Redwall Rhapsody

[Kali]

With a stiff yawn Kali emerged from slumber as light drifted through the barn window. First one wing stretched, then the other, gingerly rolling out a kink in her neck before she descended from the rafters.

The hayloft was as glamorous as it sounded, filled with rusted and dirty belongings the owner had nowhere else to keep. A pleasant aroma of boar drifted up to the top of the loft, assaulting the bat?s sense of smell.

?One of these days I will have to try a bed,? Kali said to the empty room, popping her back, ?A big fancy bed with feather pillows.? Smacking dry lips, Kali glanced at an old cracked mirror that had been left to rot along with other relics. She ran a wingtip between her ears to in a futile attempt to subdue her unruly head fur, then shrugged and simply plopped on her hat.

Kali stole a moment to smooth out the fur of her body, running both wings down the sides of her orange chest and making a sour face upon reaching the curve of her stomach. What the city lacked in fresh fruit it more than made up for in sweet desserts, and it was beginning to show on her figure.

?Well, I suppose it could be worse. I could still be showing off my ribs.? she said while grabbing for her tunic. It was a green thing with the sides slashed to accommodate her wings, ending in a V shape between her legs.

And totally unable to fit over her red floppy hat. With a roll of her eyes the bat took off her cap and put on her tunic.

Afterward, Kali used both wing tips to prop up her own smile. ?Today is going to be a good day,? Kali said to the mirror. ?You are going to do great things today. You are going to land yourself the most amaaaazing job. You are going to find someone who appreciates you for who you are and loves your music and then you will move into a real fancy house. Yes sir-eeee.?

Taking a deep breath Kali began to repeat herself for extra moral support. ?Today is -?

In the corner of the mirror, just over her shoulder, Kali caught a glimpse of another beast?s head coming up the ladder to the loft. The eyes of the young rat bulged as much as Kali?s with fright. ?Oh, hiiiiiii there! Um, fancy meeting you here?? Kali managed to laugh nervously.

The rat squeaked, falling backward into the barn below before Kali could catch him. She leaped to the side of the loft to make sure he was okay but the rat was already on his feet dashing out the door screaming, ?Mum! Dad! There?s a monster in our barn!?

?And on that cue?? Kali turned for her belongings. Thankfully there was not much to toss into her backpack. In went her spare clothes and souvenirs before she grabbed the lute and glided for the door. ?Thank you for your hospitality!? She shouted, flying off just as the farmer came rushing out of his house.

Taking to the air Kali soared high above the landscape, catching a thermal on the way to make the journey easier. Woodlands passed below the bat?s shadow. While spring was in the air the mountains in the distant north were still lined with snow. A river ran deep and wide under Kali. They said it ran all the way to the ocean but she only ever followed it as far as Northvale.

It was the largest city for miles in any direction, spilling out along the river like a forest of small houses. One could only appreciate the labor that went into the city?s design when one viewed it from the air.

An endless web of streets made finding new places for construction easy and each path was wide enough to fit two carts side by side. The city was divided into blocks to make it easier to maneuver while making it harder for potential fires to spread too quickly. Ships came and went easily through the neatly arranged docks by the river, dropping off timber and stone and living resources like slaves and livestock.

And all roads led to the Arena; a colossal super structure built into the Crater. Most of the work was done by nature itself, smiting the land long ago when a star fell from the sky. Only the top portion of the arena?s walls could be seen cresting the edge of the Crater.

Kali descended quickly into the heart of the city, landing in a back ally of the town square where she would be out of the way of the crowds.

Kali tossed the backpack to the ground. A moment of searching provided a soft purple sash that she tied around her waist like a belt for her tunic. It may have bound her wings a bit but it kept the bat decent if she decided to hang upside down. Given the type of beasts who frequented this city Kali doubted they would raise an objection, but either way you could not play a lute with your clothes flapping down over your face.

Throwing her backpack back over her shoulder, Kali said, ?Great things Kali. You are going to do great things.? Even with her wings constricted to her waist Kali managed to gain enough altitude to glide over the sea of beasts flooding the market place. Most were what the locals called ?Vermin?. Foxes, stoats, weasels, and rats with the occasional pine marten.

Like Inkpaw.

