"Chief Ferguson, thank you for accepting us so late," the traveling royals bowed politely. The throne room they were in might have been spacious, but the abundant amount of clutter made it seemed crowded. Not to mention the unreasonably large number of furs scattered around everywhere.
"Is it late? I haven't noticed," an older man said. He sat on a tall throne, casually placing his leg over the arm rest. His small metal head piece was tilted on his head. All in all, it seemed he was more interested in being comfortable on his furry chair than look presentable. "Why are you here, anyway?"
The royals looked at each other, hopeful. "We have been informed that you may have and item we are willing to purchase. The fur of invisibility?"
As Zora read, his eyes started to widen. "I know who you are! You are that magic couple that fetches things from all over the world!" he pointed, excited.
Aidan groaned. He was hoping this would go smoothly.
Zora shrugged. "To be honest, we haven't really gotten anything so far, that is why I-"
"Never mind, never mind. I understand." The middle-aged man leaned forward, in a slightly better mood. "I may have some furs that fit your description, but before that I will need a small favor. Just a small one, I assure you."
"May we hear it first," Aidan said, slightly discouraged.
The chief looked at him. His eyes filled with sorrow. "You may not know this, but a while ago, this was a much happier place. The fur trade had made us very rich, enabling our little family to travel around the world and see many wonders."
"Your family?" Zora asked.
"Yes, my wife, a little boy and a little girl," he continued. "On one of those travels, we have tasted a wonderful cheese that my little girl, Wilhebertha, loved very much. On her third birthday, she begged her mother to get some for her."
The chief remembered the girl bawling her face red as she kicked and hit the hard floor. "So naturally, my wife took her into the carriage, and they started the long journey to get her treat. Sadly..."
He continued telling them about a great storm catching them in the mountains. The little girl was sitting next to her mother. She had a lovely fur cloak on, tied with a ribbon. They were on a narrow part of the road, hanging over a steep cliff. A lightning hit near the carriage, startling the horses. As they jumped up, the wheel lost its footing and the entire construction fell down the mountain.
Zora gasped, saddened by the story. "How terrible."
"Yes. Since that day, it had been just the two of us," the chief pointed at his son, who they had not noticed before. And it was easy to see why. He sat in the corner, quiet and covered in furs. He played with children's toys, despite being a grown man, and occasionally mumbled something to himself.
"Did you even find them?" Zora said.
"Sadly, only my wife. The girl's body was never found," the chief said quietly. "A shame really. Tomorrow would be Wilhebertha's twenty-third birthday. It would be nice to get that cheese for her. At least to remember her by."
Zora's eyes filled with tears. She looked at Aidan, who also seemed affected. "Very well. We will do that for you."
"Thank you," the chief smiled. He then gave them a bag of coins and sent them on their way. The chief's eyes turned to his troubled son, who continued playing, unaffected by the rest.
That very evening, they reached the far away village. It seemed strange because, even though it was bedtime, all the houses were open and all light turned on. The royal couple looked around confused. The people slouched over windows, sad and wimpy, as if waiting for someone.
"What do you think is happening?" Zora whispered.
"I do not know," her husband replied solemn. Soon they reached the cheese shop.
"Excuse me, can we order a bit of your lovely cheeses?" Aidan politely asked the shopkeeper. The man, looked at him with puffy eyes and let out a deep sigh. Then, he slowly handed them the desired item in a paper bag. "That will be 10 gold coins, please."
Aidan was already counting the money, when Zora had to ask. "I'm sorry, but why is everyone looking so down on their luck."
The shopkeeper raised his head to take a better look at them. "Oh, you are not from here, are you? It is a horrible tale, actually. A while ago, we had a rat problem. We tried everything, but it simply just got worse. So, we hired this man that promised he will fix it in one day. Only thing, he did not tell use how! He used a magic flute that charmed all the rats and made them jump into the river. The people were horrified. Witchcraft here? In our lovely village! So they shooed him away. But since we didn't pay for his services, he used his flute to make all the children follow him. And now, all our young ones are gone," the man concluded, devastated.
Aidan clenched the cheese bag. "That is preposterous! You made a deal with a magic user and you did not pay him? What did you think would happen?"
The man stuttered: "We weren't thinking clearly. The villagers got startled, seeing magic was real, and they panicked! Now we know, but it is too late."
Aidan shook his head. "When did this happen?"
"Two days ago. They went over those hills," the man pointed, stunned by the foreigner's reaction.
"We can probably still catch them. Come, dear," Aidan told Zora. The villagers gawked at them, confused. Preparing the arranged payment, they gave it to them and watched them leave into the forest.
"Can you believe these people? Double-crossing a magical creature like that! I realize that they did not get used to magic yet, but have some common sense," Aidan said, frowning.
Zora nodded. "I know. Very unwise."
Once hidden from view, they opened their portal and stepped in. Luckily, the trail had not turned cold. They could hear the piper's music from where they landed. They could still catch him. It was just a matter of him not being too angry to hear them out.