Rabbo II-Chapter 5
By
Mark Crocker
Chapter 5 - Beginnings
Rabbo looked out of the library window at the snow falling hard adding to the deep snow that was already lying on the ground.
The first huge storm was five days past and this new storm looked like it might drop as much snow as the first one. But Rabbo had learnt from the pervious winter that sometimes a storm looked like it was going to be big and it would past right overhead and drop hardly any snow at all. And a little storm would drop far more snow than a huge storm. Rabbo thought that was a little on the strange side. But then he was still learning a lot of new things about the world that he was on.
Rabbo was learning about human females and all the moods that they went though and it was very confusing for him. When he had asked Merwyn about some of Athena’s moods when she was pregnant Merwyn had shrugged his shoulders and said that Athena’s body was changing for the babies and that they had to get use to her wild mood swings and that the female body went though monthly cycles and the hormones would make Athena moody at times and that was part of life. Rabbo had to agree that at times Athena’s mood swing were pretty wild but he had gotten use to them. Rabbo was just glad that Athena was not planning on getting pregnant again.
Rabbo had to admit that the snow was coming down hard and that watching the flakes was not the smartest of idea’s as they were making him sleepy and dizzy.
Rabbo turned and watched the rabbit kittens as they came racing outside into the falling snow. He spotted Soft eyes in her little jacket as she bounced around with her brothers and sisters.
Athena had been keeping a close eye on all the rabbit kittens that mischief had brought with her to the house and so far there had been only soft eyes that had shown any signs of being sick. But as Athena had put it “it’s only a matter of time before the others show signs of being unwell”.
But then mischief and her kittens had only been at the house for about a week now and they were only about three months old so it really was too early to tell if there was going to be more health issues for the kittens other than the one that soft eyes was having.
Rabbo turned to watch the snow again and noticed that it was not falling as hard as it had been. So he sat down on the window sill closed his eyes and slipped gentle out of his body to take a good look at the storm from above and to see if it was fast moving or slow moving.
Rabbo sat above the clouds and noticed that the storm was moving fast and that behind it was very cold air that was pushing it forward and a fast pace.
But behind the cold clear air mass was another storm that was building and that one looked like it was moving very slowly and as yet had not dropped any rain or snow.
Rabbo sunk down below the clouds and headed northward towards a set of mountains that where dark and high. He followed the east west curve westward until he hit the foot hills. He then descended down to the lower level until he reached the coast.
Rabbo followed the coast working his way back towards the house. As he traveled he saw small groups of huts dotted along the coast sometimes there would be a few fishing boats and people out on the water kneeling on those small fishing boats catching fish.
Then he came across a harbor with a few larger boats. Up on a hill over looking the harbor was a small city of stone buildings with a few temples.
At first Rabbo thought it was Bastet’s small village until her realized that it was too far up the coast by far and that there were too many buildings for it to be Bastet’s village.
Down at the beach just south of the harbor Rabbo saw about three hundred people following a small body being carried on a bier.
Walking behind the bier was a man and a woman who screamed at the sky and shook their fist at the sky.
Rabbo was not sure what was going on other than clearly the man and the woman were very upset and the small body was more than likely their child that had passed.
Rabbo followed the line of people back down the pathway and saw that many were sad and that they were following not because they had to but because they wanted too.
Rabbo wanted to say and watch but he knew that he was close to the limit of his astral travel ability and that if he pushed it he would not be able to hold it much longer. Yet he so wanted to watch and see and start to understand the people of the planet.
So Rabbo started to fight the tugging feeling on his astral body while at the same time watching the people who were now gathered in a semicircle on the beach watching the little body being gentle lowered into a small boat that was filled with toys that had clearly belonged to the child.
Rabbo ignored the feeling of being pulled sideways and watched closely as the little boat with the little body was pushed gentle out into the water. As he watched the boat drifted out to sea and he saw the man and woman cry tears that streamed down their cheek without shame.
