Chef Fenris POV

We have known the theme for the competition. We have prepared all our ingredients.

The air in the was thick. Alpha Stone summoned us to his chamber. The walk was short. The stone walls felt like they were closing in. This place is too soft. I missed the sharp bite of the northern winds.

We entered his room. The Alpha sat in a chair carved from black oak.

He did not look at us immediately. He sharpened a small dagger with a whetstone. The scrape of metal on stone filled the silence.

He finally looked up. His eyes were cold.

"Tell me." Alpha Stone said.

His voice a low growl.

"What do you plan to prepare for the three rounds of the competition? I will not accept a loss. The Moon Crescent Pack needs this victory to survive."

I stepped forward. I am the lead for the second round. I know the weight of our hunger.

"Chef Skade will handle the first round." I said.

"Varg and I will be her assistants. She will be making the Glacial Peaked Poultry. It is a chicken dish not known in this time. She will use chilled fats to create a texture that shatters like ice before it gets to the throat."

"For the second round." I continued.

"I will be making the Moss-Crusted Venison. It is a Blackwood dish. I will cook wild herbs with a real kind of liquor. It is called the Blood-Vine Liquor. I will serve the liquor as a side drink. Skade and Varg will assist me."

"And for the third round." I concluded.

"Chef Varg will make the Gilded Pond Soup. He will use the giant golden lettuce flower as the base. He will make a duck soup with a golden color broth. Skade and I will be his assistants."

Alpha Stone stopped sharpening his blade. A dangerous smile spread across his face.

"It is good that you are prepared." He said.

"Do you have all the ingredients ready?"

"I have checked them myself, Alpha." I replied.

"They are secure."

"Perfect." He said.

He stood up. He sheathed his dagger.

"The Blackwood kingdom is not ready for what is to come. Even though we have been assured victory through other means. We would still give them a taste of a dish they would marvel at. I want them to know their best is nothing compared to our skill."

He looked at the window.

"Now, begone. Sharpen your knives. If you fail me, do not bother returning to the pack." Alpha Stone stated.

His dismissal was a threat. Not a gesture.

We headed for our rooms. The hallway was empty.

Skade stopped by a large tapestry. She adjusted the silver pins in her hair.

"I am going for a walk around the palace." Skade said.

Her eyes were bright with a strange hunger.

"I want to see the layout of their defenses. And their stoves."

"This is not our pack, Skade." I warned her.

I gripped her shoulder.

"Be careful not to do anything that will implicate us. We are guests. For now."

"I am always careful, Fenris." She whispered.

She turned. She vanished into the shadows. She was going through the servant's stairs.

Varg did not even look at her. He went to his room. He is a man of few words. He only lives for the fire. And the blade.

I did not believe Skade. She had been sneaking out since the competition was announced.

I followed her slowly. I kept my distance. I saw her reach the royal kitchen.

What is she doing in the royal kitchen? I asked myself.

I stood over a stone fence. I peeped through the kitchen window. The smell of roasting meat and old flour drifted out.

I saw Skade move inside. She stood in the center of the room. She looked like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

"Where is the Chief Royal Chef?" Skade asked.

Her voice was loud. It was a challenge.

"She is not available." A young boy replied.

He was chopping carrots. His hands were small.

"A days to the competition and the Chief Royal Chef is not available?" Skade asked.

Mockery dripped from her tongue.

"Is she scared? Is she trying to run away from the competition because she knows she will lose?"

"How dare you talk about our Chief Royal Chef like that!" Chef Silas yelled.

He slammed a wooden spoon on a table.

"Why will she run from you? Even our youngest chef here, Chef Pip, can handle your arrogance."

Silas looked at the boy. Pip looked like he wanted to hide.

"He can?" Skade asked.

She pulled a curved knife from her belt. She began to spin it.

"Let us see. I challenge this child to a knife work match."

"Y... ye... yes." Pip stammered.

He looked at Silas. Silas nodded at him.

"Why would you just come to our royal kitchen and demand a competition?" Martha asked.

She wiped her hands on a dirty apron.

"Are you trying to show off your skills or what? We have work to do."

Skade completely ignored her. She looked only at the boy.

"Don't worry, Martha." Silas said.

"Today the mighty shall fall. Let the challenge begin!"

