by Drew Hayes
“Go where I steer you. It’s not very far.”
Not sure whether that was a good thing or not, Henry complied as the stranger guided him away from the building, still boiling with smoke and without a single flame as the cause. If Henry had been around the next day, he’d have seen the officers uncover a small pot, one formerly used to haul around a frog, that was filled with the sticky residue of a substance they’d never encountered before. Even then, few would ever guess that this simple cooking implement, or rather the concoction that had been crafted in it, was the cause of so much panic.
They walked on, past the barracks, over to a small garden courtyard that Henry had been told was a favorite reading spot of the princess. There, standing by the fountain in the center of the garden, was a woman wearing a cloak. She didn’t seem all that scary, but what she was holding in her hands made Henry’s blood run cold. This mystery lady was holding a frog, a frog that was staring at Henry with unmasked fury in its eyes. Not everyone would have been able to read the frog’s expression so well, but Henry had ample practice in understanding the expressions of amphibians. Too much practice, really, and he wasn’t inclined to get any more.
Henry’s feet slowed, and without hesitation he felt the blade begin to slide slowly into his back. “Yes, Henry, it’s that frog. You stole someone’s humanity, and they want it back. I’m sure the idea seems intolerable to you, but keep in mind the other option is death. Or maybe I’ll slide this blade through your spine and drag you over there. I wonder how long a frog that can’t hop lasts in the wild?”
“Please…please, you don’t have to do this.” Henry was walking again, keeping his voice low so as not to earn more of the knife but pleading all the same.
“I know. I don’t have to do anything. I chose to do it, because the princess and I came to a fiscal arrangement.”
“I’ll pay you more. Whatever she’s offering I’ll double it. Triple it. Just don’t make me go back to that.” They were getting closer now; Henry could swear he smelled the pond’s stink coming from the frog.
“You had to trade stolen goods for the clothes on your back; somehow I doubt you’d be able to top the princess’s coffers.”
How the hell did this man know that? How had they found him in the first place? It wasn’t as though he was even using his real name during enlistment. So far as the other soldiers knew he was named Heinrich. These were good questions worth asking, but they didn’t matter in the moment. All that he cared about was staying alive and keeping his human body.
“You’re wrong. I can pay more. I’m a prince, you see, from a kingdom Revna is on bad terms with. I was just trying to make enough to pay for the trip home. Release me, and I will make it rain gold down upon you.”
The stranger holding the knife paused, briefly, before the marching continued. “Interesting. You lied quite a bit just there, yet not completely. Sadly, I would have to refuse even if the whole offer was true. One of the few rules my people and I go by: once we take a job, we don’t turn on our employer. It would be a short-term gain that tarnished our ability to do business down the line. Long-term thinking, that’s how you survive in this world. Like maybe picking a better target than a princess to turn into a frog.”
They were almost there now, only a few steps away. Henry was crying silently, afraid to let out a sob lest he lose the use of his legs. “I was desperate. So few people came there, and none of them was willing to kiss me.”
“And the only one kind enough to give you aid is the one you betrayed. Save the tears. Even if I could feel pity I wouldn’t spare any for you. This is a bed you made for yourself.”
And then they’d arrived. Princess Vasilisa was only a few feet away, held by the fingers of this unknown woman. She didn’t matter anyway. Neither did the man with the blade. All that mattered, all that existed in that moment, was the frog.
“Princess,” Henry said. “I am truly sorry for what I did.”
“Good. Then I trust you’re willing to atone for it.”
No mercy. No forgiveness in those eyes. This night ended for Henry either as a frog or a corpse. Much as he hated the curse, at least he’d have the chance to pass it on again. If he died, then that was the end. Kneeling down, he got onto eye level with the frog. “I am indeed, Your Highness.”
