Mrs.+N's+Mythology

Moon  and  Stars

Tuk woke up and looked around him, then realized for the first time that he did not exist. What an odder than odd sensation it was to not exist...no fingers, no toes, not even a stray hair to call his own...but he //was//, nonetheless. He knew he was, because he could think, and he was thinking just now how very strange it was to smell without a nose. Wait! How did he even know what a nose was? Not having one didn't seem to impede his ability to visualize one and sniff in the fragrant aroma wafting along on the summer zephyr rippling through the Oaks and Pines about him. He inhaled with his no-lungs deeply, enjoying the moment of being...of living despite the fact that he did not exist. He smiled and giggled a bit, thinking, "Existence is over-rated!"

He floated, but not exactly, over the pine-needled forest floor, wondering if he needed food. Food? The idea was appealing, but he wasn't sure in what context food would be necessary to him. He supposed he'd just wait until he felt hungry, then decide; if he was even capable of hunger, that was. The little winds seemed to tickle a bit, and he found himself following one along a deer trail leading into a meadowed valley just below a towering ridge of gray and onyx granite to his left. Well, that was a positive...apparently he had sides! And tickling was kind of nice. He felt a non-existent smile curve across his invisible face.

The valley opened up, lush and green, with wild flowers running amuck, jewel-like in varying hues of purple, pink, yellow and the brightest of blues. Here and there a circle of Silver-Green Oak Trees formed rings, as if engaged in a childish game of Ring-A-Ring-Around-About. Squealing squirrels shuttled back and forth from tree to tree, scolding the birds fluttering above them, claiming territory that wasn't theirs to claim and not caring a whit. The birds didn't seem to care either, because they were busy building and preening, singing along with the chiding squirrels. Tuk couldn't help but add a note or two of his own to the tweeting, chattering cacophony. WOW! He could sing! He could create twirling, cascading song sound and he was delighted with the novelty of it. He tried again and then pirouetted, kind of, pleased with himself. Peels of delighted laughter burst from his non-existent chest, and this right on top of the perfectly pitched tune he had sung into the shimmering air around him. Not only could he sing, but he was good! He somehow knew he was good, and his crescent moon of a lop-sided smile crinkled further up his non-existent cheeks.

"I can sing!" he bellowed out, scaring the critters in the trees into quietness. A single cheeky squirrel lectured him, its furry little head bobbing back and forth, as if to pinpoint the enemy. Tuk couldn't hold back the tune rising like a full tide at bright midnight within him. “I can sing, I can croon, I can count a tapping tune. I can sing the stars to shine and tune the moon to a golden line. I can sing! Yes, that's me; I'm filled with music, filled with glee! I'm magic, like a fiddle fine, I'm mystic like a silver tine. I will sing a song for you! I will chant a tune for two... Hear me sing and soon you'll see my song is magic like a......."

Whoosh! What? A stone had whizzed through Tuk, right through what might have been a belly button, if he had had one. Then, from the far side of a burly Cottonwood Tree, another stone materialized and again tunneled through his middle. It didn't hurt at all, but the idea of someone assaulting his non-entity self was humiliating!

"Hey! Stop that!" he shouted in the direction of the attack, but to no avail. Stone after stone missiled in his direction and he was obliged to dodge and dart around and through disheveled little Wild Rose bushes and Scrub Oak. He whisked his way around an immense Blue Spruce, then stopped short at the sight of a peculiar, small figure crouching among the roots of the ancient Cottonwood. Tuk raised what he supposed was a fist and attempted to shake it, but succeeded only in knocking a few prickly pine cones rattling down through the fanned out branches of the pine, thumping onto the ground at the girl's feet. (SN1)

She was up and twirled about to face Tuk before he even noticed movement. He saw the glint of a knife blade in her right hand and backed away a step or two before he remembered he didn’t exist and so was not visible. “Convenient!” Tuk chuckled softly to himself, alarming her still further. She whipped her head in his direction, her long dark pony tail flipping over her shoulder, its tangles falling nearly to her waist. Bits of twigs and leaves had wound themselves into the shiny coils of hair, so black it glimmered blue in the sun. She held the knife in front of her and ducked back down into the roots of the tree. Tuk watched her for another second or two, noticing fear fighting for courage in her eyes. He couldn’t decide if her eyes were blue or gray…the shadows were too deep where she was crouched. She held the knife up as if she were ready to pounce, but the look of concern and confusion on her heart shaped face made him want to giggle, knowing he was the one she was frightened of and he wasn’t scary at all.

