“There. No fuss no muss, mate.” He chuckled.
She glared at him and directed his gaze to her dirty sleeve. “You could’ve said something before I ruined my coat.”
Paul’s blue eyes glittered as he threw his head back and guffawed at her accusatory tone. “Sure. Blame it on me, why don’t you?”
Intent on defending her friend, Katya’s voice answered harshly. “Of course it’s your fault. You attacked her in the marsh, remember? We were all just minding our own business, doing our thing, and then you jumped outta nowhere all hissing and teeth and stuff. If poor Lee Lee hadn’t jumped in to save us, we’d all be gator food by now.”
Leilanni’s head jerked in Katya’s direction. “What did you just call me?”
Emerald eyes sparkling with mirth, the red-haired vixen repeated, “Lee Lee. Leilanni is too long ... and it’s too hard to say.”
Clenching her jaw, Leilanni’s face grew pink as she sputtered, “My real name isn’t even Leilanni, but I will tolerate it for now. If Lee Lee crosses your lips again, I’ll beat the human out of you.”
Obviously offended, Katya’s eyes opened wide. “Well, I never! You just see if I take up for you again.” And spinning on one foot, she shoved Paul out of the way, and stomped inside the cabin.
Rolling her eyes, Leilanni moved to follow her and ran abruptly into Paul’s heavily muscled chest. “Do you mind?”
Giving her a curt nod, he stepped back, bowed, and dramatically waved his arm to the side. “After you ... Lee Lee.”
She gently placed a hand on his chest, and smiling, rose on the tip of her toes bringing her face close to his. “If you ever call me that again, I will turn you into boots.”
Unabashed, Paul pointedly glanced at her bare feet, winked, and motioned for Nita and Uncle Butchy to precede him.
The cabin’s dark interior reeked of aged wood and rotting cloth. A stone fireplace took up half the space on the back wall. Two large rocking chairs and a small stool faced the empty hole. The other side of the room held a small grimy table with three more chairs, and just behind it, a wooden door hanging from the top hinge led to a staircase. Dust and grime blanketed numerous bookcases set against the outer walls.
Katya’s nose wrinkled in disgust. “This is just gross, even by human standards.”
Nita patted her shoulder and nodded in agreement, before turning to face Butchy. “What useful thing could we possibly find in here? It seems no one has lived here in ages.”
Shrugging, Butchy motioned to Paul. “Check the upstairs. Might be something important up there.”
As Paul moved to investigate, Leilanni cut in. “I’ll do it. You keep the gator here with you.”
When Leilanni returned, only Uncle Butchy remained inside. “Where are the others?” she asked.
“Outside. The smell is getting to them. So what’s up there?”
A low growl rumbled through her chest as she headed toward the door. “You shouldn’t have left them alone with him. There’s no telling what he’ll do.”
Butchy reached out and grabbed her arm as she passed. “You have to stop, child. He’s human now, just like you.”
She glared at his hand on her arm until he removed it, and then locked eyes with him. “That is exactly the problem. If it weren’t for the fact that we need you, you wouldn’t be safe being left alone with me. Understand?”
Pulling his mouth to the side, he made a tisking sound. “My poor, Leilanni. Neither your heart, nor mind, are animalistic. Only your instincts remain wild and beast-like.”
Raising her chin in defiance, she answered, “It does not matter what you do to my body. I am Nanuk the hunter, and will remain so until my life force has left me.”
Nodding, Butchy remained silent until she made her way out the door. His eye raised to the ceiling. “Has to learn to love? This one can’t even grasp being human.”
The Queen’s soft voice answered in his head, Those who fight the hardest love the deepest, Butchy. Remain steadfast in your quest.
His shoulders slumped and he gazed at the scuff patterns in the thick layers of dust on the wooden floor. Leilanni would be the hardest nut to crack, he was certain. Maybe if he could get her in a comfortable position, she’d relax and let her guard down a bit?
