Beast

 

Life had never been easy for Roselle, and the journey through the forest proved to be no different.

She had grown up in the small village of Haebard, far from any cities or heavily-populated towns. Since the War of the Four Kingdoms had left the entire continent’s dragon population greatly diminished, hardly anyone ever traveled to or from her shire anymore. Even going from village to village was often a challenge. The people of Haebard relied on each other to survive in their isolated corner of the kingdom, and they had been struggling for as long as Roselle could remember. 

Times had been especially tough those last few years for all the scattered villages of rural northwestern Dellivere, thanks to bad weather, and as the summer of Roselle’s 18th year waned, the villagers already knew the coming months would be lean. Usually, at this time of year, everyone in the shire would be preparing for one of the many festivals they held throughout the year. Unfortunately for Roselle, no one could afford much celebration, so there had been no festivals for the last few seasons. Without being able to meet new people at these social events, Roselle was not left with many options when it came to her future. She wanted a family of her own, but there were few remaining eligible bachelors in Haebard, and she couldn’t imagine marrying any of them. People in her village didn’t really marry for power or money, since no one had any of that. If she was to marry, it would be for love.

Hoping she would find a suitable match somewhere beyond their village, her parents decided to send Roselle with her older brother, Eldon, to visit family friends in Swenford for a fortnight, and then they would return in time to help with planting the winter crops. Swenford was the largest village in Swenfordshire, which wasn’t saying much, but it offered the chance to meet someone. Roselle had scarcely slept the night before as she envisioned all the possibilities that awaited.

She was eager to start the 10-mile journey that morning, but chores needed to be done for their family first. The siblings set out a bit later in the day than intended, but they felt it would be safe to walk through the forest as it would still be daylight for hours. The forest could be perilous at any time, but most of the threats lurked at night. One of the legacies of the war was the scars left on the land from the use of magical weapons, and the effect on the local wildlife had been more dramatic than anyone realized at first.

The biggest danger was a pack of wolves that roamed the forest, but they were no ordinary animals. They had been… changed. Those who had seen the wolves–and survived–spoke of the unnatural, monstrous size and glowing eyes of the wolves in the pack. It was thought that the ancestors of the pack had been struck by a rogue spell near the battlefield, or perhaps they were intended to be used as a weapon in the fight, but whatever the case, they were now freely running wild. No one could say for certain how many of them were in the forest. They were difficult to kill, and most people simply avoided the forest at night, since the beasts were nocturnal.

Even so, that afternoon, as they entered the forest to begin their journey, Roselle picked up the first fallen branch she came across.

Eldon raised an eyebrow at her.

“What?”

“We’ll be fine.”

“It’s just a walking stick,” she said with a frown.

He shook his head and chuckled. “Alright,” he said.

They walked for nearly two hours before pausing at a stream to drink, then sat and ate a few bites from the basket their mother had packed for them. They saved most of it, just in case their friends in Swenford didn’t have something to spare that night when they arrived–their hosts didn’t know the siblings were coming, but Roselle knew they would be welcomed. 

The road they traveled was an old one: clear enough to see where they were going, but quite overgrown since they were so rarely used as of late. Years of wagons rolling along the dirt road had left ruts that Roselle was careful not to step in, lest she twist an ankle. Not long after they stopped at the stream, they left the main road and followed a footpath, which was even more overgrown than the road, but it was a shortcut to Swenford that was too hilly for carts and wagons. Though the days were getting shorter, they still had several hours until sunset, but they were eager to reach the village as quickly as possible. 

Despite what he’d said earlier, Eldon had begun carrying a small branch of his own. Roselle knew better than to point it out. All that really mattered was that he was finally taking her concerns more seriously. They kept quiet as they pressed deeper in the forest, straining their ears to listen for any other sounds besides their footsteps. They heard nothing but calm birdsong and the breeze blowing gently through the trees, so it was quite a shock when they pushed into a clearing and stumbled, almost literally, upon a dozen giant, black wolves, sleeping in a circle with their young in the center.

Roselle gave a small gasp and pressed her hand to her mouth, turning with widened eyes to Eldon, who had frozen in place. He motioned for them to back away. Roselle dared not even breathe. They took several steps backwards, and Roselle had just started to turn around when she saw it: one of the wolves’ snouts perked up, and in an instant, its eyelids flew open.

Roselle grabbed Eldon’s arm as the wolf raised its head and gave a low growl, waking others in the pack.

Eldon dropped the food basket and whispered, “Run!”

She grabbed her skirts in one hand and clutched the branch in the other as she crashed through the brush, abandoning the path entirely. Eldon was right behind her, and they heard the beasts begin their pursuit. 

They could never outrun them, this she knew, but the beasts were large–their only chance was if they could find somewhere small enough to protect themselves.

As if hearing her thoughts, Eldon shouted, “In there!”

A massive tree at the bank of a stream had fallen next to a boulder, creating a sheltered space that would be just narrow enough for them to squeeze into. She scrambled in, dropping her branch at the entrance. When she looked back, Eldon was just making it to the entrance as the fastest wolf reached him.

Roselle screamed and Eldon struck back at the beast with his branch, slamming down on its snout. It roared and swiped at him, striking him across the chest. He hit the ground hard, and blood flowed onto his torn shirt.

“No!” Roselle cried, grabbing under his arms and dragging him into the crevice.

The monster tried swiping at him again, but it couldn’t reach. Its huge mouth and sharp teeth snapped at them, inches from where Eldon lay. The rest of the pack had reached them now, and she could hear them growling and climbing all around the tree and boulder.

Sobbing and desperately pressing Eldon’s hands to his wounds with one hand, Roselle reached over him and picked up the branch with her other hand before the wolf could knock it out of reach. She gave an anguished screech as she thrust the branch at the creature’s eye. It reared back, howling in pain.

Just then, a new roar filled the air, startling Roselle enough to stop her weeping. Eldon stifled his groaning and listened, too. Something else was out there–something big. From what she could see, the pack had turned away from them to battle another creature. It was a cacophony of sound unlike any Roselle had ever heard before. Bodies thudded, trees cracked, flesh tore–less than a dozen monstrous wolves sounded like forty with their braying and snarling. But, gradually, the sounds lessened. Roselle watched two wolves shoot past, fleeing into the forest, and when she dared to lean just a bit nearer to the entrance of their shelter, she saw a hulking, massive figure standing over the body of one of the wolves.

She could hardly make sense of what she was seeing. It was an animal of some sort, with brown fur like a bear, but it had the head of a wolf, and it stood on hind legs that belonged to neither bear nor wolf. Roselle ducked back in the crevice before it could spot her, and they looked at each other, not daring to even breathe.

After a moment, they heard the beast’s heavy footsteps pounding away from them, and then the forest was silent. The only thing they could hear was the babbling of the stream.

Roselle let out a shaky breath as the usual birdsong resumed. Eldon was sweating and trembling, his hands clutching his torn and bloody shirt over his chest.

“I think they’re all gone,” Roselle whispered.

“What was that?” Eldon asked, his voice hoarse.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen a beast like that.”

“Nor have I. But it saved us.”

She shook her head. “All we know is that it’s bigger than everything else out there. And I don’t fancy running into it again.”

“At least it didn’t see us. It shouldn’t be back.”

Roselle sniffled and brushed away the tears on her cheeks. “We have to get you out so I can clean you up.”

Eldon nodded and, grimacing in pain, slowly scooted out of the crevice so Roselle could get out. Once she was standing again, Roselle flipped up the hem of her faded blue dress and tore off a few pieces of the petticoat she wore underneath. It was the only material she had to use for a bandage, and though the petticoat was old and patched in several places, it would have to do. She took a smaller piece to the stream and wet it before bringing it back to Eldon.

“Let me see,” she said. 

Eldon moved his hands away, pulling his shirt up to reveal the full extent of the gashes. Roselle swallowed hard, then carefully patted at the wound. He inhaled sharply through his teeth, but allowed her to work. Once she had cleaned the wound as much as she could, she took a longer strip of fabric and tied it around his chest to hold another piece in place.

“Thank you,” Eldon said, still laying on the ground.

Blood immediately began to seep through the cloth, and Roselle bit back tears. “We need to get you to a healer.” She sat down heavily next to him. “Can you walk?”

He struggled to sit up. “Maybe,” he said. “But it’s getting late. Maybe we should stay here, just until morning.”

Roselle chewed her lip, weighing their options. If they left now, they likely would be able to get to Swenford, but if Eldon couldn’t keep up the pace, they may be caught out in the forest in the dark. If they stayed here, they would definitely be in the forest in the dark, but at least they had a shelter. The sun was casting long shadows already… She was still mulling back and forth when they heard footsteps again.

Eldon swore.

“Get back in there,” Roselle whispered, taking up the branch again. 

Eldon grunted in pain as he slowly pushed himself into the crevice. Roselle was just about to shimmy inside when she heard a woman’s voice saying, “Now, let’s not frighten them any more than they already are.”

Roselle turned to Eldon. “Did you hear that?” she whispered.

He nodded, and she cautiously peeked her head out. Through the trees, she saw an old woman in a plain brown dress and cream-colored apron approaching their hiding place. Her gray hair was pulled back in a small bun, and though she held a walking stick in her hand, she moved through the forest with an experienced stride.

“My, what a mess,” the old woman said, surveying the scattered wolf parts. “Hello there? Are you alright?” she called.

Roselle looked at Eldon, who gave a nod, and Roselle stood up.

“Who are you?” she said, still gripping the branch.

“My name is Mary,” the old woman said, stopping on the other side of the stream. “I live nearby; I heard you screaming. Are you hurt?”

“No, but my brother is.” Roselle gestured behind her.

The old woman peered toward the darkness of the crevice. “I’m a healer,” she said in Eldon’s direction. “I can help.”

Eldon eased himself out of the crevice, and Roselle moved aside to allow the old woman to come closer. She gingerly peeled back Roselle’s makeshift bandage. 

