Shownotes
Today’s story is the first of two parts of “A Rescue from Latin” (an excerpt of the upcoming novel Marian) by Tempe O'Kun, who is the staff writer at Culturally F'd, and the writer of the Windfall and Sixes Wild series by FurPlanet Productions, and you can find more of his stories on his FurAffinity or his SoFurry account.
Today’s story will be read for you by Crimson Ruari, the mountain smith.
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https://thevoice.dog/episode/marian-a-rescue-from-latin-by-tempe-okun-part-1-of-2-read-by-crimson-ruari
Transcripts
You’re listening to The Voice of Dog,
Speaker:and today’s story is the first of two parts of
Speaker:“A Rescue from Latin”
Speaker:(an excerpt of the upcoming novel
Speaker:Marian) by Tempe O'Kun,
Speaker:who is the staff writer at Culturally F'd,
Speaker:and the writer of the Windfall
Speaker:and Sixes Wild series
Speaker:by FurPlanet Productions,
Speaker:and you can find more of his stories
Speaker:on his FurAffinity or his SoFurry account.
Speaker:Today’s story will be read for you by Crimson Ruari,
Speaker:the mountain smith.
Speaker:Please enjoy “Marian:
Speaker:A Rescue from Latin”
Speaker:by Tempe O'Kun, Part 1
Speaker:of 2 A small fox hunched over a large book,
Speaker:poring over a table of irregular declensions.
Speaker:The words seemed to grow more irregular the longer she looked at them.
Speaker:A soft breeze stirred summer into the room,
Speaker:caressing the wall hangings of ancient battles and long-dead ancestors.
Speaker:A scuff of claws on stone and a soft grunt of effort announced the arrival of young Reynard Hood,
Speaker:son of the castle forester.
Speaker:Better known as Robin.
Speaker:She looked over just in time to see him pop up, ears first.
Speaker:An instant later, a familiar scruffy-whiskered muzzle appeared,
Speaker:pearly fangs gleaming with fearless amusement.
Speaker:In the four years since they met,
Speaker:she had learned that smile to be a harbinger of mischief.
Speaker:Arms crossed at the bottom of the window, his green eyes lit up when he saw her.
Speaker:"Hi Marian." She rolled her eyes.
Speaker:"Hullo Robin." A mess of rusty fur and hand-me-down clothes,
Speaker:he scrambled up to sit on the window sill.
Speaker:He perched with no regard for the steep drop behind him.
Speaker:His scrawny tail flicked with impatience.
Speaker:"Let's go play." "I can't come play every time you climb up here.
Speaker:here." She returned her gaze, though not her attention, to the book.
Speaker:"Scarlet would send me back in here as soon as I stepped into the hallway."
Speaker:The common fox stuck a hand out the window into the open air.
Speaker:"That's why I don't use the stairs."
Speaker:She glanced down the sheer tower wall.
Speaker:"I don't think I can climb down.
Speaker:down." "It's okay." He hefted a coil of heavy cord on his belt.
Speaker:"I brought rope." The young vixen sighed.
Speaker:"I'm meant to be studying, not playing in the woods."
Speaker:"C'mon, Marian." Rocking recklessly back, he stretched out his arms and caught himself by the sides of the window.
Speaker:"You say that all the time."
Speaker:Her ears rose at him.
Speaker:"Your parents don't give you chores?"
Speaker:"Yeah, but my chores are over once I do them.
Speaker:them." Hands gripping either side of the windowsill, he flung himself into the room.
Speaker:"You've been studying Latin forever."
Speaker:"I need to be able to read Latin. I'm Princess Adelaide's lady-in-waiting.
Speaker:-waiting." She let out a slow breath, then sat up a little straighter with whiskers lifted.
Speaker:"And besides, I'm a noble."
Speaker:"I don't see why that's a big deal.
Speaker:deal." He swung himself around a post of her bed.
Speaker:"I'm the king of nowhere. And you're the queen of nowhere."
Speaker:Interlacing her fingers,
Speaker:she cast him a teasing smile.
Speaker:"Does that mean we're married?"
Speaker:His posture shot straight for an instant,
Speaker:then he tried to relax it with a laugh.