He inhaled sharply and removed his wand from the inside pocket of his fur coat. His wings thrummed and lifted him from the floor. As he twirled it in a circle above his head, sparks sputtered from the tip, dissipating as they fell to the ground. “Oh, for heaven’s sake,” he muttered. Bringing the wand under his nose, he squinted his eyes, and perused every last detail. “So you’re going to be like that? After all I’ve done for you?”
This time he violently shook the twig. Sparks erupted from the end flying in all directions. Some landing on the soft fur of his coat with a hiss. “Yowie!” he yelled and immediately began smacking at the fur with his free hand. The stench of burnt hair added to the already dank, musty smell of the cabin.
After glancing around to be sure no one had witnessed the debacle, Butchy reached into his pocket and carefully dropped a few specks of fairy dust on top of the gnarled stick. “Now enough is enough. Get to it.”
Streams of glittering light spewed from the wand in intricate patterns, weaving around the room. Dust evaporated, leaving a sparkling clean sheen where the filth had been. Torn curtains brightened and repaired themselves, books in the bookcases took on the glossy glow of cleanliness. Even the long dead flowers in the window planter had returned to life. Within a matter of seconds, the entire cabin smelled as good as it looked.
Smiling at a job well done, Uncle Butchy fluttered out the door to find his wards.
Chapter Seven
Glancing over her shoulder to see what all the fuss was about, Leilanni saw Katya throw back her head and cover her mouth with her hand. Unfortunately, the hand didn’t keep that atrocious sound from echoing across the clearing. Giggling, Uncle Butchy called it. The name of the act was just as ridiculous as the act itself.
Shaking her head, she returned to the task of catching dinner. Hip deep in the pond, she ignored the chilling numbness moving up her legs, and waited patiently for a fish worthy of dinner to pass by. Uncle Butchy had provided her with the equipment humans used for fishing, but after several minutes of trying to cast the line and having it caught in trees, she gave up. Regardless of the changes in her body, she was a bear and if bears knew anything at all ... it was how to fish.
Hunched over with her hands out from her sides, she scrutinized the water around her. Her eyes weren’t nearly as good in this form, but they were still good enough to watch the ripples and gauge the size of what swam beneath. Tension mounted in her shoulders and finally, she eyed a rather large ripple heading her way. Half a breath later, her hands plunged into the water and brought up a wriggling catfish. It flopped, wagged, and slithered through her hands as she fought to hold it. Without any claws to secure it, Leilanni did the only reasonable thing she could think of, and tossed it forcefully over her head, back towards the beach. Turning to see if it had reached the desired destination, she watched as it slapped against Paul’s head and bounced to the ground.
“Crikey! What’s the deal?” he protested.
She shrugged and didn’t even attempt to hide her grin. “Shouldn’t sneak up on me.”
Still wiping fish slime from the side of his face, he responded, “Butchy sent me to ask when you’d have dinner.”
Leilanni glared over his shoulder at Katya and Nita relaxing on the cabin’s porch, and muttered, “Dinner would be quicker if I had some help.”
Paul defensively placed his hands in front of his body. “I offered to help. You said you’d rather be alone.”
“Harrumph. Yes, I did. And yet there you stand. You obviously have issues with following directions. Is that a gator thing?”
Paul’s shoulder’s sagged as he shook his head and glanced away. “Look, I don’t know what your real beef is. I don’t know if I even care. I was in my swa
mp, minding my own business when four meals came upon me. What would you have done? You’re all high and mighty with the ‘I’m a bear’ thing. Can’t say as I know many bears, but an animal eats. That’s what we do.”
Leilanni cocked her head to the side. “I get it. But animals don’t eat me. Ever.”
Paul smirked. “Technically, I didn’t eat you, or we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”
Exhaling, her lips pulled to the side.
Looking over her shoulder, he lifted his chin towards the pond. “It will go faster if I help.”
Her bottom lip sunk in under her teeth as she weighed his offer. Finally sighing in resignation, she said, “Fine. I’ll toss. You catch.”
Within a few minutes the two had acquired more than enough fish to feed the group. Paul dropped the last floppy morsel into the basket Butchy had provided and shut the lid. Motioning toward the cabin, he asked, “You ready?”
