In which our heroes make some practical decisions and meet some interesting creatures.
Once again, Kendria had no idea where they were, but it was somewhere very beautiful. They were in a very small grassy clearing surrounded by forest. The grass was tall, and stunning even though it was unkempt. The trees around them looked impossibly lively, and bushes and shrubs grew in-between with reckless abandon. The sun was rising, sprinkling amazing colors onto the foliage.
She let go of Jack and stood up. Jack stayed on his knees, he was looking through his bag.
"Well, I got us away, now it's your turn. What do we do now?"
"I don't know about we, princess. I'm taking this to the guild headquarters," he said as he produced the dragon egg from the bag. It was as large as Jack's head, and in the light it had no glow, but a sheen to it.
"Oh no you don't! It's your fault we're in this mess, you're getting me home!" she demanded, then checked herself. If she returned home without a prince or knight at her side, she would be shamed. "Actually, I need to get back to Dobbilan's!"
"What?"
"The giant's castle! I need to get back."
"Go back!? That's stupid, you've escaped! Why on earth would you go back to your prison?" he asked, putting the dragon egg away and standing up.
Kendria looked at him indignant. "My father used a hard earned favor to get me in there; I was waiting to be rescued by my true love!"
"Too bad. I'm not risking my life just so you can find "true love", deal with it. Find your own way back." said Jack.
He turned his back and started walking into the forest.
Kendria stood in the clearing, astounded at this man's behavior. Had he grown up in a dump? She was a princess, he shouldn't be allowed to treat her like this! But there was no one here to stop him. Out here, on her own, she was helpless. The little magic she knew wouldn't help her forever. She knew she had been lucky with her spells so far, transporting without a destination was risky.
So she fell to the ground, and began to weep.
A chipmunk ran out of a nearby bush and stood in front of her. It's nose twitched curiously.
"Dear dear. A girl lost in the forest! Lost, lost in the forest. Waiting for a prince I expect."
Kendria nodded, continuing to sob.
"Good thing I came by. Good thing. Can't have you waiting for long. No, must keep on the move hear. Must keep on the move," it spoke very fast.
"But, I have no idea where to go!" cried Kendria.
"Oh dear oh dear. Then we must find a prince fast! I can do that! I can. Done it before, yes yes,"
Just then Jack returned looking very annoyed.
"Oh look princess! A prince. I am good, very good, told you, told you!" it jabbered excitedly.
Kendria stood back up, no longer crying. The chipmunk leapt onto her shoulder.
"He is no prince, he is a thief! He stole me from a giant, and then stole an egg from a dragon!"
"A thief with a heart it seems," he said, "You aren't going to just sit and cry until some monster finds you are you?"
"Stole a dragon egg! NO NO. Bad," squeaked the chipmunk, "They will find you, and he will help! You are not safe here. Not safe here!"
"Who will help?" asked Jack, concerned.
"The king! The king! Of The Enchanted Forest! He is friends with the dragons. He sees all that happens in the forest, he will find you. He will find you!"
"The Enchanted Forest!?" exclaimed Jack in horror, "Are we in The Enchanted Forest!?"
"Yes, in the forest. In the forest!"
"This is worse than the dragon cave," he hissed, "Do you know a way out?"
"Never been out, never. Know people who have!" said the chipmunk.
"Can you take us to them?" asked Jack.
The chipmunk chewed it's paws and rubbed his face nervously.
"I should not be helping you. If the king finds out!"
"Please, we mean no harm. Just help us find someone who will help us, can you do that for me?" asked Kendria, as politely and calmly as possible.
The chipmunk beamed.
"Follow me!" it said, jumping from her shoulder and away into the forest.
They ran after it.
"How long do you think we can go undetected?" Kendria asked Jack.
"Without magic? Not very long. Luckily, I know a concealment spell that works to shield one from magical detection,"
"So you do know spells!"
"I didn't say thieves didn't learn spells, we just don't learn as many compared to learning how to use the enchantments of others."
"So cast the spell!" ordered Kendria.
"I can't! It's not a simple incantation, it takes ingredients. That I don't have!"
"Are you sure? Have you checked your bag lately? You could have anything in there," sneered the princess.
"I know what's in my bag! We'll have to get the ingredients the old fashion way."
Without warning, Kendria's gown caught on a thorny vine, and she stumbled forward.
"Cursed nightgown! It isn't proper for a princess to be running around in such a thing!"
Jack ran to her, examining the rip in her gown. It ran down her thigh. She pushed him away.
"What do you think you're doing!?"
"Making sure you didn't get pricked by a thorn! Can't have you fall asleep or something like that," he said, irritably.
"I'm not cursed! No dark fairies attended my christening. But thanks for the concern."
"My concern was not for you, I didn't want to deal with a curse," huffed Jack.
"Then I take back my thanks. I wish I was cursed!"
"If we don't get out of this crazy forest, you might just get your wish. Where is that rodent?"
The looked around. It was nowhere to be seen. It must have continued on without them. They were well and truly lost now, and without a guide. Jack leaned against a tree.
