East of the Beast

The following is an except from a story I'm currently working on, feedback is appreciated and if the interest is there I may post the rest at a later date.

    Annabelle knew it was getting late. Brave though she was, she knew it was dangerous to be in the forest after dark. She knew she could outwit a beast in the daylight, but she couldn’t see in the dark and would be a sitting duck if anything tracked her down. Still she remained, sitting once again on the toppled standing stone in her magical glade, too afraid to return home. Darkness fell, and it was too late.

    Presently, a rustling began near the edge of the clearing. Annabelle stiffened, feeling very exposed and afraid. A shadow moved among the underbrush, a predator readying an attack? Annabelle grasped her walking stick tightly, ready to use the only weapon she had. The form in the brush grew closer until it resolved itself into a familiar shape. A deer. Annabelle relaxed.

    “Cella.” She whispered. “You frightened me, lady.” The doe watched Annabelle for a moment, perfectly still. Deciding she wasn’t a threat, the deer bowed her head to begin pulling leaves from the brush.  As soon as the doe’s eyes left Annabelle the darkness darted into the clearing straight for the deer. A terrible thud of colliding bodies and the frantic rustle of scrambling legs met her ears before her eyes could comprehend what had happened. Cella, her friend, lay in a heap on the forest floor, her legs still kicking feebly. Standing over her, it’s jaws still clenched tightly on her delicate neck, was a wolf. It did not look at Annabelle but rather stared blankly at nothing while the life drained from it’s prey. Presently the doe stopped twitching but the wolf held on for several terrible minutes afterwards. Finally, it released Annabelle’s childhood friend from it’s terrible grasp. It looked down at the body for a moment, then viciously bit down on the animal’s shoulder. Cella made no move, she was dead. Satisfied, the wolf took another savage bite at the animal’s gut, this time pulling flesh from the carcass and swallowing greedily.

    Paralyzed by fear and horror, Annabelle just watched. She wanted to flee, but she knew if she did the wolf would be obligated to chase her. Once the wolf had had it’s fill, it lay down and began to clean its fur. Annabelle knew she couldn’t move lest she attract the beast’s attention. She sat perfectly still, watching the wolf.

    The beast finished cleaning itself and sat for a moment, looking at nothing in particular. The wolf glanced at Annabelle, saw that she still looked at it, and looked away almost guiltily. It made a sound akin to a man clearing his throat.

    “That must have been... unpleasant for you to see.” It wasn’t speech as Annabelle had ever heard before, but she understood just the same. The wolf’s voice was rough and guttural, it grated against her ears in an unnatural way. Despite her fear she felt a rising anger.

    “Cella was my friend.” She croaked quietly. Wolves have excellent hearing or course, and this wolf glanced again at her, this time holding her gaze.

    “The deer was a meal for the taking, no more, no less. She was undeserving of your love or friendship.” he said simply.

    “Is that all you see creatures you slaughter as? Meals waiting to be eaten?” her anger boiled inside her now, realizing this is a sentient creature who could speak made the injustice of it all the more terrible. Could Cella speak as well? Would she have screamed and begged for her life if she’d had the chance? This question she put to the wolf, spitting acid and venom as she spoke.

    The wolf regarded her coolly. “No, the deer could not speak, most animals can’t. Not even wolves.” There was a condescending tone to his voice now, as if he was pointing out something very obvious to someone very slow. Annabelle’s anger fizzled slightly. All of her fairy stories had talking animals in them, she didn’t find it odd at all. She just assumed no animal had thought to speak to her before.

    “Furthermore, “ the wolf continued “You yourself consume the flesh of lesser beasts. I know the settlement you come from, there are herds of sheep and cows, chickens and turkeys all over the stinking place. Are they your friends too?” Annabelle’s anger subsided. Though she did play with the turkeys and ducks as a child, she certainly did not consider them friends. She had been eating them her whole life. At the thought of food she remembered that she hadn’t eaten for a long time and now her stomach clenched and a low rumble sounded from its depths. The wolf’s ears pricked.

    “When was the last time you ate, girl?” He asked, not unkindly.

    “My name is Annabelle.” She said wearily, her anger subsiding as the adrenaline left her feeling drained. She hated being called ‘girl’

    “Annabelle, when was the last time you ate?” he replied with equal weariness.

    “Yesterday. Breakfast.”

    “You must eat. I’m sure you aren’t interested in fresh venison?” The wolf asked. Was that a joke? “Surely. Wait here.” The wolf was up and gone before Annabelle knew it, and she could not hear his retreat through the underbrush.

    Suddenly very tired, Annabelle sat with half-lidded eyes and contemplated trying to run away. Of course, she had nowhere to go. A wolf would be able to track her down, and what if he was angry that she ran? No, she reasoned, best stay where I’m at.

    Annabelle must have dozed off while the wolf was away, for she found herself being nudged awake. The wolf stood at her elbow lightly bumping his shoulder against her to wake her up. She hadn’t realized how big the wolf was from across the clearing, but looking at him up close she now recognized his true size. In her sitting position on the log she was nearly eye to eye with the beast. His shoulders were broad and muscled, If she were to hug him around his shoulders her fingers may not meet on the other side. Not that she particularly wanted to hug the wolf.

    In his teeth the wolf held a blackberry bramble. Roots dropped clods of dried dirt on a shower onto the ground and Annabelle’s lap and he moved his head, he had ripped the whole bramble out of the ground.

    “Here” he said dropping the bramble in her lap. It was heavy with berries, fat and ripe. She thanked him and ate hungrily.

    “You are tired, but you should eat before you sleep.” He said simply. Annabelle finished the last of the berries and discarded the thorn covered bramble.

    “That will not hold you for long, and I cannot get you safely back to your village tonight. Come with me, you can sleep safely and I will find you something to eat in the morning.”

    “Thank you” Annabelle said drowsily “But I can’t see in the dark, how will I travel through the forest at night?” The wolf seemed to shuffle uncomfortably.

    “On my back. You are a waif of a girl, I’m sure I can handle your weight.” He said. Annabelle felt a familiar boil in her gut, but it didn’t catch. She was too tired to protest. All she managed to say was “My name in Annabelle.” The wolf stepped in front of her and she wrapped her arms around his neck (Her hands did meet on the other side, enough for her to grasp them together.) She swung one leg over his back. It wasn’t comfortable, his muscled shoulders rose and fell alternately with every step and her arms grew tired quickly as there was no support for her body. As they walked slowly through the forest Annabelle drifted in and out of sleep, but as she slumbered upon the beast’s back she thought she heard him say.

    “My name in Thomas”