“You go ahead. We did the work, they can prepare them.”
Paul gave her a confused look, picked up the basket, and turned towards the now well-lit cabin.
“Hey, Paul?”
“Yeah.”
“Uncle Butchy is going to insist on cooking those, so if you want yours fresh...”
Paul’s eyes grew wide. “What? Seriously? Why would he ruin a perfectly good fish?”
Leilanni chuckled and answered, “Some crap about being human. Anyhow, just thought I’d warn you.”
***
Leilanni wrinkled her nose as the acrid odor of cooked flesh assailed her nostrils. She shivered as the cool night breeze washed over her wet clothing. She knew it was ridiculous to be lying on the beach by the pond when she could just as easily been warm and cozy in the house by the fire. With almost no time alone since this whole thing started, being by herself was what Leilanni craved the most.
Bears in general are not social creatures. Polar Bears ... even less so. And now, here she was with two other bears, a freaking fairy, and a gator of all things. To make matters worse, none of them seemed even remotely capable of protecting themselves. Well, except for Paul. He might be skilled enough.
Shaking her head, she hopped up from the sand and tossed a stone at the water. “This whole thing is not fair,” she called out to no one in particular. “Why should I be responsible for all of them?”
Although she hadn’t really been expecting a response, part of her had hoped that someone would answer. Anyone at all.
She turned her head toward the cabin as Katya’s voice echoed across the clearing. “Lee Lee! Dinner is ready!”
Growling, she headed toward the dwelling. “I’m going to kill that girl someday, mark my words...”
***
Seated around the rectangular table, the group looked like a normal family waiting to dig into the night’s feast. Uncle Butchy had hidden his wings and now sported spiky platinum locks. He’d traded his faux fur for a lovely satin housecoat, and other than the fact it was Magenta trimmed in baby pink, he looked like a man of means about to partake of his evening’s meal.
Katya and Nita had donned pink and black plaid pajamas, and even Paul looked comfortable in a pair of grey sweats with a matching tee shirt. Only Leilanni looked out of place and out of sorts.
She glared at the ruffled lace on the sleeves of the nearly transparent night gown Butchy had placed her in, before staring daggers in his direction.
Catching her look, he shot back, “It’s beautiful. You look like an angel. Is gratitude an impossible emotion for you to experience?”
Nita reached out and patted Butchy’s arm. “You know flowing lace gowns aren’t something Leilanni would appreciate. That’s much better suited for Katya.”
Grinning, Katya chimed in, “Yes, please! This is cute, but that is so much better.”
Butchy grunted and pulled out his wand. “Fine. Albieto.”
In a snap, Katya was wearing the luxurious negligee while Leilanni wrapped her arms around her completely naked body.
He giggled uncontrollably as her face transformed from pale white to beet red.
Nita smacked his arm. “Fix it, now! How dare you?”
Wiping away tears from his cheeks, he pointed the wand at Leilanni again and she was instantly garbed in a black tank top with matching shorts.
Nita reached across the table to take Leilanni’s hand, but was immediately put off as the angry blonde jerked it from her grasp.
“Don’t,” Leilanni muttered. Then shoving her chair back, she jumped up and stomped out of the room.
“Oh Butchy, how could you?” Nita asked. “That was just mean.”
Katya remained quiet and crossed her arms over her chest.
Scanning the faces of the three, Butchy finally sighed. “I was just having some fun.”
Nita shook her head. “I don’t know much about the human world, but I do know that embarrassing someone in front of other people isn’t a nice thing to do.”
“Someone should go after her,” Paul interjected.
“Not me. Lee Lee doesn’t even like me most of the time,” Katya countered.
Nita looked pointedly at Uncle Butchy.
He pursed his lips and crossed his arms.
“Uncle Butchy,” Nita reprimanded.
He shook his head from side to side.
Sighing heavily, Paul slid his chair away from the table and stood. “I’ll go. She’s been wanting to kill me anyhow. Now she’ll have an excuse.”