I watched Skade. She took a full onion from a basket. Her hand became a blur.

The sound of the knife hitting the wood was like a drum.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

In less than a minutes. The onion was a pile of transparent, even slices.

Pip was still struggling. He had only cut a quarter of his onion. His slices were thick and uneven.

"We won't blame him. He is the youngest chef. If you dare challenge me." Silas challenged.

Skade didn't say a word. She gesture that he come forward.

"My turn." Silas said.

He took a knife.

Skade beat him too. She cut faster than the eye could follow. She finished by slamming her knife into the table. The blade buried itself deep into the wood.

"Tell your ghost chef that I am waiting." Skade said.

She walked out of the kitchen. Her head high.

I watched the Blackwood chefs through the window. They looked defeated.

"I cannot believe she is that fast." Pip said.

He was shaking.

"My hands feel like lead."

"Do not cry, boy." Silas said.

He tried to pull the knife out of the table. But it was stuck.

"We will report this to Sophie when she comes back. We must tell her the northerners are using psychological warfare."

"Look at this blade." Martha said.

She touched the hilt.

"We should leave the knife exactly like this. We will show Sophie that Skade had the nerve to challenge her in her own kitchen. It will stoke her fire."

"Yes." Silas agreed.

"Leave it. Let it be the first thing she sees. She will know we were insulted."

I left the window.

I headed back toward the guest rooms. I took a shortcut through the corridor.

I heard voices coming from a side room. I recognized the deep tone of Alpha Stone. And the drunken voice of Grand Prince Magnus.

I stayed behind a stone pillar.

"The girl must not reach the kitchen on the day of the match." Magnus said.

"You said you had a plan." Alpha Stone replied.

"I do." Magnus said.

"I have men positioned. I will kill the Chief Royal Chef to make sure she is not available for the competition. Blackwood will lose. Alaric will fall. My plans for the throne will finally become a reality."

"Do what you must." Alpha Stone said.

"I only care about the harvest rights."

My heart hammered. This was murder.

This was not the way of a true chef. I waited for them to leave. I waited for the day to get dark.

I needed to warn them. But I could not be seen.

I found a piece of parchment. I crafted a message. I used a cipher that only a high-ranking official like the Beta would know how to read.

To anyone else, it looked like a blank page.

I headed back toward the kitchen area. I saw Silas and Martha walking to their quarters. They were still talking about Skade.

"She moves like a demon, Silas." Martha said.

"How can a human hand move that fast?"

"It is not human." Silas muttered.

"It is northern speed. Sophie will show her. Sophie has a different kind of speed."

I wore a dark cloak. I pulled the hood over my face. I stepped out of the shadows. They both gasped. Martha dropped her basket.

"Please! Do not kill us!" Martha pleaded.

She fell to her knees.

"I'm not here to kill you." I said.

I kept my voice low. A distorted rasp.

I handed Silas the message.

"Give this to the king's trusted friend and Beta." I commanded.

"Why should we give him an empty paper?" Martha asked.

She peeked at it in the moonlight.

"There is nothing here."

"Give it to him." I replied.

I stepped back into the darkness.

"He would know what to do with it. If you value your lives and your chef. Do not lose that paper."

I disappeared into the shadows. I climbed the stone wall back to my room. My arm was shaking.

I am a cook. Not a spy. But I could not let a master of the craft be slaughtered.

The Chief Royal Chef is in danger.

Sophie POV

The southern territory looked like a different world. The trees grew closer together.

The air was thick. My boots sank into the mud. I stared at the plants. I looked for the jagged leaves of wild ginger.

I searched for swamp lilies. I also needed the sulfur root. It grows in the heart of these wetlands. It provides a savory depth to the broth.

This depth balances the heat of the peppers. Alaric stayed close to me. He moved with quiet power. He didn't act like a king. He acted like my protector.

"Is that what you need?" Alaric asked.

He pointed to a cluster of small pods.

"Yes." I said.

"Those are the marsh lilies. They provide the floral notes for the duck soup. Be careful. The stems have fine hairs. They irritate the skin."

Alaric reached into the thorns. He did not hesitate. He plucked the lilies. He placed them in my leather satchel. His hands remained steady. I saw a small scratch on his thumb. He ignored it.

"We need the blue flowers now." I said.