“You’re lucky,” she said. “This could have been much worse.” She looked them up and down. “You’d better come with me. You can clean up that wound, rest for the night, and be on your way in the morning.”

The siblings exchanged a glance. Roselle could see that Eldon appeared even more exhausted than she felt, and there was something warm and kind about the old woman that reminded Roselle of her own grandmother.

“How far away do you live?” Roselle asked after a moment.

“It’s just up the stream, beyond these trees.”

“I don’t think I can make it back to Haebard today,” Eldon said, answering Roselle’s unasked question.

And so, Roselle helped Eldon off the ground, and they followed the old woman as she led the way through the forest along the stream.

“What was that thing back there?” Roselle asked, scanning the trees around them as they walked. “The thing that killed the wolves?”

“I don’t know exactly what he is,” Mary said.”He’s neither bear nor wolf. I haven’t quite managed to sort it out yet.” She looked over her shoulder at them. “How did the two of you manage to find yourselves in the wolves’ territory?”

“Quite by accident,” Eldon said with a wry chuckle, which made him wince. He pressed a hand over his bandage. “We were just heading to Swenford.”

“Oh, what’s in Swenford? Business? Or family?”

“Just visiting some old friends,” Eldon said.

“How lovely,” Mary said with a smile. “We’ll get you patched up and back on the road in no time.”

They had only walked for a few minutes when they came upon a wide clearing, and both siblings stopped to stare: a massive, derelict building towered in front of them. The structure was made of gray stone, its face dotted with large windows housing remnants of glass panes, and in the center was a huge wooden door, large enough to drive a wagon with a team of horses through. Round turrets, topped with collapsing conical roofs, stood on each corner, and the whole exterior was covered in a layer of emerald ivy that fluttered in the breeze.

Roselle remembered hearing about an old royal hunting lodge, long out of use even before the war had reduced travel, but she had never seen it herself, and never dreamed it would be so big. She’d been told that it had once employed many people from the neighboring villages, but the royal family had stopped visiting after they built a new lodge elsewhere. As if the loss of income wasn’t bad enough for the villagers, the royal family preferred to let the lodge go to ruin rather than let commoners make use of the building. It was rumored that spells prevented anyone from entering, and the dangers lurking in the surrounding forest discouraged most people anyway.

“You live in there?” Roselle asked, incredulous.

“Oh, no, it’s far too drafty,” the old woman said with a laugh. “I live here.” Behind the hunting lodge, next to a large and abundant garden, there was a small stone cottage with smoke rising from the chimney. “Used to be the gardener’s residence, I think. Much more to my liking.”

Ducking through the low doorway of the cottage, Roselle entered a cozy home not unlike her own family’s cottage, with the sounds of birdsong and beams of sunlight filtering through the open windows. The space was furnished with a worn wooden table, a few wooden chairs, and a tiny bed covered by a ragged quilt. Every surface was covered with the items of daily life: there were shelves with wooden bowls and chipped ceramic plates, a small side table full of candles, and cooking pots stacked in the corner by the fire. Brooms were propped against the wall next to wash tubs and buckets. Aprons and straw hats hung from hooks by the door. Dried herbs and flowers hung from the rafters, and a small fire crackled under a bubbling cauldron of stew, filling the air with a familiar, comforting fragrance.

“How long have you been living here?” Roselle asked. “I should think we would know about a healer in the woods if you’ve been here for awhile.”

“Oh, I only came here a little over two years ago,” the old woman said, setting some water to boil.

“Two years?” Eldon said as he sat down heavily on one of the wooden chairs by the table. “And you live here all alone?”

“Well…” Mary, gazing out through the open doorway, back into the forest. “I have had no human company since I came here,” she said with a sorrowful look. “Only the animals to keep me company.” She busied herself with pulling down some of her dried plants, which she began to crush with a stone mortar and pestle.

“Why not go to one of the villages?”

She smiled sadly at them. “It’s a long story,” she answered.

“We didn’t mean to pry,” Roselle said, casting her eyes down.

“It’s alright, dear,” Mary said as she made a poultice for Eldon’s wounds. “I know what you’re thinking. I’m old, and I would be well taken care of in a village, so what am I doing all the way out in the forest?” She paused for a moment, and then said, “I’m here to try to save a young man’s life. He’s like a son to me.”

“Is he ill?”

“He’s cursed.”

Roselle gasped. Her parents had never liked magic, at least not since the war. All of Haebard and the surrounding villages had steered clear of it as long as she could remember, and she had heard many stories about the terrible things that magic had wrought during the war–things like the monstrous wolves in the forest.

“What kind of curse?” Roselle asked breathlessly.

“His body was… changed,” Mary said. “Beyond recognition. So: I retreated here, far from the one who cursed him, to find a cure.”

“I’m so sorry,” Roselle said softly.

“Thank you, dear,” Mary said, patting Roselle’s arm. “Now, let us tend to your brother, shall we?”

“I would appreciate it greatly,” Eldon said, giving Roselle a half-grin.

After the two women had applied the poultice and wrapped him up in bandages, the siblings sat at the table in the darkening room, sipping a delicious herbal tea served in roughly carved wooden cups. Mary gave them both some dampened cloths to wipe up the grime on their skin from their battle with the wolves.

“We cannot thank you enough for your help,” Roselle said, picking the leaves out of her disheveled braid.

“Yes–we’d still be out there if it wasn’t for you,” Eldon added.

Mary waved a hand dismissively. “I would never leave anyone to those beasts.”

“Is there any way we can repay you?” Roselle asked. 

The old woman chuckled. “You’re a sweet girl,” she said. “Having some company is all the payment I need.” She smiled that sad smile again. “It’s been a long time since I had anyone to talk with. I’m only sorry that we had to meet under such circumstances.”

She stirred the stew, adding a few herbs to the mix, and the three of them sat chatting as the sun set. Mary lit a few candles and listened to the siblings, who, after properly introducing themselves, spoke of their family and their lives as millers in Haebard. The stew bubbled away and bathed the whole cottage in its wonderfully savory aroma as the sweet night air blew gently through the windows and the birdsong slowly gave way to the tune of crickets.

“Well,” Mary said after awhile, “let me fetch you some blankets before it gets any later, and you two help yourselves to the stew.” She took a lantern and prepared to walk out the door.

“Where are you going?” Roselle asked with some alarm.

“Oh, I keep some extra things in the lodge,” she said. “This cottage is too small to store everything during the summer.”

“You can get inside? But I thought there were barrier spells to keep people out…”

“Maybe there were, once,” Mary said, “but they’re not there anymore. I’m free to go in and out just fine now.”

“Then I’ll go with you-”

“No, no, don’t worry, I’ll be safe. Those wolves don’t come this way. Just eat, and stir that stew for me, would you?” 

With that, Mary stepped out into the night. Roselle handed a bowl of the stew to Eldon, but didn’t eat any herself. She stirred slowly and quietly, almost not breathing, so she could listen. Eldon, too, kept silent, and they waited. Finally, they saw the lantern bobbing back toward them through one of the cottage’s tiny windows, and Roselle hurried outside to help Mary with the bundle of blankets she was carrying.

“How’s the stew?” Mary asked when she was back inside.

“Excellent,” Eldon said, wiping a dribble of broth off his chin with the back of his hand.

Roselle spooned a bit into a bowl and allowed herself to eat while Mary set up spots for them to sleep on the floor.

“I wish I had better to offer you,” Mary said, frowning at the makeshift beds.

“It’s alright,” Roselle said, “really. We have a roof over our heads, and four stone walls around us. We’ll sleep well knowing we’re safe.”

~~~

The beast watched the humans moving about the cottage. The night had grown too dark for them to see him as he lurked in the shadow of the trees, but his eyes could see the humans clearly, even at a distance. His ears and nose, too, were better than theirs. It had been so long since he had been close to humans other than Mary, and he wasn’t used to the sound of their voices or the way they smelled. He sat and listened to their conversation as it drifted through the open windows, bringing with it the scent of food cooking over a fire. Saliva pooled in his mouth. He rarely ate cooked food anymore, and he’d almost forgotten what it tasted like.

The human voices ceased after awhile, and the beast settled in to watch the cottage and listen to the sounds of the forest.

~~~

They did not, in fact, sleep well. Roselle woke at every little noise from outside, and she could hear Eldon tossing and turning, trying to get comfortable with the injury on his chest.

In the morning, as soon as the dawn light filled the cottage, Roselle got up. She folded the blankets and then knelt beside the fire, which had nearly gone out. Once she built it back up, she put some water on for tea. The old woman stirred at the noise.

“You’re too kind, child,” she said as she pushed herself up.

“Is there anything else I can help you with?” Roselle asked with a smile.

“Well, let us see how his wounds are doing, and then I can tell you what I need.”

Eldon, who had at last fallen asleep, was damp with sweat, his dark blond hair plastered to his forehead. It was warm in the cottage with the fire going, but he shouldn’t have been sweating so profusely. Mary carefully pulled back the bandage and frowned as Roselle gasped. The skin around the scratches was a blotchy red and purple hue, and it was more swollen than the night before.

“Hmm,” the old woman said, “it seems those wolves have some sort of venom–probably coating their claws.”

“Venom?!”

“Fetch me some more water,” she said firmly, but not unkindly. “There’s a stream yonder.” She pointed behind the cottage, but Roselle knew where it must be, as she had heard it all night.

With a nod, Roselle took a bucket and hurried across the dewy clearing to the stream, gathered a full bucket of the clear, cold water, and carefully hauled it back. She set the bucket on the table, then anxiously watched over Eldon as Mary began preparing another poultice.

“Can you help him?” Roselle asked, holding a wet cloth to his forehead. He was burning up and still had not yet awakened.

Mary glanced up. “I can,” she said. She paused, then went on. “But it’s a magical wound. He needs magic.”

