The Black Hart

Something nudged me on the shoulder. I groaned and rolled in the other direction.

  “Adela!” A familiar voice hissed excitedly in my ear, “Come on, it’s time!” I sat bolt upright, knocking my head against the one leaning over me.

“Ow, sorry, Silas, I’ll be ready in a minute,” I said rubbing my head as Silas did the same.

“OK, I’ll let you have some space, but if you take more than five minutes I’m gonna send Atti in, OK?

“Sure,” I stepped out of bed when Silas had closed the door behind him and looked for the dress I had first come to the camp in. They were warm and fluffy, much more so than when I had arrived dripping and cold. I slipped into the plain dress, twisting my arms behind me to do up the laces at the back of the dress. I looked in the mirror and combed my fingers through my hair several times, making sure I still looked like I had been lost in the woods for two days. The plan relied on it. I stepped out of the little hut the Shifter had loaned me and found Attica and Silas ready and waiting for me. Attica raised an eyebrow when she saw me.

“I still can’t believe they make you wear that ridiculous thing. It’s not like it’s practical or anything.”

I smoothed the front of my skirt self-consciously, then remembered it was supposed to be crumpled.

“And I can’t believe you wear stuff like that. It’s so… uh, unattractive.” I said eyeing her leather leggings and stained tunic top.

“Well, at least it gets the job done. Come on, we don’t have all day to argue about clothes.” She started on a path that led deeper into the forest and Silas gave me an apologetic smile.

We trudged on for a while, me in the back, Attica in front. I was struggling to keep up, partially because I had shorter legs, partially because they knew this forest and I didn’t. Eventually, it got lighter and the space between the trees grew larger until I could see the palace turrets in the distance.

“Wow,” I said in awe, “I didn’t realise the forest was this close to the palace. We were told the nearest bits were cut down.” Attica snorted ahead of me.

“Of course they did. What else did they tell you, pigs could fly? You can’t just ‘cut down’ a forest this magical. How do you think we make our potions? I can’t-” Silas cut her off.

“OK, Atti, I think she gets the picture. How about we go over the plan again?”

“OK,” I said, shrugging. As long as I didn't have to listen to Attica anymore I’d be fine.

“Right,” Silas started, “So you said you were in the laundry department of the castle, and that’s why you left your basket of cloth under the bridge when you heroically came to my rescue.” Attica rolled her eyes at that and I gave a quiet giggle.

“So, if you run in, terrified, muddy and cloth-less, they’ll most likely believe you because all they do is gossip all day, right?” I nodded, stepping over a rabbit hole as we progressed across the field towards the main road.

  “And then, when you tell them about the child you’ve caught trying to trick you into drinking something, they’ll yell and scream and tell you to go to the king, yeah? And then when you get to the king with the child holding a potion vile, he’ll ask the child to drink the potion if he’s so innocent and then I’ll turn back into myself and then we’ll storm the palace and get everyone’s magic back!” Silas turned around to smile giddily at me and I gave him a tentative smile back. We continued in silence for a bit and then Attica spoke again.

“Um, Silas, do you think that maybe I could go in instead of you?” She stopped and turned around, right before we got to the road, but still in the cover of some bushes so that passers-by couldn’t see us. A branch brushed against the bare skin of my neck, sending shivers down my spine and my arms. Silas frowned and looked at me as if I had told her to say that. Although I was rather grateful she suggested it because I think Silas wouldn’t be tough enough for what needed to be done.

“But, why couldn’t I go? I know what to do.” Attica peered through the light green foliage to the road as a carriage rumbled past. She lowered her voice a bit.

“Silas, I know you know what to do it’s just… Uh, maybe you want to wait outside so you can help direct the magic to the town, yeah? You’ve always been better with that sort of stuff than me, and well,” She glanced at me suspiciously, then continued, “I just think, maybe I should go because I’m a bit more forceful than you.” Silas frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but I beat him to it.

