Page 67 of The Frog Prince
“It does not matter.”
“But it does.” Otto caught his wandering gaze before he could escape, curling his fingers over the edge of the barrel to prevent them from reaching out. “You…you saved my sister, Alwin. You helped me try to find the cure for others. You protected my home and me. The least I can do is try and make this bearable for you.”
“It is bearable. I’m not alone anymore. This will do in a pinch.”
“Indulge me,” Otto said. “If we weren’t in a pinch…”
“Otto—”
“IF we weren’t in a pinch, Alwin. What would you want?”
Otto watched his eyes turn toward the window. The forest. Distant and wistful.
“Moss,” Alwin said with a sigh. “Mud. My glen…my frogs. The scent in the ruins. The constant damp.”
“Okay.” Otto pushed back to his feet. “Okay, let’s go.”
Alwin sat straighter in the barrel. “What?”
“We should have been there all along,” Otto said. “It was my fault. All of this. The unknown danger that might lurk outside now. Henne. All caused by my fear and uncertainty. Flaws I wasn’t ready to admit about my own character that forced you to compromise even though the deal we made was fair. I want to honor my end of the bargain finally.”
“What are you saying?” Alwin whispered.
“I’m saying we’re going back to your glen. You’re going back home and I’m coming with you.”
Eleven
Alwin
The days following Otto’s declaration passed faster than Alwin could keep track of.
Otto was full of a determination that lit him from the inside out, the power of the sun seeming contained within his body as he shook off any uncertainty and instead plowed into the problem. He spent every waking moment visiting those in town, writing meticulous notes about their illnesses and doing his best to ease their symptoms.
Alwin had tried to convince him to stay repeatedly, but Otto had told him earnestly that there wasn’t much good he could do for them here unless he could figure out the cause. He had morehope of finding it in the forest than he did in the village with Henne breathing down their necks, blocking their progress.
Alwin was in awe of him, wishing again that his magic could stretch far enough to heal them all but knowing nothing he could offer would be enough. It awakened a part of him that had long since slumbered in the wake of his transformation.
It had been easy to grow his resentments as he was treated as a monster. Easy to hate back when he was hated. Only thoughts of his family and his people had kept him from falling into darkness, and the brief bright lights of those like Otto who had approached him not out of greed, but for genuine help. It made him feel that even like this, he could make a small difference.
But it was easy to give in to despair and sadness in the quiet times, as the months and years passed, wiling away days under the water, only a step from giving up completely.
Otto was a ray of light. A new hope. Life breathed into him from a mouth that had been so close to his own. Alwin began to dust off the part of him that had been groomed to lead, to make smart decisions, to see and maneuver around the pieces on the board.
Alongside that Alwin, as if holding on to its coattails, something unexpected rose to the surface. Mischievous Alwin. The one who’d spent his childhood roping his little brother into silly tricks and practical jokes that had had the staff in their castle rolling their eyes and grumbling to their parents. The one who liked coming up with clever ways to annoy and irritate, rejoicing in every put-upon sigh and pinched lip.
He so hoped Lorenz had kept up the tradition of being a nuisance in his absence, but for now, Alwin would put those skills to good use.
Otto wasn’t duplicitous enough to sneak around effectively, so Alwin came up with a plan to keep Henne distracted so he could move unseen.
Using his frogs, he led him on a merry chase with “sightings” of the Frog Prince. Days of them. Rumors. Whispers. He made sure Henne never got a moment of peace as Otto worked his way around the village, gathering the information he needed unbothered.
They were small bargains to make. He couldn’t use his magic to heal the town, but he had access to an arsenal others didn’t.
“I swear it!” the grizzled man in dirty traveling clothes said to a seething Henne. “I saw him! The devil chased me into town, just like I said.”
Alwin smothered his laugh as Henne let out a growl of frustration, the dark circles under his eyes more apparent as his face flushed. “Why would he be chasing the likes of you? People chase him, you imbecile!”
The traveler scoffed back. “If you don’t like the answer, don’t drag me out of the tavern asking this and that about no Frog Prince. I didn’t approach you.”
