The Beast of the Woods

Finally, he sighed.

'Well, I suppose if it saved your life, it wasn't entirely wasted.'

Callum looked up.

'You can work to pay for it. And you're not to go into the woods without a hunting party.'

Relieved, all Callum could say was 'Yes, thank you.'

'Now, go get these sharpened,' Wallace grunted, pushing a pile of knives over the counter to him.

Callum grabbed them and left Wallace examining the broken halves ruefully.

*

The rest of the village was in hysterics over the results of Callum's first hunt.

Merek hollered out to Calum as he walked down the street to the knife-sharpener's

'Savaged by a rabbit, boy? Or a flock of pigeons?'

He was lounging outside the baker's, surrounded by the other village louts who all snickered. Callum carried on without looking at them.

'Didn't you hear me, boy?' Merek got up and sauntered over to him. The others skulked behind him.

'Rack off, Merek,' Callum said irritably.

'Huh?' Merek shoved him, making him stumble backwards.

'You heard me,' Callum replied, after regaining his balance.

Merek's face twisted in rage.

'You don't talk to me like that,' he snarled.

He shoved him again, knocking him to the ground.

'Hey careful, Merek. He's holding knives,' one of the boys behind him said.

But Merek was deaf to everything else. He pinned Callum to the ground by the throat.

'I killed three boars on my first hunt,' he growled 'That makes me more than three times of a man than you are. And you think you can speak to me like that?'

He punched Callum hard in the face.

'Apologize!' he yelled.

Callum simply glared at him, so Merek struck him again and again.

'Merek, stop! You'll kill him!' the boy from before yelled. He pulled Merek off him.

But Merek was blind with rage and savagely kicked Callum in the stomach. With shouts, the other louts joined in with glee, except the one boy who kept yelling 'Stop! Stop!'

Finally, Merek's anger seemed to subside, and he spat contemptuously in Callum's face.

'Let that be a lesson, boy.'

Guffawing, the gang walked off, leaving Callum to crawl painfully to his feet. Picking up the knives, he carried on slowly to the knife-sharpeners. But one thought was already sharp and clear in his mind.

He would capture that Beast. He would make everyone see him as a hero. And with the gold he got for it, he would buy Wallace a new spear. No, twenty spears!

He was going back to the woods. Tomorrow.

*

The next day saw Callum heading out into the early morning again. This time, he was armed with a bow. He'd made the bow himself, from the branches of a yew tree, and had spent all night sharpening arrows until he had ten.

Callum was more confident now. The bow was, after all, a much more effective hunting weapon, he told himself.

He left the village without seeing a soul and climbed the hill to the woods. This time, he didn't hesitate, and charged straight into the trees. So eager he was to reach the spot where he had seen the Beast, he hurried along the path and reached the rock where he had stopped for a break before midday. Keeping his bow in his hand, he carried on into the trees.

His marks were still there, so he followed them cautiously, keeping an ear out for any sound of the Beast. This time, he thought, he wouldn't give it a chance to get up. He would shoot it dead from a distance. The fact that he had only managed to hit two out of ten targets in the butchery backyard didn't trouble him at all.

All he could hear was birdsong, however. He didn't try shooting them, not wanting to waste arrows. Nor did he want risk losing sight of the X's.

Finally, he reached the spot where he had first heard the rustlings and crept slowly towards the clearing. Reach the edge of it, he peered out.

The clearing was deserted.

Disappointed, Callum crawled out of the bushes. The fruit bushes on the other side of the clearing had no sign of being recently disturbed, although he could see tracks in the dirt directly in front, where the Beast had been crouching.

He bent to examine them. They were shaped more or less like a human's, with five toes and a pronounced arch. The big toe was in the same place as well.

They didn't look fresh. Plainly, the Beast hadn't been here since he had last encountered it.

It was a blow, but Callum wasn't surprised. He straightened and inspected the area.

The fruits on the bushes were a deep purple and about the size of apples. He picked one and sniffed it. It smelt all right, but was it safe to eat? He thought for a moment and shrugged. If it was safe for the Beast, surely it was safe for him. He took a bite and a sweet taste filled his mouth. It wasn't as tart as an apple, but it was juicy and refreshing. Callum ate it, core and all. Then he filled his pack with more to take home. If he couldn't find the Beast, he could still sell these for a good price.

