Black Forest: Kingdoms Fall (27 page)

"What is going on?" Rapunzel queried, tears coming to her eyes as she made the mistake of wondering what might have happened had they still been inside.

Apparently without answer, Cinderella only came closer, the arms sliding around Rapunzel's waist providing less comfort than usual. Gripping Cinderella
with desperate hands, Rapunzel worried she was just as fleeting, that she too might simply disappear.

"Excuse me," a small voice came suddenly upon them, and Cinderella and Rapunzel rounded as one, instantly on guard.

Screaming in surprise, Rapunzel stumbled backward, but Cinderella was there to catch her, and the strange creatures screamed back, whether in response to
her scream or to the dagger Cinderella pulled from her pack was difficult to say.

Rapunzel had never seen anything like them. There were nothing of their kind in Naxos, she was certain, nor even in the books she read. With only a passing
glance, the bizarre beings could have been mistaken for very small bears, but they walked on only two legs. The ears atop their heads were more cat-like
than bear-like, stretching to high points, and their tails were longer than the creatures were tall, puffing out like those of squirrels. On the creatures'
faces were huge, bushy eyebrows that covered the tops of their eyes, and each had a patch of fur on its belly a different color than the rest. Rapunzel was
fairly certain the furry protrusions on their backs were wings, but she was not certain of it until the one with the tan fur and dark brown belly gave them
a flutter.

"What are you doing here?" Cinderella's tone was distrustful as she moved before Rapunzel, hand steady on the dagger as her other curved around Rapunzel's
hip.

"Most sorry," the one with dark brown fur and a tan belly spoke, his voice - at least, Rapunzel thought it a he - high-pitched and squeaking. "We do not
mean to intrude, but could you tell us where we might be? We seem to have lost our way."

"You are near Aulis," Cinderella replied tersely. "We do not know the name of this kingdom."

"Kingdom?" The dark-furred one cocked his head and looked to tan fur. "Where is that?"

"Here?" Tan fur responded.

"Who are you?" Cinderella asked, voice less threatening, but no less forgiving of their sudden appearance.

"Oh, again I am most sorry." The dark-furred creature bowed as he apologized. "I am Norco."

"And I am Togo," the tan one stated with a bow of his own.

"We are twins," they chorused together, sticking their chests out with pride.

"Twin what?" Rapunzel blurted, and, tilting their heads to the side in the exact same manner, Norco and Togo appeared perplexed by the question.

"What is that you ask?" Togo said, voice slightly deeper than Norco's, but not by much.

"What are you?" Rapunzel asked him.

"I am Togo," he said again.

"And I am Norco," Norco reiterated.

"Yes," Rapunzel replied. "Those are your names, but... what are you?"

"What are you?" Norco asked in return.

"We are humans," Rapunzel answered, so confused she looked to Cinderella for confirmation, but, dagger still clutched tightly in her hand, Cinderella was
more concerned with Norco and Togo's purpose than with what they might be.

"Hello, Human," Norco cheerily greeted Rapunzel, padding closer to her. "Hello Human," he greeted Cinderella as well.

"What do you want?" Cinderella questioned, and Norco's giant eyebrows dipped inward in consternation as he looked to Togo.

"I believe he would like you to put that pointy stick down," Togo declared.

"Yes, yes. He is right," Norco admitted. "I would like you to put the pointy stick down."

"Not until I know what you want," Cinderella countered.

Staring up at her, Norco looked at a loss, but when his eyes met Rapunzel's, Rapunzel sucked in a sharp breath at the gentle understanding she saw within
them. The bad feelings that lingered from the cottage released her at once, and, reaching across Cinderella's back, she pressed down the arm that held the
dagger.

"They could be trying to trick us," Cinderella said, and Rapunzel knew Cinderella had seen the truth in Norco's eyes too, even if she had difficulty
trusting in it.

"I do not believe they are trying to trick us," Rapunzel whispered in Cinderella's ear, succeeding in pushing the dagger down by Cinderella's side as she
moved around her.

"Hello, Norco, Togo," Rapunzel gently greeted, and they looked at her with open, almost childlike expressions as she lowered herself to their level. "I am
Rapunzel. And this is Cinderella."

