Awakening, Quickening

Benly's Horror pt 2 (trigger warning--child abuse)

Harmony wanted to tell Benly's mother Myra right away, but when she asked Benly if he would let her tell, Benly shook his head "no" and ran away, refusing to thought-speak to her. He wasn't ready yet, to share what had happened to him. So Harmony was patient.
In the days that followed, Benly came to visit every day; he learned to thought-speak well, and Harmony enjoyed listening to him tell her all about the secret places in the creek, how he liked to plant things, how his father wanted him to hold a sword, but he was too weak, how his mother was always so busy and how he was always hungry. He told Harmony how Agatha always let him a bowl and a roll on the back steps of the Inn, and that Agatha was his mother's sister; he told them how his father's sister, his Aunt Jeede, was horrid and cold, and Aunt Agatha wouldn't let her come to the Inn, even though everyone bought their meat from her. And eventually one day, Benly told Harmony and Muse what had happened; how his tongue had been so hurt.
One day, Aunt Jeede had caught Benly stealing an egg from the hen-house because he was so hungry. Aunt Jeede had beaten him, and had made him pay for the egg by stealing his family's precious heirloom, a gold chain. Then Aunt Jeede had made the twins hold him down, and she had cut through his tongue, to keep him from telling anyone what she had done; and while he wept she had threatened to kill his mother, Myra, if he showed her.
Harmony had to cover her face for a few minutes, after hearing this, to calm her rage. When she opened her eyes, she sensed that Muse was gone; she sought her mind and discovered Muse was now Muse-the-Hen, inside a henhouse–presumably Jeede Bennt's–busily pecking a hole in each and every egg, and driving the chickens off their nests, beating her wings furiously.
Muse!! You can't do that!!
Yes I can, Muse thought back angrily. And she'll be glad I'm not doing more! The horrible, awful creature! Harmony sighed. For once, she didn't have the energy to stop Muse; she, too, felt like raging and breaking things. How dare that woman hurt Benly, her own nephew?? How could she do that–force him to steal for her, and then cut his tongue, which would kill him slowly and with great pain? He had nearly died, and he would have died in silence, just as she'd wanted. But Harmony had been able to stop her plans.
Harmony wanted revenge too–but revenge didn't just hurt Jeede; it would hurt the twins, and Benly, and his mother and father, too. Muse, please just stop. We can do this a better way–no, we NEED to do this a better way. Then Harmony had an idea. Can you get the twins to come here? Muse-the-hen fluttered out of the henhouse and strolled a little ways away, then transformed into a cat; Yes. I know where they are. I'll find a way to get them to come.
Harmony looked at Benly, then; Benly, we're going to try to fix this. Will you be all right if we bring the twins here to talk to you? Benly looked worried, but wrinkled his eyes up and took her hand; then he smiled. yes. Benly will be all right. Benly safe. with Harmony.

