Sisters, by Charles Matthias

Story name: Sisters
Author: Charles Matthias
Publication date: October 7, 2002 (TSA-Talk)

Date: early February, 707 CR
Location: Glen Avery (Market, Matthias residence)

Overview

While Charles is away from Glen Avery, Kimberly meets and befriends Baerle.

+ Story info - Spoilers!

Summary

A few days since Misha took Charles on a mission up north, Kimberly visits the Market to pick up some eggs. Abigail Blaylock, the co-proprieter, greets Kimberly and teases her husband about his recent recovery from a cold and his stinginess. One of the other shoppers, an opossum, watches them curiously.

After Kimberly leaves, the opossum follows after her. They share some laughs at the expense of men, before she introduces herself as Baerle. Their conversation turns to Kimberly's husband Charles; Kimberly is interested when she hears Baerle was with Charles during the Winter Assault. She invites her home and brings her some tea.

They sit long into the evening discussing teas and Charles's deeds, before Baerle excuses herself for scout duties. Kimberly invites her back tomorrow to share an egg meal. They hug, and Kimberly cheerfully cooks some eggs for herself.

Baerle replaces Berchem in the treetops and sighs. She had wanted to gain Kimberly's trust so that she could break her up with Charles. Yet Kimberly has proven so nice, she can't bring herself to hate her. She cries, knowing now she can never have Charles.

Characters

Main characters:

• Kimberly: A rat morph, Charles's wife. Lacking in nearby friends, she is glad to make a new friend with Baerle.
  • She is modestly dressed for winter, wearing a simple skirt over thick stockings. She has a thicker jerkin for the cold.
• Baerle: An opossum morph, a Glen Avery scout in love with Charles. Though she initially sees Kimberly as an obstacle to Charles and plots to break them up, she finds Kimberly's friendship too infectious to betray her.
  • She is slim and athletically built, with a white tail and gray-white fur. She wears a light gray woolen jerkin and trousers. On her belt is a small dagger and a money purse.

Minor characters:

• Frederick Blaylock: A lynx morph, co-owner of the Glen Avery market.
  • He is very stingy, often haggling with customers over prices.
  • He had just recovered from a recent cold. Today he was dragged out of bed by Abigail.
• Abigail Blaylock: A feline morph, co-owner of the Glen Avery market. She acts to protect Kimberly from Frederick's haggling.
• Berchem: A skunk morph, a Glen Avery scout captain. Baerle takes over his watch.

Cameo:

• Walter Levins: A male gendermorph, the Glen Avery tailor.

Prominent Mention:

• Charles: A rat morph, Kimberly's husband.

Important Mention:

• Misha: A fox morph, leader of the Long Scouts. A few days ago, a distraught Misha came and took Charles with him on a mission up north.
• Angela Avery: A squirrel morph, matriarch of Glen Avery. She introduced Kimberly to many of Glen Avery's women, and gave her some of her special sassafras tea.
• Gibson: A frog morph, the former owner of the Matthias residence.
  • He lived at Glen Avery all his life. He traded wood from the Glen to Metamor for smelted ores.

Referenced:

• Bernadette: A moue morph, a kitchen worker at Metamor, Kimberly's best friend.
• Lars Hasgkenn: A bear morph, the Glen Avery brewer.
• Angus: A badger morph, leader of the Glen Avery Scouts.
• Brian Avery: A squirrel morph, lord of Glen Avery.
• Kimberly's former betrothed.
• Burris: A woodpecker morph, a wood mage who crafted the Matthias home's heated floors.
• Thalberg: An alligator morph, the Duke's steward. He oversaw the kitchens that Kimberly used to work at.
• Zagrosek: A Sondecki, one of Charles's friends who came with him to Glen Avery.
• Jerome Krabbe: A Sondecki, one of Charles's friends who came with him to Glen Avery.
• Anson: An arctic fox morph, a scout. He will take over Baerle's watch at around eight in the evening.

Locations

• Most homes in Glen Avery are at the base of the redwood trees or in the treetops.
  • The commons is kept clear of snow. Large lamps hang from the branches around the perimeter to provide light.
  • A few of the Glen's shops, such as the Inn and the Brewery, are set in the rock wall at the west end of the village.
  • The Market is placed among the roots of two tall trees along the road to the lake. Stone and wood planks have been added to make solid walls and a roof, though it is normally hidden by snow or leaves. Each tree has a hole in it to serve as a chimney. The roots form an outdoor patio outside the door, fashioned directly from the redwood.
    • Inside, a small bell hangs over the door. It is a self-serving market, with rows of shelves lining the interior, each end lit by a lamp. Among the goods are glassware, clothing, grains, tubers, and eggs. There is a fireplace on either side of the room.
  • The Matthias residence has been furnished since it was last seen in Wagging Tongues Will. By the front door is a small table, and a coat rack opposite it. In the middle of the entrance hall is a couch, chairs, and a table on a lovely rug. In the kitchen, Misha's dining set is still in the corner to be unpacked. Their stove is positioned but still needs piping installed. The drawers have tools such as a tea drainer.
  • Baerle says she lives in a small residence in the treetops.

Story Connections

• Kimberly mentions after Charles broke his arm (in Relic), he still wanted to go with the Long Scouts (as seen in Winter's First Chill.
• This story takes place 2 weeks after the end of Wagging Tongues Will, when Charles and Kimberly moved to Glen Avery.
• This story takes place during Whispers of the Lost and Found, a few days after Charles joined Misha on a quest to recover Whisper.

< Third Cycle	Matthias's Fourth Cycle	Fifth Cycle >
Stories	Stories in yellow are not part of the cycle proper, but give important context for other stories.
	Yesulam's Call · Counter-Strike · Wagging Tongues Will · Whispers of the Lost and Found · Under a Blessing of Ashes · Tethered · Sisters · Sharing · Rousing Dreams · Sorrows · Rites · Rein's Reign · Questioning · Parlay · Parading · Out From Metamor · Of Signs and Secrets · Odd Jobs · Night Amongst Whispers · Never Again a Man · Natures Denied · Matters of Faith · Requiem of Vengeance · Justice In Vengeance Refrain · Marital Bliss · Lots · Looking South · Lineaments of Coming Night
Major Characters	Charles Matthias · Garigan · Kimberly · Baerle · Saulius · Misha Brightleaf · Rickkter · Elizabeth · Jessica · Madog · Yonson · Zhypar Habakkuk · Vinsah · Murikeer · Malger · Duke Thomas · Albert/Alberta Bryonoth · Yacoub Egland · Kashin · Nemgas · Hanaman · Gamran · Pelgan · Dazheen · Grastalko · Czestadt · Lech Poznan · Petriz · Agathe · Marquis · Zagrosek