The wolves woke to Odd Gran clanging pots above their heads.

"Blessed morning," she said cheerfully.

There was an unusual clatter coming from the ceiling, that sounded like hundreds of people moving above us.

"Wedding has arrived," Odd Gran explained, "but no need for you to change. I don't have time for children."

She set two bowls before the animals, then put her hands on her hips and waited for her company to move. 

"Got a busy day ahead, and you might not get a meal until well after supper. Eat now, or risk an empty belly until night."

Food? my wolf asked its companion. When it sniffed the bowl it caught a whiff of near-rancid meat. Smell bad.

Helps if you no breathe.

"What this?" Odd Gran said with a raised eyebrow. "Is it not good enough for the little dandy?"

Talk to lady, the brown wolf urged.

How?

Open mouth and speak.

She no hear.

She hear me good.

You can do it, I added. Just like the other wolf says.

I sensed a feeling of foolishness from my wolf, but it opened its mouth and spoke:

"Me not know what food, lady."

Both my wolf and myself were astonished when Odd Gran nodded in understanding.

"It's meat and porridge. Go on, I want an empty bowl."

My wolf looked at its friend, who was already licking the last drop from its dish. Until that moment, neither myself nor my wolf had realized that the brown wolf's missing paw and eye had been restored, and the bandages were discarded as if nothing had happened.

It can regrow limbs, I thought, I wonder if it would work for me—

A gurgle from my wolf's stomach brought me back to the present. The animal turned to its meal and took a reluctant bite. The stench of new rot setting in the meat made its eyes water, but, as the brown wolf suggested, holding its breath made eating easier. After a few bites the taste wasn't as foul, and soon the bowl was empty.

Odd Gran cleared the dishes and went to one of her cabinets.

No bad, yes? the brown wolf asked. No cakes and steaks, but fills belly.

Something heavy thumped above us. Odd Gran rolled her eye and tipped a potion into her mouth. The crone disappeared, replaced by an enchanting maiden in a magnificent crimson and gold gown. Another crash from the ceiling made all three of us jump.

"They'll kill themselves with carelessness," Odd Gran muttered.

Wedding has food, the brown wolf said. You think we get bites?

No.

Odd Gran dabbed red powder on her cheeks, using a shard of mirror to watch her work. It gave her complexion a soft blush, which enhanced her already generous beauty. She applied the same powder to her lips, but wet her finger with her mouth before dipping it to create a paste.

When she was finished, she moved around the dungeon and collected three items, including a bone comb with broken teeth, a cracked shell, and a polished stone the size of a robin's egg. She held the items in her hand and whispered an incantation, and each object turned into a pretty decoration. The comb became a jeweled hairpin, the shell became a ruby ring, and the stone became a golden necklace. She held up the mirror shard to admire herself, and pulled her hair to cover her empty eye socket.

"Going to make a big entrance today," she cooed before blowing a kiss to her reflection and winking with her good eye. "All these years toiling in the shadows, I'll finally step into the light and be seen."

Remembering she was not alone, Odd Gran lowered the mirror and looked at her captives.

"If you behave, I'll bring you each a portion of fresh mutton."

A knock on the door took her attention away, and she glided through the room to greet her guest. Roland was on the other side, dressed in an elegant doublet and trousers, with his usually unkempt beard combed and oiled.

When he beheld the beauty at the door, his eyes lit up.

"Why Gran, you look wonder—"

"I know how I look," she cut him off with a coy smile. "You will not call me Gran today. Up there I will not be known as the witch in the dungeon. I will be Dame Gothel, mysterious and beautiful to all."

Roland gave a short bow. "As long as it's my arm you're holding, I'll call you whatever you wish." He offered his hand to her. "If you please, we must make our way to the wedding."

She placed a delicate hand in his.

"Might be a long day and night, my lovely beasts," she called to the wolves. "Upon my return I'll regale you with tales of a wedding fit for royalty."

When the door closed behind them, the brown wolf turned to mine.

Everyone will be pretty. But food will be better.

Its mouth was already drooling at the promise of mutton.

We go free now, my wolf said.

Free? No. Wait for food.

You say you want free.

Best do as lady says, the brown wolf replied as it stretched its legs.

My wolf snorted. Me no wait food. Want free more than meat.

The noise from above grew as guests filled the hall. A long note carried from a horn, signaling the start of the ceremony. With the castle's attention taken by the wedding, this was my chance to escape. I wondered if there would be any knights guarding the way.

My wolf tested its leash, while its friend watched with sleepy eyes and made no move to join the effort.

When the chain showed no weakness, a dark thought flickered through both of our minds.

What if we spent the rest of our life here? What if, after years of abuse under Odd Gran, we died surrounded by stone walls and blue torches?

Perhaps death was the only mercy left.

A sudden commotion began outside the dungeon, but it did not come from above. Odd Gran's shrill voice was screaming on the other side of the door.

"I've never been so disrespected!"

Another voice answered, but it was muffled by thick wood.

"Damn your excuses!" Odd Gran exclaimed.

There was a soft click before the door flew open and the woman stomped into the room. The wolves turned toward her, confused by her entrance. The wedding was not over already, was it?

She ripped the adornments from her body and threw them about the dungeon. When they connected with stone, the pretty decorations shattered into several pieces. She tore her gown next, cursing and yelling as she went. Roland entered behind her, his face red with shame, and watched the beauty have her tantrum. At the height of her fit, Odd Gran smeared the tint on her cheeks and lips, blurring it into a pinkish mess across her face.

