Thank you for your hospitality

"Milady, I am not engaged, and I must say you do suit my tastes, but I can't assure you my presence here, and if as I think, you want me to help you giving birth, I am not someone you can to rely on."

Under Oswald's gaze, his mother blushed in embarrassment. Of the few people they knew, none were that straightforward.

The young boy thought with a frown. 'Mother is showing her whore side again.' Ever since his father had left the house, his mother would venture forth each time a traveller passed by, or each time she had the occasion to.

Her sole objective was the survival of her family. If they had another pair of hands, they would have more money, more reserves and more children. Her last child alive, Oswald, survived only due to the military earnings of his father, who hadn't showed up in months, the man wasn't even informed of his latest offspring to come.

Oswald was seventeen years old. His stature was thin and his short hair was a top class dwelling for lice. He spent his days running around the herd, stepping in their faeces and getting tossed around when he stood in the middle of the sheep.

The boy was not thankful for his life of hard labor. Every day, he woke up because he was cold, every day he had to walk with his broken shoes in the snow and fight against the little pain he had in his stomach daily. Hunger prayed on him and to his utmost discomfort, it was getting worse each time they lost a goat or a sheep because of the wolves.

They had to keep the population of their flock as high as possible despite the snow covering the dark green pastures.

The twelve animals they kept needed more than four months of gestation, years ago, they lost three quarters of their herd. Thunder struck one and the few that were nearby died instantly roasted under a torrential rain.

Then Oswald's little sister died of unknown reason, she simply fell asleep to never wake up. The poor little girl barely knew how to speak. Her death was followed by failed attempts to enlarge the family from Meryl.

She had her first child at fourteen, which made her thirty-one today.

"My apologies." She said, sealing her lips with the tip of her fingers out of embarrassment.

However the man shrugged, giving her hope despite her blunder. "You know, I feel in debt. I can't believe the first house I found was filled with this much warmth. I know I have no whatsoever obligation but my heart keeps telling me to listen to you."

He touched her shoulder and its warmth made her blink several times. He continued.

"You must've noticed I am no commoner, to come out barely minutes after my venue here, you may have thought about a way to live more peacefully, ain't I right?"

Meryl hid her face displaying disgust, she kept the shy impression she wanted to give only thanks to the width of her sleeves. Of course it was her plan, Oswald was next to her and nodded subconsciously.

"Then, tell me, both of you, what do you want? It's on me, I can't blame you for asking a due because you're hosting a complete stranger!"

He turned toward Meryl first, staring intensely with his never fading smile.

"I want to be with my son." She simply answered.

Oswald rolled his eyes to the sky, asking himself how dumb her mother was for not taking advantage of the noble and asking for more. He spoke. "I want to survive every winter I have to live."

The corner of his mouth went up a little as he thought. 'I'll kill two birds with one stone if this noble understands my demand. He'll give us plenty of money and we won't have to work ever again! Mother is so stupid she cancelled her own demand.'

A wolfish smile extended on the man's face for an instant. It vanished when Stan spoke. "I'll do my best to grant your wish and make your life better, young one."

Stan opened his bag wider to share his meal with his hosts. He had bread and meat jerky with big crystals of salt. Their not-so-thin dinner ended with the fire's strength and all went to sleep.

Deep in the night, bells rung aloud.

"Ozzy! The sheep!" Meryl shouted, half-asleep. The kid was already up and ran as fast as the wind.

Not caring to take his clothes, he went to the stables in the dark. He managed to reach it not because of the moon light which was hidden under a dense snowstorm cloud, but because he knew the way by heart, he touched the wall of the barn and followed it until he found the door's handle.

"Hush! Hush!" He said, making the sheep and goats disperse. He was looking for a wolf, a bear, whatever that could prey on his precious sheep.

They were very agitated, but the place was too dark and Oswald couldn't distinct a wool from another. In their commotion, they rushed at him and he got stomped multiple times. He knew his animals were panicked, from the rear of the barn, a tremendous growl resounded.

Baa! Baa! All of them became louder.

In the darkest corner of the room, where the roof was broken and let a lone ray of moonlight enter, Oswald saw a gigantic shape, it was over two meters tall, the thing was full of hair, and when it stretched on its hind feet, the shape reached the ceiling.

It had clawed hands, an impressive head with curvy horns. Their golden glow shone to the radiance of the moon. Lastly it had two red eyes that mesmerised the boy. That until he was stomped anew. His nose broke under a hoof as the thing growled anew.

It came close to Oswald and grabbed his neck. In an instant, the boy was lifted mid air. He screamed as hard as he could.

Every bit of air in his lungs escaped his mouth with a high pitch.

A stung interrupted him, one horn pierced his left and right cheek, it dislocated his jaw in the process, holding the boy's head still while the monster looked down at him in with one eye.

Oswald felt naked. His entire soul was staring back at the red abyss in front of him. The bulb had a black horizontal slit that reminded him of his favorite animal.

The incessant wail of his animals and the pressure he felt in the atmosphere pinched his heart. The pain he felt in his jaw and the fact he was hanging only thanks to it, suffocating, was a thousand times worse.