"Liesel, get back inside!" her grandfather ordered as he tossed a staff to Kurt. Liesel frowned, but stood and did as she was told. Of all the changes returning home had entailed, being treated as though she was still thirteen was most irksome. Seven years had held unimaginable change for Liesel, but apparently, her grandfather was determined not to see it. At least, he had chosen to ignore it in the two whole weeks they had been at the vineyard.
"He's terrified of losing you, you know." Ilsa said without looking up as Liesel walked inside. She was cutting potatoes at the table. "He's trying desperately to find a way to keep you here." Still annoyed, Liesel picked up a knife and joined her grandmother in chopping vegetables.
"What happened to his leg?" She changed the subject. It was a subject she had wanted to bring up since they'd arrived, but her grandfather seemed determined not to discuss it. Every time Liesel asked him, his brows would furrow, some sort of undone chore would suddenly be remembered, and Bernd would shuffle off in a stony silence. Eventually, she had given up on asking him. Even now, her grandmother took a lengthy pause before answering.
Ilsa hadn't aged much since Liesel had gone. She was still a very handsome woman. There was more gray in her yellow hair, and she had run more slowly to Liesel through the yard than the last time she'd chased them in their cart. She still held herself straight and proud as she stood at the table though. Her long thin face was just as Liesel remembered it, perhaps with just a few more wrinkles at the corners of the eyes and mouth. That mouth was now turned down as it spoke.
"He was trying to save you." Liesel nearly dropped the knife, but her grandmother went on. "As soon as he arrived home the next day from that hunting trip, and I told him where your father had taken you, he immediately found his horse and made the chase. Didn't take food or water, the old fool. He wore his horse out on the way and nearly lost him to exhaustion. By the time he arrived at the forest's edge, several people from Ward were waiting in case someone decided to follow you in. When they discovered his intent, they refused to let him pass. He fought hard, but he was tired, and they chased him back to the main road. He always swore he should have gone through the forest after that, but his ankle was broken in the fight, and it was all he could do to return home." Liesel tried to swallow the lump in her throat. To think he had been that close when her mother had died. Her gaze shifted out the window where the men were training.
Despite his bad ankle, her grandfather used the staff as though it were a part of him. He whirled it around his body so fast that it was nearly invisible. Johan hovered in his animal form, ready to intervene in case things got out of hand. Bernd was instructing Kurt on how to move his own staff, directing Johan to feint one way and then another. Again and again they practiced.
"Is this how Kurt is supposed to find peace?" Liesel doubtfully asked. Every day, they practiced, and every day the whole lot of them came in dirty and out of sorts. Her grandmother gave a dry laugh.
"Your grandfather finds staff work relaxing. He trained with one of the masters during the years we lived in the east in Toku. That's actually how he broke the spell. He says there is something in the movements that helps him focus and put life into perspective. Nothing magic, of course. It just helps him think." She shook her head at the window. "I can't see how anything so demanding can relax him so, but it does. It may not seem like it, but he's doing the best he knows how to help Kurt."
Liesel wasn't so sure the staff practice was relaxing Kurt the way her grandfather had hoped. Sweat poured down the young man's face and neck, and made his thin work shirt stick to his chest and back. Liesel didn't know she was staring until her grandmother laughed at her. Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment as she realized she'd been caught gawking.
It was just so hard to believe he was the same boy she'd left behind. As a boy, his arms hadn't been so defined, nor had his back held such a fine arch. She had seen the sharp angles of his face and the steady set of his jaw countless times in the last two weeks, but she still couldn't get used to them. As foolish as it seemed, Liesel actually felt a bit in awe of him. She knew he was the same person, and yet, he sometimes just felt like a stranger in a way that made her feel ridiculously young and shy.
"It might surprise you what two people in love can accomplish." Liesel turned away from the window. In the weeks since they'd arrived, she'd avoided this topic. Her grandfather certainly hadn't been in the mood to listen. He had made sure to send scowls Kurt's way whenever possible.
"It's not fair."
"What's not fair?" Liesel forced herself to look straight at her grandmother.
"What if Grandfather is right, and we can't break the spell?" Ilsa stared back at her sadly. Liesel turned back to the window. "I can't let those people die. I can't let them lose it all. So many lives...and they all depend on me, whether I want them to or not." She shook her head. "How can the Maker give me such a choice? I don't want it. I don't want this choice to be mine." Ilsa sighed and put down her sewing.
"Sometimes the responsibility of doing what's right isn't idyllic like in the stories, Leese. It is given to us without pomp or glory. And we are the ones who have to make the choice of doing what is right, or doing what is easy." Nothing more was said until the potatoes had all been sliced and they were both seated with needlework in their laps.
"Your grandfather and I have had a wonderful life," Ilsa said quietly, "but never going back to tell them we'd found the way...that was the decision we made. And we've had to carry that burden all these years. We always will. That's one reason your grandfather is taking this so hard. If we had gone back and risked our happiness to show them the way out, you probably wouldn't be in this mess. Now you are paying for our wrong. So no, it isn't fair. But," she nodded at Kurt. "It seems the good Maker has deemed it fit that you should have a partner, that you won't be doing this alone."
Liesel usually hated sewing, but at least it provided her a bit of peace and quiet to mull over what her grandmother had just said. She didn't get much of a break, however, because at that moment, the men came crashing through the door like a herd of wild animals.
"Ilsa, get water and rags."
"Mercy! What happened?" Ilsa exclaimed. Blood dripped from a gash above Kurt's eye, and a knot on Bernd's forehead was beginning to redden and swell.
"Practice got a bit out of hand," her grandfather muttered. Kurt didn't say anything, but he looked livid.
"Grandfather, I will take care of Kurt. In fact, there's something I need to show him. I think you should take the rest of the day away from practice."
"Liesel, if he can't find a way to do this before-"
"I am going to show him my attempt at finding peace," Liesel nearly laughed. "I don't think this one is working." Kurt looked relieved as Liesel dragged him out to the well to clean his wound.
"Just stay within sight," her grandfather called after them.
"Don't worry, Johan will be nearby," she called back. Johan wasn't one for spending time around the house. He watched every practice session like a hawk, but as soon as he knew Bernd wasn't going to beat Kurt to death, he disappeared. It was apparent that just as Bernd and Ilsa hadn't ever forgiven themselves for running, Johan still hadn't forgiven them either.
"It looks like you made this session without turning." Liesel began to draw water as Kurt sat on the little stone well wall. "At least that was a knot on his head and not a bite." Kurt reddened a bit. They'd had a number of turnings in the past few weeks that had resulted in bites to Johan as he had attempted to keep Kurt and Bernd from seriously harming one another.
"I wasn't afraid, I was angry," Kurt muttered. "He says he wants me to learn to relax and find peace, then he repeatedly hits me with a stick. If it were not for your stake in all of this, I don't think he really would want me to succeed at all."
"Well, never mind him," Liesel dipped her rag in the bucket. "Tonight we are going to try something new." Gently, she began to dab at the gash. Once the blood was off, it really wasn't very large. For some reason, however, she found herself enjoying the moment, and drew it out just a bit. There was something comfortable in being the one to care for Kurt, as though she had been made for that very purpose. In fact, it was nearly unnerving how very natural it felt to be so close, to turn his face gently from side to side as she finished cleaning his brow, even with the eddies of dizziness the magic sent through her every time she touched his skin. When she was done, she realized he was staring right up at her, not politely avoiding her gaze as she had been doing with him.
His eyes looked starved, as though he had never seen her before. Her fingers lingered on his chin, and she felt her breath catch.
"If you're going to get up and down the mountain before dark, you had better go!" Bernd shouted from the doorway. "I want you home before supper, Liesel. And remember, where I can see you!" Liesel inhaled deeply and closed her eyes in an effort to control her temper and answer him evenly.
"Yes, Grandfather." As soon as they heard the door slam, Liesel threw the rag down on the stone well wall and took Kurt's hand. "I'm going to show you my way of finding peace." Breaking into a run, she pulled Kurt behind her all the way to the foot of the mountain, and without hesitating, Liesel plunged up the path.
In her effort to respect Bernd's attempt to help Kurt with his all-day lessons, Liesel had stayed away from the mountain, biding her time so she wasn't too far from Kurt or Johan for the magic's sake. But now, as she hopped lithely from rock to rock, she immediately wondered why on earth she had waited.
It didn't matter that seven years had passed since she had last touched her beloved mountain. She could have taken the trail blindfolded. The crunch of the dirt and rocks beneath her feet was a welcome sound as she followed the trail, greeting every familiar tree and bush with delight. The grass wasn't as vibrant as it had been in the spring, but the variations of yellow and green were lovely as they became caught in the little breezes that danced by. It was funny, Liesel thought, but the trail had once seemed much steeper than it did now. But then, she had grown a good deal taller since she had last followed it.
Neither Kurt nor Liesel spoke as they made their way up. Liesel glanced back a few times to see the wonder in Kurt's eyes as he took everything in. That made her smile even more. Since they'd met, she had wanted nothing more than for him to love her mountain as much as she did.
Nearly half an hour later, she stopped. A ledge nearly as wide as her bedroom jutted out over the valley. The drop over the edge was nearly straight down, but it was deep enough for six or seven to sit comfortably on the natural little seats that the wind and rain had carved into the mountain. She heard Kurt gasp as he took in the sight below them.
Like a bowl, the valley gently sloped down from the mountain. The great forest lay on their right side, and another mountain range lay to their left. The neat lines of her grandparents' vineyard gave way to individual plots with houses and gardens, as well as pastures for cattle and sheep, dotted all over with blue ponds reflecting the crystal blue sky. They could see the road they had taken as it passed the forest's edge and went on toward the capitol city. And far off, so distant it was nearly invisible, was the thin line of the ocean. Liesel closed her eyes, smiled, and drank in the sweet scent of pine.
"Don't look down," she warned him without opening her eyes. She could hear Kurt sit heavily beside her, as if he had half fallen.
"You're not joking," he muttered. "Are you sure this isn't going to crumble?"
"I came up here almost every day as a child." Liesel opened her eyes and took it all in again. "See, out here, there's room to breathe. You're not stifled by the trees, cut off from the sun."
"You can breathe in the forest," Kurt scoffed. "And you don't feel as if you are about to fall off the edge of the world." He caught Liesel's eye and conceded with a smile, "But you're right. It is special." He paused before adding, "I've always tried to imagine what the sky looked like outside of the woods. I could never have conceived this, though."
"What I don't understand is why people stay in Ward at all," Liesel shook her head, curiosity getting the best of her again. "If I were one of them, and I had the choice between this and the dark forest of Ward-"
"To begin with, most people aren't as well informed as you or your grandparents," Kurt tousled her hair playfully. "When you imagine the world, you see freedom because you remember the stories you grew up with, the tales of adventure. The people of Ward know nothing else. It has simply always been this way. For my people, we have a desire to escape because of the constant pain of the curse. Still, even with our stories, most have no idea of what life is like outside of our village." With a bit of hesitation, he added, "After your grandparents escaped, my grandfather forbade anyone from leaving the village unless ordered to do so." He glanced at her almost shyly. "I was the first since to break the rules.
"To answer your question though, the people of Ward have always lived that way, and we strive not to make it too difficult for them to continue. We try only to take what we need from the supply wagons, as we have no trade routes of our own, and we try to keep the dangerous animals away from their border. Not that we're much better." He gave a small smile. "Although my father did sometimes take a bauble or trinket for my mother now and then." Liesel shifted uncomfortably.
"What were your parents like? As a couple, I mean." He shrugged.
"It wasn't ideal, but I didn't really start noticing something was off until the night you were marked." He sighed. "My father really did love my mother. He didn't always know how to show it, but he tried. He tried to find ways to make her smile, to make her feel at home. It frustrated him that he couldn't make her want to stay. It also frustrated him that she was so determined to raise us as if we were completely human. She was the reason he didn't go after the hunter, the one that killed his brother to save you."
"He wanted to kill him?" Liesel shuddered. The hunter had been so kind. She had never once forgotten to mention him in her prayers since.
"After bringing me home, Father was going to turn right around to find and kill him, but Mother begged and pleaded with him not to spill more blood, that the hunter was only doing what he thought was right, saving a girl. My father finally agreed not to kill him, but he was never the same after that. He distanced himself from everyone but Lothur and me." Kurt looked at his hands. "It must have nearly killed him when I left." Liesel hesitated. She knew her next question would seem callous, but she had to know.
"Was he the one that killed my father?"
