<html> <body> Inchoate Carillion, Inconstant Cuckold By Charles Matthias It was already mid-afternoon by the time Jessica and Burris returned to Glen Avery. Kevin the sparrow flew up to welcome them and in his chirping voice informed them that everyone was waiting for them outside Berchem's burrow. Jessica was glad to see her fellow bird and inquired after his health and his family's as they continued to glide through the mighty redwoods down to Glen commons. She was delighted to learn that all of them were well, even if anxious about the plague and the poor skunk. Everyone turned out to be Lord Avery, Alldis the master hunter, an arctic fox, and a vole dressed as Glen scouts. The deer saw them first, and pointed to the trio of birds as they swooped down through the air to settle in the glade just opposite the nearest tree. They hopped across heavy roots and were welcomed by Lord Avery. “It is so good to see you, Jessica,” the squirrel said with an expansive sigh as he spread his arms in welcome. “I trust that all is well with you and your betrothed?” “Well enough,” Jessica replied with a bob of her head. “A little frustrated that our plans for marriage keep being postponed, but patience only makes the love stronger.” “Indeed!” The squirrel agreed with a faint laugh, even as the deer nodded his head in agreement. The fox and vole weren't as convinced. “Jo is with him now. We'll be waiting out here for you.” Kevin turned to Jessica and shrugged his wings. “And I have to get back to patrol duty. I know you can help him.” “I'll do my best.” Jessica cracked her beak in an avian smile and then with Burris, hopped toward the slanted doorway. She shrank to a smaller form to make it easier to get down the wooden steps, but resumed her full size when she reached the wooden floor of Berchem's burrow. And burrow was a very apt word to use to describe it. The wooden interior was smoothed and beveled to provide good lighting, warmth, and enough storage space for a single man who needed very few things. A fire bloomed in the hearth, and a cervine doe bent over this and a steeping kettle while the vixen healer knelt beside the skunk who was laying in bed with his eyes closed. “Jo,” Burris announced as the door was shut behind them, “this is Jessica. She's here to help. Jessica, this is Jo the Glen's Healer, and Erica her assistant.” Jo smiled to the hawk and nodded her narrow snout. “I've heard good things about you,” Jo said as she gestured for her to come closer. “Burris says you can help us heal Berchem. I've tried several different broths, but all I seem to do is keep his pain away for a few hours.” She scooted out of the way to give Jessica room. “I don't know what I can do, but I will try. If there's anything magical about his malady, I will be able to help.” Jessica glanced down at the skunk and then added in a softer voice, “I hope.” “You better,” Berchem muttered through clenched teeth. “The ringing is coming back.” “Already?” Jo asked in exasperation. “I gave you a fresh batch of broth two hours ago!” The skunk opened his eyes and glared at the vixen. “Yeah, well, it's coming back.” His dark orbs lifted toward the hawk and he said, “I remember you. You helped us four years ago when the rock fell from the sky. Did your feathers turn black or am I going blind too?” “They have,” Jessica admitted with a quick blink. “My feathers, that is. Burris explained to me what has been happening to you. I am going to determine what magic was involved. You won't feel anything... else.” Berchem grunted but said nothing more. Jesscia closed her eyes for a moment and centered her thoughts. The gentle flow of magic bristled vivaciously all around her and when she opened her eyes it blossomed with brilliant blues and greens like a frothy river emptying into the sea. The currents flowed and ebbed through the burrow, gently touching each of the walls which glimmered like burnished bronze. Burris's spells that had shaped the skunk's home were clear to her eyes, and yet subtle and strong, blending with the weave of the wood in a way that only a master of his craft could have fashioned. Jessica admired his skill knowing that she would never match the woodpecker in shaping trees. The hawk turned her attention to Berchem who had curled himself up again beneath the quilts. The black smear of the Curse was always an impediment to detecting magical enchantments on her fellow Metamorians. The most trivial of cantrips shone like beacon lights on a dark night and were simplicity itself to remove. But if she were facing anything like that, Burris would have found it and removed it himself. She needed to dig deeper to see what lay hidden beneath the Curse. Grateful that she had