Welcome to 1 Story a Week , a site where I attempt to follow some advice given by Ray Bradbury , and " write 1 short story a week for 52 weeks , and get out the junk . " My goal is just that , to write 1 short story a week for a whole year . When I finish each one , I will post it here . I hope to get feed back from everyone , so , please feel free to post a comment on the individual posts , or email me at cblanchard . author @ gmail . com . The heavily gloved red fist came at her quick , sticking Maya in the eye just before she had a chance to dodge . Thankfully , she had on headgear , so while the blow jarred her head aside , she wouldn 't end up with a black eye . She threw her own arm out , striking her opponent in the ribs . He doubled over in pain briefly , and that 's what she wanted . While he was distracted trying to block another blow she sent to his ribs she shot out her other arm straight towards his head , slamming her gloved fist into his hear and knocking him back a step or two . That was when the alarm claxon went off . " You only think so , " Pyotr said in his heavy Russian accented as he exited the ring . " Now come , girl . We are at Jupiter . This is much more exiting . " Maya had to agree . This was the culmination of all their work , and she wanted to see it with everyone else more than she wanted to finish the match . She shucked off her gloves and exited the ring right behind Pyotr . She took off the headgear but , like her fellow boxer , didn 't bother to head to the shower rooms to change into her uniform . She was a little embarrassed to be at this historic moment in her sweaty work out clothes , but it was too important to take the time and change first . " Here we are gang , " Richard said . " After a year of travel , the Zeus has finally arrived at Jupiter . We 're going to be the first people to ever see the planet up close , folks . Let 's make it worth it . " Everyone nodded , but no one moved right away . They all were watching out the view port to see the majestic sight before them . The swirling orange and yellow mass that was the largest planet in the solar system loomed large before them . They were finally here . The mission was to take samples of the clouds and see if maybe they could penetrate and find out what truly lay beyond them . So far , every probe that had been set to the gas giant stopped sending signals as soon as it entered the cloud layer , and none of them returned . " Okay everyone , " Richard said after a few moments of silence , " It looks like we have an hour before we hit atmo , so let 's get to work . Maya and Pyotr , go shower and get into uniform . Everyone else , you know what to do . " " Da , " Pyotr said . He smiled at her . He had taught her Russian during the trip , and she had picked it up very quickly . It was one of the many talents that had landed her on this mission . A short fifteen minutes later , Maya was out of the shower and dressed . She didn 't even wait to see if the large Russian was done or not before heading towards her station . Maya went down a deck to the engine room . She saw Rick there already , sitting at his station monitoring several screens that all displayed charts and graphs on them . She came up behind them to get a look . " Fine , " he said without looking at her . He tapped a few buttons on his console and one of the monitors changed , showing a blow up of a particular chart with a large , red bar shooting straight up . " Looks like we 're having some increase in our intake of hydrogen since we got close to ol ' Jup out there , but I don 't think it 's anything we really have to worry about . " He nodded and clicked a few more buttons . The glowing red bar stopped rising , indicating that the hydrogen had stopped being collected , and turned blue . She turned to another consol on the wall and punched the button . " 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 … " came the voice of one of the other three women on the Zeus . " Contact . We have entered the atmosphere of Jupiter . " A cheer went up that could be heard not only over the speaker but also up and down the corridors of the small ship . Maya and Rick moved to the only window in engineering to watch the swirling colors that appeared as they entered the gas giant . It was mesmerizing . Until the ship shook . Lightning flashed outside the window , and Maya and Rick were thrown back . She hit a desk with her shoulder , causing her to cry out in pain . She couldn 't see where Rick went . " Alert , " came Richard 's voice over the comm . " We 're experiencing some kind of storm . It 's affecting the ship pretty severely , and electrical systems are going out all over . Maya ! What 's the status of the engines ! " She pulled herself up and ran to the console . It was sparking with electricity and totally useless to her . She ran to a port where she could give the engine 's a manual look over . They were sparking as well . This was not good . She slammed the comm . unit . " Damnit , " came Richard 's voice . " Then we 're in for a rough landing . Everyone , to the escape pods . Abandon ship , repeat , abandon ship ! " " Thank God the engineers that designed Zeus had the brains to put escape pods in every section of the ship , " she said as she dropped Rick onto one of the seats and strapped him in . She did the same for her self just as the ship shook again . Sparks flew over her head as she landed in her seat and she knew that the escape pod had been compromised . She didn 't have much of a choice , though . She strapped herself in and punched the big red button next to her seat , and prayed . The groan of metal rubbing against metal let her know that the release mechanism wasn 't working . She slammed the red button again , and this time , she felt the pod free itself from the ship . It did not have view ports , or even controls of any kind , excepting of course the door controls and the release control . There was also a parachute control for water landings , but she quickly shut that idea out . She pod shook , and she saw more sparks fly across the ceiling . Whatever kind of storm it was that was happening out there , it was harsh . She gripped the cross that hung at her neck , kissed it , and said another prayer . Another lightning bolt hit the ship , this time sending the electrical sparks flying through her . She screamed and fell silent , everything going black . She awoke with a splitting headache . Did she have too much to drink ? There wasn 't that much booze onboard , that didn 't seem likely . She remembered the match , against Pyotr , and wondered if she had lost due to a particularly well - placed blow to the head . Then , she remembered everything else . She snapped upright , regretting it immediately as the pain in her head doubled . She took a few quick breaths , letting the pain reduce itself to a dull roar and pressed the release button on her straps . She looked across the pod to Rick , and gasped . His neck was bent in a way that human necks were not meant to bend . Rick was dead . She tried not to gag , instead going for the door controls . She was greeted with something she didn 't expect . Green leaves and foliage practically blocked the door from letting her out . Yellow sunlight streamed in from between the leaves , and she blinked . It looked almost like a jungle on Earth . Where was she ? She pushed past the leaves and saw that , sure enough , she was in a jungle . A quick glance , however , confirmed that this was not Earth . Oddly shaped flowers and strange looking blue insects abounded . It was all so very beautiful . She shook her head . Exploration and discovery could wait . She had something important to attend to . She used some rocks to dig a shallow grave , and then buried Rick in it . She lowered her head , kissed her cross , and said a prayer for him again . When she was done she realized that she was hungry . She went back into the escape pod and pulled out the emergency kit that lay within . It had a gun , a first aid kit , a tent and fire building tools and some basic foodstuffs , like power bars , dried fruit and nuts . This wasn 't going to last her long . And the pods were meant for landing on Earth , where she would eventually get rescued , so there was no way to escape Jupiter with it . She was stuck here . So , she set up a campfire as the sky turned dark , and set about her work . She found a long , thin , hard stick of wood and used the knife to carve a sharp point to the end . She didn 't want to waist the few bullets in the gun hunting . When she was done , she went to sleep inside the pod . The next morning , she set about finding herself some breakfast . It didn 't take her long to find a small rodent like creature , about the size of a small dog . It looked like a lizard , except that it had six legs and two tongues , one it used to constantly feel around it and the other to feed itself from the fruit it was eating . She threw the spear at it and struck home . She briefly hoped the thing wasn 't poisonous , and set about cooking it over the fire . It smelled fantastic , like roast beef or maybe even chicken . She chuckled over that . She pulled it off the fire and started eating . It had the consistence of chicken , but the flavor was unique . Kind of spicy , but good . She ate with enthusiasm . A twig snapped behind her . She grabbed her spear and jumped to her feet . She saw something moving slowly out of the brush . It was sleek and black , with green eyes . It looked like a large cat , maybe a panther , but it also had two tails and six legs . It wasn 't growling at her or showing its teeth , however , and as she watched , she noticed that it was limping slightly on one of its legs . It 's injured , she thought . It must have been drawn to the smell of the food . She pulled off one of the lizard 's legs and tossed it to the other side of the fire , in front of the creature . It smelled it and then sat down and started eating . She noticed that it never took its eyes off her . She ate her share while watching back . When she finished , she tossed the rest of the lizard at the creature and watched it devour it . After it was done , it sat with a rather contented look on its face and began to clean its paws and face . Curiously , she walked closer to the creature . It watched her , but continued to clean . She came up to the middle leg . She saw that it had a good sized gash on it , that was still bleeding slightly . It growled as she started to touch it , and she looked right back at it . It continued to stare . She got up slowly and went back to the pod to get the first aid kit . She returned half expecting to see the creature gone , but instead it was still lying there , staring at her . She came back up to it slowly . She started by putting some salve on the wound , and the large cat let her , only sniffing some as she did so . Then , slowly , she wrapped the bandage around the wound , and with the exception of a growl