"No, that was my Uncle Lothur. He caught wind of your father's threat to leave, and decided to take care of it himself. Once you are out of the forest, the magic of the call doesn't work anymore." He shook his head. "Very few of us have given enough of ourselves to the wolf to have that much control. My uncle is strange, however. As much as he's given of his mind to the wolf, he values his humanity exceptionally. Up until now, he has been the one most obsessed with breaking the spell. My father didn't like what he did to your father, but after it was done, he agreed it had been a necessity." Liesel closed her eyes and breathed deeply again. The sight of her father, bloody and still on the floor, would always be there with her. They were quiet for a while as she fought back the dreadful memory.
"Do you think it was worth it?" She eventually asked as they stared out at the valley. "Coming out here, risking everything for a hunch?" Kurt turned and stared at her with his deep golden-brown eyes.
"I do," he answered seriously. "If for no other reason than to see why you're so strange." She smacked his arm.
"I am not strange."
"Oh, it's not your fault," he answered innocently. "It's this mountain air. It makes you do crazy things."
"Like what?"
"Like this." Without hesitation, he leaned forward and planted a swift kiss on her cheek before standing and launching himself further up the trail.
"Kurt!" Liesel scrambled up to follow him, laughing. "Be careful! It's easier to go up than down!" By the time she caught up to him, he was on a slightly higher ledge, staring down at the valley again in awe. The setting sun behind them was casting a rainbow of colors all over the valley. It had always been one of Liesel's favorite mountain moments, but as the sunset moved and burst into all its glory, Liesel couldn't tear her eyes away from him. When Kurt finally turned to look at her, his face was serious again, his dark brown hair ruffling in the breeze. Taking her by the arms, his voice was nearly a whisper.
"If this doesn't work, I will marry you knowing you only have a few years to live. I might live longer, but it won't be long before I have to give more of myself to the wolf than any pack leader ever has before. In the few moments of clarity that I may receive on my deathbed, I don't want to look back on this time and say we didn't try." Liesel caught her breath as he slipped his arm around her and pulled her close. Gently, with his free hand, he tipped her face up towards his. Liesel could feel her heart beat recklessly in her chest as he held her. The gold flecks in his eyes reflected in the dying light of the sun, making him look momentarily other, as though he could disappear at any moment in a cloud of smoke. But the strong hand that held her jaw, and the arm that encircled her waist were very warm and very real. Slowly, he began to lean down when her grandfather's voice, somehow floating up on the wind, broke the stillness of the moment.
"Liesel! It's getting dark! I want you back home soon!"
"Cliffs or no cliffs, we should have climbed higher," Kurt grumbled. Liesel begrudgingly broke his gaze to look down and see her grandfather standing at the bottom of the path. He was staring right up at them. The moment was gone. Sighing, she pulled out of Kurt's arm and instead took his hand. Doing her best to smile, she pulled him along behind her.
"Come on, mountain goat. I need to teach you how to go down."
Liesel felt as though she was walking on clouds in the days following their trip up the mountain. It was odd, considering nothing had really changed. Kurt had not yet found his peace, and her grandfather still couldn't seem to find anything he liked about Kurt, but Liesel couldn't stop smiling. The day after they had climbed the mountain, Kurt had chosen to work in the fields after telling her grandfather that staff practice just wasn't helping him. Her grandfather grumbled, but upon Ilsa's advice, consented, reasoning that a day's work did a man's soul good after all. Liesel would often pause and watch them in the fields, and she couldn't help but pretend this was how it would always be.
It was halfway through their third week at the vineyard, and Bernd was pushing the hired hands hard to prepare for harvest. Any day, he would shout across the rows of vines, the grapes would be ready. And so Kurt and the hired hands had worked long hours every day so they could be ready when that moment came. The sun made Kurt's pale skin shiny and red, and on his first day, the heat had made him lightheaded. The other workers had teased him about his strange sensitivity to the sun, but they hadn't laughed for very long. Kurt was surprisingly adept at the field work he was given despite never doing it before, and he labored hard. Even Bernd was forced to admit Kurt's worth as a worker.
"Liesel, don't keep him too long. The days are growing shorter, and we need this fruit gathered!" Liesel rolled her eyes and nodded to her grandfather before handing her bucket of water to Kurt so he could drink. Kurt shook his head in disbelief as Bernd continued walking down the row, shouting orders at anyone he could find.
"He has a lot of strength for an old man. Too much, actually. Shouldn't he be inside, resting at his age?" At this, Liesel had to laugh.
"You wondered why I believed in magic when I came to the forest. Stories weren't the only things my grandparents procured in their travels." When Kurt gave her a quizzical look, Liesel leaned in and whispered,
"Have you noticed they drink tea every night before bed?"
"Yes. So?"
"Have they ever offered their tea to anyone else?" Kurt thought about this for a moment before Liesel winked and added, "I saw my grandmother steep a long, strange root in her tea once when she thought I wasn't looking. I believe it came from the east as well. They just don't tell people about it. The town would assume it to be witchcraft if they knew."
"Well, is it?" Kurt prodded. Liesel shook her head scornfully.
"Not at all. It just-"
"Liesel, I mean it. The boy needs to get to work!" Liesel huffed as Bernd called out to them again from the other side of the field. As if to silently come to her defense, Kurt gave him a baleful glare as he lifted the bucket and drank deeply from it again.
"My grandfather wasn't always like this," she told Kurt as he drank. It was only midday, but the air was unusually hot.
"I find that hard to believe," Kurt wiped his mouth and gave Liesel a doubtful look. "The way he orders you about makes it seem he thinks you incapable of any thought at all." She smiled and shook her head indulgently.
"When I was little, he was stern, but he took me on the grandest adventures-" She was interrupted by the sound of an approaching horse. They were in plain sight of the house, and close enough that it would seem awkward if they left or ignored the visitor, so Liesel reluctantly took the lead to greet the rider. She recognized him as a rancher that lived a few farms down the road. A bit younger than her father would have been, he was dirty, with a mop of graying black hair, wide set eyes, and a very broad nose. Liesel thought she remembered him being widowed right before she left. As she approached him and Kurt followed, her grandparents came out as well.
"I know you were wanting another calf, Bernd." The man jumped down and walked back to the animal he had been leading on a rope. "I thought this one might be to your liking." He paused for a moment before asking, "Is that Liesel?"
"Yes on both accounts," her grandfather grunted. As Bernd went over to inspect the calf, the man did the same to Liesel. Kurt cleared his throat when the man's eyes lingered just a bit too long. Looking up, he finally seemed to notice Kurt for the first time.
"And who would this be?" Everyone froze, unsure of what to say. They had agreed to stay out of the town for a while, simply to avoid being asked questions the curse wouldn't allow them to answer. Aside from the hired hands that lived on the vineyard in the barn, this man was the first person they had seen since arriving. Finally, to avoid looking any more suspicious than they already did, Liesel blurted out,
"My betrothed." The man nodded and mumbled a greeting, but Liesel didn't miss the sudden fury in her grandfather's face.
"Are you coming to the Adler wedding?" Their guest finally looked at her grandmother.
"We haven't decided yet," Ilsa answered in a strained voice.
"You know, folks are starting to talk about you all up here alone," he said nonchalantly. "They want to send someone up to see what all the hiding is for." Ilsa and Bernd exchanged looks before Bernd said,
"The harvest looks to be unusually good this year. We're trying to keep pace. In a couple weeks, we'll be done."
"But we will be at the wedding," Ilsa chimed in. Seeming momentarily mollified, the man turned back to Bernd to discuss the calf, but Liesel got the feeling that the dissonance between Kurt and her grandfather that had been building since they'd arrived would be coming to a head as soon as their guest left. She didn't have to wait very long to find out that she was right.
"Liesel," Bernd sternly said as the man headed back down the road, "that was quick thinking on your part. But after this, I don't want to hear that nonsense again."
"Nonsense?" Liesel asked, but Kurt interrupted,
"I would hardly call a betrothal nonsense."
"That's it!" Bernd threw down the calf's reins and turned to Ilsa. "I'm through! I just can't pretend any longer. I can't act as if I'm truly allowing my granddaughter to go back and marry into a pack of dogs!"
"Because you were such a better choice for your wife, old man," Kurt sneered.
"I actually tried to change for my wife. I didn't just dance around breaking the spell when I felt like it," her grandfather hissed. Seconds later, Bernd's nose was bloody, and Kurt was on the ground. Her grandfather had swept out his feet with the staff, and without hesitation, brought the stick down hard on Kurt's chest, knocking him back down as he tried to stand up. The pain was evident on Kurt's face as he rolled over and tried to get up again. Again, the staff came crashing down. Rage and angst filled Liesel as she watched. Without thinking, she grabbed the nearest rock she could find and threw it at them. It missed, but succeeded in getting their attention. And when it did, Liesel heard herself utter words she had never spoken to anyone before.
"I hate you both!" With that, she turned and took off for the mountain as fast as her feet would carry her. Her grandmother must have stopped them from following, as Liesel remained alone for the length of her run, but she plunged on ahead anyway as though evil spirits were at her heels. It wasn't until she'd gone about ten minutes up the mountain path that she stopped. Unsatisfied with the proximity to the path and all familiar landmarks, however, Liesel deliberately left the path and headed into the sparsely scattered trees until she found a large, flat sunny rock to flop down on.
Part of her wondered if she was too far from Kurt and Johan. They still didn’t know how far she could go before they changed forms, but the other part of her didn’t care. She was angrier than she had ever been. Images of what could have happened kept flashing through her mind. Kurt could have lost control. Bernd might have broken one of Kurt's bones or worse. Despite the time that had passed, Liesel could remember exactly what death had looked like on her own parents' faces. She might go mad if she lost another loved one so senselessly.
Since they had come, Liesel had been aware that her grandfather didn't approve of Kurt. But she hadn't thought he would go so far as to forbid her from returning to the pack. Of all people, he should have understood her need to help them. To fix, she thought darkly, what her grandparents should have. She had made a promise. Somehow, she was going to keep it.
Liesel let her mind slip into the sounds around her, closing her eyes and simply soaking up the sun. She had learned to do so when her mother was ill and she was afraid. Bernd had actually been the one to teach her.
"When life gets hard, Leese," he had crouched down and pointed at a swift clinging to the side of a tree truck. "Just come up here, close your eyes, and remember that the good Maker does care. He wouldn't have made all this if He didn't." Liesel did her best to concentrate now the way he had taught her to all those years ago. When she did, she found that a brook trickled somewhere behind her. Birds on their journey south sang goodbye songs as the summer showed signs of aging. Air whistled through the thin branches, and a toad croaked somewhere nearby. Liesel had nearly dozed off when a rustle in the leaves behind her made her glance back. After a moment of looking, however, she saw nothing, so she turned back and closed her eyes once more. Just a moment later, whatever it was moved again.
Her second glance found her staring into the bright eyes of a lynx. Its pointed ears twitched, but nothing else moved as it crouched, staring her down. Liesel felt her body go cold as fear paralyzed her where she sat. She had climbed the mountain nearly every day of her early life, and never once had she seen one of the big cats. The neighbors had spoken of them stealing chickens, and parents warned their children that the big cats could sneak in and eat naughty children who didn't go to bed on time. But, Liesel had always thought, those were stories for people who didn't understand the mountain and its animals.
And now one was going to kill her. Sure enough, it began to crouch even deeper, when an arrow whizzed right past Liesel and straight into its heart. A second arrow followed, ensuring the great cat stayed down. Liesel was still staring at the dead animal in shock and catching her breath when she heard heavy footsteps running up the path. She turned to see a young man racing towards her, nocking a third arrow as he went.
"Are you hurt, Miss?" It took Liesel a moment, but then she recognized the man who stood over her with concern in his eyes. Grown up or not, the red-bearded face was impossible to mistake.
"Manny!" Liesel scrambled to stand, but her knees still shook. Her old friend stretched a large arm down to help her to her feet.
"Liesel?" His mouth fell open. "What? When did you get back?" In spite of her still-injured feelings, Liesel couldn't help smiling a little.
"A few weeks ago."
"I haven't seen you in town. You must have snuck in and out if your presence has been kept a secret for all this time." He ran his hand through his fiery hair and laughed. "Old Mrs. Klatsch would have told all of Weit by now if she had seen you."
"She's still alive?" Liesel laughed with him. The old woman had been the town gossip and as old as dirt for as long as Liesel could remember. She had a nasty habit of creating rumors that were more than just a little false.
