Witch, Wolf, Woods

CHAPTER 19: AWKWARD ATTEMPTS AT FRIENDSHIP

Katja woke up countless times that night, never able to fall into a deep sleep due to the novelty of knowing someone else—a boy, no less—was in her room.

She got up the next morning without feeling rested, doubtful she'd slept for more than a couple of hours, then changed clothes in the bathroom, worried about leaving Wolf alone for any length of time while also worrying about running into other Hexen in the shared space.

Before she left for her workroom, she applied spells that would keep anyone, including the Helferin, from entering her room and discovering her roommate. As the day progressed, she found herself so preoccupied with what Wolf was doing and if he was safe that she couldn't concentrate on her metalwork and burned her wrist in her carelessness.

She returned to see him at lunch, bringing him food from the kitchen, which he politely sniffed but otherwise showed no interest in.

Unsure what to do, Katja spent more and more time in her workshop over the next few days, leaving her bedroom early in the morning and returning only when it was time to sleep.

She didn't want to pressure Wolf to interact with her and thought he might appreciate some privacy to adjust to his new life, and while some part of her knew it wasn't a sustainable situation, she also hadn't identified any other long-term solutions.

As she stepped into her room one night a few days later, closing the door quickly behind her, she glanced over at Wolf, laying on the rug in wolf-form. His front legs were extended before him, his chin propped on his thick black fur, and as he let out a sigh, something stirred in Katja's heart.

"You have to be going crazy in here," she said. "Even with the window to look out of and my books to read, you still have to get bored."

"It's really more that I get lonely," replied Wolf. "I got so used to spending every second with you, it's too quiet when I'm by myself now." He glanced up at Katja and gave a sheepish shrug. "I miss hearing your voice."

Katja couldn't believe anyone, even a trapped shapeshifter, would derive comfort from her voice, but she also didn't want to be rude and correct Wolf when he was only sharing how he felt. Instead, she cleared her throat and tried to forget what he'd said in favor of finding a solution.

"What if we start by taking you to my workroom?" she suggested. "At least you could see a different part of the castle."

"Alright," agreed Wolf, rising to all fours faster than Katja had ever seen an animal move before. "How will we get me there? Are you going to cast an invisibility spell?"

Katja shook her head.

"The castle is warded against invisibility spells," she explained. "The Hexen don't want anyone sneaking in without their knowing, and the younger children definitely used it in the past to cause mischief. So, that's not an option."

"What if I turn into a human and we dress me up as one of the Hexen?" suggested Wolf. "I could wear some of your clothes, and a scarf and a hat, too. We could make it clear we were in a hurry so no one would stop us."

Katja grimaced. "The only problem with that is, I'm always by myself. If someone saw me walking, much less talking, with someone else, it would definitely draw attention."

She looked at Wolf, then quickly dropped her eyes to the ground. "I'm sorry," she added.

"It's not your fault," Wolf replied. "It's just a problem we have yet to find a solution to."

Katja appreciated his optimism, even though she didn't necessarily agree with it. Then, something occurred to her. "What if we hid you in a cart?"

"Excuse me?" Wolf raised his silver-furred eyebrows.