Beast had gone hunting and Lynette had been left alone. She sat at the windowsill gazing wistfully at the snow outside as if she'd find answers there. She'd spent much of her spare time thinking about Beast's confession, it was confusing, she was appalled that he could ever have been so malicious but at the same time she couldn't quite believe that the person she was staying with was the same person in his story. Being that she could not come to a conclusion of any kind about her mixed feelings she let her mind wander and eventually her thoughts gravitated to her friend Chip. She missed him now as she had never missed anyone before. He was always so calm and levelheaded, he could have helped her sort things out. She sighed, if only she'd stayed at the castle instead of running off like a little kid throwing a tantrum, she could be in Chip tidy kitchen having lunch and discussing the last book she had read. Still, she couldn't entirely regret ending up with Beast, she did want to help him, just not marry him...not under any circumstances.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a sharp knock sounded at the door. Thinking it was Beast she hopped up from her spot and went to answer it. She was quite surprised to find that it wasn't him at all but an old woman in a dark cloak. She was small and slightly hunched and she looked so frail that it seemed a gust of wind could have toppled her. Lynette wondered how she'd found her way out here.

"Goodness, you must be freezing why don't you come in! These woods are huge and there's not a town for miles."

Lynette opened the door wide enough to allow the old woman entry.

"Thank you kindly deary, these old bones could use a rest by the fire."

"I would imagine so, what on earth are you doing all the way out here?"

"I came to find you my dear, it's been twenty years and that Beast still hasn't broken his curse, it's become very clear that without help he never will," said the old woman easing her self into a chair. "I don't suppose there's any tea around here is there?" she asked

Lynette shook her head. "I'm afraid not, just water. I can offer you some rabbit soup if you like. Do you know Beast?"

"We go back, I don't know if he'll recognize me though and I don't plan on staying long enough to meet up with him again."

"You can't mean to go back out there in the cold! At least stay the night and I'm sure Beast won't mind if you take one of the furs with you, he had dozens of them."

The woman smiled and Lynette noted the most peculiar twinkle in her oddly bright green eyes.

"Such hospitality, you didn't learn that from your father, or maybe you did. He learned in ten years what seems to be taking your Beast twice as long."

"You know my father too? Who are you?"

"I'm an old peddler woman, I've been every where and I'm very old, I meet a lot of people in my travels."

Lynette was sure there was much more to her story than she was letting on but she didn't press the matter. There was something uncanny about this old crone that was for sure.

"You didn't come here by accident did you?" she asked.

"Smart girl, no I came to give you a little nudge in the right direction as it were. Your Beast needs all the help he can get, he's not the brightest of people if you know what I mean. Cunning enough in his own way but always smart."

"You're telling me...maybe if he was a bit less of an egotist he'd realize how ignorant he was sometimes."

"You're putting me on, he's been a beast for twenty years and he still hasn't learned humility?" said the old woman shaking her head. "Maybe he really his hopeless, he's lucky there's no time limit on his curse."

"You know a lot about curses don't you?" Lynette scrutinized the old woman.

"Comes with age and experience deary," replied the crone blithely

"So how do I help Beast? I'm not going to be his wife," said Lynette flatly.

"Heavens no deary I don't expect that!" the old woman chuckled. "He's the one who needs to learn to love something more than himself."

"Is that even possible?"

"I think so, he's very misguided but so were all the others before them. Most of them managed to free themselves of the curse, I'm sure he will too. Another thing, don't tell him how to break the curse he needs to learn about it on his own."

"I don't know..." Lynette didn't think that Beast even knew what love really was, he assumed that getting a girl to marry him was the right answer, and she didn't think he'd ever love anyone as much as he loved himself. She was sure even if she told him he'd never understand it fully. She agreed to keep quiet about it. The old woman nodded her approval before the explained further.

"There are many kinds of love, he only needs to find one of them. I'm sure you'll be able to help him, you seem like a capable person."

With that the old woman reached into the folds of her cloak and pressed a little white flower into Lynette's hand.

"For your kindness dear, it's only a lily, I'm all out of roses I'm afraid," she said, her wrinkled face split into a grin and for an instant Lynette could have sworn that she had seen a glimpse of a beautiful young woman in her smile.

"Thank you," said Lynette tucking the flower into her sleeve.

"May it do you good child, I'll be going now."

The old woman stood and before Lynette could protest she was gone and when Lynette looked outside to call her back there was no trace she had ever been there, not even footprints.

When Beast came back with his latest kill he asked Lynette where she had found a lily in the middle of winter. Lynette told him about the old woman and her visit but not about the details of his curse. He seemed satisfied with the answer and settled himself to skinning and butchering the deer he'd killed. Not liking the sight of blood Lynette excused herself until he was done.

Later that evening Lynette made an attempt to read her books to him. He disliked the Shakespeare and found The Canterbury Tales to be ridiculous but not all together unamusing. His interests seemed mostly limited to hero stories from her book of Greek mythology, his current favorite was the Odyssey. He had even been impressed with Odysseus's cunning going so far as to say:

"That's what real brains are, being quick on your feet under pressure."

Lynette paused her reading and peered over her book at him.

"What do you mean by that comment?"

"Everyone thinks being smart means knowing a lot of fancy words and facts but most scholars would be useless in a tight situation. That Odysseus knows what he's doing and I'll bet he didn't learn all that from a book."

"You know, you really shouldn't knock books you seem to like this one," said Lynette.

"Alright, alright, you have a point just keep reading." Beast waved a paw at her dismissively.

Lynette rolled her eyes and returned to her book. At least he was giving books a chance, she had to keep that in mind to keep herself from smacking him in the head with one of them when ever he interrupted her or made a smart remark. Truthfully she didn't know how anyone could put up with him...