Hey everyone! Piccolo Sky here with the third installment of his lesser-known fairy tales. Only one left to go. This is one of the odder Grimm's Fairy Tales, but also one of my favorites. I used it's lesser-used title because the original title, "Donkey Cabbages", is kind of odd sounding...which is too bad because this is one of the more "original" Grimm's Fairy Tales as opposed to the formulaic ones. I don't think this'll ever be a Disney flick...and it's probably not as good as "King Grizzlebeard", but I hope you enjoy!

Just fair warning...this is a LOOONG document.

"The Magic Heart"

Adapted from the fairy tale "Donkey Cabbages"

"Mom!"

"What is it, dear?"

"I can't find the powder horn!"

A loud sigh came from below. "Honestly, you're as bad as your father some days. It's the same place you left it…with your musket."

Only moments later, like a herd of wild elk, a young man of about eighteen years of age bounded down the stairs leading to the overhead loft of the house and into the general purpose portion of the home, which included the kitchen. His muscles were fairly well built and tight, which only figured as he had split whatever time he wasn't doing normal chores or hunting with helping his father out with the wood chopping. However, he had a firmness and keenness about him that showed he definitely wasn't from the strict "wood cutting" ilk of men that went about. His grip was firm and steady, even when simply bracing himself against the wall as he ran down the steps, and the way he clambered down without missing so much as a step showed that he always kept his wits about him to move quick, in spite of occasionally misplacing things like his powder horn. Such skill would be even clearer on a field, when he could easily cut and dress any bit of game in three minutes flat. And judging by the fact that, in addition to the powder horn and the musket, he had a satchel with tools such as a small hammer and hatchet to split open a rib cage and knives that had been cleaned many times but were still a bit tarnished from blood, and it was clear that the young man was a huntsman.

Near the black iron stove, an older woman was tending a pot filled with porridge, turning it often to make sure it wouldn't burn. The young man crossed by her to the wall for his things. He was already dressed save for his boots. His clothing was a bit on the old side, but it was thick and well worn, and very useful for his purposes. After all, he spent a lot of time not only outdoors but in the woods, and he needed his clothing in good condition for rain, snow, or shine. Luckily, there was little snow or rain to be found today. Although the sun was just now beginning to near the horizon, there wasn't a cloud in the sky, and spring had reached its height. All the trees were covered with fresh leaves, and anything that had still been lying low for the winter was up. It was time to make his livelihood.

The older woman looked up at him as he reached his things. "Speaking of your father, you should keep quiet while he's still sleeping." She looked back to the porridge and shook her head. "I never thought the day would come when I'd see you waking up earlier than him…"

"You won't have to deal with me much longer, mom." The young man answered as he looked over his things. "Not this season."

The woman at the stove paused momentarily on hearing that. She exhaled a bit, and then looked back to him again. This time, her nagging look was gone and replaced with concern. "Klaus…are you sure about this? There's more than enough room in this house. And I know your father could use you on some days."

The young man merely chuckled in response. "Don't be silly, mother. Dad's still more able-bodied than I'd ever be. Why do you think I made Old Gustov teach me how to shoot and dress rather than sticking with axe chopping? Besides…I really don't have a choice. The game around our village isn't very good. I have to walk almost eight miles every day just to get a shot at finding something. I can't support myself on that. And if I did support myself, and did it now while dad is still able-bodied, you'd be making more than enough money to stash away for when you're older."

The woman still looked a bit regretful as she went back to the pot and moved it off of the hot burner. "It will be so lonely around here with you gone…"

Klaus snickered and looked back to her. "Really, mom? You miss all of the trouble that me and the rest of us got into? All the things we broke? All the times we kept you up worrying? All of the times we got injured and you had to wait on us while we were bedridden? The food we ate too much of? The mud we tracked into the house? The shutters we left open? The-"

Finally, the woman broke out into a chuckle of her own. "Alright, Klaus, you made your point. But the least you can do is sit down and eat before you head out. My guess is you'll still have to be twice as active as you were last season if you wish to make a home for yourself."

Klaus was the youngest son of a family of four children. Not terribly unheard of, especially considering how they had been the four survivors of ten. In truth, his parents had been lucky considering where they lived. Their home was very much isolated. The nearest village, which they had to travel to in order to get most amenities, was about ten miles away. Just the road leading to it was a good half mile from where the house was located, so getting goods to and from it was often a grand affair. Still, they were luckier than most. Their small house, barn, and chicken coop had enough farm animals living there to provide for most of their needs, and this part of the forest had many edible plants and berries, not to mention high quality wood that Klaus' father was free to harvest and sell for a tidy profit. Enough to have kept them from ever falling on hard times…or at least hard times that had put them in dire straits.

Klaus had been the youngest by four years. As a result, his brothers and sister had already grown up and left the house. His older brothers had paired up and moved to the village before taking off down the road. That was five years ago, and Klaus hadn't heard from them since…but such was the way the world was when you could not read, write, or pass reliable messages. Such things were privileges of the rich, and while the family was well-off, they were far from wealthy. Still, to say it had caused the family no small amount of grief was an understatement, and from time to time Klaus did wonder if they were well…yet that was what happened when one went traveling. It seemed to be in his family's blood to want to go out into the world. After all, the forest may have provided a good income in the area, but it also removed the need to ever move about. As a result, Klaus felt a bit of wanderlust himself. His father had it himself. That was how he ended up in the village and met his mother, after all. As for his sister, she was married and on her second child in town. That left him. And as he had said, he wasn't the best in the world at woodcutting…but hunting, on the other hand, seemed almost second nature to him. Gustov, the best huntsman in the surrounding country of the village, had noticed him eight years ago try out one of the newest muskets made in town during a festival. Despite it being his first time, he had been amazingly accurate, naturally doing many things one should do properly before firing the weapon. And that was made all the more amazing considering that it was indeed a musket being fired as opposed to a more accurate bow. As a result, he took him on as an apprentice for a few years…just long enough to teach the basics of hunting and dressing a kill. However, it was enough for Klaus to keep learning on his own, and now he was a better hunter even than Gustov in many regards.

In spite of that, however, the village was getting older and had many hunters as it was. Due to the volume of trees, there wasn't much room for grazing. Most meat came from game, and everyone hunted in one form or another. The wildlife had learned to go far from town, and every year it seemed he had to venture farther to find something. Hardly a good livelihood for someone like him. Hence, he realized he needed to "kill two birds with one stone" and secure his position as a huntsman while satisfying his wanderlust by moving out and abroad. But before he could do that, he needed to make some more money…and last winter he had decided this spring would be the time to do it. He would have to double his effort on making kills so that he could hopefully sell enough to last him for a time. Hence why he had gotten up so early that morning.

As he came to the table, his mother ladled a bowl of the porridge and brought it to him. After setting it down, she turned and went back to tend the remainder a bit longer until the pot cooled a bit. "So, where are you thinking of starting this morning?" She asked as she did so. "Back in the creek valley? There's usually deer getting a drink…"

Klaus shook his head as he took up a spoon and began to dig into the bowl. "I came up dry every time I went there for three months of last year. It seems like it's been abandoned along with all of the other normal spots… So I'm thinking of heading up to 'Emerald Glen'."

Almost immediately, Klaus' mother stopped stirring before she whirled around to him. "Emerald Glen?!" She echoed, almost shouting. "Klaus, no one ever goes there! Not for woodcutting, not for hunting, not even for gathering kindling!"

The young man merely laughed again. "Come on, mom. You don't really believe those old fairy tales, do you? All the sensible men in town know the only reason their grandfathers stayed away from it is because our lands were at war with the prince in the adjoining fiefdom a hundred years ago, and they made up that story to keep children from wandering into that territory. I'm a little old for tales about toadstool rings."

The woman didn't change. "Klaus, I don't like that part of the forest. Every evening it almost seems to glow…"

"Yes, because the sun is hitting it as it goes down, mother." Klaus answered. "There's nothing to worry about. Dad went in there two years ago seeing if the trees were any different. He told me."

"He did?" The woman nearly exclaimed again. She soon fumed. "That's just like him, of course…does something like that and doesn't tell me…"

"And Gustov himself told me had been in there three or four times. He said he didn't go far, but he got the biggest partridge he had ever taken on one occasion and he saw a doe with two fawns on another. That's good enough reason for me. If everyone's too afraid to go in, that means I'll find something. Right now, I only have two thalers to my name. That's barely enough to put into a collection plate on Sunday even for a poor man."

Again, the woman shook her head and sighed. "You men are going to worry me to death. I wish you had been more like your sister."

"Come on." Klaus chuckled as he ate a bite. "You really think Fritz would have been as happy marrying me?"

In spite of her indignation, the joke made Klaus' mother break into a smile again and chuckle.

"Don't worry." He reassured as he went for another bite. "You'll feel much better about the whole thing when I come back with enough meat to last the next month."

After quickly eating his meal, Klaus got his things together, putting on his vest and coat and taking up his satchel, rifle, powder horn, hat, and boots. That done, he was off. He knew it would probably still take some time to get to where he could find something, and he had never been in the range of forest called the 'Emerald Glen' before. In spite of his confidence at the breakfast table, he honestly did feel just a bit nervous…but not nearly enough to scare him, even if this was his first time going in. After all, as a hunter, he knew how to leave marks in such a way to find his way back, and he didn't plan on wandering about too aimlessly. Also, he had to admit, with a musket it was kind of hard to be too terribly afraid.

Just as he had mentioned earlier, the Emerald Glen was named for, when one came close to it during sunset, how the light shone through the trees on the hill to make it look as if the branches were filled with emeralds. Yet this wasn't sunset, and so, as he neared the location, all he saw was regular leaves. In spite of his mind playing a few tricks on him and feeling just a hint of anxiety, in spite of his earlier claims, the trees were quite normal. And as he ventured up and into them, all he found waiting for him was an ordinary forest. There wasn't even a toadstool ring to be nervous about. The forest was quiet and calm…and was just that, a forest. Nothing terribly special or remarkable about it, and nothing to set it apart from the forests he was used to. His fear diminishing, he continued on his way.

Hours slowly ticked by, and still Klaus went on. The forest continued to look perfectly normal and natural. It was quiet, to be sure. After all, no other hunters would come this far, so he was well divorced from any human contact. However, and more importantly, there was no sign of game. The only life he saw was the occasional beetle scurrying up a tree trunk, or a songbird or two singing until he came near, and then taking off. Definitely not anything he could hunt. He continued to walk on further from there, the hours continuing to pass, and going farther and farther from home or the village and into the unknown forest. Still nothing. Not even a crow to shoot at, which would hardly be good game but would at least have enough meat for a meal or two.

When the sun reached midday, the only thing Klaus had gotten for his trouble was sore feet. He slowly came to a halt, leaned up against a tree with one arm, and issued a sigh. Perhaps this had been the real reason that the forest was off limits…that it was more "dead" than the traditional hunting grounds. Normally, he would have turned around or tried something new long ago, but even if the forest hadn't been unfamiliar, a bit of pride didn't want him to return to his mother and father empty handed after he had been cautioned not to go inside in the first place. However, after all this walking and having nothing to show for it, he was reluctant to go any further. He could probably only manage another hour before he'd have to turn around if he expected to be back before dark. Not only that, but he was a bit weak from walking all this time, and meal time was approaching. He decided to at least have something to eat before he went on. Perhaps food would help clear his thoughts a bit.

With that in mind, he set up his rifle and things, and then sat up against the very tree he had been leaning against. Reaching into his satchel, he pulled out a piece of cloth with a bit of bread and cheese on the inside. Exhaling a bit, he put it together and began to eat quietly. Meanwhile, he leaned back a bit and stretched his legs out, giving them an opportunity to have all weight taken off of them, although he left the boots on. He ate slowly, taking in the day. After all, it was sunny and warm, and the songbirds, while not good for hunting, made a pleasant sound. As the bread and cheese slowly vanished, he thought about what would be best from here.

Well…I could go a bit farther and I'd probably still make it home before dark…but if I don't find anything then the whole day will be wasted. If I head back now I might make it to some of the usual spots to hopefully bag something before evening…but there's no guarantee I'll find anything there either. No matter what I choose, there's a good chance I'll come up with nothing. But…at least I know there's a chance of something back home. For all I know, there's nothing in this place at all…or I'm wandering right next to a village that also has already driven off all game…

Thinking these things over, Klaus finally decided to head back. This may have been a wasted day, but at least he knew better than to keep going on the wrong way. With that, he ate the last bit of his bread and cheese, dusted off his hands, and then exhaled before leaning up. He turned to reach for his musket…

And saw a hideous face looking right at him.

"Hello, young man."

Klaus actually let out a cry of alarm and stumbled backward, "crab-walking" in a rapid scurry away from what he saw. Yet quickly, his wits came back to him, as he continued to look to see what had startled him.

Standing near the tree, and having somehow come upon the young man without him knowing, was an old crone. "Old" was definitely the key word. The woman was so hunched over and bent it didn't seem possible that she could still stand, and her face was so grotesquely withered that she looked impossibly old…far beyond 100 or even 120. She only stood at about three feet tall, and that was because one of her gnarled hands with several lumpy warts on it was balanced on a crooked piece of wood that made a cane. Her entire body was draped in thick, old, worn fabric in drab colors, but that was just as well because it hid most of the rest of her twisted body. It was full of holes and threadbare in more than one spot, and he could tell that she was very thin underneath it. However, her face was still clearly exposed…and was easily the worst part. Her nose protruded abnormally far…more like what Klaus would imagine from a kobold than a human being, and it was hooked on the end. It had two monstrous warts like berries on it, with one growing hair that seemed an odd color that wasn't gray. One of her eyes was completely dead, and the pupil was turned inward. Only her other eye was good, and it was so oversized it didn't seem to be human at all. Her mouth seemed to only have two teeth in it as well, neither of which looked like real teeth. To be honest, it was almost nauseating to look at, and looked far from human. The huntsman had to use everything he had to stop being scared and not look away from revulsion.

"Oh…I'm sorry." She said after a moment in a dry, wrinkly tone…if such a thing was possible. "Mercy me, it looks like I scared the living daylights out of you, young man. Are you alright?"

Klaus paused a moment, blinking and getting his bearings. After a moment, however, he cleared his throat and began to rise again. "Well…um…yes, I'm fine." He said, taking the opportunity to look down as he rose to avoid having to look at the woman. "I just got surprised is all. I was…a bit lost in thought."

"I'm terribly sorry." The crone answered as she began to hobble forward on her small cane. "I do hope I didn't hurt you at all."

"Oh no, think nothing of it." Klaus answered, dusting himself off a bit and, in spite of his revulsion, looking up at the woman. That, in turn, helped him to relax a bit when he saw that he towered over her. After all, it was hard to be scared of something you knew you could physically dominate, no matter how ugly. "By the way, I'm sorry…is this your property?"

"Mine?" The crone answered. She let out a bit of a cackling laugh. "Oh, I'm flattered, young man. But no, indeed. There's a trail over that way not twenty paces. I was traveling down it when I paused to ease nature before I try to make the next town. I don't suppose anyone owns these parts."

Klaus exhaled a bit as he looked about. "I can't say I blame them. I haven't seen any edible berries or game anywhere. And the wood isn't too remarkable, either. I've spent all day walking into this forest trying to find some game, and I haven't crossed paths with so much as a rabbit. I suppose I'll just have to head home and try my luck there before it gets dark…" He looked at the old lady and gave a tip of his hat. "Good day to you, ma'am."

However, the crone raised her cane. "Oh…oh, now, wait a minute, sonny!" She called back, stopping Klaus just as he began to turn away. She ventured a bit closer, and, as she did, her face became anxious and regretful. "I was wondering…um…well…"

Klaus turned fully back to her, but she continued to stammer uneasily for a moment. Finally, however, she spoke up again.

"The truth is what brought me to you was the smell of some bread and cheese." She admitted. "And I may be a tough old bird, but…I haven't eaten in two days, young man. I don't think I'll be able to go any further once I reach that town unless I have something to eat. I can't get around as easily as I used to…and I was wondering if you might…well…"

The young man hesitated and looked the woman over. Crooked and old as she was, he soon realized that most of her "boniness" was due to simply being underfed. And as he began to look past her hideousness and around her, he soon realized that she had to be a beggar. Why else would a woman like her be traveling through a forest on a long trail? Especially when it was clear she could hardly get around. Slowly, his revulsion ebbed, and was replaced with pity…but also regret at what he realized.

"Oh…" He answered ruefully. "Well…if I had known that you were coming up to me, I would have gladly given you some of the bread and cheese I had on me, but…" He swallowed, and gave a rather small shrug. "That's all I had. I only brought enough food for a lunch."

The old crone's face fell immediately. More than that, she actually looked distressed and anxious. "Oh dear…" She muttered. She held a moment, but then looked up. "Well…in that case…is there any way you could spare some alms, young man, so that I may buy a bit of food when I get there?"

"Oh…sure thing!" Klaus answered, immediately going into his pocket. As he fished around, he slowed only for a moment. Two thalers…pretty much his whole livelihood unless he made some more money. If he gave them up, then he would have actually lost money today instead of merely time. Yet in spite of that, he looked again at the crone. He thought of how thin, twisted, and miserable she looked…and about how her appearance no doubt must have driven off most people from giving her anything. With that in mind, he grasped both thalers, pulled his hand out and reached forward to the crone.

Lighting up a bit more, she held out her gnarled hand, and Klaus readily dropped both thalers into it. Yet as he pulled his hand back, the crone looked at the money in her hand, and seemed surprised. This made the young man a bit uncomfortable at first. Did she think that was too small an amount? At any rate, her head raised a moment later, and she spoke again.

"Young man…this is all you have. Are you certain you don't want to keep one for yourself?"

Hearing that, Klaus hesitated momentarily. How exactly did she know that was all he had? However, he pushed it aside a moment later. It didn't really matter. She probably had guessed it by the look of him or how he had dug into his pockets. He simply waved his hand. "Go on and take it. You need it more than I do. It's not even enough to get you a good place to sleep tonight, so if anything it's almost cheating you."

"Oh no, you mustn't think that, young man." The crone answered as she put the coins away in her rags. "That was most generous. It was all you had in your pocket, which made it all the more valuable to you. That was very kind of you. I haven't seen such kindness in a long time."

In spite of himself, Klaus smiled a bit in reply. "Well, I just hope it gives you enough food to last for a time. Good day, ma'am." With that, he put a hand to his musket and turned to leave yet again. This time, he managed to turn completely around before he heard the crone call out again.

"Wait! One moment more, sonny!"

Again, Klaus stopped and looked around. The crone began to hobble up to him again.

"You've been so kind. I can't let such kindness go unrewarded."

This answer puzzled the young man. This woman looked like she literally had nothing save what he had just given her. He almost interjected with the fact that she had pretty much been begging for money from him, which made it fairly clear she had no means to pay him back with, but before he could say a word, she stopped and spoke again.

"You say you haven't gotten anything all day. Well, if you take my advice, you'll not only be repaid in full but you'll have something far better than a prize boar…I promise you that." She said with a crooked smile, not due to maliciousness but just her odd, withered, toothless mouth.

Klaus hesitated a moment longer, but then finally exhaled a bit and turned to her. "What do you mean?" He asked. "Do you know where there's good hunting ground around here?"

The crone let out a cackle in response. "I would like to think I did, most certainly. Just you do exactly what I tell you." Taking in a bit of a deep breath, she exhaled again, smiling now, and balancing on her cane.

"Keep going into the forest a bit longer. Just a little bit, mind you. It won't take long at all. You won't have gone very far before you'll come upon something very strange. You'll hear some wings flapping, and you'll look up and see eight ravens fighting over a single cloak, each one trying to pull it a different way."

Klaus interrupted with a chuckle. "Ma'am, I really need to be heading back…"

"No, no, sonny! I'm telling the truth!" The crone immediately insisted, holding up a hand before he could turn. "I swear it!"

The young man sighed. "Ma'am, assuming you just came from that way, those birds have to have already flown off by now." He said this only half-heartedly to begin with. After all, he had seen ravens do many strange things…but eight of them together fighting over a single piece of cloth would be unusual even for his experience.

Nevertheless, the crone maintained her story.

"Young man, I swear if you but go a bit farther, you'll see eight ravens fighting over a cloak, just as sure as you and I are standing here talking. Now, when you get there, take up your gun and fire into their midst…right in the middle of them. The cloak will fall to the ground."

Again, Klaus let out a short laugh. "I'm pretty good with this musket. I'm liable to tear that cloak, if that's what you intend for me to repay myself with."

"Oh don't worry, sonny. You won't hit it. But one of the birds will be hit. Seven will fly off, and one of them will fall down dead. Now then, go up and take both the cloak and the bird. There's treasures for you that you won't find anywhere else." She said this last part with a grin. After that, however, her voice became firmer and more intense. So much so that she seemed to lose the demeanor of an old woman momentarily, and instead became something else… What, exactly, Klaus couldn't say…only that, for a moment, he was unable to dismiss her story and found his full attention being drawn to her.

"Now, sonny…listen well. Whoever wears that cloak…all they have to do is say where they want to go. It can be anywhere in the world. And, without delay, that cloak will instantly take them there. As for the raven, take your knife and cut out its heart, and then swallow it whole and raw. From that point on, every time you wake up in the morning and check under your pillow, you'll find a piece of gold waiting for you. In that way, you'll have both a fortune and the means to go where you please." She raised her good eyebrow. "Now doesn't that sound like something?"

Klaus wasn't able to answer right away. As he looked to the old woman, the feeling she gave washed over him. He had an odd sensation for just a moment…the sense that somehow he wasn't actually talking to an old woman at all. It lasted only a moment, however. The power of her words remained, though. From anyone else, what they had just heard would have been lunacy. Something from a myth or folk story. Yet the way she said it… he began to wonder if there was actually some truth in it, as ridiculous as it seemed. In the end, he could only offer one answer.

"Well…if they're really there, I'd say that definitely would be great treasures."

The crone gave an eager nod. "Oh, they're there, young man. You only need enough faith to try it out. Go on, see for yourself. You won't regret it. You might be kicking yourself later if you don't, though…"

Giving out a short cackle again, the crone began to hobble again, this time to slowly turn around and face the way she had come. Klaus was left standing there, listing to her as she continued to chuckle to herself. In spite of himself, he couldn't just "brush it off", and found himself lingering, thoughtful. However, it was only for a short time when the crone suddenly halted, and turned her head back.

"Oh, one other thing, sonny…and something I hope a smart young man like you can take to heart." She said. Abruptly, her voice gained that tone again…only this time it was even more firm. Klaus almost seemed to forget about everything else when she spoke this time.

"You're a good young man who obviously knows for right now not to judge by appearances. But the time is coming when you'll be tempted to judge by appearances on three separate occasions. Make sure you don't judge on what things seem to be on those three occasions, or you'll end up unhappy and miserable for the rest of your days in spite of having more than enough. I assure you."

These latest words actually unnerved Klaus a bit. They no longer seemed to be the chatter of a crone, but almost like the sentence of a prophet. He was honestly confused as to what this meant, but before he could muster enough of his bearings to ask what, the crone suddenly smiled and was cheery again.

"Have a good day, sonny." She answered before turning and hobbling again, soon moving behind the tree that Klaus had been reclining against. In a few moments, she had gone out of view.

Only now did the young man snap out of it. "Hey…wait a second." He answered, his own voice no longer carefree or preoccupied. He immediately began to walk after her, going around the tree himself. "Ma'am, what do you mean by-"

Yet on reaching the other side, he froze in his tracks.

There was nothing there but the forest.

Klaus went a bit wide-eyed. He walked forward a bit more and looked around the tree on another side, thinking, for a moment, that the crone had played a childish joke on him and was circling the tree. But there was nothing there. He rounded it a bit more, but still saw nothing. Before he was done, he actually ran around the tree once, thinking she was somehow outstripping him. But nothing. Not only that, but nothing in any direction…and based on how slowly she moved, there was no way she could have gotten up and ran. She had simply vanished.

The huntsman now felt a small wave of fear go through him in spite of his normally bold and brave nature. He thought again of the stories his mother used to tell him…and his earlier thought of how the woman had not been a crone at all but something different began to come to mind… For a moment, he nearly trembled.

Then he got a hold of himself.

Don't be ridiculous, Klaus. True, you may not have seen where she went, but she had to have somehow hobbled away past you. What else could she have done? Gotten on a broomstick and flown away into the sky? Or hopped in an old tree hollow where a family of kobolds live? You're thinking too strangely. That woman's story got you into the mood of thinking of fairy tales and magic, and there's nothing of the sort around these parts. It's all in your head, just like her story. There's no such thing as cloaks that can take their wearer anywhere, and all you'll get for eating a raven's heart, assuming there are any raven hearts up ahead to be found, is sick to your stomach. You're just imagining the whole thing. Now head on back.

This is all that Klaus thought to himself, and yet he stood there just the same.

Not only that, but he stared ahead, back on the path he had been taking.

You really are a fool, Klaus. Believing an old beggar's stories. Did it ever occur to you if those things existed that she could have taken them for herself? What need would she have of thalers when she could have all the gold she wanted? Why would she need a cane if she could wish herself wherever she went? It was simply a joke or a misguided attempt to repay your good will. The longer you stand here, the more time passes in which you can hunt. Now head back.

After a moment longer, Klaus slowly began to walk again…continuing on his way. He moistened his lips again and kept his eyes forward, but he did keep walking onward.

I can't believe myself. I must be the greatest ass in the country. Here I am, running around like a child on some foolish quest for non-existent treasure. I'm not going to get home until after dark, worry mom to death, and have not so much as a squirrel to show for it. All because I'm letting myself get swayed by a story by an old beggar.

In spite of telling himself these things, he kept walking.

So what now, Klaus? How long do you keep walking? A furlong? A mile? All night? She didn't exactly say how long you would have to walk this way. And for all you know, she meant a different direction. Even if she somehow knew where to find these ravens, there's no guarantee they'll still be there or that you're heading anywhere near them. What do you hope to get out of this? Are you really so foolish to chase such things? Granted…it would be nice to have those treasures, but no such things exist. I might as well wish for a chest of silver to slip under my bed when I lie down tonight. It would have the same impact. And…well, if there was even the slightest chance she was telling the truth…but that's just silly! There's no treasure here! There's nothing to find! You're simply wandering aimlessly in a set of woods where there isn't any game to be found any-

At once, Klaus' thoughts cut off.

He heard a flapping of wings up ahead…

In spite of all of his doubts and self-talk, Klaus instantly broke into a run. It was only after he had gone about eight steps that he quickly slowed to a walk again. After all, if there were birds ahead, then he didn't want to startle them. However, when he stopped, it was unmistakable…at least six or seven sets of wingbeats, all flapping furiously. The chastising voice in his head did not return. Instead, creeping forward, he continued to venture nearer and nearer to the sound. As it turned out, it was only partially obscured by some of the taller trees ahead. As he got a bit closer, he noticed a few bits of ebony plumage poking through from time to time. He went forward a bit more, and then froze. His jaw loosened a bit.

There, seeming to almost be hovering in place, as vigorously as they were fighting with one another, was a gang of eight ravens, each one having a firm hold on what looked to be a cloak. And no simple cloak, either. It looked practically new and was very well made, with a dark gray outer fabric and a flawless crimson inner lining. It didn't even look like it had ever seen any dust…and the birds themselves appeared to not notice him at all. They only continued to fight over it.

For a moment, Klaus thought to himself. Perhaps they had been fighting over it the whole time. Perhaps she had seen it a while ago, and yet the ravens were still at work at it. Maybe the red color was driving them mad in some way. Perhaps it smelled of an oil that kept them from giving it up. Perhaps it was, after all, just eight ravens and a cloak and nothing more.

Just the same, Klaus, as quick as he could, raised his musket, put some powder on the flintlock, took aim, and then squeezed the trigger.

The gunshot boomed with a resounding crack through the woods, and the birds immediately forgot their prize and flew off for it. Klaus was a good shot with a good musket, and he had aimed right in the middle…meaning he had aimed at the cloak itself. Yet as the birds flew for their lives, cawing loudly in anger and fear, the cloak didn't have a single mark on it as it fluttered to the ground slowly…along with one dead raven.

Klaus hesitated only a moment, before shouldering his rifle and quickly running over to the things. As he did, he tried to tell himself not to get too excited. Alright…so everything that the crone had said was true so far, but there was still a wide gulf between that and magic. All of this seemed a bit too good to be a coincidence, but…could such things really exist? It was impossible…

And yet…the birds had been there…fighting over the flawless cloak…and his gun had missed for the first time in years, not even coming close to the mark…

On reaching the things, he found the dead raven right next to the cloak, and immediately bent down and set his rifle aside momentarily. After that was done, he reached out and felt the cloak. The fabric was unlike anything he had ever touched before, but it seemed to be flawless and new. Not the slightest feeling of wear or use upon it, like it was fresh from the loom. Even the ravens hadn't left a single mark on it. Quivering with excitement, risking the fact that this might actually be real, he took it up and quickly swept it around himself before fastening the hood around his neck. That done, he took up his gun and the raven. He definitely wouldn't abandon the first, and if this was the real thing, then the bird was precious as well.

As he stood, he didn't feel any different. He had thought he would have felt some sensation of power or magic about him, but he still felt the same. At any rate, he didn't worry too much about that. He only thought of trying it out. He already was thinking that after saying something, he might just be left standing there. But if it worked…

He decided to start small. He looked around a bit, until he spotted something far in the distance, about a space of 100 yards. A very large rotted tree stump was stuck in the ground. Exhaling a bit, his palms sweating as he held the bird and the rifle, he found his voice and spoke aloud.

"Take me to that tree stump."

The last sound of the last word had hardly left his lips…when his boot lifted slightly, for it was resting on an old, rotted root connected to the stump, which was now no more than foot in front of him. The huntsman was so overwhelmed he gasped, and quickly staggered back in surprise, as if the stump had "lunged out" at him. He actually dropped his gun and the dead bird as he staggered back. For a moment, he thought his eyes had played tricks on him, or that he had somehow, impossibly, imagined the stump at a distance. But he knew that wasn't true. One moment, he was where he had fired…and the next he was here, standing before the tree stump. He actually reached out and felt it, but it was quite real. He couldn't believe it. He had thought, at the minimum, if the cloak worked, that he would have at least "traveled" there, that some force would have moved him. But no…here he was, right in front of it, instantly the moment he finished speaking.

Still in disbelief, he knew he had to try it one more time. Swallowing, he straightened again.

"Take me to the nearest stream."

Again, he had just finished speaking when there was no longer a stump before him, but a small stream of water, freely running with snowmelt from the mountains of last winter. He was shocked again, but didn't jump this time. He merely gaped to see he was there. Now there was no way to deny it. He hadn't seen water or been near water all day. The cloak had taken him there. His mouth hung low…but slowly turned to a smile.

After a moment, however, he shook his head and looked down. He had to get his gun and the raven. However, to his shock, they weren't there. For a moment, he thought he had been bewitched somehow…that something had taken them. But then he remembered he dropped them before he had said to go to the stream.

Immediately, he spoke again. "Take me back to my musket and the dead raven!"

At once, the stump was before him, as well as his things. Immediately he bent down…and took up the raven first. He'd get his gun too…but now he believed he had picked the better of the two. Slowly, the truth hit him.

The crone was telling the truth! This cloak really is magic! I can go anywhere in the world that I can think of now! But…if the cloak is magic…then that means the heart…

This one, unfortunately, couldn't be tested so easily, but by now Klaus wasn't thinking that the crone had been right about everything else just to lie about the raven. Immediately, he got out his knife as fast as he could, his hands almost shaking with anticipation, and he took up the bird. A few cuts later, and he managed to not only cut open its chest but the torso as well, and soon found the heart within. It was a little big…but he was pretty sure he could manage it. With a few more cuts, the heart was free and in his hand. He hesitated a moment, but then opened his mouth wide, trying not to think about the raw flesh and blood, put it inside, and, with a great effort, swallowed it whole.

In his mouth, the heart had been as revolting as eating another other raw heart would be. Yet remarkably, once it got to his throat, it not only went down remarkably well, but it felt warmer than it should have been, and even left a somewhat sweet taste in his mouth for just a moment, with a pleasant aroma. However, it was soon down, and then he felt normal again.

Klaus put the bird on the ground. After all, there wasn't much use to be gotten from a raven, especially this one which hadn't been terribly old. He took up his rifle instead. Unfortunately, it would not be until tomorrow that he would know for sure if this item did the work as well. Until then, he'd just have to wait.

With that in mind, Klaus figured he might as well return home now. Even if he didn't get the gold, he was certain he could make quite a fortune with the cloak alone. It was a wondrous thing to have, after all. However…his mother and father would no doubt be confused, and perhaps upset, if he came home after only half the day was done. Still, with this sort of treasure, he was eager to go home and get to sleep to try it out. Yet without anything to show for why he would be coming home early, he would either have to fake fatigue or illness or…

He suddenly smiled a bit as an idea came to him. Grasping his weapon tightly and moving to start reloading it, he issued his next desire.

"Take me to a distance 100 yards away from the nearest deer."

If nothing else, Klaus was a cinch to become the greatest huntsman in the world now. With the power of the cloak, he realized he could easily go to wherever the best hunts were. The cloak, by pure coincidence, had taken him in range of a large buck with eight point antlers. His musket, firing well once again, had put a good shot in him with his first blast, but even when the buck took off afterward, he took all the time he needed to reload and then simply desired to be in its path and gave it another shot that felled it. It weighed too much for the young man to carry back normally, but he soon found out another useful trick. He needed only grab onto it and remain in contact while using the cloak, and anything he touched went right along with him. With that in mind, he went with the deer carcass to the path leading up to the house, and from there dragging it the rest of the way was easy. He couldn't help but grin at the look on his mother's face on seeing that he had not only been so successful and brought back such a fine kill, but he didn't even look tired.

In spite of the size, he did the fastest dressing he had ever done. They'd be eating venison for a while with plenty to sell. When his father came back in to refill his water, he was astonished at the size. His parents also noticed the glee on his face, the enthusiasm with which he worked, and the fact that he seemed to have a fine new cloak. However, he was prepared for that, and said he had purchased it from a traveling merchant while wandering the distant woods. Both of them had a hard time believing such a fine cloak had been sold for only two thalers, but they didn't dispute it. And although they thought it was perhaps a tad idle of him, they didn't question it much when Klaus readily went about his part of the chores and then said he wished to turn in. In truth, the young man was so excited that when he went to the loft and lay down, he could barely sleep. He wondered almost if he would feel it during the night, or by what strange magic it would take place if it was successful. With so much excitement going through him, it seemed he would never nod off, but at length he finally did.

He was up before the sun the next day. At first, sleepiness kept him from realizing what had happened, and why he had been so eager to go to sleep. Yet his senses soon returned, and his eyes opened wide when he realized he had a check to make. However, he was almost afraid to. What if he had woken up too early? Or what if it simply didn't work? The cloak was more than good enough on its own, but still…it would be nice if the heart worked as well. At length, he decided to try it out. Raising one of his arms, he slipped it under the pillow and moved it around a bit. He did so very slowly, only feeling straw and down at first. He slowly moved the hand underneath his head, still feeling only softness…

…until he touched something cool and metal.

Klaus' eyes widened and his face filled with joy. Immediately, he reached the rest of the way, finding that a coin shape was underneath his head. Instantly, he seized it and shot up into a seated position, bringing it around and in front of him. He feared, for a few moments, he might have been mistaken and that it had ended up being something worthless…but those fears were gone the moment he opened his hand.