The baker made a panicked squeak, paws racing to steady his shaking cart. He glanced upward, eyes narrowed at the cheeky smile of the bat perched above him. ?Kali, what have I said about clinging to the side of my cart??

?That you are completely fine with it?? A wry smile appeared on Kali?s lips. She hopped down when the marten gave her a ?shooing? motion with his hand.

Kali bounced from paw to paw excitedly as the marten reached into his cart laden with freshly baked goods. Her mouth watered at the sight of so many pastries, deserts, and breads.

?Here you go.? He said, holding a bag in the black furred paw that inspired the name given to him by unimaginative parents. ?Paid in full for yesterday.?

Kali?s initial delight was subdued as she hoisted the rather small bag in her wings. ?Um, Inkpaw, you aren?t trying to short change me by any chance??

The marten feigned shock, ?Me? The greedy merchant short changing a valued customer? Who would have ever thought?? The beast held up his paws defensively at the look Kali shot him. ?Hey, don?t blame me. You know the deal; a scone for every beast you send my way, and yesterday only three beasts told me about you.?

?But I told at least ten beasts about you!? Kali protested with a loud whine, wings clutching the side of the baker?s cart. The marten however only shrugged as if to say, ?deal with it.? Kali gave him such a scowl but it was short lived. A pastry in the wing was worth more than two on the cart.

?Anyway, I came by to tell you that I won?t be able to advertise for your bakery today becaaaaause I got ?this?!? Kali?s grin split her muzzle from ear to ear. Setting the rest of her breakfast on the cart she dug into her backpack to produce a small flyer. The picture on the flyer was buried under wine stains but the Crater was still clear as day.

The marten responded with a raised eyebrow but said nothing.

?It?s a flier.? Kali explained, ?Of the arena.? She bounced the paper in her wing tips back and forth, waiting for the marten to share in her glee. ?They need a bard.?

This caused the marten to raise the other eyebrow, ?You really want a job with the arena?? To which Kali vigorously nodded her head. ?You?do know what happens in the arena right, Kali??

?No holds barred blood sport.? Kali said with wide-eyed optimism. She laughed off the marten?s worried stare, ?I?ve played in many a tavern with a fighting pit so I have seen beasts bloodied before. If that is what you are worried about.?

?Riiiight,? He said slowly, ?But I thought you already had a job. Working at the, uh??

?The Gilded Gladiator.? Kali rolled up the wine stained flyer, ?We had a disagreement about my artistic expression.?

?Ah, you sang for them,? The marten said as if this explained everything.

?I sang for all of them,? Kali said as if this too explained everything.

?I don?t understand why you don?t just stick with the lute.? The marten gestured with his paw, ?You are good at the lute.?

?Because I am also good with my voice.? Kali smiled, ?Just because someone doesn?t like a type of pastry you make, does that mean you stop making them??

The marten thought on this. For about two seconds, ?If enough people don?t like them, yes. But not forever.? Tilting her head curiously Kali let Inkpaw explain, ?I start out with something they like. And I keep baking the other pastries for myself, perfecting the art until beasts are ready to eat something different.? The marten concluded by turning to another customer while waving her off ?I hope it goes well. Just remember to tell everyone about my bakery when you become rich and famous,? he said, voice laden with sarcasm.

?Ha! You bet I will!? Wings out stretched she stepped backwards, ?And then I am going to come back and eat all your pastries to my heart?s content. ALL of them!?

Kali was still smiling as she moved away from the market even though inwardly her heart was racing.

Would there be a line? Would they even still be looking for bard at this point? That flyer did look old. Would they even hire her?

Unslinging her lute from over her shoulder Kali began to strum away while walking through the city. The gentle tune helped ease away many of the thoughts troubling her mind, but one chose to remain no matter what she did.

Until beasts are ready to try something different.

It didn?t take a philosopher to know what the marten was talking about and she couldn?t deny that it made sense. A fact which made Kali strum away at her lute even harder. She certainly would be doing better financially if she just kept her muzzle shut as she played but?

?It?s not about the money.? She said aloud, very much aware of how light her money bag felt inside her backpack. She grimaced, ?Ok, maybe it?s a little bit about the money?? She admitted.