"They only grow near running water."

We walked toward a creek. The sun was setting. Roland walked ten paces ahead. He scanned the trees. His hand never left his sword.

"We are running out of time Alaric." I said.

I felt the pressure in my chest.

"The journey back will take hours. The competition starts at sunrise. If we miss the opening ceremony, the Moon Crescent Pack wins by default."

"We will make it, Sophie." Alaric said.

He looked at me. His eyes were firm.

"I will not let the clock defeat you. Focus on the herbs. I will focus on the path."

We reached the creek. The water was clear and cold. I saw the flowers. They were small and delicate. They grew in the moss between the wet stones.

I knelt down. The cold water soaked my clothes. I began to pluck the blue petals. These flowers would give the beef its aroma. They were the heart of the first dish.

"I have them." I said.

I stood up. I wiped my hands on my cloth.

"We have everything. Let us move."

The walk back to the Silent Peak was a test of endurance. We did not stop to rest. We did not stop to drink. My legs felt stiffed. My lungs burned.

Alaric asked if he should carry me. I know he was tired too. He just wants me to be fine. He kept a hand on my back. He pushed me forward when I slowed down.

"The blacksmith should be finished by now." Alaric said.

"He must be." I replied.

"Without that cooker, these lilies and flowers are useless. I cannot tenderize the meat in time with a normal pot. The marrow will not release its essence."

"Kaelen looks like a man of his word." Alaric said.

"He knows the stakes. Thomas is there to ensure he does not sleep. No man ignores the command of a king's beta."

Alaric was trying to make me laugh. I smiled. I had called him the King's Beta. Now he is using it to tease me.

We climbed the steep path back to the forge. The smell of coal and hot iron met us.

The sky is now dark. The first stars appeared. We reached the clearing.

I saw Kaelen standing his long wooden table. Thomas stood next to him. They both looked like they had been through a war. Their faces were black with soot. Their shirts were soaked with sweat.

In the center of the table sat an iron vessel. It was thick and dark. It had a lid with a brass locking mechanism. A small weight sat on top of a vent. It was the pressure cooker.

"It is done." Kaelen said.

He sounded exhausted.

I ran to the table. I touched the cold iron. I felt the seams. They were tight. I checked the valve. It moved freely. This was the key to my victory.

"Thank you, Kaelen." I said.

"This is perfect. It is exactly what I drew."

"It was difficult." Kaelen said.

"The seals had to be exact. Thomas helped with the bellows. We worked through the night. The iron resisted. The pressure of your deadline forced my hand."

"You did well, Thomas." Alaric said.

"It is a strange machine, Sire." Thomas replied.

"But it holds the heat. It hissed at us all night."

We were all exhausted. The walk from the south had drained my strength. Alaric looked tired. Kaelen and Thomas had not slept in twenty four hours. The pressure cooker sat on the table like a prize.

"We must rest." Kaelen said.

"The sun will rise in a few hours. You need your strength for the journey and the kitchen."

We moved into the small stone house. I found a corner with dry straw. Alaric sat beside me.

Roland stood near the door for a moment before sitting down. Thomas leaned against the wall. We fell asleep quickly. The silence of the mountain covered us.

Only a few hours of sleep. The room was still dark. Someone tapped my shoulder. It was Kaelen. He moved silently. He placed a finger to his lips.

"Someone is coming." Kaelen whispered.

I felt Alaric stir beside me. He was awake instantly. His hand went to his sword.

Roland and Thomas were already on their feet. They were moving silently. The air in the room was heavy.

Suddenly, the silence broke. A small bell near the gate gave a sharp, ring.

Cling.

"Quiet." Kaelen whispered.

He moved toward the iron gear on the wall.

"I have set silver wires in the bushes. They are alarms. They tell me when the perimeter is breached."

Cling. Cling. Cling.

Three more bells rang in succession. They came from different directions.

"They are many." Kaelen said.

His voice was flat.

"And they are coming fast. They have surrounded us. This is not a coincidence. This is an organized hunt."

Cling. Cling. Cling. Cling. Cling. Cling.

The sound became a frantic chorus. The bells were screaming now. The pressure of the situation felt physical.

"They are getting close." Kaelen said.

"What do we do?" Alaric asked.

