Gerbilssofrodentia
From BluWiki
The Gerbils of Rodentia
The gerbils are a race of desert dwellers from the land of Murdistan, to the south.
Hajim's Errand
"Hajim!" The young gerbil turned and stared up the street at the figure calling him from the lit doorway of one of the dirt huts. "Hajim! Come and speak with your grandfather!" Dutifully, Hajim dropped the stick he had been playing in the dirt with and carefully trotted over to the old rodent. "Hurry, hurry," the gray furred gerbil urged, "No need to impress me, I know full well you can walk on two legs now."
"Yes sir, I was just trying to practice a little."
"Well, that's very good, but I want a fast grandchild to run me an errand. Do you remember Bundly? The mole fellow who runs a shop down in the bazaar?"
"Yes, grandfather. He was showing me some of his trinkets yesterday, but I couldn't buy any from him, they were all too expensive."
"That's good, Hajim. Keep your money for more important things than what foreigners try to sell you. But today, Bundly happens to have a VERY important thing. Here, take this gold." The heavily creased paw pressed a sizable sum of coins into Hajim's own rather roughly, though the young gerbil could still feel his grandfather tremble at the effort. "I need you to hurry over to Bundly's shop, and pick up the order he has for me. This is exactly the amount we agreed upon, be sure not to let him try and claim he was promised any more. Once you've got it, bring it straight back to me."
"Yes, grandfather."
Hajim tucked the coins into the pouch he kept at his side, and dropped low to the ground, scurrying off into an alley only small enough for a gerbil of his size. The entire village was always dark, but there were lit torches lining the main streets, so his eyes still needed to adjust as he plunged into darkness of the alleyway. Blinking briefly as he came back onto a larger street, Hajim weaved his way through the swiftly thickening crowd as he neared the bazaar. Once distant cries from gerbil vendors grew louder, and a wealth of scents threatened to overpower him. Salted fish from the faraway coast, perfumes made from crushed cactus flower, and other assorted smells. He fought the urge to wander from stand to stand and gawk at the exotic wares, and made a beeline towards a secluded hut further back in the street. He entered through the open doorway, and nearly jumped out of his skin when a loud buzzing noise erupted above him. Looking down at his feet, he saw he was standing on a strange metal plate, and as soon as he stepped off it, the cacophany ceased. From the gloom behind a shelf filled with books, a low voice grumbled. "Yes, yes, I'm coming, just a moment." A second later, a plump mole trundled out to the front of the ugly desk that neatly divided the hut in two. Blinking several times, he pulled a pair of silver spectacles out from a garishly colored robe, which had no doubt been purchased as an attempt to blend in with the local populace and failed miserably in that purpose. The mole squinted as he placed the glasses on his snout, peering down at the small gerbil. "Why, if it isn't...er...what was your name again, my little friend?"
"Hajim, sir. I'm Feyad's grandson." The fat mole's face brightened in recognition, causing a ripple of wrinkles to appear in his dark fur. "Oh yes, of course. You'd be here about his package, then?" The youth nodded solemnly, placing the pile of coins onto the desk. The mole counted through them quickly, and grunted in approval. "Just a moment, just a moment, I've got it right here." The bright yellow and pink figure disappeared behind the bookshelf again, leaving Hajim to an awkward silence in the poorly-lit hut.
As the mole shuffled about in the darkness, letting out occasional curses as something valuable sounding crashed to the floor, Hajim's eyes wandered, eventually settling on a small chest sitting on a shelf just at his level. It was carved from a rich, reddish wood that the young gerbil had never seen before, and covered in intricate patterns in glittering gold paint. Just as he was about to try and open it, the merchant returned, carrying a thick package wrapped in a dried leaf. "Here we are, then!" Following the gerbil's gaze, Bundly stopped, and a knowing smile crossed his face. The mole set the package down on the desk and made his way around to where Hajim sat. Gently lifting the box from the shelf, the mole flicked open the lid with a single, large claw, revealing the most fascinating thing Hajim had ever laid eyes on. Small figures carved from a similar wood to the outside of the chest stood erect, painted in bright colors. He recognized one of them as a cat, though he had only seen one in his life, a merchant from that distant land. The others appeared to be rodents like himself, though they had longer snouts, tails, and ears, as well as fur in darker shades. And aside from that, they were garbed strangely, wearing a sort of flared trouser and shirts with frilled collars, all in bright colors that reminded him of the mole's robe. What was most interesting was that they all carried large blades and spears, painted to look like they were wrought from iron. Before Hajim could ask the mole about any of it, he had started turning a small copper knob that Hajim hadn't noticed before.
Suddenly, the figures jumped to life! They turned and whirred around the inside of the chest, the cat chasing the rodents, then turning and becoming the one being chased, before all the figures spun in place crazily and the cycle began anew. This went on for a while before the mole finally spoke. "The figurines and chest were all made in Rattstaat, far west from here. The machinery inside making them move is of my own design. You need only turn that knob, and they will continue their dance." Smiling again, the mole lifted Hajim's paws and placed the chest in them. "That grandfather of yours can be a bitter old creature. I doubt he'll give you any sort of reward for your errand today. Here. Take good care of it, especially make sure never to drop it. It might break the delicate gears hidden inside. And don't let your grandfather see it either, he wouldn't appreciate you taking gifts from foreigners." Hajim nodded dumbly, tucking the small case inside his pouch. "Here's what you came for then. Now hurry along and get yourself home." Hajim took the large package, and tied it to his back with a small string he also kept in his sack. Making sure not to step on the brass plate as he left, Hajim turned and waved goodbye to the kind mole before disappearing into the crowd of the busy market street.