Klaus had never seen gold before, but had he done so he would have been even more amazed than he was now, for the gold was easily the purest there was. It shined almost like a precious mirror's surface tinted a lustrous color. It was in the shape of a coin only slightly bigger than a thaler, but with no image on it. That hardly mattered, though. The coin was pure gold, and would have value even if an image of cow excrement had been printed on it. And plenty of it. Klaus wouldn't know until he took it to be evaluated, but this one piece of gold would easily pay for a week in any inn in the fiefdom he lived under.

Letting out a chuckle, Klaus leaned back in bed with a wide smile. He turned his head slightly, and noticed that his cloak was still hanging on a nail nearby against the wall. Two treasures more valuable than anything in the world he ever could have made in a lifetime of hunting. With the cloak he could wish to go wherever in the world gold was at its most valuable, and if he patiently collected the pieces for a length of time, say five years, he could afford pretty much anything he wanted. He realized his livelihood was completely assured. He really didn't need to work ever again…although he couldn't really picture himself being idle and fat. He'd have to do something in order to keep his spirits up. And with the cloak alone, he could ensure he'd always have plenty through hunting alone.

That left a rather big question, though.

What now?

A simple enough question, but as Klaus lay there…he realized probably the biggest one he had ever asked himself. Until now, he, like most other common folk, did only what enabled them to survive and thought little of anything else. Yet those times had changed. He now had the means to sustain himself indefinitely no matter what he chose to do. He would never have to do anything he didn't wish ever again with the source of never-ending wealth and the means to go where he pleased. This was nothing small to consider…and not a decision that could be made lightly.

Exhaling a bit, Klaus grabbed the gold piece tightly, and then got up and out of bed. He wasn't sure what he was going to do in the long run, but he knew what he had to do right now. He couldn't keep this a secret from his own parents. He'd let them know about the treasures. He had to, in truth. He now had the means to leave them something to care for them in their old age after he left, but they would think he had turned to thievery if he just presented them with a bag of gold. Besides…it was going to take time to amass a good enough amount to purchase anything large with, so he might as well come clean now.

As expected, neither his father nor mother believed him about the gold at first. The coin was far too pure to be any ore, and they had concluded that he had lifted it from someone and had indeed accused him of being a robber. The story he told did little to convince them otherwise. Even when he told them to wait only one more day, when he would prove he was genuine with the next piece of gold, they still refused to believe him. It was only when he demonstrated the power of the cloak that they finally accepted what he said was the truth. His mother ended up pleasantly surprised, but his father still seemed rather anxious even after that.

"It must have been one of the witches of that land to the north…" He muttered. "I always knew that country up there was accursed."

"Oh come now, dear." His wife had responded. "Don't act as if that land is a haunt of demons. There are many towns and cities up in that region that interact with those in the rest of the country all the time."

"They're few and far between, though." The man retorted. "Most of the country there is odd. Sights and sounds the likes of which no one from the rest of the land has ever seen, or from the rest of Europe, I dare say. Mountains higher and rockier than any that anyone else has ever seen… Fields longer and greener than any around here… And forests that no man can chop down. All populated by strange and monstrous folk that aren't from the land of mortals. They say it's not safe to cross the streams, ask to lodge the night at the manors, eat from the livestock, or even to eat from the fields. Those things are devilwork. Why would she have presented you with them otherwise? Why not keep them for herself?"

"Now you're just being foolish." The woman answered. "Klaus did an act of kindness. I don't think anyone or anything evil or wretched could taint him so easily from that."

Klaus' father muttered, but said no more. However, he had secretly placed a thought in Klaus' head from what he had said. With the acquiring of the cloak and the heart, the huntsman now began to rethink all the old fairy tales and legends he had heard with greater interest. He now had living proof that magic did exist. And if that crone really had been a witch, then it was logical to assume that the country to the north not only had witches but who knew how many other things. Some people might have been scared at the thought of what could be there. But Klaus, on the contrary, found himself continuously thinking of it.

A few weeks passed after that. Klaus carefully removed each new gold piece every day, took it to the kitchen, and placed it in an old jar that his mother had been keeping for oil, but had cracked and was now only good for storing things like this. Day by day, the collection of gold coins in it grew larger and larger. On his part, Klaus continued to hunt. Very easy now, as the cloak would take him wherever he needed to be. The income from his hunting was more than he had ever made in any other season prior, and soon his parents were well off. With that done, he could focus almost entirely on himself.

And when he did, he continued to think of his own wanderlust. In spite of his good fortune, his desire to travel had not ebbed in the least. And now that had had the cloak and the heart, his desire to go farther had only intensified. Before, even if he had made good money for a year, there was no way he could have ever ventured more than 200 miles or so before. Now he could go anywhere. He'd never be in want no matter where he ended up, and should things get too difficult or dangerous for him, his cloak would immediately take him someplace safe with just a few words. As he realized these things…a new sensation went off in him.

If magic was indeed real, who was to say there weren't greater and more amazing things than what he had seen so far? Who was to say the land to the north wasn't filled with all manner of wonders and delights? Even if not, what sort of strange new towns and lands could reside there? Both there and everywhere else in the world? The more he thought of these things, the more excited he became. And the more he realized how well suited he was to it. He had the means to go and do as he wanted throughout all the world. He'd be a fool not to take advantage of such an opportunity.

So, after a time, he took a third of the money that had been saved and the cloak and prepared to head out. He considered taking his musket, but in the end figured he might as well leave it. After all, he could always afford another one, but while he was on the road he would have to carry it as well as shot and powder, not to mention the tools he kept on hand to keep it cleaned and serviced. If he really needed it, he needed only to wish to go home and he would take it. Once this was done, he announced his intentions to his parents. Naturally, they were more than a bit skeptical.

"You rely too much on those things, if you ask me." His father had griped. "Thinking they'll just be a solution to everything. You should at least take some of your tools with you."

Klaus hadn't bothered arguing that it was due to the magic items that his parents now had a sizable sum saved up for when they grew too old to work anymore, meaning that they too would be relying on the items. "Wherever I settle, I'll get new things if I need them." He answered. "But for right now, if I'm going to be traveling, I might as well shout to every robber I might happen to encounter on the road that I am not from whatever country I end up in. Besides, I'll have less to carry. I can always come back home for whatever I need. But what good is a cloak that can take me anywhere and all the money I need if I don't even know of any other place to go or anything to spend? Dad, you have to admit that it's a waste if I have these things and never do anything except live around this village and hunt. What did you take with you when you left home to come to this village?"

His father muttered in response, but couldn't argue with that. Of course, he was a bit more "detailed" about his plan to his mother, after swearing her to secrecy. He knew his father would never understand if he told him the truth, although he was prepared to go on nonetheless. After all, he was a man now and could do as he wished, especially since he now had the means of being independent from his family. Yet he confided in his mother his intentions to go north into the very country where he may have wandered to get the cloak and the heart in the first place, and she was less than enthusiastic in spite of her earlier support.

"I've never known you to make a decision without sense, Klaus…but this is definitely the first time none the less." She told him.

"Mom, there's a chance that whatever that old woman was, whether she was a witch or a sprite or something else entirely, was just in that wood for whatever reason that day. But if she truly came from the north and there are more strange and fascinating things there, I want to see them. I always intended to travel before I found a place where I could settle down and start my own livelihood. Why not up there?"

"It is precisely because there may be a chance that there are 'more strange and fascinating things' up there that I'm scared." She answered, her expression creased with worry. "Whoever that old woman was, she didn't seem to care to part with such incredible things. Perhaps she was a witch and, somehow, a good one…but there might be many things up there that are not so kind-hearted…"

"That's what I'd like to find out." Klaus answered. "I'm a huntsman, mom. My life is dangerous as it is. A little more danger won't change much, but I'd like to see what I can find. I'm sure if there were constant dangers to life and limb, someone from up north who comes into town would talk about it. But I'd like to see what I can find. I can always come home."

She had only exhaled in response. "…I can tell I'm not going to change your mind about this, Klaus. So please be careful…and do one more thing for me. Don't tell anyone about the cloak or the heart."

The young man laughed in response. "I know that much, mom. I wouldn't be going without many possessions to make me not appealing to robbers just to tell everyone I have things like this. I'd probably end up with my own stomach carved out to get the heart."

Without many need for delays, for Klaus had been planning this for some time, he took up his cloak and the small amount of money he had with him early the next morning. He made sure to stay long enough only to hug and kiss his mother and father goodbye. Both of them looked worried still, but he reassured them and promised to send them more money that he made as surplus, and that he would visit once a year to ensure them that he was safe and send word as soon as he found a place to settle down in. After saying this, he put the cloak on and made his first wish. Having never been very far from home, he said to go to the one part deep in the forest where he had ended up last time, as far as he had been from where he lived in his entire life. Just as always, he had scarcely finished talking when he found his parents and home gone, and instead found himself at the tree stump. And from there…his journey began.

Several weeks slowly passed. From his starting point, Klaus walked in the same direction he had seen the crone leave. Sure enough, he found a well-worn wagon trail, and he started by following that to the north until he came to the same town she had supposedly been headed to. Making his way to a local inn, he paid for a room with one of his gold coins and then resided in the town for a few days. It was larger than one he had ever been to, and he used the time to look and ask around a bit. He found himself inquiring about the crone, as it turned out, but after two days of turning up nothing, he let the matter go. He instead asked about the surrounding country. There was little information to be had there. Nothing out of the ordinary, and nothing outstanding to make him want to remain there. At the end of a week when his initial payment had gone, he had seven more coins to replace it, and so he packed them up and kept traveling.

As Klaus slowly made his way north, he stopped frequently in towns and villages or, barring that, occasionally in farm houses or in the homes of hermits passing. Many people seemed to be ill at ease about him at first, seeming to not be used to travelers or, at minimum, housing them, but as he always paid with pure gold, no one turned him away. He took extra care to never show his pouch that held his surplus coins. Instead, he always kept one in a pocket that he had to fish into to reach, making it look as if it was the only bit of wealth he had. After all, staying in places on the road, there was no telling when he might stumble into a den of thieves.

On that note, the country, at least, definitely began to look the type.

He went into and out of forests after a while, but whether he was in one or not, the land around here was radically different. Many colors and shades to plants and animals seemed brighter and more vibrant. The forests seemed to grow older and "wilder", if such a thing was possible, and the countryside beyond seemed to be almost perfect, at least compared to the meadows around where he lived, with long running plains of grass so tall that one would have had to cut it. Some stands of trees were lovely, dark, and deep…the sort of thing his father would love. There were also crystal lakes and paths where he would walk and see distant, snow capped mountains rising high into clear skies, where he could just see the moon rising above them on some days while it was still light out. Truly remarkable places, to be sure, and ones he would be happy to live in. However, he always told himself to venture a bit further, to see if he was truly in the "best" country or if he had a bit to go yet. And so he continued on the path.

In spite of his cloak, he never used it. He preferred to walk normally from town to town, to take in the sights and sounds for fear of missing something. And truth be told, he enjoyed the journey. Yet in spite of that, he never quite eased his restlessness. He never found a place that told him to remain there in his heart, and he was always searching for a new one.

As time went on, it seemed civilization failed. Initially on his journey, he had seen occasional castles to indicate a local regent or prince of a sort. But as he went off on one particular road, he saw nothing of the sort. He had taken that path because it looked the least worn. At length, he found his way to a small village, and resided in there for a day or so, allowing the innkeeper to keep the remainder of what the gold coin was worth—an easy way to get better treatment, to be sure. He went about town and made more inquiries.

"Whose lands are these?" He asked one goatherd as he went about.

"To be perfectly honest, they belong to a duke who resides in the city about twenty miles east of here." The man answered. "But he has not been to these parts his entire life, and neither has his father or his father's father. We're all but forgotten by him, so long as we give him taxes when they are due. It actually works out rather well for us, as there's no need for any bribes or extortion that might come from any magistrates he appoints. This part of the country is mostly empty…and with good reason. There's strange folk abroad, and many places where if men wander too far they are never seen again."

Now that's more like it. Klaus thought to himself. "Tell me, where's the next nearest kingdom?"

The man gestured to the west. "There's a small footpath leading out of town that way, but the trees grow so thick to the road in points that no wagon can fit through. You either have to walk or be on a horse to make it, and even then you'll go a good sixty miles before you reach the next kingdom."

Klaus gave a nod. "That'll suit me just fine. This country is the loveliest I've seen in a while."

The goatherd, however, gave him a sharp look. "If you're planning on taking that trail, I'd either look for a caravan or get a horse first, young man. You'll find few to no places to stay on that road. Just open country. You'll have to walk a couple of days with no shelter and nothing to eat, and out there, there aren't many who would willingly camp outdoors. Any folks you do encounter who will take you in will likely be robbers."

The huntsman merely laughed. "Then they'll be sorely disappointed in me, as they'll find nothing but an old cloak for their troubles."

The goatherd merely grumbled in response about the uselessness of telling anything to the youth. As for Klaus, however, his curiosity was piqued. There could be a lot between this town and the next. He had never had to go this far to get to a new one, after all…

After walking for several hours, however, Klaus wasn't feeling entirely sure of his decision anymore.

He had started off down the trail early enough. He figured it didn't matter whether or not the next town was too far away. The trail may have not had a lot of wagon traffic, but he was sure there was something along the way. After all, with all of this open country and spaces around for miles, there had to be. Yet he had been walking for a few hours now and still had yet to see any signs of life. On the contrary…the area looked wilder and more set apart than ever, like it hadn't seen human activity in quite some time…

He was currently in another forest. While it didn't look like anything unnatural, it was the oldest and largest he had seen yet. The canopy grew thick and the trunks went high into the air like towers. Much like the first forest he had encountered, this one was unusually quiet. This time, he didn't even hear an occasional songbird as he went along. As he continued to move forward, it grew darker and darker yet. At first it was just due to the canopy…but soon it was for another, more important reason. The sun was beginning to go down. This made him a bit nervous…at least until he remembered what he possessed. He could go anywhere in an instant if he wished. He was nearly tempted to use his cloak to get out of there. He could always try again tomorrow, or simply take himself to the next town. Still…he tried to go just a bit further yet. By now, he knew he was nearly too far for anyone to be expected to walk on foot the entire way, and so he realized if there wasn't something soon, there wouldn't be anything at all and he should just head back.

A bit further along, the trees finally broke. The forest itself seemed "younger", as if it had been clear cut years ago and had only now regrown. As a result, there was much more space alongside the road and a far more open canopy. There were still a good number of trees on either side of him, but lots of patches of ground where grass was able to flourish. However, as he emerged, he saw the sun was definitely heading down, and the sky had already turned from blue to yellow. Not too much longer from now it would turn orange, and he still needed a place to stay for the night.

For whatever reason, it annoyed him a bit that he would have to use his cloak to get out of this. But by now, there was no way he could walk back before dark, and he certainly didn't want to sleep in the open if he could avoid it. Still, he took the smaller trees as a good sign. Perhaps someone had felled them to build a house a few decades ago and it still stood nearby…

As he tried to think about what to do next, however, his attention was diverted. Suddenly, he heard a group of sparrows cheeping…the first sound of birds he had heard in a long time. He looked up to the source, and was just in time to see a small flock of them, about eight or ten in all, flutter overhead almost directly above him. Once over him, they all seemed to perform a single loop, and then continued on their path, straight in one direction into the woods on his left.

Klaus couldn't help but smile. The way the birds had moved, they had nearly seemed to be circling him on purpose. He knew from experience that sparrows could fly in every which way, but these ones had seemed almost unusually fluid…and had caught his attention as they were the only birds he had seen in at least an hour. Perhaps it was a good sign. With that in mind, he walked a bit further.

However, Klaus had only gotten three more steps when he heard more singing. This time, when he looked up, he saw a similar flock of robins come out, once more circle around him, and then fly off in the same direction the sparrows had. This made him pause, and stare up in the sky for a moment. Sparrows were one thing…but he had never known robins to fly in such a way before. And now that he saw it again, he saw the form had been perfect, almost as if they had intended to circle him once and then keep going. He actually hesitated for a few moments…before deciding it was clearly nothing.

He walked another step, but then stopped again. It wasn't birds this time. Instead, a group of chipmunks, about four of them, suddenly broke from the grass behind him, ran up to him, circled around his path, forcing him to stop or run into them, and then shot off in the same direction as the two flocks of birds had gone. Once more, he stopped in his tracks, and stared after him.

"…Alright." He spoke aloud to himself. "Now I am certainly not imagining things."

A moment later after standing there, he saw five rabbits suddenly hop out right in front of him. They didn't circle him this time, but they did immediately go in the same direction the others went. Klaus looked in that direction, but all he could see was the tips of the ears of the bounding rabbits as they went through the grass and in between a couple trees. Finally, he let out a chuckle.

"Seems that solves the mystery of where all the animals are." He remarked. "Now then…what's so fascinating?"

Naturally, he received no response. But rather than look around and think about one, he soon left the road and went in that direction.

No more animals came, but after seeing four going the same way, following them was not terribly difficult. He soon went into the surrounding forest, but that was hardly a problem. The trees here were sparse with plenty of sunlight in between, although there were sufficient in front of him to block his view initially. He soon passed a few as he made his way along, but saw no other signs of life right away. Yet as he ventured only a short distance into the woods, he saw up ahead that the trees were parting further along, indicating the presence of a clearing. With that, he picked up his pace a bit, especially when he began to hear the sounds of more birds calling up ahead. This had to be something…

However, what he heard next was completely unexpected.

A small laugh. "Oh, you little beggars. You want some of the honey too, do you? Well…I suppose mother will never miss just a bit."

Instantly, Klaus froze in place. That sounded like a young woman…and it was the loveliest voice he had ever heard in his life. Fair, light, pleasant, and with an almost musical quality on it…it had been the most wonderful thing he had heard since starting on this journey. Now, he was intrigued. Moving forward again, a bit more slowly this time, he continued to advance.

After passing several other trees, enough of the clearing parted so he could see ahead in the distance. There was the rotting log of a very large, very old tree…perhaps enough to have caused the clearing itself when it fell. Most of the birds were perched on the log, and the chipmunks and rabbits were gathered all around it. Yet he hardly noticed them compared to who was seated on the log.

It was indeed a young woman with a covered basket nearby. Initially, her face was turned away from Klaus and to the animals on one side of her. She was dressed in a white and blue dress with a blue apron over it. It was a bit dirty and of rougher quality, showing it was meant to be used for day-to-day affairs, but it was still fine fabric and very lovely…nicer than anything Klaus had ever seen before… Most of her hair was caught up and tied behind a white kerchief that she wore over her head, but Klaus could see that it was a lovely black color, like ebony or even obsidian. It seemed to gleam in whatever light touched it, and was so smooth and fine it was like a precious stone.

Yet as he drew nearer, she turned her head to show her face as well, and he stopped again, this time nearly gasping.

She was the most beautiful woman Klaus had ever seen in his life before. Her face was flawless, her smile angelic, and everything about her perfect. She had such a look of innocence and loveliness about her that she was like something from a storybook as she looked out kindly to the creatures about her, her lovely brown eyes resting on each one. Normally, one wouldn't think of brown as being a particularly lovely color, but it was marvelous on this young woman as she passed around bits of what looked like honeycomb, tossing a few to the birds, rabbits, and chipmunks, all of whom were gathered around her and intently looking for pieces. A few got a small piece to themselves, but most shared one to try and lick the honey from it.

He continued to watch, transfixed, as she did this. Even her movements seemed delicate and lovely, the way she handled herself. Her hands were not gnarled or twisted, and yet she had all the skill of an elegant craftsman in them, or even an expert musician as she went about. She almost seemed to make gestures each time she passed the honey around, her fingers seeming to wave a bit with each small movement. After she passed out the last, some of the animals moved closer to her, and she let out another laugh that was far sweeter than any of the honey she passed.

"Oh no, you. Any more and I'll have to claim I was attacked by a bear on the way back to mother."

Klaus continued to stare on at her even then. Inside of himself, he felt warm, and his head felt light. He found himself unable to think about his journey, his things, or settling down anymore as he looked to her. He didn't think of the gold in his pocket, his folks at home, or where he would rest tonight. He thought only of the lovely creature in front of him. He had never been in love before in his life…but on seeing this beautiful young woman, he immediately became fascinated with her. At once, nothing else mattered. He simply felt a tremendous longing for this one girl.

The young woman, finished with passing out the honeycomb, moved to take her basket and rise again. However, as she did so, her gaze rose…and rested on Klaus.

Her pleasant look immediately vanished, turning to surprise instead…and a touch of anxiety. Instinctively, she began to shrink back a bit, looking at him uneasily.

Klaus was so enraptured by her that he forgot himself a moment, and only continued to stare at her. However, this change in her was enough to snap him out of it. He blinked, and immediately shook his head.

Very proper, you fool… He told himself. Gaping at her like that, she probably thinks you're a highwayman…

He swallowed a bit, and then took a step or two forward. However, this only made the young woman look more fearful. She actually recoiled. "…Who are you?" She called after a moment.

Klaus immediately stopped where he was, and cursed mentally. Say something, you idiot! Don't just advance on her like a thug!

Instantly, with a bit of a stammer and a tremble, Klaus went up and took off his hat.

"I'm terribly sorry, miss." He immediately said, barely managing to keep his voice from croaking. The result made his words come out as a half-squeak, unable to stay calm while talking to her. Groaning again to himself, he spoke more calmly. "Please…don't be afraid. I'm not a thief or a vagabond. I'm just a traveler."

The young woman still looked distrustful. "…The path is behind you. You're far from it."

He immediately shook his head, actually looking a bit nervous and eager to allay her fears. "I assure you I had no evil intent. I just saw an odd sight…all these animals running off in the same direction. They were the first I had seen in an hour, and all going the same place. I wanted to see what was drawing them. That's all. Look." He held either side of his cloak up and out, and turned around. "I have nothing but my cloak and this pouch. Not even a knife on me."

She continued to stare for a moment longer. However, after a bit more, she began to ease up. Slowly she let her body relax, and stood normally again.

"…Yes, I suppose that makes sense." She answered. "Forgive me, but you simply startled me is all."

Klaus immediately shook his head. "Oh no, my lady. The fault was mine for scaring you. I should have announced myself before just wandering in on what had to be a private moment."

The girl held for a moment, but then let just a hint of a smile appear on her lips.

"I am hardly a 'lady', good sir. But I thank you for the compliment."

"It was truly amazing." Klaus continued, his own voice turning more light and casual. "I'd never seen so many animals so drawn to a person." He chuckled. "I almost thought it was a lovely forest sprite or even an angel drawing them to her." He paused a moment, then turned a bit red. A strange thought came to mind…and, in a spur of a moment, he decided to act on it.

"…I'd say I wasn't terribly off the mark."

Hearing that, the young woman turned a bit red herself, her smile widening.

"You're a bit forward, stranger, but I thank you again for your kind words. If all travelers who came by were as complimentary as you are, I'd think we'd wish to see more of them."

She fully stood now, and removed her basket to hold before her. "It was lovely to meet you, but I need to be heading home now. I wish you good luck on your journey." With that, she turned and began walking out of the clearing.

"Oh…wait a moment!" Klaus immediately called out, causing her to stop and look back at him. He advanced a step closer, but then stopped again, well at a distance. "Are you saying that you live near here?"

The young woman blinked, but then nodded. "Yes. Myself, my mother, and our maid in my late father's manor."

The huntsman was a bit surprised to hear that. "…Manor?"

She nodded. "Yes. My father was a fairly wealthy merchant. He's no longer with us, but he left us with enough to ensure that we're well off for many years to come."

"Might I ask if I could stay the night?" Klaus asked.

The young woman immediately shook her head. "I'm sorry, but my mother isn't in the habit of receiving travelers. It's not that safe to let strangers in with three women."

"I promise you, my lady," Klaus answered, taking a step forward again, and once more finding himself using that title. "I'm no robber or scoundrel. I'm just a simple traveler. I have no horse, no wagon, no pack, and no arms. But I need a place to stay for the evening. It's too late to return to town and too far to the next, and you're the only house I've heard of since setting out. I swear on God above I do not mean you or any in your house any harm. I would just very much appreciate a room and a share in whatever meal you're having this evening."

The young woman paused again on hearing this. She looked straight at Klaus, seeming to be studying him, looking over his face to see if he seemed the trustworthy type. But in doing so, she met gazes with him, and Klaus almost felt as if an angel was looking into him again. Just to have her eyes on him made his heart beat faster and his entire body seem lighter. It wouldn't matter right now if there had been four palaces with four kings offering him a room and the royal treatment right now. Even if this girl lived only in a shack, he'd take it with her every time. He was intent to stay now…if only to just be near her side for a few short hours. It would be worth more to him than all the gold in his pocket.

What was even more encouraging was when the young woman hesitated and moistened her lips.

"I'm…really not sure." She answered. "Even if I could trust you…and, I'll admit, you seem genuine and honest enough…mother is terrible about guests, especially unexpected ones."

"I'll gladly pay for my room and board." Klaus answered, immediately reaching into his pocket. After fumbling around a bit, he emerged with a gold piece and held it up. A moment later, not risking stepping any closer for fear of scaring the girl away, he threw it over to her. "Go on. See for yourself. There's more where that came from if that's not enough."

The young woman blinked a bit, but then advanced slightly, just enough to get near enough to him to reach down and take the gold piece. But even her getting a few steps closer was enough to make his heart race. She soon took it up, and went a bit wide-eyed as she looked to the piece.

"This…this is pure gold…"

He gave a nod. "And like I said, I can give you more if that's not enough."

"I would dare say this would be plenty." She answered in disbelief, looking the piece over. "More than what we can provide in exchange…"

"It's quite alright." He said, shaking his head. "I have more than enough on hand. Look." Again, forgetting himself, he raised his cloak again and went for his pouch. He soon removed it and shook it, indicating the jingling of the coins. It drew her attention, and she looked amazed. "And if that too isn't enough, I assure you there's more where that came from." He said, completely forgetting to keep the gold a secret. It didn't matter to him…so long as he got to be near to this fair creature.

She certainly looked surprised that he had such wealth on him, and was a bit taken aback. However, Klaus merely smiled and shrugged. "You see? I have plenty of money. I've no need to cause any trouble to get more."

The young woman hesitated a bit more. Finally, however, she relaxed and looked up to him. She stared for a moment, but then smiled a bit.

"What's your name, traveler?"

Klaus' heart surged. "Klaus, my lady."

She let out a small chuckle in response, and each laugh felt like warmth was going into his soul. "Well, Klaus…I believe I already told you that I am nobody's lady, so I'll give you my name so you aren't tempted to use that title again. My name is Wilhelmine, but everyone has always just called me Minna. And…we'll see if we can't get my mother to reconsider just for tonight."

The huntsman suppressed the urge to jump in the air. "Oh, thank you, my lady…I mean, thank you, Minna!"

She let out a small laugh again. "The way you react, you'd think I was offering you a kingdom, Klaus. Go back to the road the way you came and wait there for a few minutes. I need to clean some of this honey off of my hands, and then I'll be right along and show you the way."

Grinning widely, Klaus put his hat back on and immediately gave his best imitation of a noble's bow to the young woman. She snickered in response.

"You must come from a country where they flatter women continuously." She said as he did so. She paused a moment, and then smiled a bit more. "…I hope mother will make an exception for you myself, Klaus."

The young man nearly turned red, and as he straightened up he wobbled, as if he would collapse. Grinning and nodding, he turned and began to run back to the road, almost prancing as he did so. He didn't even seem to care when he stumbled twice into a tree root, just kept going.

Minna continued to watch him, keeping her hands folded on her basket, as he went back into the woods and toward the road. She patiently waited until he was completely out of sight and hearing range. As she did, the squirrels and rabbits gathered together behind her, and all of the birds alit on the tree trunk in a nice line. She didn't seem to notice as the young man vanished from view.

Once he had, however, she turned and looked back at them…and, for just a moment, the brown tint to her eyes seemed to grow bright enough to be nearly red. Her smile changed a bit, becoming less fair…and more dark, crafty…and even sinister. She soon walked over to the chipmunks and rabbits, continuing to smile at them as she neared, and, once close enough, she dropped to her knees in front of them as they looked to her silently.

"You all did very well." She told them quietly. "I'll admit I didn't believe you at first when you said you smelled gold on this one, but it seems I was wrong." She held up her hand and looked to the piece, and smiled a bit wider. "…And lots more where this one piece came from, so he says."

The animals said nothing in response, only continued to stare and wait for her.

She looked back to them soon after. "…I'd say that earned you all a reward, but…you know what mother says. She expects you to do your night chores as well."

She soon reached out to the nearest rabbit, extending her hand over it. She reached as if to pet it, and soon rested her fingers upon the head of the creature. Yet as she did, she made some sort of movements with them, and said a few words in an arcane language. Immediately, the rabbit's hair fell off, and the skin beneath erupted in scales. Its head shrank and became dagger-like as the limbs compressed against its body, which lengthened readily, and its eyes went from small and dark to thin and serpentine.

In moments, the rabbit was a poisonous viper. Yet Minna smiled even more at it and gently pet it, seeming to love it just as much in this form as in its "cute" one. Soon, she delicately ran her hand over the rest of the rabbits, one by one, and "lovingly" turned them all into deadly snakes.

"Now run along and make sure no mice or rats get into the vegetable garden or the food storehouse."

Hissing once, the lead snake turned and went off, soon bringing the others with it to move away. Next, she looked up to the row of birds. She made more hand gestures, this time bringing her hand to her lips and blowing on it, but as she did saying more unknown words. The feathers fell out, the skin turned black, the beaks turned to teeth, ears grew forth, and soon the entire flock took off and screeched as they became bats.

"Make sure you eat all of the mosquitoes…and watch for any more travelers who come along. Notify me if they do."

The bats immediately scattered. Finally, she turned to the chipmunks. She didn't touch these, but she ran her hand over each one, doing much the same as the other. This time, they compressed, lost their hair, developed warts and greenish skin, and lost their teeth in place of broad mouths, until they were a gang of toads.

"Make sure you poison any animal that gets close to the beehives." She told them.

In turn, they all began to hop off. Only when the last group was gone did the young woman rise, put her basket before her, and began to head out to meet her new "guest".

"You're quite a brave traveler, Klaus." Minna said a little while later as the two of them walked down the path, side-by-side…much to the huntsman's delight. "It's not many people who would risk going all this way with nothing but a pouch of gold and a new cloak to sustain them."

"Oh…don't mind me, my lady…I mean, Minna." He answered, quickly correcting himself. "Believe it or not, this cloak is far more useful than you'd think. And it's easier this way. No one assumes I'm worth robbing."

"But if that pouch of gold was to be taken…"

He chuckled. "Don't worry about that either. I have means of getting more."

"Ah yes." She answered, looking forward as she walked along. "You said you're a huntsman by trade, are you not?"

"Yes."

"But you don't have a gun or a bow…"

"Like I said, I'm wandering about the country at the moment. Once I find a place that suits me to settle down, I'll get those things and work on supporting myself."

She actually giggled a bit. "A pouch full of gold and the means of getting more…and you're worried about supporting yourself like that?"

"Ah, it's not in my nature to just sit around and get fat off of rich food." He answered with a hand wave. "I like to stay active. I never was afraid of a little hard work."

She grinned. "We could use someone like that around the house, sure enough. Our maid Bertha is hardworking enough, but there's only so many things she and I can do around the house. Especially with mother growing so infirm nowadays. Oh…speaking of which…here we are."

A twinge of disappointment ran through Klaus at that. He would have hoped the house was on the other side of the Earth, if it meant staying with Minna and talking with her for as long as possible. He hadn't even noticed they had left the forest again and gone into a much larger clearing. But now, he looked away just enough to see where they were.

In all honesty, the place looked very nice. The trees in the area had been cleared just enough to still let the surrounding ones hang over in such a way to make it feel enclosed and "cozy", but the house itself was fairly large. Two stories, with no doubt a cellar as well, and plenty of rooms…definitely more than Klaus had ever seen. It seemed to be about the size of the inns he had encountered. It also had many amenities. A small barn for a cow or two and a horse they obviously used for riding in and out of town on errands, enough pasture for them as well as a goat and a sheep, obviously kept for when they had special occasions, a smokehouse, a well, and a nice fence, well made and painted not long ago. It even had a garden for flowers, and a separate garden for vegetables nearby. This was definitely not the home of anyone "common". Nobles of low enough rank would be proud to live there. It was definitely the mark of someone with wealth.

Klaus was a bit overwhelmed. "What a lovely home… It's so big…"

Minna giggled a bit. "With all that gold you carry, I'd assume you'd be used to something much larger."

"Oh no…" He answered. "Like I said, I'm traveling. But this place is huge… How can you care for it with just you, your mother, and the maid?"

The young woman exhaled a bit. "Well…as of late, it does get difficult at times with just the three of us. In fact, as nice as it looks on the outside, there's quite a few things that are wrong with it. The stovepipe was knocked loose months ago, and one of the door frames in the back is completely warped and rotten. The shingles on the west side of the house are so worn out that we can't even go into the upper level room during a rainstorm. None of us are very suited to clambering on the roof and fixing it…especially not mother. But as for everything else…you'd be surprised how easy it is, especially if you know a few tricks." She said the last part with a smile and a wink.

"Tricks?" He echoed. "What kind of tricks?"

She snickered and shook her finger in his face. "Ah-ah…that's a family secret."

Klaus didn't press it. He merely snickered as well and kept walking.

By the time the two finally reached the threshold, Klaus felt a bit intimidated. His cloak was nice enough, but the rest of him was a bit shabby and dirty. Going into a wonderful house like this was enough to leave him feeling embarrassed and ill prepared. But there was nothing more for it, as Minna leaned over and gave the door a knock on a genuine bronze knocker…not brass, like Klaus had seen on the few doors that he knew had knockers.

It took a moment, but at length the door was opened. A girl only about a year younger than Minna, who looked no older than Klaus himself, dressed in the outfit of a maid, answered the door. She opened it only a crack at first, however, and only saw Klaus. She took one look at him, and then stated flatly:

"The lady of the house does not entertain travelers. Good day."

She began to shut the door in his face. However, before she could get far, Minna quickly leaned in and put her hand on it. "Wait a moment, Bertha."

The moment the maid saw Minna, she paused and opened the door again. "Oh, Miss Minna…you're with him? You should know your mother doesn't care for visitors. She'll be cross with me if I let him in…"

"I think she'll be willing to make an exception for Mr. Klaus." Minna answered with a smile. "He's willing to pay handsomely for his room and board. Surely we could spare a bed and a bit of dinner for this?" Here, she held up the gold piece that she had received from him.

Bertha looked at it, and actually let out a gasp. "Is…is that…?"

"Hold out your hand."

The maid blinked, but then did as she was told. The gold piece was placed on her palm and Minna closed her fingers around that. "You run over to mother and first tell her that I'm giving her that gold piece, and once she asks where it came from, explain that a young traveler offers it as payment for room and board for a night."

The girl held for a moment or so, but in the end gave a nod. "Very well, miss. Please wait here." With that, she pulled in and shut the door again, although she didn't lock it this time.

Minna turned to Klaus with a smile. "Don't worry. I'm certain as soon as my mother sees that gold piece, she'll certainly welcome you in with open arms. I'm sure if you have any gold to spare, she'd also be willing you to stay longer."

Klaus, on hearing this, lit up again. "You think so?!" He nearly shouted, before shaking his head. "I mean…do you believe she'll allow me to? I don't wish to impose…although I'll admit your home is the loveliest I've ever seen…"

The young woman laughed and nodded. "I'm sure it will be no trouble at all. In fact…" She paused a moment, and then bowed her head a bit, as if being modest. "…I'd be happy if you could."

