Chapter 10

Puck had returned to the tree-house later that evening. Nuada had been mortified to find that the pwca was bruised on his left shoulder. The rabbit creature had explained that Oberon's right-hand pwca called Andraste' had attacked him before the king had entered the room. The opposing pwca had been told that Puck had been communicating with the Morrighan without consulting the king immediately following. This was not the reason Puck gave to Nuada for the wound; slight tiff on grounds of a small disagreement, was all the rabbit would say to the prince as he hopped sadly into the corner of the upper bedroom and buried his head in his paws. Nuada frowned. He hadn't seen the rabbit look so subdued or be so quiet since he had arrived in the forest.

"Never fear, my friend, tomorrow you and I will scour the last corner of the near forest for answers to the Ring's location. When I am once again on the throne, you shall sit beside me, I will have a grand position for you as an advisor," the prince said proudly as he sat down near the rabbit. The creature said nothing, breathing timidly. "Now, I believe that we should begin by searching the cluster of five oaks out towards the west, what do you think?"

"What about the Morrighan's tasks?" the pwca asked softly. The prince scoffed and turned towards the window. "What about Titania?"

"That is out of the question, Puck. That girl is a menace to this forest like the rest of her kind. Oh, I have seen them at their worst; proud, empty, hollow, heartless creatures. They can barely stand one another," the prince said with a haughty tone that began grating significantly in the rabbit's ears. He lifted his head and stared angrily at the elf. "No, no, I shall find my own way into the court of my people. They are expecting me by now. I would wager that we shall find the entrance by the next week and be well on our way to purging this forest from wretched usurpers. The Morrighan is out of her mind, fraternizing and glamorizing the humans. We will do this ourselves, my friend."

"Friend," Puck said softly. The prince smiled, still staring out the window and away from the rabbit. He was unaware of the pwca rising on his haunches into his human form. "Friend?" A slight note of irritation coupled with sadness met the prince's ear the second time the pwca spoke. He turned and nearly gasped at seeing the massive contusion on the pwca's shoulder with blood trickling down his arm. Nuada leapt to his feet and stared down at him. "Friend am I? And what are you? You have been given an opportunity to accomplish something natural for your kind, the completion of a quest, and you refuse it in the name of your own selfish pride. Do you have any idea what the rest of us do in the name of your right to rule? Do you?"

The prince knelt and reached a hand out towards the pwca. He drew back, snarling at the prince in the first show of anger for him ever. "My friend, I had no idea . . ."

"That's the very problem, my prince, you have no idea," the pwca replied spitefully. "You think you have gathered knowledge through the suffering you endured beneath the city? Bah! You gathered dust and nothing more! Your ambition kept you alive, but for what? For more sulking and seething! The rest of us quiver in fear and step softly around the treachery of creatures like Oberon while you whine and point your finger at the humans! The humans are in danger as well!"

"But they broke the truce, they have destroyed our forests," Nuada protested. Puck stood more firmly and glared more angrily at the prince.

"And where were you?" he growled. Nuada's expression became blank. He had never thought of that before, not on his account at least. He had pondered it about his father; why weren't the elves at the forefront of a battle to defend the planet? The pwca shook his head. "Titania has such a deluded view of you for such an intelligent little girl."

"She is human, Puck!" the prince shouted, wanting desperately to have the rabbit offer him some form of acceptance. Acceptance of his hatred for humans would justify the harsh years in exile, the wasted time away from his sister, the death of his father, and the death he had endured with Nuala. The rabbit stood more fully and looked into the prince's face.

"She did not choose to be! She has chosen a peaceful existence among us. Why can't you just accept that?" the pwca shouted in frustration. The prince stared at him in strained silence. The pwca had been so understanding, so docile. Why was he being so disagreeable now? Puck leapt onto the bed, shifting back to rabbit form. "If only you could see her as less of a human, sire, and more as a child."

The prince turned away, thinking about the pwca's words and wounds. He walked slowly over to the edge of the bed and grasped the edges of the wound, placing his palm firmly over the cut and bruise as he held it still. Puck cried out in pain, but did not move away. Elves had the power to heal, but it took time. Nuada watched the inflammation and swelling begin to dissipate. He sighed and looked out the window once more. He was sure he could find the way into the Faerie Ring without being reduced to using a human's help. But Puck did have a point, the girl did not act in the mannerisms juxtaposed with her own kind. She was, apart from her forceful curiosity, more elf-like than human. He glanced back at the wound as Puck ceased sobbing. He stroked the rabbit's head affectionately.

