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[pas-de-duex]

Small Announcement!

I will be participating in @prinxietyweek ‘s 2024 Prinxiety Week! There will be a small break in between The Black Swan chapters 15 and 16, where I will be posting my Prinxiety week fics!

For now this announcement will be my pinned post, however when Prinxiety week is over I will put the master list back!

Thank you all for reading!

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan, Ch. 15

Logan awoke to the smell of tea.

Odd, he had run out of tea a few days ago. Perhaps he had found a few spare leaves in the cupboard, and put them in a pot before going to bed.

“Good morning Logan, did you sleep well?”

Oh. Right. He had fallen asleep after sobbing in Patton’s arms.

“I hope you don’t mind, I did a little cleaning. I also restocked your cabinets for you, I noticed they were looking a little bare.”

“Patton,”

“I also sold a small picture book to an elderly woman. Lovely thing she was! Said she had been saving for months for the thing.”

“Patton,”

“She really was wonderful. I hope you don’t mind, I gave her a silver coin. You can put it on my bill, of course.”

“Patton!”

The manservant stopped from where he had been scrubbing Logan’s floors.

“Patton, I appreciate all of this. Really, I do. However I’m not entirely sure why you did it.”

“Logan,”

“I mean, my behavior was completely unacceptable. You’re my best customer, yes. But that is all. I do hope you can forgive me for being so rude.”

“Oh…oh.”

“Is… is everything all right, Patton?”

“Well, no, I suppose not. I just thought we were friends?”

“Friends?”

“Well, I mean, I’ve been coming here for years! I take a three day journey both ways to see you. Why did you think that was?”

“Well… you’ve said yourself! I’m the only one who can get any and every book the Prince’s heart desires!”

“Yes, yes I suppose. That is true, but you're also the only person that treats me like, well, a person.”

Logan shook his head. “What?”

Patton stood from the floor and sighed.

“The princes; sure, they’re my friends too. But at the end of the day… I’m still just their manservant. And every other servant in the castle thinks of me as a way to ‘rise the ranks’ as it were.”

“Oh,”

“You’re the only one who treats me like Patton. Not as some means to an end. Does that, does that make sense?”

Logan hadn’t thought about any of that.

“Yes, Patton. That makes sense.”

The two shared a short, tense silence.

“Patton, would you, would you like to be friends?” Logan finally asks.

Patton smiled. “I would like that very much.”

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan, Ch. 14

Roman and Remus spent the night together, catching up on each other’s lives.

Roman shared about a princess that had been trying to court him. Remus shared about Logan. Roman shared about their father and his adventures with Patton. Remus shared about Logan. Roman shared about a new stronghold they built in the East.

Remus shared about Logan.

“You really love him, don’t you Remus?”

Remus nodded. “More than anything. Even you, maybe.” Remus gave his brother a playful slap.

“Hey!” Roman slapped him back. The boys soon devolved into a play fight, but were soon interrupted by the rising sun.

Remus pulled away quickly. He tried to make a break for the balcony, but it was too late. His limbs twisted and turned in their horrific manor right in front of Roman’s eyes.

Remus had done everything in his power to prevent Roman from seeing it. He knew from the other creatures that it was terrible sight. He didn’t think Roman could handle it.

He was right.

“Remus… are… are you alright?” Tears were flowing from his brother’s eyes.

Remus nodded.

“That, that looked horrible. Does that happen every time?”

Remus tried to turn away.

“No, Remus, please,”

Remus shut his eyes, not ready for Roman’s next words.

“Please stay. I-I miss you.”

Remus pushed open the balcony doors. He looked into the rising sun, then back towards his now crying brother.

“Please,”

He shook his head. He couldn’t leave his brother like this. He waddled back towards him and laid his head on Roman’s boots.

“Thank-thank you Remus. Thank you.”

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Ch. 13

Logan cried in Patton’s arms for hours. In his normal mindset, he would’ve been embarrassed. In his normal mindset, he would’ve chastised himself for crying in his customers arms.

Cause that’s all they were, really.

They weren’t friends, not really.

Patton came, bought the books he needed, ordered what he didn’t have, and left.

Logan had no right to be crying in his arms.

But here he was, doing it anyways.

When he finally tired himself out, Patton carried him into his bedroom, tucked him into bed, and turned out his lamps.

“Goodnight Logan. Don’t worry, I’ll be here in the morning.”

