"Can you continue on or not?" The beast demanded. Unable to let her win, Belle gritted her teeth and nodded.

  "I'm fine." She insisted when it looked like Kiara might reach out for her again, and made for the waters edge without looking back.

  Kiara had the same idea, yanking off her shirt when they reached it, revealing only a sleeveless undershirt that hadn't been tied together very well. Kiara didn't seem to notice or care. Using the bloodied shirt, the beast cleaned off her arms and face while Belle wiped the drool from her neck. She stared at Kiara quizzically when she was done, watching her wring the shirt out several times until everything was squeaky clean.

  "The deer folk don't care for blood." Kiara grunted and Belle blinked.

  "The...deer folk...?" She repeated like a simpleton, but her words were drowned out by an enraged howl. Rory fought against his restraints, snarling at Kiara.

  "You can't do this. My people will come for me!"

  Kiara wrung out her shirt for a final time before tossing it into a saddle bag.

  "You'll be replaced by sunrise." She replied in a cruel tone and Rory let loose another howl.

  Equal parts angry and intrigued Belle didn't know how to feel as they mounted up. She settled for replaying the events of the last few hours in her head in between marveling at the scenery as they traveled. Things got greener and greener the further they went, and Rory's pathetic howls got sharper.

  Thankfully Belle was too preoccupied with her own thoughts to be concerned with her grumbling stomach, or her tweaked wrist. She only returned to reality when they came upon a deep meadow. Kiara halted their progress, dismounting with the end of Rory's leash wrapped firmly around her fist. With her free hand she made to help Belle down but was ignored. Belle regretted the petulant decision instantly when the shock of landing sent pain rippling across her body.

  Sighing, she sucked it up while they started walking, a furious Redmond in tow. Unable to help herself, Belle looked to the warrior princess as they waded through the dense grass.

  "Where are we going exactly?"

  Kiara didn't miss a beat, keeping her eyes straight ahead as she replied,

  "Willow’s Bend."

  Rory attempted to snarl again but was interrupted by sneeze after sneeze. Pollen blanketed him as Kiara dragged him along, and eventually he just dropped his arms into his lap, turning into dead weight. It reminded Belle of the castle hounds when they were forced into bath time after hunts.

  Their sojourn through the field ended when they reached a wooden wall.

  "Don't introduce yourself." Kiara said to Belle, who raised an eyebrow. "Your father isn't a very popular man here." She continued and Belle nodded, but it still stung.

  Belle didn't have time to be bothered by the familial slight for very long. She more felt and heard the sound of weapons being drawn than saw them. Only two men approached, but the princess felt many eyes upon her from beyond the wall.

  "What is your business here?" One of them asked and Belle unconsciously stepped closer to Kiara.

  "A gift." She yanked Rory forward as he protested with what was left of his might.

  After a moments keen observation, they stepped aside and let the girls pass. Belle couldn't help gazing back at them until Kiara stopped her with a look.

  Sunflowers stuck out all around them, swiping at Belle’s cheeks as they came upon the path to the village. Kiara lifted an arm up, keeping them somewhat at bay while Belle pointedly avoided looking at her. When they crossed the golden threshold into the Bend the princesses’ steps slowed. Beside her Rory tilted his head up, his howls providing a wistful soundtrack to the rolling landscape that appeared. The Bend really did seem to curve, like the gourds and melons that overflowed from baskets balanced by the locals as they went about their business. In the distance the grazing animals did their thing, while still farther back the dark peaks of the Solomon Mountains scraped the horizon. In the village proper the dwellings were curious, to Belle at least, shaped like pyramids but bright, and flexible. Occasionally a child's face would materialize to peer out at them, only to be swiftly smothered by a canvas door or a strong arm. Their stares weren’t exactly friendly, but they didn’t look hostile either.

  Kiara didn’t seem fazed, maintaining a sharp angle as she made a beeline for the villages edge while Belle tried to get a better look at just about everything. When they finally got to the outskirts the land sprawled out into scarred patches of dirt where fighters practiced their trade. What wild grass there was, was kept in check by the hooves of the horses and their skilled riders as they whipped by. At the center of it all a woman stood, orchestrating things, and Belle was immediately drawn to her.

