The Test On The Mountain Finale

"Oh bed, how I have missed thee."

It's just me in my cabin. Never before have I been so glad to be back in this cozy spot. Everything aches. Everything is crying out to rest. One more hurdle to go through. I still have to clean myself up. It's been a week without a proper scrub. There were a few folks who were incredibly happy to see us both but they did not want to get close. Anne was the first to greet me but backed off quickly. I couldn't take offense to it.

I was instructed to wait until I was called for. I imagine that I'm going to be allowed to use the master bath. I need to get the grime and grunge out of my fur. I'm pretty sure I'll be blowing dirt out of my nose for a week or so. As much as I would love to lie down I have a feeling I wouldn't be able to get back up. It would also be smarter to not at the moment. Get the grime off, then relax.

It didn't take long. Anne was at my door with a fresh towel over her arms and a smile. "Sir Red, please follow me." She shifts her shoulders to signal for me to follow her. She's back to calling me "Sir Red" again. "You know you don't have to call me that." She looks over her shoulder as the two of us follow the path to the main house. "I try but it's a habit. Madam Odette gave an order; I followed that order." I can't argue with that. My first couple of months here were following orders to the letter. I have a bit more freedom now but if she says jump I don't ask how high. I jump as high as I can and hope it's high enough.

It's become like clockwork that when we approach the back doors that the badgers standing guard open them. They only do this when they know I'm allowed to enter. Otherwise, I have to inform them of my request, they send a runner, then I get an answer. I am rarely denied but it has happened. As long as it's studies related, I generally don't have a problem.

I expect to be taken up the stairs to the master bedroom but Anne takes me across the way to one of the guest rooms. "Sir Red, you will find your cleaning supplies in the bathroom. You may leave when you are finished." She places the towel on the end of the bed leaving me with a smile. There are already clean clothes laid out from my personal stash. They must have prepped this days ago expecting us to be back sooner.

I'm a little disappointed though. I was hoping to see Madam Odette again. I shuffle everything into the bathroom. Once again, even though it's a guest room, this is still massive. You could easily fit five bodies in the shower comfortably. Just everything is so large. It was designed with enough space to give you breathing room but cozy enough that you could feel at home.

Even the bedroom itself is massive. I could almost compare it to the penthouse suite of a hotel. Everything is laid out, ready for someone to stay at any time. I know Madam Odette's staff takes a lot of time when they prepare a room like this. Riding along with Anne now and again I get to see these things. There haven't been many guests in my time here but occasionally there is a visitor. Either a business acquaintance or one of Madam Odette's personal friends. I call them her poker buddies but they do a lot more than just that.

The water didn't even get a chance to warm up before I got into the shower. As it hit there was a wash of relaxation. The cold felt amazing as it first hit then as it began to warm up everything started to relax. The steam quickly fogged everything. My soap was really left in the shower for me. I made sure to dig in deep with my claws. I would go to rinse off and the water would run brown from all the dirt that stuck to the skin.

The first wash was to get the rough stuff that had clung to me early on in the adventure. The second was to get everything on the surface. It was less disgusting this time around but still well-needed. I may have rushed through soaping myself to just relax. I really want the water to run over me for a bit. My muscles are still tense from everything I've gone through. I'm hoping that it'll help loosen everything up.

I close my eyes to just be in the moment. The sound of the water hitting the hard tile flooring as it echoes is the perfect amount of white noise that I need right now. As my arms lay limp at my sides, the water running down my chest, it's hard to shake the odd feeling that something is askew. It really started when we landed at the beginning of this test. It never really went away but with my mind on other things, it became easier to ignore. Now that I'm in a sense of emptiness, it's returned.

Before, it was just a thought. But now it feels like it's a physical manifestation. I can feel it crawling up my sides to my chest. It doesn't grip tight, but I can feel it's there. I go to grab at it only to find something actually there. In my ear, I hear a whisper, "Don't say anything. Just… let me stay like this for a moment." I do as the voice says. I rest my palms over the back of her paws. Whatever the reason may be, I let it go.

Just like her whisper, she quietly appeared and left. My paws are left on my own chest where the feeling of hers still lingers.

It hurts.

Not my own, but hers.

Something is causing her pain.

I give it time before I leave. Things need to settle. Not just with my visitor but with myself. I still have an important question I have to answer tomorrow. A fresh set of clothes helps. The cool air will chill you to the bone if you're not ready for it. With my towel over my shoulder and my old clothes under my arm, I make my way back to the cabin. Waiting for me is Anne. She's sitting comfortably in the rocking chair looking over some of the books I left.