“Whose there!” she blurted out, her voice trembling a little. “Show yourselves this minute!” she demanded, her eyes darting back and forth.” She hitched herself up until she was nearly standing. “I…I’ve got an army just over that hill…” she managed to stammer out, “I…uh, I’m…their scout!” she shrieked, her voice cracking as her tone rose. She cleared her throat and continued, seeming to gain composure as she went, “All I have to do is whistle and 5,000 fierce warriors will come wielding weapons so horrid you can’t even imagine them!” She was standing full upright now, all five feet of her, the blade held straight out in front of her, ready to gut whatever evil she might encounter. The fear had dropped from her face and a confident fierceness had command of her now. Tuk had no doubt but what she would defend herself to the death. He also felt quite certain-sure that whoever might be unlucky enough to wrangle with her would come out the worse for wear.

Oh, it was all just too delicious! Tuk couldn’t contain the bubbling laughter welling up and out of him. He tried to cover his mouth with his hand, but of course there was nothing there to cover and nothing to cover it with, so the giggles turned into a chortle, then developed into a guffaw, which next became a full out belly-laugh, and this, accompanied with jelly-like shakings and quakings of his quivering nothingness acted to corkscrew him up through the multiple sticky branches of the lofty pine he had just circled to find her. Pine cones plummeted down like hail, bouncing before coming to a stop all around the girl. She was bent into a pretzel again, her arms flung over her bowed head. She was yelling a tirade of words that made Tuk pause, trying to determine if she was speaking human or just gibberish. He couldn’t make out a single word.

A thought came to him that wiped away any laughter that might be lingering about the corners of his mouth. What if she were conjuring? What if this pint-sized pixie of a girl was speaking an enchantment? Tuk shivered, and dropping down a branch or two, he looked at her more closely. She couldn’t be more than 16 year old, maybe 17, with a face and body that hadn’t caught up with her years yet. Her eyes were gray, definitely gray. Okay, maybe blue, but gray-blue then, he decided. She had a smattering of barely discernible freckles across the bridge of her nose, nearly lost in the golden-brown hue of her skin. This was a girl who spent a great deal of time outside. Her clothing was boyish: dark green breeches and a tailed shirt that had once been white, tucked in at the waste. She wore a long vest with several pockets down its front; some of them lumpy with Tuk knew not what – enchantment ingredients, no doubt. She wore leather boots that had seen better days, laced to her knees, and over one shoulder was slung a matching bag, ratty and tattered.

Her rant had ended. She was carefully peeking from between her crossed arms. Tuk watched as she unfolded herself and stood, her eyes darting about in every direction. She looked to be on the verge of tears, her lips quivering a bit. She still held the dagger, but as if it was an afterthought, with the blade dangling downward.

“Don’t make me whistle!” she shouted out, still looking all around her.

"Go ahead, then!" Tuk yelled back at her, surprising himself with the boom of his voice.

She was looking right at what should have been him, just a few yards shy of her reach. Her brow furrowed with uneasiness. “Who are you?…//Where// are you?” she cried, reaching out with her knife once again. “I’m warning you!”

“I said, go ahead and whistle.” answered Tuk, with a nonexistent smirk.

The knife dropped to her side again and an air of defeat washed across her face. “You know there is no army, don’t you?” she asked with her head down. She slide down the trunk of the Cottonwood onto one of the protruding roots, looking up in Tuk’s general direction at the same time. She trust out her small, pointed chin, took a deep breath and declared, “All right, I’m ready.”

