Note: Made corrections and a few changes in the Prologue.
Please, let me know what you think!
Ch.1: Time Passes By
Claire finished grooming herself and noticed the otter curled up napping on the grass. She sighed as she watched Duke. It has been 6 months since Duke was cursed, and he was beginning to lose hope of ever removing them.
Duke adapted to his new life as an otter rather well. He enjoyed his improved swimming and diving abilities, plus his new enhanced senses. He quickly learned how to hunt for himself and was fine eating raw meat. With help from his animal friends, he found a hollow log to make his home during the day near Rouge Pond.
Most of his problems came at night when he changed back to his human self. He now realized the comforts and protection of having a home during cold nights or when biting insects decided to use him as a food source. Duke knew he needed to obtain a house, but that of course takes money. Money he no longer could access.
Duke had extra money hidden away in the secret compartments at Silver Eyes Estate, which again, he no longer had access to since Wade, Arla, and their army moved in. So Duke and his animal friends each took turn watching Silver Eyes Estate to find a window of opportunity where Wade and Arla were gone.
Fortunately, the day came, and Duke went to approach the servants. He coaxed most of them outside as an otter, and let them witness the transformation when the sun set. Even though Julia almost fainted when she saw him change, the servants were happy to see he was all right, and informed Duke what happened.
Wade said that Duke abandoned them and his duties, to live and enjoy himself in some foreign land. None of the servants believed Wade, but they acted obediently to Wade and Arla, until they learned the truth. Duke explained the curses and told them to keep up the act. The servants also told Duke that Wade thought of killing some of them or worse to force Duke to summon the Spirit of Rouge Pond, but Arla stopped him, saying that replacing servants is too much trouble. Wade was trying to take back the lands Duke gave away. Duke told the servants that he'll try to visit them as much as possible, and asked them to keep him updated; they agreed.
Once Duke got his hidden money, he hired workers, who didn't mind an anonymous employer and just wanted to get paid, to build him a good-sized cabin a reasonable distance from Rouge Pond and close to a body of moving water. When the cabin was completed, Duke went to nearby town to furnish it, and soon that cabin became his second home (Well, third home, if you count his otter holt).
During the first few months of the curses, Duke visited his favorite tavern, The Grey Gull, searching for someone to help him undo them. That's when he realized a major problem. Duke was used to 'one night stands,' not 'committed relationships.' He knew a deeper kind of love is needed to lift both curses. So he had decline polite offers from women than risk being accidently killed by a broken heart. Duke felt his curses were a problem that he could not fix easily, and his animal friends could see it affect him.
"How isssss he today?" Tommy asked, breaking Claire from her thoughts. Claire turned around to see the snake.
"So far, he's stuck to his regular routine," Claire said and looked at Duke again, who was waking up.
"Dwight hasssss an idea to help him," Tommy said, as Duke yawned and stretched.
Claire then noticed Dwight approaching Duke. Curious, she headed closer to the mammals and Tommy followed her.
"Hi, Duke," Dwight said, trying to sound upbeat. Duke turned around to see him.
"Hey," Duke greeted.
"Listen, the salmon are going to swim through Neck River to get to their spawning waters at the end of the month," Dwight said. "I'm going there for some fishing, and I thought you would like to come along."
Duke sighed. "I don't feel like it, Dwight."
"Come on! I'll protect you from the other bears," Dwight said.
"No, but thanks," Duke said.
"I'll even teach you how to catch salmon swimming upstream," Dwight offered, trying to sound cheerful.
"Look, I know what you're trying to do, Dwight, and it's not going to work," Duke finally snapped, but saw Dwight's hurt expression. "I do appreciate the gesture . . . but maybe another time."
"Duke—" Dwight said, now trying the direct approach, but Claire stepped in.
"Hey, Dwight, I need your help," Claire said. "There're . . . yellow jackets building a hive next to my nest. I thought you could remove them."
"What? Why—oh . . . Oh!" Dwight understood when he saw Claire wink at him. "Yes, yes, I'll get right on that. We don't want yellow jackets invading your nest. We'll talk later, Duke."
