The Fae World: Kristen; Waking Up (part 4)

[k_a_webb]

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

“Thane,” a growly voice called, “where are you?”

“Find your bag,” Thane said, “and I’ll introduce you to Mouse. He isn’t human, but he is a good judge of character.”

“Isn’t human how?” Kristen asked, but she didn’t get an answer.

Sighing, she started searching for the bag she was meant to have. Knowing her luck she was going to be one of the new arrivals who didn’t have a bag. Thane’s lack of description didn’t help, so she didn’t have any idea what she was actually looking for, and she could hear voices talking, Thane’s and Mouse’s, but it was impossible to tell what they were saying. For all she knew Mouse was telling Thane to kill her. Running a hand though her hair, dislodging more leaves, she looked all around the tree she’d woken up against, the trees closest to that tree, and then started hunting further away. Just as Kristen was about to give up she remembered something she’d read. No one ever looked up when they were searching for something and as she looked up into the tree she’d been sleeping in she saw the bag tied to one of the branches by its handle. Smiling, she reached up to get it down.

“Your name is Kristen.”

Hearing a voice right behind her was unexpected to say the least and it was Thane’s arm that stopped her from falling, because she hadn’t been in a good position to be startled. She summoned her smile, turning to look at Mouse, and tried to hide her surprise when she saw that he was a dog. A very big dog, larger than a Great Dane or English Mastiff, but it was the last thing she’d expected to see, especially when he grinned at her and wagged his tail.

“Sorry. Thane tells me that you are probably a druid and from where our bag is I would have to agree.”

“Have you met many of my race?”

Mouse nodded. “I met the first of your race to arrive here and since then, well, I try to work with someone like Thane because I know they’re likely to come across new arrivals. I’ve taken on the job of guiding as many of you as possible, as I’m one of the few magic users who survived the cataclysm that destroyed us.”

“Would you tell me about that?”

“Of course I will.” Mouse wagged his tail again. “Once we’ve got your bag, I’ve introduced you to the rest of my companions, and we’ve had some breakfast.”

“I’ll get your bag,” Thane said, reaching up much more easily that Kristen had to begin untying the handle.

“What are you, Mouse?” Kristen asked, smiling gratefully at Thane, because she doubted she would ever have got it. “If that’s not too rude a question to ask.”

“To learn about our world you must ask questions and asking me about my race is not rude at all. Asking about my age is a different matter.” Mouse gave her an unreadable look, so she wasn’t sure if he was joking or not. “We once had no name, because we had no reason to name ourselves, but when we stepped out into the world we gave ourselves a name. We are the Curatix Canes.”

Mirrored from K. A. Jones Writing.