Cursed to Hide

Golden Goose

"Jack? Are you sure it's alright if we leave?" Amara brought her hands from her stomach to the dark green hood she borrowed from Hans and readjusted it over her fine golden curls, "Prince Average seemed pretty keen this morning to take me into town himself. Don't you think he will be upset that we took off without him?"

Jack's shoulders hunched slightly, "Well, of course, he will. Average needs to learn that just because he makes a proclamation does not mean he will get what he wants." Amara's hand reached up into the golden trees of autumn, plucking a dainty leaf and spinning it between her fingers. A laugh escaped her lips as her aurulent eyes gleamed. Jack peered at his golden treasure, watching her lips turn up pleasantly, "I have sung many melodies of changing seasons, though I would have never imagined wilted life to hold such beauty..." Amara's steps slowed as her voice drifted, and the wind snatched the wilted leaf from her. Jack moved before Amara, expecting her to continue her thought, though those eyes remained locked on the golden leaf in a trance as the wind whisked the leaf from her view and wrapped it into the warm breeze. Those bright eyes sparkled with a thin layer of melted gold as a single droplet left her eye. Jack moved towards her, walking backward, watching her falter and then stopping. Amara's eyes landed on the ground, and she observed her dainty droplet matching the crisp leaves that had fallen at her coined toes, crushed and broken against the matted soil.

"What's wrong?"

The golden belle's eyes skipped, moving upward at the small green man. His eyes remained curious as he watched her fingers loosen as she touched the corners of her globes.

Amara shamefully hovered over Jack's humble velvet boots, smeared with mud. She followed the brilliant embroidery stitched so delicately into the thick woven fabric. A sudden movement flicked her gaze to his steady heels that clicked against the path, secretly impatient, leaving her no choice but to respond. "I haven't...it was hard for me to..." She looked from his boots to her bare feet, blinking back her straying thoughts to look up at Jack, whose eyes remained clear of hostility.

A sigh filled her strings. "I don't know what to expect. What is it like there...in town, I mean?" She moved from her hood to the small woven basket she carried, where a list of supplies remained unchecked to be received at the market: a dozen eggs, a full churn of milk, three cups of sugar, fresh poultry, a pouch of pears, a collection of various vegetables, and a fine bobbin of golden thread.

A sudden wind pushed Amara's hair back, making her golden complexion slightly visible.

Jack beamed at the golden belle, placing himself beside her as he urged her to continue down the rocky path: "Golden Goose Avenu is charmant, full of merchants, musicians, shopkeepers, and sightseers. Anyone of any background can come to enjoy the festivities that occur spontaneously through town." Amara's eyes turned upward, becoming wide as they peered beyond the golden trees to the groove that abruptly ended with a stable stone bridge leading to a set of aurulent doors that remained open as a large wall encircled the town with gold and fair white stone. A thicket of laughter and chatter filled her ears with such sweetness; it was truly a harmony she could hear. 

The golden belle was left mesmerized. She had never seen such a beautiful place, even when she had lived among the clouds. "Careful!" Jack's voice rose upward with alarm. She found herself at the edge of a lush cliff, leaning over the edge, grasping a thick branch from a large Norway Maple suspended over the side. Its roots grasped the air like they were directing them toward their next destination.

"It's truly a lovely place. I have been gracious enough to bestow a fine richesse on this town's investments."

Amara's features blinked back as she moved from the shiny village to the green dwarf whose hands remained behind him, keeping his distance from the edge. He was thoughtfully patient as she moved to respond, "Jack? You created this place?" Amara couldn't hide her smile, which made the dwarf chuckle as he raised his hand to his lips, "Of course not. My flabby arms, Mademoiselle can hardly lift a woman, let alone a ton boulder."