Twisted Tales: Rapunzel Dakota Schoen 78 The day’s journey has been a peaceful one. The forest is quiet despite the sound of leaves crunching under hooves, birds chirping, and the occasional rustling of creatures in the brush. The dense canopy above only permits a few stray strands of golden light to 昀椀lter through to the moss and vine-laden hearth below. The rest has been captured in the thick leaves above, emitting an ethereal greenish glow. If it weren’t for the occasional need to dodge a low- hanging branch, I might have begun to doze. I began my journey at dawn from Modna, a modest village home to neither royalty nor nobility of any kind. However, it is home to my old childhood friend, Ru昀椀an. To a common peasant, I would appear but a modest traveler. The only hint of my true identity is my magni昀椀cent gray steed. A fellow companion since childhood, Maximus has never let me down. Through hunt, battle, coronation, and beyond, he has been by my side. It is rare to 昀椀nd a steed with bravery and an excitement for violence that exceeds most knights. At times I suspect Maximus has a bloodlust akin to my own. The dense forest separating Modna from the rest of civilized society is about a two-day ride straight through. This year, however, the great forest of Rapunzel has seen heavy spring rains, and its spindly creaks have turned to wild rapids. Hence, a three-day journey, further north than usual. The added travel time is no burden in such a scenic landscape, and the rare moments of solitude are a treat. The constant kind-prince façade is rather tiresome. I suspect father will 昀椀nally force my betrothal to some toad- like woman with a handsome dowry and even handsomer title upon my return home. If so, keeping my hobbies discrete might prove more challenging with a wife looming