Logan nodded and drifted off to sleep.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Ch. 12

Roman returned a few hours later. Remus had perused some of the books on his shelf, no doubt brought to him by…

“Remus,”

He gripped the book he was holding and turned to his brother.

“Do, do you know where these come from, Roman?”

“I, uh, uh, no. Patton handles that, I believe. He brings you books as well, Remus. I know you don’t spend much time-“

“They come from a small village by the enchanted forest.”

“Ah, well, that’s wonderful Remus,”

“The village is incredibly poor, Roman. One of the poorest in Reston.”

“Remus,”

“His name is Logan.”

Roman was truly starting to worry. He had never seen his brother act this way.

“Remus, what’s going on? Are you in danger? Well, more danger than usual?”

Remus shook his head. He slid the book back into its place.

“No, Roman, I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you.” He sat down in Roman’s small sitting area, and his brother soon followed.

“The man, his name is Logan. He’s the one Patton buys all our books from.”

Roman nodded.

“He’s poor, Roman. He’s so, so poor. Patton is his only customer… ever. He has to hunt in the forest alongside running his bookshop to support himself. And I…”

Remus took a deep breath.

“I love him.”

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Ch. 11

Logan thought over the night again and again and again. What had he done wrong? Why had Remus run off so quickly? Logan thought they had had a wonderful evening.

Patton knocking on the door finally broke him from his thoughts.

“Logan? Are you in there?”

Logan knocked over books as he scrambled for the door.

“Patton, you’re early! I’m sorry, I, I,”

“Logan, are you alright?”

Logan turned to the mirror hanging close by. His hair was unkept. His shirt was unbuttoned. He had forgotten to grab a tie.

“Oh,”

Logan broke down in tears.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Ch. 10

Remus flew away.

He flew and he flew and he flew until he was far away from the lake. Far away from the small town.

Far, far away from Logan.

He landed on Roman’s balcony. He gently tapped on the doors, and his twin brother quickly pulled them open.

“Remus, are you alright?”

Remus shook his head. He waddled into Roman’s room then flew to the top of his bookshelf.

“Remus, what’s wrong?”

Remus did nothing. He simply curled into himself, head into his wings, and fell asleep.

He woke up to shots of pain.

He quickly flew off of Roman’s bookshelf and landed on the ground as he completed his transformation. He sat on the ottoman at the foot of Roman’s bed and placed his head in his hands.

He didn’t know why he came here.

He rarely ever visited the castle these days. It was too much, everyone mourn over him like he was dead. They treated him like he was a fragile child, and he couldn’t prove them wrong.

He had lied to them for so long.

He had spent days, no, weeks in the enchanted forest after Rothbart’s curse. He had been scared. So, so scared of what everyone back at the palace would think of him.

He had just learned how to fly.

Rothbart had returned with his son, Odile.

“Daddy! That Spider would look gorgeous attached to my silver chain! Oh get it for me daddy, get it for me!”

The large owl man had swooped up the young Virgil into his talons.

“No!”

Janus had already taken his role as Remus and Virgil’s protector. As the only two children in the forest, he had felt it was his responsibility to care for them. The snake tried to slither after them, but as quick as he was, he was no match for Rothbart’s large wingspan, which allowed him to travel far.

Remus hadn’t even noticed until he was in the air. He had been running after them, and was waving his wings around wildly. It must have been enough to get him into the air, because the next thing he knew, he was right on Rothbart’s tail.

“Remussss! Be careful!”

He heard Janus’s shout from below. But he persisted on. He rammed himself into Rothbart, causing him to release the young spider.

“Remus! Help!”

Virgil began to fall.

Remus aimed downwards. He felt the pain start as the sun began to set, but he remained determined. He flew faster, harder. Harder. Faster. Faster. Harder. Until he was finally underneath Virgil. He felt Virgil’s small spider body land on his back.

And then the pain grew.

Remus wasn’t used to it yet. His swan cries turned into human screams as he and a now human Virgil plummeted to the ground.

He was thankful he caught Virgil. He was less thankful that they both landed on a large pile of rocks.

“Remus, Remus are you ok?”

Remus felt himself slipping into unconsciousness as Virgil shook him.

“Remus!”

The next thing he knew he was being lifted off of the ground.

“Your majesty! I’ve found him!”

It was Wolfgang, Patton’s father. He was the Prince’s tutor, and had volunteered to join the search after Patton had been partially responsible for Remus’s disappearance, as Roman later told him.

