Duchess Olga was sneaking through the palace halls in the wee hours of the morning when she heard a strange noise. Well, as a member of the Royal House of the 2nd Kingdom she wasn't really sneaking. Still she would rather her parents not join her. It was a thud. It reminded her of when she was younger, and had accidentally caused one of the cooks to drop a sack of potatoes.
Being a naturally curious little girl, she wandered over in the direction of the sound. It was a bedchamber. She looked around to make sure that there were no servants around. There weren't too many servants on guard in the interior bedchamber areas. She stopped at the door and pressed her ear against it. For a while she heard nothing more. Then she heard something moan groggily very softly. At eleven years old the little duchess was fearless. She pulled open the heavy door as quietly as she could.
Gingerly she made her way into the room. She hadn't thought about how dark it would be inside the chamber. In the halls torches were kept lit. Here there was only the moonlight streaming in through the windows. Slowly her eyes adjusted and she realized where she was. It was the very room in which she had awakened after Rose saved her. As she got closer to the bed she learned what had caused the thud. Rose was lying on the ground just by the bed on her stomach.
Olga rushed to her side forgetting for the moment about being quiet. She knelt to Rose's side.
"Strange Mademoiselle! What has happened? Are you able to hear me? Wake up!" she cried while trying to keep her voice down. She didn't know where that other woman was, the old one, but she didn't want to bring her out just yet. There was something menacing about her that Olga didn't like.
Rose looked at the little girl by her side and saw the concern on her face. The sound of her voice brought Rose out of her haze.
"Oh Your Majesty. I must have fallen out of bed. You must help me out of here. We must get to the King. Mistress Yaga, she must not escape," Rose mumbled. She tried to raise her voice, but her words still came out in a whisper. Somehow Olga was able to make it out.
"Yes, we will… that Yaga woman she will not escape," Olga said. She said it more to comfort Rose than anything. What had the Yaga woman done? Well if Rose wanted to see the King then Olga would make it happen.
"Strange Mademoiselle, I must leave you to get the King. It will be faster. But I don't know if I should leave you on the floor. Can we move you to that chair?"
Rose lifted her arm. It was difficult, she was very weak. She didn't know if her legs would work. She didn't want to risk making anymore noise. Mistress Yaga may hear.
"No, Little Duchess. I'll stay here, just go," she said. Olga took Rose's hand and squeezed it.
"I will be right back," Olga promised. Then she scurried away.
From the antechamber Mistress Yaga peered in at Rose through the slightly open door separating the two areas. She may not have heard everything, but she got the general idea. Rose found something out during her journey. Whatever it was couldn't bode well for Mistress Yaga. As soon as she was sure that the child was out of her way, Mistress Yaga opened the door. She walked to Rose's body. Her apprentice's eyes were closed and her breathing was heavy. But she felt Mistress Yaga's presence. She opened her eyes and gazed at Mistress Yaga.
"I wonder what you saw in the OtherWorld to make you look as if the end of days was upon us," Mistress Yaga mockingly mused.
"You… monster… never help… parents," she cried in a dehydrated and panicked voice. Every word was ripped from her throat. Her senses were overwhelmed. The strain of such heated speech almost made her faint.
"We'll just see what you will and won't do," Mistress Yaga said confidently. That was the same tone that Mistress Yaga had used on Rose when, as a child, she had thrown her one and only tantrum.
"King coming," Rose managed to get out.
"Yes I know," Mistress Yaga said casually. Obviously this did not scare her.
"That's why we're leaving. Now drink this," she commanded. She had pulled a tiny vial of yellow liquid from her dress pockets. She pushed the liquid against Rose's lips. Rose struggled to keep her mouth closed. Her head thrashed from side to side, but in the end Mistress Yaga won.
Mistress Yaga steadied Rose's head and pinched her nose closed. Finally Rose had to open her mouth for air. As soon as she opened her mouth, the liquid slid down the back of her throat. Birdsong filled her head.
She felt herself becoming smaller and lighter. Her very bones were changing. She was transforming into something. Then in an instant Rose the apprentice was gone. In her place was Rose the canary.
Mistress Yaga cupped the little bird in her hands. The bird's soft breathing was the only sign of life visible. Mistress Yaga went into her own room and produced a wooden birdcage from one of her bags. In went Rose the canary. Mistress Yaga put the cage on the table. She then turned her attention towards packing the rest of her possessions. She would have to leave everything that wasn't in the palace, a few of their things were still in that small room the pair stayed in upon arrival. But she had everything that she deemed necessary. She strapped everything to her back, including the birdcage, and stepped out onto the balcony. Then in the deep of night and the brilliance of the moonlight she transformed herself. Her outstretched arms lengthened and so did her fingers. Mistress Yaga's gray hair unfurled itself and tumbled over her shoulders. As it did the strands switched from hair to feathers. Everything about her changed and soon her shape was that of a massive owl. The one thing that stayed constant was her eyes. Her eyes were still the intimidating amber that they had always been.