Roselle bit her lip. “We’ve never used magic,” she said finally. “My family, I mean. My parents wouldn’t allow it.”

“A lot of people feel that way these days,” Mary said softly. “I know what your village went through, during the war. I used to be a healer, and a nursemaid, in the capital. I worked in the castle during King Gerald’s reign.” 

Roselle’s eyes widened, and Mary went on. 

“I saw the decisions that were made, and I couldn’t bear it. The only reason I stayed in the capital was for the children in my charge. And then one of them was cursed.” She paused and took a deep breath. “So, believe me when I say, I do not take magic lightly. And I vowed long ago to only use it to help and heal.”

Roselle nodded slowly. 

“Behind you is a small box. Could you bring that here?” 

Roselle obeyed, and the old woman opened it, revealing small bottles of differently-colored liquids.

“I collected these myself,” Mary said, removing a few from the box. She added drops from each to the mixture. “These come from some very powerful plants in the Enchanted Forest. Quite a lot of magic in these bottles, if you know how to use it.”

Once combined with her herbs and water, Mary spoke some words that Roselle didn’t understand. Roselle watched intently, but nothing happened.

“Did… did it work?”

“Come,” Mary said, taking the bowl with the mucky-looking mixture back over to Eldon. “My old joints won’t let me kneel on the floor again,” she said, sitting at the table and handing the bowl to Roselle. “Spread it, carefully, on the skin.” 

Roselle knelt beside Eldon and did as she was told. Still, nothing happened, but Mary assured her it just needed some time. Once Eldon had been bandaged with fresh cloths, Roselle did notice that his forehead was no longer so hot. 

“He needs to keep resting,” Mary said. “Let’s leave him be for a little while.”

The two women brought a pair of chairs outside to eat their breakfast in the shade of a tree so they could talk without disturbing Eldon. The sun shone brightly on the small garden between the lodge and the cottage, and Mary pointed out the plants she was growing for her potions as she tried to find the cure for the young man’s curse.

“I can’t tell you how many things I’ve tried,” she said with a sigh. “Nothing seems to be working.”

“Where is he now?” Roselle asked.

“Oh, he’s not too far,” said Mary. “He’s somewhere safe and cared for. I’m afraid I can’t tell you more, for his protection.”

“I see.”

“Roselle?” they heard Eldon call from inside the cottage.

Roselle returned as her brother was struggling to sit up. “Lie still,” she said, pressing her palm to his forehead. “You had a fever.”

“Why does my chest feel so cold?”

“The poultice last night wasn’t helping,” Roselle said. “Mary had to make another one.”

Eldon studied her face. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Roselle looked sheepishly at him. “She… had to use a little magic,” she admitted.

“Magic?!”

“There was venom in your wound!” Roselle said, her voice rising. “She said those wolves have venom on their claws. What else was I supposed to do? I couldn’t let it spread.”

Eldon was quiet for a moment, staring down at his chest. “You did what you thought was best,” he said gently. “And I do feel better.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Mary said as she entered the cottage, arms full of tomatoes. “But I do think it would be wise to harvest some of the venom itself so I can make an antidote. The effects of the poultice will wear off, and we need to get the venom out of your blood.”

“Harvest the venom? How?” Roselle asked.

“Well, there are several dead wolves in the forest,” Mary said. “I need to go fetch some of their claws.”

Eldon grimaced, and Roselle’s mouth dropped open.

“You’re not really going back there, are you?”

“I’ll wait ‘til noon,” Mary said calmly, “but we need to make sure the venom won’t harm him further. Now, we need some more water drawn, and I could use your help in the garden.”

As Roselle approached the stream, just on the edge of the forest, she kept a sharp eye out for danger. Filling the bucket without turning away from the dark shade amongst the trees, she realized that they would have to go through the forest to get home once Eldon was well enough, and dread pooled in her stomach at the thought. She didn’t exactly feel completely safe at the cottage, but she felt safer there than she did in the forest. At least when they went home, they would be going away from the wolves’ territory, she told herself. 

Roselle carried the water back quickly, not wanting to be alone in the meadow. Every movement of birds, rabbits, and squirrels made her heart beat quicker. She even thought she saw something in one of the lodge’s windows out of the corner of her eye. Roselle shook her head and walked so fast she sloshed some of the water on her skirts, but she didn’t care.

The rest of the morning was spent with Mary in the garden. Then, once the sun was at its highest point, Mary announced she would be going to the spot where she’d encountered the siblings.

“I won’t ask you to go with me,” she said. “You needn’t see that sight again.”

“What if you don’t come back?”

“I’ll be fine.” Mary squeezed Roselle’s arm, then tucked a small hatchet in her belt, looped a basket over her arm, and left.

~~~

From his hidden vantage point in the upper story of the old lodge, the beast watched Mary leave the two younger humans in the cottage. She hadn’t told him she would be venturing into the forest. Was he meant to follow? Or did she want him to stay put, stay hidden, as she had told him the night before?

He waited for a moment, but she never turned to signal to him, and she was carrying a hatchet. Surely she would be alright without him…

The beast decided to stay and watch over the visitors, considering that one of them was injured and the other looked frightened after her encounter with the wolves. He padded down the crumbling steps of the lodge to the main level, and then quietly moved to the corner of the building. Something about the humans drew him to be closer to them, a wish that he had buried in his heart to endure the isolation.

Friends.

~~~

Roselle began pacing back and forth in front of the cottage as soon as Mary was out of sight.

“She’ll be fine,” Eldon said from inside.

Roselle whirled around. “That’s what you said about us when we left home,” she retorted, “and we weren’t fine. At all.”

“She knows what she’s doing, she’s lived here by herself for years.”

“I know, but-”

Roselle didn’t finish. There, around the corner of the lodge, a monstrous, hairy head had appeared and was staring directly at her.

She shrieked and ran back in the cottage, slamming the door behind her.

“What-”

“It’s here,” she said, trembling. “That beast. It’s here.”

Eldon’s face turned pale. “Did it see you?” he whispered.

Roselle nodded. Eldon swore under his breath.

“Mary’s still out there,” Roselle whispered. “What do we do?”

“Just keep quiet, and watch for her,” Eldon said. “Don’t open the door until she’s back.”

Staying below the windows, Roselle crept to the table and picked up a sharp knife that Mary had been using to chop vegetables. She then quietly removed the fire poker from its hook on the hearth, and crawled across the floor to pass it to Eldon. With her help, he sat up, leaning back against the wall with the fire poker gripped tightly in his hands. Roselle crouched under the window, hardly daring to look.

Time crawled by as they waited. Finally, Roselle thought she heard footsteps coming up the dirt path, and she peeked over the windowsill to see that it was just Mary. Roselle’s focus darted back to where she had seen the beast, but it was gone. As soon as Mary was within a few steps of the door, Roselle threw it open and frantically waved her inside.

“What’s the matter?” Mary asked, her attention flying to Eldon. “Are you alright?”

Roselle bolted the door. “That beast is here,” she said, pointing with the knife toward the lodge.

A strange expression crossed Mary’s face. It was fear, for a moment, but then it was just resignation. She sighed.

“He’s no beast,” she said, setting her hatchet and basket down. “He’s a boy. Well, a young man. As I have told you.”

Roselle’s mouth dropped open in shock. “He’s the cursed one you’re trying to save?”

“Yes,” Mary said. “And he was supposed to stay out of sight. I didn’t want to frighten you.”

Roselle was still standing in shock, knife in hand.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Eldon said, setting the poker down at his side.

“I told you, I didn’t want–well, this,” Mary said, gesturing to Roselle holding the knife. “I didn’t know you would still be here today, and I didn’t think you needed to know. I told him not to show himself… but I should have known. He’s been so lonely here, with no friends, and you are close to his age… He must have let his curiosity get the better of him. He hasn’t seen anyone except me in the last three years.” 

She gently took the knife from Roselle’s hand and set it on the table. 

“He came to fetch me yesterday after you were attacked,” Mary went on. “I mean, of course I heard your screams, too, but I didn’t know what was going on. He came back here to tell me there was someone out there who needed my help.”

“So he… he saved us on purpose?” Roselle asked, sitting in the nearest chair. She was feeling a bit lightheaded.

Mary smiled. “He did,” she said, tears welling in her eyes.

“We owe him our lives, then,” Eldon said. “You and him both.”

Mary wiped her tears. “He always had a wonderfully kind heart. Even a curse couldn’t change that,” she said, the pride of a mother shining through her sadness.

“Could we meet him?” Eldon asked, glancing at Roselle. “I mean, shouldn’t we say thank you?”

“That’s very sweet of you,” Mary said. “I suppose there’s no more point in making him hide anymore. Although you should know, he isn’t able to speak. He can understand, and he can gesture. But the curse took his voice.”

Eldon nodded. Roselle’s head was swimming. She never could have imagined that the curse Mary described had been something so dramatic as to turn a young man into a beast, and she was still trying to comprehend such a thing as she helped Eldon to his feet and walked him outside.

“It’s alright, dear, you can come out now,” Mary called in the direction of the lodge. “They’ve already seen you.”

There was a pause, and then they heard hesitant, heavy footsteps. A moment later, the beast lumbered into view on all fours. Roselle found herself taking a small step back before steadying herself with a deep breath.

The giant creature, even larger than the wolves, stopped a few yards off. He sat down on his haunches and stared back at them. His body shape resembled a black bear’s, in many ways, but he had forelegs that were almost like human arms, and his front feet were somewhere between a hand and a paw. He had a long snout like a wolf, and fangs poked out from his mouth. His ears were pointed like a wolf’s, too. His brown eyes looked back and forth between them, and Roselle couldn’t be completely sure, but the beast seemed nervous.

“Hello,” Eldon said, bravely putting on a friendly smile. He turned to Mary. “What’s his name?”

“You may call him Bern,” she said.