As he was doing so, though, he saw something. It was a broken branch, at about his shoulder height. Pulse quickening, Callum looked closer.

The branches of the bush were all broken in one direction. Something big had passed through here on its way out of the clearing.

There was no doubt in his mind what it was.

Excited, he pushed through and examined the grounds for any tracks. It didn't take long. He quickly found a series of prints leading deeper into the forest. He knew how to measure height from a person's stride and did the same math on these tracks. It was difficult without equipment, but Callum eventually calculated the Beast was at least 7 feet and 3 inches tall.

He could only imagine how much it would fetch and wondered if his arrows would be enough to kill it. He would soon find out.

Keeping an arrow on the string, he began following the tracks.

*

Hours passed. The sun rose to its peak, and slowly began to descend. And still Callum had seen no sign of the Beast. The woods were getting wilder and wilder, and Callum was getting frustrated, and also slightly concerned.

If he didn't turn back soon, he might not make it out of the woods before nightfall. And even if he did catch the Beast, how on earth was he supposed to bring it back? He hadn't gone with the hunting party, because he didn't want anyone else making his kill. But now he regretted not listening to Wallace. A team of them could haul the Beast back to the village. But by himself? No chance.

Callum stopped and sighed. There was nothing else for it. He'd have to turn back.

He turned to go, but hesitated. Was that the way back? It didn't look familiar, but he was sure he came this way. He followed it for a while then stopped. This was definitely unfamiliar. He tried to go back to where he started, but thick bushes seemed to have appeared and he couldn't tell where he had come from.

Callum felt a rising panic and tried to quench it. He cursed himself. Why didn't he make more marks in the trees? Did he think he could follow the tracks back? Now it was getting dark, and he was deep in the unmapped woods. No one would come looking for him at night. In fact, Callum doubted anyone would come looking at all.

He groaned. What was he supposed to do now? Climb a tree perhaps. But in this dim light, that would be dangerous. Start a fire? Possibly, but it could draw anything to him.

As he stood there, frantically trying to think, he became aware of a sound. Running water. A stream! His heart leapt. If he followed that stream, it might lead him out of the woods.

He hurried through bushes and over logs, heading towards the sound.

Through a gap in the trees, he could see the stream. Eagerly, he rushed forward.

Then he stopped.

Kneeling by the water, a creature was bending to drink. It was the Beast.

Quite unaware that it was being watched, the Beast was on its hands and knees, drinking deeply from the stream. The noise of the running water must have masked the sound of his approach, because it didn't look up or give any sign that it had heard him.

The Beast was wide open, a perfect shot. Breathing excitedly, Callum raised his bow.

Then a growl from behind stopped him short.

Slowly, Callum turned to see a wolf stalking up behind him through the undergrowth. It stared at him unblinkingly. Already it was less than ten feet away. And Callum knew enough about wolves to know that it was useless to run.

With a shout of fear, Callum raised his bow and fired wildly, praying for luck. He didn't get it. The arrow flew wildly over the wolf and disappeared. The wolf, angered by his shout, snarled and leapt.

Callum didn't have time to think, time to do anything but crouch there frozen, as over a hundred pounds of fur and fangs hurtled towards him.

But the next instant, something large had leapt over him and into the wolf with enough force to knock it back.

Hackles raised, claws extended, the Beast snarled at the wolf which got back to its feet and returned the challenge.

It leapt savagely at the Beast, and Callum saw its teeth tear into the bare shoulder. The Beast howled in pain, and bright red blood began to flow. It shoved the wolf back and struck out with a claw. The wolf yelped as its face was cut. The two stared each other down. Then the wolf decided it had had enough and disappeared into the undergrowth.

After a moment, the Beast turned to Callum. Despite the wound, it still stood tall and began growling. It looked furious as it bared its fangs. Dimly, Callum noticed what he hadn't registered last time. The front of the torso was bare. All the fur grew on the top of the head and down the back. The Beast's skin was a pale tan.

But then the combination of shock, fear, and tiredness made his head swim, and he collapsed to the ground in a dead faint.

*

Callum woke once again at the edge of the forest.

Sitting up and looking around, he saw it was night. The moon was out and by its light, Callum saw the village below. He fumbled around and found his pack nearby. He looked for his bow, and eventually came across it snapped in two. There was no sign of his arrows.

