December 24, 1998
'Zewf, wait!'
I turned around. Robin's giant Santa hat had fallen over his eyes again, causing him to run into things. He looked adorable, actually, but it was getting quite tiring to keep stopping and fixing his hat. I suppose it would have also been really funny, had I been simply viewing the situation.
I sighed and waited for him to bump into me. It didn't take too long. I pulled up his hat and found his huge brown eyes staring at me in mild confusion. What did he want?
'I should tie that on your head,' I remarked, in English though. 'That way it wouldn't fall off and you wouldn't keep blaming me for pulling it down again.' I smiled charmingly at him, knowing he probably hadn't understood more than three words of what I had said. It is a blessing to be bilingual.
'Now that wouldn't be very nice, would it now?'
I spun around and pushed Robin behind me. The King had appointed me as his bodyguard. He was probably just giving me something to do, now that the archery lessons were over, but I took the task seriously.
He was an old man. Twinkling blue eyes and a long bushy beard. He held a little kid, younger than Robin, maybe three or four (Robin's birthday had been a little over a week ago). He didn't look very suspicious, but there was something about his eyes that unnerved me. And he understood English.
'Zelf Silvermane, I presume?' he said. 'And is that little boy whose hat just fell down the prince of Endora?'
I paused for a second, then nodded warily.
He smiled. 'Rayus Optus,' he said. 'But you can just call me Mr. Ray.'
Mr. Ray? 'Wait a minute. . . 'You're that wizard!'
"Why yes I am.' He looked amused. 'Nice of you to know about me. This is my grandson, Charlie.'
I frowned. If Charlie was his grandson, then he'd probably have to be at least a few hundred years old. The wizard Mr. Ray was so ancient it was rumoured he'd even met the Creature of Power.
Mr Ray looked as if he had read my mind, which he probably had. 'No, he's three,' he said. 'Family matters,' he added as an afterthought. I nodded slowly.
Robin tugged on my hand. Without looking down, I re-adjusted his hat. That had gotten quite assumable by now. But he kept tugging.
'Zewf, I'm hungry,' he said.
I nodded. I was now staring at the kid named Charlie. I could see it now. They had the same strange eyes, though Charlie's were brown in colour. Maji eyes. They said that if you stared into a maji's eyes long enough you could go insane. Of course I was a doubter but now, it suddenly seemed possible.
The wizard let out a deep sigh suddenly. 'We have to go and celebrate my daughter-in-law's daugter's birthday now. Look sharp, Zelf, make your own ring, and watch out for that rock.' He winked. Then both he and Charlie disappeared.
While I was still incredulously mouthing "What?" from his comments, Robin decided that I was not giving him anything to eat, and surely I was the cause of the creepy old guy and the little kid, and stalked away, crashing into things as he went. I quickly caught up to him.
'Hey buddy,' I said.
'Zewf?'
'Zelf. Yes?'
'I'm hungry.'
'Good for you,' I snapped, slightly miffed now. He was getting a bit annoying.
He looked up at me reproachfully and pushed his hat up.
I sighed. 'Sorry, bud,' I said. 'C'mon then, I'm sure Yoshiba has something for us.' I was sorta getting kinda hungry too. Just a little.
Yoshiba did, indeed, have something for us. In fact, she had a lot of things for us. From pumpkin pie to a nice roast, she was getting everything ready for the Christmas feast that evening and gave us (or rather, gave Robin's puppy-dog face) first pick. I took an odd-looking roll that tasted delicious, and Robin tried to stick his pudgy little fingers in a cake. Yoshiba stopped him and rushed away to get him a smaller portion that she had made specially for him. She hadn't made me one. Sad face emoticon.
I turned around. Robin's giant Santa hat had fallen over his eyes again, causing him to run into things. He looked adorable, actually, but it was getting quite tiring to keep stopping and fixing his hat. I suppose it would have also been really funny, had I been simply viewing the situation.
I sighed and waited for him to bump into me. It didn't take too long. I pulled up his hat and found his huge brown eyes staring at me in mild confusion. What did he want?
'I should tie that on your head,' I remarked, in English though. 'That way it wouldn't fall off and you wouldn't keep blaming me for pulling it down again.' I smiled charmingly at him, knowing he probably hadn't understood more than three words of what I had said. It is a blessing to be bilingual.
'Now that wouldn't be very nice, would it now?'
I spun around and pushed Robin behind me. The King had appointed me as his bodyguard. He was probably just giving me something to do, now that the archery lessons were over, but I took the task seriously.
He was an old man. Twinkling blue eyes and a long bushy beard. He held a little kid, younger than Robin, maybe three or four (Robin's birthday had been a little over a week ago). He didn't look very suspicious, but there was something about his eyes that unnerved me. And he understood English.
'Zelf Silvermane, I presume?' he said. 'And is that little boy whose hat just fell down the prince of Endora?'
I paused for a second, then nodded warily.
He smiled. 'Rayus Optus,' he said. 'But you can just call me Mr. Ray.'
Mr. Ray? 'Wait a minute. . . 'You're that wizard!'
"Why yes I am.' He looked amused. 'Nice of you to know about me. This is my grandson, Charlie.'
I frowned. If Charlie was his grandson, then he'd probably have to be at least a few hundred years old. The wizard Mr. Ray was so ancient it was rumoured he'd even met the Creature of Power.
Mr Ray looked as if he had read my mind, which he probably had. 'No, he's three,' he said. 'Family matters,' he added as an afterthought. I nodded slowly.
Robin tugged on my hand. Without looking down, I re-adjusted his hat. That had gotten quite assumable by now. But he kept tugging.
'Zewf, I'm hungry,' he said.
I nodded. I was now staring at the kid named Charlie. I could see it now. They had the same strange eyes, though Charlie's were brown in colour. Maji eyes. They said that if you stared into a maji's eyes long enough you could go insane. Of course I was a doubter but now, it suddenly seemed possible.
The wizard let out a deep sigh suddenly. 'We have to go and celebrate my daughter-in-law's daugter's birthday now. Look sharp, Zelf, make your own ring, and watch out for that rock.' He winked. Then both he and Charlie disappeared.
While I was still incredulously mouthing "What?" from his comments, Robin decided that I was not giving him anything to eat, and surely I was the cause of the creepy old guy and the little kid, and stalked away, crashing into things as he went. I quickly caught up to him.
'Hey buddy,' I said.
'Zewf?'
'Zelf. Yes?'
'I'm hungry.'
'Good for you,' I snapped, slightly miffed now. He was getting a bit annoying.
He looked up at me reproachfully and pushed his hat up.
I sighed. 'Sorry, bud,' I said. 'C'mon then, I'm sure Yoshiba has something for us.' I was sorta getting kinda hungry too. Just a little.
Yoshiba did, indeed, have something for us. In fact, she had a lot of things for us. From pumpkin pie to a nice roast, she was getting everything ready for the Christmas feast that evening and gave us (or rather, gave Robin's puppy-dog face) first pick. I took an odd-looking roll that tasted delicious, and Robin tried to stick his pudgy little fingers in a cake. Yoshiba stopped him and rushed away to get him a smaller portion that she had made specially for him. She hadn't made me one. Sad face emoticon.