"Of course! Who else would guess at all the neighbors' goings-on?" Shaking his head, he looked at her in awe. "I have to say, Liesel, you've really grown up." Liesel blushed. Though a wisp of unease floated in her stomach at the way he was still staring, she couldn't ignore the subtle thrill of being noticed, either.
"You've changed, too, you know," she waved at him, suddenly feeling ridiculously shy. The ornery little boy she had once run the streets with was far from little now. Everything about Manny was massive. His arms, his legs, even his chest and neck looked as if someone had stuffed them full of rock and packed it firm. He towered over Liesel, and would probably stand even a bit taller than Keegan.
"Are you hunting for your father's shop?" Liesel pointed at the weapon he held.
"What? Oh, this. I had some time away from the shop, so I thought I might look for some small game. Things are slow this morning. And no, my father died three years ago."
"I am sorry," Liesel said. And for his loss, she was sorry, but not excessively so. Manny's father had been a drunk, but unlike her father, he had made it a habit of beating his children when he came home in the wee hours of the night, and his inflictions were visible for weeks after, never disappearing completely before a new set was given.
"What about you?" The young man shifted uncomfortably. "Is your family back to stay?"
"No," she said quietly, remembering suddenly why she had climbed the mountain in the first place. "No, I'm just visiting my grandparents before my wedding." It felt so strange to say, and when she did say it, his face fell just slightly.
"Ah...I see. So is your betrothed here, too?" Liesel nodded, not missing the resentment in her old friend's voice. Finally, he cleared his throat. "What are you doing up here alone anyway?"
"I miss the mountain," she said slowly, careful not to give too much away. He snorted.
"You of all people should know better than to run off by yourself. You're nowhere near the trail."
"Did that stop us when we were young?" Liesel teased, hoping to deflect further questions. Manny grinned.
"No, I guess not. Can...Could I at least escort you down? You didn't seem too keen on handling him earlier." He pointed with his bow at the large cat lying still on the ground. Liesel smiled as he picked up his prize.
"Thank you. That sounds good."
Thankfully, he queried nothing more about Liesel's personal situation as they walked down. Only after he had brought her to her grandparents' porch did he ask,
"Will you be at the Adler wedding?"
"My grandmother says we are." Suddenly content, Manny smiled and nodded before turning and heading back down the hill towards town. Liesel watched him go, feeling satisfied with the reunion until she recalled her initial reasons for running.
"Who was that?" Kurt's voice was low and dangerous as he appeared out of the evening shadows. At the same time, her grandparents emerged from the house. Liesel was about to reply, when Bernd sent Kurt a scathing look and Kurt returned it. The hatred in their expressions rekindled the anger for both men that she had felt that afternoon, and instead of replying to Kurt, Liesel snapped her head over to her grandmother instead, and speaking only to her.
"Manny Rinder walked me home." As she said it, Liesel didn't miss the dark anger that flashed across Kurt's face.
"Well, I suppose that was kind of him," her grandmother said a bit hesitantly. "What did he need to do that for?"
"A lynx found me, and he happened to be out hunting."
"My goodness! Are you alright?" Ilsa began looking for blood, but Liesel shrugged.
"He killed it before it could touch me. Now, if you don't mind, I am tired, and I want to go to bed." She began to walk into the house, but stopped. "Grandmother?"
"Yes, dear?"
"If they don't already know, please tell my grandfather and Kurt that if they try anything like that ever again, I will not be speaking to either of them for as long as I live." Her family was silent as Liesel made her way back to her room and shut the door. And soon as she was alone, she felt large tears begin to fall as sobs shook her body.
As much as she tried to push them out, the images of what could have been bombarded her once again. Her grandfather, still and white, covered in blood just as her father had been. Kurt, lying on the ground, unconscious from a swift blow to the head with her grandfather's hateful staff.
And it wasn't just the fight that hurt Liesel. It was the betrayal.
Warin's fondness for strong drinks meant he had often spent much of his time in the tavern, even when Amala had been alive. It wasn't lost on Liesel, even from a young age, that her father wasn't at home much of the time. Even on Holy Days, he could often be found sleeping off a night of fun instead of going to the church with his family. Though he wasn't gone to the extent that he was later on in Ward, Liesel had grown to hate his ways from a young age. Even worse than his drinking, however, were his dreams for Liesel.
It had all culminated the day she had arrived home from visiting her grandparents to announce she was going to follow suit and see the world.
"Your fancies are pretty, as are you my dear," her father had slurred the day she had announced such dreams. "But it's best if you keep those hopes to yourself, Leese." When Liesel had demanded to know why, he had simply shrugged and patted her head. "Women don't need to see the world. You're pretty enough to land a smut with enough money to keep you and your little pack of mongrels fed and warm." He'd let out a raucous laugh. "Just like your mum."
Liesel had been so upset she'd turned right around and run all the way back to the vineyard in tears. As much as she loved her mother, Liesel had no desire or intention of ending up like Amala. She had been so angry and ashamed of her tears, however, that she'd hidden out in the middle of a field, crying her tears alone and slamming her fists on the ground in protest for hours.
It had been Bernd who had found her, finally quieted, staring silently out at the other fields below as her grandfather's men readied to leave for the day. Without saying a word, he'd simply seated himself on the ground beside her and waited until she was ready to speak. Liesel had never forgotten how comforting it had been, just sitting beside her grandfather in the dirt, knowing that unlike her father, he was listening.
"Father says I can't see the mermaids," Liesel had finally mumbled in a sulky voice.
"Oh?" Bernd had asked. "And what does he want you to do instead?" Liesel's young eyes had burned with tears once more.
"He says I have to stay here and marry someone like him." Before she knew it, Liesel had been drawn up into her grandfather's strong arms. While she sobbed like a baby, he'd cradled her fiercely, his arms holding her protectively.
"No, you won't, Leese," he had whispered with fire in his voice. "You are going to see those mermaids...and the rest of the world as well."
"But what about Father-" But he was already shaking his head, his beard tickling her forehead.
"I won't let them hold you here. The choice will be yours when the time comes. I promise." And Liesel had believed him. They'd sat like that for a long time until Ilsa had come looking for them. That had been the day Liesel had begun to truly see her father for what he really was, and little he did afterwards had ever convinced her otherwise. Liesel had wondered as time passed if the promise had been an attempt from her grandfather to have revenge upon Warin for marrying his own daughter. And if she was honest with herself, she couldn't blame him. From that day forward, Bernd, and not Warin, had become her protector and her confidante. Ilsa liked to tease that when other girls were learning to enjoy sewing and cooking, Liesel could always be found trailing along behind Bernd in the fields.
And now, after promising for all those years to allow her to choose her life, her grandfather's hatred for the one she had chosen to love cut deeper than any knife ever could. Kurt's own hatred just made it worse.
"Liesel?" Kurt whispered from the other side of the door. Before he could say anything else though, Bernd spoke from down the hall. Liesel couldn't make out what he said, but Kurt's retort was acidic. "If by some miracle we pull this off and break the spell, old man, don't expect me to ever bring her back here again."
Just when she thought her heart couldn't hurt more, Liesel felt it break.
True to her word, Liesel had spoken to neither Kurt nor her grandfather since the fight. Days had passed, and she had ignored them so well she'd impressed even herself.
"Silence can feel empowering, Liesel," her grandmother had warned, "but it accomplishes little."
"If I speak to either one of them, it will accomplish even less," Liesel had retorted. "Because it won't be a word, but rather, a shout." And so, she had continued to simply watch and wait.
There hadn't been any more fights, but there was no peace either. Kurt now disappeared with Johan instead of working in the fields, and only came back to the barn when it was time to sleep. Bernd worked as many hours as possible, and when he was inside, did little aside from shuffling around, mumbling that the young fool would never break the spell.
Though Liesel said nothing about it, she secretly feared her grandfather was right. Kurt had gone from training with Bernd every day to avoiding the family as much as possible, only joining them for supper when Ilsa insisted by shouting out the window that if he wanted fresh hay for his bed in the barn, he would be coming to eat at the table like a decent human being. Kurt would comply, but the meals were never enjoyable by any means. Kurt would stare angrily at his food, speaking only to Ilsa when asked a direct question. Bernd would stare his food down with a look nearly identical to Kurt's. He spoke to no one. The only one who seemed unaffected by the awkward silence of the room was Johan. Speaking as little as possible was in his nature.
It was during such a meal one night that Liesel decided she'd had all she could take of Kurt's new countenance. His sullen silence galled her, and she resolved to get him to speak that night, even if she had to do it out of spite. Guilt tried to nip at her even as she spoke the words, but she ignored her conscience and asked anyway.
"So who is the preferred bachelor of the dance this year?" The question was directed to her grandmother, but Liesel could sense Kurt freeze up as he bent over his food. Satisfied for some sort of reaction, she looked expectantly at Ilsa. Either Ilsa didn't care or didn't see what she was up to, because her answer was as even as ever.
"Actually, I think it was Manny who won the draw this year."
"Are there any ladies he's rumored to favor?" Liesel continued casually.
"Not really," Ilsa raise one eye at Liesel, suddenly sounding suspicious. "Why?"
"It's always just fun to see a little competition," Liesel shrugged, sneaking another glance at Kurt. His mouth had turned down in a way that assured Liesel he was angry. Good, she thought, trying to quiet the nagging rage of her conscience. Perhaps he would get angry enough to stop sulking. Nothing more was said of the dance, but when Liesel excused herself to use the privy after supper had ended, Kurt immediately excused himself as well, ignoring the warning glare her grandfather leveled at him. He quickly overtook her in the darkness, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of earshot of the cabin. Liesel could feel from his grasp that he wasn't fooling around. But then, she steeled herself, neither was she.
"What do you think you're doing?" Kurt's voice was low and tense.
"I haven't done anything."
"Oh please. You've not spoken to me in days, and now you're thinking and teasing about him?" Liesel jerked her arm out of his hand and glared at him through the darkness, sure he could see her better than she could see him, but she remained silent. "Liesel," he suddenly sounded exasperated. "I don't know what you want me to do!"
The question caught Liesel off guard. What did she want him to do? It took her a moment to find her voice, and when she did, much to her annoyance, it was very close to cracking.
"I wish you would at least try breaking the spell. I wish you would stop acting like a child around my grandfather. I want you to fight for me." Liesel stopped as her voice broke and a sob forced its way out. Kurt didn't speak for a moment, but when he did, his voice was somber and sad.
"What do you think I've been doing since the day we met?" And with that, he walked away.
Liesel went to bed feeling ill that night. Heat rushed to her face, and it burned with embarrassment as she thought about his words over and over again. What had possessed her to be so blind, she wondered. While his avoidance of her family still exasperated her, she realized now that it was foolish to think that he would stop trying to break the spell just because of his squabble with Bernd. Perhaps she had assumed wrong when she'd believed he was hiding out as a wolf. Even more guilt was heaped on as she realized she had inadvertently called Kurt a coward to his face as well.
Liesel sobbed angrily into her bed as she wrestled with herself. No, Kurt's behavior certainly hadn't been perfect as of late. But that had given her no excuse to be cruel. And cruel she had been.
The next day was the dance, and it was quieter than ever around the big house. Only Ilsa seemed to speak, barking out orders at everyone she came across.
"Fight or no fight," she had threatened Kurt and Bernd, "I won't have all of Weit thinking I leave the men around here looking like buzzards." For the first time in his life, Kurt was given a sharp haircut and a set of clothes without holes in them. Liesel had nearly broken her silence when Ilsa was through with him. The even cut of his short hair chiseled his face even more, and made his golden-brown eyes stand out brightly. The dark shirt and pants he was assigned fit him becomingly as well, making his wiry figure look even taller. It took all of Liesel's strength not to stare, so it was a good thing when Ilsa shooed Liesel to her own room to get ready.
"There, that's the first smile I've seen in days," Ilsa teased her as she sat back on her heels and looked up at her work. Liesel smiled a little more in spite of herself. The dress her grandmother had made for her was lovely. The deep green velvet skirt gave a dull shine when she turned. The sleeves and collar were white, and the bodice was made of a darker green. It all made her red cloak look even more vibrant when she wore it on top.
Despite the dress, Liesel felt miserable deep down. The conversation from the night before weighed heavily on her shoulders, and every time she tried to meet his eyes, Kurt looked away. And as foolish as it seemed, she wanted so much to hear what he thought of her new dress. She didn't miss the way his eyes widened when she walked out in it for the first time. That brought at least some satisfaction, but not enough to erase their sharp words from the night before, as evidenced when Kurt quickly looked away and mumbled something about getting the horses.