He woke up a few hours later, back in his room in their Eastern Castle.

“Remus,” his father had enveloped him in a large hug, the first one he ever remembered his father giving him.

Remus should’ve been happy. His father missed him. Roman missed him. Even Patton missed him.

But instead he was terrified.

What would happen when they found out? That Remus spent the entire day as a swan, returning to his human form only in the dark of the night?

“Remus, can you tell us what happened?”

Remus looked out the window, and saw the rising sun. He didn’t have much time.

He forced himself to cough.

“I… I’m sorry father, I, I feel so weak,”

His father nodded.

“Of course, son. Why don’t you get some rest? Well, we’ll leave you alone for now.”

“Thank you, father.”

The moment everyone left the room was the moment he began to transform again. He stifled his screams in one of his swan-feathered pillows. He almost laughed when he realized.

When his transformation was complete, he threw the pillows on the ground. In the evening, he would request new ones. Ones without feathers inside.

From the look his father had given him, he knew his wish would be granted.

He paced the room the entire day. He had to think of something that he could tell them. Not only about what had happened in the woods, but something that would explain his new constant absences from their lives.

He had decided to stick with the sickness route. After a few days of feigning illness during the day, only re-emerging at night, and a very large bribe, a doctor officially diagnosed Remus with an allergy to the sun.

“How, how is that possible? He has never had anything like that his entire life!”

The doctor told his father that his “extreme sun exposure” from his time in the woods had most likely triggered it. Remus was to be confined to the Eastern Castle until he was strong enough to return to the sunny Northern Castle permanently.

A day Remus knew would never come.

He bribed the doctor to come to the Eastern Castle every few months to say he is still unable to go home.

Of course, Remus goes to the Northern Castle for important events like Roman and his father’s birthdays, royal balls, and big feasts his father occasionally throws.

The rest of the time he’s in the enchanted forest, far away from society.

So for Remus to show up on Roman’s balcony unexpectedly,

Well, Roman must’ve known something was seriously wrong.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Ch. 9

Logan waited on a small log, twirling a small rose that he snipped from his neighbors garden between his fingers. He was facing towards the creek, and didn’t see Remus enter the small clearing, a faint smile adorning his lips.

“Hello Logan.”

Logan almost dropped the rose into the creek. He quickly grabbed it with his right hand and spun around to face Remus.

“Re-Remus! Um, wonderful to see you again, Remus,”

Logan didn’t want to admit that the man hadn’t left his mind for the past two days.

They had only interacted twice, and yet Logan couldn’t stop thinking about him. He pictured his pale green eyes fluttering shut as he fell asleep in Logan’s bed. The way Remus’s body felt against Logan’s when Logan had pulled him close. The warmth he had felt when Remus had joined their lips together.

“Whatcha got there Lo lo?”

Logan realized he had been holding the rose behind his back.

“Oh um,” he brought out the rose and presented it to Remus. “I, I don’t know. I thought you might like this,”

Remus had a look of shock on his face.

“For, for me?”

Logan nodded. “I know, I know it’s not much, but,”

“Oh Logan, you didn’t have to get me anything! You already gave me this book for free!”

“Yes, well,”

Logan was at a loss for words. Remus seemed to pick up on it and plucked the rose out of Logan’s hand. He quickly tucked it behind his ear and kissed Logan on the cheek.

“I love it, thank you, Logan.”

“Of, of course Remus. Would you, would you like to sit and discuss the book now?”

Remus nodded and allowed Logan to help him sit on the log.

They spent hours discussing books. The book Logan gave Remus, other books they had both read, and what books Logan had sold recently.

“Hardly any.”

“Hardly any?”

Logan nodded. “The only consistent customer I have is Patton Benno, the twin prince’s manservant.”

Remus looked shocked. “So you… you provide the prince’s manservant with books?”

“Yes. Patton knows I’m the only one who can get my hands on any book the princes want. And trust me, they have wanted some strange books.”

“Like, like what?”

“Well, there was this one book, it was a storybook-“

He began describing a book about the lost land of Parthenia, which he had spent a solid two weeks out in the Ecalapdnim desert tracking down a trader who had the last known copy. Patton had told him to spare no expense, and it had been the best two weeks of his life. He had never had so much to eat, and had never laid in a bed as soft as he had at the small inn he had stayed at.

