Chapter IX - Friend or Foe?

Chapter IX 

Friend or Foe? 

by Faith McCann 

Catsandra walked along with Sir Pip on his perch safely tucked near her neck, shielded by her scarf and her hair, as they made their way towards the path that led towards the forest and Shermona's cottage deep within. 

"Pip, what did you notice, while we were at the Home? I had asked you to keep a close eye, to use your mouse attention to detail. What did you see?" She carried a folding fan that she casually used to fan herself as she walked, but really used it to conceal her conversation she would appear to be having with herself. 

"I noticed the floors were very clean, scrubbed spotless. Not a crumb for a mouse to find. And another thing. . . " 

"yes, tell me, everything, even the tiniest detail may help me figure out what we are working with here."

"I noticed Avi, he has marks upon his ankles. They look like the marks shackles would leave." 

"Oh, indeed." She paused in her steps, for just a moment and grew quiet as they proceeded to walk further along the slight path through the wood. "Anything else?" 

"He has the callouses on his hands and fingers of a working man, but his fingernails were clean, no dirt. His clothes smelled clean. He also had on a special charm, with special symbols upon it." 

"Wait!" She stopped and took the little mouse off her shoulder and held him gently in her palm. "A charm? I saw nothing around his neck? Where did you see any charm?"

"I ran off your shoulder while you two were talking to have a look around as you asked of me, and I saw it hanging off of his belt. It was almost covered by his shirt, but my sharp mouse eyes saw it clearly. It kept changing color when light hit it, from silver to gold to brass colors. But the symbol, remained the same glowing a deep reddish purple etched into the medal disc making up the charm. The symbol .  .  .  "

"yes, what did it look like?" 

"It had three distinct dots at one end then a spiral coiling around and ended with a small triangle in the center. Then three tiny wings surrounding it, like a tiny bird but three, birds only have two wings, how strange! I have never seen anything of the sort before Lady, have you?" 

"Yes, little Pip, I have, indeed I have. It explains a lot. Most especially how our new acquaintance was able to block his thoughts and then read mine. It sounds like a confounding sigil on a disc or medal charm called a tintinnabulum. They are very ancient, and very powerful. He would have had it long before he came here. He has been shielding his thoughts from others for a long time now."

She placed Pip back on her shoulder, secured her scarf and he grabbed on tight and they proceeded through the woods. Catsandra was deep in thought as one thing was still bothering her. She started to softly voice her thoughts, as she didn't wish to be rude and Sir Pip was good counsel at times. "I understand how he could have blocked my entry into his thoughts but how could he have read my thoughts so easily? Was he a witch also? I don't mean to be arrogant but one can usually tell, and we are usually open with one another, are we not?" It was a question, Pip knew she was not expecting an answer to. he allowed her to ruminate. 

"It is possible. Witches are both male and female. As we know some males prefer the term wizards but that is generally a term denoting those who are masters in the craft, teachers and highly skilled. Avi is too young to be a master.  Whereas female witches who are highly skilled teachers are referred to as Lady, an ancient term harkening back to a time when the witch was a Priestess of the ancient ways, helping the land and the people who needed help, healing and assistance in many ways. I do miss those days Pip." 

"Me also, Lady" 

"Yet magical people are not rare. We are not a dime a dozen by any means, every village has at least one witch, one herbalist, a few midwives and the scattering of fortune tellers. Not everyone may take advantage of the skills of the magical practitioners but everyone knows magic exists."

Catsandra continued through the forest, and when she came to a spot where the path widened and rounded a large tree, hundreds of years old she felt her senses tingled down her spine, and Sir Pip squeaked a warning. A man stepped out from behind the tree. He held a long walking staff, hard and sharpened at the end. He had a cruel, but desperate look on his face. 

Catsandra stopped. The man was blocking her path. She felt the air surrounding him and knew. Knew that he could not be reasoned with, he could not be talked into another course of action. He had evil thoughts on his mind and she had another destination and no time to tarry. She didn't say a word, she raised her arms and her fingers stretched towards the tree which dominated the path. Suddenly the wind picked up, the leaves started to blow and the creaking of the great, mighty limbs above them groaned as they strained down and as the man moved towards Catsandra and Sir Pip, he was suddenly picked off the ground and held in the air aloft by a branch of the mighty tree! As the evil intentioned man started to yell with fright and anger, the branches squeezed tighter and lifted him higher! 

Catsandra moved past the great tree on her way to Shermona's and gave a sign in the air of eternal blessing and thanks to the great protector as she passed. Sir Pip raised his tiny fists and pumped them in the air as they strode past the dangling body of the would be mugger, high in the air of the forest. He might be little but mice have been terrorizing humanity for centuries, he thought proudly! "I would have protected you my Lady! That evil man was lucky, lucky he was that the tree kept him from my sharp mouse teeth! I could have given him scurvy!"

Catsandra smiled and sniffed to stop from laughing, "Yes! Indeed, Pip, he was very lucky. But I think that would be plague, but thankfully we didn't have to unleash your fierceness upon him! You were well hidden. I'm sure, if he had seen you, he would have high tailed it to the hills. But neither of us has the time to deal with vagabonds this day. We need to see Mother Shermona as soon as possible. Oh! Look! There she is now!" 

They saw the older woman with her long hard stick, much farther down the path, walking briskly towards them. She was also carrying a large basket. When she saw them she gave a wave in greeting. As they approached one another Catsandra curtseyed deep and bowed her head in respect to the elder's station. They embraced and Shermona put out her little finger towards Sir Pip and he touched it with his tiny mouse paw in greeting. 

