The Frog Princess (10 page)

Twelve

E
adric and I hurried now; we could see the castle from the top of the hill and were eager to reach it. Farmland lay on both sides of the castle road almost as far as the gates. Behind the castle lay the swamp.

We had started down the hill and were passing one of the ancient oaks when we heard the angry buzzing of flies. Although we had both eaten before starting out that morning, Eadric was determined to investigate. I followed him, hoping that I could persuade him to come away. We found the flies along with a few scraps of fur and a scattering of grisly bones—all that was left of some unfortunate forest creature. The flies clustered on the remains, their black bodies glistening blue and green in the sunlight.

"Please don't stop now," I said to Eadric. "We've almost reached the road!"

Eadric smacked his lips, obviously more interested in catching flies than in anything I might have to say. "I'll only be a moment. Why don't you have some, too? There are plenty for both of us!"

"No, thank you," I said. "I'm riot hungry." The thought of eating flies that had just crawled on carrion turned my stomach.

Unable to watch, I headed toward the road, hoping that Eadric would soon catch up. I had climbed halfway over a broken branch when something plucked me from the ground and flipped me over onto my back, squeezing the breath out of me. Screaming was impossible, for I didn't have enough air in my lungs to do more than grunt, but I kicked and thrashed about, frantically trying to free myself. Suddenly, I was flipped over again and found myself face-to-face with Fang.
Eadric was right!
I thought.
How could I have ever trusted a snake?

Caught in the scaly coils, I was sure that I was looking at death itself when I noticed that the snake was no longer looking at me. Its eyes were fixed on something behind me, something that hissed and made the dead leaves rustle with its passing. The pressure on my body grew unbearable as the coils tightened. Then, in an instant, I was tossed aside like rubbish. I flew through the air and would have kept on going if I hadn't hit a tree, slid down the trunk, and landed on my back with my legs sticking up in the air. Partially stunned, I turned my head and looked back the way I'd come. Much to my surprise I realized that there were two Fangs, or at least two snakes that looked like Fang, coiled together in a silent battle. I tried to scoot backward, hoping that neither one would notice me. Writhing, the snakes twisted around until they were facing each other.

"Why, Fang, sweetie, is that you?" said a feminine voice. I noticed for the first time that the snake that spoke was smaller than the other, her body slimmer, her markings slightly different.

"Clarisse?" said the larger snake in a voice that I recognized as Fang's.

"Where have you been, lover boy? You've been gone an awfully long time."

"I was captured and imprisoned by a witch. We have only just escaped."

"We?"

"You attacked one of my companions. Emma," Fang said, raising his head to look at me, "this is Clarisse."

"Pleased to meet you, Emma," said the slimmer snake, delicately flicking her tongue in my direction. "Now, Fang, do you suppose you could let me go? I have a little unfinished business to attend to."

"As long as it doesn't include eating one of my friends."

"Any friend of yours is a friend of mine, and you know I never eat friends."

"Of course, Clarisse. My mistake." The snakes relaxed their coils and slid apart, although they didn't go far.

"Are you home to stay, Fang, or just passing through? The children are quite sizable now, and I know they would love to see their daddy."

"I have an obligation I must fulfill, but I shall return in a few days."

"Good!" said Clarisse. "It's almost that time of year again. Now, you make sure you come look me up as soon as you get back!"

"Rest assured, Clarisse, I intend to do just that."

"You take care now, Fang. I'll be seeing you later." She rubbed her head against Fang's in a gesture so tender that I felt embarrassed to be watching. Swiveling her head to look at me, she flicked her tongue in my direction once more. "It's been nice meeting you, Emma. Good luck with whatever it is you two are doing!"

Fang watched Clarisse slither off, his eyes glazing over as her tall disappeared in the leaf mold.

"Was that your wife?" I asked, wincing at the pain of bruised ribs.

He blinked and slowly turned to me as if he were coming out of a trance. "Unlike humans, snakes do not marry."

"Your girlfriend, then. Your mate, maybe."

"Perhaps one of those terms would apply."