There was no preamble or lead-up. Vasilisa was simply thrust forward, her lips hitting Henry’s in the span of seconds. Instantly he felt his whole body start to burn as pain overtook him. Bones shrank, muscles vanished or shifted, and his skin took on a new texture. It was over in moments, but the pain lingered on, a reminder that he was now unnatural, a being out of its true form. Staring up from the ground, he saw Vasilisa and the unknown woman looking down at him.
“Your man promised he wouldn’t kill me if I came along.” Henry knew he was helpless. There was nowhere to run except the fountain, which was hardly an adequate hiding spot. All he could do was hope they kept their word.
“And I won’t.” As the voice spoke, a pair of strong hands wrapped around Henry, lifting him into the air and then dropping him unceremoniously into a metal container. Seconds later Henry heard a click and he knew his fate was sealed. “But we can’t have you cursing more innocent people. Attacking a princess would normally get your head chopped off, so imprisonment isn’t the worst deal. If you’re nice, she might even bring you some flies.”
The cage was handed over to Princess Vasilisa, who peered down into it, glaring at Henry in his new form. “You should get used to that cage, dear Henry. I don’t think you’ll see the outside of it for a very, very long time.”
* * *
In the day it took for Vasilisa to put things in order and arrange for their payment, Jack and Marie canvassed the town, hunting for any leads about a mysterious cloaked figure riding through the area and what direction he might have gone. They got ample leads at first, and it seemed as if the task would be an easy one until they realized that people were talking about Frank, not their mystery rider. To the townsfolk’s credit, Frank did cut a rather mysterious figure and he’d been hanging around the castle, so the mistake was forgivable. Once they clarified that it was mysterious man in a specifically black and red cloak they were after, they were able to narrow things down.
Ultimately, the few rumors that matched the description well had their man heading further north, so that was the direction they opted to keep traveling. Jack seemed a touch bothered by the news at first, although he wouldn’t talk about why, and after a pint of ale even that small glimmer of annoyance vanished.
By the time their second day in Revna came to a close, Vasilisa had sent a royal messenger with their gold, along with a proclamation officially releasing Jack from any duty to Revna as a soldier, stating that he had already rendered high services to the kingdom. With their money acquired and Jack not expected to show up for training, the three saddled up on the third morning and headed north, on what they hoped was the trail of their one lead to the Blue Fairy.
“You think she’ll tell anyone about what happened?” Jack asked once they were clear of town.
“Her confidants, I’m sure, as well as anyone who might happen to be around the frog. She can’t risk someone else getting duped and letting him out of his cage.” Marie glanced back down the road, where the modest castle was still in plain view. Part of her had hoped there might be a banquet to celebrate the princess’s return, but of course no one knew she’d been missing in the first place. And even if there had been one, they wouldn’t have invited her, Jack, and Frank. When the job was done, people wanted them back on the road, traveling to the next town. Marie understood; she’d have done the same if people like them came to her kingdom, but she still would have liked to attend a proper banquet once more. It was probably for the best anyway; the potential for getting recognized inside the castle was too great to risk.
“Pity we couldn’t keep him,” Frank said. “A frog curse transferred that easily might have been useful, especially if it works on non-humans. We
could have had a simple way to deal with whatever powerful foe we get on the wrong side of next.”
“And miss the chance to fight someone who’s actually worth the effort? No thank you. The princess can keep her frog; all I wanted was the gold.” Jack’s grin rivaled the sun this morning, as it often did after they came into a large amount of wealth. “But we can get you a pet if you like. There are bound to be some frogs or squirrels on the road.”
“I’ll have to pass. Animals don’t like me,” Frank reminded him. “It took weeks to get the horse comfortable enough to let me ride her.”
“Then that’s their loss.” Marie knew how he felt. While dogs and horses were fine around her, smaller creatures tended to bolt as soon as they saw her, regardless of the form she was wearing. Her best theory was that they knew on an instinctual level that she was a predator, and they were prey. Even though she didn’t act on those urges unless she was hunting and hungry, they knew she had them. Just one more symptom of her cursed inheritance.
