Ket had been skating for all of three minutes on his own, outside of the beginner's circle. He forgot his teeth once, but he didn't fall; he managed to keep himself balanced and recovered back into skating-stride. In order to do so, he ended up doing a 'slalom', according to Kval, but he didn't really know what that was.
Lyza and Emeral kept a close eye on him, skating within arms' reach, but eventually they started to stray farther away, picking up speed.
"Hey, Ket," Lyza said glancing back over her shoulder, "Count to three wouldjya?"
As he did, they poised and then took off, racing away. At first Ket tried to follow them, but as soon as he picked up a little bit of speed he got nervous and slowed down. It was no use yet, he was still anxious about falling. He watched as they sped away, weaving between copses of moving lump, until they disappeared. He wanted so badly to race with them. It looked like fun...
"S'cuse me?"
"Huh?" Ket looked to his right.
A rabbit kit, noticeably taller than the tiger, stared down with a grin. His teeth shined brightly against his brown-red fur; the color made him seem devious, but he spoke with friendly casualness, "Hello."
Ket stared back a little oddly, not sure what to do. "Uh...hi," he replied at last.
The kit's face seemed to dim a little, as if he was disappointed. But the dimness brightened quickly and he smiled again. "First time on the ice huh?"
Ket felt a little annoyed. He wasn't sure what the purpose of the conversation was. His instincts were alert, sensing danger or at least wary of something odd. He didn't go to places like this much, so he couldn't say for sure, but he was acutely aware that talking with a stranger could be unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, he could be brief; "Yeah."
The rabbit's face continued to be friendly. "I remember my first time. It took me a whole hour to figure out balancing and stuff. But Kval was a really good teacher."
"You know Kval?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I know him kinda well actually. He's sort of...my mentor."
"And he taught you how to skate?"
The rabbit nodded. "He helps me with other stuff too, like school work. It's part of a program between our schools." The kit drifted away as someone passed between them, and then slapped his cheeks as if to warm them. "Man it's cold here. I think I'm gonna split for a little while," he said as they approached the nearest rift.
Ket unconsciously followed him.
As they approached the rift and the kit gingerly stepped over, turned back and nodded as he spoke, "By the way, my name's Clay," he introduced, extending a hand of rust-colored fingers.
"Ket," the tiger replied, shaking it.
"'Ket,' huh? Nice to meetchya, Ket." He drummed the wall of the rink, "Well, I'll see ya round, Ket."
And like that Clay was gone. But as he left, amidst the thoughts of how strange the whole conversation was, Ket felt déjà vu--and yet that was impossible because he had never been on the ice before. He'd seen a few episodes of 'The Twilight Zone,' and now the tune sounded in his head. He shrugged it off as a one-time incident and continued to skate around.
In less than a moment of getting back onto the ice, his arm was suddenly burdened with a tugging weight. He looked to his left to see Lyza grinning up at him, her head oddly shaped as her long ears were swiveled and hidden in her jacket. He was just about to say something when the same feeling came to the other side.
"Hey," Emmy said as their eyes met. "You gots a bunny on you."
"The heck are you guys doing?" Ket asked with a raised brow, looking back and forth.
Lyza grinned wider, "Oh, we're just the distraction."
Ket gazed dumbly, "Distraction?"
From behind a voice crescendoed, and abruptly Ket felt his speed increase against his will. Hands all over him prevented him from falling as he sliced the ice, pushed from behind by a third person--judging by the voice Kval. He wanted to shout and yell but the cold wind that swathed his cheeks and made his whiskers tweet also filled his throat like water as he opened his mouth.
Then abruptly the hands all let go; but momentum kept him going. If he stopped now he'd go flying! He kept the stride, pushing back and out, squatting to keep his balance. Beside him, Lyza was dashing, and Emeral was trying to keep up also, but she seemed a little winded from their earlier race. Lyza grinned with her eyes, and passed Ket up.
He growled, forgetting his worries. The challenge was issued, and he began scoring the ice without relent. He pushed off with his left foot and strafed by a crowd of three who watched him as he passed. As he came to the turn of the ellipse, the world titled around him. For a moment his nerves flared as it seemed like he would fall over sideways, or that he would catch his toe and slam against the ice head-first. But nothing happened, and he realized his legs weren't moving. With his left knee, which was already bent, he broke the coast, pushed off and regained what distance he'd lost from taking a wider turn than the rabbit ahead of him.
