Julia

  In the end, they had to wait, as all carriages were already occupied and their group needed a total of twes. Fortunately, they did not have to wait long and arrived at their destination a short time ter.

  A lot was going on oreets of the capital.

  Food was sold at small stalls. People walked dowreets. The market square was bustling and the small shops were well-attended.

  The group had split up. Julia went looking fift with Marie and Theo, Sophie was looking for a new coat, Marko was traveling with Finn and Leopold wao visit a friend who he said was in the service of a wealthy family.

  Theo irited boy who loved to express his opinion. So he had ented on almost every shop - it looks b, there is certainly nothing ... - and asked Julia about life in the castle. Did she wear a in the castle? Did the queen wear a every day? a princess do what she wants? The ao every question was 'no'. The queen only wore a oain occasions and Julia wore a tiara from time to time oain occasions and she definitely couldn't always do what she wanted.

  Theretted this.

  Julia noticed that he blushed slightly every time he talked to Marie. She grinned. So he actually didn't wah them yesterday.

  They went through several shops, but whehey found somethiiful, it was too expensive for Marie until they finally found a small stuffed animal in a small, winding toy store. A white horse with a bck mane. Acc to Theo, it was the perfect gift and si wasn't expensive, Marie bought it.

  Afterward, they strolled through the streets, as they still had some time until they wao meet again with Julia's servants at the carriages to drive back to the academy.

  Leopold

  The acquaintance of the vilge elder worked in a small pharmacy that beloo his master, a magi. The magi was not around when Leopold ehe pharmacy. A happy ce.

  Behind the ter stood an elf with dark skin and long white hair. " I help you?" he asked with a friendly smile as Leopold ehe pharmacy.

  "I think so. A friend sends me. You have a package for me?"

  "Franz sends you?" The elf looked at Leopold with i. "He wrote me in a letter that he would send someone over. I was w when you would show up."

  Leopold nodded. "I wao e earlier, but there was no opportunity."

  "What you're up to is dangerous. Putting together the herbs and hiding them for you was also dangerous. Luckily, I wasn't caught. This could cost us our lives. The witches know no mercy."

  "I know, but our freedom depends on it." His gaze wandered over the dispy. Herbs, teas, ois...

  The elf disappeared into a ba, Leopold heard the door of a closet being opehen the older elf came back with a bundle.

  "You have to soak the herbs in water. For three months, so that the herbs and the fairy dust unfold their full effect. Otherwise, the potion won't work." Fairy dust. A substance secreted by fairy wings when flying. Some pharmacies kept fairies to extract the fairy dust as it was suitable for medie. Fairy dust, when infused with certain herbs, had a strong calming effect. But Leopold had something else in mind since fairy dust could also have a different effect.

  "Three months?" he asked.

  "If you pour the herbs today, the potion will be ready by the end of November. It won’t work sooner. And don't put it in the sun."

  "All right, then." Leopold took the buhank you very much."

  "Are you sure you want to do this?"

  "Do I have a choice?"

  "Of course, you have a choice."

  Leopold looked at the buhe ele was taken away from us a long time ago. Of power-hungry, cruel witches and wizards. I'll make sure we get our choice back."

  "But at what cost? It will be high."

  "I know."

  Marko

  Finn walked close to him as they walked through the marketpce. He looked nervous and was a little pale. Marko wished he could take away his nervousness.

  It smelled of spices and flowers. At some stalls, the colorful fabric was sold, and other stalls sold sparkling jewelry.

  " we go somewhere where it's not so crowded?", asked Finn.

  "Are there too many people here for you?"

  Finn nodded.

  "Where do you want to go? There was that sign that said that there is a wishing well somewhere around here. Do we want to take a look?"

  "If there aren't so many people there. Where is the well?"

  "Behind the marketpce. In an alley. Acc to the sighere." Marko poie wooden sig the edge of the market.

  "Good. The's go there," Finn agreed, clearly relieved.

  They were on their way around the market square when two great gentlemen lined up in front of them. One had gray hair and a long beard, the other a bald head.

  "What do we have here?" the bald man asked.

  Finn turned pale and hid behind Marko. "Please don't. Please, please don't," he murmured, barely audible.

  Marko growled. "Let us through, please."

  "It looks like we have a polite mutt here." The man with the beard ughed loudly.

  "What are two street mutts doing at our market?" The bald man spat on the sidewalk.

  "We... are about to ... "Finn stammered, dug behind Marko.

  "To go?" The bald man grinned. "But you 't go. We're talking right now, aren't we? Mutts?"

  Then several things happe the same time. The bald man grabbed Finn and pulled him by the arm towards him. The hed. Marko growled. Finn screamed and then a big, bck wolf attacked the man with the bald head. The other man ran away while Marko bit the bald man’s arm to make him let go of Finn. "Damn mutt!" he shouted, holding his injured arm. "I will report you! You will atone for that! I know your uniform! It's from the Academy!"

  A tumult had broken out. People looked shocked hte the bck, growling wolf. Some soldiers were on their way. "He just attacked me!" the bald man shouted to them.

  Finn crouched on the floor, whimpering. Marko nudged him and tried to tell him that he should climb on his back. Finn uood. He ed his healthy arm around Marko's neck, the injured arm protectively beh him, and Marko ran away. He was very fast. The soldiers pursued him, but soon he left them behind.

  Even as a wolf with Finn on his back, he hurried through the gate of the academy. Some students watched him in shock. He didn't care. Only in front of the apartment building did he transform back. A painful process, but he was used to it. He also healed quickly. The remnants of his clothes hung down on him in shreds. He didn't care.

  "Are you okay?" he asked Finn. A bruise formed around the arm that the bald man had grasped.

  Finn shook his head g.

  "Let's go in. I need something to wear and then I'll look at your arm, yes?"

  Finn nodded as they heard some students whispering. They probably didn't see a naked werewolf every day.

  The two walked quickly into the building and up the stairs to their hallway. Sophie had given Finn a key, which he took out of his pocket. Marko unlocked and Finn immediately disappeared into her room. Marko fetched a kit towel from the kit, which he soaked in some water and brought to Finn. "To cool your arm," he said. "Is it healing already?" He wasn't sure if Finn's self-healing powers were w normally, but usually, the bruises should be gone by now. It wasn't.

  "Thank you," Finn murmured, pg the cloth over his arms sobbing. "I heal slower than other wolves. It will take a few hours... He broke my arm."

  "Such a bastard!"

  "Do you think he's rep the i?"

  "Guaranteed."

  "They will punish you."

  "That's fine." Marko ruffled Finn's hair. "No one should be allowed to treat anyone like that."

  "Thank you." Finn smiled. "Also for the branches. I haven't said thank you for them yet."

  Julia

  Marko and Finn were missing. They had been waiting at the meeting point for half an hour now, but the two had not yet appeared.

  "Did they fet the time?" asked Sophie, annoyed. She carried her new brown-red cloak inside a bag. "Where are they?"

  "Maybe they're already back at the academy," Leopold surmised. "Finn didn't want to e here."

  "That could be the case. I handed him one of the keys." Sophie shook her head. "I really hope they're already there."

  "So we're finally going back?" Marie was impatient.

  "Let's wait a few more minutes." Julia didn't want to leave them behind if they were still in town. "Maybe they just fot the time."