Harmony reached out to Muse, who was running; she seemed to be leading the boys, whose footsteps behind her sounded big and fast. Suddenly Harmony spotted a small white cat, running just out of reach, in front of the twins; they threw rocks, and ran after her, but couldn't hit her–she dodged and weaved, and lept, always just a little out of reach. Then suddenly she was at Harmony's door, and ran inside, vanishing as she turned the corner. The twins pulled up in front of Harmony, who stood at the doorway with her arms crossed. "Boys, what seems to be the matter?"
They looked at each other sheepishly; then the larger boy of the two, the dark-haired one, lifted an arm, showing her two sets of claw-marks, raked deep and bloody, across the backside of his forearm. "Ma'am. Uhh, there was this cat, and it scratched me an' ran this-away. We chased it cos we were gonna teach it some manners. But...was it your'n?" Harmony nodded, frowning. "Um...never mind then...Can ye do somethin' bout this?" He showed her the scratches again. The smaller boy had a similar set. Harmony pursed her lips, as if it were a difficult problem. "I don't know, boys. Would you come inside? I'll see what I can do."
The boys nodded and shuffled inside, sitting on the seats by the door. Muse grinned and took up a position in front of the door. Harmony drew Benly out from behind her and sat down, parking him on her lap. "I'll be right with you, boys. It's just that I need to help your little cousin here first. You see, someone did something truly horrible to him; they cut his tongue." She nodded to Benly, who opened his mouth wide to show the boys. They both looked shocked; Harmony had cast an illusion on Benly's mouth to make it look as bad as it had before she'd healed it. "Did you know that the tongue is one of the most terrible places to hurt? You can't live, with a cut tongue. It would kill you for sure, because you can't talk, and you can't eat. And that's what was happening to your cousin. But thankfully, I know how to heal it." Then Harmony cast a dark shadow over her own face, making her eyes appear black and her face terrifying. The twins stared at her in shock, petrified; they looked around as if they'd like to run, but Muse stood at the door, looking more menacing than they'd ever seen her. Benly snorted; he looked like he'd like to laugh, but he held it in. Harmony knew his eyes had seen through her illusion. Interesting.
Harmony stood and approached, glowered at the twins, appearing to tower over them.
"Make no mistake, boys. I will find out who has done such an evil thing to Benly. And when I do, they will suffer much, before I drag them before the Lord of Grebefal himself."
Harmony made a show of summoning sparks on her fingertips, and then flinging them 'into' Benly's mouth, one at a time; as she did this, she allowed the illusion of sickness to fade, leaving only Benly's healed mouth. Benly looked at Harmony soulfully and smiled, not knowing what she was doing, but loving the scared, shocked look on his cousin's faces. Both boys immediately began stuttering, sweating. "Uhh, miss, Lady Mage, Ma'am, you see, we know, uhh, we know who done that to Benly, Ma'am. It weren't us, Ma'am, see, it were Jeede, not us. We know 'cause she made us hold 'im for 'er when she done it, see. We din' like it, but she woulda done fir us too, ifn' we din't, y'know, we had to. She's awful mean, Jeede is. Ye can tell jis by lookin' at 'er. She used to hit me n' Corm 'ere all atimes, too, real bad she did. Please, Lady Mage, don't drag us to Lord Grebe, he'll put us out, see...he'll have us strung up for sure. It weren't our fault, please, please don't!"
The boys were both shaking now, crying as they begged; Harmony bared her teeth, making her face a grimace. "Oh, justice will come where justice is due. But you should both know something. Young master Benly here is my new Mage-apprentice. And so far he's done quite well. One day soon he'll be able to take these matters into his own hands, you know; and until that day comes, I'll be watching over him. If I ever see so much as a scratch on him, and he tells me it was from the two of you, I'll make sure you both get what you deserve."
Benly stomped a foot for emphasis, and nodded fiercely. Then he flung out his hand in front of his face, arm's length; suddenly a tiny tongue of flame appeared in his palm, dancing lightly and throwing shadows on the darkened walls of the room. Harmony looked at him, astonished; he was doing that himself!

A bead of sweat appeared on his forehead, and his palm trembled; then the flame chuffed out, but the twins were suitably impressed. Muse stepped away from the doorway, and they both tore out the door and down the path, stumbling and tripping over themselves with their urgency to escape this house of magical monsters. Muse watched them go, scowling. "Shoulda scratched 'em harder. Those brutes."
But Harmony had turned her attention to Benly. "Benly! Incredible! You can make fire?" Benly nodded, and smiled shyly. yes. I learn make fire, many day ago. Mother tell me, don't do anymore, tell me it not good to make fires. so Benly stop, Benly afraid to make, hurt someone, burn house, maybe. but Harmony change Mother's mind, make mother say, maybe Benly be like Harmony, some day. Maybe magic, good thing, strong thing. Harmony strong. so Benly not afraid, anymore. Benly can make fire, with Harmony.
Harmony's eyes filled again, and she hugged the little boy. Yes, Benly is strong now. Benly is wonderful. You are amazing, Benly. Never forget that. He wrapped his skinny arms around her neck and hugged her back. Then he let go and stood tall, as tall he could; he swung his arms around in a circle and bowed low to her, and then skipped away down the path. thank, Harmony. I go tell mother now! Harmony blinked; she knew she'd forgotten something. Benly! Wait! He paused, looking back at her. She called after him.
"Benly, we need to tell her together. She... can't hear your mind-voice, like I can. So I'll need to talk for you, and tell her what you're saying. I'm sorry. I should have told you that would happen."
Benly looked a bit disappointed, but then smiled brightly at Harmony;

we together go, then? now?

Harmony nodded. "Yes, let's all go. Muse, bring my cloak & Kyir's. He can ride on my back. Myra needs to hear this." She scowled at the castle, rising above the wall. "And so does someone else."