Rabbo Tales-Chapter 11-Visitors

By Mark Crocker

Dear readers,
Thank you for reading the chapter’s from the first book of Rabbo Tales. I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I did writing them. I will be taking a break for a month or two then I will start sending Pencil Stubs the chapters from Book Two.
Thank you so much,
Mark Crocker

EDITOR'S NOTE: Chapter 11 follows while Chapter 12, the last in Book One, will be published in September.

Chapter 11

Visitors

It had been over a month since Rabbo, Athena, Merwyn, and Cat had gotten back from the village and they had been doing so much around the house as the garden was producing so much and the villagers had brought gifts and offerings of thank to the edge of the woods.

The villagers had in fact brought so much food and other gifts that Merwyn had to ask them very cleverly as not to hurt their feels not to offer as much food or gifts.

It was Athena who had come to the edge of the woods with Merwyn on the second weeks and met with the pilgrims from the village that came up with the answer.

Athena had spotted among the crowd the former high priestess holding her infant daughter so Athena asked her to step forth.

Athena had found out that the young woman’s name was Helena and that she was just 19 years old but very smart with a quick wit and intellect.

Athena explained the problem to Helena and at once Helena came up with an idea.

Athena would ask the people to build a small temple to the goddess Demeter so that food could be placed in the temple and a small house for a priest to live in. Then the priest could give the food to the poor without telling the people.

Athena told Merwyn who thought it was a great idea but instead of a priest it should be a priestess and she should be a priestess of Demeter the goddess of the harvest and the priestess preferable a mother which would symbolize fertility.

Helena when told thought that was a great idea and she knew a couple of older woman that would be perfect for the roll.

Helena was very shocked when Merwyn came out of the woods and joined them and told Helena that she should be the priestess but having other woman around would make her less lonely and that two others would be a great idea.

The pilgrims that had been gathered near by watching but unable to hear started to mutter that Zeus had come forth and that they were being blessed.

Merwyn very reluctantly played the role of Zeus and decreed that Helena would be the high priestess of the harvest and that a small temple should be build on the small hill next to the woods and that a house should be built for her and two other priestess that she would be told who to pick in her dreams.

Merwyn added that no one other than Helena as high priestess could enter or hunt in the woods as that was part of the world of the gods.

It had been a very hot day with the sun warming the garden to the point that had forced Rabbo, Athena and Merwyn to go inside the house to stay cool.

As they sat in the living room talking Rabbo started to get a strange feeling that they were being watched.

He looked around to see if anyone had snuck up on the house and was looking though the windows. Then he sat still and closed his eyes and stepped out of his body.

And then he could just outside the house was a glowing ball of light right by the window. Rabbo looked closer at the glowing ball. It was a little smaller that what Merwyn would be in his astral form.

Rabbo moved closer and the glowing of light took off and headed to the south moving faster and faster.

Rabbo followed it as far as the start of the woods past the meadow before he gave up chasing it.

Rabbo returned to his body and opened his eyes.

Merwyn was looking at Rabbo as was Athena.

“So you gave chase to our unwelcome visitor” asked Merwyn.

“Who was that” asked Rabbo.

“Hermes I believe” said Merwyn “but you scared him off before I could get a better look. But he will be back and next time he will be more careful sadly”.

Athena turned to Merwyn and looked at him with a worried look.

“Dad what is going on? Is there something I should be aware of here” asked Athena.

“Nothing to worry about” answered Athena.

“Now that worries me” said Athena. “When you tell me that there is nothing to worry about I get worried as that normally means there is something to worry about”.

“There are strange things happening on Crete and Hermes is behind them” Merwyn paused and thought for a moment. “From what I know he is training and helping build an army. I believe they are going to try and make a move on the main land sometime in the next ten to twenty years”.

“Then that means that Ra is getting power hungry again and will move against you as Hermes won’t do anything without Ra telling him too” said Athena looking worried.

“Should we tell her what we saw when we went to their temple” asked Rabbo on Merwyn’s private mode?

“No. Right now she has much more important things on her mind like the baby” replied Merwyn.

