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tygati*deep breath* x.x
Many thanks to Nikery for letting me whine to her and assuring me thatit doesn't suck she liked it. ^^;
*and we now commence with the fidgeting!*
---
Playing Beast of the Castle wasn't nearly as much fun when you knew it was permanent. Beldon had retreated to his suite and not come out for days, leaving Herb to go stir-crazy in the meantime. He'd actually left the castle at one point to go terrorize travellers in the nearby Dark Forest, but even that lost its appeal rather quickly.
Eventually he found himself back in Beldon's parlor, curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace. It seemed as good a place to mope as any, and it smelled nice. It smelled a lot like Beldon, actually, which only made sense as the Enchanter tended to spend most of his time in one of three rooms, the Sitting Room being his favorite.
He was still there when Beldon finally put in an appearance, waltzing through the doors with three of the largest books Herb had ever seen trailing along after him like overgrown floating ducklings.
"I think I know what spell that sorry excuse for a wizard used," Beldon announced without any preamble, "But I can't seem to figure out how he managed to screw it up. Beast spells are not particularly difficult compared to other Enchanted Monster spells. You should see the preparation needed for the simplest Enchanted Frog spell..."
Herb blinked. "Um, so..."
"So," Beldon continued, his robes swishing around him as he stalked over to Herb, "I need to be able to see him cast the spell."
Herb blinked. Again. "Err.. but..."
"But that occurred in the Past," Beldon mused, apparently not hearing Herb at all, "And my mirrors are tuned to watch the Present. The best they can manage is about a month into the past, and that's not even close to how far back we have to go. Therefore..."
The Enchanter leaned down over Herb, hands on his hips, a peculiar sort of smile on his lips. "Therefore, we need a Magic Mirror of the Past."
For all that Beldon was rather small and Herb was a seven-and-a-half-foot Beast, the Enchanter still seemed to tower over him rather impressively. Perhaps the man wouldn't be quite so terrifying if Herb got up off the floor, but at the moment none of his limbs would obey him.
"Ah. Okay, so... where do we find one of those?" Herb squeaked.
Beldon straightened and turned away, gazing with unfocused eyes at a spot on the far wall. "The nearest one is in the hands of a Witch who lives about five days west of here," he replied. The Enchanter was silent a moment, then glanced over his shoulder at Herb with that little half-smile that never failed to unsettle him.
"Feel like going on a Quest?"
---
Being the youngest son of a king, Herb had quite a bit of experience with Quests. Well, the preparation thereof. So when Beldon appeared on the stairway with only a small knapsack slung over one shoulder, all Herb could think of to say was: "Wow, you sure pack light..."
Beldon snorted inelegantly and joined him in the Great Hall. For once the Enchanter wasn't wearing his ornate robes, rather, he had chosen to don what appeared to be rather fine riding clothes done in shades of reddish-brown and trimmed in gold. They fit him considerably better than his robes as well, and if Herb squinted a bit it wasn't quite so easy to mistake him for a girl.
Herb himself was still wearing the only set of clothing he owned, though Beldon's magic had repaired the damage four years had done to it and now it looked practically new.
"All right," Beldon announced as they exited the castle, "Just one little..."
From a pocket Herb hadn't noticed before the Enchanter pulled a small white card with gold lettering. He held it up to the door and released it, speaking a single sharp word as he did so. The card rapidly expanded, still apparently attached to the door, and now Herb could see that it had become a large wooden sign.
The letters read: "Out Of Town"
"There," Beldon announced smugly. "That should do us. Ready to go?"
Herb nodded.
The Enchanter led the way, back through the courtyards and down the path Herb had used over a month ago to bring him here. The Beast followed without question at first, then frowned in puzzlement once they passed through the wide iron gates and found themselves on the dirt road leading to the village.
"Aren't you going to ride?" Herb asked curiously.
"Don't be ridiculous," Beldon snorted. "You'd frighten the horses."
"Oh," Herb said quietly.
He remained silent all the way to the village, which they skirted rather than terrify anyone with the sight of Herb. It was the typical reaction, and yet... he couldn't help but wonder. Beldon hadn't even flinched upon first meeting him, yet the two other Enchanters (and one Enchantress) he'd encountered while travelling had run him off on sight.
What made this Enchanter different from the others? He wished he knew more about them, but the only magician of any sort in his father's court had been old, forgetful, and truth be told not very good. Although he hadn't been frightened by Herb's appearance... of course, his eyesight was even worse than Herb's...
"You said it'd take five days to get to the witch's house, right?" He asked Beldon.
"Approximately."
"That's walking?"
"Yes."
"Ah, well, I'm pretty fast, being a Beast and all, so maybe if I carried you then-"
"I am not being carried, by you or anyone else."
Herb was fairly certain the tone of his voice could have frozen molten lava. He swallowed and ran through the Gentleman's List of Ways To Apologize.
"Umm..."
"Just walk," Beldon said with a sigh. "And listen. If you're quiet, you can hear at least eight different species of birdsong, and there are several squirrels tailing us."
Herb blinked. "Oh."
"Yes, oh. And speaking of listening..." Beldon frowned. "Your hearing should be sharper than mine, and we're going to pass through bandit country. Make yourself useful and play lookout."
