One hour later, Kiam returned. His demeanor had calmed considerably. Friendly enough, he almost seemed jovial. Playing like he was a friendly papa of three happy little children. The triplets knew better. Unstable was the best word for it, though the children would not have thought to call him that. To them, he seemed like that kid their in class who was really friendly right up until you did something she did not like. Then she yelled at you or threw a ball at your head. Or threw your book over the fence.

Knowing he had the potential to sour rapidly, the kids greeted him with silence. Getting the silent treatment did not bother him. He happily announced it was time to show them around their new home. Into the hallway they went. Kiam led and the children followed him at a distance. As a group, they decided they would do what he asked of them, provided he did not ask them to do something horrible. From his display of magic, they had no idea what he was capable of. Playing it safe was the only option.

That did not mean they had to talk to him. Silence followed Kiam throughout the house. He rambled on about his nice cabin and how he came here. Mostly about building it and carving the furniture. The triplets paid attention, but none of the information seemed noteworthy. Listening closely enough also allowed them to know when a curt, one word answer was required. Usually a ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

It was a shame Kiam was such an unsavory man. Otherwise, his cabin would be homey. Nice in its own way. The main room had a dirt floor. In fact, all the floors outside of their room were dirt. Being children, this did not bother them. If anything, it was novel to have a floor made of packed earth indoors. Kids loved to play in the dirt. If you could play in the dirt without leaving your home, lots of potential for fun.

They did not feel much like playing as they followed Kiam into the living room. The room was very open, with the furniture mostly sitting along the walls. He talked about the hand carved oak chairs, all looking like furniture for humans or people shaped like him. “Do not worry, kinder. I know you cannot use a lot of these things now.” He stated. “Someday, the Mutter des Bodens will gift you with forms more suitable to be her servants, like mine. But, that will not be for a long time.” Ominous. All three of them exchanged looks, mentally agreeing not to stay there long enough for that to become their reality. Being a half man half bear like Kiam felt like a poor life choice.

Kiam continued talking, oblivious to their discomfort. He gestured at the scattering of small windows, about six in all. There was no glass on these windows; that seemed to be a feature of their room. They did have shutters, which were open to let in the morning light. The triplets smelled the fresh air coming in through the windows. A gentle breeze brought in the scent of growing trees, warm earth, and flowers. Another sensation that would be pleasant anywhere but here. A fireplace was in the corner. Very old fashioned, it was made of simple mortar and uneven stones. They were cobbled together into a hearth and chimney leading through the ceiling. No fire was in the hearth, but there were ashes, indicating it was not strictly ornamental.

The next room was a kitchen of sorts. A cast iron, pot bellied stove sat in the corner with a pipe running from it into the wall to manage smoke. The flat top was covered with pots. No fire in here either. A five-tiered shelf pushed against one wall and contained numerous baskets full of fruits and vegetables, as well as clay crocks with lids on them. A table against the opposite wall was covered in knives and utensils for food preparation and a cabinet nearby probably held all of the flatware and tableware. Dirt floor here, just not as ‘clean’ as the dirt floor in the living room. Bits and strands and chunks of fallen vegetables littered the floor around a table pushed against the wall. Also featured were splashes of red fruit juice. Partially congealed and partially soaked into the dirt. At least, Xavier hoped that was fruit juice; did not smell like it. A table with one chair was where Kiam probably ate his meals. The sink, or what appeared to be a sink, was under the only window in the room. Instead of a tap, a wrought iron water pump supplied water to the stoneware basin.

The bear had more to say, of course. “This is where I keep the food, yes. Lots of nutritious things for my little kinder to eat. None of that fast food, fried, machine-made slop that comes from the cities. Eating good, nutritious food may take some getting used to, but it will make you strong. I imagine your mother half-starved you with processed garbage.” That was completely false and Xavier knew it. He said nothing. Let the bear ramble. Unclear whether he was primarily talking to the kids or talking to himself.

“You will get lots of good meat too. I can tell by your scent you do not get enough. Eat the muscle and blood to grow strong in muscle and blood.” He gave a toothy grin and Xavier suppressed a shiver. His mannerisms suggested he should not trust any meat Kiam provided. Hopefully it would be more fish, but he was starting to doubt that very much.

“If you are hungry, do ask me first. No sneaking food from my kitchen.” He lowered his head and his lips closed. Still smiling, but no teeth. “I do not abide thieves in my domain.”

Before Xavier could think about with how much caution to tread in this house, Kiam led them to the next room. To the outside of the next room, more specifically. He stood between them and the door, indicating they were not allowed to move past him.

“And this is my room. You are never allowed to go in here unless I bring you here myself.” The bear explained.