“Uh, how about you both drink the potion and then I can ‘capture’ you both? You two look close enough to be twins.” I kept my face open and innocent, making sure Attica didn’t suspect anything. She still glared at me, but I ignored her and looked at Silas.

Ok, I guess that could work, and that way Atti can supervise me.” Silas said the last part sarcastically and then gave me a lopsided smile. 

♥♥♥

By the time we reached the castle, it was late morning. We added the final touches to my outfit and Silas and Attica drank the potion they had brought along. They both shrank and grew younger, now looking like very tall four-year-olds. I wrapped the rope Attica had put in her pocket around both of their wrists and then showed them the cupboard they could hide in until I told the laundry ladies about them.

“Just huwy up, ‘cause this is a vewy tight space fow boff of us,” Atica said in the cutest little kid voice. I stifled a giggle and nodded as I closed the door, leaving them in darkness.

“Help! Someone, I need to see the king!” I yelled as I ran into the laundry department of the castle. As I turned the corner all eyes came to me and a couple of girls my age ran over to me.

“Oh my goodness we thought you were dead!” One said as they rushed over and crowned around me.

“How did your hair get this dirty?” She pulled at the twigs Silas had tangled in my hair before we left the bush.

“Why is your dress all muddy?”

“Were were you all this time?

“How did you find food?”

“What happened to you?”

“ALRIGHT LADIES! Thank you for your concern, but I think Adela needs some space.” I smiled gratefully at the short, stocky woman who ran the laundry at the castle. I sped up my breath and heart rate, trying to sound terrified. 

“Well,” I said breathlessly and wide-eyed, “There was a storm when I went to the market and I got caught out in the rain, so I ran to the nearest shelter, a bridge. I huddled under it, but I didn’t see that someone else was there. I was grabbed from behind and shoved in a sack and carried for a while. When I was put down, and the sack was opened, I realised where I was and who had kidnapped me.” Everyone was hanging on my words, the tension was palpable. I pretended to look around for anyone else as if what I was about to say was a big secret. Which it kinda was.

“Shifters.” Everyone gasped, I smiled, but quickly hid it, “I was in their camp, and they had kidnapped me because they wanted to use me in a potion! They had been waiting under that bridge all day for a young girl to come along so they could boil her and use her juices in a wicked spell.” Someone in the back fainted and everyone had surprise and horror written all over their faces.

“But how did you get away?” A small girl to my left said shakily. I lowered my voice conspiratorially.

“I told them I needed to go to the bathroom, and that I wouldn’t taste very nice if I had all that stuff stuck in me. They believed me and I ran away as soon as the girl who was told to watch me turned away for me to raise my skirts. Of course, I was only raising them so I could run faster, but she still almost caught me. When I finally lost her, I was deep in the woods and completely lost. I made a little clear spot and found a fluffy piece of moss to lay down on and then I slept. When I woke up, two little children were looking at me. One of them offered me a drink from the cup she had, but I knew the stories. I pretended to drink it and then collapsed, careful not to spill the cup. The little boy who was with her pulled a rope out of his pockets and tried to tie me up, but I grabbed the rope off of him and tied it around both of them instead. I forced them to lead me here, otherwise, I would make one of them drink whatever they had offered me. I’ve got them locked in the broom closet, but I need to show them to the king, so he knows there are still Shifters around and kicking.” All the ladies around me nodded in agreement, so I went and got Attica and Silas from the cupboard. They all gasped and made silly comments bout what Attica was wearing, and she snarled back at them. A couple more girls fainted when she did that, but there was still a big group of us almost running down the halls, calling out to everyone we passed what we were doing and why we were doing it. 

By the time we had gotten to the main hall where the throne and king awaited us, there were twice as many people as there had been when I set off from the laundry quarters. We burst into the main hall, despite the commotion that the guards made trying to stop us, and the king stopped speaking to the noble he was talking to and looked up at us in astonishment. 

