The camp had finally gone quiet. Most of the soldiers were asleep, and the voices from the last few hours had faded into the occasional crackle of the dying campfire. I lay inside the tent staring at the fabric above me, unable to settle.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the Frostbane. Then Alexander. Then the strange voice in my head that kept trying to turn everything into a story. I gave up.
Carefully, I slipped out of the tent. My ankle still hurt, but the pain had eased enough for me to put some weight on it. I wasn't planning to go far. I just needed somewhere I could think without someone asking whether I needed anything.
The night air was cool against my face. I walked away from the camp, following the sound of running water. The forest looked different at night. The trees were dark silhouettes, and the familiar path disappeared beneath patches of moonlight and shadow.
Back home, I wouldn't have thought twice about walking around at night. Here, perhaps I should have. But after being kidnapped by a Yeti and discovering that fictional characters apparently existed, my standards for what counted as dangerous had changed considerably. Yet, I continue walking.
The sound of water grew louder. I soon found a river winding between the trees. Moonlight reflected off its surface, broken whenever the current passed over stones. I lowered myself onto a large rock beside the bank. For the first time since waking up in this world, nobody was telling me where to go.
Nobody was calling me Princess Elysia. Nobody was trying to rescue me. I breathed out slowly. "Okay, Samantha. Think." My voice sounded strange in the quiet forest. I needed to find a way home. That was the only thing that mattered.
A faint rustle came from the bushes behind me. I turned. Something small moved between the leaves. I reached for the nearest branch. Then a little creature stepped into the moonlight. It was about the size of a large cat, covered in brownish fur with two short legs and tiny hands. Its round face had a pair of sharp little teeth sticking out from its mouth.
It stared at me. I stared back. The creature tilted its head. I lowered the branch.
"Hi."
It blinked. Then it spoke. "You're not afraid?"
I nearly fell off the rock. "You can talk."
The creature looked offended. "Of course I can talk."
"Right." I stared at it. Talking monster. Fine. Apparently that was normal here too.
It took a cautious step closer. "You're not afraid of me."
"Should I be?"
It glanced down at its own body. "I have teeth."
"So do I."
The creature looked at me for a moment. Then it snorted. I laughed. That seemed to surprise both of us.
"What are you?"
"A Tumblefluff."
I waited. "That doesn't answer my question."
"It is my name."
"Oh." I looked at the little creature again.
"Tumblefluff."
It puffed out its chest. "Yes."
I couldn't help smiling. "Okay, Tumblefluff. Nice to meet you."
It sat on the ground a few feet away, apparently deciding I wasn't going to attack it. "Most humans run away."
"Most humans probably haven't had the day I've had."
"What happened?" I considered explaining.
Then decided against it. "It's complicated." Tumblefluff nodded as though that made perfect sense.
For a while, we talked. It told me about the forest and the creatures that lived deeper inside it. Some were dangerous. Others avoided humans. A few, according to Tumblefluff, enjoyed stealing food from travellers and leaving them confused.
"You do that?" I asked.
"Sometimes."
"Why?"
"It's funny." I shook my head. "You're a menace."
Tumblefluff looked pleased.
I watched it for a moment. There was nothing threatening about the creature sitting beside the river. No bloodlust. No hostility. Just curiosity. That brought another question to mind. "Tumblefluff."
"Yes?"
"Do you know why the Frostbane took me?"
The little creature's expression changed. Its ears lowered. "I shouldn't talk about that."
"Why not?"
"It isn't my story to tell."
I frowned. "So you do know something."
Tumblefluff looked toward the forest. "I know that the Frostbane had a reason."
"What reason?"
"I can't tell you."
I waited. It didn't continue. "Tumblefluff."
"I really can't." There was something in its voice that made me stop pushing.
"Fine."
The creature looked relieved. Then it looked at me again. "Princess Elysia—"
I stiffened.
"How do you know my name?"
Tumblefluff's ears twitched. Before it could answer, something moved behind us. The creature squeaked. "Uh-oh."
"What?"
Tumblefluff darted into the bushes.
"Tumblefluff—"
Footsteps approached from the trees. A familiar figure appeared between the trunks. Alexander. He stopped when he saw me sitting beside the river. "Princess."
I tried to look casual. "Your Highness."