Around her the streets became narrower as they branched off from the main road. The further the bat traveled from the marketplace the more the buildings around her turned residential. The houses started small but gradually grew to more extravagant sizes the closer she got to the arena. The wealthier neighborhoods were hidden away behind iron gates, guarded by armed beasts both day and night.

And then there was the arena.

The houses came to an abrupt stop, separated from the arena by a wide cobblestone concourse running around the entirety of the crater?s outer wall and it?s many decorative gardens.

The area was not new to the bat. Although Kali could never afford to enter the arena itself, she had played outside for the crowds it drew.

Those who could afford the fee of selling merchandise here peddled luxuries and souvenirs. More than one stall sold silver replicas of the Arena, others had wood carved figures of Gladiators. It was a mass sea of merchants and customers so thick that Kali could hardly see the arena gates.

?Time to get some altitude on this mess,? thought the bat as she wrapped her lute over her shoulder. She worked her way to the edge of the crowd for more room before spreading her wings and-

THWAP!

Kali turned to the beast right as he let out a bewildered grunt. ?Oh I?m so sorry! Did I catch you there?? She used her wings to try and steady the beast even if he probably just wanted to get away from the same leathery limbs that hit him on the nose.

?Ach, dinnae worry aboot it?er?? The hare paused mid-sentence. Kali could see the look in his eye. By now Kali was used to that moment when beasts realized they had no idea what they were looking at. Her head screamed ?fox?, her body said ?woodlander?.

In the end, the hare settled on ?Lass? and shrugged off her attempts to help him. ?It happens.? He chuckled in politeness then leaned forward to grab his fallen feathered cap only to find Kali swiping it off the ground first. ?Let me give you a paw with that, seeing as how I knocked it off and all.? She dusted it off despite the hare's protest.

?It's nae a problem Miss, uh?? Kentigern hesitated again.

?Kali. The Amaaaazing Kali.?

?Miss Kali??

?Amaaaaaaaazing Kali.?

The hare raised an eyebrow, chuckling as he plucked the cap from Kali?s wings. ?Yer nae from around here are ye??

Kali nodded, ?You could say that. I?m here to grab a job from the arena!?

With a wry smile the hare replied, ?Are ye now? Then ye might wanna trade that lute fer a sword if ye want tae be competing in the games.?

A look of confusion spread across Kali?s face but only for a moment. ?Ha! Hardly! I?m a bard, not a barbarian.? This too caused the hare to chuckle.

?Ah, a bard. That explains it. Ah've ken'd more'n a wee number o' bards mahself. An' ye've met one bard, ye've met them all.? Finishing the last adjustment to his cap the kilted hare leaned backwards, crossing his arms as he looked the bat up and down once again. ?Where, exactly are ye from then??

Kali smiled. ?You know the edge of the map that says ?here there be monsters?? That is what we put on our maps for this place.?

?So yer from a ways away. How did ye ever find yerself o'er here?? The bat laughed at the hare?s question before replying,

?Very carefully. Through many ships, a few storms to blow me off course, and one time even on the back of a magical badger riding a rainbow. Although that last one might have had something to do with a bad batch of mangos I picked up in the far east.? Kali said, rubbing her chin with her wing tip.

This elicited a long awkward pause. The hare broke the silence with a loud hearty laugh. ?Ach, yer a bard fer sure. Ah'm sure ye'll fit in just fine around here.?

Kali chirped softly, ?Thanks! Say, would you like to hear a song of my homeland?? Kali said with barely contained hopefulness.

Stroking the fur about his chin the hare said, ?Ah dinnae see why not.?

Letting out a shout of glee Kali unslung her lute. The music started immediately and for a brief instant the street was transported to the deepest parts of the jungle on a far-off island.

One filled with the horrible screech of a dying wolverine.

The music came to an abrupt halt as Kali found a finger pressed against her nose. ?On second thought, why dinnae we save the song fer later, eh, lass? We dinnae want tae ruin yer voice before gettin' inside, aye??

The bat?s ears flattened slightly but she nodded with a smile. ?That makes sense.? And so, the lute went back over her shoulder. ?It was nice meeting you, uh??

?MacRaff. Kentigern MacRaff.?

?Thank you for the chat Mr. MacRaff, but destiny awaits.? She said, preparing to take off into the sky.

