Rufus let out a shriek of terror and tripped back into his mother's arms.
"Mum!" he howled, "What's THAT?"
His mother laughed and her eyes sparkled the way they did when he did something silly.
"That's a prowlgrin, sweetie." She chuckled. Rufus loosened his arms from his mother's neck and turned to look back at the creature in awe.
"A prowl-green? Uncle Rook rides one of THEM? But they're huge!"
His mother laughed again, her warm breath tickling his cheek and her arms around his tummy as she crouched beside him.
"Well, Uncle Rook is quite a bit bigger than you, love. He's the same height as daddy. Don't you remember?"
He nodded distractedly and gazed up at the strange animal. It was about three times his size, with a huge mouth and beady eyes. It chewed a lump of hay and snorted curiously.
This time, Rufus did not cower. He stared up at it in amazement. Slowly, he reached out a hand towards it. The prowlgrin hesitated, before sniffing his fingers. It's eyes lit up and it extended a long pink tongue to lick him.
"Euurggh!" Rufus yelped and snatched his hand back. He wiped it down his shorts, before stepping back into his mother's embrace. He knew she was smiling without looking.
"It must have been those tilder sausages that you had for lunch." She reassured him. He could tell she was trying not to laugh.
The prowlgrin was grinning too, great mouth agape, tiny forepaws and whiplash tail waving excitedly.
"Magda! Rufus!" a voice exclaimed from behind them.
"Rook!" his mother stood, one hand resting gently on his head, the other embracing her friend.
Uncle Rook turned and bent before him. "Hi Rufus! I see you've met Chinquix."
"He licked me!" Rufus cried indignantly. Rook's laughter joined his mother's. Rufus pouted - why did everyone seem to find it so funny that this great beast licked him? He thought it was yuck!
"Don't worry, he's very friendly. He likes you. Don't you, Chinquix?" Rook scratched the prowlgrin above his nose and the animal purred delightedly.
"Rufus and I were on our way to find Xanth." Magda smiled down at her son, "You know where daddy's working, don't you Rufus?"
"Yes mummy," he replied.
"Why don't you go and find him? Bring him here." She kissed the boy on the forehead and watched as he raced off to find his father.
"He's grown a lot." Rook said quietly. His sapphire eyes were solemn, but smiling. Magda nodded.
"He'll be going to the Lake Landing School in a year and a half." She shook her head, "It's crazy to think that the battle for the Freeglades was over four years ago. It still seems like yesterday. All that blood, death, fighting…" she shuddered. Rook placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"The Great Battle is over now. The Freeglades is more peaceful that it has ever been. You know that." He squeezed her shoulder and smiled encouragingly. Magda managed to smile back.
Xanth held the varnish brush between his teeth and paused in his work to sweep his hair from his face. He and a few of his Librarian Knight friends were helping to varnish a huge wooden statue. The varnish would protect it from rain and hail, making it last much longer. It was to be stood outside the new Lake Landing School, which was a small replica of the original Fountain House School in Old Sanctaphrax. The statue was of Maris Verginix, the founder of the Free Glades who had once attended the Fountain House School. She was also Rook's great grandmother.
Xanth picked up a squeegee-like tool and used it to ease the excess varnish off the statue's arm. Then he removed the brush from his mouth and placed it back in the barrel.
"There," he said triumphantly. His section of the statue was finally finished. He stepped back and eyed it critically. "I think it-"
"RAWRR!"
Xanth yelped in surprise as something jumped onto his back. He heard laughter and two chubby hands clamped on round his neck.
"Earth and sky, Rufus! That was very sneaky!" he exclaimed, chuckling and reaching his arms around to support his son. This also meant he wasn't being strangled.
"I know! I sneaked behind a varnish-barrel and you didn't even see me!" the three year-old's mouth was right next to Xanth's ear and he was talking very loudly. He eased the boy's hands from his neck and lifted him up into the air in front of him.
"How did you get here? Did mum bring you?"
"Yep! Mummy told me to come and get you and bring you back so you could say hello to Uncle Rook!" Rufus explained.
"Rook?" Rufus saw his father's eyes light up at the mention of his old friend.
"Yeah, and his prowl-green licked me! It was soooo gross!!"
Xanth laughed and put his son down on the floor. He took his hand.
"Come on, let's go find them."
"Mummy! Mummy!"
Rook and Magda turned at the sound of the small boy's voice. Rufus was sitting on Xanth's shoulders, squealing and waving.
"Xanth! Good to see you, old friend!" Rook laughed and clapped a hand on Xanth's back.
"Not busy saving the Free Glades, Lancer Barkwater?" Xanth teased.
"Nope!" Rook spread his hands, grinning, "Its my day off."
"Uncle Roooook, what do you feed your prowl-green? Its mahoosive!"
As Rufus began to bombard Rook with a barrage of questions about the prowlgrin - or prowl-green as he referred to it as - Xanth lowered him gently to the floor and approached his wife. He slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her on the cheek.
"You alright?"
"Yeah." Then she smiled and looked up at him, nodding towards their son, who was being lifted up onto the 'prowl-green' by Rook, "I think Rufus has already decided what he wants to do when he's older!"
[INine years later…[/I
"You have done well, Lancer Filatine," the Commander said. "Your father is an old friend of mine. Perhaps he's mentioned me?"
Rufus nodded.
"Yes, commander," he said, looking back at Rook Barkwater, "My father has often spoken of you." He looked down, his face flushing. "It is because of you that I joined the Freeglade Lancers."