After dinner, Katja made a quick stop at her room to retrieve warmer outerwear for the upcoming excursion, and while she was there, she grabbed a book for herself, as well as one for Wolf.

When she returned to her workspace and opened the door, she was startled to see that Wolf had transitioned to human-form and was sitting in a chair at the table, studying the tools in front of him.

"I brought you something to pass the time," she said, offering him the book, which he eagerly accepted.

She said the spell to light the fire in the fireplace, and as the wood crackled cheerfully, she did her best to find a comfortable seat in one of the high-backed chairs, trying to keep her attention on her book. Unfortunately, she wasn't at all used to sitting in the same room as a boy, and she kept losing her place or forgetting what she'd just read.

Finally, she closed the book and rested her forearms against the edge of the table, clasping her hands in front of her.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," she began hesitantly, "but if you don't mind, could you tell me a little about the Black Forest?"

Wolf raised his head from the page he'd been staring intensely at and blinked at her, as if just remembering he was in a room in a castle and not wherever he'd been reading about.

"Of course," he replied once he'd processed her question. "What would you like to know?"

Everything, thought Katja immediately, then quickly pressed her lips together before the word could make its way out, trying to settle upon a suitable answer.

"Really, it's fine," assured Wolf. "I don't mind talking about the forest. It's the place I loved most in the world. If you ask something I'm not comfortable answering, I'll tell you."

"I appreciate that," replied Katja. "I'm just not used to being able to ask whatever I want about the Schwarzwald. We talked about it in school, and occasionally there's a reason to mention it at an assembly, but otherwise, it's really not discussed."

She paused, then added, "I don't think it's natural for one of the Hexen to be so interested in it."

"Well, lucky for you, I'm not a member of the Hexen, and I love talking about my former home," smiled Wolf, turning his chair to face her.

"Did you feel safe growing up there?" ventured Katja.

Wolf considered that, then nodded.

"I always felt safe, but I also knew that could change at any minute. You see, my family learned early on that our safety was entirely dependent on our relationship with the forest. Growing up, there was a village not too far from mine, where the people wanted more land to grow food. It certainly wasn't a bad or evil reason for wanting to clear the land, so they marked a few trees to be removed.

"Apparently the Schwarzwald wasn't happy about their plan, though, because the next day, accidents started to happen.

"At first it seemed to be pure chance—cutting down trees is dangerous work and things happen. Someone stepped in a hole and broke a leg. Another person walked under a tree as it was felled, and it landed on them, killing them instantly.

"After a few such instances, the villagers wondered if perhaps they'd made a mistake in trying to clear the trees rather than finding a nearby meadow or some other place they could use for farming. But the elder in the village assured them everything was fine, so they made plans to remove another tree the following morning."

Wolf looked directly at Katja. "None of the people were heard from for a week afterwards, until a woman stumbled into our village, claiming her home had been destroyed and she'd been trapped in the wilds, tormented by the forest, until she'd managed to make her way to us by following the smoke from our chimneys.

"Our elder accompanied the woman back to her village, and the scene was almost too incredible to believe...all the houses were covered in moss and vines, and trees were growing right out of people's homes. The rest of the villagers were nowhere to be seen."

He shook his head. "A normal forest wouldn't have been able to grow so fast, but the Schawarzwald isn't a normal forest. It reclaimed what it viewed as rightfully belonging to it."

"Could the other villagers have left?" asked Katja, who hadn't hardly drawn a breath during Wolf's story. "Or do you think the forest did something to them?"

"I don't think anything," replied Wolf dryly. "I know. The forest attacked them. You wouldn't think trees and plants could be deadly weapons, but during my time in the forest, I saw things no one would believe."

"I would believe you," replied Katja, then, hoping she hadn't seemed too eager to learn about a forbidden forest, she dropped her eyes to the table. "I mean, based off what I've read about the Schwarzwald, it seems almost anything is possible."

She shifted in her chair. "During your time there, did you ever encounter the Waldkonig? I know you said you didn't work for him, and I believe you...but no one seems to know if he's still alive or not."

Wolf glanced across the room, his eyes fixed on something only he could see before he finally replied, "I honestly couldn't tell you if the Waldkonig is still alive."

Katja sighed, even though she'd expected as much. "What kinds of things did you see in the forest?" she asked, changing the subject. "I bet being there as a shapeshifter was completely different from walking around as a person. The animals would have thought you were one of them!"

"They often did," agreed Wolf, "although sometimes I could tell they knew something was different about me, even though they couldn't quite tell what. I'd hoped being a shapeshifter would allow me to actually communicate with them, but like everything else about the deal I made, it didn't quite turn out the way I expected."