Realizing what the bat was about to do MacRaff quickly asked, ?Er, lassie, should ye nae use the gate?"

?HA! Nature didn?t give the Amazing Kali wings to use gates!? It would be painfully easy to just hop up and over the wall for the bat. So much so she wondered why she never thought to do this before. Oh, the number of games she could have seen!

Barely a foot above the street Kali saw a dark shadow pass over her. The sight of a hawk patrolling the skies above the arena caused Kali to squeak with terror. The bird flying patrol encompassed every notion of the term ?bird of prey?; sleek, powerful, and deadly.

?Or you know, waiting in line isn?t so bad.? Kali dropped back down to the street before bidding the strange sounding hare farewell with a wave of her wing. She would have liked to stay and chat but she was eager to put some cover between her and the hawk.

Nothing was going to stop her from reaching her destiny.



?WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU ARE NOT HIRING?!? The bat?s shout echoed down the hallway making the weasel flinch.

?I?m sorry Miss but, we are not hiring for a bard. I?m not sure why you would think?? Kali pointed to the flyer she got from the tavern, letting her fierce batty stare do all the talking for her. ?Ah, yes. That. I?m afraid those are a bit out of date. We just hired a bard a week ago and Master Nire won?t be hiring another for a while. I?m sorry for wasting your time but I must get back to my duties.? Making sure Kali?s hopes and dreams were not blocking the door the weasel then locked his office. He nodded politely to Kali while shuffling past her and down the hall.

Kali rested her head against his office door. So..., she thought, Here we are. Again. How many times had she faced rejection? How many taverns, how many Inns, how many lords and ladies did she play her tunes for from here to her homeland? How many times would she face rejection before she got the hint that the universe was trying to send her a message.

There was no hope.

?No.? Kali slammed her winged fist against the door. ?No! You get your weasely butt back here! I?m not DONE with you.? She pointed and signaled for the beast to come closer. Instead the weasel gulped and sprinted in the opposite direction.

Kali blinked, slapping her forehead. ?Brilliant bat, just brilliant! Yes, let?s scare them into hiring you, because that will work so well.? Regardless Kali chased down the weasel. She was riding the high from bouncing back from rock bottom and even if they ended up throwing her out she was going to make sure they threw her out in style.

?Wait! I just want to talk with you! Just hear me out!?

This only made the weasel run faster, blowing past a pair of blue guards around the next corner. ?Help me!? he shouted.

The vermin reacted quickly, reaching for their weapons to leap out at the beast chasing after the manager, until they saw what was chasing him. Both guards ducked low as the blurred figure of Kali swooped in over their heads. ?You can hire more than one bard! Just let me talk with you!? It took a moment for the guards to gather their wits. Exchanging shocked glances, the pair set off after Kali who was still chasing the poor weasel.

He screamed when a pair of leathery wings enveloped his upper torso. ?I?mSoSorryThisWasATerribleIdeaaaaaaaaaa!? Kali shouted as she landed on the weasel?s back, sending him bowling through a pair of spacious double doors. Kali tumbled off him, rolling until her rear ended up over her head. ?OwWWwwWWwWWw.? She groaned while sitting up. Her eyes went as wide as saucers when she realized where she was.

The room had wealth written all over it. Tapestries and paintings hung over the walls depicting beasts doing unspeakably horrible things to other beasts in the arena. Things which, by their angry and shocked stares, the beasts in this room are more than willing to do to Kali for interrupting their meal.

There were at least a dozen around a large oak table; each dressed in fine leather or silk. Even the servants wore finer garb than Kali. The only beast who came close to resembling her lack of wealth was the bard in the far corner; the fox?s red fur clashing with his blue outfit.

All of them stared holes through Kali. ?Oh?h-hi there.? To her credit Kali did not laugh nervously. Her laughter was well past nervous. If she had a tail it would have curled between her legs twice. ?Oh would you look at that. I seem to have gotten lost. I will just be going now.?

?Guards!? As if the weasel had to shout for them. An instant after the guards appeared Kali felt two pairs of paws clamp down on her wings, twisting them painfully behind her.

?That will be enough.? Calmer words had never been said, but they seemed to carry more weight than the loudest shout. The clamor of voices raised across the room fell silent, the grip on Kali?s wings lessened but not enough to escape.

