Chapter 15

The current had carried them so far downstream that it took them nearly an hour to find their way back to the road. They turned south then and soon found themselves in open country with hay fields on either side.

“Why did you ask the fish if it had ever been human?” Gwendolyn said to Beldegard after a while.

“Because if it had been, I wouldn’t have eaten it,” said Beldegard.

“It’s surprising how many talking animals we’ve encountered,” said Liam. “I wonder how many of them were human once.”

“I don’t know of any, other than myself and those three bears,” the bear prince said, “but then I haven’t asked very many.”

“That’s odd,” said Annie.

“Why, it’s not like I’ve had the opportunity—”

Annie shook her head. “No, I mean that little hut over there. I thought it was an extra-big bale of straw until I saw that it had a window and a door.”

“Isn’t that darling!” Gwendolyn exclaimed. “Do you think someone built it for a child?”

“Out here in the middle of nowhere? I can’t imagine who would take the time to… Gwennie,” Annie shouted as her sister started toward the hut. “What are you doing? Come back here!”

“Hello, little guy,” Gwendolyn said, peering through the window. “What are you doing in there? Annie, come quick,” she called over her shoulder. “There’s the cutest little pig in this hut!”

“I live here, lady,” the pig said, standing up on his hind legs. “I’m the one who should be asking you questions.”

“Did you hear that?” Gwendolyn called to Beldegard. “I found another talking animal!”

The pig leaned out of his window to see her companions. “You have a bear with you?” he asked. “Then you really should go. Prince Maitland has killed off most of the bears in Montrose and is hunting down the last few. He went past this morning and will probably be back any time now.”

Gwendolyn’s face turned pale. “We have to go somewhere safe!”

“Head for the woods,” the pig said, pointing south. “A bear is always safer in the woods.”

They walked faster after that, though occasionally one or the other would pause to look behind them. They had almost reached the forest when Beldegard groaned. “I don’t feel good,” he said. “I don’t think that fish agreed with me.”

“That fish didn’t agree with anyone,” said Liam. “Can you keep going for now?”

Beldegard grunted and continued on, but Annie could hear his stomach gurgling. She was relieved when they reached the forest, where there were more places for a bear to hide. The shade of the trees felt good as well, although it didn’t seem to help Beldegard’s noisy stomach.

They had gone only a short distance into the forest when Annie spotted another odd little hut. This one was made entirely of sticks and came only as high as her shoulder. It had a door facing the road and a peaked roof made of leafy twigs. They were walking past when a head appeared in the doorway.

“Look!” Gwendolyn exclaimed. “Another little pig! This one is even more darling than the first.”

“We shouldn’t stop now,” Annie told her sister, who had already started toward the hut.

“I have to lie down,” groaned Beldegard.

“Is that a talking bear?” the little pig said, trotting out into the open. “Oh, dear, this isn’t good. This isn’t good at all! You shouldn’t be here, bear. The prince will be by soon and he’s determined to rid the kingdom of bears.”

“We know,” said Annie. “Is there anywhere he can hide?”

“Go deep in the forest, as far from the road as you can,” said the little pig. “And hurry! The prince could be along any time!”

Beldegard groaned again. “I don’t know if I can walk that far.”

“You have to try, my love!” Gwendolyn cried, wringing her hands.

“He just has a stomachache,” said Annie. “You don’t need to be so dramatic. Come on, Beldegard. We didn’t come this far so some prince could take your hide for a trophy.”

Liam held a branch aside to let the others pass as they headed into the woods. “We’ve been in Montrose ever since we crossed the river. If this is your home kingdom, Beldegard, what prince would be out hunting bears?”

“My younger brother, Maitland,” panted Beldegard, trudging up a slope with his head hanging low. “I have two sisters, but he’s the only other prince, unless it’s someone from another kingdom.”

“Has your brother always hated bears?” asked Annie.

Beldegard shook his head. “He didn’t used to, but he’s always loved to hunt.” He groaned again and turned to bite at his side. “I don’t think I can go any farther.”

“If the prince is Beldegard’s brother, do we really need to run?” asked Gwendolyn. “We should just tell him who we are and what we’re trying to do. I bet Maitland would help us.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” said Annie. “Don’t you think it’s odd that his brother is hunting bears now? Until we know what’s really going on, I think we should hide Beldegard.”

“I agree,” said Liam. “Not all siblings are as nice as yours, Gwendolyn. Come on, Beldegard, just a little bit farther. They won’t see us once we get over the ridge.”

Beldegard’s muzzle was nearly touching the ground when he staggered to the top. “This isn’t very far from the road,” said Gwendolyn, looking back at the woods behind them.

“Keep going,” said Liam. “We haven’t gone nearly far enough.”

Beldegard started down the other side, one slow paw at a time. He’d gone only a few yards when he collapsed.

“Get up, my love,” Gwendolyn said, hurrying to his side. “We have to keep moving.”

Annie was right behind her sister when she heard a horse whinny. “Someone’s on the road!” she said in a loud whisper. “Hurry, we have to hide Beldegard!”

“Where?” Gwendolyn asked, looking around in confusion.

“Here, cover him with this,” Annie said, pulling her blanket from her knapsack. The bear prince had collapsed in a slight depression in the ground, which his bulk more than filled. Annie was glad that there wasn’t more of him to cover, as her blanket was barely big enough. It was a dull brown, not too different from the forest floor, and when they scattered leaves across its surface, Beldegard was almost impossible to see.

“They’re coming this way,” said Liam from the top of the ridge. “Sit down and act natural. Pretend we just stopped for a bite to eat. Gwendolyn, stop looking like the world is about to end. Take something out of your bag and eat it!”

Gwendolyn looked as frightened as a fawn in a dragon’s den. “I don’t think this is the time—” she began.