He then began describing some of the encounters he'd had with badgers, stags, and lynxes, and Katja found herself entranced, completely caught up in Wolf's tales of the forest, rendered in such poetic language, she could almost smell the sap of the trees, hear the grunting of wild boars foraging for roots, and taste the sparkling water in a spring-fed pond as trees gazed down at her.

Before she knew it, the sky outside was filled with stars, and she was shocked when the cuckoo clock on the wall sounded the time.

"I didn't mean to talk so much!" she fretted, quickly getting to her feet. "I'm sorry." Obviously she was so unaccustomed to speaking with someone else, she didn't even know how long a normal conversation should last, and she desperately hoped she hadn't bored or exhausted Wolf.

"There's no need to apologize," said Wolf, also getting to his feet and stretching his arms behind his head as he did. "I'm glad I had the chance to relieve some of my happier memories."

"I just want to make sure we have enough time for you to enjoy being outside," said Katja, grabbing her coat from a hook and wrapping her scarf around her neck, glad to have something to do. "I'll go check the orchard and let you know when it's safe to come down."

She locked and spelled the door behind her, then hurried down the hallway, grateful the Helferin appearing with brooms and mops didn't pay her any mind as she passed. Putting on her gloves, she stepped out into the cold, shivering as the frigid night air met any skin she'd left uncovered.

Taking a long look around, searching for even the slightest sign of movement, it was a few minutes before Katja decided she was truly alone in the orchard. A crescent moon shone down overhead, bathing the open parts of the orchard in a faint silvery glow, but at least there wasn't a full moon, which would have made seeing her and Wolf all the easier.

Walking over to where her workroom jutted out from the back of the castle, she tried to appear nonchalant, as if she was simply out for a late night stroll. Having never taken a late night stroll, however, she wasn't certain how convincing she was.

Finally, she reached the space below one of the windows. Taking one last look around and not seeing anyone's silhouette in the castle windows, she pushed the snow aside with her boot, picked up a small stone, and gently tossed it at the windowpane.

The window opened immediately, followed by the faint shimmer of Wolf turning from human- to wolf-form. Katja was glad he'd thought to turn off any lights in her workspace.

She could just make him out overhead, little more than a black and silver shadow, and she couldn't keep from gasping as he gracefully leaped out the window and landed silently on the snow beside her. She clearly needed to read more about shapeshifters, because the fact that he hadn't so much as grunted upon landing was extraordinary.

For his part, Wolf stuck his nose in the snow and gave his entire body a great shake before looking up at her for further instructions.

"Let's go to the back part of the orchard," Katja whispered, and Wolf nodded, then darted off, a shapeless blur speeding over the ground, moving almost too fast for her eyes to follow.

Faster-than-normal speed, incredible strength, and being invulnerable to injury...as someone who had never felt powerful, who was used to hiding to avoid being bullied, Katja couldn't help but envy the shapeshifter. Whatever Wolf's original reasons for becoming what he was, Katja imagined at the very least, it must feel good knowing he could protect himself.

Wolf sped through the snow with ease, and she couldn't keep from smiling as he turned one way, then another, zipping past trees and speeding by her, kicking up snow as he wheeled around and came charging back, only to throw himself into a snowdrift and roll over onto his back, kicking his legs in the air.

Eventually he got to his feet, shook the snow from his coat, then trotted over, tongue lolling from one side of his mouth, and together they began walking, sticking close to the wall behind even the farthest trees.

"I've never been out at night like this before," Katja shared, keeping her voice no louder than a whisper. "The snow's even more beautiful in the moonlight, if that's possible."

Gazing up at the stars twinkling brightly overhead, she inhaled deeply, enjoying the burn of the icy air against her lungs. "I know everyone's ready for spring, but I always hate to say goodbye to winter."

Crouching down, she placed a gloved hand on top of the snow, then lifted it, leaving a handprint behind. Wolf stepped forward and pressed his paw next to where her hand had been, leaving a large paw print.

Katja looked over and smiled at him. There was something so right about seeing a wolf outdoors under the moon that she reached over and scratched behind his ears, until she remembered he wasn't really a wolf and quickly straightened, crossing her arms to hide her lapse of judgment and focusing her gaze on the orchard.

The bare trees before her looked especially lovely, raising their slim, empty limbs up towards the sliver of moon, and she stopped near one, resting a hand on it. Wolf stopped beside her and gazed up at her, head tilted to one side as if asking what she was thinking.

"I envy winter," she said quietly, her breath just visible in the moonlight. "The trees shed their leaves, but they don't mourn their loss. Look at them," she gestured towards the apple trees. "They're proud. They don't mind people seeing them as they are, completely uncovered. They don't care if people stare because they don't care what people think."

