-Wait up! Wait for me!!-
A small girl was running and stumbling to catch a group of children walking across a prairie towards a thick forest, their small town by the river not far behind them; all wore cheap but thick wool clothes, vests and hats the kind used for farming in cold lands, however all of them looked healthy and well fed thanks to the trade and fishing that being by the river gave to the small town, being far from any castle or Lordship didn’t hurt too.
Up front was the eldest, around thirteen years old, tall and lanky in her grayish clothes and green vest she led the dozen kids to the forest, helping the smaller ones to go on, looking up she waved to the yelling girl.
-Come on, hurry up!-
The girl reached the group and they went into the forest, close together to not get lost while the taller girl spoke.
-It’s berry season and I want you to learn which ones are good to eat and when to pick’em up-
-Is she gonna teach us, Ludmila?-
-Yeah, that’s the idea-
-Ooohoooh…- All of them wooed in surprise and excitement.
-But dad says she’s bad…- One eleven old stated.
-Eustaquio, your dad just doesn’t understand her, living alone in the forest doesn’t mean that someone is bad, only that she wants to not be disturbed-
-But she forbids hunting in the forest!!-
-We have enough farm animals to be hunting deer- Ludmila replied -Your dad owns the meat market!-
-Why are we allowed to see her?- Another girl asked.
-She likes kids…- Ludmilla growled low and scarily, making the girl cry outloud and the rest giggle and laugh.
-No, seriously- She untied her green cap letting a load of bushy cinnamon hair spill down and fluff out -Ahh, needed that! Well, she likes children and likes to teach them how to get along with her forest, did you know that most of your parents used to come here too?-
-Really?! What happened to them?- One kid about her age asked.
-They grew up, Cletus, as we all do and she wasn’t interesting anymore, they left to never return and now they have forgotten how much they learned, the fun they had with her and now they tell those horrible tales about her…-
-Aww, I won’t do that!- Said a girl and all the kids nodded.
-Promise?-
-Yeah, we promise!!-
-Good, I’ll held you by your promise-
All the while they spoke they had been walking and soon they reached a nice looking clear dominated by a huge oak tree with an opening in its trunk, they all stopped some yards before it, the kids nervously scanning the surroundings while Ludmilla called.
-We’re here!!-
There was a rustling above, in the midst of the oak’s leaves and for a moment a pale face peeked from up there before disappearing, more rustling and suddenly a figure landed in the middle of them provoking quite a bit of frightened screams while the newly arrived flourished a black cape turning graciously on the spot.
-Wally!-
Pulling off her cowl she revealed a girl not much older than Ludmilla with big golden eyes and strange furry and pointed ears poking from her black short hair, being very beautiful she looked like some kind of elf though her hands and feet had black fur and sharp claws.
-Bringing another batch of children, Ludmilla?- She moaned with a musical voice while ruffling the white hair that sprung from her forehead -Why can’t you teach’em yourself? I’ve taught you a lot already-
-I like to brig’em to the source- Ludmilla replied in the same tone -Besides, no one can tell tales like you do-
-Harrump- Wally growled, incensed.
-We have cookies!!- One girl exclaimed.
-And smoked bacon!!- A boy added, showing a package.
Ludmilla nudged the girl to present the bundle of cookies to Wally who softened her expression with a toothy smile that showed her longer than average canines and taking the bundle gestured them to follow her to the tree.
-Al’righ kinder, sit down-
They looked around but there wasn’t where to sit but she began to carry out some stools from inside the tree, then some cups, honey mead and berries; as the kids settled she lighted fire and laid a fur for her to lay on, Ludmilla had brought bread and everybody had their share of food, she may be rough but Wally was a good host.

Once they were settled and had some food, Wally stretched in her patch of fur, wiggling her furry feet and asked.
-Well? What’d ya wanna hear?-
-I think that they will like to hear the first tale, Wally- Ludmilla said and the kids nodded.
-Oh well- She reached for a bit of bacon and nibbled on it -This begins many years ago, when your town wasn’t more than a dozen houses and their boats a little more than canoes-
The children mumbled in awe and disbelief, of course they were too young.
-Those times were troubled, lords fought between’em, they battled the king, the king battled’em, the king battled other kings and so on; people in towns and villages lived day by day not knowing to which lord plead allegiance or to which king they belonged to or when their men would be forcefully recruited by any of the armies coming and going across the lands; those were very desperate and dark times-
The kids looked at each other, those were things that they didn’t heard at school.
-Yes, I know- Wally spit into the fire -Your school doesn’t tell you that, right?-
Everyone nodded, bread and mead forgotten.
-Yeah, surely you’re told about the brave king that battled all those rogue lords and all those wannabe kings and how he finally settled peace between’em and for everyone in this land, amirite?-
-Yeah, yes- Everybody agreed.
-Well then, what would’ya think if I tell you that the King wasn’t a king but the youngest son of one of the lords?-
-ooohooh-
-He wasn’t as strong as his brothers but he was cunning, passing over his siblings he became counselor of his father, helping him to gain power while bolstering the enmity between the lords and kings until many adhered to the strengthening lord and the rest were conquered and soon the lord found himself ruling above all the land; that’s when the true nature of the wayward son came out-
The kids left their seats, getting closer to the girl resting on fur in order to not lose a word she was saying.
-Well, suddenly the young man found himself a Prince as he had dreamed yet it wasn’t enough for ‘im, he wanted to be King! So what does he do? Begins to forge stronger bonds convincing his father to set the older Princes to marry Princesses of other lands, effectively removing them from the line to the throne! And then...-
Everybody held their breath.
-The new and powerful King died!!-
Chatter broke immediately, Wally enjoying the effect of her narration because though she liked to live alone she really enjoyed to be the center of attention, coughing she got them back to silence, sitting up on her fur.
-He was found dead in his bed, apparently died in his sleep and no one had any thought about foul play, soon the Prince was crowned, but guess what? It wasn’t enough…-
-Oh pleeeaase…- One of the older boys moaned.
A furry hand rose asking for patience.