The Beast Within

A King's Game: Chapter Nineteen

The wolves woke to Odd Gran clanging pots above their heads.

"Blessed morning," she said cheerfully.

There was an unusual clatter coming from the ceiling, that sounded like hundreds of people moving above us.

"Wedding has arrived," Odd Gran explained, "but no need for you to change. I don't have time for children."

She set two bowls before the animals, then put her hands on her hips and waited for her company to move. 

"Got a busy day ahead, and you might not get a meal until well after supper. Eat now, or risk an empty belly until night."

Food? my wolf asked its companion. When it sniffed the bowl it caught a whiff of near-rancid meat. Smell bad.

Helps if you no breathe.

"What this?" Odd Gran said with a raised eyebrow. "Is it not good enough for the little dandy?"

Talk to lady, the brown wolf urged.

How?

Open mouth and speak.

She no hear.

She hear me good.

You can do it, I added. Just like the other wolf says.

I sensed a feeling of foolishness from my wolf, but it opened its mouth and spoke:

"Me not know what food, lady."

Both my wolf and myself were astonished when Odd Gran nodded in understanding.

"It's meat and porridge. Go on, I want an empty bowl."

My wolf looked at its friend, who was already licking the last drop from its dish. Until that moment, neither myself nor my wolf had realized that the brown wolf's missing paw and eye had been restored, and the bandages were discarded as if nothing had happened.

It can regrow limbs, I thought, I wonder if it would work for me—

A gurgle from my wolf's stomach brought me back to the present. The animal turned to its meal and took a reluctant bite. The stench of new rot setting in the meat made its eyes water, but, as the brown wolf suggested, holding its breath made eating easier. After a few bites the taste wasn't as foul, and soon the bowl was empty.

Odd Gran cleared the dishes and went to one of her cabinets.

No bad, yes? the brown wolf asked. No cakes and steaks, but fills belly.

Something heavy thumped above us. Odd Gran rolled her eye and tipped a potion into her mouth. The crone disappeared, replaced by an enchanting maiden in a magnificent crimson and gold gown. Another crash from the ceiling made all three of us jump.

"They'll kill themselves with carelessness," Odd Gran muttered.

Wedding has food, the brown wolf said. You think we get bites?

No.

Odd Gran dabbed red powder on her cheeks, using a shard of mirror to watch her work. It gave her complexion a soft blush, which enhanced her already generous beauty. She applied the same powder to her lips, but wet her finger with her mouth before dipping it to create a paste.

When she was finished, she moved around the dungeon and collected three items, including a bone comb with broken teeth, a cracked shell, and a polished stone the size of a robin's egg. She held the items in her hand and whispered an incantation, and each object turned into a pretty decoration. The comb became a jeweled hairpin, the shell became a ruby ring, and the stone became a golden necklace. She held up the mirror shard to admire herself, and pulled her hair to cover her empty eye socket.