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, and perhaps convince his courage to quit hiding behind his knees, Herb complied.
---
They met no bandits, and by the end of the trip Herb had managed to identify fully half of the creatures hiding along the road's edge as they passed. Not too bad for a spoiled, citified prince, Beldon had to admit.
It was late morning when the witch's cottage came into view, situated in a glade not too far from the edge of the Dark Forest. Beldon identified at least forty varieties of toxic plantlife between them and the door and the bulk of the witch's garden was spread out behind the house. A few bats peered sleepily at them from beneath the eaves as they approached, five of the thirteen spiders he could see paused in the spinning of their webs to watch, and the mangy black cat which had been napping on the front porch jumped inside through an open window.
A moment later the door opened and the witch emerged.
Like all her kind, she dressed in flowing black which appeared to have been mended more than once, a crooked hat perched atop her head with yet another spider clinging for dear life to the brim, and she carried the world's worst excuse for a broom. She wasn't particularly unattractive, as witches went, lacking a hooked nose and warts, and Beldon rather thought that she might clean up rather nicely if someone forcefully bathed her and attacked her hair with some heavy-duty detanglement spells.
"Well, well, well..." the witch rasped, grinning at them as though they were a particularly tasty delicacy, "What do we have here? An overgrown puppy and a pretty little..."
The witch trailed off and squinted, then came down the steps to peer closely at Beldon. "Huh. You're not a lady..." she said finally, surprised enough to forget to use her witchy rasp.
Beldon arched one eyebrow. "No, I'm not. My name is Beldon, and I am an Enchanter. My companion and I have come to see if we could make use of your Magic Mirror for an hour or two," he explained, gesturing mildly at Herb.
"The high and mighty Enchanter needs to borrow a lowly witch's mirror?" the witch taunted, remembering to rasp properly this time, and waggled a sharply-nailed finger in front of Beldon's nose. "Stooping a little low, aren't you? Consorting with evil witches... what will the Sorcerer's Council think?"
Beldon scowled. "The entire council can go fuck themselves for all I care. Not a decent magician in the whole lot of them."
The witch blinked. So did Herb. Beldon wished she hadn't brought up the council. He'd never gotten along with them and the fact that a group of complete morons was responsible for all the magical dictates in the world still chafed at him. Still, he'd made his choices. The past was the past.
It was Herb who broke the silence, looking around rather wistfully at the deadly flowers which comprised the witch's garden. "Isn't there anybody else here? You must get awfully lonely..."
Both the witch and Beldon turned to look at Herb. The Enchanter wondered what it was with the Beast and being lonely. One would think that a prince with two brothers wouldn't have lacked much for companionship.
"... I have Hocus and Pocus," the witch said slowly, pointing at the two sleeping bats, "And Abracadabra to keep me company."
Abracadabra turned out to be the black cat, who came darting out of the house and jumped up onto the witch's shoulder at the sound of its name.
"But there's no one to talk to," Herb protested unhappily, his furry ears flat against his head. "I mean, your garden is lovely and I'm sure your pets are very nice but it looks like you've been out here for a very long time and... and... I'd be terribly lonely out here all by myself..."
The witch eyed Herb for a long moment before looking back to Beldon. She pointed at the Beast. "Is he for real?" she asked.
Beldon smiled slightly. "Insofar as I have been able to determine."
"Beldon," Herb asked, looking more pitiful than Beldon had ever seen him before, "Can't we help her somehow?"
Beldon glanced at the witch who was watching them both rather closely. While he initially would have been inclined to laugh off Herb's observation, the intensity of her gaze made him reconsider.
"What did you have in mind?" the Enchanter asked slowly.
The Beast scrunched up his nose as he thought. On anyone else the expression would have looked rather alarming. On Herb, he simply looked distressed.
"Well..." he said finally, "Couldn't you make a magic spell that could find somebody else who's lonely and wouldn't mind living in the middle of the Dark Forest with a witch...?"
Once again, Beldon found himself having to re-evaluate his opinion of the enchanted prince. He wouldn't have thought of something like that on his own, and yet it was a perfectly simple solution to the problem. Granted, most people wouldn't know such a thing was even possible, but in Herb's case that seemed to work more for him than against.
"It's High Level Magic," Beldon said slowly, looking from Herb to the witch and back, "But I don't see why not... if, of course, the lady agrees..."
The 'lady' looked rather stunned and took several moments to compose herself. "Well I... that is... would you?"
Something in the rather wistful way she asked struck an echoing chord deep inside the Enchanter. He swallowed and bowed slightly, ruthlessly squashing the feeling. "I think it would be a fair trade, if M'lady would allow us the use of her mirror..."
For the first time since they'd arrived, the witch smiled. "All it does is gather dust anyway. It'll probably be thrilled to be used."
Herb's smile was almost blinding, and not just because of the sheer amount of sharp white teeth he showed. Beldon shook his head slightly, hiding a smile of his own, and made the necessary preparations to cast the spell. It only took a few minutes; not very impressive for High Magic, some would say, but few knew just how many tiny details had to go into a spell of this nature.
For Beldon, such a thing was as close as he ever got to 'fun.'
"Alright, done," he announced when he finished and was rewarded by the witch shooing them both inside.