Klaus' eyes actually widened a bit on hearing that. Did…she just…

"I'd like to hear more about your travels and being a huntsman, Mr. Klaus." She continued. "I've been here my whole life and I don't get to go much farther than the forest. I'd love the chance to hear stories from a traveler, and just to talk to someone different besides mother and Bertha."

The young man couldn't believe his luck. To think…not long ago he had been fearful that he would drive the young lady off. Now it seemed as if Minna was already interested in him. At that moment, if he had been offered, he would immediately end his travels and definitely settled down in that spot for as long as Minna would have him.

"I'll be more than happy to tell you anything you wish to know, madam." He answered.

Minna blushed a bit. "So now we're on to 'madam'?"

"As long as you keep calling me 'mister'."

She snickered. "You're a bit of an odd one, Klaus…not that there's anything wrong with that. How about you promise to call me Minna so long as I promise to call you Klaus?"

The huntsman hesitated, but then gave a nod. "I'll agree to that, Minna."

She smiled and nodded back. "Alright."

Still smiling himself, he exhaled a bit. "Well…I've told you a lot about myself. What about you?"

"Oh, there's nothing much to me." The young woman responded with a shrug. "Like I've said, I've lived here pretty much my whole life. It's been a life of relative ease and comfort compared to many, but…I'll admit, it does get dull sometimes. All you really do is wait for a chore to come up."

"You seem to have some friends."

Minna looked to Klaus in confusion at that.

"The animals of the wood."

She raised her eyebrows and laughed once. "Oh yes! I suppose I do."

"If you don't mind me asking," Klaus went on. "I've never seen wild animals behave so tame before. For that matter, they seemed more ruly than domesticated animals. How did you manage that?"

Minna merely shrugged. "Let's just say that they're my friends. I've grown up alongside them. Anything else after that, well…" She snickered. "Another family secret."

"Miss Minna?"

Both Klaus and Minna looked to the front door, and saw that it had opened again, this time enough for the maid to stick her head through it.

"Lady Eugenia would like to speak with you for a moment before we receive the guest."

Klaus looked back to Minna…and, for just a brief moment, she saw a shade come over her face. However, it left so quickly that Klaus figured he just imagined it, for she was smiling again as she looked at him. "I figured this might happen. But all the better. Now I can explain to mother directly what such a nice young man you are. I'll have to ask you to wait here a bit longer. I hope that's not too much trouble."

"Oh, no trouble at all." The young man immediately answered.

"It seems so rude of us to leave you outside while it's getting late."

"Please…think nothing of it. I'll wait."

Minna smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Klaus." She soon turned to the maid and began to advance to the front door. Bertha stood aside and opened it wide, allowing her to walk inside. Once she was in, the door once again swung shut and closed again.

When that happened, a great deal of Minna's good demeanor faded. She was still in a fairly pleasant mood, but she seemed to be a tad nervous now. Her smile faded momentarily, enough for her to take a deep breath or two, and then she straightened up and walked into the house.

The inside was as nice looking as the outside, and anyone would have found it warm and inviting. However, in the case of Minna, she showed nothing but anxiety as she walked through the entry hall toward the doorway in the back. On reaching it, she opened it up…revealing nothing more than another hall. After closing the first door behind her, she advanced again to the next door on the other side. After looking behind her, as if to make absolutely sure there was no one who could look in, she turned back and opened it up.

The room on the other side was fairly nice, much like the rest of the house, and was clearly made up for a bedroom. A very nice one, too. There was an elegant four poster bed to one side, and lots of fine furniture and furnishings to fill up its extra size, indicating it was clearly the "master" bedroom. However, there were a few things that seemed a bit more "out of place". For one thing, there was a bookshelf in the chamber. While it wasn't terribly unusual to have literate people in a house, especially in a well-to-do one, there were many books on the shelf in there that wouldn't normally be found in any home…including books that were bound in strange skins that looked hand-tanned and bearing symbols that looked both profane and pagan. The dresser was elegant with a lovely vanity…but it also had a skull that had been converted into some sort of three-candle holder with strange writing on it seated there. There were also several symbols hanging from various walls, all bearing odd shapes and symbols.

Once Minna was in this room, she shut the door behind her. She stood in front of it soon afterward, and looked ahead to the room. She was just in time to see the lone figure in the room pushing a dresser back in place against the far wall.

The figure in question was an old woman. Contrary to the nice, pleasant colors that Minna wore, her own were far darker, shades of black and purple. They were also much older, and draped over her body. The dress she wore looked almost more like a robe or cossack, complete with the pulled back hood behind her head. Considering how young Minna was, one would think her mother would be much the same. However, nothing was farther from the truth. The hair of the woman had almost turned completely gray. Only a few stray brown hairs remained in it. Furthermore, one might think that, being the mother of Minna, the woman would look lovely herself. However, when the door closed, and she turned to face her…nothing was further from the truth.

The woman was ugly, to be honest. Age had a way of ruining beauty, but this woman didn't look like she had ever been lovely, outside or in. Her face was deeply lined and creased, giving her the appearance of an old raisin or date, and her nose was oversized and protruding while her chin seemed to stick out almost as far. Yet it wasn't age alone that had made her look that way. It was a mixture of two other things. One was her livelihood…and the price she had paid to obtain it… The other was far more basic…greed and avarice. The woman had the look of being a cruel miser obsessed with wealth, the kind of person who no amount of gold or silver would ever satisfy, and whose black heart would constantly lust after more. That was clear enough by her right hand, which was currently clutching the gold coin greedily with twisted, cruel, gnarled fingers. The grip ravenously clung to it, and yet shifted around constantly…wanting more of the same.

In her other hand, she balanced on a walking-stick…except it wasn't a walking stick at all. It looked more like a staff made from an old, gray-wooded tree. It was as twisted and ugly as she was. Last but not least, when she turned her gaze to Minna, her own brown eyes were so livid and sharp that they didn't look brown at all…but almost red tinted.

Once inside, Minna only paused momentarily before she smiled. "Good afternoon, Mother."

The woman said nothing in response. Her look was blank, but her face was so lined with greed and age that she seemed to be perpetually frowning, even when she smiled…which she wasn't doing now. She continued to hold the coin.

"Bertha tells me you brought a traveler to the front door, wanting a room for the night." She held up the coin. "And she says he paid with this."

Minna smiled and nodded, and began to walk up to her. "It's amazing, isn't it? Look at it! It's pure gold!"

The old woman snorted. "I'd say I've always been a better judge of what something is worth than you, Minna…but in this case, you're right. I didn't believe it myself. I had to use a potion on it to make sure…but it's gold alright. The purest kind I've ever seen."

"And he's offering all of it for a single night!" Minna nearly laughed as she reached the side of the old woman, who was looking again at the gold, but turned to face her more. "I didn't think such foolish men existed! You'd never think he'd have a scrap of silver on him when you look at him, Mother. When our little 'eyes and ears' came out and told me that a man who had the heavy smell of gold in his pockets was coming down the trail, I refused to believe it myself at first. I mean…aside from his cloak he didn't look like he had a thaler on him. But look at that!"

"Indeed." The old woman responded. "…And you thought this was good reason to bring him into my house?"

Minna paused a moment, blinking. After that, however, she shrugged. "Of course, Mother. It was an easy way to make gold. I did exactly what you said, of course." She immediately put on a wider smile and struck a cute pose. "Oh, tell me all about yourself! Oh, the life of a huntsman is so fascinating! Oh, I really enjoy listening to you! Oh, just call me Minna!" She giggled as she looked back to the old woman, who was still looking at the coin. "He fell for it hook, line, and sinker! You should see the look in his eyes every time he stares at me, Mother! He's like clay in my hands! I knew that gold was as good as ours!"

The old woman didn't change. She kept looking at the coin.

"…And yet, in spite of all you say, he would only give up the coin if he slept in my house and ate my food."

Again, Minna paused. She swallowed slightly. "…Well, we have plenty of room, Mother. And that gold would easily pay for any food we might-"

Minna was cut off as the old woman suddenly snapped to her and slapped her across the face. In spite of how old and withered she looked…she was obviously quite powerful. Far more than she should have been. The gesture seemed light enough to her, but Minna was ripped off of her feet and flung violently to the ground, crying out in pain as her arms went out to just barely keep her head from slamming into the floor.

"This is what I get for wasting my time teaching you how to beguile a man?" She hissed at her, glaring at her darkly as she lay on the floor. "You stupid brat… After all you've learned, the best you can do is simply get a man to 'pay too much' for a service? You might as well be an overpriced whore if that's all you can do!"

Minna cringed against the floor, clearly in pain, but even more fearful of getting further blows. She looked up meekly to the old woman, her cheek bright red. "But Mother…look how much that's worth!"

"One miserable piece of gold?" She snapped in response. "Are you out of your mind? You brought some dirty traveler to our house just for a single piece? Why didn't you forget about him and wait until someone who had some real wealth came by? Or some noble? Now we have to wait on that wretched young man, cook for him, clean up after him, and all for one tiny piece of gold! Are you sure you weren't just lusting after the first reasonably attractive male who came down the path, stupid child?" She snorted. "I'll bet you were… You're just like your father, always willing to remove your skirt… I've have half a mind to throw you out on your ass if that's the only reason you brought him here… You can play the part of a filthy tramp under someone else's roof…"

Minna's eyes shimmered to hear this. However, she remained insistent. "There's more than that!"

When she said this, the old woman's anger froze momentarily.

"…What did you say?"

"He has more than that piece. At least a whole pouch of gold coins. And he said he has the means to get more."

The old woman's anger faded a bit, one of her crooked eyebrows raising. "…Truly? You're not lying to me to spare yourself some discipline, are you?"

She immediately shook her head. "No, I promise! I saw it!"

The old woman immediately bent down closer to Minna, far faster than an old woman should have. "You truly saw him walking about with a pouch full of gold?"

She nodded. "He held it up to me and shook it."

This, however, made the old woman's teeth grit, and made Minna pale and begin to recoil. But before she could go anywhere, the old woman shot out and seized her by the scruff of her dress, pulling tight enough to hurt her.

"You little wretch! Didn't you think that he could have had anything in that bag?!"

"It was gold!" Minna choked out. "I swear it!"

"For your sake, it better have been!"

She was roughly released, nearly throwing her upper body to the ground again. The old woman rose once more, and then snapped around to the dresser. While Minna timidly began to rise again, she pulled open the drawer, opened a box inside, and tossed it in.

"Hurry up and get up." She snapped to her as she closed it again. "Get yourself presentable and we'll welcome him inside. Then you get to work charming that gold out of him and finding out if we really can get any more."

Minna, on being ordered to rise quickly, immediately did so. Once up, she gave a small bow to the old woman. "Yes, Mother." She said before turning to quickly go straighten herself up.

Klaus had just been beginning to wonder what was taking so long, and actually suspected that the lady of the house may have turned him out…when the door suddenly cracked open again. He immediately looked to it, but soon found it was the maid once again. He practically showed disappointment, but he didn't notice.

"Come right in, sir."

He grinned. "Thank you." He answered, already feeling excitement. It looked like he'd get to stay after all. Soon, the door was pushed open wide and the maid stood to one side, letting him step in. As soon as he crossed the threshold, she shut the door behind him.

Klaus took only a moment to look around. It was definitely a lovely house. Everything seemed to be clean and bright, with clean walls, lovely floors with carpet here and there, architecture that had clearly been made to be artistic as well as functional, a lovely hanging chandelier in the foyer with a nice cabinet in the back with glass panes that held onto the cutlery and flatware. There was even a painting or two on the walls. The young man would have been impressed with all of the beauty…had not his attention almost immediately gone across the entry foyer to Minna.

She smiled innocently and sweetly at him, just as before. However, she wasn't alone this time. Just a bit behind her and to the side, Klaus could make out another woman's figure. This one was dressed in darker, heavier clothing, and more concealing around her, but her face was initially obscured. It didn't really matter to Klaus, considering the fact he was focused entirely on Minna.

"Klaus, I talked things over with mother, and she agreed to let you stay the night." She told him. After that, she immediately stepped to one side, revealing the woman behind her, who immediately started to walk forward.

The huntsman's previously enraptured look suffered a splash of cold water to the face. The old woman might not have been as ugly as the crone had been, but that was hardly saying much. She was still quite twisted and withered looking. It was almost shocking to think that Minna had come from her. The worst part was that her own brown eyes seemed to almost have a red tint. Klaus had once alerted a mother bear in the wild in his youth and seen it turn, rear up, and bellow at him. This woman, though much shorter, made him feel only slightly less uneasy.

He had to suppress the urge to step back as she approached. However, she stopped at a short distance, and smiled at him. Even the smile seemed "off", as if this sort of person had no business smiling.

"Greetings, traveler." She spoke. "My name is Eugenia…the lady of the house. Minna tells me you've paid to stay the night."

Klaus, for a moment, forgot what to say. The woman's appearance unsettled him so much…as did her manner of speaking. It sounded so forced and labored, to say nothing of out of place…like something naturally twisted and crooked was struggling to be straight. In his hesitation, he let his eyes drift…and, for a moment, he set his eyes on Minna's calm, smiling face…and his unease vanished at once.

"Yes, madam."

"Well, I'll admit, I had my doubts at first. Even when you had paid." Eugenia answered. "It's not the money of course, dear boy, although we're not as well off as you might think. This little house and property might be good for being a bit self sufficient, but most of it would have to be sold quickly if a crisis ever arose. Still…that's hardly an excuse to let strangers come in, especially a male stranger to a home with three women. However…"

She looked a bit to the side with her smile, toward Minna, who smiled back at her. After a moment, Eugenia looked back to Klaus. "My daughter trusts you, and I've never had reason to question her judgment. Therefore, I will accept your offer and allow you to stay the night." She looked up slightly to the maid. "Bertha, we'll be having an extra place at table tonight. And Minna…perhaps after dinner you could make sure the guest room is set up for this nice young man?"

Klaus again tried to suppress his joy as Minna smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mother."

"Good. This is probably the first time I've had a man in this house since my late husband passed away, and I dare say it might make things a bit more lively." Eugenia continued with her smile. "Now, my good man, let's get you settled in for the evening."

About two hours later, and Klaus was seated in the dining room. He had gone ahead and removed his boots, although he kept his cloak on…a fact that was not lost on Eugenia and Minna any more than the maid. To be honest, Klaus had never seen a dining room before. Even the inns he stayed in were more of "dining areas" adjacent to the kitchen, and one could clearly look inside and around. It was well set up too. Klaus had never been in a room that was set aside purely for dining before. And the furnishings, table setting, and décor was so lovely. He never even ate on a tablecloth, and this one was a lovely design with a blue and white just like Minna's own clothing. They even used real silverware. To Klaus, this was practically royal treatment.

Yet the best part of all, of course, was the seating arrangement. The table in the dining room was easily large enough for eight, but while Eugenia sat at the head of the table and Klaus had taken a side, he noticed that Minna had moved in next to him and sat nearby. And as Bertha served the meal, she continuously looked at him with a lovely smile and her beautiful brown eyes. Klaus was served a three course meal…the best he had ever had before. However, he honestly could have been served manure and he wouldn't have known the difference. He could hardly look at his plate, too enraptured by Minna.

As a result, he hardly noticed that the lady of the house was continuously studying him as well.

Nearly done with the third course, Eugenia suddenly spoke up. "So, young man…Klaus, was it?"

The huntsman nearly gave a start, again snapped from his thoughts, but then looked over to her. "Oh…yes?"

"What brings you to this part of the country?"

Klaus looked one more time to Minna, who was still smiling at him, but he pushed it aside. He figured he could at least try to be civil to her mother, after all, and focus on a conversation.

"I'm just traveling, my lady. Trying to see a bit of the world."

The old woman raised a crooked eyebrow. "Traveling? That's all, nothing more?"

He nodded. "I come from a rather mundane part of the country. My whole life, I've done nothing but stay in one village and hunt in the same spots. I figured I should try to see more of this world. Find a place more suited to me. Besides, where I came from already had too many huntsmen. Most of the game was gone unless you went far."

"I won't dispute you, young man…but not many would choose to wander far and abroad so willingly. Most travelers are that by necessity. The roads are a dangerous place…especially around here. It is rather fortunate that you came upon this place. There's many less hospitable areas here and there all throughout this country. And I'm not just talking wolves and bears. I mean holes that you can walk by that have kobolds living in them, or giants up in the mountains. That's to say nothing of the enchanted places."

"This entire valley is thick with magic." Minna added. "All sorts of strange enchantments abound if you go in the wrong places. When I was a little girl, for example, I found a well in which the water you draw leaks out of your bucket into nothing when you try and drink it. A rather cruel joke to play on a thirsty traveler."

Klaus actually blinked a bit in response. "…Really? Well, this is the sort of place I might want to see more of."

Minna actually looked a bit surprised to hear that. "…You don't mind? Most people would be put off by the prospect of real magic. You have to admit, it frightens a great deal of people."

"Often with good reason." Eugenia added.

He merely shrugged. "I'm not scared. Believe it or not, I've had a run-in or two with a bit of magic myself."

Klaus was mainly focused on Minna at this point, who looked rather surprised to hear that. However, had he been looking at Eugenia, he would have seen her intrigue suddenly doubled…and her eyes seemed to tint red again as she stared more intently at him.

"…You don't say?" Minna slowly answered, seeming hesitant. "Is that how you came about that pouch of gold you showed me?"

He gave a nod. In another moment, he would have confessed all…about how he had eaten the magic heart of the crow and, as a result, had a source of unlimited wealth. After all, he desired to hide nothing from Minna.

However, even not looking at Eugenia…the old woman gazed at him so strongly that he almost swore he could have felt her eyes burning into him…and unlike Minna, the old woman genuinely unnerved him at times, even with the maiden's assurance that her mother was alright. With that in mind, he got enough of his wits to conceal the truth in part.

"It has something to do with it, I'll tell you that much. It's given me about fourteen of those gold coins so far with infinitely more to come." He again reached for his waist, pulled it up, and set it on the table next to his food. He looked to the old woman next. "So, my lady, if you find one coin unsatisfying…as I told your lovely daughter…I can easily provide you with more."

Minna paused a moment, thinking about this, it seemed, although Klaus' gaze was currently on Eugenia, who seemed to barely keep herself from looking to the pouch. After a moment, however, Minna leaned in a bit closer, causing Klaus to look back to her.

"Still, Klaus…that much gold and wandering around by yourself on the road without even a knife. Aren't you at all scared to be traveling so far from your hometown with nothing but the money on you? If any thief ever found out…"

He merely chuckled. "Nothing to worry about. No one could catch me if I didn't want them to."

Eugenia now looked very intrigued. Minna herself seemed much the same. She leaned in a bit closer, sliding her hand closer on the table to his.

"Really?" She asked, her eyes looking to the fine cloak he wore, even at the dinner table… "How is that possible?"

Klaus, however, could still feel Eugenia looking at him, and the result stiffened his tongue a bit. He merely chuckled in response. "Heh…just another secret of mine, Minna."

For a moment, a shade of disappointment went over Minna's face. However, it lasted only a moment, before she smiled warmly again.

"Well, Klaus…"

Eugenia's voice distracted him again, and he turned back. The old woman wasn't staring any more, but she was smiling widely at him.

"My eyes might finally be fading, but I can tell well enough that you're very taken with Minna. And, from the looks of it, she seems to be very taken with you."

Klaus felt his heart surge at that…but that was nothing compared to a moment later when he felt Minna's own hand, which could be delicate as well as skilled, apparently, move over his. He gave out a tremble all over that nearly made him melt into the chair. He would have looked to her, but he honestly didn't think he could bear her smile without swooning.

"She does get very lonely with only her doddering old mother and a maid for company, and she's been that way for a very long time." Eugenia went on. "And you also say you want to see more of this country? Well…Minna knows it better than anyone. Certainly better than me or Bertha. So…I propose a deal. You said you have fourteen gold coins on you but the means to get more? Very well. I have need of some chores around the house that require a man's touch. I'm not as strong as I used to be. In exchange for the fourteen coins and a bit of work, I'll let you stay here through to the end of summer."

Klaus' jaw nearly dislocated on hearing that. He felt the blood rushing to his head.

Eugenia merely chuckled. "That is…if Minna doesn't object."

He felt her grip tighten on her palm slightly, making him flush even redder.

"Oh…that would be wonderful, Mother! You're willing to consent to that, aren't you Klaus? It'd be so grand having you living here for the entire summer!"

Klaus himself felt like he'd indeed pass out. Before things could get any worse, he looked to Minna and nodded.

"Sure…certainly…of course!" He looked back to Eugenia. "I'd love to! Anything I can do to help!"

The old woman grinned in response, revealing crooked teeth. After doing so, she reached over and helped herself to the pouch. Klaus didn't even notice. He looked back to Minna and was soon enamored with her once again. Once Eugenia had the coins safely placed in her lap, she gave a nod.

"Wonderful. It will be nice having you living with us, Klaus. Make yourself at home."

It was some time before Klaus got to sleep that night. He was too overjoyed. He would actually be living here…having an entire four months being at Minna's side every day! It seemed too good to be true. The woman of his dreams just seemed to appear that day…and now he was getting to stay with her under the same roof! This was all so sudden and overwhelming to him. He couldn't believe his good fortune and luck. He kept thinking if he fell asleep that he'd wake up and it would all be a dream. What made things even more overwhelming for him was that the woman had actually made his room for him while the maid tended to the dishes and meal. He almost quivered with excitement knowing he had been in a room she had personally cleaned for him.

He didn't care at all that Eugenia had been all too eager to snatch up the gold. He knew that she thought she was cheating him out of a good deal. She could have easily paid a laborer those gold coins to do the work over the summer, and instead she had made him "pay for the privilege". But he hardly cared. He would be living alongside Minna, and even if he was sentenced to slave labor this would be a paradise to him. Besides, there was infinitely more gold coins where that came from. With that in mind, he happily laid down that night, and finally nodded off in contentment. After all, even the bed was better than any he had ever slept on.

Only when Minna, who had been residing in the room next to the guest chamber and constantly listening in for signs of Klaus falling asleep, confirmed he had nodded off did she rise and join her mother in the bedroom again. Once both doors were safely shut and locked, her mother went to the heavy trunk in her room and pushed it aside with ease with a single hand, revealing her strength…as well as a trap door. Taking a light, she opened it up and took a set of stairs down to the secret portion of the house.

This was a different sort entirely. It smelled of a hundred different things that the nose couldn't focus on save for a moment. Some were old and musty. Some were rotten. Some were fresh and aromatic. Some were enchanting and beguiling of the senses. The room itself was lined with older, rickety shelves that had numerous books, almost all handwritten, and almost all branded with arcane symbols. There were also assorted vials, flasks, and jars bearing a mixture of strange liquid and strange materials…many of whom looked like distilled body fluids of creatures or removed body parts. There were also many items lying about that were simply odd: strange crystals, figures made of twigs, odd wooden and metal constructs, dirty yellow lenses for glasses, and many other such things. The room itself had a stovepipe leading outside to the main chimney for a fire pit in the center that looked over a cauldron. It was empty and unused at the moment, however, although in just a few moments the old woman and her daughter had lit a number of odd-looking candles throughout the chamber. It was still dark, but there was at least light enough to see.

This done, the old woman went to a table bearing an especially large crystal mounted in a stand that was engraved to appear like snakes made of bronze. Here, she proceeded to take each piece of gold out of the bag, one by one, and hold it behind the crystal as she looked through it into it. Minna herself waited eagerly just behind her, looking in as well as she went through each one.

After passing them all through once, she sent it through again. After that, she looked once more at certain pieces. Only after studying them for a long time did she finally scoop all the coins back into the pouch and hold them in one gnarled, twisted hand, shaking them a bit from time to time.

"No doubt about it…" She said aloud. "These coins are not only real gold, but they came from an incredibly powerful magic. If making gold was as easy as a basic cantrip, everyone would be rich, after all…"

"So he can't be making it himself. He has to have some sort of magical artifact…" Minna added. "It must be his cloak."

"Oh, there's something to his cloak, alright…but I don't think it's the source of the gold." Eugenia responded.

Minna looked puzzled. "But what else could it be? Surely it's not the pouch…"

"Bah…this is just leather. And I doubt he'd give the source of his wealth to me so easily." The old woman answered. "He has some secrets about him that we need to find. Luckily we have plenty of time to do so now." She turned her head to the young woman. "I suppose I should compliment you on your craft, dear. You have a talent that no amount of witchcraft can give you, and, unlike me, the means to use it. He's indeed warm clay in your hands. A few days of doting on him and I'll bet if you wished to cut his throat that he'd present his neck and even place a knife in your hand. See if you can find out about what he has on him."

"Yes, Mother."

"Make certain you know the details as well. I can't begin to tell you how many times someone has dabbled with magic such as that only to not know how it properly works and ended up cursing themselves in some way."

"Of course, Mother."

"Good. Now, get upstairs and get some sleep." She smiled a bit here. "You'll be needing your beauty rest for our guest…"

After having the most wonderful sleep of his life, not just due to the nice bed but the knowledge of where he was, Klaus rose up bright and early the next morning. He was almost surprised to find himself in the house on waking up, but after only a moment or two he remembered what he was doing there. Next, he thought that maybe his mind had only tricked him into thinking so well about Minna…but on beholding her that morning she was just as lovely as she was the day before, both in real life and in his dreams. When they talked, her voice was just as sweet and heavenly as before.

After having breakfast, Minna went off to "tend the animals", while Klaus got started on his first chore, which was re-shingling the roof. He had done it enough times at home to do it here, although he never worked with such fine materials before. He was almost scared to drive a nail through them. He noticed that Minna first fed the domestic animals they had at the house, but then went off into the woods. However, he thought little of it. Perhaps she was tending their beehives, or once again conversing with the animals he saw yesterday. The thought made him smile. His comment had been somewhat facetious the other day…but he almost thought she had to have some sort of power about her to have so easily drawn wild creatures to herself. He chuckled to himself. Maybe she was a form of angel.

There was one thing that naturally stood out from a normal situation…and that was the fact that Klaus still had his cloak with him. He wore it as much as he could, but while up on the roof he rolled it up and tied it along with his tools. He had taken up that tendency before, but here he was all the more cautious. Not around Minna…but around Eugenia. Traditionally, he would sleep with his cloak. After all, it was new enough for a thief to merit stealing, and while in inns none of the doors locked. Yet last night, he realized he had been so enamored by Minna that he had thoughtlessly hung it up like anything else. While he may have trusted Minna, Eugenia was something else. Before encountering the young woman that morning, his thoughts had been sharp enough to remember the gleam in her mother's eyes…and he had thanked himself for not disclosing the secret.

However, now that he was awake again, thoughts of Minna once more addled his senses. He was already well on his way to being careless with the cloak again. Yet he wasn't at all afraid about losing his source of wealth. He already was well on his way to having more gold, as, just like every other morning, a fresh piece was waiting under his pillow when he woke up. It currently was resting in his pocket. He did have at least enough sense to not leave it lying around. He was sure Eugenia was searching his room even now for evidence of more.

He had scarcely finished hammering a nail, however, when he heard a call from below.

"Klaus?"

Recognizing the voice as Minna's, he immediately looked up, barely avoiding bringing the hammer down on his hand as a result. Sure enough, she was standing below near the fenced area that held the sheep and goats, leaning slightly against a fencepost and smiling sweetly at him.

"Oh, hey!" He called down in response with a smile of his own. "Done tending the animals already?"

"Yes. How are you doing?"

"It's coming along, but I think I need to do some repair work on the roof for the worst spots. I can manage it with the right materials, though. It's definitely going to be more than a one-day job, I'm afraid."

"Oh, that's fine." She answered, still smiling. "Say…could you come on down for a bit? The rest of the shingling can wait. There's this old tree that fell in the back that we need to chop into firewood, but none of us are strong enough. If you're too tired of being on the roof, you mind getting started on that? That way we can talk while you work."

Klaus felt himself packing up almost immediately as soon as she suggested coming down and being next to her. He called down. "Sure thing! I'll be there in a flash!"

The tree would certainly prove to be a bigger chore than the shingling by far. It might have been old, but it was very large, and the saw that Minna's mother had was rusted. They had an axe that was better, but it would take quite a bit to cut it up with just that. Klaus was almost tempted just to go to town and buy a new one, but based on how long it took to get to the house, that would take all day. So, he simply took up the axe and went to it.

Progress was slow, not only due to the nature of the work, but the fact that Minna sat on an older log nearby doing some mending. He found himself constantly looking at her. Even if she was doing nothing more than a few chores, he couldn't help but marvel longer at her beauty. He almost couldn't believe himself. There was no one in his home village anywhere close to her, and he had never suspected he would ever be so smitten by someone. The only thing that made him more afire was whenever she looked up to smile softly at him.

After a while, he decided to speak. "I'm a little surprised to see you mending, Minna."

She gave a shrug. "Why not? Just because we can hire Bertha doesn't mean there still isn't more work to be done for three people. Especially since my mother has grown too infirm to do most tasks."

"Come to think of it…" Klaus mused as he brought the axe down. "I haven't seen your mother most of the day. Is she ill?"

"Oh no. She just…prefers to work in private, you might say. But as you can see, there's a lot to do. Even if Bertha handles the cooking and cleaning, there's still the animals to tend to every day. The barn occasionally needs sweeping. Water needs drawing." She held up her work. "Clothes need mending or making. And then there's what you saw me doing yesterday."

"Oh yeah…the beehives. Where are they?"

"About a half mile from here. Mother keeps them near a small grove where we have a few fruit trees. Not enough for an orchard, but it helps."

"I see." He chopped again. "You seem to be pretty self-sufficient out here."

Minna laughed and shrugged a bit. "We have to be. This far from any town, any robber could take advantage of us on the road. Even if we went together. And I'll tell you…these woods are thick with things besides robbers. Even on horseback it's not terribly safe. I'll warn you in advance, never stray off the road or away from any paths I take. For your own safety."

"Rest assured, my lady, I have no intention to."

Minna giggled again. "Using that title again, Klaus? You're too sweet…"

Klaus blushed as he chopped a few more times. However, in the end, he panted and wiped his brow. He was already sweaty, but couldn't be more than a foot into his first bit of breaking. He exhaled and wiped his head. "You've got the wrong member of my family…it'd be my dad who would break this up in no time. I'm more of the hunting type. Sure, you need a good set of muscles to rip up a big enough carcass…but still, this isn't easy. I'm more focused on skill and accuracy."

The girl laughed again. "Trust me, you're doing far better than any of us could."

"You could really use a new saw…it would go much faster. Are you sure you can't afford one? I'm certain one of those gold pieces will more than pay for it…"

Minna paused a moment, but then shrugged. "Well…it's not really in my control. Mother 'handles the purse strings', as they say. And she's always so worried about spending too much money on anything. I guess she's afraid we'll run out…"

Klaus himself let out a snicker as he resumed chopping. He knew better than that. Just looking at Eugenia, he could tell the woman was a miser. And that was without seeing the greedy look she had on her face when she took the gold. Unfortunately…it never occurred to him that the pure, innocent creature before him might share some of those tendencies. Instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out that morning's gold coin, and then tossed it to Minna. The girl caught sight of it just as it came over to her, and caught it just in time, again astonished.

"Well, hold that one for safekeeping until we can go to town, and then buy a new one with that."

She was confused a moment, and then looked back up. "So you had more gold than what was in the pouch?"

"Nope." Klaus answered with a grin. "Like I told you…I have ways of getting more. As much as I need, in fact."

Minna stared a moment more, her mind working behind her innocent eyes, and then finally she smiled.

"It seems you're just full of surprises, Klaus… How about telling me more about yourself? I'd like to see how much more there is to you."

The huntsman merely chuckled in response, and kept going. "Well, I'm not sure how much more will interest you…but I wonder if you've ever seen a real musket…"

After a day of chatting, working, chores, and meals, Minna was ready to report back to her mother. She had been able to get very little new information on the source of the gold…a fact that unnerved her. Her mother wouldn't be pleased, and she could already almost feel the power of her blows already... In spite of looking like a feeble old woman, the fact of the matter was Eugenia was invalid only in outer appearance. She likely could have chopped that tree herself into bits…perhaps even better than Klaus was doing. At any rate, to help cool any rise in her temper, she had waited until Klaus had gone out to wash up after supper before she went again into the secret chamber in her inner room and presented her with the coin. The look of gold indeed calmed her temper considerably, although it also only made her more ravenous for the source.

"He'll tell me soon, Mother. I'm sure of it." Minna had reassured her when she began to look dark. "You should have seen him today. He's fawning over me even more than yesterday. Offering to carry my basket, practically jumping off the roof to be next to me…"

"…But not telling you the source of the gold." Eugenia nearly snapped. "Until he does that, you better 'work on your charm' better. Honestly, I expected better from you, girl. I sometimes wonder what you've been up to all this time. I've long suspected you for being lazy…"

Minna face crumpled, and she became defensive. "I'm still doing the daily chores! I can't be around him all the time! If you would do some yourself-"

"Fool!" Eugenia snapped back. "I'm supposed to be a harmless old woman! It's bad enough you let him catch you feeding the animals! If I go about hauling water and toting firewood, he'll know something's not right with me! Use your brain, girl!"

"I also can't risk letting him know I'm planning something!" Minna added. "If I'm too direct, he'll know for sure that we're going after his wealth!"

"You're supposed to have him so seduced that he won't care!"

"He's getting to that point, Mother! I swear!"

Eugenia let her teeth show for a moment, but then calmed. She finally exhaled. "…Since it seems to be so much trouble for you to get one little secret out of a lovestruck traveler with no family or friends nearby to advise him, I'll just have to help. I've already had Bertha look through his things today, and he definitely has no other gold in the few possessions he left in his room…which was really nothing more than a couple articles of clothing. You're certain he had no other gold in his pockets today?"

"Absolutely, mother."

"Then I'll have Bertha lock his door the moment he falls asleep tonight and unlock it in the morning. There's no windows and he has a chamber pot. Tomorrow…make sure to say something that requires money. If he produces another gold coin, then that means whatever magic he's using has to be coming from him. It may end up being the cloak after all…"

The plan worked just as intended. Bertha never asked questions of her mistresses, but always went about her duty. That included unusual requests like this one…which hadn't been the first time they had been declared. It also included gathering strange things from the forest from time to time, such as poisonous toadstools and frogs. Occasionally, it also meant disposing of some evidence. Until now, none of the evidence had ever been something made of flesh and bone…but she would do it none the less if she had to. After all, Bertha actually knew the true nature of her mistress…and she knew that so long as she behaved she would share in whatever rewards came to pass. Indeed, the mistress had passed her not one but two of Klaus' gold coins, which was quite a good deal for her. She knew so long as she kept quiet and dutiful, there would be more of that to come to give her a good retirement when she finally grew too old and infirm to work. And so, she had locked the door on time and unlocked it on time as well, a good ten minutes before Klaus woke up on his own.

He said nothing that morning about the door being locked. He hadn't noticed a thing. Neither did he seem perturbed about anything else, which further confirmed the suspicions of Eugenia and Minna. Once again, he went to the roof to continue working, as his back was sore from chopping at the tree and eventually he decided to simply wait until they obtained a saw. And, just as before, he had hardly completed the shingling and been ready to move on to patching the holes when Minna, every bit as lovely and kind-looking as ever, came by and asked her help with another task. This time, it was to go out gathering in the woods. This time, Klaus really did nearly jump off the roof, feeling he could make the height. And not long after that, the two of them were headed into the forest.

