Red Mist

2. The Beasts in the Pen

Freya skipped through the house clutching her knapsack for today was the day. She wore her favorite grey shawl over her brown working tunic, with mum's matching headband as she scurried down the steps into the common room.

She skipped past stuffy old gran who was rocking her youngest brother, Bard. Old Gran was wearing the latest fashions from five years ago and didn't seem to care about all the new fabrics that had been made recently. She always said that true style didn't need to change so frequently.

Grabbing a breakfast roll, she chewed on it as she kept moving. One of her younger cousins, Kayli, was staying with the family to help Old Gran with Bard during the day, although everyone knew that it was really Freya's job to watch her. Kayli wasn't verbal yet, but she understood a lot of what was said to her.

"Don't forget to actually listen to Grandpaw when you finally get there," Old gran said, smiling. Freya could hear old gran suppress a cough. She pretended not to notice because that was the thing you did. Bard blinked at Freya. His fat rolls under his brown fur made him irresistible, and those eyes made you want to never look away.

Kayli was sipping on something that Freya caught a sniff of. It had a little sign on it that said, "Beast fuel."

"I will!" Freya said, darting out the back door into the early morning mist. Was that the drink that Grandpaw had purchased for the beasts? If so Freya was going to be in a lot of trouble.

She took a few steps towards the giant pen that Grandpaw had set up years ago. Three mice tall, pocketed with paw holds, it looked like she could easily climb it, but instead, she just walked towards the giant white beasts kept inside. Her whiskers connected with the wood briefly as she looked in.

Grandpaw had somehow captured two of the large white-feathered beasts and managed to keep them for more than three months. He'd figured out how to keep them fed and created a schedule. He even spent time trying to tame them every day for as much good as it did. Freya didn't think that he had made any breakthroughs or at the very least he had not told anyone.

Their beady black eyes stared back at her menacing, but they made no noise. The pen held as one pecked it nearby her as if testing its resolve.

Grandpaw came up around the corner, limping as always. He wore his brown overalls that were packed with tools and snacks. Each pocket that Freya could see was packed full and she knew that the one she couldn't see would also be full. In one paw was a flask with similar markings to the cup Kayli had been drinking from.

Grandpaw seemed to be all muscle and he was missing hair on his arms under large battle scars.

"Grandpaw!" Freya said, embracing him.

"Hey pup," he said, pressing back into her.

"Grandpaw! I'm a grown mouse! Call me by my given name!"

"Very well my dear. Hello... Freya."

"I'm so happy that you're finally letting me get near the beasts. I promised Old Gran that I would be safe," she said.

She'd been dreaming of ways to use the beasts for something, especially since they seemed the exact right size for a rider.

"And I'm here to keep that promise, pup, or else I'll be what's for dinner," he said, lifting up the flask, "This here? It's supposed to supercharge these beasts and make them move a little faster. I heard it will give you palpitations if you take it though."

Grandpaw felt at the small door handle next to the corner.

"What's it called?" Freya said sniffing the flask. It was the same!

"This, it's made from these large beans and the mole I bought them from, he swears by it. He says it's called ka-pi," he said.

Freya resolved to not say anything as she probably should have said something about Kayli drinking the Ka-pi. It must have been expensive. She turned to admire the beasts instead.

"Can I pet them?" Freya said expectantly.

"Well, they have to accept you, it took me a whole week before they stopped trying to peck my eyes out with those hard beaks. Ah, there we go," Granpaw said, slowly opening the door, "In you go, pup."

Grandpaw pulled a large seed out of his largest coverall pocket.

"Follow me and stay close. They love these seeds, but these beasts tend to be loose cannons."

Freya followed, loping behind Grandpaw as he limped along the inside of the pen, much too slowly for her tastes.

"Freya," Grandpaw said, drawing her attention.

He held up a seed in one paw and motioned for Freya to do the same with one of her own. The two beasts took notice, taking tentative steps towards the pair.

After what seemed like an interminable amount of time for a young girl to wait, Freya was standing in front of one, one paw outstretched with a seed.

"Palm up, raise up your paw," Grandpaw said as he did both. His beast dropped into a neat bow as it leaned in to eat the seed out of his paw.

Freya followed the instructions, turning her paw just so. The beast dropped into a bow as it snatched the seed out of Freya's paw. Expecting to feel something, she was surprised not to wince. Their bright red combs dipped gently towards her.

"So have you figured out yet if they are male or female?" Grandpaw asked.

"I was going to ask that, but I think you'd rather just tell me," Freya said.

"This is true," he said, "One is a female and the other is..."

"A male?" Freya said, excited all of a sudden. With one of each they could mate and then her family could begin to trade the beasts.

"No, unfortunately, they are both females. But I know someone that now has a male and he offered to help us."

"Ewwwwwww." Freya said.

"Freya, eventually you're going to have to grow up and face some adult responsibilities. Why just yesterday your mother was talking about bringing some pup suitors around," his eyes glazed over.

"Are you remembering the story about how you were betrothed to Old Gran? You just told me that story yesterday!" she said.

"Don't begrudge me the good times. You see most of the people that got married from my litter, well they married for connections, but I found love," Grandpaw said.

Freya stared at him for a minute as the beasts danced around the pen.

"Just because it happened to work out for you, you think that I should just go along with whoever she picks?" Freya said.

"Well, more or less," he said.

"Just because I should do the right thing."

Freya wondered if running away would help in the long term, but she always wanted to face her problems head-on. She trusted old gran even if she was a little off her rocker at times.

"Do the right thing for the family, Freya but make sure that you consider what the right thing is for you also. A pup that cannot grow won't make much of herself."

Freya paused to toss a seed in between the two beasts. Predictably both wanted to charge it but then realized that they would run into each other, so they just stood there, glaring.

"You can be who your mother wants you to be, pup. Or you can be who you want you to be, and none of us can pick that for you." Grandpaw said.

"Aww thanks, Grandpaw," she said.

Grandpaw sighed deeply.

"Well at least you'll know that your mother thinks that she's found the right one for you," he said.

"Right, it's not as if she'd just let me ride one of these magnificent winged beasts out of here, at least not without some training," Freya said, thinking quite the opposite.