“Ooh,” groaned Beldegard.

“Gwendolyn, sit by his head and keep him quiet!” Liam told her as he hurried to join them.

While Gwendolyn carefully took a seat at one end of Beldegard, Annie plopped down next to his stomach and opened her knapsack, setting it on him as if he were a bump in the ground. She had just taken the first bite of hard cheese when five men on horseback appeared over the ridge.

“Good day!” Liam said, getting to his feet.

Annie noticed that he kept his hand near his sword; she wondered what he’d do if the men proved to be dangerous. Five armed men against one were not very good odds.

“Good day,” replied the young man who seemed to be leader of the group. Well dressed and with wavy brown hair, he looked a lot like Beldegard did whenever Annie’s touch made him turn back into a human. “My men and I are bear hunting. A particularly nasty one has been ravaging these woods of late. I would be careful if I were you.”

“Thank you for the warning,” Liam said. “And you are…”

“Prince Maitland,” said the young man. “Heir to the throne of Montrose.”

“I thought Prince Beldegard was the heir to the throne,” Gwendolyn said.

Maitland turned to face her. “He was,” he said, and shook his head as if in great sorrow. “He died on a quest two years ago. And who, may I ask, are you?”

“Just some travelers,” said Liam.

You may be,” said Prince Maitland, “but this lovely lady is not.” With one fluid motion, he threw his leg over his horse and dismounted. Gwendolyn didn’t move when the prince strode to her side and pulled her hood back from her face and her cap off her hair.

The mounted riders stirred, their horses responding by shifting their feet. Liam took a step closer, but Annie caught his eye and shook her head. One thing Gwendolyn knew how to do was deal with men.

“How did you know I was a lady?” Gwendolyn asked, looking up at him through her eyelashes.

“Your voice, your hands, a hint of your cheek. Who are you, my lady? You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen!”

“My name is Gwendolyn,” she said.

Once again the men stirred, but this time because their prince had fallen to his knees at her feet. “Princess Gwendolyn! The most beautiful princess in all the kingdoms! What are you doing here, my lady?” he asked, taking her hands in his and holding them as if they were fragile birds that might fly away.

“I am on a most urgent and secret quest, my kind prince. One that I must complete with my two companions before I can marry my true love.”

“And who may this true love of yours be?” the prince asked, his eyes darkening.

“I have yet to see his real face,” said Gwendolyn.

“You mean there might yet be hope…”

“There is always hope, dear prince,” she told him, giving him the same sweet smile Annie had seen her practice in mirrors countless times. “You must leave us now so we might continue our quest.”

“And I’ll see you again once you’ve completed it?” asked Prince Maitland.

“I’m sure of that,” Gwendolyn told him.

The prince raised her hand to his lips. After releasing her, he stood and took a step back. “Then we’ll be off,” he said, and gestured to his men.

No one moved while the prince and his men rode away. When he stopped at the top of the ridge to wave to Gwendolyn, she waved to him, then continued to watch as he disappeared over the other side.

“Wow!” Annie said, shaking her head in amazement. “You handled that really well.”

“I know,” Gwendolyn said with a smug smile.

“I thought he was about to declare his undying love for you,” said Annie. “And when you said you had to go on an urgent and secret quest so you could marry your true love, that was inspired! He thought you might be talking about him, didn’t he?”

“Maybe,” Gwendolyn said, looking coy.

“Well, I didn’t like it,” Beldegard said, getting to his feet so that the blanket, leaves, and Annie’s knapsack slid off and she had to scramble out of the way. Annie had been so close to him that he now looked mostly human. “What were you doing, flirting with my brother?” he asked Gwendolyn. “I noticed you didn’t tell him that you have a true love.”

“I wasn’t flirting with him! I mean I was, but not like you think!” said Gwendolyn. “I was trying to get him to go away and leave us alone. And what was I supposed to do, tell him that I intend to marry his brother, the bear, when everyone seems to think that telling him who you are is a very bad idea. And why is that, anyway?” she said, whirling around to face Annie.

“It may not be,” Annie said, shrugging. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry. I just think it was a little too much of a coincidence that Beldegard is a bear and his younger brother is out hunting bears when we just happen to be passing through the kingdom. If I’m not mistaken, if Beldegard were to die, Prince Maitland would be the one to inherit the throne.”

“That’s true,” said the bear prince, who was looking more bearlike by the moment. “But Maitland has never been interested in the throne. He’s always been more interested in hunting and having parties with his friends.”

“That may be so, but I think he’s interested in the throne now!” said Annie. “He is introducing himself as the heir.”

“How would he know I’m a bear?” asked Beldegard.

Annie shook her head. “Are you kidding me? Nearly two weeks ago, half the princes in the kingdoms learned who you were. I’m sure word has traveled all over by now.”

“You sound a lot better, Beldegard,” said Liam. “Are you feeling all right?”

The bear prince grunted. “I started feeling better when Annie leaned against my stomach. I think she took away the fish’s magic long enough that I could start digesting it. I feel great now, or I would if I hadn’t heard what I heard,” he said, turning to give Gwendolyn an injured look.

“But Beldegard, you know I love you!” she cried.

“Haven’t seen his real face, huh? What do you suppose this is?” the bear prince said, patting his cheek with his paw.

“That’s the face the dwarf’s magic gave you!” she cried, running to catch up as he stalked off. “You know I’ve never seen your real face, not even when Annie holds your hand. You still look a little bearlike then and I…”

“I don’t know which is worse, being around them when they’ve all lovey-dovey or when they’re arguing,” said Annie.

“I think listening to Gwendolyn talk to Beldegard’s brother was the worst,” said Liam. “But she did seem to know what she was doing.”