"I feel so safe with you near me, Klaus." Minna said as she let her basket hang with one hand, and reached out to grasp Klaus' with the other. Immediately, he looked smitten once again. "Even though I've done this thousands of times, I've never had anyone take me…not since I was a little girl. I feel like nothing can harm me when you're near…especially if you really can keep us out of danger like you said you could."

Klaus, face still red, let out a bit of a more nervous laugh. "Heh…well…I was telling the truth about all of that, Minna. You're safe with me. But what are we doing today?"

Minna looked forward again. She searched for a bit, and then pointed. "Right there. That's what we're getting."

Klaus turned and looked, but saw nothing other than a patch of grass. However, Minna moved over to it immediately, bent down a bit, and grabbed ahold of one of the tufts of grass. She grunted a moment, before setting her basket down, grabbing on the step and giving a pull…finally uprooting what looked to be some sort of parsnip. She exhaled a bit afterward, and then gave it a look over, making sure it was fine, before putting it in the basket. She then went for another tuft and began to pull.

Realizing what was going on, Klaus quickly moved over and helped her. He was able to do it a bit better, soon pulling out the parsnip and adding it to the basket. Minna soon moved on to another.

"There's a number of good wild vegetables here. Parsnips, beans, onions, even some Welsh carrots. It's all a lot better than what you can find at a market. There's even some good mustard greens. If we can gather a lot here plus what we have growing in the garden at home, we'll be in good shape."

Klaus couldn't help but laugh again as he moved to pull out another one. Minna, puzzled by this, looked to him. "What's so funny?"

"This." He answered. "I don't believe it. You and your mother must be the wealthiest people I've ever met, and yet here you are…going around like any other common family. Your mother seems…well…a bit excessively frugal."

Minna hesitated a bit, but then resumed picking. "She just doesn't want to waste the money my father gave her. It's all we have to live on for now."

Klaus actually paused in his own picking, looking to her. "I think that's the first time I've heard you mention your father."

The young woman slowed almost to a stop in her work once again.

"…I'm sorry, did I hit a rough topic?"

Minna paused, and then closed her eyes and shook her head. "No… He's…just not someone I think about too terribly much. My father…well…" She paused. "Well, I wasn't exactly born under the best circumstances… His marriage to my mother was a bit…arranged, you might say. I don't think he ever truly loved my mother…or even thought much of their marriage. He often looked for other, younger, more attractive women…"

Obvious immorality aside, Klaus couldn't help but feel a small measure of understanding for this act. Minna was a vision of loveliness…but Eugenia had to have had her when she was in her 40s, and he could tell that she had never been anyone attractive. Even so, however, adultery was adultery. And if he had done such things while he had a daughter… He exhaled and shook his head. "Oh…I'm so sorry, Minna."

She shook her head again. "Don't be. I never knew him. I don't even have any memory of him. My mother told me almost everything about him."

"So…did he die? Or…did he run off?"

"I'm not sure." Minna answered. "He just…vanished, one day. Mother says he left and never came back. However, he was an heir to a sizable fortune, and he left that behind. That's what we've been living off ever since. Mother says it should give out in the next year or two, so…" She exhaled a bit. "I kind of need to hurry up and get married…"

That last phrase made Klaus' heart sink a bit. He couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment. He turned his head away a moment later and exhaled. "I'm sorry you're being forced into that, Minna." He stated after a moment. "Especially out here…where you don't know anyone…"

She gave a weak shrug. "Such is life. It's not always fair. However…" She turned her head over and up to Klaus, and gave him another soft smile. "…Perhaps it wouldn't be as bad as I thought." Her voice became a bit more faraway. "It looks as if there's people I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life with right here."

Immediately, Klaus' heart surged again on hearing that. Was she really suggesting…? He had only known her for three days, including today…but still, it was overwhelming to him. It was also making him feel like the luckiest man in the world. He was beginning to realize that for all the amorous feelings he had for Minna…she was sharing them as well. This was only the third day here. There were many weeks to go…and during them, if they only continued to get closer and closer…

"Of course…I could hardly offer much to any suitor." She said with a sigh as she resumed pulling. "Any money that we have I'd naturally have to leave with mother. She'd need it more than I do. I envy you, Klaus." She looked up slightly to him. "Although I'm so confused… I've heard you tell me you're a huntsman and your father is a woodcutter. How did you manage to have so much gold? Is wood and meat so much in demand in your kingdom?"

Klaus laughed a bit. "Heh…not nearly something so simple, Minna."

She paused a moment after saying this, and then ventured a bit more. "Well, at any rate, if you have all of this gold coming to you…then maybe you should return home to your own kingdom briefly to bring some of it back with you. I'm certain if you offered mother a high enough price, she'd have no trouble letting you stay at the house however long you like and not just the summer. She can't afford to turn it down."

However, the huntsman merely smiled and shook his head. "There's no need for that, Minna."

She blinked again in confusion. "But…there is. You have no other money. I saw you give your last gold piece to me yesterday…"

"Oh, my last piece?" Klaus asked. A moment later, he reached into his pocket, fished around a moment, and then held out another. Minna marveled on seeing it. "You mean…a piece just like this one?"

He proceeded to toss it to her. The girl caught it, but was twice as stunned as yesterday. "There…and make sure you keep that one for yourself, Minna. I fear your mother wouldn't let you keep it otherwise…"

"How is this possible?" The young woman answered. "I thought your pockets were empty yesterday…"

"They were, but that makes no difference to me." He answered with a chuckle.

Minna stared a bit longer. "But how is that possible…?"

"I told you I had a trick or two, didn't I?" Klaus asked.

"You didn't leave the house at all last night…I mean…I didn't hear you leave your room…"

"No need. Every morning, I have a fresh gold piece under my pillow, no matter where I sleep." The huntsman answered as he rose and dusted off his hands. "So you see, by the end of the summer I'll have far more than what I paid your mother, and I easily could have afforded more."

Minna blinked in astonishment. She remained on the ground a bit longer, thinking a bit, before beginning to rise. "You must have been born under a shooting star, Klaus…"

"Heh, none of that." He answered. "Just happened to fall on a bit of luck is all."

The young woman paused a bit longer, but then merely smiled. "…Come on. I'll show you where the best bean pods grow for forty miles. They'll taste wonderful in a stew."

"…And when he wakes up, he always has a fresh piece under his head. He told me himself." Minna said with a smile, later that evening and safely in Eugenia's secret room. At the moment, the woman was stirring a large pot that was giving off all sorts of foul and multi-colored vapors over the fire pit that had been built in the room. Every so often, she would add something else to it from a basket of fresh herbs…one that was tucked in the crook of Bertha's arm as she held it out to her. In addition to her cooking and cleaning, she had been gathering some that morning on her mistress' orders.

However, after giving the news, Minna soon recoiled when Eugenia looked up at her and sneered.

"Is that all you were able to get from him all day, you stupid brat?" She snorted. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood. All of this beauty and charm…and all you manage to do is get some worthless information I practically know already. I don't give a damn where he gets the gold, idiot girl…I want to know how! Can't you do anything correctly? You had better not ruin this part or there will be hell to pay… It's time to see if your seduction is actually worth anything…"

Minna couldn't help but look downcast on hearing that, once again shamed and bowing her head. But only after a moment, she looked up to the cauldron as Eugenia threw one last bit of herbs into it. After doing so, she waved her hand violently at the maid, enough to make her recoil as well, obviously mindful of past blows. "That will be all, Bertha. Get upstairs and keep him busy before he gets suspicious as to where we are."

The maid bowed her head, and then turned and immediately began to go up the stairs. As for Eugenia, she took out a long wooden spoon and began to stir the cauldron. It gave out a myriad of putrid odors in response, but she kept up none the less.

Minna looked in confusion at the cauldron. "That's a potion for vomiting… How will that-"

"Unlike you, I actually worked at finding out where he gets his magic from." She retorted. "I obtained some of his hair from his pillow this morning, mud from his boots the night before, and a touch of his blood from a splinter. After that, I spent a few hours divining," Here, she gestured to the crystal. "And I found out the source of his magic is in his stomach. He swallowed a magic raven's heart…no doubt on one of his hunts. That's what gives him the gold every morning."

"Surely it must have been devoured by now…"

"A magic object such as that wouldn't so easily pass." The old woman responded. "This needs to brew overnight…but tomorrow you give it to him. Once he's brought it up, clean up the mess, and, once you're outside, swallow it yourself."

"Are you sure you don't want it, Mother?"

"I would if I could…but seeing as I've had so much trouble swallowing lately… I might risk it if I lived by myself, but as I have you I'm not daft enough to choke to death trying to gain a source of unlimited wealth. You just make sure to get it."

Minna gave a nod. "It won't be a problem."

"It better not be."

The old woman was silent after saying this, resuming stirring the pot slowly. After all, these kind of potions had to be done just right. As for Minna, she watched and waited. In truth, she could have done it herself. She had learned potions before she was ten from her mother, after all. Yet the old woman never trusted her with them. After a moment, however, she spoke up.

"…Mother…this is just a vomiting potion, right? It's not poison…is it?"

"No…I want to learn what's so special about his cloak before we get rid of him…" Eugenia answered…and then suddenly froze in her stirring. She suddenly turned her head up with a rather violent snap to Minna, actually making the girl feel a cold chill. "…But what of it if it is?"

The young woman swallowed a bit. She had a violent look in her eyes again. "…Nothing, Mother…I was just…I…I didn't see the need to kill him…"

This only made Eugenia look more irritable. "You didn't, did you? And what if he finds out that you ate the heart after he realizes his gold has ceased, Minna? Do you not think he will attempt to get it back? Do you not think he'll run back to the nearest town and tell of how he encountered a small family of witches on the road who are in need of being burned at the stake?" She paused…and then suddenly turned away from the cauldron all together. Swallowing, Minna stepped back involuntarily.

"…Or is this the true reason you haven't get gotten the source of the gold yourself, Minna? Are you falling for this stupid young man? Are you betraying your own flesh and blood for him?"

Minna quickly shook her head. "Of course not! The only reason I brought him here was to get his money, Mother!"

"Indeed? Are you certain it's not you who is being seduced? Or are you just planning on removing your own mother out of the picture now that you're old enough to have learned all you can from her?" She advanced a step, her shadow falling over the girl, making Minna cringe a bit. "Is that what you inherited from your father? Taking me for everything you can get and then dropping your undergarments for whoever comes along?"

"No!" Minna responded. "I swear it! I want that power for myself!"

"Then get it tomorrow morning!" Eugenia snapped, actually raising a fist that made Minna cringe further. "And if you don't, I promise you that I'll make you suffer dearly for it!"

Snapping around, Eugenia went back the cauldron and began to stir it again. Although she maintained the slow speed, her body was tense and angry now. Minna, on her part, was too afraid to risk moving. She only continued to cringe there and look to the floor…until Eugenia eventually told her to stop acting like a frightened doe and head upstairs.

"You're really going to like this, Klaus." Minna called from inside the kitchen. "It's so rare that we can find the right leaves to make it. You need just the right ones too or it doesn't work out."

"Well, I'm definitely eager to try it." The young man answered, not having touched his breakfast yet, patiently waiting for the young woman to finish readying the drink. She had said this morning when he got up to eat that she wanted to give him a special blend of herbal tea that one could only make in this forest. It was supposed to really uplift one's mood and grant them extra energy, and he knew he could certainly use it if he was going to finish chopping up that tree in half. Once he broke up the first part, he decided he would indeed go and get a proper saw. However, he wanted to make sure it was at a time in which Eugenia couldn't possibly see. His mind wasn't really on that right now. Usually, it was Bertha who served breakfast in the morning…but for this task, Minna was setting up the finishing touches to serve the tea to him herself. The thought excited him incredibly…that she was setting herself apart just to give him this specially-made drink…

After only a few moments more of waiting, Minna's beaming face became visible as she walked in bearing the tea tray. It wasn't set for an "official" tea time, just the kettle and two cups that had already been filled, and soon she brought it in and set it before him. After serving him one cup, she served herself another and sat down nearby, still smiling fairly at him with an earnest to see what he thought of it.

"There you are. I just needed to garnish it with a bit of mint and a hint of syrup. It makes it sweet and fresh."

Klaus smiled in response as she took his own cup. "Sounds wonderful. I'm usually used to two flavors of tea: bitter and hot water."

Minna snickered at the joke as she took her own and sipped once. However, after doing so, she lowered it and looked entirely to Klaus. On seeing him still pausing, her smile faded just a bit. "…What's wrong?" She asked. "Why aren't you drinking?"

In truth, one small thing had made Klaus pause. He noticed that while Minna's tea had just a slight auburn shade in it, within the light of the morning kitchen at least, his own seemed to have an almost green hue to it…

She probably just put more mint and less syrup in mine. He eventually concluded before he simply smiled back and took a sip.

Minna's smile immediately returned…although Klaus failed to notice the gleam in her eye as well. "How is it?" She asked, a bit more softly and slowly than she had spoken until that point.

Klaus had a hard time answering at first. In spite of expecting a sweet and delicious treat, the tea tasted extremely odd. The flavoring was hard to describe, but it definitely wasn't sweet or minty. Oddly enough, it seemed almost thick and gritty, like hot milk mixed with leaf dregs. That was strange in and of itself because Klaus had only sipped the top. And it seemed to slowly sour as he held it in his mouth and savored it, so he quickly swallowed it.

Yet that wasn't the end of it. It only seemed to slowly go down his throat, seeming to get thicker and grittier as he went. It felt almost like it was "clinging" to it as it went down, as if lining it all the way down to the bottom…assuming it even reached the bottom. And the sour feeling persisted. After a moment, his face began to look a bit unpleasant, in spite of his best intentions, as he set the cup down.

"It's…" He tried to say, trying to force himself to smile. He didn't want to say her tea-making was bad, after all. Yet his ability to override his disgust only lasted a bit longer as it continued to grow thicker in his throat…or at least seemed that way. He coughed slightly to try and clear it.

"It's…" He tried to say again, but he was more hoarse than before, and now felt quite sick. His smile faded, and he coughed again. Louder this time. But that only seemed to make it worse. Now he felt almost a choking sensation from it. He coughed again afterward. And again after that. Still, it only grew worse.

Not able to speak now, he tried to get up to excuse himself. But it got so bad that he soon shot up, knocking the chair back, and coughing loudly the whole way. Soon he was cupping his hand to his mouth and giving several large gasps as he struggled to clear his throat of the sensation, and all without luck.

Minna moved up behind him, but if she said or did anything he didn't notice. All he knew was that his coughing quickly grew more violent, to the point where he had to remove his hand to grasp the side of the table. It was going from straight "coughing" to more of a "retching"…and when that happened, he immediately became aware that the sour feeling was beginning to make him nauseated. The coughing only made it worse, but he couldn't stop. He barely had enough time to breathe in between them. He inhaled deeply and coughed once…twice…and finally, giving a tremendous gasp, he coughed a third time…

His breakfast and part of the table was soon ruined as a rather large amount of unsightly matter came out of his mouth and splattered on the tablecloth. Normally, he would have been in too ill of a condition to care, but the moment he coughed out this last bit, both the sour feeling as well as the source of his coughing abated. His throat felt instantly relief. Whatever had caused that reaction seemed to be "up". Even so, after coughing that hard, he could do little other than brace himself and breathe deeply for a few moments.

Only now did Minna become more audible as her hands went on his sides. Bertha also rushed over to him, and Klaus, in his current state, failed to notice she had just stood idly by until this point.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" She immediately apologized. "I must have put too much of one of the leaves in yours… Are you alright?"

Klaus had to gasp a bit longer, but then he managed a nod. "No, no…I'm fine…" He croaked. "That's…interesting tea…"

"I'm sorry, I had no idea there would be that kind of reaction…" She apologized again.

"Oh no…it's not your fault…" He quickly interjected between gasps. "But it looks like I just ruined breakfast…and the tablecloth…"

"Oh, don't worry about that." She answered, quickly turning to the maid. "Bertha, could you take him out to the well in the back to get some water? I'll be out in a minute after I've cleaned this up. It was my tea, so it's my responsibility."

Klaus had nearly protested to let Bertha handle the mess while Minna could take him to get water…especially since he realized now that she was touching him, and as his wits came back that excited him greatly. He was quickly forgetting about how the tea had given him such a violent reaction that bordered on life-threatening at just having Minna this close to him. However, before he could voice it, Bertha quickly moved in and took his arm. "This way, sir. Can you manage?"

The huntsman held a bit longer when Minna moved away, but she merely smiled gently at him. "I'll be out in just a minute, Klaus. This won't take long."

He hesitated a moment more, but then finally acquiesced. "Alright. I should probably rinse my mouth out anyway in case I react to more of those leaves…" Smiling back one more time, he let himself be escorted by Bertha.

Minna turned to the table and quickly began to arrange the dishes. Klaus followed the maid into the hall, and began to walk toward the path leading to the back. As he did, he looked behind him one more time to Minna, already more regretful at the fact he had stained her tablecloth and ruined breakfast than the fact he had nearly choked, and found himself looking to her with just as much longing as before, yet at last managed to turn away and keep walking forward.

Once Minna couldn't hear Klaus shuffling out any longer, she looked up and behind just long enough to make sure that he had turned the corner. With him gone, she smiled a bit craftily before going right to the bulk of Klaus' "mess". She grimaced slightly at the thought before she went right in. Luckily, there was only one solid object inside, which she grasped and pulled out, putting in one of the napkins. Once she had it, she quickly moved back into the kitchen area where a bowl of water had already been set out by Bertha. She put the object inside, rinsed it off thoroughly, and then held it out.

Eugenia had been right. It was indeed a raven's heart. And if Klaus had done nothing that morning except kill a bird and then eat its heart, it would not have been in as good condition as it was right now. It looked as fresh as if it had just been cut from a bird's breast. It was even still a bit warm. Minna held it only a moment before she readied herself, and then brought it up to her own mouth, put it inside, and swallowed it down.

It seemed to be a raw heart at first, but then it slid down perfectly easily, as if it was nothing more than a spoonful of sugar. And on that note, it left both a pleasant sweetness in Minna's mouth as well as a warm feeling going down into her stomach. She knew it wasn't just her imagination. It had to be the magic.

In moments the deed was done, and she smiled to herself at how well she had done. In spite of what her mother accused her of, Klaus was so head-over-heels about her that he hadn't given her so much as a dirty look about the tea. She almost giggled at the thought that he would have cleaned up the mess himself as if he had been the only one at fault. Of course, the real test would happen tomorrow morning. When he woke up without having a gold piece under his pillow, he would likely be suspicious, and the first thing he would do would be to accuse them of theft. Then he might remember what he had done just now…and put two and two together. Minna wasn't sure she could get around that so easily. However, she didn't fear Klaus' wrath half as much as that of her mother's. And now she had permanent value to her, as she'd be getting a fresh gold piece from her every day. That should hopefully make the young woman rise more in her estimation.

She soon dumped out the water and moved to clean up. She had to hurry, after all. She had to keep giving Klaus the idea that she was interested in his welfare. She had been doing well thus far, and she had to keep it up. She only hoped that she could so enamor him that he never caught on to anything.

Yet as she moved back to the table to start cleaning…she felt herself slow. Her smile faded a bit. For a moment, she actually held and thought.

Why…do I feel cold in my stomach?

She thought perhaps it was the heart. Maybe there had been an additional magic she had missed, or this was part of the process. Yet somehow, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that Klaus had just been tricked by her and had a precious treasure essentially stolen by her, and that all he had done was apologize for the mess he had made and continued to smile and look warmly at her.

When she thought about that…and saw herself continuing to seduce and trick him…something felt rather uneasy inside of her…

She shook it off for now, hoping it wasn't the heart, and continued to clean.

Naturally, Eugenia wasn't going to give the opportunity for Minna to spirit away the gold coin by herself until she was sure the heart worked. Hence, after Klaus had gone to bed that evening, and had quite forgotten about the tea incident, she had to sleep in Eugenia's room. It wasn't a problem. The older witch didn't sleep all night. Her own greed was so strong she merely sat up and watched Minna as she slept, struggling to suppress the urge to continuously look under her pillow to see if the coin had appeared yet.

At length, however, morning came. Although Eugenia had no windows in this inner room, she had a small crystal that glowed brightly whenever morning came to act as a "rooster" to awaken her. Even if she didn't, Minna was used to waking with the sun, and rose at the appointed time. On doing so, she leaned out of the bed and turned to the pillow. Before she had a chance to pull it away, Eugenia was already at her side.

And when it drew back, sure enough, a gold piece just like all the others that Klaus had presented them with was there.

The older woman grinned, probably the first genuine smile since Klaus had arrived, as she took it up. As for Minna, she smiled as well…though quite as much as she thought she should have.

"Now we need not worry about your father's inheritance running low." Eugenia said as she clutched the gold in her twisted fingers. "And you'll be set for life as well once I pass on. It makes sense, really. Better that two…three including Bertha…should benefit instead of just one."

Although Minna was happy for her sudden change in fortune, and she tried to think of how secure she was now that she could look forward to free gold every morning for the rest of her life…she still didn't feel completely at ease. Again, she wondered if it was a side effect of the heart. She should have probably tried to get out if there were any negative side effects to swallowing the heart from Klaus before…

Klaus.

The thought made her smile fade all together. "Mother, when he wakes up and sees that he isn't getting any gold beneath his pillow…"

"What of it?" Eugenia simply answered as she turned to put away the gold piece with the others. "He can be confused all he wants. He hasn't told any of us the secret of his wealth, and so long as we plead ignorance, he has no reason to believe we would have had anything to do with it. In the end, he'll assume that heart was finally passed and that his fortune is at an end. Just make sure to keep your gold a better secret than he kept his."

Minna wasn't too convinced as she drew the covers aside and began to rise. "But what about yesterday? If he remembers that he vomited when I gave him that tea…"

"Well then," Eugenia simply answered as she reached the drawer, pulled it open, and placed the gold in a box inside. "It will be your job to continue to enamor him so much that he doesn't think of it. In spite of your lax attitude toward the whole matter, he has been blissfully oblivious until now…a fact I can only attribute to your charm over his stupidity."

Once the gold was inside and she locked it, she reached for another part of the drawer.

"But on obtaining such a valuable thing for ourselves, I am not in the least bit eager to part with it again. If he insists on causing trouble in spite of your reassurances…"

She withdrew her hand, revealing a long, twisted, and razor-sharp dagger.

"…There are other ways to ensure he doesn't reclaim it."

As simple as Klaus was, and as little as he mattered to Minna compared to Eugenia, the young witch couldn't help but feel nervous on seeing her mother pull out the dagger. He was a nice-enough person. And she had to admit, it was nice having him as a change of company. Bertha never said much to her, and Eugenia was usually harsh or indifferent. Although she thought she had shut herself off from Klaus' praise, now that she thought on it…it felt kind of nice to be complimented every day. And yet she knew, if worse came to worse, and Klaus caught on and grew angry at the loss of the heart, they would have to do what they must. It would be easy out here to do it, too. There were three of them and one of him, and Eugenia was easily stronger than him. There were countless places to hide his body where no one would ever find it. But still, if it could at all be avoided, she would rather let him live.

All the more reason she planned on increasing the charm today. Mother was right. Now, Klaus' life might depend on her making him so smitten that he never thought of the heart. It was about all she could do.

Not long after awakening, Minna returned to her room to ensure Klaus suspected nothing. She knew he had a tendency to rise early, so she had to be quick. Once there, she went about getting herself ready, even going so far as to mess up her bed and remake it to look as if she had been sleeping in it. Yet as she did, she heard him wake up in the next room. Unlike before, when he usually stayed inside for a bit, she heard him soon move out to the front of the house. That made her a bit nervous. What could he be doing there? She thought of running after him, but that would make it too obvious something was up. She forced herself to go through the regular routine of washing up and getting dressed before she went out.

However, a surprising sight awaited her. She was just beginning to walk up to the kitchen when she heard the sound of noise, like someone preparing breakfast. However, it wasn't the sounds Bertha usually made. A bit further on, she turned her head around the corner…and was surprised to see that the huntsman had set himself up in the kitchen.

She blinked. "Klaus?"

At the moment, he was over the stove, getting the fire hotter and making a skillet ready. However, on hearing her voice, he turned and gave her a smile. "Good morning, Minna!"

The young woman was astonished. He didn't look the least bit unhappy. If anything, he looked happier than he had been the day before. She soon began to venture into the room, wondering if this was masking something.

"I didn't expect to see you awake before Bertha…"

"Oh, I went to her door and told her that I would handle breakfast today." Klaus simply answered. Soon after, he reached for a bowl nearby and held it out just so that Minna could see. "Look. We'll be having eggs with our bacon and toast today."

Sure enough, the bowl had been filled with several large goose eggs.

This was another surprise to the young woman. "Klaus, where did you get those? We don't keep any chickens, let alone geese…"

He grinned as he turned back to the stove. "Yet another one of my little tricks up my sleeve. It's easy for me to get whatever I like from the forest. One of the virtues of being a huntsman."

This only puzzled Minna more. He had been warned not to wander about in the woods with good reason. That much hadn't been a lie on the part of Eugenia. But even if he ignored that, it would have taken forever to find geese in these parts to obtain eggs from. He couldn't have been outside more than a few minutes.

However, she didn't press it too much. She forced herself to pleasantly smile.

"Well, this is a rare treat! It's so rare that we get to have eggs here. We have to walk to town to get them, and when we do we have to eat them right away before they spoil." She moved in a bit more. "But really, Klaus. There's no need for you to make breakfast. You do a lot of hard work around the house already that we can't manage. Just chopping up that tree will be hard enough…"

"Oh, not anymore." Klaus reassured, looking back to her with a smile. He indicated behind her. "Take a look at the corner near the door."

Minna hesitated, but then did as she was told. She let out a small exclamation as she saw a brand new saw leaning against the corner.

"Where in the world did you get that?" The young woman nearly exclaimed.

"I told you that it would be better if you had a new saw to replace the old one." The huntsman chuckled in response as he turned back to start making the eggs. "So I went and got it."

"But…but when? You were working all day yesterday, and it would take a full two days to go to town and back. You couldn't have tried to go there in the dark…"

Again, the young man chuckled. "My little secret, remember." He answered.

Secret or no, Minna realized that this wasn't something that any normal person could do. And Klaus obviously didn't have the heart anymore. That left the one other item on his person…

Normally, she was sure her mother would want her to press that point, but Minna found herself unable to at the moment. She realized what had happened. Klaus had to have realized he wasn't getting gold anymore, and yet not only did he come up with eggs for breakfast, but he had also purchased a new saw. If anything, he was being more genial now than he had been yesterday. And that surprised her more than anything. Yet it was just the beginning…

"And since you have a new saw, cutting up that log won't be much of a problem." He stated. "So I was wondering if there were some other tasks I could do around her. Maybe I could handle a meal or two…do your runs to the town if the road is too dangerous…maybe tend some of the animals. If I could build a chicken coop, you'd have chickens all the time."

The young woman was even more astonished than before. It was a good thing Klaus' back was turned, or there would have been no hiding it. She actually was rendered mute for a few moments.

"I'm…I'm very grateful, and I'm certain that mother is as well." She answered at last. "But you already do a great deal of work around here as it is. If I was to ask you to do anymore, you'd be worse off than a hired laborer. And I'd say we might end up cheating you for all the gold you gave us."

"Really, I don't mind." He answered as he cracked the last of the eggs into the skillet and began to go to work. "In fact, if you have anything else you don't feel like doing, I'll be happy to jump in. I'm your man."

Minna held a bit longer, but then moved over to one of the chairs at the table. After sitting down, but never taking her eyes off of Klaus, she spoke.

"Klaus, is something wrong? You've been helpful and good-tempered ever since you came here, but I have the feeling that you're trying to 'make up' for something…"

The young man continued to make the eggs a bit longer, but distinctly slowed. His own mood seemed to fade a bit. Minna almost regretted having asked that question. Perhaps she had put his mind back on the wrong thing… Yet after a time, he finally looked back to her again with a wistful smile.

"…I can't hide much from you, can I, Minna?" He said with a low chuckle. "The fact of the matter is…well…I don't have any more gold to give your mother."

Quickly, the young woman feigned ignorance, and had an innocent look. "No more? I thought you said you had the means to an unlimited amount?"

"So did I, but…I'm afraid something happened yesterday that kind of cut it off. I don't suppose it matters if I tell you at this point, so I'll be honest." He continued. "I had swallowed a raven's heart, and that caused a fresh gold piece to appear under my pillow every morning no matter where I slept." He sighed. "Well…I think when I had a reaction to that tea and…you know…made a mess…I must have gotten rid of whatever power it had put into me." He hesitated a moment afterward, then made an uneasy smirk as he looked to her.

"I…doubt you would have thought much of it even if you saw it…but you didn't happen to see a bird's heart in my…um…mess when you cleaned it up, did you?"

Without hesitation, Minna shook her head. "No. In all fairness, I wasn't really paying attention to what I was cleaning up…but there were no 'large objects'."

Klaus grimaced, but nodded. "That's what I thought. It must have been digested or something… At any rate, without the heart, I can't get pieces of gold anymore, so that means once the summer is up I can't pay to stay here any longer."

Here, he smiled a bit more.

"That's kind of why I'm taking on more chores. I want to let your mother know that I'm a real asset around here so she'll let me stay once the summer is over even if I don't have any more gold."

The young woman again showed a bit of surprise on hearing that. "…Really? You'd like to stay?"

"Well, of course." Klaus snickered in reply. "I wasn't lying the other day, you know." He paused again, and then blushed a bit. "Frankly, so long as I can stay near you, Minna…I don't care if I have to live as a slave. I know this sounds a bit overdramatic, but…"

He paused, then turned back to the eggs.

Minna blinked. "Go on."

"No, no…it's embarrassing…"

"No, that's alright. What were you going to say?"

Klaus hesitated a bit, but then looked back to her, blushing even more now. "…Just seeing your face every day is all the payment I need."

The young woman, for once, didn't immediately look "girlishly flattered". She instead showed surprise at such a comment. As for Klaus, he blushed more and looked back to the eggs on seeing that reaction.

"I knew that was too much…I'm sorry…"

"No, no…it wasn't." Minna answered, more reassuringly, after a moment. "I'd like to think you deserve more recompense than that, Klaus…but…thank you."

He looked back over his shoulder just long enough to give another smile, then went back to the eggs.

Minna supposed she should have felt wonderful. Klaus was so smitten with her, he didn't suspect a single hostile intention. Rather than be angry about losing his source of gold, he was actually trying to be more pleasing to her so he could stay at the house. He even used his last gold coin, no doubt, to purchase a new saw for them! By now, in spite of Eugenia's criticism, there was no doubt in the young witch's mind that she had the huntsman firmly wrapped around her finger. She could do whatever she liked with him.

However, rather than feel relief at this…she felt worse than ever. The pain was even more distinct now. A cold, gnawing feeling in her stomach… She nearly wanted to ask Klaus right then and there if, while he had the heart, he had ever experienced such feelings. Yet she was beginning to suspect it wasn't the heart at all. She had little experience with the emotion, but she was getting used to it now…

Guilt.

Eugenia was pleased, at least. With Klaus not only not suspecting a thing, but working harder than ever, she was more than agreeable. She voiced her disappointment at his drying up of funds, but she agreed to let him at least fulfill the terms of staying until the end of summer, and then "they'd see from there". That only made him work harder.

As for Minna, she went about her normal chores as well. Every morning, the first thing she'd do is bring a new gold piece to her mother. In truth, she didn't "lay on the charm" quite so much as she used to. In fact, as time went on, there were days when she seemed rather bland and indifferent as opposed to cheery and beaming. Yet Eugenia didn't complain. They had the heart, and the gold, and Klaus wasn't making any trouble. If anything, he was an even better "second servant" than before.

The young witch, however, continued to feel that gnawing feeling as the days passed, especially when Klaus constantly volunteered to help out with things around the house whenever she looked like she was having any difficulty. There were times when it was hard to keep smiling at him. On other occasions, she almost quivered when he kept acting like there was no trouble. And every time she saw the new saw he had purchased, she felt especially guilty, knowing it was the last bit of gold he had…

She was trying to clear her head by going out to tend the beehives without telling Klaus. It would ensure he wouldn't offer to carry anything or even wave her goodbye. But even as she was walking through the forest, not as easily as she was used to and practically not looking where she was going, the feelings didn't leave her.

Mother always told me I couldn't trust men. After all, dad cheated mom. After getting her pregnant with me, he tried to run off, which is why he had to be dealt with… Then there was the robbers that came by when I was four…and the thief who stopped by when I was seven…and those men who tried to cheat us out of our property when I was ten… Every man I've ever seen has tried to steal from mother and me. Saw us as "simple women" to be victimized. That's why she said I shouldn't be ashamed to use my own "talents" against them. They've cheated and tricked us with their legal systems and talk and muscle for so long…so why not do the same to them? After all, it's because of men like them that we have to live in this forest rather than a town, where we'd just be outsiders to be burned at the stake or drowned in rivers…

But…Klaus seems…different.

I thought for sure he would have made a pass at me when he found me in the woods that first day, or that he'd snoop around the house looking for silver or valuables. Of course, he didn't really need to. Not with a source of limitless gold. But even when I took the heart, he still didn't look around. He's only trying to find more ways to be helpful…and he always smiles at me and compliments me…

Mother says it's just him trying to cheat me. She says young men always try to sway the hearts of young ladies so they can take advantage of them. If he's nice to me, it's only because I've beguiled his senses so much that he can do nothing but be nice to me. But…is it really just that? And even if it is, then what does that say? I thought men deserved to be victimized for trying to seduce women, but doesn't that go both ways?

I don't know, but something about this whole thing doesn't seem ri-AH!

"AH!"

Minna was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize she was going progressively faster and faster, and as a result stepped right into a burrow. It was enough to not only lodge one of her feet just right, but to wrench it so badly that she heard a loud pop, and soon pain radiated up her entire leg. Crying out, she collapsed to the ground, no longer able to support herself on that leg.

The young woman winced and reached for her ankle. It hurt terribly and throbbed. She realized she must have twisted it bad, maybe even enough to have a light sprain. She didn't feel like anything was broken, but all she needed to do was run her hands over it to realize that it was tender and sore.

She lay there a moment, and then began to look around. There was an overturned stump nearby, and so she dragged herself over to it. Even moving her ankle drove more pain into her, but at last she managed to reach it. Grabbing the wood, she tried to pull herself to her feet. She struggled and strained, and eventually managed to do so. But the moment she put any weight on her ankle, she cried out again and went down.

She winced and continued to reach for her ankle. This was a fine mess. She couldn't walk on that leg, and she didn't see any sturdy branches lying around to act as a crutch. She looked around a bit afterward, hoping to see if one of the creatures that she and mother had enchanted was near. Unfortunately, this was one of the "deader" areas of the forest. It had to be. Otherwise it wouldn't be safe to walk to get to the beehives. She could try dragging herself back, but that would take hours…

Finally, she arrived at the only solution she could think of. She cupped her hand to her mouth and tried calling out.

"If anyone is out there, help!"

It wasn't meant as a true "desperate cry", and when she said "anyone", she was referring to one of the enchanted creatures, not an actual person. At any rate, she sat and waited for about two minutes, and then cupped her mouth and shouted louder.

"Help!"