when she wound it too tight , the beast stood still for the whole procedure . She smiled down at it , and it just licked its lips . It had been a long day , so she crawled back into her pod and wet to sleep , keeping the fire lit for the beast . The few days went pretty much like this : She would wake up and hunt , bring back two or more lizards or a strange creature that looked like a cross between a bird and a bat and cook them . Her and the creature would share the food , and then she would go to bed . On the fourth day , the beast started to walk , and she took off the bandage . The creature tested the new leg for a bit , and then sprang off . She followed with her spear , but it turned out to be not needed . The creature led her to down several paths and to a river . She had followed it further than she had been away from her camp so far , and she was a little nervous that she wouldn 't find her way back . There was no sun in this sky to guide by . When Bagheera stopped , he was looking down a small hill to a herd . The beasts that made up the heard looked like a cross between a dinosaur and cow to Maya . One of those would feed the two of them for a month ! She followed the cat as it started to pick out a choice looking creature that was slower than the rest of the herd . They stalked around , Maya following Bagheera 's lead . As they circled , Maya heard something snap that didn 't sound like a twig , but before she could react , the trap had sprung and the two of them fell into a deep pit . Both she and Bagheera attempted to climb out of the pit , but it was too deep . Even if she attempted to help the cat by lifting it , the pit was still too deep . She slumped back , the cat curling up in her lap , and she sighed deeply . Whoever built this knew what they were doing . It didn 't take long before the creators of the trap came to pull them out . They were vaguely human - like , with a head , torso , arms and legs , but beyond that it was obvious this was no human . The skin was a dark , brick red . The face had three eyes in a line , and two long slits instead of a noise . The hair was short and bristly . The chest was bear , but they all wore bandoliers across them . The arms ended in three fingered hands and the legs ended in feet that resembled the hands to the point that Maya suspected they could be used as hands . There were three of them , and they spoke to each other in a strange language . Maya sat quietly as they pointed to her and Bagheera , and then left , probably to get help . Sure enough , a short time later , five more of the aliens were there to get here . She couldn 't believe her luck . Since landing she has made more miraculous discoveries . A real planet under the clouds of Jupiter . Life on that planet . And now intelligent life . But instead of greeting that life as an ambassador to Earth , or having any hope of bringing these discoveries back to Earth , she was now their captive . " I don 't understand you fellas , " she said . " None of you by chance speak English , do you ? Or maybe Spanish ? Russian ? Yeah , I didn 't think so . " One of them , pulling her out of the net , tried to grab her arms and pin them behind her back . She threw him off and gave him a right jab in the ribs . He stumbled back and she sent a hook that landed square with his jaw , dropping him to the ground . Another came up to her and she swung an uppercut into his jaw that threw him back a couple of steps . She followed quickly , staying inside his reach , and threw punch after punch into his ribs until he finally fell . She turned around , her hands raised in defense , waiting for another to come after her . She saw the remaining men just staring at her in shock . Finally , one pointed to her and said something . Another stepped forward and pulled something round and black off his bandolier . He threw it her and before she knew it , she was covered it a dark , sticky goo that constricted around her , preventing her from moving . She saw that they had thrown one of those things on Bagheera too , though it appeared that he managed to get in a few good swipes himself . She smiled at that . They carted the two of them to some kind of wagon . She wished she knew what it was they were saying . If she could communicate with them , maybe she could find a way out of this . The wagon was pulled by one of those cow - dinosaurs , and after an hour , hooked up with a whole caravan of wagons , many of which had cages holding people in them . Maya started when she saw that the people in the cages were different from the ones that had captured them . Not just a little different , like the different races back on Earth , but whole other species different . They were extremely human - like in appearance , with light green skin and sparkling blue eyes . They were exotic , and overall rather attractive as a people , given what she saw from the twenty or so that were in the cages . They threw her into a cage as well , with Bagheera , on a larger dinosaur like creature that resembled a triceratops . Only one other person was in the cage with them , another of the green skinned people . After their captors left them alone and the caravan started marching again , the man they were with pulled a canteen from the floor and poured the water over the binding that held her in place . Quickly , the whole thing left her body and reconstituted into a ball . When she pointed to it , he finally understood and handed it to her . She used it to release Bagheera . When he immediately moved to the back of the cage , she smiled . She shook her head when she realized that he didn 't understand . She shook her head and kept Bagheera on the other side of the cave . She curled up on the cage floor next to him and slept . The caravan pulled to a stop when the sky turned dark , and she awoke to rough hands pulling her out of the cage . They took her to a pit and threw her in . She saw that another person was in the pit as well , a very large , muscular green skinned man . The outside of the pit was surrounded with the red skinned people . She understood instantly . This was a fight . The man charged her , probably wanting to get her in a hold . He was pretty slow , however , and she quickly ducked to the side . He did manage to get a slap on her back as he went by , and it took everything she had not to fall to the ground . She spun around quickly , her arms up in defense . This guy was strong . She needed to end this quickly . And so she did . The guy charged her again , and this time she charged back . She ducked his swing and placed a hard jab at his ribs . She followed up with a jab at his stomach , which caused him to double over . Quickly , she hooked down at his face , hitting him right above the eye . She hit him again and again in the face before he got in a wide swing , hitting her in the face hard and pushing her back . She wiped away some blood from her mouth but when she looked at her opponent , she saw that he was more beat down than she was . She smiled . She knew she had won this fight already . She charged him this time , blocking a week , slow swing by him and hitting him hard with a hook to his face . She followed up with some body blows , and then jabbed at his nose . He staggered back , and she went in for the kill . Jab after jab into his face she went , hitting him as hard as she could , finally breaking his nose and spraying blood all over both of them . She stumbled to the ground and stayed there . She took a step or two back , whipping the sweat away from her face . She looked up and noticed for the first time that the crowd was cheering . For her . Several of the men that had captured here were shaking hands with a fat , older man . At least she assumed it was older , because his hair was gray . They had set this up . They were showing off her fighting skills . She wasn 't quite sure why , but it gave her a very bad feeling . They returned her to her cage , and the man in it came to her to check on her injuries . She was okay , but she let him anyway , because he was actually pretty good looking , and really it was rather pleasant . She fell asleep not long afterwards . For the next several months , things continued just like this . The caravan would stop every few days , outside of a town she presumed , and they would throw her into a pit , where she would fight some other prisoner . Sometimes , it was a green skinned man , other times a red skinned prisoner . Occasionally , it was another woman , but not often . Always , she had no choice but to fight . During this time , the man she shared a cage with taught her the language all these aliens seemed to share . He was called Ryss , and informed her that the world she was now trapped on was called Dyphon according to the natives . He was just as fascinated by her as she was of him and his world . It didn 't take long before the two of them started talking to each other romantically . From the point of view of the other , they were each exotic , and it was exciting . " Most likely , " he said . " And you will be sold to a gladiatorial school , no doubt . You are gaining quite the reputation . The pink skinned two eye , they call you . " " No , " she said . " We 're getting out of here , the first chance we get . I 'm not sure how yet , but we 're getting out of here . " A few days later , the caravan pulled into the spot that Ryss informed her would be the sight of the auction . It was little more than ruins in the jungle , with a city of tents in the middle of it . This was it , though , she knew . They had to escape soon . That night , she noticed something in the clouds that looked like lightning . " Cloudstorm , " Ryss said when she pointed it out to him . " It is rare , but it does happen that the clouds above come down to the surface . When they do , they bring the lightning and heavy rain and mist . It is harsh weather , and everyone seeks shelter for it . That we will be stuck in one is a bad omen , I think . They will likely keep the slaves outside during the storm . " Sure enough , Ryss ' words proved true . As the storm drew closer , most of red men disappeared . A few of the green men went with them , but for the most part the slaves were left outside . A guard came by their cage , and she started wailing . He looked up at her , and she broke out in more wild actions and cries . Anything to get his attention . He came up to the cage , drawing his sword , ready to put her down . Perfect . " Please ! " she cried , " I can 't stand the rain or the lightning ! Please , you have to get me out of here ! I 'll do anything ! " He poked her with the sword and she backed away , but she continued to trash and make noise . He opened the cage and came in . He threatened her with the blade , and that was all the Bagheera needed to see . He jumped on the guard , cutting him to ribbons in a matter of seconds . The two of them made their way through the ruins very carefully . She thought she must