Mrs. Mattigrue

The door swings open to reveal a young lady. She is quite fair, with bright, blonde hair and sparkling, blue eyes. "Yes?" she asks, her voice soft and kind.

"Mattigrue?" Skoll asks.

"Hm? Oh, you want Mrs. Mattigrue? She's two door down."

"Ah!" Skoll looks over, then back quickly. She seems a little anxious.

The woman just giggles. "Don't worry. Are you giving her a package? That's very sweet of you. She doesn't get out as much as she used to; if you could, would you stay and talk to her for a bit?"

"Mm," Skoll answers with a nod.

"Thank you. And come see me afterward, okay? I'll have something nice to give you."

"Mm," Skoll answers again. She turns and leaves the doorstep.

"Not that one?" you ask as she rejoins you out on the street.

"Close. Two more."

You smile at your youngest daughter. She had forgotten the last part of her directions; she knew it was this street, but couldn't remember which house. After pacing up and down the street for ten minutes, you finally convinced her to try one and ask for more directions. She had been a little nervous approaching the door, but she had done wonderfully. As a mother, you felt a small, glowing pride.

Now she confidently steps up to the correct house and knocks as hard as she can. Her small, slightly-furred hand makes just enough noise that you hope whomever was inside could hear it. After a long silence, she tries knocking again. When the door still isn't answered, she begins nervously hopping back and forth on each foot.

"Hmm..." Curious, you reach for the handle. It turns easily enough, and the door swings in. Apparently it wasn't locked. "Excuse us! We have a package for Mrs. Mattigrue from Mr. Patterson!"

You pause, and think you can faintly hear a voice from the back. "Let's go in," you tell Skoll quietly. She nods, but ducks behind your legs and follows you in. "Pardon us!" you call again as you proceed. In closer now, you can hear the voice more clearly.

"Don't be shy, now! I am sorry I can't come greet you; my body isn't quite what it was."

You follow that voice down a wide hallway which abruptly opens up into a small bedroom. An older woman sits in the bed, the covers drawn up to her waist. She has braced her back against the wall behind her, using her pillow as cushion for it. The lines on her face tell of many years of life, and the smile she's giving declares they've been happy years.

"Is that my meat? Bless Mr. Patterson, he never forgets. Here; I've just finished this set for his eldest girl. Could you bring it back to him for me?"

The 'set' she holds out is a pair of lacy undergarments. The fabric looks quite soft, and almost thin enough to see through. It would give proper support, but the area it covers was so minimal that it would barely preserve modesty. No, perhaps it would be better to say it leaves just enough to the imagination to be enticing. Just imagining yourself in this, and then imagining a man seeing you in it... The risque nature of it aside, the detailed stitch work is breathtaking; Mrs. Mattigrue must be a master of the craft.

Skoll politely sets down the package of meat on the end table first, then approaches Mrs. Mattigrue to retrieve what is probably her payment for the meat. The elderly woman's face turns inquisitive as she gets a close look at the small girl. "You... you aren't a hero, are you? Those ears..." Her gaze snaps up to you.

"Well..." you begin. Your mind races for what you should say. Be truthful? But Mienna was definite about hiding the fact you were sort of monsters from the people in town. But what excuse could you make here?

"Papa is a wolf. Mama is Mama," Skoll answers while you're puzzling it out. Oh well.

Mrs. Mattigrue's eyes shoot wide and she looks at you in amazement. Then she begins to laugh. She laughs hard, far harder than you would expect from a woman of frail constitution. "Oh! Oh dear! With a wolf, no less!" She grabs her sides, trying to contain herself but unable. After several minutes she finally calms down enough to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Oh. But it takes all sorts, doesn't it? But still! I never would have thought... with a wolf!"

"I don't see how that's any more strange than with an elf or with a human. He was quite charming. And he was so, uh," you glance at Skoll briefly, "he was quite the performer," you amend.

That sends Mrs. Mattigrue into another fit of giggles. "Ah, dear me! I wish I could hear more details of that! Truth be told, I've often wondered how my own- Ah, but I shouldn't want to bore you with that."

"No!" Skoll pipe up unexpectedly. "Please! I want to hear about it!"

She looks at the young girl in surprise. Then she smiles softly. "Well, I think I have a few stories I could share. If you won't be bored by them."

Skoll nods eagerly.

"Well then. Did you ever hear the tale of the Mad Prince Wulfenbane?"

Skoll shakes her head. So do you.

"Then this should be a good one."