"I don't suppose you have map of this place in your bag?" asked Kendria.
"If I didn't it wouldn't help. This is The Enchanted Forest. Maps are useless because it changes every day," He explained. "We could be right by the edge this moment, wait long enough, and suddenly find ourselves in the very center of this place."
They agreed though, that they should get moving. They walked slower now that they weren't trying to keep up with a chipmunk. But they ran into more obstacles. Rocky outcrops and marshes. And they couldn't risk going through the latter.
"I wouldn't mind so much if I was in proper clothing. My gown is ripped, and my slippers are nearly in shreds!" declared Kendria, after an hour.
They reached the top of a small hill and spotted a small cottage a little ways down.
"The thing about The Enchanted Forest," said Jack, "It tends to know what to move, and where to move it."
"You mean that cottage was moved here because we needed to find it?"
"Or we were moved, either way, I think we should see if anyone's home," suggested Jack, heading towards the building, fast.
Kandria leapt forward and held him back.
"What if it belongs to an evil witch! Who will stuff us into the oven!"
"It's not made of candy!" noted Jack, but he continued more slowly down the hill.
It was a really quaint little house, thought Kendria. It was surrounded by a wooden fence, with a colorful garden. It was also small, not meant for a human inhabitant. A sign on the gate read: Otto's Oddities Open 7 Days A Week.
They opened the gate and walked up to the door, crouching slightly. Jack knocked on the door. After a few seconds, the door was opened by a wood elf. He was dressed in simple but nice robes. He took one look at them, his long ears twitched and he sighed.
"Welcome to Otto's Oddities. I am Otto. If you are here for advice on a quest I cannot help you, please be on your way and find a dwarf or gnome, they usually know about such things," said the elf, then started to close the door.
Kendria moved to hold the door open, "We are not on any quest, sir elf. We are actually interested in purchasing some oddities! If you would be so kind as to let us in."
Otto's expression brightened considerably. He opened the door all the way and invited them in. Once through the door, they could stand up properly.
"Oh, I am so sorry, of course come in. Look around, or do you know what you want already?"
"As you can see Otto, I need a proper outfit, this one just won't do," said Kendria.
"I have a large selection of garments for the female adventurer in the back!" he said.
"Oh, I'm not an adventurer, I'm a princess! I need a gown!"
"But you are running around the forest, how fast did what you are wearing now, last before you ruined it?"
Th elf was right. She looked down at herself. It wasn't just ripped, it was discolored and wrinkled. She didn't need a dress, this wasn't time to be pretty, it was time to be practical. She let herself be lead to the back of the store.
Otto returned to help Jack.
"And what does the good sir need?" Otto bowed.
Jack was flattered, and did not correct Otto's mistaking him for nobility.
"Do you have magic items? For instance, ingredients one would need for spells?" asked Jack, not looking at Otto, but around the shop.
It was full of random items, some even Jack could not put a label to. What a haul he could bring in from robbing this place! But he knew when and where to steal, this might be a great place, but it was not the time. He was already running around with stolen items. Adding more to his bounty was not smart. He turned his attention to Otto when he was asked a question.
"Can I inquire as to what you need them for?"
"No. But I do not intend to enchant the girl," answered Jack. "if that's what you're worried about."
"Then follow me," said Otto, taking them to a back room.
The collection of magical ingredients was large, almost concerning, but Jack wasn't one to question how others obtained things. Not when most of his possessions had come to him in through dubious means.
It took him a while to find the ingredients, and Otto left him to it. He left to adjust whatever outfit Kendria had picked out.
When they had finished shopping Otto calculated the price. That was when Jack realized he had no money. The elf was about to throw them out in a furious tirade when Kendria had an idea.
"Wait, what about a trade!?"
"Trade?" asked Otto.
Kendria removed her earrings. They had been given to her by her father for her 16th birthday. They were gold, with perfectly cut diamonds.
"That covers the outfit, but the magic ingredients are a bit more expensive,"
Kendria plunged her hand into Jack's bag of holding. He protested but she didn't take notice.
She knew her crown must be in there. She felt something cold and made of thin metal, it was her crown! She drew it out of the bag and waved it in front of the elf.
"Does this cover the cost?"
Otto's eyes grew wide, indicating that it was more than enough.
"Yes, thank you for shopping! Come back anytime," he said, waving them goodbye.
Once they had walked a good distance from the cottage, Jack prepared the spell for them. It was very involved, Kendria was at a lost to each step contributed to hiding them.
Eventually he completed the set up, finishing by sprinkling powdered Nightshade claws on each of their heads. Jack then instructed her on where to stand and what words to say. She said them, loud and clear, focused on wanting to be hidden. The dust started to sizzle, but did not show any indication of combusting. For a moment they were engulfed in a blue light.
When the spell was finished the dust was gone, the ingredients that Jack had organized around them were gone too.
They both breathed easy for the first time that day. Though they were far from safe, at least they were hidden.
However, they were not invisible.
