Author Note: What have I gotten myself into?


Tavros rode swiftly away from town, making quick progress before entering the forest. The shadows cast by the trees always made him nervous, so he hurried forward without looking back. He had originally wanted to get through the denser part of the forest before the sun set, but he didn't have enough time and when the sun disappeared he was still amongst the trees.

He found himself traveling by the few strands of moonlight that managed to trickle through the thick canopy of leaves. Equius wanted to turn back and make camp outside the forest, but Tavros kept him on course. The pair heard wolves howling in the distance, hopefully out of smelling range.

Unfortunately, they were probably howling because they noticed his carriage invading their forest. They approached from all sides as Tavros urged Equius to gallop faster. The cart barely escaped the initial ambush, trampling one of the wolves in the process.

The trees rushed past as the wolves snapped at the unfortunate travelers. The horse could feed their clan for a week; there was no way they could let it escape.

They forgot about the castle that resided in the darkest corner of the forest, waiting with the gates unlocked.

A sigh of relief ran through Tavros when he spotted it, but he didn't have time to stop Equius in order to open the gates. He was no good at fighting and could barely wield a stick, so killing the wolves was out of the question.

He did have enough of a lead on the creatures to slow Equius for a moment and call for help. Somebody in the castle was bound to hear the commotion.

Slowing down didn't work exactly as he planned. He got as close as he could to the castle before even trying. When he pulled the reigns back gently, Equius refused to listen. He charged on stubbornly, barely turning in time to not crash into the castle gates.

But the cart was a bit wider than the horse, and crashed straight into the wall next to the gate. It found purchase and stuck, refusing to continue going forward. The ropes holding Equius to the cart were already frayed, and this was the last straw. They ripped with a sharp shearing sound, sending the horse running into the night.

Tavros tried not to panic; at least he made it to shelter. The wolves were more interested in the horse than him and had continued following Equius. This gave Tavros time to roll down the side of the cart and try to open the gates.

Much to his surprise, they were unlocked. They pulled open reluctantly, squealing loudly from disuse. There was barely enough space next to the cart to open the gate, so he almost wasn't able to fit his wheelchair through.

Once he was in, he shut the gate firmly behind him; if those wolves came back, they wouldn't be smart enough to pull on the gate.

A courtyard separated the gates from the front door, and Tavros crossed the space quickly. The castle seemed intimidating from this close, but there was no going back now. Anything was better than wolves. He knocked firmly at the doors, but nobody answered. They were unlocked as well, so he pushed them open cautiously.

"Hello?" He called as he rolled over the threshold. "Is there anybody here?" He looked around the large atrium, taking note of the two wings. Nobody responded, so he wheeled farther into the room.

"He mutht have lotht hith way in the woodth." He heard a faint male voice to his left, lisping almost every other word. He rotated his head in that direction, but didn't see anything.

"Maybe if we're quiet he won't notice us." A female voice this time, distinctly different from the first one.

"Is someone there?" Tavros called into the empty room, the sound echoing back slightly. "I don't mean to intrude, but I ran into some wolves and my cart is jammed in your gate. I would be very grateful if I could stay here for the night."

"Oh, come on AA." There was definitely somebody there. "Of courthe you are welcome here!"

Tavros scooped up a candlestick sitting on a nearby table, lifting it up to see farther. It was a strange one, with a blue, red, and yellow candle. "Who said that?"

"Over here." The voice sounded to his right, and he spun to look. But nobody was there.

"Where?" Tavros circled again in confusion, stopping when he felt a tap on his arm.

"Hello." The candlestick said as Tavros finally noticed the mouth and eyes on it. It smirked at him until he dropped it a heartbeat later. It fell flat on the ground, and Tavros could only stare as it stood up and brushed itself off.

"Woah." Was the only word he managed, leaning forward in his chair slightly. A small clock jumped off the nearby table, joining the candlestick on the floor.

"Well, he's found us out now." She stood next to her companion, exchanging a glance with him. Tavros just stared at the pair.

"He can thtay then!" The candlestick grinned, gesturing for Tavros to follow him. "Come warm yourthelf by the fire."

"T-thank you." Tavros wheeled behind the candlestick slowly as he led the way.

"Be careful," The clock warned, "The master will be displeased if he finds out."

"Don't worry tho much AA." The candlestick waved one waxy arm, opening the door to a side room. A fire already burned in the hearth, and Tavros wheeled up next to it to warm up. A tray with a teapot on it rolled in a minute later.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" The teapot asked in a warm grandmotherly voice.

"Oh, um, no thanks." Tavros didn't really drink tea. He wondered how these talking objects worked, but wondered if it would be rude to ask.

Just as the tray started to roll away, the doors to the room burst open behind Tavros. A cold wind blew in, extinguishing the fire with one gust. A shudder ran down his spine as he heard something move behind him.

"There's a stranger here." It growled, probably addressing the strange living devices.

"Let me explain, some wolves tried to eat him, it was only right to…" A loud growl cut the candlestick off, putting out his fire in the process. The clock raised one hand to say something, but the newcomer refused to let it, emitting another roar in the process.

"What the fuck have I told you about letting people into the house?!" It hissed right in her face before turning to Tavros. The beast grabbed the back of the chair, spinning it around to face him.

Tavros stared in shock at the creature in front of him. At 7 feet tall, it towered over the wheelchair bound teen. Dark brown fur covered it from head to toe. But its most distinctive features were the eyes; a pair of blood red rubies glistening in the dark.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The creature leaned over Tavros with all teeth displayed.

"I-I-I was lost in the woods…" Tavros stuttered, pulling his chair back a few feet.

"You are not welcome here!" The beast wouldln't let him open up any distance.

"I-I'm sorry." Tavros couldn't back away any farther; the wall got in the way.

"What are you staring at?!" It stood up taller, increasing the volume of its voice by a few decibels.

"N-nothing" There was nowhere for Tavros to go. He shook his head fervently, but it didn't seem to help.

"So you came to ogle the fucking beast, haven't you?" The creature reached forward and grasped Tavros's shirt, pulling him straight out of the wheelchair. In that moment, Tavros decided that the wolves might have been better.

"I meant no harm! I was only looking for a place to stay!" Tavros protested, trying to remove the beast's claws from his shirt.

"I'll give you a fucking place to stay!" The beast swept out of the room and slammed the door, leaving the candlestick and clock to huddle together in silence.


End Note: Thanks for reading!