason he was not wearing 
his usual red robes, so she could see the green 
and yellow scales adorning his body along his 
neck, hands and arms up to his elbows, and all along the wide and long tail.

Seven months ago to see them not only on him but 
also on herself had been an escape from one 
nightmare only to land in another. Now she 
admired the toughness and the variety of texture, 
and especially the way they moved as Thalberg 
walked, barely cloaking the muscles beneath. This 
alligator who had welcomed her to Metamor and had 
found a place for her working and helping run the 
Keep kitchens was, to her great surprise, handsome.

And now he was taking her some place she had 
never been before. He'd almost seemed embarrassed 
when he suggested it during his inspection of the 
kitchens the night before. But the number of days 
it was easy for alligators to roam about outdoors 
in Metamor were few. The mid-morning sun was 
already hot and where the streets allowed its 
golden rays to bathe them they always slowed 
their steps to soak in its radiance. Today would 
be a bristling day, uncomfortable to those 
covered in fur who would pant endlessly; even 
those still human would wipe sweat from their 
brows and soak their tunics. Not even the sewage 
system, a marvel of the civilized world, would be 
adequate in the face of the heat, bringing the 
stink of the city to its malodorous zenith.

“Have you come this far into Euper before?” 
Thalberg asked as they rounded one of the Inns 
catering to merchants. Amid the din of shouts 
from the main street she could hear the familiar 
clanging of a smithy ahead. She could hear little else.

“No.” She took an extra step to keep pace with 
him. “Not since I arrived last Winter. I have 
only been to Euper to visit with Emily and a few 
others from the Fellowship.” Both anole and 
sparrow guards gave slight nods at the mention of 
the leader of the Fellowship of the Egg. The 
human and dog-thing either didn't hear it or were 
accustomed to pretending to not hear the conversations of those they protected.

“I rarely venture beyond the gates of Metamor 
either,” Thalberg admitted with a faint shrug. “I 
do journey to the farmlands surrounding Metamor 
once or twice a year to personally inspect the 
crops, but usually only as Harvest nears. I never leave in Winter.”

They fell silent as they reached the smithy. The 
scent of hot iron and slag burned their snouts 
and the ringing of the hammer made her head 
tremble. Thalberg's hand steadied her shoulder, 
strong claws soothing her at their touch. 
Together they leaned forward, tails lifting four 
hands from the ground as they rushed past.

When they were past Thalberg lowered his hand. 
“There are many things you will adjust to in 
time. Some sounds and scents hurt more than they 
once did, others will seem pleasing you once 
found unpleasant. It took me more than a year 
before I felt at home as an alligator.”

“So long, truly?”

“Compared to a lifetime, it is nothing. Look, we are at the gates.”

Miriam followed Thalberg's arm as he pointed down 
the narrow street. A dozen or more paces beyond 
the last bend in the road she could see the gray 
stone walls of Euper. The ground beneath the wall 
had been cleared, though wildflowers and clover 
sprouted in patches of bare earth. Miriam let her 
jaw dangle an inch, emphasizing the crocodilian 
grin ever etched upon her cheeks.

They left the maze of tight roads behind and 
turned to the left toward the main gates. Even 
though there was now a wide path of beaten earth 
between the last of the buildings and the wall, 
the two alligators continued to walk side by 
side. The four soldiers following them spaced 
themselves apart, spreading into a wedge-shaped fan behind their charges.

Merchant caravans dominated the gatehouse, with 
ostlers and pages scurrying about to tend to the 
horses as the soldiers inspected every carriage. 
The merchants come to sell their wares or 
attempting to leave grunted in annoyance at the 
delays but few did more than grunt. Thalberg 
walked past them, his bearing commanding and 
confidant. Miriam fell a pace behind him, hands 
clasped at her waist, one eye ever upon the 
Steward, the other upon the soldiers who stiffened at his approach.

“Milord Steward!” A white-furred bear who stood 
taller than both of them growled, snapping a 
spear to his breastplate. “Where are you headed? 
Do you need a carriage or more soldiers?”

“Only to the wharves, Sergeant Cassius, and the 
ducal guards will be sufficient. We should return 
this afternoon. Tend to your duties; you appear 
to have more travelers than usual.”

