Twisted Tales

Not Worth a Hill of Beans

         Jack led me out of the inn and around the edge of the building, where there were a couple of stools leaned up against the wall. He sat on one and I on another, where I continued to cram my breakfast into my mouth in a most unladylike fashion.

         "So you're leaving town, then?" Jack asked, watching me carefully, his expression still serious.

         I nodded, my mouth too full to reply verbally.

         "I..." Jack stopped, cleared his throat, then tried again. "I meant what I said, about not thinking that Erik is the kind of person who would do... all that stuff Hans was talking about. But... he is right that it might not be a great idea to hire him to be your guide."

         "I've spent the last few days with him, and he hasn't caused me any harm so far," I pointed out after a swallow that took some effort. "I mean, he's not exactly the best conversationalist, or the most pleasant company, but-"

         "I don't think he's intentionally hurt anyone," Jack said quickly, "at least, not anyone that didn't start something first. But... well, trouble just seems to follow him wherever he goes. You might be getting yourself into more than you bargained for by staying in his company any longer than you have to."

         I was about to protest, but then I was forcefully reminded of the freaking giant that had tried to kill us yesterday.

         Then again, I have been the one to lead the pack of ravenous wolves to Erik's door, which he so kindly killed, gutted, and skinned for me.

         He had gone and gotten his ankle sprained, forcing me to carry him out of the forest; but I had been the one to accidentally lead to Rumpelstiltskin's death, and wrangle Erik into helping me locate the castle where the miller's daughter would be held.

         Honestly, when it came to who was causing trouble for who, the score was coming out pretty even on both sides.

         "Well," I said slowly, thinking over my words with care. "That may be, but I don't really know anyone else who could help me, and I'm kind of working on a strict deadline here, and I've come to learn that he's not the kind of person who asks a lot of questions; so I don't really think I have many other options besides let him be the one to take me to where I need to go. I can handle a little trouble now and again. Someone else's problems make a nice distraction from my own."

         Jack didn't seem to know quite what to make of my reply. "Where exactly is it you're heading?" he asked.

         "To..." I faltered. I didn't actually know the name of the place we were heading, or even what it was. A town? A city? A big ol' castle all by itself in the middle of a swamp? I was afraid to guess; I didn't want to immediately out myself as not only a foreigner to this country, but a foreigner to this universe. Dimension? World?

         Whatever.

         "To... uh... the royal... tooooown... ciiiiiiiiity... plaaaaace?" I tried, trailing off vaguely at the end of each word in the hopes that Jack would fill in the gap for me with the correct option.

         He just looked at me like I was a little soft in the head. "To Kingsbury?" he suggested.

         "Yes, exactly," I said quickly. Well, probably. I mean, that sounded like what someone would name the capital of a kingdom, right?

         "If you leave before noon today, you could be there by tomorrow evening."

         "Tomorrow?" I gasp. I hadn't realized it would be so far. That meant that I had an entire day less than I had originally assumed. We wouldn't arrive in Kingsbury until the day before the King gave the Miller's Daughter his final ultimatum.