Rabbo’s heart went out to the man and woman remembering his own grief at the lose of his great great grand mother and the deep hurt inside that felt as if it would never be filled again. He wondered what it would be like to lose a child and remembered that all of his children still lived and that he had not lost one. Yet watching brought up the fear in him for soft eyes and her brothers and sister.
The feeling of being pulled sideways grew and he fought it harder as he wanted to stay and see what the people would do once the small little boat was out of their sight. He waited as the people on the beach waited. He moved to their point of view and he could make out the small boat riding the waves that lapped the shore.
One old blind old man stepped forward and raised his arms to the sky and started to speak. Everyone turned towards him and went down on one knee as he shouted to the sky.
Rabbo was unable to understand what the blind old man was saying as the words were foreign to him.
Again he felt the sideways pull and this time it was worse. The pull was such now that he could no longer hold himself in place so Rabbo let it pull him back. He remembered what Merwyn had told him about keeping control should the feeling of being pulled happened and Rabbo did as his training had taught him. But unlike the training Rabbo pulled against the pull yet at the same time let himself be dragged home by it.
Rabbo was surprised to see below him the temple that Helena lived at. He was surprised to be that far south of where he thought he had been.
The rain was falling softly over Helena’s temple and the two other priestesses where sitting in the door way of their house watching the rain falling and talking.
Rabbo then floated over the woods and about a quarter of the way over the woods the rain turned to a light snow and then a heavy snow.
Rabbo opened his eyes to see Merwyn standing in front of him with his arms crossed and an upset look on his face.
“Rabbo what have I told you about pushing yourself like that” said Merwyn looking down and Rabbo.
“Yeah I know. It was that I got interested in some people and I watched their customs of burial” said Rabbo trying to ignore the pounding in his head.
Athena came walking in and looked at Rabbo and smiled “I can hear that thumping sound in your head from the kitchen”.
“Oh I’m sorry” said Rabbo looking up at Athena.
“Here drink this” said Athena giving Rabbo a wine goblet full of a green warm liquid that steamed slightly. “Drink it all down like a good rabbit”.
Rabbo took the goblet and did as he was told and drunk the green steaming liquid. He felt his head get light and then he started to feel very sleepy.
Athena reached down and picked him up and carried him out of the library into the kitchen and then headed upstairs and placed him on his cushion in the window in her bedroom.
Rabbo awoke to soft giggling and at first thought that it was Athena and Helena having fun on the bed. But instead it was Wenna and Merryn that were sitting on the bed waiting for Rabbo to wake up.
The twins were holding a plate of greens with uncooked pea’s bean and carrots.
Wenna stood up slipped off the bed and walked to the door and shouted “Mommy silly wabbit not seapy now”.
Merryn slipped off the bed and placed the plate on the window sill and then climbed back on the bed.
Rabbo suddenly felt very hungry and had a hard time control himself as his stomach hurt as if he had not eaten in weeks.
Rabbo picked up the fork and started to eat with a hunger that only the starving have. He attacked the greens with single mindedness thinking only of the food and that soon his hungry would be gone.
Merwyn, Athena and Helena walked into Athena’s bedroom and sat down on the bed and looked at Rabbo as he stuffed his mouth with food.
“Slow down Rabbo. You will choke yourself eating that fast” said Athena.
“While you eat I better explain a few things that you seem to have forgotten” said Merwyn. “While it is true that you can increase your abilities by pushing yourself to the limit you have to do it in a controlled manner. And as you have seemed to have forgotten what we went over we will go over it again to refresh your memoir. Now listen carefully Rabbo. When you start working on increasing your astral travel ability there are two ways you can do this. The first is hard painful and dangerous. The second which is not as painful and far less dangerous is the method I would like you to use. This is how you do it”.
For the next two hours Rabbo sat and listened with Helena holding him in her lap while Merwyn explained in detail the fine points of how to increase Rabbo’s and Helena’s astral travel abilities. Merwyn went over in great detail all the issues that could crop up all the warning signs and all the pit falls and dangers that could happen to someone while they were increasing their ability.
Finally Merwyn finished up “Now after your three and half days of sleep you should go outside and play and relax. And NO traveling until I ok you to do so”.