cut quite the figure , in the tattered remains of her uniform , a sword in hand , black , six legged cat and a green skinned man following her . They spotted a couple of other guards , who were battening the last of the slaves down and moving to shelter . Three of them spotted them and drew swords . She charged . She managed to take one down quickly by sheer surprise , running her blade straight into his chest . The other two came up to her and quickly she found herself on the defensive . Fencing was not her sport , and she realized that these two were better than she was . She already had several dozen cuts on her , and it would only be a matter of seconds before they killed her . That was when she saw one fall to a blade sticking out of his chest . When he fell , she saw Ryss , holding the sword of the guard she killed in her charge . He turned to face the other guard , and she saw that he was obviously more skilled in the blade that she was . He dispatched of the guard quickly . She wondered how long that would be , as rain already w as falling . Strangely , it stung a little . They quickly set to work , and Maya discovered that there weren 't nearly as many slaves as she thought . Only a hundred or so . They freed them all as the rain started to fall harder , and then they lead everyone out of the ruins . She looked around , and then spotted something . It was another ruin ; something separated from the city , but appeared mostly intact . It was pyramid shaped , probably a temple or burial mound or something , she though . " There ! " she said , and they all ran . The rain was doing more than stinging , she saw . It was burning . Prolonged exposure to this stuff would surely kill someone . As best they could , they rushed everyone into the building . The last of them got in as a lightning bold struck the city ruins , causing a column of stone to fall . She and Ryss were the last ones in . It was cramped , but everyone fit , and the ceiling was still in one piece , meaning they could all stay there safely . " I don 't doubt they will , " she said . " We 'll keep a watch , then . As soon as the storm breaks , we all leave . The question I have is , where do we go ? " " Why to my city of course , " he said . " I know the way . These people are my people . You , my dear Maya , will be a hero . " The two nodded and then sought out sleeping space amidst the rest of the refugees . Maya looked at these people and thought of her situation . She wondered briefly if the rest of the crew of the Zeus survived . She vowed that she would spend the rest of her life searching Dyphon until she found them all . Long ago , in a time when wonders and magic were still common in the world , a girl lived alone in the woods . She had lived there since her father , the woodsman , had died several years ago , but not before he could teach her all he knew about being a woodsman . Not only was she accomplished at this , but in the years after her father 's death , she had learned to speak the languages of the animals , and thus they became her friends . But the talent she was best known for was her ability to track . It was said that the woods - girl could track a mouse across a stream and into the deepest part of the forest , where no light shined . Although she often visited the local village to trade furs and meat for things she needed , like cheese , milk , pots or knives , she mostly kept to herself . Thus , it was a surprise to her when one day a visitor appeared at her cabin door . It was a woman from the village , one she had bought honey from before . " Oh , woods - girl , please , you have to help me , " she said . " My son was playing near the woods and now he 's gone missing . Please , use your tracking skill , and find my missing son . " The woods - girl nodded and asked to be taken to the area he was last seen playing . She looked carefully around the area , starting at the spot where even the mother could see the boy 's tracks and moving out from there . She immediately spotted a small wooden sword that the boy used to play . She knelt down there and felt the ground , seemed to sniff the wind , and then turned to the mother . The two traveled together , following the trail . Eventually the trail led to a section of the forest that the woods - girl had never been in before . She paused before entering , unsure what to expect . She followed the owl in , moving slowly and checking each tree and bush as she went . She wasn 't really scared , but she grew up in the rest of the forest , and knew those trees , bushes and trails inside and out . These were completely new to her , and she found that unsettling . The trail continued as it had , but she noticed that the paths it crossed contained the tracks of several game animals , like deer . Wherever she was , she realized that this part of the forest had abundant game in it . She noted that for later . It wasn 't long after entering the new woods that she found the boy . He was huddled by a stream , crying . She came up to him and he jumped . And she did just that . As promised , the boy was reunited with his mother before sunset , and everyone rejoiced . Some called the woods - girl a hero , but she refused such accolades . She just said that she simply did what any decent woodsman would do in her position . And with that , she returned to her cabin . It was a few days later when she noticed that her larder was full that she decided she needed to go hunting . She remembered the plentiful game of the unknown part of the forest and decided to hunt there . Grabbing her bow and quiver , she set out . As she expected , finding game didn 't take long for her to find suitable game , a nice deer buck . She trailed it for a while , chasing it somewhat as it tried to get away from her , until she eventually caught it at a stream , drinking . Slowly , she drew back an arrow in the bow and took aim . When she knew it wasn 't aware of her , she fired , and took the beast down . She walked up to the buck to get a closer look at the kill when she heard the snap of a twig from her left . Her bow was up in her had before she even thought of it , and an arrow was drawn from her quiver in another second . A large man was standing across the small clearing they were in , his own bow raised and knocked , the arrow pointing straight at her . " It means that the deer you just killed belonged to the king , " he said . " And that means you have just stolen from the king . And so , I must now arrest you . Are you going to resist me ? " She followed him to the tree line near the lake edge , and she saw a massive horse tied to a tree . He got up and then pulled her up behind him , and rode off . It was a good hours long ride , but they eventually came to the castle of the king . It was the most impressive building the woods - girl had seen in her life . Towers and buttresses seemed to be everywhere , statues decorated the corners , and the drawbridge was a miracle of wood and iron . He rode the horse through the main gate and then got off and aided her down . Several soldiers were there immediately to take the horse as he lead her away . He took her into the castle proper , where she was awed more by the decorations . Everything seemed to be made of gold or silver , and the rugs were such rich shades of red , yellow and purple . He didn 't take her very far once inside . The main chamber led to a set of three steps , where a large , ornate door rested . A man in front of the door nodded at the Lord Forester and pushed the door open . Inside was another large chamber , this one lined down the center with columns . At the end of the room sat a pair of ornate chairs , thrones she realized . Sitting in the larger of the two chairs , the one on her right , was an older man , with a gray and black beard and a gold crown upon his head . She realized that this was the king . " I caught her poaching one of Your Majesty 's deer in the King 's Forest , " the Lord Forester said . " I followed her as she tracked the beast . I must say , it was the most expert tracking I have ever seen . I wouldn 't have been able to do it . Milord , I believe that this is the woods - girl we have been heard rumors about . " " Truly ? " The King said . He turned to regard the woods - girl for the first time , and she lowered her eyes as her father had taught her to do around nobility . " Is this true ? Are you the girl that tracked the lost boy into the forest and returned him home ? " " Ah , well , " the King said . " That means , of course , that I must punish you . Chamberlain , what is the punishment for poaching of the King 's deer ? " " Oh dear , " the King said . " That will never do . I believe I have a better solution . My dear woods - girl , please step forward . " " The tail is tragic , " the King said , and then lowered his voice . " My son , the prince , has been kidnapped by an evil witch . " The woods - girl noticed that the King had switched to first person instead of the royal ' we . ' " She has taken him to the other side of the mountains . She had demanded that I give up my throne or she will kill my son . But to do so would be to plunge the land into darkness , and I refuse to do that . However , I cannot stand the thought of my dear son being harmed . Please , woods - girl . Track down the witch and rescue my son . " The King smiled . " Excellent , " he said . " Go to the stables , we will provide you with a fine horse . And take this , " he said as the chamberlain came to her with a bow and quiver of arrows . They were finely crafted , much better than her own . The chamberlain also handed her a purse filled with coins . She looked at the King and raised her eyebrows . The girl looked at the purse once more , tied it to her belt , and nodded . She was guided to the stables , where she picked out a fine chestnut horse . She went to the wall outside the prince 's room and found signs of the witch . Owl flew down then to join her , and she explained to him what was going on . He said he wanted to help , and she agreed . She set of for the mountains as soon as she had the trail . Her horse was fast , and it only took her a day 's riding to get to the mountains . She came up to the foot hills and set the horse free , realizing that she couldn 't take it through the mountains . It ran back towards the palace . She smiled and started looking for a place to set up camp . Just as she found a place , she heard something that caught her attention . It was a growl , but not like that of any animal she knew . Curious , she moved toward the sound to see what it was . In a small clearing just behind the trees that dotted the hills she saw a large , hairy creature that she recognized right away as a troll . It had in its hands a small figure that looked like a boy dressed in a rag with long , gossamer wings on its back . A fairy ! As she watched , the troll tied the fairy to a stick and then placed the stick over a fire , as if to cook it . The