“Hello, Bern,” Eldon said, turning back to the beast. “My name is Eldon, and this is my sister, Roselle.”

Roselle smiled weakly, and the beast bowed his head.

“I understand we have you to thank for saving us yesterday,” Eldon continued. “We owe you a great debt.”

The beast bowed his head again.

“I told them we’re trying to change you back into a man,” Mary said.

 “We’ll do what we can to help you,” Eldon added.

“But first,” Mary said to Eldon, “we must help you.”  

Eldon was still leaning heavily on Roselle’s shoulder, and she could feel that the exertion of standing had caused him to get a bit wobbly in the knees.

“Perhaps we should go back inside for a bit,” she murmured.

~~~

Though he was by far the mightiest of the four of them, Bern had never felt more vulnerable than he did with all of them staring at him. Mary smiled encouragingly, but the other two were assessing him, despite the brother’s kind words. He knew they were still afraid; he saw the sister step back when he approached, and it pained him to cause distress. He tried to make himself appear as small as possible, but clearly it wasn’t enough to set them at ease.

It was somewhat of a relief, then, when Mary ushered the siblings into the cottage and they shifted their focus to the brother’s injury. He was glad that Mary was there to help them, to take care of them, just as she had taken care of him all those years.

Once the humans were back in the cottage, Bern shuffled away into the forest. His presence outside would only add to the siblings’ stress, so the only thing he could do was leave and hope that their next meeting would be better. Perhaps he could even bring a peace offering, he thought. 

Bern sniffed the air. There was plenty of game in the forest. Surely that would please them…

~~~

Roselle helped Eldon back to his spot on the floor. It was then that she noticed the severed wolf paws in Mary’s basket. She grimaced.

“Have you ever done anything like this before? Making antidotes?”

“Oh yes,” Mary said. “When I worked as a healer, I had to make all kinds of antidotes in case anyone in the castle was ever poisoned.”

“Goodness,” Roselle murmured.

“I’ll need a few supplies from the lodge, though,” she said. “Would you like to come see the inside, now that Bern doesn’t have to hide in there?”

Roselle agreed, and the two of them left Eldon to rest in the cottage. They walked past the garden to an old, partially-rotted wooden door at the back of the lodge. Inside, Roselle was abruptly hit with the smell of mold, rot, and dead animals. The first room they entered must have once been a great kitchen. Rusted and cracked old cooking vessels were stacked everywhere, and there was a huge fireplace housing a spit and a massive cauldron on legs. Everything was covered with a layer of dust, dirt, and cobwebs, and evidence of rodents and insects were on every surface. Roselle and Mary carefully picked their way over broken shards and piles of animal droppings.

Down a long hallway in the back of the lodge, there was a room that seemed to be some kind of store room for many strange instruments and items that Roselle didn’t recognize. Some were metal, others stone. There were also many more bottles of liquids and dried flora upon shelves across the walls. Unlike the kitchen, the items were clean and most of the debris from the floor had been swept away.

“I was so pleased to find this room,” Mary said. “They just left it all behind when they stopped coming here. Can you imagine being so rich, you don’t even need the gold?” She waved a hand at the table packed full of tarnished instruments.

Roselle’s jaw dropped at the sight. She hadn’t seen much gold growing up in Haebard; sometimes a traveler would pass through, and perhaps spend a few small coins for accommodation, but coins were only worth so much in her village, far from anywhere to spend it. People usually just bartered for what they needed, and gold couldn’t feed a body or keep a body warm in winter. 

Wealth like this was beyond her comprehension.

Mary gave her a few items to help carry back to the cottage. Tarnished or not, Roselle held more gold in her hands in that moment than she had ever held in her whole life. She scarcely dared to breathe, lest she drop anything. 

Once back in the cottage, she watched Mary carefully extract the venom from the wolves’ claws. 

“How long will it take to make the antidote?” Roselle asked.

“It’s hard to say,” Mary said. “I don’t yet know all the properties of the venom, so I’ll need to perform some tests.” She set down the claws. “I wish I could give you a better answer. I know you needed to get to Swenford-”

Roselle put up a hand. “All that matters is that Eldon is healed.”

“We can still make it there,” Eldon said from the floor.

Roselle shook her head. “When you’re better, we’re going home,” she said.

“I will do everything I can,” Mary said solemnly. “Now, while I work on this, would you mind helping me with some other things?”

So Roselle spent the afternoon working on preparing food from some of the vegetables they had collected from the garden, fetching water, and, most importantly, cutting firewood. She knew it must be hard for Mary to keep up with it at her age–although, now knowing there was a giant beast nearby, Roselle wondered if he ever helped with breaking up wood for her.

She learned of another way the beast helped Mary when he returned from the forest with a deer hanging from his mouth.

“My sweet boy,” Mary said with a smile when she saw him coming. “He’s such a good host for his guests.”

“Tell him we appreciate the gesture,” Eldon said from his place on the floor.

Roselle worked on field dressing the deer, as she had done many times before when her father or Eldon brought one home, but she had never done it with a beast watching her every move. She glanced up hesitantly a few times, and then tried to ignore him and focus.

“Give him the organs,” Mary called from inside. “Those are his favorites.”

Roselle gathered the organs from the deer and placed them a few feet away from the beast, too timid to come any closer. He bowed his head, and then waited for her to return to the deer’s carcass before putting his back to her and eating the organs in a few bites. Then, to her surprise, he got up and went to the stream, where he seemed to be washing his face. She really ought to not be surprised, she thought–after all, he was a human underneath it all, something she was still struggling to picture.

That night, they had a delicious meal of venison and settled in for another night in Mary’s cottage. But this time, Roselle slept as soundly as she did in her own bed.

The next morning, Mary continued her work with the venom while Eldon rested and Roselle helped with chores. They spent the time chatting, and the siblings learned more about Mary’s time with Bern before he was cursed.

Mary had been there when he was born, treated every illness he suffered through as a child, comforted him all of his life. “I practically raised him. His parents were too busy with their work in the castle to look after him,” she said. Mary never had children of her own, and even though she was old enough to be Bern’s grandmother, he had told her more than once that he always regarded her as his true mother. “I taught him about the world beyond the capital, things I had seen during the war, ideas his father wouldn’t approve of,” she went on.

As Mary spoke, Roselle could see how deep their bond went. Mary wasn’t about to let Bern stay cursed forever.

“Who was it that cursed him, exactly?” Roselle asked. “What did they have against Bern that would make them do such a thing?”

“The man who cursed him… well, he was always a cruel person.” Mary said. “He was one of the most powerful wizards in the kingdom during the war, ruthless with his magic. When the war ended, and there were no more battles to wage, he turned his ambition toward politics in the castle.” Mary sighed. “He has a… connection to Bern’s parents,” she explained. “Bern stood to inherit a great deal after his parents passed. The wizard resented Bern—hated him, even—and wanted him gone. With Bern out of the way, the inheritance would all go to this man instead.”

“So he cursed Bern, and sent him away,” Roselle finished.

 “How did you find Bern?” Eldon asked. “How did you know he would be here?”

 “It was but one of many places that Bern could be held, unnoticed, and I planned to search all of them until I found him,” Mary said. “I knew the wizard often came to this lodge during the war. I assumed it had something to do with the work he was doing for the king, but it was kept a secret, of course. They couldn’t let the enemies find out what he was doing. Even now, we don’t know what kind of weapons he made for the king.” She shook her head sadly.

Roselle looked to Eldon with wide eyes. “I can’t believe this was happening so close to Haebard, and no one knew!”

“Well… there have always been stories,” Eldon began.

“What stories?” she asked. “They told us this lodge was protected by magic, but I’ve never heard anything about a wizard making weapons here.”

“People are just trying to move on, and they don’t talk about it as much now,” Eldon said, “but I remember hearing people talk when I was a child–stories about how anyone who came near this place would feel the presence of dark magic.”

“Oh yes, there’s an ominous energy in the whole lodge,” Mary said. “Although, I don’t know where he learned such things. It’s difficult to find information about dark magic, and for good reason. It’s a dangerous business.”

Roselle shuddered. As much as people had hated and feared all magic since the war, dark magic in particular had been greatly feared long before the war, and had been forbidden since ancient times.

“Did he keep practicing dark magic after the war?” Eldon asked, rubbing the stubble that had begun to appear on his chin.

“He must have found a way to do so. Of course, he couldn’t have been using dark magic in Gillrem, but I do recall hearing rumors among the other servants, back when I worked in the castle… You see, this wizard claimed to have bouts of illness every so often that confined him to his private chambers, and only his most loyal servants were permitted inside. Even I, as a healer, could not tend to him, nor could any physicians. But there were whispers that the wizard wasn’t really there, that he disappeared out of the castle entirely. A teleportation spell would be challenging, but not impossible for him…

“If he was coming here to continue his dark magic, I haven’t come across any solid evidence, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a secret room somewhere in there.”

“How would we find it?” Roselle asked.

“I have sensed something before, something ominous beneath my feet in the store room. I always just thought it was my imagination, but maybe there really is something there,” Mary said, “but the real question is, how do we get inside?”

“I don’t suppose he left the key here,” Eldon said with a sigh.