"Whatever you said or refrained from saying to Oberon and the others on my behalf, I thank you. It was very courageous indeed," he remarked. The pwca blinked once, ruffling his whiskers with one paw. Nuada watched as the rabbit closed his eyes and began to drift into a well-deserved slumber. He knew that he should be doing the same before the hour became unacceptably late. He laid back against the pillows, pulling the rabbit up to his side. The pwca shifted, nuzzling against the prince's chest. He had stayed, literally, beside the prince every night since his arrival. Nuada realized, in a small amount, how ungrateful he had been to the little creature for his servitude. The least he could do was humour him with the first task. Besides, he would retrieve his clothing and spear with it. Perhaps the other forest creatures would recognize his authority after seeing the Bethmoora crest on him. "Goodnight, Puck."

"Goodnight, sire," the rabbit replied softly. The two closed their eyes and breathed away the heaviness of the past few sunlit hours as the moon filled the cool sky with new promises.

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"You're what?" Abraham exclaimed in shock. He looked into the eyes of his new mate with exasperation after hearing the words 'with your child'. "How?!"

"Well, Abraham, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they sometimes . . ." she began slowly.

"No, no, no! Not that! I mean how for us?! We didn't . . ." he looked to either side before completing the sentence in a near whisper, "We've only made love once and that was just yesterday!"

"Which means we have exactly two days to prepare," she explained with a minute amount of confidence, but in a manner that told him she knew exactly what she was talking about. "Our children are carried for only one partial phase of the moon, three days. Mother said it was especially difficult to carry twins."

"Is it?!" he asked in terror. Nuala stared back, wounded at his fear and anxiety. She had expected him to be overjoyed at the news, not frightened. "Is it twins!?"

"No, not this time," she said cautiously. Abraham sighed heavily, feeling a dizzy spell beginning to overpower him. He grasped his forehead, groaning as he felt the room spin. Nuala moved closer to him, placing a hand comfortingly on his shoulder. He sighed heavily. "Abraham, what is wrong? Do you not want a son?"

"A son? It's a boy?!" he exclaimed. Nuala reached down and carefully took the man's hand, feeling cautiously for what he was experiencing. Abe had forgotten momentarily that the princess had the power to see into his mind just as he had the power to see into others'. She gasped and pulled her hand away. Abe straightened, realizing what had just happened. His heart shattered as he noticed a tear rolling down the side of her cheek. She placed one hand over her belly and began to sob softly. "Nuala, I do want a family, but we aren't ready."

"I am ready," she said quivering.

"I am not ready to be a father. What kind of home would we have for him?" he argued trying to move closer to her and embrace her.

"Well, what do you want me to do, then? You gave me your heart, Abraham, all of it. I gave you mine! I thought . . ." she wiped the first tear away as two followed from each eye. "I thought that you and I were one, that we were perfectly matched."

"We are!" Abe said emphatically. He moved even closer, desperate to not let his emotions be such a bane to what he wanted most. "I love you, Nuala, but I don't think I can do well as a father right now. For Heaven's sake I don't even remember my own!"

"That should not prevent you from trying," she retorted almost angrily. Abe reached out, trying to wipe away the newer tears and prevent the next few that were sure to follow. "You have instincts, those should be enough."

"For a role model? What if I do the wrong things? What if I teach the wrong lessons and he grows up feeling angry or unloved?" he reasoned. The reasons seemed to work perfectly well in his own mind, but the princess simply stared back in a bitter mix of anger and sorrow. "What if he ends up completely scarred, or worse, like your brother? Your family . . ."

"What is wrong with my family?" she shouted angrily. Abe frowned and slapped himself metaphorically for saying possibly the worst thing in any situation. It was never fair to bring one's family into an argument as a reference. He groaned again, feeling even more dizzy. "You should know, Abraham, that my brother had a father throughout all of his childhood, in a sense. He had a good heart, there was nothing wrong with either of us and we both had a steady father. It was his choice that determined his fate, not father's. Father did let himself take nonsense from other beings when he should have been firm, but that does not and did not have any bearing on what happened to us!"

"That's not what I meant," Abraham said sadly turning away. "I just don't want to ruin him by making a mistake, that's all. Is there any way you could be mistaken about this?"

