“All right.” She refused to think anymore about what might have happened, and she followed the bear along the hillside.
“Wait for me just a moment,” he said. “I’ll check to see where it’s safe to get onto the path.”
Hannah nodded. She watched in astonishment as he lowered himself onto all fours and tore into the forest. Was the animal in him getting stronger? Or had he simply determined that he could move faster that way?
He returned a moment later. “The entrance is over there. But there are some creeper plants along the way, and they’re not as safe as they look.” He gauged Hannah’s height and the length of her scratched-up legs, as if estimating how high and far she could jump. Hannah blushed under his candid gaze. When was the last time a man had looked at her so closely?
“They grow too close together,” he said. “You won’t be able to clear them. It would be best if you got on my back and I carried you to the path.”
She had to get on his back? On the back of a brown bear?
“I won’t hurt you. Just trust me. Come on.”
He lay down flat on the ground. She climbed onto his back hesitantly. She didn’t want to cause him any pain, and the heels of her red shoes were pressing so hard against his leg that she feared she had injured him.
“Grab onto my fur. Now up. You don’t have to be so careful!”
Hannah dug into his fur, pulled herself up, and sat down on his back as she tried to steady herself.
“Now hold on tight!”
And off he went. He bounded over the wild and rampant vines, past bewitchingly fragrant flowers and appetizing mushrooms. Hannah clung to his shaggy fur and pressed her legs against his body. She focused straight ahead, keeping her gaze on the woods until they spotted the brick pathway between the broad trunks of the trees. A moment later, the bear landed on it with one great leap.
“All right, now off! I’m not an animal!”
Hannah smiled to herself as she slid down off his back and onto the bricks. She saw how sharply their red color contrasted with the forest floor. The path was the width of two large steps, and it led into the enchanted forest. The bear prince stood up on his hind legs again, and together they trekked deeper into the woods.
Hannah looked around on all sides, astounded. The colors were of such an intensity that the forest was glowing. The green of the leaves on the trees reminded her of newly sprouted shoots in springtime. The enormous treetops that towered above them were so thick and dense that not even a sliver of blue sky flashed forth between them. The birds were twittering, but she didn’t see a single one. Where were they hiding? Their call seemed to come from the side, but Hannah took care not to stray from the path to go looking for them.
They passed a carpet of yellow blossoms, although she had only been faintly aware of their scent. It was enticing but not strong to the point that she felt engulfed by it. Were these decoy plants as well? Luckily, there was this path, or they likely would not have gone thirty feet into the forest without succumbing to one of its many temptations.
They made their way down the brick path, and after a while, there were fewer and fewer creeper plants and fragrant flowers growing by the side until they had completely vanished from the forest floor. Instead, there was a profusion of wild ferns, grasses, and moss.
“It seems to have gotten harmless from here on out,” Hannah said, reflecting out loud. “Just smell the air—these plants don’t give off a scent that confuses your senses. It smells normal, just like any other forest.”
“We’ve made it past the outer ring of the woods, which is supposed to keep travelers from getting inside. But that does not mean that the forest is any less dangerous! So stay on the bricks, and you’ll be all right.”
“What makes the forest so dangerous? Are there other wild creatures aside from the wolves? Brown bears perhaps?” She winked at the bear prince.
“Forest gnomes and boggarts.”
“Forest gnomes? That sounds cute.”
“They’re not—trust me. They’re very quick to feel attacked. And even though they’re extremely small, you must never make the mistake of underestimating them.” The bear peered through the tall trees, but nothing stirred, and it seemed they were alone. “I can’t tell you who all lives in this forest, but they’re not the harmless creatures you’re familiar with. Still, as long as we stay on the path?—”
“... we’ll be all right—got it.” Curious, Hannah followed the bear’s gaze. It was darker off to the sides of the path, as though the trees were denser there. “Has this forest always been dangerous?”
The bear growled and shook his head. Hannah grinned. It looked funny when this wild creature behaved like a human being.
“No, it used to be just a normal forest. My ancestors would often go hunting here. But something changed after the night of the ball when my father rejected Mirabelle and she fled out here to the woods. It was as if the forest had taken her side. At first some people died, and then nobody came into the forest anymore. My father had them clear a wide strip and build a small road through the woods so that we would not be cut off from the rest of the world. No one ever dared travel through the forest again unless they took that road.”
“Interesting,” Hannah mused. “That must have been the small road that the coach took to bring me here, right?”
Maximilian growled in agreement.
“Mama? Are you there?” Leon’s high little voice rang out.
Hannah froze. “Leon?” She looked around but couldn’t see any puddles or streams. “Leon? Where are you?”