"C'mon, might as well have some tea while we're waiting and you're fighting with that old thing. Incredibly lazy, that. Takes forever to warm up even on a good day."
The inside of the house was considerably larger than the outside would have led them to suspect, and Beldon could feel magic at work. Rather efficient magic, actually, and he said as much, earning a blush from the witch.
"Ah, well, what's the point in doing if you're not going to do it right?" she muttered, but they could both tell she was pleased.
While the witch "Call me Hilda, boys" started the water for tea, Beldon and Herb hiked up the stairs to the attic where the Magic Mirror was stored. They had a bit of trouble at the top when Herb's shoulders wouldn't quite fit through the doorway but fortunately the house managed to accommodate him before Beldon even had time to begin a spell.
Like the rest of Witch Hilda's house, the attic proved to be considerably larger than anticipated. Herb nearly got a finger bitten off by a bespelled gargoyle before Beldon remembered to tell him not to touch anything.
Eventually he located the Magic Mirror, shoved up against a wall and half covered by the grimiest cloth the Enchanter had seen in his life. He stared at it for a long moment, trying to work up the courage to actually touch the thing and wondering if Hilda would be offended if he cast a Cleaning spell on her attic.
"What's wrong?" Herb asked, peering over the top of Beldon's head at the cloth-and-ick-covered mirror. "Is that the mirror?"
Before Beldon had a chance to reply, Herb reached out and pulled the cloth off, tossing it off to the side so he could get a better look at the mirror itself. It was nearly three feet tall and framed in one of those hideously gilded monstrosities that never failed to make him want to throttle whoever made it. Also, it didn't appear that the cloth had done any good as the mirror was just as filthy, its glass rather clouded and apparently home to more than a few dead bugs.
"That's it..." Beldon muttered beneath his breath, then pointed imperiously at the sorry excuse for a magical artifact. "Alakazam."
Like magic, which it was, all of the dirt and who knows what else melted off the mirror and gathered in a pile on the floor. The frame remained horrid, but at least he could see himself (and Herb, still peering over his head) in the glass.
"Neat." Herb said.
"Hmmmrrrmmblepph?" The Mirror mumbled.
"Good Morning," Beldon said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest and endeavoring to look Important. "Do I have to word all my requests in rhyme, or are you one of the sensible mirrors?"
"Mmmrrgleplitz?" The Mirror asked, its surface slowly beginning to swirl in a hypnotic silvery pattern.
Beldon sighed. "Right. Let me know when you finish waking up."
Herb blinked and looked at Beldon. "Is that normal?" he asked.
The Enchanter shrugged. "If they haven't been used in a while, if they're particularly old or not so well-made..."
"Oh," Herb said, blinking again and peering more closely at the swirling surface of the mirror. "That's kinda neat."
A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Beldon's mouth. He'd never admit it, of course, but the Beast's rather naiive outlook on life was rather cute.
The silver swirls gradually managed to form into the semblance of a face, which yawned widely before addressing them.
"Hmm... Must say, you're a sight prettier than my last Mistress..."
Beldon twitched.
"He's a boy," Herb offered helpfully.
The face in the mirror blinked. "Are you sure?" it asked.
Herb looked at Beldon. "Um, pretty sure..."
Beldon felt his hands clench tightly as he attempted to rein in his temper. It wouldn't exactly be politic to destroy Hilda's mirror in a fit of pique, no matter how disrespectful the thing was.
"If you two are quite finished," he ground out, "There is a task I need you to complete, Mirror."
The silver face grinned and reformed into a hand making the thumbs-up gesture. "Ready when you are, Mistress," it replied impudently.
Beldon took a deep breath. Released it. Took another. Released that one, slowly. "Four years ago, give or take, in the kingdom of Irenia, a spell was cast on this man to change him into a Beast," he explained, keeping his voice as flat as he could manage. "I need to see that spell being cast."
The grin reformed and the silver face batted its eyes at Beldon. "Say please," it instructed.
"Please," Herb interrupted quickly before all hell broke loose.
"Aw, I wanted him to say it..." the mirror mumbled even as it faded into an overhead view of a town square.
There were two people present in the image, a wizard who looked as though he'd been kicked in the face by an angry mule more than once and the most unremarkable teenage boy Beldon had ever seen. The wizard made a gesture and spoke a series of words, causing the boy to wince briefly before transforming into the Beast that now stood beside him.
The scene faded out on a close-up of the newly-transformed Beast, then the mirror's face reappeared. "Well?" it asked, "That good enough for you?"
The Enchanter was silent, frowning at the mirror.
"Beldon?" Herb asked hesitantly, trying to twist himself into a position where he could see the Enchanter's face without knocking anything over. "What's wrong?"
Whatever Beldon might have said was lost as a rather loud crash echoed up from downstairs. Both of them jumped, then Herb dashed down the stairs with the Enchanter right on his heels. They burst into the main room, the source of the crash immediately identifying itself as a broken vase, but it failed to hold either of their attention for more than a moment.
Witch Hilda was pinned against the front wall by a man only a few inches shorter than the Beast and appeared to be attempting to suck his tonsils out. Neither of them noticed Beldon and Herb's arrival in the slightest, and really, he couldn't blame them.
