Mercutio’s legs felt of stone as dusk of the seventeenth day convened. How much longer would it take. He unloaded the patient donkey, Horace, put a feedbag of oats over his fuzzy grey ears, then built a small fire for dinner. He wouldn’t starve, certainly, with all of the stock the donkey carried, but his body wasn’t young anymore. Arthritis gave a creak to his knees that wasn’t there five years ago. He laid out the pallet near the fire and soon dreamed he was flying over the mountains with the moon.
He loaded Horace in the morning after breakfast and resumed their ascent. Mercutio’s mind was flying again when his revery was interrupted by, “It’s about time!”
Looking up, he saw Merlin. He smiled with relief and happiness at the journey’s end.
Merlin said, “I am dying for a cup of coffee!”
Horace followed the two men, carefully stepping up the stone stairway. Once inside he was unloaded and led to a cool corner near clear water in a trough. Mercutio had never seen Merlin move so fast to his chamber’s kitchen area with the coffee tin and a jug of water.
The two men sat at a stone table and sipped the steaming java, both sighing with contentment.
Mercutio said, “Merlin, that was my last trip up the mountain. I’m hoping there is a place for me here, where my skills can be put to use.”
Merlin said, “My friend, I am honored you want to settle in here. My last assistant went off to pull a sword from a stone. How good are you at using a mortar and pestle?”
Sadje is the host of What do you see?
Tao Talk 
You’re on a roll Li. This is such an interesting story. Thanks a lot for joining in the challenge.
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Glad you like it, Sadje. I do too 🙂 You are welcome.
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Thanks my friend 🙏🙏🙏
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Fabulous, Li – made me laugh out load 🙂
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Thanks Chris. When I saw the figure standing there it looked like he was waiting for his supplies to arrive 🙂
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How is Merlin going to get his coffee now? Fun story, JadeLi.
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He’ll have to hire a new delivery person from the village I reckon 🙂 Glad you like the story, Len.
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Good one. (K)
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Thanks, K.
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I hope he likes using the mortar and pestle! Good one, Li!🙂
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🙂
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clever ending Lisa…
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🙂 Thank you!
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I love reading your stories Jade. This was so enjoyable
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So glad you enjoyed the story, Jude, thank you.
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This is a delightful first read of my morning. Sometimes I do think that living in one place and having others bring the goods might be a good idea. I suppose quite a few folks are living that way right now. With schools due to start in a month or so there’s no one set guide and it is going to be a logistical nightmare for those who work and have children only going half days or two days a week… I may end up ’employed’ again for at least one grand – what ever it is family will have to step up and help each other. I don’t have a clue how day care, before and after school care programs are going to cope.
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It’s got to be so bad for parents to decide what to do 😦 If they send them back into a cauldron of germs they could easily pick up C-19. If they isolate them their immune system doesn’t develop power after awhile. The world has gone very dangerous.
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2020 – The Germ War 😦
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