Jabberwocky: Chapter 4

Callay opened his eyes to stare at a plastered white ceiling. It took him a few heartbeats to realize what he was staring at. Normally, he slept in a rough shack that was scarcely better than a tool shed, resting atop a pile of hay and under a thatched roof. But now he found himself staring up at a real ceiling.

But his memories of the previous day soon returned to him, and before long he was anxiously sitting upright.

“I’m... actually in the manor.” Callay said aloud as he glanced to his left and right. He could scarcely believe he hadn’t dreamed it all.

“Ugh... what’s that racket?” A servant groaned to Callay’s left.

“Sorry.” Callay whispered.

The manor servant rolled back over with a groan and went back to sleep.

The sun had only just risen, and the manor folk tended to stay up later than villagers and field hands. All those light enchantments all over the manor spoiled them. For people like Callay, candles were too valuable to waste often, so sunset meant there was nothing to be done until the next dawn.

By the snores of the rest of the serving staff, Callay guessed that breakfast wouldn’t be served for a long while yet.

Perhaps I can sneak away a while.

Callay glanced at the trunk at the foot of his bed. He flipped the latch open and pulled out the sword bundle, still tucked away just where he left it. Callay shot a glance around the room before tucking the sword bundle under his arm and headed out.

There were plenty of isolated places towards the edge of the Slithy Toves that Callay had discovered while chopping wood. He headed towards one of them.

He soon found a quiet clearing surrounded by mome rath trees. Nobody came here except for Callay and Ross, so he knew he wouldn’t be disturbed. Callay wasn’t sure how Lord Gyre and his warriors would feel about a field hand owning a sword, even if it was Lord Gyre’s own daughter that had given him the weapon. Just to be safe, Callay wanted to use some discretion while practicing.

Callay undid the knot on the sword bundle, and soon the sword was bare in his hands. Shining steel reflected the morning light onto the mome rath trees and illuminating the shadows of the swamp nearby.

Now what were those sword forms again?

Callay started with a simple set of swings. First, coming in from the right to slice at an enemy in front of him. That would be both a fast and powerful blow, so long as he could hit someone with it.

Callay soon grew used to the weight of his weapon, and he refined his motions until they felt smooth. Soon, heaving his sword took half the time. He counted out ten thousand swings of his sword, each better than the last. When that was done, he switched movements and started practicing his lunge.

He was well into his practice session when a familiar voice hollered at him.

“That looks a lot sharper than a stick.” Old Ross said from behind Callay.

“I was wondering when you’d show up.” Callay laughed. “You’re still on wood chopping duty, right?”

“I am, and I had to spend all morning trying to talk some young buck among the field hands into helping me.” Ross complained. “And here I thought I’d have the day of Brillig off. It turns out we need even more wood than normal for the pyre, and everyone figured Old Ross was the man for the job.”

“Well, as long as I’m here, let me lend you a hand.” Callay picked up the axe Ross was leaning against. The familiar weight of the tool felt right in his hand. That was what he wanted, wielding his sword to feel like someday.

Callay took the axe in his hand and swung at a pair of nearby mome rath trees. The clearing he and Ross stood in wasn’t natural, but something the two of them had hacked out of the wilderness over the years.

Two more trees feel in the blink of an eye, each split asunder in a single blow.

Callay looked back at his sword, which was leaning against a nearby mome rath tree.

How hard would it be to do the same with a sword?

Callay was reluctant to risk his blade chopping wood. Normal steel would quickly dull.

But this is a magic sword. Surely it can handle a few tree limbs?

Callay had once wielded a machete to chop a path through the outskirts of the Slithy Toves. A sword shouldn’t be too different. He chose a small branch, aiming his blade just like he would if he were chopping down a tree.

The first swing bounced off the wood, angle not quite right.

“I think you picked up the wrong tool there...” Old Ross said as he stared at the sword. He was squinting at the blade in Callay’s hands. His eyes widened a fraction as he stared at the red lines running along its length.

Callay examined his cut, frowned, then hefted the sword again. He adjusted his grip and swung once more. This time the sword cleaved straight through the branch, slicing the branch clean off in a single swing.

Old Ross let out a low whistle. “Never mind.” He muttered under his breath.

Callay excitedly turned to the next tree. He swung his sword once more, felling the mome rath tree on the first try. After a few more swings, he was cutting down trees with his vorpal blade as easily as he would if he was wielding his axe.

“I think we have enough wood now.” Old Ross said as he picked up chunks of splintered wood. He was already carrying as much as he could in his arms, and there was plenty more around his ankles.

Callay scooped a few handfuls, but quickly realized he’d chopped far more than they could need. He carefully bundled up his word along with his axe. Hopefully nobody would ask any questions about it.