“Dad, Hermes is not that strong of a traveler. For him to come here means that he is close and could even be in the village. I will go and see Helena in the morning before it gets to hot and see if she has heard anything”.

“Rabbo and I will check the village after dinner” said Merwyn.

“I am traveling with you as well. Three sets of eyes are better than two” said Athena.

At dinner they talked about were would be the best places to check to see if Hermes was close at hand.

The first place they would check was clearly the village but as Rabbo said “what if he is not there”?

They knew the kind of ship Bastet had been sailing in and it was very likely that Hermes would use a very similar kind of ship. Possible smaller and faster but still with the wide hull that made in stable in rough sea’s.

After going over maps that Merwyn went and got from his rooms they had found four or five locations within range of Hermes’s astral travel ability.

Merwyn tried to talk Athena out of joining him and Rabbo on their astral travel trip using her pregnancy as a reason that she should stay behind.

Athena had started to get upset explaining that while she was pregnant that did not mean she could not travel. In fact she had got so upset that she stood up and was about to storm out of the kitchen when she realized that Merwyn was trying to upset her so that she would storm out of the kitchen.

So Athena calmed herself and looked Merwyn straight in the eye.

“So why don’t you want me along on this trip” she asked all nicely yet with ice in her ice.

Merwyn tried to explain and back peddle why he did not want her on the trip. The final excuse he came up with was that he wanted to train Rabbo in stealth. Something that Hermes had never mastered.

“And if Hermes had mastered stealth Rabbo would never of spotted him” pointed out Athena.

It was Rabbo that finally gave Merwyn the tool that he needed to talk Athena out of joining them on the trip.

“Athena before we go maybe you should use the bathroom” said Rabbo.

Merwyn looked at Rabbo and then at Athena.

“Rabbo has a good point and that’s the final reason you can’t come with us. We would have to keep coming back her for you to have pee breaks” Merwyn pointed out. And then to palate Athena Merwyn added “We could really use you here in astral to see if Hermes comes back that way you will be able to track him when he leaves”.

Merwyn and Rabbo set off towards the village. They flew over the woods seeing the life auras of the wild animals. Then as they passed over the temple just outside the woods they saw Helena outside tending a small garden with the two other priestesses standing spinning yarn using a drop spindle and talking.

Rabbo and Merwyn moved toward the village keeping an eye out for a camp site that might mean Hermes was there.

As they reached the village they saw a freshly raised mound with spears surrounding the top with heads on the spears as a reminder to other that raiders would meet the same fate.

They circled the village checking the streets and surrounding area. Then they moved out in a spiral checking the farms looking for a bright aura hidden among the farms and buildings.

Finally the hit the harbor and beach and checked among the warehouses and support buildings around the harbor but there was no sign of Hermes’s.

“Maybe he is on that island shaped like a circle with the smoking mountain” asked Rabbo.

“Maybe that is just within his range” said Merwyn.

Instead of checking the area’s that they had gone over in the kitchen Merwyn and Rabbo headed to the island of Thira.

As they got there they saw that the mountain was not smoking and that a large number of ships were at anchor in the harbor that was being built.

There were also a large number of houses at the base of the volcano with women and children. The children were playing in the streets while the women sat talking in small groups.

Most of the men where down in the square at some kind of meeting.

As tempting as it was to listen Merwyn and Rabbo agreed that they had to find Hermes as he was their main target.

As they came around to the opposite side of the island they came across a large palace like building with many guards walking around. And there was Hermes sitting in his courtyard looking towards the south.

Standing around Hermes where a large number of slaves who all stood still waiting for their masters return to his body.

Merwyn and Rabbo moved closer to get a better look at Hermes and Merwyn was surprised and shocked to see that age had not been kind to him.

While Hermes’s body was still very muscular his hair had grayed and much of it had fallen out. But his once youthful face was wrinkled and had many scars almost as if someone had attacked his face with razor sharp claws and slashed opened his face.

As they sat and waited for Hermes to return they saw a young woman that at first Rabbo thought was Bastet. While she had an aura it was only an aura of a living being and not that of someone with mental abilities.