Frank turned slightly in his saddle, affording Marie a brief peek under his hood. “Have you given any thought to what you’ll say if you see Vasilisa again? In your other role, I mean.”
“Given how long we’ve been chasing this fairy and how often we’ve come up empty, I can’t say I think it will come up anytime soon,” Marie admitted. “But if that happens, then I don’t think I’ll say anything until she does. It can be our little secret between the two of us.”
“Ah, secrets, lighter than gold and ten times as profitable.” Jack spurred his horse, picking up the pace, and the others followed suit. “If you do see her again, tell Vasilisa I thought she was quite stunning in human form. Far better than I’d expected.”
Frank snorted and Marie rolled her eyes as they rode harder down the morning road. She pushed her horse, picking up the group’s pace as a whole. While she’d never admit it, Marie was anxious to put Revna behind them and chase down their lead. After seeing a proper castle, homesickness was burning in Marie’s chest and she ached to return to her own land. But she couldn’t. Not yet. Not like this.
Not until they found a cure.
The Tale of the Greedy Village
The hamlet of Jacobsville was already bustling as the Bastard Champions rode into town, a curious development that none had expected. This was supposed to be a waypoint, a brief and peaceful stopover on their trek north. It wasn’t unheard for places like this to fall into chaos when the Bastard Champions visited, but usually that didn’t happen until they’d been there for at least a few hours. This time, however, people were scrambling about the town’s square, many holding pitchforks, sickles, or other crude farming implements that were being repurposed into poor tools of self-defense. While they hadn’t planning on doing more there than buying more supplies, asking about their mystery rider, and getting some sleep at a real inn, this madness changed things considerably. Where there was panic, there was profit to be made.
The nearest stables were by the edge of town, so the trio made a brief detour before investigating what was going on. After they’d left their horses and made it a few steps away, Jack leaned in to whisper to the other two. “Whatever she’s about to do, just let it happen. The woman has a tendency toward the theatrical and she’ll be even more insufferable if we don’t let her play it out.”
Before Frank or Marie could ask what he was talking about, the ringing of a blade being drawn filled the air. Turning, they saw that a woman in a blazing red cloak had somehow managed to sneak up on them and was holding the tip of her sword to Jack’s shoulder. Marie was more stunned than anyone else. How had someone gotten so close to them without her smelling the intruder? Taking a deep whiff, she quickly found the answer to her own question. Somehow, most likely with potions or enchantment, the potential attacker had completely masked her own scent. It stood to reason she’d taken a similar precaution to muffle her footsteps. It didn’t change their situation on a core level, but the realization that magic was in play did mollify Marie’s wounded pride.
“I’m surprised at you, Jack. Getting snuck up on like some common trainee. Master would be disappointed.”
“And I’m sure I’d care about that exactly as much now as I did back then.” Jack turned his head to the others, unbothered by the blade resting against his back. “Frank, Marie, meet Scarlett. Scarlett, this is Frank and Marie. I asked them not to do anything, but I’d wager you’ve got about ten more seconds of holding that sword up before they ignore me and tear you apart.”
Scarlett’s gaze turned briefly away from Jack, taking in his companions for what seemed like the first time. She barely glanced at Marie, while taking her time to examine Frank, or at least the little of him that she could see poking out from under his robes. “I think you mean they would try. Although the hooded one does seem like he’d have interesting talents, it’s not as if I came here on my own.”
From behind a nearby building crept a lumbering figure. It was a wolf, technically, though its massive size and the level of intelligence in its eyes betrayed that there was far more to it than a simple wild animal. Giving a careful sniff, the wolf turned directly to Marie and let out a low growl. Taking a step forward, she released one of her own, a noise deeper and more primal than any human throat should be able to muster.
“That’s interesting,” Scarlett noted. “But mine is still bigger.”