The villagers were pleased to see Callay again, though he realized they were all acting a little strange.

“Ah, if it isn’t Callay!” The brewer said. “Always a pleasure to have you hear, lad! Come, have a drink from my tap, on me. I just opened a barrel of my best, and I think I can sneak off a tankard or two of it before I send the rest off the manor.”

The brewer’s daughter also acted strangely, leaning close to him as she thrust the tankard of ale into Callay’s hand.

“I really shouldn’t.” Callay protested. “I haven’t even had breakfast yet.”

“Oh?” The brewer’s daughter batted her eyelashes at Callay. She leaned forward and whispered in Callay’s ear. “Maybe you can have me for breakfast.”

Callay blinked in surprise, taken off guard by the offer. The brewer’s daughter winked at him, and Callay struggled to keep himself from staring back with a stupid expression on his face.

Truthfully, the whole village felt like a different place, and Callay felt like an outsider.

I suppose this is what it’s like to be someone from the manor.

Many of the villagers had questions about what the inside of the manor was like and what lady Mimsy wanted him for. In the end, Callay decided to finish his drink and head back to his room. Things were simply too strange for him.

When he returned, he tucked the sword bundle away in his chest of belongings and found the people of the manor just waking up.

“Lord Gyre and Lady Mimsy will be waking in another hour or so. Come, the cooking staff might need help to prepare and serve breakfast. I’m told we have quite the morning feast in store for us this Brillig.” The head maid said to Callay.

It turned out the cooking staff did need some help to get their ovens hot, so Callay ran outside to the wood pile he contributed logs to for so many years and hauled a couple inside. There, he started a fire in each of the ovens. The stove and the oven quickly grew warm, and the head cook thanked Callay for his efficient work.

“You know your way around a fire, lad.” The head cook said. “Glad to have you as a part of our crew! Lady Mimsy was right to pluck you out of the riff raft down in the village.”

“Thanks...” Callay said awkwardly. The manor folk had never thought too highly of Callay before, but now all of a sudden they were acting like he’d always been one of them.

A few moments later, Callay found himself seated at a long table at the edge of a room. Tray after tray of food came out, and somebody put a platter of sausages, sweet bread, and fresh blueberries.

“Lord Gyre had a few barrels of fresh fruits shipped up from the south recently.” The head cook explained when he saw the wondrous look on Callay’s face. “Try them. I bet you’ve never had fresh blueberries before.”

“No sir.” Callay said as he eagerly dug in. The food was sweeter and more delicious than anything he’d ever eaten before.

Just as Callay was warming up to the people on the manor’s serving staff, they all suddenly went quiet.

“What’s wrong?” Callay asked as the maid and cook both went quiet. They abruptly stood up and bowed to someone behind Callay.

“Lady Mimsy? Is there a problem with your food?” The head cook asked.

“Not at all.” Lady Mimsy replied. Callay turned to find her standing behind him. “Just with my company. My father is taking breakfast in his room, so I’m all alone at the head table. I was hoping Callay could join me for breakfast.”

“I was just getting to know the serving staff.” Callay said as he gestured to the maid and cook. “Maybe you could join--“

The head cook elbowed Callay in the ribs. “Callay would be happy to join you, Lady Mimsy.” The cook answered on Callay’s behalf.

Callay knew a hint when he heard one, and he picked up his plate and followed Lady Mimsy. She was eating the same thing he was, but he noticed the blueberries on her tray were the largest and plumpest, and the sweet bread rolls sitting half-eaten on the side of her plate were each perfectly round. The rim of her plate was artfully decorated and her dining utensils were made of silver instead of carved from wood.”

“Did you get a chance to practice with that thing I gave you?” Lady Mimsy asked.

“I did. I went out to the Slithy Toves this morning and gave it a few swings. I think I’m getting the hang of it now.” Callay replied.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Lady Mimsy said. “I want you to bring it along later today. I’m going to be performing the fertility ceremony today, though I’ll have a chance to slip away. I’d like to head into the Slithy Toves with you then.”

Callay wondered he should remind Lady Mimsy that he hadn’t actually faced off against a Bandersnatch in the wood with Ross. But he looked down at the food on his plate and held his tongue.

Bandersnatches don’t grow on trees. Even if she goes looking for one, we won’t find it.

In the end, Callay simply nodded along.

“And while you were down at the village...” Lady Mimsy shifted her scrambled eggs around her plate. “You didn’t... talk about what you saw in my tea room earlier, did you?”

“Not a word.” Callay promised.

