Original Fic: Tavern Story
Notes: Gaia Commission for Nao's cat character.
“Aw right you lads, stop pullin’ each o’er’s tails and get your butts down ‘ere on’ese seats. Come on, Come on, break i’up! Break I’up!” The tavern lady broke apart the two mangy curs with her enormous strength. She gave them each a stern and steady stare. “Look ‘ere, lads, this ‘ere tavern is my property, and I’m not havin’ any of this non-sense ‘ere. You’re free to ‘ave a drunken bout, but outside, y’hear? This ‘eres a reeespecteeble establishment!” She shook the two, hard. Their teeth rattled and their ears flattened. “Yes Ma’m.” they said weakly and stumbled out. They were g reeted with jeers and heckling as they passed through row of row of tables. “An’ none’of dat, sirs.” A chorus went up. “Yes Ma’m!” The landlady dusted her hands off, and resumed wiping down tables.
“Who’s that Bert?” asked a newcomer to the tavern, staring at the landlady with much concentration. “The landlady and owner of this ‘ere tavern. She’s got the final say. An’ you daun want to cross dat lady, nosah! She’s got a mean headlock, and ‘er ‘usband an’ barkeep ar’ jus’ as strong as ‘er. She know’s ‘er notes too, sings the auld song o’days oftentimes.” the aforementioned Bert replied, drinking some beer, as his soft gray wolf ears twitched. “Fer a tavern, this place ‘as got pretty good beer. Aiev ‘eard she doesum ‘erself.” The newcomer’s soft gray striped ears perked up at the mention of singing.
“Landlady… hmm…” the newcomer replied, gazing at the aforementioned mistress. “She still runs the old tavern, hm…” The newcomer got up, and stretched like a cat. His gray tabby ears twitched in excitement. “Wot?” murmured Bert puzzledly. The newcomer walked towards the tavern missus. And then he ran towards her. “Mom! Mom!” shrieked the newcomer in excitement. The landlady dropped her tray and hugged him. “Issat? Issum, me auld boy? Oh, darling, I missed you! ‘Ow was Uneeversity, dear? Learned all the magic an ropes? Bartum, dear! BARTUM! Issum’s come ‘ome! ‘Ees ‘ome!”
A big old gray beard poked out of the floor below. “Issum! Come ‘ere lad, to Dad! Oooh, I missed you so! Why didn’t you come?”
“I went to our own place, Mom, Dad, but it was gone. No signs. I had to search everywhere, and finally…” Issum broke into tears.
“Ow, it was our auld fault,” sobbed Bartum. “Dee Polleice of dee ‘orrid Emperor ‘ound us out, and dee-clared us ee-lee-gal, an’ we ‘ad to pack up quick. We’d thought Ida’d tell you…”
“Ida left town.”
“Oh, sweetheart!” sobbed Issum’s mother, and hugged him. Issum’s tail waved.
“Well, alls wall that ends well, lad.” Bartum eyed his son up and down. “Oo’ve grown to bee an ‘andsome young man. Got me auld white an’ yer mom’s black, mixed to be gray. Well, show me wot you’ve leeirned at the University.” Issum looked up eagerly. “Allright!”
Issum concentrated, and then muttered some words. Within his hands grew a spiraling ball of light. He threw it up and it danced in the air to an invisible rhythm. Then the whole tavern clapped in beat. Barnum turned to the tavern. “Let us celebrate the comin’ ‘ome of my son, Issum with a good auld song!”
And so they sang jubilantly all through the night. And door and window of the Tavern glowed a warm, bright light.
The End