Chapter 3 – Mr. Kaughnee and His Jaunty Green Hat
A quick note: It has recently come to my attention that Steiner's first name is NOT, as I had always thought, Aldebert, and is, rather, Adelbert. I have corrected Chapter 3 to reflect this. Thank-you, and enjoy. :o)
"I remember that time," Steiner declared as Zidane's flashback came to a close. "I remember it like it was yesterday…or maybe even more recently…"
"You mean, like twenty minutes ago?" Dagger suggested, shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Yes!" Steiner exclaimed. "Just like that!"
"That's because IT WAS TWENTY MINUTES AGO!!!" Amarant howled. Off in the distance, a wolf howled back.
"Oh, you shut up!" he shouted at the animal.
"Now, now, sir, hasslin' the animals won't help ye none," an unfamiliar voice proclaimed, chuckling. Zidane glanced up, delighted to see a wagon roll to a stop in front of them. In the wagon sat an old man, clothed in the traditional garb of a peasant, a jaunty green hat resting comfortably on his head.
"Hey, man, we're trying to get to the nearest inn. Do you think you could give us a ride there?" Zidane beseeched, his eyes wide and hopeful. The man's eyes twinkled merrily.
"Now, that's just why I stopped. A rather curious thing; had this strange urge to take this road home instead of my usual one. Guess I found out why. Seems I'm something of a godsend to you folks. It's this hat. I declare, it's got magic powers." He motioned to the group to hop aboard the uncommonly spacious wagon, patting his jaunty green hat lovingly.
"Weeeeell, climb on board, kids! Ain't got all night. Miriam, she gets angry if I'm home too late."
Zidane shrugged and headed over to the wagon. 'Heck, don't look a gift- horse in the mouth,' he reflected, taking a quick peek at the horse's teeth. He lifted Dagger into the small vehicle, helped Vivi climb aboard, and then bounced up into the wagon himself. Steiner, with much clanking, followed suit. Shrugging, Freya hopped from the fence and into the wagon, as did Amarant, who had resumed his grumbling.
The old man stared oddly at the last two as they settled in the hay to prepare for the ride.
"There a story behind this?"
"Don't ask," growled Amarant, crossing his arm again. The man held up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Hey, fair enough. Everyone's entitled to their own guilty pleasures, and if chaining yourself to your little lady there is yours, that's no stranger than some I've heard about. Me myself, there's nothin' I enjoy more after a long day than coming home to my darling wife with a jar of apricot jelly and…"
The old man was cut off abruptly as a fiercely blushing Freya hastened to tell him exactly what had happened.
"Oh! Heh-heh…s'why I avoid magic shows like they was the plague. Nothin' good ever comes of people tryin' to make fools out of others…no matter how easy it may be at times." His eyes twinkled merrily.
"You've got that right," Amarant muttered darkly, scowling at the remains of the tavern as though he could thus make the after-life just a little bit worse for the Magical Mr. Mistoffeles. The old man laughed, taking up the reigns and prompting the horse into motion. The sleek red mare twitched her tail indifferently, then set off at an easy pace through the darkened landscape of the village.
"The name's Kaughnee, by the way. Jack Kaughnee. What does the world know all you fine folks as?"
"I'm Zidane Tribal," Zidane answered cheerily. Dagger thought for a moment.
"I'm Dagger..uh…Tribal." Her expression registered surprise and mild horror at what she had just said, as well as at the all-too-pleased expression on Zidane's face.
"That's right," he confirmed, wrapping an arm around the young woman's shoulders and pulling her close. "We got married not long ago, actually."
"Oh! Congratulations, both of ye! I wish ye all the years of happiness the world could possibly give ye! Careful not to be too happy, though." He affixed them both with a sober look. "The gods don't like it." Then he glanced back at Vivi.
"And what do they call ye, little fellow?"
"I-I-I'm Vivi," the 'little fellow' replied with a mighty yawn. Jack nodded.
"Very nice to meet ye, Vivi. By the way, a very interesting hat you have there. A man's hat can be his best friend, can't it?"
"Um...I suppose," the rather startled Vivi replied.
"I'm tellin' ye! And what of you two? What do you go by?"
He turned around and raised an eyebrow at Amarant and Freya, who were trying to give each other all the space possible while joined at the wrist. Amarant glanced up.
"What?"
"Your name," Jack prompted, an amused grin on his face.
"Oh. It's Amarant."
"Alright. And you, my dear?"
"Why am I getting called that today? Oh, well. My name's Freya."
"A pretty name. And how long've you two been together?"
Freya sighed impatiently.
"I already told you! We got handcuffed together at the magic show earlier."
"Uhm...that wasn't exactly...ah, never mind. It's not important. And what's yer handle, sir?"
He glanced over his shoulder at Steiner, suppressing a smile at the state of the man's armour. Steiner, who had been sitting with his head bent forward on his hand, watching the scenery creep past, straightened up immediately, a guilty expression crossing his faced at having been caught so unaware.
"My name, my good man? I am Adelbert Steiner."
