After settling into their rooms Milo, Jim, and Cinderella went back down stairs to get something to eat. The barmaid sat them at a round table and served each of them a flagon of ale. Jim chugged down half the flagon before the barmaid came back with their food.
"Mmmm this Shepard's pie is delicious." Said Cinderella as she took another bite. Jim nodded and ate another big spoonful. Milo however picked at his stew. He was more interested in the book he was reading. He took an occasional spoonful but was not very interested in eating. Knowing Milo wasn't going to be much company, Cinderella and Jim took to talking among themselves. Some time had passed and Cinderella got the feeling she was being watched again. She squirmed uneasily in her chair. She scanned the room to see who might be watching her but couldn't find anyone. It was then that she noticed a pretty girl in a blue dress ordering a pail of ale. She had a book tucked under her arm as she made her way toward the door. When she got a few steps away from the door the book slipped out from under her arm and dropped to the floor. Cinderella quickly got up and picked up the book from the floor.
"Here. You dropped this."She said to the girl.
"Thank you." Said the girl. She tried to take the book but needed both hands to lift the heavy pail. Cinderella saw her struggling.
"I can carry it for you if you want." Cinderella prompted. The girl was genuinely grateful and a bit skeptical.
"Thank you." She said again. "You're new in town aren't you?"
Cinderella nodded. "Yes. My cousin's and I are stopping through on our way to our new home."
"Well, my name is Belle." She tried to extend her hand but only succeeded in spilling some ale.
"Its okay you can shake my hand later." Said Cinderella. "I'm Cinderella by the way."
Belle smiled. "Nice to meet you." She said. Cinderella smiled back and followed Belle out of the inn and to her house. They small talked all the way to Belle's house.
"Thank you for helping me." Belle said she extended her hand to Cinderella who took it.
"You're welcome. Glad I could help." Cinderella smiled and handed the book to Belle. She noticed the title engraved on the leather spine, Jack and the Beanstalk. "Oh I love this story."
Belle's eyes went wide. "You've read it?"
"Yes. My cousin Jim brought home a copy of it when he was on his last trip."
"I love it. The ogre. The beanstalk." Belle paused and looked at Cinderella. "Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea?"
"I'd love to." Cinderella smiled and followed Belle in for a cup of tea. They talked and socialized for several hours. Belle's father Maurice came through a couple of times from his work shop.
When Cinderella finally left Belle's house it was late and the sun was almost set. The shadows of night were creeping forward. Cinderella walked briskly towards the inn. Outside Jim was waiting and looked relieved when he saw her coming. She smiled as she got closer and once again she felt like she was being watched. She looked around but saw no one but Jim. But this time the feeling was stronger. She looked around again and still saw no one. But she had an uneasy feeling that who ever was watching her was hiding in the near by forest. She glanced toward the forest and to her dismay she she saw a pair of glowing red eyes looking back at her.
------------------------------
The forest was quiet as the the small cat stalked its prey from the branches above. Below sat a two white birds, a goose and a swan. They had no idea they were being hunted from above. The KodKod crouched low on the branch and assumed attack position. She shook her butt and aligned her shot. With a loud growl she pounced. The two birds scattered, both honking and flapping their wings frantically. Behind them the Kodkod lay on her side laughing hysterically.
"That was NOT funny Chel!" Yelled Odette. Behind her the goose shook her head and ruffled her feathers.
"You really scared us." The goose honked at Chel.
"Oh come on Daria, you have to admit that was good." Chel said to the goose. "You guys didn't see it coming." Chel laughed harder thinking of her prank.
Chel didn't see two sets of glowing eyes behind her. However, both Odette and Daria did. One set of eyes winked at them. While the other set disappeared. Odette nudged Daria and the slowly backed away from Chel. Chel finally stopped laughing and saw Odette and Daria had backed away several feet.
"Hey! Oh come on. You're not still upset with me are you?" Chel asked sitting up. Suddenly from behind Chel came a loud roar and outsprang a large lioness. Chel mewed and scrambled forward when a large tigress sprang toward her from the front. This time Chel yoweld and sprang side ways. The two large cats skidded to a stop next to Odette and Daria. All four of them started laughing. Chel however was seething.
"That was not funny!" Chel narrowed her eyes and stared at them. This only made them laugh harder. She turned her back on the four of them and sat defiantly with her back to them.
"Oh Chel. Esme and I were only giving you a dose of your own medicine." Said the tigress. She chucked as Chel still sat defiantly.
"You were right though. It was a good prank." Esmeralda said as she nudged the tigress. Both chuckled some more." Jasmine and I were passing by on our way to the lake when we saw what happened. Thanks for giving us the idea." Esmeralda smiled and waited. Chel rolled her eyes and turned around.
"It was a good prank." She said conceding defeat. Both Jasmine and Esmeralda nodded.
"But not very nice when you are on the receiving end huh?" Asked Esmeralda. Chel sighed but nodded.
"Sorry Daria. Sorry Odette."
Both Daria and Odette smiled. "We forgive you." Said Odette.
"Before we were... interrupted, I was telling Odette about what Meg had told us last night." Daria waited as Chel, Esmeralda, and Jasmine came closer.
"Amalthea and I were by the rock wall last night so we missed meeting." Odette explained as the girls settled in.
"I was there, as well as Snow, Aurora, Ariel, and Daria of course." Esmeralda said. "I must say the news was shocking." This intrigued Chel and Jasmine more. The leaned forward slightly.
"Last night Meg said she had found something in the forest. Beyond the boundary line." Daria paused.
