I chuckled (Patreon)

as I watched Zandar mutely hail a young rabbit she found playing at the edge of the woods. The tyke screamed and ran away. Heh heh! Maybe he thought she was a ghost!

Next Zandar found a pair of rabbit femmes gathering acorns in a clearing. They too ran away in a panic. Maybe the rabbits would be so terrified they would abandon their dumb little town! It would serve them right!

But as Zandar approached Bunkirk, a group of mels came out to meet her with guns and pitchforks. They demanded that she explain herself, and of course she could not, so they immediately assumed she was a witch.

Lowfolk! Honestly, what is wrong with them that makes them act this way?

They coiled a length of rope around Zandar, tied it tight, and marched her into town.

I didn't care HOW Unseelie she was, I couldn't let a bunch of ignorant lowfolk treat my queen this way! Those rabbits had gone too far this time! Now I was free, and I could actually do something about them!

There wasn't much time, so I quickly threw together a simple disguise and covered it with a glamer so the rabbits would think I was one of them. I also needed to bring a swarm of Ixies for backup in case things went sour ... but a cloud of large insectoids buzzing around would surely draw attention. I had to think fast, so I conjured up a baby carriage and had the Ixies hide inside, under the blanket.

Thus prepared, I pooked into the outskirts of Bunkirk and hurried toward the town square where everyone was gathered.

"What's all this?" I demanded.

"We've caught a witch, Squire," one of the rabbits replied, as if he had known me all his life. My disguise was working perfectly so far!

"Really?" I replied. "What makes you think she's a witch?" I would have to be subtle and get these bumpkins to examine their assumptions without directly challenging them. If they began to suspect I wasn't a real member of their community, then the game was up!

"She came out o' the haunted wood!" the same rabbit answered, after respectfully removing his cap. "Everybody knows that place is full o' goblins an' skunk elves!"

"Sure an' she looks might skunky to me," a femme added.

"She certainly does look like a skunk," I observed cautiously as I stepped through the crowd to get closer to Zandar.

"You chose this," I whispered, to remind her that it had been her own decision to leave the safety of Albric Tor.

Instead of apologizing or asking for help, she HISSED at me angrily and insolently!

"Hey!" one of the rabbits yelled as he prodded Zandar with a pitchfork. "Show respect to Squire Young!"

SQUIRE YOUNG?? Did they somehow know my name, or was that a lucky guess?

"He's a good man!" declared another.

"Him a widower an' raisin' that baby all by himself," a femme added, using her own imagination to fill in the blanks in my disguise. Lowfolk sure are suckers for a basic glamer!

"Good people, please," I insisted, still determined to try and save the situation. "The fact that she is a skunk does not prove she is a witch."

"She's either one of 'em, or she's been with 'em," various members of the crowd called out. "She came out o' the woods! An' look at what she's wearin! She won't talk! I ordered her in the name o' the Deity ta speak, an' she just stood there starin' at me!"

"Well now, that is suggestive," I admitted in a conciliatory tone. Turning to Zandar, I asked her, "Have you nothing to say in your own defense?"

The spell on her collar would have allowed her to speak to me, but instead of trying, she simply glared at me with an expression full of malice.

"How peculiar," I sighed after what felt like a long pause. If Zandar didn't want my help, that was her choice to make. They wouldn't be able to kill her at any rate, because of her strange geas ... but at least I could try to dissuade them from burning her at the stake. "I believe hanging at the crossroads is the usual procedure, but you might want to consult a priest first."

"Thankee Squire," said the first rabbit who had spoken to me. "That's just what we'll do."

I turned and walked away as quickly as I could without raising suspicion, as I heard the rabbit say "What d'ye think, Father?"

I rounded the corner and pooked away just as another voice answered, "I'll go with what Squire Young said."

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