woods - girl started reaching for bow , planning on rescuing the little fairy , when she remembered the stories her father told her of trolls . Her arrows would not pierce its rock like skin . She would need a different way to beat trolls . She thought about what she knew of them . They were not very bright , but they were also very strong and hard to kill . They were greedy , too , and liked games of chance . The woods - girl 's mind went to the coin purse hanging from her belt . An idea formed in her mind , and she strode into the clearing . " I 'm going to give this purse to my own , " she said , and Owl flew down and onto her shoulder . " It 's going to take the purse and drop it somewhere nearby . The first to find the purse get 's not only the fairy but the coins in the purse as well . Deal ? " She saw the troll latterly start to drool . It looked form the purse to the fairy and back to the purse . Then it eyed the girl . Probably planning on eating her too once it won , she thought . Owl took the coin purse and flew off . As soon as the owl returned , both she and the troll ran off into the woods to find it . The woods - girl almost immediately turned around and went back to the clearing . She paused at the tree line and saw that the troll was no where to be seen . She smiled . Her ruse had worked . Quickly , she went to the fire and pulled the stick with the fairy off of it and began untying him . After she finished untying him , the fairy flew up and around her head , glowing a bright gold as he did so . Then , he flew in front of her face and kissed her nose . He waved his hands and a gold coin appeared in his hands . He kissed it , then handed it to her . " In gratitude for helping free me , I gift you with this , " he said . " It allows you to call me to aid you . I have the power to call things to me from anywhere . Simply hold this coin and say ' help , ' and I will appear . But be warned , you have but three uses from that coin . " " No , thank you , " he said . Then he flew off into the night sky . Just then , the girl could hear the sounds of the troll crying in elation as it found the purse . She quickly ran from the area . After traveling for some time , she felt she was safe and set up a quick campsite and slept for the night . The next morning she started her assent up the side of the mountain . It was tough going , but with the aid of Owl , bringing rope up and tying it to a sturdy rock or spire , she made good progress . She figured it would only take her two days to reach the top at this point . She was right , and on noon the second day , she had reached the top of the mountain . She followed . After crossing a rise , she saw the smoke . She started to hurry , and crossing the next rise she saw the log cabin the smoke was coming from . It looked warm and inviting , and she rushed down the hill towards it . When she got to the building , she saw that it was huge . The door alone looked like a person twice her size could go through it . Still , she was cold , tired and hungry , and just wanted a place to rest . She knocked on the door . No one answered . Figuring that some trapper must live here and was out checking his snares , she pushed open the door and went inside . The furniture matched the size of the door . A large table and four large chairs and there were four large beds by the fireplace in the corner . Curious , she closed the door to keep in the heat and walked into the room . She climbed into one of the large stuffed chairs by the fire and pulled out some cheese and bread from her pack . After eating , she closed her eyes and fell asleep . The woods - girl awoke quickly and started reaching for her bow by instinct , but paused when she saw who had asked the question . Four faces were looking at her , two very large and two normal sized , thought they looked like the faces of children . She looked at their bodies , and saw that they were giants . The two adults , a man and a woman , really were twice as large as she was . She gulped and looked back at the giant man that was facing her . " A troll , " he said after a moment . " I caught a troll stealing food out of my bin . When I chased down after him , he pushed the bin over the cliff and down the mountain . Now , my family is left without stored food , and I must hunt doubly hard to feed us . But then you came along , and so we have dinner tonight . " He paused again , looking the woods - girl up and down , clearly wondering what such a little thing could do to help three giants get food . Quickly , she pushed her arm into her pouch and squeezed out the magic coin . She pushed her hand out through the giants fingers and showed him the coin . " Watch , " she said , and he set her down . He crouched down to watch her , though , making it impossible for her to simply run away . She held up the coin to her face and closed her eyes . " These giants lost their food storage bin , " she said , waving to the giant family . " It was pushd down the cliffs . Can you bring it back up ? " " I can , " the fairy nodded . He flew around the woods - girl , sparkling lights making her face appear a rainbow of colors . Then , he suddenly stopped . " That 's it ? " the giant said . He turned and waved at the youngest giant , who ran out side . A few moments later , he came back in . All three giants then quickly rushed back outside , and the woods - girl followed . Sure enough , behind the cabin , there was the food bin . And she could see that it was stuffed with grain , bins of fruit , preserved meat and even cheese . She thanked the giant , who then lifted her onto the back of the goat and gave it a slap on the rump . It took all she had just to hold onto the beast as it ran down the mountain . After a while , it slowed down due to tiredness , and she saw that they were already nearly halfway to the bottom . A screech to her side caught her attention and she turned to see Owl flying nearby . She waved at the bird , grateful to have the company . The stopped for the night and started again early the next morning . True to form , the goat took them down the hill and amazing speeds . They reached the bottom of the mountain before noon . In gratitude , the woods - girl let the goat go , and the animal quickly scampered up the mountain . Owl came flying down and took his customary place on her shoulder . It didn 't take them very long at all to reach the castle . Though not as large as the King 's castle , It was an imposing structure , all back rock and sharp , pointed towers . She saw no windows and also no visible means of entrance . She sent Owl off to see what he could see from up above . She shaded her eyes from the sun and watched as he made a circle around the building , when suddenly a great net sprung out from nowhere and grabbed the bird . He screeched , but could do nothing as he fell behind the walls , captured by the witch . Quickly , the woods - girl drew her bow and knocked an arrow , waiting for a similar trap for her . When it didn 't come right away , she moved off around the castle , once more looking for an entrance . As she wandered around , she though she heard the sound of a woman 's laugh . She spun around quickly , her bow up and drawn back ready to shoot . But nothing was there . She lowered her bow again , and sighed . She was never going to get in at this rate . Suddenly , the walls to her right moved , and reached out to grab her like great stone hands . She had no time to move or even to raise her bow before the wall had her and pulled her inside . She held her breath instinctively , but when she was pulled in , she felt something hard hit her on the head and blanked out . She awoke on a small , wooden cot . As she opened her eyes and looked around , she saw that she was in a cage made of metal bars . She got up and looked around . The cage was in a larger room made of dark stone . There were no windows , all the light coming from the torches lining the walls . She realized quickly that she was without her stuff , just her belt and her satchel . Her backpack , her bow , her quiver , all were stacked neatly in a pile in the far corner of the room , far out of reach . She also saw , across the room , a cage in which Owl was kept . He was sleeping at the moment , and didn 't appear to be injured , but the woods - girl was grateful to see her friend still alive . Before she could do anything more , a door that she hadn 't previously seen opened , and a woman strode in . She was tall , and much older than the woods - girl , but clearly beautiful . She had long , sharp features ; straight , shiny black hair , and dark eyes that seemed to draw you in . She wore a long dark dress with seriated sleeves , and a tall , pointed hat . This was obviously the witch . " Well , as you can see , " the witch said , " that is a foolish idea . I am far too powerful for a little woods - girl like you . Even your mighty bow cannot stop me . " She laughed , and the woods - girl recognized it as the sound she heard outside . The witch then left , and the woods - girl slumped down on the cot . She had been defeated . What could she possibly do now ? Just then , she looked at her satchel . Curious , she reached inside . Sure enough , there was the coin . The witch must have missed it when she was taking off her possessions , or just didn 't think it a threat . She held the coin tight . " Help me , oh fairy , " she said . The coin shook in her hand , and started to get warm . In pain , the woods - girl yelped and threw the coin down , where it landed just outside the cage . She started at in , and then sighed . Even the coin wasn 't working in here . She should have known . The witch was a powerful magic user after all . Then the coin shook again , and she looked at it . A puff of smoke rose and the fairy boy appeared before her , the coin gone once again . He looked around , somewhat confused . When he saw the bars of the cage , he gasped and flew backwards a few inches . " Woods - girl , " he said . " You are trapped in a cage made of cold iron . My magic cannot penetrate it . I cannot get you out of that cage . " He nodded in understanding then , and quickly flew to the keys . He sprinkled some of his rainbow dust on it , then lifted the thing and flew it to her across the room . Almost immedatly after he dropped it by the cage , she reached down to grab it . Without further hesitation , she used the key to unlock the cage and get herself out . She used another key to open the cage that had Owl , and woke him up . Then , she grabbed her stuff , nocked an arrow into the bow , and used the final key in the ring to open the door that lead to the rest of the castle . The castle itself was surprisingly empty . In the King 's castle , there were servants and noblemen bustling about and moving from place to place , but here , there was no one . Making a guess as to where the prince was kept , she climbed to the tallest tower in the castle . There , she saw a door that