She raised a gloved hand to her face, tracing the scar she knew by memory. "I envy them that."

Wolf watched her closely, somehow keeping himself from speaking, although it was clear from the look on his face he wanted to; instead, he gently pressed the side of his body against her leg.

Katja wanted to reach down and run a hand over his back, but she didn't know if that was appropriate. She supposed she could have asked, but talking to someone about when it was acceptable to touch them was an awkward conversation she wasn't ready to have.

Instead, she watched Wolf explore every nook and cranny of the orchard. She liked seeing the bats that flew past, and at one point, a barn owl landed in a tree and twisted its head to study her, likely wondering what she was doing out so late.

Eventually Katja and Wolf made their way back to the area below her workspace and, while she wasn't certain how Wolf planned to get back into the room, she watched in awe as he backed up, broke into a run, then launched himself at one side of the castle, pushing off the cold stone with his paws and easily propelling himself inside the open workshop window.

Shaking her head in amazement, Katja cast a spell over the ground, erasing any evidence of paw prints or her own boot tracks in the snow, then hurried inside, casting a farewell wave at the barn owl before making her way to the workroom.

Wolf had already settled in the cart again, and she arranged the blankets over him before beginning the journey across the castle back to her bedroom.

Katja was happier than she had been in a very long time and couldn't keep from smiling, even when she reminded herself what she was doing was very dangerous. She even started humming softly, a melody from a piece of platinum she'd been working with earlier, and they were more than halfway across the castle when she noticed a light up ahead...a light that was growing closer, immediately followed by a laugh she'd know anywhere.

Looking behind her, Katja searched for a hiding place where she could park the cart and disappear into the shadows, but there was nothing except empty hallway. She couldn't cast an invisibility spell, nor could she run and leave Wolf to fend for himself.

Spinning back towards the oncoming light, she braced herself as Elise and Mila glided around the corner, a floating sphere of light guiding their way.

"Just stay still," whispered Katja, fear tightening her voice as she laid a hand on what she hoped was Wolf's back. "I'll get us back to the bedroom as soon as possible."

Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and stepped forward, pushing the cart along the stone floor, only stopping when it became clear it was either stop or run directly into Elise...which, truth be told, she wouldn't have minded doing.

"Well, Katja," said Elise with a simpering smile, "you're turning into quite the night owl. This is the second time I've found you roaming the hallways when everyone else is sleeping."

"I was working late," replied Katja, pleased and a bit surprised at how confident her voice sounded.

It must have surprised Elise, too, because she arched an eyebrow and glanced at Mila before turning back to Katja.

"And you wanted to bring your work back to your bedroom?" Elise asked, casting a disapproving glance at the cart.

Katja's mind scrambled to produce something believable.

"The blankets need cleaning," she finally said. "The Helferin never come to my workshop, so I'm hoping they'll take them from my room."

"No one goes near your workroom." Elise's smile slid into a sneer. "But then again, you're used to being by yourself, so it can't be too lonely for you."

Katja clenched her teeth, embarrassed knowing Wolf could hear Elise. "If you'll excuse me," she said, pointedly inching the cart forward.

"Be my guest," said Elise, stepping to one side as Mila followed, mimicking Elise's movements like she was other girl's shadow. Katja gave the cart a hard shove forward, desperately hoping that was the end of it when Elise's voice rose from behind her.

"Sleep well, Katja," she said. "At least you can dream you aren't so different from the rest of us."

Katja swallowed hard and refused to turn around but then the blankets in the cart shifted and suddenly Wolf was flying through the air, landing beside her, his fur raised and his lips pulled back into a ferocious snarl.

He lowered his head and advanced on Elise and Mila, who grabbed one another and backed away until they bumped against the stone wall.

"Wolf, no!" shouted Katja, lunging for the creature and grabbing the scruff of his neck. He was too strong, though, and shook her off, eyes glowing as his growls grew louder.

"Wolf, please!" she begged, and at this, Wolf turned around and gazed at her, some of the wildness leaving his eyes.

"Good gracious, what's going on here?" came another voice, and Katja closed her eyes in horror as Tante Winola appeared around the corner, followed almost immediately by Tante Hedda. The librarian was holding the hem of her dress in one hand, as if she'd run all the way from the library, and Tante Hedda's face was red as she attempted to catch her breath.

"That wild animal tried to attack me!" cried Elise. "Katja told it to!" She glared at Katja. "You know the rules—no pets allowed. I'm telling the Sprechen about this, so you can say goodbye to your rabid dog. She'll have it thrown out of the castle!"

