In the days that followed Eugene was left to himself. He couldn’t forget the image of the wolves eating Eugene alive and he cringed at the thought that he had been the one who had created that situation.
Yet, he had wanted Eugene to suffer for all he had done. The curse, Erin, and her death, marrying her to Horton and destroying so many lives. He had wanted Eugene’s death to serve as justice for all that he had done and even though Lark cringed at the thought of how brutal he had been, he was satisfied that justice had been served.
He turned his thoughts to the future. He had no idea how long he would have to wait for Erin to be reborn, he had no idea even how he would know if she had been reborn and even if he did know when she had been reborn, he would never know where to find her. His initial hope was that her next life would be in this same area and not some other place in the world. If her next life was not here, hopes of finding her were almost an impossibility.
Years passed and Lark still used Erin’s hair to transform. He survived in the forest by killing robbers and thieves that sought to ambush unsuspecting travelers. It proved to be a prosperous job in itself in which he helped to maintain peace and justice too.
Lark spent his days at the cottage and his life settled into a routine. Every morning after he woke, he would go to Erin’s grave where he would sit and talk to her and pray.
Every time he sat by her grave he transformed. It was no matter that she would not have been able to understand him if she had been there. He knew in heaven she could understand him no matter what language he spoke, human or otherwise.
Every day he prayed that she would send him a sign when she was reborn that would make it easier for him to find her when that day arrived.
The rest of the day, Lark would study the witch’s texts and practice her arts which he had become quite adept at. When he was not teaching himself the witch’s arts. he would walk in the forest at one with nature and keeping a lookout for thugs and robbers.
One morning Lark walked to Erin’s grave where he sat and spoke to her as if she was beside him. He had transformed when he reached her grave as always but, as he sat talking to her, his vision changed from monochrome to full color. He looked down at his hands in surprise and saw that they were no longer covered in fur. He quickly touched his face and realized it was no longer covered in fur either.
He stood and ran to a tree where he had hidden a tuft of Erin’s hair so he could access it quickly if necessary. As he reached the tree and her lock of hair, he watched it turn to dust and blow away on the early morning breeze.
What was happening, he wondered? Erin no longer caused him to transform. How was it possible? He ran back to the cottage and read through all the witch’s books with information regarding the transformation curse that had been placed on him. Nothing. He could find absolutely nothing about what had happened or why.
Lark was distracted as he spent the day trying to understand what had happened. For one, he knew he would have to be more careful now since he could no longer rely on the power of his transformed self to help him when battling robbers. He would have to rely more heavily on stealth.
Why would her body and her hair stop having the effect of the curse on him, he asked himself repeatedly throughout the next few days? Finally, it hit him.
Erin’s body had stopped affecting him and her hair had turned to dust because Erin had at last been reincarnated. It was the only explanation that made sense.
She had been born again and so it was her new body that now held the power that would transform him according to the curse. The power of the old body had ceased the moment she had been born.
He wasn’t entirely sure he was right. After all, he had no evidence in any of the witch’s texts but the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
This brought him to his next thought. If he was right, where would he start to look for her? She could be anywhere. He decided to visit the nearest town and make inquiries regarding any girls that had been born in the last few days. He had to think of an excuse to be asking such a question since people might think his inquiry strange. It did not take long before he had the perfect story. He packed the necessities he needed and saddled up his horse. Then he headed for the nearest village.
Lark had no luck in the nearest village or the next village. The gods smiled on him in the third village though. Two girls had been born in the last two days.
Lark hoped one of them was Erin but he had no way to tell other than if he transformed and that wasn’t something he wanted happening right then. He had no idea if he would even transform if she was this young. The love he might feel for a baby was far from the love he had felt for Erin too.
He decided to take his chances.
He made his way to the first house where a new baby girl had been born. He made his way up the path slowly but not too slowly. He made sure his hands stayed in sight so he could see if he began to transform. He reached the door and he had not transformed yet. This was either not the family or the signs of the curse would not manifest until Erin was much older.
He knocked on the door and it was opened after a few moments. Lark was greeted by a woman who reminded him of a bird. She seemed to flutter nervously as she moved and talked.
“Good day. Is this the Ruston home?” Lark asked the woman.
“It is sir. How may I help you?” she asked.
“I am here to see Madame Ruston. I understand she has just had a baby girl. May I come in?”
The woman hesitated briefly and then stepped back to let him in.
“Please do not disturb her long sir. She has not had an easy pregnancy or birth and she needs rest.”
