The week passed normally for me. I did talk with Topo on a few evenings, the mouse telling me more about what was going on in Carreas. The intelligence bureau still hadn't found the information I had asked for, so I had no way to confirm anything he had been telling me.
Having spent the afternoon working in my lab, monitoring the results of an experiment, I was ready to call it a night. As dusk set in, I took a break before beginning to clean up. Sitting on a stool by one of the workbenches that lined the walls, I watched as a mouse made its way around the walls of the room, looking for something edible to eat.
As the sun left the sky, I noticed something strange about the mouse. It seemed to be growing larger, its shape twisting in the growing shadows. Within a few minutes, the small mouse had reformed into a familiar form, that of Topo. He was standing in my workshop wearing only his fur.
"You wouldn't happen to have anything to wear laying around here, would you?" he asked, seemingly unconcerned by his entrance.
I pointed to a lab smock hanging a peg in the corner, still a little startled. He quickly slipped into it, and then sat on one of the stools scattered around the room.
"Not the most comfortable way to move around, but then we all must make due."
Finally I broke my silence; "Why even travel like that? Even here at the Keep, there are plenty of dangers for a small rodent." I said. After the spell was first cast, some Keep residents had begun to spend a lot of time in their animal form. A few of the smaller ones were killed by various dangers of their form that they did not foresee. After that, the practice quickly became a lot less common.
"Actually, I was looking for you. As to my chosen method of locomotion, let us just say that it was not my choice, but Luna's and Sol's."
"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"Ah, just one of the many intricacies of the life of a were-creature. Unlike you Metamorians, who can shift at will, a were's shape is controlled by the cycles of nature. You must know that the legends of the werewolf say that they shift under the full moon. I don't fall under that pattern myself, but instead on a circadian cycle."
"Which means that your shifts are controlled by the rising and falling of the sun?"
"Exactly. While the sun is in the sky, I am forced to inhabit the body of a mouse. Only under the silver light of the moon can I assume some semblance of humanity, as you see before you."
"What keeps you from becoming human? All of the legends I have heard tell of a man becoming wolfen in the night."
"Ah, but I was not born a man. Before the curse found me, I was nothing more then a common mouse. An afflicted wolf tried to eat me, and though I managed to escape with only a few minor scratches, it was enough to change my life. The setting of the sun that evening brought me into a whole new world." he answered, spreading his arms in a dramatic fashion.
"And how does such a being come to serve the House of Carras?" I said, still trying to figure out the mouse.
"I do not serve House Carras. I serve Anteno Carras, and no other. As to how that came about, it is a long and very personal story. One that I do not feel like recounting here and now.
"Though, speaking of my Lord, I fear I must bring up the business that brought me here in the first place. Have you made your decision about my Lord's offer?"
"Not yet, Topo. Not yet. I am still rolling it around in my mind. The risks of accepting are great, but if you and the Duke are true to your word, I think it may actually be worth it." I answered.
"I can understand that this is a major choice for you. Unfortunately, I must be leaving soon, with or without your answer. You see, I already tarried here too long, and have been away from Carraes for too long as it is."
"Of course. Meet me in the garden tomorrow evening, and I will give you your answer then."
"Very well, I shall see you there. Good evening, Dan."
"Good evening, Topo." I replied.
As he was making to leave, a new thought crept into my mind; "Topo, please feel free to spend the day in my chambers. It will be a lot safer for you then wandering the halls."
"Thank you." replied the mouse with a smile.
I had retired early that night, intending to spend the day considering the Duke's offer. Unfortunately, life always seems to interfere with the best laid plans of mice and grasshoppers. Instead, I spent the better part of the day sorting through the inventory of a supply convoy that had arrived a few days ahead of schedule. This occupied my attention until mid-afternoon, when everything was finally catalogued and stored in the proper place.
When I returned to my rooms, I found a note attached to my door. It seemed that the intelligence bureau had finally found the information I had requested and it was waiting for me to look over. Folding the note and placing it in a pouch, I put aside any plans I had and went to see what I could learn.
Arriving at the office, I was escorted to a small reading room that was furnished only with a reading desk, a chair and an oil lamp. Sitting on the desk was a folder containing some papers. I was left alone with the files after being warned that nothing was to leave the room.
I spent the rest of the afternoon sorting through the files. It turns out that eleven months ago the Duke of Carras, Mechellos Carras, passed away from what appeared to be a `social` disease. He had left no known legitimate heirs, so the court installed the Duke's nephew, Anteno Carras, on the throne. Anteno was a young man who had spent most of his youth travelling the Midlands. According to the records, had even spent a few days at Metamor Keep about four years ago.
