The Beast and The Brain.

Grace gave her father a glare, I could tell she didn’t approve of something, “Yes father, tell him what happened.” Charles smiled nervously, and I couldn’t help but grin. Grace’s wild curls added to the effect of her glare, and she had grown a little since I saw her last.

He looked at his daughter, “Grace, can you not forgive me?” He asked.

She put her hands on her hip, “You know how much I detest gambling father, and to think that you would do it with our money…”

“Sweetheart you know what came out of it though and I promise you that it was the first and only time.” He assured his daughter. She simply huffed and went back to cooking the meat.

Charles look at his daughter for a moment then turned back to me with a sigh, “Well anyway.” He said, “I went to the tavern to have some ale the day before yesterday, but when I got there, there were some soldiers being loud and flirting with the women. I got myself a mug and was about to go sit alone by the fire when I noticed two soldiers, they were sitting and playing dice by themselves quietly. I honestly don’t know what overtook me, but it was like my whole body was telling me to go sit with them and play dice. So I did.” Grace looked over her shoulder then turned back around. I smiled and Charles continued his story, “They didn’t talk very much, so I simply sat with them and played, but as the time passed the other soldiers became drunk and louder.

“Finally, one of the soldiers started telling a story about a dangerous prisoner. ‘See ladies’ he said, ‘we caught a man just the other day, a freak, his eyes change like an animals, his teeth sharpened, and even the noise coming out of his mouth was that of a beast.’ When I heard his, I felt a chill go down my spine. See after you and J left, Grace told me about your powers, and she told me about her own power in detail. I always knew there was something different about her, and now I know everything. So when I heard that they had caught a man like you Asher, it made me think of you and the men continued his story because the women were looking scared, ‘Not to worry my dears, when we threw him in his cell we took the liberty of beating him. He will be in prison the rest of his life, he deserves nothing more.’

“After I heard this, the soldiers I was sitting with didn’t seem very happy about it, and for the first time they started talking aloud what they were thinking. I don’t think they meant for me to hear, but I did. ‘Stupid fools, they don’t mention the fact that he was shackled and unable to move.’ The older soldier said, I think he was a second in command. The younger soldier nodded his head, ‘They don’t even care that Asher is a man, and a kind one at that.’ When I heard your name Asher I thought my heart had stopped.” He said to me.

“They did beat me.” I told him, “They….” My fist clenched, I could feel my anger but I held it back, “Continue your story.”

Charles nodded, “Well after they said that, I knew I had to do something to help you, so I asked the older soldier, ‘You outrank them, so why don’t you order them to be silent?’ I asked them so it seemed like I wasn’t that interested, but really I was hanging on every word. He replied, ‘Because they are not under my order, my company is simply passing through, these men live at the barracks.’ He told me.

“I simply nodded my head and continued the game of dice, ‘It was just a thought, after all I don’t like them talking about Asher that way, he’s a good kid.’” Charles smiled when he remembered that part and looked at me, “Their faces when I said that were priceless Asher.” Charles told me, “They didn’t really know how to register what I said but finally the younger one spoke up, ‘You know Asher?’ He asked eagerly. ‘Silence.’ The older one commanded and he fell silent. He looked over at the drunken soldiers then stood up, ‘Perhaps you would be interested in taking this talk somewhere else?’ I nodded my head and we went to a private room and locked the doors behind us.

“ ‘How do you know Asher?’ The older soldier asked me. So I told him how I knew you, leaving out a lot of information of course, but I gave them the gist, and after I described you in detail, and how I knew about your power, they believed me. So we talked for an hour and he told me how he met you and what happened, and after I heard that you were being held prison we all thought the same thing, that we needed to get you out. So we spent most of the night scheming and plotting. I told the men that I would be waiting at the old path that runs behind the barracks with a cart two hours after nightfall. They said that they would bring you. The reason Grace is so upset is because I didn’t tell her, but I had good reasons, should the plan fail I didn’t want her to get caught with me. So I went alone, and they got you out, and now you are here.” Charles finished his story.

I soaked in the information, “Victor and Christopher are the soldiers’ names, and they are good men.” I said, “I will thank them someday when I see them again.” Charles nodded.

“Listen Asher, I have no doubt in my mind that the soldiers will come looking for you, and when they do the first place they will look is this village.” I nodded my head understanding what he was telling me.

“I plan to leave as soon as I am healed.” I told Charles. He nodded then hesitated, “What is it?” I asked him.

“Well me and Grace were both wondering something.” He said.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Where is J?”

I felt the blood drain from my face, and I sat there in silence as they both looked at me. I felt the anger boiling in my blood as J ran through my thoughts. I had sat in a cell being beaten for the past week, and all I could think about in that time was J, and how I would find her and take my revenge. “She…left.”I said simply.

“Sorry.” Charles said simply, got up from the table, and went to cook the potatoes. I sat silently at the table after that, but I could still tell that Grace was looking at me now and again. I waited as the food cooked; there was lamb, mashed potatoes, vegetables, bread, cheese, onion, and milk. As the mean finished cooking the table was set, the food was brought over, and after everyone sat down Charles portioned the meat for himself and Grace then allowed me to have the rest of the lamb, “Eat your heart out.” He said and my mouth watered. I was silent for the next hour as I ate. I couldn’t eat the lamb in a few bites like I would have if I was in my other form, but I still ate everything. Grace and Charles had their fill early on, but I kept eating. I was starved from the past week in prison. I finished the last of the potatoes and let out a burp and content sigh. “That was amazing. Thank you.” I told them both.

“Our pleasure.” Grace said smiling and she went and pulled out a pie, and severed herself and Charles a piece then gave me the rest. After everything was finished, I helped clean up. After that was done, Charles and I sat around the fire and relaxed and Grace went upstairs. After a while she came back down, “Asher, I poured you a bath, you look like you could use one.” She smiled. I nodded and followed her upstairs.

“Everything is on the chair, and I washed your clothes, and dried them so you can change into them if you’d like.” My cheeks suddenly went red as I remembered.
“Grace?”I asked.

“Hmm?” She replied.

“Who changed my clothes?”

She smiled, “Asher, you’ve gone completely red.” She stated, “Not to worry, my father took off your wet dirty clothes, I was not in the room.” She smiled then left the room. I let out a sigh of relief and undressed. I slipped into the bath, took the soup into my hands, and cleaned myself.