He drew his sword. He stepped in front of me.

"Protect the Chef." Kaelen commanded.

"I know how to defend my home. Roland get to the gate. When I give the word, open it wide."

Roland moved to the gate. He gripped the wooden bars.

"Once the gate is open, I will pull this gear." Kaelen explained.

"It triggers the silver tipped arrows. It will clear the entrance."

Cling. Cling. Cling.

"Now!" Kaelen yelled.

Roland threw the gate open. He stepped to the side. I saw a mass of grey fur and dark leather.

Rogue wolves were gathered at the entrance. They were snarling. Their eyes were fixed on me. They ignored the iron. They wanted me.

Kaelen pulled the gear. The mechanical thud shook the ground. Dozens of silver arrows hissed from the walls. They tore through the front rank of the rogues. Many fell. But more took their place.

They were jumping over the walls now.

Kaelen threw a spare sword to Alaric.

"Go! Take Sophie and go!" Kaelen shouted.

He grabbed a smithing hammer.

"We will handle them! Just go, Cassian!"

He used the name of the Beta.

"Keep the girl safe!" Kaelen screamed.

"Someone sent them for her! They do not want anything! They want the chef! They want to end the competition before it starts!"

A rogue jumped from the roof. He aimed his knife at my throat. Alaric lunged. He caught me. He swung his sword. He drove the blade into the rogue's chest.

I fell down to the ground. The impact knocked me. The iron cover of the pressure cooker slid off. It hit the dirt. It rolled into the center of the fight.

"The cover!" I screamed.

"Alaric, we need the lid!"

"Don't worry! I will bring it in time! Just go! Follow the path!" Kaelen yelled.

He smashed the head of a rogue with his hammer.

"The lid is useless if you are dead!"

"Go inside the house!" Kaelen pointed.

"There is a small hole in the back room. It leads to the secret forest trail. Go now!"

Boom!

A cloud of smoke exploded in the courtyard. Kaelen had triggered a smoke pot. It blinded the rogues.

Alaric gripped my hand. His palm felt hot.

"Run!" He roared.

We crawled through the narrow hole in the back of the house. We emerged into a dense part of the forest.

We ran through the thorns. My cloak caught on branches. I ripped it free.

Thomas stopped. He turned around. He looked at the smoke rising from the forge.

"Roland, continue with the Alpha and the Chef." Thomas said.

He checked his daggers.

"I will handle any of them I come across. I will slow them down. They cannot track what they cannot see."

"Are you sure?" Roland asked.

"Yes." Thomas said.

"I am the fast. Go. Keep her moving toward the palace."

Thomas vanished into the dark. Roland, Alaric, and I ran for miles. My chest was tight. Every breath was a struggle.

We reached a crossroad. The path went left and right. Roland stopped.

"Follow the left path." Roland said.

"I will take the right. I will make enough noise to lead them away. I will distract the main group. I will see you at the palace gates."

"Do not die, Roland." Alaric said.

"I have no intention of dying today, Sire." Roland replied.

Alaric and I ran through the left path. He did not let go of my hand. He pulled me along.

We ran for a long time. The forest remained silent. The only sound was our footsteps.

Then, I heard the sound of snapping branches.

Six rogues stepped out from the trees. They had surrounded us. They did not look at Alaric. They did not care about the King. They looked at me. Their blades were leveled at my stomach.

Alaric stood his ground. He planted his feet. He took a defensive stance. He began to fight. He was really good with a sword. He fought with one hand. His other hand stayed firmly on my arm. He kept me behind him.

"Stay behind me!" He commanded.

He parried a blow from an axe. He spun. He cut the throat of the rogue on his right. He was fast. He was lethal. But there were too many. They attacked from all sides.

The pressure of the ambush was overwhelming.

A rogue lunged from the shadows. His sword was inches from my neck. Alaric roared. He pulled me into his chest. He drove his sword into the stomach of the attacker.

I saw a flash of silver. A rogue's blade caught the shoulder of Alaric.

"Your Majesty! You are hurt!" I yelled.

"I am fine!" Alaric said.

He did not slow down.

"Before they can get to you, they must pass through me!"

One rogue was faster than the others. He was violent. He lunged for my stomach with a dagger. Alaric did not have time to parry. He jumped in front of me.