Nuala looked down at her hand, trembling with sadness as more tears flowed from her eyes. She sobbed softly and looked back towards her husband. The man realized that she had seen exactly how afraid he was and how it had made him almost angry to be thrust into this role so quickly. She turned and breathed heavily.

"I have never been mistaken about my body, Abraham," she replied timidly. She walked towards the door of the room slowly with careful footsteps. Abe was unsure of what to do now; should he chase after or go and ask for advice, and if the later then who? He shook his head and simply continued to watch as she opened the door. "But perhaps I have been mistaken about my heart."

"Princess, no," Abe argued as he started after her. She closed the door harshly behind her, the loud bang it made rang in his ears for several long seconds as he reached the facing. "I just need to speak with someone else. Someone . . ." he looked around the room for a moment as he thought aloud. Who could he turn to? Manning was usually the person the team went to for advice on actions, but he could hardly ask a man that had been unaware of his daughter's presence for two weeks what he should consider when it came to fatherhood. Fatherhood, he thought. There aren't many other people here who have children of their own. I'm about to be the only one! No, Liz is expecting as well and . . . Red! He finished the conversation with himself with a smile and raced out of the room, heading towards the cat-sanctuary that served as Red and Liz's room for the time being. Surely the demon who had handled the news of his wife's pregnancy so well even in the face of adversity would be able to give him sound advice on this.

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Titania decided to hurry down to breakfast the next morning hoping to not have any interruptions in getting outside. She slipped on the pair of jeans she had left by her bed and then a dark green sweater. The sky outside was overcast yet again. She frowned and reached into her closet, retrieving a black, woolen cape that she used in the winter. Autumn was close by, but she knew that there would be need of this kind of protection from the elements long before snow or the leaves had begun to fall. She raced down the stairs after putting on a pair of soft faux leather boots that her mother had given her a month before she had left for the visit with her father. They were light brown and didn't particularly match most of her clothing, but they would be more suitable for any time consuming task that she would be completing with the prince. By now he would be more than ready for her help. Surely the Morrighan appearing to him and offering him something so precious would have changed his mind.

Magnus gave her a message from her mother at the breakfast table and informed her that she was allowed outside only during the day now. Titania barely heard a word of what Magnus relayed until the end of the conversation where he informed her that Ravi was still missing. She turned towards the butler in anxious concern for the poor predator. Tiger or not, being alone in the woods was difficult for any new addition to the family. She frowned and finished the bowl of marmalade porridge that Misses Badcrumble had worked all morning to perfect.

"If you see him, you are to use your cellular phone to inform me right away," Magnus ordered firmly. Titania nodded and headed for the door. "We'll be prepared for the worst."

"Oh, please! He's not going to go on a murderous rampage! He's been hand-raised," Titania said as she headed out the door, unaware of the small spot of marmalade on the front of her sweater. She pulled the cape around her and began sprinting into the woods. "He's probably just trying to get something to eat."

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"Sire, help!" Puck's voice screamed in the distance. Nuada sat bolt upright in the bed. He had asked the pwca to wake him each morning at sunrise and felt irritation rising at realizing he had not been roused at the proper hour. He climbed out of the bed and began pulling on the shogun clothing for what he hoped would be the final time. Once within the Faerie Ring he would be among those of his kind who could offer him much more fitting attire. "Sire! Help me!" Puck screamed again. Being fully awake, the prince was able to make out the words more clearly this time. He grabbed the bokun quickly and leapt down the ladder in one swoop. Dashing to the front door, he listened carefully for what was causing the distress. From the door, he could see nothing but the peaceful trees and the clouded sky darkening the coming day. He frowned and listened more carefully, sniffing as well. Relief met him as Puck appeared at the base of the tree, panting heavily and looking quite terrified. The pwca sat trembling, unable to move any further. The prince noted that his friend's terror must have been so great that he could not transform or do anything further to escape whatever was chasing him. He leapt down the stairs in three small jumps and caught the rabbit in one hand. Puck's heart sped more rapidly than an angry windstorm, fluttering against the prince's hand with unusual intensity. The elf climbed back up the stairs hurriedly, asking the pwca what had happened.

"It must have escaped from the zoo," the pwca muttered. "We have to hide before it sees us."

"Before what sees us?" Nuada asked as he set the rabbit down on the floor inside the tree-house. From the ground, he suddenly heard a soft growl. The prince turned and stared down in shock at the sight of an enormous black and orange cat with its front paws on the bottom most stairs. He narrowed his eyes, trying to distinguish the breed. "What on earth?!"