?I am so, so sorry Master. She??

?I said enough.? The weasel shut his muzzle tight. All eyes turned to the beast who stood up from the table. Kali had never seen a feline so tall. Sleek golden fur ran down the length of the cat?s body that was covered in a fine leather outfit with a blue sash wrapped about his chest. ?You know,? the lynx stroked his chin as he looked down upon the beast. ?I have had many assassins break into this arena, but never any quite as odd as you.?

Kali squeaked, ?A-assassin? Oh! No. I?m actually here looking for?f-for?? her words trailed off.

?For what?? The beast?s sharp command made Kali jump.

?Job! I?m came here looking for a j-job?sir. I?m a bard.? The cat looked up to the weasel, raising an eyebrow.

?It? it?s true. She came here looking for a job. But then she attacked me!?

?What? I did not! Well, it wasn?t?I mean?? Kali whimpered. ?I just wanted to talk with you...?

?You call tackling me into Nire?s personal dining room talking?? the weasel sputtered. He paused again as the feline stifled a chuckle.

?Credit where credit is due miss, you have the style of a bard at least. More style than you had when I hired you, Baxter.? He sent a glance at the fox in the back. It was met with narrowed eyes as the beast leaned against the wall, drinking from a goblet of wine.

?It will take more than cheap theatrics to worry me sir.?

With a gesture from the cat the guards let Kali up. Her pack and lute are both removed as she was searched for hidden weapons. She made no protest. She could only focus on her own frantic heart beat resounding in her ears. ?I?m sorry about the trouble. Really, I am. I just wanted to talk to someone about getting a job here.?

?You came to the right place then. You can talk to me. You can call me Nire, but what shall I call you?? Nire?s voice was soft, curious. He stepped around the bat slowly, examining Kali from head to toe.

Kali stole a moment to calm herself before replying. She came this far to be a bard, it was time to act like one. ?I, Mr. Nire, am the Amaaaazing Kali. Traveling Entertainer and Bard.? Nire reached out, gently taking her offer for a hand shake. Instead he began folding out her wing, flexing it back and forth.

?What?are you??

?Amazing.? Kali said happily, her reply causing Nire to smile as she gingerly took back control of her wing.

?Well that much is obvious,? Baxter the fox took another swig of wine before gesturing to the bat, ?What else can you call a fox spliced together with a rat than simply ?amaaaazing?.?

Silence filled the room. Nire made no motion to correct the fox for his insult and the beasts at the table wanted to see how this played out.

Regardless if they were hoping for a battle of wits or not, the fox?s insult did nothing to phase the smile of his flying counterpart. ?Oh well thank you. It?s nice to be appreciated. You look amazing too! Your outfit is so?floofy.?

The fox raised an eyebrow, ?Floofy??

?Yes, Floofy. You know. Puffy. Poofy. Puffed up. Maybe I should have tried a floofy outfit. Did it help you get the job? Does that really help?? Kali asked in all seriousness.

?Talent got me my job.? The fox growled ever so slightly, ?Alas, a job which is now occupied. Isn?t that right, Nire?? Free paw on his hip, Baxter the Bold waited for a reply from Nire that never came. The lynx was enamored by the bat?s strange appearance. ?Please Nire, surely you cannot be seriously thinking about hiring this ?abomination of nature.?

?Baxter.? Nire said gently, ?You should go play for the slaves for tonight. It will give you?perspective on what will happen to you the next time you tell me what I cannot do.? There was a flash in the lynx?s eyes as he turned finally to face Baxter.

Whimpering and ears flat, the fox scurried past the crowd by the door, shooting Kali a spiteful glare before darting from the room. Inwardly Kali felt bad. She didn?t mean to get the fox into trouble. She just?wanted to play for someone.

She didn?t have the luxury to worry about Baxter?s fate for long however. ?Now, Miss Kali,? The lynx purred, ?It looks like I just sent away the entertainment for the evening. I really do hope you can do something amazing for us, yes??

Kali got the hint. It was time to put her money where her mouth was and perform. Reaching out to the guard beside her, Kali grabbed her lute, spun it into place?

?and played.