Rabbo moved close to get a better look and could see that while she did look like Bastet she was clearly not Bastet as she had fear in her eyes and she bowed her head as if to avoid looking at anything or anyone.

“Hermes was and I guess still in love with Bastet” said Merwyn. “He tried courting her for centuries and she always turned him down”.

Just then Hermes opened his eyes and looked at the woman that looked like Bastet and smiled at her.

“Come here Bastet and sing and dance for me” said Hermes.

The woman limped up to Hermes and started to sing and dance.

Her voice was soft and beautiful but it was clear to Merwyn and Rabbo that she was forcing herself to be cheerful.

After a while it was clear that Hermes was not going to talk to anyone about where he had been or what he had seen so Merwyn and Rabbo left and returned to the house.

Athena sat waiting for them with a sly smile on her face and two goblets of chilled white wine.

Rabbo sipped his white wine and wondered at its taste. This was his first white wine and with it being cooled it slipped down his throat smoothly.

“Athena can you explain what happened to Hermes’s face” asked Merwyn.

“You like Bastet’s handy work” asked Athena?

“Not really. Just remind me not to upset her. What did she do” asked Merwyn.

“Remember how he always was chasing after her and asking her to become his bond mate and how she would always tell him that she would sooner have a wild cat as a bond mate then him”!

“Yes I remember well Athena. It was the huge joke that he was chasing after one of the few woman that had no interest in him. Ra would tease him to the point that he would go into a rage. I found the whole thing very sad to be honest” said Merwyn.

“Well Ra got him in such a rage that he went after Bastet to force her against her will. Anyway Bastet turned herself into a lion and just went crazy with her claws while at the same time going into his mind and just frying his brains. It took Ra a hundred years or more to but his stir fried brains back in order. Or that’s what Bastet told me”.

Merwyn looked thoughtful for a while “I guess she did it in self defense”.

“Pretty much. By the time she turned back into human form he damage was done. And I say serve him right. Next to you and mom she is the strongest of us and he should have known better” said Athena. “So where did you find him”?

“On Thira” said Rabbo.

“Oh. That pile of unstable rocks? What’s he doing there” asked Athena.

“Building himself a little empire by the looks of it” said Merwyn.

“Now is not the time to tell her the truth” said Merwyn to Rabbo on the private mode.

Rabbo looked over at the wine jug and wriggled his empty goblet at Athena so that she would refill it for him as the wine jug was in the center of the table and it would have meant him getting on the table to get the wine jug.

Athena moved the wine jug closer to Rabbo and looked at Merwyn again with a sly smile.

“Ok what’s your secret Athena” said Merwyn noticing her sly smile.

Athena just giggled got up and left the kitchen and went into the living room.

Rabbo looked around and saw at the kitchen door his first female rabbit friend with her kittens.

The rabbit kittens hopped into the kitchen and looked around. They slowly and carefully hopped over to Rabbo’s mother’s food bowl and sniffed it before they started to eat from the bowl.

“Ohh they are so cute” said Athena.

Rabbo turned in his chair and saw Athena floating inches off the floor in the doorway from the living room into the kitchen.

Just then Cat came down the stairs and spotted the rabbit kittens at Rabbo’s mothers bowl.

Just about the same time one of the rabbit kittens spotted Cat and all hell broke lose with rabbit kittens running this way and that way banging into things and almost knocking themselves silly.

“Rabbo take control of your children” snicker Athena.

Merwyn just sat and watched with an amused smile on his face as one rabbit kitten came sliding across the floor spinning out of control on its butt. He reached down and stopped the wilding spinning rabbit kitten and picked it up.

The rabbit kitten sat up in his hand looked around stood on his hind legs and boxed at Merwyn’s face.

“Feisty little guy this one” said Merwyn.

“That’s Boxer” said Rabbo with pride. “He’s my son”

“Have you started to teach them to speak rabbit yet” asked Athena jumping out of the way of two rabbit kittens that had ran between her legs into the living room.

“Some words just simple words really” said Rabbo with pride.

“Then I suggest you use some words to stop them before they hurt themselves” said Merwyn.

