Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Maartenwitz’s Debrief

THE NEXT AFTERNOON

“Excellent deportment on all your parts! Superb!”

Flabbergasted, we three main beasts sit in the sunny garden while Ser Roon Maartenwitz praises us for our Beast Ball behavior. It is the most enthusiastic I have seen him about anything. And he sounds like a football coach rather than a fussbudget. This is the part of the movie where the coach gives the team a rousing pep talk after the other team has just caused an injury or been otherwise unsportsmanlike.

Ser Maartenwitz moves about, flitting from flowering bush to flowering bush, stopping to sniff. “Mmmm. I daresay our gardens rival anything at Lammermoor Mansion. And our beasts dwarf theirs in every way. Lobo should have been punished for his behavior and sent to the Beast Wing immediately. He was churlish during the Beast Dance. Now, I am told he made amends somewhat when Blaze was being kidnapped…”

I nudge Demos. [You told Vedette, and she told Maartenwitz. Very smart. Generous.]

Demos growls modestly. [He was honorable when it counted. Honestly, his behavior says more about his mistress than it does about I’m.]

Ser Maartenwitz continues, enthusiastic. “Blaze was self-sacrificing. Although the beasts and Mistress Kaline may not have been in true danger from that low-class, vile personage whose name I will not mention–”

[He got caught by the guards just like that.] Demos puffs out his fur in supreme satisfaction. [Blaze, you were foolishly noble…]

“Low-class,” Gussie speaks up, with poor timing.

“Yes, that’s right, and all of you were high-class,” Ser Maartenwtz praises. “All of you represented this house and this family very well. Not perfectly, mind you. There is always room for improvement. For example, Blaze, when a kidnapper grabs you, you must make as much noise as you can. Roar. Scream. Fight. Bite. Do NOT give into their demands.”

Gussie squawks, “Fight them!”

Maartenwitz looms above us, tough and confident, less a rule-bound finger-shaking stick of a man and more of a strong steward of beasts.

[I was wrong.] I bow my head before him and utter a little “mrrp” of submission. [I was wrong about you,]

[Me, too.] Demos bows his head and gives a little roar. [He would never hurt this house.]

Gussie flaps over and perches on Maartenwitz’s arm. Not his shoulder. That’s reserved for Lamant, her master. But this is a mark of respect.

Maartenwitz coughs, blushing. “Now, now, what’s all this? No need for this display. You are all under my protection. You are part of this family, after all.”

For the first time, I see Maartenwitz as part of this family, too. Part of this house.

I rub up against Maartenwitz’s hand. It feels too skinny, like a bunch of twigs. [I think we beasts would be lost without him.]

Demos grunts. [Let’s not go overboard. Still, he’s a good sort. And honestly, if beasts go missing, he’d be the first person anyone would suspect.]

I agree. [Like if a human wife or husband gets murdered, the authorities usually look at the spouse first.]

Demos’ ears wiggle in surprise. [How do you know this? You come from the jungle!]

Gussie responds. [He’s wise for his age.]

Thank you, Gussie. I have to remember not to sound too, well, human. Truthfully, I’m still more human than tiger. It’s only natural. I’ve been human all my life. Being a tiger is a new thing and will take getting used to.

Blushing a deep red, Maartenwitz scratches behind my ears, and Demos’ ears, and strokes Gussie’s feathers. “Now then. The next time Blaze finds himself in such a situation, with an intruder coming after him with nefarious intent, and when protection is, well, not up to the standards of this house…”

Aha. Maartenwitz is officially not a Lammermoor House fan.

Maartenwitz continues, quivering with indignation. “When protection should be above reproach, but falls short, you, Blaze, have an obligation to fight back. To defend yourself. That…that…coward could never have hurt the beasts you were protecting. He would not have gotten near the Young Miss. So, next time, be a true beast and do not hold back.”

[System disagrees with Maartenwitz. Blaze stats increased.]

We;;! Maybe this is like when Harry Potter stayed behind to save Fleur Delacour’s sister in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, even though he came back last. He still got points for moral fiber.

[Name: [Blaze]

[Class: [Novice]

[Race: [Common Tiger]

[Level: 2/10 [XP 50/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 60/100

[Strength: 13

[Defense: 15

[Magic: 17

[Resistance: 9

[Speed: 16

[Charisma: 28

[Luck: 16

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Pounce (Attack Skill)] [Sprint (Skill)] [Camouflage (Skilll) [Escape Power (Skill) [Telepathy(Skill Not Yet Acquired)]

I just got an XP jump from my little adventure, so Maartenwitz is just being…well…Maartenwitz. Before, I would have thought he was just trying to make my life difficult. But now, I see it differently. He’s thinking of my safety, and of the house as a whole.