The bear nodded and almost belched a laugh. 
“Cursed and uncursed alike, and none of them 
happy. Good day to you both.” He offered Miriam a 
polite, measured bow, then stomped toward the 
nearest caravan shouting, “Open your curtain, 
young man! Do not even think of hiding anything! 
All your wares must be inspected!”

Miriam felt exhilaration and trepidation as they 
walked together beneath the portal, the heavy 
portcullis secured above them. The gatehouse and 
Euper wall had been under construction when she'd 
first come to Metamor. Nearly finished, it still 
lacked a sense of utility as if it were a brave 
front put on for friends rather than real 
courage. Now it felt imposing and strong, the 
final marker between civilization and the wild beyond.

The portal faced the south and so before they 
finished passing beneath the stone archway and 
wide-swept iron doors they stepped into the sun. 
Two soldiers stood next to either door with 
spears held straight, their stature fixed and 
imposing, one a large gray-skinned creature with 
a nose as long as his chest, the end of which 
wrapped about the spear like a third hand, the 
second a massive cat striped orange and blank. 
Miriam had heard the names of both fantastic 
creatures but could not recall them. She wondered 
if they'd been selected for this duty due to 
their imposing size. The doors looked very heavy.

The road beyond the gates was fitted stone for 
only twenty paces before being replaced by 
hard-packed earth. The main portion of the road 
ventured to the east and south where it forked 
along the eastern face of the hill on which 
Metamor perched. A more modest road continued to 
the west and down toward the river flowing 
through the valley. To this Thalberg turned.

Miriam followed, casting one glance back at the 
gate. “What are the inspections for?”

“Since the plague this Spring every wagon coming 
into Euper must be inspected.” Thalberg turned 
his head a little so his eyes could find her. He 
gestured for her to come to his side again. “At 
least one mage capable of seeing magic is always assigned as well.”

“Do the soldiers take anything they find?”

“Not if they wish to remain soldiers for 
Metamor,” Thalberg replied indignantly. “Duke 
Thomas compensates them as generously as he can; 
far more generously than most lands. If our men 
started extorting from the merchants we'd have 
fewer merchants come, and we need them to survive.”

Miriam closed her jaws before another question 
could slip past. Instead she took several quick 
steps to catch up to the Steward. The road 
followed the city wall before descending a steep 
hill toward the river. The eastern bank of the 
river was cleared along the road so only rocks, 
grass and scrub remained, but the western bank 
was flush with oak, pine, and birch.

The river channel had been carved wider around 
the city providing a small lake on the eastern 
bank where the current was gentle. The wharves 
were adequate but not extensive, catering mostly 
to local fishermen and their boats. Miriam had 
heard the river was not navigable; fierce rapids 
choked passage toward Lake Barnhardt and toward 
Lorland. Generation-old plans to dredge the river 
and clear out the cataracts lay fallow from lack of money or men.

As they started down the first of the switchbacks 
leading to the docks, Miriam found the courage to 
ask, “Why are we going to the river, milord?”

For a moment something seemed to dance in the 
Steward's yellow eye. He gestured with the sweep 
of one arm and slapped the end of his tail on the 
ground with a thump. “We are alligators, Miriam. 
I want to show you what our animal bodies are made for.”

“For swimming? We have the baths. The water is so delightfully warm there.”

“The baths are... not the place for what I want to show you.”

“But won't the water be cold?”

His jaw closed half-way, and in a quiet rumble he 
replied, “You will see.” He shut his long jaw, 
the flap of scales at his throat swelling for a 
moment as he swallowed whatever else he might have said.

Miriam followed in silence, listening to their 
footfalls, the chirp of birds in the trees, and 
the voices of fishermen down at the docks sorting 
last night's catch. The road twisted back and 
forth five times before they reached the 
shallower land abutting the river. Walls of stone 
held up the steeper hills and cliffs to the 
north, while to the south several buildings stood 
for the fishermen to keep their equipment and 
even to live if necessary during the peak fishing 
seasons. The wharves stretched from the buildings 
a good hundred paces with a dozen moorings 
jutting into the river, each fashioned from stone pilings and wooden slats.

