Metamor Keep: Divine Travails of Rats
by Charles Matthias and Ryx
Pars III: Descensum
(k)
Tuesday, May 8, 708 CR
Neither Rickkter nor Murikeer reappeared so after
an hour of discussing more mundane affairs, James
summoned Jurmas that they might clean the room.
Charles gave his friends a brief tour of the Glen
before retiring to his home. Kayla and Jessica
were eager to give Kimberly company leaving
Charles and Garigan to their own devices for a
time. He took the opportunity to perform some
Sondecki exercises with the ferret though he only
performed the simplest he could think of that
would still challenge his student as it was hard
for him to keep his focus. Garigan managed all of
them as if he had known them the whole of his life.
An hour later James, accompanied by Baerle the
opossum arrived to join them. At that point his
children finally woke from their afternoon nap
and decided that their guests were perfect for
practicing climbing. But the real mischief didn't
begin until a half hour later when the merchant Gibson arrived with son.
The frog opened his large mouth in a wide grin
and croaked, Good afternoon, Sir Charles. It is
good to be here in this home again. So many
memories. And this here, he gestured at another
much younger frog who stood on awkwardly long
legs with his arms wrapped about his father's knee, is my son Bertram.
While the pair stood in the doorway with Charles
holding the door in welcome, James and Garigan
stood near the hearth with their arms locked
together to make themselves a faux mountain that
the children were trying to climb, Kimberly sat
with her needlework showing Jessica and Kayla the
tapestry she was making for her family now that
her husband was a landed knight, and Baerle was
in the kitchen preparing something for them to
eat as the afternoon hours faded into evening.
All of it came to an immediate stop with the frogs' introductions.
Charles' children squeaked in unison, their
little paws clutching at James and Garigan's
tunic and breeches and in the case of Erick one
of the donkey's ears launching the next moment
into the air and then across the floor as if they
were a single mind in four bodies. Little
Bertram, standing no higher than a rat's knee,
stared at the deluge of scampering rats with
panic in his large yellow eyes. Behind them James
and Garigan gasped in relief as little claws no
longer dug or tugged at their flesh, while
Kimberly, Kayla, and Jessica all looked up from where they reclined.
The four little rats rose on their hind paws in
their haste they still scampered on all fours and
showed no inclination to stop and squeaked in
delight and welcome toward, not elder frog, but
the little boy making his first visit to another
family. Welcome! They squeaked in near unison. Come play!
Gibson bent low and patted his son's back.
They're friendly, Bertram. Go play with your new
friends. Dada will be right here.
The little boy slowly let his green arms unclench
his father's leg, and a moment later took a
tentative wobbly step toward the four rats. And
then he dropped to all fours for a split second
before bounding into the air with a single push
from his sizable legs. He leaped completely over
all four of Charles' children with a high-pitched
croak. For a breathless moment the four little
rats could only stare in awe at how something
even smaller than them could jump to so
impossible a height and then they were climbing
over each other to take up chase of their new
friend who continued to madly hop about the room,
on top of furnishings and other people as he kept one leap ahead of the rats.
Gibson slapped one thigh with a hearty, croaking
laugh. Kayla helped Kimberly secure her
needlework while Jessica spread her wings to keep
the little frog from jumping into the middle of
it. Baerle, who emerged from the kitchen with a
tray of meats, cheese, potato, and some sweet
smelling dip, immediately rushed back in when the
leaping frog nearly leaped into the bottom of the
tray. Garigan and James tried to catch the little
frog and the rats to help calm them down, but
even with Garigan's astounding mastery of the
Sondecki powers, the best he could manage was
grasping at the air and hoping he could snatch an errant tail or two.
Their home was a whirlwind of croaks, squeaks,
and five little bodies tearing around the room
like a pack of wild dogs. Charles sucked in his
breath to bellow a command to his children to
behave when he noticed the child Bertram do
something unexpected. The frog hopped on top of
the arm of one chair and twisted his body to peer
behind him. The rats rounded the back of the
chair, dark eyes eager with merriment at the
chase. The frog croaked at them in a taunt and
then leaped across the chair to where Kimberly
sat, and then leaped again directly through Jessica's startled legs.
