[Mkguild] Merry Marriage Round Robin: Jack's Tale

[cokane8116 at aol.com]

 Here is my overdue part of the RR.

 

   Long House was usually a quiet place. It wasa small complex and the residents were always about on their tasks. Still mostof the rooms were quiet most of the day. But one place was never truly quiet orempty of life. The Kitchen. It was always busy. Regardless of the time of dayor night there was always someone there. During the day they were making orserving meals. But late at night and into the early morning there was usuallyat least one or two people there; preparing for the next day’s meals.

 

   In charge of these place and those whoworked there was a middle-aged black bear morph named Mirriam Lakewood. Ahe hadbeen a head cook in one of Metamor Keep’s many kitchens when Misha hadapproached her about being the Head Cook in Long House.

 

   The job was exciting in its own way and itcertainly kept her busy.

 

   “We have a special task for you if you’llaccept it,” Misha said.

 

   “What is it?” She asked curiously.

 

   “We are getting married,” Caroline saidcheerfully.

 

   “That’s fantastic,” Mirriam respondedhappily. “Congratulations!”

 

   “We want you to cook the wedding feast,”Misha said.

 

   “How many people?” Mirriam asked.

 

   “About 400 hundred,” Caroline answered.

 

   “I’ll do it!” She responded immediately.

 

   “No hesitation or time for consideration?”

 

   “No,” Mirriam answered. “I love a goodchallenge.”

 

   Caroline handed her a large piece of paper.“Here is a list of the guests.” The otter handed her another piece of paper.“Here are the dishes we want.”

 

   Mirriam examined the list of dishes andnodded as she read it. “Not a problem. Who do you have making the cake?”

 

   Misha shrugged. “We haven’t decided yet.”

 

   “My cousin is a fine baker. I’ll talk tohim,” the bear responded. “See if he will do it.”

 

   “Thank you!” Caroline said.

 

   “Let’s get down to the details,” Misha said.

 

 

****************

 

 

   Attached to one wall of her small office wasa large piece of slate. She picked up a piece of chalk and began to write onthe slate. “Wedding.”

 

   “For 400 people I’ll need at least 100 hams,100 turkeys and 200 chickens. I can make Aunt Edna’s famous Chicken Supreme!I’ll need 2 tons of vegetables. Carrots, corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes.Radishes.”

 

   The list got longer with each passing momentbut Mirriam was happy.

 

 

***************








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    On Sunday, November 10, 2024 at 08:42:00 PM EST, Indagare <brenner.mike at gmail.com> wrote:   

 
“Jack’s mother was once the Witch of the Fens or, at least, that’s what she liked to tell people to intimidate them. Whether she’s entirely human is up for debate,” said Totti. “But she had coin and had this house built and, in time, gave birth to Jack.”


“Who was Jack’s father?” asked Curtise.


“Ask his mother if you can find her. She vanished after cursing him the last time.”


“I’m still not clear on that,” said Tybalt. “Why would she curse her own son to start with?”


“One day she sent Jack to sell their cow at the market. She’d stopped giving milk. Along the way Jack met a strange man who gave him three golden beans, promising him riches.”


“Jack believed that?!” asked Baldwin.


“He was only seven, and his mother had done magic, so it wasn’t exactly implausible.”


“Hmm, when you put it like that it makes sense,” said Baldwin. “But she ought to have known too.”


“I think she did know. After she beat Jack, she had him plant the seeds in a triangle around a flat stone near her garden. The next morning a trellis of bean vines had formed. She had Jack go through it and he found himself in a land of giants!”


“The Giantdowns?” asked Chanti.


“No, somewhere else. He said that everything there was over three times the size it was here and the giants were smart. One he met was a woman who took him in.” Totti paused. “The next part he never explained clearly, but somehow he returned with a tablecloth that set itself with a meal, a pouch of coin that never ended, and a harp that played itself. Then he cut down the stocks and burned them.”


“That sounds ominous,” said Curtise. “Why burn something like that? Did he steal those from the giantess?”


Totti shook her head. “Whatever happened he refused to say, but it scared him badly. His mother was not so kind either and beat him for a week.”


“Even with all the treasures?!” asked Tybalt.