Speaker:"Sure! If that makes you come out to play."
Speaker:A frustrated chuckle escaped her muzzle.
Speaker:"Robin. Other children live in the village. I've seen them."
Speaker:"Yeah, from up in this tower you're trapped in.
Speaker:in." He spun and gestured at the walls.
Speaker:"That's why I came to rescue you."
Speaker:"My hero." She swooned like a fairy tale princess, then giggled.
Speaker:"But I'm busy, so you should go play with them."
Speaker:His head tipped back with a groan
Speaker:and his foot stomped on the carpet.
Speaker:"The other kids are boring.
Speaker:boring." He flopped back-first onto the bed next to her.
Speaker:"You can almost keep up with me."
Speaker:Closing the primer so the cover wouldn't hit him in the nose, she set it on her nightstand with a big grin.
Speaker:"I can absolutely keep up with you." "Nuh
Speaker:-uh." He stuck out his tongue.
Speaker:She crossed her arms.
Speaker:"I just don't want to ruin my nice clothes."
Speaker:He stuck an arm straight into the air.
Speaker:"So put on some not-nice clothes and let's go."
Speaker:Her gaze flicked to the window.
Speaker:The weather did seem especially sunny.
Speaker:Friendly white clouds floated by against a soft blue sky.
Speaker:She was instructed to stay in her room and study, she reminded herself.
Speaker:Scarlet hadn't authorized her to galavant with the son of the foresters.
Speaker:"I do appreciate the offer.
Speaker:offer." His hand whomped onto the bed in the direction of her carefully scribbled-on slate tablet.
Speaker:"Or you can stay here until Scarlet makes you use up every piece of chalk under Nottingham and the whole town collapses.
Speaker:collapses." He imitated a great crashing sound.
Speaker:"Then maybe we can play in someone's root cellar."
Speaker:The girl reclined onto the bed alongside him.
Speaker:"So distracting me is for the greater good?" "Uh-huh.
Speaker:-huh." He winked. Reaching to his belt, he produced a kerchief filled with something.
Speaker:He placed the bundle on her stomach.
Speaker:"I'm just looking out for Nottingham."
Speaker:She opened the bundle to find it full of midnight-purple blackberries.
Speaker:"By bribing me?" "It's not a bribe if I found it in the woods.
Speaker:woods." He shrugged. "And if the ones by the house are ripe, then the ones in the woods should be too.
Speaker:I know about this big stand of the bushes."
Speaker:She popped a berry into her muzzle.
Speaker:A rush of tart sweetness burst across her tongue, leaving an aftertaste just bitter enough to call for another.
Speaker:Her gaze fell on him.
Speaker:"How far?" He shrugged.
Speaker:"Not that far." Still chewing, her gaze narrowed on him.
Speaker:"You're going to get me in trouble."
Speaker:"We can climb back in the window." He nudged her with an elbow and tossed another of the berries into his mouth.
Speaker:"They won't even know you're gone."
Speaker:By finishing the last of the berries,
Speaker:she bought herself a delay,
Speaker:but found no reason to say no among the sweet, ripe fruit.
Speaker:With a deep breath,
Speaker:she sat up. "Fine,
Speaker:but let me change clothes."
Speaker:"Yes!" With a creak of the bedframe, he bounced to his feet.
Speaker:"Let's get going." Her arms swung up at him "I can't get changed while you're here."
Speaker:"I'll face the window.
Speaker:window." He traipsed to the window.
Speaker:"Make sure any bats flying by won't see."
Speaker:The girl snickered.
Speaker:"How do I know you won't peek?"
Speaker:His tail frizzed. "I promise I won't."
Speaker:She crossed her arms and looked him over.
Speaker:He cast her a crooked grin.
Speaker:Marian rolled her eyes.
Speaker:"Fine. I believe you."
Speaker:Planting one foot on the rug, he swung his body to face the window.
Speaker:His hands settled behind his back, like a guard on duty.
Speaker:That scruffy tail fluffed back and forth with joy.
Speaker:"These berries better be worth it.