His gaze moved to my injured ankle. "You shouldn't be walking on that."
"I wasn't planning to climb a mountain."
"You left the camp alone."
"I couldn't sleep."
Alexander studied me for a moment. Then his expression eased. "I noticed."
"You were watching me?"
"I saw you leave." That was somehow worse. He walked closer. "Do you need something to help you sleep? I can ask someone to prepare some herbal tea."
"No. I'm fine."
He looked toward the river. "You came here for some quiet."
"Exactly."
Alexander looked at the water. "The night is peaceful."
I glanced at him. "That's one word for it."
He sat on a rock a short distance away. "I can leave if you prefer."
I hesitated. "No. You can stay."
Tumblefluff remained hidden somewhere behind the bushes. I could feel its presence. I also knew exactly what Alexander might do if he discovered it. He was a prince. A knight. A man who had just killed a Frostbane. I had no idea whether he could tell the difference between a dangerous monster and a harmless one. So I kept my mouth shut. For a while, neither of us spoke.
Then I broke the silence. "You don't like monsters."
Alexander's gaze shifted toward me. "That's a broad statement."
"I watched you fight one today."
"So did you."
"I wasn't fighting it."
"No. You were being kidnapped by it."
I gave him a look. "That wasn't what I meant."
A faint smile touched his mouth. "I know." There it was again. That irritating calm confidence.
I looked back at the river. "You seem to assume they're all dangerous."
"Not all."
I turned toward him.
He continued before I could respond. "But enough of them are that I can't afford to treat them as harmless."
"Because of what happened today?"
"Because of what has happened for years." His voice had lost its teasing edge. Alexander rested his forearms against his knees. "Monsters have attacked villages along our borders. They have killed livestock, destroyed homes and injured people who had nothing to do with them."
I listened. That was harder to argue with. "If they're attacking people, then yes, they're dangerous."
"They are."
"But that's not the same as saying every monster is evil."
Alexander was quiet.
I glanced toward the bushes. Tumblefluff stayed hidden. "What if some of them don't want to hurt anyone?"
His eyes settled on mine. "Then I would need to know that before I could trust them."
"That sounds fair." I picked up a small stone and rolled it between my fingers. "Have you ever actually tried to find out?"
Alexander looked toward the river. "Not often enough."
That answer caught me off guard. "You admit that?"
"Why wouldn't I?"
"Because you're a prince."
He gave me a questioning look. "Does that mean I'm not allowed to be wrong?"
I looked away. "Apparently not." For a moment, we listened to the water.
Then Alexander spoke again. "I've wondered where they come from. I've wondered why some attack and others don't. I've wondered whether they're capable of choosing differently." His expression tightened slightly.
"But wondering isn't enough when people are in danger."
I nodded. "I understand."
Alexander looked at me for a moment, as though he wasn't entirely convinced. Then he said, "You sound disappointed."
"Maybe I am."
"Why?"
I rolled the stone between my fingers. "Because it would be easier if you were wrong."
A faint smile appeared on his face. "About monsters?"
"About everything."
He didn't press. For some reason, I appreciated that.
The river moved steadily beside us, carrying leaves and bits of broken branches downstream. Somewhere behind the bushes, Tumblefluff shifted. I glanced in that direction.
Alexander noticed.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." His eyes narrowed slightly.
"You looked behind you."
"I heard something." He turned toward the bushes.
I reacted before he could stand. "It's probably an animal."
"What kind?"
I shrugged. "A small one."
Alexander remained still for a moment. Then he looked back at me. "You are a terrible liar."
"That's rude."
"It's also true."
I gave him an offended look, but he only smiled. He didn't investigate. I wasn't sure whether that was because he believed me or because he had decided not to push.
After a while, he stood. "You should return to camp."
"I will."
"You shouldn't be wandering around alone."
"I wasn't exactly alone." The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Alexander's gaze sharpened.
I quickly added, "I mean... there are animals everywhere."
"Of course." His tone suggested he didn't believe me. He took a step toward the path, then paused. "Princess Elysia."
I looked up.
"Yes?"
"You've been different since you arrived."
My stomach tightened.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't know yet." He said it without accusation. That somehow made it worse. "You question things you shouldn't know to question. You look at monsters differently. And you keep asking questions about a world you've barely seen."
I forced myself to smile. "Maybe I'm simply curious."