“Apparently they were not the ones she was wanting. She cursed him after that: 


‘To seek but never find, treasure always on the mind, far and wide you must roam before you may return home’.”


“Cruel woman,” said Baldwin.


“Very. But it was not she who cursed Jack to regress. He started doing that even before the Battle of the Three Gates,” said Totti. “Whenever he was too scared or feeling small or weak he’d turn into a babe. As he grew, that was more often a child, as you saw.


“After the Battle his mother and brother vanished. Where they went no one knows, but from that day forward Jack was never able to be still. He would get dreams of treasures and be compelled to seek them out. I joined him. After the Winter Assault Nihil also joined us.”


Nihil smiled. “You were both very polite and helped me when I was lost.” Nihil looked to the group. “I made a deal with something during the Assault; that my family would be protected and prosper, whatever happened to me. The price was my name, and all my memories save for the making of the deal.”


Tybalt hissed, Baldwin brayed, Curtise growled, and Chanti crowed. “That was ill done!” said Chanti. “How can you be sure the bargain was carried out?”


“I cannot say, except it is part of what little knowledge I have left. I know the deal was made, and I know it was with an Aedra. Nothing more remains. I am both a childmorph and a gendermorph, but whether I was male or female before I know not. Therefore I call myself ‘Nihil’.”


All of the Bremen musicians shook their heads. “Well, what more of Jack? What brought him here, of all places?” asked Curtise.


“He said he had a treasure buried here though, as I said, he is prone to dreams of treasure thanks to his mother. It could be something he hid from her–perhaps part of the reason he was cursed to roam. Or it could be that she meant him to find a treasure for her. In any case, it has been years of wandering, even in these past two we have gone far,” said Totti.


There was a stirring and they saw Jack come into the room. In his one hand he had a bag. As he approached he aged from a child to an adult of eighteen. “I found it Totti! One of the three! I knew it was here! If I can find the other two, perhaps I can finally break the roaming curse!”


“What treasure is that?” asked Tybalt. “It looks like a regular purse to me.”


“Ah, but it always has coin within, and no matter how many are drawn out, there is always another in!” To demonstrate he handed the purse around. Each person saw exactly one coin within. He then put the coin on the table, and pulled a second out. Then a third. Then still more, till the amount on the table could not have fit in the purse!


Totti let out a whistle. “So! This was treasure worth finding.”


“If I can only find the other two,” he said. “The table cloth will give out food for all at the table it is set on, and the harp will sing and play itself to any tune.”


“Sounds lovely,” said Chanti. “Perhaps we can help you look?”


“I’d be deeply in your debt! But it’s unlikely they are near. My mother had them last, and she bade my brother hide them.”


“His brother she loved with all her love,” said Totti, “so naught but hate remained for Jack.”


Curtise growled. “A snake could make a better mother than her! Let’s see. What of the tablecloth already on the table?”


“No, surely she wouldn’t…” Jack paused. “Clear it, please.”


Once the cloth was cleared, Jack spoke to it. “Tablecloth of wool so thick, make a meal and make it quick! Let upon your top appear the food and drink we hold most dear!


Suddenly the table had plates and food of all kind!


“Well, that was cleverly Done!” said Baldwin. “Now, what would bring out the harp?”


“If it can sing, perhaps I can lure it out!” said Chanti. “I have heard the tale of a harp of gold, of a beauty rare to behold! This harp they claim would sing just about anything! Yet my voice is one so sweet and clear, I think the harp must be drear!”


Suddenly there was the strum of a harp and a female-sounding voice came out. “Not so bold caroler! My voice is clearer yet! No challenge to my tone or playing have I met! Sing if you will about my sound, but think not your voice could be more renowned!”


Baldwin, Curtise, and Tybalt had been listening for the response–if it came–and moved to a section of the house where food was stored. They searched the room and found a secret compartment in the floor! From it they raised a golden harp covered in glittering runes. The forepart of it was shaped like a human woman.


They brought it into the other room, and Jack took it and hugged it. As he did, a dark mist rose up off his body and went up the fireplace! “And there goes your curse, if I’m not mistaken!” said Nihil.


“Yes, I feel better already! The compulsion is gone!”


“Then let’s eat this feast and rest. Tomorrow we can decide what to do next,” said Curtise.

  
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