spent so much time in the last month researching the Curses and trying to shape them as the Marquis had to Lindsey, Jessica discovered that she could, with a little effort and concentration, force the Curse to move out of her way as she examined the skunk. The black agglomeration of magics they knew as the Curse did not remove itself from Berchem so much as shift around him at her command. It was enough for her to see the the way the flow of magic moved through his body and interacted with his essence. She recalled a time that Lothanasa Raven and Father Hough had engaged in a cordial debate about the nature of the soul; of concern was whether the essence that magicians like Jessica saw in each of them was the manifestation of the spiritual soul. They used terms like subsistence, immanence, and transcendence that had left her very confused and grateful that she had not chosen to become an acolyte in the Temple. Whatever the exact properties and substance of the essence in this skunk, she knew it to be the pathway through which the magical energies of the world interacted with each and every living thing. And no matter how gifted or clever the spell cast, there was always some residue, some disturbance in that essence when a person suffered from a magical malady. It took her more time and more effort to find it than she had expected. Most of his body showed only the usual signs of stress that accompanied prolonged pain and she did what little she could to sooth each of his members. But in the center of his brain, she found that the flows of magic began to turn and twist, until they came to a knot wound tightly together between his ears. The cords of magic bound in that knot did not leave his mind, allowing the others that flowed through him to ease together as they left his body. Jessica reached out for the knot, gently pulling on the strands, but though she could grasp them, she could not move them. And each time she touched them, she could see Berchem tremble anew and whimper under his breath. She made one last check over Berchem and around him on the bedside, but could find no other evidence of spells. Jessica sighed and allowed the magical energies to fade back into invisibility. Color and definition returned to the real world, and to her surprise, she sagged where she stood. Burris pressed a wing against her back and she straightened. “Are you all right?” the woodpecker asked after she took a calming breath. “Aye, that just took more out of me than I expected.” She shook her head and stretched her wings, all eyes turned to her. “There is something twisted right between his ears. Like a knot wound very tightly, I couldn't even tug on the cords without causing him pain.” “It started ringing louder,” Berchem muttered between clenched teeth. “I've got another batch of broth for you,” Jo shushed him, though the worry was clear in her voice. “Could you see what caused it?” Burris asked. She shook her head. “Not yet. It's going to take more time, but I'm confidant I'll figure it out.” The woodpecker bobbed his head, long beak neatly piercing the air. “Good. I will tell his grace and then return to aid you in whatever way I can.” Jo poured a bowl full of steaming, pungent broth and nodded, her tail flicking behind her, “And we will leave this broth with you, and then return in a few hours to check on him.” She lowered her eyes as she forced a spoonful into the skunk's throat. “We don't want to be in your way.” “Thank you all,” Jessica nodded and then crouched a little lower. “Now, I will begin again. Let's see what else there is to discover here.” She closed her eyes and willed all the distractions of the world away. Only the magic would she see. And study. ---------- Even though they had not even spent half the day walking through the mountains, Baerle's paws, calves, and thighs were all sore. She didn't normally wear boots of any kind, but with many of their paths coated in ice, she was forced to wear not only them but iron spikes affixed to the soles as well. And so it was with welcome relief that Angus directed them to a cave that twisted out of the wind as it worked back into the mountainside. There they would spend the night, only to begin again with the dawn. While the badger and Charles talked over the fire, Baerle reclined a short distance away where the light wasn't so bright in her eyes. She stretched her legs one by one, wiggling her long toes to return feeling to them, then slipping them back within the thick, woolen bedding that she hoped would keep her comfortable if not warm during the night. As she laid back against her pack, her tail flowed down between her legs, and this she checked over for scratches or bruises while idly listening