“What?” stammered Tuk, “Ready for what? Are you going to throw rocks again, because that’s just bad manners, Miss! And no more of that mumbo jumbo enchantment stuff you were muttering before, ‘cause that nonsense scares me stupid!”

“Who in the name of Glory Beyond Every Gate are you?” the girl whispered, “Why can’t I see you when it sounds as if you’re right here by me? Please…” she begged, looking up into the Spruce from which another pine cone had just tumbled, “Please tell me who you are and what you’re going to do with me!” Her voice cracked on the last few words and tears welled up in her big eyes. Tuk was taken aback; quite dumbstruck at the idea he should be doing anything with her.

“Quit that!” he blurted. “Why should I want to do anything with you? Why, I hardly know you and already I’ve been bodily attacked by you! Well, un-bodily attacked, but attacked all the same, and let me tell you how uncomfortable that was!” “You..you’re not going to kill me?” she asked, wiping a grimy hand across her eyes and leaving a brown mask of dirt smeared across her face. Tuk laughed, coming a little closer to her.

“Kill you? Certainly not. I’d like to slap you, but I don’t think I can even do that.” Tuk said with a sigh. “Why you’d want to go and throw those vile stones at underprivileged, nonexistent me is just more than I can puzzle out. I was singing, for Glory sake!”

“That was singing?” the girl wondered.

“Yes!” answered Tuk, indignantly.

A flicker of a smile flashed across the girl’s face, “I’m sorry, I thought it was bandits, or a bear, or maybe even a werewolf!” she said, then forced her face back into a frown. “Why am I apologizing to you? I can’t even see you! For all I know you //are// a werewolf!”

Tuk hovered close to her face, seriously considering trying a slap, “I am not a werewolf! How dare you suggest such a thing? I am a …a…well, it’s hard to say exactly what I am. I just met myself this morning. I am me, and that’s not a werewolf…I don’t think.” He ended his sentence with his voice trailing off. How could he be positive of his claim when he couldn’t see himself? How was he to know whether or not he had pointy ears and a bushy tail? “Oh,” Tuk wailed, “What if I am a werewolf? What if I have terrible teeth and itchy fur and…and…Oh dearie, dear! Life isn’t worth living! I’m a beast, a monster, a..a…a quadruped!” He sobbed, leaning onto the girls shoulder.

“Oh, pa-lease!” she replied with an inflection of distain in her expression. She leaned away from his voice, which was way too close to her ear. “I don’t know what in the Glory you are, but you aren’t a werewolf…or a bear and I’m pretty sure you must not be a bandit, since you haven’t demanded my riches. Stop crying! It’s annoying when I can’t even see your face. For all I know you’re getting invisible snot all over me!”

“Do you have riches?” inquired Tuk.

“NO!” came the girl’s exasperated response.

“Alright, alright!” Tuk back-peddled, “Don’t get your britches in a bunch! Do you have a name then?”

“Of course I have a name.” she scoffed.

“…and?” quarried Tuk, realizing she was not exactly forthcoming with the requested information. She stood, brushing back the errant curls from her face and straightening her untidy clothing. She gave an unexpected little curtsey, holding out a pretend skirt after sheathing her knife.

“I’m called Mindi, but my name is Merindia Katrinelle Tania Manderskyll of East Abbestonia.”

Tuk was speechless for a moment, more curious than ever about this snippet of a girl. Her name was four-long, like the royals of…Tuk gulped, “Abbestonia? Did you say Abbestonia?”

“Yea.” she replied, looking at her feet.

“As in King Manderskyll of Abbestonia?”

“Maybe.” she said, bending to re-tie a boot lace.

“…and the Princess!” Tuk yelped, feeling a rush of excitement, “Are…are…are..” he slapped the side of what would have been a head if he had had one, then continued slowly, “Are you the Princess Meri?”

She continued to fiddle with the tie, “Maybe.”

“ Ohhh…” Giggled Tuk nervously, bounding upward once more, then back to the girl, where he knelt, kind of, in front of her. “Oh, My Glory Beyond Every Gate’s gift to Earth, what in the exaltation are you doing here in this forest, alone, and why are you dressed like a pauper…a..a boy pauper! Princess! You are in danger out here!”