The triplets nodded. All of them were fine with that. Parents not wanting kids in their room was normal. Anyone not wanting other people in their room was normal. In a way, it was somewhat refreshing that, as strange as the bear was, he did something that was borderline normal. Xavier was convinced that whatever was in there was not appropriate for children anyway. The last portion of what he said bothered him.

“….Why would you bring us into your room?” Xavier asked.

Kiam took on the smiling look of a young boy hiding a destructive secret. “I may wish to speak to one of you without your siblings.” He chuckled. “I see you look worried. Do not be. Usually, it will be because you have passed a milestone and I wish to show you something. Otherwise, it is because you have done something particularly naughty. And you will know if that has happened.”

Xavier felt the foreboding sense he never felt before. It was a strange feeling, being at the mercy of someone without his parents around to help. He felt very alone suddenly. The sensation lessened when he looked at his sisters. At least they were here with him and they could help each other. If he was truly alone, that last statement would have added weight.

Speaking normally, as if this were normal, Kiam moved on. “The only other room you’re not allowed in is the basement. It is….dangerous for you to go down there. For now. When you are older and have developed properly, I will show you.” He started walking again. “Quickly now, kinder, more to show you.”

The final room in the house was larger than their bedroom, at least twice the size. An activity room. Upper shelves contained books and lower shelves boxes with wooden bits in them. A few of them looked like board games. Those boxes looked like they had never been opened. There was a short table in the center of the room. It happened to be low enough that three young wolves and one large bear could sit at it and easily play games together.

An easel sat in the far corner next to a small cart containing various unlabeled jars. The rims of them were coated with pigment, so they had to contain paint or dye. Without labels, one would assume the paint was homemade. A partially finished painting sat on the easel. The only detail that could be made out was the face of a buck with a pensive expression on his face. The material it was on did not look like canvas. Thinking back on the pictures in the triplets’ room, none of them were on canvas. It was not paper either.

Xavier realized what it was. The only thing it could be. It was animal skin; dried and stretched and framed to serve as a medium for art. His stomach twisted and he hoped that whichever animal it came from was not sentient.

“Here we are, kinder. This will more than likely be your favorite room. A modest game room for us to spend time as a family.” Kiam gestured at the wall of activities. “Lots of good books and games for young minds. For the days when you are inside. You will be playing outdoors more often than not, I am sure. Young kinder love being outside.” Xavier was inclined to agree. He would much rather be outside than in here.

“Oh, and I can teach you painting. Maybe even woodworking when you get older.” The bear chuckled. “Though, I have seen you prefer music over all else, correct?” Pausing, he looked at the children. Silence and blank stares were all he got back until the kids realized he was waiting for them to say something. Rather than talk, they nodded.

“Yes, good, good. You’ll be happy to see I have some instruments for you.” Sweeping his arm to another corner, he drew the children’s attention to three musical instruments. A violin, a viola, and a cello were sitting on their stands; the needed instruments to form a string trio.

It was considerate of him to provide instruments that they could use, but unnerving. The spooky part was how he knew that they played these ones in particular. “Those look…nice.” Claudia stated.

“They are of the highest quality, I can assure you. I can make just about anything out of wood.” Kiam replied. “In fact, why don’t you try them out? I would love to hear my little kinder play me a song.”

“….I don’t know if we can play these.” Claudia replied. Xavier was with her. He was not really interested in playing for the bear. The situation was too weird.

“Nonsense, little ones. I know you can play.” Kiam’s retort.

“How?” Claudia asked.

Kiam smiled in a pseudo-paternal way which made him look like that man at the bus station their mother told them to stay away from. “Why, I’ve been watching you for some time. How else could I know that you were suitable to be raised up in my ways?” Kiam walked over to a chair placed a convenient listening distance away from the instruments. “Now, play a song for your papa. I wish to hear my talented children.” He settled into the chair, a wooden, padded thing big enough to accommodate a bulky bear, and waited.

The children were not comfortable. At all. How long was he watching them? Days? Weeks? Months? If only they could have caught him in the act. Seen him peering at them from wherever his creep den was at the park or in town. Seen him watching them through their windows at night. The thought made Xavier’s fur itch. A few sleepless nights would have been worth catching him. Calling for dad. He would have been able to chase the stupid bear away. Young children, even at ten years old, knew what invasion of privacy was. The idea of Kiam watching them made Xavier feel like he needed a bath.

But, what choice did they have? They were here. All three of them looked at each other, knowing what they were thinking without a word between them. The bear wanted a song; they did not want to play for him. Eve normally, they were nervous playing in front of people. None of them thought they were any good, having only played their instruments for a couple of years. Mom and Dad made them play a song in front of church once and Janet was so nervous she nearly dropped her viola. It was a small miracle they hit no sour notes.

“Go on, go on. Play something beautiful for me. No need to be shy. Just because you may not be perfect is no reason not to play.” The slight strain in Kiam’s voice betrayed his impatience. This would not be a request much longer.