"I'll bet you read through every single one of them while I was gone." I try to joke but she answers me, "Only nine of them." There's clearly a look of disbelief on my face. She looks puzzled, "Was I not supposed to read them?"

"N-no. Help yourself to them. I'm just surprised you read so many in a week."

"I am an avid reader. I've been here for quite a while and it lets me escape."

"How did you start here?"

She closes the book leaving her bookmark in her place. "My parents worked for Madam Odette years ago. They did what they considered their service to her, saved enough money to go back to school, and they advanced in their careers enough that they were able to get their own place. I remember growing up here for quite a while until they moved. I liked the new house but yearned to come back. A lot of my friends were here along with a lot of people who helped me grow up."

I took a seat sitting backward on my desk chair. She was really getting into it. Her eyes were shining as she remembered back on these times. With my head resting comfortably she continues, "I was 16, I had finished school early and wanted to get my teeth into the real world. Being that age, I didn't want to work at a grocery store. Where I lived, that was all that would hire me but they wouldn't pay well, they wouldn't give me good hours, and they would not give me what I was looking for. So my parents worked with Madam Odette, they set up a plan, and I've been here for three years. I'm saving money. I'm doing some advanced schooling. I feel like I'm doing something with my life.

This place… it's a small community where you can see the benefits of what you do on a daily basis. I remember this place being amazing when I was a child but as I worked I saw so much more. It's hard work but it's very rewarding, not just monetarily. I've learned quite a bit since coming here. I did think it was strange that she had an all-hands meeting just for one new employee. But it turns out you're more than just an employee, aren't you Sir Red?"

She's trying to turn this on me and that is not going to work. "Anne, you can't even try to play coy with me. You know very well that I am lower than an employee." And turned it back on her! It causes her to break with a smile. "When you first arrived, you were. Now you're almost a celebrity. No one else has gotten as close to Madam Odette as you have."

"Yea and the rumors are wild."

"Salacious, even."

"Don't encourage them."

I know there has been talking about Madam Odette and myself. I know telling Anne to put a stop to it won't actually stop it from happening, but this fire doesn't need to be fanned. "Nonetheless, Sir Red, you've done a lot and helped a lot of people. It can be very repetitive here, and anything new can shake things up. But I have to say, you have been by far the best thing that has happened here. Madam Odette is… chipper with you around which spreads to everyone she comes across. That collection of days where you were incapacitated, she was a wreck. Now, it's not just Madam Odette. When you assist others it helps us a lot. My learning to bake is one of them. I do enjoy it and Penny is having fun with it as well."

Ah yes, Penny. She's going to come collect on that agreement someday.

"Sir Red, I thank you for all that you do. I'm glad I've been assigned to you as your personal assistant. If you do need something, do let me know." She stands from the chair placing the book she was reading on the shelf. "I will definitely do that."

"I hope you will. I'll take my leave for the evening. You do need your rest."

"I do. Thank you,"

Anne bows before she leaves for the night. The sun is still in that odd spot where it's not sunlight but it's not quite dark. It's called the golden hour in some mythologies where the different worlds come together. I'll take the moment to step outside and enjoy the stillness of the cool air. It fills my lungs giving me a little bit more energy. With a deep exhale something catches my eyes. In the fog from my breath something, silver catches my attention. Just as it appeared, it was gone. Nothing is left behind. I know there was something there. With a ping, I scan a wide area to find nothing out of the ordinary.

"It almost looked like a wild fox." It was rather strange to see out here. I guess not too unusual. Albinism is a thing and during this time of the year, wild foxes are more active in trying to get food.

Madam Odette hasn't said anything since we returned. I feel like she was the one who dropped in while I was cleaning but I never did see her. Maybe it was just a projection of some wishful thinking. She did say I would have an early morning tomorrow. That should be when I hear if I've passed her test or not.

There are still some lights on in the main house. Madam Odette's room is dark. The curtains in the window sway with the air inside. I do hope she's OK. Some proper sleep will do us both some good. I turn back to head inside when I feel something looking at me. I snap back to the house to see the curtains still swaying. Might just be me. For now, my bed is calling me.

The mattress still remembers my body as I lay down. I almost expect to find a rock I have to adjust around. Once I grab the thick comforter I know I'm out of the wild. It takes no time before I'm drifting into that lucid state of sleep. Before I even know it, I'm gone. All the stress begins to melt out of me letting everything else relax.