It was a long, silent ride to the wedding. Liesel tried to feel excited for the evening. She was going to see old friends, she reminded herself, and after the wedding, there would be dancing, food, and wine back at the bride's home. The family had already agreed that if someone asked where Liesel had been, they would answer that she had moved to Tag and apprenticed under a healer. The spell would at least allow for that much to be shared honestly.
The church was even busier that evening than it was on Holy Days. The service brought little joy, despite Liesel's attempt to be happy for the new couple. The bride was surrounded by her family and friends, where her mother cried and her father looked gruff and cleared his throat often. The groom looked as though he might pass out, but when he saw the bride, his fidgeting stopped and his eyes followed only her. And Liesel wanted it all so much for herself that it hurt.
She snuck a glance at Kurt a few times during the ceremony, but he gave nothing away, simply staring at the ground the whole time. Her grandfather glowered at ceiling. Ilsa was the only member of the family who managed to look reasonably happy for the young couple. In spite of Liesel's best efforts, it was impossible to even pretend she was enjoying herself. After the ceremony was finally finished, Ilsa had sharp words for the lot of them.
"Now remember, all of you," she turned and pointed her finger at them each in turn before entering the house where the festivities were being held. "Unless you want questions that we can't answer, at least try to be civil to one another."
It wasn't long before the dancing began. Planks had been laid out upon the ground to create a level dancing floor in the space behind the house. Dozens of people swirling arm in arm all around brought back with strange clarity the night of her one and only dance with Kurt. He had been so nervous. And yet, his eyes had shone with the hope of youth. That had been the first time she had been close enough to feel his magic. Suddenly, Liesel longed for that once again, and in spite of all their recent fight, she suddenly felt a fierce hope rise up within her that Kurt would ask her to dance tonight. When she turned to him, however, all thoughts of dancing fled as she recognized with horror the blank look on his face.
"Your betrothed hasn't asked you to dance yet?" Liesel jumped at the man's voice. Turning, she saw Manny. He had trimmed his red beard, and his hair was slicked back. He looked even bigger in his blue trousers and clean white shirt than he had a few days before. The look on his face as he stared at Kurt was one of disgust.
"Kurt...isn't feeling well," Liesel stuttered, racking her mind for something to distract Manny's obviously competitive curiosity. He had been that way as a boy as well, Liesel suddenly recalled, always needing to have the upper hand.
"Why don't you dance with Manny while Kurt recovers himself," her grandmother said loudly. From the expression on Manny's face, he couldn't have been more pleased with the suggestion. Grateful for a reason to distract the nosy young man, Liesel stood and smiled.
"If you were my betrothed," Manny whispered as they headed toward the dance floor, "I wouldn't let you out of my sight even if I was on my deathbed." Liesel gave a nervous laugh, wishing very suddenly to change the subject. She didn't have to worry, however, as the musicians picked up the pace, and everyone joined arms for a group jig.
As the jig began to move her into the arms of other partners, Liesel began slowly to enjoy herself. The smiles and laughter of her old neighbors and friends were delightful as word spread that Liesel was back. The music gave little time for chatting, but that was fine with her. The recognition in their eyes was enough. Manny soon muttered something about being tired of the movement, and excused himself to get a drink, and it wasn't long after that the partner dances began again.
After Manny left, Liesel realized with some guilt that she was truly having fun. The men continued to line up to partner with her for dance after dance, and Liesel couldn't help but wonder if this was what her life would have been like had they never left. If she'd been given the chance to be the Summer Maiden like her mother had, would she already have been married to one of the young men that now politely asked for a turn with her? How would he have proposed? Liesel imagined something romantic, perhaps out on her grandfather's vineyard, or on the porch under the stars. Anything would have been more romantic than the deal she had struck with Kurt.
Liesel didn't realize how long she'd been dancing until the church bell tolled the hour. Withdrawing her hands from those of another would-be suitor, Liesel tried to find Kurt. Guilt and disappointment warred within her when she saw that his chair was empty. Part of her felt sorry for allowing so many men to seek a dance, but a deeper part felt hurt that he didn't even try cut in. There was no way his blank spell had lasted that long. Was he so angry he was done with pursuing her completely?
"I need some air," Manny spoke into her ear above the din. "Keep me company?" Though the question was posed, he gave her no choice, grabbing her above the elbow and pulling her outside with him. Rather than make a scene, Liesel let him take her. After seeing the empty chair, she suddenly needed a bit of cool air herself.
The night was clear, which meant they weren't the only two people in the gardens. Liesel made sure to stand far enough from her old friend, however, to ensure no one could suspect them of the same kind of engagements others in the garden were participating in. There was a bonfire a ways away that someone had lit, and a number of men stood around it smoking pipes. The sounds of the music wafted out of the yard towards them, but it was more muted out here. The branches of the apple trees were heavy with fruit, hanging down by their faces. Manny picked two and offered one to Liesel as they wandered. They walked without speaking for a few moments, which suited Liesel just fine. When Manny finally did speak, however, his words were unexpectedly kind.
"It wasn't the same after you left, 'Leese. Some said your father had gone seeking a fairy for your mother. Others said she'd died and he'd lost his mind. I never thought it was fair that they took you though, no matter what your father sought." Liesel stayed quiet, remembering all too well the real reason they'd gone.
"I always knew you'd be beautiful," he mumbled. "I just never imagined you'd be as beautiful as this." Liesel felt herself blush.
"That is...very sweet of you...,"she stuttered. She made the mistake then of meeting his eyes. They were suddenly burning, reflecting the light of the distant fire.
"What do you see in him?" His voice rose to match his eyes. His sudden change of manner was not lost on her.
"He's a good man," she said, suddenly defensive. She couldn't help but wonder how much of Manny's boldness was due to the drinks he'd been consuming. It was one thing to catch up with an old friend, but it was quite another to try and steal another man's betrothed when he wasn't there to defend himself. "He cares for his family and works hard to protect them."
"I could be a good family man if you gave me the chance," Manny grumbled.
"I think I'm going back inside to find my family," Liesel turned, an uneasy feeling boiling in her stomach.
"Wait, Liesel." He tried to take her hand, but she pulled free. Not to be deterred, however, Manny grabbed her arm just above the elbow and held fast. "Just listen to me!" His face was open, pleading, but his meaty hand gripped her arm so tightly it hurt. Pulling her close, his whisper grated on her ear. "I could love you if you gave me a chance!" For the first time, Liesel smelled the ale on his breath. Memories of her father's drunken nights on the floor flared in her mind, and with the memories, her temper flared as well.
"Get off me!" Liesel brought her free hand around in a fist and bloodied his nose upon contact. Without hesitating, she followed the first blow by bringing her knee up as hard as she could. The large man doubled over in pain. Liesel whirled around to run, but before she got three steps, he'd reached out and twisted her arm. She let out a cry of pain as he yanked her back towards him.
A snarl ripped the air as a gray blur launched itself between them. Liesel was knocked to the ground, but not nearly as hard as her attacker. Manny screamed as the wolf stood over him with hackles raised and teeth barred. Manny was drunk and cruel, but he wasn't a boar, and if Kurt killed him, Liesel knew it would haunt him for life. She tried desperately to find her voice.
"Kurt." Not loud enough. She wet her lips and tried again. "Kurt!" The wolf continued to growl down at the man it held pinned, but the man flipped his head to stare in disbelief.
"This is him?" His voice cracked with incredulity. The wolf snapped his jaws just an inch from Manny's face, returning the drunk man's attention back to himself. Unfortunately, he drew the attention of others as well. Those milling in the garden who hadn't heard Liesel's cries of pain now heard the snarls of the wolf.
"Quick! Bring a light!" Someone yelled. Liesel could hear others begin to echo him, and knew they only had moments before the entire wedding was after them.
"Kurt! Leave him be! We have to go!" She shouted now. The voices of men shouting grew closer as they searched the trees and bushes for the animal. Upon her shout, however, Kurt did not run, but instead, turned to her and snarled. Liesel froze. Slowly, he stepped off of the man and began to make his way towards her. Liesel began to crawl backwards, pleading as she went, praying for him to remember. But his eyes remained glazed and his fur bristled as he crept towards her. Inches from her face, Liesel could feel the heat from his muzzle. His growls vibrated in her chest, and his red gums seemed to grow larger as he curled his lips back even further. "Please," Liesel whimpered. "Remember who I am."
A howl interrupted her pleas. Liesel turned to see Johan hidden in the shadow of the house, still howling at his friend. To her great relief, Kurt began to retreat, slowly at first, and then he broke into a run, following Johan. As soon as she could get her legs to work, Liesel was up and chasing after them.
"So that's what it is!" Manny yelled from behind her. She could hear the people gather around him as he still sat on the ground. "She's cursed! That wolf has cursed her!" Liesel rounded the corner of the building to find Johan and Kurt. Kurt was breathing hard, back bent with his hands on his knees. Johan was already taking off in the direction of the stable where they'd left their horses. Liesel nearly collapsed with relief when she saw that they were in human form, but the look Kurt gave her when their eyes met was doleful. She couldn't think of anything to say as Johan returned with the horses.
"How much did they see, Johan?" Kurt asked, still not breaking his gaze with Liesel.
"Just enough to give spirit back to old bedtime tales. I set fire to one of the trees to buy us a few extra minutes though," Johan muttered as he handed them the reins of their respective horses. "But we need to go now."
"Go?" Liesel looked first at Johan and then at Kurt as Johan's words sank in. "No...No, I'm not ready to go! I can't!" Her breaths began to come in and out too fast, and the world no longer looked exactly level. "I'm not ready to live without the sun!" Liesel knew her words were hysterical, and her voice rang with an odd pitch, but all she could think about was the life she had been pretending didn't exist for the last few weeks.
"We only have three days," Kurt said tersely. "I was hoping tonight...," his voice trailed off as he watched her sink to the ground and fall to pieces.
How had she lost such track of time? Liesel sat in a daze, tears streaming down her face as Kurt and Johan gently lifted her onto her horse. Somehow, she managed to stay upright, though she wasn't sure how exactly. More shouts rang out as the crowd drew near, but all she could think about was leaving. She would never see her grandparents again. She would never be able to tell her grandfather she was sorry. She would never rest in her grandmother's embrace. She would live a life without sun, watching Kurt lose himself to the animal, and dying before she was gray.
"Liesel!" Kurt's voice broke through her reverie. He was calling to her over the din of approaching crowd. Liesel came to her senses just in time to see the mob encircle them. Torches had been lit, and weapons of all sorts had been made out of farming tools, whatever could be found on such short notice. Liesel winced at the scythes in particular as it dawned on her just how many people now surrounded them. After frantically searching, she finally found the distressed face of her grandmother hidden deep in the rowdy crowd. But where was her grandfather?
"After all these years," one man stepped forward with a torch. Liesel thought she recognized him as one of the city council members. She had been good friends with his daughter when they were little. "You've returned to bring a curse on us?" Before Liesel could even think of an answer though, a small popping sound was heard. Immediately, the circle began to fill with a thick, noxious smoke. People began to cry out as it filled their eyes and burned their noses. Liesel briefly had time to recall her grandfather telling her about such oddities he'd found in the east, when a rough hand grabbed her horse's reins.
"Liesel," her grandfather's voice was urgent.
"Grandfather!" Liesel's eyes grew even wetter as she began to cry in earnest. Gently, he laid took her cheek in his hand.
"Help him find his peace!" His voice was low and compassionate. "You were right, and I'm sorry for being so hard on you. You're his only hope now...so go!" With that, he slapped her horse and she was off.
It was surprising how fast the two horses and the wolf made their way through the coughing, gagging mob. As they galloped off into the night, Liesel turned to look behind her once more, but she could see nothing above the smoke balls her grandfather had lit and the torches enveloped in the thick cloud of smoke that continued to cling to the ground.
***
They didn't stop running for a long time, and then, only long enough for the horses to rest before taking off again. Thankfully, the moon had come out, and it made the world around them glow blue. Liesel was aware of the concerned glances Kurt kept throwing her way, but she didn't meet his eyes. She couldn't believe they had failed. As much as she'd felt the pessimism rise up within her during their time at the vineyard, she only now began to realize how much she had truly still clung to hope as long as they were away from the forest.
Instead of following the road, they moved into the wood's fringe as soon as they could see it, continuing the rest-run pattern even after the sun rose. Liesel knew she was hungry, but she really didn't care. She drank when Kurt told her to at brooks and streams, but not of her own choosing. By the time they finally stopped that night, she still hadn't been able to speak a word. Kurt built a fire, and Johan took the first watch while Liesel sat and simply stared at the tongues of flame licking the darkness. She was aware that Kurt sat across from her, but she didn't look at him. After a long stretch of silence, Kurt finally spoke in a low voice.