The fishermen were too busy and too near the 
buildings to notice the two alligators and four 
ducal soldiers who turned to the northernmost 
dock. Thalberg motioned for the soldiers to stay 
at the landward side while he and Miriam 
continued on to the end of the pier. The four 
quickly arranged themselves in a semi-circle with 
their backs to the alligators.

Thalberg stopped and stared down into the gently 
rippling water. Miriam followed his gaze, noting 
first the glint of sun shimmering upon the dark 
surface. Slowly little darting shapes below 
became visible. A few moments later she knew they 
were minnows and could see the dull colors on 
their scales. Beneath them specks of dirt, bits 
of tree bark, and the occasional leaf floated 
with the current. And deeper within she could see 
fronds of some plant growing up from the bottom 
around each pylon. As she drew her eyes back to 
the surface, she noticed the little insects 
darting about the surface until they were snatched by a minnow from below.

Her gaze returned to the Steward who was 
shimmying out of his trousers. “Milord? You really mean for us to... swim?”

“I do, Miriam, I do.” He stepped out of the pants 
and folded them in his arms. Her eyes noted the 
dark-green of his scales along his legs, the bent 
knees, and the lighter, almost yellow scales 
along his inner thighs. Self-conscious and 
ashamed, she turned back to the water and then 
glanced down at her own garments. She had seen 
him before in the baths, but... outside where so many eyes could be watching?

“There is nothing to fear, good woman.” He set 
the folded pants aside and then removed his 
bandoleer. Only his tunic remained over his 
chest. She could tell from the subtle slow creep 
of his slit black pupil he was admiring her tail. 
“Go ahead and remove your garments. We will be 
swimming in our beastly forms this day.”

“But the cold?”

“I have something to keep us warm.” He patted one 
of the pouches on his bandoleer now resting atop 
his folded trousers. “I believe I have it sized 
for you, but you'll need to change first for me 
to be sure. It would not do to lose it in these 
waters. We alligators can survive even if the 
river should freeze, so long as we can keep our 
snouts above the ice. We do not need to fear such 
a fate this day, but still, I would rather not 
take any risks. With you, good woman.”

Miriam closed her jaws and took a deep breath. 
She could see out of the corner of her eyes her 
nostrils swell and retract at the end of her 
snout. “Will not the fishermen see if I undress here?”

Thalberg's reply was almost a growl, but from his 
throat it seemed gentle, merely the Steward's 
uncomfortable attempt to whisper. “Perhaps, and 
if they do, they will think me the most fortunate of men.”

A rush of heat filled her chest and her arms 
tightened about her waist. Thalberg turned away 
and undid the lacing of his tunic with his thick 
but nimble claws. A few seconds later he slipped 
it over his shoulders and folded it in his hands. 
The scutes along his back shifted ever so 
slightly back and forth as he moved. Her eyes 
followed the ridges of scutes down to his tail 
where they blended into two ridges at each side.

Miriam closed her eyes and did as the Steward 
bade her. She loosened the strings at her waist 
and chest, before wriggling free from her blouse 
and gown. Both fell to her feet and tail in a 
rumpled pile. She bent low and did her best to 
fold them presentably. The warm air and sun felt 
exhilarating to her bare scales. For a few 
seconds she remained with narrowed eyes and hands 
spread across the wooden slats of the dock, 
exposing her back and tail to the sun to savor 
the warmth filling her reptilian body.

“Miriam,” Thalberg's voice woke her from reverie. 
She opened her eyes and looked at him also 
crouched next to her, one hand spread upon the 
docks, the other holding a locket with pewter 
chain. His legs already appeared shorter and 
splayed to the side of his hips so his back and 
tail ran in a single angle down like a wedge. 
“When you are ready, change into your full animal 
form. I want to make sure this will not slip off in the water.”

Only a few times before had Miriam used the 
latent magic bestowed on her by the Curses to 
change into a full alligator. Apart from once in 
her quarters where she had done it out of pure 
curiosity, she had only ever done it in the 
heated baths where the steam made it difficult 
for other Keepers to see her. As a beast her arms 
and legs were short, and her tail swung side to 
side with each step, knocking things over. Foxes 
and cats were graceful, wolves possessed a wild 
beauty. Alligators were frightening and primal, 
scraping their bellies across the earth like 
monsters. None had seen her as a beast before 
save Thalberg in the safety of the steaming baths.

