Chapter 17.
The Feast and the Fall
Wolf stared at the struggling lamb with a mixture of avid lust and fear on his features. He watched as the well meaning Frederick approached the cage warily, stooping to unlock the small access hatch that they used to replace his privvy with. Keeping an eye on the prisoner, he shoved the lamb through and relocked the door, backing away to join his fellows. When he had told Peter of Wolf's request for meat, a sinister look had come over the man's face.
"So, he wants meat then? Perhaps this is the thing we've so far overlooked. What would such a thing with teeth like that do to a real feast?". He had sent two of the brothers to nearby farms to beg, borrow or steal some form of small animal and they had returned with a good sized lamb.
This lamb, knowing full well it was locked in with a starving predator, was now trying vainly to push it's way through the bars, bleating in fear.
Wolf was torn with indecision. His wolf-self craved the food. His man-self was hungry too, but wary of the spectacle such a kill would make.
"Kill it. Drink the blood" his wolfish ming urged him.
"No, not like this" he argued back.
"What difference will it make? They hate you all the same. Look at it. Tasty, eh? Succulent. It's perfectly normal to eat it. The lamb knows this"
To the onlookers it was an uncomfortable sight. The creature sat rocking back and forth on it's heels, muttering and growling to itself, one eye on the prize the whole time. For over an hour it debated, or perhaps it was just toying with the terrifed prey, like a cat might. The thing was silent now, a decision had been made.
The priests jumped back involuntarily as the demon lunged suddenly for the lamb, catching it around the throat. The lamb's screaming was cut off suddenly with a horrible gurgling sound as the creature bit straight into it's neck, blood spraying everywhere and then came the sickening sound of the neck being broken. The kill completed, the demon the dragged it back to the centre of the cage, expertly flaying the floppy body and tearing off great hunks of dripping flesh with the huge fangs, growling contentedly all the while. The priests had never seen anything like it, not even on Discovery Channel. But the worst was yet to come.
It began to glare fiercely at the men, and then it ripped open the rib cage of the lamb with a quick twist of it's wrists. Reacing inside, it drew out the heart and then with deadly aim threw the thing straight though the bars, hitting Brother Peter squarely in the face. As the brothers recoiled in abject horror, the thing laughed loudly, before launching into a full blown wolf howl which rang and echoed off the abbey walls as they fled. So keen were they to escape that they failed to notice that far away in the forest were answering howls, passing the message through. Silently, the wild kin moved towards the sounds.
Wolf stared after the retreating men, lamb carcass dangling from one hand. Much better, much better, crowed his wolf-self quietly. He did not see the priests for the rest of the day or night.
It was morning once more. Wolf howled and shook the bars of his cage in anger. Under his hands the bars moved, ever so slightly. Soon, he thought to himself. Very soon, since the moon was just a few hours days from rising full and strong. The Goddess would lend him strength, he hoped. He retreated from the cold iron, saving his energy. He eyed the rest of the lamb carcass, which he had stashed under his table. Since his gastronomic performance of the previous evening, his black clad visitors had mysteriously avoided him, peeking in the door every now and then but coming no closer. He didn't care. He just wanted out. All his mind was focussed on that one thing. Freedom.
Biding his time, he thought again about the wolf voices he had heard answering him the previous night.
"We hear you, brother" they had sung.
"We will come to you"
"No", he had replied in full howling mode. "Do not risk such a thing!" he had told them.
He didn't know whether or not they would do as he bid them. They were strangers to him, yet he could tell from the subtle influence of their song that they understood that he was not one of them, not a full blood brother. He had heard no more from the pack, but then they would keep their approach, if any, most silent and secret.
The abbey door opened and he lifted his head to see who it might be. It was the red haired Virginia-toucher Connor. The man hesitated, then began moving across the floor towards him. Wolf got to his feet to try and intimidate the man, growling low in his throat. The priest had a pitcher of water which he gestured to.
"I have water for you, beast. If you want it, back right away. One step towards me and I'll dump the lot. Understand?" the young man said fiercely. Wolf nodded and obeyed, though it galled him to do so. But he was thirsty and needed the water. The man stepped up to bars, reaching through and placing the jug on the floor, eyes on Wolf all the while. Wolf smiled at the man.
"Why thank you. Your kindness is overwhelming" he said sarcastically.
"You know, if you were to free me now, I'm sure I could find a willing she-wolf to reward you" he hissed at the boy.
The priest just sneered in return, knowing he was safe. Wolf sighed. This boy was no fun anymore. For now anyway, thought Wolf, snatching up the water and gulping it down. He had drunk more than half of it before he sensed the taint in the water. It wasn't right. He sniffed at it, tossing the rest away on the floor. The man Connor looked smug. Wolf didn't think that Connor looking smug was a good thing for him.
"Yess. Go off to sleep now, beast thing. I'll be waiting for you when you wake"
Presently, Wolf he began to feel the effects. It was not unlike his first experience in Virginia's apartment. The room swayed and the floor tilted as he slumped to the ground. His vision became blurry. The last thing he clearly saw was the gathering of the group of men staring at him through the bars. He didn't care much for the looks on their faces.
The priests watched the demon succumb to the drugs. It didn't seem such a menace now. When they were confident enough, they lifted the cage using the pulleys, dragging in a large metal contraption that looked something like an old fashioned dentists chair. Taking care to avoid Wolf's mouth, they manhandled him into the chair, securing arms and legs with metal fastenings and large bolts. Once he was secure, they moved the chair close to the edge of the bars and repositioned the cage. Brother Peter observed that all was safe enough and bid his brethren to leave, keeping only Connor with him. Connor opened a black bag full of mean looking instruments that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Trolls dungeon, had they but imagined such a thing to exist. Smiling at Brother Peter, he waited for the demon to wake up.
Some hours later, Wolf's human conciousness did a surprising thing. Waking up had not been a good idea, it decided, and it promptly withdrew itself, forming a small bubble of awareness, cut off from what was being done to him. Leaving his human self buried deep, he could at last allow his wolf-self free rein, let it do the talking. And it had much to say.