Mini-Chapter: Relc and Mrsha (Patreon)

(This was written on a mechanical keyboard so the author could adapt to it. Took about 45 minutes? 2,000 Words. Hopefully the next chapter goes well!)

"Out  darn spot! Out, I say! You see, this is the part of the play where  she's imagining blood on her claws, kid. But it's in her mind. You have to really understand the text and the play to get that from just the script."

Relc Grasstail turned to Mrsha, and pointed at the script of Macbeth.  It was slightly altered and he was clearly not reading from the exact  scrip as written in the Shakespearian verse, but it was close enough.  The little Gnoll nodded as Relc continued following the Players of Celum  practicing on stage.

"See, the messed-up thing is that she doesn't even stab the guy. She's just got a tiny  bit of blood on her hands after taking the knives. I mean, come on.  It's definitely written for a Human [Lady], right? A bit of blood and  she's not even freaking out about disemboweling the old [King]? Weak."

Another nod. Relc held out a fist and Mrsha bumped it with a tiny  paw. She was a Plains Gnoll and he was a former [Solder]. And a Drake.  They knew what was up. Relc turned back to the script and Mrhsa peered  over his shoulder, wagging her tail.

For some reason unknown to everyone, Relc was in charge of Mrsha for  the day. It was a scenario few could have envisioned, including Relc and  Mrsha themselves. But Erin Solstice was out of the inn on her holiday,  and Lyonette was very busy managing...everything in Erin's absence. And  because the day staff of The Wandering Inn were also on break--the inn  was currently being rebuilt after it's destruction--Lyonette hadn't been  able to get them to babysit Mrsha.

Or rather, even her monetary offers had failed to get Ishkr, who'd  committed to another job to keep the money flowing in during the break  and Drassi, who was on a long holiday. And the other Gnolls and Drakes  Lyonette employed, while good workers, weren't familiar enough with  Mrsha. And everyone else was busy.

So, Relc. He and she were sitting in a bar, watching Liscor's members  of the Players of Celum practice. After all, the magical door was  confiscated. Or 'being managed' by the city since the inn was damaged.  Of course, at the beginning the city had needed it to clean up the  Bloodfields and so on, but now it was just 'theirs' and Lyonette wasn't  fighting them on it just yet. Erin was in Pallass and Relc was happy.

"Hey! Another beer for the table! And get one of those milks for Mrsha!"

He waved at a passing [Server]. The Drake nodded and came back with a  drink. If there was something wrong about having alcohol in the  presence of a minor, well, it was only to Erin or Ryoka's delicate  sensibilities. No one else had a problem, including Mrsha and Relc. She  sniffed Relc's drink, but she'd snuck tastes of beer enough to know it  was bitter. Goat's milk now--Mrsha lapped it up happily with her tongue  and then drank. Relc, fascinated, copied her.

"Hey! That makes it taste better. Who'd have thought?"

The Drake's long tongue flicked into his own drink. Then he gulped a mouthful down and sighed.

"This brings me back. Alcohol, a hot day in the camps...you know, I have a daughter."

Mrsha broke off from watching the [Actors] to give Relc an  encouraging look that said 'do tell!' Of course, she was vaguely aware  of this, but she was humoring Relc. She swiped some more crisped nuts  from the bowl he'd sensibly ordered to go along with the drinks as Relc  went on.

"Embria, you know? I used to do just this. Well, not in a bar. And it  was more like me and the squad sitting around. But she would sit just  here. And it'd be great. Hm. Damn. I remember swearing a lot back then. I  shouldn't swear so much around kids, right?"

He looked at Mrsha. She shrugged. She'd heard worse. Relc nodded to himself.

"Just like this. She liked it, too. She was always asking what we'd  done that day, even if it was just marching through crap. What  happened?"

She grew up. Mrsha tried to sign with her paws. Relc eyed her.

"Yeah. Yeah, I know. You're alright, Mrsha. Hey, you wanna go on somewhere after this?"

He waved at the play on stage. Mrsha blinked. Relc not wanting to watch the Players? The Drake correctly interpreted her look.

"It's not that I don't wanna watch. It's just that I've seen Macbeth like...thirty times? I know, but the last six times were all this week. I'd watch the Lady Macbeth  Temile was telling me they were putting on, but he's gone. Or dead. I  heard he's missing a finger. Tough. The thumb's really important for  holding the spear, you know? A pinky..."

Another shared nod. The poor [Actor] had lost one of the worst  digits. Relc sighed as he watched the Gnolls and Drakes on stage. They  were pausing to confer over the lines.

"I wanted to join. I'm actually on a backup list, in case all the  [Actors] break their legs. And yeah, I thought about it, but I like  them. Anyways, I'm a [Guardsman]. I'd have to quit to join up; I can't  make the time without it."

Mrsha looked at Relc. She tilted her head sideways. So why don't you? It's what you like. Relc was unclear whether this was him picking up on her sign and body language, or the voice in his head.

"It's simple, kid. I like my job. I like puzzles, and plays,  but I've gotta be a [Guardsman]. You know? Even if Captain Z gets on my  tail every other day. I don't want to be in the army. But a [Guard]? I  have to hit something. You know?"

Mrsha paused and shook her head. Relc sighed.

"Yeah, maybe you don't. It's hard to explain."

Pensively, he stared out across the bar. Then he brightened.

"I know! Let's show you! I know Lyonette said I should stay here, but it'll just be a quick outing. What about it, kid?"