“Good.”  A smile filled Lady Mimsy’s face and Callay felt her leg wrap playfully around Callay’s own from under the table, and Callay was once again drawn to those scarlet lips that he’d dreamed about last night. And the bare skin he’d seen before, now hidden by the dress she wore.

A heated flush filled Callay’s face, and he almost  felt sorry about the opportunity he’d given up in exchange for a promise.

But a deal had been struck, and there was no point in overthinking things. Their conversation turned to simpler things, and Callay was surprised by how much Lady Mimsy knew about the world outside the Slithy Toves.

“My father is one of several lords in this region.” Lady Mimsy explained. “He answers to Baron Gimble, my uncle, who in turn answers to the king.”

“I’ve heard he has an even bigger retinue than lord Gyre.” Callay said.

“He does.” Lady Mimsy confirmed. “He’s a baron, after all. He’s got dozens of knights and yeomen pledging themselves to him. As a baron, he needs to have a standing army at all times to defend his land and his people. My father only needs a few capable warriors and the power to levy soldiers form the village if trouble ever comes our way.”

Breakfast ended and Lady Mimsy reminded Callay to meet with her after the festival of Brillig.

***

Callay headed back to the village, meeting up with Old Ross again, who was busy stacking wood in a giant pile in the center of the village.

“How goes it, Ross?” Callay asked.

Ross had a big smile plastered across his face as he gazed across the town, where a giant chicken strutted back and forth.

“Is that... Lady Mimsy?” Callay asked when he spotted the giant chicken.

“It sure is!” Old Ross burst out laughing, clutching his stomach as he did so. “It’s a shame to put such a beautiful girl in such a stupid costume, but tradition is tradition!”

Sure enough, a massive rainbow chicken was striding through the village while the people bowed one at a time, deferentially before the massive painted chicken.

Out of the chicken’s rear, Lady Mimsy dropped chicken eggs upon the ground. The villagers scurried forward to snatch the eggs falling from the chicken’s rear, scooping them out of the air before the eggs could even hit the ground.

At the sight of it all, and the knowledge that Lady Mimsy was inside that costume, Callay clutched his stomach and joined Ross doubled over in laughter.

He was still laughing when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

“Finished yet?” Lady Mimsy asked from behind Callay.

Callay whirled about when he realized who’d gotten his attention. He turned to Ross who was glancing back and forth frantically between the chicken striding through the streets and Lady Mimsy standing behind them. She had a hood pulled over her head and a heavy cloak wrapped around her, but it was unmistakably her.

Callay’s eyes met Ross’s. “I thought you said...”

“I saw her get into the costume!” Ross protested.

“I have my ways.” Lady Mimsy said mysteriously. “Now come on, Callay. We have a job to do.”

Callay followed along and soon came to the edge of the Slithy Toves. He’d brought his sword along with him, tucked under his arm. Moments later, he pulled the ribbon around the cloth concealing it and drew the weapon from its sheath.

“You’re certain you want to do this?” Callay asked. “The Slithy Toves are a dangerous place.”

“I can take care of myself, Callay.” Lady Mimsy said. Then she shrugged her shoulders and the cloak fell from her shoulders.

Beneath the cloak, she wore a short dress of silver and black. Her shoulders were bare and the dress was low cut enough to reveal the tops of those luscious mounds Callay had seen so recently. The dress rode high enough to show some of her pale thighs as well, A amethyst hung on a pendant around her neck, precisely matching a pair of rings on the middle finger of each of her hands and the gems on two anklets just above her boots.

“You’re going into the Slithy Toves... in that?” Callay looked at the lady askance. “No offense intended, but that isn’t a gown fit for hiking through the wilderness.”

“It’s more functional than it looks.” Lady Mimsy blushed. “I know it makes me look like some tavern slut, but its just as magical as that sword in your hand. That will protect me better than any leather or steel.”

Callay gazed into the forest before them. “If you say so. One quick trip, in and out. I don’t want to be searching the swamp after nightfall.”

“My father expects me to finish with the chicken suit by lunch. so that’s all the time we have. If we fail to lure out a Bandersnatch by then, I’ll head back and fulfill my promise to you.”

Callay let out a low grumble. “Alright then. Let’s get this over with.” Then he hefted his sword and set foot in the Slithy Toves.

Author's Note:

I have a scene in mind (you guys probably know which one it is) that I plan to write this story to before I take a step back and figure out if I want to keep working with it or drop it. Let me know if you guys are enjoying the story so far and if you're looking forward to any of the possible things I've hinted at so far!

I've got a couple of these premises on my hard drive, and I'm constantly coming up with more. I figure I'll write a few of them out and just see what sticks the most. I really need a shorter 80k word trilogy or quadrilogy to publish between the Spellheart books, and the story I've been working on in the background doesn't quite fit that bill.