"What?! Do you think this is funny?"
'Why, yes. I do.'
A voice floats through his mind, but it is not his own.
He stares.
"Wait, What?!"
No... no... not a voice, that can't have been. It must have been the wind... right?
"Did... did you just talk?"
The wolf only tilts its head, sizing him up no doubt.
"Haha, just my imagination." He sighs, dropping his head back into the snow and closing his eyes.
'Are you really so prepared to die human? And here I thought you might have been a bit more fun. Though I must admit, I didn't know of any human that can speak wolf.'
The voice returns, sounding just as smug as before. He snaps his eyes open and stares up at the wolf.
"Wait, can... can you understand me?"
The wolf frowns down at him.
'Your speaking wolf. Of course I can understand you.' It —he?— grumpily replies.
"But... I'm not..."
'You are. Human are you such a fool as to not know the tongue in which you speak? Though it matters not. I'll be having you as my next meal now, so do shut up while I kill you.'
"No wait!" He cries as the wolf makes to go for his throat, and, oddly, it obeys. As if compelled by his voice, the wolf sits back down and waits.
'What? How...' It questions, looking a strange mix of annoyed and confused.
Not one to question his luck, Alfred quickly tries to think of a way out of his predicament. Though, when he comes up short he decides to just let his mouth run and hope he says something of use.
"You can't kill me!"
'And why not? You pose no danger to me now.'
"Because!... Because I'm stuck under this rock see? You can't get me under here, you'll only get like, my head. And is that really worth the effort?"
The wolf gives him an odd look, as if asking if he really is this dumb.
'I trapped you under there, I can easily get you out. So yes, I'd say it is worth the effort.'
"Is it really though? I mean, I'm in all this armour. It'll be really hard to eat me with all this on."
The wolf huffs, the strong stench of dog breath invading his senses as a result.
'I could easily rip that from you.' As if to prove it's point, the wolf lays one of it's large paws on the small piece of his chest plate still visible from under the rock. Digging it's claws in, it rips of the piece protecting the front of his neck. The sound of claws on metal fill his ears as he watches the piece be flung away by the wolf. It huff smugly over him.
'See?' It's voice drawls in his mind.
"Okay, yeah, your right, yeah." He's rambling, he need's to find a way out of this now.
The wolf sniffs him at his now more exposed neck, snout crinkling at his unwashed smell. But can you blame him? Living on his own with no one around, yeah, he may go a little while between baths, cause you know. Have you tried boiling your own bath water every day? It's exhausting, even more so when you first have to go out and collect buckets for freshly fallen snow to melt. But in this instance, his lack of personal hygiene might just be his saving grace.
'Urgh!' The voice makes a distinct gagging sound as the wolf backs off.
'Human you are disgusting! God, the smell of you!'
Alfred latches onto his chance like a drowning man to a piece of drift wood in the open sea.
"Well you really don't want to eat me then. Just imagine how bad I taste if this is what I smell like."
The wolf gives him another look. Not sizing him up, so much as, if asking itself if the smell and taste are worth it. Apparently they are.
'Rancid smell or not, your still the first, fresh, sizeable prey I've caught in months. And I'll be damned if I just let you go. This may have escaped your notice human, but I'm starving.'
The wolf's mouth opens, drool dripping down on his cheek as it lowers its head over him.
A single, saving thought enters his head at this.
"I can get you more food!"
The wolf pauses, so close to his neck he can feel it's fur and hot breath. Taking this as a good sign he continues.
"I can! I have a fort! All to myself too! The larder is full! All kinds of meat, enough to get through the winter!"
He pants, desperately hoping the wolf will believe him. Miraculously, it works. The beast backs off, enough to look him in the eye.
'...the whole winter?' It asks, eye's lighting up and Al franticly nods.
It looks longingly at his neck before making it's decision.
'Very well, human. I shall spare you. And in return you will provide me with food until winters end.'
"Yeah, of course!"
Satisfied, the wolf moves to his side. Standing before the boulder, it rears up, firmly placing it's front paws on the large rock and pushes, rolling it off of Alfred. Now free, he quickly scrambles to his feet, searching for his sword.
'Looking for this?' He looks over to see the wolf standing on his sword, 'I am no fool.' It snarls angrily, pressing down on the blade, it snaps it in half.
Now weaponless, Alfred swallows nervously.
'You will feed me human. Or I will feed on you.'
Alfred nods numbly, looking back up at the drop. There's no way he can climb straight back up. And in this blizzard, he can't tell where he is.
"Okay. But,Um... I can't exactly see where we are right now. I won't be able to take you back to my fort in this blizzard."
The wolf tilts it's head and, like before, plants it's feet and howls, only this time ending the blizzard. It looks back at him and seems to smile.
'There, no more blizzard. Now, feed me.' It growls in warning.
And so, that was how Alfred found himself wandering through the woods, with a broken sword, damaged armour, and followed by a wolf back to his home.
Just what has he gotten himself into?
Authors notes: Good news Alfred, your not dead! Yet... But now you do have a very hungry wolf to feed.
Huge thank you to all my wonderful reviewers and everyone who's favourited and following! They make my day!
I'm going away for a few weeks so I may not update until I'm back, but expect a lot more once I am. I wonder how much I can write on a 13 hour flight?
R & R people.
Until next time, stay awesome!