Mrsha blinked, and then nodded happily. Relc grinned as he got up, fishing for his coins and a tip.

"I know I liked you. Embria was the same way. Follow me!"

----

Twenty minutes later, Relc was coaching Mrsha, his voice gentle.

"Okay. You've got the knife. But it knows you have a knife. So watch  out. It's gonna pounce. If it gets you with its claws, you're dead. Dead.  You've got a weapon, and your smarts, but it's bigger and maybe faster. And it has a shell. Got it?"

Mrsha nodded. She eyed the tiny dagger she was holding in her paw.  Unsteadily, on two feet rather than her usual four-legged mode, she  waved the knife threateningly at the baby Rock  Crab. It was...well, a  huge crab. Usually, the Hollowstone Deceivers were giant, hidden  monsters with huge shells. And they were longer than you thought when  you thought of crabs--at least, to Erin and Ryoka. Not so much circular  as elongated near the back.

Still, they had many crab-like features, including two claws, long  legs, and a shell. They were in many ways typical crabs. Again, until  you considered that these Rock Crabs were huge. Even the children! This  baby Rock Crab that Relc had uncovered outside the city was twice as  large as Mrsha and it had just been born! The rainy season that had  precipitated so much life in the way of fish and so on had also let the  Rock Crabs spawn their brood. And oh, what a brood!

The muddy Rock Crab may have been big compared to Mrsha, but it was  weak compared to what it would become. Relc had dragged it out of the  mud and now it sat, twitching, and clearly regarding Mrsha and Relc.  Looking for a way to flee? Of course! This Rock Crab had no shell, and  it was far too small to take on even a quarter of the weaker species  living on the Floodplains. However...Mrsha faltered.

It was still big, and this Rock Crab would live off of rodents and  smaller creatures until it grew bigger. Perhaps it would be fed by its  parent? She glanced at Relc and the Drake cheered encouragingly!

"You can do it! Just stab it in the face! Everything hates that! Remember, it's gonna jump! Let it get you and you're dead!"

She really wasn't certain, but the Gnoll cub nodded and advanced,  wobbling on her two feet. The baby Rock Crab backed up, and Mrsha heard  it clicking dangerously. She paused. Stab it in the face. She aimed Relc's knife, took another step and slashed--

The Rock Crab leapt at her. Mrsha forgot everything she'd been told  by Relc, dove, and slashed with the knife. The Rock Crab's new carapace  was too weak to fend off the blade and she gave it a deep cut. But the  Rock Crab was attacking! Mrsha snarled and slashed with her knife,  darting left, right, away from the Rock Crab as it tried to snap one  huge claw onto her head or body and crush and tear her apart.

"Stay mobile! Don't let it get behind you! That's the way!"

Relc roared, following Mrsha and the Rock Crab as they fought in the  grass and mud. Mrsha nearly had her knife in one of its eyes when she  saw the Rock Crab lower. Too late, she backed up, but the bleeding, cut  Rock Crab leapt. Mrsha twisted, but one claw seized her paw. And the Rock Crab was pinching hard, as it drew her closer--

"Nice try!"

Relc kicked the Rock Crab so hard Mrsha felt only the  impact--then she was staring at the Rock Crab's pincer, still attached  to her arm. Nothing else. A bit of blue blood trickled from the stump.  Mrsha looked around and saw the Rock Crab land. It was...dead. Relc  wiped one foot on the ground and turned to Mrsha.

"You nearly had it, kid. If you could have stayed on your  feet better, I'd have given you a buckler. But that wasn't bad! Embria  took ages before she could hold a spear--we used to give her this  cut-down one. Whaddya think?"

Again, Relc's grin and tone would have earned him an immediate smack  or kick if any other of Mrsha's caretakers or mother had been there.  But Mrsha just smiled and nodded as she gingerly prized the pincer off  her arm. She felt invigorated! Pumping adrenaline, the feel of the  fight--it was like being on a hunt with her tribe all over again.

And Relc knew that. Mrsha looked up and nodded at him. He sighed.

"Yeah. But don't you go fighting anything else! But you get it, right? I can't just give this up."

He sat down as Mrsha licked her cut arm. The Drake eyed her.

"How bad is it? Wanna potion?"

He pulled a healing potion out, but Mrsha refused it. The cut and  bruise on her right arm was a mark of pride! She smiled at Relc and he  grinned at her.

"You gotta fight. Too many monsters in this world not to. You can run  away and leave it to someone else but--aw, hell. Even Erin fights,  right?"

Mrsha nodded. And so she sat for a while with Relc on the muddy hill,  staring at the dead Rock Crab. In the end, Relc brought it back to the  city since you could make something out of it! Unfortunately, Lyonette  met them, having been looking all over for the two. And she put two and  two together in an instant. 

She did not in fact, smack Relc. But she did  go for her sword. Mrsha's mark of pride was healed in a trice  and Relc had to flee at speed. He was no welcome in the inn for the next  six days, which was too bad. Because he and Mrsha did understand each  other. 

And after a dinner of Rock Crab stew, which was very good, Mrsha had the Rock Crab claw in her room, polished of meat, but a trophy of  her victory. Until Lyonette found it and made her throw it away. But the  ensuing tantrum and fight was so bad that it ended up in Relc's  apartment.

A little reminder of an evening spent between an unlikely pair of  friends. And two souls who remembered what it was like to be wild.