"She's very pretty," I said. "For a snake."

"Actually, she is considered quite lovely."

"Hey, you two," called a voice, and Eadric appeared from behind a tree. "I thought you would have reached the road by now. You should have stayed and tried the flies. They were delicious."

"Maybe I should have," I said, "considering what the alternative turned out to be."

It was already midmorning by the time we left the shade of the forest. Li'l was waiting for us just as she'd said she would, hanging upside down from the branch of a pear tree like an overripe piece of fruit. I could see the castle again from where I stood, the unmistakable towers rising above the countryside. With our destination seeming so close, I was determined to reach it before dark, although it would probably be a very long way to hop.

"You'll be leaving now, won't you?" Eadric asked Fang.

The snake shook his head ever so slightly. "Not yet. I shall go with you as far as the castle. When you have reached it safely, I shall return here to reclaim my territory and make my home."

"Have you ever been to the castle before?" I asked, proud of my own home and eager to hear some words of praise.

"No, although I know of some who have. You had best be careful when you get there. I hear the castle is a very dangerous place."

"Dangerous!" I said indignantly. "It's not dangerous at all! I've lived there all my life and I've never seen anything dangerous!"

"Of course not, for you were there as a human and a princess."

"Then you believed me when I told everyone at the cottage that I'm an enchanted princess and that Eadric is a prince? You all laughed, so I thought you doubted me."

"I do not know about the others, but I did not believe you until you read the spell. I do not know of any other frogs who can read."

"I believed her when she
said
she could read," Li'l said. "I've never met a creature who even claimed that before! Hey, everybody, see over there." She shaded her eyes with one wing and pointed with the other. "The road curves past those farms and ends at the castle gate. You're almost home, Emma."

"Thank goodness! And we'll be humans again as soon as we find my aunt!" I hopped onto the road, eager to leave. "I'll lead now. I know my way from here."

I was so excited that I couldn't hop the way I normally did. Instead, I jumped, leaped, and bounced down the road like a child's toy. My excitement must have been contagious, because Eadric tried to match his hops to mine while Fang slithered faster than we had ever seen him move before. Even Li'l was caught up in the excitement, flying loops in the sky above us until her wings began to tire. Panting at the unaccustomed exertion, she settled in an old apple tree by the side of the road and waited for us to catch up.

It wasn't long before Eadric discovered the anthills. He amused himself for an hour or so by taking samples from each one he found, but stopped after tasting a red ant. "They have too much bite," he told me, his mouth twisted in pain.

The road was warm and dry beneath our feet. Dust swirled around us as we hopped, coating our skin and making us cough. The air grew hotter as the day went on, and Eadric and I soon suffered the effects of the drying sun. After a while, feeling pinched and withered, we slowed to a halfhearted walk.

"I have to sit down," I finally told my friends. "I feel faint."

"Frogs aren't meant to be out of water for so long," panted Eadric. "We need to find a stream or a lake. Even a puddle will do."

"I shall ask Li'l to look around," said Fang, who never left our side for long.

I knew that talking to Fang made Li'l nervous, but she flew to us when he called to her and landed a good distance from him, listening to his request. After looking Eadric and me over and seeing the truth of Fang's words, she nodded and took off. I watched her circle and come back a short time later.

"I found a pond at the bottom of the hill," she said, landing beside me. She frowned when she saw Eadric sprawled on the dirt road. "What's wrong with him?"

"He's passed out," I told her, "and I don't feel well, either."

"We need your help, Li'l," said Fang. "I cannot carry him, so it is up to you."

"Me?" squeaked the bat. "I've never lifted anything that big before!"

'You lifted the books in Vannabe's cottage when you brought them to me," I said.

"It's more like I dropped them. Oh, all right. Ill try to carry him," said Li'l, "but I don't think I can for long. He's a big boy, isn't he?"

"Emma, are you well enough to walk?" asked Fang.

I tried to stand, but my legs buckled under me.

"Here," said Fang. "Climb onto my back. I can take you there if you can hold on."

