The cottage was humble but well kept. Flowers climbed the outer walls, their faces turned upward to drink sunlight, and there was a garden teeming with vegetables, herbs, and various colorful blooms.

Inside, the space was small, cramped with chests and piles of books, but there was a charm and familiar comfort to it.

Stew simmered in a pot over a modest fire, and the woman offered a bowl of it to the wolf. The portion, I realized, would not fill the animal's belly, so through the wolf's limited words I excused myself and went outside to transform.

"Before you go," my host said, "let me find you some clothes."

She rummaged through her chests until she found a simple pair of pants and a shirt.

"I wore these as a youth," she said with dreamy remembrance, "they should be a good fit."

As I had been content to remain covered in fur and feeling no shame, my castle attire had long been discarded in the woods. I was happy for something new to wear and grateful these clothes didn't have the frills and lace that irritated my skin.

When I appeared in her doorway as myself, the woman's eyes grew wide and her posture stiffened. In a blink, she settled into calm and smiled, then stood from the stew she was tending to. There was more room in the cottage now that I was a boy, with the perfect amount of space to fit two people. 

"I don't want to ruin your clothes," I said, "but these might need patching if I change into a wolf again."

She laughed. "Have you ever considered undressing before you turn?"

It was a simple suggestion, but it stunned me. The notion of sparing my clothes had never crossed my mind.

I blushed and she laughed again.

"Sometimes you need an outside perspective to see what's right in front of you," she said. "But if you ever find yourself in a moment where it's impossible to save your attire, I have a needle and thread that will patch it nicely."

Recognizing an important skill when I heard it, I asked, "Could you teach me?"

"It would be my pleasure."

"Thank you—I'm sorry, I've forgotten your name."

"I haven't given it. Ambrosia. I'm delighted to meet the other half of you, Josiah."

She held her hand out and I took it. Remembering my courtly manners, I bent and placed a gentle kiss on her wrist. When I rose, Ambrosia's face was scrunched in slight displeasure. When I let go of her hand it flew to cover her nose.

"How long has it been since you've had a bath?"

Outside, around a corner of her cottage, Ambrosia filled a basin with water. She handed me a lump of soap and left to give me privacy. It was not as luxurious as the baths in the castle, but I preferred its simplicity. Listening to the sounds of the woods as I relaxed in the water, I was grateful for the chance to clean myself without a dozen servant hands scrubbing my skin sore and drowning me in perfumed oils.

But doubt nagged my peace.

Ambrosia's goodwill was abrupt. She welcomed me into her home and offered food and clothing after only a short greeting.

She was too nice.

Maybe she's lonely, like Jill's ghost, I thought. Or she has a sense of charity like Sampson and Angela—

Who sold me to the circus, in the end.

I considered becoming a wolf and running into the woods to escape whatever plan Ambrosia had for me.

I'll bide my time, I decided, and wait for the woman to reveal her intentions.

After my bath, Ambrosia tied my pants with rope to keep them from falling off.

"I thought it would fit," she mused as she worked, "but you've got some growing to do."

She handed me a bowl of stew and sat in a rocking chair next to the fire. With an elegant wave of her hand, she motioned me to take my place across from her on a short stool. I obliged and held the bowl to my nose, inhaling the delicious aroma of spices and broth. There was no meat in the stew, I noted, but a healthy serving of mushrooms, onions, potatoes, and cabbage. I paused before taking my first sip and looked at my host to see if she would eat with me. I was still on guard, and while I hated that my mind immediately turned to suspicion, I did not want to ingest a potion or poison.

Noticing my reluctance, Ambrosia tipped her bowl towards her mouth, and I saw the stew splash over her tongue before she swallowed.

Satisfied, I began devouring my serving.

"What is that?" she asked and pointed to the tapestry at my foot. "I was tempted to take a peek while you were bathing, but left it alone in case it was something you wished to keep private."

"It's a gift from two queens," I answered without further explanation.

"Fascinating! I would love to see it—but that can wait for a later time. I want to learn all about you." It was not a command, but a friendly request. "I assume, if you've been in the woods for any length of time, you've encountered things both pleasant and...not. And because of that, it might be difficult to take me at my word." She dabbed her mouth with a cloth napkin before taking another gulp of stew. "I suppose nothing but time will prove that I mean you no harm."

"Many have said they meant me no harm and were lying."

"And many will lie again, I've no doubt about that."

"I don't mean to be rude, it's just I—"

"Have to look out for yourself."

"Yes."

"I understand and I am not offended. Caution is healthy. I know too well the dangers that lurk in the trees. I've encountered several of them myself."

"You have?"

"I've spent many years traveling and been all over the world. I know what it has to offer, good and wicked."

"How? I mean...you're so young."

She laughed and straightened into a proud pose.

"That's good to hear, Josiah. I am seven hundred and sixty-two years old, not a day more or less. I may live in a humble cottage now, but there was a time when I called a castle my home. And a ship. And a cave. And all sorts of places."

"A ship? Have you seen the ocean?"

"Not just one but four oceans. I've been to lands with no green in them, only miles of sand and stone. I've been to kingdoms where all the buildings were made from black marble. I've even been deep below the ground, where glittering crystals grow as big as houses and people live in complete darkness without ever seeing the moon or sun."

"But how can you be so old? You look younger than my ma—Sorry, I didn't mean to insult you."

"Not at all."

"I just mean...there's magic in you, isn't there?"

She winked at me. "You're right."

"Are you a ghost? I've met one—"

"Do I look like a ghost? Forlorn and empty?"

"Are you a fairy in disguise?"

She shook her head and I frowned as I tried to puzzle out her origins.

"You're a witch then."

She set her bowl aside and put her hands in her lap, then leaned forward as if she had a great secret to tell.

"Many have called me a witch, but would you believe me if I said I was not from this world? That my body is a cage and I'm doomed to wander until someone comes to free me?"

There was something in her tone that implied unpleasantness.

"I might believe you," I said, "but I would be afraid."

"Why? You have nothing to fear from me. In fact, if I was so inclined, it would be me who had much to fear from you." She nodded at my bowl. "You haven't finished your meal."

"My stomach is uneasy."

"Have my words upset you?"

She moved to kneel beside me, and when she took my hands in hers I shuddered.

"Don't be scared," she whispered. "Perhaps I've been alone for too long and forgotten how to entertain a guest."

"You've been very kind, but what you said...you're doomed to wander until someone frees you. Do you mean me? Am I supposed to do something to free you?" I flinched before adding, "Something ugly?"

Ambrosia giggled.

"Oh dear, I've started all wrong. Forgive me, Josiah, and allow me to explain how I came to be in this unfortunate state."