"Yeah," Duke replied. He looked to see the sun about to set. "I'm going into town for food and supplies; I don't know when I'll be back."
His animal friends nodded and Dwight and Tommy followed Claire to her nest. They stopped underneath her tree where she had her nest cavity.
"What's going on, Claire? We all agreed that Duke has to get back to breaking the curses," Dwight said and Tommy nodded in agreement.
"He needsssss to get out of that funk and get hisssss groove back," Tommy said.
"Let's face it, he's given up," Dwight said.
"I don't think so," Claire said. Dwight and Tommy gave her curious looks.
"Explain," Tommy said.
"Didn't you notice what Duke bought 3 months ago?" Claire asked. Dwight and Tommy gave her blank looks. Claire rolled her eyes. "He bought human grooming equipment."
"Human grooming equipment?" Dwight asked, slightly confused.
"You know, like a brush, comb, a pair of scissors, a shaving kit . . ." Claire said.
"Wait . . ." Tommy said. "How do you know what'sssss that ssssstuff isssss called?"
"I asked Duke," Claire said, sounding slightly proud.
"What's you point?" Dwight asked.
"If Duke really has given up, he wouldn't care what he looks like when he's human," Claire said. "Think about it, he maintains hair, cuts it close to his neck, he keeps his facial hair nice . . . ."
"What doesssss that mean?" Tommy asked.
"As I said before, if Duke really has given up, he wouldn't care what he looks like to humans," Claire said.
"Then what'sssss hisssss problem?" Tommy said.
"I think Duke is stuck in what humans call 'in a rut,'" Claire said.
"Then let's tell him to get out of it," Dwight said.
"I don't think that's going to work," Claire said. "The more we push Duke, the more recalcitrant he'll act, and then we'll not get anywhere."
"What do you suggest instead?" Dwight asked.
"We'll take matters in our own hands," Claire said.
Dwight and Tommy gave her incredulous looks.
"I mean . . . wings . . . paws . . . tails . . . ugh! Human sayings are so confusing!" Claire said, flustered.
"What isssss your idea?" Tommy asked.
"We'll find someone to help Duke lift the curses ourselves," Claire explained. Dwight's and Tommy's eyes widen a bit hearing this.
"Can we do that?" Dwight asked.
"We haven't tried it before," Claire said.
"Even if we do find ssssssomeone for Duke, how will we get them to Rouge Pond?" Tommy asked.
"We'll figure out that issue later," Claire said. "First, let's start by finding someone. Are you with me?"
"I want to help Duke protect Rouge Pond and Charlotte," Dwight said. "I'm in."
"I want to get rid of thossss-e nassss-ty neighborsssss," Tommy said. "Let'sssss do thissss."
"Great!" Claire said.
"So . . . where do we start?" Dwight asked.
"First we need to list the qualities we think are important and the qualities Duke likes in a woman," Claire said. "That way, it will narrow down our search."
"Okay, well, it's obvious she has to be an animal lover," Dwight stated. "Plus she has to be brave to help us stand up against Wade and Arla."
"That'ssss another quality," Tommy said. "Helpful."
"Good, good, this is good," Claire said, "anything else?"
"I think it would be good if she's smart, so she can comprehend the nature of the curses," Dwight said, "willing to work, understanding, humble, and tolerant of the strangeness of magic."
"Kind, gentle, and has a caring heart," Tommy said and looked at Claire. "Do you have any ideassss?"
"I think she has to be clever, have a positive attitude, and be open-minded," Claire said. "Oh, and she likes to have fun! We don't want to pick someone boring for Duke, do we?"
Dwight and Tommy agreed.
"I think that's it, unless someone has something to add?" Claire asked, and Dwight and Tommy shook their heads. "I think we now know what to look for."
"One quessss-tion," Tommy said. "Where do we ssssstart our sssssearch?"
The three animal friends looked at each other.
"Uhhh. . . . . . "