***
Leilanni heard his footsteps before he came into view. “What do you want? Just leave me alone.” With that, she tossed a large stone into the pond. It landed with a resounding kerplunk.
Paul kept his eyes on the ground and kicked at some loose gravel with the toe of his shoe. “Just checking on you. You okay?”
Spinning to face him she spat, “No, I am not okay. I am anything but okay. I am supposed to be a bear. I am supposed to be headed to the northern part of the Arctic right now, chasing seals and fattening up for winter. I am a killer, not a human. And more importantly, I don’t want to be human.”
Sighing, Paul plopped on the beach. “And I am supposed to be in the outback in my swamp eating anything that comes too close. Look, I understand why you’re pissed off. I don’t know that any of us are too terribly happy to be in this situation. Maybe if you’d quit fighting so hard, and learn to accept it, you’d get to the end of the game quicker.”
Leilanni turned back to the pond and threw in another stone. “Just go away, gator boy.”
Hearing the defeat in her tone, he grinned, picked up a pebble, and threw it over her shoulder into the water. “Nope. I’m staying right here. If you want to get rid of me, you’ll have to kill me.”
Leilanni choked off a laugh before replying, “Don’t tempt me.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he answered.
***
The next morning, the girls woke, and per Butchy’s orders, went out to the pond to bathe. The winged maniac, as Leilanni liked to call him, had provided them with soft, oversized towels and numerous bottles of scented body wash along with shampoo.
One by one, they picked up the bottles and sniffed the smelly contents. Katya loved them all and tried each of them. She’d lathered up and dunked herself so many times that Nita said, “You better stop. You’re going to rub holes in your skin.”
After they’d finished and were wrapped in the big fluffy towels, Butchy appeared with clothing piled high in his arms. “Here you go,” he grinned. “Just put these on, and I’ll take care of your hair.”
Peeking his head out the open front door, Paul yelled, “Breakfast. Come and get it.”
“Good. I’m starving!” Katya answered.
Tightly clutching her towel in one hand, Leilanni motioned for Butchy to turn around, while yelling, “Be there in a minute. Shut the door!”
“Really?” Butchy raised an eyebrow, but turned his back to them.
The moment Leilanni was certain neither Paul nor Butchy could see her,
she dropped the towel and held up a pair of jeans. Glancing over at Katya, who had already donned a pair of pale yellow, tightly-fitted pants and was busy buttoning a frothy, white tank with miniature yellow flowers, she thought, Shouldn’t be too hard then.
Eyeing the first undergarment, she tentatively shoved her right leg in. It slid in like butter and she smiled. Next, she picked up her left foot and slipped it into the other side. Once again, it went in smoothly. Chuckling at herself for making such a big deal about such a little thing, she quickly pulled them up and moved on to the second undergarment.
Holding it by one strap, she looked at the other two girls, asking, “Did you guys--”
“Yep,” Katya grinned.
Nita nodded and moved to help her. “Here, like this,” she said and twisted the double humped monstrosity so that the humps were behind her back. “Then you just twist it back around and slip your arms in here, like so.”
Leilanni slid her arms through the straps and adjusted herself. “This is ridiculous. And uncomfortable. Why in the world would humans choose to wear these?”
The other girls shrugged and Butchy let out a chortle. “Honey, women have been griping about it for years, they even tried burning them in the 60s.”
Leilanni’s grey tank went on quickly and for a moment she stood staring at the faded jeans that looked impossibly small.
Sighing, she stuck in one leg and then the other with no trouble at all. Smiling, she pulled on the waistband of the pants and promptly fell on her butt with the fabric lodged just below her hips. “Are you kidding me? These are too small, Butchy!”
“Nonsense,” Butchy exclaimed without turning around. “They are exactly your size. Besides, they stretch. They’re supposed to be tight when you put them on.”
Both Nita and Katya extended a hand, and taking one in each, Leilanni allowed them to pull her to her feet.
Taking a wider stance, Leilanni carefully tugged at one side of the waistband and then the other until she’d inched them up mid hip. “They don’t fit,” she repeated. “I can’t get them all the way up.”
Beary Tales Page 8