The blade pierced his side. I heard the sound of the sword cutting through his tunic and skin. Alaric groaned.

He stumbled. But he did not fall. He swung. He killed the man who stabbed him.

I looked at the blood. It was dark and thick. I looked at the forest.

The weight of the last three days hit me. The fear for Alaric was the final blow. My knees became weak.

My vision blurred. I headed for the ground.

Everything went blank.

Chef Fenris POV

The sun hit the stone floor. I woke up. My chest felt heavy.

The palace was loud. I heard silver plates clatter. I heard heavy footsteps in the hallway.

Today the competition begins. Two kingdoms wait for the result. I stood by the window. I looked at the courtyard. Servants carried long tables. They draped them in silk.

The air smelled like cold stone. It smelled like nervous sweat. I thought about the night before. I thought about the message. I gave it to Silas and Martha. I do not know if they reached the Beta in time.

I do not know if the Chief Royal Chef is alive. I washed my face with cold water. I needed to move. I needed to check if she was back.

I left my room. I moved through the servant's stairs. I stayed in the shadows.

I saw the Great Hall. It was busy. Workers polished chairs. They set thrones for the judges.

I moved toward the royal kitchen. I reached the heavy doors. I did not enter. I pressed my ear to the wood. I heard copper clanging. I heard sharp voices.

"Silas, the Chief Royal Chef is not back." Martha said.

"I know." Silas replied.

"We have no poultry." Martha said.

"Chef Sophie has not return. She has the supply list."

"She is not here, Martha." Silas said.

"The sun is up." Martha cried.

"The competition is hours away. Where is she?"

"We must prepare the ingredients and wait." Silas said.

"I believe she would return before the competition starts."

"Are you sure?" Martha asked.

"We cannot compete against the Northern Chefs without her." Martha said.

"She has the recipes. She has the plan. We are just hands without a head."

"I'm worried too. Where did she go?" Elspeth asked. Her voice was thin.

"She left to get supplies." Silas answered.

"We are doomed." Elspeth said.

"The Northern Chefs brings fire. We can't stand them."

"I am scared, Silas." Young Chef Pip said.

I heard him sniffle.

"What if the Alpha gets angry?"

"The Alpha is not here to be angry, Pip." Silas said.

"That makes me more scared." Pip whispered.

"If the King is gone, who will protect us?"

"We have to protect each other." Martha said.

"Let's get everything ready. We do not stop until the mark is hit."

"I will" Pip answered.

Silas tapped his shoulders. Martha sobbed silently.

I pulled back from the door. My stomach twisted.

Sophie was not in the palace. The Chief Royal Chef was gone. The kitchen was a ship without a captain.

I turned. I walked toward the guest quarters. I turned a corner. I heard voices. I stopped.

I heard Grand Prince Magnus. He spoke to some people. His voice was loud.

"It is a tragedy." Magnus said.

"The Alpha has disappeared."

"He is not in his chambers." Someone said.

"He took his Beta." Magnus said.

"He took the chef. Why would he leave on the day of his defense?"

"It looks like cowardice, Grand Prince." The man replied.

"Perhaps he is not fit for the crown." Magnus said.

"A leader stays with his people. He does not flee when the North arrives. We must consider the succession. He is not here for the match."

"The laws are clear." A second voice spoke.

"A King who abandons his people, abandons the throne."

"I do not wish to believe it." Magnus lied.

"But the evidence is before us. The throne sits empty. The people are confused. We need a steady hand."

"We will wait for the fifteenth hour." A third man said.

"After that, we discuss the crown."

"You are wise, Elders." Magnus said.

"The kingdom needs your wisdom now."

Magnus was building his throne on Alaric's absence. I moved past them. I did not want them to see me.

I felt like a ghost in a trapped house. The hours moved. The sun climbed. Everyone gathered in the great hall.

The Northern chefs were there. Skade sat on a stool. She sharpened her silver knife. The sound was a scream.

Shhh-tack. Shhh-tack. Shhh-tack. Shhh-tack.

I looked at the platform. The hall was full of Elders. They looked at the sundial. I looked at the Alpha's empty seat. I looked at the empty space for Sophie. I looked at the empty spot for Cassian. The silence was loud.