“It’s probably a spell,” Mary said. “Perhaps I can enchant something that would open the door… I shall think on it.”

~~~

That afternoon, Bern was trying to keep cool in the shade of some trees near the stream when he heard footsteps. He raised his head to see Roselle approaching, bucket in hand, to fetch water. His heart leapt at another chance to show that he wanted to be friends.

When she saw him appear from behind the trees, Roselle gave a startled “Oh!” but quickly breathed a sigh of relief. She held her palm to her chest and said,  “I thought you were one of the wolves.”

He tried to look apologetic as he sat politely on his haunches, hoping she would want to talk so that he could respond. How he missed his voice…

After a moment, she cleared her throat and asked, “Are you enjoying this weather?”

Bern nodded.

“I should think you prefer the cooler weather to come, what with all that fur,” she said, then immediately made a face like she wished she hadn’t.

But Bern made a small noise that was as close to a laugh as he was able to make, and he nodded his head again.

“I was just getting some water,” she said, holding up the bucket. “Would you like to walk with me?”

Bern nodded and stood, and the two of them walked to the stream. Roselle had evidently left her stockings and boots back at the cottage, as the late summer afternoon had become quite warm, and she waded right into the cold stream. She let the water run over her pale feet and ankles for a few seconds before she filled the bucket.

“I wonder how many people it used to take to run this place when it was in use,” she said, waving a hand at the lodge. “I can’t imagine how many buckets of water someone had to carry in every day.”

Bern watched as her gaze wandered to the trees, and he knew she was thinking of the wolves again. He wished he could reassure her that they couldn’t get to her, not while he was around.

“People in our shire tried to hunt those wolves, you know,” Roselle said. “My father says they’re hard to kill without magic.” She straightened and splashed back to the bank of the stream. “I‘m glad Mary has you to look after her.”

Bern nodded again and followed as Roselle made her way back to the cottage, still chattering, but Bern was barely listening—a memory had sprung into his mind, something that he hadn’t thought of in years. It was a little foggy in his mind, but he could picture where he was: in one of the castle gardens, where his father was speaking to someone about an experiment during the war...

Bern stared up at the hunting lodge, a sudden realization dawning on him. He turned back to her and nodded vigorously, then started searching the ground.

“What is it?” Roselle asked, following him to a patch of dirt beneath a large tree.

Bern began scratching into the dirt with one of his claws. It had been years since he had written anything, and he found that his paws were far clumsier at forming the letters than his fingers would’ve been, but he managed to get 3 decently-legible words out. Roselle gasped when she saw that he was writing, and then read aloud:

uncle

wolves

here

~~~

“I… I don’t understand,” Roselle said.

Bern gestured at the cottage.

“Should I fetch Mary?”

He nodded.

Roselle hurried to the cottage. Setting down the bucket, she told Mary what she had said to Bern, and what Bern had written in response.

Mary clapped a hand over her mouth. “Of course,” she said, taking a small knife and a shallow golden bowl and rushing back out of the cottage.

Roselle followed. “What’s wrong?”

“I know what he did,” Mary said to Roselle.

“Who?”

“The wizard,” Mary said, “and I think I know how we can open the secret room.” She turned to Bern. “It’s blood magic,” she said. “It has to be.”

To Roselle’s utter shock, Bern held out a paw, and Mary pricked one of his toe pads with the knife.

“What are you doing?!”

“It’s alright, dear,” Mary said, catching the drops of blood in the golden bowl. “I didn’t tell you before, but the man who did this to him was his uncle—his mother’s brother. Beast or human, that man’s blood runs through Bern’s veins.”

“But what does his blood have to do with this secret room?”

“It’s the key,” Mary said. “Fetch a lantern, would you?”

Roselle returned to the cottage and told Eldon they would be right back, then lit a lantern and followed Mary to the lodge as Bern lumbered behind.

Roselle’s head was spinning. “So Bern’s uncle was the wizard who was sent here to develop weapons during the war?” she asked. “But what does that have to do with the wolves?”

“Bern is trying to tell me: it was him. The wizard was the one who created those wolves.”

Bern nodded.

“I always thought those wolves were just unfortunate casualties of the magic that was used during the fight, but he made them to be used as weapons,” Mary said. “As I told you, they kept much of the magic used in the war a secret, even from those of us who worked in the castle. But it seems that Bern has remembered something about his uncle, and it all makes sense now. Those wolves—they are cursed, too, in a way.”

“So he was developing the curse that changed those wolves, here.”

“And that curse can give us some answers about Bern’s curse,” Mary said with a nod. “We must get into that room.”

Bern waited outside while Roselle and Mary picked their way back to the store room.

“You see here?” Mary pointed to the stone floor. “When I cleaned in here, I noticed that these stones were different from the rest of the floors.”

Indeed, the stones were long, evenly shaped rectangles all in a row.

“I think, if we just do this…” Mary poured the blood on one of the rectangles, and instead of just pooling on top of the stones, the drops appeared to be to be pulled into the stone itself. Then, with a rumble, the stones began cascading downward into a set of stairs that led into pitch-black darkness. An odd odor rose from below, and Roselle shuddered.

“Let’s go,” Mary said, taking the lantern.

A wave of dread flooded Roselle, but she followed the old woman into the darkness. When they reached the bottom, the lantern barely illuminated the space, but Roselle spotted a torch on the wall. Once lit, the torch revealed a large room full of more instruments like the ones in the store room above, as well as tables and bookshelves housing dust-covered books, bottles, and jars.

“Let’s see what he was up to,” Mary said.

Roselle stayed firmly planted by the foot of the stairs as Mary wove around the tables, inspecting the books that still lay open. The room filled Roselle with far more unease than the forest did.

Mary paused at one book in particular. “Bern was right,” she said. “And he must have been the one behind the bears, too, I’m sure of it.”

“The bears?” Roselle asked weakly.

“There once were bears, too, twisted and changed like those wolves,” Mary said. “I think the bears were more to the south of your village, so you may not have heard of them. But to my knowledge, they were all hunted down. I’m guessing the wolves were a bit trickier to eliminate.”

Mary continued searching the room. Then, at a table at the very back wall, she set down her lantern.

“Come look at this,” she said.

Roselle hesitated, then took a deep breath and joined Mary. The table was littered with animal bones, and there was a bundle of dried-up purplish flowers tied up with string. A mortar and pestle sat in the center next to a piece of parchment covered in notes. From what Roselle could make out, it looked like some kind of bizarre recipe.

“This is how he made the curse he cast on Bern,” Mary said in a hushed voice. “Everything he used to make it is written here.”

“So does that mean you can undo it?”

“I don’t know,” Mary said. She pointed to a note on the list. “I’ve never heard of this before.”

“‘Fresh Healer’s Heart,’” Roselle read. “I’ve never seen them myself; I’ve only heard about them in old tales, but… that’s what these are,” she said, gesturing to the dry flowers. “The story goes that they grow on a hillside not far from here.”

Mary turned sharply. “Do you think you could find that hillside?”

“Well, I know the general direction…” Roselle began.

Excitement grew across Mary’s face. 

“But the story also says they only bloom once every three years,” Roselle finished, hanging her head.

“Child, don’t you see?” Mary said breathlessly. “These must have been fresh when he was working on the curse. And that was three years ago…”

Roselle’s head snapped back up. “So, if we collect these flowers, you could change him back?”

Mary was already rolling up the parchment that contained the recipe and collecting the bones into her apron. “I can’t promise it will work, but I can promise that I will die before I stop trying,” she said. “Come, let’s go.”

At the top of the stairs, Mary tipped more of Bern’s blood onto the steps, and they rose again to create a solid floor.

“No one needs to go back to that wretched place,” she said.

~~~

Bern waited for them outside, wondering what was down there. When the women emerged, he could see the excitement emanating from Mary.

“It’s all here,” Mary said, waving the parchment. “He wrote it all down.”

Bern’s eyes widened. At last, some answers.

“I must study it,” she said, turning to Roselle, “but tomorrow… tomorrow you can go get these flowers. Bern can go with you and keep you safe,” Mary added. She had more hope on her face than Bern had seen in a long time. Roselle nodded, and Mary threw her arms around the young woman. “Thank you, dear,” she said, sniffling.

Roselle patted Mary on the back for a moment, then Mary wiped away her tears and returned to the cottage, leaving Roselle alone with Bern.

“We think that a certain flower that grows near here could be the key,” Roselle explained.

Bern raised his eyebrows and waited for her to say more.

“I’ve never actually been to where they grow, but I heard stories growing up. It should be north of here.” 

He nodded, hoping it appeared as though he was patiently listening. 

“I suppose we ought to leave early tomorrow,” she went on. “I’m not really sure how long the journey will take.”

He nodded again. 

“Well… good evening,” she said with a polite smile, then turned and headed back to the cottage.

Bern watched her go. It hardly seemed real–a flower might be the final piece of the puzzle, and then he could have his life back… but he was afraid to let himself think too much about it. What if it didn’t work?

But what if it did?

As much as he desperately wanted to be a human again, the idea was actually quite daunting. He had so many responsibilities waiting for him back home, so many expectations. Maybe he didn’t have to go back… maybe he and Mary could just stay here, in the cottage, and he could take care of her for a change. Perhaps he could have friends, and a family of his own, with no one knowing who he was. Mary had already been keeping the secret; though she had spoken at length about him to Eldon and Roselle, Bern had noticed the way she danced around his true identity, never revealing who he was, to keep him safe. Maybe it could stay that way forever…

~~~

By the time Roselle returned to the cottage, Mary had explained everything to Eldon.

“I would go if I could,” he said, patting his chest. 

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, dear,” Mary said. “I think I’ve worked out the antidote and we will try it soon.”

That evening, when Mary left to bid Bern goodnight, Eldon waved Roselle over. 

“Are you ready to go into the forest again?” he asked.

“Yes, I think so,” Roselle said. “I feel much safer with Bern.”

“But remember, you’ll have to do all the talking. I know how much you just love being the only one talking,” Eldon said, nudging her with a cheeky grin.

Roselle laughed. “I’ll be fine. And even though he can’t speak, he still tries to show what he thinks. He seems sweet.” 

Eldon gave her hand a squeeze. “I just wish I could go with you. Not that I was of much use last time…” he added dryly.

“Stop it,” she said, squeezing his hand back. “You did everything you could. And you did protect me, like you always do.”

Eldon leaned his head back. “But we would’ve been lost if it weren’t for Bern.”

The next morning, Roselle was awakened early by the sounds of Mary preparing a basket of food for her to take on their journey.

“Ah, good, you’re up,” Mary said with a bright smile. “Bern is ready when you are. Have some breakfast before you go.”