“I understand,” Lark smiled reassuringly. “Is the baby well?”
“The baby is strong and healthy,” the woman answered. She led Lark down the hall to the main bedroom in the house. Lark entered behind the woman and saw a woman sleeping in the bed. Lark stopped.
The woman who had led him into the room reached the bed and turned to look at him. He shook his head and made a sleeping gesture indicating that he would rather let her sleep. He retreated from the room and the woman joined him in the passage.
“I think it is best to let her sleep,” Lark said quietly. He removed an envelope from his jacket pocket and handed it to the woman. “Please give this to her when she wakes. It is a gift for the family on the birth of their new daughter.”
The woman took the envelope and thanked Lark. “The family will be most grateful,” she said.
“Could I just see the baby for a moment?” Lark asked.
The woman was only too happy to comply and showed Lark to another room where the baby slept soundly in a cot.
Lark looked down at the baby and watched his hands for any sign of transformation but there was none. He studied the baby for a few moments and then left the room. The woman showed him out but she stopped him before he could leave.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name,” she said.
“Kurt Hymeester,” he smiled. “The family knows me,” Lark smiled and then left. He had felt nothing in the house at all that suggested that this was the house and that the child inside was Erin reincarnated.
He made his way to the house where the second newborn girl was. Lark did not need to enter the house. As he made his way up the pathway to the front door, his transformation began. Lark stopped approaching the house and then turned around. He began walking back to his horse quickly and he felt the effects of the transformation recede as quickly as they had started.
But he wasn’t going to get away so easily. The door behind him opened and a woman exited the house.
“Excuse me, sir,” she called after him. She had seen him coming up the pathway before he stopped and turned around.
Lark paused and then turned. It was the mother of the child. She held the child wrapped in blankets close to her.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
Lark shook his head. “No ma’am. I’m sorry. I just realized I am at the wrong house.”
The woman advanced and Lark stepped backward.
“Who are you looking for? Perhaps I can help,” the woman said as she continued to approach him. With every step she took toward Lark, he took a step back. He turned at last and hurried back to his horse. He mounted and spurred it to a trot as he lifted his hat politely to the woman and rode off.
She stopped halfway down the pathway and watched him curiously as he rode away.
Lark knew he had found Erin. He had sought to expedite the process by killing Eugene, and while he had done so, he had still had to wait for him to be reborn first, grow up, and marry before he and his wife would have Erin.
It had been twenty-odd years since he had killed Eugene. As time had passed, Lark had lived his life from day to day wondering when he would get a sign that Erin had been reborn. He had not known what that sign would be until Erin’s hair had turned to dust and he had not transformed when he had visited her grave.
He had been lucky enough to find her three villages away but he was now faced with another problem.
In her previous life, Erin had known him before he had been cursed. In this new life, she did not know him and he would not be able to go near her without transforming. It was virtually an impossibility for him to get near her and get to know her. How then was he supposed to get near her and get to know her?
Lark was initially struck by a panic when the realization struck him. He calmed and realized there was nothing he could do at this moment. Erin had only just been reborn and she could not even speak. He had time. At least sixteen years to find a way to get close to her.
The years that passed after Lark killed Eugene until Erin was reborn seemed to pass quickly compared to the years that now seemed to stumble by as Lark waited for Erin to grow up. By the time she was four, he had perfected the spell he needed to be able to visit her without being discovered.
He was unable to perform any magic on himself to affect the curse that had been placed on him but he was able to cast a spell on others that would make them blind to his transformation when he was close enough to Erin.
Lark spent years furthering his knowledge of the magical arts and perfected the spell further so that with one word he could cast the spell he needed at short notice if anyone unexpectedly happened on him when he was transformed.
The only thing left to do was to get close enough to Erin’s family to establish a lasting friendship.
Over the years Lark had amassed a fortune in gold from his crime-fighting pursuits in the forest. Much of the gold he had taken from thieves he had dealt with, belonged to people who had earned it honestly. Lark did not know who they were and he did not lose any sleep over trying to return the money. He simply took it as payment for ridding the forest of villains who, unchecked, would kill and rob more people.
Lark decided that it was time to move closer to the village where Erin lived. He found a farm just outside the village and purchased it after bargaining the owner down from a much-inflated price.
The owner accepted and sold to Lark. Lark moved in and began to repair the farm buildings which were in desperate need of repair. He became a frequent visitor to the village and made sure he often ran into Erin’s mother, Lendra.