to her friends. “These first four were not hard to find,” Charles offered as he stirred a pot brewing with a warm, meaty flavor. “Will the rest of them be as easy?” “Some of them,” Angus admitted as he checked over his weapons and climbing gear. He rubbed his thumb pads and claws against every metal part before setting them aside and checking the next. “A few will be challenging to reach, especially with the ice.” “James and I can handle that,” Charles chimed in with a chuckle. “Someday I'll have to tell you about what we faced in the Barrier mountains.” “We may have time on this journey,” Angus replied with a rumbling laugh. James sat not too far away, his face lost in thought or weariness she wasn't sure. His eyes roved between her and their friends by the fire, seeming to see past them as if glimpsing some other truth than what appearances conveyed. He kept his pack close by him, one hand resting at its base as if he were holding what was buried within. Unlike Baerle, the donkey could wear his ice shoes directly over his hooves and had yet to take them off. The metal scraped against the cold stone floor every time he shifted. “So, how do these talismans work?” Charles asked. “Burris explained it a few times,” Angus added with a grunt. “The five leaves each have a different spell. One looks for Lutins, another for humans who aren't Cursed. Daedra-touched creatures are a third. I don't remember the other two, but I suspect Giants are one of them.” Angus waved one paw in the air and then sniffed at the broth with curious eyes. “That should be good. Now, when one of our enemies passes near the talismans, Burris will know it immediately and can warn Lord Avery and myself.” Charles took a small bowl in one paw and began to spoon some of the steaming broth. “Has it ever happened?” “Once,” Angus admitted, “But only once. A small band of Lutins decided to come raiding; they didn't go home.” Baerle smiled briefly at the malicious humor in the badger's voice, then turned to get her dinner. But James saw it and sprang forward, hastily saying, “I'll take that.” Charles handed him the first bowl, and the donkey turned deftly on his iron-shod hooves to offer the bowl to Baerle. “Here you are.” She settled back against the stone and accepted the warm bowl with a nod. “Thank you,” she offered quietly and then lowered her eyes. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” James asked after a moment's pause. “Nay,” she said softly as she stared into the steaming brew. The donkey paused a moment as if waiting for instructions, then he added, “Are you sure? I can help you with your gear, or your...” he trailed off, eyes focused intently, but almost vacantly as well. Baerle glanced at him once and sighed. The donkey was trying to be sweet, but she wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Try as she might, she could not stop worrying about Kimberly and the children, nor could she put the rat completely out of her mind. Every touch, every glance, had made her wonder if perhaps her decision not to pursue him had been made too hastily. She needed time and some distance and it was going to be hard to have either until this mission was over. “Please, James, I'm fine. I just... want to rest. Go eat your meal. I'll... I'll let you know if I need anything.” His lips quivered for a moment, but he did nod and turn slowly back to the cookpot, casting her one last glance before getting his food. Baerle lowered her snout over the bowl and tried to let the steam and the scent sooth all the hurt. ---------- With a long sigh, Jessica slumped against one wall and took several deep breaths as she tried to regain her energy. It had been a long time since she had witnessed a spell both so simple and so subtle. The halter that had convinced Duke Thomas that he would rather be a simple horse and in fact had trapped him that way had been enormously difficult to undo, but at least it had the excuse of being a complicated spell with several interleaving layers. So far as Jessica was able to determine, the core of the spell slowly battering the skunk's brain into jelly was nothing more than an ever tightening twist. “What time is it?” she asked after regaining her breath. With her was the woodpecker who'd taken a perch on the other side of the room near the hearth. Berchem remained curled up in bed, breathing gently for the moment. Jo had just left after force-feeding him another batch of broth and for the moment he was coherent. “Past dusk,” Burris replied. “They light the evening torches not long ago.” “That late already?” Jessica gasped and forced herself to straighten. “No wonder I'm so tired.” If this spell was going to be this difficult to study then