"It's his pleasure to use me for potions and cures," she spat as she paced with clenched fists, "but I'm unfit for his precious wedding?!" She pointed an accusing finger at Roland. "He'll be lucky if I don't hex his marriage!"

"You wouldn't do such a thing," Roland said in a stern tone. "You're angry, and I understand that, but he is the king and you are his subject."

"He drove me away like I was some beast!"

"Why do you care about the court's admiration? What need do you have for the love of sycophants and liars?"

Odd Gran snorted. "I don't care at all what they think. I wanted to feel beautiful for a day. I wanted them to see me."

Roland placed a hand on her heart. "You are beautiful, Gran."

She looked at him with a tearful eye. "I wanted you to be proud to have me on your arm."

A tender affection passed between them, and for a moment her mood was calm. But a horn blasted above and Roland's hand fell to his side.

"I must attend the ceremony. I'll come to see you when it's over."

Odd Gran's fury returned in an instant. "I don't care to see you ever again! Get. Out."

Hurt by her words, Roland moved to kiss her cheek, but Odd Gran pushed him away. He bowed and turned on his heels, and the dungeon was left with a trio.

The witch muttered under her breath as she dropped a heavy sack on the table and loosened the string that held it up. The opening pulled back to reveal several sharp instruments.

Odd Gran had a mind to hurt something.

She moved to the corner, her eye darting between the two animals, and chose the brown wolf as her first victim. With a snap of her fingers the chain was released from the ring on the floor, and the wolf was led to the alchemy table. The end of its leash was looped through another ring on the table's corner.

The brown wolf cast a pitiful glance in my direction, and I knew no good would come of Odd Gran's intentions. She chose a hooked blade and began to sharpen it.

Joyful cheering rose above us and Odd Gran scoffed.

"The fools are welcoming their new queens. May they both prove barren."

There was something wrong in the cheering, that only the keen ear of the wolf could discern. It was not happy noise, but screaming. The sounds of fright and pain. Clattering followed, that sounded like tables being turned over.

This was not a celebration. The din grew until Odd Gran stopped her sharpening and looked at the ceiling.

"What could possibly—"

The dungeon door flew open, and there stood Roland, gasping for air. His brow was slick with sweat and there was red splashed across his fine clothing.

"Monsters!" he cried. "Hideous things—the legs, they—we're being attacked!"

"What are you going on about?" Odd Gran snapped. "Have you come to gawk at the dungeon witch?"

He flew to her and grabbed her shoulders. "Gather all your magic to fight—Come quick, please! Help!"

"Why would I help that spoiled king?"

"PLEASE!" he roared, and his voice was painted with such terror that Odd Gran's anger was immediately silenced.

Roland allowed her a few seconds to grab a pouch, then, with tremendous urgency, he took her hand and dragged her from the room. Caught up in the catastrophe above, neither had thought to close the door behind them.

The dungeon was open and the path to freedom waited ahead.

The brown wolf cocked its head to the side.

What do you think—

Door open! my wolf snarled. We free now! Break chain!

Break?

Chew! Cut!

Finally understanding the limited time we had, the brown wolf released an excited howl and began to gnaw on the chain that bound it to the table, while my wolf went to work on its own bindings.

A bizarre thing happened as we worked, for the chains suddenly dissolved. They were not the only things affected, as objects all around the dungeon began to disappear with a hiss and puff of smoke. Relieved as I was to be free, there was a foreboding warning that came with such an event. Something had happened to Odd Gran to make her enchantments fade.

In a blink, I became a boy, and my transformation was punctuated by a piercing shriek from the ceiling. I ignored it and threw the whelp the tattered blanket from the corner, then set to pulling on the remnants of my own clothing. They offered little covering but would have to do for the moment. I almost forgot to retrieve the twins' vial from Odd Gran's table, but another scream from the hall made me remember, and I flung it around my neck. Whatever was happening in the castle, I needed all the protection possible. The whelp stopped me before I reached the door.

"You're not leaving, are you?"

I wanted to shake the boy until he found good sense.

"This is our chance to escape!"

"We don't know what's up there." He was trembling, his pale face turned to the ceiling. "I don't want to see it."

"We might be able to avoid it, but here we'll only be waiting for the witch to return and carve us into pieces."

The whelp gave a hesitant nod. "We'll go together."

There was another crash—and then all noise ceased from above.

An ominous silence descended. The hair on my arms and neck raised.

A low hissing began. It grew until it became a roar, and I imagined with horror that a thousand snakes were slithering above our heads. I grabbed one of Odd Gran's sharp instruments and left the dungeon. As quietly as we could, the whelp and I climbed the stairs that led to the dining hall. The hissing grew as we approached the only way out, becoming so loud that the ground vibrated under our feet.

"I don't want to go in there," the whelp whimpered as he pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders.

"We'll move swiftly, and whatever it is will be distracted and won't see us."

"You can't be sure." He made a frightened noise. "I don't know how to fight."

"You won't have to!"

"But if we do...if we do have to fight something in there...you're a champion, aren't you?"

"If it comes to that, I'll fight for us both."

I reached for the door but the whelp stopped me. "I can't do it. I want to go back to the dungeon!"

"The dungeon will be far more dangerous when the monsters decide to move through the castle."

That swayed him and he nodded. I touched the vial for comfort and recalled a time when I did the same thing with my wooden talisman.

"Quiet and quick," I whispered. "Don't do anything to bring attention."

I gently pushed the door open.

What my eyes found in the hall will forever haunt the worst of my nightmares.