Circe's Gifts

Chapter 36

One of the guards put a cloth on Dylan's arm and tried to slow the bleeding. Dylan pushed him away, scrambled to his feet and fell again, his bad leg giving way. He grabbed the soldier's arm and pulled himself up -- and pushed away, heading across the floor, dodging the fallen and the frantic.

Tiernan and Kalliope came with him. Dylan had pulled aside the fallen chairs by the time they caught up.

"Where is he?" Dylan cried. He hadn't felt such loss in all his life, even with Circe gone. "Where is he? I saw that bastard kick him this way!"

Others began to help, and Dylan slowed as they did, careful where they moved for such a small, frail creature as a mouse could be anywhere.

He was surprised to find King Gelban and Druce helping, even while the Lords clamored for their attention and the guards kept them back.

"I saw your friend turn into a mouse and rush off to attack Leith," King Gelban said. He looked puzzled. "It was an odd choice of change."

"No choice," Dylan explained. He moved slowly now. "He is a mouse."

King Gelban looked startled and then uncertain.

"I'm a cat. Kalliope is a wolf. Circe made us human to protect Tiernan and get him here."

"And she gave me the power to become a hawk so that I could be safe from enemy eyes," Tiernan added. "But we didn't know there was magic involved on the other side. Her gifts made us more noticeable to our enemies."

"Here!" Druce cried out.

Dylan scrambled forward on hands and knees, willing his arm and leg not to give out. Pet laid amid the shattered bowl, his body still, his eyes closed. Dylan wished for it to be a different mouse -- but no. There was no tail. And he would have known anyway.

Kalliope whimpered, a sound so animal like and soft that it drew stares. Dylan gently reached out, one finger softly brushing against his friend's soft fur.

Pet's head turned.

"Still alive!" Dylan whispered. "Oh gods, please -- help him --"

"Let me see."

Someone came and knelt beside them. A mage? His hand moved toward the little body. He stopped, whispered a little, and nodded again.

"Master Dapin," Tiernan said. "I never realized you held magic."

"Some," the man said. "Someone had court has always kept magic to keep the royal family safe. Even the priests have agreed, though we try to keep it quiet. I am sorry I could not get here quicker. Leith had put up a shield. Now quiet a moment."

Dylan didn't care how the mage had come to be here. He didn't care about human politics and the way the world worked. Dylan only wanted Petkin to survive.

"There is still much human in him," Master Dapin said with a nod. "Have strength, brave little mouse. Strength and calm. All is well. All is safe."

The mage's hand passed over Petkin, once, twice -- and on the third pass the mouse's eyes opened, his body moved.

And in the next breath, he changed to human again.

"Circe's gone," Dylan whispered, fiercely grabbing at Petkin, holding him in his embrace. The Mouse still looked stunned and frightened. "How could he change again?"

"There is much of your Mistress in all of you, the power of her mind in yours, and her magic was more a part of the world than a part of her. You are as she made you and will always be so, human and creature both as you will."