I saw Silas and Martha. They stood by their station. Their faces were pale. They looked at the gate every ten seconds. They wanted a miracle.

Chef Damien stood behind them. He looked angry.

"Maybe it is better she is not back." Damien said.

"Quiet, Damien." Silas firedback.

"She is the cause of this." Damien said.

"She brought the challenge. She took our King away. She has ruined us."

"Stop talking rudely about Sophie." Silas said.

"She is the Chief Royal Chef. She is our leader. You will show respect."

"Respect for a ghost?" Damien asked.

"She left us to face the Northern Chefs alone. We will lose the harvest rights."

"She would not leave us." Pip said.

His voice was shaking.

"She already did, boy." Damien snapped.

"Look around. Do you see her?"

"She is coming." Martha insisted.

"The King is with her."

"The King is probably dead in a ditch." Damien said.

"Shut your mouth." Silas growled.

"You do not speak of the Alpha that way."

Skade heard them. She stopped sharpening her knife. She looked at Silas. She laughed.

"You cannot stay still without your Chief Royal Chef." Skade said.

"We are ready." Silas said.

"How do you plan to win?" Skade asked.

"You look like frightened children. Give us the rights to the harvest now. It saves us the work of cooking. It saves you the shame."

"A true chef is known in their attitude." I said.

I stepped toward Skade.

"It is not just about the meal. You lack the grace of a master."

"Grace does not fill bellies, Fenris." Skade sneered.

"Speed does. Skill does. Look at them. They are shaking. They are already beaten."

"You talk like a butcher." I replied.

"A chef respects the craft. You only respect the win."

"The win is everything." Skade said.

"The win brings the harvest. The win brings the power. Your grace is for losers."

"We shall see." I said.

"A meal made with hate tastes like ash."

"Then I will serve them the best ash they have ever eaten." Skade laughed.

I felt anger. I am a Northern chef. This was not a fair fight.

The crowd grew restless. The heat was heavy. The shadow reached the fourteenth mark on the stone.

Alpha Stone stood up. He looked at the empty throne.

"The time has come." Alpha Stone shouted.

"The chairs are empty."

"We should wait." I said.

"The King has fled." Alpha Stone said.

"The Beta has vanished. The Chef is gone. They know they lost. We should begin the competition now. Why wait for them?"

"It is only the fourteenth hour, Alpha." I said.

"We agreed to start at the fifteenth hour."

"Look at them, Fenris." Alpha Stone pointed at Silas.

"They have nothing. They are shaking. They are waiting for a savior who is not coming."

"We all agreed on the fifteenth hour." I insisted.

"We are guests. We must follow the law."

"The law serves the strong." Alpha Stone said.

"And I am strong. Magnus, what say you?"

Magnus smiled.

"The people are tired of waiting. But we must be fair. One more hour will not change the outcome."

"Fine." Alpha Stone grumbled.

"One hour. Then we light the fires and take what is ours."

I went to my station. I did not look at Skade. I watched the gate. I watched the sundial.

The minutes felt like years. The shadow moved. It crawled across the stone. It approached the fifteenth hour.

I looked at the empty spaces. I looked at the stoves. I looked at the gate. My heart hammered. I felt a cold truth.

"They are not coming." Skade whispered.

"They have five minutes." I said.

"They are dead, Fenris." Skade said.

"My blades are sharper than their luck."

"You did something." I whispered.

"I did what was needed." Skade said.

"The Moon Crescent Pack needs that harvest rights. Sophie was an obstacle. Obstacles get removed."

"That is not cooking." I said.

"That is murder."

"It is the same thing in the end." Skade replied.

I looked at Silas. He held a cold pan. I looked at Martha. She gripped a towel. They had no fire. They had no hope. Pip was crying silently now. Elspeth looked like a statue.

"It is time." Alpha Stone said.

He stood up again. He looked at the Elders.

"The shadow is on the mark." Alpha Stone said.

"Light the fires. The Blackwood Kingdom has no champion."

I looked at the gate. It stayed closed. I looked at the empty chair of the King. The Elders stood up.

They prepared to speak the words of forfeit. Magnus stood up. He adjusted his rings. He was ready to take the palace.

"Wait." I whispered.

But no one heard me. The shadow touched is about to touch the line.

Then it dawn on me that The Chief Royal Chef is dead.