Beldon could feel his face getting hot even as Herb turned away to intently study a tapestry on the wall. Some distant part of his brain that was was still functional pointed out that at least the spell had worked, even if Mr. Tall, Dark, and Burly wasn't exactly Beldon's cup of tea. Still, the fellow was huge, ogre blood perhaps, and if he was proportionate all over... Well.
Hilda and her beau finally noticed them before Beldon could manage to humiliate himself any further and released their liplock, though the distance between them remained so slight that they seemed poised to resume it at any moment.
"Oh, hello boys," Hilda managed, slightly breathless. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
Beldon wished his fair skin wasn't quite so given to blushing at a moment's notice. "Err, more or less..." he managed. "I, ah, see the spell worked..."
"That it did," Hilda said, leering at the giant of a man holding her. "This is Grun. He tended the grounds at the Witching Academy when I was there. I had no idea he was in the area..."
Grabbing Herb's sleeve, Beldon inched toward the door. "Glad to hear everything worked out okay. Why don't we skip tea, and we'll be on our way, and you two can... um... catch up..."
Hilda didn't get more than a muffled "B' bye" out before she and Grun resumed their 'catching up.' Beldon managed a strangled "Thanks" before dragging Herb out the door.
"Is it safe to look now?" Herb asked, his eyes shut tight.
"I think so," Beldon breathed, willing the blood to leave his cheeks. "I didn't know witches were so... randy."
"I don't think anyone knew that..." Herb mumbled, leading the way out of Witch Hilda's garden and back toward the trade road. "But at least she looks happier..."
"Yes," Beldon agreed. "Considerably."
They walked in silence for several minutes, Beldon convinced that the image of Hilda and her... Grun... was forever burned into his eyelids, before Herb spoke up again.
"So... what did you find out from the mirror?" he asked cautiously.
Beldon's steps slowed, though he didn't stop, and he frowned over what he'd seen. "Quite a bit, and nothing at all," he replied at last. "The spell was correct. There is no reason for it to have warped in the manner it has."
Herb's confusion and disappointment were almost tangible as the Beast drooped, kicking halfheartedly at a stone in the road. "I guess that means I'm stuck like this, then."
"I didn't say that," Beldon scowled. "It's just going to take me longer to figure it out."
Herb glanced briefly at the Enchanter, but didn't reply. He seemed to be losing hope in the prospect of ever finding a cure and Beldon didn't really blame him. Nothing quite seemed to be going right for the young prince, from the getting cursed in the first place to the complete mess that the curse in question had turned into. It was frustrating for both of them. Herb because he was stuck as a Beast, and Beldon because he was rather used to getting his way when it came to magical spells and it was vexing to be running into so much difficulty.
So absorbed was he by the puzzle presented to him that Beldon was quite unaware of the troupe of bandits which surrounded them until being snapped harshly out of his thoughts by the burning pain of an arrow lodging itself in his arm. He bit off a pained cry before he'd done more than half voice it, looking up to gague the situation and getting a face full of rather soft brown fur for his troubles. Herb?
A low rumble built up in the fur beneath his cheek, then abruptly Beldon was left alone as Herb released him and tore into the underbrush like a possessed thing. He could hear shouts and pained cries inbetween the breaking of branches, then all went silent.
Beldon picked himself up off the ground and looked around, more surprised than he let himself admit when Herb reappeared between two trees, blood on his claws and thunder in his eyes, dragging two petrified bandits behind him. "Herb...?" he called out gingerly and watched as all the anger abruptly bled out of the Beast.
"Are you okay?" Herb asked mournfully, looking at the blood soaking through Beldon's sleeve. "You told me to listen and I wasn't paying attention and this is all my fault and I'm sorry..."
Once again, Herb managed to prove that even seven-and-a-half-foot monsters could look incredibly pathetic when provided with the proper stimulus.
"They're sorry too, aren't you?" Herb continued, forcing his two misbegotten thieves prostrate at Beldon's feet. They were undoubtedly very sorry, as one managed to babble nothing but terrifed gibberish and the other repeated an impressive variety of prayers to more deities than Beldon was even certain existed.
Beldon didn't fight the bemused smile that made its way onto his face, shaking his head slightly at the sight. "I'm fine," he reassured the Beast. "Just let me cast a healing spell and we can be on our way again.
"Promise?" Herb asked plaintively.
The Enchanter smiled. "Promise."
Many thanks to Nikery for letting me whine to her and assuring me that
*and we now commence with the fidgeting!*
---
Playing Beast of the Castle wasn't nearly as much fun when you knew it was permanent. Beldon had retreated to his suite and not come out for days, leaving Herb to go stir-crazy in the meantime. He'd actually left the castle at one point to go terrorize travellers in the nearby Dark Forest, but even that lost its appeal rather quickly.
Eventually he found himself back in Beldon's parlor, curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace. It seemed as good a place to mope as any, and it smelled nice. It smelled a lot like Beldon, actually, which only made sense as the Enchanter tended to spend most of his time in one of three rooms, the Sitting Room being his favorite.
He was still there when Beldon finally put in an appearance, waltzing through the doors with three of the largest books Herb had ever seen trailing along after him like overgrown floating ducklings.