The court's attempts to use Anteno as a puppet ruler failed. He quickly purged his uncle's supporters, replacing them with his own trusted advisors. As well, he began to review the imprisonment of everyone held in the realm's dungeons. Replacing local Sheriffs and setting up small councils made up of local citizens quickly brought the peasants to his side. Within months, his position on the throne was fairly secure. The documents went on to show massive compensation programs being set up, as well as official apologies being issued to everyone persecuted under his uncle's rule.
The records had confirmed both Topo's story and the contents of the Duke's letter, but I still wasn't any closer to reaching my decision. What would I gain by leaving the relative safety of the Keep? Was it worth it to go chasing ghosts of the past? To leave would mean to leave the security of Metamor, and to face the real world once again, a world in which most would see me as nothing more then a monster or demon.
I had assurances of safety while in Carreas from the Duke, but that was just words on paper. What would the actual reaction to my appearance be? The fact that Topo himself was a morph indicated that I might not have many problems, at least with the upper echelons of the Carreas government. One question that still floated through my mind was `why?`. What was Duke Anteno's motive in making this offer? Was he doing what he felt was the right thing to do? Was he feeling guilty about the injustice committed by his uncle? Did he have some other motive that just was not apparent yet? There were just too many unanswered questions, ones that could only be answered in Carreas.
Why does it always seem that the past and the present collide to make a mess of the future? The choices we make, the choices we have already made, shaping what we can do, and what we must do. Time can play peculiar tricks on a person. If the Duke's offer had shown up six years ago, when the question of my humanity was not a topic of debate, then I probably would have accepted it with no hesitation. But now I live as a giant grasshopper and my options have changed. I have spent the last six years learning to live with my new insectiod form, struggling with the differences from the body I grew up with. And now, after I have put all the troubles of my past behind me, the whole thing is once again dragged back to the surface by a single mouse carrying a piece of paper.
Dusk. The time of reckoning is now at hand, and my mind is still flooded with doubt. If I don't accept, am I just being scared? Or am I finally accepting once and for all that Metamor Keep is where I shall be spending the rest of my life?
I watched the final rays of the sun vanish behind the battlements, and waited for Topo to make his appearance. Being alone with nothing to do, I began to wander among the plants, trying to clear my head. Stopping in front of a bed of small scraggily shrubs, I paused to polish the small plaque that had the plants' name engraved in it. In the gleam of the moonlight, I could clearly make out the letters, even in the dark; "Labrador Tea (_Ledum groenlandicum_ Oeder)".
Where was that mouse?! Even though I was not looking forward to his arrival, I wanted to get this encounter over with quickly. The sun had set a long time ago, and I still found myself alone among the trees and shrubs.
When Topo finally entered the greenhouse a few minutes later, he seemed extremely agitated and distraught. He quickly walked up the path, making his way over to where I was standing. His movements were very jittery and nervous. Something had obviously upset him greatly.
"What do you see!?" he said, his voice a strangled whisper as he shoved his arm into my face.
Concentrating in the dark, I tried to see what he was talking about. Finally, I saw what had agitated him. I could see small dark flecks in his tawny fur. Walking over to a nearbye cupboard, I retrieved an oil lamp. In the faint orange glow of the flame, I could clearly see what was causing the discolouration.
"I'm sorry." It was all that I could think of saying, "I though you still had more time."
"So did I. But these damn FEATHERS say otherwise, don't they!" he yelled at me, hysteria entering his voice, "I guess I am just an early bloomer."
"Calm down, Topo. There's nothing to be scared of. It is something that everyone here had to got through." I replied hoping to relax him a bit.
"But I do not want to change. Not again! It was hard enough the first time."
"Look at me! Do you think I was born a giant black and red grasshopper? No. I was born human, and I survived the transformation. You were born a mouse and survived becoming a were-creature. You will survive this."
I watched the near hysterical mouse collapse to the ground, his body racked with sobs. I walked over to the trembling ball of fur, gently lifting and carrying his prone form to one of the nearbye bench. He offered no resistance to my actions.
"Let me get you something to drink." I offered.
"No, Please don't leave me." he said, a paw grabbing my leg, the fear present in his voice.
"Don't worry. I won't go anywhere." I said as I settled onto the bench beside him. After a few minutes I noticed that I had been stroking the fur on his head. Since it seemed to be having a calming effect on the distraught rodent, I continued.
After a while Topo began to speak again, his voice still trembling and unsure; "The last time something like this happened, my whole world was turned upside down. I went from being a simple mouse to a creature that was conscious, aware of the world around me. And now its happening again, and I don't know what is going to become of me. A spell that no-one understands is reshaping my body as I speak. I can feel it working. What is going to become of me?"