Speaker:it." Grabbing a piece of chalk and her tablet, she scrubbed out the existing text with a rag and scratched out a quick
Speaker:"Ambulo in silvis cum Robin." —
Speaker:I walk in the woods with Robin.
Speaker:"Are you studying back there?" His ears swiveled, even as he looked straight out the window.
Speaker:She yanked the chalk from the slate,
Speaker:then realized she wasn't doing anything wrong.
Speaker:"I'm leaving a note!"
Speaker:His scrawny arms spread.
Speaker:"It sounded like studying."
Speaker:The young vixen groaned and set the tablet on her bed.
Speaker:"Just watch for peeping bats."
Speaker:His tail flicked with amusement.
Speaker:"I haven't seen any yet, but I'm looking."
Speaker:Digging to the back of her wardrobe, she grabbed the dress she'd been wearing when she learned why lap desks had that indentation for one's inkwell.
Speaker:She hurried into it, then reflexively dabbed the great ink blot with a claw to make sure it wasn't miraculously still wet.
Speaker:For all Scarlet's scrubbing, half the dress still looked a map of the nation's marshes.
Speaker:A quick look at her friend showed him fidgeting, but still resolutely looking out for noonday bat passersby.
Speaker:He stood at attention,
Speaker:save for his tail, which swished back and forth with impatient energy.
Speaker:Hopping into her shoes, she straightened her asymmetrical dress.
Speaker:"Very well. I'm ready."
Speaker:"About time!" Robin sprang into action, triple-knotting the cord to her bedpost and leaping to stand on the window sill.
Speaker:With a huge grin, he stood in the breeze and reached to her.
Speaker:Again peering down the great distance to the ground, she cast him a look of wry suspicion, but placed her hand in his.
Speaker:As surefooted as if he'd been standing on solid ground, instead of perched halfway out a window,
Speaker:Robin helped her up.
Speaker:"I tested every inch of this rope.
Speaker:It's Dad's good rope."
Speaker:Nervous, she slipped an arm around his midriff.
Speaker:She eyed the dizzying drop out her window.
Speaker:The inner courtyard lay like a child's toys,
Speaker:complete with miniature wagon and little basket herb gardens.
Speaker:"That's really far down."
Speaker:Coiling the rope around one arm, he edged back on the window sill.
Speaker:His smile turned cocky.
Speaker:"Yeah, but we're only going a step at a time."
Speaker:Slight alarm entered her voice.
Speaker:"We'd better!" "We will. Trust me.
Speaker:me." His pearly fangs gleamed in a charming manner.
Speaker:"Just think of the wall as a floor.
Speaker:Like this." Holding tight the rope,
Speaker:he flicked a foot back and set it against the bare stone exterior.
Speaker:"We're going around the side.
Speaker:It gets lots easier after the first part.
Speaker:Ready?" "Yes." Her tail bushed out in anxiety.
Speaker:She squeezed him tighter.
Speaker:"Don't let go of me."
Speaker:Rare humility entered his voice.
Speaker:His green eyes met hers with tender regard.
Speaker:"You know I'd never do that.
Speaker:that." He looped the rope around their waists.
Speaker:A blush glowed under her cheek ruffs.
Speaker:She looked away. Her mouth drew into a straight line.
Speaker:He was telling the truth, of course.
Speaker:He'd hold onto her like a gentlemanly escort if they plummeted off the side of a castle due to his terrible plan.
Speaker:"One. Two. Three!" A small yap of adventure escaped his muzzle and he stepped beyond the window frame, pulling her with him.
Speaker:"Oh dear!" She squeaked and clutched him,
Speaker:arms and legs wrapped around him as her tail dangled off into open air.
Speaker:The cord seemed now far too thin, as they dangled.
Speaker:The young tod traversed the side of the tower in a spritely jig.
Speaker:He seemed unaffected by her weight or even his own.
Speaker:"Don't be so loud. Scarlet is gonna hear us.
Speaker:us." The funny twist he'd done with the rope slid it around one arm, then behind his back, and finally off his other arm.
Speaker:And it did so at an unreasonable speed.
Speaker:"Eep!" She buried her face in the worn fabric over his shoulder.
Speaker:Her stomach insisted they were already falling.
