Kinderling 56

 In case you are interested in starting this story at the beginning, Kinderling 1 can be found here:

The Tricycle of Thought: Kinderling 1

Please don't judge the story or the writing too harshly, this story is written with little to no editing.  It is just meant to get me writing regularly for practice.  

Now back to our story, already in progress.

Smoke was waiting for us when we arrived in our rooms.  She was huge.  She had been large before, but now she was absolutely enormous.  Much taller than me at her shoulder, even taller than Mizzy.

"Smoke, you've grown!"  I exclaimed.

*"Yes dear one.  I have been watching the village for the Beloved, the rotting one and the dark-hearted one have been searching for your people.  I must keep the beloved safe for you."*

"Smoke has been watching for me." Mizzy explained. "Baot and Daggi now have five Gorf platoons, and they have been using them to search night and day.  They managed to rebuild the platoon you destroyed the day you and your Mama rescued me, and Daggi has been perfecting his control devices.  We've even seen a couple Kinderlings being forced to wear them."

I was shocked.  I didn't think that the harnesses worked on Kinderlings.

*"The Beloved is afraid of the harnesses.  I should go in and tear the dark-heart one's throat out."*

"NO!  You can't do that Smoke!"  Mizzy exclaimed.  "If you go there, they will kill you with their spears and swords."  Mizzy was almost in tears, which nearly made me miss the most important part of their exchange.

"Wait!"  I asked, "You and Smoke can talk to each other now?"

Together they said "Of course silly, we are connected through you."

I wasn't sure if I could manage even one more surprise.

Later that day I went to find the Star Sailor, and we went in search of Tilly. 

"Tilly, I would like you to meet the Star Sailor."  I made the introductions.  "He's the one who built the floating ship docked out front.  Star Sailor, this is Tilly.  She is the one I wanted you to meet.  She has taken my arrow-chucker idea and grew it shoot much larger spears.  Not as big as the logs your ballista shoots, but much larger than my arrows."

We gave the Star Sailor a demonstration of Tilly's spear-chucker device, and I could see he was impressed, but I'm a little embarrassed to note that I wasn't.  I could see the runes and how they interacted, and it wasn't optimal.  I didn't want to say anything in front of Tilly.  Tilly is my friend and I really like her and didn't want to embarrass her.  

Later, after we left Tilly's workshop I had to ask.  "I never noticed it before, but Tilly's runes weren't meshing like they should.  Sure, the spear-chucker worked, but those spears should have flown much faster.  Do you know why that would be?"

"You are growing in power and understanding Tandy,"  The Star Sailor said, "So it is natural that you are able to see the runic interactions, and yes they were weaker than they could have been."  Then the Star Sailor pointed at a nearby fortification. "But that tells me it isn't because your friend Tilly lacks power or skill.  She just focuses her skills in other areas.  Just like you wouldn't be able to match the Mystic in the fine skills of healing for which she gained her prestige among the Elves, and she couldn't match your skill with directed force and inertia."

I looked at what the Star Sailor was pointing at, it was a wall that Tilly reinforced  at some point.  Looking at the runes, I could tell it was far beyond what I could manage, even now.  

"So I am right.  The intentions and personality of the crafter influence what and how they create."

"Yes,"  The Star Sailor replied.  "As a child, watching over sheep and goats in the mountains, my whole being was obsessed with escaping my lot in life and soaring in the sky to reach the stars.  I suspect you have a similar dream of escape, only yours includes destroying those who would prevent you from escaping."

"It's not like.."  I started.

"I'm not casting judgement upon you.  I am merely stating what is."  The Star Sailor interrupted.  "Your focus is on things that you can actively use to defend yourself and others.  Tilly's focus is on building an impregnable fortress.  If I had to guess, I would guess that piece of wall right there would withstand forces that few things in this world could withstand.  I intend to study it as much as I'm allowed."

I left the Star Sailor staring at Tilly's wall, sketching into one of his ever present notebooks.  I wondered how much he would really get out of it.  

I was surprised when one of the Kinderling gardeners who tended the terrace gardens built into the cliffside stopped by to tell me that Daisy had been asking about me.  I thought Daisy had gone back to her Gorf tribe when Mama and I headed out to attempt to rescue Mouse.  I still felt bad about how all that went down.  We set off to rescue Mouse, and ended up rescuing an Elven Lady instead.  I also felt guilty for Iowne.  We were so close to her, and didn't even try to rescue her and her people.  I'm not sure how we could possibly have pulled it off, but we didn't even try.

The thought occurred to me as I made my way to the cliff gardens, how did the gardener even know Daisy was asking for me?  

The answer came abruptly when I stepped out onto the terrace.

"TAN DEE!  <grumble> not at Mmmmnn...  MMNnnnemmttnn..."  Did Daisy just talk to me?  It sounded like she said my name, but the rest was an unsuccessful mixture of Gorf and Kinderling.

I felt a bump in the middle of my back as Smoke head butted me.  Not hard, but enough to move me a little.  *"This one has been keeping an eye on things while you were gone"*

At the sight of Smoke, Daisy's eyes got real big.  I'd seen that reaction from some of the Kinderlings, and most of the Elves since we arrived.  Daisy tried to hide in her little lean-to in the corner, but it was quite unsuccessful.  It would have been humerous if it wasn't so upsetting.

"Smoke, please quit scaring the poor Gorf.  She's terrified."  I could feel the chuckle from Smoke across our connection.

*"The groundling is right to be afraid.  I am a ferocious hunter, and the groundling believes I have been stalking her.  I was merely watching over the groundling at the request of the Beloved.  I don't think the Beloved trusts the groundling."*

"Mizzy has been sending you out to watch Daisy when she goes out?"