Maartenwitz continues. “This house cannot afford to lose a third beast. Forget the prestige! The prestige, honor, and glory are fleeting. They rise and fall with the whims of fate, with the tides, with the wind blowing. Instead, I speak of the sorrow that lived within this house after the losses of Memo and Judo.”

We all lower our heads again.

Ser Maartenwitz coughs. “Well. On a cheerier note, I have to say that all three of you captivated everyone during the Biestwalzer. Especially Blaze dancing with a certain beast from the House of Lammermoor. Unfortunately, relations between this house and the House of Lammermoor are frosty. Lady Lammermoor refuses to apologize for the lapse in security and for her attitude. We will likely not be socializing with the Lammermoor’s or their beasts again.”

My whiskers droop. When a periwinkle blue butterfly dances around me, I’m too distracted to notice. I don’t know why the idea of not seeing Lightning and Lobo again bothers me so much.

[What’s the matter?] Demos is gleeful. [Missing your she-tiger?]

He makes human kissing motions. I’m going to shove him into a thistle bush if he keeps this up.

Gussie piles on. [Awww. Blaze has a crush on Lightning! Blaze and Lightning. It’s a match made in Beast Heaven.]

I play it cool, focusing on Maartenwitz. He’s far more interesting than my friends’ juvenile teasing.

[Blaze and Lightning. Blaze and Lightning. Blaze and Lightning.] Gussie and Demos keep up their sophomoric chorus.

“Blaze!”

Ser Maartenwitz snaps his fingers close to my face, and my butterfly pal flits off, unperturbed.

I snap to attention, crushing the grass with my feet, I’m stomping down so hard.

“Just because you did well and received a little praise from me does not mean that you get to have your head in the clouds,” Ser Maartenwitz lectures.

Awww. Now there’s the Maartenwitz I know and love. I knew he’d be back before too long.

Purring, I acknowledge his scolding with a little “mrrp” afterwards.

Staring into my eyes, Maartenwitz continues, “This is critical. Our main rivals, our chief competition, in the Beast Taming Elimination Tournament will be the beasts from the House of Lammermoor. I shan’t speculate…”

Gussie is quick-witted for all her sweet cheeriness. [Oh, yes, he will.]

Maartenwitz proves Gussie right. “Or rather, I shouldn’t speculate. But you need to know something. The House of Lammermoor has been our chief competition for several years running. I suspect this was the reason behind Lobo’s attitude, although, impossibly, he seems to have stood up for Blaze last night. In any case, Lady Lammermoor, for all her grace and savoir-faire, views our house as an enemy.”

A disturbing thought creeps into my head, not for the first time since last night. I woke up with it buzzing in my brain, and it has refused to leave me alone all day long.

For my sake, for Lightning’s and Lobo’s sake, and for Kaline’s sake, I hope that what I am thinking is not true.

[Demos?]

[What?]

I decide to go for broke. [Why is there no Lord Lammermoor? No one has said a word about him. He’s a ghost. Elves live a LONG time.]

Demos bares his teeth. [All I know is, NO ONE mentions Lord Lammermoor. He’s been away for ages. Some say on a mission for the kingdom. Some say finding the fabled Golden Bull. But no one knows for sure.]

Gussie angles her head in that inquisitive way that she has. [Hmmm. Is that why Lady Lammermoor is so difficult?]

[Some say so.]

Demos, my straight-talking friend, is being uncharacteristically cautious. But then, the Lammermoors are powerful, and no one wants to cross them. Until they crossed us. Until they didn’t do right by us.

I go for broke again. [Do you think that someone close to the Lammermoor family was involved with the attempt to snatch me?]

Demos grinds his teeth together, and Maartenwitz scolds him for his bad habits.

[Yes.]

The response doesn’t surprise me.

Gussie agrees with Demos. [How else could someone even get close to you? That just makes me want to pull all my feathers out. But Lobo and Lightning weren’t in on it!]

A thought strikes me.

[Is there any way we can get to them to ask them what they do know?]

Demos huffs. [Not us.]

Gussie perks up. [Maybe I can.]

Demos is doubtful. [You don’t have Telepathy.]

[But I have my words.] Gussie fluffs her feathers.

[WAIT. Maybe there’s another way.]

Demos and Gussie pay no attention to Ser Maartenwitz, who is trying to regain control. Insead, their eyes beseech me.

[I have an idea, and it involves Mistress Kaline and Hans Lammermoor…]

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