Terror gripped Katja's heart, and she stepped closer to Wolf, sinking her fingers into his coat.

"He's not going anywhere without me!" she snapped.

Both of her aunts blinked at her, probably surprised to hear her raise her voice. Elise opened her mouth to speak again, but Tante Winola raised a hand.

"Enough," she said in a tone Katja had never heard her use before.

Elise appeared startled, as she wasn't used to being corrected by anyone, but she nevertheless closed her mouth and remained silent.

Tante Winola's stern expression softened into an apologetic gaze as she turned towards Katja.

"The Sprechen will need to be informed about this; however, Hedda and I will send a message ourselves, describing what happened. Can I also tell the Sprechen you and your...wolf...will be at her office first thing tomorrow morning?"

Katja nodded. At least Tante Winola and Tante Hedda would provide a fair account of what they'd seen and heard, which was better than whatever Elise would have said.

"Alright, then," Tante Hedda said, "back to your rooms. All of you." She peered down her nose at Elise. "Unless we need to send another message to the Sprechen about young witches who are out of their rooms far too late."

"We were just leaving," assured Elise, grabbing Mila by the elbow and practically dragging her away.

"Thank you," said Katja softly as the girls disappeared from sight. "I'm sorry we disturbed you. I promise Wolf's not rabid."

Tante Winola waved a hand through the air, dismissing Katja's apology, even as her eyes settled on Wolf.

"Of course he's not rabid," she said, "but he's also no enchanted pet, either, which begs the question—what, exactly, is he?"

Katja's chest tightened as her fear of losing Wolf returned. The majority of the Hexen believed the groBe böse Wolf was nothing more than a myth, but Tante Winola was different—she was the one who'd told Katja all those years ago that every legend began with a truth.

Would she recognize Wolf for what he truly was?

Tante Winola placed her pince-nez on the tip of her nose and peered intently through the glasses at Wolf, who stood perfectly still and gazed back at her. After a moment, the librarian brought her gaze back to Katja, removing the glasses and letting them hang from the chain around her neck.

"We can discuss this further at a later time," she said. "For now, I suggest you return to your room and decide what, exactly, you're going to tell the Sprechen tomorrow morning about how this creature came to be in your life."

Katja nodded mutely and as Wolf leapt back into the cart, she quickly rearranged the blankets around him before practically running the rest of the way to her bedroom, almost crashing the cart into the wall more than once. Leaving the cart parked outside her door she collapsed on the bed, breathing hard and trying to calm her racing heart as Wolf returned to human-form.

"I'm so sorry!" he said, wringing his hands in front of his chest. "But that girl! The things she said! No one should talk to you that way."

"That's just Elise," replied Katja without sitting up. "She's always treated me like that."

Katja heard Wolf draw a sharp breath.

"Elise, as in, the same Elise who tried to make you see your reflection in a mirror?"

Katja's heart very nearly stopped, and she pushed herself into a sitting position, her eyes locking onto Wolf's.

"How did you know about that?" she asked.

"You told me," replied Wolf. "While I was in the necklace. You were crying one night and talked about how mean she and her friends had been to you." He shook his head. "It sounded awful, and I hated that I couldn't help you."

Katja dropped her face into her hands, wishing she could disappear. Her humiliation was complete. Not only had Wolf heard Elise tonight, he'd heard Katja talk about all the other times she'd been bullied by the cruel girl.

"You must think I'm pathetic," she murmured, feeling the heat of her cheeks against her palms.

"No," replied Wolf, and his voice was so sincere, she raised her head ever so slightly. "I don't think you're anything of the sort," he continued. "I think you're far nicer to Elise than she deserves...and what she deserves is clearly a good bite."

He grimaced. "I should have controlled myself better. I'm sorry. It's my fault we were caught, and I'll help in any way I can."

"Thank you," replied Katja, "but it was really only a matter of time before we were caught. At least Tante Winola and Tante Hedda will tell the truth about what they saw."

She gazed down at her boots for a few beats before she worked up enough courage to say, "Thank you, though. No one has ever stood up for me before. I really appreciate it."

"You deserve it," said Wolf, "and I'm glad I got to do it...although I am slightly disappointed you stopped me before I got at least got one good bite in."

For some reason, the idea of Wolf biting Elise, when he was standing before her in human-form, made Katja laugh, and soon Wolf was laughing as well, his brown eyes sparkling and his grin broad.

While Katja was still worried about what the meeting with the Sprechen would bring, at least she wouldn't face whatever happened next alone, which was something she'd never been able to say before.

(Artwork by tislas from Pixabay)