Rabbo barked the “halt” sound as loud as he could and suddenly all the rabbit kittens stopped racing around. Then Rabbo chirped the “here” sound and they all hopped over and sat looking up at Rabbo.

The four rabbit kitten sat still with there huge eyes looking at Rabbo.

Rabbo told them that a sharp pointed ear hunter was going to come over and that they should not run. He explained that they should take a good look at the sharp pointed ear hunter as he was a friend and would not hurt them.

“Cat please come here and walk slowly. I want you to meet my children” said Rabbo.

Cat walked over very slowly and sat down next to Rabbo. He looked at the rabbit kittens and then at Rabbo. “Mini Rabbo’s all in a row”

Suddenly the rabbit kittens all started chattering very fast to each other.

“What are they saying” asked Merwyn.

“They are saying Sharp pointed ear hunter man talker” answered Rabbo beaming with pride. “My brothers and sisters call me man talker because I can speak with you and Athena. I guess because Cat can talk they call him sharp pointed ear hunter man talker. Cats are called sharp pointed ears hunter and a fox is bushy tail hunter and a hawk is sharp claws hunter”.

Boxer hopped carefully and slowly over to Cat and sniffed Cat. Then boxer jumped on Cat and snuggled into Cats fur. Suddenly Cat was covered in rabbit kittens snuggling into his fur.

Cat carefully lay down and soon the rabbit kittens were all a sleep snuggled into his fur. Rabbo’s first female friend hopped over and looked at Cat. She placed her front legs gentle on Cat and leaned in and started to clean his ears.

Soon Cat was purring loudly as he had his ears cleaned then his face before the female rabbit started to get tired.

She then hopped around looked at her rabbit kittens and snuggled into Cat next to them.

Rabbo woke to a feeling that someone was outside the house again. Instead of getting up Rabbo slipped out of his body in stealth mode and looked around outside the house to see if Hermes was back visiting.

But this time it was a faint weak glowing ball that bounces around like it was not sure of where it was going or what it was doing.

Rabbo watched it for a few moments before he spotted Merwyn's glowing astral ball on the roof of the house.

Rabbo drifted up next to Merwyn

“Who is that” asked Rabbo.

“I think its Helena. But I am not sure. She has been drifting around for a while. I think she is dream traveling”

Just then Athena dropped down next to them on the roof.

Her glowing astral ball moved down towards the faint glowing ball and started to guide it back towards the far side of the woods and where the temple was.

Rabbo returned to his body and brought his heart rate back up to normal and the laid still trying to warm his body back up.

Ra sat in his chambers crossed legged in the middle of his huge bed. His eyes were closed and he was focused on the island of Thira and Hermes.

“Are you sure that they have some kind of guard animal that spotted you and that it’s not some contrivance of Bastet” said Ra

“Very sure my brother. I had just got to the window. I had not even looked though the window and this bright glowing ball came at me fast. I did not stick around to take a good look at it. What ever it is it’s not Sirian and not human. I know that Athena and Bastet talk but they have not meet in over two hundred years since Merwyn left us” said Hermes.

“Was this glowing aura field intelligent” asked Ra

“Yes I am sure it was. It followed me and gave chase. But it chased a short distance before it turned back. I did notice that his daughter glows brightly. Far more brightly than she did before she left us. This may present a major problem for us” said Hermes.

“How did you notice that if you never looked though the window” asked Ra

“She is that bright she glows though the walls my brother. And their abode has its own power and they trade with the village. It seems that they are setting up some kind of inn or brothel. It’s just on the same side of the village past their woods. The woman human there has a larger aura than the normal human things my brother”.

“What?” said Ra.

“She is young and her aura is twice that again of the human things on this planet. Her genes could mix with ours. If that was the case we could brain fry his daughter and just use her as breeding stock and use this woman if she is useable as breeding stock too. If we could bring Bastet back on our side I could breed with her” said Hermes

“Forget Bastet or next time I will leave you to her. What of his daughter? Can you watch her without her knowing?”

“Maybe but I will have to be careful” said Hermes.

