The wind blew slowly and steadily around us, and the silence stretched thick between me and the creature. The hilltop was barren with short green grass; there was not an inch of snow despite the weather. Almost as if it were covered by an invisible dome.

  From afar, the creature's size was big, and now up close, it was massive, with its size comparable to a wyrm. Though up close, it was majestic rather than frightening. It had the eyes of a stoat and ears of a ferret, its body and facial structure being a mix of both.

  “Come sit.” The command shocked me to a still, and confusion was quickly lost as it moved its slender body. Revealing a stone stool and a grand hexagonal table that was held by an impossibly thin column of stone.

  “Sit,” my body complied quickly, almost as if forced. The stool was warm, and the table's plinth sank to the ground until it matched my height.

  “You’re a long way from home,” The beast spoke and sat opposite me, resting a quarter of its upper body on the table. “I met a few of your kind before in my travels, but never this far north.” The beast paused, its ears flicking as if listening to the wind's words.

  “Is that why you called me?” I asked in opportunity, and the beast's grin made me wish that I had not.

  “Why?” they said in muse. “You and your friend caused a disturbance that many denizens here complained about. These woods do not have common visitors, but you and your friend seem to break that cycle. I have watched both of you wander in search for months, and for months you’ve come and left. These woods don’t hold much treasure, but mindless beasts. Foolish scholars and vanity-filled adventures, I’ve seen them all who have tried their greed with these woods. But it has been a centuries since I saw those who sought sanctuary in my domain-”

  Grrr…

  It was at this moment that I wished that I were anything but human.

  HAHA!

  They bellowed a laugh that shook the very ground.

  “Your sacrifice is admirable.” They said, tapping the table with a claw. “And what lord would I be if I do not know how to host?” At our side, a pack of wolves came in service, carting like ants a great elk whose antlers were the size of a bear, their tails were wagging with pride; however, their pace was slow.

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  “Ah, your confusion is just. I have yet to make myself known.” They paused and sighed before continuing. “I am Fenret the white,” Fenret spoke, placing a paw on his chest with vanity lacing in every word. “And I am the lord of these woods!”

  “I-“ A claw made me bite my tongue; the taste of iron was daunting.

  “Hush.”

  Fenret’s ear flickered again, listening to the wind. His face remained stoic, yet his eyes betrayed him. Whether annoyance or anger, I could guess, but whatever it was, it was not good.

  “Wof,” one of the wolves barked when the elk was near enough to the table, and Fenret, with one hand, picked the elk up by the antlers. A waterfall of organs and blood followed. The elk was cut in half, and Fenret placed the remains on the table with ease and a smile. The question of when it was cut made me realize I never had a chance to begin with. And the wolves feasted on the other half.

  “Is it not to your liking?”

  Steam hazed from the cut and plagued my vision, but even then, I could still see Fenert’s golden-eye grin. And I could not deny that the smell of meat was alluring.

  “…It is.” I finally answered and swallowed a mouthful of saliva; only then did I realize that I was leaning forward.

  “Good,” Fenret said, extending a claw. He took a chunk of meat and ate without staining his fur. His eyes were looking at me with smiles and expectation, and with my hunger, I complied. Loosening the straps of my coat, I pulled out one of my five knives. It was not my idea to carry many, but they had proved their use.

  Unwrapping its cloth sheath, the clip point blade sliver gleamed under the moonlight, and its edge was sharp from its history of little use. The blade was not long, but it gave me enough reach. The meat was as hard as stone, so hard that I heard my blade chip, and I clenched my jaw, divided between my hunger and the unexpected cost.

  “Such poor metal is no use here, you're better off with what you naturally have.” Words with such tone always held such truth, and I sighed and wrapped my knife before returning it underneath my cloak. Fenret gave me a chunk in compensation.

  “Thank you,” I said, and felt a dribble left my lips, and my fingers twitched. It was raw, bloody, and steamy. The taste was revering and nostalgic.

  Cold and sharp were the blades beneath me, and their bodies were soft and many. The sky above me was covered with a pastel of color, large mixed blots, hazy and few, outnumbered by the innumerable number of specks. Their glow was bright and yet faint. Faint to the one that ruled over them, a ruler of radiant white, a white eye that looks down over all. Looking amused by my dinner of bone and fur.

  “I was right,” Fenret spoke, and returned my chain of thoughts. “You’d do quite well.”

  “What?” I ask in late, an arm wiping the grime off my face. Looking down at my arm, my hand, and coat, I was not as graceful as the lord.

  “You and your friend seek the log cabin.” The wolves halted their feast and growled. Fenret glanced at them, silencing them before continuing. “I know its location, and I am willing to offer it. If you do as I asked.” He offered his hand, expectantly. “I’m sure a man like you is suited for the job.”