“It looks like we’re going into the Dwarf Forests,” Alex whispered as she jogged.
“How can you tell?” Conner asked.
“The trees are getting thicker and it’s getting harder to see the sky,” Alex said. “Also, I’m feeling more anxious the farther we run—that’s the biggest clue.”
Conner gulped. The Dwarf Forests had never been a good place for the twins. The last time they had been in this part of the Land of Stories they had been chased by wolves and kidnapped by goblins.
The fox came into view ahead and the twins came to a belated stop, like cars with bad brakes. They hid behind the biggest tree they could find and each gestured for the other one to be quiet.
The fox was standing on his hind legs next to a stone well in the middle of a clearing. The moon illuminated the clearing like a spotlight. The fox stood very still, keeping a close watch on the trees around him. He was waiting, but for what the twins couldn’t tell.
At one point the fox looked directly at the twins’ hiding spot but didn’t appear to see them. The twins wondered if they blended in with the rest of the forest because they were so dirty or just because it was so dark.
It was unnervingly quiet in the Dwarf Forests, too. It was surprising, since the twins had remembered hearing all kinds of troubling sounds coming from close by and afar the last time they were here.
A few twig snaps echoed into the night as someone or something made its way into the clearing. The fox jerked his head in the direction of the snaps and smiled, exposing several tiny sharp teeth. A sly expression came to his face—the twins couldn’t tell if it was because he was pleased or just because he was a fox.
Three cloaked figures stepped into the clearing. They were all different shapes and sizes: One was enormous, another was only a little bigger than the twins, and the third was as tiny as the fox. A large raven swooped into the clearing, perching on the well next to the fox. It didn’t need a cloak; its dark feathers were enough to camouflage it in the night.
The others surrounded the well, all facing the fox. The fox rubbed his small paws together. “So glad you all could make it,” the fox said through his toothy grin.
The smallest of the cloaked figures lowered its hood. He had shiny black eyes, white stripes, and a short snout. It was a badger, and a paranoid one at that.
“It isn’t safe for us to be out at night like this,” the badger said and nervously looked around. “At least not anymore.”
“Relax, Badger,” the fox said. “If the Enchantress wanted to harm us, we would be dead by now.”
“Get to the point, Fox,” the raven squawked impatiently. “Why did you call us here tonight?”
The largest figure lowered its hood; it was a gigantic brown bear. “And make it fast, I’ve got cubs at home,” the bear said with a booming and growly voice.
Alex and Conner had never seen so many talking animals in the same place. They hoped their presence would remain unnoticed.
“I’ve just returned from the Eastern Kingdom,” the fox said. “I heard the Enchantress did a number on it but I wanted to see it with my own two eyes. The whole place is a disaster; it’s covered in vines and thornbushes as far as the eye can see. It’s worse than I ever imagined—it’s as if the Thornbush Pit has taken over the entire kingdom!”
“Oh dear,” the badger squealed and began nervously tapping his paws together. “Is it going to cross into other kingdoms?”
“I hate thorns,” the raven said.
“That’s the thing,” the fox explained. “The plants grow perfectly along the border; they don’t cross into the Northern Kingdom at all. I even tried provoking a plant with a stick but it only coiled around the edge that touched Eastern Kingdom ground. It takes very powerful magic to be that specific.”
The animals exchanged worried expressions. The remaining hooded member of the group maintained his silence. Alex and Conner wondered what kind of creature was under the cloak.
“Why would the plants only stay in one kingdom?” the bear asked.
“I reckon the Enchantress is taking over the world in style,” the fox said. “She’s doing it one kingdom at a time, showing the world that the Happily Ever After Assembly is no match for her. It’s only a matter of time before she takes over the Dwarf Forests, too… and we must be prepared.”
“But what would she want with the Dwarf Forests?” the badger asked, shaking his head. “It’s full of nothing but criminals and outcasts like us.”
The fox’s grin grew bigger. “Exactly why I called you all here tonight,” he said. “I think we should pledge our allegiance to the Enchantress now, before she strikes.”
The animals grunted and growled their protest.
“You’re out of your rabbit-preying mind, Fox!” the bear said.
“We’re already fugitives!” the raven said. “You want us to get locked away in Pinocchio Prison next?”
The fox raised his paws at them, calming their nerves.
“Hear me out before you disregard me entirely,” he said. “Think about it: The reason we live in these parts is because none of us could fit in a Happily Ever After Assembly–regulated society. The Enchantress is going to change all that; the world of fairies and man is over. If we show loyalty to her now, then when she takes over, and she will take over, she may spare us.”
The fox was slowly starting to convince the animals. They all remained quiet except the badger.
“We can’t do that!” the badger said. “It’s already bad enough living in exile! Can you imagine what they’d do to us if we sided with her?!”
“That’s where you’re mistaken, Badger,” the fox said. “You’re still in the happily-ever-after frame of mind. I saw what the Enchantress is capable of. Trust me; all the fairies in the world aren’t going to be able to stop her this time. If they could, they would have done so already.”
The animals looked back and forth to one another. All were afraid to be the first to express their interest.
“How would we show our allegiance?” the bear asked.
