Title: Pets
Rating: G
Summary: Merimac is in trouble but his brother is there to help him out – or isn’t he?
Year: 1351

Special thanks to Dreamflower.

~*~*~

Merimac stumbled down the stairs, almost knocking over uncles Saradas and Dodinas in the progress, hastened down the hallway and darted into the parlour where he knew his brother must be. Standing in the doorway and panting as if he were fleeing from something he spotted Saradoc in the far corner playing a card game.

"How much do you love me?" He fell to his knees right in front of his brother, grabbed his arms, and stared at him desperately.

As soon as the first shock passed, Saradoc peeled himself from his grip. "If you look at me like this I don't think I like you at all."

"Ma is about to put our room into order," Merimac answered, and pulled Saradoc to his feet in spite of his reply.

Just as he had intended it, Saradoc's eyes widened and his brother immediately took over the lead. He grabbed Merimac by the arm and led him into the corridor. "You're in big trouble."

"So are you if we can't keep her out of the room."

Saradoc grinned and shook his head. "We agreed that you would take all the blame. After all, the mice were your idea."

Merimac sucked in a breath. Mother would rip off his arm and then father would beat him over the head with it. He'd be in just as much trouble as he was last year when he had a pet frog. The poor animal died after three days and just as he was about to get rid of the corpse, mother had bumped into him. She was furious and said something about cruelty, responsibility, and whether he didn't smell that nasty stink. He assumed mother didn't like frogs, but he knew that she detested mice. At least she was screaming and scrambling onto a chair when father had detected one in the family kitchen last autumn.

"You like them." Merimac insisted unwilling to face his parents' lecture alone.

"But they are all yours," Saradoc replied matter-of-factly. "You built the hutch; you got them straw and food. I only helped you keep them amused. Don't look at me that way!"

Merimac tried his most pleading and devastated look on his brother. His eyes were wide as saucers, his lips trembled, and if he concentrated hard enough he might even manage a tear or two.

Saradoc squeezed his eyes shut and held him at arm length before he thought better of it. "Keep looking like that," Saradoc told him and gazed about him. Merimac frowned at the smirk which suddenly grew on his brother's face and tilted his head. "But don't look at me look at…" His brother's face brightened only to take on an utterly distraught air a moment later. "Auntie Primie!"

Merimac shouldn't have been surprised at the sudden change in his brother's tone but then it was that he admired him for. Lawks, Saradoc would even fool him! Aunt Primula should be an easy victim. She loved them both and though she was a spitfire when she was angry she usually helped them out of trouble. Merimac decided to play along; after all he really had reason to be desperate.

To his relief aunt Primie was immediately at their side and Saradoc even managed to draw her away from the bustle and into the shadow of the lamps - probably for effect. What Merimac didn't expect was that his brother would reveal the entire story to their aunt.

"Merimac has captured two mice about ten days ago He keeps them in a small hutch beneath his bed. Mother is in our room now to clean it and she will certainly find them and make a huge fuss. Mac will surely be punished if we cannot save the poor mice."

Merimac whimpered and a tear trickled down his cheek, not because of his brother's words but because said brother was secretly pinching him. Merimac bit down the pain - tears were effective after all - though he already made plans to box Saradoc's ears for this treatment.

"My poor dear," Primula called out and pulled Merimac into a tight embrace. "Don't cry." Gently she combed her fingers through his locks and Merimac could barely keep himself from jumping up and down with victorious joy. "Mice are no pets, darling and if your parents punish you for keeping them in small boxes, they do so rightly."

Merimac glanced up at her, all delight vanishing. His aunt's face was earnest but her smile was kind and her eyes loving. "Will you promise me to set them free in the woods where they belong?"

Merimac shook his head. "They are my pets."

"You have a stable full of ponies, sheep, pigs, cows, and hens."

"But I want a real pet," Merimac insisted and the tears which gathered in his eyes this time were real ones.

Aunt Primula lightly shook her head. "Set them loose, Merimac. You will make them very happy. Just imagine if it were you who were captured in a small hutch when you're used to having a whole forest of your own. Would you be happy?"

Merimac shook his head and heaved a heavy sigh. "Will you help me then?"

His aunt shrugged. "If you promise, I don't think any harm will come from it."

A huge grin split his face in two and he quickly kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you so much, auntie! Sara won't help me, you know. He said they were my mice so it was also my trouble - although he loves them as much as I do!"

He scolded his brother and grinned even wider at the older one's disbelieving stare. Aunt Primula shook her head and tsked at Saradoc before she lightly slapped the back of his head. "Brothers ought to stick together, Sara." Merimac could barely stifle a snicker when his aunt slapped him as well. "The same counts for you, young lad. Really, sometimes I wonder who is worse of the two of you."

She took both of them by the hand and led them back to the staircase where she told them her plan. Merimac was to hide beneath the stairs while Primula lured their mother out of their room with some excuse. As soon as she was out of sight Merimac should dash in and fetch the mice so that he and Saradoc could set them free in the little forest not far from here.

Instructions told, their aunt hurried up the stairs while Merimac and Saradoc hid beneath them. They exchanged angry glances, each brother annoyed because the other had tattled. But all disputes were forgotten when Primula led their mother downstairs. With a quick shake of hands and good wishes from Saradoc, Merimac departed, smiling all the while. Giving up the mice might even help him to get a better pet. Perhaps he could persuade father to get him a rabbit. He would even help to build a huge hutch for it so that it wouldn't feel captured.

Even as he carried the mice outside Merimac nodded to himself. He would definitely ask his father for a rabbit tonight.

~THE END~