“I want Thira fully operational in ten years. I want your troops fully trained in landings and taking that city. I want that place wiped of this planet. All of that has to be ready in ten years. I will move my whole army to Thira as soon as we have a fleet that can carry 20,000 warriors. When the warriors attack his daughter’s beloved city they will both defend it. That is when we attack when they are weakest. We brain fry her and that will so weaken him that he won’t matter. But I want her as my play thing. The daughter of Isis is my trophy”

“Then we can turn on Bastet as she won’t have them to help her. And I get her as my reward that is after you brain fry her”!

“Depends if you let me down or not” said Ra

“I won’t let you down I want that woman and I want to make her pay for what she did to my face” said Hermes.

“I must attend to affairs of state. Be gone now” said Ra

Ra opened his eyes and looked at the two young females laying naked on his bed. They were still a sleep worn out by the early activity.

Sitting next to them looking down at the two young women was Hathor.

“How did it go with Hermes” asked Hathor.

“It went well. But it seems she is growing stronger. If we wait twenty years she will be too strong to brain fry. So we must move sooner. I have given Hermes ten years to get ready” said Ra “it also seems that they have some kind of guard animal that gave chase to poor stupid Hermes”

“She learnt well from Bastet. That woman is dangerous we should move against her soon. I know what she can do and give her time and she will figure out how to breed with these creatures and then who knows what she will do. I am just glad she is of that same cowardly stock as Isis and her bimbo daughter” said Hathor.

Hathor leaned in and kissed Ra.

Rabbo awoke from his sleep on the window sill. He turned and looked around to see if Athena was still asleep.

Rabbo noticed that his mother was not on Athena’s bed and that Athena was still asleep and snoring softly.

Rabbo hopped off the window sill and as quietly as possible went down stairs into the kitchen after he had cleaned his teeth.

Cat was sitting cleaning the rabbit kittens who where sitting around him looking up with huge adoring eyes.

Rabbo’s first female friend was sitting watching Cat as Cat checked Boxers ears before pushing him gentle towards his mother. Then Cat turned back to one of Rabbo’s daughters and started to clean her from head to toe.

The female rabbit kitten rolled on her back and opened her legs so that Cat could clean her stomach. But she wriggled around so Cat placed one paw on her to hold her in place while he continued his cleaning. But she still tried to wriggle as he licked her stomach.

“Hold still, wriggler” said Cat.

“Wriggler that’s a good name for her” said Rabbo.

Cat finished cleaning Wriggles and pushed her off to her mother who was sniffing boxer.

Rabbo’s mother hopped over to Boxer, Wriggles Rabbo’s first female friend and sniffed them before she sat back on her hind legs and started to clean her paws.

Cat cleaned the other two female rabbit kittens and pushed each one over with his nose when he was done.

Merwyn stood watching Cat clean the rabbit kittens and found the whole scene rather funny as it did not look right to see a cat caring for something that he would normally be hunting.

Rabbo noticed the rather amused look on Merwyn’s face yet the look did not hide the fact that Merwyn looked like he had been up all night.

“You look tired” Rabbo asked Merwyn.

“I am I have been checking things. I think we should go and see our little priestess as she seems to have learnt something of astral travel” said Merwyn with a very tired tone in his voice.

Athena came walking down the stairs and stood still watching Rabbo’s first female rabbit friend playing with the young rabbit kittens.

Merwyn looked up and smiled at Athena.

“Do you feel up for a walk” Merwyn asked?

“Sure, dad, where are we going” asked Athena.

“Well you, Rabbo and Cat are going to see Helena and find of if she knows that she is sleep traveling” said Merwyn.

“Is that something like sleep walking” asked Rabbo?

“Yes it is very much like sleep walking Rabbo” answered Athena. She turned to Merwyn “are you not coming with us”?

“No I need to take a nap as I have been up all night checking on a few things” said Merwyn trying and failing to keep the tired sound out of his voice.

About an hour later Rabbo Athena and Cat were walking into the woods when they bumped into Helena who was walking down the path that lead from the temple though the woods to the house.

“My great goddess Athena” said Helena dropping to one knee and bowing her head. “I come in great need. I dreamt last that the god Hermes the winged messenger was coming after you in a great rage. He and other gods from far away were after you and Zeus. So I came in my dire need to talk to you” said Helena all in a rush.