Callum gingerly to his feet. He picked up his pack and shouldered it. He was quiet, but his mind was whirling, filled with images of the woods, the wolf, the Beast...

He would have killed the Beast or been killed by the wolf. But the Beast had leapt in and drove it off. There was no doubt about it. The Beast had saved him. Why? So it could eat him? Then why had he found himself at the edge of the woods again?

That one thought was in his head as he made his way down the hill.

The Beast had saved him...

*

By the next morning, Callum had made a decision. He got up and headed out to gather the things he needed.

The orchard had seen a flow of visitors over the past few days. People had been bringing their haul every day to try and impress Beckett. One of his empty sheds was now piled high with cuts of dried meat, fruit and vegetables, garments, lumber, nails, horseshoes, tools, bread, furniture, and all the other various goods that the village hoped to sell when Carter came.

Beckett kept a careful tally of everything that passed through the door.

A parade of village boys kept turning up at his door, hoping to win favour from Elise. But Beckett had turned them away every time. Elise herself hadn't been seen since the announcement, and Beckett had told everyone that she would appear when the results were read. Until then, she would remain safe in the house.

Two days later, Callum gathered everything into a bundle. He packed some bread from the kitchen and was about to head out when he felt Wallace's hand on his shoulder.

'Where are you going?' he growled.

'Just out,' Callum replied evasively.

Wallace narrowed his eyes. 'You're going back to the woods again.'

Callum didn't reply.

'Don't think I haven't noticed your trips,' Wallace warned 'With all your gallivanting about, you've let your work here slip. I took you in after your father died because I owed him. But you're an adult now, so that debt's been paid. If you don't shape up, you'll be out on the street.'

'I'm just going to pick herbs at the edge of the woods,' Callum lied. 'I'll be back soon.'

'Hm,' Wallace said suspiciously but let him go. Callum left the butchery quickly and headed towards the edge of the village. He hated lying to Wallace, but if the butcher knew what he planned, he'd try to stop him or worse. Making sure his knife was strapped securely to his belt, he walked towards the hill.

*

Callum stood at the now familiar edge of the woods. For the first time, he felt nervous. He glanced back at the village and wondered briefly if he should just simply pack it all in and go back.

Then he reminded himself why he was here. Taking a deep breath to steel himself, he made his way into the trees.

It was a hot day, and the trees provided a welcome shade from the heat. There seemed to be more birdsong than usual, and Callum was glad he'd packed extra water. He planned to refill his waterskins at the stream and wondered how far he'd have to go to find the Beast.

But Callum hadn't been walking for five minutes when there was a crash of branches and something huge leapt onto the path in front of him. It was the Beast. And she looked furious.

Claws extended, fangs bared, she snarled at him angrily. Callum stumble backwards.

Then with a roar, she pounced at him. Her fangs were within an inch of tearing his throat out, when he frantically held up his pack.

She stopped short in surprise and sniffed the bag suspiciously. The snarling was replaced by a low growl.

Slowly, Callum raised a hand and reached inside the bag. The Beast growled suspiciously at first, but then stopped as Callum withdrew a purple apple. He held it out to the Beast with a shaking hand, but the Beast snapped her fangs and Callum quickly withdrew it. He raised the apple to his mouth and took a bite. It tasted like sandpaper right now, but Callum held it out again and said 'See? It's safe.'

Gently, he placed it on the ground in front of him and stepped back.

The Beast crouched down, not taking her eyes of Callum, and picked up the fruit. She sniffed it for a long moment, then took a bite. Then another. And in three bites, it was gone.

Callum was already reaching back inside his bag, and this time pulled out a bunch of berries. He carefully tossed them on the ground in front of the Beast, careful not to get too close.

These, too, the Beast picked up, and after regarding it, pressed them to her mouth.

After finishing them, she looked at Callum expectantly. Feeling more confident that she wasn't going to eat him, Callum upended the bag and let a large pile of fruits fall out. There were purple apples as well as blackberries, strawberries, pears, and figs.

'Thank you for saving my life,' Callum said quietly.

The Beast looked at him. It hadn't understood him, but it had heard the tone he used. At least now it knew he wanted to be friendly.