"Fluffy!" the tiger shouted in a child like voice in its own language before beginning to race up the stairs. "Fluffy, fluffy, fluffy!"

Nuada watched in horror as the beast began scaling the stairs towards the dwelling. He was sure that creatures of such size and stature were unable to reach the tops of trees, but then he had never seen a cat so large before either. He thought quickly. Puck could not transform and, even if he could, would be entirely unable to defend himself. The prince reached down and quickly picked up the bokun before leaping halfway down the stairs.

"Stay where you are, my friend!" he warned the pwca as he hurled himself to the ground behind the animal. The tiger turned, gazing excitedly at the prince with almost matching amber eyes. "What are you doing in the forest?"

"Play!" the tiger shouted happily and began bounding towards the prince. "Play, play, play!"

"No, not play! Answer me!" he demanded once again. The tiger ignored the command and continued romping towards the prince. Nuada, who was rather unfamiliar with tigers and the idea of domestic animal mentality, stayed put and simply gave a small shout as the tiger leapt onto him, pinning him to the ground. His bokun flew back several feet, landing enough of a distance away to keep the prince from simply reaching for it. He looked up into the tiger's face angrily. "Urgh! Get off of me! Do you know who I am?!"

"Play?" the tiger asked happily, looking into the prince's face with an excited tongue hanging from its mouth. The prince growled and tried to shove the tiger away. The tiger roared with joy and wrapped its paws around the elf, ready to wrestle in response. The elf shrieked as the tiger bit down softly on his shoulder, tearing the leather-mail free and shaking it furiously in its teeth. "Grrrrrrrrrr!"

"Puck, do something!" the prince exclaimed as he realized that the tiger was playing a game that would not end well.

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Titania looked at Misses Badcrumble in exasperation. "But I have to go out today!"

The old woman had gone out of her way to stand between the girl and the forest sternly. She had not given Magnus permission to allow the girl to go out and he had not been given permission by the madam; a fact that the cook had brought to the butler's attention, reminding him that the vicious brute was still out there. She shook her head and took the girl's shoulder in one hand.

"Not today, lassie, there's a great deal more than magic what can hurt you this time," the old woman said firmly. "Come along, we'll call someone to go and fetch the kitty."

"No! Misses Badcrumble, I have to go out to the tree-house, I promised," Titania protested, pulling her shoulder free of the woman.

"Promised who?" the cook asked with a narrowed gaze. Titania sighed and looked down. She wasn't quite sure of the reaction the cook would have when being told that it was the elf prince. She did know that the woman would believe her and she would have no worries about being called crazy. The woman's face softened, trying to coax the answer more fully from the girl. "Promised who, dear?"

"Prince Nuada," she said softly. The cook let out a long and shocked cry at the reply. Titania grunted in frustration and turned around once, holding her hands tightly at her chest anxiously. "Please, I promised him I'd come back and help him after what the Morrighan said."

"The Morrighan?!" the cook shrieked falling to her knees. Titania reached down and helped the trembling woman stand. "The end's come! I knew it would! You'll be dashed to pieces in the forest and there's nothing I can do to defend my poor, innocent, lovely Titania!"

"Misses Badcrumble," Titania grunted in irritation and embarrassment as the old woman leaned on her. "He's not as bad as you made him sound. I helped him a few days ago, gave him some food and stuff. He's a little moody, but I don't really think he'd do more than threaten to kill me. He hasn't done anything terrible, well, except maybe hurt Lewis, I mean, Puck. Why was he holding him like that anyway? I should ask him. I have so many things to ask him."

"You'll keep your tongue around him, do you hear me!?" the cook shouted in terror. Titania looked at her in confusion. Having never seen a worried mother fussing over her child in earnest, all of this seemed quite foreign to her. The cook sighed and shook her head. "If it is the will of the Morrighan, and I know you wouldn't lie to an old soul about such things, then I cannot deny you. But I can give you yet another warning. I know you came home crying the other night and now I know the source. You won't be honest about what the brute said, but whatever pain it gave you will be brought a hundred times worse if you have any dealing with him further than what's instructed by the Morrighan. Do not converse with him. Do not look at him if you can keep from it. And certainly do not touch him! Am I clear, lassie?"

