Theobald sees a bat

Theobald was at first more confused by his surroundings. It took him a moment to realize that he was at Sigefrith’s castle and not at home in his own bed. It was only then that he noticed what had awoken him.

There was a bat in his room. An enormous bat had somehow found its way into the room and was careening wildly around the bed. He had left one of the windows slightly open, but he had not realized that it had been wide enough for a bat to enter. Surely this one must have found its way down through a hole in the ceiling…

He tried to rise, but he had to crouch away as it flew at his head. He ducked and pushed the window wide open, and then he grabbed a pillow from the bed. He would try to chase it outside, but he would kill it if he had to.

Githa had always taken pity on bats and despaired when the servants injured them as they tried to chase them out of the castle with brooms or towels. Githa had always said they were nothing more than mice with wings.

But this bat, if it was anything besides a bat, was a winged rat. He had never seen a bat of this size. Surely the bite from such a bat would drive a man mad.