Roselle ate and watched Mary fill the basket with dried meats, berries, and vegetables.

“You might find more things to eat along the way, but if not, make this last,” Mary said. “You’re sure you know where you’re going?”

“Yes,” Roselle said, “but I’m not sure what we’ll find there, to be honest.”

“We must have hope,” Mary said, handing her the basket.

Roselle nodded, said goodbye to her brother, took a deep breath, and headed out to join Bern.

The pair headed north along an old path that was once a road. The morning was cool, a reminder of autumn’s approach, and the sun was beginning to stream through the trees, glistening on the dew. As they walked side by side, Roselle found herself filling the silence with talk of her life back in Haebard, and as far as she could tell, Bern listened with great interest. “Well, enough about me,” she said after awhile. “I should like to know more about your life. Mary’s only told us a little bit…”

She began to ask Bern questions about himself, choosing her words so that he could either nod or shake his head in response.

“I can’t wait to hear more about what it was like to grow up in the capital, once you can tell me,” Roselle said after awhile, hoping he wasn’t offended by the reminder that he couldn’t speak.

But of course he nodded and smiled–or rather, that’s what she knew he was trying to do as he curled his lips and bared his teeth.

“I can’t envision a place grander than the lodge back there.” Roselle gestured behind them. “Did you travel often, before… er, when you were younger?”

Bern shook his head.

“Nor have I. The farthest from home I’ve ever been is Agrynne, and I thought that was busy! I imagine it must be quite noisy in Gillrem.”

Bern gave a snort that Roselle took to be a chuckle.

“I suppose my life must sound very dull after living in a place like that,” she said with a half-grin.

Bern shook his head again.

“No?” she asked with a laugh. “Well, thank you, that’s kind of you–but I don’t believe you for a moment.”

Roselle could see something in his eyes, almost a glimmer, that she hadn’t noticed before. It seemed like he was… happy. Although he was walking on all four legs, Roselle realized that she was hardly seeing his beastly exterior anymore. She didn’t know what Bern had looked like prior to being cursed, but it was as if she could already picture him as a human: a bright, courageous, patient young man with a good heart. Suddenly feeling quite bashful, she searched for something else to say.

“So, erm, living in the castle, I presume you must have seen lots of feasts and balls and such,” she said, and Bern nodded. “They must have been splendid. I’ve heard stories of the food they eat there,” Roselle added as her stomach growled. “Or at least, they did, before the…” 

She trailed off, a thought bubbling to the surface of her mind. Roselle stopped abruptly and stared, mouth agape, at Bern. She didn’t know how it hadn’t occurred to her earlier… But all the stories she’d heard spoke of a huge and monstrous beast, with fangs and claws as long as a man’s arm, a terrible temper, a fearsome roar… Could it be?

Bern stopped, too, and cocked his head at her.

“Are you…” Roselle began, then swallowed hard. “Are you Prince Adalbern?”

His expression changed, and he turned away for a moment. When faced her again, he nodded.

Roselle gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Her mind was racing, but the first clear thought she had was that she must show him respect. “I’m so sorry, Your Highness, I didn’t know,” she said, dipping into a clumsy curtsy. She wasn’t sure what else she was supposed to do in the presence of royalty–she had never even been this close to a noble.

But Bern was frantically clearing away a space on the path, and he started to write something in the dirt:

please don’t change

He seemed distressed when he looked up again.

Roselle breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright,” she said. “I don’t really know what to do around a prince anyway.”

Bern chuckled.

“Well, shall we?” she asked, gesturing forward. As they resumed their walk, she spoke again. “But I don’t understand–all the stories say it was a sorceress who changed you, not a man.”

Bern gave her a look.

“Long story, huh?”

Bern nodded.

“I can’t wait to hear it,” she said with a smile.

About an hour before midday, Roselle felt that they must be getting close. The landmarks she knew of had appeared in front of them, and Bern sniffed the air.

“We should see some at any time now,” Roselle said. “Watch where you step.”

She had shared everything she knew about the Healer’s Heart from stories she’d been told. It had mild healing properties on its own, but when someone with magical knowledge wielded it, enhancing its powers, the plant could do great things: even stitching bones or flesh back together. It was once harvested and sold to villages all over, but ever since the war, no one wanted to use magic, so no one bothered going out of their way to harvest it.

Roselle scoured the ground as they stepped forward, keeping an eye out for any signs of the flower. As they crested a small hill, her mouth dropped open.

A huge field of Healer’s Heart danced in the breeze. Hundreds, maybe even thousands of them, all sprawled out in a wide swath down the other side of the hill. Roselle fell to her knees and reverently cradled the nearest one. They had a dark bluish-purple center with petals that looked as if they had been dipped in a deep reddish-purple dye. She’d never seen anything so beautiful.

“I can’t believe it,” she murmured.

Mary had packed a trowel for her to use, and Roselle began painstakingly digging around the base of the plant, trying not to disturb its roots too much.

“The notes said they had to be fresh,” she explained. “We don’t want to risk cutting them yet.”

Roselle collected several different plants from different parts of the meadow, unsure if it would make a difference. Then she delicately packed each one into the basket, dirt and all, after moving the remaining food to her apron pocket.

~~~

The pair set out on the walk back to the cottage, stopping to rest and drink from a stream a few times. Roselle gave the flowers a small amount of water to help ensure their transplant would be successful. She was being so careful, all just to help him. And it wasn’t because he was the prince of Dellivere, either–she had started helping Mary long before she knew who he was. In his life as the prince, he hadn’t always been sure of who was sincere in their treatment of him. Except for Mary, of course. She was the only one he had ever really believed loved him for who he was inside, not for his title or wealth.

Bern did find himself wishing he had some of that wealth there with him, though. He wanted to show Roselle how much he appreciated her. She deserved something beautiful. Back home, he had access to gems, jewelry, silks–all manner of expensive and shiny things–but he would have to make do with what he had. He remembered passing by a rosebush on their way out, full of lovely pink roses. His last encounter with roses didn’t go so well, of course, but this was different. They were wildflowers, not perfectly manicured blooms. And to him, that made them all the more beautiful.

When they returned back to the spot, Bern lumbered over to the rosebush. Roselle silently watched him with curiosity. He struggled a bit with his dexterity, just as he had with writing, and accidentally crushed some of the roses, but the thorns hardly even scratched his tough, calloused paws, and he managed to get enough of a handful to make a bouquet. He looked down at the roses, disappointed that he had ruined so many of them, but Roselle smiled sweetly as he presented them to her, and his heart leapt.

“Thank you,” she said, holding them gingerly so she didn’t get pricked by a thorn. “I’ll just tuck them right here.” She placed them among the Healer’s Heart in her basket.

Bern smiled and almost resumed walking on all fours legs, then stopped himself and stood up straight. It had been a long time since he’d walked upright, and it wasn’t easy, but he was determined. Roselle seemed to understand that he wanted to walk like a man, so she didn’t question him, and they continued down the path.

Bern had walked much of the journey on his hind legs, despite needing to take breaks to walk on all fours, and he made sure he was walking upright when they arrived at the cottage that evening. Since Bern was about ten feet tall on his hind legs, Mary spotted them through the window when they were still a long way off, and came hurrying to meet them, a wide smile lighting up her face.

“You’re walking!” she exclaimed.

Bern nodded.

“I think he’s happy that we’re another step closer,” Roselle said, holding up the basket in triumph.

“Oh, how wonderful!” Mary said, taking the basket and examining the flowers. She hugged Roselle. “Thank you, my dear,” she added, squeezing the young woman’s arm.

~~~

Once the women had returned to the cottage, and Roselle had told Mary that there were more flowers in the meadow, she took a breath.

“Mary,” she said, “Bern told me something–er, you know, I asked and he nodded…”

“We should soon have him speaking for himself again,” Mary said with a smile.

“Right… well, what I found out was… a bit of a surprise,” Roselle went on. She glanced at her brother, who was listening intently. “I know who Bern really is,” she said, turning back to Mary.

The old woman stopped fiddling with the flowers and grew serious.

“Who is he?” Eldon asked.

Mary sighed. “He’s Prince Adalbern.”

“What?” Eldon asked, staring open-mouthed at Mary.

“It’s true,” Roselle said.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Eldon asked Mary.

“She’s just been protecting him,” Roselle said, “and I understand that. But I’m still a bit confused about what happened…”

Mary looked out the window at Bern, then nodded. “You’ve trusted me, and I believe we can trust you, too. You deserve to know the whole truth.” She pulled up a chair near Eldon, waved for Roselle to do the same, and began her story. “The wizard who cursed Bern wasn’t just anyone. He was Bern’s uncle, Randolf, the late Queen’s brother,” she said. 

During the war, Randolf had been given a lot of special authority because he was close to the king. After the war, that authority was no longer needed, so it was taken away, and Randolf had always resented that. When the king died, Randolf was put in place as the regent for Prince Adalbern, who was only 16 then and not yet old enough to rule. 

“Randolf didn’t like the ideas that Bern had for improving the kingdom, and had little interest in helping anyone but himself,” Mary said. “He wanted the throne, so he played the part of the benevolent uncle, all while making a plan to get the prince out of the way without getting caught.”

It was widely known that a mysterious sorceress had made her way into the castle one night during a ball, and cursed the prince before vanishing. However, as Mary quietly gathered more information, a different story came together. There was a woman in Randolf’s employ who, disguised as a guest at the ball, got close enough to Bern to strike up a conversation with him. She was wearing roses in her hair, and spun an elaborate tale of how she grew them herself. Upon claiming that they were the best-smelling roses in the whole kingdom, the woman persuaded the prince to bring his nose close enough to inhale the curse-laced flowers.