“For now.” Jack turned around to meet Scarlett’s eyes, that mad smile splitting his face. “If you’re done with the greeting, can we put our blades and fangs away and go see what’s happening in the middle of town? I smell gold to be made, and you know how I feel about people getting between me and money.”
Scarlett held her blade aloft for several moments longer before pulling it away and sheathing it in a single fluid motion. With her sword gone, she stepped forward as Jack turned, and the pair embraced in a hug that was more affectionate than Frank or Marie could have expected. While Jack was certainly one to show affection when wooing a lass, he wasn’t the type to go in for hugs. Especially not with someone who’d pulled a sword on him
“It’s good to see you, Jack.” she said, finally pulling away. “I feared you’d gone and gotten yourself killed for good finally.”
“Nothing that stuck. Mind calling off your furry comrade? I can’t imagine the villagers are going to be calm about seeing a huge wolf in their midst.”
Scarlett shook her head. “They have bigger issues on their minds than Peter, but you’re right, he would only complicate things for now.” Her mouth pursed and a sharp, short whistle escaped her lips. In a blur of movement Peter darted away, past the building he’d hidden behind and into the edge of the nearby woods.
“Jack, perhaps you would be so kind as to elaborate on who this woman is, and why you’re willing to tolerate her putting a blade to your flesh.” Frank was calm, which seemed good until one remembered that he could use the same tone when dismembering someone for information.
“As I said, this is Scarlett, and I tolerate it because that’s how we were taught to greet one another. Our teacher was big on constant vigilance, so we were expected to sneak up on each other at every opportunity. She embraced the lesson a little more enthusiastically than I did.”
“Your teacher?” Marie’s eyes grew wide, and smile that could rival Jack’s began to appear on her face. Jack, as a rule, rarely talked about his past. All she knew about him before that fateful night in a tavern when she’d met Jack and Frank was that he’d been across the Endless Sea and hailed from a small town in the lands of some unspecified kingdom. “I don’t think you’ve ever told us about any teacher, Jack. Care to elaborate?”
A tsk came from under Scarlett’s tongue. . “Still keeping secrets? He and I trained together for three years and I never learned so much as the name of his home village. Jack has trust issues, you see.”
“I trust these two just fine,” Jack said, perhaps a bit more quickly than was necessary. “I just don’t like dwelling in the past. Those things
are over and done. I’d much rather focus on the future. That’s where the excitement is. Speaking of, you mentioned that the townsfolk here have something on their mind. Care to fill us in?”
Motioning to the road, Scarlett began to walk forward, bringing the others along with her. They were heading back toward the center of town, where a rabble of farmers and craftsmen were yelling over one another, each certain their idea was important enough to be heard and drowning out the rest of the crowd. It was chaos, with the potential to break out into a full-on riot, and Jack began to mentally increase his initial asking price. Whatever was going on here, it had people spooked, and that meant he could charge even more to solve their problems.
“What else gets the people this stirred up?” Scarlett asked. “It’s a witch. Some girl got lost in the woods for a week, then turned up suddenly with sacks of gold in her arms.”
Jack let out something between a cough and a squeal of delight, one clearly being used to mask the other. “Sorry, did you say sacks of gold?”
“Yes, I did. And as I was getting to, the girl told people quite a tale about helping an enchanted oven, cow, and tree before she got captured by a witch. She was going to be kept as a slave, but found those sacks of gold stuffed up a chimney. The girl tried to run away, got help from the cow and tree, then stuffed the witch in an oven. It wasn’t lit, but that’s still uncomfortable all the same. Harrowing as her tale was, it wasn’t even close to the most interesting part. As she tells it, the sacks she brought back were but a small portion of the witch’s fortune. The chimney was filled with bags of it.”
“Oh no.” Marie put the heel of her palm against her forehead, already aware of where the tale was going but willing it not to be true. “Don’t tell me people tried to go after it.”
“Of course they did. It was untold wealth in the hands of a presumably captured witch. I’m sure you can guess what happened next.”