'I'm sorry I attacked you,' Callum continued in that same quiet tone. 'I won't try to hurt you anymore.'

The Beast stared at him curiously for a long moment. Then it turned its attention to a pear, biting into it cautiously.

Callum relaxed. The Beast wasn't going to attack him. He sat down and watched it eat. Now that he was able to focus, he noticed the details of the Beast that he missed.

Even though it was far larger than him, Callum saw that the Beast had a slim waist. He could see the powerful muscles in the legs, and the waist and arms were toned. In fact, the build really was similar to a human, despite the size. The Beast even had a belly button and two pert breasts. And between the legs...

Callum looked away, embarrassed. There was no fur from the waist down, so the Beast's genitals were clearly visible. He knew the Beast was a wild animal. But it looked so much like a human's that he felt uncomfortable looking.

The Beast soon finished the food. Callum watched it cautiously to see what it would do next. Licking its fingers, the Beast regarded him with an almost thoughtful expression. Suddenly, it leaned forward. Taken by surprise, Callum leaned back instinctively. The Beast had a strange smell, sweet and musky. She began sniffing him all over. Just as Callum was feeling uneasy, he suddenly heard a scream from the direction of the village.

He sprung up in alarm. Behind him, the Beast rose as well.

Callum listened closely and soon heard distant shouts echoing through the trees. He looked up at the Beast standing behind him.

'Something's happened,' he said hurriedly. 'I've got to go.'

The Beast looked at him, not understanding a word. But Callum had not time to explain properly and began sprinting back down the path.

When he broke through the trees, he saw smoke rising from the village. Heart in his mouth, he ran down the hill, wondering what on earth happened.

*

It turned out the blacksmith had been smoking his pipe in the afternoon sun and had accidentally dropped it on the dry grass. It had quickly caught fire and spread across the yard. But the speedy actions of the blacksmith's apprentice, Rowan, had stopped it before it spread. By the time Callum got there, the villagers were already dumping earth on it and the blaze was all but out.

Beckett was busy berating the blacksmith when Callum arrived.

'You could have had us all up in flames, Darren,' he said angrily.

The blacksmith looked sheepish. Rowan was helping pour water across the yard when Beckett turned to him.

'You're lucky to have a lad like this,' he said, clapping Rowan on the shoulder. 'Fine young man, perhaps he should marry Elise!'

There was nervous laughter from those gathered, causing Beckett to grin.

'Don't worry, I'll keep to the rules of the contest. But if no one can bring in a good haul, I may just start inviting this lad over to dinner!'

Rowan smiled nervously. He wasn't as tall as Beckett, but his arms were strong from working in the forge. He was also, Callum noticed, the boy who had yelled at Merek to stop the other day.

Callum watched Beckett turn to direct the teams carrying water when he felt a hand clap onto his shoulder. He looked up. It was Wallace.

'Come on,' he grunted. 'Nothing you can do. 'Sides, I've got a job for you.'

Wallace steered him back to the street and towards the butchery.

'Where are them herbs, then?' he asked.

'Oh, I saw the smoke before I could get any,' Callum lied quickly.

'Your bag looks lighter than before,' Wallace said suspiciously.

'I, uh, had lunch up there,' Callum said, not entirely untruthfully.

'Hmm.'

When they made it back to the butchery, Callum made to go inside, expecting to have chores inside. That wasn't what Wallace planned, however.

'Back here,' he said, leading Callum to the sty where he kept his pigs. There were six of them, though no doubt there would soon be less, once Wallace had finished fattening them up.

'I'm selling a couple of pigs to Carter,' Wallace explained.

Callum raised his eyebrows in surprise. 'I thought you didn't care about the contest?'

'It's not through Beckett. I'm selling them separately.'

'He won't be happy when he finds out,' Callum warned.

Wallace chuckled. 'Beckett can think what he likes. I'm not giving him something for nothing.'

'Now,' he continued, 'I'm putting you in charge of the pigs until Carter arrives in two days. You're to wash them, feed them, and make sure they're healthy. I wouldn't put it past Beckett or his son to try any funny business, either. So, you'll also sleep out in the sty to keep an eye on them.'

'What?' groaned Callum.

'No complaining. I'll leave you a blanket. You've been spending too much in those woods, so you can just knuckle down and do some proper work for change.'