With that last question, he lifted his head from the bench and looked at me with pleading eyes. Not knowing how to respond, I remained silent, hoping my presence would be enough. I just sat there and looked back at him. In a way I pitied him. The confident and likable person I had come to know was gone, replaced by someone trying to come to terms with a change he could do nothing about.
We both remained silent. I don't think either of us wanted to risk breaking the fragile peace that had settled in. It was unbelievably still in the garden. We just sat there, watching the moon trace its course through the sky, as the hours passed.
The changes in the mouse were becoming more pronounced. The feathers were beginning to replace his fur, though I didn't see any larger flight feathers forming. As the hours passed, his colouration began to show. I think he noticed this as well, because he looked up from the ground again.
"What am I becoming?" he asked me.
"I'm not quite sure. A Sparrow-hawk, I think." I answered, racking my brains for a bird with similar colours.
"A what?"
"A Sparrow-hawk.... A Kestrel."
"I am becoming a hawk?"
"Well, not a true hawk. A falcon actually."
"Well, now I guess I can hunt myself." he said with a struggled giggle, before he put his head back down. Knowing what he was becoming seemed to calm him, and a few minutes later I heard the steady rise and fall of his breath. He had managed to fall asleep.
Soon after that the sun began to rise, and the sleeping Topo began to change once again. As the rays of the new day's sun began to fill the greenhouse, the feathers that had almost completely covered his body began to withdraw, being replaced again by tawny fur as his body shrank. Soon, the bench was occupied by myself and a sleeping deer mouse.
Gently cradling the small rodent in my hand, I walked back to my rooms. Making Topo a small bed with my cloak, I carefully set the sleeping mouse down, leaving him to enjoy his rest. I then went to my bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep of my own.
When I awoke, the sun was high in the sky. Topo was still sleeping in his makeshift bed, oblivious to the world around him. Not that I could blame him. What he went through last night was traumatic, and I hoped he was over the worst of it. Sleep could have amazing recuperative powers. Looking the unconscious mouse over, I couldn't see a trace of the feathers that had caused all his troubles. I couldn't help wondering if they would return with the setting sun.
I would have liked to be there when Topo woke, but I was already several hours late for work. Upon my arrival, my superiors were understanding when I explained that I had spent the night helping a friend with the effects of his transformation. This was a common enough event at the Keep that it was accepted without question. I spent the rest of the day supervising the distribution of foodstuffs to the various kitchens in the Keep. It was easy enough work, only requiring me to ensure that the proper supplies went to the right place while the delivery crews did the actual work of moving the goods around. By the time I had finished, it was evening once again.
With my duties out of the way, I hurried back to my room to see how Topo was. What was waiting for me there was a surprise, but I guess it shouldn't have been. Perched on the ledge by an open window was a Kestrel, the colourful falcon's piercing eyes scanning the room. Upon my entrance, the small raptor jumped to the floor. The small bird quickly began to change shape, growing in size and distorting until it became the familiar form of Topo. I could see that the previous night had changed the weremouse. All of his fur had disappeared, being replaced with downy feathers bearing the Kestrel's colours. The feathered rodent was smiling as he stood there.
"So, I would guess that you are over that little bought of depression, then?" I asked.
"It seems so silly now, you know. I really haven't change that much. Just a change in hue, and this is a lot more colourful then drab tawney. The feathers are going to take a little getting used to, though."
"So, you've figured out how the curse has affected you?"
"Yes, It was so simple I am surprised that I did not figure it out sooner. But then I could not soar. Do you realize how much that clears the mind? It allowed me to put everything into perspective. It turns out the spell only affected my human side. During the day, I am still trapped as a mouse. But at night, my human side is released and I become this sort of triple hybrid. And I can shift to a bird while the moon is in the sky as well."
"I saw. Quite amazing."
"Yes, I thought so too. In fact, I was getting ready to begin my journey home, but before I leave I still have two things I must attend to."
"You're leaving?"
"Yes, I have been away from Carreas for far too long as it is. First off, I would like to express my deepest thanks to you for your support during this ordeal."
"It was the least I could do." I replied.
"It really means a lot to me. If it is possible, I would be honoured if you would allow me to call you a friend?"
"You don't even have to ask that question. Travel well, friend."
"I will endeavour to, but before I can leave I must get back to the very piece of business that brought me all the way from distant Carreas to this place; What is your answer to the Duke's offer?"
A few minutes later I watched as a lone Kestrel flew off into the night, carrying home the answer that he had gone though so much to get for his master.
