Chapter Brief Reunion


    Rose watched the great white wolf dog growl at the cat who merely hissed at him as he was led by Ivan. The latter kicked the dog in retaliation. The dog yelped, soon recovering as he was strapped to a tree in the sunlight. Ivan muttered something and he lay very content not too far away from Rose. Rose had miscalculated her trail, somehow ending up higher by the miller’s place. If her Father or the Miller caught her the consequences could be dire. She could not risk being locked up tonight if the witch went after Emilyan.


    Ivan already seemed aware that something was out there. Rose noticed his tell tale signs of observing without looking as if he was doing so. She tried to let the fear sink out of her as she controlled her breathing. Then not far off in the distance came the roar of a bear and Ivan took up his axe and barreled through the hedges. Rose prayed a little thank-you to Frost and decided that was her chance. She waited until he was presumably far enough and stepped into the road creeping by silently. She heard heavy jingling from inside the house and ducked behind some trees.


    Out came Miller with a huge pile of sparkling items. Rose’s jaw dropped to see all the fine objects he had hoarded over the years. He too gazed around suspiciously. Rose ducked out of sight before his eyes rolled over to her side.


    “Just left you out here did he?!” grumbled Miller , setting all of his sparkling items out in the sun to dry and inspect.


    “After warning me about all the trouble you cause, as if I didn’t know! Well if you escape it is his hide! I’ve got more important things to tend too!” He darted back into the mill house kicking the door wider against the inside wall with a slam as he went. Rose’s heart was pounding as she leaned out to look; she was greeted with a big white panting muzzle. She gasped and backed away, covering her mouth to hold in the exclamation. The dog which to her still looked like a wolf only whimpered and pawed a little. It was ready to bark.


    “No please!” She clamped its mouth shut with her arms. “I’m sorry, I must not get caught. I’m not supposed to be out here.”


    The wolf’s head was too big to hold and it slid out of her grasp. It only pawed at its nose and snorted though. Still the jingling of the chain was loud, she motioned for it to be still and amazingly it listened. Rose should have paid more attention to the abrupt obedience however in the back of her mind she knew her Father had been training the animal for months.She was more concerned with slipping away past the mill house without getting caught. The dwarf came out swaggering with a heavier load than before he dumped it all down on the ground before him and immediately after that began to count.


    Rose leaned her head back against the bark of the tree and rolled her eyes. The dog was sitting far enough back to perceive her on his right. To the Dwarf he merely looked to be sitting next to a tree. Rose looked over to her new faithful pet in despair. Hansel blinked his eyes at her, trying to get her to notice the colors. As always she was under too much duress. After a while he began twitching his tale as he looked up at the roof top. Birds were twittering there amongst themselves.


    Well he had not intended she be here but why not? The voice was very difficult to control in the body of the beast. Most Kerwolves did not master it until they were full grown. Yet Hansel had spent more time out in the wild than among men; he could mimic other noises. Rose looked over astonished: bird sounds whistled from the mouth of the dog next to her! It jerked its head in little motions rather in likeness of a bird when the dwarf looked up he went silent, still.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    “Here, were you making that ruckus?” Miller scowled.


    Rose did not know what possessed her at that moment. She cupped her hands over her mouth and whistled some of the calls the dog had just done. She had been taught long ago by her Father. Seeing that the dog was heavily panting while the same noises alighted from beyond the tree the miller grumbled and went back to his counting. In the meantime one little bird landed on Hansel’s head. It plucked out the straw from his fur and ascended. Rose did not understand any of this. All she knew was that she was madly whistling with a dog and getting nowhere for it continued to whistle at intervals and she echoed him.


    “Shut up birds!” shouted Miller , not looking up from his work.


    Rose leaned her head back exasperated. What were they doing? This wasn’t annoying him enough to make him go inside. She looked up at the branches above her and gaped. There were at least five birds or more, perhaps on every branch. She looked over to the white dog that winked. Her calls had never had such an effect before.


    “I said be quiet!” Miller looked up and his eyes fixated on the tree.


    His head turned sharply to the Wolf. “Why you little…”


    Hansel stood up and barked tail wagging with aggression and in formation the birds descended at the little man. Rose marveled horrified as she spied Miller defending his eyes from the attack, bits of his beard being plucked away. Should she aid him? No, this was her chance to sneak away. She began to move a little when the dog put a firm paw down on her cape to hold her. A great many birds began taking off with some of the items on the ground. In groups or singularly they started to fly off, immediately the Miller cried running into the house.


    “I’m sorry I must go, to get back to the village…” Rose whispered as the white dog shook his head.


    Out came the dwarf on a rampage with a club his movements were quicker than that of the beating wings around him and indeed he struck down and stunned every bird in his immediate range. The others took notice quickly and fled. Luckily many were already aloft with his treasures. These did not keep in formation separating to every corner of the skies. The dwarf pulled at his beard in despair causing several hairs to come out. He stomped and stomped until the ground began to shake! Afterwards, the earth settled. He threw his hairs into the wind watching them carefully. Rose noted they alighted upon a north wind. He went in a different direction then whence they blew running off.


    The dog removed his paw and nodded. After a hug Rose whispered, “My thanks.” She tried to undo the chain from the tree after all this dog seemed strangely intelligent to be kicked around by her father. It did not budge and he just pushed her back with his head growling as if telling her to go quickly. Rose did not hesitate any longer; her day had become too strange to question. She got up and began to run through the yard. Hansel bared her no ill will for not releasing him. Ivan had cast a spell that had him sealed to the tree anyhow.


    The great sparkle of the goods seemed to pull her eyes as well as her stride toward them. In a moment she was before a most interesting turquoise hook, large and twisted. She stooped down and picked it up. Hansel barked at her to get a move on for Ivan would not ignore such trembling unless he were in battle and a dwarf’s vengeance for stolen treasure would be great. The poor mortal lass seemed already enchanted simply by the glamour left behind by the little man’s touch. She spun the hook in her hands. Hansel snorted for he had intended to save his last trick for a more vital time. She needed a shock to break her concentration.


    The little swallow that had taken the straw had woven it back onto Miller''s roof. Taking a deep breath Hansel howled forth a small cyclone. The little man had only put up protective wards below in his cave which had taken Hansel months to break. This human hut meant nothing to him. And so he had neglected its protection. The signature of Hansel’s howl was the key that unlocked the spell and as the straw arched, as did the whole building top until it crumbled with a crash.


    Rose’s reverie ended as the building first slanted and creaked. She moved far back just before everything came down and as the debris and dust flew up before her she ran from it yet was still partially enveloped as she went. When the dust settled Hansel was also filthy yet very pleased to see the entrance to his current domicile was entirely blocked. He stretched out enjoying the warm sunshine.