Ever After [7/?]
anonymous
December 9 2009, 04:37:29 UTC
“I am nobody.”
“You must be somebody. What is your name?”
“I can't tell you,” Ivan said sadly. “I'm under a terrible curse, and anyone who gets near me will die. If you know my name, we might get close enough to activate the spell.”
“That's awful!” the knight said, and he truly did look sorry for Ivan.
“It is. It's already killed my sisters. I'm all alone now,” Ivan said quietly, blinking hard so the knight wouldn't see the tears that gathered in his eyes. Would it always be so hard to think of his sisters?
“I'm very sorry,” the knight said kindly. “Are you going to the city to look for a way to break the spell?”
“I am, but you must be able to use magic if you hid your home so cleverly! Could you help me?”
“I'm afraid not. I'm not really a wizard. I can create illusions, but it's not the kind of magic that can break spells.”
“Illusions? Are you the one who made the forest look so strange?”
“I am indeed. The forest you see outside isn't what the forest really looks like. It just reflects what you expect to see, unless I change it myself.”
“But I didn't expect to see anything!”
“That may be why is looks so bland and empty. But don't worry yourself about that. Do you want to know how to get to the city?”
“Oh yes, I-” Ivan was interrupted when his stomach growled loudly. The knight laughed as Ivan's face turned red.
“Perhaps you would like a meal first? It's still a ways away, you ought to be fed and well rested before you set out again.”
The knight was just as kind as the wolf said; he shared some bread and dried meat with Ivan, and let him stay the night in his cottage. The inside was small and cozy, much like the cottage Ivan used to share with his sisters. The thought made him terribly homesick.
“You mustn't look so sad,” the knight said as they ate together.
“I'm not that sad,” Ivan said, “it's just difficult to learn to be alone. Though I'm not really alone. I have my doll with me.” He pulled the doll out of his satchel to show the knight, but the doll was limp and quiet. Ivan gave it a shake, trying to make it talk and move, but the doll did nothing. “It talks to me,” Ivan insisted, “It really does. I didn't imagine it.”
“I-I believe you,” the knight said, though his voice said he didn't. “And I know how you feel. I'm alone out here too, except for the wolf. I'm under a curse too, though it's different from yours. Because of that, I can't leave the forest.”
“Then I've decided,” Ivan said firmly. “After I find a way to break my curse, I'll come back and help you break yours too.”
The knight smiled gently. “That's very kind of you. But you must get to the city first before you can do any of that. Tomorrow, when you leave my cottage, you'll see wolf tracks leading away. Follow them until the forest starts to look like a normal, living forest again. You'll know when you get there; there will be many white flowers growing there. Keep walking straight, so long as you still see the flowers, and you'll find your way out. The city is very close from there. You should be able to see it once you're out of the forest.”
“What should I do when I get to the city?”
“It's been years since I've been there,” the knight admitted, “but I think you should look for Wizard Arthur. Unless he's left or been killed since I was there last, he should still be around. He's very powerful, and if anyone can break a spell, it's him.”
“Thank you,” Ivan said sincerely. The meal and warm fire in the cottage's hearth was making him feel warm and sleepy, and he yawned hugely.
“You should sleep now,” the knight said, smiling at him. “You have a long way to go.”
“You must be somebody. What is your name?”
“I can't tell you,” Ivan said sadly. “I'm under a terrible curse, and anyone who gets near me will die. If you know my name, we might get close enough to activate the spell.”
“That's awful!” the knight said, and he truly did look sorry for Ivan.
“It is. It's already killed my sisters. I'm all alone now,” Ivan said quietly, blinking hard so the knight wouldn't see the tears that gathered in his eyes. Would it always be so hard to think of his sisters?
“I'm very sorry,” the knight said kindly. “Are you going to the city to look for a way to break the spell?”
“I am, but you must be able to use magic if you hid your home so cleverly! Could you help me?”
“I'm afraid not. I'm not really a wizard. I can create illusions, but it's not the kind of magic that can break spells.”
“Illusions? Are you the one who made the forest look so strange?”
“I am indeed. The forest you see outside isn't what the forest really looks like. It just reflects what you expect to see, unless I change it myself.”
“But I didn't expect to see anything!”
“That may be why is looks so bland and empty. But don't worry yourself about that. Do you want to know how to get to the city?”
“Oh yes, I-” Ivan was interrupted when his stomach growled loudly. The knight laughed as Ivan's face turned red.
“Perhaps you would like a meal first? It's still a ways away, you ought to be fed and well rested before you set out again.”
The knight was just as kind as the wolf said; he shared some bread and dried meat with Ivan, and let him stay the night in his cottage. The inside was small and cozy, much like the cottage Ivan used to share with his sisters. The thought made him terribly homesick.
“You mustn't look so sad,” the knight said as they ate together.
“I'm not that sad,” Ivan said, “it's just difficult to learn to be alone. Though I'm not really alone. I have my doll with me.” He pulled the doll out of his satchel to show the knight, but the doll was limp and quiet. Ivan gave it a shake, trying to make it talk and move, but the doll did nothing. “It talks to me,” Ivan insisted, “It really does. I didn't imagine it.”
“I-I believe you,” the knight said, though his voice said he didn't. “And I know how you feel. I'm alone out here too, except for the wolf. I'm under a curse too, though it's different from yours. Because of that, I can't leave the forest.”
“Then I've decided,” Ivan said firmly. “After I find a way to break my curse, I'll come back and help you break yours too.”
The knight smiled gently. “That's very kind of you. But you must get to the city first before you can do any of that. Tomorrow, when you leave my cottage, you'll see wolf tracks leading away. Follow them until the forest starts to look like a normal, living forest again. You'll know when you get there; there will be many white flowers growing there. Keep walking straight, so long as you still see the flowers, and you'll find your way out. The city is very close from there. You should be able to see it once you're out of the forest.”
“What should I do when I get to the city?”
“It's been years since I've been there,” the knight admitted, “but I think you should look for Wizard Arthur. Unless he's left or been killed since I was there last, he should still be around. He's very powerful, and if anyone can break a spell, it's him.”
“Thank you,” Ivan said sincerely. The meal and warm fire in the cottage's hearth was making him feel warm and sleepy, and he yawned hugely.
“You should sleep now,” the knight said, smiling at him. “You have a long way to go.”
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Oh anon, thank you for continuing!
I have a few guesses for Liet's curse (though I'll probably be wrong).
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