Athena sat down on a fallen tree trunk and looked at Helena.

“Who is taking care of your daughter” asked Athena.

“Agatha is looking after my daughter” said Helena.

“I think you and I need to talk about this dream and the fact that you have a gift from us that you need to be training in. Do you trust Agatha? As you might be gone a day or two” said Athena.

Athena lead Helena back to the house with Rabbo and Cat walking alongside them making sure that things were safe and nothing was following them.

“Nothing behind us” said Cat.

“And nothing to the left or right of us” said Rabbo.

“Oh, my goddess, your cat and rabbit speak or am in dreaming” asked Helena.

Athena laughed “you are in the world of the gods were cats and rabbits talk” said Athena keeping the amused tone out of her voice.

“Yes we talk” said Rabbo looking up at Helena.

“And he talks and talk and talks” added Cat “and its rare that he will let me get a word in” and with that Cat playfully hit Rabbo on the head and bounced off up the pathway to the house running sideway as cats sometimes do when playing.

Helena stopped dead in her tracks as she looked at the house.

She raised her hand and pointed at the house.

“I saw this building in my dreams last night. I thought that it was the home of Hermes as he was here. Yet it is not the same dwelling place as you had when I was last here? Hermes lives here” said Helena rather confused.

“No this is what our home really looks like. Not what you saw the last time you where here. We made that image for you and those that came with you. And as for Hermes he does not live here with us”.

Merwyn walked out of the house and looked at Athena Rabbo and Helena who where standing looking at the house.

Helena bowed low to Merwyn exclaiming “My god the great Zeus” and again she dropped down to one knee and bowed her head.

Merwyn looked at her and smiled “please get up girl” he said smiling very friendly.

Helena got up and looked at Merwyn with wide eyes. “My lord Zeus I dreamed last night that Hermes the winged messenger comes after you in great rage. He is on the island that the raiders use as a place to attack my people in our city. Another god that is from the land of my grand mother talks to him and they plan a war on you and the blessed Athena. In my dream other gods that are lesser gods from the land of my grand mother gather with them to fight the great Zeus. But in my dream a goddess with a cat face warned me to warn you. The cat face goddess said to me. “From far they come in ships of steel though space and time. That the gods of my grand mother must stop their rage and join with you to protect the lands of your children”. This she said to me”

Merwyn turned to Athena “Hail Bastet and ask her what’s going on”.

Merwyn turned back to Helena and smiled. “Come let’s go in the house and relax and talk. Would you like something to eat?”

Helena followed Merwyn Rabbo and Cat into the house.

Once inside Helena looked around and was surprised to see two adult rabbits sitting watching her and four young rabbit kittens chasing around in circles.

“You will have to forgive my children” said Rabbo “they are young hellions and just love to play”.

“Can they talk as you do” asked Helena.

“No they can’t talk your language. And they are still learning rabbit” answered Rabbo.

Rabbo chattered to the rabbit kittens and they stopped chasing around and lined up at Helena’s feet.

“They are so adorable” said Helena “they are the rabbits of the gods”.

“That is boxer” and Rabbo called boxer to step forward which he did. “That one is wriggles” and he asked Wiggles to step forward and then back into line. “That one is fluffy tail and lastly the little one with the tuffs of fur all out of the place is mischief. She is always getting into trouble”.

“Yes and she is the smartest of your children. As much trouble as she is her chatter is the closest to making human sounding words” said Merwyn.

Mischief sat down and Helena’s feet and started to paw at her to be picked up. As Helena looked down mischief stared to chatter and jump up and down. So Helena reached down and picked mischief up and held her in the crook of her arm much as Athena had done to Rabbo the year before.

Merwyn led Helena into the living room and pointed at a chair for her to sit down in and to relax.

Merwyn poured a glass of wine for Helena and then started to talk.

Rabbo hopped in followed by Boxer

“So you dream travel” said Merwyn. “It is a good gift to have. But you need instruction in how to make it more useful and something you can do at will. So let us begin once you have finished your wine. It will help you relax a little”.

Helena downed her wine in one quick swig and smiles at Merwyn.

