Chapter Sixteen

Arabella staggered to up a sandy slope and suddenly found the edge of the forest. It only took one night to cross the desert going north. The moon had risen and set on her journey. The trees stood tall and untouched by the desert’s heat. She stood for a moment on the sandy rise just looking. The sun started to rise. She was very tired but she has no desire to repeat the sunburn of her previous journey. She started toward the edge of the forest.

Once among the trees, the air changed. Before the air was dry, here the air felt heavier. She noticed the smell of the trees first. It was a bright earthy smell. She took her direction from the sun. If she kept it on her right during the morning than she would know she was going north. She began moving northward. Fir needles and thick moss mingled on the forest floor. The trees were different here than in the southern forest. These were taller; so tall that it made her dizzy to stand at the bottom of a tree and look up into the branches. The bark grew in long strips down the trunk of the trees.

Soon under brush started to appear in her way. Fallen branches littered the floor. Large ferns clumped together along the way. Smaller trees grew up along side their parent trees. At one point the branches were covered with so much moss that the tree was green with it. Strange birds flew among the trees. At on point she thought that she seen Mavie fly hopping from bush to bush. She was on the point of calling to her, but it seen her and flew away. It was not Mavie.

As Arabella walked through the forest she noticed that it lacked a few items that she needed. She could not find any berries or anything else to eat. All the heroes in her childhood storybooks ate the food they foraged from the forest when they were on their quests. Her stomach protested. She was wishing that she had brought some of her dinner with her. Another thing that was missing was any source of water. The plant life with lush here, but there was no streams or even puddles to be found. She was extremely thirty. She wondered how long a person could live without food and water.

Arabella shivered. The temperature was not as warm as the desert. She thanked some part of her that chose the heavier blue dress to wear instead of her light weight dresses. Her main problem right now was that she kept snagging the skirt on stray branches. One particular branch would not let go. Arabella jerked the skirt away and heard a horrible ripping noise. A huge chunk of material had ripped off. It was the final disaster to set her off. She could not go on any more.

Denrisi was dead. Her mother had betrayed her. She had an evil dragon chasing her. She sat down among the ferns and sobbed into her hands. She thought that she felt even more miserable than when she mourned Denrisi. Too tired to go on, she lay where she had sat down and slept. She was so tired that she did not dream.

Something tickled her nose. She brushed it away only partly awake. It tickled her nose again. This time she sneezed. She opened her eyes and found that she was eye to eye to some type of creature. She screamed and sat up. The creature gave a small shriek and leapt the other way. Arabella grabbed a stick and held it in front of her ready to defend herself. A small black weasel head popped up out of the ferns. He glared at her.

“Really Arabella,” he said. “What kind of welcome is that?”

“Stig?” Arabella could not believe it. “Is that really you? You look different.”

“Yep,” Stig said. He crawled onto her lap and licked a stray piece of fur down on his back. Arabella waited for him to continue but he only sat there grooming himself.

“Well?” she prompted. “Why do you look different? And just how did you get here anyway? How did you find me?” Stig placed a paw on Arabella’s lips to quiet her questions.

“Weasel magic,” he said. “All weasels can change their fur. During the winter weasels turn white and during the summer they turn dark. So do you like it?” He stood on his hind legs and looked at her. His back and head were a dark gray. His belly and legs where still white. His ear twitched and he looked as if he were smiling.

“I love it,” Arabella grabbed him. As she hugged him she started to cry again.

“Hey,” he said. “Hey, you’re getting my fur wet.” He wriggled away. “What is going on?”

It was as if that simple question opened a dam and all of Arabella’s misery poured out. She told him of Denrisi and how he was killed by Koaner. She went on to tell about her mother’s plan. She found that she could not tell Stig about Koaner’s plan. It was too terrible. Stig listened and sighed when she was finished.

“Poor, poor Arabella,” he shook his head. “This is just terrible. All of this happening and on an empty stomach too.” Stig disappeared into the underbrush. She heard a noise and when Stig reappeared he was dragging her sack with his mouth. She thought that it had been lost by Mount Tully. 

“Let’s eat,” he said putting a paw on her knee. She smiled and Stig looked pleased. She opened the bag and saw that everything was still inside.

“This has got to be heavy for you with the knife in here,” she said. She pulled out the food bag and water bag. The weasel had wished for mystery meat again. Arabella thought that one day she would ask what kind of meat that was, but today she was not brave enough. After they had eaten, Arabella tied the ripped pieces of her skirt together. Her skirt rode up to her knees now, but it seemed that might be helpful in this environment.

“Where are you going, Arabella?” Stig asked.

“I have not really thought about it yet,” she said. “I was just trying to get away.”

“Good idea, but even better when you know where you are going.”

Arabella looked at her hands folded in her lap.

“I would like to help Prince Lann break the curse on Princess Rosalina,” she said. “But I do not know where to start.”