This time, she began to drag herself onward. At the bare minimum, she had to get close enough to alert one of the creatures to call to Bertha or mother. It was a painful process, however, and soon she knew the white of her dress was getting stained from grass and mud. A few minutes later, she called again.

"Help!"

Still no response, and soon it was growing more painful as she forced herself to continue onward. She began to fear that she was going to have to crawl the rest of the way back…

Yet as that fear settled on her, Minna heard movement ahead. It was large, too, definitely not a bird or a mouse. She looked up toward the source of the noise, instinctively tense. There were things in this wood that were more deadly than wolves or even bears... Even if this area was supposed to be "dead", she didn't want to be unlucky enough to find one that had come into this area. A bit longer, and she began to make out the shape emerging through the woods ahead. It seemed familiar, somehow.

A moment later, and she saw Klaus walk through into clear view, his face full of concern.

"Minna, are you alright?"

She was taken by surprise. "K…Klaus?" She answered. "What are you doing out here? I thought you were finishing the roof…"

"I heard your voice calling for help." He answered as he approached. "So I came running. Bertha was too busy with the laundry and I know Eugenia can't do much."

The young woman was still stunned. "You heard me from this far away?" She answered. "Don't tell me that's another one of your 'little secrets'."

He smiled a bit in response. "Nah, just years of being a huntsman. You learn to listen well for things. Otherwise you'll walk right by a stag and not even know it."

Soon, he was at the young woman's side, crouching down next to her. "So what happened? Are you hurt?"

Minna shook her head. "Not bad. I just wasn't looking where I was going and stepped in a burrow. I twisted my leg pretty badly…I think enough to sprain it. It's not broken, but I can't put any weight on it."

"Let me see." Klaus answered. He began to reach for the ankle…but paused before going too far. A moment later, he paled a bit and looked up to her. "Um, you're alright with me touching you, aren't you?"

The young lady hesitated, having not thought of that before. Although she doted on Klaus enough, they rarely had physical contact outside of her wishes. Yet as he began to reach for her ankle, she felt a bit warm. She didn't know it, but she was blushing slightly herself…

"Oh…yes, that's fine."

Klaus held a bit longer, but then pulled up just enough of her dress to look at her ankle. He moved his hands over it soon after. Although Minna was used to taking Klaus' hand, she couldn't help but feel a bit of a shiver when he touched her now. She swallowed and tried to look normal, but seeing as Klaus had her in a rare moment where she was acting like her "true self", she was a bit at a loss.

After a few moments of prodding, causing light winces from Minna from time to time, he looked up at her. "I think you're right. It's just a sprain. Just the same, it's already swelling. You shouldn't put it through anything else today."

Minna sighed at that. "I didn't get any of my gathering done yet, though… But I guess it can't be helped. I'll have to wait until tomorrow and hopefully I'll be better." She looked up to the huntsman. "Can you find me a sturdy branch I can use as a crutch?"

Klaus looked back dumbly in response for a moment. "…A crutch? Heh…Minna, I can do better than that." Immediately, he turned around and moved close to her. "Come on, grab on."

Now Minna wasn't just feeling warm; she felt herself actually blushing whether she intended to do it or not. "Um…Klaus, I can get back just fine if I have a good branch…"

"Don't be silly. It'll take forever that way and you'll only tire yourself out." He answered. "Come on. I don't bite."

The young woman remained nervous a bit longer. She hadn't really been put in this position with Klaus yet. Each time she had taken his hand, it had been designed to stimulate him…but she was beginning to wonder if the opposite was about to occur. After a moment, however, she decided it would be easier just to get it over with. A part of her said it would also make it easier to continue to enamor him this way, but that thought was distant and disconnected. She couldn't really claim to be thinking that as she slid her arms forward and slowly, tentatively, put them around his shoulders and neck.

She noticed that he, too, was turning rather red at this, and his smile was a bit wider. She didn't know it, but he was almost grateful for the accident if it gave him this chance to be near her. It took longer than either of them expected for her to slip her legs and hips around him, and it gave him another chill to feel her that close. Likewise, he didn't know it…but Minna felt a chill herself on doing it, especially when he put his arms down to grab her legs.

He was actually quiet a bit when he swallowed at last. "Alright…one, two, three."

With a bit of a grunt, he rose up to his feet. Once there, he quickly gained his balance. He was used to hauling kills a lot bigger than Minna, after all. Now on his feet, he began to walk forward, carrying her along.

Minna couldn't do much from there. Protesting at this point made little sense, especially since she knew she was supposed to be acting like she "liked" him. However…as he carried her along, she had to admit it was nice not having to walk on her bad leg. And she had never noticed how his strong grip for work could still be so gentle… Plus, as much as she didn't want to say so, leaning against him actually felt…nice…

"Um…thank you for doing this." She said after a moment. "I hope I'm not tying you up."

"Heh, don't be ridiculous. As if I wouldn't come running whenever you needed me for something." Klaus answered.

The young witch took that statement at face value, but only for a moment. The way he said it, part of her, in spite of all of her mother's warnings, wondered if that was indeed true. He certainly sounded like he meant it… And if so, then in spite of the feelings of guilt which were growing stronger now that Klaus was helping her yet again, she actually felt a bit happy inside…

As a result of the accident, Klaus got to see a slice of Eugenia's "true side". Although Bertha silently went about bracing Minna's ankle, she had given the girl a tongue lashing.

"You clumsy oaf!" She practically raged. "You've only been out that way hundreds of times! How could you not watch where you're going? You're fortunate you didn't break your leg! What would we have done with you then? You're sixteen years old! Start acting like an adult! Now you won't be able to get your chores done for a week!"

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry…" Minna had meekly responded, in a tone that Klaus could immediately tell was cowed and used to being scolded. His own parents were loving enough, but he had seen his share while passing through his own village or others.

He approached her later after supper when she was very slowly hobbling to her own room, and was more frank about the entire matter.

"Minna, has your mother always talked to you like that? It was an innocent accident. She was chastising you like you did it on purpose…"

"It's nothing, Klaus." The young woman immediately answered. "She just worries about me is all. She's at that age where…you know…she doesn't worry so much about keeping her emotions in check."

"She still had no reason to be so harsh. But…Minna, she said you were only sixteen. I believe it, but…and don't take this the wrong way…as old as your mother looks…"

Minna, for the first time that Klaus could recall, actually frowned back at him at that in a sign of being upset. "My mother's age when she had me, Klaus, has nothing to do with anything. Is that all?"

He hesitated a bit, but then shook his head. "I'm sorry… Good night."

Later, when Minna was in bed, she felt even more feelings of guilt, and now mixed with regret. Including having so harshly retorted to Klaus. She just didn't like him asking those things about mother. It made her think of what Eugenia had warned her about…about how, if she exposed her heart to Klaus, he'd try to drive a wedge between the two of them. That's what men did…tricked you and turned your heart to go to them. Yet somehow, Minna didn't really believe it. She instead thought he had simply been concerned for her welfare. And for once…it was nice to hear someone say that Eugenia's treatment of her was unfair. She knew she never heard it from anyone, even if she was slapped or struck for what she thought was no good reason.

The thought of Klaus doing that for her made her feel more than just warm to be around him. It actually made her feel…happier. And the more she thought of that, the more she realized something else.

If Klaus did go away at the end of the summer, she didn't want to be in the house with Eugenia and Bertha without him…

Early the next morning, Eugenia woke her up a full hour earlier than normal, going into her room. She said that Klaus had already gotten up earlier than she expected, and she didn't trust Minna, with her bad leg, to limp to her room with the gold piece before he would notice. So she simply took it from her and then ordered her up. It took longer to clean herself than she liked, although her leg did feel a bit better. Yet it was still some time before she finally arose and walked out to greet Klaus that morning and see what he was up to.

Much to her surprise, he was gone initially when she got there, and remained gone for two hours more. Breakfast was already being served by the time he walked in, and at that point Minna actually had a fear in her heart…that something had made Klaus leave. Yet around that time, huffing and puffing, he walked in through the door. Much to her amazement, he looked rather haggard and had numerous red welts on him.

"Phew…" He said on stumbling in. "I think the bees are more used to you than me, Minna."

The young woman looked at him in astonishment. "Klaus, what on Earth have you been doing? Where were you all morning?"

"Finding out I have a lot to learn about beekeeping…" He answered nervously as he turned slightly, revealing he had Minna's satchel that she used to carry her tools for gathering honey from the beehives. "Sad to say I only got a little bit… I may be tough, but I think the bees let me know that I wasn't wanted. Definitely harder than feeding the sheep."

This first comment left Minna rather surprised. He had gone out to try and tend the bees himself? However, she also heard his second comment. "The…sheep?"

"Yeah, I did that first. Figured it would be easier." He answered. "So what's next? Washing day, right? I need to help Bertha with the press?"

Minna blinked. "Klaus, that's my job. Those are all my jobs."

"Oh, it was no trouble." He answered, patting a bit of dirt off of himself from running through the forest, or perhaps getting feed all over himself. "And don't worry, I have plenty of time to work on the fenceposts and the chicken coop. I haven't forgotten about those. And I still mean to go into the woods looking for good cobblestones. I'll stay where it's safe."

The young woman caught herself there. "Klaus, we already have you doing a great deal of work here. You should leave me to do my-"

"But your leg is bad." Klaus cut off. "I want to give it a chance to rest. Until you're feeling up to it again, I'll take care of your work. You can just stay in and rest. Or do spinning or dusting or something that doesn't require you to move around." As he said this, he began to remove the satchel, visibly wincing and stiffening as he did so. That was clear enough to see. Some of his welts looked like they still had the stinger inside them. And Minna knew from experience that those could hurt as bad as a nail jammed into your skin.

"Klaus, look at you…" Minna began to protest. "That had to be horrible…"

"No, no…no problem at all." He answered, struggling his best to smile. "I promise…tomorrow I'll do a lot better. I'll use more caution. I just need to shake it off, and I'll be fine."

"At least let me handle the washing. You look terrible. You're the one who needs to re-"

"No, I'm fine! Really!" Klaus forced himself to say, putting up his hands in a stopping gesture when it looked like Minna would get up. "Just stay off your leg! I've got everything today. Don't worry."

Before Minna could protest any longer, he immediately turned and went out the front door again, no doubt to go around to the back to get near the clothing press. Soon, Minna was left behind at the table looking after him.

Again, she found herself caught. When she had used to be sick, even then she had to either "hurry up and get well" or do her chores anyway. Especially the beehives. They were enchanted to attack anyone who tried to come near besides her. And when she was younger or hurt or ill, her mother had told her she needed to still tend the bees if they wanted to keep having honey. And even if that was her only chore, it took quite a while to walk out there and back, especially as a child. Plus, she still had to tend the rats, snakes, and bats…and she still somehow had to do it today. And Bertha had so many of her own tasks, she could never help out. Eugenia never seemed to do much outside of things in the house… This was the first time she had someone "fill in" for her when she was unwell.

And, again, this was happening after she had stolen from him…

In spite of the act of kindness that had brought her greater relief, Minna felt more unwell than ever. Now she bowed her head and put her arms around herself. She knew without a doubt it wasn't the heart that was turning her stomach…

Minna's feelings changed over the next few days as her ankle recovered and beyond. Ever since Klaus had carried her home, she found herself looking at him continuously. Sometimes she found herself studying his facial features, how in spite of being harder they seemed so handsome and perfectly formed. She would sometimes watch him chop wood just to admire his muscles, or ask him questions just to hear his voice, listen to his laugh, or watch him smile. She found out these things were giving her greater joy than her own animals used to…and yet, at the same time, she couldn't enjoy them.

The kinder Klaus was to her and the more she felt not only drawn to him but actually affectionate for him, the more and more the guilt grew. In spite of all of her mother's reassurances, she knew the truth now that she had done a misdeed. It may have been to create "equity" in the world, but it was still a misdeed. And now…she began to think more and more of it as a sin. And one she was reminded of every morning with another gold piece under her pillow. She actually found herself wishing last night that the gold would stop coming. But it wouldn't. And she knew every day she woke up for the rest of her life, she'd be reminded of it with another gold piece.

She almost hated the sight of gold by now. She'd never look at another piece again and not see that look of strain and discomfort on Klaus' face when the potion made him cough it up.

A strange fancy had entered her mind right before falling asleep last night. Why not take a potion herself? Disengage the heart? But no…that wasn't possible. If her gold dried up, mother would be livid with fury. And she'd make sure she felt it. She'd know…she'd know Minna had done something to stop it, which would be the truth. She might even be angry enough to throw her out for ruining her good fortune.

However, another thought stayed her hand more than that.

What would Klaus do if she presented him with the heart? The truth would come out, and then…what would happen after that?

The thought scared her more than anything…seeing his smiling, happy face turn to her with hurt at her betrayal…and anger at her trickery…

Her thoughts dwelt so much on that feeling that she could hardly pay attention to her mother when she once again entered the secret room in the chamber. This time, she sat to one side, barely listening to anything her mother had to say. Bertha, on her part, stood at a distance, for she had been summoned in as well. As for Eugenia, she was again looking over her crystal, performing some sort of incantation upon it and talking to her, but she scarcely heard a word. She kept thinking of what she could do. She couldn't stand living this lie anymore. Something would have to give…but what? How?

"…Minna, have you listened to a single word I've said?" Eugenia's sharp voice suddenly pierced her thoughts.

The young witch looked up, and soon recoiled a bit as she was thrown fully back into the present by her mother's angry glare. "Oh…oh, I'm sorry, Mother…" She quickly apologized. "I must have been daydreaming…"

"You've been doing quite enough of that as of late." Eugenia snapped back. "Don't think I haven't noticed where, either. You can hardly take your eyes off that boy." She snorted as she looked back to her crystal momentarily. "I should have known. Here you are supposed to ensnare his senses and mind with your charm, and what happens? You must be falling for him… Stupid girl…and after how many times I've warned you…"

"I'm…I'm not…" Minna answered, then shook her head and spoke more definitively. "I'm not! He's just been kind to me, is all!"

"Don't lie to me, ungrateful girl." Eugenia retorted. "If you had kept your mind on task, you would have spent the past few weeks learning everything you can about his cloak. Not wasting time daydreaming and fantasizing about what wretched plans he would carry out with you if he had the chance. Use your head, child! As easily as he was taken with you, it was only his upbringing that kept him from ravishing you that first day! And if it weren't for Bertha and I, how long do you think he could have stood to be in this house with you without taking you! I'm sure he's already made several offers…"

"He hasn't!" Minna protested. "He's just been nice!" However, she knew that Eugenia was telling the truth in part at least. She knew the very next day after she took the heart from Klaus what the cloak would do. What else could it be? He had acquired not only a new saw but goose eggs, and he continued to fetch them whatever they needed from time to time. Obviously, it gave him the means to take him where he wanted to go. But she hadn't reported that back, or even thought on it. She had been too obsessed with him and her crime.

"Fool…" Eugenia sneered, before looking slightly. "Bertha has actually been better than you." She turned to her. "Tell her what you found."

"That cloak he wears will take him anywhere he wishes." She stated. "I noticed when he went to fetch Miss Minna, he never actually left. I was inside washing dishes when I just heard him say 'take me to Minna', and soon after, sure enough, he came back carrying her. Then the other day when one of the goats ran off, I caught him going into the woods with the cloak, heard him say something, and then suddenly he stepped out with the goat. He had checked there a dozen times. He couldn't have just grabbed the goat from that spot and turned around."

"I knew there was magic in it." Eugenia answered. "It takes him wherever he likes once he puts it on and says where he wishes to go. No wonder he was not afraid to wander out here when he walked to our house, and he can come and go from town as he pleases. Properly applied, that cloak is even more valuable than the gold." She turned her head slightly behind her, just indicating to Minna rather than looking at her. "As idle as you have been, I'm sure you can still obtain it from him tomorrow. This one will be far simpler than the heart, I promise you that. And you still have him enamored enough where it will be an easy matter of getting it." She turned back to the crystal. "It's quite simple. Sit at the table and-"

"No."

Eugenia immediately froze. Bertha turned her head, her eyes widening a bit and her mouth loosening at what she just heard. A moment later, she swallowed and began to shrink back, trying to look like a proper maid but now visibly trembling. As for Eugenia, she stayed there a moment, and then slowly raised her head, almost like a predator waking up.

"…What did you say?" She spoke so quietly it was nearly a whisper.

Minna herself had gone nearly as white as a sheet. She almost couldn't believe her own lips. She shook herself, stricken with paralyzing fear. A large part of her wished she could take it back right now. However, it had been said, so she swallowed and went with it.

"No…we don't need that cloak." She continued, almost relenting a bit. "We have all the gold we need, and…" She swallowed again. "…and we got it dishonestly anyway. He can keep his cloak. It's the only other thing he has."

Slowly, Eugenia's head began to turn again, her eyes, now more passionate and filled with violence than ever landing on her.

"…Did you just dare to say no to me, girl? While you're still under my roof?" She spoke only a bit louder, her voice now trembling with growing fury.

Minna, in spite of herself, slid back a bit in her seat. She swallowed.

"Mother, the heart was one thing… If the cloak goes missing as well, he'll know for a fact it was us. There's no way anyone could charm him out of the theft of everything he has for his livelihood, especially since he can't stay here except until the end of summer."

"I'd hardly see how that matters…" Eugenia spoke darkly in response as she fully turned to face Minna. "Because I think he's done quite enough chores around the house and I honestly see little else for him to do. I think it's high time we not only obtain the cloak but be rid of him for good. And luckily you can do both tomorrow…assuming you're not foolish enough…or disobedient enough…to not carry it out."

Minna's fear ebbed just enough…or, at least, was replaced by a new fear…for her to lean forward. "Wh…what? What are you saying mother? That we're going to kill him? After all he's done for the house? After all the gold he gave us? After all the nice…" She suddenly trailed off, and paled a bit as she nearly covered her mouth.

"By all means…continue, my dear." Eugenia snapped as she began to come forward, causing Minna to shrink again, and Eugenia as well. "What were you about to say? After all the nice things he's said to me? All of my chores he's taken up? After gracing me with his presence and smile every day? What else? Perhaps all the kisses he's given you? Perhaps all of his 'room visits'?!"

"Of course not! But it's-"

Minna was slapped across the face so hard her head nearly flew into the wall from it.

"I've just about had it with you, you brat." The old witch hissed. "This is all the more reason to be rid of that trespasser…because now I see he's encouraging a rebellious streak within you. You have a lot of nerve, you fool. Thinking of running off with him? And where would you go? What would you live off of? Oh…that's right…the gold pieces. And who got you those gold pieces?! Were you planning on cheating me out of them all along? They're for all of us, not just one of us! But you, little fool…you want to go right back to him after taking them from him! What do you think he'll do when he finds out you stole them from him? You think he'll still want to do your chores and say such flattery to you after that?! You think he won't throttle you at once and leave your body in these woods to be devoured?"

The young woman clutched for her face as she looked back. She was trembling now, tears leaking from her eyes. She couldn't answer. She didn't have an answer to give.

"This is your last chance, ungrateful girl. You tell me now that you'll get his cloak and get rid of him in the same stroke, or I swear I'll give you such a 'taste' of what you'll get if you don't you'll be begging to kill him."

Minna continued to quiver, and sniffled a bit as well to try and pull up her tears. She was silent for a long time.

"…Well?!" The old witch demanded.

Finally, the girl swallowed…and shook her head "no".

At once, Eugenia seized her shoulder with such an iron grip she cried out and winced beneath the pain. At the same time, she snapped her head to the maid. "Bertha, the chains! NOW!"

The maid froze for only a fraction of a second, a shred of morality combined with pity staying her hand. But that soon vanished as she realized the same would happen to her, and worse, if she disobeyed. At once, without bothering to bow first, Bertha went into the room and to one of the side cupboards, where, on opening up a drawer, she soon came out with a set of thick, heavy iron chains that even she had to struggle under, ones that had shackles on the end.

As for Eugenia, she actually yanked Minna completely out of the chair, making her crash to the floor. But since she continued to hold her arm so hard that her nails were digging into her skin, the young witch cried out in even more pain than before, and soon had to scramble to her feet to avoid being dragged. But once up, it became harder, for Eugenia used her free hand to start slapping Minna across the face every time it was in range, with enough force to knock her back to the ground and wrench her body painfully again.

Bertha took the chains over to a corner of the room with a hook on the ceiling, as well as two bits of metal on the floor. When she moved a candle closer to look at it, it revealed that they were shackles that had been set in the ground. She soon drug a thick log over to the hook, not able to stand otherwise, and got up on it. With some grunting and strain, she brought the chains up and over to the hook and inserted them. After that, she got down and waited for Eugenia. By the time she brought Minna over, the girl's nose and lips were bloody from being slapped so viciously, with cuts in her cheek from Eugenia's nails. Blood bloomed through her white blouse from where Eugenia's other set of nails had dug into her shoulder.

Minna, her face streaked with tears and blood, began to weakly plead with the old witch at this point. After all, she knew what was coming. But Eugenia was deaf to it. She forced Minna's feet into the shackles and bolted them around her ankles. The arms were more difficult. She noticed Minna was actually trying to fight back…which was surprising in and of itself. But she had spent years being cowed and dominated by Eugenia. She wasn't about to break that now. In the end, she was chained so that her arms were suspended over her head. After that, Bertha pulled the log away and left Minna stretched like a prisoner in a dungeon, back to Eugenia.

With her nails, Eugenia savagely stripped the clothes from her back.

"You worthless, lazy, idle brat!" She snapped. "You are your father's daughter! Thinking you could cheat me and take advantage of me! After I've raised you, fed you, made your own clothes for you… I betrayed a handsome stranger and you throw a fit! You betray your own flesh and blood and expect me to just go with it?!"

As Minna continued to cry in pain, her blubbering cutting off enough to give out occasional phrases like "Mother, please" and "I'm sorry", Eugenia snapped around with such violence that Bertha skirted away like a cockroach from the light. The old witch went to the drawer on that side of the room and soon emerged with a long length of leather. It had been a belt at one point, but that wasn't good enough for Eugenia. She had redone the leather to make it into a true, crude whip…making sure to taper it to the end with an edge that could break the skin. After that, she went back over to Minna, hissing and fuming.

"I'll beat some loyalty and respect into you, Minna…even if, so help me, I have to strip you of some of your skin to do it!"

As she raised the homemade whip over her head, Minna managed to scream one more time.

"Please, no!"

Refusing to listen, Eugenia brought it down with such force it would have thrown her to the ground, and opening a bloody streak across Minna's back. She screamed again, this time in pure pain, before Eugenia raised the whip to strike her again and again…

Klaus was rather concerned at this point.

He hadn't seen Minna in over twelve hours. When he came in from his chores yesterday, Bertha was silently, almost gravely, making supper while Eugenia was actually out and about for a change. When questioned, she gave him such a vicious look that he almost recoiled, before saying it was none of his business where "my daughter" is, but suffice to say she wasn't feeling well and had gone to bed early. When he asked if he could help or bring her anything, Eugenia was more violent than before. She actually rose from her chair at one point, and Klaus feared that she meant to hurt him. Not only that, but her eyes were on him like a hawk the rest of the night, keeping him from being able to sneak in a knock on her door to ask how she was, and making him so uncomfortable he could hardly eat. In the end, all he could do was go to bed and hope to see Minna tomorrow.

Sleep didn't come easy, however. He had never seen Eugenia like this before. She truly did look monstrous now. And freed from Minna's pleasant, smiling face to "buffer" it, he realized at last that the woman was far worse than greedy. She was someone very dark and dangerous. For the first time, enough of Klaus' wits returned to him to think that just because this house was lovely and with pleasant grounds, that didn't mean it wasn't a "bad place"…perhaps even worse in some ways than a den of robbers. Perhaps he shouldn't have come at all…

But when he thought of Minna, and realized that might be the reason she hadn't shown up…

That made his decision for him. As uneasy as he felt around Eugenia, he wasn't going anywhere until he found out what happened to her…what Eugenia, he was sure, had done to her.

The next morning, he got up early again. He knew, by now, the old woman had to be asleep. He'd finally be free to go to Minna's room. And so, after getting up and dressed, he went to her door and knocked. There was no answer. He tried a bit louder with the same result, but he dared go no louder than that for waking anyone. Finally, swallowing a bit, he risked cracking the door. All he saw was a made bed…with no way of knowing if it was made this morning or the day before. Either way, he was concerned. Soon, he began to head into the kitchen, wanting to see if he had missed her…

As it turned out, he hadn't. There she was, sitting at the table.

He felt a sense of relief from that, but only for a few moments. As he began to go down the hall to enter the room, she saw that she wasn't moving. She sat as still as a statue, and as quiet as stone. He had never seen her like that before, not even when her ankle was hurt.

That made him feel like something was indeed wrong, bringing back his suspicions from yesterday.

"…Minna?"

There was no answer.

Klaus ventured a bit further, until he could start seeing the side of her face. Her head was slightly bowed and her eyes downcast and dim. Her hands were folded in her lap and she didn't say a word. It filled him with anxiety. He ventured closer yet, soon revealing more of her face.

"Minna? Are you alright?"

The young woman still wouldn't answer. She continued to look at the table.

Klaus ventured a bit further, until he could see half of her face. He actually rounded the table to get a better look after that…and once he did he let out a gasp of surprise. On seeing her other cheek, he saw the remains of scratches that had drawn blood, as well as bruising enough to still cause a bit of swelling.

"Minna…your face!"

The girl cringed, drawing in more to herself and turning her face away. However, Klaus didn't leave it at that. He quickly went back to her side of the table, moved in front of her, and then reached out to take her by the shoulders to turn her to face him. Yet when he did, she winced and gave a mild cry of pain. To his further shock, she not only had a dressing over one shoulder under her clothes, but she could feel more on her back underneath he blouse. He recoiled.

"Minna, what happened to you? You look like you were attacked by a wild animal!"

The young woman didn't respond. She kept her head low…but tears were beginning to come out of her eyes.

Klaus stared at her a few moments more, but then began to frown.

"…Your mother did this to you, didn't she?" He asked her.

Minna held for a moment longer. But in the end, she managed just the slightest nod.

The huntsman began to fume and bristle on hearing that. He looked up, his eyes glaring back to the rear of the house, where she knew Eugenia's room was… However, on seeing that, Minna looked up. A moment later, her hands went out and planted on his own shoulders to keep him from rising.

"Please, Klaus…don't…"

The young man turned back to her, his anger turning to surprise. "…'Don't'? Minna, look what she did to you!"

"I know, I know…" She answered. "But please…don't try anything. She's still my mother…she's old and she's not well…"

"That's no excuse! You're her daughter and you've always done everything she's asked of you! After she hurt you like this, you expect me to just sit here and do nothing?"

"It's not just that, Klaus." She answered. "Look at me. Look at my injuries. Do you think my mother could do this if she was just a 'frail, old woman'?"

The huntsman paused here. He looked over Minna again. True, Minna seemed far more delicate than most women, which was one of the things that had attracted him to her. Yet even then, there was no old lady he knew who would be able to scratch and bruise like this, especially not one who looked as old as Eugenia. Obviously, he was wrong. The woman had to have considerable strength if she was able to hold her down and beat her like this…

Minna sighed and bowed her head. "Besides…I know it hurts, but…she's still my mother, Klaus. I care about her. I love her. And what I do in the forest is the only thing she can do for money for what she needs. That's why I'll just put up with it."

The young man wasn't taking that for an answer. "Minna…even if you love her, this isn't the act of someone who loves you back."

"I told you, Klaus…she's not well. Not now that she's gotten so old… She needs someone to take care of her. Even if she's strong enough to get around…she's not well enough to deal with other people…"

"She's beating you."

Minna winced, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. "…I know…and…and it hurts…" She said as she winced again from the memory of the pain. She paused momentarily, and then sniffled. "A part of me wants to leave, Klaus. Please believe that. A part of me wants to just…just…"

She hesitated, and swallowed again.

"…Just what, Minna?" He asked.

The young woman looked up to him. "…Just run off with you wherever you want to go…so long as it's away from here."

Klaus' anger toward Eugenia was forgotten momentarily as his jaw loosened and he leaned back.

Did…did she just say what I thought she said?

She swallowed again. "It's true, Klaus. Ever since you got here…I can't stop thinking about you. I love your smile. I love your voice. I love just having you around here. The reason I was so sad when I heard you lose your gold is…is…" She sniffled as tears rolled down her cheeks again. "Is because I was scared that meant I'd never see you again once the summer was over."

Klaus couldn't believe it. In spite of what Minna was going through, he couldn't help but feel a small twinge of happiness. He had long held feelings for her. Ever since the day they met, in fact. But to think that Minna had felt the same way about him the whole time? She really did want to run off with him? The thought was the most pleasant thing he had ever dreamed…

"But it doesn't matter." She answered with a sigh. "Mother isn't just strong…she's smarter than she looks. And she can do things no one else can do. She has ways of finding me. And even if she didn't…what then? Where would we go? What would we do? I have nothing…and all you came here with is your cloak and wherever your gold came from. Mother has that now. We have nothing to live off of…" She soon let out an exhale.

Klaus held for a moment. He wanted to think of something to reassure her. But the fact of the matter was, for right now, all he could do was take Minna with him wherever he went. The cloak was pretty useful for one person to have, but even so…it would be good to have a bit of money as well. He at least needed enough to get new things to hunt with to make a living… However, he was sure it wasn't that bad. And if Minna really did want to go away with him, then he'd do it. He nearly told her right then and there that he could always take her to where Eugenia would never be able to find her, but he wondered for a moment about what she meant by what she said… Sure enough, she was strong for an old woman, but what did she mean by "do things no one else can do"…?

"If only…"

The murmur from Minna was so quiet that Klaus almost didn't hear it. Yet he did manage to catch that, and so he looked to the young woman's downcast face again.

"…If only what?"

She sighed and shook her head. "It's nothing…it's just a fool's hope…"

"Go on." He answered. "Tell me."

The young woman sniffled and wiped the tears from her good cheek, then looked back up to him.

"…I suppose it's no secret if I tell you my mother has a thing for items of precious wealth."

Klaus gave a half-chuckle at that. "No, it certainly isn't."

Minna inhaled a bit, and continued. "You remember how I told you that this land is dangerous, right?"

He nodded.

"The most dangerous part is far to the southeast of here, almost a hundred miles away. Not only is the country the roughest and only gets rockier and uneven once you get to the foothills of the mountains and try to cross them, it's filled with all manner of savage beasts. If you could get past that and start trying to get over the mountains, you'd run into giants."

"Giants?"

She nodded. "They're real in this part of the world. Over two hundred feet high and savage brutes, all of them. They all gather there. That's because further southeast, if you manage to pass the ring of mountains, there's a mountain that might be the tallest in the world…and it's made entirely of precious stones. Gems, diamonds, jewels…all perfect and a handful enough to make you richer than a prince. If there was any way for us to get there and back with a satchel full of them, we could leave half for mother and take the other half. She'd be so happy over getting so many gems that she'd not care about anything else for weeks, and we could go wherever we wanted."

She sighed and frowned after saying this.

"…But it's a fool's errand. No one can survive the trip there, let alone back again. The giants would kill anyone who tried to leave with so much as a sliver of a gem. And if it were easy enough to actually travel that way and back again, then we wouldn't have the problem of my mother to begin with… We couldn't go ten miles before she'd catch up with us…or we'd simply run into something in the forest and we'd be doomed…" She lowered her head sadly. "…I shouldn't have even mentioned it. It might as well be a fairy tale…"

However, the huntsman, on hearing this, only paused as a solution to the problem presented itself.

"Minna, are you certain your mother wouldn't mind you running off at all if she had a pile of those gems?"

The young woman blinked a bit, and looked up in confusion.

"Well…yes, of course." She answered. "But what does it matter? We can't get anywhere near there. I'm serious about the distance and the giants, Klaus. And even if they weren't there, we couldn't hike across the ring of mountains…"

"Nevermind that." He simply answered, beginning to smile again. "Just hurry up and get your satchel. We'll both be done with your mother by the end of the day."

Minna blinked in confusion. "…Klaus, I don't-"

"Just trust me. Remember how I said I had 'certain ways'? Well, you're about to see one of them. You might as well believe in fairy tales…because you're about to get a bit of magic from one."

The girl paused a moment longer. She still looked confused. However, after a moment, she managed a slight smile of her own.

"…I believe you, Klaus. I may not understand, but…somehow I feel like you can do anything. Just a moment."

Minna soon parted from him and rose. It made Klaus frown see her walking a bit tenderly, still obviously in pain from where she had been beaten, but he reminded himself that he'd soon give the hag something that could sate even her greed, and both of them would be away from this place. He supposed they could simply go to his home first. He believed his parents were still well off, and they could stay there until they decided where to go next. Besides, if they kept half of the gems…then the loss of his own gold would be a small price to pay. He soon rose and moved out to a more open area. Technically, he had only ever tried to take items and kills with him with the cloak, but he was sure it would work for her, too.

As for the young woman, she got to her satchel, removed everything for her beekeeping and chores, and soon placed the empty cloth around her. After that, she moved back up to Klaus again.

"Alright. Now what?"

Klaus blushed a bit in response, but then answered. "Put your arms around me. You need to be close enough for me to spread my cloak around us both."

Minna was puzzled at that answer and actually taken aback, but after a moment she blushed as well, and then moved in. Klaus again felt a quiver as she gently slid her arms around him and pressed her body up to his. He felt even better when he put an arm around her as well, holding her close. She actually managed a nervous smile at this. At any rate, with his free arm, he spread the cloak so it was around the both of them, and then he inhaled deeply.

"Here it goes."

He looked up.

"Take us to the mountain of gems that Minna spoke of."

Minna's response to that phrase was to gasp…for, at once, they were there. Without any flash or motion, both of them soon found themselves standing on top of the mountain. In moments, both of them were looking about…and in complete awe. After all, Minna had only heard of this place. Few humans, if any, had ever actually seen it.

The air was colder and thinner, of course. It had placed them on the mountain, not at its base…which was a good thing if what Minna said was true. They didn't want to run afoul of the giants. And indeed, it was a high mountain…by far the tallest that Klaus had ever seen. From here, the world spread below almost like a carpet. He could actually make out a very large, very rough, and very rocky and formidable mountain range far, far below…and he realized that had to be the supposedly impassable mountains that Minna had spoken of. From here they were no more intimidating than anthills. In fact, from here, they felt almost like they were in another world from the change in weather. It was so quiet here, with nothing but a stiff wind blowing…

Yet of course…the biggest attraction was the mountain itself.

Minna had been telling the truth. The entire mountain was nothing but thousands upon thousands…millions upon millions…of gems. Much like any rocky mountain would be, the entire landform was made up of massive gems as big as houses or castles, stuck together, growing from each other, formed in one way or another. But filling all the cracks, growing in small offshoots, or lying in piles of descending sizes were nothing but precious stones. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds… Granted, many of them were rough, but there was no mistaking what they were. Everywhere up and down the mountain, stretching about another few hundred feet into the sky, and all the way down below. No trees or shrubs or a single blade of grass…just gems.

"We're here…" Minna remarked, looking around herself. "We…we're actually here…"

"This mountain…it's real…" Klaus likewise remarked. Soon, he and Minna parted from one another. As she emerged from his cloak, he bent down to the ground and grabbed a handful. Sure enough, he felt the sharper ones nearly cut into him, but when he brought his hand up and opened it, they glittered like bits of glass in his palm. "And these gems are real…at least…realer than any moonstone or quartz I've ever seen…"

The young woman paused a moment, then looked back. "Klaus…how…?" She trailed off, and then spoke more clearly. "…Your cloak. That's why you always keep it with you, isn't it?"