was yellow , making it stand out against the black of the castle walls . Knowing this was where the prince was held , she opened the door . Inside , she saw a cage just like the one she had been in , and inside was the prince . He was young , only slightly older than she was . And he wore the finery she had expected . What she hadn 't expected was how fit he was . She thought he would look like the king and the rest of the nobles , fat on the rich food they ate . He was quite plainly the most handsome man she had ever seen . He stopped his paceing in the cage and looked at her , equally stunned by the sight that greeted him . Shaking her head , she moved to the cage . " Thank you ! " he said , and before she could react , he pulled her close to him and kissed her on the lips . It was the most amazing sensation , and she felt her heart fill with joy . Then the door opened , and she didn 't have time to raise her bow before a bolt of lightning struck the two of them and she went flying across the room . The witch screamed at the two of them . Quickly , the woods girl pulled up her bow and knocked her arrow . She said a quick prayer that the shot was true , and then fly . The arrow struck the witch straight in the heart , and she fell to the floor dead . Owl took his position on the woods - girl 's shoulder . The prince stared from the fallen witch to the girl and back again . " Come , Your Highness , " she said , and once again pulled out the coin . She called for the fairy and he appeared . The prince once again goggled . He flew around them , and a rainbow of colors sparkled , obscuring their vision . When the smoke cleared , they found themselves standing in the throne room of the King . Several people were surrounding them , all looking at them in awe and amazement . The King stood in front of this throne , a look of shock on his face . " Father ! " the prince said , and rushed up to the King to embrace him . The King returned the embrace , and then smiled . He looked at the woods - girl , and then walked up to her and clasped her on the shoulder . " My dear woods - girl , you have done it ! " he said . " You have returned my son to me , and saved the kingdom . I don 't think we can ever repay you for this . " The woods - girl smiled , blushed , and bowed . Then , she saw the prince whisper something into the King 's ear . The King smiled and then laughed . He clasped his son and nodded . Then he turned back to the woods - girl , the smile still on his face . " My dear woods - girl , " he said . " You are the most amazing , beautiful girl I have ever seen . Would you do me the honor of being my bride ? " " Yes , " she said , and the two embraced . A week later , they were married in the largest celebration the kingdom had ever witnessed . And they went off to live the rest of their lives in happiness forever . This one I am particularly proud of . I decided that this week , I wanted to write a fairy tale . And by that , I mean a straight up fairy tale , with trolls , giants , an evil witch and in which the girl rescues the prince . And I have succeeded . So , enjoy this week 's offering , Woods - Girl . Of all the offices in all the world , she had to haunt mine . In her defense , though , this place used to be her house before it was renovated into a series of offices . That 's the way things go here San Francisco . The City that I call home . My name is David Poblocki , and I 'm a private detective . Her name , I learned after our first meeting , was Rose Phillips . She 's a ghost . And also my partner in my detective agency . I realize that all sounds rather odd , so let me start my tail at the beginning . I had been working in a detective agency for a few years now , but really , there was nothing out of the ordinary about that job . I did my time following cheating spouses , finding lost pets and searching for missing loved ones . In fact , I got something of a reputation as someone that 's great at finding missing people . I was able to work a couple of the bigger cases , earning enough in bonuses combined with my savings , to finally open my own detective agency . One with just me , not even a secretary to answer my phone , but with advertising and a new office . So , there I was , my own boss for the first time in my entire life . Admittedly , I was only 28 , but still , I felt like I want busted my ass to get to this point . I already had two cases , but they were the normal cheating spouses , and those never take long . A few days of following said spouse with a camera trying to get proof . It 's not fun work , and sometimes I feel guilty following someone around and taking their picture , especially when it turns out they are not cheating , but it pays well , and meant I would have my first months rent both at the office and at home . " My husband , " she said , and I started to roll my eyes . Another cheater . Then , after a sob , she continued . " He 's missing . Please , I have been told that you 're an expert at finding missing persons . I need you to find my husband . The family is in such disarray without him , please Mr . Poblocki , come find him ! " A missing person ! That was something I could really sink my teeth into . I got her information , and discovered that this was Mrs . Weathers , wife of the famed Edward Weathers , local Internet tycoon and wealthy socialite . His websites were known through the country for those fancy little cartoon greeting cards you could send a friend . This case could pay me a lot of money . I gave Mrs . Weathers a slightly increased fee and she agreed . I practically jumped out of my chair , and started to scramble along my desk as I turned around and saw a woman . She was wearing a purple dress that had a stiff collar that covered her neck , puffy shoulders and a sever cut to it . She also wore a large brimmed hat with feathers that matched the dress . The most amazing thing about her , however , was that she was translucent . I could see the wall and window behind her . " Tisk , tisk , " she said , waiving her finger at me . " Such language . I thought it was rather plan to see that I am a ghost . " She rolled her eyes . " Please tell me that you do know what a ghost is . A spirit ? A spector ? The undead spirit of one who has passed on ? " " What ? " I said , then shook my head as she started rolling her eyes again . " No , I mean , I know what a ghost is . I 've just … " " This building you find your office in was once my house , " she said . " Or rather , my husbands until he died . I got a job as a photographer for the miners here in San Francisco to help pay for it afterwards . " She went on to explain to me that she wasn 't really haunting the house that was now my office so much as this was her home , and she just didn 't see the need to go on to anyplace else . She then suggested I should go out to the Weather 's Estate to aid the poor woman that called me . I nodded and shakily got my jacket and hat and headed out . I entered the address Mrs . Weather 's had given me into my GPS unit and drove the hour trip to her place . Much to my surprise , my unanticipated roommate decided to travel along with me . She assured me that it was quite all right ; no one could see her unless she chose them to . She would remain ' quite invisible ' to everyone else . On the trip over , she was amazed by the GPS , and asked me all kinds of questions about it . It was very surreal , but at the same time , the conversation and the simple act of answering her questions made the whole thing seem more normal . By the time we arrived at the Weather 's place , I had become somewhat used to her presence . This made it rather awkward when I parked and Mrs . Weather 's came out to greet me . " She can 't see or hear me , remember ? " Rose said . I nodded , somewhat unnerved by the fact , and went on about my business . " Well , he … uh … " she hesitated . She obviously didn 't want to tell me . " You see , my husband had asked the family here for just this announcement , " she said after a few moments . " He was making some major changes to his will , and felt it would be best if he let everyone know what those changes were in person . " " I can , " said a gruff voice from ahead of us . I turned and saw a muscular man with short - cropped hair and an angry look on his face at the front door . " He was telling us all that we were cut out of the will , and that everything would be going to his dear wife , here . Bastard . " " He knows that , Emma , " Jeff said , disdain dripping from his voice . " He 's trying to pretend to be polite while at the same time insulting me . Isn 't that right , Mr . Poblocki ? " " Something like that , " I said , not really seeing the need to deny anything . " And please , call me David . I 'm always looking for my dad when people call me Mr . Poblocki . " " Why do you think we 're all so pissed off , " he said . " I see , " I said , writing more things down in my notebook . He watched carefully , then finally moved out of the way . I got the distinct impression that he was making sure I did my job correctly before letting me by . " Please , come in , Mr … uh … David , " Mrs . Weathers said , catching herself on my name . " I 'll introduce you to the rest of the family . " She lead me into the house , and I use that word lightly . This place was huge , and the front atrium had so many windows I felt like I was still outdoors . I followed her down a corridor that was wide , the walls covered in fancy , original artwork . It opened into a large room that featured a TV larger than the wall in my office , several couches and chairs and a few beanbags . There was enough room there for twenty people to watch a movie comfortably . There were currently three , two women , and a man . They seemed to be in the middle of arguing about something when we came in . Mrs . Weathers cleared her throat . " Everyone , I 'd like to introduce you to Mr . David Poblocki . He 's the private detective I hired to help find Edward . " " That 's Lynda , " Mrs . Weathers said . " She 's Edward 's sister . Don 't mind her . She 's just upset over this whole will thing . " " I think we all are , " the man said , and then he stood and shook my hand . " I am Anthony Weathers , Mr . Poblocki . I wish I could say that it was a pleasure to meet you . " " And just so I am completely clear on this , none of you are related to Mrs . Weathers here ? " I asked , though I already knew the answer . I find that asking obvious questions like this will sometimes get people to reveal information they would otherwise keep secret . No wonder everyone here was upset . Dad remarries , and then ten years later decides to cut everyone else out of the will and give it all to his not - so - new wife . If all that were true , he really was a bastard . Now I just have to find out if it was true . They all nodded , but no one offered any information , and Mrs . Weathers turned her head away . She was clearly embarrassed or