I am so sorry I haven’t posted in a while! I’ve been really busy with school. And I won’t be able to post the next few weeks, so here’s an extra-long post:
Snippet Eight
One Year later. . .
Markhoff strolled out to the garden. It had been two months since he had last used his power, and almost a month since the last winter festival.
He and Erumend had started squabbling again. There was nothing out of the usual, until Erumend went to far.
Markhoff had left, seething. Erumend’s words rang in his head, over and over and over and over again. ‘You wouldn’t understand. You’re just a kid.’
Markhoff clenched his fists. He was not a kid. Erumend would pay for that.
Markhoff went to his secret place. He had set up a trap the other day, and he was excited to see if he had caught anything.
To his delight, there was a haree in the snare. Its leg was stuck in the rope. It was still alive and struggling.
Markhoff picked it up by the scruff of its neck. It twisted and kicked, trying frantically to get away.
“Now now,” said Markhoff, feeling an odd sort of pleasure, “It won’t do to struggle. You’re going to be a test object for me.”
The hare seemed to struggle even harder if that was possible. Markhoff sniggered, and held it fast.
“What should I try to turn you into, a wolf? No, I don’t want you to eat me when I’m through with you. How about a skunk?” The hare kicked at him. The powerful blow hit Markhoff in the stomach.
“Ouch! Skunk it is! And I’ll use your tail to make a hat!”
Markhoff activated his gift, pulsing power into the hare. The hare writhed, fighting like mad. Markhoff found it far harder than the tree, but he thrust as much of his power as he could into the hare. The hare writhed harder, but Markhoff wasn’t going to lose this time. He was far too eager to test his idea.
Slowly, a fluffy black and white tail formed, but then horns began growing from the hare’s head.
“No! Not a deer!” Markhoff pushed harder, and the hare stopped kicking. It seemed to be focusing all its energy on resisting Markhoff’s will.
“You are a stupid hare, you. will. bend.” Markhoff pushed against the invisible resistance with all his might. The hare slowly changed shape. Markhoff set it down. It was a skunk …. With antlers and hare ears, but a skunk no less.
It sat there for a moment, terrified. Then suddenly, it whirled around, lifted its tail, and doused Markhoff in its spray. Markhoff, almost knocked senseless by the stench, hardly noticed the skunk rabbit deer rushing off toward a hole, and finding that its antlers prevented it from getting in. The skunk rabbit deer ran into the brush instead.
Markhoff coughed, but it was worth it, it had been worth it. With enough practice, he’d be able to change animals to his will far better. Maybe even complete changes.
It neither grieved him nor surprised him when his father had interesting news at the table a few days later. Markhoff had spent hours scrubbing, trying to wash off the stench.
“There was an odd creature found dead today. It was a skunk with the ears of a rabbit and the horns of an antler. Such an odd creature.”
The king’s eyes flicked toward Markhoff. He did his best to look innocent and surprised.
But inwardly, he worried.
Did Father know?
Krafting with Kayleigh 