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“It seems, above the floors, the palace is a tittering that you must have had help. After all, no one believes a simple daoire could kill a King. Or at least that’s what they like to say in public.” He plucked a caterpillar from one of his leaves and set it on the desk.

It wriggled in confusion for a while before setting out to find a better home.

I could have, probably should have. My one regret was that I had been too shocked and empathetic to take my moment to stab him a few times for all the trouble he had caused me. I kept eating as Green Man went on.

“Violet sends her love, by the by. Said specifically to tell you that you better not be having too much fun because she intends on strapping your ass when you get back for giving her all this grief. Said she spent all that time in the temple tending after your hide, and you had the gall to immediately get back into trouble.”

I finished up the stew, leaving every piece of the meat in the bowl, and shoved the last pieces of bread into my mouth. “That’s totally fair and absolutely a love sonnet from our dear little doll.”

“I knew you’d agree.” He leaned against the door frame and watched me. “He’s forbidden you from leaving this room, you know.”

“Ha! And you plan on keeping me here? I’ve got a match somewhere.”

The crackling of branches mixed with his laughter. “Oh, I fully intend on closing this door behind me. Unfortunately, our dear Captain of the Guard was too busy storming around and giving the weak little humans orders to remember to give me any sort of means to lock said iron door. It is not my fault that I assumed the lock would be magical like the Maw is. How was I supposed to know that The Raven has a secret bunker down in the depths of the dungeons that isn’t a prison cell and doesn’t have a magical lock? Not like he has told anyone.”

“He’s forgetful like that, very irresponsible. How did he even get that job? You’d think the Captain of the Royal Guard would be responsible at least,” I huffed, dusting bread off my newly purloined pants.

They were baggy on me, but they would do.

“Nepotism. Same way as everything else.” Vines wrapped around me in a tight hug. “I cannot stay for long, Cricket. He’s posted guards up on the Maw level. They are expecting me back. I was only supposed to bring down the food, ensure you do not leave, then go back up above floor.” His face turned very stern, mockingly so. “So. Young lady. Don’t you dare leave this room. You’re grounded. By order of The Raven of the Dawn, Captain of the Royal Guard.”

“Oh no! Not that! I will absolutely stay right here and await his return. I absolutely will not be sneaking out of this room and down one of those tunnels the very moment you leave,” I parroted in mock innocence.

“That’s right. You had better not. And you absolutely shouldn’t take the torch I accidentally left outside of the door. And you most certainly should not whistle up to the ghost lights, ask them to help you and pay them with a lullaby. That would absolutely not be acceptable.”

“Then, I absolutely will not do that!”

The pair of us grinned like silly children to each other, letting it comfortably turn down into a melancholy, soft smile that spoke so much of our troubles and the weight that we carried. Our burdens were both shared and individual. The ribbon that tied us together could hold Fenris, but it had a different patina for each of us.

“Oh!” Green Man exclaimed and stepped aside with a waist-deep bow to usher something or someone into the room. “I found this lurking outside the Maw in the deep shadows. I suspect he had been there the entire time, waiting for The Raven to return with you. He sort of followed me down when I came this way. So, I am assuming he was looking for you.”

Smoke, thin and gossamer at first, gathered strength and body as it flowed, seeking finger like tendrils into the room filling the doorway. Then a deep bearded snout appeared sniffing, drawing up a black lip that swallowed the light around it, around dark-purple teeth.

The massive head of what looked like an Irish wolfhound made of nothing but light-swallowing black mist and smoke stepped into the room. The lights in the gutter around the ceiling spit, hissed, and threatened the beast as it entered its domain. Two eyes that reflected neon-blue and yellow, like a phone camera flash sparking in its eyes, turned to me and took me in.

“Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.” I gulped as the mini-horse of a smoke dog crept toward me.

“It seems Goose has decided not to be a cat anymore,” Green Man whispered apologetically as the mastiff shaped dog calmly glided toward me.

“Look, Goose, I appreciate that your folk were once war dogs, and this is all very impressive, this whole shape shifting thing, but that’s unsettling, my friend. Very unsettling. Could you pick a shape and stick with it?” Goose tilted his head, perking up his bushy ears as his butt hit the carpet in front of me. Smoke billowed away on the small gust of wind. “Thank you, Green Man. At least I’ll have someone around should The Raven decide that velvet coverlets and hot stew are too good for me.”

“To be honest, Cricket, I’m less to thank than Goose here. I had no choice about it. Rather certain that had I tried to shoo him, he’d have bitten off my hand.”

“What, don’t want to play fetch with Goosey? So mean, Green Man.”

“You know, Cricket, one of these days, you’re going to take something seriously.”

“Maybe. But today is not that day, and I am eyeing your shin for a good chew toy for my baby here. Now, get going before the guards come looking for you.”

Green Man didn’t need to be told twice, and when I looked back up, he was gone and the door closed behind him.

I slumped into the chair and watched Goose patrol the room, sniffing everything his nose could push into.

“Okay, Goose. Look, I know you can understand me. Sensed it all this time. And that’s a bit unsettling. So, let’s have a little chat. First things first, can you talk?”

A small voice in my head whispered that I didn’t want to know the answer to that question. I really didn’t. A shapeshifting smoke dog that could understand everything I said was bad enough but a shapeshifting smoke dog that could understand everything I said and respond back to me? That was too much.

Goose raised his head from where he was pawing open a drawer and watched me with those flashing eyes. Eventually, he stuck his nose back into the drawer and said nothing.