He noticed Remus’s facial expressions rise and fall depending on what he said in the story. When he spoke of his adventures, Remus was smiling. Whenever he spoke of Patton or the royal family, Remus’s smile would falter.

“Shit, I didn’t realize how late it was getting,”

Logan looked where Remus was pointing, and indeed the sun was coming up.

“Well, perhaps we should move this date somewhere else? Well, only if you would like to consider this a date, of course.”

“I…i…”

Logan frowned at Remus’s hesitation.

“Remus? Is everything ok? I’m sorry, this doesn’t have to be a date. I just thought-“

Remus shook his head.

“I’m, I’m sorry Logan. I, I have to leave. I’ll, I’ll come see you soon though, okay?”

“Remus,”

Remus quickly ducked into the forest, and Logan attempted to follow him.

“Remus,”

He followed Remus’s tracks as far as he could, but eventually ended up in an empty clearing, with only another black swan for company.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Ch. 8

Remus spent the next two days reading the book, even while he was a swan.

“I am ssssyrprissssed you can sssstill read assss a sssswan. Honesssstly, I’m ssssuprissssed you can read at all.”

Remus wanted to bite his thumb at the black and yellow snake, but when he tried, he realized his wings wouldn’t move that far forward.

“Fuck you, Janus. I’ve been a prince longer than I’ve been a swan.”

Janus laughs.

“I wisssh I could ssssay the ssssame.”

Remus sighed as the snake slid away.

He wished Janus would be more open with him. Or, anyone, really. Even if Janus openly said Remus and Virgil were the only two in the forest he trusted.

The sun slowly set and Remus tried to leave the lake before he transformed, but was slightly too slow. He fell into the water and splashed around for a few moments, before he could feel Janus and Virgil pull him out of the water. He took a few deep breaths as his friends embraced him.

“Thank… thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Remus.”

Remus liked Janus’s human voice. He knew his snake voice made him self conscious, with all the long drawn out s’s.

Janus was a fellow prince. He was supposed to be regal, to speak with confidence and dignity. Instead, he was stuck as a literal snake in an enchanted forest.

“I’m, I’m ok Jan. I’ve gotta go meet Logan now.” Remus kissed Virgil’s head and messed up the young boy’s hair. “I’ll see you guys later, ok?”

Virgil nodded. “Please be safe, Remus.”

Remus nods, grabs his book, and heads out.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Masterlist

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapters 16, 17, and 18 coming after Prinxiety Week!

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Chapter 7

Logan closed the shop several hours early. As he had already reminded himself multiple times, no one was coming to buy books anyways. He grabbed his bow, arrows, and medical kit and headed out into the woods once more.

He searched for the swan for hours, unwilling to give up such a worthwhile prize. After the sun set, he finally came across it.

It looked much more mangled than he remembered. Another animal must have found it, as not many other humans hunted in these woods. At least, not to Logan’s knowledge. Its throat was completely torn out and its head was sitting several feet away from the rest of its body. However, the body was still in good condition. He quickly cleaned off what little blood he saw on it in a small stream, and was about to set off when a twig snapped behind him. He strung an arrow into his bow and was about to release it when Remus stepped out of the clearing.

Logan sighed and relaxed his body.

“Remus, what’re you doing out here?”

“Well, I, uh,”

Logan couldn’t stop himself. He pulled Remus into a tight hug.

“I was worried about you.”

“Logan… we met one day ago!”

Logan released Remus. He took a few steps back towards the stream and rubbed the back of his neck.

“Well… yes. That is, that is true. I’m sorry, Remus. I just, I-“

Remus stopped him.

“It’s ok, Logan. I appreciate it. I guess I’m, I’m just, not good with people?”

Logan laughed. Remus gave him an odd look, and that made him laugh even harder.

“Oh, Remus, oh, I’m, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Logan took several deep breaths, willing himself to be calm. “The truth is, Remus. I… I am not very good with people either. I, I much prefer books.” He gestured to Remus’s hand. “Much like that one. Did you like it?”

“Oh, uh, I uh, actually haven’t started it yet. I was trying to… find a quiet spot.”

Logan nodded. “Well, um, if you’d like, we can go back to my bookshop? No one will be there for… probably another month…”

Remus looked at him, confused, but made no comment about it.

“As, as much as I would love to, Logan, I probably shouldn’t. Ja- I mean, my family will probably worry if I’m gone too much longer.”