“Hmm,” Stig hummed for a minute. “There is a human camp not far ahead. Maybe they know where he went.”

Arabella looked at Stig.

“How did you know that?” she asked.

“I just did. I hum and I listen and I know,” he said mysteriously. Arabella realized that Stig was casting magic and not really knowing that he was doing it. “It is how I found you.”

Arabella followed Stig to a well worn trail that she would have missed. The trail winded through the trees. It made walking much easier than trying to force their way through the underbrush.

Arabella heard the camp before she seen it. People’s voices were everywhere. Some were raised in anger and others were just a murmur in conversation. Stig’s step faltered. When they came into view, he stopped. He looked nervously around.

“What is it?” Arabella looked around too. She hoped that Stig’s action did not mean that there was danger around.

“People don’t like weasels much, and I’m a weasel,” he said. “They may not be friendly.”

“Would it help is you hid?” she said. “You could hide in the sack.” Stig nodded and climbed in. He wiggled around a bit then finally settled down. “No fair eating while you are in there.”

“Oh I wouldn’t think of it,” he said soundly like his mouth was already full. Arabella rolled her eye and went in among the people.

The camp was full of soldiers and servants. Arabella did not realize there were no women present until she reached a big cooking fire. The men were staring at her as she walked through the camp. She glanced around worried.

“You there,” someone yelled. “Stop.” She stood still and waited for the soldier to catch up. “Who are you? No women are allowed in camp. King Waldemarr will not allow it.” Arabella’s head snapped up and she looked at the man.

“My uncle is here?” she asked.

She noticed that the man turned pale. He nodded and motioned her to follow him. He led her to a red and gold striped tent. Arabella thought that it was one of the ugliest things that she had ever seen. She liked the cool blues and whites of Denrisi’s tent better. Her pulled the tent flap aside and ushered her in.

“Sire,” he said quietly. “You have a visitor.” King Waldemarr sat slumped in a folding chair beside a fire pit. There was a small pile of embers burning in the middle. He was staring at it intently. “My lord,” the soldier said.

“I heard you the first time,” Waldemarr said. “Go away.” The soldier shrugged and left Arabella in the tent with the king. Waldemarr used to toe of his boot to flip a piece of wood onto the pile of embers. He was frowning. Arabella noticed that her uncle was turning gray.

“Your majesty. Uncle,” she said. She could not figure out what to call him. His head snapped up at the sound of her voice. He started at her. Then his face lit up as he smiled.

“Arabella,” he said. “Is that you? My God, you’ve grown even more beautiful than I expected.” He jumped up, knocking over his chair. Arabella found that all the breath was being squeezed out of her as Waldemarr hugged her. He had engulfed her in his two massive arms. She heard Stig squeak as the sack was included in the hug. Waldemarr kissed both of her cheeks before he released her.

Arabella took a step back. She needed a little distance between herself and the big man. She expected some reaction from King Waldemarr, but not the over enthusiastic welcome that she received. She had expected hatred and even anger from the man whose daughter her mother cursed. He clapped his hands and a servant arrived. After arranging for a chair for Arabella and for the fire to be built up, her had food and wine brought in for her. Arabella could her Stig sniffing and the smell of meat reached him. He stayed quiet though and did not complain. After a while, Arabella was toasty and full.

“I am looking for Prince Lann,” she said.

“Oh yes, good lad,” said Waldemarr. “He was here briefly. Went looking for the fairies.” Waldemarr leaned back in his chair. He studied her as if he were memorizing her looks.

“I need to find him,” she said. “Would you tell me where to find the fairies. I want to help him break my mother’s curse.”

Waldemarr frowned and sat forward.

“It is very dangerous, especially for you,” he said. “It is your mother, you see. The other fairies really do not like her and you are connected to her. I would rather you did not follow him. You could stay safe here and wait for his return.” Arabella blinked hard. He was not going to tell her?

“I have to go, Sire,” she noticed that Waldemarr winced at the use of his title. “My mother must be stopped and I feel I am the only one that can do so. Please, tell me where the fairies live. There are things that might happen if I stay here.” She spread her hands wide with helplessness.

Waldemarr sighed and his shoulders slumped in defeat. He looked sad for a moment. Then suddenly he was cheerful. She could tell it was a false cheerfulness. He had one of the servants bring a map and he marked a mountain off to the east.

“It is at least two days journey. Depending on the weather it might be even be more,” he said. “Let me give you something to help.” He had a servant bring her a beautiful white cape. It was lined with blue velvet. It was heavy in her hands. “This will help to keep you warm.”

“Oh thank you,” she threw her arms around his neck. “I love it. It is perfect.” Waldemarr hugged her back that lasted longer than was comfortable for Arabella. It seemed he did not want to let her go. He said good night to her, and had her shown to a small tent beside his larger one. Once inside Stig crawled out of the sack. They both lay together on a bed of soft furs. Arabella used her new cape as a blanket and they fell asleep.