Over the River and Through the Woods

The young, porcelain-skinned girl sat on her haunches peering out from behind the crooked trunk of a toothbrush tree. She watched the Beast before her trying to determine what sort of animal he was. He looked rather like Mr. Fox or one of the wolves, but she didn't recognize his caramel coloring. Another observer might have thought it unusual to see a dog-like creature wearing clothing and walking on two feet, but Mercy had seen animals behave in the most peculiar way in the forest. She pulled a shoot off the bush and sucked on it thoughtfully a moment before venturing out.

"Hello, Beast!" Mercy called.

The Coyote turned quickly, but didn't seem to be startled. "Hello, Little One," he said with a distinctly canine grin, bowing his head slightly.

Mercy thought his smile looked warm instead of hungry, and she took this to mean there was at least the possibility he was a good Beast. She gave a polite nod in return. "My name's Mercy. What's yours?" The Beast said nothing for a moment, his eyes taking her in from head to foot. Mercy grew a bit uncomfortable, but decided that she'd given herself a proper introduction so there was no reason for him to not answer. She smiled encouragingly, this time revealing rows of very small, very sharp teeth. "You don't have a name?" she asked politely.

"No, I have a name," the Beast replied. "Gabriel... you can call me Gabriel."

Mercy tried it out on her tongue. "Gabriel. I like that. Like the angel."

"Like the angel, yes," the Beast said with amusement.

Mercy asked, "Are you an angel, Gabriel?" She was very curious, not having actually ever seen an angel. She'd thought from the descriptions of them in the tales she'd been told that they were quite horrible, all wings and eyes. "You don't look like one."

"No," Gabriel smiled, "I'm not an angel, I'm... a... I'm a creature of the wild, given human shape."

She dropped the shoot from her hand to the grass, and then kicked at the grass with the toe of her shoe. "Do you know how to row a boat?" She pointed down the embankment toward the the flat-bottomed boat moored near the mill. "We could look at the river, if you like."

The Beast nodded and began moving lithely toward the dock of the mill. "Who are you, Mercy?"

The girl laughed, thinking it was quite obvious what she was. But Gabriel seemed to be a stranger, so she explained nicely, "I'm a girl. At least that's what Mother says." Mercy followed the beast and took his paw when offered, scrambling neatly over the side of the boat and settling onto one of its wooden seats. The Beast followed, sitting opposite of her and taking the oars in his paws. "Have you had breakfast, Gabriel?" Mercy leaned slightly over the side of the boat and trailed her fingertips in the clearness of the spring-fed river.

The Beast looked at her disapprovingly. "Should you be all alone out here?"

Mercy looked up from the water and smiled at her new friend again. "I'm alone a lot."

"Because, if I haven't," Gabriel asked seriously, "What do you suppose I eat?"

Mercy grinned and her sharp teeth sparkled. She leaned over the side of the boat again, watching the water intently. Quickly her hand darted into the water. When she pulled it up, a silvery fish fought to escape her grasp. "Do you like fish?" She pushed the fish toward Gabriel.

Gabriel nodded, then dropped the oars. He extended one paw, took the fish, and bashed it on the deck three or four times. When the fish had ceased to move he bit at it, tearing the skin off to expose the fatty flesh underneath. He chomped down on it, his canines shredding the flesh.

Mercy laughed with delight and clapped her hands. "I like fish, too." She wiped her wet hands on her dress. "They're a little messy, though." She sat contentedly watching the Beast eat as the river carried them in its flow.

"I like fish," Gabriel said with satisfaction. "They don't make noise, and they are good to eat." Flecks of fish blood stained his muzzle, but he didn't seem to notice.

The girl nodded agreeably.