His children were not tormenting a scared frog. They were all playing together.
Five at play again. But this fifth is not yours.
Well, Gibson said as his throat sac vibrated
with continued laughter, it looks like our
children are friends already. I'm so glad to see
it. Bertram needs friends and room to jump after
spending his first winter cooped up in our home by the lake.
He seems to have made some with my children,
Charles noted, keeping the edge out of his voice.
In a very quiet tone he added, They once had a fifth to play with.
The fifth child should be Ladero. Not some interloper.
The older frog glanced at the others in the room
and croaked, Well, as we are apparently quite
welcome in your home, I do believe introductions
are in order; I do not believe I am known to all of your guests.
Charles, in the moments when the squeaking of his
children permitted his voice to be heard,
introduced the frog to both Kayla and Jessica.
The rest lived in the Glen and were familiar with
the merchant. Kimberly asked after his wife
Natalie and he reported that she was well and
doubtless worrying over her son's first outing
among other Glen children. Bertram was two months
younger than the little rats and while he could
hop with ease, he had not yet spoken a word through his croaks and cries.
Is he aging more like a human child then? Kayla
asked as she and Kimberly put the heavy tapestry
away in a cupboard whose latch was too high for
the children to reach on their own.
Perhaps, Gibson shrugged his shoulders. It is
so hard to tell when they are born like we are.
Natalie would probably know better. Now, I saw
yon opossum archer bearing a tray of delightful
morsels as we entered and before our children set
to play. Will you be offering your guest a chance
to sample such morsels and a libation to make their passage more pleasing?
Baerle had in the meantime removed the many items
from the tray and at that moment emerged from the
kitchen with only the tray in hand. This she set
on the large table on the wall next to the
kitchen doorway. Forgive me, Master Gibson, Sir
Charles, but I'm bringing them out one at a time so I don't spill it all.
The frog croaked another laugh. A sensible
solution! Carry on! He then turned to Charles.
So, good knight, you wished to discuss your new
land and plans for it? Have you drawn any maps?
And have you anything I might write with?
The circling chaos continued as both fathers
found a mostly quiet corner where they could
discuss the Narrows and Charles' plans for it.
Gibson listened and took notes about roads,
fortifications, and the materials and labor
needed for each though he freely admitted all of
his estimates were wild guesses and that he'd
need to see everything for himself to make a
proper estimate for the time and money required
to bring the rat's vision to life.
Eventually, Kimberly, Kayla, and Jessica managed
to calm the five children down by putting on a
little magic show for them. Kimberly spun some
witchlights in the air, making them dance around
and gently bop each of her children and Bertram
in the nose. The children pawed at the brilliant
lights which always slipped through their
fingers, even the partially webbed fingers of the
little frog. Kayla added a little dazzle by
bouncing balls of fiery warmth back and forth,
but these she kept well out of reach of the
children as she did not know how to make them
harmless yet. Jessica provided the most colorful
of shows by fashioning illusions of various
animals in every color they could imagine. The
five children huddled together as if they were
all brothers and sisters and watched amazed.
Charles tried not to watch; each time he saw one
of his children even laughing with the little frog he felt his heart seethe.
How could they let that frog take Ladero's place even for one day?
He had no answer to that. Politeness alone dictated that he say nothing of it.
Why does no one else see what you see?
As Gibson rattled off more figures to help
Charles realize the scope of his desired
transformation of the Narrows, Charles glanced
surreptitiously at his wife and his friends. All
of them were busy watching and entertaining the
five children; their faces were filled with
delight and laughter. They either didn't realize
how grievous an offense it was for little Bertram
to mock them with the absence of their fifth
child, or they approved of his supplanting the
empty place left by Ladero's death in his family.
They must not understand. If they approved, they
could not truly be your friends, and yet they are your friends, aren't they?
He buried his fury deep in his heart. A fire
burned within. Somehow, in the days ahead, he
would have to make sure that little frog never came into his family again.
This is Ladero's place.
And Charles would make sure everyone knew it.
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May He bless you and keep you in His grace and love,
Charles Matthias
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