literature

Ben 10 - Out Of The Woods

Deviation Actions

Warse-no-Miko's avatar
Published:
4.4K Views

Literature Text

Once upon a time, later, in the same far off land lived the young girl named Gwen. As far as the nearby villagers were concerned, she was an ordinary child of ten summers. After all, there was nothing unusual about her short, fiery hair or her vibrant emerald eyes, even if both physical traits gave people the impression that she would grow up to be a fine beauty.

Little did they know that she would also grow up to be a fine sorceress. At least as far as Gwen’s grandmother, the witch Verdona who lived in the very heart of the forest, was concerned. Bringing her a basket of food was the excuse, learning the ways of wizardry and sorcery was the reality.  

Studying magic had been Gwen’s reason to see her eccentric grandmother, but after her lessons, she had no other cause to linger in the woods. But ever since she made a new friend, the young girl found herself wanting to explore the forest for purposes beyond practicing her incantations.

“There you are.” She smiled, catching the rustling of bushes. Parting the foliage, she ventured off the path in search of her furry companion. “I’m not going to learn anything about tracking if you keep making it so easy for me to find you.”

The wolf replied, not caring that the young girl wouldn’t know what his soft yips meant as his tail wagged behind him.

She seemed to understand why he was so happy, however. “You must not be getting enough game if you were hungry enough to risk stealing the chicken pot pie I brought grandma the other day.” Giggling, she raised the cover on her basket to reveal a savory pie, not just a measly slice mind you but an entire tin. “I’ll give you the whole plate if you help me get enough hemlock and hyacinth for Grandma.”

He darts off into the underbrush, only to return seconds later. He stares at her impatiently, waiting for her to follow after him.

“It’s alright, Wolfy, I’ll be able to catch up.” She assured him with a laugh. She thought him sweet to worry about her safety, the notion that he was no ordinary wolf having crossed her mind more than once. But her grandmother never gave her a warning about the animal and even if Verdona’s way of thinking was eccentric at best she was a good judge of beasts.

The canine doesn’t seem to believe her and makes his thoughts known with a snort. With much reluctance, he disappeared into the thicket.

Gwen just shook her head in amusement, murmuring to herself “I don’t know how he understands me, but it’s pretty neat.”

Despite knowing where the best places to gather hemlock and hyacinth are, the young girl purposely let the wolf lead her to their prize. With shafts of warm, afternoon sunlight peering through the canopy and the cheerful melody of the woodland creatures playing, it was easy for Gwen to overlook the fact that she had not traversed down the path her four-legged companion was currently taking.

Only when she noticed how the ground was soft and elevated to overlook the river flowing far below did she take stock of her surroundings. “W-Wolfy, slow down.” She called out.

Hearing her cry, he does so and glances back over his shoulders, an almost smug look on his muzzle. His tail wags as he pads towards her, tongue lolling in a most taunting manner.

“I haven’t been here before so I need to get to know the place first.” Her brows knit together as she reasoned with the animal.

He doesn’t seem to believe her and just barks, as if in laughter.

Gwen narrows her eyes at him, realizing he had intentionally brought her to unfamiliar territory. Not knowing this had all been done in good fun, the young girl misunderstands it as being shown up. “You think you’re so clever. Fine! I was gonna tell grandma you helped me get the plants so she wouldn’t try to turn you into a throw pillow. But if you’re just going to make fun of me then I’m going to get them on my own.”

She holds the basket protectively close to her slender body, head held high, unaware that the soft ground she was about to walk on did not have the fortitude to bear her weight. She releases a cry of alarm as she feels the soil give way, her descent promising to be most unpleasant, if not potentially fatal.

Or rather it would have been, had not sharp teeth sank down on the collar of her shirt and quickly pulled her back to more solid rock. The basket flies from her arms, the contents spilling out as she lands roughly on her back with a loud oomf. Immediately the wolf is looking over her, concern in an unnaturally human way shining in his eyes. With his wet nose, he nudges her arm, whimpering as he checks if she was alright.

Her heart racing wildly in her chest, Gwen sits up and throws her arms around the wolf in gratitude. She says nothing, her tight embrace conveying everything she wishes to tell him. It is when she hears him yelp that she realized her hug was cutting off the circulation in his neck. Shakily, she rises, wiping away the soil that clumped to her body.

“Oh no, the pie!” She declared in dismay.

The wolf canted his head, there was no reason for her to be so upset. He’d still eat it, the parts that did not directly touch the ground anyway. To prove his point, he did just that.

“I hope you’re happy.” She mutters, before allowing herself a small smile as she watched her friend polish off most of the fallen food. “Come on. Let’s get those plants for grandma. And not a word about me almost falling. Grandma’d never let me go off on my own if she ever found out.”

Her friend nodded as he licked his chops, muzzle making what appears to be an attempt at a smile.

                                                 -----------

Once upon a time, later, in the same far off forest that the witch Verdona called home lived a young wolf. As far as the random traveler was concerned, he was an ordinary wolf. After all, there was nothing unusual about his obsidian fur or the unpolished-amber hue of his eyes, even if both physical traits gave people the impression that he was not to be trifled with (and indeed one must never cross a wolf, but that was neither here nor there).

Little did they know that the wolf was under an enchantment, and many seasons ago the wolf had been a young boy named Kevin. He had been cursed twice over, the first trapped him inside an animal’s form, the second trapped him within the boundaries of the forest. Playing woodland guardian was the excuse, breaking the spell was the reality.

To free himself from his plight, Kevin struck a bargain with the witch. He would watch over the enchantress’ granddaughter whenever she came for a visit and in exchange for his services Verdona would lift half the curse. The other half, however, Kevin would have to figure out how to break on his own.