"I'm aware that I'm being a hypocrite, saving you from a fate with him only to force you into one with me." His voice broke a bit. "I just don't know what else to do. I don't want to hurt you. But I can't let my people die. We tried, Liesel. We did our best." With that, he stood and walked away. "I'm going to get some firewood. I'll be back," he mumbled.
"Don't let his duty fool you." Johan, back in his human form, sat on the log Kurt had just left. "He hasn't been the same since the first time you left. Tortured himself for years over what to do about you." Staring down at his pipe as he lit it, he quietly added, "And don't mistake his sense of duty for indifference. He could never be indifferent about you."
Liesel didn't reply, simply continued to look into the flames as though they held the answers she was seeking. As the hour drew late, though, she began to grow fidgety. A look at Johan confirmed her suspicions.
"Should've been back by now," Johan stood. Liesel stood with him, although she wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if she could be of any help. Johan disappeared into the thick brush, but Liesel began to pace. The longer they were gone, the worse she felt. Finally, she heard two sets of human footsteps approach.
"Thank goodness you're back!" She began to push through the leaves. Instead of seeing Kurt or Johan on the other size of the brush, however, Liesel was shocked to find herself staring right into the face of Lothur.
It was a long moment before either of them spoke. Liesel thought about running, but dispelled the thought before it was even complete. She knew all too well how fast the wolves were.
"Liesel," Lothur took a deep breath. He seemed almost nervous. "Thank goodness you said something. I might have turned had I thought you an animal." Liesel was silent. "If you'll just come with me, I can escort you safely back to the town." Still, she hesitated. The more she considered it, however, the more she realized she had no choice. Kurt and Johan were gone, and she had no way to defend herself. Finally, she nodded and followed him back through the forest.
It felt like a death march, the way she imagined a criminal might feel while being walked to the gallows. Liesel had never seen a hanging. Amala had claimed such events were no place for young ladies. Still, she'd heard enough from her friends who had attended to know what one was like. And she could only feel that her own noose was waiting for her back in that long log cabin.
Lothur let her stew quietly until they ran into a few other men who seemed to be acting as guards who had a disgruntled Johan in tow. He was in wolf form, snarling and wrenching his body from side to side menacingly, but their ropes held, and with them, they pulled him like a common, disobedient pet. But where was Kurt?
She didn't have to wonder for long. Keegan soon stepped into the clearing followed closely by Kurt. Neither of the brothers looked very happy. Keegan kept sending his older brother wary glances, but all Kurt did was glare at his uncle. Liesel quickly made her way over to Kurt, who hugged her tightly to his side away from Lothur. As they began to walk, she wondered why he didn't use his authority to tell his uncle to let them go. From the looks he kept sending to Keegan, however, all she could guess was that they weren't simply being escorted back to the town. Something else was amiss.
After about an hour of walking, the group reached the southern edge of the town. As they moved, Liesel decided that something was most definitely different in the people's reactions to her. Instead of staring at her silently as they had the first time she'd visited, they now avoided her gaze completely. Not one person made eye contact as she walked through the streets. They looked away as though they were...guilty, Liesel decided. It sent a cold shiver up her spine. They had known she was being forced to marry their pack leader the last time they'd seen her. Something had changed. But what that was, she couldn't tell.
"Where's Father?" Kurt demanded to know as soon as the door was shut back in the cabin. Lothur excused the guards before fixing him with an unnerving stare and answering,
"Your father fell sick soon after you left." Kurt paled.
"I need to see him." Lothur looked as though he were about to say no, but Keegan interrupted.
"I'll take him." Lothur leveled a suspicious stare at his youngest nephew.
"Before you go, I need to be sure you won't be-"
"We've already come this far," Keegan shook his head. "You needn't worry, Uncle." After studying him carefully for a long moment, Lothur finally nodded, and Keegan motioned for his brother to lead the way down the hall. Their uncle turned to Liesel and Johan finally with an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry we had to meet again in this situation. It's just that...something has changed."
"We were coming back-" Liesel tried to speak, but Lothur held up his hand.
"I know, and I'm not angry, I promise. I understand you were looking for your own answer to the spell, and that I admire. But now that you're back, I need to make sure you remain here for the time being. Now...Liesel, you look exhausted."
Liesel hadn't felt exhausted until he mentioned it. But as soon as the words left his mouth, she realized she was close to fainting. It had been two days since she'd gotten any decent sleep, and suddenly, it was as if she could hardly bear to stand any longer.
Lothur caught her as she swayed, and much to her chagrin, he had to support her as he led her down the hall to her room. Inside her mind, she was screaming and crying to be released so she could go find Kurt, but her body would have none of it. It wasn't long before she was dead asleep.
***
When Liesel awoke, she had no way to tell how long she'd been asleep. It appeared to be night from the inky blackness of her window. No fire had been lit, and neither had any candles. Groggily, she pulled herself out of bed, and holding her hands out before her, Liesel made the slow trek to the wall where the door should have been. The relief she found in locating the door was quickly replaced by fear when she realized it was locked. Why had they locked her in?
Just as the lock caught, however, she heard soft footsteps outside. Scrambling through the dark, she climbed back on the bed and waited. Fears raced through her head as she lay there, heart pounding and breaths coming too fast. Where was Kurt? And Johan? And why was everyone being so secretive?
All hope of breaking the spell had dissipated as they'd escaped Weit. Now, Liesel thought miserably, she would be grateful to simply be reunited with Kurt for the wedding. Locked in a dark room without an inkling as to why, however, made even that dream seem impossible.
Whomever it was walked up to her door and stood there silently, as if listening. Liesel held her breath and wondered if she should risk jumping back in the bed and pretending to sleep. It didn't matter, though, because the listener eventually walked away. Liesel let out a huge breath before her mind returned to more somber thoughts.
If everything somehow worked out, and they were simply allowed to be married, there was still hope for some sort of new normal.
But as she tried to linger even on that possibility, doubts crept in and reminded her it would be for only a short time. The wolf would devour more and more of Kurt's mind, and the magic would have Liesel dead before she was gray. Any children they gave life to would be bound to repeat their struggles, but sevenfold as the pack continued to grow, demanding more order and more magic from them as it did. Any way she looked at it, Liesel lost Kurt.
It wasn't fair.
Without warning, the door rattled and clicked open. Agile steps crossed the floor swiftly, and without a pause, a hand was thrown over Liesel's mouth. As she sucked in the air to scream, a rough whisper was breathed into her ear.
"If you make a sound, my uncle will hear, and you'll never make it out alive." It took Liesel a long moment to recognize Keegan's voice, and an even longer moment to process his warning. She wasn't sure she could trust the intentions of Kurt's younger brother, but dealing with his uncle would be decidedly worse. Reluctantly, she finally nodded, and he carefully let her go.
He surprised her by taking her hand and leading her from the room. She expected him to light a candle, but instead they walked in the darkness, and it was all Liesel could do to keep herself upright and to avoid bumping into the walls. Keegan made no sounds has he moved in the darkness. After what seemed like a century to Liesel, she heard the unmistakable click of another unlocking door. Since no moonlight moved through the thick trees, it was nearly as dark outside as it had been in the house. It amazed and frightened Liesel how quickly she had forgotten the true darkness of the forest.
Liesel gripped Keegan's hand tightly as they moved, for she could see nothing distinguishable on her own. After walking a brief distance from the house, they stopped. He took her hands and placed them onto what she recognized was a saddle. As he took her by the waist, she realized she was supposed to jump, just in time to be hoisted up onto the horse. Still without speaking a word, she heard his boots crunch as he walked a few steps away and then somehow moved himself up to her height, which, she presumed, meant he was on his own horse. She felt her horse's reins move forward, and allowed him to lead her without question.
As they rode in silence, Liesel felt sick trying to imagine where Kurt could be. If they were sending her away in secret, which she knew Kurt must have had a hand in, something must have gone wrong. The future Kurt had discussed only an hour before his disappearance had still involved both of them. If she wasn't going to their wedding, which she couldn't imagine would be taking place so far from the town they were leaving behind, where was she going? And where was Kurt? Liesel opened her mouth to ask, when her eyes rested on the still form of the most terrible creature she'd ever seen.
Her eyes, though not clear, had adjusted well enough to see that it stretched out to be at least twelve feet long. It lay just a short distance from their horses, and looked like a wolf upon first glance. But the longer Liesel stared at it in the dim light of the woods, the less recognizable it appeared. It had gray fur like a wolf, to be sure, and the fangs sticking out of its mouth were nearly as long as her hand. But the longer Liesel looked, the more the creature appeared...almost human. And not just human, but woman-like. Its torso extended out abnormally in the front, and the animal's hips were wider than a wolf's. Likewise, its front limbs were outstretched like arms reaching rather than legs for running. The snout was much too short, which made its fangs look even more grotesquely out of place. As Liesel noticed for the first time that its eyes were shut, she also noticed, hidden at first by the bushes it laid in, an arrow protruding from the back of its neck.
"So that's where she went." Keegan's words were nearly too quiet to hear. Cold bumps raised up on Liesel's arms as she quickly sensed that Keegan not only knew what this creature was, but that he had something to do with its demise.
"Keegan," she began in a low voice, but he'd already turned and had begun to lead their horses away. "What-"
"Don't!" The force and rage in his words surprised Liesel. He'd turned to glare at her with a look she'd never seen on his young face before. Something in her heart warned her not to press any further, despite her morbid curiosity. For a long moment, the young man looked very dangerous as his nostrils flared and his neck tightened, and as she decided she had no desire to deal with a wolf at that moment, Liesel swallowed her questions and nodded faintly before he began to lead their horses again. They stayed silent for a long time before he finally muttered something about that part of the woods being full of strange creatures. Liesel rolled her eyes at the obvious lie, but chose not to push the subject. Instead, she chose to ask the question that had been burning in her mind since she'd awakened.
"Keegan," she whispered hesitantly. When he didn't respond, she tried again. "Keegan! Where's Kurt?" Her only answer was a soft shushing sound, which for some reason, annoyed her greatly. Feeling for the reins, she found them and jerked them out of his hands. She could hear his horse stop a few feet ahead of hers. "I'm not going any further until you tell me what's going on," she hissed. There was no answer at first, but Keegan finally gave a small sigh.
"If I explain while we move, will you give me back the reins?" Liesel sent him a skeptical look, which she hoped he could see through the darkness, and finally acquiesced. Somehow, their hands met, and he took the reins again. When they began to move once more, his whisper was so low she could barely hear him.
"My uncle has found a way to break the curse."
"Isn't that a good thing?" Keegan paused before answering.
"I thought he was doing something great, sacrificing the good of one for the pack." An involuntary shiver moved down Liesel's spine as Keegan's words to Kurt came back to her from that first morning in the cabin. She believes in magic! She could end it once and for all if she was willing! What did her belief in magic have to do with sacrifice? "But," he continued, interrupting her thoughts, "after witnessing what he truly meant to do to you, I couldn't do it. Harming you would kill Kurt, human or not." Liesel swallowed hard as she tried to imagine what Lothur might have been planning. But then, she shuddered, perhaps it was better that she didn't know. But that still didn't answer her question.
The early gray of morning finally began to peep through the great trees that surrounded them, which meant they were close to the edge of the forest. Liesel didn't recognize this part of the forest, however. They were going in a different direction than she'd ever ventured in, south. As the light grew, so did her ability to recognize the terror written all over the young man's face. He wasn't telling her something.
"Where is Kurt?" Keegan just looked at the ground and shook his head like a whipped dog. "Keegan," Liesel worked to make her voice more authoritative while still in a whisper. "Where is he?" As she spoke, they broke through the trees, and the golden rays of the sun momentarily blinded her.
"This is as far as I can take you." Keegan held out her horse's reins. Liesel took them as if in a daze.
"I'm free?" she whispered. Keegan nodded as he turned his horse back towards the forest. "But what about the spell?"
"Kurt says it's no longer your responsibility. Because he's first in line, he has the authority to grant you what you want." He paused at the edge of the woods. "He wanted you to see the world." For the first time, Keegan brought his eyes up to meet hers. They were far too sad for a man his age. "My brother is sacrificing a lot for you," he said with a solemn voice and pleading eyes. "Don't waste the life he's giving you."