"I think I know what spell that sorry excuse for a wizard used," Beldon announced without any preamble, "But I can't seem to figure out how he managed to screw it up. Beast spells are not particularly difficult compared to other Enchanted Monster spells. You should see the preparation needed for the simplest Enchanted Frog spell..."
Herb blinked. "Um, so..."
"So," Beldon continued, his robes swishing around him as he stalked over to Herb, "I need to be able to see him cast the spell."
Herb blinked. Again. "Err.. but..."
"But that occurred in the Past," Beldon mused, apparently not hearing Herb at all, "And my mirrors are tuned to watch the Present. The best they can manage is about a month into the past, and that's not even close to how far back we have to go. Therefore..."
The Enchanter leaned down over Herb, hands on his hips, a peculiar sort of smile on his lips. "Therefore, we need a Magic Mirror of the Past."
For all that Beldon was rather small and Herb was a seven-and-a-half-foot Beast, the Enchanter still seemed to tower over him rather impressively. Perhaps the man wouldn't be quite so terrifying if Herb got up off the floor, but at the moment none of his limbs would obey him.
"Ah. Okay, so... where do we find one of those?" Herb squeaked.
Beldon straightened and turned away, gazing with unfocused eyes at a spot on the far wall. "The nearest one is in the hands of a Witch who lives about five days west of here," he replied. The Enchanter was silent a moment, then glanced over his shoulder at Herb with that little half-smile that never failed to unsettle him.
"Feel like going on a Quest?"
---
Being the youngest son of a king, Herb had quite a bit of experience with Quests. Well, the preparation thereof. So when Beldon appeared on the stairway with only a small knapsack slung over one shoulder, all Herb could think of to say was: "Wow, you sure pack light..."
Beldon snorted inelegantly and joined him in the Great Hall. For once the Enchanter wasn't wearing his ornate robes, rather, he had chosen to don what appeared to be rather fine riding clothes done in shades of reddish-brown and trimmed in gold. They fit him considerably better than his robes as well, and if Herb squinted a bit it wasn't quite so easy to mistake him for a girl.
Herb himself was still wearing the only set of clothing he owned, though Beldon's magic had repaired the damage four years had done to it and now it looked practically new.
"All right," Beldon announced as they exited the castle, "Just one little..."
From a pocket Herb hadn't noticed before the Enchanter pulled a small white card with gold lettering. He held it up to the door and released it, speaking a single sharp word as he did so. The card rapidly expanded, still apparently attached to the door, and now Herb could see that it had become a large wooden sign.
The letters read: "Out Of Town"
"There," Beldon announced smugly. "That should do us. Ready to go?"
Herb nodded.
The Enchanter led the way, back through the courtyards and down the path Herb had used over a month ago to bring him here. The Beast followed without question at first, then frowned in puzzlement once they passed through the wide iron gates and found themselves on the dirt road leading to the village.
"Aren't you going to ride?" Herb asked curiously.
"Don't be ridiculous," Beldon snorted. "You'd frighten the horses."
"Oh," Herb said quietly.
He remained silent all the way to the village, which they skirted rather than terrify anyone with the sight of Herb. It was the typical reaction, and yet... he couldn't help but wonder. Beldon hadn't even flinched upon first meeting him, yet the two other Enchanters (and one Enchantress) he'd encountered while travelling had run him off on sight.
What made this Enchanter different from the others? He wished he knew more about them, but the only magician of any sort in his father's court had been old, forgetful, and truth be told not very good. Although he hadn't been frightened by Herb's appearance... of course, his eyesight was even worse than Herb's...
"You said it'd take five days to get to the witch's house, right?" He asked Beldon.
"Approximately."
"That's walking?"
"Yes."
"Ah, well, I'm pretty fast, being a Beast and all, so maybe if I carried you then-"
"I am not being carried, by you or anyone else."
Herb was fairly certain the tone of his voice could have frozen molten lava. He swallowed and ran through the Gentleman's List of Ways To Apologize.
"Umm..."
"Just walk," Beldon said with a sigh. "And listen. If you're quiet, you can hear at least eight different species of birdsong, and there are several squirrels tailing us."
Herb blinked. "Oh."
"Yes, oh. And speaking of listening..." Beldon frowned. "Your hearing should be sharper than mine, and we're going to pass through bandit country. Make yourself useful and play lookout."
Taking a deep breath to steady himself, and perhaps convince his courage to quit hiding behind his knees, Herb complied.
---
They met no bandits, and by the end of the trip Herb had managed to identify fully half of the creatures hiding along the road's edge as they passed. Not too bad for a spoiled, citified prince, Beldon had to admit.
It was late morning when the witch's cottage came into view, situated in a glade not too far from the edge of the Dark Forest. Beldon identified at least forty varieties of toxic plantlife between them and the door and the bulk of the witch's garden was spread out behind the house. A few bats peered sleepily at them from beneath the eaves as they approached, five of the thirteen spiders he could see paused in the spinning of their webs to watch, and the mangy black cat which had been napping on the front porch jumped inside through an open window.
A moment later the door opened and the witch emerged.
Like all her kind, she dressed in flowing black which appeared to have been mended more than once, a crooked hat perched atop her head with yet another spider clinging for dear life to the brim, and she carried the world's worst excuse for a broom. She wasn't particularly unattractive, as witches went, lacking a hooked nose and warts, and Beldon rather thought that she might clean up rather nicely if someone forcefully bathed her and attacked her hair with some heavy-duty detanglement spells.
