Benni clutched his accordion, which had been closed up since the Rougarou had driven him from the celebrations. The crayfish once again found himself curled up in the hollow of a damp tree trunk watching swamp water flow sluggishly past and hoping the beast didn’t find him. It was dark and quiet and he hated it.
Revelry was for music and loud celebration! But while most of Mistica was still parading in the streets in fantastic masks and feathers and probably buying out Heartsong, Banshee Swamp had gone silent except for the Rougarou’s constant growls.
Benni found himself, for once, getting angry. He looked at his accordion, all tucked away in the shadows, and grabbed it. He was cautious enough to peek out and look both ways before leaving the safety of his tree, and then the crayfish was scuttling through the green waters and moss and peat to the edge of the swamp.
Being angry but not stupid, Benni had to stop frequently on this second journey from his home. His stomach would jump into his throat every time a tree rustled or a twig snapped, fearing that the Rougarou was upon him at last, but Benni was lucky and didn’t encounter him. Finally he could see through the bare grey trees to the grassy hills beyond, and the little speck of a building that was Harmony’s shop.
After one last dive into the murky water to make sure he was hydrated for the journey, Benni set off quickly, clutching his accordion like a shield and forcing himself not to look back. Every little step that took him farther from the swamp settled his fear and set his determination a little more, that the Rougarou wasn’t ruining Revelry this year!
Harmony was leaning on her glass counter, idly glancing through the glossy pages of a magazine when Benni entered. The stignightus looked up and smiled.
“Thought I’d seen the last of you, now that the Rougarou’s awake!” She declared.
Benni shook his head, feeling his anger slip away into confusion. He opened his mouth twice before words would come out. “I had an idea about him…but I need help,” he said finally.
Harmony raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Should I set a guitar on fire and toss it into his lair?” She teased.
Benni managed a weak sort of laugh. “No, but I thought that since music woke him, maybe it could put him to sleep. A different kind of music.”
At that, the stignightus grinned and pushed her magazine away. “That’s pretty brilliant. We’ll need some help though…”
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