The Wolf's Den

Path 2: Ryland, Chapter 13: Part 1 (Warning Inside)

Warning: Like a previous chapter with Adrieve, there is extremely brief mentions of cannibalism. Please read responsibly and skip over that when it gets there should it make you uncomfortable. It's extremely brief. When Tilli and Adrieve start eating, and when Mr. Wolfe starts talking to Ryland, that's around where that is. Thank you, and have a great day.

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        "There, that's a good girl. Now, why don't we have a little chat, Ryland?" Mr. Wolfe said.

        "We've talked about this before, Mr. Wolfe. You told us what would happen," Ryland said.

        Neither of her sisters were talking, they only ate with command not to stop, the food ever replenishing, while Ryland hardly ate a bite.

        "Yes, but I want to talk more. That was reason, this is who I really am, the full force of my being."

        "I don't think we need to talk about this. I know what I have to do and when I have to do it, so you can drop the act."

        Mr. Wolfe tilted his head, a sickening smirk. "What game? This is no game, piglet, this is a serrious choice. You can only take one sister, and your companions are free to go with you, but we all know who you'd choose... But is it the right one?"

        "I don't think you're treating this fairly, dear heart. We have much to discuss."

        At this, Adrieve spoke, turning her head, stopping her eating to stare at Ryland in a creepy manner. "You won't choose me," she said.

        "Adrieve, no, I want to choose both of you---"

        Tilli looked towards Ryland, Adrieve continuing to eat while she smiled warmly to Ryland, though the smile was strained and soon became a frown. Her darke eyes were wide with fear. "Please, Ryland, please save me. It's scary here!"

        "That's enough, girls, you've done your part," Mr. Wolfe said, a scowl to the sisters, forcing them to eat despite how reluctant Tilli was to do so. However, she obeyed, causing Ryland to scowl at Mr. Wolfe.

        "They don't deserve this!" Ryland said.

        "Oh but they do. Ryland, don't you see it? Adrieve's eating a person's liver, to reprimand her sin of murder. And Tilli? Tilli's freed Rapunzel, that's a crime but not a sin, and we need to make sure she obeys the rules. You have one choice, and had your sisters not done what they did, we wouldn't them to leave while disobeying multiple rules." He paused. "In fact, you broke a rule, too, didn't you?"

        "No, I didn't, I haven't broken any rules---"

        "And while I'm sure Tilli and your companions believes you, Adrieve and myself do not. I've brought another guest to join us, if you don't mind. Come out now, dear, you can join us."

        From one of the beds, Lady, the princess connected to the frog pond, stared at Ryland for only a minute before looking to Mr. Wolfe. She ignored Tom, who was frozen solid with his face in obvious fear, eyes stuck on Adrieve's plate. She ignored Adrieve eating someone's liver. She ignored Tilli, eating berries on a plate. But she did not ignore Ryland, and nor did she ignore Mr. Wolfe, who she focused on solely.

        "Tell me, my dear, what happened when you met this young piglet?"

        "She knocked, I let her in, and told her to leave," Lady snarled.

        "And did you or did you or did you not break a rule?"

        "I don't think it matters."

        "Did you, or did you not, break a rule? I won't repeat myself again,"

        Lady froze, fear entering her eyes in that moment. "No, I don't think I---"

        Mr Wolfe stood and slammed his hands on the table, Tom unfreezing and staring at Mr. Wolfe with wary gazes. "Don't lie to me, girl!"

        Lady looked to her lap, lip quivering. "I... I did, Sir," she said, voice tiny.

        Mr. Wolfe sat down, not noticing Tom's hand hold Ryland's under the table, squeezing her hand gently. "That's what I thought. Ryland, do you know how serious this is?"

        "No, Mr. Wolfe, I don't," Ryland said, watching Lady become a wax figure while her sisters were forced to eat still, Adrieve appearing to be sick.

        "You broke a law I set in place, that gives you a large amount of trouble, and let me explain what happens," he said, leaning forward. "You've broken an unspoken law, invisibly to be followed and not having been instructed with. Our wax Lady beside Tom broke a law she knew about and should not have followed, because you knocked."

        "You never told me not to knock, how was I supposed to know?"

        "You were to assume. Here, in this labyrinth, you assume, because that is how it's done. It is how all of us behave, do you follow that much?"

        Ryland nodded.

        "Good," he snarled, a smirk widely. "That means your trial can begin." With that, he unfroze everyone made into wax figures, while Tom sneaked away to begin phase three of their plan.