Larkspur Mittel: The Lark & Owl Trilogy

3 - The Wee Critters

"Keep that door on the latch, or ye may find trouble!" The owl maid had warned pointing to the third door, "yer master has a great fondness for the wee critters!"

Hero was disgusted. 

She added another brick to the peat fire to keep it going, and then sat down on a stool by the hearth. Reaching into her satchel, she felt around with her hand to make sure the small, leather pouch was still there. 

It was. 

She opened it, pulled out a second velvet pouch, and undid the cord. Inside was a miniature globe about the size of her hand. There were lines rendered in gold and blue cerulean depicting land masses and seas she did not recognize, and tiny etched words in what looked like a pre-Lark language. Hero had held it in the palm of her hand, where it felt weighty, warm and comfortable. There was a tiny clasp on one side, which she had not noticed the first time she looked it. Only in the early morning light, when she looked again, did she see the clasp and found that the ball opened into two pieces, connected by a hinge. Inside was a golden leaf. 

A leaf, thought Hero. Why a leaf? In gold? What tree might it belong to? A tree with golden leaves?

Hero dared not touch the object which sat snugly on a little black cushion, secure inside the ball. 

She closed the globe and locked it with the small clasp. 

"Hallo there!" Adelmus's voice called out.

"Oh! What are you doing here?" Hero jumped up from her bench, and quickly shoved the ball into its pouch in her satchel.

"We thought you might need some help- and holy mitteldrolls! A good thing we came!" Adelmus poked his head into the various rooms, as he walked down the tunneled hall. His large frame filled the hallway, and he had to duck his head several times. He was followed by his younger sister Aggie, and her friend, a dark-skinned boy called Ivan.

"You shouldn't be here at all! That maid may come back soon," Hero protested, though she was relieved to see them all.

"She won't be back for hours," said Aggie with a teasing smile.  Aggie was slight, with curly red hair, bright blue eyes, and very fine, lark features. She was a great contrast to both Ivan and her brother, Adelmus, with his mop of dark hair, brown eyes, and huge appetite. 

Reaching the kitchen, Adelmus helped himself to a slice of bread and cheese on the sideboard, and cut a piece for Ivan as well. Droll homes always had the best and heaps of food, and this house was no exception.

"Okay, but- where do we start? The house I did last time was much smaller, and not nearly as full!" Hero exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air.

"I've done this house before," Ivan piped up, swallowing his food quickly, "you just need to clean around his things, that's all. And don't go into the insect room! And if you see an entrance to a droll tunnel, tell me- I couldn't find it last time, and all droll houses have tunnels!" 

In a flash, he had them all organized, with buckets, mops and brushes. 

Ivan and Aggie started in the bedroom which was filled with crystals, gems and and stones of varying sizes, while Adelmus stayed close to Hero, moving things away with his one good arm so that she could dust and mop. They'd been working for a good hour when Adelmus sat down by the fire to rest, his injured arm in a mud cast and sling. 

"You still have it?" He asked.

Hero looked up at him. She was on her knees scrubbing at a sticky substance on the floor. 

"Yes," she whispered back, glancing over her shoulder towards the front rooms where Aggie and Ivan were working.

"She knew your name," he remarked.