Beyond the Gates

Messenger

Character

Bravos

Ratatoskr

Common

You’re nuts if you think you can keep up with this little one!

I land and roll on the roofs, the ochre tiles chattering under my weight. I keep moving fast, even though my shoulder stings a bit from the impact. The letter in my tunic is urgent, and I should hurry. I spot Booda charging ahead like lightning, flames trailing behind him as he dashes and leaps down below. He yowls for me to get a move on. Yeah, buddy, I'm comin'. I roll my eyes, but I know he's right. I sprint to the edge of the roof, then launch myself toward the terrace a few long yards away. As I drop down, I see the finish line in the distance: a cargo ship about to depart. It won't wait long, and I'll get chewed out if I don't make the delivery on time.

And I'm realizing now that I'm going to need a little help. Using Alteration, I create a few stone steps in the air to get my bearing and catapult myself forward. I make use of the few seconds suspended above the canal to materialize Ratatoskr, my guild's emblem. The little red squirrel has always been the mascot of the Talaria, Asgartha's postal system. He appears in front of me, bright and bubbly, hopping from low wall to promontory. He flashes me a mischievous wink before whizzing off even faster. He's inviting me to follow. I stay in his wake, riding in his slipstream as the world around me starts to blur. I feel myself gaining speed. I feel my heart thumping in my chest. OK, time to step it up.

A legendary squirrel from Norse mythology, Ratatoskr is a messenger who ceaselessly scampers up and down the Yggdrasil tree, the cosmic ash tree that stretches between worlds. He alternates between conversing with the eagle Vidofnir, perched on the treetop, and with the serpent Nidhögg who eats its roots. Being rather mischievous, he enjoys circulating the colorful messages entrusted to him by these two creatures, delighting in their endless quarrels. For as much as they clash with one another, at least he has nothing to fear from either predator.