Then he heard a sudden shout--and Lyza fell from his vision.
Ket whipped around on his blades, having passed the rabbit. His feet stuttered, and for a moment he skated backward, but out of earnest he made for his fallen friend.
She was on her hands and knees, trying to get up. She hissed and swore under her breath. Melted ice dropped off her nose. One ear had come out of her jacket during the fall; it stuck up and twitched as she struggled to get to her feet. When Ket approached with an extended hand, she took it and, himself almost falling over, got her to sitting.
It wasn't until Kval and Emeral came over that Lyza had enough hands to help her stand and skate the several yards to the rift. Her knees hurt terribly, especially the right one, and her hip too. They led her to the benches, and Emeral talked to her while Kval tore at the laces of her skates.
"That was a bad fall," Emeral said.
"I've had worse," Lyza replied as casually as she could.
"What's worse than that?"
Ket felt useless as he watched the two of them help her. He could only watch as Kval took her left skate off and helped her pull up the pant leg. Against her white fur, the bruise on her knee was like someone had wet a gray shirt. As if on cue one of the teenagers that worked there came with ice-bags wrapped in paper towels. Kval already had the right skate off and was examining her other knee, which was much worse. The deep purple almost festered beneath her skin. She whimpered at the touch.
"Jeez sis," he said, "Whaddaya have against that knee?"
Lyza giggled through her teeth, a tear finally leaking out of her eyes.
"We'll keep this ice on you," Kval said, "Ket and Emmy, if you'll stay with her for a bit I'll get us some candy and then after she's rested a bit we'll go home okay?"
"Wha--no," Lyza pouted, "Why do we have to go?"
"You shouldn't skate any more Lyz," Kval said, "Heck I might hafta carry you outta here," he teased.
"But...just cuz I can't skate doesn't mean Ket and Emmy can't..."
"That's okay Lyza," Emmy said, rubbing her friend's shoulder, "Ket and I can play with you at your house, if it's okay with you," she looked at Ket.
For a second he didn't respond, as if he didn't realize he was being talked to, and then he nodded. "Yeah," he said a little sadly, for he had just started enjoying ice skating. But, at the same time, he felt bad that Lyza went through what he was so fearful of, and she was very brave about it. "That sounds good to me." He took control of the ice pack on Lyza's left knee, sitting beside her. Emeral followed his lead on the other side.
Kval sighed, "All righty, well...there's still candy. Whaddaya'll want?"
The kids smiled as they each gave their order.
* * *
In the car, Emeral, Lyza and Ket sat in the back seat (in that order from end-to-end), talking amongst themselves. Lyza kept her ice-packs on her knees, and occasionally Emeral would accidentally bump her right leg, making her wince.
"Sorry," she said, for the unth time. "Jeez. Ket why didn't you take the fall for Lyza?"
"How could I? I was minding my teeth."
"Yeah well, you shoulda been nice and done it anyway. Now poor Lyza is gonna be in pain all break."
"But then I woulda been," Ket replied, "If I fell."
"Well yeah, but you're a boy. Boys are meant to get bruised." The girls giggled in agreement.
"Hey now," Kval said, "If we took all the brunt there'd be nothing left of us, right Ket?" His backup only resulted in more giggling. "All right all right. Well since Lyza is obviously feeling good enough to start teasing again, why don't you guys tell me what you're asking Santa for? Only five days left, y'know."
"Oooo..." Lyza brightened, "I want a new flute!"
"Another one?" Kval chuckled. "You have four already..."
"I want a wooden one, like an Indian flute."
"Okay, that makes sense. What about you Emmy?"
"Well...I dunno," she scratched her forehead, "I guess it'd be cool if I got a DS or something."
"You young whipper-snaps and your videos-games," Kval said, mimicking an old man's voice. "Why when I--"
"Oh stop it Silly-head," Lyza interrupted.
"So," Kval pressed on the brakes at a red, "We got a flute, a hand-held, and...who's that third person sitting behind me again?"
"Ket!" The girls said, "What are you getting from Santa Claus?"
The tiger shrugged, "I dunno," he admitted.