shamed by the events of the previous day . I didn 't yet know what her relationships with her husband 's children were before , but it 's clear that her husband did not win her any friends . " No , I didn 't , " Jeff said as he entered the room behind me . He passed by close but made sure not to touch me . He glared as he walked by . Nice guy . " I told him all he needed to know . As for the rest , well … I didn 't see that it was his business . " " Listen , Detective Weathers , " I said to the rather angry man . " I get that you don 't like me . Probably don 't like private detectives in general . I 've run into that before with cops . You feel like we 're stepping on your toes , and sometimes , we are . But , I 'm here at the request of your father 's wife , who is concerned that your father seems to be missing , and would like me to find him . I can do my job just as well without your help , if you 're not willing to led such aid to find your dad , but I would really appreciate if you did . " " Fine , " I said , " I guess I 'll continue my investigation without all the information . It 's not like it 'll be the first time . Now , were you five the only people in the house at the time of Mr . Weather 's disappearance ? At the time of the announcement ? " " He 's our house man , " Mrs . Weathers said . " He did stuff like clean the house , cook dinner for Edward and myself , and occasionally he did some yard work . Except of course for my garden . I don 't let anyone in my garden . Not even Edward . " " Well , he came back , yes , " Mrs . Weathers said . " I mean , he doesn 't live here , so he went home last night . He 's in the kitchen right now , cooking us lunch . " " Thank you , " he said . " I 'll go talk to him , I think . No , no , please , Mrs . Weathers , stay here , I 'd like to talk to Jose by myself . " " Good , " I nodded , and moved off towards the kitchen . The place was amazing , and the whole thing was larger than my bedroom . I looked around for a few moments , just in awe by the pans and cooking utensils . Then , I was caught by the smell . It was chili , but it was the most amazing smelling chili ever . I then saw the figure that must be Jose . He was tall , and rather muscular compared to the image I had in my head . He wore a suit , though he had off the jacket and tie off , and had a smock over it . It was covered in stains from whatever tomato sauce he was using in the chili . " Ah , " he said , a slight trace of a Spanish accent . " Mrs . Weathers informed me she was doing so . I made more then enough lunch , sir . " I looked down at my notes and realized that I didn 't . Just that it was some time after the announcement . " Not specifically , no , " I replied honestly . " I do know that he was last seen just after his big announcement . " " Yes , " Jose said . " Afterwards , he came into the kitchen to get some carets and a glass of water . He loved to eat carrots . Then , he walked up the stairs to his room , and I have not seen him since . " " No , " he replied . " They argued about that for a few moments , Mr . Weathers stated that his decision was final , and then he continued upstairs and she left . I heard nothing more after that . " He pointed a ladle at a vent on the wall by the ceiling . I looked at it and then to the stairs and saw that they winded up towards the place where the vent was . I nodded at him , and walked up the stares . On the way up , I saw Rose . " Well , well , " she said , only the top of her torso appearing through the wall . " This seems like an interesting case . Is he really missing ? Or maybe one of the children killed daddy for revenge . " " Oh , I am , " she said . " Quite simply , this is the most fun I 've had in a hundred years . Plus , I know something you don 't know . " " What ? " I asked , suddenly realizing that I was talking to a ghost . She could get into places I couldn 't , and even spy on people without their ever knowing . It was perfect . " Where ? " I asked again , almost forgetting to whisper . I had reached the part of the stairs where the vent was . I was clearly visible on the floor , but only if you knew what to look for . This section of the stares was a bend , and the vent was just beyond it , making the vent out of most common eyesight . " He 's under the stairs , " she said , giggling . Then , she slipped back through the wall . Disturbed , I walked down the stairs and found that they lead to a landing where a small closet could be found . Somewhat apprehensive , I opened the door . Inside the closet , as I feared , was a body , folded in on itself , the back of it 's head smashed in . I called in Mrs . Weathers and Detective Weathers to come look at it . Both identified it as Mr . Weathers , and Jeff called the police . They took my statement over the phone and said that a detective would be there shortly . Jeff informed me as a professional courtesy that this was not his precinct , and so it was likely that he would not know the man arriving . I thanked him , and then asked if I could ask him a few more questions . Grudgingly , he agreed . " Mr . Poblocki , " he said . " My father was killed . That 's obvious by the fact that he was shoved in a closet . I want to know who did it , and I want to help whoever can find that out . You currently have a head start on whatever suit the PD will send out here . So , for now , I 'll assist you in any way I can . " " I appreciate that , " I said , somewhat taken aback by his honesty . " I 'll try my best . Now , to my questions . Were you aware that your Aunt and your father fought right after the big announcement ? " " No , but that doesn 't surprise me , " he said . " Those two were always fighting . They were worse that Dad and Mom . Dad never did approve of her husband , who , as normal , couldn 't quite make it to this little family gathering . And so Aunt Lydia always made sure everyone understood that she didn 't like Emma . Usually quite loudly . " " I have no idea , " he said . " It 's rather out of the blue , and I even have trouble suspecting Emma on the matter . She 's so meek , usually stuck out in her garden tending her flowers and veggies . I have a hard time imagining she would even want all that money , never mind demand that Dad cut out all his children for it . " " The announcement , " he said . " He told us all that he was cutting us out of the will and turning all the money over to Emma . He also told us that he was going to divorce Emma , and then move out of the country . Wouldn 't say where , just that he was going on some kind of spiritual quest of some sort . " " It is , " he said . " Apparently , this is what sparked the change . I haven 't seen the will , but I still don 't understand why cutting us all out of it would be needed before he went about traveling the world to find God . " Next , I spoke to Donna . The meetings were happening in the dining room , just outside the kitchen . I made sure that Jose couldn 't hear us . " He said that he was going to go on a vision quest , " she said , with a smile on his face . " It was something he had been talking about for a while now , at least to me . He said that he wouldn 't need much , just enough for food and travel , and the rest he would work out as he needed . And so , he was going to give all his money to Emma . " " Well , I wasn 't happy about being cut out of the will , no , " she said . " But I did like the idea of Dad going on a spiritual quest like that . I did one once , and it 's amazing . " " Well , " she said , thinking . " I think it was just after the announcement . He went into the kitchen to get some snack , a glass of milk I think . I saw him in there , and said I was proud of him , though I still didn 't understand why the will needed to be changed , but that I would back him up . Then he went off to bed . " " Simple , " he replied . " He was leaving Emma . Oh , not like a divorce , of course but he was going on some harebrained scheme to travel the world to , I don 't know , find God or something . I don 't pretend to understand . Anyway , this apparently necessitated the change in the will . I was pisseed let me tell you . In fact , I confronted Dad , that night , in his bedroom . Emma was there , sadly . I hated to do all that yelling in front of her . But still , Dad had no right to give our rightful inheritance to this woman . Not to mention that he 's still … well , he was still young . He was only 50 , for crying out loud . I was pissed , and I let him know it . " She hesitated , glaring at me . " Yes , " she said at last . " Yes , we did . I accused him of cutting all of us out of the will to get at me , out of spite . He argued , and we yelled at each other for a few minutes . Finally , he said that this was final , and left for bed . I did the same . It was the last time I saw him , I swear . " " Yes , " I said . " I can 't question her based on a ghost 's intuition . I need something more than she 's lying to me . All of them are lying to me . It 's pretty normal in a murder investigation . No one wants to be fingered , so they all lie . " " Listen to me , Daivd , " Rose said in a low voice that almost echoed . " this is not intuition . I believe that this woman murdered her husband , and that belief is because as a ghost , I can look into her heart . She 's holding back something important . " " Oh , believe me , Rose , " I replied . " I believe you . I just can 't act on this information . I need proof , evidence . " " Oh , heavens no , " she said . " I would have tried to talk him right out of that . Imagine , cutting your own children out of your will , and then leaving it all to someone that they all hate . I don 't blame them one bit . I was upset too . In fact , I was so upset that I had a tough time sleeping . My husband got out of bed to go get me some milk in the kitchen and that was the last I saw of him . " " It 's quite simple , " I said . " The murder wasn 't aiming at killing Mr . Weathers , but rather his dear wife , Emma . Isn 't that right , Lydia ? " " See , after the announcement , Lydia confronted her brother . They argued about her husband and his wife , someone Lydia hated . After the argument , she was unable to convince her brother to change the will back , and so she decided to get her revenge by killing the person who would get all the money . She knew Mrs . Weathers liked to get herself a glass of milk late at night , and so waited for her to leave the bedroom . When someone did , she waked that person on the back of he head with some kind of heavy object , and the body fell down the stairs . It was only after that she discovered that the body was really her brother , so she quickly hid the body in the closet . " " it was supposed to be that bitch , " she said . " She took my brother from me , and then she took my remaining share of the money left to me and my brother from our dad . I wasn 't about to let that happen . But instead , she sent my brother to get the milk , and … and … I hit him on the back of the head with a crowbar . I was supposed to be her ! " " Thank you for that , " said a voice from the door . It was a man in a dark suit and glasses . He flashed a badge . " A confession will make this all go so much smoother at the office . " It all went pretty normal after that . The cop arrested Lydia , Mrs . Weathers wrote me a check that was far larger than my fee , and the rest of the family went back to arguing over the will . As I drove away , Rose appeared at my side . Why ? This one was truly hard to write , and I personally think it 's crap . Still , I got to have a story , and getting out the crap is the reason I do this , so here it is . The doctor leaned down to look the boy in the bed over , shaking his head as he did so . He pulled out a strange instrument from his bag that looked like a small wooden stick stuck to a finely crafted brass handle . He waved it over the boy , and the tip began to glow a pale pink . He shook his head again . He looked her over . She was tall for a Jandurian woman , but stood slightly stooped , probably due to a life of raising children and running a farm . A touch of gray could be seen in her otherwise still shining brown hair , and the signs of age could only just be seen on her face . She was not what one would call plump , but her body was also not the skinny of youth any more . He shook his head once more . Such a woman should not be raising three children and a farm on her own . " How is that possible ? " she whispered . If he had not been looking at her at the time , he wouldn 't have even known she said anything . " No one has had Red Fever in … " " Generations , " the doctor said . " Yes . It 's true , in this part of Janduria , the Red Fever is all but a myth . Occasionally , however , someone will break out in it . It 's likely that your son contracted it from that bite I saw on his leg . Was it a stray cat ? " " No , " she said almost absently . She moved to the bed now , looking down at her sleeping son . She started to cover him up in his blankets as she spoke . " It was a squirrel . It bit him four days ago . I thought I had cleaned out the wound . " " No doubt you did , " the doctor said , taking her face in his hands to make her look at him . Her eyes remained absent . " Listen to me , Bhodi . That squirrel probably was a carrier for Red Fever . I saw this kind of thing all the time in the larger cities , but occasionally an animal will get infected and go mad . We don 't know how , but once infected , they 'll bite people , as if purposely trying to pass the disease on . " The doctor hesitated for a moment , studying Bhodi 's stern look before sighing heavily . " I saw written in an old journal of the previous doctor for our village , my master , had spoken of the cure . It said that if you take the petals of a blue rose , and crush them into boiling hot water , and then drink it once it 's cooled enough to do so , it will break the fever and bring the infected back to health . " " There are no more Blue Roses in this area , " he said . " They stopped growing here years ago . The only place left to get them now is the other side of the Dragon 's Teeth Mountains . " She looked back down at her son , her jaw set . She thought hard about what the doctor had told her . Red Fever was deadly , but a month … that would give her more than enough time to travel to the Dragon 's Teeth and get a blue rose and return . If only Davin , her oldest son , was here . He was the adventuring hero , out fighting evil monsters with his friends . She was just a mother and farmer , and at forty was too old for adventure . But , Davin was not here . He was in far off Flandar , according to his last letter and gift of two gold coins a year ago . " Thank you doctor , " she said after a few more moments , nodding her head . " We 'll call on you again if Willham gets worse . " The doctor hesitated for a moment , but seeing the look of determination crossed with anger on her face , he decided it was best to leave . Bhodi remained in the room with her sleeping child for nearly ten minutes before she collapsed on her knees and started crying . She didn 't know how long she spent there with the tears coming from her eyes , but eventually she was brought back to the real world by a gentle touch on her shoulder . Getting up , she turned around to see her middle child , her thirteen year old daughter Sahnda . Sahnda nodded , eager . Bhodi smiled . It was obvious that Sahnda had a close attachment to her younger brother . But this would be hard on the young woman , who was just three years away from marrying age . " I am going to have to go on a trip , " she said , " to get medicine for Willham . While I am gone , I need you to look after him . Do you think you can do that ? " Bhodi decided to tell her daughter the truth . " Sahnda , your brother is very sick . He has a disease known as the Red Fever . If I don 't get this medicine he needs , he will die . So , I am going to get the medicine . And to do that , I need you to stay here and take care of him . " A few hours later , Bhodi was dressed in her traveling clothing , including a pair of expensive leather boots she had bought with the gold her son sent her , a walking stick and a backpack filled with what supplies she could carry . She leaned over the bed of Willham and kissed him on the forehead . It was hot , even to her lips . She frowned , but realized that she didn 't have the time to waist waiting . " I 'll come back , Willham , " she said . " I 'll bring you the blue rose , and you 'll be okay . Momma promises . " She walked to the front door where Sahnda was waiting for her . She looked worried . Bhodi smiled what she hoped was a comforting smile and hugged her daughter . The two smiled at each other , and then suddenly , Sahnda ran down the hall to the kitchen . Bhodi watched her go , realizing that this was just her not wanting to watch her actually leave . Taking a deep breath , Bhodi turned and walked out the door . She exited the town with tears streaming down her face . The first few days of her journey are uneventful as she traveled down well - worn merchant roads . She even managed to catch ride on a caravan that was passing by . After a few days riding with the caravan , she finally reached the city of Danka . Having spent her whole life in the small village of Hillside , Danka was a sight to behold . Walls surrounded it , and guards could be seen all along the top . The main gates were open during the day , and the Caravan just came right in . She looked around and thought that the land the city occupied could have held ten farms and the whole of hillside . And the people ! Never in all her life had she seen so many people . They were running about here and there on some errand or another . Everyone seemed to be in a hurry . When the Caravan stopped at the warehouse district , she got off and thanked the caravan master for the ride . She decided that she didn 't want stick around Danka if possible , the city made her nervous . It was late in the day , though , and she didn 't fancy sleeping on the ground when there were Inn 's so close by , so she decided to get a room and move on in the morning . She was following the directions to inns that were safe for visitors tot the city when she felt like someone was following her . She turned to look , but other than the mass of men and women from the caravan , there was nothing that really looked like she was being followed . She shrugged and kept moving . A little while later , she turned down a street and found that she was alone . The few shops down this street had closed up for the day , and everyone had left . She was nearby the inn the caravan master had recommended , though , and so continued to stride on . Then she got that feeling she was being followed again . She stopped and turned to look again , this time seeing several young men in black clothing . They didn 't hesitate when they saw her looking and charged up at her . Bhodi screamed and started running , but with the backpack slowing her down , the toughs caught up to her quickly and dragged her into an ally way . Bhodi was not completely defenseless . She had dealt with pig thieves several times since her husband had died , and knew how to handle the walking stick she was carrying . She swung it in a wide arc , slamming it into the side of one thugs head . He collapsed to the cobblestone grabbing his head . " Just what do you boys thing you 're doing , " she said in her best Mom Voice . She used this voice when trying to intimidate her children into doing something they didn 't want to do . It seemed to work , and the boys attacking her actually took a step back . She wasn 't sure what to do next , however . She tried to swing the walking stick again , but this time they were ready for her . One thug grabbed the stick and yanked it out of her hands . This caused her to stumble forward , off balance . Another tough took advantage of this and grabbed her arms , yanking them behind her and holding her up by them . She struggled , but moving caused her pain in her shoulders . The one that had been shouting orders that the others came up to her and punched her hard in her stomach , knocking the wind out of her . " Old cow , " he said . " Stupid old cow . This could have been easier on you . We just want your purse . Now , we 're going to have to teach you a lesson , as well . " He punched her in the stomach again , and Bhodi tried to double over and cough , but the youth holding her kept her up . This gave her the perspective to see what the boy in front of her was doing . He pulled out a long knife , the kind used in hunting , and held it up for her to see . She tried to scream , but another of the youths held her jaw and twisted her head around so that the side of her face was now towards the leader . He put the cold metal blade up against her face , right next to her eye . She was sweating in fear , and a tear escaped her eye . The youths all around her laughed , and the leader slowly scraped the blade down her cheek , tracing a line of red down to her jaw . She tried her best to not cry out in pain , lest the knife do worse than a mere cut . " By the name of God , this is nearly a whole gold , " the boy said . " We 've struck it rich , gang ! We 've got enough here to buy ourselves a whole house . " " Too bad you 're not keeping it , " said a voice from down the alley . A flash of red came sailing into view and smacked the youth holding Bhoid 's purse in the face , which was then covered in a runny red paste of some sort . Another red blob hit the leader , and Bhodi saw that they were tomatoes . Rotten tomatoes from the smell . " Leave her , " Jed was saying , already running down the alley towards the boy throwing the tomatoes . All the others ran after him , taking her purse with them and leaving Bhodi alone in the alley . She collapsed to the ground and began to cry . She couldn 't hold