Kali closed her eyes, envisioning the song of her homeland, the one that she used with MacRaff. The world faded away, taking the beasts out of the room and depositing them into the jungle. By far it wasn?t the best song to ever be played. Kali was so nervous she missed a few beats but carried on in hopes that no one would notice. Her wing tips felt sluggish for some reason as butterflies performed combat maneuvers in her stomach. A stomach she suddenly regretted gorging with scones earlier.

But at the end of the day it didn?t matter. She was a bard, no, she was more than that. She was a bat. She was this exotic creature come from lands they never dreamed of, coming to play them music they never imagined hearing.

Her hips began to sway, her head bobbing back and forth in line with the beat. And her muzzle opened to pour out her heart in song.

And then promptly snapped shut.

All the voices of those who disliked her music came flooding back to memory all at once. Tavern owners, inn keepers, even the Celtic hare MacRaff telling her to rest her voice.

Kali dear, Kali heard a more prominent voice in her head from the depths of the past, Why don?t you be a doll and stick to the song writing, eh? We will do the singing. We want to get paid tonight.

Kali choked back a tear. Then another voice, more recent appeared, ?Until beasts are ready to try something different. With a heavy heart Kali remembered the words of her marten friend, and bit her tongue.

The song continued uninterrupted to its finish.

Glancing about the room as if for the first time Kali felt herself shrink. ?Well...? She said timidly. ?W-what do you think.?

Leaning backward the feline stared at Kali with unblinking eyes. He looked at the beasts behind him before turning again to Kali. ?I think you have a job.?

Another silence followed. For a long tense moment Kali just stared back at Nire?and then slowly fell backward as she fainted.

_____

Kali had surely died and gone to heaven. After a splash of water and many reassurances that she was alright Kali took up the corner in the back. She played her lute to her heart?s content well into the night.

She didn?t let one syllable drop, not one lyric, not one peep, unwilling to disturb the scene as dinner unfolded. Her pride was easier to swallow than she ever realized.

She just played and played and played, enjoying being able to show off her craft without dodging rotten fruit.

?So, another beast joins the family.?

Nire looked over the rim of his goblet to his right. Blasio wasn?t much to look at. Beaver fur would always look scraggly no matter how expensive the beast dressed. ?That was quite nice of you. Hiring her even after she broke into the room.? The beaver struggled to lean forward, his rolls of flesh impeding his progress to the endless parade of food that passed across the table before him.

Nire chose not to reply, letting Blasio get to the point.

?You know, she isn?t much to look at but with the right kind of flair she could draw quite a crowd to the arena.?

Nire sighed at the beaver?s statement. ?You can?t be serious.?

?What? She?s one of a kind. She?s exotic. Exotic sells.?

?She?s also a BARD.? Nire said flatly, ?And a BAT. What kind of fight do you think I will put her in? All she is going to do is stumble around the arena half blind walking into walls. And you KNOW that isn?t funny more than once.?

?Actually, I can see just fine.? Nire and Blasio both turned their heads towards the bat across the room as she played a gentler relaxing tune.

?Still, a bard. She probably doesn?t even know how to fight.?

?Totally true! But I am not above engaging in a game of fist fighting if the need should call for it.? Kali said again, still playing her tune as she glanced about the table. The beaver pointed at her as if to say, ?See? See!??

?Blasio,? Nire began, ?Believe it or not, I actually enjoy being able to have fine and exotic things all to myself from time to time. Look! I have a bat, that plays music. Music I find rather fun and exciting. I can?t very well show her off if I toss her into the arena to be killed.?

?Also, true! I can?t play music if I?m dead.? Kali managed to get through the next verse before she skipped a beat. ?Wait, what??

?Nothing. Go take your break.?

Kali blinked. In the end, she shrugged. Surely, she had heard wrong. ?You?re the boss, sir!? Carrying her lute with her Kali left the room, head held high.

It was all coming together. For once, the universe was smiling upon Kali. Her dreams were within her grasp. She had finally found an audience that loved her. This was truly the happiest day of her life!

Upon exiting the room, something caught her eye. A shadow moved rapidly towards her.

She started to greet the shadow but stopped, catching sight of the beast?s paws. Her eyes widened as she reared backward. She managed to scream before the beast lunged at her, eyes filled with malice, knife aimed for her heart?