He looked back up to her with a bit of a grin. "Nice, isn't it? I guess you know how I kept finding goose eggs. It's as easy as saying 'take me to the nearest nest with fresh goose eggs'. Same thing with the saw. All I had to say was 'take me to town'. So running away from your mother really wouldn't have been a problem. In fact, we can probably keep the gems all for ourselves."

Minna blinked a moment, but then smiled back, maybe not at the comment, but how Klaus seemed to have a power about him. "…Well, you definitely weren't lying when you said you had a secret or two up your sleeve. And I guess I don't have to worry about mother after all… But…" She hesitated a moment, and then winced a little. "…I still love her, Klaus. Could we leave some behind, just for her? Then I'll at least have peace of mind about her…"

Klaus snorted a bit in response, but kept smiling. "You're kinder than me, Minna. I wouldn't be able to do that even for my own mother after that…but if it'll make you feel better, then alright."

She smiled again. "Thank you for understanding, Klaus. Let's just hurry. The stories say the giants all wait at the bottom of the mountain, but some of them may come up every now and then to make sure no one got by. Let's not stay longer than we have to." She said as she reached for her satchel. "We'll just fill this up and…"

However, as she pulled her satchel around, her face fell.

"…Oh no!"

Klaus rose to his feet in response. "What's wrong?"

Minna held up the satchel and showed that her hand went completely through the bottom in a worn hole. "I…I don't know how it happened! I've had it for years, but…it just broke! We can't hold any gems in this! None except the bigger ones…and I don't know if we can even get those up…"

The young man frowned on seeing that. "Well…I definitely don't want to head back to mend it…" He hesitated a moment, trying to think this over. Finally, he got an idea. "Here…"

He reached for his neck and untied the clasp of his cloak. Once he had it removed, he leaned over and spread it out on the ground out flat. "Here, we'll just put piles of gems on this, then fold it together when we're done. We'll see if we can get it to work while we're just holding onto it. If not, you can hold up your apron, I'll put gems into it, and then I'll load my pockets, and we'll go back like that. Alright?"

She nodded. "Alright." She said as she put the useless satchel back around her. "Let's just grab handfuls and put them in the middle."

Soon, the two began to get to work. Gathering was a bit harder than it looked. Most of the gems, regardless of size, were all stuck together. However, there was a fistful of loose ones to be found here and there, and soon they began to pile that up on the cloak like bits of gravel. For about five minutes, they moved about the area, grabbing fistfuls, and then bringing them back and putting them in. Both of them tried to go for bigger ones, however. Getting the small ones was more gem dust than true gems that could be sold. Occasionally a good one was found, but trying to pry any up seemed impossible.

After a bit longer, the cloak was half full, but mostly with tiny gems or dust. Both of them paused and looked around a bit.

"We should find bigger ones, if we can." Minna suggested.

"Let's go just a short ways and see if we can't find better patches." Klaus answered. "This might be a bad spot."

"Alright…I'll go this way and you go that way. Come back and shout if we find anything."

Soon, both parted and moved away. Klaus, by now, was both shivering a bit and panting. He was used to wearing his cloak everywhere, after all, but even if he wasn't this was a cold place. And the air was so thin that just walking around a bit looking for gems to gather was enough to make him a bit short of breath. It seemed even if one managed to get on the mountain, they weren't out of danger even there. No one could live on a mountain of gems, after all.

As it was, Klaus had to wander. Even without trees, the mountain was rough and uneven enough to where one could vanish from view around the various turns and gem boulders. Still, he probably went no farther than about 70 yards when he spotted a patch up ahead. It looked as if one of the larger gems, the ones that were more house-sized, had split just a bit ahead. He thought he saw many smaller gems within. He stared at it awhile, and then ran forward a bit more and looked inside to make certain. Sure enough, the boulder was indeed broken open. And better yet, the various gems inside were all loose. He reached his hands inside and soon pulled out two handfuls. Each gem was the size of a robin's egg. He smiled in response. This would do fine.

"Minna!" He called. "Over here! I found some good ones!"

The thin air seemed to not carry his voice very well. Not only that, but the way his voice soon echoed back to him off of the gems around him, he felt it had absorbed most of his call. He turned his head more back the way he had come.

"Minna!"

No response, even though he felt his voice carried a bit more. Soon after, he realized it might not be a good idea to shout. He had never seen a giant before, and few people had, but he didn't really feel like trying to attract the attention of one with shouting. There was no telling how good a giant's hearing was, or how far his voice would travel. He decided to rush back faster rather than try to shout louder.

Soon, he was making his way back along the route he took. He didn't go back all the way. He only neared one of the larger stones leaning out into the path, and then stuck his body around to get a clearer view of the cloak, and then tried again.

"Minna, I've got…"

He soon trailed off.

The gems they had been gathering and that were in his hands were forgotten.

He saw Minna next to a pile of gem dust. The larger ones had been swept into her apron, and the remains were now to one side. The cloak they had been lying on was now on Minna's shoulders and securely fastened around her neck. Upon hearing his voice, she looked up. And for a moment, from a wide distance, the two spotted each other. Their eyes locked even though they couldn't see it from this far.

As a result, Klaus couldn't see Minna's eyes filled with regret, as if she was silently saying "I'm sorry". All he saw was her stand silently for a moment.

Then, she slowly exhaled.

"…Take me home."

Minna's words barely had a chance to echo enough to reach Klaus' ears when she was already gone without a trace. He was left standing alone on the mountain of gems. A stiff wind soon rose up, cast forward, took up the gem dust, and began to bear it away in a cloud.

Slowly, the sound of robin egg-sized gems falling down on the ground rang out as Klaus' hands lowered to his sides, the stones completely forgotten as they fell from his hands. The same with his being out-of-breath, the thinness of the air, the cold of the mountain, and everything else. He was left simply standing there, staring blankly at the spot where Minna had been…wearing his cloak. He could almost still see her standing there. For ten full minutes, his mind wouldn't believe what he had just seen. Thought it was a trick. And when that happened, he thought she'd be back in another moment. Something about it he refused to believe…

It wasn't until he had stood there as immobile as a statue for a full thirty minutes that his legs gave way beneath him and he fell to his knees, the sound of his legs hitting the gem-covered ground the only sound for miles.

Hours had passed at this point. The cold was no longer annoying…it was actually making him feel physically unwell. So was the lack of air. And yet one would hardly know that to look at Klaus. In fact…one would hardly know they were looking at Klaus to see him now.

He had positioned himself in one of the thinner cracks between large gem boulders. Here, he was tucked away out of view and out of the path of the blasts of the wind, which made the cold chill far worse than normal. Even where he was, the air was still thin and it was still chilly, especially without his cloak, but he hardly thought about that as he sat on the harsh, sharp ground…not caring one bit for the gems even if he had the means to take them back to a place where he could spend them, which he knew full well he could not.

His face had changed. It no longer had the glow and boyish eagerness about it when he had started on his journey. It was much darker now…much older looking. Tired. He didn't mind the wind, but each time it blew by, it was like someone slapping him across the face. And at this point, his mind had been "slapped" quite a few times, as if to awaken him from a blissful, yet ultimately ephemeral dream. And now, at last, he was waking up…and all clicked in place at once.

And it all went back to the warnings of the old woman, before he even had the cloak and the heart to begin with.

But the time is coming when you'll be tempted to judge by appearances on three separate occasions. Make sure you don't judge on what things seem to be on those three occasions, or you'll end up unhappy and miserable for the rest of your days in spite of having more than enough.

And much to his anger, he realized he had forgotten that advice.

If he had been more sensible, he would have never gone home with Minna. The day they met, those creatures practically brought him to her. But him, being so smitten with the young woman, so enraptured by her good looks and pleasant voice…he never realized he was being lured into a trap all along.

It all made sense now. Why Minna always disappeared to talk to Eugenia. Why she had always cozied up to him, spoke sweetly to him, and hung on him. She never loved him…she was charming him. She seduced him so well that he stayed there, right in the proverbial lion's den, and let himself be taken advantage of. First they cheated him into becoming little more than a laborer. Then they took the heart. He realized it now…almost striking himself for being so stupid. That "tea" she brewed for him did exactly what it was supposed to do. It made him cough up the heart. That's why Minna stayed behind to clean up. No doubt…he had coughed up the heart, whole and entire, and Minna either took it for herself or gave it Eugenia. That explained why he always heard Minna wake up early every morning after that day… And now, they had cheated him out of the cloak as well.

It had been her. It had always been her. Her tears and sadness this morning was as fake as her love for him. No doubt, she had hammed it up on purpose, applied fake tears as well as dressings, all so that she could trick him out here. They didn't even have to worry about hiding his body now. No one would ever see him again.

He wanted to be angry. He wanted to scream and fume and stamp and kick. He wanted to curse Minna and whatever she and her mother were. By now, he realized between Eugenia's strength and Minna's ability to talk to the creatures of the forest and get the honey without one sting that they were not normal either. And the fact that he had been given something that made him cough up the heart… Perhaps they had been witches. At any rate, it made little difference. He should have wanted to curse and spit upon them in either way. Even Bertha…who had to have known all along and spoke not a single word of warning…

But he found he couldn't. And when he tried…he only felt a horrible pain in his own heart. Like a knife being stabbed into it. He told himself not to, but it was no use. The fact of the matter was, he realized, he had loved Minna. Even now, part of him still did as much as he didn't want to. He wouldn't have cared if they had been penniless and even without the cloak…so long as they were together. He had found what he was looking for…or at least, what he hoped he had been looking for…in her. But the whole time…all she had ever thought of was cheating him.

And when he thought of that, he felt his own eyes beginning to sting. He shut them to try and stave off the tears, but that only squeezed them out.

I would have given it to you. He thought, as if she could somehow still hear him. All you would have had to do was ask. It would have been yours along with all I was and would ever be.

He slowly exhaled. Indeed, it seemed the old woman's words had been fulfilled. Here he was, perched on a mountain of riches. More than he could ever possibly spend and easily the richest man in the world. And yet, he had nothing. He was alone, without food and water, unable to go down the mountain and left to die. All of his good fortune taken from him by a faithless and heartless young woman.

Stop thinking of her. He tried to tell himself. She doesn't care about you, and you'll never see her again. She took you for everything you had. You have to try and think of a way out of this now…

Yet that was no use. His mind had thought only of Minna for so long that he couldn't just stop thinking of her. He was stuck here with her on his mind, and with the cold feeling inside him of being betrayed. It felt as if a lingering knife was still inside him.

As hours continued to pass and the sun began to go down, it grew colder yet. He shivered and put his arms around himself, and gradually enough of Minna faded for him to think more practically. Yet it offered no help. He was stuck on this mountain until he died. He had nothing left. All of his possessions were gone. Other than the clothes on his back, he had nothing. He was worse off than a beggar. How could he get out of this? Even if there was no danger, it would take days to get to where there was so much as some dried grass, let alone food or water… He couldn't last that long. And could he even get off the mountain? Of course not. He had been brought here on purpose, with the intention that he would never get off… What could he do?

Yet as he began to despair and give into hopelessness, he noticed something. The ground seemed to shake a bit. At first, he thought it was just him shivering…but as time went on it became greater. He felt the ground shake every so often, in a rhythmic fashion. And it progressively grew stronger. As it did, over the wind, he heard a progressive crunching and tinkling noise…as if something large and heavy was coming down on the gems of the mountain every few moments. And as they continued to grow nearer, the ground began to shake more distinctly, enough to actually jostle Klaus a bit.

When that happened, his mind clicked. One thing Minna hadn't been lying about, it seemed, was patrols by the giants. He realized they had to be coming now. Swallowing, fear enabling him to take his mind off of the young witch, he drew up more in the small passage and put his arms around his legs. He held and tried to remain small and inconspicuous…not saying a single word…

As time went on, the steps grew closer and closer. Klaus swallowed when he realized there were two sets of them, and he thought of all the old fairy tales about giants, about how they could smell the blood of humans. That made him more nervous than ever. It wasn't like he could mask his scent in any way. He could only hope that had been a lie, or he was doomed…as they were coming right toward his location. Not moving or making any further noises, he sat and waited, trying to become like one of the rocks around him…

Moments later, he saw it. He had to fight not to gasp as the aperture of his nook framed the picture of a very large and muscular leg smashing down right outside of his hiding place, with sufficient force to make his body actually lift a few inches off of the ground before landing again. The foot was large enough to smash his parent's home with one step, and soon dominated most of his vision. It stank horribly of mushrooms and rot. The skin was so rough it looked almost like stone or bark itself, almost scaly, and the nails on the toes were long and jagged. Yet he forgot about the stench when, far overhead, like a sharp gust of wind, he heard massive snorting…like something was smelling.

"Blimey." A voice rang out overhead…deep, guttural, and booming like thunder. It made Klaus' heart shudder in his breast. "It's comin' from o'er here…no doubt about that."

"Bah…" A second voice, just as deep and booming, but also more cross, rang out. "You wit' your stupid big nose smellin' all sorts 'o rubbish. There ain't a bloody thing 'ere. Not so much as one bloomin' bird 'at flew too high."

"Ah tell ya', dere's man flesh up 'ere!" The first protested, the foot shifting as its own turned around. "Or was you jus' imaginin' that yellin' we 'eard hours ago? Ya' 'eard it same as me!"

"So what if ah did?" The second retorted. "Ah could've been 'earing things! But even if ah did, there ain't no man up 'ere, so ah'd wager you jus' made me run 'round all afternoon on the promise of a nice bit of meat…and ya' came up empty, ya' bloody idiot! All on account'a yer bleedin' nose!" A grunt. "Ah oughta smash yer nose in next time it drags me 'round on a bloody wild-goose chase!"

"There's a bloody man up 'ere, ah tell ya'!"

"Well, when ya' find 'im, ya' can 'ave 'im all ta' yerself!" The second snorted, before Klaus began to hear footsteps again. "Ah'm headin' back down ta' try and find me somethin' bloody ta' eat 'fore ah 'ave ta' go ta' bed 'ungry!"

"What the…where d'you think yer goin'?"

"Ah told ya'! Maybe if yer ears were big as yer nose…"

The foot suddenly picked up and moved around, but still shook Klaus violently again when it slammed down just on the other side of his hiding place as the giant swiveled around. He was lucky he hadn't decided to step on his shelter.

"That's it then? Yer just gonna run back down an' let some runt 'elp 'imself ta' all the gems. Is that it?"

"Use yer head instead of yer damn nose!" The second giant answered. "Even if there's ah man up 'ere, ain't no way 'e can get back off the mountain 'cept he walks by one of us. And when 'e does, we'll squish 'im inta jelly and that will be that. Only other way 'e could get off is grabbin' onta one of them clouds that passes over the top and let it take 'im wherever it likes…"

The footsteps continued, and soon the ground shook again as the first went after the second. "Will ya' shut yer big trap? S'pose 'e's up 'ere right now and just 'eard ya' say all that?"

"Would ya' stop goin' on 'bout that damn man ya' imagined!" The second shouted, more distant now. "Ah feel like boxin' yer ears as-is fer thinkin' ah man could'a snuck by us in the first place…"

An angry grumbling answered back, but the footsteps continued to retreat…both sets of them now. Slowly, the ground stopped shaking, and after that it slowly stopped having tremors as well. After another minute, they were both gone, and all was still again. Nevertheless, Klaus stayed where he was, keeping silent and listening carefully. He heard no more. The sun continued to lower in the sky, and the air continued to stay quiet save for the sound of wind. Still, the huntsman did not come out for fear of being found by scent or sight. Finally, after fifteen minutes of silence, he allowed himself to breathe normally and loudly again.

It seemed in spite of his situation…he was not yet completely without good fortune.

So…there's another way off of the mountain…

This felt even worse than when he had taken the old woman's advice, to be honest. It was much less to go on, for one thing. Klaus was not a particularly wise or learned man, but he knew enough to know that clouds usually looked like nothing more than wisps of smoke, and if you watched them long enough you eventually found they were nothing more than vapor. And he had walked through clouds in the form of fog before. The idea of "grabbing onto one" was, quite frankly, ridiculous. And even if he wasn't, the way the giants had talked about the clouds, they had said it would take them wherever it liked…and, for all he knew, it could take him thousands of miles away or to an equally dangerous situation.

However, the alternative was to sit around and wait to die. Already, he had gone the whole day without food or water, and he was growing very thirsty if nothing else. Therefore, he might as well give it a shot.

Climbing up the mountain proved to be more difficult than he cared. In addition to the growing cold, the fierce wind, and the thin air, climbing a mountain of gems was hardly easy going. They weren't nearly as rough as they could have been to give him purchase at points, and in the end he had to get on his hands and knees a couple times. The first three hundred feet or so were especially hard, and he was practically scaling the gems at some points like a rock climber rather than hiking. Plus, he wanted to make sure not to grunt or strain that much. If that one giant had nearly sniffed him out, he imagined too much noise or struggle would be enough to call another one, and he frequently found himself looking back down the mountainside for any sign of them. Luckily, he saw none. And the last two hundred feet began to taper off, making for easier going. The sun was already beneath the horizon by the time he got there and the day turning from orange to purple, but he finally made it to the top.

Of course, on arrival, he was at a bit of a loss yet again. The wind was blowing harder and colder here, and there was no more shelter. Not only that, but the sky was completely clear, like he was looking into the firmament of heaven itself. Not a cloud to be seen anywhere, and he couldn't recall seeing any all day either. He supposed he could wait, but this didn't seem the best place to do so. The wind had to be blowing his scent down the mountain in all directions. In the end, however, he decided to remain. What big loss would it be if a giant came up and decided to crush him? He'd just be postponing starving to death or dying of dehydration… He simply sat down on the mountaintop, wrapped his arm around his legs, and waited.

As the sky slowly turned from yellow to orange to red, and he began to see a star or two on the farther horizon, he began to fear for a moment that this would be for nothing. Even if it was, of course, that didn't really matter. He wasn't losing anything sitting there and waiting. Yet as time went on, he finally saw something—a small wisp of cloud in the light of the fading sun. He focused on it and watched it from that point on.

The light continued to fade, and it was likely if he didn't keep his eyes on the cloud he would have lost track of it as night approached. Yet since he did, he managed to not only track it, but noticed that it was indeed coming close, and appeared to be on a heading right for the summit, where he sat. Normally he might have been surprised at his luck, but by now Klaus was used to seeing a lot of magic in the world, and something as simple as a small bit of cloud coming right for him was nothing. He continued to sit and wait. As the last light faded and the moon began to shine down, from this height he could see the cloud more distinctly than ever, for he could actually see moonlight reflecting off of the top of it. After another hour, it was moving so close that he could actually see it drift forward.

When that happened, and Klaus realized it was indeed coming for him just like a bit of wood down a swollen river, he rose to his feet. Quickly, he looked around himself. If this worked, then he realized he should probably take something. His pockets had small holes in them as well, but even if they didn't there were few gems around here to be seen. The top of the mountain was nearly bare. However, he did quickly manage to spot six or seven ones he could pick up and hold in his fist. Not a very good bounty, but enough to give him some money if he ever saw a town again. He didn't look for any others. He wasn't going to risk a giant not spotting him in the time it took for another cloud to arrive. Not long after, the cloud came close enough to make out every detail, before slowly rolling up to him to where he could reach out and touch it.

It was passing by slowly enough, but not so slowly that he could afford to dawdle for more than about a quarter of a minute. He reached out with his free hand and touched it, seeing if his hand would pass through it. On the contrary, the cloud was firm…as solid and tangible as he was. With that in mind, he quickly reached out and placed his hand on it, grabbed on firm to a rougher spot, and with a bit of legwork pushed himself up off the ground, over, and onto the cloud itself. It held perfectly firm as his body swung onto it. It was cold and wet feeling like fog, but it was just large enough to be mattress-sized for him, easily enough for him to stretch on. It began to rise. At that, Klaus realized that he would be at its mercy until it decided to descend again. Yet that seemed preferable to the mountain, and so he stayed there.

Only a minute later, it had passed off of the summit and began to ascend further, all the while passing over the downhill slope of the mountain. Soon, the ground below him was a hundred feet away…then two hundred…then four hundred…then eight hundred…and soon it too was becoming part of the "vast carpet" of what the world seemed to be. A few minutes later, and the mountain of gems itself became visible in its entirety to him as he lifted higher and drifted farther away.

At this, Klaus sighed and leaned against the cloud. Although it was still windy and cold, there was nothing for it but to close his eyes and try and sleep. Until the cloud came somewhere he could land or lowered and faded, he wasn't going anywhere. All that was left to do was wait, and hope, that he would find a place to land soon.

And he continued to hope that for the next three days.

The cloud mostly progressively rose during that time. It would sink for a bit at points, but always go higher again after that, above the cover where there were other clouds. At that point, he could never see anything but more clouds, and feel the cold wind blowing against him. Fortunately, the cloud rose enough around him to where it broke most of it, and he was never in any danger of being blown off. Moreover, the cloud was always full of moisture, and although it took some doing, he could get a drink from that to remain hydrated.

That, however, was the extent of his good fortune. His thirst might have been quenched, but he was both cold and progressively more hungry. The first day was bad enough. The second day wasn't so much, as his belly had gotten used to not being fed and he was only lying around, but he did feel tired and weaker. And the chilly wind made him shiver almost continuously as he lay on the damp cloud. He realized even if he did get off of this, if it didn't happen fast enough he would be too hungry to do anything. However…he greatly feared that it wouldn't happen fast enough. Rather he might be stuck on this cloud until he starved. Getting down was hardly an option. Whenever he went beneath the clouds long enough to look around, he saw that he was still far, far above any hope of surviving a fall. Not only that, but he had no idea where he was being blown to or where he was. He could easily be right above his old home and he wouldn't know it from this height. About the only thing he could realize is that the cloud didn't just take him "straight". It seemed to blow around in every which way, going back, going forth, and all around. That gave him yet another grim thought. What if it ended up simply depositing him right back where it had started?

He spent almost all of his time sleeping…and praying. That was about all he could do at this point, after all. It saved his energy and eliminated his hunger pains if nothing else. He kept telling himself he was no better off than on the mountain, which he hadn't been, and now he just had to pray that he would land somewhere in the world where he was better off.

After three days, he once again slept for the night in the cold, damp space. Much to his displeasure, he found himself still dreaming about Minna. The dreams always ended the same way now, however…with an image of him being left to his fate while Minna reappeared safe and sound back at her home, laughing over his gullibility and how she now had all of his fortune for her own to share with her mother. Of course, he also saw Eugenia in those visions, and she was the far worse of the two. How could it be otherwise? He could tell she was a greedy and violent woman just from meeting with her and living with her. It made sense that she had made Minna into an equally greedy and cruel woman, and a temptress besides. He felt his anger toward both of them grow…but in spite of the sharp pains of betrayal from Minna, the bulk of his rage was focused on Eugenia. He had always suspected her of being treacherous, and he had no prior love for her to make his hate a hard pill to swallow, after all.

Usually such dreams ended up with him being in a cold, damp fury, awakening to find his fate as bitter as possible. But even the vision of Eugenia and Minna mocking him and relishing their theft had a "pleasant" end this time. His vision turned to outside, where the sun was beaming down, great, golden, and warm. It felt so pleasant after being cold for so long. And the ground, even if bare, was at least soil-warmed by it, and was no longer damp or dripping. It felt like a true bed compared to the cold cloud, and he felt his body grow so light and comfortable by the gentle, bright sun…

And then, as he slowly returned to his senses, he realized he wasn't imagining it. The feeling of the warm, welcoming sun was still beating down on him, as was the feeling of rich, warmed earth beneath him. He could smell it in his nostrils from where his face was pressed against it. When that happened, he grunted, and then cracked his eyes.

He was not greeted by sky or other clouds.

In spite of his weakness and hunger, he opened his eyes fully and pushed himself up to get a better view. His heart nearly surged at the sight. Far in the distance from where he was were mountains. Not rocky or made of gems or spread out like a picture…but actually mountains rising into the sky over him and capped with snow. The ground was solidly beneath him, and far to the periphery of where he was stretched a forest. He was back on the ground. For the moment, he was safe.

Also on the periphery, he saw a wall of stone. It wasn't much, just enough to dissuade small creatures like rabbits, but the mere sight of it let him know it was something built by men. Not giants but actual humans. And what it enclosed, and what he was currently lying in, was a vegetable garden…or, more appropriately, vegetable fields. He soon found that out as he looked around. Although it may have been shut in like a wall, he was definitely in wide, expansive fields that had been planted, hoed, sown, and was now growing a fine mess of crops that were already ripe and for the plucking, even in summer.

Unfortunately, as he looked around himself to see just what those crops were, his stomach now eager for a bit of food, he saw his luck wasn't all good.

Cabbage.

Indeed, everywhere east and west of him, stretching too far to see where the wall terminated and the forest began, were rows and rows of green cabbage. They were all the way north of him as well. As he rolled over to sit on the ground, he saw they stretched as far as the eye could see south as well. Nothing but acre after acre of green cabbage.

Wonderful. He sighed to himself. I land back on the ground safe and sound in a bit of tilled soil, and what do I find? Cabbage. Even turnips would have been more fulfilling… Perhaps there's more crops further away…

His stomach letting out a loud and unhappy growl, Klaus grunted and pushed himself forward and began to rise. It wasn't as easy as it would seem. He hadn't done anything but lie flat for three days, and he hadn't eaten in four. Now that he was beginning to move again, he not only had to deal with muscle stiffness and weakness, but his stomach began to protest that if he intended to move, it intended to be fed. Yet he knew he'd get little in the way of satisfaction from cabbage other than a temporary full belly which would quickly pass. With that in mind, he began to walk.

He wasn't sure how far he got. It was nearly impossible to tell when he was surrounded by identical fields of green cabbage. And at the moment, he was too hungry to do anything but look for something that had more satisfaction in it, like fruit. He was so stuck on that fact that he once again failed to notice certain things…such as this entire cabbage patch was not only long and massive, but that it was completely void of pests and the slightest weed. Only the cabbage was growing there. He also failed to notice that the mountains he had seen when he arrived had a few familiar items about them, indicating that he was still in the "magic country" he had first arrived in…

Yet as none of that relieved his hunger, his stiff walking, or his growing weakness…he instead only focused on the fields and more and more green cabbage.

"Who on God's green earth would need so much cabbage?" He complained before long. "There's nothing here but heads of the stuff and all in the first year!"

He didn't even care for cabbage that much. There had been lean years back at home where they'd be forced to do nothing but eat it for days. He had spent quite a bit of time learning how to cook it himself in an attempt to make it more palatable, and he was actually good enough not to overcook it and make it decent with an amount of butter if he could get it. Yet he had neither butter nor the means to cook it here. And he knew about all it was good for on its own was staving off hunger pains for a little while.

Finally, he sighed and plopped down in the fields, too tired to keep going, and sitting between two rows. He looked around him a bit, and finally gave a shrug.

"Well, it's something…and I'm definitely not going to be able to find anything better if I don't eat something soon. Better than nothing…"

With that in mind, he leaned over to one of the cabbages, seized it, and after struggling for a moment, managed to rip off a head of it. He brought it back in front of him, held it up, and sniffed it as he looked it over a bit. After a few moments, he shrugged.

"Seems tastier than any cabbage back home, that's for sure. Maybe it'll have more flavor."

He leaned over, set his teeth against the head, and bit down into it, soon tearing off a mouthful of leaves and beginning to munch them. Not bad. Not bad at all. Even raw, they were cool to the taste and seemed almost refreshing in terms of water. In fact, it even had a nice flavoring to it that he had never detected in cabbage before. It seemed almost as if it was pickled a bit in itself already. When he swallowed it down, it continued to have a cool, almost sweet, feeling all the way down into his empty stomach, which cried for joy. With that in mind, he took another bite. A third and a fourth quickly came after that, with greater eagerness, as his belly felt some satisfaction.

He couldn't help but chuckle a bit after the fourth bite. "Enjoying that, ol' stomach?" He said aloud. "Well, hopefully it'll hold you until eeeeeeaaaaw…"

At once, Klaus froze, his eyes turning as wide as saucers.

Did…that sound come out of me?

As he sat there thinking of it, he began to realize something. The cool feeling in his stomach wasn't going away. On the contrary, he could almost feel it flowing out from his stomach and to the rest of his body. And as it did, he was beginning to feel rather odd…like his bones were beginning to twist, stretch, and compress… Not only that, but he felt as if his clothes were suddenly tight, and both his face and his ears felt funny…especially his ears.

He raised up his hands to them…and recoiled in shock. They were hairy. No…not hairy…furry. And they were longer now. The tips had gained several inches…and they were gaining more. At the same time, he reached he could suddenly see his nose in front of his face…and it was extending further in front of it. Not only that, but his skin was breaking and he began to see gray hair coming out of it and covering it. His nostrils were growing more pronounced and wet too.

He tried to shout in surprise.

All that came out was: "Eeeeeeeeaaaaaw!"

A donkey's bray…

Now quite frightened, Klaus dropped the cabbage and grabbed for his nose…only to let out another scared bray. His fingers were now all joined together like a mitten, and he could feel the bones melding into one and reshaping. He saw his nails come together and grow thick and flat and expand over his hands, until he no longer had fingers at all but hooves. He heard his clothes begin to break as they were overstretched, and he looked down at his body to see his legs twisting and elongating as the rest of his body, growing larger and broader, pulled and yanked at his clothing, popping the seams.

He struggled to rise…but that was no good. His legs were no longer beneath him. He only flopped around and stumbled onto all fours…as his feet, now hooves, left his shoes. He actually called for help once, but, again, all that came out was another bray, before he realized no one was around to help him, and even if they were, what could they do? The rest of his body was soon covered in fur, he felt his pants break as a tail with a tuft of hair erupted from behind him, and finally, as the cool feeling passed…he was left half-slumped on the ground on four hooves.

A donkey… He thought to himself. Although his face lacked the ability to show it, he soon flew into a rage. I've turned into a damn jackass!

As he looked down over his new body, he soon gave another bray, this one an angry one.

And that's exactly what I am! A jackass! Blast it…I did it again! Just as the old woman said I would! I judged by appearances again! I should have known better! No one grows cabbage like this without weeds for acres and acres… And…

He turned his head a bit to the north, and soon let out another angry bray.

Damnit…those mountains! I knew they looked familiar! I'm right back in that accursed valley where I met those witches! This was an enchanted cabbage patch! Now what am I supposed to do?! If I ever find any other people, what can I do? I can't even let them know I'm a human now! I can't even act out anything in this body! I'm stuck being a donkey!

And on top of all that…I'm still starving!

Letting out an angry snort, Klaus looked down before him, soon glaring at the cabbage with a few bites taken out of it. That was the cause of all of this. However, as he looked to it, his stomach only growled louder…rather, several stomachs inside of him growled louder. He realized with a groan that he was a donkey now, so that meant he had more than one. However, he realized, it also made the cabbage more appetizing. After all, if he was a donkey, didn't that mean he could indulge in green, leafy plants more and get more out of them?

He looked at the partially-eaten cabbage a while longer. If he still could have, he would have shrugged.

What's it going to do? Turn me into more of a donkey?

He leaned down, extended his new broad teeth, and resumed eating. While he continued to get the cool feelings from eating it, they didn't radiate again. Sure enough, after eating several more bites, he was still just a donkey, and so he polished off the head of cabbage. In fact, it was even tastier to him now, and more satisfying than ever. Soon, he found himself craving more.

Might as well… If I'm stuck being an ass forever, this is the place to be one. I've got all the cabbage I want…

With that in mind, he ventured forward and consumed another head of green cabbage. A bit further and he ate another one. He supposed he should pause and think about whether or not the effect might be temporary…that he might be making it last longer by eating more heads. However, he doubted he was that lucky. And so long as he was a donkey, the cabbage was enough both to satisfy his hunger as well as strengthen him, so he kept eating.

As Klaus ventured further, eating another head every now and then, most of the shreds of his clothes fell off until only a little bit remained from his waist. One of his pockets had the gems he had taken from the mountain with him…for all the good it would do. He was a donkey now and it wasn't as if he could go anywhere and spend money on something. He might end up stuck in this cabbage patch forever. He wasn't sure if he could climb over the fence now, after all. And what exactly awaited him when he did?

He wasn't sure how long he roamed eating and moving onward, but after a time he noticed something up ahead. A line of trees. He must have been coming to the end of the patch. With that in mind, he ventured onward a bit further. Sure enough, the stone wall slowly came into view. Beyond that lay the forest. If that wasn't enough, as he neared the edge, he also saw that there was a road that ran alongside it. Not that it did him much good… Even if he could get out, all he could do was wander until anyone claimed him as a wild ass for their own. It's not like he could call for any help, either.

However, he did notice one other thing.

The wall wasn't built into a perfect square. As it neared the road, it seemed it bent around, and as a result he could see that a new row of vegetables started. Apparently there was more than green cabbage there after all. Yet it was small consolation. All he saw, stretching on from there, just as far and as wide as the green cabbage…was white cabbage.

Oh, of course. He thought to himself. Not enough to have more enchanted green cabbage than one knows what to do with. We must have white cabbage as well. Perhaps if I travel far enough I'll run into acres and acres of purple cabbage too.

Moving close to the wall, he began to venture along a bit more until he reached the white heads. He paused and looked over one for a moment.

If these green cabbage turn humans into donkeys, then it's safe to assume these white ones do something similar. But they're growing distinct from the green ones…so maybe they change me into something else.

He thought a moment, and mentally shrugged again.

…Couldn't hurt to find out what. If nothing else, if I don't like it, I'll just eat a green cabbage and go back to being an ass.

With that in mind, he leaned over and nibbled some of this one as well.

The first thing he noticed was the taste was quite different. It was even better than before. This one left a warm, wholesome taste in his mouth. Oddly enough, it was almost like biting into a fresh biscuit, even if he could feel the crunching and juices from leaves. The flavoring was far more delicious and pleasing, though. And when he swallowed down a bite, and felt the warm feeling all the way into his stomach…sure enough, he soon felt warmth beginning to radiate from it.

I guess one bite was all it would have taken… He realized. Anyway, might as well see what happens. With that in mind, he sat down and waited.

He didn't have to wait long before he felt his bones twisting and compressing again. This time, however, as he looked down his long nose, he soon saw it shrinking more back against his face. His hooves shrank and split again, once more becoming separate digits, and he felt his body growing thinner and less broad as his hair began to fall out. However, it was not until he realized that his feet were changing in a different manner from his hands that he began to realize what was happening. Sure enough, as his fur vanished, skin was what was left behind. As his hooves resembled hands, he reached out and felt his long ears shrinking back down to a more familiar size and shape. His teeth grew small, and the front ones grew sharp again, and his braying slowly twisted and turned more high-pitched until he could make out syllables…and then a voice. Finally, his tail shrank back inside and vanished.

What was left was a bit of on odd sight. Klaus, human once again, with only a strip of ragged cloth covering his midsection, otherwise sitting bare-butt naked in the dirt, was left looking around in surprise. He held up his hands and checked them over, but sure enough…he was back in his old body. And after having eaten his fill of cabbage as a donkey, he was feeling energized and strong again to boot. He looked down again at the white cabbage before him.

Almost reluctantly, he risked reaching down and plucking a white leaf. He hesitated, but then he bit down on it. It wasn't quite as pleasing as it had been when he was a donkey, but was still the best cabbage he ever tasted with the warm feeling. And once it went down into his stomach, it stayed there and caused no further change.