But out in the open here, any who turned would 
see. Thalberg had been an alligator far longer 
than she. If he assured her it would be safe, the 
guards would not look nor the fishermen, and they 
would remain warm as a good reptile should, then 
she would trust him. She closed her eyes and 
pictured herself with the short arms and legs, 
the long body, the forward facing head with its 
broad, rounded jaws. She felt the warmth increase 
for a moment as a massaging sensation rippled 
through her muscles. Her hands had to reach 
forward more as her changing proportions dragged 
them across the wooden planks. She felt her chest 
bounce atop the wood, her legs push to the sides, 
and her center of mass settle down low in her belly. She was an alligator true.

Her eyes opened and looked upward at the half-man 
crouching above her. She felt a faint urge to 
lunge forward but made herself keep still. He 
slipped the locket beneath her throat bulge and 
draped the pewter chain across the back of her 
neck, tangling it in the scutes for a moment to 
keep it from falling back down. He shifted on 
both feet and one hand so he could lean closer 
over her. Her nostrils swelled and she swung her 
wide tail across the dock hitting one of the stone pylons.

“A moment more,” he rumbled as he crouched on his 
belly, both hands reaching behind her head to 
secure the chain. She could see a similar charm 
dangling from his neck. It appeared to be brass 
with a bit of red glass or cheap gem inside. 
Behind the glass was a sigil in the shape of a 
flame; it seemed like a campfire; not too close 
to burn, but not so far away they could not feel 
its warmth. Miriam wondered if the image were 
magic or merely a trick of the glass lens.

The chain tightened about her neck for a moment 
before relaxing. The locket was pressed against 
her scales, but not so tight she couldn't breath 
or move her jaws. “There,” Thalberg announced. 
“You should be protected now. It is safe to swim. 
I will change now; mine is already sized.”

Miriam pushed herself forward, tail slapping back 
and forth. She could not see below herself with 
her eyes perched atop her broad snout, but she 
could sense where her nose passed beyond the edge 
of the dock. Her back tensed as she put her front 
paws on the edge of the last plank. The rippling 
water was a good six to seven hand drop, and with 
a shove from her hind legs, she thrust herself 
into the air. The wood scrapped against her belly 
for a moment before she splashed into the cool 
river water. She could feel the minnows darting 
away from her form as the water sloshed up over 
her scutes and down her tail as it slapped from 
the deck to the water. She swung her tail from 
side to side, all four legs pawing at the water 
on either side, and glided easily into the eddying current.

Warmth radiated from the locket at the nape of 
her neck. The water was cold as she'd expected, 
but she did not feel any lethargy. Instead, she 
almost felt more energy than when swimming in the 
heated baths of Metamor. She shot like an arrow 
further into the river current, the rippling 
bearing her southward past the docks for several 
seconds before she swung her tail again, guiding 
herself effortlessly back into the small lake carved out for the fishermen.

As she started back toward the docks she heard a 
heavy splash and glimpsed another alligator in 
the water. He swam in a lazy semi-circle near the 
current for a moment, his snout submerged but for 
his nostrils and eyes. She found a small eddy 
which kept her steady and watched, swimming 
higher in the water so her whole head was 
visible. Thalberg slowly neared her in the water, 
never rising higher. There was something 
comforting in his approach and so Miriam merely watched.

When Thalberg reached her he slid alongside so 
their legs brushed across each other. The scutes 
on his back breached the surface as he passed, 
and she nosed at his tail once. He slipped 
further away out into the river. Like she had 
done a moment before Thalberg had to swing his 
tail more firmly to fight against the river. He 
pushed upstream for a few minutes and Miriam tentatively followed.

All around them little schools of fish parted at 
their approach. Miriam turned away from the other 
alligator to venture back into the calmer waters 
near the shore. She lowered her jaw and pushed 
her tongue against the back of her mouth. The 
water drifted across her teeth and tongue, cool, 
with a taste of dirt and plant. The occasional 
flexing of her legs was all it took to keep 
still. Little ripples danced across her back and 
tail. Fluttering motions brushed against her 
tongue. She could not see anything but knew the 
fish had returned. Did Thalberg expect her to eat 
some like a wild animal? Did she dare? Would the 
beast the Curses made her do so on instinct?

