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Molasses #23. In the Bag with Hot Fudge, Whipped Cream, and Double Malt
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1249
Word Count : 685
Malt Prompt : Hidden Pictures - a kitten
Malt Prompt : very old dare - from Pip - Tarek & a kitty
Kairn froze at the threshhold, hand curled tightly over the book pressed to his chest, eyes darting about the interior, as Sethan pushed past him. “What do you think you’re-”
“What?” Sethan spun round to face him, flicked a dark curl from where it fell across his nose, and grinned. “You think Tarek has the place rigged?” he said.
“He might,” said Kairn. “I mean- Gah!” He staggered into the room and flattened himself against the wall, as something dark and furry flew past from above.
“What are you-” Sethan followed the sleek, black shape as it darted across the floor and his smirk grew. “It’s just a cat.”
“Hey!” said Kairn. “It jumped out at me.”
“Yes, I’m sure it must have been utterly terrifying.” He shuffled back a pace as another feline form emerged from the clutter to whisk past him, a third close at its heels.
Back to the wall, Kairn scoped the room once more and found his gaze returned by numerous sets of slitted eyes, perched at varying levels. “Just how many of these things does he have around here?”
“Too many,” said Sethan, with a frown as he stepped over yet another furry body on his way to the bookshelves.
Kairn eyed the ratty tome in his hand. “So,” he said, “where do we put this?”
“Somewhere without a cat?”
“Right.”
The pad of feet sounded in the hall, and both boys turned as Master Tarek poked his crooked snout and beady eyes into the study. He ambled into the room, a sharp, pinched scowl settling on one and then the other, while their eyes fell to his cargo. Draped over the little man’s arm, its fuzzy, orange paws aimlessly waving about, was a kitten.
“What are you boys-” He spied the volume held his way in Kairn’s shaky grasp and his look brightened. “Oh, my book,” he said. He turned to Sethan. “I trust you found it useful?”
“Yes,” said Sethan, still frowning at the squirming cat, “quite.”
Tarek slipped the book from Kairn’s grasp and set to picking his way across the clutter. “I have the next around here somewhere.”
“Uh…Master Tarek,” said Kairn, as the kitten tumbled from his hold and scampered off to meet its fellows, “Um, what’s with all the cats?”
Tarek, face buried in a bookcase, waved a hand his way. “They have their uses. Which reminds me.” He quickly righted himself, a fresh book in one hand and a sack in the other, and turned to them both with a smile. “You boys wouldn’t mind taking a little something to Master Ephram, now, would you?”
“No,” said Kairn. “I, uh-” Master Tarek was already returning, the bag hanging limp and heavy from his hand. Kairn swore there was something that looked like blood smeared along the side of the thing, and his stomach lurched at the wonder what it might be, considering it was headed for Master Ephram and all. He forced a toothy smile as Tarek pressed the knot into his hand. “Not at all.”
“Very good,” said Tarek. “Kind of you to save me the trip.” He handed the book off to Sethan, who thanked him and shoved Kairn - frozen to the spot, grin on his face and bag dangling at arm’s length - out the door.
Sethan’s hand on his back and the bag still as far from him as he could keep it, Kairn shuffled down the hall. A good distance from the study, he turned to his friend. “What,” he said, eyeing the sack as if its contents might assault him, “do you suppose it in there?”
Sethan shrugged. “Open it?”
“Not me,” said Kairn, shoving the thing his way.
Sethan rolled his eyes, but relieved him of the bag just the same.
Kairn edged away and gritted his teeth as Sethan picked at the knot. Sethan opened the bag and peered inside. “Mice.” He wadded the mouth of the sack back together and thrust it back at Kairn.
“Oh.” Kairn took the sack with a sigh of relief. “Well, I suppose that explains the cats.”
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1249
Word Count : 685
Malt Prompt : Hidden Pictures - a kitten
Malt Prompt : very old dare - from Pip - Tarek & a kitty
Kairn froze at the threshhold, hand curled tightly over the book pressed to his chest, eyes darting about the interior, as Sethan pushed past him. “What do you think you’re-”
“What?” Sethan spun round to face him, flicked a dark curl from where it fell across his nose, and grinned. “You think Tarek has the place rigged?” he said.
“He might,” said Kairn. “I mean- Gah!” He staggered into the room and flattened himself against the wall, as something dark and furry flew past from above.
“What are you-” Sethan followed the sleek, black shape as it darted across the floor and his smirk grew. “It’s just a cat.”
“Hey!” said Kairn. “It jumped out at me.”
“Yes, I’m sure it must have been utterly terrifying.” He shuffled back a pace as another feline form emerged from the clutter to whisk past him, a third close at its heels.
Back to the wall, Kairn scoped the room once more and found his gaze returned by numerous sets of slitted eyes, perched at varying levels. “Just how many of these things does he have around here?”
“Too many,” said Sethan, with a frown as he stepped over yet another furry body on his way to the bookshelves.
Kairn eyed the ratty tome in his hand. “So,” he said, “where do we put this?”
“Somewhere without a cat?”
“Right.”
The pad of feet sounded in the hall, and both boys turned as Master Tarek poked his crooked snout and beady eyes into the study. He ambled into the room, a sharp, pinched scowl settling on one and then the other, while their eyes fell to his cargo. Draped over the little man’s arm, its fuzzy, orange paws aimlessly waving about, was a kitten.
“What are you boys-” He spied the volume held his way in Kairn’s shaky grasp and his look brightened. “Oh, my book,” he said. He turned to Sethan. “I trust you found it useful?”
“Yes,” said Sethan, still frowning at the squirming cat, “quite.”
Tarek slipped the book from Kairn’s grasp and set to picking his way across the clutter. “I have the next around here somewhere.”
“Uh…Master Tarek,” said Kairn, as the kitten tumbled from his hold and scampered off to meet its fellows, “Um, what’s with all the cats?”
Tarek, face buried in a bookcase, waved a hand his way. “They have their uses. Which reminds me.” He quickly righted himself, a fresh book in one hand and a sack in the other, and turned to them both with a smile. “You boys wouldn’t mind taking a little something to Master Ephram, now, would you?”
“No,” said Kairn. “I, uh-” Master Tarek was already returning, the bag hanging limp and heavy from his hand. Kairn swore there was something that looked like blood smeared along the side of the thing, and his stomach lurched at the wonder what it might be, considering it was headed for Master Ephram and all. He forced a toothy smile as Tarek pressed the knot into his hand. “Not at all.”
“Very good,” said Tarek. “Kind of you to save me the trip.” He handed the book off to Sethan, who thanked him and shoved Kairn - frozen to the spot, grin on his face and bag dangling at arm’s length - out the door.
Sethan’s hand on his back and the bag still as far from him as he could keep it, Kairn shuffled down the hall. A good distance from the study, he turned to his friend. “What,” he said, eyeing the sack as if its contents might assault him, “do you suppose it in there?”
Sethan shrugged. “Open it?”
“Not me,” said Kairn, shoving the thing his way.
Sethan rolled his eyes, but relieved him of the bag just the same.
Kairn edged away and gritted his teeth as Sethan picked at the knot. Sethan opened the bag and peered inside. “Mice.” He wadded the mouth of the sack back together and thrust it back at Kairn.
“Oh.” Kairn took the sack with a sigh of relief. “Well, I suppose that explains the cats.”