He sighed in relief. Alright…things were looking up again. He had a full belly and was human again. He leaned back and yawned. The whole experience had tired him out again…and he nearly thought of napping…

When he heard a sigh from not too far away.

"…Another one? That's the fourth one this month."

Immediately, he turned his head in a snap to the voice, and found himself looking over the wall and to the road where it drew near the stone. There, with a bored, tired look, was a man guiding a horse-drawn wagon loaded with what looked like pears. However, he was giving Klaus a rather dull look at the moment, as if he had seen this thing many times.

"Let me guess." He called out to him. "You ate the green cabbage first."

Klaus blinked a few times…and then suddenly realized he was practically naked. Gulping, he quickly moved his strip of cloth to try and cover his middle.

The man in the wagon merely sighed and rolled his eyes, holding up a hand to wave it off. "Don't worry about it… I see it all the time. I'm just glad you had enough sense to eat the white cabbage. I could tell you stories about me chasing some poor idiot around these patches for two hours trying to tell him to eat the white cabbage. Especially that one that actually kicked me. Should have left him to figure it out on his own after that…" He sighed again and looked back to him. "And you'd be liking a ride to the nearest village now, wouldn't you?"

Klaus held a bit longer, and then gave a sheepish grin.

"Um…yes, actually. If it's not too much trouble. I can actually pay you for it…"

"Oh really? Well, that's a nice change of pace." The man dully answered. "It'll pay for me giving you another horse cloth to cover yourself with until you can get some new clothes, at any rate. Well…" He leaned back and gestured in. "Don't sit around in the dirt all day, young man. Hurry it up. I've got to get these pears to market."

"Uh…sure…right away…" Klaus answered as he began to push up from the ground to rise. However, he barely managed to get to his feet with the cloth still covering his privates, when he blinked.

"Wait a moment…you know about these cabbages?"

"Everyone in the local village does." The man responded. "Either some bloody wizard or witch planted them over a century ago. Never get weeds, never need tending, and always in the first year of growth. No matter how dry or wet it gets, they always keep growing. Some people say it was just a bit of trickery. Others say they grew it for a prince or a king…give him an unusual weapon to use on his enemies. Doesn't really matter now. All that matters is we all know well enough to stay away from them. Even if the white cabbage is safe, none of us go picking it. We put up signs, of course." He gestured. "There's one about a hundred feet from here warning folks not to eat any of them, especially not the green ones. But it always happens from time to time. Maybe someone can't read. Maybe they think it's a bunch of hogwash. Either way, they go in, eat a green cabbage, and soon get stuck in the wall we built."

Klaus looked up a bit at that. "…The wall you built?"

"Of course. We had to keep those poor devils who ate the green cabbage from wandering off. If they don't eat the white cabbage after eating the green one, they'll be donkeys for the rest of their lives and after they die. Can't have someone mistaking them for wild asses and taking them in or they'll find themselves working like real donkeys. There's no way to tell them apart, after all." He patted the seat. "Now hurry up and get in. It's still two miles to Dansweiler."

Klaus nearly moved again…before he froze where he stood. He snapped his head up.

"Dansweiler." He echoed. "Did you just say Dansweiler?"

The man sighed at another delay. "Yes, yes I did."

Klaus held a moment, then looked down the road the way he had come, and pointed. "…And if you keep going down that road, you'll eventually run into Krut, won't you?"

The man paused, but then gave a nod. "Yeah. Although you'd be a fool to try and make it on foot. It'll take days and that forest is filled with all manner of things just like this cabbage patch. Can't even trust the water you drink."

I'm back where I started, more or less. Klaus realized. Ironically, at the end of this "journey", he had found himself where he wanted to go in the first place, on the opposite side of the forest he couldn't cross in one day. Yet neither he nor, more importantly, Eugenia, Minna, or Bertha had ever been this way before. The forest took too long to cross normally for them to risk making the trip. He knew that from talking to them. That means they knew nothing of this town…

And knew nothing about the cabbages.

At once, a dark thought began to enter Klaus' mind. He actually found himself smiling craftily as the beginnings of a plan for revenge began to enter his mind.

Can't change back without the white cabbage, eh? Can't tell them apart from a real donkey, eh?

"Just one moment more." Klaus stated before he quickly turned around. He took only a moment to tie the cloth around his middle, and then used his free hands to reach down, seize a white cabbage, break it off and take it. For insurance, of course. He really only needed one head…but one could never be too careful after all he had been through. After that, he went to a green cabbage nearby and broke off a head of that as well. With both in his arms, he began to move to the wall to climb over.

"Wait a minute, young man." The wagon driver called out. "You can eat the white one if you like, but that green one is cursed. What do you want with that?"

"Let's just say I know a trio of jackasses that will find it rather tasty…" He answered as he finished crossing the wall.

It took a few days to get everything ready.

The first gem went to pay the driver for being kind enough to take him into town. After that, a second one was used up to get him some clothes, boots, a good meal, and a sack to place the cabbages in. He didn't want to carry them around everywhere when the people in the town started looking at them curiously, obviously wondering why he had a green one. That done, a third gem was used to secure a week-long stay in the local inn.

Once there, he went about thinking the best way to do this. The solution he came to was to throw down another gem on a good, fast horse. After that, he had to spend a couple days learning how to properly ride it. He really only needed the horse for a single trip…namely down the path…but he wanted to make sure he didn't run afoul of anything else after everything he had been through.

The next order of business was his face. He was not yet old enough to grow much of a beard, but he had clean shaved himself every day. He grew it out now. On its own, it wasn't much, but he found by adding a bit of clay coloring to it, he managed to make it look much thicker. After that, he worked on the next step. There was plenty of pitch lying around in the inn at the hearth, so he made use of it and worked on his face, darkening it in various ways. After experimenting a bit with various colors and techniques, he found he could give himself a whole different skin tone from someone far to the south. Combined with the beard, a few marks to enhance facial lines, some dirt smudges here and there to look like he hadn't bathed in weeks, and a new cloak, likewise made dirty and old, with the hood pulled over his head, and he was happy to see that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him. He even worked on conducting himself in a different gait and posture and speaking in a lower voice with a slight regional accent, until he was quite satisfied no one would mistake him for Klaus the huntsman.

With that done, he spent one of his last three gems on getting a few other items for traveling and tools. He didn't need most of them, but he wanted to give the appearance of someone on the road. He spent another on a bit of gold jewelry. Specifically, he had a local metalworker make himself the most official-looking golden clasp he could think of. Something befitting a member of high nobility. A standard they could use. With one last gem to his name, and the week at an end, he finally slept one last night in the inn. A lot could go wrong with this plan, but he had a feeling he had thought of everything. He almost couldn't sleep at the thought of how sweet his revenge would soon be…

Early the next morning, before dawn broke, he made himself up properly, including with his "makeup" and the gold clasp. He loaded all of his things onto the horse, and then took off, headed onto the same road and right for Krut. He actually passed the cabbage patch again, but it didn't matter. The heads he had were just as fresh as good as when he had picked them a week ago and would more than suffice. After that, he entered the woods and rode on.

Although he pushed the horse hard that entire day, he soon realized that he could have indeed never made it on foot, as he had to ride incredibly hard just to have a chance of reaching the house before sundown. He wanted to make sure it was around suppertime. His vengeance wouldn't wait until the next day, and he wanted the plan to be perfect. Luckily, he wasn't used to riding, and the entire trip made him sore and uncomfortable. That was all the better for him.

At last, he began to recognize the country around him, and on doing so he immediately stopped. He dismounted the horse and tied him, and then quickly took up the things. After that, he spent thirty minutes running in place, and then hiked as rapidly as he could onward, making sure to make himself smelly, dirty, tired, and haggard looking. The effect was perfect. By the time he began to see a small plume of smoke from a chimney up ahead, he was quite out of breath and wobbling. He'd definitely look like someone lost, weak, and tired for this next part. All too perfect…

He had to suppress the urge to smile and laugh as he came up the path leading to the front door. He feared they may have moved by now…but soon saw that wasn't the case. That wasn't to say they hadn't flaunted their newfound wealth. That much was clear. Almost all of the tools and equipment were new at the house. New flowers had been planted, a fresh coat of paint was on the outside, and they definitely had chickens at this point. Seemed they were making good use of living higher off of Klaus' expense. However, he was simply happy there was a fence in the back. They'd need it shortly…

Coming up to the front door, still smelling of fresh paint, he leaned over, getting his voice and into "character", and then pulled his hood low before rapping on it.

A few moments later, it opened a crack. Just as on the first day, Bertha's face came out. Here was the first test. Luckily, she passed with flying colors. She looked over him once and not the slightest trace of recognition was on her face. Just the same response as they day they met.

"The lady of the house does not entertain travelers. Good day."

However, with no Minna to keep the door open, Klaus had to get a bit more inventive. He quickly stuck the toe of his boot forward as the door shut, and soon wedged it open.

"Please, ma'am … All I ask is a drink of water and a room for this evening." He stated in his "new" voice.

Bertha was surprised at him prying the door open, but immediately gave the same response. "As I said, the lady of the house does not entertain travelers. Now good day."

She tried to shut the door with no success, and so she tried to push his foot out.

"I beg you, ma'am. I'm practically on the point of collapse." Klaus maintained. "I've been traveling for days and I've slept on the ground for the past three nights. Please, could you not implore your mistress to make an exception and take pity on a poor servant like yourself?"

"There are no exceptions, sir." Bertha answered as she grit her teeth and tried harder to push him free. "Will you please leave."

"I can't leave. I can't possibly travel any farther…" He answered. "If I could just…"

Suddenly, he saw Bertha give a start as she was rather savagely pushed aside, and the door was flung open. Soon, he found himself face-to-face with Eugenia, livid with anger and practically sneering at him. But again, to his private satisfaction, there was no recognition on her face either.

"Are you deaf or a fool, you simpleton?" She snapped at him. "Begone from here at once or I'll make you regret it!"

Klaus merely gave out a tired exhale in response.

"My lady…I beseech you in the name of my lord to please grant me a place to rest myself and get out of the sun. I have been traveling for weeks on a king's errand." To accent this, he held up his golden clasp, showing the "royal" insignia. "I was commissioned by him to find the greatest, most delicious salad in all the land for a royal feast he had planned. A meal fit for Charlemagne himself. After roaming far and wide, though many countries and villages, I at last had the good fortune to come upon a certain cabbage patch that held, beyond any doubt or question, the most flavorful and delectable cabbages in all the land. Fit for any king, queen, or emperor. I claimed two heads of it and began to rush back to my native lands, and I have walked all day and all night, without sleep, though many dangerous and terrifying places. I'm on the verge of collapse…and I fear if I spend another night out in this heat that the heads will surely begin to wilt. Please allow me to room with you just one night, in the name of my lord."

More than once early on, Eugenia had looked moments from cutting Klaus off and simply casting him out. However, he had practiced this speech many time and chose his words carefully, making sure to praise the "virtues" of the cabbage that he spoke of and his errand. And he had managed to get her attention by waving the gold emblem in front of her. Just as when she had first seen him produce a gold coin, that greedy light came to her gaze. It only blazed further as he spoke of how delicious his cabbage was. By the time he had finished, the violence had vanished from her face, and she stared far more calmly and with more composition at him.

"…A king's errand, you say?" She asked after a moment. "…That would be something indeed. However, I'm assuming if that's true, and you really have the means to travel far and wide, you could prove it by more than an emblem made of gold. I'm assuming someone such as you, on such a lofty errand, would have had a bit of gold on hand to enable their journey."

Klaus almost smiled to himself. Treacherous as Eugenia was, so long as someone knew how to cater to her greed, it seemed she was easy to deal with. At any rate, he only gave a pitiful sigh.

"The only gold left to me is this one emblem, my lady. And I must show it at the gates in order to gain entry again. I'm so haggard now that my master wouldn't even recognize me. Everything else I have spent in traveling about the country."

"I am sorry to hear that." Eugenia responded with little empathy. "However, as my maid told me, I rarely entertain visitors. I'm afraid this is not a very safe part of the country, and there are many treacherous folk abroad who would take advantage of me and my household. There is only myself, my daughter, and the maid here, and three women are hardly much of a match for whatever vagabond may come by. Yet…" She paused a moment, and smiled slightly. "Perhaps we could make a sort of…arrangement? You said you had with you two heads of the most flavorful and delectable cabbage in all the land, fit for any king, queen, or emperor…"

Klaus blinked a few times, and looked up slightly. "Oh…oh yes, my lady. And I meant every word. I sampled some myself. It's so wonderful…it's like nothing you have ever tasted. All other heads are as nothing compared to this." He paused a moment, as if getting the meaning she had. "Oh…do you mean to say that you would care to sample it yourself? Well, I do indeed have two heads and need only one, but a head of cabbage, no matter how kingly and delicious, is hardly payment for-"

"Am I to assume you were lying about the flavor?" Eugenia interjected.

"Oh no, my lady. Of course not. It is all that and more besides. I know not the words to accurately describe it."

"Then I believe that will be an ample trade." She answered. "As it just so happens, we are getting late to supper today. If you will kindly accompany my maid to the kitchen and present her with the cabbage…"

Klaus looked up a bit at that, seeming to brighten. "Oh, I shall do better than that, my lady. I'll prepare it myself. After all, the king sent me to find this knowing that I was the best in his court at preparing vegetables and had the greatest taste. Oh, good lady…thank you ever so much for your kindness. On behalf of his majesty, I am forever grateful."

Eugenia smiled back. "You're perfectly welcome, sir. Now…do not loiter about in the doorway any longer. Come inside, and I shall see about preparing a room for you while you assist with supper." She began to back up to let him in.

"Thank you, my lady. Thank you." Klaus earnestly said again as he began to walk through the threshold, his joy perfectly genuine. After all, he knew now he had her hook, line, and sinker, and she didn't suspect a thing. No…he would not be more eager to prepare this cabbage for supper were it the first meal he had been about to eat in a month.

As the "traveler" went into the kitchen with Bertha and took one corner to himself to go about preparing a lovely green head of cabbage, Eugenia had other concerns. She went back to the bedroom halls and proceeded directly to Minna's door. Contrary to what Klaus had thought, Minna was not out in the field today. In fact, she hadn't been out for some time, having come in early long ago. And this evening, as she had been many evenings, she was shut up in her room.

Although today, it was for a different purpose…one even Eugenia didn't know…

The witch came to her door and knocked on it.

"Minna, enough of your moping." She stated. "We have a rare treat, today. A king's servant has actually come to our house, and he swears he has the most delicious cabbage in all the land with him. We'll be dining on it this evening."

No answer from within.

Soon, Eugenia let out a sigh. "Really now, Minna…enough of this foolishness. True, you may have lost the power of that heart, but with the gems you brought back, we have 30 years worth of gold coins available. And we can get more whenever we need it with that cloak." She paused, and then frowned. "…Or are you still blubbering over that huntsman? That wretched boy has been dead for close to two weeks now. Forget about him. It's not like you can raise him from the dead anyway with regret."

Still no answer.

The witch's frown turned practically into a scowl. "…I've had enough of you isolating yourself. You'll cease this foolish behavior at once, make yourself presentable, and then come to dinner. If this cabbage is half what he claims it to be, we'll make sure to gather it using the cloak and dine on it often. I'll want you to get its location. Should be easy enough from this fellow. He probably hasn't had a young lady interested in him in years…"

No response.

Growling, Eugenia turned away. She wasn't about to waste time with that stupid girl's stubbornness. But she had better do as she was told or she'd regret it. At any rate, the witch turned away and walked to the door to her hallway. Soon, she had passed inside, shut the door behind her, and then moved to the door to her room. She supposed she might have to do this herself. In spite of what she had gained for her, she could depend on Minna less and less as of late…

Yet as she opened the door to her room, she was soon greeted with a surprising sight.

Minna was already inside, seated on her bed, and looking up at her with a dark stare.

Eugenia gave a start at first, not expecting to see her there, and soon frowned. "Minna, what do you mean by this?! Having me bang on your closed door and then lurking in here trying to surprise me? You weren't going into our special room, were you? I've told you a hundred times you aren't allowed in without me!"

She advanced into the bedroom enough to shut the door behind her…but as she did she slowed to a stop. As Minna continued to stare at her, she noticed there was something on the bed nearby…

One of her books from "downstairs". In fact, Eugenia's own "special" book.

The witch couldn't hope to memorize everything about her craft, especially as she went on in years. She didn't have many books, but the few she had below contained the recipes and incantations for whatever she couldn't permanently and reliably commit to memory. And some of the potions were so precise that you wouldn't risk getting even one ingredient wrong. That was why it paid to keep reliable materials on hand. Most of them had been filled in by hand over the years. After all, one couldn't print most of them.

However, this particular book was Eugenia's private one…the one she kept reserved for potions and spells she entrusted only to herself. She had let Minna in on only one or two so far, but not on how to perform them. That she kept secret, and intended to do so until she died. She had told Minna as a child she could never look in that book, and the one time she had she had received such a beating that she had never dared even look at the cover again. However, that had been when Minna was a little girl.

On seeing the book, she grew livid.

"…What's that you have there?" She accused. "Is that my book? The one I warned you never to touch? You wretched child! I am swiftly growing tired of your disobedience! You better not have read so much as one word of it or I'll make you suffer dearly for it!"

Minna, however, didn't break this time. She did show some fear, but she was forcing herself to stay bold.

"…Then I'll have to suffer, Mother…because I did open it and read some of it." She answered. "In particular the one page you had earmarked."

Immediately, she reached out to the ancient book, took a side of it, and flipped it open. When she did so, she immediately uncovered a dirty and worn page from having been used so many times. When that was revealed…Eugenia's anger abated. It was replaced more with a look of suddenly being found out, like a thief with his hands in a gold coffer.

Even from here, she could read the title of the text at the top of the page: "Love Potion".

Eugenia was silent for a moment. She merely stood and stared. As for Minna, she slowly drew herself up and off of the bed to full height. She was trembling a bit, uncertain, having obviously been focusing her courage to do this for a while…and now trying to let her new anger push her to stay bold in the face of her fear.

"I never wanted to say it…never even wanted to think it…for so many years because it was such a harsh, cruel, and mean thing to consider." Minna stated. "But it made sense, and you knew it. You had to. You always said how my looks and manners were perfect for beguiling men…even though they weren't like yours at all. And I always knew you couldn't have had me at the age of sixteen, or seventeen, or even twenty-five. The reason father was so young…this was why, wasn't it?"

Eugenia stood silently for a moment more. "…And what of it?" She finally answered. "What does it matter?"

"It matters a great deal!" Minna nearly shot back. "You always told me that father seduced you! That he took advantage of you! That once I came into the world, he only wanted to see how he could use you and manipulate you and take everything you had! You said that was the reason why…why…" She trailed off here. She didn't want to finish the next part.

"Well, we can't all be born with your perfect features, Minna." Eugenia snorted in response. "So long as you're pointing this little fact out, I don't suppose you've noticed I'm not exactly the picture of young loveliness and beauty. So yes, I gave your father a little something from time to time to make him more apt to stay with me. Was that so wrong?"

Minna merely continued to stare back. "…After or before he proposed to you?"

The witch was silent in reply. She stared back without a word.

Minna swallowed, her face growing a bit more nervous.

"…After or before you knew he was a rich man?"

Eugenia didn't change. After a moment, she spoke more quietly.

"…If I hadn't done what I did, we would not have this house, these animals, the money to afford a maid, or this property. I ensured your future. You've lived off of the results of my actions. You wouldn't even exist if I hadn't given him that potion."

That, however, didn't intimidate Minna. She only reacted in more shock to what she heard, and soon it gave way again…to more anger. Her hands balled into fists and more of her fear was pushed back.

"You told me my entire life that the world was full of cruel and depraved men who would want nothing more than to take advantage of me. But the truth is the only one I've ever seen who took advantage of people is you…ever since the day I was born and beyond. Tell me truly…father never tried to take advantage of you, did he? You took advantage of him, and when he came to his senses and he tried to leave and take his wealth with him, you had to deal with him, didn't you? Those travelers who passed…only some of them were thieves and ruffians, weren't they? They were other people to take advantage of, weren't they? Just like Klaus…"

"I won't stand here and be lectured by you, you little brat." Eugenia sneered, beginning to approach her. "Not when you've lived so well off of my actions. Don't you dare get self-righteous with me or claim a moral high road. You're a murderer just like me now. It was you who tricked that young man, not once, but twice. It was you who stole his livelihood from him."

Those words hurt Minna, and drove pain into her heart, but she boldly retorted just the same. "Only because you made me do it!"

Eugenia snorted. "'You made me do it'. The classic defense of any true sinner. Finding someone else to blame. Their mother. Their father. Their children. Their lord. Their neighbors. The devil. Anyone but them. The truth of the matter, girl, is that if you didn't want to betray that boy, you never had to. But you did because you wanted his fortune for yourself as much as I did."

"No, that's not true!" Minna shot back. "I betrayed him because I believed you! I believed your lies and your greed! I believed you actually were thinking of what was best for us…for me! But it was never anything more than cruelty and theft! I have more regrets with Klaus than I know what to do with and that I'll have to live with forever…but I see now there's one far above all the others! That he was trying to tell me what a heartless monster you were and I wouldn't believe him! And the fact that you brought me into this world and I ended up hurting someone to sate your greed is something I'll never forgive myself for…or you, for that matter!"

Eugenia hissed, now close enough to be in striking range of Minna, and immediately she swung the back of her hand out for the young woman. Yet for the first time the old woman had ever recalled…Minna recoiled. The hand hit nothing but air. And she was so stunned that the girl didn't just take the blow that she was immobilized for a moment, and in that time she spun around and away from her, rounding her body, and then going toward the door. Furious, Eugenia snapped around to her. But strong as she was…speed was not her forte. By the time she turned around, Minna was at the door and had it cracked. At that, the old woman was forced to be silent. Any violence or shouting now might be heard…

However, she didn't go totally silent. "And where do you think you're going, wretched girl? If you stole so much as a thaler from me…"

"Don't worry…you can keep your ill-gotten wealth. I never want to see any of it again." Minna retorted. "Keep your cloak, keep your jewels, keep everything! That's all you really care about anyway. Eat it, for all I care."

"You brat…" Eugenia hissed. "Where do you think you'll go? And what do you think you'll do? You can't do true labor…not without your magic. And once people see you using that…"

"I don't care!" Minna shouted, loud enough to make Eugenia recoil at the thought of someone hearing this. "I'd rather beg in the gutter than stay any longer here with you! I'll never help you cheat another person again!"

With that, Minna whirled about and went into the hall, yanking the door closed behind her, and leaving Eugenia back in her room alone.

The old woman was still plenty angry, but forced herself to calm down. She couldn't throw a fit now. As much as she hated Minna running out on her…not one bit of the hate was due to losing a loved one or even her own flesh and blood. It was in losing out on a perfect way to seduce and ensnare more men. Even now, she was infuriated that her outburst would cause the traveler to leave and have her lose out on the delicious cabbage… However, she forced herself to be calm. She may have lost out on future wealth, but the gems she had brought back were enough to keep her well for the rest of her life. And with the cloak, she still could go anywhere she wished. Minna's own power from the heart had dried out, so she wasn't even losing the gold coins either by her leaving.

With all of these things in mind, she forced herself to calm down. As angry as she was for losing someone to care for her and aid her, she had no reason to fret. There was still a chance she could find a young maid or perhaps a young girl and bring them up in her techniques. Could make something useful out of them and give her someone to tend her in her old age when she truly did grow infirm. There weren't many who would turn down the prospect of gaining her wealth after her death, after all. With that in mind, she let it go.

Instead, she took the moment to compose herself and go about cleaning up a bit. She wanted that cabbage before she would think of what to do from here. Such a wonderful dish would surely put her in a better mood, after all.

Klaus took note on moving into the kitchen that it looked much better. Much finer dishes with a new cabinet were now there, and almost every tool in the kitchen was new. The dining room table was also as elegant as for a nobleman. No doubt, they had been putting Klaus' wealth to "good use" already. Who knew what other things they would have gotten in days to come? He wondered if any of it was still to be found on the premises…

At any rate, he devoted most of his attention to preparing the cabbage. On getting out the green head, he procured some good leaves and then went about preparing it. Much to his pleasure, even cooking the cabbage was enough to produce a tantalizing aroma, not the normal repugnant stench that came from it. He had barely managed to cook it halfway when already he had to practically shoo Bertha away from it. She constantly came over and looked to see what he was making…something she had never done during his first bit of time there. As it neared completion, she was almost captivated by it, neglecting her own preparations so much that it was clear they would be long in coming.

At this point, she actually asked a question. "Begging your pardon, sir."

While stirring a bit, he looked up to her. "Yes?"

A pause. "First of all…I apologize for the door earlier. It's the lady's orders. Please understand."

"I understand." He answered calmly. You need to get back in my good graces before you ask a favor, don't you? "Go on."

"I…I was wondering, sir…might I have a bit of that you're cooking after the ladies have had their fill? I've never smelled such wonderful cabbage in all my life, or seen it cook so well. I didn't even think it was possible…"

"Oh, but of course, ma'am." Klaus answered. "Why, I wouldn't have it any other way. I fully intended to make plenty for everyone present."

"Oh…thank you, sir!" Bertha answered, trying to get back to her own preparations.

As for Klaus, he finished cooking to perfection, and then went about arranging it in a tantalizing manner. He pulled out bunches of cooked leaves, arranged it on a fresh plate, and added a bit of seasoning along with a hefty pat of butter that Bertha had provided him with. By that point, the maid had again forgotten all about her work and was practically drooling at the sight of the cabbage dish. Klaus had outdone himself. It truly did look fit for a king as he put on the finishing touches. And it smelled more delicious than ever.

Klaus was perfectly calm as he kept preparing it, making more finishing touches to it as he spooned the melted butter over the rest of it, purposely tantalizing and tempting the maid. In the middle of it, however, he pretended to stop, and then looked up and over to her. She continued to stare a moment, before swallowing and looking away. She desperately tried to get back to her work, but it was already clear she wanted to try it.

After a moment, he smiled a bit more.

"I don't blame you, ma'am. After trying it myself, this cabbage is even better than it looks and smells."

"I'll…I'll eat later…" The maid tried to insist. "After…after…the ladies…"

Klaus paused a moment, then leaned in a bit. "…Are you sure you don't wish to try one right now?"

Bertha hesitated. The thought obviously went through her mind…but then she shook her head. "Oh no, I couldn't possibly. I've grown so lax on the rest of the meal…"

"The cabbage is nearly done, and I'm sure they'll be so head over heels about it that they won't notice supper is missing for quite a while." He simply answered her. "You'll have plenty of time to finish."

The maid hesitated here. She didn't say yes…but neither did she say no.

In response, the young man took a new plate, carefully removed a smaller cabbage roll, placed it on it, and then adjusted the remaining ones so that there were none obviously missing.

"There we are." He said. "One for you right now, and plenty for you to have more of later. I'll even cook up more from the rest of that head if need be. I'm a servant myself, ma'am…and I know what it's like to wish I could eat my fill. Go on and take it outside in the livestock pen. I'll cover for you until you return. Just eat that one up then come back."

Bertha hesitated only a moment longer, before the temptation grew too great. Smiling a bit sheepishly, she took the plate, fighting hard not to snatch it, and then quickly grabbed a spare fork. She looked to Klaus and gave him a light bow. "Thank you, sir… I'll be back in just a minute."

"Oh, take your time." Klaus calmly answered. "Just make sure to shut the door behind you. Wouldn't want the mistresses peeking, would we?"

Bertha let out a tiny chuckle, and then turned and quickly ran for the side entrance to the kitchen. Soon, the door was open, she exited, and then it was closed again. A click rang out not long after.

"That's one." Klaus calmly said to himself as he took up the plate of the remaining cabbage rolls. He soon set it on a counter near the same door leading outside. A lucky break for him that this was where dishes were meant to cool off. He'd prefer if whoever was next got out the door while they still could in a vain attempt to run off. Once he had it set, he exhaled and turned around. "Now…I do so hope no one will try and sneak a bite of these before supper…" He mused aloud as he walked to the pantry door. Once there, he calmly slipped inside and pulled the door nearly to, leaving only a crack behind. After that, he calmly waited.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before he heard some angry muttering.

"Worthless lout… Where has that maid run off to? Supper is only half prepared and she decides to take a break now… I ought to remind her I can afford six maids better than her now… And even our guest has taken his leave, it seems…"

Not long after, he saw Eugenia come into view. He went silent and still. In a way, he was more afraid of her finding him than the giants. She had that scowl and angry look on her haggish face. If anything, she looked even angrier than earlier. However, when she spotted the cabbage, her mood improved quite a bit.

"At least he seems to know how to finish a task…and it seems he wasn't lying either. This seems even better than how he described it…"

She moved in closer to it for a moment, and Klaus waited anxiously with baited breath, expecting her to dig in at any moment. She was certainly greedy enough for it. However, before she could sample any, she suddenly looked up to the door.

"Blast it…are those sheep sick? They're bleating so much they almost sound like a donkey braying…"

For a moment, Klaus thought he was found out. He feared that the whole thing had just fallen through. Yet before he could be too fearful, he saw Eugenia snort and look away. "Stupid animals…" She muttered before she reached into the cupboard for a fork. She soon brought it out and stuck it right into one of the more bite-sized cabbage rolls. She brought it up and placed it in her mouth. She began to chew it soon after, and soon smiled and closed her eyes in delight. A satisfied "mmm" sound came from her as she savored it. She readily stuck her fork in more while still eating the first bite, and placed it inside to start munching it as well. As she did so and began to swallow the first bite, however, she looked to the door.

"…That does sound like a donkey braying…" She remarked around the bite in her mouth, before fully swallowing it and reaching for the door handle. She soon opened it up and looked outside. A moment later, she gaped…even as Klaus began to see her ears start to get tips on them and her torso begin to broaden.

"What in the name of-"

She got no further than that. Springing like a trap, Klaus leapt out from the cupboard, ran up to Eugenia, placed a hand on her back and, with one powerful gesture, shoved her outside and then closed the door behind her. She didn't even have time to realize what was happening before the door was shut. From this close, Klaus heard only a muffled bit of cursing and anger before a second donkey bray joined in the first.

"That's two." He said as he quickly used his spoon to arrange the remaining ones, a bit difficult now, and then set it aside and took up the platter. "Now for the last…"

In just a few moments, he moved out into the dining area. One of the things Bertha had managed to do was set it with the new plates as well as true silverware. There were no dishes yet, but he soon took care of that as he set down the cabbage in the middle of the plates up around the front. He only hoped Minna showed up soon. He hadn't seen her yet…

As it turned out, he didn't have to wait too terribly long. He had scarcely tried to think of how to bring her out when suddenly he heard footsteps…uncharacteristically rapid and hard. He merely assumed, however, that was how she normally walked when she wasn't trying to trick people. Soon afterward, she emerged from the bedroom hall. She looked forward and opened her mouth to speak…but soon shut it again.

"Oh…I'm sorry." She stated. "I thought you were Bertha…I mean, the maid."

"No, my lady." Klaus answered calmly enough…although he realized, even now, after she had tricked him and tried to kill him…he was still staring at her. He had to fight not to use the old way of saying "my lady" to her even now.

"Mother…" She began to say, then trailed off. "I mean…I overheard her say that you were a king's servant on an errand?"

"Yes, my lady." Klaus answered. "And, in a sense, I suppose I am also your servant this evening. I prepared one of the heads of cabbage I had in my possession for supper. I'm not sure if you heard of it, but it's the finest in the world. I'm sure of it. Come…sit and have a bite."

"Thank you, but I'm not hungry." Minna answered immediately. "In fact, I'm leaving soon. I just came to ask Bertha what was already made in the pantry that I could take with me."

Klaus was a bit puzzled by this, but he feigned innocence. "Oh…are you going somewhere, my lady?"

"I am." She answered.

"Where, might I ask?"

The young woman exhaled in response. "…Anywhere but here." She simply responded. However, as she inhaled again, she got a whiff of the cabbage. She actually shut her eyes a bit and smelled deeply. "Mmm…that cabbage smells mouth-watering… I don't think I ever smelled a dish so wonderful…"

"As I said, it's the best in the world. Are you sure you won't have just one roll?"

Minna hesitated a moment, seeming to think it over. But in the end, she shook her head. "I don't want to stay here with mother any longer…"

She nearly took a step, but Klaus interjected. "Oh…I'm sorry to hear that. Did you two have an argument?"

The young woman paused again on hearing this. She exhaled. "More of a…disagreement…" She answered.

"I see." Klaus answered, trying to keep her there longer, just enough to have a bite. "This is just a wild supposition, but did it happen to do with money at all?"

"Well…yes, actually." Minna answered a moment later. "Well…partially. There were other things involved as well…

"Something else that was precious to you?" Klaus suggested.

She held again, but nodded once more. "Yes."

"All I can say is don't do anything hasty." He answered. "You'd be amazed at how often things can work out, even from the most dire situation, if you have a little patience. I've always believed what goes around comes around."

Minna made a weak smile at that and a chuckle…and Klaus had a hard time not staring for how lovely it was in spite of everything. "Thank you, but…I'm pretty sure this isn't something that's going to just 'work out'…" She paused, and smelled again. "…That cabbage smells so heavenly… I haven't had anything to eat all day, but I don't think I've been hungry until now…"

"By all means, have some."

"Oh…oh, I couldn't." She answered with a sigh. "I never eat before meals are served, and I don't want to be in here when mother is eating…"

"Well, as it so happens, both the maid and the lady of the house find themselves detained at the moment." Klaus answered, moving over to Minna's side and grabbing one of the chairs, soon pulling it back. "So I figured so long as I was preparing the cabbage, I should serve it as well. I'll do the part of servant for you, my lady."

Minna looked confused for a moment. She nearly asked what was keeping them, but in the end she swallowed it back, as if deciding purposely not to inquire. A moment or two passed, and finally she drew herself forward and sat down in the offered chair. "Thank you, sir." She answered. "In truth…I should stay a little longer. There was something important I meant to tell you before I left…something I think you need to know while we're in private. I'll tell you after I've had some of this."

"Take your time, my lady. I won't be going anywhere until tomorrow morning." Klaus smiled back as he took up the platter and served Minna two of the cabbage rolls. "If these aren't the best vegetables you've ever tasted, I'll be a monkey's uncle."

The young woman giggled a bit in response. "I'll take your word for it. They definitely smell scrumptious."

She soon received more flattery as the young man took up her napkin, spread it out, and put it in her lap. She was a bit surprised at this, but soon smiled back to him as she took up her knife and fork. Soon, she went for one of the rolls and cut off a piece.

"I'm flattered, sir. Giving me the 'royal treatment'."

"Sweets for the sweet." Klaus calmly answered as he stepped behind her, reaching into the sleeves of his cloak as he did so.

A moment later, Minna placed the bite in her mouth and began to chew. Not long after, her eyes closed and she let out a sound of contentment. "It's wonderful…almost like magic…" She spoke around the bite. She finished chewing and swallowed afterward. "Like nothing I've ever tasted." She added as she went for another cut.

"Glad you think so. But…there is one more thing I need to do for you before you can properly enjoy this meal."

"What's that?" She asked as she began to cut another slice.

A moment later, her smile faded and turned to surprise as a rope made into a collar slipped over her head and around her neck.

"You'll see." Klaus answered in a calm, yet dark, voice.

Minna blinked, suddenly stunned…and then frightened. She dropped her fork and knife and began to reach for the rope. "What are youeeeeeeaaaaw!"