Shadows lurked in every corner of the woods, though only one silhouette seemed to silently pad down a well-worn path leading to a small cottage. The jet-black wolf had just returned from the forest’s entrance, having escorted his charge earlier that afternoon. Verdona awaited his arrival from the comfort of her window sill.

When exactly are you going to make me human again? Kevin demanded of the witch.

“When the time is right.” The elderly woman assured him.

I want specifics! He snapped. You promised you’d break half of the curse if I watched over Gwen and kept her safe! It’s been almost three years and I’m still a wolf!

“Patience, boy.” She warned, sagely blue eyes glittering with power. “Until you meet certain conditions, breaking half the curse won’t do you any good. Just keep an eye on my granddaughter and these requirements will be fulfilled soon enough.

“Besides, it’s obvious you quite enjoy frolicking about with Gwen.” Verdona laughed.

Kevin bristled and growled most vehemently, I do not frolic!

“Ha! You and Gwen rolled in flowers, you jumped about in leaves. If that isn’t frolicking then I don’t know what is.” The old woman laughed and slapped her knee in amusement. “And if you two just weren’t so precious with all the pranks and tricks you play on each other I’d take you both for fools to even fall for such silly ploys. Ah, to be young again.” She sighed wistfully, and promptly tuned out Kevin’s presence.

The wolf-lad snorted, ears perking as the real wolves in the forest began to bay at the moon. His animal instincts warred with his human intellect, but the call proves too strong for him and he responds with his own serenade to the silvery sphere in the night sky. It’s short lived as he bites back the desire to continue, reminding himself that he was still human.

It’s not fair if you don’t tell me what these conditions are! He begins to snarl.

“Young ’uns now-a-days, no sense of patience or respect. It’s a wonder the rest of you haven’t been turned to pond scum.” Verdona tersely declared, “I already told you if I tell you what these conditions are there’ll be no way for you to meet them. And why are you so anxious to regain your human form? You won’t be able to leave the forest to exact your revenge and you have an advantage in surviving as a wolf.”

Kevin is at a loss how to respond. He doesn’t particularly find solace in confiding with Verdona about his feelings. Especially since the old witch has made it perfectly clear she didn’t give a whit about Kevin unless Gwen was involved. And in truth, the budding sorceress was the reason the cursed boy so badly wanted to become human again.

Over the course of the past seasons, Kevin had come to see her as more than a mere charge. He was actually beginning to consider her his friend. His first real friend. Gwen was the first (and so far only) person to treat him like a human being despite the fact he walked on all fours and was covered in fur. She never feared his fangs or claws and he had no desire or reason to make her. She never infantilized him the way she did the other animals whenever she talked to them and Kevin knew none of the woodland creatures took offense.

Even if they did, he wouldn’t have allowed anyone to speak ill of the young girl.

As of late, the thing Gwen talked about had changed from the rank dishes her paternal grandfather (who incidentally lived in a kingdom far away with a cousin who shared her birthday) made to how some of the boys in the nearby village had begun to look at her differently. And when Kevin thought about it, he couldn’t blame them. Her slender form had been filling out and developing hints of curves that most boys his age would find enticing.

Normally he was content to just listen to her one-sided conversations, allowing his body language to convey his thoughts and opinions. But lately, he found he wanted to articulate his thoughts the way humans did. With words and inflections and all manners of gestures that did not involve ears pressing against his head or a tail stretched taut behind him.

Kevin wanted Gwen to know exactly what he thought about this Edwin, this Cash, and this JT. Though in hindsight, it was for the best he doesn’t as he would most likely be using words not meant for a young lady’s ears.

“Well, boy? Why do you want to be human so badly?” Verdona repeated, fingers drumming on the window sill.

The wolf-lad shook his mind free of his thoughts as if shaking himself free of fleas. His chest puffs out and with a sullen confidence responded: None of your business.

A mischievous smirk graced the witch’s lips and Kevin knows she knows why. “Until you man up, nothing doing pup.”
Disclaimers: Ben 10, Ben 10 Alien Force and its respective characters belong to Man of Action. Fic TOTALLY mine 8D

Me: :iconnotimpressedplz: I am rusty ;A; I really am. WRRRRYYYYY!? Oh well, at least I managed to write something XD Also next few sentences will be written in Tagalog so yeah, an advanced sorry to those who won't understand because I'm not providing a translation XD

----
Okie, ganito yun. Paminsan-minsan ginu-google ko ang pangalan ko lalo na yung ginagamit ko sa DA. Tapos nakita ko palayaw ko sa LJ at siyempre binasa ko diba? Charing, yung nagsusulat ng sinusubaybayan kong LJ ay nakapagbasa pala ng mga naisulat kong mga kwento dito sa DA! Ahahahay sobrang tuwa ko napasulat ako ng di-oras! MABABAW KALIGAYAHAN KO PAGBIGYAN NIYO NA AKOOOOOOO~

/end Tagalog

Ahahaha, okay with that out of the way, just wanted to say that I'm hoping my Gwevin "dry spell" (since I took a break from the Gweviny goodness to write MyTrax and am still sorely tempted to keep plotting about my new OTP) is at an end. Verdona is just way too much fun to write for 8D Oh and I know Edwin, Cash and JT don't really 'fancy' Gwen that way in the series but adding them in was all in good fun XD

Do not kill me for the lack of Gwevin fluff... PLZ AS 2 B PUTTING PITCHFORKS AND TORCHES AWAY! :<

The prequel and the sequel
Into the Woods
To Grandmother's House
© 2008 - 2024 Warse-no-Miko
Comments25
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Deedoria's avatar