Titania nodded, still staring at the woman in utter bewilderment. The cook sighed, grasping the girl's shoulder once again. She shook her head several times more and turned back towards the mansion. As she began walking back to the kitchen, Titania was sure that she could hear the old woman muttering about 'that tiger's still out there' and 'delicious bit of crumpet that would make'. The girl shook her head and ran off into the woods at breakneck speed. At least someone believed her, someone that would be concerned and know more about what to do if something went wrong than anyone else. She thought more and more about the cook's words as she neared the tree-house.

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"For the . . . last time . . . I . . . order you to . . . get off of me!" the prince grunted between gasps and struggles to remove the tiger. The tiger roared and grunted playfully in return as he and the prince rolled to and fro, grasping one another in their faux combat.

"Play, play, play!" the tiger snarled happily.

"I am not . . . playing you . . . silly thing!" the prince said still trying to use all of his physical strength to remove the tiger with his hands. He now lay on his back, his knees bent in an effort to push himself off of the ground forcefully, and his hands gripping the tiger at its massive shoulders. The tiger leaned forward and licked the prince's face leaving a sloppy wet mess. "Urgh! You . . . beast! Get . . . off!"

"Your highness?" Titania called as she neared the tree-house. Nuada looked toward the girl, as did Ravi. Ravi's eyes widened and he drew in an excited breath. "Your highness, I've come back like I promised."

"Play!" Ravi shouted excitedly and quickly left the prince in a sloppy heap as he bounded in the girl's direction. "Play!"

"Oh no," the prince muttered as he climbed quickly back to his feet and raced over to retrieve his sword. He heard Titania shriek and felt every ounce of golden blood in his body rush to his face and hands. He trembled as he hurried down the path the tiger had taken towards the girl. He had no definite attachment to her, but it hardly seemed right for a human girl who had aided him to be torn to pieces by such a ridiculous creature in his presence. He arrived just as the tiger pounced onto the girl, pinning her as well. "No!"

"Ravi, you're here!" she shouted happily. The tiger licked her face as lovingly and enthusiastically as any faithful dog. He had adopted a more canine attitude since he had been raised by humans that didn't have the divine nature of the average feline. The tiger sniffed her intently and moved away from her shoulders, beginning to try and eat the marmalade stain on her shirt. "No, Ravi, no! Bad tiger!" she said sternly as she tried to push his head away.

Nuada leapt into the air and landed right beside the girl, raising the bokun at the tiger's shoulder. He intended to wound the beast to make sure that Titania could be safely removed, but the girl was unable to read the prince's mind. Instead, she read the fierce expression and squeaked in horror. She threw her arms around Ravi protectively covering his shoulder and neck as Nuada's bokun fell. Ravi roared as Titania's squeak became a scream of pain. The prince was unable to drop the weapon or stop himself before the blade made a deep cut in her shoulder. Blood began to course from the wound immediately as he knelt beside her. Ravi growled and turned to face the prince. The elf had been angered nearly to his limit in being unable to control his movements precisely as he had wanted. He turned and gave the tiger a silent, steely command to stay put. The animal hesitated, reaching its mouth towards the girl's good shoulder to pull her to safety.

"You've done enough, thank you," the elf snarled as he grabbed Titania harshly and pulled her to him. He looked over the wound as she shuddered, still wailing in pain and bleeding. "This is going to be very painful," he warned as he reached down and clamped one hand over the girl's wound, holding it shut while it healed. She gasped and screeched all the louder for a few moments. The prince closed his eyes, willing his natural energy to reach past the sound of her distress. He had always been unable to control himself when hearing another being in true distress. It was why he had been a grand warrior among other warriors, but never the ruthless murderer he had been named. The interrupted auction had been the worst act the elf had ever committed, though it was enough to give him the title in the minds of any human. "Breathe, girl, breathe. Let the pain fade with your breath," he instructed.

Titania breathed rapidly, gasping as the pain began to subside. Nuada removed his hand and looked down at the wound. It had healed into nothing more than a faint trace of a cut. He sighed heavily and looked towards the tiger once more. Ravi frowned and lowered his head. Titania composed herself, feeling all of the pain slipping away as she tried to stand. The prince moved backwards, allowing her room to stand and look back at the enormous creature.

"You-you-you tried to kill him," she stammered as she turned to face him. Nuada sighed and sheathed the sword. "You were really going to kill him."

"No I was not, I was trying to wound him so that he would not kill you," the elf replied angrily. Titania looked down at the tiger who, displaying true remorse, rolled onto his back and tilted his head apologetically. She looked back at Nuada, frowning. "Are you still in pain?"