Speaker:"We should go back."
Speaker:He paused in an instant. "Are you
Speaker:sure?" His hand gripped the cord tight enough to show his knuckles through the black fur of his hands.
Speaker:With casual calm, he glanced from the window to the courtyard.
Speaker:"Up is a lot harder than down."
Speaker:A mild breeze blew her tail against his, reminding her of their precarious position.
Speaker:Every muscle of her body wrung tight.
Speaker:"I'm scared!" Indifferent to the wind rippling his clothes,
Speaker:Robin hugged her a little closer.
Speaker:That careful tone returned to his voice,
Speaker:as if comforting her in a far more horizontal situation.
Speaker:"It's okay. Just tell me which way we're gonna go and I'll get you there."
Speaker:Her heart raced. Her breath caught.
Speaker:Nottingham, the River Leen,
Speaker:and vast Sherwood sprawled before
Speaker:her. How a view so similar to that out her bedroom window could petrify her, she wasn't sure.
Speaker:She pressed her face to his chest.
Speaker:"Down, please." His dangling tail lashed with happiness. "Sure!
Speaker:This is the good part anyway.
Speaker:anyway." Letting out another couple feet of cord, he whipped them around the corner of the square tower.
Speaker:His bare feet bounced a jaunty corkscrew path around the front of the tower to the top of the kitchen.
Speaker:Something in his steady embrace and the lack of falling to her death coaxed Marian into opening her eyes again.
Speaker:The wider landscape looked the same,
Speaker:though the wall parapets looked less like hostile spears and more like friendly shields.
Speaker:The sweet scent of the roses growing at the base of the tower
Speaker:drifted up on the breeze.
Speaker:With a final kick,
Speaker:not unlike the one that had started their descent,
Speaker:Robin hopped to the roof of the much lower granary like a paper fluttering to the floor.
Speaker:"There." Taking great comfort at having something to stand on, the vixen stretched
Speaker:a careful leg down, then another, and at last loosened her grasp on the boy.
Speaker:She stared up the sheer side of the white stone tower,
Speaker:the windblown tan cord a new adornment.
Speaker:"I can't believe we made it."
Speaker:Traipsing like a dancer along the pointed top row of roof tiles, he released the rope and shook the tension from his hands.
Speaker:"I can't believe your bed is so heavy.
Speaker:I thought it would move a little bit."
Speaker:Halfway finished straightening her dress, she spun to face him.
Speaker:"What would've happened then?"
Speaker:"It would've stopped.
Speaker:stopped." He poked an index finger through the fingers of his other hand until it couldn't go any further.
Speaker:"Your bed can't fit out the window."
Speaker:She lifted her hands with an annoyed look.
Speaker:"To us, Robin." "Oh. You're really easy to carry, so I'd just keep holding you.
Speaker:you." He tugged on the dangling cord.
Speaker:"I had a good grip on the rope.
Speaker:I tested this out on the cliff with an old jug that weighs more than you."
Speaker:"An old jug?" She felt slighted, though
Speaker:not sure how. He shrugged. "Mum would be cross if I broke a new jug."
Speaker:"I don't think she would like what we're doing any better.
Speaker:better." The young vixen looked around and took stock of their situation.
Speaker:"How do we get down from here?"
Speaker:"That's easy." Sitting, he scooted down the roof tiles and pointed over the edge of the roof.
Speaker:"The stairs are right here."
Speaker:Following his example, she scuttled after him.
Speaker:"I'm surprised you didn't want to go over the castle wall and down the cliff."
Speaker:He offered an apologetic roll of his eyes.
Speaker:"Dad didn't have that much rope.
Speaker:rope." With that, he dropped over the side of the roof and landed with a soft scuff at the top of the stone staircase.
Speaker:He raised his arms at her with a flick of his scrawny tail.
Speaker:"Don't worry if you knock loose some roof tiles. I know where they keep the spare ones, so I put new ones in when they break."
Speaker:Legs dangling, she peered down at him from the edge of the roof.
Speaker:A giggle broke through her dissipating fear.
Speaker:"I should have known you were the reason some of them don't match."
Speaker:"Some of those broke on their own.