Miriam was so afraid to find out she closed her 
jaws slow enough for the minnows to escape.

A sudden splash from upriver startled her and she 
thrashed with her tail until she was turned 
toward the sound. Thalberg was at the northern 
end of the small lake carved from the river 
shore. Tall trees dominated the short cliff from 
which the lake had been carved in ages past, 
their boughs stretching out over the water. A 
broken branch thrust up from the surface and lay 
wedged between granite boulders peeking above the 
water. In front of this glided Thalberg amid a fast rippling ring.

His body was sleek as an arrow, dark and 
glistening in the sunlight. His eyes, no longer 
the yellow she was accustomed to, but now a dark 
yellowish brown, met her own, nostrils flaring 
with a basso rumble as he emptied his lungs. The 
sound shimmered in the water and made her hide tremble.

And then, Thalberg lifted his head out of the 
water at an angle, before dropping first his 
lower jaw into the water, followed by his upper 
jaw in a sharp snap. It made a loud clapping 
sound against the water, and a new set of waves 
rushed away from him before mixing with the 
river. Miriam swung her tail behind her once, 
drawing herself closer. She watched him, finding 
a part of herself deeply impressed with his display.

Thalberg performed his head slap again and this 
time the waves brushed across her snout before 
dissipating. She swam toward him, and he swam in 
a long arc until he came in beside her. It was 
strange not being able to say anything, and yet 
she found in his few motions more words than he could normally ever say.

The Steward of Metamor was master of Duke 
Thomas's household. There was none save the Duke 
and his daughter who had more authority inside 
the Keep. He commanded a staff of at least a 
hundred servants or more, as well as managing the 
ducal guard. He had earned the respect of all of 
the ducal advisers and had a stern reputation 
among the people. Few would dare cross him and 
his word was often the last heard in a room.

Yet with Miriam he was often strangely reticent. 
He who rarely had difficulty making himself heard 
was suddenly speechless. Miriam wondered at the 
war between duty to his lord and friend and 
whatever feelings he had discovered on finally 
meeting a woman who had become as he had, a woman 
who also understood the rigors of serving and keeping a noble house.

She admired his devotion to the Duke and his firm 
but understanding dominion over the servants in 
the Duke's house. When illness struck those who 
served the Duke, Thalberg saw to it they had what 
they needed to make a full recovery. He was 
always one of the first to arrive at the kitchens 
each morning and the last to leave it each night. 
Miriam could not imagine the Duke himself with a 
more commanding bearing than Steward Thalberg.

He was handsome and noble even without the title. 
Her heart yearned for more from him.

And now they swam as two alligators in the water, 
side by side, tails and snouts brushing as they 
glided. How like Thalberg to say as an alligator what he could not as a man.

For what seemed an hour they swam and did nothing 
more. Sometimes they swam side by side, brushing 
snouts and tails as they went. Other times they 
would turn and face each other. Thalberg would 
rub his snout atop her own, often across the 
middle of her snout and sometimes just beneath 
either of her eyes. She would push upward at each 
touch even as he pushed down. The water rippled 
about them, and for a time she completely forgot 
the fish swimming around them, the guards at the 
landward side of the dock, and the fishermen at 
the storehouse still cleaning their nets and counting their catch.

After pushing away from Thalberg for what must 
have been the tenth time, he swam up to her side, 
and pushed atop her back, legs and chest pressing 
her down into the water. Miriam rolled beneath 
him, spinning through the water to back away. 
Thalberg let her slip away but a moment later 
chased after her. She spun around in a wide 
circle as he followed before launching herself 
atop his back. Her tail curled around beneath his 
as he lifted his back against her. She nudged the 
end of her snout behind his eyes.

It was Thalberg's turn to roll beneath her, and 
he swam a short distance away, only to return to 
her, face to face, tails swaying on opposite 
sides. They circled each other, snouts staying 
close together, first his atop hers and then hers 
atop his. They took turns rubbing their snouts 
against each other along the top of the snout and 
everywhere along the sides near the fangs. 
Sometimes Thalberg would also nuzzle at her neck 
and shoulders. Sometimes he would submerge 
beneath the waters only to emerge with his snout 
beneath hers to rub at her throat.

