Wolfish

1: The Curse

The kingdom had definitely had better winter weather than it was currently experiencing. The frost was thick on the windows of houses as families prepared for the impending winter feast. Those unfortunate enough to get caught in a blizzard were threatened to be enveloped in a frozen blanket and to be lost until spring had melted the white wasteland.

In the great hall of a large, luxuriously decorated castle sat a Queen whose heart was as cold as the weather outside. While the blistering winds howled like some feral animal against the turrets, claiming a few golden pennants as casualties, an elderly woman was shown into the castle by a guard, who also sought shelter inside the warm, granite walls. The kind guard helped the woman as she hobbled along, leaning heavily on his arm and her twisted walking stick, that curved in her hand, like her back curved from the years life had laden on her shoulder.

Upon entering the throne room where the Queen herself lounged by the fireplace, on a red velvet day bed wrapped in a fox fur blanket, the guard bowed and addressed her majesty. "Your highness, Elder here requests to stay in one of the guest rooms here and to have a hot meal before she turns in for the night. She said she will leave at dawn." The man's voice trembled as he spoke to the Queen. The Queen turned to the old haggard woman with lucid grace and studied her with ethereal, gilded eyes framed by silver paint. She pursed her lips, narrowing the lush pink Cupid's bow to the shaft of an arrow. "Why would I cater to the whims of an old spinster who clearly has not a penny on her name? This is a castle, not an inn."

At this, the elderly woman took a few steps closer to the fire, yearning to heat up her old bones. In a voice laced with age and use, that was made faint by the chill within her body, she spoke to the Queen. "Indeed, I have not a coin to give you, my Lady, but I can offer a blessing. I heard of your son, my Lady. My blessing would be for him to grow in beauty and grace, a spitting image of his mother", she offered, extending a bony, weathered hand to the Queen. Her highness threw her head back in an unflattering manner and laughed. "And what would you know of beauty and grace, old hag?" She got up, fixing the folds of her dress and strode to the elder, pointing at the door. "Leave my castle! You are spoiling the very air with your stench! And that old twig of yours is ruining my carpets!"

Shrinking back from the Queen's sudden anger, the woman lifted her cane and slowly turned shuffling to the door. However, once she neared the grand oak throne room doors, she stamped the cane on the ground, the golden tip on the bottom of the twisted piece of wood creating sparks as it came into contact with the marble floors. Suddenly the ice breached the windows spreading over colorful wall hangings. All the flames turned to wisps of smoke in a sudden gust as if the North wind himself blew them out. "Are you certain this is your final decision, your Majesty? Beauty and wealth can bring much, but something truly beautiful does not come with a price....", came a far louder voice than before from the elder, who turned once more to face the now frightened Queen. As soon as she did, the cold was replaced by warmth, the candles and fireplace sprang to life and the frost retreated to the confinements of the window sashes. "My offer to you is quite generous, your Highness. Refuse me because of your pride and vanity, you will be cursed and your kingdom shall fall", the elder warned. The Queen dabbed at her eye and collapsed in a heap, looking up at the woman before her.

"No! Please spare me! I'm burdened with another child!", she cried on her knees before the old crone. The elder woman stamped her cane on the floor for a second time as her lip curled in consideration. "Fine, on one condition. You change your ways." The Queen nodded and stood up, patting the wrinkles from her skirts as the bent old woman turned once more to leave the room. It was then the Queen once again showed her true colors. "Gullible old hag! You really thought I would show my face if I still were with my child? My body must be flawless for my subjects. I had my child, an angelic baby girl!", she laughed. At that moment the old woman turned around and pointed a gnarled finger at her. "For your deception and pride I will curse not you, but your children! Your son will be beautiful, however his heart will be dark and twisted and no woman would want to be his wife. Your daughter will be human by day, but then she would take the form of an animal feared by man once night falls. When she reaches her eighteenth birthday, the form will stay both day and night. Her heart will be kind and pure and she will be beautiful both inside and out. This will last for her until a man of equal kindness and purity can see past the fangs and fur to see the woman she is beneath."

With a third and final stamp of her cane came a flash of golden light and she disappeared. When the Queen had finally blinked the light from her eyes, night was falling. Panicked, she tore through the corridors to the nursery where her daughter lay. A scream sounded as the wet nurse ran from the room, terrified. Once inside, the panicked mother yanked off the muslin covering the bassinet. Shrieking in fear, she backpedaled, falling over a wooden toy made for the baby, if you could call it that now. The once beautiful girl had now sprouted dark fur and twisted claws. Her now elongated mouth lined with little puppy teeth opened in an inhumanly howl as all the racket irritated her sensitive little ears. The Queen's child was a humanoid wolf pup with tiny, padded paws, kicking and flexing as her claws tore at the quilt that swaddled her. The Queen realized the old woman was truly an enchantress and now she must take drastic measures to keep this horrible event from getting out. Yes, she would lock the child away with a few select servants in the summer castle hidden in the mountains to the north. She would claim the baby had died from an illness and forget it ever happened. She never had a daughter. That's right. No child that horrendous would be hers. With this in mind, she sprang up and ordered just that, even signing her daughter's death certificate. Yes... This will work. Everything would go according to plan. No man would meet her daughter. Not in the cold, blistering winters where she'd be placed. She would never ever see anyone other than the servants the child would be sent there with.