When he did so, he began to violently cough and choke, which drew the attention of everyone in the room, and many people recalled seeing a reddish powder on the prince’s face. They witnessed him fall to his knees, his body growing and becoming covered in thick fur. As the curse took hold, confusion and alarm spread throughout the ballroom. No one realized at first that it was the woman who had cursed him until she shouted something about revenge for the late king’s role in the war. Randolf called for guards, who made to arrest the woman, but she disappeared before they could reach her.

The prince had, of course, been panicked and frightened as his body became unrecognizable, and he had tried to flee the ballroom, accidentally injuring anyone in his way. The regent king swooped in to sedate him with a spell, and the unconscious beast was removed. That was the last time anyone had seen the prince.

Though Randolf claimed the prince was taken somewhere to keep himself and others safe from further harm, no one knew exactly where the prince was. It was almost as if he had magically vanished… 

Randolf had let the word spread about Bern’s condition, and the regent king assured the public that everything was being done to try to reverse the curse placed upon the prince, but to Mary, his words were empty without actions to accompany them. Some mages had stepped forth to offer their assistance in lifting the curse, but all were denied, told that the regent king trusted no one else to help his nephew.

“I was, of course, highly suspicious of Randolf, so I secretly started my own search. I talked to everyone I could trust, and eavesdropped on those I couldn’t directly speak to. And I wasn’t all alone: I had many friends in Gillrem, and Bern had plenty of supporters who knew what kind of man he was becoming before the curse and were eagerly awaiting his chance to ascend the throne when he came of age. But no one knew exactly what the curse was. So I learned as much as I could while I tried to find him.”

She located Bern after months of searching. When she arrived, Mary discovered that he was unable to leave the boundary of the lodge, and she could not enter, either, but she realized that the barrier spell only affected humans. Bern had been living off small creatures that wandered their way in, and the rainwater that pooled in all the collapsed parts of the lodge. He was weak, but he was alive, and her presence gave him hope to keep going, though he was still imprisoned. 

Mary settled into the abandoned cottage, and with the help of the books she had stolen from the royal library, she practiced magic every day and gathered her strength to break the spells that kept them apart. Finally, Bern was able to roam free, and Mary nursed him back to health.

Breaking barrier and entrapment spells was one thing; breaking the curse that had changed his body was another thing entirely. Part of the trouble with changing him back was that she wasn’t familiar with this sort of magic, as she was just a healer. By the time she found him, she knew of some spells that could possibly change him back. She had tried potions, full of rare and precious ingredients… Nothing worked. 

“But now, with the notes and the Healer’s Heart, I’m confident that we’ll break the curse soon,” she concluded. 

Eldon exhaled. “I can’t believe we’ve been in the presence of the lost prince this whole time,” he said, looking somewhat dazed.

“We won’t tell anyone,” Roselle assured Mary.

“Thank you, my dear,” Mary said, close to tears. “I truly can’t thank you enough, but I’m afraid I must ask one more thing of you…”

“It’s the least I could do for you helping my brother,” Roselle said, smiling. “What can I do?”

“When I cast the spell, I will need to draw on the magic within you,” Mary said. When Roselle and Eldon looked puzzled, she explained, “There’s a bit of magic in every living thing. It’s all around us. Without you, it would take all my strength.”

Eldon and Roselle glanced at each other.

“Will it hurt?” Eldon asked.

“No, it might make you feel a bit tired, but it won’t be painful.”

“Well then,” Eldon said matter-of-factly, “we better get some rest, I suppose.”

Mary smiled. “I’m going to speak with Bern, to make sure he’s ready for tomorrow.”

When she left, Roselle joined Eldon on the floor. “What did we get ourselves into?” she murmured, hugging her knees.

“You’ve had quite an adventure, haven’t you?” Eldon said, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

She laughed softly. “I suppose I have. And so have you,” she added, nudging him gently.

Eldon patted his bandages. “Indeed,” he said. While Roselle and Bern had been fetching the Healer’s Heart, Mary had completed the wolf venom antidote, and Eldon’s wound was already healing much more quickly. He was looking more like himself again, and less sickly, though stubble had begun to cover his usually clean-shaven face.

Roselle’s thoughts turned toward home, and she sighed. “I wonder what father would say if he knew about all this.”

“He’d never let us leave home again,” Eldon said with a chuckle.

They all rose early the next morning, not wanting to waste any more time before restoring Bern. From Randolf’s notes, Mary learned that the curse had been made from the bones of two animals that Randolf had previously mutated: a wolf and a bear. He had ground the bones into a fine powder, added the Healer’s Heart to knit it all together, and then cast a transformation spell over the powder mixture. That was the powder that Bern had breathed in when he smelled the roses that fateful night.

“So now, to make him human again, we shall need to do the same, in a way,” Mary said. “If Randolf himself wasn’t powerful enough to change Bern with only the spell, then neither am I. We are going to need to make our own mixture, with human ingredients.”

Roselle stared at her in horror. “You’re not going to rob a grave, are you? For human bones?”

“No, no, of course not,” Mary said. “I have every tooth Bern ever lost.”

“You kept his teeth?”

“I knew how powerful they could be, and I didn’t want them to fall into the wrong hands,” she said, pulling a small pouch out of her medicine box. “I’ve used a few now, while I’ve been working on breaking the curse. But I still have plenty left for this.”

According to Randolf’s notes, the key ingredient was to be found in the Healer’s Heart, which would have to be processed in order to extract it. Before she went to bed the previous night, Mary had crushed one of the flowers with a mortar and pestle, then set it to steep in fresh water from the stream so it would be ready that morning. Mary took the water and set it to boil, and added some of Bern’s teeth, still saving some in case they needed to try again. This mixture, which would be boiled until only solids remained, was constantly watched and stirred by Mary–and Roselle didn’t blame her for wanting to take as much care as possible.

Since there wasn’t much they could do other than wait until Mary needed them, Eldon and Roselle joined Bern outside. Eldon, who was finally up and about on his own, was happy to be outside the cottage for a change. He was still resting, though, so he simply took a seat near the cottage, while Bern followed Roselle to the garden. He sat on his haunches and listened to her chatter as she harvested cucumbers and tomatoes for lunch.

She and Eldon soon got on the subject of celebrating once Bern was restored, which reminded them of the festivals that all the nearby villages used to hold, and then Eldon started singing one of their favorite songs. Roselle grinned and stood up to dance the way she remembered seeing at the festivals as a child.

“Come, dance with me, Bern!” she called as she spun.

She saw him hesitate for a moment, and then he rose to his hind legs and tottered toward her, attempting to mirror her movements. Roselle threw her head back and laughed in delight. It was the happiest she had felt in awhile.

Eldon cheered and clapped for both of them when his song was over. Roselle, flushed and still somewhat dizzy, turned to curtsy to her brother. 

Suddenly, she heard Bern cry out behind her. She spun around to find Bern clutching at an arrow sticking from his chest, near his shoulder.

Roselle gasped. “Hide!” she screamed.

Bern looked back at her with dazed, wide eyes, and then stumbled toward the lodge. He could only fit through the front doorway, so he had to run all the way around to the other side. Eldon shouted for Roselle to get into the cottage, but instead she frantically scanned the trees, trying to determine where the arrow had come from. She wasn’t worried about herself; she was certain that whoever had fired the arrow was aiming for the beast. But she saw no one.

Roselle ran through the back door of the lodge, leaping over the debris in several rooms and passageways until she met Bern in the great front entrance. She skidded to a halt and beckoned him to sit down and lean up against a wall, more out of sight from the windows. He collapsed, panting and still clumsily grasping the arrow in his chest with his paw.

“Are you alright?” she asked as she knelt beside him.

Bern nodded, but she could see the blood matting his fur, and he winced whenever he moved.

Before she could say more, she heard shouting outside. It sounded like Eldon, and another familiar voice…

A moment later, Roselle’s father appeared in the large front doorway, hunting bow drawn, with Eldon right behind him, telling him to put the bow down.

“Get away from that thing,” her father said to Roselle, not taking his focus off Bern. Her father’s hands were steady, but he was breathing heavily, and Roselle had never seen such a fierce expression on his face before.

~~~

“He’s not a thing, father,” Roselle said, rising to stand in front of Bern.

The man immediately pointed the arrow away from Roselle, but still didn’t relax his arms.

Her father? Bern somehow registered the thought through the pain radiating from his chest.

“Roselle,” the man said, a glimmer of fear appearing in his eyes. “Move.”

Roselle stayed put and continued to plead, saying, “I know you see a beast, but he’s–”

“A friend,” Eldon said quickly. “He saved our lives.”

“What?” their father asked incredulously, finally turning his face away from Bern to stare at Eldon.

“We were attacked by wolves in the forest, and Bern saved us,” Eldon explained. “He’s not going to hurt us, I swear it. Could you please put the bow down?”

Mary, who had at last caught up to them, hurried over to Bern.

“I’m sorry, Mary,” Roselle said. “My father was just trying to protect me.”

“I can’t fault him for that,” Mary murmured. 

“And who is she?” their father asked.

“She’s a healer,” Roselle said, then knelt beside Mary. “Will he be alright?”

Mary pursed her lips as she examined Bern’s wound. He groaned when she touched the arrow, and he saw her swallow hard. He knew how much it upset her to see him like this.

After what felt like ages, Mary cleared her throat and said, “Well, he won’t die, that much is certain, but it’s difficult to say what it will be like once I turn him back.” She cupped Bern’s face. “I will be right back with some supplies. Just wait here.” Then she rose and hastened back to the cottage.

“Can someone tell me what’s going on?” their father asked. He was still holding his bow, but no longer had an arrow nocked. “What do you mean, ‘turn him back?’”

“He was cursed a few years ago, father,” Eldon said. “Mary is trying to turn him back into a human.”

An expression of sympathy and understanding washed over their father’s face. “I see.” He put his arrow away and slung his bow over his shoulder. “When I heard you two singing and laughing, I thought you were coming home early,” he said to his children. “What are you doing out here?”

“We never made it to Swenford,” Eldon said.

Eldon went on to explain how they had ended up staying with Mary, but he never once mentioned that Bern was the prince. Eventually, Bern stopped listening. His chest felt like it was on fire. Every breath hurt. He realized that Roselle was holding his paw, and he focused on her face. She made him feel calmer.

Mary reappeared with a basket of supplies and a bucket of water. “Eldon, could you go back to the cottage and stir the cauldron for me, please? Roselle, I need your help.”

Once the arrow was removed and the wound was bandaged, Roselle’s father wiped the sweat from his brow and put his hands on his hips. “I’m sorry I shot you,” he said to Bern, who nodded.

“He accepts your apology,” Mary said. “Now, I think we ought to get him off of this stone floor.”

Bern bit back a roar of pain and stood on his two hind legs, the wound in his chest making it too painful to walk on all fours. Roselle and her father helped Bern get up, but he knew he had to walk himself to the cottage, as he was far too large to be carried by these humans, though they did help him keep his balance. Mary and Roselle made Bern as comfortable as they could in the shade of a tree, and then they left him to rest.