Logan nodded, dejected. “I understand. Well then, good night, Remus.”

“Good night, Logan.”

Logan gathered the swan body, missing Remus’s hurt look. He had almost made it back into the heart of the woods when he heard more twigs snapping, followed by a “wait!”

Logan whipped around to see an out of breath Remus chasing after him.

“How-pant-how about-pant-what if, what if you met me back by the creek? At sundown, in two days time? I, I should have it all read by then.”

Logan stared at Remus, too shocked to speak.

“Oh, I’m sorry, that-that was-“

“No no no! I would, I would love to Remus. Two days time. Sunset.”

Remus nodded. He started to turn away, then hopped back to kiss Logan on the cheek.

Both men froze, taking in what just happened.

“Well, um, I should get going. I don’t want this to spoil.”

Logan once again missed Remus’s hurt look as he held up the swan body.

“Oh, of, of course. I will see you soon, Logan.”

Logan nodded, and headed back towards town.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Chapter 6

Remus landed in the clearing by the lake a few hours later. Janus immediately slithered around his left wing, looking upon him with worry.

“Remussss, where have you been? You were gone sssso long, we were all worried ssssick.”

“I’m sorry Jan,” he lifted his right wing and showed Janus his wound. “A hunter shot me out of the sky. He found me in human form and bandaged me up.”

Janus hissed at him. Remus rolled his eyes and lightly shook the small snake off his wing. Virgil crawled up close to him, and Remus stroked the purple spider with his wing.

“Are you ok, Re?”

“Never better, Virgie.”

Virgil raised his two front legs at him.

“I’ve told you not to call me that!”

Remus chuckled. “Whatever you say, Virgie.”

He waddled his way towards the pond, where he was hoping to get some more sleep, however, Janus and Virgil continued to bother him.

“Come on, Remussss. Ssssomething elsssse issss up. Out with it.”

Remus sighed, hiding his face with his wing. He mumbled something he knew Janus and Virgil couldn’t hear, and Janus scowled at him.

“Sssspeak up, pleasssse.”

Remus mumbled again.

“Re,”

“THEHUNTERWASSUPERHOT, okay?”

“You… you liked the hunter?”

Remus nodded.

“Remus,”

“I know! I know, ok? But guys, he, he was, nice to me? And of course, being a total hottie doesn’t hurt but, he was kind. He cared about me. He was, worried when he realized he shot me.” Remus sighed. “No one has ever treated me that way. Well, except you guys of course.”

Remus had floated closer to the edge of the pond, and allowed Janus and Virgil to climb onto his back.

“Oh Remus,”

Janus held up his tail and stopped the young spider.

“We undersssstand, Remussss. Jusssst, pleasssse, pleasssse be careful.”

Remus nodded, and came back onto the land. His friends got off of his back, then Remus laid down to get some rest.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Chapter 5

Logan woke up long past his usual time. He stretched his sore limbs and carefully got up from the floor.

“Remus, are you awake?”

When he received no response, he stumbled around, looking for his glasses. When he finally found and put them on, he noticed Remus was gone.

“Remus?”

He looked around his small living space, and there was no sign of the man. He went into the bookstore, and then out into the streets.

Nothing.

He headed back into his living quarters, slightly defeated.

He had hoped the man would stay.

Despite (or maybe because of) Logan having to hunt to survive, he had become increasingly lonely.

He didn’t really have any friends. His family had immigrated to Reston from Aenpa, so they had always told Logan to focus on his studies. And as an adult, Logan had been focused on running the shop.

And of course, staying alive.

The only person Logan had constant contact with was Patton.

Patton was the Prince’s manservant. He came to Logan’s bookshop once a month for books for the two princes. Logan knew there were bookshops much closer to the castle, but Logan also knew he was the only one who ever managed to get anything and everything the castle desired.

Logan sighed, defeated. He had almost hoped Remus would stay with him, just for some sense of companionship. But he couldn’t blame him. Who would want to stay with the man who shot him?

Logan begrudgingly opened the bookshop for the day, knowing nobody would be showing up. He decided to tidy up his living space, beginning with the bed.

He went to strip the sheets when he saw them. Five large, black feathers, lying just below one of the pillows.