“Three and half day I was a sleep” said Rabbo a little shocked at how long he had been asleep.
“Yes sweetie” said Helena. “Athena was very worried and she sat up with you while you were asleep to make sure that you were ok”.
Helena stood up and held Rabbo in her arms. She looked over at Merwyn raised an eye brow and then adjusted Rabbo so that his front paws where over her shoulders. Then she walked out of Athena’s bedroom and walked downstairs into the kitchen.
Athena was in the kitchen chopping vegetables and making pasta. She looked over at Rabbo and put he knife down and walked over. She leaned in kissed Rabbo on the nose then leaned over and kissed Helena on her lips.
Helena took Rabbo outside and sat him down on a freshly cleared pathway.
Outside were Diana, Merryn, and Wenna playing in the snow. Not far away was mischief, soft eyes and the other rabbit kittens.
Soft eyes had on her little jacket and was bouncing on her sister and brothers as if there was nothing wrong with her.
Rabbo hopped weakly down the pathway until he found an area that he could take care of his business without being seen or watched. Then he hopped back up the pathway and sat down on the ground and watched the rabbit kittens play.
Rabbo was surprise to see that his mother come out and join the kittens playing as if she was the same age. She raced around in circles and pushed over soft eyes before she was jumped on by the other rabbit kittens. Then she rolled over kicked her legs wildly in the air and bounced off into the snow.
A few moments later snow started to shoot out of the area Rabbo’s mother had jumped into and mischief hopped over and disappeared into the snow where Rabbo’s mother had also disappeared.
The rabbit kittens continued to play and chase each other as Rabbo watched soft eyes leaped up high and landed on her sister. Her two brothers bounced over and soon there was a rolling playing pile of rabbit kittens rolling towards Rabbo.
Suddenly Rabbo’s mother’s head popped out of the snow and she leaped out into the rolling pile of fur. She was followed by Mischief who also leaped into the huge fur pile.
Rabbo thought about joining in but he still felt weak from his long sleep and his legs felt as if they did not want to work that hard.
Merwyn came walking out wearing a long black cloak and stood next to Helena and watched the rolling fur ball as it moved around.
Mischief suddenly popped out of the fur ball and looked around wildly. Then out of the snow burrow popped soft eyes that leapt onto mischief and started to kick at her playfully.
Rabbo turned to look at Merwyn and noticed that Helena was standing on tiptoes whispering in Merwyn's ear.
Merwyn opened his cloak and Helena moved into Merwyn who closed his cloak around her.
Rabbo was rather surprised when Merwyn leaned down and kissed her like Athena and Bastet kissed. What was even more surprising was that Helena seemed very willing and to be enjoying the kiss as much as Athena and Bastet enjoyed kissing each other.
Merwyn then opened his cloak and pulled away took Helena by the hand and walked back inside the house leaving Rabbo alone with his mother, mischief and the rabbit kittens.
As Rabbo watched mischief and soft eyes hopped over to the snow burrow and disappeared.
Every so often soft eyes or mischief would reappear pushing snow out of the snow burrow before disappearing back into the burrow.
Then suddenly mischief head popped out far down the pathway from a new burrow hole that she had made. A few seconds’ later soft eyes head popped out from another hole that was at the other end of the cleared area.
Rabbo had to laugh to himself as it was clear that soft eyes and mischief had started to make a snow warren.
Sudden Rabbo heard a squeal come from down the garden and then some loud giggling and laughing. At the same time Diana Merryn and Wenna came running up the pathway being chased by Cat who was running side way.
Rabbo sat and watched the twins and Diana build a snow fort while the rabbit kittens played in and out of the snow burrow. Rabbo’s mother and mischief worked on enlarging the warren and after a few hours it was clear that the warren was getting huge as it was easy work for the two rabbits.
Rabbo looked up at the sky and noticed that the clouds were getting gray and that a storm was moving in. He also noticed that it was getting colder and colder by the minute so he hopped over the little girls that had just finished building their snow fort.
Rabbo checked them to make sure that they were not cold and found that while they were still warm but their hands and faces felt cold so he ordered them inside so that they could warm themselves by the fire.
