The Song of Fern

A thousand furs

The second Fern burst through the door of the cottage, she knew she hadn't wasted precious time. Her father sat in a chair, hands clamped around the armrests, eyes fixed on something in the far corner of the cottage. It seemed like he couldn't move, as if magic kept him perfectly rigid. She almost made a run for her poor father, when a scratchy voice, that sounded like fighting cats, broke the tense silence.

'Well, well, well,' a male Fae said. 'Who have we here?' Fern looked to the left from where the voice came. There, an ugly Fae stood, wearing a black leather uniform with a warrior's crest on his chest: a gnarled club, just like the one he played with, right there.

'Who are you?' Fern retorted. The man, whose hair reminded her of dry straw and whose nose reminded her of a beak and whose limbs reminded her of a spider, laughed ominously.

'That question is exactly what got your father in this position, girl.'

'You're Rumpelstiltskin,' Fern gasped, and the Fae laughed, his teeth very similar to bleeding twigs, as they were the colour of wood and saliva seemed to stick on every sharp corner and small crevice, sticky like resin.

'That is what they call me,' he simply said. He walked to the table that was between them and she started circling it to make sure they kept as much distance as physically possible.

'What do you want?' she bristled, as he slowly followed her around the table.

'What do I want?' he repeated with vigor. 'I am owed a fucking castle!' he barked. 'I wanted a castle and your father gave it up to the Frog King!'

'It wasn't his to give away. You can't expect him to defend what was taken from him in the first place.' Rumpelstiltskin laughed like a crazy man, still following her, picking up the speed by just a little. He terrified her. She didn't want to think of what would happen to her if he caught her.

'Still, I want a replacement for what I lost.' He licked his lips with his thick, purplish tongue. 'And I think you will do.' Her father groaned, but his lips were sewn shut by magic. His eyes followed them around, unable to do anything.

'No,' Fern said carefully, yet growing scared as he picked up the pace again. 'I am thankful for the compliment you give me, but I am not equal payment. I am worth the land and the water and the air north of the border to Otherworld. You cannot have me in place of a castle.'

'With interest, the payment will be acceptable. I am owed a kingdom and no kingdom comes without a princess or a queen for a bride.'

'I cannot go with you, either way,' Fern said as calmly as possible. 'I am claimed by another.' He cocked his head to the side as he froze on the spot.

'Ah yes,' he said in a mocking tone, 'by the Frog King... the one you refused also, because you deem yourself too worthy.' Rumpelstiltskin turned to her father. 'Is your girl aware that she is a human-born mortal?' he asked incredulously.

'She is aware,' Fern said sharply, attracting his attention back to her and away from her father. Rumpelstiltskin stood between her father and the table, and Fern held her breath as neither of them moved. He studied her, almost undressing her to the bone. Goosebumps trailed her skin.

'What has your dear father told you about me?' Rumpelstiltskin asked after a short pause. Father groaned in protest. Rumpelstiltskin then turned around to swing the club at his face, cracking bones and spraying royal blood over the cabinets. Fern gasped with fear, as their dance around the table changed direction. Eyes sprang to the King's eyes and he whimpered, but he could not move.

'Has he told you I served as a general under the Second Queen? Has he told you that it is my job to hunt down and assassinate Fae? You can't keep walking away from me!' He cackled a maniacal laugh.