Liesel gazed out at the serene scene before her in a daze. She was free. After fighting for seven years, she was no longer bound to the destiny she'd feared so much. As she blinked in the sunlight, she tried to grasp that she was going to drink it in every morning after this. She would never have to wake up again dreading the gloomy gray of the deep woods. She would see the ocean. Her grandparents could see her grow and marry, and she could show her children the world without dreading the day they became the wolf.
Her children. But not Kurt's children. It seemed highly unlikely to Liesel that Lothur would truly break the curse, no matter how convinced he was that he'd discovered the cure. Instead of gaining their freedom, Kurt's children would never see the ocean from afar. They would never know what it meant to step out onto a road and follow it, just to see where it went. Kurt's children would be sentenced to a life of shadowy magic in a giant forest without hope. His sons would have to abduct their wives, girls with families and futures. And Kurt would be left to drift away. He would marry some unsuspecting girl like the baker's daughter, Karla, who would be haphazardly kidnapped for him after Liesel's absence was discovered. And knowing Kurt, he would never tell her about how the wolf would take his mind. He would simply let it eat away at him, wasting away slowly until he was as rigid and cold as his father. Her beloved friend and protector would be no more.
Liesel looked to the west at the contour of her beloved mountain. Freedom was hers. All she had to do was stretch her hand out and take it.
And, she thought shamefully, live life as her grandparents had, knowing her happiness had cost an entire village its chance of escape. Forever the wolves would howl for her, and with guilt she would think of the boy who had loved her more than life.
Without another glance at the morning glory, Liesel turned her horse and pressed back into the heart of the woods. She prayed only that she could make it in time to stop the wedding.
Pressing her horse hard, it took Liesel only an hour to cover the distance Keegan had taken her. She had to slow though as she neared the strange forest town, praying no wolves would accidentally stumble upon her while she was alone. Her prayers were answered when she spotted Lora in her human form, perched on top of a stump on her beloved hill. Afraid to call out too loudly, Liesel climbed off her horse and scampered up the knoll.
Despite her anxiety, Liesel's heart went out to the girl as she got closer. Instead of the bright-eyed hope that had been on her face the last time they'd spoken, Lora now looked shaken and terrified, and even paler than usual, if that were possible.
"Lora," Liesel called out softly as she approached. The last thing she needed was for Lora to change forms because she was frightened. "Lora, it's Liesel!" The girl turned toward her, tear-streaked cheeks ashen and eyes puffy. They grew large, however, when she recognized her.
"What are you-?" But Liesel gave her no time for queries.
"Where is Kurt?"
"You shouldn't be here!" Lora shook her head a little too emphatically, which annoyed Liesel. She didn't have time for an argument.
"I'm not leaving! Now where is he?" Lora studied her with troubled eyes before getting up and climbing noiselessly down the hill. Liesel tried to follow her just as quietly, but despite her efforts, Liesel's steps seemed ridiculously loud as twigs snapped and leaves crunched beneath her feet. They wound their way around the town and snaked through the more open trees behind the cabin before coming upon another knoll a few hundred paces away. Liesel's heart thumped nervously as she began to make out muffled snarls and yelps that grew louder as they walked. Lora led them into a large thicket that bordered the hill, and carved into the side of the hill was a door.
"He's not himself," Lora whispered, tears gathering at the corners of her eyes again. "Keegan was going to keep it a secret the way Uncle had told him to, but when he saw Kurt, he just couldn't do it." She paused before unlocking the door. "When he comes to, he's not going to be pleased to see you." She shook her head. "He's going to be so angry with me!"
"Let me worry about that," Liesel tried to make her smile confident. Gently, she laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Thank you." With a quick nod, Lora was gone. Liesel briefly mourned the fact that Lora would have been a wonderful sister, had things ever gone as they were supposed to. But the time for wishful thinking was over. Without even the slightest idea as to what she was doing, Liesel gathered her skirts and opened the door. It was so heavy that no sooner had she squeezed through than it slammed shut behind her. The step down into the cavern was deeper than she'd expected, and the misstep sent Liesel sprawling onto the dirt floor of the small cavernous room.
The ferocity with which the wolf lunged at her was shocking. Liesel shrieked and fell back into the wall. When she finally realized she was still alive, Liesel dared to look up. The wolf continued to try and rush at her, but as her eyes adjusted to the dim light, provided by a single torch hung high on the wall, Liesel saw that Kurt was chained around the neck. The chain had been somehow mounted into the wall so that there was no way for it to work loose, done with magic, Liesel could only guess. As her eyes continued to adjust, Liesel's heart broke in two. Kurt's fur was bloodied all over from where the chain dug into his body from his savage lunges. His eyes were glazed over, and his teeth snapped with a surprisingly loud click.
"Kurt?" The wolf paused for a second before launching an even more vicious attack, snapping and snarling faster and harder than before. Liesel tried to get her shaking legs to stand, but when she finally did, it seemed to agitate him even more. She knelt back down so that she was curled up with her knees to her chest and her face on the same level as his. Terror gripped her as she tried speaking again. Her mind felt as fuzzy as the light around her, making it hard to focus. The dizzying magic she felt every time she was especially close to him seemed to double in the enclosed space.
"I'm sorry," she began, saying the first thing that came to mind. "I'm sorry for treating you the way I have lately, for being angry. I know it's not your fault," she swallowed hard, knowing that if she stopped talking, she might not have the courage to start again. "None of this is your fault. And it was never you that I blamed. I just...I just wanted to be the one to choose. I've been forced into this forest...this life time and time again, and every time I tried to choose a new path for myself, I lost everything." The wolf continued growling, but his attacks had turned to pacing, and the fur on his back no longer bristled. For the first time, Liesel dared to peer into the wolf's eyes. It was so strange to see the golden-brown depths resting in the face of bloodied silver fur.
"I suppose you never had a choice either. You were assigned me in a way, assigned to lead these people." She paused, as the truth of her ramblings sank in, filling her with an even deeper understanding and gratefulness for what he'd done. "And for some reason, you loved me. You were good to me without reason...even when I wasn't good to you." Liesel felt her face burn as she thought back to the many days of stony silence she's inflicted upon him in her anger. The hurt had been there in his eyes when she'd returned with Manny, and then when she'd ignored his pleas for her attention. "But just so you know," her voice shook, "I choose you now." She paused and then added in a whisper, "and I'm not leaving until you're safe."
The wolf no longer paced, but had frozen in center of the damp cave. The look he wore was very human, one of pain. Before she could utter another word, the animal dissolved into a cloud of silver dust, and in its place, knelt a man. He groaned as he tried to get up, but Liesel hurried to his side just in time to push him back down.
"Rest," she tried to soothe him as he moaned again, the pain in his voice raw and vulnerable like a child's. As she laid one hand on his head and another on his back, Liesel realized that most of the sticky residue her hands lay in wasn't sweat, but blood. Warily, her eyes traced the blood stains down his limbs to see that the chains still chafed him around the arms and legs. Even his neck was bound.
"You...," he gulped desperately, his voice coming out like sand. "You have to go."
"I'm not leaving you again," she said with resolution. He stopped struggling and stared into her eyes. Trembling, he lifted a hand from the ground where he still knelt and traced the contour of her face. She turned her face into his shaking hand and he pulled it near. His breaths were labored and came out in rasps, and the sweaty, raw sheen of his pale skin showed through the shreds of what used to be his shirt. He said nothing, but the look in his eyes was immeasurable. Their moment was short-lived, however, as the door behind her opened with a loud creak.
"Right on time," said a still, serene voice, as if finding the young woman in a secret cave was the most natural thing in the world.
"You don't have to do this!" Kurt shook his head, gulping for air between his hoarse words.
"She's a good girl," Lothur said, continuing to stare at her in the same quiet, unnerving way he'd looked at her the first time they'd met. "She'll come." Kurt shook his head vehemently.
"I told you! We found a way to break the curse!"
"I heard you the first time. Unfortunately, however, it seems that your way isn't as...expedient as mine."
"Keegan didn't seem to approve of it," Liesel frowned at him.
"If you don't mind, I would like to discuss that at length with you. I think you'll want to hear what I have to say." Lothur gestured at the door. "If I may have a word in private?"
"No!" Kurt tried to yell, but his voice was nearly gone. Liesel turned back to him and gently took his face in her hands, pulling him so their foreheads touched and the usual wave of dizziness flashed through her.
"You've done everything you can to free me," she whispered. "Now it's my turn." With that, she stood and did her best to ignore his screams of protest as she followed his uncle out the door. They didn't talk on their way back to the cabin. She studied the lean man as they walked. He wore the usual long coat she'd always seen him in, but the blood on one of his sleeves told her he'd indeed gotten his hands dirty. She had no intention of trusting him, but if he did have a way to break the curse, she would simply have to tread carefully. There wasn't time for anything else.
"Tea?" He held up an empty cup as she seated herself on a stool at the table. Liesel shook her head. With a shrug, he poured himself a cup and took a seat. As he did, Liesel felt another wave of unease. Kurt still didn't have complete control over the pack, which meant Garrit was indeed alive, as Lothur had told them. But his illness must have been great if he hadn't interfered with any of Lothur's plans.
"How is Garrit?"
"Unfortunately, your little adventure took more of a toll on Kurt's father than I think Kurt expected. He hasn't spoken since reading Kurt's letter." The brief shadow of annoyance that passed over Lothur's face was the only sign that he knew about the Schnartchen flower. He said nothing of it, however. "And before you ask, Johan is fine. Skulking around somewhere, I'm sure, licking his wounds." Liesel must have looked fierce, because Lothur snorted and waved a hand at the window. "He's fine, only his pride is wounded. My father gave him an unusual amount of freedom after his daughter disappeared. He's not used to being told what to do." Liesel considered that, comparing it to the silent, wild man she'd grown fond of on their journey. She was a bit distracted, however, by the intensity with which Lothur studied her as he stirred his tea.
"Why is Kurt bound so tightly?" Liesel finally asked, shifting uncomfortably under his scrutinizing gaze.
"Just a precaution," he shrugged. "It's an unfortunate part of this life, but for his own safety and the safety of others, we couldn't let him run about the town in such a state. That cave was a gift of our ancestor. He knew by nature we would need it."
"But he will be let out soon?" Liesel pressed, ready to use her cooperation as a bargaining tool if need be. But his uncle just shrugged.
"Of course. As soon as he's calmed down, he will be freed." He stopped stirring his tea and raised a brow. "Does that not suit you?"
"I want to know why he was upset," Liesel mustered her courage and sat as tall as she could, narrowing her eyes at him. "And why you locked me up."
"For that, I must apologize. Kurt rather took us by surprise. You don't know the territory the way we do, but your little party had wandered back onto our land. As you know, the month is almost up, and we feared you might run if you, or rather, your companions might run if they caught wind of our scent.
"As for Kurt's agitation, I have a bit of a longer story to share. Garrit was more than disappointed when you left, but I understood your desire completely." Liesel frowned at him in surprise, and Lothur held up his hands. "Honest, I do. I don't know if Kurt mentioned it, but I've been searching to break the spell my entire life. So when you left and Garrit became indisposed, I was free to do some of my own searching, something my brother had never allowed." Lothur pulled his coat open to remove the little green journal. "The people of Ward want this spell lifted as much as we do, so it wasn't hard to persuade them to find an enchantress, one who reads the ancient tongue written here." He pushed the little book towards Liesel, who took it hesitantly. She flipped it open again the way she'd done with Kurt. This time, however, there were new notes scribbled into the margins. To conceal her reaction, she kept her face down as she skimmed the pages.
"Did you find it?"
"We did." Unable to help herself, Liesel looked up. She'd never seen him grin, and even the slight one he wore on his thin face was disconcerting.
"So why was Kurt angry?"
"Kurt loves you," Lothur fixed his dark eyes on her and leaned forward, a new intensity in his low voice. "He would do anything to keep you safe. Actually, he already had when he sent you away this morning, despite the needs of his pack. But I knew you would return," he continued, "because you love him as well. And you have a good heart. You couldn't have the deaths of these people on your conscience."
"What do you want?" Liesel quit fiddling with the journal and leaned back. Another small smile formed on Lothur's thin, pale lips.
"As I said, there's a way to break the curse. Unfortunately, there is risk involved."
"To the Pure Blood."
"Precisely," he nodded. Liesel sighed and closed her eyes. This was what Kurt had feared. He knew she wouldn't be able to resist.
"And that is?" Lothur stood and began to pace.
"When you left, the pack panicked. It took us quite a while to calm everyone, which you can imagine, was no easy task. To appease the people, I decided to make Keegan the heir. We didn't know if you would all return, and there was only a week left after the enchantress had come and revealed the first wizard's error. We quickly marked a new Pure Blood for Keegan, and their attempt to break the curse began."