Once in the kitchen Rabbo noticed that Merwyn Athena and Helena were nowhere around but the door to the living room was closed and he could hear Athena and Helena giggling.
Rabbo was about to make warm milk for the children when Athena came walking out of the living room.
She walked over to the sink washed her hands and then went upstairs and returned with a small wooden box.
“Oh there you are Rabbo” said Athena. “I was about to hail you to ask you to bring the girls in as there is a storm coming”.
“I saw the clouds and the girls where getting cold so I thought it best to bring them in” said Rabbo. “I was going to make warm milk and let them nap in the living room but well you Merwyn and Helena were in there”.
Athena laughed and looked to the closed living room door and smiled to herself. She then turned back to Rabbo “No that would not have been good”.
Merwyn came walking out of the living room wearing a long bathroom and winked at Athena. “I think going upstairs would be a good idea”.
Merwyn went upstairs to his rooms leaving the living room door open.
Helena who had been lying by the fire stood up grabbed her toga and came out into the kitchen to help Athena make sandwiches before she too headed up the stairs.
Halfway up the stairs she turned and looked back at Athena. “Are you going to join us or are you going to stay down there”?
Again Athena laughed “Let me take care of the children and I will be up”.
“I’ve never had this much fun even when I was at the ceremony of deflowering. I think I need this. It’s been so long for me” giggles Helena as she turned and walked up the stairs.
Rabbo and the children went into the living room and sat on the couch drinking their warm milk and eating cookies.
Athena came in and checked on them before she turned to Rabbo.
“When they wake up hail me on my private mode and I will come down and cook dinner” said Athena smiling softly.
Dinner had been over for about two hours and Athena had put the children to bed and was sitting in the living room talking with Rabbo when Merwyn and Helena came down into the living room.
Merwyn was dressed in his normal pants and shirt while Helena was wearing nothing more than a short dress.
Merwyn sat in his chair by the fire. Helena walked over and sat down in his lap and snuggled closed.
Athena looked over got up and went and got a wine skin and four goblets for the wine.
Athena placed the goblets on the center low table that Merwyn would sometimes rest his feet on
Rabbo’s mother, Cat, Mischief and the rabbit kittens hopped in and sat down by the fire to warm themselves as they had been outside playing in the snow that was falling.
Cat started to clean Rabbo’s mother while mischief line up her kittens and started to clean them one at a time.
Rabbo looked over at Merwyn “Can I ask a question”?
“It’s hard to stop you sometimes” replied Merwyn.
“What is going on with you and Helena” asked Rabbo.
Merwyn laughed “the question should be what is Athena up to”? Merwyn said looking over at Athena. “But to answer your question a lot I think. I think she is filling a void that I have been suppressing for centuries. It’s hard to explain” a confused look crossed Merwyn's face. “I did not know that the woman of this planet were umm so fun loving. I have to admit” but Merwyn was cut himself short.
Helena smiled at the comment Merwyn had made then snuggled in closer and kisses him gentle.
Rabbo started to feel sleepy so he hopped out of the living room though the kitchen and over to his elevator. As he rode upstairs he thought about what Merwyn saying and what he had not said.
Rabbo thought back to what Athena had said earlier at dinner and it was clear that Athena was still worried about Merwyn fading. But Rabbo was not sure what she meant by fading and how that worked. Plus it seemed that she was hoping that Merwyn would get Helena pregnant and that had something to do with Helena’s Sirian blood in her. In fact there was a lot for him to thinking about and sitting on the window sill in Athena’s room was a good place to do that.
Rabbo hopped into Athena's bedroom and saw Diana sitting on Athena’s bed with her cross legged with her eyes closed.
Rabbo hopped onto Athena’s bed and slowly and quietly hopped up to Diana and sniffed her. He noticed that she felt cold but he could see her chest rising and falling as she breathed but slowly. He knew at once that she was out of her body and astral traveling. So he sat back and waited for her to come back to her body.
After a while Diana opened her eyes and after a few moments her eyes refocused and she looked at Rabbo.