  She wore fringed pants, and a vest to match, with an assortment of tattoos across her bare shoulders and down her arms. They were pitch black and a few stuck out at odd angles, like her dark hair that was shorn into a messy bob cut. The woman's warm brown eyes turned upward slightly at the corners, and Belle couldn't help but have a good feeling about her as she turned them on the visitors.

  "Ah, Kiara Rose, to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?" She asked, striding towards the pair with hands on hips.

  "Brought you a present. For Pocahontas, the leader of the clans." Kiara replied gruffly as she tossed Rory at her feet, then threw out his lead. Pocahontas caught it without missing a beat.

  "I suppose it has been awhile since we've had a proper exile." She said with a small smile, looking down at her prize, who grimaced.

  "I didn't do anything!" He growled at her, spitting. "It's my grandmother. She's plotting to take you all down. If you let me go-"

  Pocahontas jerked the rope upward, cutting off his oxygen supply.

  "You're lying." She declared after staring into his panicked eyes for a long minute. She snapped her fingers and a few of the warriors came right to her side.

  "Put him in the Pit until the next new moon, make sure he doesn't escape." She announced coldly and Rory went kicking and screaming from them while Belle looked on feeling something almost like sympathy for him. When the scene was over Pocahontas turned her attention to the girl from Lyons.

  "You're new..." She began, stepping right up to Belle. "Cute." Pocahontas added and Kiara cleared her throat.

  "I thought you weren't interested in royal affairs?" The warrior princess asked in her typical aggressive tone and Pocahontas folded her hands in front of herself, the picture of serenity.

  "I suppose you're right. But, by that same token, you are in my village. You could've easily thrown Redmond in the castle dungeons, or killed him yourself." Pocahontas replied and Kiara frowned in response but her stance became less aggresive.

  "I came to deliver a message." She admitted after a minute and Pocahontas smiled a bit, looking pleased with herself.

  "From the King?" She asked.

  "From the commander of the Hillsguard." Kiara bit out, glaring at her.

  Pocahontas sighed, her expression one of boredom as she heard the message.

  "You need to keep your numbers down if you're truly interested in peace. And you will instruct your gatherers to leave our traps be."

  "...your 'gift' seems to have an awful lot of conditions attached..." The woman mused aloud as a white rabbit jumped up into her arms.

  "If the terms of the treaty are not followed, it is the innocent who will suffer the most." The warrior princess replied, glancing at the rabbit as it cleaned its face.

  "Of course, who needs harmony when there can be bloodshed? Are we all not merely victims to our nature?" Pocahontas asked, patting it.

  "You know that's not the case." Kiara replied and Pocahontas tilted her head.

  "Do I?"

  There was a silent stand off, until the woman's gaze softened.

  "How is he?" She asked quietly after a minute and Belle looked from one to the other, confused.

  "Occupied." Kiara’s reply was short. Belle wanted to ask who 'he' was, but another burning question took precedence.

  "...what's going to happen to Rory?" Belle asked in a small voice and both leaders turned to regard her. Kiara looked irritated, while Pocahontas was deadpan.

  "The wolf will be sacrificed, to the morning and the evening stars." She replied flatly, letting the bunny free and watching him skip off.

  Belle gasped, and Pocahontas grinned at her.

  "Just kidding." She winked and then Kiara looked really irritated. The beast bowed, then took Belle by the arm.

  "We'll be taking our leave now. Thank you for your...hospitality." Kiara declared and the woman gave her a look.

  "You're as stubborn as your dad, but he'd be quite unhappy with me if I let you leave in such a state. Please, join us for a meal. Fill your bellies and then you may be off. No questions asked."

  Belle's stomach chose that moment to reassert its existence, loudly, and she blushed, mortified. Pocahontas laughed, a rather musical sound, and then pushed them off in the direction of the wooden tables and benches in the center of the village.