"And failed," Liesel finished. Obviously, if it had been broken, she wouldn't have just witnessed Kurt bloody himself nearly to death. Lothur nodded once in assent.
"She wasn't strong enough. Fear can be crippling, Liesel. If this is something you're willing to do, you must face the possibility that you, too, will die trying." Liesel swallowed. Of course Kurt would want to stop her from this.
"What must I do?" The small smile returned as Lothur strode toward her in his quiet way. He took the green journal and opened it to the drawing of the spiked, purple flower.
"I know Kurt told you of the journal." Liesel didn't respond to the bait. After measuring her for a moment, Lothur continued, "I'm sure he's also told you of my interest in it. For years, I've tried fruitlessly to understand its secrets. Ever since I was a boy, I've longed to end this...fear, this unpredictability. I despise chaos, and that's exactly what this spell is. It makes one go mad. My ability to do that, however, was nonexistent. But if you're strong enough to do this, we shall both get what we want."
"And this flower has something to do with that?" He still hadn't told her what she was supposed to do, and that made her even more uneasy.
"The flower is usually poisonous, but when mixed with the right herbs, as the enchantress explained to us, its effects are incredible. It can not only draw poison, but magic as well." He pulled a leather waterskin from his coat and took her empty tea cup. After opening the skin, he poured a bright red liquid into the cup, then handed it to Liesel. She sniffed it. It was sweet, pleasant at first, but there was the most subtle hint of sourness that lingered behind the sweet.
"If I drink this, it pulls the magic out of the pack? But how?"
"It doesn't work immediately. When you marry the pack leader, what happens to him happens to all. If you're able to contain the magic it pulls from him, they'll all be free."
"How?"
"The drink will pull it from them, and in its place, your humanity will be poured back into them. But it's a risk. As I said, the last girl sickened and died." He left Liesel staring into the depths of the cup to look out the window. "I told them she was too frail," she heard him mutter under his breath.
Liesel continued to stare into the cup. She had wanted so much for her grandparents' answer to work, but she had to face the harsh truth that it hadn't. Kurt hadn't found his peace, and seemed further than ever from discovering it. With the month ending the following day, there wasn't time anymore for guesses. It was this or nothing.
A small part of Liesel had to wonder if Kurt's uncle was telling the truth. There was nothing about him that lent itself to trust. It had truly surprised her when he'd admitted that his plan could possibly kill her.
"What is your interest in this?" Liesel placed the cup back on the table. She suddenly felt as though she were bargaining for a horse, and the merchant had something to hide about the goods, a bad leg or rotting teeth.
"You mean aside from killing the animal?" He scoffed. "I told you, I hate chaos. Everything about this life reeks of it."
"No," Liesel shook her head. "There's something else you're not telling me. If this drink is possibly going to be the death of me, I want to know everything." She folded her arms and did her best to stare him down and make him squirm the way Bernd had taught her to with tradesmen. Lothur didn't squirm, but after holding her stare for a few long moments, he nodded once.
"Kurt tells me you grew up with stories of magic. I, too, grew up with stories, but they lacked the shine of those in your book." Liesel realized he must have found her grandparents' book in her absence. "Don't worry," he sighed with annoyance, "it's still in your little room, just the way I found it. Anyhow, the only story that ever mattered to us was the wizard's story. It explained who we were. And the others, my brothers and the rest of the family, accepted that. But it was never enough for me." He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them, looking intently at her.
"You and I aren't so different, you know. You see, when I heard those stories, I wasn't listening to tales about our past. I wanted to know about the world we'd left behind. Trolling merchants' carts every so often in Ward to see what the world had created without us was never my idea of living. But even that would have been tolerable if it weren't for this hellish nature we keep." He paused for a moment, lost in thought. The ever-present cool smirk had slipped from his thin face, and Liesel finally saw a man consumed by grief. When he spoke again, it was as though another person suddenly occupied his body.
"Kurt doesn't know this, but I was born a twin. Mary and I weren't supposed to survive the birth, but somehow, we did. My sister and I were dissimilar in every way. As I had a tendency towards sickliness when we were young, she would often stay in to make sure I-" Shaking his head, Lothur broke off the thought. "I won't bore you with details, but suffice it to say, she was much braver than I ever was, and as a result, I turned before she did. We'd just celebrated our sixteenth year," his voice grew quiet, "when we were out together one day. I can't even recall what it was, but something spooked me, and I turned." Despite her great dislike for the man, Liesel couldn't help but pity him for whatever was coming next.
"I'd never turned before," his voice was a whisper. "When I did, I lost all control. She didn't even see me coming." He closed his eyes as he spoke. "The life you think has been so trying is nothing but charmed compared to my youth. You haven't suffered until you've awakened to find your sister's blood caked on your hands, dirtying your fingernails and powdered in your hair, dry enough that it's already turned to a red dust." He shook his head and walked over to the window again.
"My family doesn't speak of it. It's just one of the heinous parts of being what we are, and I wasn't the first to do such a thing either. So you're right, I do have a deeper motive for searching. It was a game as a child, a puzzle for a boy bored with his sickbed. For a man, it's the hope for redemption. And the hope that no one else will have so much reason to hate himself as I do ever again."
Liesel gazed at him for a long time once more before again lifting the cup. But this time, she drank.
***
If the red nectar had smelled sweet, its taste was sweeter by tenfold. Thick and surprisingly cool, it glided down her throat smooth as glass. Only after she'd emptied the cup did the sour bite hit. Liesel nearly gagged it was so sour. It took everything in her to stay upright and not heave it all back up. As she gripped the table for stability, she heard Lothur quietly thank her before he stood and turned to go.
"The wedding will be in two hours," he said softly without looking at her. "The seamstress will be over soon to help you prepare. I'd appreciate it if you remained here. It will make it easier to find you when it's time." And with that, he was gone. It took another ten minutes before Liesel could drag herself from the stool to begin her trek down the hallway towards her room.
Just as she reached her door, however, a thump from another room across the hall startled her. Cautiously, she walked to the door and placed her ear against it. This time, she heard not only thumps, but muffled cries as well. As silently as she could, Liesel ran to the end of the hall to make sure Lothur had left the house, and was happy to see him still walking towards the village through the window. Running back, Liesel opened the door to find Keegan bound and gagged, stretched out upon his bed. The young man's lanky body was so long his feet dangled off the edge of the pallet. Liesel felt guilt rise up as she realized he'd probably been locked in for escorting her out of the forest. Liesel tried to loosen the gag first, but it was no easy task. She wanted to ask how he'd been taken, but as soon as the rag was off, he blurted out,
"Did you drink it?"
"Keegan, what happened to you?" But he sat straight up, hands still bound, and shouted again,
"Did you drink it?" And as she saw the terror in the young man's eyes, a new dread filled her stomach.
"Yes." The silence that filled the room was pregnant with unasked questions, but Liesel could only watch him as he bowed his head and his shoulders drooped.
"I promised Kurt I would keep you safe," he finally said in a low voice.
"It was my choice," she tried to comfort him but, he shook his head violently.
"You don't understand. I was here when the enchantress was found, and I heard what she said. My uncle lied to you.
"He told me it was a risk," Liesel said in an uneven voice.
"It's not a risk," Keegan spat. "It's as sure as the dark of night."
"How do you know?"
"The girl who died was my wife." Liesel froze, but Keegan continued, his voice bitter. "My uncle told the girl from Ward that her humanity would fill them, and the wolves would no longer be cursed," Keegan said. "What he didn't tell her, and what I'm sure he didn't tell you, is that the black magic needs somewhere to go. So when you marry my brother, we'll regain our humanity. What happens to the pack leader or his heir happens to all."
"And me?" Liesel's fingers refused to loosen the knots, so she stopped trying. Keegan kept his eyes on the ground as he spoke.
"You'll gain the form that they're discarding."
"You mean I'll become a wolf?"
"Not just any wolf...," Keegan's voice trailed off. Panic hit her as the form from that morning's escape lit her memory.
"That beast?" Keegan just nodded. Liesel tried to speak, but her voice suddenly felt just as brittle as her body, ready to break with the slightest movement.
"The nectar of the flower you drank isn't magic itself, but it acts as a bridge, allowing whatever magic or form from one spouse to flow into the other, and because Kurt's the pack leader, the magic of the entire pack will flow into you with his."
"Why...why didn't it work? If she took the wolf form-" But Keegan was already shaking his head.
"She wasn't strong enough to take it all, just enough to become that...thing." He shuddered. "Liesel, I married her, turned her, and then hunted her down!" He suddenly glared at her. "And now you've sentenced Kurt to do the same thing to you."
Liesel didn't hear when Lothur returned and gently threatened Keegan with punishment if he attempted to escape again. She didn't even notice when the seamstress kindly helped her rise from the floor. She didn't see her reflection when the seamstress placed her before a mirror to see how the new lacy blue gown draped elegantly from her shoulders and hips. The woman spoke sweet words, but there was nothing Liesel could say that would fully express the horror she felt from within. Numbness was better than trying to create words. It was with a hollow heart that she was escorted from the cabin to the center of town where everyone was gathered. For it was only with an empty heart, she reasoned, that she could marry the man she'd always loved before she became the very monster he loathed.
It wasn't until she met Kurt's eyes that her hollow heart shattered, releasing a flood of tears. The people who surrounded her looked uncomfortable, refusing still to meet her gaze. Even the seamstress couldn't seem to meet her gaze. They knew exactly what Lothur had done, and though it made them uncomfortable, the prize of freedom was worth the cost of her life. They just didn't necessarily want to see it happen, Liesel thought sourly.
As she stared down the dirt aisle that formed between two rows of benches, Lora solemnly handed her a bouquet of wildflowers, the kind Kurt had shown her the day he'd led her on her first forest adventure on her birthday. For a moment, Liesel wasn't sure what to do. There was no father to give her away, not even a grandfather. As she took her first step alone, however, she felt a calloused hand gently take her by the arm. To her surprise, Johan suddenly stood beside her wearing a determined frown. She almost managed a smile for him, thankful that at least she didn't have to do this one thing alone.
After sharing a long look, they began their walk down the aisle. As tradition dictated, the groom waited for her down at the end of the aisle with the Holy Man. Liesel had purposefully kept her eyes averted until she could stand it no longer. She knew that once she saw him, she wouldn't be able to pull her eyes away. It didn't seem fair to have to look into the eyes of the future she would never have.
The cuts and bruises all over his face looked less severe in the gray light of the forest day, and most of his other wounds were hidden beneath the new clothes he wore. He was so handsome, Liesel mourned. He stood tall, his lips pressed in an intense line, eyes burning curiously as they followed Liesel.
Why? Liesel asked the Maker. Here was everything she'd ever wanted, staring at her through fiery golden-brown eyes. Why does this beautiful moment, this perfect happiness, have to be so flawed? They'd tried so many times to beat the sin of his ancestor, and now both were caught up in a bottomless pit of sorrow. They would both lose. Man and wife were destined for loneliness, it seemed.
Finally, she reached the end of the aisle. Before placing her hand in Kurt's, Johan faced her and gave her hands a gentle squeeze. It was then that Liesel realized there was no pipe sticking out of his coat. "Do what you need to do, and I'll be ready to go with you when you're done," he whispered. Despite the haze that seemed to cloud her mind, Liesel managed the tiniest of smiles.
"I'm afraid there won't be anywhere for us to go," she replied sadly. It overwhelmed her that the lonely old man would be willing to accompany them; wherever he thought they were going. He leaned in a bit though, and returned her sad smile.
"I know. But however far you're going, I'll be going with you just the same," it was a moment before Liesel realized he knew.
"But I won't be myself," she choked out. "I might kill you without knowing!" To her surprise, the gruff old man just shrugged.
"I've been a wolf too long to do well as a man. After I lost my girl, I swore I wouldn't let the forest take another the way it took mine. I'm not going to let this damnable wood have you, too, all alone like she was." Liesel couldn't help the swell of appreciation that rose up inside of her. With another small smile, the old man finally placed her hand in Kurt's before turning to take his seat. Liesel felt as though she might break, but Kurt still held that same curious expression of ferocity.
"Dearly beloved," the priest's voice warbled like an adolescent boy's as he began the ceremony. Liesel recognized the man from Ward. They must have dragged him up from the town just for the special occasion. It was clear he was ill-at-ease in the company of the human wolves. As Liesel strained to read Kurt's strange expression, she forgot to listen to the words of her own ceremony until the priest asked if anyone had a reason that the two should abstain from matrimony.
