Pepin Guards Her Garden

Pepin Guards Her Garden
© Surazeus
2018 03 17

Chasing sunlight along high garden walls,
while three girls in long gowns play harps and flutes,
the young boy with long red hair and green eyes
leaps on branches of the apple tree,
and crouches quiet like the mountain cat
to watch two cats stalk mice that eat grain.

The tall stout woman with long flame-red hair
straightens her back from picking herbs and berries
and whistles, gesturing he come to her side,
so he leaps down and scoops up the young kitten,
who looks at him with eyes gold as the sun,
and skips to her side as she wipes her brow.

"Wild Pepin, you playful sprite of the woods,
the spirit of your mother, Begga, glows
bright as the sun in your eyes, so you play
free as the butterfly among the flowers,
like she did, but now is the time to work,
so help me gather strawberries for supper."

Pepin sets the kitten down in the grass
and giggles when she leaps into the basket.
"I will gladly help you, Aunt Geretrudis.
My father, Ansegus, said he would bring
new white horse from the herd for me to ride,
so I am going to fly fast as the wind."

Holding the basket hanging from his arm,
Pepin grins when the kitten boops his cheek
as he leans down to pick strawberries from vines.
"When my father rides with King Sigebertus
they protect sacred gardens of our tribe,
so I will help him guard land of Austrasia."

Geretrudis smiles and shakes her head sadly.
"We are the children of Meroveus,
descended from our father Jesus Christus
and his tower bride Mary Magdalena,
who fight each other to rule the whole world
where the scepters of Caesars once held sway."

Gasping for breath as she works in hot sun,
Geretrudis gazes up at the sky.
"I stay out of that brutal game of crowns
played by the clever sons of Melusina,
who kill each other to play Christ on Earth,
preferring to tend my garden of herbs."

Hair whirling around her face in the wind,
Wulfetrudis runs into garden grove.
"Some strange man leaped over the garden gate
and twirled bright sword that flashes in the sun,
shouting for Ansegus to come and fight,
and killed seven guards who tried to arrest him."

Running to hide in the secret treehouse,
shrouded by leaves that flutter in the breeze,
Pepin and Wulfetrudis crouch in shadow,
and gasp to see Geretrudis twirl hoe,
leaping as she fights the man with the sword,
then bonks his head hard, so he backs away.

"I am Gundewin, wizard of the thunder,
and I search for the children of Ansegus
to chop off their heads and feed them to dogs,
like Ansegus did to my own six children,
leaving their corpses to rot in the mud.
Reveal this evil killer for my justice."

Laughing as she crouches, ready to fight,
Geretrudis leaps, striking at his head.
"No man named Ansegus lives in this garden.
We are humble nuns and the brides of Christus,
dedicated to growing fruits and herbs,
and caring for children orphaned by war."

Snatching the bow and arrows of Cupido,
that he plays with while hunting in the woods,
Pepin aims slender arrow at his face,
then pulls the string taut as the howl of wolves,
and twangs the bow when Gundewin attacks,
shooting the arrow straight in his sword arm.

Shrieking in pain, the warrior turns and runs,
clutching his arm that spurts blood on the grass,
and escapes from the garden of sharp arrows,
shouting he will return to seek revenge,
but runs away before more arrows fly,
then they all cheer, astonished at good luck.

Pepin leaps from the tree and hugs his aunt.
"I know you avoid brutal game of crowns,
but because we are Merovingian
we are vulnerable to brazen attack
so you need me to guard you with my bow,
fighting war to protect your honest peace."

Geretrudis gazes in his green eyes.
"Your spirit is strong, Pepin Heristal,
and someday you will help your noble kings,
divine sons of King Jesus and Mermaid,
rule his kingdom that flourishes on Earth,
so I appoint you guardian of my garden."

Wulfetrudis kisses his cheek and smiles,
and they return to tending garden herbs
while the kitten in the basket leaps high
to land on his shoulders while he bends down,
and Pepin laughs with delight to feel paws
as the kitten curls on his back and purrs.