"Adelbert, eh? A fine name. T'was my uncle's. A better man never lived. And a great collector of hats! There was not a hat in the world that that man did not own at some point or another. It was he who sparked my own interest in the wide world o' hats. This," he gestured proudly to his jaunty green hat, "was the hat he gave me on my fifteenth birthday. It was my first hat."
The group glanced at one another in uneasy silence at the man's sentimental, rather teary sigh. Finally, Dagger spoke up hesitantly.
"Oh…my. Well, you must have taken very good care of it to have it last so long."
Jack's brows drew together.
"You callin' me old, Missy?" he demanded.
"No..." Dagger replied, shrinking back, eyes wide. Zidane pulled her closer and glared at Jack.
"Leave her alone! She didn't mean that. And anyway, it's pretty obvious that you aren't so young."
"Zidane!" Steiner admonished, nervously glancing at the man to gauge his reaction. He hoped Mr. Kaughnee wouldn't take it terribly badly. He, for one, did not want to walk the rest of the way to the inn. To his great relief, Mr. Kaughnee laughed and when he turned around, there was humour and warmth in his eyes, visible even in the dark.
"Eh, leave the boy be. He's young yet. He'll learn to hold his tongue one of these days."
"We aren't holding our breath," Freya murmured.
"`Sides, I like a lad with spirit," Jack continued. He winked at Dagger. "I assume you do, as well..."
"Lad!" Zidane muttered rebelliously.
"Are we almost to the inn yet?" Amarant demanded. "I can't feel my leg anymore."
"Almost," Jack replied, chuckling again. "Just another twenty, thirty minutes."
A collective groan rose from the group.
Twenty or thirty minutes later.…….….
"Good-bye, Mr. Kaughnee!" Steiner called after the retreating wagon, waving his arm frantically. "Thank-you! And good luck with all your hat- collecting endeavours in the future!"
"And that apricot jelly thing!" Zidane added, cupping his hands over his mouth.
"What a nut," Amarant muttered under his breath, striding toward the dirt path leading up to a small brown building.
"Whooah! Would you stop doing that?!" Freya admonished the large man as she struggled to regain her balance, nearly tumbling into a well. He considered this for a moment. Then-
"No."
"A-a-are we going in now?" Vivi asked pleadingly, stifling another yawn.
"Yes. Don't worry, Vivi, we'll get you to bed sometime tonight," Dagger told the small boy comfortingly, then added to herself, "I hope."
Together, they followed Zidane into the small, rather dilapidated inn.
A quick note: It has recently come to my attention that Steiner's first name is NOT, as I had always thought, Aldebert, and is, rather, Adelbert. I have corrected Chapter 3 to reflect this. Thank-you, and enjoy. :o)
"I remember that time," Steiner declared as Zidane's flashback came to a close. "I remember it like it was yesterday…or maybe even more recently…"
"You mean, like twenty minutes ago?" Dagger suggested, shaking with suppressed laughter.
"Yes!" Steiner exclaimed. "Just like that!"
"That's because IT WAS TWENTY MINUTES AGO!!!" Amarant howled. Off in the distance, a wolf howled back.
"Oh, you shut up!" he shouted at the animal.
"Now, now, sir, hasslin' the animals won't help ye none," an unfamiliar voice proclaimed, chuckling. Zidane glanced up, delighted to see a wagon roll to a stop in front of them. In the wagon sat an old man, clothed in the traditional garb of a peasant, a jaunty green hat resting comfortably on his head.
"Hey, man, we're trying to get to the nearest inn. Do you think you could give us a ride there?" Zidane beseeched, his eyes wide and hopeful. The man's eyes twinkled merrily.
"Now, that's just why I stopped. A rather curious thing; had this strange urge to take this road home instead of my usual one. Guess I found out why. Seems I'm something of a godsend to you folks. It's this hat. I declare, it's got magic powers." He motioned to the group to hop aboard the uncommonly spacious wagon, patting his jaunty green hat lovingly.
"Weeeeell, climb on board, kids! Ain't got all night. Miriam, she gets angry if I'm home too late."
Zidane shrugged and headed over to the wagon. 'Heck, don't look a gift- horse in the mouth,' he reflected, taking a quick peek at the horse's teeth. He lifted Dagger into the small vehicle, helped Vivi climb aboard, and then bounced up into the wagon himself. Steiner, with much clanking, followed suit. Shrugging, Freya hopped from the fence and into the wagon, as did Amarant, who had resumed his grumbling.
The old man stared oddly at the last two as they settled in the hay to prepare for the ride.
"There a story behind this?"
"Don't ask," growled Amarant, crossing his arm again. The man held up his hands in a placating gesture.
"Hey, fair enough. Everyone's entitled to their own guilty pleasures, and if chaining yourself to your little lady there is yours, that's no stranger than some I've heard about. Me myself, there's nothin' I enjoy more after a long day than coming home to my darling wife with a jar of apricot jelly and…"
The old man was cut off abruptly as a fiercely blushing Freya hastened to tell him exactly what had happened.