“Hello bunny” said Diana.
“Hello Diana” said Rabbo. “Where have you been”?
“To see mommy” Diana said in her little girl voice. “She is with Zeus”.
“Oh Zeus” said Rabbo.
v“Yes mommy likes Zeus. She make me a little brother or sister” giggled Diana.
“Oh” said Rabbo “Zeus”?
“Yes. Daddy of goddess Athena. You know Zeus” giggles Diana.
As Rabbo sat and talked with Diana she started to yawn “It’s warm here. Warmer than mommies house. I have to sleep under a huge heavy blanket to stay warm and snuggle next to mommy. Sometimes I get so cold that I hurt and snuggle closer to mommy”.
Diana lay down on Athena’s bed so Rabbo hopped up close and snuggled against her.
As Rabbo lay next to Diana he heard faint laughter and giggling coming from downstairs. He was about to step out of his body when he remembered what he had been told about not traveling and that if he did he could strain himself and do permanent damage to himself and even possible fry his brain.
As much as Rabbo wanted to astral travel he did not. So he curled up next to Diana and went to sleep.
Rabbo awoke to Diana snuggling close and the twins had just joining him on Athena’s bed. As he lay still he could hear the wind blowing outside so once the twins were a sleep Rabbo slid out from between the twins and Diana and hopped up onto the window and his cushion.
He peaked behind the curtains and saw the snow falling hard and fast. As he watched the snow built up fast coving the pathway that had been cleared by Merwyn and Athena.
As he was about to fall asleep again he heard “Psst Rabbo”
Rabbo was quickly awake “Who’s that” he said.
“It’s me Bastet. What are you doing”?
“Trying to get back to sleep. Why”?
“Oh I won’t keep you long” said Bastet.
“What do you need”?
“I can’t hail Athena. Do you know what she is doing” asked Bastet.
“Making a baby possible with Helena”
“She can’t do that she does not have the skill for the gene splicing” said Bastet sounding a little worried. “Unless it’s the normally delivery method? Do you know if it is”?
“I don’t know” said Rabbo.
“Can you take a peak and hail me back” asked Bastet.
“I can’t. I strained myself and Merwyn said I can’t travel until he said I am ok to travel” said Rabbo a little upset with himself.
“Oh! What did you do” asked Bastet.
“I was stupid ok and tried to watch something longer than I should have at the end of my limit and strained myself doing it”
“Oh silly rabbit. I thought Merwyn taught you better than that”
“He did. Just I messed up and was more interested in what I was watching than what I should have been doing”
“Ok I’ll let you go back to sleep. But tell Athena to hail me in the morning” said Bastet her voice fading out.
Rabbo awoke to a faint pale sun light coming in though the curtains. After peaking though the curtains and seeing that the snow was still falling Rabbo looked around Athena’s bedroom and saw the twins and Diana covered up and still a sleep.
As Rabbo arrived in the kitchen he saw Helena making oat meal porridge with milk and raisin. Athena was washing the dishes that had not been washed the night before and there was no sign of where Merwyn was.
“Bastet hailed me last night” said Rabbo to Athena.
“Oh what did my beloved want”?
“She wanted to talk to you and want to know if you where helping get Helena pregnant” said Rabbo.
Helena giggled and the blushed so red that Rabbo thought that she was unwell until Athena started to giggle and also turn red.
The kitchen door opened and Merwyn came walking in. He stopped in the entrance and kicked the snow off his boots. He then took off his jacket hung it up and walked over to the fire to warm himself.
“I think we are in for a lot of snow. We have about two feet out there right now and more coming down hard” said Merwyn.
“The storms not that big” said Helena. “I looked and it’s only a small storm”.
“I am glad to see you are putting your astral travel to good use. Unlike some that use it to spy on people” said Merwyn looking at Athena.
“Oh” said Rabbo. “Talking of spying. I caught Diana watching you three last night”.
Merwyn and Athena both turned and looked at Helena.
“I am teaching her how to astral travel” said Helena blushing. “Merwyn you said that it’s a good idea to start teaching people when they are young. And well Diana is only three summers and well I just thought”.