Speaker:own." He lifted his arms a little higher.
Speaker:"C'mon, before somebody sees."
Speaker:With a deep breath,
Speaker:Marian scooted off the last row of tiles.
Speaker:Her stomach only had time for half a flip before he caught her.
Speaker:Her shoes landed once more on a surface the gods meant for them.
Speaker:"See?" He released her hips and whipped his tail back and forth like he'd shared a great secret. Fondness
Speaker:sparkled in his green eyes like the sun through a leafy canopy.
Speaker:"Easy." She shook her head with a chuckle.
Speaker:"You're impossible.
Speaker:impossible." Her already flustered heart fluttered in an altogether different way.
Speaker:She liked that he looked at her like that, but worried,
Speaker:if she thought about it too much with him present, she'd wind up stammering like a ninny.
Speaker:That would not befit a future queen lady-in-waiting, no matter how many towers she'd just scaled.
Speaker:"What do we do now?"
Speaker:"Dunno. Sneak past everybody, I guess.
Speaker:guess." His skinny form skulked down the stairs.
Speaker:"Robin." Her fists propped on her hips.
Speaker:"I may not know how to climb a castle wall, but I'm a better sneaker than you."
Speaker:"No way. I'm way quieter." He spread his arms.
Speaker:"I can catch a bird in my hands."
Speaker:Stepping down the stairs as intended, Marian took his point by raising her index finger.
Speaker:"Yes, but you get us caught every time we sneak into the kitchen.
Speaker:We're not trying to keep quiet.
Speaker:We're trying to keep from being told no."
Speaker:Mild pique narrowed his gaze, but he paused with trust and curiosity.
Speaker:"What's that mean?"
Speaker:She swept a paw in the direction of the castle staff at work.
Speaker:"If people see you sneaking around, they're going to think you're up to something you shouldn't be.
Speaker:We just need to look like we're doing things we're supposed to.
Speaker:to." His rust-furred muzzle bobbed in a nod.
Speaker:"That makes sense."
Speaker:She swept past him with a swish of her tail, then twirled to smirk at him with hands clasped behind her back.
Speaker:"And unlike you, I actually have practice doing what I'm supposed to."
Speaker:The young tod rolled his eyes,
Speaker:though the smile returned to his muzzle.
Speaker:Across the courtyard,
Speaker:a door clattered open.
Speaker:In an instant, his woodland stalking posture resumed:
Speaker:back low, ears flat,
Speaker:tail tucked. Marian grabbed his shoulder and straightened him back into about as respectable as his posture ever got.
Speaker:Then she turned up his ears and untucked his tail. While she was at it, she straightened his tunic collar.
Speaker:"There. Stay like that, please."
Speaker:Robin tolerated her rearrangements with an affable tilt of the whiskers.
Speaker:"Should I balance a book on my head too?"
Speaker:"You had me leave all my books up there.
Speaker:there." Keeping her gait casual, Marian stuck close to the tower.
Speaker:She couldn't see who had come out of the old hall, thanks to the lush herb garden filling the keep's courtyard.
Speaker:From the timbre of the grumbling, she suspected the rat scullery maid.
Speaker:Steady sunlight baked a pleasant fragrance from the plants, likely obscuring their scents as well.
Speaker:"Remember?" He glanced up the tower.
Speaker:"I could get one." "Keep your feet on the ground for one moment, if you please.
Speaker:please." Cleaning imaginary dirt from a claw,
Speaker:she peered down the corridor that connected the keep to the rest of the castle.
Speaker:Nobody there. Assuming her nursemaid, Scarlet, didn't gallop down to seal the gates, they had a fair chance.
Speaker:"Come on." She took his hand.
Speaker:His ears straightened even further than she'd set them,
Speaker:but he gripped her hand in return.
Speaker:He made no complaint as she pulled him into the gatehouse.
Speaker:As they stepped into the cool shade,
Speaker:their footsteps echoed and amplified.
Speaker:Simple geometric patterns covered the plaster of the arched hallway.
Speaker:Here and there, it cracked and crumbled.
Speaker:He poked at the fresco and rubbed the resulting dust between his fingers.
