forgotten

[mute_pen]

It's past dark, but when you need the outhouse, you need the outhouse.

Isabel picks her way across the yard of her father's house in the moonlight, hoping to sneak back into bed without waking him.

Comments

[growcrooked]

"I have no idea," she says. "But if you light anything, he'll see it from the castle. And there'll be hell to pay if he sees you doing magic, I bet."

[mute_pen]

"Even if I go deep into the woods? Or as deep as I can, anyway, I don't know yet what's keeping me from walking or flying away but it must exist."

[growcrooked]

"Maybe not. And I guess he can't hurt you as bad as he can hurt me, or you'll die and he'll have to find a new flock again."

[mute_pen]

"Do you know if I heal - clean, like you do? If he breaks my legs or something - for that matter what happens when I transform, if I'm hurt?"

[growcrooked]

Nona shrugs.

[mute_pen]

"Well," sighs Etty, "no need to hasten the experiment, I'm sure to trip and scrape my knee soon enough."

[growcrooked]

"Do you do that a lot?"

[mute_pen]

"I'm very clumsy. Even when I'm not adjusting to an unfamiliar body."

[growcrooked]

"Oh." She shrugs again.

[mute_pen]

Etty's hands twist together. "Do you suppose it will help," she says, "if I fall in love with you?"

[growcrooked]

"I don't know. It might. Do you want to?"

[mute_pen]

"- There are reasons to want to. Overall I haven't added them up yet."

[growcrooked]

"Okay."

[pythbox]

All of a sudden, the curse gives Etty another inexplicable feeling.

This one is very insistently directional.

[mute_pen]

Etty stiffens.

"I think I have to go," she whispers, and she lurches to her feet and stumbles in the direction of the gate.

[growcrooked]

"Good luck," Nona whispers back.

[mute_pen]

Etty's shaking by the time she exits the orchard. She trembles her way in the direction the curse pulls her.

[pythbox]

The Baron is waiting by the lakeshore, wearing his owl-cape.

[mute_pen]

Etty slows down as she gets closer.

She does not - quite - stop, till she's about five feet away.

[pythbox]

He beckons her closer. The curse doesn't have anything to say about that.

[mute_pen]

She considers asking him what he wants.

But it's clear - at least in terms of what she is meant to be doing right at this moment - what he wants.

And she'll find out the rest of it.

She edges closer, shuffling step by shuffling step, keeping wary eyes on him.

[pythbox]

"Are you comfortable, my swan?" he inquires.

[mute_pen]

There are so many ways she could answer that.

She swallows, considers which ones will have the least effect on her ability to experiment with others effectively later, and says, "Yes."

[pythbox]

He nods, as though he expected that answer.

"Come up to the castle with me," he says, offering her his arm.

[mute_pen]

Etty has settled on a general strategy of pretending that this is some kind of civilized and appropriate behavior to which she does not strenuously object. This might make things go smoothly; if it doesn't she will assuredly have opportunities to try other things.

She links her arm with his, swallowing.