  A group of school kids were already there, alongside their teachers, and Belle watched them with an amused expression. The lunch line wasn’t glamourous by any stretch of the imagination, but the princess was happy to join in, simple silverware in hand.

  “I’ll bet she’s enjoying this.” Kiara grumbled about the leader of the clans as they took the last table. There were many sets of curious little eyes on them alongside high-pitched chatter. Some kids stared from behind the safety of other kids, while the bold sat up on their benches to get a closer look. They were inevitably brought down by their teachers, who scolded them in tones so light the princess couldn’t hear it.

  Belle still wanted to be mad at the beast so she didn’t reply, merely diving into her gigantic salad. To the princess’s surprise, what the offerings lacked in style, they more than made up for in taste. She never thought she’d enjoyed lettuce so much in her whole life. Before she knew it, it was all gone. Slightly embarrassed, the girl from Lyons folded her hands in her lap, hoping she didn’t appear uncivilized.

  Kiara hadn’t seemed to have noticed, or if she did she didn’t comment on it as she tackled her own lunch with much less enthusiasm. Belle watched Kiara eat, not meaning to stare but unable to help it either.

  "What?" Kiara grunted without looking up.

  "...you don't look very happy." The girl from Lyons was still daydreaming about the ghost of her own lunch, and she couldn't believe Kiara didn't find it as amazing as she did.

  "I suppose I would be, if I were a rabbit, or a deer." She replied pointedly and Belle grinned, her animosity forgotten for a moment. Her smile faded however as she became thoughtful.

  "Why do they call themselves the deer folk?" She inquired and Kiara did look up at her, then right back down at her plate.

  "They're shifters." Kiara replied brusquely. "Been around since the earliest time. Or so they say."

  "You mean..." Belle's eyes widened, but then she thought of the man they'd dragged there. He had certainly been a wolf hadn't he?

  "Oh." She finished lamely as she realized she must've looked simple.

  "Drink your water. Let's go." Kiara ordered as she polished off the rest of her food and drink. The warrior princess got to her feet just as the village elders called the children down to the front. They were sleepy eyed and stumbling from lunch, and all dropped into a circle of heavy limbs.

  "I love story time!" One of them whispered loudly as she hugged the nearest friend and Belle dawdled at her seat.

  "Are you ready?" Kiara asked and Belle bit down on a guilty grin.

  "Well, it is story time..." She began in a small voice and Kiara groaned.

  "You and your stories." The warrior princess bit out. She didn't make to leave however, settling for glaring at Belle's back while standing behind her, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

  The glare soon dissolved as she watched Belle get taken in by the tale.

  "Today, there has been a wolf brought to our door..." The elder began and the kids oohed and aahed as they leaned forward, much like the slightly bigger kid behind them.

  "Do you all know why the fierce wolf hunts us so?"

  "Nooooo!" The kids chorused right on cue and Kiara stopped tapping her foot.

  "In the beginning, during the first time, the Great Council had a meeting, with all the animals of the forest. Except one..."

  Belle looked back at the beast for just a moment, making sure it was okay before settling in.

  "The Wolf, far in his southern sky, was somehow forgotten! While the council shaped the world he watched with jealous eyes. They planned for the people a beautiful world, of peace and harmony. When they were ready, the great Storm blew in from the west, and he carried with him, in his whirlwind bag, the first peoples. Your ancestors!" The elder jabbed a finger at the kids with a wizened grin and a few of them jumped.

  "So the Wolf in the sky sent a wolf to the earth to stalk the Storm. When he put his bag down to rest, the grey wolf made off with it, with the first ones still inside. When they escaped from the whirlwind bag they were very angry, and they chased down the grey wolf, killing him. And so the Wolf made his contribution, as death was first brought to the world." The elder said gravely and the kids covered their mouths, gasping as if they hadn't heard the story a million times.