Miriam realized she was not even thinking about 
her actions, only responding as her body knew to 
do. Sudden uncertainty filled her and she swam 
away from him out into the river proper. Thalberg 
circled in the estuary for a minute, paddling 
idly with his paws, eyes and snout lifted out of 
the water to regard her. After staring for 
several seconds he swung his tail and darted out 
toward her. She swung her tail and pushed further 
into the flow. The current in the middle of the 
river was strong and after only a few seconds 
knew she would be carried beyond the docks. She 
pushed toward the far bank with powerful swipes 
of her tail. She even paddled with her legs.

The current was still stronger than she'd 
thought, and by the time she was within reach of 
the other bank – a collection of roots and rocks 
making it difficult to find any place to beach 
herself – she had been swept beyond the 
storehouse and the extent of the fishing lake 
carved in ancient times. Miriam turned herself 
around and swam upstream in the gentler eddies 
near the rocks. Thalberg paddled a few dozen 
paces ahead of her, gliding with only his head and scutes above the water.

Miriam felt foolish and blew a fluttering sound 
from her nostrils as she swam toward him. 
Thalberg paddled more to keep himself from 
slipping downstream as he waited for her to catch 
up. Her tail swung side to side in a sinuous arc 
and she forged upstream, sliding past the other 
alligator, before she swung her right legs to 
turn back into the current. A few moments more 
and she returned to the gentler lake. She felt 
Thalberg brush up beside her. He nuzzled her but did not press.

Together they swam for several more minutes, 
touching and nuzzling with their snouts. Thalberg 
put his snout atop her back at one point, but she 
submerged and swam out from underneath him. He 
chased after, clearly wanting and hoping. She 
always let him catch her. It both frightened her 
and comforted her, what she understood. Thalberg 
wanted her, but he listened to her too. How she 
hoped to hear it with his voice.

Their swim continued until the sun was high in 
the sky. Miriam did not see the bird arrive and 
greet the soldiers, but Thalberg did. His head 
lifted up from the water and he swam toward the 
dock, breaking away from Miriam who had put one 
of her legs atop his back. She followed, sensing 
a change in his manner immediately.

The anole soldier rushed to the end of the dock, 
waving his arms in the air to get their 
attention. Thalberg swam to the dock and then 
shimmered in the water. Miriam could see his body 
changing shape. Humanish arms hoisted the 
alligator onto the dock while water streamed down 
his body and tail back into the river. “Darach, what is it?”

The anole gestured to the magpie who was still in 
his beast form perched on the anole's shoulder. 
“Messenger from the Duke for you, milord 
Steward.” The magpie hopped off the anole's 
shoulder and glided down to the dock. He swelled 
in size as he did until he was large enough to 
form words, about half the anole's height. He 
waved with a wing for Thalberg to lean closer.

Miriam paddled in the water, uncertain what she 
should do. Her alligator's yellow eyes were 
curious at first as he leaned down. The magpie 
made some cawing noise close to his head, but 
Miriam could not make out the words. But those 
yellow eyes widened and his head swung toward her 
faster than she'd ever seen him move.

His voice thundered and made the water tremble. 
“Miriam! We must return to the Keep now. Darach, 
fetch the towels and tell the fishermen to return 
to Euper. Everyone on high alert. Now!”

Miriam moved faster than she knew she could. She 
transformed and huddled next to the Steward. He 
put his arm around her shoulders and covered her 
nakedness with his body while they waited for the 
anole to return with the towels. The magpie 
bobbed his head sadly and flew back toward the Keep.

Miriam slid her snout beneath his neck. He 
pressed down atop hers. The locket and sun warmed 
her as the water rushed from her scales. The fear 
in Thalberg's voice chilled her. She huddled in 
his arms, tails pressed close together. Her voice 
was low, but she managed to ask before the anole 
returned, “What's wrong, milord?”

“We're not safe here; none of us are. I will tell 
you more when we return.” The anole reached them 
and tossed the towels. Thalberg helped Miriam dry 
off and then rubbed himself down. A minute later 
they were dressed and rushing as fast as they 
dared back toward the gates of Euper. His arms 
were still around her, and her snout tucked beneath his.

“I will keep you safe... my love.”

“I know, my love.” She pressed close against his 
scaly hide, grateful the Curses had made her an alligator too.

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

Charles Matthias