“You’re not agreeing with him, are you?” the badger asked the bear.
The bear growled restlessly. “We’re already castaways—what more can they do to us?” he said. “If the world is changing, why not change with it? Especially if there’s something in it for us.”
The raven bobbed up and down, contemplating. “What’s your plan, Fox?” she asked.
“I’ve been asking around; I’ve got some ideas,” the fox said. His mouth had dropped the smile but his eyes hadn’t.
“What about you?” the raven squawked in the direction of the unidentified creature. “You’ve been awfully quiet.”
“He’s always quiet,” the bear said. “I don’t even know if he can speak.”
The hooded creature looked around at his fellow animals and nodded his head. A simple and singular ribbit came from under his hood.
Alex and Conner both gasped. Could it be?
The badger must have heard the twins’ reaction because he grew more timid than ever before. “We should get out of here before we get caught.”
“Think it over!” the fox said. “You all know where to find me.”
All of the animals put their hoods back over their heads and disappeared into the night. The fox took one last look around the forest before following the others. Perhaps the badger’s paranoia had gotten to him.
The twins knew they wanted to follow the mysterious hooded creature. They made sure the other animals were a safe distance away, then bolted through the forest after their new target.
The forest became darker and darker as they went. The twins had been running for a few minutes, jumping over boulders and tree roots. They were cold, tired, and lost; it was almost nostalgic for them, reminding them of their last trip. But there was no sign of the hooded creature.
“I don’t get it,” Alex said. “He was just here.”
“It’s like he disappeared into thin-AHHH !” Conner screamed.
/> Alex turned to see what had startled her brother. Emerging from the trees directly behind them was the hooded creature. He was much taller and more menacing than he had looked in the clearing. He began slowly walking toward the twins. They clutched each other in fear.
“We’re sorry for following you!” Conner said. “We thought we might have known you.”
“We didn’t mean any harm!” Alex said. “We’ll leave you alone now!”
The creature kept coming toward them.
“You better get away from us!” Conner said, taking another approach. “My sister knows magic! She just sank a house—she’ll mess you up!”
Alex stared at her brother in disbelief. Did he think this was helpful?
The creature froze just a few feet away from them and looked the twins up and down and side to side.
Conner picked up a big stick on the ground and began swinging it in the hooded creature’s direction.
“I played T-ball in elementary school!” he said. “I’m warning you!”
A soft chuckle came from under the creature’s cloak.
“Come now, is that really how you’re going to greet an old friend?” said a very familiar and proper voice. Its owner slowly removed his hood and the twins sighed with relief.
“Froggy!” the twins exclaimed. They jumped into a huge hug, violently embracing their old friend.
“Hello, Conner! Hello, Alex!” Froggy said and hugged them back. “I wish I could say it’s a surprise seeing you two here, but you’ve always had a knack for being in danger.”
Froggy was a tall, man-size frog with big bright eyes and a wide mouth. He always dressed to impress; the twins noticed he was wearing a three-piece suit under his cloak.
“It’s so good to see you, Froggy!” Conner said.
“We’ve missed you so much,” Alex said.
“And I’ve missed you,” Froggy said as he leaned down to look them both in the eye. “You’ve both grown so much! You’re practically grown-ups!” His expression fell once he remembered where this reunion was taking place. “What on earth are you two doing here at a time like this? Does your grandmother know where you are?”
Alex and Conner exchanged guilty glances at each other.
“Er… not really,” Conner said.
“Grandma doesn’t know exactly where we are,” Alex said, not looking him in the eye.
“I should certainly hope not,” Froggy said. “The Dwarf Forests are still too dangerous for you to be in, especially these days and especially this late.”
Alex and Conner gave each other another glance.
“I recognize that look,” Froggy said. “What aren’t you telling me? And why are you both so filthy?”
Alex and Conner considered lying to him for a second, but they knew they couldn’t.
“Our grandma doesn’t know we’re in this world,” Alex confessed.
Froggy’s wide mouth fell open and he stared blankly at the twins. “How did you get here?”
“Alex sank our grandma’s house—I wasn’t kidding,” Conner said. “That’s why we’re covered in swamp juice. It was horrifying and strangely awesome at the same time.”
“You sank a house?” Froggy asked, dumbfounded. “You know, normally I would question such a possibility, but I don’t with you two.”
“It was an accident!” Alex said. “I activated another one of my grandma’s portals.”
“Your technique needs work,” Conner said out of the side of his mouth.
Froggy looked around at the forest. They could tell knowing they had snuck into the fairy-tale world made him uneasy. “Children, you shouldn’t be here,” he said. “These are very dangerous times. An evil Enchantress is at large—”
“Ezmia,” Alex said. “We know all about her. She’s kidnapped our mom.”
“What?!” Froggy said. “I’m so sorry.”
“Not as sorry as we are,” Conner said. “And our grandma practically imprisoned us trying to stop us from coming here.”
“Clearly it worked,” Froggy said with an eye roll. “Has she met you two? Are you even capable of sitting still?”
“Thank you,” Conner said, glad of the validation.