“I am ready to learn the gift of you Lord Zeus” said Helena.

“Now listen only to my voice and I will help you to lean how to astral travel” said Merwyn.

“Astral travel? What is that” asked Helena.

“It is like the dream travel you do in your sleep. But you will be able to control where you go” answered Merwyn.

The rabbit kittens hopped into the living room and sat down next to Rabbo. They all sat next to the fireplace and turned and watched Merwyn as he stated to teach Helena how to astral travel.

“Listen only to my voice as I guide you into a state where you can leave your body in your astral form” Merwyn took a deep breath and continued. “Clear your mind of everything. There is no inner voice no mental imaged. There is only blackness and stillness within your mind. Hear nothing but my voice and empty all thoughts within your mind. There is no past. There is no future. There is only now”.

As Merwyn spoke his voice took on a soft almost sleepy sound that made Helena relax and almost drift off to sleep yet her mind listened to the tone of Merwyn’s voice in such a manner that she felt everything melt away. She could only think of Merwyn's voice and then suddenly she felt her body start to life up.

Helena opened her eyes wide first in panic as she had felt like she was floating upward and that she was as light as a feather. Then the look of panic was replaced with amazement and awe.

Before she could speak Merwyn reached out and touched her hand gentle and softly then he spoke in a hushed voice.

“That was very good let’s try that again my dear girl.”

Merwyn sat back in the chair again and started to talk Helena though the first step to relax her mind. When he reached the point that she had panic at he told her to “relax”.

Merwyn softly spoke “Hear nothing but my voice and empty all thoughts within your mind. There is no past. There is no future. There is only now. There is no fear. Now take ten loooong deep breaths. I will count them off for you and breath as deep as each count. Inhale deeply filling your lungs with air. Keep filling them until I tell you to exhale. Inhale deeply and slowly feeling your lungs fill with air. Now exhale slowly and gentle letting all the air out of your lungs”. Merwyn repeated this ten times until Helena felt as if she was so light that she could just float away.

“Now take ten shallow breaths. Filling your lungs with just enough air to give you what you need. Breathe in as I tell you and exhale when I tell you. Breathe in the air now exhale”. Merwyn repeated this ten times until he knew that Helena was just floating above her body.

Merwyn let Helena float just above her body for about five minutes before he stated to speak again.

“Feel your body sink slowly and gentle back down into your earth bound body. Feel your arms and legs as you return to this world from the astral world. Slowly and gentle inhale feeling your lungs fill with the air around you. Feel your hands and legs. Feel your toes and fingers. Now slowly open your eyes”

Helena opened her eyes and in wonder and amazement looked around at Merwyn, Rabbo and the rabbit kittens.

Before she could speak Merwyn leaned over and place his index finger gentle on her lips to silence her.

“Shhh relax and wait” said Merwyn softly.

For the next eight hours they repeated the whole process seven more times until Athena poked her head in to let them know that dinner was ready and that they all needed to eat.

At the dinner table they all sat around eating.

At first Helena had be very confused when Rabbo and Cat joined them at the table and sat in the same manner as Merwyn and Athena instead of the manner that Helena would eat which was stretched out on a couch reaching up to a table were food had been placed.

Helena had used her fingers at first in the normal manner that everyone in the village ate until she noticed that Merwyn Athena and Rabbo were using knifes and folks.

So Helena copied them as best she could.

“I spoke with Bastet and she said that she had warned Helena instead of me as she is not totally sure but she saw a fleet of ships leaving Sirius and she thinks they are heading our way. She also said that sun which our home planet orbits does not look right and its turning very bright and white. Dad I’m worried” said Athena.

“Tonight I will check out what Bastet saw and if she is right I will warn Ra and the others” said Merwyn.

Merwyn stood up and left the table heading out into the garden.

Athena and Helena cleared the table and took the dishes to the sink. Athena explained to Helena how to wash the dishes and dry them.

Rabbo hopped down from his chair and gathered up his children and escorted them and their mother down to the warren.

---

Watch for September's continuation of "Rabbo Tales" which will be the last chapter of Book One in this series.

Click on Mark Crocker for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.