Mary-Cade Mandus - Skin Deep

Filch was utterly miserable but as he had reminded himself over the past four hours, that was the whole point of being twenty feet up in a tree, far from the cottage and his family - penitence was meant to be unpleasant. He was relatively pleased with himself so far, for rather than seeking his bower where comfort might be drawn from its glittering treasures he had retreated deep into the forest, further than he'd ever ventured, feeling that he would be better able to fortify his resolve if there was plenty of distance between himself and the lure of comfort, security…forgiveness.

A squirrel hopped nimbly onto the branch and cast an inquisitive eye over him. Having foraged before climbing the tree Filch's pockets were full to bursting with acorns, a robin’s egg, a few earthworms and one succulent webworm. The squirrel’s nose twitched as it detected the nuts and it crept closer. Scowling Filch flapped an arm at it. When that didn’t deter its encroachment he snapped off a thickly leafed twig and flung it. The stick bounced sharply off the squirrel’s nose and the offended rodent leapt to a neighboring branch where it sat scolding angrily. Filch sighed self-pityingly and curled up closer against the oak's bole. Far below, the discarded twig landed upon the face of the pond, barely eliciting a ripple.

Toddy was digging furiously, enlarging the entrance of a recently abandoned badger's burrow when Amadeus sauntered by. Detecting his presence the child immediately scrambled out of the hole and made an enthusiastic beeline for his idol. Amadeus sprang gracefully onto the limb of an overhanging tree, avoiding the child’s dirt smeared hands. Toddy’s feelings were only slightly bruised at the snub for he was used to such treatment from the older boy, but when Amadeus settled comfortably upon the limb instead of going on his way, Toddy's spirits recharged.

Squatting down, the child grinned eagerly at the nonchalant figure lounging above him but he couldn't stay still and, jumping to his feet, began pacing beneath the limb. After several minutes had passed and Amadeus made no move to join him on the ground, the child began to whimper but the older boy ignored the pleas, refusing even to grant him a glance. Instead, his attention was focused entirely upon something cupped in his hands. The mysterious object provoked Toddy’s curiosity and he began to jump in order to catch a glimpse.

Unexpectedly Amadeus tore the object in half and tossed a piece down. It hit the ground with a soft plop and Toddy crouched to investigate. It was a scrap of raw meat, dormouse by the scent. Uncertain, Toddy glanced up at Amadeus, who flipped the other half of the morsel into the air, caught it between his teeth and swallowed with relish. Toddy eagerly followed suit.

Licking his teeth Amadeus dropped to the ground, warding the exuberant child off with a cautioning hiss, then without warning he darted away and disappeared. Toddy's delighted grin faded reviving a moment later when, from behind a tree on his right Amadeus’ bright head suddenly popped into view. As the child darted towards him, the youth vanished once again, this time reappearing from the middle of a rhododendron several paces to the left. Toddy let out a joyous yip, a game of hide n’ seek! So thrilled that Amadeus had at last stooped to play with him, he innocently did not question such uncharacteristic behavior and joined in the fun.

Elena leaned against the doorjamb. Every now and then she’d pinch the skin between her brows in a futile attempt to defuse the headache that was massing. With a throbbing head and troubled heart she pushed away from the door and turned back into the kitchen. She was extremely worried - Filch had been terribly somber after making his confession and now he'd vanished. She’d sent Mutch out but even he seemed unable to track down his whereabouts.

Hyacinth was stomping heavily about the kitchen when she entered. Elena gave her a fond look and a wide berth. The maid was in a snit because earlier they had surprised Amadeus with his hand inside the cupboard. The boy had jumped guiltily enough but had quickly regained his usual composure and with a conciliatory smile had withdrawn from the niche the flaccid body of a large plump dormouse. Some time had passed since the incident but Hyacinth, who could be unreasonably possessive of the kitchen and its foodstuffs, continued to express her displeasure with aggressive head shakings and rumblings.

Elena withdrew the tea tin from the violated cupboard, and set about brewing a pot in the hope that the beverage might soothe her head. Later, sipping a steaming cup, she mulled over another headache - Mirella and Crispin. She had reconciled herself to their pairing. In fact, she was relieved to finally put an end to all the subterfuge. Not only had it been taxing but - she now admitted ashamedly - pointless and completely irrational. She had decided to view Crispin's arrival as a piece of good fortune rather than a threat, for it afforded her child a normal life - or at least the semblance of one.

Elena stifled a yawn; the tea had had the hoped for effect - the headache was receding - but it had also relaxed her to the point where it was becoming difficult to keep her eyes open. With some effort she managed to get her thoughts back on track. Through Mutch, she was aware of Crispin's quest for an escape route but had dismissed it with little thought. He'd soon acknowledge the futility and accept the Wilderness as his destiny and home. With a reflective nod, she sipped more tea.

Temper having finally subsided, Hyacinth had flopped down beside the hearth and was engaged in assembling swags of fresh bay leaves for the cupboards and drawers. The sound of dripping water caused her to glance inquisitively over a shoulder.

Elena sat slumped in her chair, head resting atop the table. The fingers of one outstretched hand maintained an insecure grip upon the tea mug. A trickle of liquid was escaping over the tilted rim and seeping through a crack in the uneven wooden surface to pool upon the flagstones beneath. With an anxious snort Hyacinth lumbered to her feet scattering herbs every which way. The tang of crushed bay leaf filled the air as she hurried to Elena's side.