"What did she find?" Asked Chel curiously. Daria continued.
"She found...
"Mmmm this Shepard's pie is delicious." Said Cinderella as she took another bite. Jim nodded and ate another big spoonful. Milo however picked at his stew. He was more interested in the book he was reading. He took an occasional spoonful but was not very interested in eating. Knowing Milo wasn't going to be much company, Cinderella and Jim took to talking among themselves. Some time had passed and Cinderella got the feeling she was being watched again. She squirmed uneasily in her chair. She scanned the room to see who might be watching her but couldn't find anyone. It was then that she noticed a pretty girl in a blue dress ordering a pail of ale. She had a book tucked under her arm as she made her way toward the door. When she got a few steps away from the door the book slipped out from under her arm and dropped to the floor. Cinderella quickly got up and picked up the book from the floor.
"Here. You dropped this."She said to the girl.
"Thank you." Said the girl. She tried to take the book but needed both hands to lift the heavy pail. Cinderella saw her struggling.
"I can carry it for you if you want." Cinderella prompted. The girl was genuinely grateful and a bit skeptical.
"Thank you." She said again. "You're new in town aren't you?"
Cinderella nodded. "Yes. My cousin's and I are stopping through on our way to our new home."
"Well, my name is Belle." She tried to extend her hand but only succeeded in spilling some ale.
"Its okay you can shake my hand later." Said Cinderella. "I'm Cinderella by the way."
Belle smiled. "Nice to meet you." She said. Cinderella smiled back and followed Belle out of the inn and to her house. They small talked all the way to Belle's house.
"Thank you for helping me." Belle said she extended her hand to Cinderella who took it.
"You're welcome. Glad I could help." Cinderella smiled and handed the book to Belle. She noticed the title engraved on the leather spine, Jack and the Beanstalk. "Oh I love this story."
Belle's eyes went wide. "You've read it?"
"Yes. My cousin Jim brought home a copy of it when he was on his last trip."
"I love it. The ogre. The beanstalk." Belle paused and looked at Cinderella. "Would you like to come in and have a cup of tea?"
"I'd love to." Cinderella smiled and followed Belle in for a cup of tea. They talked and socialized for several hours. Belle's father Maurice came through a couple of times from his work shop.
When Cinderella finally left Belle's house it was late and the sun was almost set. The shadows of night were creeping forward. Cinderella walked briskly towards the inn. Outside Jim was waiting and looked relieved when he saw her coming. She smiled as she got closer and once again she felt like she was being watched. She looked around but saw no one but Jim. But this time the feeling was stronger. She looked around again and still saw no one. But she had an uneasy feeling that who ever was watching her was hiding in the near by forest. She glanced toward the forest and to her dismay she she saw a pair of glowing red eyes looking back at her.
------------------------------
The forest was quiet as the the small cat stalked its prey from the branches above. Below sat a two white birds, a goose and a swan. They had no idea they were being hunted from above. The KodKod crouched low on the branch and assumed attack position. She shook her butt and aligned her shot. With a loud growl she pounced. The two birds scattered, both honking and flapping their wings frantically. Behind them the Kodkod lay on her side laughing hysterically.
"That was NOT funny Chel!" Yelled Odette. Behind her the goose shook her head and ruffled her feathers.
"You really scared us." The goose honked at Chel.
"Oh come on Daria, you have to admit that was good." Chel said to the goose. "You guys didn't see it coming." Chel laughed harder thinking of her prank.
Chel didn't see two sets of glowing eyes behind her. However, both Odette and Daria did. One set of eyes winked at them. While the other set disappeared. Odette nudged Daria and the slowly backed away from Chel. Chel finally stopped laughing and saw Odette and Daria had backed away several feet.
"Hey! Oh come on. You're not still upset with me are you?" Chel asked sitting up. Suddenly from behind Chel came a loud roar and outsprang a large lioness. Chel mewed and scrambled forward when a large tigress sprang toward her from the front. This time Chel yoweld and sprang side ways. The two large cats skidded to a stop next to Odette and Daria. All four of them started laughing. Chel however was seething.
"That was not funny!" Chel narrowed her eyes and stared at them. This only made them laugh harder. She turned her back on the four of them and sat defiantly with her back to them.
"Oh Chel. Esme and I were only giving you a dose of your own medicine." Said the tigress. She chucked as Chel still sat defiantly.
"You were right though. It was a good prank." Esmeralda said as she nudged the tigress. Both chuckled some more." Jasmine and I were passing by on our way to the lake when we saw what happened. Thanks for giving us the idea." Esmeralda smiled and waited. Chel rolled her eyes and turned around.
"It was a good prank." She said conceding defeat. Both Jasmine and Esmeralda nodded.
"But not very nice when you are on the receiving end huh?" Asked Esmeralda. Chel sighed but nodded.
"Sorry Daria. Sorry Odette."
Both Daria and Odette smiled. "We forgive you." Said Odette.
"Before we were... interrupted, I was telling Odette about what Meg had told us last night." Daria waited as Chel, Esmeralda, and Jasmine came closer.
"Amalthea and I were by the rock wall last night so we missed meeting." Odette explained as the girls settled in.
"I was there, as well as Snow, Aurora, Ariel, and Daria of course." Esmeralda said. "I must say the news was shocking." This intrigued Chel and Jasmine more. The leaned forward slightly.
"Last night Meg said she had found something in the forest. Beyond the boundary line." Daria paused.
"What did she find?" Asked Chel curiously. Daria continued.
"She found...