Speaker:"Why'd they put you and the Princess in the old keep anyway? So you can't get away?"
Speaker:"The Rose Tower is not a prison.
Speaker:Prisons don't have flowers growing on them.
Speaker:them." She pointed back at the namesake rose vines climbing the structure.
Speaker:"And Princess Adelaide is next in line for the throne.
Speaker:She needs to know how to run a household.
Speaker:household." Her paw tipped back at the small courtyard with what she hoped was at least a fraction of the Princess's grace.
Speaker:"Since the keep is like a miniature castle, Her Majesty decided it would be a good miniature household."
Speaker:"Explains her miniature bodyguard.
Speaker:bodyguard." Robin's gaze flicked around, as if checking the otter in question wasn't within earshot.
Speaker:"And your miniature nursemaid."
Speaker:"Scarlet is from Shetland." She tried to picture the map in her mind, down to the little islands.
Speaker:"All the horses are small there."
Speaker:Proud of his observation, he pranced beside her, still holding her paw.
Speaker:"And you're her miniature handmaid."
Speaker:"Nobles can't be handmaids.
Speaker:handmaids." She forgot sometimes that his family saw nobles less than any of the castle's other servants.
Speaker:"I'm a lady-in-waiting."
Speaker:"Right." He nodded. "That's like a handmaid, but worse because it means more Latin."
Speaker:She snickered as they descended a second set of stairs.
Speaker:"But less scrubbing."
Speaker:He scratched his chin.
Speaker:"Not a very good trade.
Speaker:Floors and bedsheets get clean eventually."
Speaker:They emerged into the light of the castle proper.
Speaker:This much larger courtyard bustled with activity before them.
Speaker:Servants hung laundry, shook the chaff from wheat with winnowing baskets, and griped to the wind god whenever the two tasks intersected.
Speaker:Two guards stood at the gatehouse, leaning on their spears;
Speaker:their tails twitching with gossip.
Speaker:A hare noblewoman sat on the steps to the grand tower,
Speaker:working at a hoop of needlepoint in the sunshine.
Speaker:Half a dozen merchants packed their carts,
Speaker:seeing the last of their merchandise stowed.
Speaker:Her friend studied the activity. His keen
Speaker:green eyes flicked from person to person, from gatehouse to tower.
Speaker:Those black-tipped ears perked up as he listened, no doubt concocting a scheme.
Speaker:Marian busied herself with examining a stack of reed baskets sagged outside the keep gatehouse.
Speaker:A bit old and brittle, probably destined for the rubbish heap, but they could serve her purpose.
Speaker:Robin's gaze continued to dart around the castle.
Speaker:"Okay. My dad's good rope is back on your tower, so we're going to need to get the rope from the
Speaker:well. And we're going to need something to use as a grappling hook. Maybe if we get some bread crumbs, we could get a bunch of pigeons to land in the courtyard."
Speaker:"Or we hold these baskets." She handed him two and took two more for herself.
Speaker:Spinning to face her, he accepted the woven baskets and turned them over in his
Speaker:paws. "…We need bigger ones if we're gonna hide under them."
Speaker:"We're going to walk out the front gate.
Speaker:gate." With one in each hand, she feigned a casual stride, then spun before him with a wink.
Speaker:"The guards probably won't even notice us if we leave when those merchants do.
Speaker:They're supposed to keep people out of the castle, not in.
Speaker:If anyone asks what we're doing,
Speaker:tell them we're going out to pick blackberries."
Speaker:"I don't think your plan is gonna work.
Speaker:work." He glanced to her with hesitation, though not objection.
Speaker:She bumped him with her shoulder. "Trust me.
Speaker:me." ~ ~ ~ This was the first of two parts of
Speaker:“A Rescue from Latin”
Speaker:an excerpt from the upcoming novel Marian
Speaker:by Tempe O'Kun, read for you by Crimson Ruari,
Speaker:the mountain smith..
Speaker:Tune in next time to find out how having Robin Hood as a best friend
Speaker:can lead to trouble.
Speaker:As always, you can find more stories on the web at thevoice.dog,
Speaker:or find the show wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker:Thank you for listening to The Voice of Dog.