• Tabitha just didn’t understand. She had stayed by the Hero’s side for the entire journey without even one complaint, risking her life for him on more occasions than she could count. And how did he thank her? He ran off with the pretty little princess the first chance he got. What had she done to deserve his love, his attentions? All she ever did was get captured again and again and again. Tabitha sacrificed her eye for him. If that didn’t show undying love and devotion, the mage didn’t know what did.

    Overcome in her anger, Tabitha pointed her staff in the embracing couples’ direction and let the first spell that came to mind fly. When the dust finally settled down, a small bird emerged, squawking angrily. “Look what you did to me!” Yelled the furious (and now fuzzy) hero, its beady little eyes glaring daggers at the mage.
    "I'm ever so sorry, " Tabitha said sweetly, "I didn't mean to turn you into a bird." In actuality, she was hoping for a toad, but she'd take her blessings as they came.
    “Change me back!" Demanded the hero, flapping his angrily.
    "I'm afraid I don't know the counter spell." And it wasn't a lie, Tabitha might have been a gifted mage, but she was better at castings spells, not taking them back.
    "So I'm stuck like this!?"
    "Don't worry," giggled the mage as she scooped the hero into her hands, "I think you look adorable!"

    That’ll teach him to go chancing after random, undeserving princesses, thought the mage gleefully as she headed out of the cave with her new fuzzy companion, leaving the confused princess gawking in her wake.