A sob unexpectedly broke forth from deep in Liesel's chest. The priest awkwardly paused as the sobs came faster and harder. Kurt gently cupped her face in his hand.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I did what you told me not to and drank the potion." Her cries echoed strangely through the town square as everyone watched her fall to pieces. Not that she cared anymore. The only person that mattered was standing before her wearing a mixture of pain and concern on his face. As more tears fell, he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
"I know," he whispered back. Liesel caught her breath.
"You know? But how?" Again, not that it mattered.
"I knew you'd take the bait," Kurt said with a sad smile. "You have a kind heart, and you do stupid things for the ones you love, like wearing a red cape in a forest full of danger."
"He lied to me," Liesel shook her head.
"I know, I know," Kurt soothed her as he glared at his uncle, who sat just a few feet away. That only released another barrage of tears from Liesel.
"I'm sorry," the priest interrupted. "But I can't do this." When Lothur raised an eyebrow, the priest raised his hands helplessly. "I can't marry this girl against her will. It's not what the Maker ordained me to do."
"If you don't marry them," Lothur stood and seethed, "You'll be responsible for all of these people around you turning to wolves permanently with your town close by. Is that what the Maker ordained you to allow?" As the priest stared at him, speechless, Liesel turned back to Kurt in terror.
"I have to," she whispered. Kurt clenched his jaw and swallowed hard as his eyes burned once again. Taking Liesel's face in both of his hands, he rested his forehead against hers.
"You're going to be fine, Liesel!"
"How do you know?" she whimpered.
"Do you trust me?"
Liesel thought back to all their days together as children. When he saved her from Lothur the first time, when he'd sent her to Tag against his father's wishes, when he'd taken her word that they would find answers in Weit. When he'd sent her away to make her free.
"Yes."
"Enough to marry me?"
"I do." Slowly, a small smile spread across his face as he released her and took her hands once more. He closed his eyes for a long moment, drew a deep breath, and when his eyes opened once again, they were calm. Oddly, Liesel felt more peaceful herself. She couldn't explain why, but the serenity that Kurt exuded was palpable. It felt peculiar to smile, but Liesel knew one rested on her own lips as she stared into the eyes of her dearest companion.
"Go on," she said softly to the priest. "I'm ready." When he hesitated a moment longer, she fixed her steady gaze on him and nodded. Finally, he began reading from his large leather book once more. As the words were spoken, Kurt's grip on her hands tightened, and the fierce determination on his face was nearly frightening, and grew more so as the ceremony neared its end. Soon vows were exchanged, and just before the priest announced them man and wife, Kurt suddenly drew her in and wrapped his arms around her tightly, holding her close to his body.
"Now I need you to hold onto me," he breathed into her hair. "Things are going to look a little strange in a moment."
"How do you know that?" She whispered, fear suddenly chasing away all the calm she'd carried moments before.
"I can feel it. I've lived with magic all my life." Liesel did as she was told. He'd never held her so close, and the proximity made her head swim. It wasn't in any way unpleasant, however. If this was the way she was to spend her last moments, in the arms of her beloved, Liesel decided she would choose no other way. "Now close your eyes," he instructed, "and listen to my voice."
"What are you doing?"
"I'm not going to let you go." With those words, he nodded to the priest.
"I now pronounce you man and wife." The priest hadn't even finished uttering the words when a great wind began to whirl around them. Liesel scrunched her eyes shut and pressed her face into Kurt's chest. And although her eyes were closed, Liesel sensed bright flashes of light exploding all around them.
"Kurt?" As the wind blew harder, Liesel began to feel a part of her trying to slip away, as though the gales were going to snatch the soul from her body.
"I'm here, Liesel." His voice was strong and warm, and when she heard it, her heart was strengthened. Not enough though, to stop the raging tides that warred within her. A foreign darkness began to burn inside her heart, and its beating rose and fell in unusual rhythms.
"Kurt?" Liesel's call was frantic as panic set in.
"Listen to my voice," he commanded. Liesel nodded into his chest, so he continued. "Your grandfather was right."
"How?" She breathed.
"I had to find peace with what I have in life. And I found it." Liesel wanted to answer, but she was feeling faint. Kurt tipped her head up so he could stare into her eyes. Bright whirls of color swirled around them faster and faster, and it was hard to focus as Kurt held her head up. "You came back for me. Before that moment, I was sure I would never find my peace, but when you came back, I knew for sure you loved me more than your freedom, more than your family, more than life." The air began to push in on them, and Liesel began to see spots.
"Liesel?" Liesel gasped for air, but nothing came out. "Liesel!" His voice rose. Still, she couldn't answer. "Stay with me!" He shouted above the din of the storm. "I'm not letting go, and neither can you!" But Liesel felt as though she were being torn into another world, and her legs began to give way. She could only just feel his vice grip on her and the warmth of his chest as he crushed her against him. The other colors began to run, giving way to the color of blood.
"It's taking me," she whispered.
"No it's not! I won't let it have you!" His words were steel, an anchor in the storm. "Because of you, my soul has escaped the spell." He bent and spoke in her ear, "So now we have nothing to give each other but light." And with those words, he turned her head and placed his lips against hers.
Kurt's kiss was the most powerful touch Liesel had ever felt. Soft, and yet an act of war, it threw up battlements around her soul. The purity that flowed from his heart flooded her confusion, chasing away the blood red darkness with a searing white light. The winds screamed louder than ever, but instead of explosions, Liesel felt as though she was being wrapped in the rainbow of a brilliant star. Then, in one fantastic burst of light, the storm began to recede. Slowly, ever so slowly, the winds began to fall, and the explosions that had surrounded them started to fade.
Liesel had no desire to ever open her eyes again. Kurt still held her as though he battled, and his kiss was very much still warm and soft, and yet, triumphant. It wasn't until Liesel heard cheering that she realized she stood completely human before the rest of the pack. Except, the people before her no longer acted the part of a pack, fearful and silent. Instead, they clapped and cheered loudly, smiles on the faces of all. In confusion, she looked back up at Kurt, who wore his own victorious smile proudly.
"How?" Liesel shook her head in confusion. It seemed too good to be true. "I shouldn't be here." She glanced down at her body. "At least, not like this."
"Weren't you listening?" Kurt chuckled.
"I was a bit preoccupied," Liesel gave him the slightest frown. Nodding his head in ascent, Kurt turned her to face the still cheering crowd.
"Your grandfather was right when he said I had to find peace with who I was. I couldn't find that peace the way he did, however. I came close that evening on the mountain, but it just wasn't enough. But today, when I saw what you were willing to sacrifice for me, that you were willing to risk death for me, I finally understood that I was enough, that you loved me just as I am, and not for what I should be." He leaned down to place another kiss on her lips when his eyes flicked up, and his body turned to ice. Moving her aside, Kurt stalked into the trees. Liesel was confused until she saw a second figure walking quickly just ahead of Kurt. Realizing what he was about to do, Liesel took off after them. When she found them, Kurt had his uncle by the neck, squeezing harder every time Lothur tried to speak.
"I should kill you, and rid the world of one more liar!" Lothur tried desperately to loosen his nephew's hold, but Johan and Keegan were suddenly there at his side, holding him in place.
"Kurt," Liesel cautioned, "think about this before you do something-"
"If you had died, your blood would have been on his hands!" Kurt thundered. "It would have been on all their hands!" He waved angrily at the bubbling crowd through the trees.
"I'm not excusing him," Liesel said. "I want what's best for you. And killing your uncle in cold blood is not it. And as for them," she looked back at the people. "You're right about them, too. But can you really blame them? They wanted more for their children." Kurt glared at the distant throng for a long moment more, but Liesel saw his eyes soften just a little. Keegan and Johan exchanged nervous glances. Finally, Kurt slowly loosened his grip on his uncle's neck.
"It would have been worth it," Lothur rasped as he clutched his neck. "All the deaths we've suffered in the last two hundred years would be worth one more if she were to end it!" Kurt made to move for him again, but Liesel held his arm.
"Just go," she ordered warily before shaking her head and turning away. She suddenly couldn't stand to look at him for one moment longer.
Lothur scrambled up to straighten himself out. Liesel didn't miss the question in his eyes as he silently begged for pity. No one spoke as he turned and started walking towards Ward. The four of them stood there for a while even after he was gone. Without his pipe, Johan fumbled with his hands for want of something to do with them. Keegan looked miserable, and Kurt continued to glare at the merry people through the trees. And as much as Liesel just wanted to go back to the cabin and just take a long, hard nap, it suddenly dawned on her that this was her wedding day, and strange or not, she was never going to have another one again.
It also occurred to her that the young man standing beside her was now her husband. And, she decided, she was going to celebrate that whether he felt like it or not. A small smile suddenly playing on her lips, Liesel took both of his hands in hers. She had to repeat his name a few times before he pulled his gaze down to her level, his eyes brooding.
"I don't care what awful things your uncle has done, nor do I care what they have done." Kurt still frowned, but at least he was listening to her. "What I care about right now is that this is my wedding, and my groom still has yet to ask me to dance." Kurt stared at her blankly for a long minute before the shadow of a grin crossed his face. Liesel stared into his golden-brown depths until the smile was real.
"My apologies," he murmured, lifting one of her hands to his lips and bowing his head. Holding her gaze, he slowly led her back towards the music that had just begun to play. The people cheered as they walked to the center of the crowd. And as Kurt began to turn her in a circle in time to the music, Liesel's head began to spin again. But this time, it had nothing to do with the magic, and it had everything to do with the man who was holding her in his arms.
Everything she'd ever asked of the Maker had been given to her. She had married her best friend. They were free. Just looking at Kurt, it was clear the darkness was gone from his mind, the pieces of him that the wolf had stolen were back to stay. He would never again stare blankly as he lost himself to the animal, and everything the animal had once taken was hers now until the day they died.
***
The rest of the day flew by in a blur of dancing, singing, and laughter. Liesel didn't even realize she'd fallen asleep until she felt Kurt nudge her awake in the middle of the night.
"Liesel?" When she didn't respond immediately, he softly kissed her temple and whispered her name again. Liesel briefly considered not answering just so he would kiss her again. He would have none of that though, letting out a low chuckling when she faked a snore. "You're a terrible pretender. I know you're awake."
"Fine," she yawned and stretched before snuggling deeper into the covers. "You've found me out." Kurt gave another throaty laugh, tapping her on the nose playfully.
"About what you said in the cave earlier, that you couldn't understand why I love you...." Liesel had been lightly tracing the contours of his face in the dark, but as he uttered these words, she stopped, suddenly fully awake. "Do you really believe that?"
"I guess...," she stuttered. "You just spent so much time-"
"Would you stop?" Kurt gently covered her mouth with his hand until she playfully shoved it off. "What I meant to say was that you don't understand what it meant when you came into my life. I never saw you as a burden. Liesel, you were freedom to me!"
"Why?" Liesel asked breathlessly.
"From the first time I saw you, you had a spark in your eyes. You can't understand what growing up here was like...how disorienting it could seem. But the light I saw in your soul was an anchor. It pulled me out of the pack's constant darkness, drew me toward the light of the life hoped for. And Liesel?"
"Mm?" Liesel was wide awake, but she lay quietly, drinking in the warmth of the moment. Being in his arms, listening to the soothing rumble of his voice without the threat of disaster looming above their heads constantly was intoxicating. She could have stayed there forever.
"Do you know a spark does?" Smiling into the dark, Liesel mumbled a no. He leaned closer, whispering right into her ear. "It creates a flame. And today, that flame saved a village."
"So," Liesel sat up on her elbows, giving up on sleep for the moment. "What do we do now?"
"Well, I think your grandparents might be interested in hearing how things turned out." At that, Liesel bolted straight up.
"Really? Oh, Kurt! That would be...I can't even describe how happy that makes me!" Kurt laughed.
"We'll need to see everyone off who wants to go, help them find a true trade if they want to go." His voice fell a little. "And we'll need to take care of my father." Garrit had regained his consciousness that afternoon when the wedding bells rang, according to the caretaker who had been placed at his side.
"I have the feeling some might remain," Liesel said, thinking back on how Keegan and a few of the others had remained silent as they'd discussed leaving the forest earlier that evening. And she didn't even want to think about what Johan would do without even his wolf self to turn to when he was lonely.
"But I promise you this. The moment the people can do without us, we're leaving," Kurt lay down again and drew her close again. Liesel drew as near as she could.
"And then?"
"We're never looking back."