“You are doing the right thing” said Merwyn.
“Yes I agree” said Athena.
“But I think she needs to learn about private space. Which is a custom with us” said Merwyn.
“Oh at my house I don’t have private space and well she likes to travel and I don’t mind” said Helena.
“You don’t mind her watching while you make love” asked Athena.
“I’ve not had a man since my husband was killed” said Helena sadly “and well I’ve only got Agatha who is willing. And well Diana did asked me about that and well I umm explained it that it was adults playing and well umm”.
Merwyn laughed and turned to Athena “I think we are going to have more house guests for the rest of the winter. After all we have five rabbits. What are two extra mouths to feed? Thankfully we have plenty of food”.
“So you are going to teach my daughter to astral travel” said Helena looking relieved.
“Yes. But you seem to have been doing a good job” answered Merwyn.
“I do the best I can” smiled Helena.
“Yes but you yourself had only a few days of training in one session and other lessons when we had the time” said Athena looking at Merwyn out of the corner of her eyes.
“True” said Merwyn. “As we have time and there is not much happening now we could sit down and teach you far more about astral traveling than you already know and improve your skill and at the same time teach Diana how to travel safely”.
Just then there was a loud thump followed by the sound of running feet. A few moments later a door slammed and then there was silence. But just as Athena was about to speak a door opened and the sound of running feet was heard again. Then Diana started down the stairs slowly holding on to the rail to stop herself falling.
When Diana reached the bottom of the stairs she ran over to Helena held her arms open to be picked up.
Helena reached down picked up Diana and placed her on her hip. She then turned back to the stirring the porridge.
“That should be ready by now Helena” said Merwyn.
“I’ve never made porridge before so I am not sure how it should look”.
Merwyn looked at the porridge reached for a wooden spoon and tasted the porridge and then looked at Helena.
“Tastes good. I’ll set the table and you serve it” Merwyn turned and almost tripped over soft eyes who was sitting at his feet looking up at him with huge doe eyes. He reached down picked up soft eyes and walked over to the fire place and placed her in his chair before he started to set the table.
Athena went upstairs to wake up the twins while Merwyn, Rabbo and Helena sat down to talk.
“Being a single parent is hard work” said Merwyn.
Helena looked at Merwyn and just nodded.
“When Athena’s mother was umm when she umm well anyway I had to be a single parent. Bastet helped but well Bastet was about your age and Athena was eight summers old. It was hard on her when her mother umm well. So I had to be both father and mother at times. And children at that age can be a real handful. But thankfully Bastet helped a lot even though she is a wild crazy woman. She handled those things that no man can understand and only another woman can understand. What I am trying to say is that you have a lot of hard work ahead when it comes to Diana and if you become pregnant again. I guess I am offering my help to raise Diana and if you are pregnant our unborn child”
Helena just nodded and smiles as she looked at Merwyn.
“I want to be apart of our child’s life if you are pregnant” said Merwyn getting a little uncomfortable with Helena’s lack of words.
Merwyn got up from the table went over and stirred the porridge and looked back at Helena.
“Helena I want to be part of your life too” Merwyn paused and waited for Helena to say something. “Dam it woman say something”.
Helena smiled and then looked confused. “I am still trying to adjust to the fact that both you and Athena are not gods but you have powers that only a god has. And even harder for me is that I have some of those powers and my daughter has some of those god like powers too. I was brought up to believe that you and Athena are gods and that you lived up in the mountains and watched over us. It’s hard for me to not be overwhelmed with all that I have seen here. I mean power that comes out of walls, things that move on their own a talking cat and a talking rabbit. These are god like things and then there are things that you and Athena do with your minds like astral travel. Picking up things by using your minds and making people do your bidding without saying a work or holding a knife to their throats. Its hard for me to have a god” Helena held up her hand to stop Merwyn from interrupting her “even though you claim not to be gods. None of the people I know can do what you Athena and Bastet can do. And I learn that I can do some of them too. And then I learn last summer that my daughter can do what I can do and that is very hard to adjust too. Merwyn to us you are gods. I guess I am a demigod too in a way as I have the ability to step out of my body and see things that you see. Please I am still trying to understand what is happening to me and my daughter. And if I am pregnant then what of that child. Will it have the same abilities that I have and you have? It’s hard for me to understand. Please give me time and space”.
