the tale of the rusalka

Today’s prompt from the Ultimate Blogging Challenge is to answer a question. People have been asking what’s going to happen next in the story of the steampunk bear so… here you go… part five of the story…

The ravens, carrying the steampunk bear and the mouse, landed on the shores of the seventh mountain. They had flown all night and they passed the glowing lights and they heard the songs of the beautiful birds of the sixth mountain. The ravens were tired, but joyful, as they rested on the white sands of the beach at the foot of the seventh mountain.

“I am hungry,” said the mouse. “I shall go and look for edible plants in the nearby woods.”

“May I join you? It’s been a long time since I tasted honeycombs,” said the steampunk bear.

The mouse and the bear ran off into the woods, while the ravens relaxed after the long flight. Just then, a seal emerged from the water, carrying a netful of fish. The seal left the fish near the birds and galumphed into the woods. Within a few minutes, the selkie returned in human form.”

“The mouse and the bear are collecting twigs. I will go get some logs and then I will cook our breakfast of fish and plants,” said the selkie.

Once breakfast was cooking, the selkie began telling his story.

“Not far from these shores is a Rusalka,” said the selkie. “She was once a lovely young girl who had skin so pale that it was translucent. Her long hair was intertwined with sparkles, so she appeared to be very unearthly. In her long hair was her great powers. She sang with songbirds and she sat by the water, combing her hair and she recited spells that no one understood but her. She was a magical creature who had many admirers. The men loved her intensely, but she loved only one. Unfortunately, that man loved another girl and, when he married the other girl, the magical creature was devastated. Shortly after the wedding, the girl passed away, but her spirit lingered and it caused much fear. People said that the Rusalka would come back, that she would come on shore and dance in the fields and climb the willow trees. She would enchant all of the men, even if they had been enchanted and were in a different form. She has become an evil spirit and she is nearby.”

The selkie served the birds, the bear, and the mouse their breakfasts. As they ate contentedly, the selkie walked back into the woods. No one noticed the seal who passed them, got into the water, and swam away.

As the group was eating, a girl wandered out of the water. She had blonde hair intertwined with a large amount of seaweed. In fact, she was covered with seaweed. She looked at the steampunk bear and at the mouse briefly. She walked to the ravens and stared intently at them. All of a sudden, she grabbled hold of one of the ravens. At her touch, he was briefly unable to move. She stared briefly into his eyes, and he followed her to the water. She climbed aboard his back and he flew away.

“We must get our brother back,” one of the ravens said. “We cannot break the spell on us if we are not in a group of nine.”

The mouse and the steampunk bear climbed onto the backs of ravens. The birds flew in the direction that the rusalka took their brother bird.

To be continued