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seemed to be listening in rapt attention just as I was. They all exchanged sad smiles as the two walked in to fill the wood rack.
    Pavel smiled back at me and said with renewed vigor, “So father located Narcisa with his prize in hand. He said that her eyes gleamed with something disturbing as she looked upon the feather with longing. She told him how to use the feather to infuse the strength of nature into his unborn children and reminded him that he agreed to any price. She would be there with her son, Baird, to collect when father had done as she told him.”
    Now Little Bear's eyes narrowed as he seemed to regard something distasteful. “Father trekked back across the lands to his bride, Niska, she was close to giving birth and looked even more sickly than when he began his quest. He invoked the ritual that Narcisa had instructed him to perform, speaking the words and brushing the shining feather across mother's belly.”
    He exhaled heavily, “Mother says a summer wind blew through our home even though the doors and windows were all shut. With that unnatural wind, it brought power. The power of nature. And it enveloped her and seemed to infuse itself into her womb, where a great warmth spread. With that warmth, it brought something strong, something wild and primal. Then it was gone, leaving father standing there looking at a healthier looking woman as he stared between her and the feather.”
    He smiled fondly and said with pride, “Father, being a man of his word, immediately stepped to one of the oil lamps and burned the feather, destroying it in flame as he had pledged. Mother swears she heard a woman's sigh on the wind when he fulfilled his word.”
    Then his voice became heavy. “They talked throughout the night and the next week about his quest and all that had happened in his crusade to save us. Then the day came when we were born. Mother said she had never known such joy holding us as father watched on in pride. But it was short lived when Narcisa came knocking at their door with her son.”
    I saw his eyes narrow dangerously as his tone became colder. “She demanded Perchta's feather in payment for her telling father how to save us so that she could give her son power, such as was unknown in the modern world. When father shared that he had burned the feather to fulfill his pledge to the nature goddess, the vrajitoare became enraged, ranting that he had first vowed to her, and that was her price.”
    He swallowed. “She struck out with her magics saying, 'You shall pay the ultimate price for not giving my due.' Father fell lifelessly beside mother's bed. The vrajitoare stepped toward her but hesitated and backed off when mother swears we glowed in that same light which the feather had posessed, and turned into bear cubs. The gift of nature from Perchat's feather. Narcisa and her young son covered their eyes and backed off, and she hissed, 'Know this wife of Iosif, who could not honor his word. I will collect that debt from you and your kin. My son will not be cheated of his due!' Then she stormed off with her young son in tow.”
    He smiled a sad smile, “Mother said that we stayed cubs for hours before our bodies remembered how we had started this life, and became her boys again.”
    He shrugged and rubbed his beard. “So, that is how we grew up, thinking it normal to turn into bears on a whim and mother loved us as if we were just normal children. Narcisa never made good on her threat, and we used our abilities to keep the people of our village safe on Wolf Moons until mother died of the plague and we moved on to make our mark in the world.”
    I pondered his story then nodded with a smile. He nodded once at me and grinned his lopsided grin as he stood. The three men grabbed some ungodly huge axes tapped their heavy leather boots with them then headed toward the door. Andrei turned back to say, “We will be back before dusk, do not fear the Wolf Moon little kitten, we will protect you.”
    I nodded,