AU. This story started out going one way, and then it went off at a tangent. And then off on another tangent... I began to think I'd never get it finished. It just kept growing. Mutating, if you will. If only I could write this much when I actually *need* to. It started as an idea inspired by a book called 'The Ordinary Princess' by M.M. Kaye, but along the way it's picked up shades of 'Danny the Champion of the World' by Roald Dahl, and 'Frankenstein', too. Further disclaimer: I ain't no outdoorsy type. All that sort of stuff is made up, or gleaned from watching Ray Mears on the telly. Pray gloss gently over it, if I make glaring errors.