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The triplets walked forward to collect their instruments. Claudia the violin, Janet her viola, and Xavier his cello. All of them were, of course, scaled down so wolf pups could play them. Craftsmanship wise, they were beautiful. Lacquer and dark stain on the wood made them look like something fit for a high-class symphony orchestra. The bodies were solid and strings glistened in the morning light. Kiam was not kidding about his woodworking. It must have taken a while to craft them. Unless magic went into that as well. The children were almost afraid to play them. Breaking one potentially could lead to the bear exploding at them.

“No need to be shy. Let your talent loose for the world to enjoy. No sense keeping it to yourselves.” Kiam sounded impatient. The edge was in his voice.

Hesitating for a moment, they lifted their bows and put them to the strings. What to play? They did not know very many songs. The first one that came into all of their heads was the hymn they played at church, ‘Nothing but the Blood of Jesus’. They looked at each other and nodded, sharing that bond that siblings do when they all happened to think the same thing at the same time.

Gentle notes flowed from the instruments. Melodious tones, serene and powerful. With an even cadence, the song filled the air. At first, the three of them were surprised they played so well. They practiced at least four times a week, sometimes to the detriment of their parents, who did not always appreciate the noise, but wanted them to improve. No sour notes, no skips or slips as the bows glided over strings. Perfect for a string trio. After the opening stanza, Claudia started to sing. Even in these wretched surroundings, the music flowed from her soul. Claudia never felt the Holy Spirit quite as powerfully as when she sang God’s praise.

“What can wash away my sin, nothing but the blood of Jesus.” The young wolf sang. “What can….!”

Kiam slammed his fist on the arm of his chair. The children jumped, the music stopped. Every eye wide and staring at the bear. He spoke in the voice of a disciplinarian, deep and irritated. “Nothing like that. Play something else.”

“But….we like that song.” Claudia stated. She wanted to hold firm on that. Xavier agreed. In a situation like this, they could use a good hymn.

“And I do not. I will not have you playing songs to a fake god made up to control civilized fools.” Kiam retorted.

Xavier was not angry. How could he be? This was not the first time he heard someone make a ridiculous assertion about God. He was still annoyed. His mouth, operating independently of his brain, rattled off. “The Creator of the Universe, who died for our sins, including yours, is way more real than that fake mudder of bodies thing.”

Kiam said nothing for several seconds. His muzzle tilted down and his eyes locked on Xavier. A cold sensation gripped his chest. Those words were likely to rile the bear and Xavier knew this. No backing down. Dad taught him to stand for the truth. Even without him here, he could do that. Looking at the giant bear glowering down at him, he still felt intimidated. Kiam shifted in his seat and Xavier was sure he was getting up to hit him. His ears folded back and, despite his convictions, the size of the bear caused him to shrink back.

Instead, Kiam simply settled into a more comfortable position in his seat. He chuckled. “I cannot blame you, raised as you were. Yours were not the parents willing to show you anything outside of their narrow world. The Mutter des Bodens is quite real, I can assure you. You will see this in time. I have only shown you a fraction of her power, and there is so much more to see.”

Xavier wanted to say something else. He felt the dull, simmering sensation of anger in his chest. A quickening heart beat and heat. What gave him the right to talk about their parents like that? He looked at Claudia, who gave him a look suggesting saying anything else would be unwise at the moment.

Kiam was still talking anyway. “For now, I will have no songs celebrating the gods of your parents in my home. Play something ….classical. I do enjoy the old music. Anyone can appreciate that.”

Xavier did not want to play anything for him at all. He wanted to go home. His sisters shared that sentiment. None of them moved to manipulate their instruments. No one put bows to strings. They did not want to see another outburst, nor were they interested in pleasing him. A person who had something specific in mind, but refused to tell one what it was and would get angry when the musicians did not guess properly, was the worst kind of audience.

The silence lasted too long for Kiam, who spoke up. “Come now, surely you know other songs.” The slight growl of impatience colored his voice, despite him trying to take a sweet tone. “Do you know any….hm….anything by classical composers? Schubert? Vivaldi?”

Awkwardly looking at each other, they were not sure they could do what he was asking of them. They knew a lot of classical music, but not how to play it from memory. Not being virtuosos, they had a lot of practice before any of them would consider themselves good. If he had asked them for Bach in G Major, that would have been easy enough.

Thankfully, dad was a fan of Schubert. He did have them practice one of his easier instrumentals. “Serenade?” Claudia whispered. Janet and Xavier nodded. The song was complicated, but slow enough for an intermediate student to follow. Had they practiced it enough? Only one way to find out. They lifted their bows and played.

