"Don't you dare hurt my sister!!" the boy screeched with a half-angry, half-panicked expression. Mika and Audrey once again could not help looking at each other in disbelief.
"Well, that must make for some awkward family dinners," Audrey quipped sardonically, lifting the little mouse for a closer look, the creature still trying desperately to wriggle free. Mika narrowed his eyes at her, then turned his attention to the mouse.
"Look, we're not going to harm either of you, so calm down a bit," Mika said, addressing the boy, but never taking his eyes off the mouse. The boy stopped struggling at that, but amazingly, so did the mouse, which confirmed Mika's suspicions. "Audrey, hold her still for a moment."
Audrey held the mouse carefully but tightly in her gloved hand, and Mika reached out a finger and placed it atop the mouse's forehead. Mika shuddered as a familiar sensation sent chills up and down his spine. It was similar to the mule, and Ed, but...different? Mika drew back his finger, then knelt next to Audrey so he and the mouse were eye to eye.
"I swear we won't hurt you, so please don't try to run away," Mika stated to the mouse, then put out both his open hands together. Audrey gave him a dubious look, but then shrugged and released the mouse into Mika's hands. Mika could feel the small frame tremble slightly, but despite being loose, the mouse did not try to escape. However, Mika was more absorbed in the magic he could feel surrounding the tiny animal.
"Guess the innkeeper got that one too," Audrey frowned. Mika shoook his head slowly. He had seen what the innkeeper could do; this was not the same because...
"This magic is different," Mika finally responded. "She may be in animal form, but she completely understands human speech."
"What are you saying?" Audrey asked as Mika got up, holding the mouse in one hand and taking out a knife in the other. As he approached the boy, the lad tried to wriggle back into the corner, a scared look on his face.
"Hold still," Mika said, swiftly cutting the ropes.
"Hey!" Audrey called out. "What are you doing?" Ignoring her, MIka sheathed his knife, then put his hand upon the boy's forehead. He could feel the magic on the boy as well, and while different from that of the mouse, it was similar to what he had found on Ed and the mule, although weaker.
"This can only mean one thing," Mika replied to Audrey without turning around. "Someone else is using dark magic." Mika reached out his hand and gently let the mouse jump to the boy's shoulder. Looking the boy in the eyes, Mika then asked, "Please, can you tell us exactly what happened to the two of you?"
At that moment, Audrey noticed something...or rather, something missing. The stall was unusually empty. Looking back, she spotted an equine face peeping around the stall door.
"What the blazes are you doing?" Audrey asked incredulously.
"Well, you see...ah...there is this...sensitivity I have; well, more of a reactivity...but not physical, mind you; I suppose you could say it is a state of mind, rather....that is..." Ed nervously stammered, his ears twitching back and forth as he stayed as far out of the stall as his large body would go.
"Spit it out!" Audrey demanded.
"I'm not good with mice!" Ed exclaimed morosely.