  "Now his ancestors continue his legacy, ever seeking in revenge for their fallen brother. As you all will continue yours, caring for all those you encounter, and for the land that sustains us." The kids cheered her on as their own care-takers stood up, stretching before wrangling the happy children. Belle watched them go, the village quickly going back to its bustling pace. She waved her fingers to no one in particular, smiling a little, and Kiara stared.

  "Are you satisfied?" The warrior princess asked with an inscrutable expression. She helped Belle to her feet, then steered her towards the road before letting her go.

  Belle simply shrugged in response, then winced a bit as her wrist throbbed.

  Kiara gave her a look but continued along the path without a word. Belle looked back over her shoulder the whole time, trying to commit the whole place to her memory. As such Belle was turned around when a young man approached them, a deep scowl on his face. Kiara stiffened and Belle seemed to sense her unease, flipping to face the road again.

  The beast held eye contact with the tall, willowy boy, who didn't look away.

  As he got closer Belle could make out the various satchels and bags secured to his body, and eventually she could see the delicate herbs and hairy roots poking out from each one.

  He continued to stare and Belle's heart pounded faster despite the fact that it looked like Kiara could take him easily.

  When they got within a stones throw of each other it was Kiara who looked away, and he scoffed loudly in response.

  "Can't say hi anymore?" He charged, his eyebrows knitting together.

  "Mike." She nodded curtly and then he stopped in his tracks.

  "You can call me Maika now." His reply was cold, as were his eyes, which were swiftly turned to Belle.

  "You're the Marchand girl aren't you?"

  Belle nodded, suddenly shy, and he gave her a look of contempt.

  "You're half Dovish, how could you be a part of that occupation-" He started to say and Belle felt a fresh wave of shame that she couldn’t keep from showing on her face. Kiara immediately cut him off.

  "Watch it." She interjected, which seemed to make him even madder.

  "Of course, you'd agree with it." He sneered.

  "Shut up Maika." She replied forcefully and Belle watched his anger retract. He tried to keep it up, curling his lip, but hurt had crept into his eyes.

  "You're colonizers just the same. The Hill didn't need or want your people there either."

  "And what do you call this place? A colony?" Kiara's tone was exasperated, the kind of tired that came with having the same argument over and over with someone you cared about.

  "Just get out. And take your new friend with you."

  He said it through his teeth but his eyes shone. Kiara hesitated for just a moment before shouldering past him, pulling Belle along with a gentle grip, mindful of her wrist.

  This time Kiara punched the sunflowers away, spinning yellow petals down on them as Belle dragged her feet.

  "You two seemed to know each other pretty well." She pointed out and Kiara stopped trucking through the path. She still swatted at the foliage though, her eyes blazing.

  "...we were friends once. I trained in these woods a lot when I was a child. I wanted to be alone." Kiara's voice was insistent, too insistent.

  "...what happened?" Belle asked, sliding her arm free from the angry commander.

  It took the beast a full minute to reply.

  "I won the tournament. I had thirteen summers when I bested Rowan Elm. He had eighteen..." Her voice drifted off but came right back. "I didn't have time to run around in the forest anymore. I had to earn my ranks."

  Belle tilted her head, regarding her thoughtfully as the guards reappeared to see them out.

  "What?" Kiara demanded when they were past the wall.

  "Nothing." Belle replied.

  The girls walked in silence for a little while until Kiara reached into her pockets, freeing two plums. She tossed one up in the air before catching it and holding it out to Belle, who accepted the perfect produce gratefully.

  “When did you…?” Belle began and then she dropped it. “Thank you.” She said sincerely and Kiara merely nodded in acknowledgement, wolfing hers down.

  "...so what’s really going to happen to him? Rory, I mean." Belle asked between much smaller bites as the sun dipped lower in the sky.

  "The wolves are terribly efficient. They've probably started the search for a new alpha already. Gods know there’s no shortage of big, bad beasts in these lands waiting to take his place." She replied in a casual tone and Belle fired away.

  "Do you think he was telling the truth? About his grandmother?" Belle wanted to know and Kiara sighed in response.

  "...no. Pocahontas is quite good at figuring out that sort of thing. She leads many men, and she knows them by their virtues."

 

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