Athena came walking down the stairs followed by Merryn and Wenna. They walked over and sat down at the table.
Merwyn brought over the sauce pan full of porridge and placed it in the center of the table.
Athena looked at Merwyn served the children first before she filled Helena’s bowls and then Merwyn's, then Rabbo’s and lastly her own bowl.
Athena looked at Helena “I think what dad is trying to say is that we are here to help you with your children and to be apart of your life. But not to control you or tell you what to do. After all you are a high priestess and you have your own life path that you have to walk” Athena laughed “As smart as dad is he is not that good dealing with woman. He gets all confused. So please for give him if he confused you and scared you a little”.
Helena smiles “what is it that you both offer? If I understand right you want to help me raise Diana and if I am pregnant my unborn child. Is that right”?
“Yes” said Athena.
“No” said Helena and held up her hand much like Merwyn had a few minutes before. “I would like my children to have normal lives. I know they need training in what abilities they may have and yes I want to be pregnant. But I so want them to have normal lives. I do understand that they will need training in how to use those abilities that they have and will have. But if I let you train them and let them live here they will be cut off from who they really are. And that would not be healthy for them as I want them not know what we people of Athens’s are really like and not to be above the people of Athens’s”.
Rabbo who had been sitting listening as he ate spoke up.
“Helena might I make s suggestion that might help” Rabbo said though a mouth full of porridge. “It seems to me that your heart is in the right place and wanting Diana and your possible unborn child to have a normal life is admirable the truth is that they won’t have a normal life due to the fact that they are not normal children. In fact they are far from it. What I suggest is that Merwyn and Athena teach you before they give Diana and your unborn child their lessons they tell you what they will be teaching and you yourself go though the same lessons before hand so that you know what they will be learning. But instead of being every day maybe once a week so that you can attend to your duties as the priestess you are. Or once each month you come here for a week and have a week of lessons so that you can teach Diana and your unborn child what you have learnt”.
All three turned and looked at Rabbo with amazed looks on their faces.
“Rabbo that’s a great idea” said Athena.
“The perfect answer” said Merwyn.
“I agree” said Helena. “I will come here once a month for a week of lessons. Without Diana and my unborn child. That is if I am pregnant”.
“Deal” said Athena.
Merwyn was still looking at Rabbo amazed that Rabbo had achieved so easy what he had clearly failed to do.
Just then the door opened and Cat came walking covered in snow and muttering to himself.
Cat ignored everyone and went over and sat down by the fire pushing the sleeping rabbit kittens to one side.
Mischief came hopping over and stood up on her hind legs and pushed Cat away from her rabbit kittens and nosed them back into the spot they had been sleeping at.
Mischief then sat and looked at Cat and shook her head.
Cat moved around to the side and lay down to nap.
It had been snowing hard all day and there was about four feet of fresh snow outside. Athena and Merwyn had been outside keeping the pathways around the house and other buildings clear.
Helena had helped Athena feed to the cattle and milk the cows while the children had watched and played.
Rabbo had been worried at first about mischief’s odd behavior with cat but she had explained to Rabbo that the kittens had been bouncing around outside before the sun had come up and that they all had gotten very cold and that soft eyes and been shaking so badly from the cold that she needed extra warming.
Rabbo had asked Athena to check the rabbit kittens to make sure that they were not having health problems.
After looking at the rabbit kittens Athena told Rabbo that everything was ok but that soft eyes was not to go outside without her little jacket.
But now it was close to dinner and Rabbo was busy chopping vegetable for Merwyn who was cooking that night’s dinner.
It amazed Rabbo and Helena that Merwyn and Athena always seemed to have fresh vegetables and some how the vegetables never seemed to get soft or age.
Merwyn was cooking venison steaks on a grill that was in the fire place and at the same time he was working on a cream sauce on the range.