*"Yes, and what she found was interesting Dear one."*

"Oh?  What did she find?"  I asked.  Smoke was enjoying this game of not telling me far too much.

*"She found the other groundling"*  A feeling and the scent of a mouse came across the link.  I'm not sure I want to know how I knew that the smell was that of a mouse, but I did.

"She found Mouse?"  I asked. "He isn't up in the mountains anymore?"

*"Yes, he is among the mindless ones commanded by the rotting one."*

"Ok, give us some space Smoke"  I said, but Smoke was already gone.  How is it possible for something as big as Smoke to move so quietly?

"Daisy, it's Ok.  You can come out, Smoke is gone."  I cooed at the terrified groundling...  I mean, Daisy.  Now Smoke has ME calling them groundlings.

Daisy poked her head out and looked around all wild-eyed.  When she was finally satisfied that Smoke was gone, she slowly came out.  

"Daisy, Smoke told me that  you found Mouse at the village." 

Daisy nodded.  Apparently she understood more Kinderling that she was able to speak.

"I KNEW IT!"  Came a decidedly snide, Elven voice from behind me.  Daisy tried to hide again, with the same poor, almost comical results.  I slowly turned around, already knowing who I would see.  The Elven Captain.  "You are in league with them!  And you don't have your mongrel magic weapon with you this time." 

I didn't like the evil grin on the Captain's face as he drew an arrow from his quiver and fitted it to his bow.  I moved to stand between the Captain and Daisy.  It isn't lost on me how ridiculous the idea of tiny little me shielding the rather large Daisy, but I didn't know what else to do.  I was just about to panic, when I heard chuckles come across the link with Smoke.

"Elven friend huh?  Let's see what kind of Elven friend you and that whore of a mother EEAARRKKK!!!!"

Smoke cut the Captain's rant short by putting her nose near the base of his spine and roaring.  "ROAR!!!"

It was one of the loudest sounds I had ever heard and I could feel the vibrations all the way over to where I was.  The Captain's arrow shot off high into the air as fell to the ground.  Smoke was on him in an instant, batting away the Captain's bow and sending it sailing off the cliff.  Then she put one giant paw on his chest and held him down as she came nose to nose with him and growled.

I wasn't sure what to do.  There was a very tense few minutes of Daisy seemingly trying to fit herself into the crack between the floor and the wall.  Me trying to figure out how to calm Smoke down because I was terrified of the ramifications of her killing the Captain, and the Captain trying not to soil himself.  

Suddenly the terrace garden was full of people.  Mizzy was there hugging me.  Mama and the King of All were there, Mama demanding answers from me, the King of All demanding answers from the Captain.  Father standing behind Mama, looking around, trying to figure what was going on. Even the Star Sailor was there, only he was standing back and grinning like it was all a bunch of fun.  I Finally had enough.

"Shut it!" I yelled.

Apparently, something about my yell transferred through the link because as I yelled it, Smoke let out a screeching roar.  The terrace garden instantly got quiet except for the sobs from the Captain.

I walked to Daisy and pulled on her arm to get her to quit trying to hide.

"This is Daisy.  She is my friend, and she had nothing to do with the Gorfs who put the iron shackles on the Lady of Eastwood.  The Captain found us talking and was going to kill us, and Smoke intervened.  There are two choices here.  The Captain can leave through the front door and not come back, or Smoke can rip his throat out and toss him over the cliff.  Any Elf who doesn't like it can join him.

Hey, it turns out that not only can they smile genuine smiles - the Star Sailor showed me that, and in fact was displaying that ability at that very moment, something that I will be forever grateful for - they can also display genuine shock.  

"Now hear this young lady!"  The King of All started.  

"I wouldn't go there Junior."  Mama said, cutting the King of All off.  "Tandy, did this Elf really threaten you?"  

"Yes Mama, he accused me and Daisy with being in league with the Gorf Mountain King, and threatened to kill us."

"I see no weapon.  Neither bow nor arrow."  The King of All said.

"The arrow shot off over there."  I pointed the direction the arrow flew, "And Smoke batted the bow off the cliff.  As for you not seeing any arrows, he's got a whole quiver full right there.  Is your Captain in the habit of walking around with a full quiver, but with no bow?"

The King of All walked over and looked over the side.

"Ah yes, why there it is"  The King of All smiled, "It's quite smashed, very careless of you to drop your bow over the side like that Captain.  What have you got to say for yourself."

"I knew this mongrel was up to no good, so I followed her and found her talking to this... this... animal..."

"Ah, I see.  So you were going to execute these two to defend the crown."  The King of All said calmly.  I thought Mama was going to explode, but the King of All held her off with a gesture.

"That's right!  I was defending the crown!"  The Captain started to warm up to the subject.  "These two... animals... deserve to die!"

"Captain,"  The King of All said, now deadly calm, "Choose.  Front door, or off the cliff."

"You can't be serious!"  

"Cliff it is then."  Said the King of All.

Just as I was about to say "Get him Smoke!"  The Captain hopped up and scrambled for the door.

"You'll regret this!"  He said.

Smoke chased him all the way to the door.  I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up, and didn't even try, but I was able to get a sense of it thought the link I shared with Smoke.

"My deepest apologies Tandy."  The King of All said,  "I knew the Captain was a bigot, and he held ill will towards you, particularly after you embarrassed him with that arrow shooting device you have, but I didn't think for one minute that he would attack you physically.  I owe his family a lot for supporting me in my bid to be King of All.  I'll gladly do without that support, it isn't worth the price of having to put up with his attitudes."