“Don’t call me that!” she barked at him.

“Sorry, Majesty.” he groveled.

“STOP!” Mindi yelled, her voice taking on an air of authority that came natural to her and of which she was completely unaware.

“Yes, your…your, uh, your Mindiness.” Tuk answered lamely.

“Uht!” She corrected, pointing more or less at him.

“Umm..Yes, Mindi?” He squeaked, his voice raising several octaves at the end of her name. He was nearly a puddle at her feet by this point.

“Better.” she smiled in his general direction. “And now, let’s even things out a bit, shall we? You are?”

“Yes, Majest…mmmmMindi. I’m Tuk.” His unseen ears felt warm, and he felt sure he’d be bright red if he had color to him. He glanced up at her and was dumb-founded to see she had squatted down, her face just above him.

With a look of shock, she whispered down at him, “You’re Tuk? Are you sure you’re Tuk? Tuk the Blank?”

“Quite sure.” Tuk responded, sitting up. Tuk the Blank. He hadn’t known that part of his name before, but he immediately knew it was him. It fit perfectly. “Yes, well then, Let me properly introduce myself." He bounced up, floating straight in front of her face, cleared his throat, and spoke in his most courtly voice, "Mindi…I am Tuk the Blank, at your service!” He bowed gallently and smiled, liking the sound of his titled name, and especially proud of his gentlemanly form of address. She was a Princess after all, whether she wanted him to acknowledge it or not. He knew his manners could out-grand the best of them!

She almost smiled, just a hint of upturned lips. She continued to speak to him in a lowered voice filled with wonder. “I’ve found you! I didn’t even intend too, and I’ve found you!” She stood straight, but continued to look down at him. “Praise be for your warbling silliness or I never would have known you were close!” (SN 4)

Tuk frowned, insulted yet again, “Of course you’re referring to my extraordinary singing talent. Opera quality, really.” He huffed. And now came a fully formed smile to Mindi's face, complete with twinkling eyes.

“Yes, your singing. Quite lovely, indeed.” Tuk looked at her suspiciously. Was she making fun? She looked quite sincere however, and after another second or two he decided she had come to recognize his genius.

“Would you like me to sing for you? I have quite a repertoire of melodies that might interest you.” He didn’t really, but he felt certain he could improvise a fine tune for her entertainment.

“Maybe a little later.” Miri replied, her smile slipping a little. She took a deep breath, looked around her cautiously, and spoke again, her expression serious and secretive, her voice lowered to a whisper. “Just now I have a most important favor to beg of you. Will you walk with me? It’s not safe here. There really is an army over that hill, but it’s not mine. Come quickly and let me speak with you.”

Tuk wasn’t at all sure he should trust this rock-chucking girl-child, royal or not. Yet there was something about her he felt drawn to. He felt torn between the need to hear her request and his own bruised ego. “If you don’t want a song, I think I’ll just be on my way.” he replied airily.

She had already trotted a few steps ahead. She came to a standstill, hands on hips, and turned slowly back, biting her top lip in frustration. “ Please, Tuk. I need you, and if we don’t move right now, we are both going to be in more trouble than you can imagine. Please, please come with me Tuk.” He didn’t respond and she let out a groan, resigned, “You can sing for me tonight at supper, alright?”

Satisfied with this arrangement, Tuk swished to her side and perched himself on her shoulder. “Shall we be off then?” he asked, startling her into a shiver, which nearly knocked him backward from his roost.

“So, what? Now you think I’m your horse?” Miri complained.

“Am I that heavy?” He chortled in her ear. She shook her head, but grinned, and Tuk felt a satisfied sigh escape his invisible lips. “Besides,” he continued, “this way you’ll know where I am.”

Miri was moving rapidly now. “Yep.” was her only reply, as she leapt over a dead Oakie blocking their way and hurried down a steep decline, with Tuk holding on to her pony tail for dear life.