He knew it! He knew he hit the swan! Remus must’ve come into contact with it somehow, and these got stuck in his coat. He gently gathered the feathers, which he would take to the market,

After he found the swan.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Chapter 4

The Hunter, Logan, helped Remus stand. He took Remus’s arm and slung it over his right shoulder.

“Come on, I’ll take you to my home. Unless, your home is, um, closer?”

Remus shook his head. “My home… is… far.”

He couldn’t take Logan to the lake. Janus and Virgil would have a fit. And it was certainly too far to try and to get to the castle before daybreak. Logan simply nodded, and slowly, slowly, the two men made it back towards the town. Logan stopped in front of a small shop, and shifted Remus so that he could grab his key. He unlocked the door and led Remus inside. Remus sat on a small ottoman while Logan went to unlock a second door.

Remus looked around the shop. Books? That was an odd thing for a hunter to sell. Why would he sell books when he could hunt? Remus grabbed the closest book to him and began to skim over it.

“You can read?”

Remus shut the book nervously. “Um, yes. Sorry, I hope you don’t mind,”

Logan shook his head. “No! Not at all. Most people in this town… well. Let’s just say not many people read.” Logan finally opens the second door. “There is a step here, please be careful.”

Remus nodded. Tucking the book under his arm, he slowly made his way down the step. He hobbled to the small dining table, and leaned against it. Logan turned and re-locked the door, then turned to him.

“I don’t have much, but, i, I could make you some tea? With milk? I don’t have any sugar, it’s far too expensive these days,”

Remus shook his head. “No, thank you. Tea doesn’t always sit well with me. Maybe just some water?”

Logan nodded. “I will head down to the well in a moment. Just allow me to,” the man trailed off as he bagan to move. He took a bucket from one of the old cabinets beside a small oven, then made his way over to a sheet that was hanging from his ceiling. He opened it, revealing a small double bed. He re-arranged the three pillows and held out his arm for Remus. Remus stumbled over to him, and allowed Logan to help him into the bed. Remus looked around as Logan helped him settle in.

“Where will you sleep?”

Logan sighed, and looked back towards the small kitchen. “I suppose a chair will suffice, or I could bring in the ottoman from the shop. However, I have a feeling I will be sleeping on the floor tonight.”

“No, Logan, then I can’t take your bed,”

Remus tried to stand, but Logan guided him back into the bed.

“Remus, I shot you. This is the least I can do.”

Remus hesitantly nodded and closed his eyes. He listened to Logan pick up his bucket then unlock the door again. Remus tried to shift to his side, now remembering the book he was holding.

“Oh! Logan! The book!” He sat up and held it out, but Logan shook his head with a smile.

“Keep it.”

Remus nodded and settled back into the bed, holding the book to his chest. He listened to Logan re-lock the door, then exit the bookshop. He drifted off to sleep before Logan could return, tired from the days activities.

The next morning Remus awoke, and forgetting his side, sat up and stretched. Pain shot through him, and he immediately tried to lay back down.

Thankfully for him, he saw the sun.

Shit, I don’t have much time,

He got out of bed as quickly and quietly as he could, and opened Logan’s small bay window. He looked around, and saw Logan, fast asleep on the floor. He was wrapped in an old fur coat, and Remus smiled at how lovely he looked asleep.

Lovely?

He shook his head. He couldn’t afford to think about those sort of things. He took a final look around the room, and noticed the book, still lying on the bed.

He turned back towards the bed, and made a mad dash for the book. He managed to grip it in his hand just before the sunlight hit his back.

The pain began again.

He could manage it a lot better now. A few winces here and there, but no more screams as his limbs twisted into his fowl form.

When his transformation was complete, he shook the dust from his feathers, losing a few in the process, and took off.

He left out the window, and Logan was none the wiser.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Chapter 3

Read the prologue here!

Logan couldn’t believe it. He had shot down the swan.

He shot down a swan.

The meat would feed him for at least three days. And the feathers? Well he could sell those beautiful black feathers for a hefty sum, even in his small town.

He slung his bow back over his left shoulder, and went searching for his prize. He took a few steps in every direction, and eventually heard a small moan.

Momentarily forgetting the swan, he went in the direction of the moan, and soon came across a man.

A gorgeous, radiant, beautiful man…

Who had one of Logan’s arrows in his chest.

“Are you ok?”

Logan came and crouched down next to the man, who was holding the arrow, about to pull it out.

“No! No don’t do that. That will only make it worse!”

The man groaned. “Well then what do you suggest I do, Hippocrates?”