Lendra was a beautiful woman. She was humble and kind. Lark enjoyed speaking with her and gradually befriended her. He learned about the family. Lendra’s husband, Justin, was a businessman who did business for the king.
Lark was amazed at the similarities between the present and the past. He learned that Erin’s name was Emma.
“Good day,” Lendra said sprightly as she met Lark in the general store one day.
Lark turned, as he recognized her voice, “Good day Ma’am,” he replied doffing his hat at her and smiling.
“Are you well, kind sir?” Lendra asked.
“I am indeed and I take it by your mood you are too?” Lark smiled.
“Very much so. What brings you here?” Lendra asked.
“I needed some supplies but I was also hoping to see you,” Lark replied.
“Really? How so?” Lendra asked.
“I recalled you told me you were looking for work for Emma. I think I could use a lady’s touch around the farm. I toil in the fields all day and work to refurbish the buildings and by the time I am finished in the evening, I am often too tired to cook and clean. If you would grant permission, I could offer Emma the opportunity to work for me until she finds something better.”
Lendra hesitated briefly. Being ever the diplomat, she nodded and smiled, “You are most kind and generous Master Kurt,” she said. “I will speak with my husband and let you know. If he is fine with her working at your place when can she start?”
“Today couldn’t be soon enough,” Lark smiled, then added. “Of course, I understand such a decision is not easily taken. I thought it would be of help to you which is why I have made the offer to you first.”
“I am most grateful. I will let you know as soon as I can,” Lendra said.
She left the store and Lark completed his shopping before he left town.
The next day, Justin arrived at Lark’s farm. Lark had not expected that Justin would show up at all. He thought he trusted his wife enough to trust her judgment but it seemed it wasn’t the case.
“Good day,” Lark smiled shaking Justin’s hand. Justin had a firm grip and Lark wondered if it was deliberate to try and demonstrate power over Lark. Lark did not let on that he knew who Justin was until he introduced himself. He had however, watched their house enough times to recognize Justin as soon as he saw him.
“Good day,” Justin replied. “Call me Justin. My wife, Lendra, told me that you were kind enough to offer Emma work in your house.”
“I did indeed,” Lark responded. “I take it she discussed it with you then? I was only trying to help.”
“For that I am grateful,” Justin replied. His eyes were a crystal blue just as they had been before when he was Eugene. He seemed to be friendlier now but still just as protective over his daughter as he had been before.
“I’m out fixing the buildings or in the fields all day,” Lark said. “A man gets mighty tired working all day and it would just make things a might easier if I had dinner prepared and the house cleaned when I’m done with my day’s work.”
“How is it you are not married?” Justin asked suspiciously.
“Can’t say as I’ve found anyone who I’m attracted to yet,” Lark lied smoothly. If only you could remember the truth, Lark thought as he looked at Justin.
Lark’s age seemed to have frozen. He still looked to be in his early thirties. One might question how he owned the property he did at such a young age. It wasn’t something that was seen often. Lark had his lie prepared. Even so, while he was considered an eligible bachelor by the standards of the village, he was still considered to be too old for Emma as a suitor. If Justin wasn’t so well off, he might have been less resistant to the thought of Emma marrying Lark but Lark knew that the curse would never permit Justin to approve of him marrying Emma.
“So you’ll be in the fields all day?” Justin asked.
“Most days yes. If not the fields, tinkering on the buildings. Many are near collapse. It’s probably best to tear the lot down and start over. A lot of work with little help.”
“I see,” Justin said. “Where are you from originally?”
“I came from the North. A village called Bellamy. I moved south for a girl, speaking of your earlier question. Sadly she had eyes for another lad and I was left in the cold. I found my way around in the south and made my fortune. Thus far the south’s been kind to me so I’ve stayed. Your wife tells me you work for the king?” Lark said turning the conversation from himself.
“I do yes. I am a buyer for the king. I source everything he wants in respect of material, clothes, armor, weapons, everything,” Justin said smiling and standing more upright as he felt important talking about himself.
Works every time, Lark thought. Make them talk about themselves and you’ll get all the information you want every time not to mention a new friend. Most times.
Justin spoke a while longer and Lark made him feel very important. Justin warmed as much as he could to Lark and finally agreed that Emma could come and work on the farm for him if she wanted to.
Lark watched Justin ride away and heaved a sigh of relief. If he had managed to pass the inspection of Justin he was almost in the clear. If he played his cards right, he might just pull it off this time he told himself.