"Well, well, well..." the witch rasped, grinning at them as though they were a particularly tasty delicacy, "What do we have here? An overgrown puppy and a pretty little..."
The witch trailed off and squinted, then came down the steps to peer closely at Beldon. "Huh. You're not a lady..." she said finally, surprised enough to forget to use her witchy rasp.
Beldon arched one eyebrow. "No, I'm not. My name is Beldon, and I am an Enchanter. My companion and I have come to see if we could make use of your Magic Mirror for an hour or two," he explained, gesturing mildly at Herb.
"The high and mighty Enchanter needs to borrow a lowly witch's mirror?" the witch taunted, remembering to rasp properly this time, and waggled a sharply-nailed finger in front of Beldon's nose. "Stooping a little low, aren't you? Consorting with evil witches... what will the Sorcerer's Council think?"
Beldon scowled. "The entire council can go fuck themselves for all I care. Not a decent magician in the whole lot of them."
The witch blinked. So did Herb. Beldon wished she hadn't brought up the council. He'd never gotten along with them and the fact that a group of complete morons was responsible for all the magical dictates in the world still chafed at him. Still, he'd made his choices. The past was the past.
It was Herb who broke the silence, looking around rather wistfully at the deadly flowers which comprised the witch's garden. "Isn't there anybody else here? You must get awfully lonely..."
Both the witch and Beldon turned to look at Herb. The Enchanter wondered what it was with the Beast and being lonely. One would think that a prince with two brothers wouldn't have lacked much for companionship.
"... I have Hocus and Pocus," the witch said slowly, pointing at the two sleeping bats, "And Abracadabra to keep me company."
Abracadabra turned out to be the black cat, who came darting out of the house and jumped up onto the witch's shoulder at the sound of its name.
"But there's no one to talk to," Herb protested unhappily, his furry ears flat against his head. "I mean, your garden is lovely and I'm sure your pets are very nice but it looks like you've been out here for a very long time and... and... I'd be terribly lonely out here all by myself..."
The witch eyed Herb for a long moment before looking back to Beldon. She pointed at the Beast. "Is he for real?" she asked.
Beldon smiled slightly. "Insofar as I have been able to determine."
"Beldon," Herb asked, looking more pitiful than Beldon had ever seen him before, "Can't we help her somehow?"
Beldon glanced at the witch who was watching them both rather closely. While he initially would have been inclined to laugh off Herb's observation, the intensity of her gaze made him reconsider.
"What did you have in mind?" the Enchanter asked slowly.
The Beast scrunched up his nose as he thought. On anyone else the expression would have looked rather alarming. On Herb, he simply looked distressed.
"Well..." he said finally, "Couldn't you make a magic spell that could find somebody else who's lonely and wouldn't mind living in the middle of the Dark Forest with a witch...?"
Once again, Beldon found himself having to re-evaluate his opinion of the enchanted prince. He wouldn't have thought of something like that on his own, and yet it was a perfectly simple solution to the problem. Granted, most people wouldn't know such a thing was even possible, but in Herb's case that seemed to work more for him than against.
"It's High Level Magic," Beldon said slowly, looking from Herb to the witch and back, "But I don't see why not... if, of course, the lady agrees..."
The 'lady' looked rather stunned and took several moments to compose herself. "Well I... that is... would you?"
Something in the rather wistful way she asked struck an echoing chord deep inside the Enchanter. He swallowed and bowed slightly, ruthlessly squashing the feeling. "I think it would be a fair trade, if M'lady would allow us the use of her mirror..."
For the first time since they'd arrived, the witch smiled. "All it does is gather dust anyway. It'll probably be thrilled to be used."
Herb's smile was almost blinding, and not just because of the sheer amount of sharp white teeth he showed. Beldon shook his head slightly, hiding a smile of his own, and made the necessary preparations to cast the spell. It only took a few minutes; not very impressive for High Magic, some would say, but few knew just how many tiny details had to go into a spell of this nature.
For Beldon, such a thing was as close as he ever got to 'fun.'
"Alright, done," he announced when he finished and was rewarded by the witch shooing them both inside.
"C'mon, might as well have some tea while we're waiting and you're fighting with that old thing. Incredibly lazy, that. Takes forever to warm up even on a good day."
The inside of the house was considerably larger than the outside would have led them to suspect, and Beldon could feel magic at work. Rather efficient magic, actually, and he said as much, earning a blush from the witch.
"Ah, well, what's the point in doing if you're not going to do it right?" she muttered, but they could both tell she was pleased.
While the witch "Call me Hilda, boys" started the water for tea, Beldon and Herb hiked up the stairs to the attic where the Magic Mirror was stored. They had a bit of trouble at the top when Herb's shoulders wouldn't quite fit through the doorway but fortunately the house managed to accommodate him before Beldon even had time to begin a spell.
Like the rest of Witch Hilda's house, the attic proved to be considerably larger than anticipated. Herb nearly got a finger bitten off by a bespelled gargoyle before Beldon remembered to tell him not to touch anything.