"You are humans," Norco returned in confusion.

"Yes, we are humans, but human is not our names," Rapunzel said. "It is what we are."

By the way Norco and Togo tilted their heads at each other, it was clear they did not understand the difference, and Rapunzel's breath caught as she tried
to imagine a land in which what you were was insignificant and it was only who you were that mattered.

"Where are you from?" Cinderella asked from behind her.

"Not here, that is for sure," Togo answered quickly, looking around with fright in his eyes. "Somewhere else."

"Another kingdom?" Rapunzel questioned.

"Kingdom?" Norco muttered. "This is Kingdom."

"There are other kingdoms," Rapunzel explained softly. "This is just one kingdom of the Black Forest."

"Black Forest?!?" Togo cried. "I do not like the sound of that at all."

Though he did not say anything in reply, Norco did not appear to like it much better.

"You live here?" Togo asked.

"No," Cinderella replied, at last dropping down next to Rapunzel. "We live nearby, but we are traveling now. We are on a quest."

"Ooh, a quest." Norco's eyes grew wide.

"May we come with you on this quest?" Togo asked. "For we do not know where we are, but you seem as if you might be kind beasts with whom to explore and
quests are our specialty."

"We are quite good at quests," Norco added, exchanging nods with Togo.

Glancing to Cinderella, Rapunzel saw the traces of a smile, burdened heavily by doubt, and, jumping to her feet, she tugged Cinderella away. "I think..."
she began, glancing toward Norco and Togo, unable to understand, let alone explain, her feelings.

"We should bring them with us?" Cinderella whispered, and Rapunzel nodded, relieved that they seemed to share the same thought, that, despite their strange
timing and appearances, Norco and Togo seemed most beneficial escorts.

"All right," Cinderella said quietly, "but they must stay ahead of us."

"I like to fly lead," Norco announced, as if he heard Cinderella perfectly, and, wings fluttering, he led the way.

Cinderella did not confess her growing concern, but, hand stiffening and turning clammy in Rapunzel's, she knew Rapunzel must know.

Late afternoon had come upon them quickly, and already the sky was beginning to give way to darkness. With no idea which route they should take, they had
just started walking. They would have to come upon something eventually, Cinderella had thought, and, at times, she was certain they were moving between
kingdoms, but the day passed and they had come to nothing since Hansel and Gretel's cottage, except for more and more forest.

Cinderella was a breath from admitting she had made a terrible mistake when Togo suddenly rounded behind them, sniffing the air at their backs. Eyes
trailing him without blinking, Cinderella watched for any sign of danger, but Togo seemed only interested in where his nose would take him.

"We should go that way," he directed, pointing off into the distance, and Cinderella was quick to listen. Togo had to know more than she did, because she
knew nothing.

Then, within a series of steps, she did. She knew the smell of cooking on the air, the glare of light beyond the thatch of trees ahead.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"I am very helpful," Togo replied with a shrug, and Cinderella smiled appreciatively at him.

Pulling Rapunzel hurriedly through the trees, Cinderella no longer worried about the sound of furry wings at their backs, and when the sprawling house came
into view before them, she slowed with awe and trepidation. As certain as she was that the place had plenty of space to accommodate them, she was also
certain such a perfect lodging was too good to be true.

The light shining from the windows warm and inviting, the smell of soup cooking making four stomachs rumble in unison, Cinderella approached the house with
caution, not sure if it was refuge or trap. Stepping before the door, her eyes locked on a sign with words so simple, she could make them out from her
lessons with Rapunzel -

Here all dwell free.

B
efore any of them could move to knock, the door opened before them, and a tall, graceful presence stood shadowing the entrance. A soft smile adorned
softer features surrounded by a dark halo of wavy hair, welcoming them in before the woman even spoke.

"Come," she requested simply, moving aside to let them pass through the doorway.

Her tone was pure honey, the kind adept mothers used with their children at night to chase away the demons from bad dreams. Drawn in by it before she could
consider the potential danger, Cinderella pulled Rapunzel inside, and Norco and Togo fluttered in to land at their feet.

"I am Caratasa," the woman stated in the same soothing tone, and Cinderella felt the worries from the forest melt from her back.