she'd need to find a way to give herself an extra measure of strength. “Did you figure it out?” Berchem asked as he rubbed at his forehead with one paw. Jessica opened her beak, shut it, and then began to shake her head. “Not quite, but I do have a few ideas. Something happened here, that much I can tell.” “What do you know? Maybe I'll remember.” She extended one wing and pointed with her claws at the floor near the stairs. “Something dragged you across the floor here. At least the claw marks make it look like that. But you were being transformed into your beast form while something held your legs or tail fixed here at the base of the stairs.” “Maybe that's why my tail feels sore,” Berchem mused as he tried to blink the weariness from his eyes. “But what did that?” “There was someone else here,” she added. “Someone standing on you and changing you. Can you remember anything?” He closed his eyes tight and ground his jaws together for several seconds before shaking his head. “Nothing. I remember leaving the Inn and that's it.” “Can you tell who was here?” Burris asked in a chirp. “Not yet. But I might be able to.” Jessica turned back to the skunk and narrowed her gaze. “I think there's something else I can do now that might help.” Berchem opened his eyes hopefully. “What's that?” “The magic that is twisted inside you passes through the Curse. I'm not sure if it is ties to it or not, but if I can change the Curse slightly, then I might be able to make the ringing stop, or, at least, make it hurt less.” “Change the Curse?” Berchem asked with an uncertain lilt. “You mean, like making me into a ferret or a horse?” “No, I mean making you a child or a woman. I can't change your species.” Berchem recoiled in horror, bunching up behind his quilts with a fierce scowl. “No! I do not want to be a woman.” “It would just be temporary so I can better understand how this spell on you is working.” “No,” Berchem shook his head. “Find another way!” Jessica stared at the stubborn mephit and took a deep breath. Something in the way he objected irked her. His vehemence was not directed toward the idea of being a child again, rather, toward being a woman even if only for an hour or two. In a dream she'd had before the madness of the plague had arrived, she'd made Misha into a vixen despite his misgivings and it had proven very good for him-turned-her. The same could only be true of this irascible skunk. “Very well,” Jessica nodded with a feigned sigh. “I will watch over you tonight in case you suffer the pain again. I have much to think about anyway.” Berchem glanced at the last of the broth sitting on the hearth. “Good. You can bring me that if the pain comes back.” Burris stirred from his corner and stretched a wing toward her. “Are you sure you are feeling quite up to it? You could sleep now and come back a little later.” “I will be fine. I'm feeling much better already,” Jessica assured him with a firm voice and a straightening of her back. “Then I will return tomorrow,” Burris said with a bob of his head. “I will let Lord Avery know what you've found. Is there anything I can bring you?” “Just something to break my fast in the morning,” she replied with a squawk. “Tomorrow then.” And while Berchem curled beneath his quilts and the woodpecker flew up the stairs and out into the night, she dimmed the lights and lowered into a perch, eyes fixed upon the skunk. One last time she allowed herself the exhaustion of peering into the magical world. As soon as she grasped the thread that led back to the hyacinth, she felt a renewed vigor and went about her work with a fresh verve and command. With barely a flick of her feathers she could arrange the dweomer in the weave of magical threads surround and passing through the skunk. She made sure to attach them to the very threads that were twisting in his mind, being ever so gentle so as not to disturb them and cause Berchem any more pain. Her purpose was to find a way to break that knot and to do so she needed to understand it. This would tell her if it was connected to the Curse in anyway. And by anchoring the spell that would inevitably make Berchem a woman to the same threads winding together, she set her spell to be triggered by the enemy magic itself! Jessica marveled at such a simple and wonderfully inventive new way to practice her craft. When she was finished, she allowed the magical energies to fade back into invisibility. But her eyes never left the sleeping skunk. And there she perched as the night wore on, passively observing, wondering how long it would take before her spell changed him. ---------- May He bless you and keep you in His grace and love, Charles Matthias !DSPAM:4e93fc7015612612618147! </body> </html>