"Ugh!" Li'l grunted, struggling to lift Eadric. "I'm going to get a hernia! This frog needs to start eating fat-free insects!"

Just beyond the next rise, the ground sloped away from the road. A pond lay at the bottom, a welcome sight for everyone. Li'l half carried, half dragged Eadric up the hill. When she reached the top, she lost her grip and his limp body slid down the other side.

"Look out below!" shouted Li'l. She took to the air and flew after him, but he hit a bump and began to tumble head over heels over vial of dragon's breath. Finally, Eadric plopped into the water and Li'l flew off in search of a shady tree, her job done.

The pond was all we could have hoped for. It was close. It was cool. It was wet. I clung to Fang's back all the way down the hill, although I felt weak and nauseous and had a hard time concentrating. When he reached the bottom, Fang wriggled into the shallow water long enough for me to slide off. He stayed by the edge to make sure that I was all right, but as soon as I began to move around he slithered back up the hill and onto a large flat rock overlooking the pond.

I lay in the shallows until I started to feel like myself again. When I was able to, I swam toward Eadric, who still lay sprawled in the water where he had landed when he fell. I was concerned about him: his face looked pasty and his skin was too warm. He muttered when I laid my hand on his forehead, but his eyes remained closed. Taking his hand in mine, I waited until he twitched and opened his eyes before I turned and plunged into the depths of the pond. Eadric soon followed me, his feeble strokes becoming powerful scissor kicks as he regained his strength.

The water felt wonderful! We somersaulted and dove, we floated and twirled, and all the while our skin let water into our parched flesh. I thought of the day I had learned to swim and of how much else I had learned since then.

I was enjoying the water and the breeze that ruffled the surface of the pond when suddenly something grabbed my foot and pulled me under. Kicking hard, I shook Eadric's hand loose and popped to the surface like a cork. I was still laughing when Eadric followed me up, his face appearing only inches from mine.

'You know something?" he said, grinning. "You're a much better swimmer than you used to be. It won't be long before you're almost as good as I am."

"Is that so? And how do you think I'm doing in my other froggy skills?"

"Your hopping is good, but you still need to work on catching insects."

"Really? Well, I don't think I'll ever be able to eat as well as you can."

Eadric smiled smugly. I patted him on the shoulder, then did a flip in the water and swam away before he could see my own smile.

Thirteen

W
ith Li'l leading the way and Fang guarding us from behind, we were soon back on the road to the castle. Mumbling her apologies, Li'l flew to the first tree she could find. When we reached the tree, Fang pointed out her darker shape amidst the leafy shade. "Li'l," he hissed loudly, "we are here."

"Go on without me," called back a tired voice. "I'll catch up later. I need to sleep a little longer."

"We'll meet you at the castle," I shouted. "Look for us by the drawbridge."

Li'l didn't answer. With a sleepy sigh, she'd already dozed off again.

"I hope she heard me," I said to Fang and Eadric as we continued down the road.

"She is a bat," said Fang. "I am sure she heard you. However, bats traditionally sleep during daylight hours and we have asked much of her today. She is also more timid than I expected now that she is out of her element, and I fear that she will be easily frightened for some time to come. I believe her bossy manner was a cover for her insecurities."

Late that afternoon, a farm wagon leaving the castle grounds rumbled down the road. Fang moved off into the grass while Eadric and I patiently waited for the wagon to pass. I was shielding my eyes from the cloud of dust when a young boy walking beside the wagon spotted us. "Look, Father," he called. "Frogs! I'm going to catch them!"

"Now, Robbie," said the farmer, "why don't you leave them where they are? You take them home and they'll die like the last ones."

"But I want to play with them," the boy insisted.

Eadric and I had heard the child and had no intention of letting him catch us. I hustled Eadric off the side of the road, following Fang into the tall grass. The boy, who had seen us go, ran over with a stick in his hand. "I know you're in there," he said, squatting on his heels. "Come out here where I can see you." The long stick jabbed the grass, narrowly missing us.