"No, but I wish you wouldn't hurt the animals out here," she said sadly. The prince cocked his head to one side and gave her a reproachful gaze. "I mean, I wish you wouldn't harm any of the forest creatures, your highness."

"Explain," he said folding his arms.

"It's just that you were holding Lewis, I mean, Puck by the neck and shaking him when I first saw you. Then you killed a fish," she said beginning to look away. She was finding it very hard to be angry or focused when she looked into his eyes. Again, that was to be expected. All young girls share a universal desire to be with a prince, after all. She sighed. "And just now with Ravi. All he wanted to do was play, he wasn't going to hurt me."

"Well, if you can speak his language then kindly tell him to refrain from accosting royalty," the prince replied hotly. Titania turned, looking at him in confusion. "I was quite concerned for Puck's safety and my own when he attacked."

"I can't speak tiger," Titania said softly. Nuada unfolded his arms and moved closer. He examined her eyes, making sure that she was being truthful with him. She took a step backwards, trying not to make any further eye contact. "Can you?"

"All animals speak with their hearts and I can hear them, yes," he replied. He glanced at the tiger and then back at the girl. "But then how did you know he only wanted to play?"

"He looked playful, not hungry or angry," she replied with a shrug. The two stood in strained silence for a moment. "I didn't mean for him to get out, your highness. I'm sorry he hurt you."

"All is well," Nuada replied dismissively. He wanted to comment angrily on how cruel it was to keep such a creature as a pet. Animals were not meant to be kept, but rather taken in as companions for their short and pitiful lives. Humans had contorted yet another beautiful aspect of nature. "Take him and go back to your dwelling where the both of you will be safe. I doubt that the precious forest creatures that you oppose meeting any enemies, even the natural ones, will be safe with the beast on the loose."

"But what about the tasks, your highness?" she asked with a slight bow. He groaned and turned away. "Aren't you going to try and complete them?"

"Do you really believe that you can assist me? Come now, you are just a little human girl," he said with a more patronizing tone than he had ever used before. Titania glared at him. "Besides, you probably have no idea where the locations for the task are or what will be required once there."

"The journey is part of the task," she replied firmly. The prince smirked and watched a stern look of determination cross her youthful, feminine features. "And I'm fifteen, not a little girl," she added angrily. The prince lifted one brow, pointing out the fact that the girl had left off his title. She frowned and lowered her head. ". . . your highness."

"That does not sound like something a human would say," he said with amusement. She frowned and shook her head. He seemed to be on this tangent of anti-humanism every second of his life. "Very well then, I will amuse the Morrighan and order you to complete the first task with me."

"Great!" she shouted happily, trying her best to remember that she could not be an average teenager in the presence of royalty. She clasped her hands in front of her and waited for further instruction.

"The first task is to retrieve a map to the Faerie Ring from the Riddle Glen," he said waving his hand once for emphasis. "The Morrighan said that you would know where it is."

Titania fidgeted nervously. "Actually, your highness, I really don't know," she admitted softly. He chuckled scornfully, raising his eyes to the heavens as if to say that he had known she wouldn't. She moved closer to him, trying to keep her feelings of excitement as secretive as possible. "But I know how we can find out."

"Do you now?" he asked with a laugh. She frowned and scanned the forest for a moment. "And pray, how would we find out?"

"You said you can speak to the animals, we'll ask them," she offered. He shook his head.

"I have already spoken with the forest creatures and have found many of them to be as stunted in intelligence as any human." He strode past her. "None of them are of any help to us."

"You can't have asked every single one," she reasoned. "You haven't been here long enough." She scanned the forest more carefully, this time looking closely for a sign of an animal that would know its way around. She suddenly noticed a squirrel perched at the entrance to his nest. She smiled and pointed. "Have you asked him?"

"All squirrels look the same from a distance," he groaned. "Still, if you think it will be more quick then I shall oblige out of my desire to return home, nothing more."

"Nothing more required," she said with a smile as the prince walked over to the tree. Titania waited a moment before following after him. The squirrel chattered into the hole in the tree every so often as the prince stood and waited patiently for a break in the conversation. "What is he saying?"

"You, there," Nuada said firmly. The squirrel turned and stared at him in amazement. "My companion and I need to know the location to the entrance of the Riddle Glen."