“Oh, great king!” I said in my loudest voice, “I was kidnapped by Shifters and escaped just before they cooked me! They then sent these two children to come after me, but I fooled them and now I have come to show you that not all the Shifters are dead.” Attica pushed her fingers into her pocket, stretching to reach the little vile that held the potion to make them teenagers again. When she reached it, she handed it to me and I held it up for the king and my entourage to see.

“This is the potion they tried to get me to drink, Your Majesty, and I have confiscated it from them, once I caught them trying to drink it themselves. I wouldn’t let them near the stuff, Your Grace, because I fear it may make them more powerful. They tried to trick me by making me drink a potion when I first met them, but it didn’t work, thanks to the great King Nicholas, who protected us against the foul power of their potions. I stand here to give you these traitors to use however you would please.” The King stroked his curly blond beard and looked at me.

“You,” He said pointing at me, “Can stay. But the rest of you can leave.” He dismissed them with a wave of his hand and the noble he was talking to earlier made a little sound of protest, but the king gave him a stern look and he bowed humbly and left with the rest of the people gathered in the big room.

Once everyone had gone, The king turned to study Attica and Silas.

“So,” He said in a softer voice than the one he had used to dismiss everyone, “These are the Shifters? They are quite small.” He looked up at me, studying me this time.

“And you said you were kidnapped? I think I did hear something about a laundry girl not coming back from the market, but I figured that was because of the storm. So what do you suggest I do with them?” His eyes bored into mine as if trying to decide whether to trust me with this or not.

“Well, It was the girl’s idea really, so I think she needs to be locked up for sure, but the boy didn’t have much part in it so maybe he can have a softer punishment? I mean, he’s just a kid.” At this, Attica finally caught on.

“Ok, I see what’s happening herw. You littwl twaitow! I knew this would happen! Silas, I towd you she wasn’t any diffwent. Give me that vile, or overwise I’m going to cast a cuws so bad you won’t know what hit you!” Attica struggled against the bonds that were supposed to be loose enough for them so they could wriggle out of them easily. As Attica struggled, Silas just looked up at me with tear-filled eyes and a hurt expression on his face.

“I twusted you,” He said in a quavering voice, “I thought you were diffwent.” He looked down as if ashamed to look at me anymore. That hurt more than it should've, but I knew it was only because of the potion Silas had made for me when we first met. I turned to look at the king, gauging his reaction to Attica’s outburst. He frowned and tilted his head to studdy Attica closer.

“Hmm, I see this one’s feisty.” He then looked at me again, “Did you make a deal with them or something? Is that why she’s arguing?”

“Yes, Your Majesty, I told them that I would give them the potion back once I showed them to you, so they could go back to their village.”

“Lies!” Spat Attica, still struggling, “It’s all lies! She followed my bwother into the woods and found ouw camp, and we gave her cloves and food! We made sure she didn’t get sick fwom how wet she was! Silas twusted her and she did exactwly what I thoughwt she was going to do! Betway us!” I kicked her knees out from underneath her and she went sprawling on the floor, falling in her face. The king laughed at her antics.

“Guards!” He called out with a laugh in his voice, “Come and collect this girl now, and throw her in the dungeons. And show this brave young lady to one of the empty wings, so she can be rewarded in good time. Oh, and find out what she wants to do with the boy, I don’t care.” The king winked at me as I was shown to a beautiful room with a huge bed and lots of closet space. I sighed as I threw myself onto the bouncy bed and snuggled deeper into the silky sheets. Attica might not like what happened, but she couldn’t say she expected any more from me. And Silas should’ve known giving someone a love potion wasn’t a good idea, especially when he had made me trust him by it. I still had a soft spot for him, so maybe I’d put him on sweeping the courtyard or something. I still hadn’t decided what I was going to do with him, but for now, I could relax in peace. I pulled the covers over me and drifted off into a deep sleep.