Eadric, trying to frighten the boy away by making himself look big and intimidating, straightened his legs and arms and put on his fiercest expression. Since his legs were longer than his arms, his back end stuck up higher in the air, forcing him to tilt his head back to look at the boy. With the vial of dragon's breath still strapped to him, Eadric looked like a bizarre multicolored hunchback, and I would have laughed if I hadn't been so frightened. Because he was in front of Fang, Eadric couldn't see the snake raise his head above the grass and glare at the boy through slitted eyes. Fang hissed softly and the boy nearly fell over his own feet trying to get back to his father's wagon.

"Did you see that?" said Eadric proudly. "I scared him off! He'll think twice before coming after a frog again, won't he!"

"I'm sure you're right," I said. "Especially one who travels with a snake. Next time he might even stay in the wagon."

With the farm wagon and the boy gone, we returned to the road. The rosy glow of the sunset outlined the castle and made it seem all the more inviting. However, we had gone only a short distance when we felt the vibration of approaching vehicles. Soon, two more farm wagons and a tinker's cart passed by. Petitioners from the village who had stayed late at court followed in a carriage. With so much traffic on the road, we decided that it was no longer safe and moved off into the fields.

Traveling across the uneven ground was slower than it had been on the hard-packed dirt, and night fell before we reached the castle. The drawbridge was already up. It wouldn't be lowered again until morning.

We were seated in the dust at the end of the road when Li'l flew down to land beside us. "There you are!" she said. "I've been looking all over for you! I don't like it out here. It's too open and there's too much going on. I think I saw a hawk, although I'm not real sure. So where are we going now, Emma? Do you have any good hidey-holes in that castle of yours?"

"I'm sure you'll find plenty of places to hide," I assured her, "but why don't you go see if you can find my aunt first? That's her tower, the tall one on the left. She said she would be away for a few days, but she should be back by now."

"What about you? Are you going straight there?"

"We have to get inside the castle," I explained, "and the drawbridge is up."

"Why's that a problem?" Li'l asked. "You're frogs. You can swim across the moat. I'll go up to the tower and take a peek inside. Now, you're sure your aunt won't mind?"

"She won't mind at all. Go on ahead. We'll be there as soon as we can." I watched Li'l become a dark speck as she flew over the moat. When I could no longer see her in the gloom, I turned and spoke to Fang. "And what about you, Fang? Are you coming with us?"

"No, I must return home now. I have much work to do to reestablish my territory."

"Thank you for being there all those times," I said, throwing my arms around him. "You were right—we did need you."

"I know. And you are welcome." My hug made him uncomfortable, for he quickly backed away, eyeing me warily. "Emma," he said, "because of your emotional demonstration, I must tell you something that I would not otherwise have disclosed."

"You can tell me anything, Fang. If anyone has the right, it's you."

"I understand that humans whose lives have been saved may feel a certain ... affection for their rescuers. If you are feeling such an affinity for me, you must know that my heart is engaged elsewhere."

If he thought that I had a crush on him ... I tried not to laugh, and thought of a trick I'd learned when my mother caught me in a giddy mood and I knew she would disapprove if I laughed out loud. I had only to think of something sad, such as the death of my first puppy, to make myself lose the desire to laugh. I tried it now and it worked, allowing me to alter my expression to one more suitable to a jilted female.

"Is it Clarisse?" I asked, looking as mournful as I could.

"Yes," he said, nodding solemnly. "You are not too badly disappointed, are you?"

"I'll recover, but it won't be easy."

"Good luck in your endeavors. And the same goes for you, Eadric."

"Thanks, Fang. It was ... an experience having you along."

I watched Fang slither down the road with mixed emotions. He was a snake and I had always been terrified of snakes. Because I was now a frog, he should have been one of my worst enemies, yet he had proven to be a friend, someone I could trust when I was in danger.

"What did you mean when you thanked Fang like that?" Eadric demanded. "He didn't do anything! And who is Clarisse?"

"And
you
accused
me
of being unobservant! Never mind, Eadric. Maybe I'll tell you about it one day. Let's just say that he was a much better companion than either of us thought he would be."

"I guess that's true," said Eadric. "At least he didn't eat us."