"Oh! Heh-heh…s'why I avoid magic shows like they was the plague. Nothin' good ever comes of people tryin' to make fools out of others…no matter how easy it may be at times." His eyes twinkled merrily.
"You've got that right," Amarant muttered darkly, scowling at the remains of the tavern as though he could thus make the after-life just a little bit worse for the Magical Mr. Mistoffeles. The old man laughed, taking up the reigns and prompting the horse into motion. The sleek red mare twitched her tail indifferently, then set off at an easy pace through the darkened landscape of the village.
"The name's Kaughnee, by the way. Jack Kaughnee. What does the world know all you fine folks as?"
"I'm Zidane Tribal," Zidane answered cheerily. Dagger thought for a moment.
"I'm Dagger..uh…Tribal." Her expression registered surprise and mild horror at what she had just said, as well as at the all-too-pleased expression on Zidane's face.
"That's right," he confirmed, wrapping an arm around the young woman's shoulders and pulling her close. "We got married not long ago, actually."
"Oh! Congratulations, both of ye! I wish ye all the years of happiness the world could possibly give ye! Careful not to be too happy, though." He affixed them both with a sober look. "The gods don't like it." Then he glanced back at Vivi.
"And what do they call ye, little fellow?"
"I-I-I'm Vivi," the 'little fellow' replied with a mighty yawn. Jack nodded.
"Very nice to meet ye, Vivi. By the way, a very interesting hat you have there. A man's hat can be his best friend, can't it?"
"Um...I suppose," the rather startled Vivi replied.
"I'm tellin' ye! And what of you two? What do you go by?"
He turned around and raised an eyebrow at Amarant and Freya, who were trying to give each other all the space possible while joined at the wrist. Amarant glanced up.
"What?"
"Your name," Jack prompted, an amused grin on his face.
"Oh. It's Amarant."
"Alright. And you, my dear?"
"Why am I getting called that today? Oh, well. My name's Freya."
"A pretty name. And how long've you two been together?"
Freya sighed impatiently.
"I already told you! We got handcuffed together at the magic show earlier."
"Uhm...that wasn't exactly...ah, never mind. It's not important. And what's yer handle, sir?"
He glanced over his shoulder at Steiner, suppressing a smile at the state of the man's armour. Steiner, who had been sitting with his head bent forward on his hand, watching the scenery creep past, straightened up immediately, a guilty expression crossing his faced at having been caught so unaware.
"My name, my good man? I am Adelbert Steiner."
"Adelbert, eh? A fine name. T'was my uncle's. A better man never lived. And a great collector of hats! There was not a hat in the world that that man did not own at some point or another. It was he who sparked my own interest in the wide world o' hats. This," he gestured proudly to his jaunty green hat, "was the hat he gave me on my fifteenth birthday. It was my first hat."
The group glanced at one another in uneasy silence at the man's sentimental, rather teary sigh. Finally, Dagger spoke up hesitantly.
"Oh…my. Well, you must have taken very good care of it to have it last so long."
Jack's brows drew together.
"You callin' me old, Missy?" he demanded.
"No..." Dagger replied, shrinking back, eyes wide. Zidane pulled her closer and glared at Jack.
"Leave her alone! She didn't mean that. And anyway, it's pretty obvious that you aren't so young."
"Zidane!" Steiner admonished, nervously glancing at the man to gauge his reaction. He hoped Mr. Kaughnee wouldn't take it terribly badly. He, for one, did not want to walk the rest of the way to the inn. To his great relief, Mr. Kaughnee laughed and when he turned around, there was humour and warmth in his eyes, visible even in the dark.
"Eh, leave the boy be. He's young yet. He'll learn to hold his tongue one of these days."
"We aren't holding our breath," Freya murmured.
"`Sides, I like a lad with spirit," Jack continued. He winked at Dagger. "I assume you do, as well..."
"Lad!" Zidane muttered rebelliously.
"Are we almost to the inn yet?" Amarant demanded. "I can't feel my leg anymore."
"Almost," Jack replied, chuckling again. "Just another twenty, thirty minutes."
A collective groan rose from the group.
Twenty or thirty minutes later.…….….
"Good-bye, Mr. Kaughnee!" Steiner called after the retreating wagon, waving his arm frantically. "Thank-you! And good luck with all your hat- collecting endeavours in the future!"
"And that apricot jelly thing!" Zidane added, cupping his hands over his mouth.
"What a nut," Amarant muttered under his breath, striding toward the dirt path leading up to a small brown building.
"Whooah! Would you stop doing that?!" Freya admonished the large man as she struggled to regain her balance, nearly tumbling into a well. He considered this for a moment. Then-
"No."
"A-a-are we going in now?" Vivi asked pleadingly, stifling another yawn.
"Yes. Don't worry, Vivi, we'll get you to bed sometime tonight," Dagger told the small boy comfortingly, then added to herself, "I hope."
Together, they followed Zidane into the small, rather dilapidated inn.