~~~

“How is he, really?” their father asked in a low voice when they returned to the cottage.

“I’ve done what I can,” Mary said, busying herself with putting away her supplies.

“Bern is strong, and Mary is a very skilled healer,” Roselle said.

“So I gathered,” her father said. He cleared his throat. “Eldon told me about the wolves. I owe you my thanks for taking care of my family,” he said to Mary.

“Of course,” she said, her face softening.

“And how did I repay your kindness?” He shook his head. Roselle could see that he was holding back emotions in front of the present company, and she squeezed his hand. “I thought he was one of those monsters. I didn’t know–”

Mary turned to him. “You’re a good father,” she said simply.

He clenched his jaw, then took a deep breath. “This curse… I saw my fill of magic, and what it can do, during the war.” He looked down at Roselle. “No one should have to suffer like that,” he went on, turning back to Mary. “I can’t imagine what you’ve been going through.”

“His suffering will be over soon, thanks to your children,” Mary said with a smile. “They have helped more than they know.”

Roselle’s father nodded. “Well, I should get back to my hunt. We’ll leave you to it. Best of luck to you.” He beckoned to Roselle and Eldon as he made to leave the cottage.

“But father, we can’t leave now!” Roselle cried.

“We want to see this through,” Eldon added, standing up taller.

Their father studied their faces, then sighed. “I can’t make you come home,” he said, “but I can’t stay here. Your mother and sister will worry if I’m gone too long.”

“The mixture is nearly ready,” Mary said from beside the fire. “No more than an hour left, I think.”

“We can go home with you as soon as it’s done,” Eldon said. “I’m sure Roselle and I would feel better going through the forest together, after what happened…”

Roselle knew their father was uneasy about the use of magic, but hearing that his own son would likely not be alive if it weren’t for Mary’s magical healing skills seemed to have given him pause. After a moment, he nodded, and Roselle embraced him.

Though their father’s arrival had interrupted the process, it had not ruined Mary’s work, at least–she had just pulled the mixture off the fire to cool when Bern was shot. All that was left to do was to grind up the solids into a powder, and enchant it before administering it. 

The excitement in the cottage was almost palpable. Mary carefully poured the teeth, coated with the essence of the Healer’s Heart, into her mortar, ground it as fine as it could be, and then brushed every last speck off the pestle back into the mortar.

“Now,” Mary said, shaking with emotion, “I will perform the spell, and I need your help. Take my hands.”

Roselle and Eldon obeyed while their father watched from across the table. Mary stared at the mortar full of the reddish powder before her and began speaking words that Roselle didn’t understand, but she could sense something in herself changing, as if energy was being drawn out. When Mary had finished, they released each other’s hands, and Roselle sat down, feeling slightly dizzy.

“Did it work?” Eldon asked, leaning on the table for support.

“Only one way to find out,” Mary said as she swayed a bit on her feet.

Eldon pushed a chair beneath her so she didn’t fall. “Rest a moment, and then we will try it.”

When the three of them no longer felt lightheaded, they all went out to where Bern lay under the tree. Mary clutched the mortar and covered it with her hand to protect it from the wind. She knelt beside him and asked, “Are you ready?”

Bern nodded solemnly. Mary placed the mortar under his snout, and Bern breathed deeply. Mary leaned back as Bern was sent into a coughing and sneezing fit that quickly turned into gasping and writhing. Roselle looked at Mary in alarm, but the old woman didn’t take her attention off Bern. 

When Roselle looked back at Bern, she could tell that he was clearly shrinking. His dark fur was falling away in clumps, and his tail vanished. A few more seconds went by, and Roselle found herself staring down at the face of a young man lying curled up in the grass.

As soon as he stopped writhing, Mary took his face in her hands. “Bern? Are you alright?”

He slowly opened his eyes, blinked a few times, then grinned at her. Mary burst into tears and kissed his forehead, and Roselle thought she heard a chuckle. Then Bern’s mouth moved as he said something, and Mary bent low to hear him. She was smiling brighter than Roselle had ever seen, clutching Bern’s hands tightly in her own.

Feeling a bit like she was intruding, Roselle wiped her eyes and glanced over her shoulder at her father and saw that he, too, was brushing away tears.

Eldon appeared from the cottage with a blanket. “I thought he might want this,” he said, offering it to Mary and then stepping back to give them space.

“Thank you,” she said, covering Bern as he finally began to look around, first at himself and then up at Eldon and Roselle.

Roselle felt her cheeks turn slightly pink as she stared back into his eyes–the same warm brown eyes she had become so familiar with. He was more handsome than she had ever imagined, and she was suddenly reminded that he was their prince. She curtsied and bowed her head, more to have a reason to look away than anything else. When she straightened again, he was smiling and beckoned her closer.

She tentatively came forward and knelt beside him. He took her hand gently in his, and then he spoke words to her for the first time since they had met: “Thank you.”

~~~Epilogue~~~

The lifting of the curse had also healed Bern’s wound, to everyone’s great relief, but after spending so much time in a different body, Bern had to get used to moving as a human again. His voice, too, felt foreign, and it took time to return to its full strength. He was able to speak with his new friends at last, before they had to go home, but they agreed they would come back to visit when they could. 

With Bern no longer able to hunt as he had done as a beast, Roselle’s father, Aren, had promised to hunt for them as a way to atone for shooting Bern. He returned several times to the cottage with small game during Bern’s convalescence. Sometimes Eldon or Roselle accompanied him. Bern came to know Aren better, learning more about his experience during the war, and Aren came to appreciate Mary’s knowledge of magic, which she only used for healing. Mary offered to help Aren with the pain from his old war wound, and after initially declining, he eventually accepted, and finally felt relief after more than two decades.

Mary continued to look after Bern in their little cottage as summer slowly cooled into autumn, and they planned their next moves. Winter was fast-approaching, and they knew they couldn’t stay in the cottage. They needed to get word to their allies and quietly rally support to take back the throne, but they would need help. So, once their mutual trust was established with Aren, Bern and Mary decided to reveal the truth of Bern’s identity. 

When they told him, Aren was even more horrified at what he had done and begged forgiveness. Though Roselle had never seen him beg, she knew her father–there was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep from being taken away from his family again. But Bern assured him all was well between them, and that he understood that Aren just wanted to protect his children. In turn, Aren saw that the prince was nothing like the late king–that instead, Bern was eager to right the wrongs of his father and uncle. Aren couldn’t ignore the chance to change the lives of the common people, so he pledged to assist the prince in reclaiming his throne.

Once Bern had fully recovered, it was time to make his first appearance among his people. With the help of Aren and his family, Mary and the prince were able to reach Dracgate, a city to the south of Haebard, where one of their allies lived. From there, they quietly spread the word to other allies that the prince’s curse had been broken, and preparations were made to restore him to his throne.

Although the people of Haebard, and other villages like it, had a distaste for the crown since the war, most of the kingdom had not enjoyed the rule of King Randolf, who they were calling “the Usurper King” in louder and louder voices. That winter, Bern marched into the capital city to find overwhelming support from his hopeful people. The Usurper King was sent to a specially-built prison where magic couldn’t be used. Then, Prince Adalbern was crowned King Adalbern, since he had come of age, and he began the work of ruling his kingdom. 

But he wasn’t alone. Mary was given the title of Queen Mother, finally recognized for her role in Bern’s life. Then, Bern asked Roselle and Eldon to join him in Gillrem, as he trusted them more than anyone (apart from Mary, of course). Though it wasn’t easy to leave their family and the only home they had ever known, the siblings accepted the invitation, and the two of them moved to Gillrem to become part of his royal council. 

It took some time for all of them to adjust to their new situation, but they soon flourished. Though Roselle and Eldon knew how to read, there hadn’t been many books in the village, so the siblings spent hours in the royal library to expand their knowledge. On cold winter evenings, they would talk about what they learned, or write letters to their family and friends in Haebard. 

Things began to improve back home as well. The gold from the instruments they found in the lodge went toward supplies to better the lives of people in Swenfordshire, and Bern sent out inspectors to see what other shires needed aid. The old lodge was slowly rebuilt when spring arrived; at first, Bern had wanted to let nature reclaim the lodge, but after hearing about how important it had once been to the shire, he decided to restore it, providing employment and a residence for people who maintained it. Roselle and Eldon’s family stayed in their ancestral home, preferring their quiet life over the faster-paced capital city.

By that summer, Roselle and Bern finally acknowledged that there was something between them that they couldn’t ignore, and by autumn, Bern proposed, and Roselle accepted his hand. Most of the common people of Dellivere were pleased at the news that one of their own would be queen. With his betrothed by his side, the new king worked to repair the damage his predecessors had caused and regained the trust that had been lost. 

And so, three years after they met, Roselle married Bern in a small ceremony at the completed lodge, carrying a bouquet of wild pink roses and Healer’s Heart. 

The End