"How are you my dear? What brings you to my woods?" 

"I am well Mother, but I have recently visited the Home. How well do you know Avi? The new manager of the Home for the Homeless?" 

"I met him when he entered the village, about a week, maybe a week and a half ago? Walk with me, does he cause you concern?" 

"Why does he block our thought reading, yet read our thoughts? There are rules!! Every magical person knows them! It's rude! Did he tell you straight away he was a magical person?"

"No, you are correct there, I think he does that, not inform people, so he can feel them out. Perhaps to cause them to lose their balance, so to speak, and thereby having the upper hand." she peered sharply sideways at Catsandra "It appears his technique was effective."

"Hmmph, well, do you know anything about before he came here? He seems to have scars from shackles on his ankles."

"From what I can tell, he spent time on a merchant vessel traveling the spice route in warmer climes before he came here. I do not believe he went to sea voluntarily."

"That makes no sense though. To sustain permanent scarring from iron shackles one need have worn them for a considerable time. On board a ship at sea there would be no need to shackle someone, whether they were a willing passenger or not." 

"Unless the people who felt they owned him knew of his magical abilities. Iron has been used since before history was written to keep 'prisoners' suspected of having magical abilities from escaping from prison, hence iron bars, to iron shackles, to iron chains, even iron stakes were one time used for those friends of ours who have vampiric tendencies. If they knew and feared him, especially the superstitious lot found aboard merchant ships, yes, the shackles fit right in, poor boy. Yet, I sense no evil, no drive for revenge or meanness within him. Why are you concerned?" 

Catsandra grew quiet as the trio walked quietly through the woods. "Be careful Lady, there was a ruffian up ahead, the great tree took care of him for us, but he may still be lurking or have friends hiding amongst the bushes."

"Thank you dear, I'll be fine. I have ravens that look out for me and warn me of impending danger. Will you be coming back with me to the Home for the Homeless? I cannot wait to see the changes, everyday more improvements, more people with a sense of accomplishment. Of course, one cannot be sure until all grain has been measured, as the old adage goes, but until now, Avi has given us nothing to be worried about, but much to be hopeful for."  

"I had hoped to find out news of Dominick. How does he fare? Is he still with you?" 

"As we both know he is healing from his .  .  .  recent experiences, but his spirit is that which needs the most work. He has decided to go further into the woods to seek answers to his internal moral and spiritual dilemma. We must give him time, he will come to the place he is meant to come to, until then he is exactly where he is supposed to be, in all ways." 

"Then Sir Pip and I will accompany you back to the Home for the Homeless as we wish to learn more of this amazing new savior who has come into our midst."

 She saw the side look Mother Mona shot her and immediately felt petty. In truth, she really had no reason to distrust Avi. She had been disappointed and let down by others before. Many others who had come into the village with the intent to help those in the community, but had only been self serving. Yet she always told others what she herself needed to remember, not to put the same penalty upon others who had never committed the crime. She saw far too much of that in her world, and she knew better. Feeling abashed she reached for Mother Mona's basket. 

"Here please allow me to carry your basket." 

The trio continued on their way through the woods back to the village. 

*** *** *** 

In the local hospital a nurse stepped quietly into a room, that had been darkened with the shades drawn. She trod quietly, on flat soled shoes, to the bed, to tend to her patient. The poor person was unrecognizable as their head was completely bandaged and one hand was in a sling indicating it was badly broken. The nurse checked the bandages and felt his forehead and with a concerned look pursed her lips as he had yet to come out of his deep sleep. Though she knew some people would go into a deep sleep after a serious accident such as he had sustained, to heal their bodies. The doctor had said it was a blessing as they didn't believe the patients who were in this state suffered any pain while they were sleeping thusly. She sincerely hoped it were true. No one, regardless of personality or temperament deserved to be in extreme pain. She had seen those who suffered so, it was a terrible thing, indeed. 

The nurse turned as she heard the door open behind her, and she saw the doctor enter the room. "Any change nurse?" "No doctor, he still sleeps deeply, no movement, no sound. Do you think he will ever awaken?"

The doctor did his own examination, then stepped back and sighed. "Well, nurse, there are tales of people sleeping in such a state for years, then they awaken, and others .  .  .  " he looked at her and slowly shook his head. "We simply don't know. Until he decides, we will have to do all we can to see if he can come back to us, wherever he may be." 

"Yes doctor." 

*** *** *** 

As Catsandra, Sir Pip and Mother Shermona reached the edge of the village Cat stopped and said "I will be but a moment, why don't you go on ahead of me. Sir Pip and I really need to go check on the Rag and Bottle Shop, my senses tell me I am needed and then I'll be along in a few minutes." she smiled a big smile at the older woman and handed her back her basket, turned on her heel and quickly walked down the street towards her house.  

She had absolutely no intention of being near that rascal Avi without a confounding charm of her own, and if she was a master of anything it was crafting charms, talismans and spells. It shouldn't take long, but she had work to do! 

*** *** *** 

From the Author:  I hope you are enjoying the story of the Rag and Bottle Shop. If so, please follow my page! I am enjoying sharing the adventures of Catsandra and her familiars and the community of Castlewick with you. Please feel free to share this blog link to other fans of magical, fantasy fiction. 

I write my stories using the inspiration of the incomparable Charles Dickens who wrote and published his work during the 1800's in Great Britain in installments. Mr. Dickens was a strong social critic of industrialization and capitalism, as well as bringing to the public attention the need for social reform. Thank You for reading my work, Faith M. McCann