To Rabbo it looked like the venison steaks would be over cooked and he was glad that he did not eat steaks only thinly sliced ham and salami.
Athena, Helena and the children came walking from the living room where Athena had been telling them stories about when she was a little girl in Egypt and how she use to go sailing on a huge river and fish.
Diana was holding her moms hand when suddenly Helena started to shake.
“Merwyn we know you are alive and can hear us. We have to use the voice of a native of the planet you are on as we are too weak to break though your shields. We come in peace and ask. No beg your help. If you hear us hail us we are on the fours planet of the system you are in”.
Diana looked up at her mother so scared that she let go of Helena’s hand and was about to cry when Helena opened her eyes and looked down at Diana.
“It’s ok darling. Just the gods using mommy’s voice” said Helena softly to Diana. Then Helena turned to Merwyn and Athena “Those are different thoughts and voice. I am not sure as they felt weak and it was a group of minds not just one mind and it was aimed at me and not just something that floats out of my mouth”.
“Dad are you going to help them. It could be a trap” said Athena not hiding a worried tone in her voice.
“I’ve never turned my back on someone that is asking for help with honest intent. I will see what they want and then I will go from there” said Merwyn “But first let’s eat dinner as they can wait”.
Dinner took longer than anyone thought as Merryn Wenna and Diana kept playing with their food and in the end Athena Helena and Merwyn had to sit and feed them to stop them spreading their food all over the floor.
Then they eat their dinners that Merwyn reheated so that it would be warm and tasty again.
The children where a sleep in their bed and Rabbo, Athena, Helena where sitting in the living room sipping on wine as Merwyn got ready to travel to the fourth planet.
“Dad I am still worried. What if it’s a trap? You never answered me” said Athena.
“If it’s a trap they have to catch me first. And if they are using Helena as the bait and are not as weak as they claim I will get out of it” said Merwyn dryly.
“That is not an answer. That’s an evasion. Again what if it’s a trap” said Athena pressing the issue.
“Darling I’m not about to travel to the fourth planet and drift in and say “here I am trap me”. You know me better than that. I plan to go in stealth mode and see what’s going on first. In fact I have been watching them for some time now”.
“What” said Athena interrupting Merwyn “You never told me”?
“There is a lot of things Merwyn never tell you” said Rabbo speaking up.
“And he tell you everything” said Athena looking hard at Rabbo.
“I don’t tell Rabbo everything either dear daughter. I keep my own council as I have done for many years”.
“So let me get this straight before we wander off topic and you change the subject and head off to the fourth planet” said Athena.
“I plan to go there is stealth mode and look around then I will come back here and then Hail them from here as they asked. That way I have updated intelligence and I know their disposition. With that I can hail them and we can talk’ said Merwyn leaning back in his chair.
“I am still not happy about you going there” said Athena.
“Might I make a suggestion” said Helena.
“Sure” said Athena looking hard at Merwyn.
“Why not both of you go and look. That way you have two sets of eyes and Athena’s mind can be put at rest” said Helena.
“Yes” said Athena.
“No” said Merwyn.
“How about I go instead of Athena” said Rabbo.
“Yes that’s a good idea” said Merwyn.
“No I want to come” said Athena.
“Look dear daughter if it is a trap I need someone here that can help me get out of the trap. If you come and it’s a trap then you will be trapped as well and who will come and rescue us” said Merwyn.
“Oh now you admit that it could be a trap” said Athena.
“Its like anything there is always risk. If we never faced the risks of life then we would still be swimming around in water” said Merwyn.
Rabbo cocked his head to one side. “Why did they not ask Ra for help”?
Merwyn and Athena laughed.
“For the very same reason that we don’t have much to do with Ra” said Athena. “They seem to know what Ra has become. And unlike some they are being careful”.
Rabbo hopped into Merwyn's lap and looked up at him.
“Ok lets go and see what the people on the fourth planet are up to and lets get this over and done with” said Rabbo.
Rabbo and Merwyn closed their eyes and together they linked minds and stepped out of their bodies as one.
Watch for Chapter 6 in July issue.
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