"Well, think quick, you only got five days," said Emeral, patting her lap urgently.
"I don't...really..." Ket's voice faded.
"Don't really what?" Emeral interrogated.
"I don't really believe in Santa Claus."
The car screeched. Kval shouted out onto the road, "Jackasses! You're all jackasses! Some of us have kids in the car ya know!" He looked in the backseat, "You guys okay? No one got hurt?"
"I jostled my knee a bit," said Lyza, "But we're okay, I think."
"Good. Now what did Ket say he wanted?"
"Ket doesn't want anything," Emeral said, "He doesn't believe in Santa."
Kval honked the horn. "Move it you jerk!" The car started rolling, "Sorry, what did he want again?"
"Santa, Ket, no believe in," Lyza summed brokenly, waving her arms mystically.
"Oh," the older brother said, "Well...there comes a time when you get older and Santa can't give you gifts anymore. Maybe Ket's just reached that age."
"Santa still gives you gifts, Kval," Lyza protested, "and you're almost twenty."
"Well, see, Santa doesn't want to make me feel bad because he gives you presents, so he gives me a present too."
"That's not fair!" Emeral chimed, "Ket should get a present if we get presents."
"I don't want a present from Santa, Emmy," Ket spoke up, a little irritated. He received a very concerned look. "Just drop it okay?"
Emeral felt a pang. Feelings from earlier that morning started to resurface; feelings she thought had gone away. She felt she'd done something wrong, made him ball up again like he did during breakfast. She wanted to put a hand on him, to try and comfort him, but with Kval and Lyza so close she couldn't. "Okay," she said quietly, and then followed up with, "You can share with our presents. I can let you play my DS and maybe Lyza will play you a concert."
"W-what?" Lyza stammered.
"What's wrong Lyz?" Emeral smiled, "You play in concerts all the time."
"Yeah b-but, then I'm with other people..."
The car came to a slow roll, and then stopped. "All right marines we’re here, please invoke evacuation maneuvers. Move-move-move-move!"
”Since when do marines say ‘please’?” Lyza muttered as the kids shuffled out of the car. They made their way from the driveway onto the sidewalk, and Kval got his key out to open the large, chocolate door. The key clicked, in the way that really said 'You're home,' and the door opened with a bit of resistance.
Ket felt enclosed in the darkness as Kval shut the door behind him. His eyes saw remnant sparkles of light while his pupils took their time to adjust. The dim lighting from the shaded lamps brought time backward to an evening in the eighteen-hundreds. The dark was not depressing at all though; it was vivacious and had purpose. It brought clarity and sharpness, both in mind and in the furniture which bent and molded the light around it. Stained-glass windows allowed some light to filter through, but it was hued with deep reds, rich marigolds and almost-purple blues.
They made their way through hallways that seemed both endless and instant, turning corners that appeared suddenly and disappeared abruptly as they were taken by the shadows. They did not so much as move through the shadow; the shadow moved around them while they stayed in one place. The wood beneath them told a full tale beneath their feet, but Ket was not familiar with its language to understand it.
In stark contrast to the majestic darkness, the kitchen was brightly lit and had several drawn windows in which the sun rudely intruded. Within the kitchen, the smell of lemon and tea drifted through the air. At the kitchen table sat a very large and hefty rabbit, with coarse gray fur and long, broad ears. He lowered the newspaper as the party came in. The eldest addressed him.
"Privet papa," he greeted.
The rabbit folded the paper and set it upon the table. As he did, another rabbit, plump and wearing a plumb-colored gown, came from the next room. "Kval, Lyza," she said, "yoo ahr ohmz szo szoon?"
"'Oo’ isz zisz?" Questioned the father at the table, nodding at the orange tiger.
"Mama, Papa," Lyza said, "This is Ket. He's me and Emmy's friend."
The mother rabbit smiled warmly as she took a couple of cups from the table. "Ahllo zher, Keht," she said warmly, "eht ehz niseh to meet yousz."
"I vwish you would ah'v told me, Kval," muttered the father rabbit disappointedly, "za't you vwere bring'ink companies ovehr."
"Izvinite," Kval apologized. "We had to leave, and it would have been rude to make Ket and Emmy go home, so I brought them here. I hope that's okay."