The young woman's face turned to shock at what she said…but that was soon compounded as she saw her hands turn into hooves right before her eyes, and her body begin to break out in fur the same color as her hair. She struggled to rise, but soon she toppled backward and out of her chair as her gait turned too broad, and her arms and legs became quadrupedal legs. She brayed loudly in fear and alarm as her dress split and shredded from her misshapen body, her pretty features turning into a long, hairy muzzle, her ears growing long and flopping, and her original hair becoming a mane. Soon, she was a black donkey, the same color as her hair originally was.

Confused and terrified, the she-ass brayed and protested. However, she soon felt a sharp tug as Klaus yanked on the rope around her neck, getting her to come up.

"Now come along, Minna." He stated, freely using her name now. "Eugenia and Bertha are waiting for you."

The donkey's eyes seemed to enlarge as she looked at Klaus. She obviously still had human faculties, for she knew what that meant. She soon began to bray more loudly and planted her hooves, trying to keep herself from moving.

"Won't do you any good." Klaus calmly answered as he merely yanked her even harder, causing her new slick hooves to easily slide across the flawless floor they no doubt had refinished with his money. Not only that, but Klaus was strong enough to handle an unruly animal. He wouldn't have been a huntsman if he couldn't. The former young woman was soon dragged all the way through the kitchen to the rear door. Once there, he reached out with a hand to yank open the door, and let the she-ass look outside.

Donkeys couldn't show horror, but Klaus was sure Minna was feeling it when she beheld a brown donkey with fur the same as Bertha's hair cringing in a corner of the yard, craning her head to the sky and braying again and again as if she was trying to mimic human sobbing. In addition, a gray donkey, twisted, skeletal, and not looking very young or healthy at all, was nevertheless prancing and tramping all over the back yard in such a fury that the sheep were cowering away from her. However, when the door opened, she turned her head to it, and instantly let out an angry bray. Soon after, she began to charge right for the door, looking to attack Klaus with whatever she had.

However, the young man was too quick. In a moment, he darted around behind Minna, placed his hands on her backside, and shoved her outside. Again, the door was slammed shut. Once it was, it soon rattled and clattered loudly from the sounds of hooves smashing into it again and again. However, this door was far too solid. Eugenia could rear up or even kick it all she wanted with her hind legs…she'd never break it down. Especially since she didn't have the stamina for it, most likely. Klaus was perfectly calm the entire time. After wiping his brow a bit, he looked to a window shutter on the higher part of the door, used for peeping out.

He soon went up to it, opened it, and put his face there.

"Good night, ladies." He called out to them. "Don't fret about sleeping outside. It is summer, after all."

After saying that, he shut the window before Eugenia's angry braying could retort. That done, he stretched a bit, and then set about cleaning up after dinner. He wanted to make sure to dispose of the rest of the cursed cabbage before he started ransacking the house and finding the comfiest bed.

The next morning, before the break of dawn when the sky was still purple, the three women-turned-donkeys had passed a rather miserable night. Bertha had stayed to one corner and seemed to have cried herself to sleep, but even then continued braying late into the night. Minna and Eugenia had both wandered around inside and struggled to get out of the fence, but had been completely unable. They lacked the strength to do so…especially Eugenia, who had kicked so furiously at the door in a vain attempt to break it down that she was now quite sore and exhausted, and had collapsed as a "bag of bones", more less. Minna eventually realized to save her own strength as well and had done the same.

However, none of them slept well enough to not hear when the door opened. At once, all three raised their heads, and soon saw the young man from the day before begin to walk out, still dressed in his cloak although he had cleaned himself up otherwise.

"Good morning, ladies." He stated, echoing his statement from the day before. "I hope you slept well, because we're getting an early start.

Eugenia, in spite of being sore and tired, began to bray and hiss angrily as she struggled to rise. Bertha began to make her pitiful sounds from before. Yet before Minna could join in on anything, Klaus took the moment to raise his hand to his hood and yank it back.

On seeing his face, all three she-asses went still. Gone was all of the pitch and coloration. He had washed himself last night and shaved before lying down in Eugenia's own bed. She wouldn't be needing it anymore, after all, and it was easily the comfiest mattress in the house. However, now that his identity was clear, he gave them all a long look to let it sink in, and in spite of them having the faces of donkeys, he could see the shock…and horror…in their eyes.

"…Surprised to see me?" He called out to them. "Expected me to be in a giant's belly by now? You three had a lot of fun playing me for the jackass, didn't you? Well, now it's my turn. I gave your house a pretty thorough once-over last night before I went to bed. I found what's left of my coins and the gems Minna took…at least some of them. I even found your little 'chamber of horrors' you had hidden. I didn't find my cloak, however…but I will. Even if I have to rip apart your house brick by brick to get it. As it is, you should have left it where I could find it. Because it would have saved you some trouble in walking to town today. However…I did find this."

He reached into his cloak and soon pulled out something that made Minna wince instinctively and the other two look more fearful than ever. Eugenia's belt-turned-whip.

"Keep in mind I have this and a good arm if any of you plan on trying to bite me or kick me today." He sternly warned them. "I don't plan on killing any of you if that's what you're afraid of…although you may wish I had before long. But don't push me. I'd be well in my rights to after all you did to me."

He began to remove the rest of his cloak, and as he did he dumped a great deal of handmade cords and tied ropes on the ground.

"Now then…I made bridles for each of you last night. I figure it'll be easier to lead you around like that."

Bertha began to bray more pitifully at that. Minna, who had been staring blankly until now, suddenly bowed her own head and cringed. As for Eugenia, she threw a fit. She stamped angrily, snorted, and looked every bit a wild beast in spite of how tired she seemed. Whatever secret to her physical strength there was as a human, it seemed to pass as a donkey. Now she was just a skeletal old creature. As for Klaus, he took one of the bridles up in one hand and the whip in the other.

"You first, Eugenia." He stated. "Since you're the one with the 'worst disposition'."

She seemed to hiss at that.

He began to approach. "You may all be wondering why I would be leading you into town. The answer is quite simple. We're going to see the local miller."

The donkeys, one and all, immediately realized what that meant. Bertha craned her head to the sky and brayed even more loudly. Minna almost hid her face against the ground. Eugenia, however, was another matter entirely. Clearly enraged, she began to charge forward for Klaus as fast as she could, snorting and nearly foaming at the mouth all the way.

Crack!

And soon she brayed in pain and went back as the leather whip cracked over her nose, opening a red cut across it. However, Klaus' own look had turned dark and fierce as well.

"Would you prefer I take you three to the tanner?" He stated coldly. "Keep it up!"

At once, Eugenia went still. Bertha slammed her head into the dirt and struggled to stifle her own braying. Minna just stayed the way she was. For a moment, the older she-ass stood there, but then relaxed and snorted, resigning herself to her fate. When that happened, Klaus himself relaxed and came forward, and proceeded to very roughly and very stiffly put a bridle over her head and pull it tight. She wanted to bite him more than once, but wouldn't dare incur his wrath now that she was at his mercy. She knew he could kill her right now if he wanted and wouldn't even have to worry about hiding a body, as she had. He tightened the bridle to make sure it hurt her before he forcefully let her over to the gate, and tied the rope around the post.

That done, he went to Bertha next. She was difficult in her own way, keeping her head in the dirt and braying softly. However, he was gentler with her than he had been with Eugenia. His touch and gestures were not warm, but he didn't go out of his way to hurt her. After a time, he managed to get her to lift her head and began to put the bridle around.

However, at that point, she looked right into Klaus' eyes and brayed softly, almost as if begging or pleading with him.

"Don't bother." He answered without the slightest hint of pity or mercy in his voice. "You knew what was going on the day I arrived. You knew what they were planning to do to me and you never gave me so much as a word of warning. That makes you as guilty as them. You can share their fate."

The donkey soon began to bray and moan again, but not as loudly as before. Tears streamed from her eyes as she was led over to Eugenia and tied next to her.

Finally, Klaus went to Minna. She neither protested nor fought. She kept her head aimed to the ground, and wouldn't meet Klaus' gaze. She was perfectly quiet and still.

He sneered slightly at her. "What's the matter, Minna? Don't feel like giving me a smile or a greeting now?"

The she-ass didn't give any response, verbal or otherwise. And she didn't even react as the bridle was slipped over her head and secured.

"If you think being compliant is going to help you, other than sparing you any lashes from a whip, you're wrong." He told her…although he found he couldn't make his voice as cold as he wanted. "You… You just looked me in the eye on that mountain as you wished yourself back home… Shed all of those fake tears… Played upon my feelings…"

Minna didn't react. However…he did see a tear run down her muzzle. For some reason, for a brief moment, he thought it wasn't due to her situation or pain.

In spite of himself, he found that he was very gentle with Minna's bridle, tying it gently and not making it tight in the least, just secure. At any rate, she complied when he led her to the others. She only kept her head bowed. For a moment, he thought…she almost looked ashamed. However, he shook that thought free. She was just trying to play on his feelings again. She felt no shame…for she had no heart. Deep down inside, she was as cruel as her mother…

Once all were gathered, he took the ends of the ropes, tied them together, and then began to lead them out through the fence.

"Let's step lively. It'll take a long time to get there, after all."

As donkeys, the three ladies had more stamina than they did as women. And that was good for them, for Klaus maintained the same rapid pace he had first used to come to their house if not even faster, and they had to keep up. Still, the beasts panted and wheezed and snorted eventually as the hours went on. Having some pity on them, he watered the three of them when that occurred. If they were true jackasses, after all, then eventually he knew they'd lie in the dirt and wouldn't move any longer until they were rested, and he didn't feel like staying out at night. Even so, however, he soon found that Minna hadn't been completely lying about her mother's condition. As she went on, she was soon panting and gasping more than the others, letting out deep snorting breaths. Eventually, she started to wobble, and her legs quivered underneath her. Clearly, she had no more stamina than any other donkey of her "age range" would. However, he had the least pity for her. When Minna and Bertha looked too weak he would allow them to water themselves, and Eugenia with them, but he let Eugenia suffer for the most part…and not just because it would have taken all day if they stopped continuously for her.

Part of that reason was as they walked, he saw Minna's back. And to his surprise, there were markings on her fur that indicated whip strikes.

…So it wasn't completely fake. He realized. Eugenia had been beating her. Although why she would have beat her just to make a more 'convincing lie' is madness.

Likewise, he noticed on leaving that there was no gold piece on the ground at the heads of any of the three. He was sure either Eugenia or Minna had the heart, but it seemed like it only worked when one was a human, not a donkey. So much the better. It'd be foolish to part with them if he could still get the gold from them…although he might have done it anyway in Eugenia's case.

Although the older one was barely able to keep walking by the time they got there, they did arrive in town well before dark. More than enough time to find an inn after Klaus concluded his business. However, first he needed to deal with the three. With that in mind, he led them straight to the miller's. Much to his pleasure, he saw that he ran a pretty sizable operation even from a distance. He required at least two donkeys to work the heavy millstone, and he could see it was such hard work that he would need "substitutes", and likely had the money to care for them. He would do nicely.

After meeting up with him and pulling him away temporarily from his work, he gave his proposition.

"I'm kind of in a bad spot right now…" Klaus explained to the man. "See these three?" He held up the rope. "They're good-for-nothing to me, and if I continue to keep them on my property they'll eventually cost more to feed than anything I can get for them. However, I think they can manage turning a millstone easy enough. I see you're a man who looks like he could use some extra asses to increase your workload."

"Well, it would be nice to have a few more of them…" The miller agreed, scratching his beard and looking them over a bit. "And they can't act up very well when they're harnessed to the wheel. But…I dunno. I don't really have the spare income at the moment to pay for them and, frankly, that one looks too old for this sort of thing. The other two seem a bit on the lean side, like they haven't done any serious hauling…"

"True enough." Klaus admitted. "However, I'm so eager to get rid of them I'll actually pay you to take them off my hands for me, and hopefully that will cover any trouble they give. I'll even stop by in a couple weeks to make sure you aren't losing out on the deal. All I ask in return is that you handle them exactly the way I tell you to."

The miller paused, but then shrugged. "Alright, that sounds fair. What do I do?"

In response, Klaus tied the ropes to the fence for a moment, and then went over to Eugenia. He soon put a hand down on her, which made the donkey immediately bristle and snort, although she was too weak, thirsty, and out of breath from the trip to do much more than that.

"You can tell this one has a mean temper just from that, can't you?" He asked the miller. "She'll need to be broken of that. Don't think because she's old she's not stubborn. Give her just one meal a day and three beatings."

The jackass immediately began to fume and snort, but was too weak to do much more than shift her weight.

The miller let out a chuckle. "She doesn't like the sound of that, eh?" He joked. "But seriously…she's skin and bone already and you want her to get three beatings and one meal? I've owned donkeys for years, friend, and I'll tell you she won't hold up long like that."

"What, her?" Klaus laughed back in response, giving her a pat that made the donkey hiss. "Ol' Eugenia here is plenty strong when she wants to be, and she could use her ill temper being broken. Now then, this here is Bertha…"

He moved to the next she-ass, who was braying quietly even after warnings to stop.

"She's pretty compliant and good-natured, so you can feed her three times a day. However, if you let her, she'll just lie down in a corner and bray like this all day if you don't watch her. So give her just one good flogging to keep her on task."

At once, the donkey began to bray a bit louder, but in response Klaus increased his volume.

"…And if she protests or gives you more fuss, go ahead and give her an extra one so she knows it's time to work."

Immediately, Bertha quieted down, seeming to force her jaws shut. The miller actually raised an eyebrow at this behavior, but shook his head and looked back at Klaus.

As for the young man, he moved to Minna afterward. Her head was bowed as it had been most of the day, and she was still quiet…still keeping her eyes focused on the ground.

"And this one is Minna." He said. Yet after doing so…he found himself pausing. He looked to the face of the she-ass…at how it hadn't changed. In spite of his mind telling him it was a lie once again, that she was merely pretending so she could get a lesser punishment…he found himself staring at her even now. Staring at her eyes…how sullen they were…how resigned and yet…sad… It actually made him pause. He actually felt some of his thrill of revenge and anger in his heart cool just a bit…

"…Alright." The miller interjected when he noticed Klaus had gone silent. "And how do I care for her?"

Klaus blinked, and looked to him. "…What?" He answered. "Oh…oh." He said as he snapped out of it. "Well…she…" He spoke slower now, more uncertainly. And though he looked to the miller a moment, he found himself looking back to her after a time.

"…Yes? Go on. I haven't got all day."

"Yes…um…well, she's pretty well tempered herself like Bertha, so feed her three times a day as well. And…"

He focused on her eye…how sad it seemed…

"And…"

A tear rolled out of it again…and, once again, Klaus couldn't quite believe it was simply the young woman sad about her fate. It seemed to be more…

"And…" He hesitated a moment longer…and before he could stop himself, found his voice dropping quietly. "…Don't beat her at all."

The donkey didn't react. She kept her head bowed to the ground.

"Really?" The miller asked. "She's that well-tempered?"

Klaus paused, but then exhaled. "…I didn't say that. Just…there's something about her that I always had a fondness for, I guess. She'll work decent, however. Just…" He swallowed, then looked fully to him. "…Never beat her."

The miller paused, and then sighed and shrugged. "Seeing as you're the one paying me to take them off your hands, I suppose that's doable. How much do you think they're worth right now?"

"About sixty thalers."

"I could use that ready money on hand. Sold."

And so the next month slowly passed.

Klaus stayed the night in the local inn. Early the next morning, he made sure to walk by the miller's on his way back out to the house. He actually found himself smiling darkly as he heard a whip cracking and an angry braying from within the stable, knowing Eugenia was getting the first of many well-earned beatings. Yet he didn't stay to watch beyond that. While he wouldn't care to see Eugenia in misery, Bertha's constant crying the day before had managed to chip away a bit at his heart…and he realized, as much as he told him he was a fool for thinking so, he didn't want to see Minna toil at the millstone. He soon went on the road, put them out of mind as best as he could, and walked back. By evening he was back at the home…his home.

The first order of business was to completely ransack every square inch of the secret room, ripping it completely apart. He took every last artifact and book inside, brought them out to a pile, and burned them. That done, he stripped it away until at last he pried a board loose and found his cloak behind it. With half of his fortune restored and more besides, he was pretty happy. After that, he tore up the rest and burned it as well, then dumped as many large stones into the chamber as possible and filled with the rest with mud and dirt, until there was nothing left of the secret room but the foundation. After that, he replaced the opening with floorboards, and it was gone.

That done, he redecorated the house. Most of the furnishing he kept, but he burned most of Eugenia's, Minna's, and Bertha's things. He had little need for them. Pretty much all of Eugenia's things were destroyed, but he kept some of Minna and Bertha's in case he got a maid of his own in the future. The house itself was worth quite a bit, and he had enough wealth to enable a good standard of living for some time. He tested out tending the livestock himself. Eventually, he had to sell some as it was simply too hard to manage them all alone, but soon he adjusted to that. After rearranging the place more to his liking, he repainted and redid a few more things to give it more of his "touch", and at last the home was one he could comfortably live in.

That said, he felt nothing but discomfort as they days went by.

In spite of knowing the house had been nothing more than a lion's den when he first lived in it, he missed the sounds of activity. Most of all…he missed seeing a smile and hearing a laugh. Much as it infuriated him and drove him mad, he couldn't stop thinking about Minna. Even after she had broken his heart and betrayed him, he kept dreaming of her and fantasizing about her. He would spend hours unable to do any of the work, just lying in a chair or hunched over a stove, listening to the silence of the forest around him, and thinking about her.

When his thoughts wouldn't stop returning to her, he berated himself out loud.

"You're a fool, Klaus. Get it through your head. She. Never. Loved. You. All she cared about was the gold and the cloak. She tricked you and stomped on your heart and your feelings. Everything she ever said about you was a lie. Every warm touch she ever gave you was to see what would leave you the most vulnerable. And now, she's getting a well-earned reward the same as her wretched mother. Look out at the ash heap, Klaus. That's what she was…a witch. A cruel, heartless monster who only wanted to use you. You remember what the old woman said. You judged by appearances, and it cost you dearly. It nearly took your life. Would you be thinking like this if you were still wasting away from hunger on that mountain?"

He would leave it at that afterward, thinking the matter closed. Yet in less than an hour, it would always start again.

As days turned into weeks, he only obsessed more and more over it. He realized, deep down inside, he wanted a reason to feel like she had cared about him. There was none, of course…but he kept thinking none the less. When she had wept in the kitchen and confided in him, something about her had seemed so real…so genuine… No matter how much he talked to himself, he wanted to believe her…

"That's the stupidest thing of all, Klaus." He told himself angrily when it came to mind one day, as he found himself pacing the halls, trying to keep himself from thinking about it. "That's the one time you know she was lying. Sure…it was true that Eugenia was abusing her…but that's no excuse! What kind of a person are you if you let yourself be pushed into killing someone else? Beating or no beating?"

Growing fed up with the inside, he walked out of the house and into the surrounding garden. He began to pace around it, moving toward the vegetable garden. He had ignored it mostly until this point…partially because it was overlooked by Minna's window and partially because it grew cabbage and tea herbs. Yet he felt he could use the fresh air now that summer was finally giving way to autumn. And once out, he continued to talk to himself.

"Are you going to spend the rest of your life thinking this way? Sitting in this house imagining what could have never been? When you started on this trip you wanted to see the world. Well, there's a lot of world still to see. So why not get to it? Take the money and go somewhere else, and just forget this whole stupid house ever existed. Heck…burn it along with the rest of their rubbish. Or sell it and make yourself enough money to find someone who's genuine and loving and true and not just a greedy witch out to…"

Klaus trailed off in mid-speech.

His eyes were on the garden now, and something sparkled, catching his eye. It wasn't from the garden itself, but rather the rubbish pile behind it, where garbage and waste was separated from compost. There was a gleam coming from it, having hit the sun just right. He paused a moment, and then began to move to it. In a short time, he passed the garden and was next to the waste. The gleam had stopped by now, but he saw where it had come from. He lowered himself, and brushed aside a bit of the rubbish he had added. It took a few moments, but he uncovered something he hadn't noticed before.

A pure gold coin without any emblem.

Exactly the same as the ones he used to find under his pillow.

He hesitated. After a moment, he looked up and to the side. The fenced in area was far from the rubbish pile. There was no chance anyone who had been in there could have been over here that one night. For a moment, Klaus wondered if he had thrown it out with the moldy fodder. But as he looked back to the coin…he thought he saw something else. Removing the first coin, he brushed aside a bit more rubbish.

Another one was a bit beneath it.

He pushed aside a little more to claim this one…only to find a third. And a fourth. Soon, he found himself rooting through the filth for more. It took some time, but after a while…he found twelve of the coins in all.

Twelve.

The exact number of nights that passed from the time Minna abandoned him on the mountain to the day he returned and enacted his revenge.

When that happened, he went still. Staying in his kneeling position, he looked at the ground for a long time…looking at those twelve gold coins that had been cast into the rubbish. Not in Eugenia's hiding places or pouches…but in the grime. Easy enough, he realized, to have been tossed in there every morning from Minna's own window. And the truth hit him.

…She threw them away. She didn't want them.

At last, Klaus put aside his anger and leaned back to think for a moment more.

It hadn't just been sadness he had seen in Minna's fast after she had been transformed. It had been shame. He had been wrong…she wasn't sad at all about her fate, nor angry or bitter. She had been compliant not for mercy…but because she accepted her punishment. The whole time, she believed she deserved it.

The cloak was hidden in Eugenia's things. Even if she had regretted what she had done…even if she had intended to come back to that mountain for me…she couldn't have. Not without fighting Eugenia. Not without getting another beating…

"I'm leaving soon. I just came to ask Bertha what was already made in the pantry that I could take with me."

"…Anywhere but here."

"I don't want to stay here with mother any longer…"

…She had taken enough from her. She was going to leave her.

"This is just a wild supposition, but did it happen to do with money at all?"

"Well…yes, actually. Well…partially. There were other things involved as well…"

"Something else that was precious to you?"

"…Yes."

She wasn't talking about the cloak or the heart. She was talking…about me.

"In truth…I should stay a little longer. There was something important I meant to tell you before I left…something I think you need to know while we're in private. I'll tell you after I've had some of this."

She was going to warn me about Eugenia…about how she'd try to trick and cheat me. How she might even kill me over the other head of cabbage.

Klaus continued to sit there and think. For a moment, he nearly thought this was wishful thinking. That it was just his hopes looking for light where there was none…

Then he remembered what the old woman said.

But the time is coming when you'll be tempted to judge by appearances on three separate occasions. Make sure you don't judge on what things seem to be on those three occasions, or you'll end up unhappy and miserable for the rest of your days in spite of having more than enough.

He thought again of those words.

Make sure you don't judge on what things seem to be.

He looked up and around himself…at the lovely house…the livestock…the wealth inside…all he possessed now being more than he ever had or needed…

Or you'll end up unhappy and miserable for the rest of your days in spite of having more than enough.

At once, it struck him.

…The third occasion. I'm doing it right now.

I'm making the same mistake…

In a moment, Klaus had torn off of the ground and was racing back to the house. In an instant, he rushed into the pantry, dug through it, and soon found the white cabbage still in the sack, and still as healthy as the day it was plucked. After that, he quickly went into the linen closet. After digging a moment, he came out with a large blanket. He nearly turned at that…but then paused…before reaching back inside and grabbing a second. After that was done, he quickly went to his room, grabbed his money, grabbed his cloak, threw it over his shoulders, and spoke.

"Take me to the miller in…I mean, take me to the edge of town."

Klaus didn't see Eugenia, Bertha, or Minna out working as he approached the mill. A team of true asses was turning the heavy stone, while the miller looked after them. He found himself running up to him as he worked with them, and running full speed. He was out of breath by the time he reached the fence, but his appearance had been enough to get the miller to look to him. He was puzzled at first on seeing the new cloak and the things in his hands, but soon he recognized him.

"Oh…it's just you." He stated in response. "I figured you'd have been by to check earlier than-"

"How are the donkeys I gave you doing?" He cut the miller off. His voice was insistent.

The miller blinked, a bit surprised at his urgency, before he exhaled and gave a sigh. "Well, I'll tell you this much, friend. It seems you managed to still nearly cheat me in spite of paying me to take them off your hands."

"Where are they?" Klaus nearly retorted. "I mean…what happened to them?"

"Well, just as I warned you, the old one couldn't take more than two weeks of it between the lack of food and the beatings. Had a nasty temper too. Just collapsed and died one morning. Hide was good for nothing, so I just cut her up and fed her to the dogs."

Klaus' face paled on hearing that. Not so much at hearing what had befallen Eugenia, but more about what that might mean for the others… "The other two. Are the other two still alive?"

"For now, yeah." The miller answered with a frown. "But not for long. I'd call the magistrate on you if you hadn't paid me to take them, because I'd swear you sold me sick animals."

"Where are they?" Klaus found himself asking again. "Show me where they are."

However, the man kept frowning. "Listen here, friend…if you gave me sick animals and you get the rest of my asses sick, we have a serious problem on our hands. I barely got any work out of the two you gave me and if they end up killing the others, then I'd say you cheated me a great deal and-"

Before the miller could say another word, Klaus reached out, seized his hand, and dumped twelve gold coins into it.

"That's three times what I paid you to take them off my hands. It's yours if you give them back to me right now." He stated insistently.

The miller stared blankly in response. He nearly gaped at the coins. "Where did you…?"

"Will you give them back to me or won't you?!" The young man nearly shouted, his look practically wild.

"Alright, alright! Fine!" The miller shot back. "You're either the worst trickster ever or a fool, but if you want a pair of dying animals then you can take them!"

"Just show me where they are!" Klaus retorted as he already began to cross the fence.

Less than a minute later, the miller had taken Klaus into the stable. At what seemed like a painstakingly slow process, the man slowly walked him to the back stall, and then presented the interior to him.

"There you go." He stated. "I took care of them exactly as you said I should for all the good it did. They were always weak at laboring and tired easily, and in spite of feeding them both three times a day, they started leaving food behind three weeks ago, and now I can't get them to eat at all. They just lie there like they're dying…and I've never seen a pair of she-asses so miserable-looking in all my life. If I didn't know any better, it's like they both wished they were dead."

Bertha and Minna were indeed a pitiful sight. Both had lost enough weight to where their ribs were showing by now. And the way they lay in the hay was as if they were already dead. Both looked dirty, tired, worn, and wretched. Bertha had finally stopped braying, but her eyes were caked from having shed so many tears. Minna herself had obviously cried some too from her appearance. Neither of them even looked up when the miller came by.

At any rate, he soon got the ropes that he brought them in with, and then handed them off to Klaus. "All yours if you're willing to walk them off the property."

"I am." He answered as he seized the bridles. "Thank you."

Minna's eyes cracked open and she looked up ever so slightly on hearing the voice. Bertha, however, continued to lay there. A moment later, he bent down at their heads and began to attach the first bridle to Bertha. She let out small whines from her throat as she did so, and vainly tried to draw away.

However, the miller was returning to his work now…and so Klaus spoke in a much softer, gentler, quieter voice to them than before.

"It's alright…I'm not going to do anything worse to either of you. I'm not here to hurt you or torment you any longer."

Bertha continued to whine, but allowed the bridle to go on her head, especially when Klaus only gently tightened it. He moved to Minna next, who, at long last, looked at him with her same sad stare. For a moment, he froze, and met gazes with her. Just long enough to show that his own look wasn't hard, cross, or angry any longer. On seeing that…just the dimmest light went into Minna's own eyes as he gently placed the second bridle on her.

"Just walk with me until the edge of town." He told them. "After that, I'll take them off."

Unlike them, they could tell from Klaus' own soft voice and reassuring tone that he wasn't lying or trying to trick them. He was genuine. With that in mind, both she-asses weakly began to rise. They were feeble from hunger and toil, but soon they were both able to get to their feet, and Klaus began to lead them out of the stable.

About twenty minutes later, the three of them were well outside the city limits in the surrounding pastureland. The sun was on its way down, tinting the sky orange, and there was no one to be seen anywhere nearby. Once there, Klaus proceeded to unfold either blanket and drape it around either donkey, covering their entire backsides and up to their shoulders. Once that was done, he went into the sack and pulled out the white cabbage.

Bertha stiffened and began to let out a bray, and Minna looked likewise uneasy, but he calmly pulled off a bit of the leaves and held them up to his own mouth.

"Eat this." He told them. "It'll change you back. It's safe. Look." He proceeded to put the leaf in his own mouth, chew it up, and swallow. He held a moment afterward, proving to them he wasn't about to change into anything. Once that was done, he ripped off a handful of leaves and held them out in front of Bertha. "Go on."

The she-ass hesitated. She let out another uneasy bray. However, Klaus wasn't being hard. He wasn't demanding she eat it or threatening her if she didn't. In the end, she reluctantly leaned her head forward. Slowly, her mouth opened, clamped down on some of the leaves, and slowly she brought them into her mouth and began to chew on them. After munching for a long time, she finally was brave enough to swallow.

Not long after, the changes quickly reversed. Her body sank beneath the blanket until it was fully draped over her. She lowered until she found herself on dissimilar limbs, and as her fur gave way to skin she raised her restored arms to quickly draw the blanket around herself before her breasts could reform. Her ears shrank, her muzzle compressed, and soon all that sat there was a human woman.

Bertha looked astonished, nearly apoplectic. Holding the blanket tightly around herself with one hand, she reached up and felt her own cheek with her restored hand, confirming that she was indeed human again. She breathed stiffly after that, stunned and relieved. However, when Klaus approached her, she quickly recoiled, cringing in fear from him.

The huntsman merely reached out, took one of her hands, pulled it forth…and dumped the last of the gems he still possessed inside it.

"There's enough for you to make a fresh start easily." He told her. "Go do what you like."

The maid looked back up to Klaus for a moment longer, her face still stricken, as if not sure what emotion to feel. Yet in the end, she clutched the gems in her hand, pulled the blanket more tightly around herself, and then got up, turned, and ran back to the village as fast as she could, as if she had been confronted with the devil himself. The young man never saw her again, and honestly couldn't blame her. However, his anger was gone. He honestly hoped she made a better life for herself, but whether she merely went back to serving some new master, a kind or a cruel one, he didn't know.

At any rate, he tore off more of the leaves and turned to Minna next. He held them out to her. For just a fraction of a second, the donkey hesitated. But then, more readily and confidently than Bertha had, she extended her jaws, took them up, and quickly chewed them and ate them. She swallowed the mouthful in a fraction of the time it took the maid, and soon she began to revert as well.

In less than a quarter of a minute, Minna, her beautiful black hair disheveled and wild and splayed over the blanket, was human once again herself, but she remained on the ground in a position of all fours. Not only that, but she kept her head bowed. Klaus said nothing at this. He merely looked down at her for a moment. Minna, on her part, didn't say a word or make a noise. Neither did she rise from her position.

Finally, she did make a sound. She inhaled sharply…and then began to cry. As she did, remaining in her lowly position, she crawled up to Klaus' feet and mortified herself before them.

"I'm sorry…" He could hear her say between tear-choked sobs. "I'm so sorry…about everything…"

A moment later, the young witch felt a gentle hand on her back as Klaus lowered himself down to her. It was a pleasant sensation, but she continued to cry.

The huntsman just let out a small exhale. "…Really?" He asked her. "After the month you just endured?"

"I deserved it…all of it." She wept. "I was a fool and a monster… I was no better than my mother… It's no excuse…I know it's no excuse…but that's how she taught me to see the world. She brought me up my whole life to be cruel and treacherous to people…because she convinced me everyone was out to take advantage of us… She told me time and time again you only wanted to ravish me…that you only lusted after my body and would use me if you could… Klaus…"

She sniffled.

"…I know you won't believe me…but I swear…I swear before God…I didn't lie when I said I fell for you the first day we met. Mother tricked me…deceived me…taught me to make my heart as hard as hers…to say to myself it was all just lust and foolishness… It wasn't until that day on the mountain that I began to realize she had lied to me all along…that she was the one who was cruel and treacherous… Klaus…I wanted to go back for you. Please, please believe me when I say I wanted to go back… But Mother was there…and she wanted the cloak…and I was so weak and foolish that I didn't want to defy her then…and I let her take it and hide it…"

She sniffled yet again.

"…I wanted to die in that stable, Klaus…but not because I was a dumb beast of burden. It was because it was what I deserved. I wanted to lie down and die for you if it would have made you stop hating me… I still deserve to die. I should have been stronger…I should have tried to defy Mother sooner…"

Another hand rested on her back, and they both began to move to her shoulders.

"It's all over now." The huntman's quiet, reassuring voice answered back. "Don't think of it any more."

"No…no…" The young woman answered as she shook her head. "It's not. There's no excuse for what I did… I can't ask you to ever forgive me. I deserved to be worked to death. You should have had me starved as well. Just…" She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "Just…just let me go back long enough to make one more vomiting potion…for myself. Then you'll have the heart, and everything will be yours again and you can be happy and-"

Before Minna could say another word, Klaus' arms moved down on her, pulled her body up and out of the dirt, brought her close until she was resting against him, and then wrapped her arms around the rest of her to hug her tightly and warmly.

Minna tried to protest and fight it. She tried to shake her head no and refuse…but she couldn't. She only broke down weeping again as she felt so warm and safe against him. It was only made worse when he hugged her more tightly and lowered his head next to hers, and she could feel him gently kiss the top of her head.

"I'll be happy with you, Minna." He answered.

She was silent at that. Her voice began to tremble.

"K-Klaus…you can't mean that…"

"I do. More than anything I ever said in my life."

"I'm…I'm a horrible person…"

"Don't say that. You're your own person now. You're free to choose everything for yourself."

"Klaus…please…let me go."

"I love you, Minna."

"Don't say that…please don't say that…"

"I love you, Minna."

"Klaus…you don't know what you're…"

"I love you, Minna."

"Please…p…please…"

"I love you, Minna."

At this, the young woman couldn't hold anymore. Fresh tears breaking forth, she suddenly burst into sobs again as she wrapped her own arms tightly around him and hugged him fiercely back.

"…I love you, Klaus." She managed to answer. "I love you so much…"

She soon felt herself being kissed by him again, this time on the face. He did so not once but several times, until finally she turned her own tear-streaked face to his and met his lips. The two soon kissed passionately, only hugging each other tighter. And for a long time, they merely sat there on the ground doing so. Finally, they parted their lips. Minna nestled against Klaus as he held her as close as his own heart.

"…I don't understand." She finally said after a long silence. "How…why…how can you find it in your heart to forgive me?"

Klaus was quiet for a long time after hearing that, but in the end gently kissed her forehead again in response. Without another word, he wrapped the blanket securely around her, scooped her up bridal-style, letting her nestle her body against his, close her eyes, and simply recline against him, and then began to walk back to town. He no longer had the gold or gems, but he was lucky enough to still have credit from his initial trip through town…enough to get a room for two, at any rate.

He never answered her question, and he never needed to. But as Minna rested against him, feeling truly happy and safe at last, no longer under anyone's lash or poisoned by distrust and suspicion…hearing the soft thumping inside Klaus' own chest…she realized she already had the answer.

Not all magic hearts come from within ravens.

And when she awoke the next morning in his loving arms, feeling happier than ever and truly free, she realized there would never be any need for her to take a vomiting potion.

Even if the raven's heart remained in her, it seemed there would still be a gold coin under Klaus' pillow every morning anyway from now on.

The End

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I hope you all enjoyed the story. There's one last one to go, but it should be even longer than this one, so...I'll make sure it gets broken up into chapters. It will be a while before I get to work on it, but the last in the series will be "The Six Swans".