"I am Cinderella." Her voice nearly failed her. "This is Rapunzel, and Norco and Togo."

Glancing down at them, Cinderella watched two sets of ears waggle back and forth, as Norco and Togo looked at Caratasa with what could only be described as
utter adoration, and Caratasa bent to run her hand over each of their soft heads. With a quavering sigh, Togo's ears twitched faster, and Rapunzel's face
buried against Cinderella's shoulder in laughter, increasing Cinderella's sense of ease as Caratasa smiled back up at them.

"There are ample rooms upstairs," she said. "Take as many, or as few, as you would like. Then, please join us for dinner. It will be served shortly."

"Thank you," Cinderella said.

"Yes, thank you," Rapunzel added, and Cinderella was pulled instantly toward the stairs by an anxious hand.

Despite Rapunzel's attempt at haste, they made it only a few steps before realizing they were not being followed. Glancing to each other, they turned to
look behind them, finding Norco and Togo sitting at Caratasa's feet and a small, humored smile upon Caratasa's face.

Sending her apologetic smiles, Cinderella grabbed Norco, Rapunzel took hold of Togo, and they hauled them to the wooden steps in the corner.

Through the door of one large bedroom, Rapunzel dropped her bag on the wood floor and waited impatiently for Cinderella, who was making the useless effort
of telling Norco and Togo, in no uncertain terms, not to harass their host. Staring up at her with identical expressions, Norco and Togo clearly had no
intention of following the order as Cinderella shut them out in the hallway and dropped her bag next to the door, rushing back to meet Rapunzel in the
privacy of the room.

Hands sliding onto Cinderella's face, Rapunzel took a shaky breath at the familiar hair against her fingers as she met the eyes before her, worry releasing
her as she found Cinderella's gaze as real as her touch. "I feel as if I have to keep checking just to make sure you are still here," she admitted.

"I know," Cinderella returned, fingers hastening against the ties on Rapunzel's cape. "But you are here."

The cape falling from Rapunzel's shoulders, Cinderella's fingers moved instantly to the fabric of Rapunzel's dress, pulling her closer, and her lips met
Rapunzel's with dizzying urgency.

"We should go downstairs," Rapunzel said, but her hands belied her intentions of decorum, grasping the fabric of Cinderella's dress and pulling it over her
head in one careless motion. "We will keep everyone waiting."

"Then we shall hurry," Cinderella returned, covering Rapunzel's lips again, cutting off all protests Rapunzel had no intention of making.

As they made their late, sheepish return to the main room, Caratasa was ladling soup from the cauldron over the fire into bowls. At the table, a woman and
young boy they had not met sat with Norco and Togo, who Cinderella suspected rushed back down to be with Caratasa the moment she closed the door to the
bedroom.

"Sorry we took so long," she said, sliding into the seat next to Norco. "We were... unpacking."

If they had actually succeeded in hurrying, it occurred to her, they might not have needed an excuse at all, but, as usual, once entangled, there was more
desire to savor than to rush, and by the time they pulled apart enough for sense to return, darkness had fallen fully beyond the window.

"There is no need for apology or explanation," Caratasa's soothing voice swept over the table. "I am sure whatever you were doing took precedence."

Exchanging a fleeting glance with Rapunzel, Cinderella suspected from the blush that colored Rapunzel's cheeks that she also felt as if Caratasa knew
exactly what they were doing.

"Ruth, George," Caratasa said, coming to the table to place two bowls of finely-crafted orange glass before Norco and Togo. "This is Cinderella and
Rapunzel."

"Hello." The woman at the table smiled, but there was a sadness and distance in the gesture that left Cinderella haunted in its wake.

"Hello," Cinderella replied, looking to the young boy at the woman's side. His smile, unlike his mother's, was wide and joyful, the carefree look of youth
that had been lost by all other human guests at the table long before.

Dispensing the rest of the bowls, Caratasa at last joined them at the table, alighting in the chair at its head with a poise that gave Cinderella her first
moment of true apprehension since she entered the house. For it was not the elegance of a very graceful woman with which Caratasa took her seat, but an
inhuman poise. Glancing to Rapunzel to see if she noted it, the same hovering ease which the sorceress possessed, she found her too deep in a mouthful of
soup to notice anything.