"Jigger off," the squirrel replied with an agitated flick of his tail. Nuada felt a rage begin to form once again. He had experienced the same thing repeatedly with all of the other forest animals up to this point, though none so rude right off.

"I beg your pardon!" the prince exclaimed with restrained hostility. "How dare you speak to the heir to the magical throne in such a way! It is repulsive!"

The squirrel stared at the prince for a few moments, studying his features carefully. The rodent hopped onto a lower branch and gazed deeply into the prince's face. The creature's eyes suddenly lit up with recognition. "Oh yes! Nuada, prince, son of Balor and all that, but I thought that you were in self-induced exile?" Blinky said as he scratched his squirrelly chin.

"As you can see, I have returned," the prince replied with irritation. "Now tell me . . ."

"Blinky, who is it?" another voice from within the tree demanded. Titania stared at the tree in confusion, as did the prince.

"Uh, no one Whimpole," Blinky replied quickly.

"Oh no you don't, I heard someone, I know I did," Whimpole added. "Who is it?"

"Uh, you remember Nuada Silverlance, don't you Whimpole?"

"Oh yeah," Blinky said with a drawn out tone of reminiscence. "He's a loony, he is. Whatever you do, don't let him near that house beyond the forest. He'll murder every last one of 'em in their sleep."

"That is absurd!" Nuada protested.

"What did he say?" Titania asked impatiently. The prince sighed heavily and watched as the squirrels scurried back into their nest, chattering about the weather and royalty.

"He said something to the effect of I should not be allowed near your human dwelling lest I kill your family in their sleep, it is ridiculous," he fumed. Titania smiled, sensing that she had been right about the prince's nature all along. "I would never kill another being in their sleep. Oh, and I hardly think that they know where the Glen is."

The girl frowned and looked away. He wasn't denying the charge of murder, just murder in a more sinister sense. She sighed and thought for a moment. Was this really something she wanted to do? To be off in the forest with a murderous elf prince so close to home? A light went on in her mind. She smiled brightly and turned to him. By now, Ravi had begun to wander back to the mansion, sulking about not having anyone to play with.

"Home! I have lots of books we could use to find it at home!" she exclaimed. The prince's expression fell at the girl's suggestion. He loathed the idea of being near yet another monstrous human's dwelling. All of them were nothing short of testimonies to their heartless rape of the planet. She clapped once and pointed the way back to the mansion. "Come on, I can get the books we need really quickly. I think I know just the one."

Before the prince could protest, Titania started off into the forest toward her home. He sighed and grasped the hilt of the bokun at his side. He had very little choice. Having his clothing and spear returned would be worth the effort in retrieving the information and then going through with the task. He simply hoped that he would not have to step between the girl and tragedy any more.

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Puck peeked his head out through the door and glanced around at the forest beneath him. He was sure he had heard both Nuada and Titania speaking a moment ago. He had covered his ears, shaking madly with fear when he had heard Titania's scream. He felt like passing out shortly before the scream had ended in short lived sobbing. He was sure enough of the fact that the girl was alright, but he still wasn't sure of whether or not it was safe for him to go back out and see about what had happened. As much as he cared for the girl and the prince, he knew that the two had a better chance against a huge tiger than he did. He sniffed carefully, seeing nothing and no one on the forest floor other than the natural greenery. He frowned and inched out onto the topmost stair.

"Your highness?" he asked softly. He waited for a moment, expecting a reply of some kind. Silence came, nothing more. "Your highness?"

((((So far, I have a good number of people here that are reading this story telling me that their favourite new character is Puck. The question then follows, what is a pwca and why the name Puck? Okay; a pwca is a mischevious faerie spirit that is more identifiable as an animal. It's closest magical relative is the boggart, but boggarts are not truly faeries at all, they are closer to spirits than faeries. The two most common forms for pwcas are horses and rabbits probably because of their relations in myths to Andraste and Epona. The horse form pwcas try to get humans to ride them; when the human climbs on they take their life into their own hands. Only a truly courageous human with a pure heart will survive. The rabbit pwcas, on the other hand, are more friendly and curious about humans in their own environments. The film/play Harvey was based on the story of the pwca. Watch it, but be sure to watch the old version with Jimmy Stewart, it's a feel-good movie. Now, the name Puck comes from A Midsummer Night's Dream. You might notice that the names I use for my characters in this story either come from Celtic myth or from Shakespearean works on the magical worlds; Titania and Oberon were names of faerie royalty after all!))))))