Eventually he located the Magic Mirror, shoved up against a wall and half covered by the grimiest cloth the Enchanter had seen in his life. He stared at it for a long moment, trying to work up the courage to actually touch the thing and wondering if Hilda would be offended if he cast a Cleaning spell on her attic.
"What's wrong?" Herb asked, peering over the top of Beldon's head at the cloth-and-ick-covered mirror. "Is that the mirror?"
Before Beldon had a chance to reply, Herb reached out and pulled the cloth off, tossing it off to the side so he could get a better look at the mirror itself. It was nearly three feet tall and framed in one of those hideously gilded monstrosities that never failed to make him want to throttle whoever made it. Also, it didn't appear that the cloth had done any good as the mirror was just as filthy, its glass rather clouded and apparently home to more than a few dead bugs.
"That's it..." Beldon muttered beneath his breath, then pointed imperiously at the sorry excuse for a magical artifact. "Alakazam."
Like magic, which it was, all of the dirt and who knows what else melted off the mirror and gathered in a pile on the floor. The frame remained horrid, but at least he could see himself (and Herb, still peering over his head) in the glass.
"Neat." Herb said.
"Hmmmrrrmmblepph?" The Mirror mumbled.
"Good Morning," Beldon said calmly, crossing his arms over his chest and endeavoring to look Important. "Do I have to word all my requests in rhyme, or are you one of the sensible mirrors?"
"Mmmrrgleplitz?" The Mirror asked, its surface slowly beginning to swirl in a hypnotic silvery pattern.
Beldon sighed. "Right. Let me know when you finish waking up."
Herb blinked and looked at Beldon. "Is that normal?" he asked.
The Enchanter shrugged. "If they haven't been used in a while, if they're particularly old or not so well-made..."
"Oh," Herb said, blinking again and peering more closely at the swirling surface of the mirror. "That's kinda neat."
A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of Beldon's mouth. He'd never admit it, of course, but the Beast's rather naiive outlook on life was rather cute.
The silver swirls gradually managed to form into the semblance of a face, which yawned widely before addressing them.
"Hmm... Must say, you're a sight prettier than my last Mistress..."
Beldon twitched.
"He's a boy," Herb offered helpfully.
The face in the mirror blinked. "Are you sure?" it asked.
Herb looked at Beldon. "Um, pretty sure..."
Beldon felt his hands clench tightly as he attempted to rein in his temper. It wouldn't exactly be politic to destroy Hilda's mirror in a fit of pique, no matter how disrespectful the thing was.
"If you two are quite finished," he ground out, "There is a task I need you to complete, Mirror."
The silver face grinned and reformed into a hand making the thumbs-up gesture. "Ready when you are, Mistress," it replied impudently.
Beldon took a deep breath. Released it. Took another. Released that one, slowly. "Four years ago, give or take, in the kingdom of Irenia, a spell was cast on this man to change him into a Beast," he explained, keeping his voice as flat as he could manage. "I need to see that spell being cast."
The grin reformed and the silver face batted its eyes at Beldon. "Say please," it instructed.
"Please," Herb interrupted quickly before all hell broke loose.
"Aw, I wanted him to say it..." the mirror mumbled even as it faded into an overhead view of a town square.
There were two people present in the image, a wizard who looked as though he'd been kicked in the face by an angry mule more than once and the most unremarkable teenage boy Beldon had ever seen. The wizard made a gesture and spoke a series of words, causing the boy to wince briefly before transforming into the Beast that now stood beside him.
The scene faded out on a close-up of the newly-transformed Beast, then the mirror's face reappeared. "Well?" it asked, "That good enough for you?"
The Enchanter was silent, frowning at the mirror.
"Beldon?" Herb asked hesitantly, trying to twist himself into a position where he could see the Enchanter's face without knocking anything over. "What's wrong?"
Whatever Beldon might have said was lost as a rather loud crash echoed up from downstairs. Both of them jumped, then Herb dashed down the stairs with the Enchanter right on his heels. They burst into the main room, the source of the crash immediately identifying itself as a broken vase, but it failed to hold either of their attention for more than a moment.
Witch Hilda was pinned against the front wall by a man only a few inches shorter than the Beast and appeared to be attempting to suck his tonsils out. Neither of them noticed Beldon and Herb's arrival in the slightest, and really, he couldn't blame them.
Beldon could feel his face getting hot even as Herb turned away to intently study a tapestry on the wall. Some distant part of his brain that was was still functional pointed out that at least the spell had worked, even if Mr. Tall, Dark, and Burly wasn't exactly Beldon's cup of tea. Still, the fellow was huge, ogre blood perhaps, and if he was proportionate all over... Well.
Hilda and her beau finally noticed them before Beldon could manage to humiliate himself any further and released their liplock, though the distance between them remained so slight that they seemed poised to resume it at any moment.
"Oh, hello boys," Hilda managed, slightly breathless. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
Beldon wished his fair skin wasn't quite so given to blushing at a moment's notice. "Err, more or less..." he managed. "I, ah, see the spell worked..."
"That it did," Hilda said, leering at the giant of a man holding her. "This is Grun. He tended the grounds at the Witching Academy when I was there. I had no idea he was in the area..."
Grabbing Herb's sleeve, Beldon inched toward the door. "Glad to hear everything worked out okay. Why don't we skip tea, and we'll be on our way, and you two can... um... catch up..."