"Perhaps." He studied me for another second. Then he turned away. "Get some rest."
I watched him disappear between the trees. Only after his footsteps faded did I let out the breath I'd been holding. Tumblefluff emerged from the bushes.
"You almost got me killed." The creature looked offended.
"I was quiet."
"You squeaked."
"I was surprised."
"You squeaked very loudly."
Tumblefluff sat beside me. "Is he dangerous?"
I looked toward the path Alexander had taken. "That's what I'm trying to figure out."
The creature scratched behind one ear. "He isn't like the others."
"What others?"
Tumblefluff's eyes shifted away. "The ones in the stories."
I stared at him. "What stories?"
He suddenly became very interested in the ground.
"Tumblefluff."
"I shouldn't have said that."
"You really need to stop saying things you aren't prepared to explain."
He gave me a guilty look. "Sorry."
I sighed. At this point, I was beginning to suspect that the little creature knew far more than it let on. "You called me Princess Elysia earlier."
Tumblefluff went still.
"How did you know my name?"
The creature rubbed its tiny hands together. "I heard it."
"From whom?"
He didn't answer.
"Tumblefluff."
"It wasn't supposed to happen."
"What wasn't?"
He looked at me. For the first time since we'd met, there was no mischief in his face. "You're not supposed to be here."
The words landed harder than I expected. I stared at him.
"What?" Tumblefluff looked toward the trees. "You're not supposed to be in this forest. You're not supposed to be with the prince. You're not supposed to be talking to me."
My mouth went dry. "Then where am I supposed to be?"
He shook his head. "I can't tell you."
"Why?"
"Because if I tell you, things might change."
I almost laughed. "Things have already changed."
Tumblefluff looked at me. Neither of us spoke. The irony was almost too obvious. I had spent the whole day trying to understand why everything felt wrong. Why the story I remembered didn't quite match the world around me. Why Alexander didn't always behave the way I expected. Why monsters that were supposed to be terrifying sometimes seemed more complicated than the book had made them. Now a small furry creature was telling me I wasn't supposed to exist here.
"What happens if things change?" I asked.
Tumblefluff's ears flattened. "Bad things."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the only one I can give."
I looked down at the river. The water kept moving as though none of this mattered. Maybe that was the problem. I was trying to find a way home while the world around me was quietly becoming something I no longer recognized.
Tumblefluff moved closer. "Are you going to tell the prince about me?"
I looked at him.
"No."
He relaxed. "Thank you."
"But I want something in return."
He narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"The truth. Eventually."
Tumblefluff considered this. "I can try."
"That's not very reassuring."
"It's the best I can do."
I smiled despite myself. "Fine."
He climbed onto the rock beside me and stared at the river. For a while, neither of us spoke. Then he said quietly, "The Frostbane didn't take you because it wanted to eat you."
I turned toward him. He immediately covered his mouth with both hands. I stared. He stared back.
"Tumblefluff."
He slowly lowered his hands. "I said too much again."
"You really did."
He jumped down from the rock. "I should go."
"Wait."
He paused.
"Where does the Frostbane live?"
Tumblefluff hesitated. "Far from here."
"Where?"
He looked toward the mountains. "Where the snow never melts."
Before I could ask anything else, he disappeared into the trees. I remained beside the river, staring after him. The Frostbane had a reason for taking me. Tumblefluff knew what it was. And somehow, I was beginning to suspect that finding the answer might be more important than simply finding a way home. I didn't like that thought. Not at all. I got to my feet and tested my injured ankle. It still hurt.
"Great," I muttered. "Another mystery." I started back toward camp. This time, I didn't walk quite as quickly. Behind me, the river continued its steady course through the darkness, carrying away the leaves that fell into it. Somewhere beyond the trees, something cried out. I stopped.
The sound came again. Not Tumblefluff. Not a bird. Something larger. I looked toward the forest. For a few seconds, nothing moved. Then I heard branches crack. I took a step backward. A pair of pale eyes appeared between the trees.I couldn't see the creature clearly. It watched me. Then it vanished.
I stood there, heart pounding, waiting for it to return. It didn't. After a moment, I forced myself to keep walking. I had no idea what had been watching me. But I was beginning to understand something about this world. The monsters weren't always where the story said they would be. And neither was I.