The Wild Swans by K.M. Shea

set up a camp in his entire life.”
    “I don’t think he has either, but with his knowledge of trees and woods and with Erick’s mind, they could accomplish more than would ever occur to me. And you’re right. I’ve camped the most, but I always stay in temporary camps with a tent. Steffen says we need to make a more permanent site for you. I agree,” Rune said, still carrying the rock as he climbed higher up the shore.
    “Can you understand each other as swans?” Elise asked.
    “Goodness no,” Rune said. “We outlined all of this last night while you and Steffen were busy talking about what happened with Clotilde after the Lady Enchantress left,” Rune said. He found a larger, smooth rock and briefly returned to the pond to dunk his first rock in the water.
    He sat down on the smooth shore and started chipp ing away at the wet stone. “Sit with me, please? It grieves me that I spend the whole day with you, unable to remember you or converse with you for even a moment,” Rune said.
    “ Do you remember anything as a swan?” Elise asked.
    “ Only that you are wildly important to me. I think when I am a swan I think like a swan. Now that I am human again, it is hard to remember what it is like to be a swan,” Rune admitted.
    “ That should make the days more bearable. It means you won’t be sitting around, worrying,” Elise said.
    “Perhaps , but it’s not very satisfying,” Rune said as he chipped away at the stone.
    Steffen returned, carrying a log that was split in half. “Will this work, Rune?”
    Rune brief ly inspected the log, feeling its grainy surface. “That’s willow. It will be perfect. Remember the hardwood should be about a foot long and pointed.”
    Steffen tossed the log down next to Rune. “I will let you sharpen it to a point,” he graciously said, the white of his clothes gleaming in the night as he disappeared back into the woods.
    “Did you say you were making a knife?” Elise asked as Rune slowly shaped the stone he hammered away at.
    “A rudimentary one , yes. It won’t be much good as a weapon, but it should make it easier to gather the nettles; you can saw them off at the base with this,” Rune said.
    “Can I do anyth ing to help?” Elise asked.
    “ No ,” Falk stressed as he emerged from the shadows, holding Elise’s ripped sleeve like a sack. “Save these for tomorrow,” he instructed, opening it to show Elise the brightly colored berries kept inside. “They’re safe to eat, although they’re going to be tart,” he said before he moved on, putting the sleeve of berries on Elise’s dress before he disappeared back into the woods.
    “What Falk means to say is that we feel you should sit and relax. You labor for us all day. It is only fair that we should help you however we can,” Rune said, holding up the rock he was shaping to get a better look at it in the moonlight. “I might have to delay the knife and work first on getting you a fire. It will be easier to see by firelight.”
    Gerhart returned and dumped an armload of dry branches near Elise’s shelter. Mikk and Nick were behind him, dragging branches as thick as Elise’s fist, which Erick leaned against the jutting rock roof to create a basic wall.
    “Tinder ,” Mikk said to Gerhart, pointing to the meadow where Falk’s horse had spent the afternoon.
    Gerhart rolled his eyes , but waded into meadow, looking for dry grass.
    “How many more logs and branches do you want?” Nick asked , dusting his hands off.
    “About double of what you just retrieved. I would dear ly love to construct something more dependable, but without rope or any sort of binding agent, this is the best we can do,” Erick said.
    “ Alright, I’ll grab Falk’s horse. I can use the girth from his saddle to bundle more wood and balance it on his back—if the fool horse doesn’t run off on me,” Nick said.
    “His bit and reins are next to the saddle ,” Elise called.
    “Righto ,” Nick said, grabbing the tack. He