Shadow of the Prince

The True Face of the Prince's Hound

Beasty ran through the night, finding that secret place that her mother must have found, and sneaking through the city streets so quickly that they must have looked like just a dark blur on a dark night. In one night, Dal had seen more of the city of Eatrahan and the Kingdom of Eidas than she had seen her entire life. Her youth had been spent hiding, and she watched with fascination and new appreciation at the world around her.

She was fearful when Beasty took them out of the city and into the nearby forest, but she clutched closely to the hound, realizing that she trusted him in a way that she had feared to ever trust another creature.

She trusted him with her life.

After what seemed like ages a small cabin came into view, and Beasty slowed his pace. He trotted straight to it, climbing its steps with quick familiarity. He paused at the entry and bowed to the ground, letting Dal slip from his back onto shaky legs that were sore from clinging to his unsaddled back.

Beasty nodded to the door, and Dal took that to mean that she was meant to enter. She pushed the door open, finding it unlocked, and Beasty entered ahead of her. It was dark inside, the moonlight bringing in the only light around them.

Beasty shuffled around some shelves, and returned to her with something in his mouth. He plopped it in front of her, and Dal smiled when she saw it was a candle and matches.

She leaned forward and lit the candle, the light suddenly basking a warm glow on the cabin around them.

It was a small wood cabin, likely built by hand, but it was not uncomfortable seeming. Actually, it seemed quite homey feeling, with thick knitted blankets adorning a chair near a fireplace, and a small oak breakfast table near a cleanly kept kitchen. She could tell it was a kitchen by the iron wrought stove, tall cabinets above and surrounding, and neatly lined cups sitting on the countertop beside it. On the wall on her right was a bed laid out with a single quilt and pillow. Whoever lived here obviously lived alone.

Dal searched about for a holder for the candle, finding it on the nightstand beside the bed. She turned back to find Beasty watching her from beside the fireplace.

"Should I get us a fire started, or do you think it will give us away?" She asked him.

Beasty nudged one of the logs in the fireplace with his nose, and turned back to her.

Dal nodded, and gently built them a fire, glad when the small warm glow grew larger, enveloping the cabin in new warmth.

She sat herself in the chair beside Beasty, and wrapped the knitted blanket around her. They sat in peaceful silence for a time, until she felt wetness on her cheeks.

Dal pressed a hand to her face and found new tears. Beasty settled his great body beside her and set his head in her lap, needing to lean down to her due to his height.

A giggle escaped her throat, sounding garbled through her tears. Beasty lifted his head and looked at her, tilting his head as if to ask her what was so funny.

"You nearly take up this whole cabin, is all," she laughed.

Beasty lolled his tongue, his large maw opening as if to smile. She supposed if he was in his human form, he would be smiling.

"Can you show me who you really are?" She asked.

Beasty snapped his mouth shut, and he shook his head.

She frowned. "Is that it because you don't want to, or you can't?"

Beasty tilted his head.

"Bark once for you don't want to, two for you can't."