The morning sun slipped through the curtains, warm and lazy. Teddy blinked awake on the straw bed, half-convinced he was still dreaming. No howling winds. No crashing waves. No lonely island. Just a cozy duck-scented house.
"Morning, sleepy bear," Riya teased as she set a basket by the door. "Toilet's out back. Don't mistake the well for it."
Lila giggled behind her wing. "We're going shopping. You stay here. No matter what. Understand?"
Teddy sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Sure, sure. Totally. I'll guard the… uh… wall."
They narrowed their eyes at him, then left. The house fell quiet. Teddy paced, his tail flicking. The smell of roasted nuts wafted in from the market square outside. His ears twitched.
"Stay home, they said," he muttered, pulling a cloak from a laundry basket. The hood flopped over his head. "Yeah, right. I'm not rotting in here while the world spins outside."
He slipped out.
---
The market was alive—clattering pans, squealing piglets, and feathers everywhere. Teddy gawked at every stall, nose twitching at pies and honey jars. He tried to walk casually, but the hood was too big. He kept bumping into folks.
"Strange fellow," a goose guard murmured.
"Walks like he's hiding something," a hen clucked.
Teddy hummed, pretending to examine a basket of beans. "Blending in perfectly," he whispered.
Then it happened.
A shadow swept overhead. Whoosh! A gust slammed the square as a massive eagle mailman descended, sacks of parcels hanging from his talons. The wind roared through Teddy's hood and—flip!—it flew back.
The square froze.
A bear's face. Round ears. Wide, guilty eyes.
Gasps shot through the crowd.
"A human!" someone cried.
"Monster!" squeaked another.
Teddy's paws went up. "Wait! I'm not a monster! I'm—uh—actually very friendly?"
Too late. Guards surrounded him, ropes snapping around his wrists. The goose barked, "Seize him before he causes trouble!"
"Trouble? Me?" Teddy yelped as he was dragged forward. "I haven't even stolen a grape!"
The Mayor Goat parted the crowd, stepping into the circle with slow, deliberate hooves. His beard swayed like a pendulum. His eyes studied Teddy, sharp but not unkind.
"So… the rumors were true," the mayor said. "A stranger washed ashore. And it turns out he's no ordinary stranger at all."
Teddy swallowed hard. "Look, I didn't mean to crash your market. I just… wanted to see the pies."
A ripple of uneasy laughter spread.
Then, through the commotion, two familiar voices rang out.
"Teddy?!"
Riya and Lila stood frozen at the edge of the square, shopping baskets dropped in the dust. Their feathers bristled with fury and fear.
"That fool," Riya hissed, shoving through the crowd. "He promised to stay home!"
"They'll think he's a monster now," Lila whispered, wringing her wings.
Teddy's ears drooped as ropes tightened. "Aw, crumbs," he muttered.
The whole town stared at him—the hooded stranger, revealed at last.