Larkspur Mittel: The Lark & Owl Trilogy

3 - The Wee Critters

"Mm," Hero murmured, scrubbing harder.

They'd been over it already several times, and decided that the mysterious woman must have heard Adelmus calling to Hero at some point, saying her name. But he couldn't let it go, for some reason. 

Finished with the floor, Hero found a stepping stool, and took down one of the twenty or so clocks which hung on the kitchen wall. She actually felt better keeping busy until tomorrow, she thought, winding and dusting the clocks, most of which told different times. She didn't want to think about what she had to do. She'd never been to the Owl Council, and would have to go after lunch, when it opened to the public. She'd only have a few hours or so before curfew.

"Who do you think she was?"

"Adelmus, I don't know! All I do know is that tomorrow is three days," she carefully lifted another clock to dust and wind. 

"I'll go with you."

"No- I think I should go alone... like you said, she knew my name."

"Are you sure? I mean, I know I said it, but maybe I called you while she was there- I did, didn't I? When I was waking up?"

"I don't remember. But she looked at me as though she knew me."

"You couldn't see her!"

"Well, I guess not, but it felt that way! It felt like she had known me!"

Adelmus knew better than to try to argue a point with Hero.

"All the same," he stood up and wandered down the hall, another piece of bread and cheese in his hand, "I think it would be best if we went together. How will you find this Gaulus owl? What if he is a tyrant?"

Hero ignored him.

He stopped in front of a closed door, popped the last bit of bread into his mouth and turned the handle. Hero was not paying attention as she was busy with the next clock, dusting and winding it.

"Blazing mitteldrolls!" Adelmus cried, as a swarm of dragonflies flew into his face. He ducked and swatted them away.

"Oh Adelmus, close the door!" Hero yelled, and dropped the clock she was holding. It broke in several pieces hitting the ground. 

"Oh fiddlelads!" She cried.

"Help!" Adelmus yelled, covering his head, and crouching to the ground. 

Hero jumped down from her stool, grabbed a broom, and stepped tenderly around the small army of tortoises, ladybirds and frogs which were hopping and making their down the hallway towards the kitchen. She reached in and closed the door to the small insect-reptile room, carefully pushing a few frogs and several tortoises back inside with her broom and the toe of her sandal. 

Hearing the commotion, Ivan grabbed four butterfly nets from a closet.

"I told you I'd done this house before!" He smiled, handing them each a net. 

Aggie laughed, and like a gentle lark spirit, she easily collected the ladybirds, who seemed drawn to her. They marched up into her hand obediently, and she deposited them carefully into a large jar.

"Holy Owlsdorf! He's got an insect and reptile zoo in there!" Adelmus cried, still swatting away the dragonflies which buzzed around his head.

"Don't swat like that! You'll irritate them!" Hero scolded.

"The fire!" Ivan cried, pointing.

They all turned to look. Several of the little frogs were hopping directly towards the hearth, along with a few tortoises.  Meanwhile, two dragonflies quickly perished in the flames. 

Before the others had moved, Adelmus grabbed a bucket with his good hand, plunged it into the indoor well by the sideboard, and then tossed the water over the fire. The fire singed and puffs of smoke rose into the air.

"Well done big brother!" Aggie smiled, and then turned to Ivan, adding, "He can't bare to see anything suffer, even the smallest of creatures!"

Adelmus filled a second bucket and tossed it over the fire again. Great puffs of smoke blew into the room, but the frogs, tortoises and ladybirds were at least safe again, and washed out of harm's way.

"Well done indeed! Look at the mess!" Hero laughed, tossing the mop to Adelmus. 

"If your one good arm was strong enough to open that door, then it is strong enough to mop up this water- and gather the frogs and tortoises. We'll catch dragonflies in the meantime!"

Ivan pulled back a curtain that hung on the wall over the well, revealing a small round window which had been left open. 

"There, a window! " He said.

Hero waved her hand at the smoke which had risen. 

"At least the smoke has someplace to go," she said.

 Hero, Ivan and Aggie chased the dragonflies. They caught them in their nets, and dumped them out of the window until there were no more. Adelmus in the meantime collected the frogs and tortoises in a tall basket.

"What shall we do with them?" Hero asked, peering into the basket when they'd finished, "we can't exactly open that door again," she nodded towards the room where the creatures had lived.

"We'll set them free, as all living creatures should be," Adelmus declared boldly, "and damned be the droll that tries to take them captive again!"

The laughter inside the droll kitchen could be heard in the small, dirt alleyway that divided the adobe boers in this part of the city. The kitchen window had been pried open from the outside, quietly and without much effort. The sound traveled more freely once the curtains were pushed aside, though it had also traveled well enough with them closed.

Sitting just below the window on the dirt ground was what appeared to be a beggar-lark, peeling hazelnuts, and wearing a great, hooded cape which covered his face. His boots were worn, and his trousers were torn at the hem, and too short for his long legs. But a more attentive observer would have noticed how clean his hands were, and the copper ring he wore on his middle finger with the engraving of a serpent. 

A Hummerlad symbol. 

He stood up brusquely when the nets full of dragonflies were suddenly pushed out of the window.  They were nearly dumped upon his head. Brushing off his tunic, he threw the hazelnuts in a ditch.  He looked down at a dragonfly which had fallen to the ground, and was struggling to regain flight.  He nudged the creature with the toe of his boot. The dragonfly turned its head up towards him, as if pleading, and then tried to drag itself away.

He stomped on the poor creature, and crushed its head firmly into the ground.

 In just a few long strides he was out of the alley, upon his horse, and galloping furiously towards the Citadel.

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What do you think? Does this chapter slow down the narrative too much? Let me know... and please vote if you liked!