Hilda didn't get more than a muffled "B' bye" out before she and Grun resumed their 'catching up.' Beldon managed a strangled "Thanks" before dragging Herb out the door.
"Is it safe to look now?" Herb asked, his eyes shut tight.
"I think so," Beldon breathed, willing the blood to leave his cheeks. "I didn't know witches were so... randy."
"I don't think anyone knew that..." Herb mumbled, leading the way out of Witch Hilda's garden and back toward the trade road. "But at least she looks happier..."
"Yes," Beldon agreed. "Considerably."
They walked in silence for several minutes, Beldon convinced that the image of Hilda and her... Grun... was forever burned into his eyelids, before Herb spoke up again.
"So... what did you find out from the mirror?" he asked cautiously.
Beldon's steps slowed, though he didn't stop, and he frowned over what he'd seen. "Quite a bit, and nothing at all," he replied at last. "The spell was correct. There is no reason for it to have warped in the manner it has."
Herb's confusion and disappointment were almost tangible as the Beast drooped, kicking halfheartedly at a stone in the road. "I guess that means I'm stuck like this, then."
"I didn't say that," Beldon scowled. "It's just going to take me longer to figure it out."
Herb glanced briefly at the Enchanter, but didn't reply. He seemed to be losing hope in the prospect of ever finding a cure and Beldon didn't really blame him. Nothing quite seemed to be going right for the young prince, from the getting cursed in the first place to the complete mess that the curse in question had turned into. It was frustrating for both of them. Herb because he was stuck as a Beast, and Beldon because he was rather used to getting his way when it came to magical spells and it was vexing to be running into so much difficulty.
So absorbed was he by the puzzle presented to him that Beldon was quite unaware of the troupe of bandits which surrounded them until being snapped harshly out of his thoughts by the burning pain of an arrow lodging itself in his arm. He bit off a pained cry before he'd done more than half voice it, looking up to gague the situation and getting a face full of rather soft brown fur for his troubles. Herb?
A low rumble built up in the fur beneath his cheek, then abruptly Beldon was left alone as Herb released him and tore into the underbrush like a possessed thing. He could hear shouts and pained cries inbetween the breaking of branches, then all went silent.
Beldon picked himself up off the ground and looked around, more surprised than he let himself admit when Herb reappeared between two trees, blood on his claws and thunder in his eyes, dragging two petrified bandits behind him. "Herb...?" he called out gingerly and watched as all the anger abruptly bled out of the Beast.
"Are you okay?" Herb asked mournfully, looking at the blood soaking through Beldon's sleeve. "You told me to listen and I wasn't paying attention and this is all my fault and I'm sorry..."
Once again, Herb managed to prove that even seven-and-a-half-foot monsters could look incredibly pathetic when provided with the proper stimulus.
"They're sorry too, aren't you?" Herb continued, forcing his two misbegotten thieves prostrate at Beldon's feet. They were undoubtedly very sorry, as one managed to babble nothing but terrifed gibberish and the other repeated an impressive variety of prayers to more deities than Beldon was even certain existed.
Beldon didn't fight the bemused smile that made its way onto his face, shaking his head slightly at the sight. "I'm fine," he reassured the Beast. "Just let me cast a healing spell and we can be on our way again.
"Promise?" Herb asked plaintively.
The Enchanter smiled. "Promise."
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 02:21 am (UTC)I love you so so much.
I adore Herb and Beldon is the cutest not!girl Enchanter ever XD
You kill me dead <3 <3
*ships off sliver of my soul that you now own*
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 03:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 03:05 am (UTC)*___________________________________________*
Date: 2006-08-29 03:14 am (UTC)XD The way everyone kept mistaking Beldon for a girl? *dies laughing* Oh, that was awesome. ^__________^ And Herb! Dear lord, I love the fact that even though he's obviously this huge terrifying looking beast, he spends most of his time with Beldon resembling a puppy.
The idea to find Hilda a beau? *hearts* The fact that it ends up being Grun of half ogre blood? *hearts more*
And I love how Herb's naive innocence ends up working more to his favor instead of his detriment. *tackle glomps* He's such a cutie pie! *twirls you about*
"Isn't there anybody else here? You must get awfully lonely..."
Both the witch and Beldon turned to look at Herb. The Enchanter wondered what it was with the Beast and being lonely.
*dies, just dies* I could so picture that scene right there. XD Him saying that, meaning every word, and the two of them just turning and looking at him like, 'the hell?!'. XD Just so, so cute. *tackle glomps*
You rock. And *pokes you* More please? *puppy eyes* Pretty please? ;____;
Re: *___________________________________________*
Date: 2006-08-29 03:23 am (UTC)stupidlike attempt to write regularly, I'd end up seriously in danger of challenging you for your crown as Queen of WIPs. ^^;;;And Herb is a puppy. -.-; With a thyroid problem.
^^ I'm writing as fast as I can get my brain to cooperate. We shall see how long my perpetually-on-vacation muse decides to stick around. ^^;;;;;
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-29 11:14 am (UTC)Cannot wait to see more!
(no subject)
Date: 2006-08-30 01:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
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Date: 2008-06-14 05:26 am (UTC)