Though Kval spoke without any true tone, there was a bit of friction in his voice. The air became a little sour as the father scooted and leaned back in his chair. "Vwhy did you ah'v to leav'?" The father questioned.
"Well, papa, Lyza got a little hurt, so we deci--"
"Uhrt?" The mother rabbit asked, "Vwhat ahppenzed?"
Kval sighed. "Maybe you should tell them sis," He said.
"Okay," she agreed, and it was then that the parents noticed the ice pack she held against her right knee. "See, Ket was skating really slow cuz it was his first time on the ice," she said, although sort of slowly, "I wanted to help him skate faster so I raced him. We skated really-really fast, and then I forgot to watch my teeth. I caught my toe, and I fell."
"My goodnehz," the mother gasped, "de'arr, ahr yousz oka'tz?"
"I'm fine mama," she said.
"Let me szee," said the father, standing up from his chair. "I vwant to szee vwherr you gots hurt."
Ket saw Lyza look up at Kval with a worried expression. Emeral swallowed, and he felt her hand absently hold onto his by the fingers. Her thumb rubbed his knuckles agitatedly. The father watched as Lyza pulled the pant-leg up, and as he and his wife saw the dark blotch upon their daughter's knee, they gave Kval a furious stare.
"Vwhy iz it," the father said, "Zhat evhre time Lyza gets hurts, yous ahr somehows involvsed?"
"Gee, dad," he said flatly, "I dunno, maybe it's just coincidence."
"Bah!" He tossed his hand up, standing and stepping over to the table. "Fignya," he muttered, "Vwhy do vwe trhust yous? You alvways dee’zapoint. You're very ir-responzibal."
"I'm sorry papa, I'll take better care of her next time. I promise."
"Nehxt timesz? Ef zher ehz ay 'nehxt times'," he muttered, "Vor now, Lyza ist groundings."
"What!" Lyza shouted.
"Why are you punishing her, dad? She didn't do anything."
"Vwhazza point en puniszing you, Kval? Ef I vwant I joos' makes you leave ouhz."
"Then why don't you?" He challenged. "Why not just kick me out?"
The mother started gathering up dishes more urgently, straightening things, pretending the events happening were not happening at all.
"Kval--" Lyza tried to warn, but her brother kept talking.
"I think I know why, dad. It's cuz if I was gone, you wouldn't know how to take care of her."
Lyza's mother began humming a wavering tune.
"Vwhat maygz you zhink I don't knows 'ow to takes cayr of my ownz dahters?"
"Let me ask you, papa, does Lyza come into your room when she's scared of the monsters in her closet?"
"No. Lyza is brave girls," he said, "zshe can szleep in ehr own rooms."
"Really? Cuz she comes into my room when she's scared."
Emeral glanced at Lyza, who seemed a little embarrassed at the comment. But she seemed more upset that she was becoming the rope in a game of tug-o-war.
"Vwhy vwould szhe go into your rooms?"
"I don't know, dad, maybe--and this is just a guess--maybe it's cuz she trusts me to keep her safe?"
At this the father laughed, and as he laughed the mother hummed more aggressively. "Trusting you? Kehp ehr zayf? Last times I remembers ehr goings into your room, deedent you nots brayk her leetal fvingersz?"
The shadow over Lyza's eyes deepened, and she stepped on the ground with her bruised-knee foot. "Shut up!" She shouted, "Both of you just shut up!"
"Lyza, kehp your voiz down. Zher iz no yellinks in zhis ouhz."
"You're one to talk dad," Lyza snapped, despite her brother trying to shush her, "You yell all the time. Stop picking on Kval, and stop being such a hyp...hyp...hippopotamus!"
"Go to your roohmz, bohz of yous. You ahr embarrahzing your muhzzer and I in frohnt of your frhenz. Vwhen zhey go ohms vwe are goings to ah'v ah talks."
Lyza glared at her father. "C'mon guys," she said to Emeral and Ket, and allowed Emeral to lead the way. She limped last, and before she went into the comfort of the darkened hallway, she turned back to her parents and, allowing a heavy accent in her voice, spat: "Nenavizhu vas."
As the kids disappeared, Kval followed them a moment later. "Good job dad. I envy your parenting skills."