Anteno Carras sat alone in his study. It was late in the night, the time that the young Duke found his thoughts were the clearest. Sometimes sleep must be sacrificed for the affairs of state. Especially when dealing with cleaning up the mess that his uncle had created of the duchy during his forty years of rule.
Some progress had been made in the last year, but there were still supporters of the former regime that were interfering. Already some trade talks he had started with a few of the neighbouring states were being jeopardized by a few radicals that used to work for his uncle.
If it was not for the support of those that believed in what he was trying to do, Anteno would have given up long ago. For his own safety, and for the good of the state, Anteno had surrounded himself with advisors and councillors that he knew were loyal, and whom he knew he could trust completely. Unfortunately, the one he trusted the most was not with him, And Anteno had been the one to send him away. Topo was long overdue from his mission to Metamor Keep, but this was an important task. To atone for another of his uncle's crimes, and to possibly find another who could help him rebuild the land.
The young Lord missed his friend's confident, reassuring manner. The were-mouse had been Anteno's trusted advisor and confidant for as long as he could recall, and it felt strange to be without Topo's presence at his side. The two of them had hardly been separated since the fateful day when Anteno discovered the were-mouse during his travels. The mouse had been terrified by the sudden change in his universe as his new humanity opened up an awareness he had never know before. Topo had quickly grown to trust the young man, and soon they were the best of friends, travelling together through out the Midlands. These memories were what occupied the Dukes thoughts this night.
Anteno's reminiscing was interrupted as a shrill shriek rang out across the chamber. Looking around the room, the Duke's eyes settled on the source of the sound. Sitting on top of one of the tapestries that decorated the room was a small, brightly coloured falcon calmly preening its feathers.
"Why hello, little one. Where did you come from?" asked Anteno.
At the sound of his voice, the bird jumped off of the tapestry, disappearing behind the large desk as it glided to the floor. Anteno rose from his seat so that he could see the falcon again. What he saw was surprising. The bird looked very different now then it had only moments before. It had almost doubled in size, now almost two feet tall and still growing. As well, its body seemed to be shifting. The Duke could see muscle, bone and tendon reforming itself before his eyes.
Unsure of what was happening, Anteno reached for the short sword he kept secreted beneath his desk. He was so transfixed by what was going on in front of him, the Duke could do little more than rest his hand on the pommel of the concealed blade.
The creature continued to transform before his eyes. The skin of its head was growing down over its beak, creating what appeared to be a muzzle. Anteno watch as the bird's flight feathers were drawn up into its body as its limbs took on a more mammalian cast. Finally the shape stopped its shifting, solidifying into a familiar form.
"Metamor Keep, M'Lord. As you ordered." came a reply to the Duke's earlier, forgotten question. The form sank to its knees before the Duke.
"Topo? Is that really you?" asked the awestruck Anteno.
"In the feather. It seems that I lingered too long in my task, becoming trapped by the curse of the Keep."
Looking at the familiar, yet know so different appearance of his friend and advisor, Anteno was not sure how to proceed. Finally, he settled on the route he had always used with Topo; Friendship and honesty.
"Get off your knees, Topo. We've been friends for far too long for you to be down there getting cold. I've missed your company, and besides, I want to get a closer look a your new look." said the Duke, smiling at his friend.
Slowly the mouse rose to his feet, and followed Anteno over to the large fire place. In the yellow heat of the flames, Anteno studied how the curse of Metamor Keep had affected the body of his friend. Except for the colourful down feathers that had replaced Topo's fur, Anteno could not see any other change in his friend. Before speaking, the Duke handed the naked mouse a robe that he donned gratefully.
"I think I like the new look, Topo. You look good in feathers." commented Anteno, giving the mouse a hug.
"It caused me some problems initially, but with the help of a friend, and some time flying, I think I've grown to like it too." replied Topo, returning his friend's gesture.
Taking a pot of mulled ale from the hearth, Anteno poured two mugs. Handing one to Topo, he indicated that they should have a seat in a pair of stuffed chairs set in front of the fireplace.
"I think you have an interesting tale to tell tonight, and I look forward to hearing it. But first, what was D'Alimonte's response?"
"He was honoured by it, Anteno, but he regrets to inform you that at the moment he cannot accept your offer. He feels that because of his form travel through the Midlands would be too much of a risk at the present. He did say that he would like to visit the realm at sometime in the future, perhaps eventually coming back to live. Unfortunately, it will not be in the near future. Last of all, he wishes you luck in all of your efforts to rebuild Carreas."
The conversation drifted over the events of the last month, until finally late in the night both friends dropped off to sleep by the fire.