I don't remember if I had a dream or not. I think I was just so tired everything shut down. Even the morning sun couldn't wake me up. It was my own body that woke me. My eyes pop open to find myself in my cabin once again. I have reached the max amount of sleep I can handle. Nothing is going to be able to stop me. From the get-go, I am wide awake. The sun beating in provides all the heat I need to get out of bed. With some fresh clothes, I step outside to the familiar smell of the melted morning frost. It's still cold but feels amazing.

The sounds of the busting workers echo through the air to my ears. The day for many of them is in full swing. I feel like I'm slacking.

I don't want to be impatient but I'm still rather anxious about what Madam Odette has to say about our week in the wilderness. As I was falling asleep last night I did give her questions a lot of thought. My answer is solid. I just need to give it to her.

Knowing her, she would come to me. My anxiety is flaring up waiting. I'll take the initiative! As I approach the manor I see the familiar red coat pacing back and forth. Her guards at the door are watching her as she mumbled to herself pacing in the same spot. She's flailing her arms as though she's having an imaginary conversation. Or maybe she's just psyching herself up for something? This is very different for her.

Looking to the guards for some guidance, they both catch my eye and just shrug. That's the most response I've ever gotten out of them. "M-Madam Odette?" My call to her snapped her back. She still looks rather rattled until she turns around. She has deep bags under her eyes like she hasn't slept. In a frantic fashion, she tries to straighten her hair, "Red! I was just coming to see you."

Something is… very wrong. Like, this is so incredibly unusual for her. I cannot place it but the lack of sleep may have come from fretting about something. She's checking her watch constantly while she tries to converse, "I'm assuming you want to talk about your test, yes? Well, I have some good news for you. I went over the past few days and while there are some things I would like to see improved you did meet my minimum requirements. You did learn a good base for alchemy. I think you did a wonderful job and I can say with confidence that you passed!"

That's good news! She still seems rather rushed to get through her announcement. She kept a bit of distance as she spoke until she started again, "Now Red, the question I asked, do you have an answer for me?"

That seems to be what she's focused on. Her eyes are screaming for an answer. The energy she's giving off is causing me to feel rather uncomfortable. It's shaking me to the core almost as if this isn't Madam Odette or the Madam Odette that I know.

"Madam Odette! I gave it great thought and while I am still learning not only about magic and its application but the world of it, I want to say that I am standing firm with what I wish to do with the knowledge and the power given to me."

She's smiling. She's so excited for an answer that she's almost tapping her paws in place waiting for the answer. "I will do everything within my power to advance magical knowledge and progress it forward."

I've been confident in that short answer that shows I have drive. It shows I will use what I have been given for the greater good instead of just for myself. That I want to give back to the world as well. Ideally, magic will be able to come into the mainstream and be embraced at the possibilities that it can bring but for now, where it is, is working.

With a confident smile, I look Madam Odette in the eyes. Her face hasn't changed as if she's expecting more. The silence is starting to get to me. "Are… are you sure?"

That's the answer I get?

Are you sure?

Her paw goes from her muzzle to the top of her head brushing the wildness of her hair back. She turns around so I can't see her face. Her guards do whatever they can to avoid eye contact with her. She's acting strange. She fidgets with her own paws while shaking her arms. She drops them to her side. "Red…" She calls for me with a softness in her voice I have not heard. It's not adoring or even a whisper. Almost as though she's resolved.

She turns with tears in her eyes. Her teeth are grit tight as though she's been holding back for a while. With a loud whine holding back the crying she's been fighting she shouts with a vigor I have not heard, "I'm so sorry!"

No warning, no notice. She darts towards me still fighting to see through the tears. She makes three steps before her body goes limp into mine. I manage to catch her under her arms before she hits the ground. "Madam Odette!" She doesn't respond. Her guards come rushing from the door to check on her. I get her on the ground in a resting position so they can look her over. They know more about emergency medicine than I do.

They mumble between the two of them coming up with a plan. One grabs her, lifting her up like she weighs nothing. They're both very careful as they take her inside. I go to follow but something hits my foot. In the grass is a knife. One I have seen before. The gold inlay is unforgettable as it bears such craftsmanship that only someone with a lot of money would possess it.

I put the blade away to tuck it into my pocket. I'll return it later but as for now, there are more pressing matters. Before I can get anywhere I'm approached by some of Madam Odette's personal caregivers. They halt me in the hallway letting me know that the best thing I can do for now is to wait. "Sir Red, we understand your concern but let us care for her. We will let you know when she awakes."

There really is nothing I can do. Except for wait...