it back , and just lay there on the cold cobblestone , crying . She wasn 't sure how long she had been there when she finally got up , but she saw that the sun had gone down , and now it was well and truly dark . Shaking , she got up , grabbed her backpack and her walking stick and slowly made her way out of the alley . " Woah , there , lady , " the voice said , and Bhodi saw it was attached to a young boy , maybe eleven years of age . He wore ragged clothing so dirty that it was difficult to determine what color they really were . But it was obvious that he was not part of the gang that had attacked her earlier . He carried a satchel over his shoulder , and was reaching into it while he moved slowly towards he . Bhodi watched as he carefully pulled out a small leather purse and then offered it to her . It took her a few seconds to realize that it was her purse . She reached out and took it , and felt that it was still heavy with coin . " You 're welcome , " he smiled at her . " Not everyone in the city is a bad person . Plus , I have a personal vendetta against Jed . There 's really no need to thank me . " She found herself smiling back at him . Then she realized that he looked like the other boys in that he must live on the street . She reached into the purse and pulled out a silver coin . She continued to hold the coin at him . " Consider this a retainer , " she said . " I need a guide in the city . I 'd like to hire you . " " For instance , " she said , looking around at the dark buildings . " I need an inn for the night . Then , I 'm going to need some help in the morning . Let me hire you . " He walked up to her and looked her straight in the eyes . After a moment , he nodded and the smile returned to his face . He took the coin , stuffed in into a pocket in his satchel and then extended his hand to her . " Now , to an inn , " he said . " There 's a great one that is friendly to visitors to the city just around the corner . I know the owner ; he 'll give you a good deal . Come on . " And so he lead her to a fine three story building that was still open and introduced her to the innkeeper , who was cleaning up the last of the dinner plates and glasses . He told the innkeeper the story of her mugging and the man took pity on Bhodi and gave her a fine room for a single cooper . The next morning , she went down to the commons room to find Tadd and the innkeeper waiting for her with a bowl of hot breakfast . After eating , she told them the story of her quest , that she needed a blue rose to cure her son from the Red Fever . They were both shocked . Red Fever hadn 't been seen even in the city in generations . They understood her need , but getting up the Dragon 's Teeth was difficult . There were , of course , mountain men that lived up there and came down occasionally to sell furs or meat and purchase needed supplies before returning back to the mountains . Bhodi brightened . Perhaps she could hire one of these men . " It 's unlikely , " the innkeeper said . " They generally don 't like people . Thus , they live in the mountains . It 's not likely that they will hire themselves out , and especially not to a farmer looking for a flower . " " You do not want Mikhail , " the innkeeper said . " He is a drunk . He goes into the mountains for months at a time and when he does come back , it is only to trade his furs for money that he immediately spends on alcohol . He drinks himself into oblivion for a few days , then when his money runs out , he goes back to the mountains . " " No , " the innkeeper said slowly . " Normal for mountain men is a few weeks . It is difficult to survive up there in the snow and rocks . " " Good ? " the innkeeper snorted . " He is perhaps the best mountain man there is . His furs are always the best , his tracking skills are second to none , and as you pointed out , he can survive in the mountains for extreme amounts of time . But he is untrustworthy . You should seek out someone else . " About an hour later she found herself in another inn , spooning food into the mouth of a large , dirty , smelly man that Tadd assured her was Mikhail . He was sobering up pretty quickly given the fact that he was passed out cold when she first found him . A quick dousing with ice water and some food has fixed it . Finally , he shoved the spoon away from his mouth , coughing . " There are rules , " he interrupted . " First , you do everything I say , when I say it . No hesitation . No questioning . Second , you carry your own weight . I carry supplies for myself only . Third , no complaining about the food . I hunt , you eat . Those are my rules . " The innkeeper handed him a key , and he walked abruptly upstairs , not even sparing a glance at Bhodi . Without a word , Bhodi walked up to the innkeeper and paid for Mikhail 's room , and then one for herself . She spent the rest of that day shopping for mountaineering supplies with Tadd 's help . She thanked Tadd profusely , paid him another silver , telling him that he could go home now . He refused , stating that he would help her right out to the city gates , and he would wait for her to return . She smiled . He reminded her so much of her oldest son . " We go now , " he said , then looked her up and down . " Finishing dressing . I will wait down stairs . But hurry . We are burning daylight . " With that , he left downstairs . Bhodi quickly dressed in her new mountaineering gear and rushed down stairs . True to his word , Tadd was there , smiling . Mikhail was glaring at him , but stopped when she came down . He walked up to her and made her turn around while he inspected her gear . He grunted , but she was unsure if that was in approval or not . She smiled at Tadd . Mikhail nodded once , then started to leave . He didn 't look to see if she was following , but she quickly rushed after him . At first , following Mikhail was a bit like when she first left Hillside . A quick , easy walk , but quiet and somewhat lonely . Still , she felt better knowing that this time , at least , she had someone to follow . Once they reached the mountains , however , it all changed . Sometimes , they were hiking , other 's they were climbing the rocks . He was patient , if somewhat gruff , seeming to understand that she didn 't know what she was doing . He grunted . " Trolls , " he said , nodding his head . " There used to be hundreds of ' em living here in the mountains . But , they were mostly hunted away . They tented to attack and eat the woodsmen and mountain men like me that tried to make a honest living here . Now , they 're all gone , pushed over the peaks to the other side . " It was the most he had said all at once to her since they had met . She smiled . So , he could talk . He just didn 't . Probably wasn 't used to it . " Oh , plenty of danger , " he said . " The mountains are temperamental . They like to test you , to see if you 're serious . Rock slides , snowstorms , ice … there 's lots of danger . Just not from monsters . Or trolls . " With that , he stretched out and went soundly to sleep . She marveled at his ability to simply shut off like that , and then tried to sleep herself . She thought of Willham back home . She still had three weeks to make it back , and if this pace kept up , she 'd be there with a week to spare . The next few days were relatively quiet between the two of them . As per his rules , Bhodi did whatever Mikhail said , when he said it , with no hesitation or question . At least twice , doing so saved her life . At night , they would talk , and he warmed up to her some as time went on . She learned that he used to be a merchant , with a wife , but she died of an illness as well . It 's why he lives in the mountains , and why he agreed to take her up . No one should see a loved one of illness die when a cure exists . To her surprise , Mikhail told her to set up camp . It was still daylight , and she was anxious to get a rose . Still , not wanting to question his expertise at this late stage , she did as he commanded . After getting the tent set up , she turned around , expecting him to be setting up the fire , and saw that he wasn 't there . She panicked , and started looking around the camp . Then she saw his climbing gear had been hooked up . He had gone onto the peak without her . She was angry at first , and briefly contemplated following him , when she realized that this wall was far too steep for her inexperience . She would never make it . It was all up to this hairy stranger now . She returned to camp and started setting up the fire . " What ? " he asked . Then he looked at her as if seeing her for the first time . " Of course I did , " he said , and pulled something out of his jacket . It was a small bouquet of roses , all a dark , deep blue . She jumped up and kissed him square on his cheek . It was covered in snow and dirt , but she didn 't care . " It was easier for me than you , " he said , whipping his cheek as if he could clean away the kiss . " Faster . I figured that was what you wanted . " She was so happy . They ate in silence , but she didn 't care . She had the rose . The cure . All was right in the world . She slept soundly that night , and woke up to find herself colder than when she went to bed . Mikhail was already outside , picking the last of the rabbit straight from the pitch . She crawled out and looked around . Everything , everywhere she looked , was white . It was a bit , white , show covered blanket , covering the whole mountain . What she didn 't see was a way out . Their tent was half buried as it was . And with that , she started to dig . At first , with her bare hands , then she pulled out her pack and started to dig with her plates . He let her go at it for several hours , probably figuring that she was just upset and would quit . When she didn 't , even after he offered her food , he grunted . Finally , he picked her up and pulled her away from the snow . " Nooooo ! " she cried , but he dragged her back to camp . When she started to get up again , he pointed back at the spot he put her down on , in front of the fire , and yanked her plate out of her hand . Then , he did something that surprised her . He went with her plate to where she was digging and started to dig himself , taking over from where she left off . When she returned to Danka , so wasted no time , and got Tadd , who was waiting for her , to help her get a ride on a caravan heading back her way . He came with her , much to his surprise , and with the aid of the caravan , they returned home . She came up to her house and hesitated before going in , fearful that Willham would be dead already . Tadd nudged her on , and she entered . " Momma ? " Sahnda cried , running down the hall . She threw herself into her mothers arms . " Momma , thank the name of God that you are home safe ! " She reached into her pouch and pulled out a single blue rose and handed it to her daughter . Everything was right with the world , Bhodi thought . Everything would be okay now .