“Wait,” Alex said, noticing something for the first time. “Froggy… you’re a frog again!”
“Oh yeah,” Conner said. “What gives?”
Despite his transformation back into Prince Charlie, the long-lost Charming prince, Alex and Conner still imagined him as a frog whenever they thought of him. They had to remind themselves it wasn’t his natural form.
“I’m undercover,” Froggy said. “Your grandmother transformed me back into a frog so I could keep a watch over the animals and criminals living in the Dwarf Forests during this crisis. We figured they’d trust me more as an amphibian. Some of them even remember me from when I was living here.”
“Are they really going to join the Enchantress?” Alex asked.
“I doubt it,” Froggy said. “These are just a bunch of crooks trying to make the current situation work for them. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. But still, the Happily Ever After Assembly wants to keep an eye on them just in case things change.” Froggy folded his arms and looked between the twins. “I’m sure they’d be much more interested in knowing what you two are up to.”
“Froggy, you can’t tell anyone we’re here,” Conner said. “They’ll send us back.”
“We can’t be stuck at home, not when we know our mom is in danger,” Alex said.
They both looked up at him with large, pleading eyes.
“Children, you know I care about you deeply but—” Froggy started but was interrupted.
“WE’RE NOT CHILDREN!” Conner shouted. “Everyone keeps calling us that and I’m sick of it! We shouldn’t have to prove ourselves after everything we’ve been through already. It’s not like we’re a couple of irresponsible kids sneaking into a party—we’re two young adults trying to save our mother’s life!”
“You can tell our grandmother if you have to,” Alex said. “She can lock us up at home all she wants, but we’ll just keep finding ways to get back here until our mom is safe.”
“We have to find her, Froggy,” Conner said. “We already lost our dad; we can’t lose our mom. We’re not going to stop until we save her.”
Froggy hopelessly looked back and forth between them with his big, glossy eyes. They had put him between a rock and a hard place.
“First things first,” Froggy said. “We need to get out of the Dwarf Forests before anything else sees you. Let’s get somewhere safe and we’ll discuss it further.”
Alex and Conner nodded, but they already knew there wouldn’t be anything to discuss. His loyalty to them was much stronger than it was to their grandmother—he was their friend before he was her subject. Froggy placed his cloak over the twins and led them safely through the forest.
Alex and Conner were so relieved to have miraculously made contact with an ally so soon, but they knew the worst was yet to come in the uncertain days ahead.
CHAPTER TEN
RUMPELSTILTSKIN’S DEBT
Pinocchio Prison was home to the most dangerous criminals in all the kingdoms. It was a tall, dark fortress that sat in the center of a long peninsula that curved around Mermaid Bay in the southern part of the Eastern Kingdom. It was perched at the top of a high and rocky cliff with sharp spikes pointing inward and outward at every window so there was no possible way to escape or gain unauthorized entry.
Enchanted wooden soldiers patrolled the narrow stone halls, keeping watch on the lawbreakers behind bars. The majority of those locked away were typical sheep-stealing ogres, kidnapping witches, and man-eating animals that had been caught before they fled into the Dwarf Forests.
The prison was also the home of a great mystery. During the one-hundred-year sleeping curse the Eastern Kingdom had endured, the prison had been the only place in the kingdom that had been spared; all the soldiers and inmates inside had strangely remained conscious while the r
est of the country had slumbered.
More recently, the mystery had developed when the prison also became the only place in the kingdom not covered in the Enchantress’s demonic thornbushes and vines.
Whether it was a fluke or a miracle was the question. Many assumed the prison was just too far removed to be affected by the curses. However, unbeknownst to all the soldiers and inmates inside, the prison’s exclusion from the kingdom’s greatest woes was due to a high-profile prisoner who resided on the thirteenth floor.
Rumpelstiltskin was serving his one hundred and twenty-seventh year behind bars. He was a very small man with large baggy eyes, a button nose, and short hair that clung to his head like a helmet. He wore a large collared shirt, tight pants on his tiny legs, and pointed red shoes that jingled when he walked.
After his infamous failed attempt to take the firstborn child of the Eastern Kingdom’s former queen, Rumpelstiltskin went into hiding. But after a few years of being at large, the small man couldn’t live with the guilt of what he had almost done. So one hundred and twenty-seven years ago, he decided to turn himself in and had lived at Pinocchio Prison ever since.
Rumpelstiltskin had a tiny chamber all to himself. He had two barred windows, one on the heavy door of his cell and another on the wall facing Mermaid Bay. Both were too high for him to see out of unless he jumped, so the dark stones of his chamber floor and walls were all he had to look at every day.
His life had simplified greatly while in prison; he slept on a large stack of hay in the corner and ate on a tiny table pushed to the side with only one spoon and bowl in his possession. Although Rumpelstiltskin had many magical capabilities, he had decided to give them up when he went to prison, fearing magic would only lead him to trouble. He kept his quarters as simple as possible.
The first decade or so of imprisonment was incredibly lonely for the little man, but luckily for him, an unexpected roommate eventually moved in. One day a strong ocean breeze blew a seed into his chamber, and a week later a small daisy began to grow in between two rocks of the stone floor.