“Just, just let me look at it.”

Logan removed the man’s hand from around the arrow, and hesitated.

“Is it alright if I remove your shirt?”

The man nodded and started to remove it himself, wincing as he maneuvered it around the arrow. Logan let out a sigh of relief.

“The wound isn’t deep, and I don’t think I hit any major-“

“YOU! You, you fucking shot me!!”

Logan started to panic. “I’m, I’m sorry. I, I was hunting and I thought, I thought I shot,”

“Who cares?!? Just fix it!!”

Logan nodded, and started to control his breaths. After a few moments, he took a final deep breath and opened his medicine pouch. He took out some healing herbs and offered them to the man.

“Would you be willing to eat these? They will help with the pain.”

The man nodded and took the herbs, immediately dropping them into his mouth. He winced at the taste, and Logan nodded in approval.

“Alright, alright. I’m going to take the arrow out and bandage it now. Is that alright with you…,”

“Remus. My name is Remus.”

“Logan. Is it alright if I take out the arrow now, Remus?”

Remus nodded, and Logan steadied himself.

“On three then. One, two, three!”

Remus howled with pain when the arrow was removed. Logan quickly maneuvered him onto his side and then bandaged the wound, thankful it was mostly superficial.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Chapter 2

Prologue

Chapter 1

Warning: Lots of swearing

Shit fuck god damn it shit!!

Remus should’ve known better than to fly that close to town. He knew this was about the time of day the hunters started to come out. He knew one of them would be bound to notice him. Fuck. He needed to get to the lake before sundown.

He zigzagged a bit before flying towards it, only momentarily losing the hunter.

Shit. Turning back and continuously checking would only slow him down. He needed to land, the sun was starting to set. He flew around in a circle for a while, and managed to get out of the hunters sight.

Thank fuck.

He flew north, or west, or whichever way the lake was. He had no clue about directions, just where things were. He passed the rock that looked like Roman’s head, and started to make his descent by the tree Janus liked to nap in. He haphazardly landed on one of the branches, knocking a few twigs to the forest floor.

SNAP!

God. Fucking. Damn. It.

The hunter cracked some of the twigs. Remus needed to get him out of the woods. He launched himself out of the tree, and took off back towards town. It was risky, but it was even riskier leading this poor man into the woods.

He felt one arrow fly by him, nipping some of his feathers. The hunter started to swear, then stopped himself.

Fucking prude, Remus thought. I’m a gorgeous prize! At least swear when you miss me!

Remus shook the thought away. It was more important to get the hunter back to the village. He tried to think of the shortest way back, which caused him to ignore the fact that the hunter had retrieved the arrow he lost, and had re-loaded.

Remus barely had time to disappear inside the tree line before the arrow pierced his chest. He felt himself plummet to the forest floor, and watched the sun set as heat rose in his throat, causing him to transform.

The swan landed with a loud thud, clutching his stomach.

Fully human.

[pas-de-duex]

The Black Swan Chapter 1

Read the prologue here!

Logan flipped the sign in his small bookshop. His first, last, and only customer just left for the day. For the month, probably.

He was thankful, really, he was. His parents had worked so hard to grow and maintain this store when he was small, all so he could have a better life.

He felt like he was throwing it all away.

The reality was, most people couldn’t read. Even if they could, what was the point of wasting valuable time reading, when there were more important things to do to survive?

Logan hated to admit, even he barely read anything anymore. He spent his time picking up odd jobs, or digging through garbage cans, looking for some small scrap of food no one but himself was desperate enough to eat.

He was determined to fix that one day.

But today, today he had to obtain food. He went to the small door in the back of his shop, got out the key from around his neck, and unlocked the door. The two steps that followed lead into his small living quarters, separated into two rooms. He slid open the small curtain separating his bed from the kitchen, and made his way towards the large wooden chest at the foot of his bed. He used the same key from the door to unlock it, and sighed as he revealed the contents inside.

His father’s bow and arrows. His mother’s old fur coat. A small medicine pouch. Ten gold coins.

He tossed in the two gold coins Patton just gave him, then removed the bow, arrows, and medicine pouch, just in case. He slung them around his shoulder and shut the lid, re-locking it with his key.

He exited his small home, and headed out towards the woods outside town. As he reached the outskirts, he noticed a large black swan flying overhead. He stared at it in awe, and decided to follow after it into the woods.