Music floated from the strings once more, filling the air with melodious sounds that would have pleased the long dead composer. All three of them played without slipping or missing a note. During practice, they did not play this well. It surprised them, but the pressure of playing for a potentially hostile audience was all the motivation they needed.

The song continued on for a few minutes. Serenade was not a short tune, especially with the deliberate pace they chose. Kiam did not seem to mind the slow tempo. He was smiling, enjoying the music and waving his fingers to the tune. His sense of rhythm was decent. Eventually, he stood up. The children worried he was about to approach them, but he came no closer. Instead, he started to dance. Swaying to the music and standing on his toes, he kept pace with light motions. He was oddly graceful for a tall, bulky creature. Gentle twirls and light steps.

Well, he was probably going for ‘graceful’. To three ten-year-olds, watching a dancing bear was more comical than awe inspiring. Kiam pranced and pirouetted, and the children tried to keep playing despite all of the silliness that went with it. After one bounce, Xavier could not help himself. He slipped with his bow and laughed. Light, happy laughter that any young boy was capable of to show they were terribly amused.

Mid frolic, Kiam stopped. His head snapped toward Xavier. Abruptly, the laughter ended, along with the music. Uncomfortable stillness hung in the air between bear and wolves. The children froze up, unable to play or speak. They did not know why he suddenly stopped dancing in favor of staring at Xavier. Xavier could not read the bear’s facial expression. Kiam’s mouth was a thin line, eyes locked on Xavier’s face. Finally, the bear spoke. “Why are you laughing, Xavier?” His voice was stern and devoid of emotion.

Xavier felt his heart sink. There was no way he could tell Kiam why he was laughing. ‘You looked ridiculous prancing around like an idiot’ was not an answer the bear wanted to hear. No words came to Xavier’s mind. He looked to his sisters for help.

Claudia, ever able to think on her feet, responded. She started with a light, airy giggle that sounded strained. One could only hope it passed off as natural. She spoke. “We’re just having so much fun playing that we laughed. We thought you were having fun too, and that’s why you were dancing.” She folded her ears back. “Do we sound that bad? We’re sorry, but we’re not very good yet….”

Kiam glanced at Claudia, then resumed staring at Xavier. His head tilted and he said nothing. Several seconds passed and Xavier felt every one of them. He could count his heartbeats and his paws and feet felt cold. Finally, the bear tilted his head and smiled. “Oh, ho ho ho….of course….it has been so long, I forgot how full of joyful laughter little kinder can be.”

He walked over to Claudia and put a hand on her head. She had to fight to keep from pulling away, but Xavier saw her wince. He rubbed her headfur. “Such delights, all of you. I am so glad my dancing has amused you. Someday, I will teach you the art of the dance, though you are still too young for such adult things.” He cupped a paw under Claudia’s muzzle and lifted her head to look at him. Xavier was glad it was not him he did this to, as he might not have been able to fight the urge to bite him.

“But, little girl, you should not be so hard on yourself.” He waggled a finger with his free paw. “Do not insult your own talents so. You may not be perfect, but your music is still beautiful, yes? So no more of this ‘not very good’ business. You will get better with time.” He finally let go of Claudia’s face. He turned to walk away and she wiped her muzzle on her forepaws to get rid of the memory of his touch. That must have made her feel dirty, but Xavier was glad she was there to take it. He was not sure what would have happened if she had not covered for him. A slight sense of shame came with that. He was supposed to protect his sisters, not the other way around, but the situation demanded all of them watch out for each other. He would have to let it pass.

Kiam kept talking, interrupting Xavier’s private musings. “But, I believe that’s enough music for now. I still have much to show you, little kinder. It is time to go outside.” He turned around and wore that slightly disingenuous smile they saw several times before. “Stay close. Some of the plants in my garden are quite poisonous, so no sampling without permission. And no wandering off either.”

Outside? Good. Anything was better than being in here. Xavier smiled. He knew his sisters were thinking what he was thinking. Was the bear seriously dumb enough to let them out already? Overconfident? Whatever it was, it would work to their advantage. The triplets left the room, eager to be shown out.

“All right, all right, so eager to get outside! You truly are little wolves.” Kiam laughed as he turned the deadbolt on his front door. The triplets tried not to seem eager, but ten-year-olds have a lot of trouble hiding their emotional state. Xavier thought he was doing well because his tail was not wagging. “Just make sure you stay close, yes? I do not want you wandering off.”

Sure, Xavier would be sure to get right on that. Eyes locked on the door, the triplets waited like dogs waiting to be let outside. Full of eagerness and barely able to wait for the door to open. The second the door was open wide enough to let a wolf sized object out, the triplets bolted. They did not look back. They barely heard Kiam merrily chuckle as they went. After clearing the door, they headed right for the tree line. They did not care about the direction. All that mattered was putting distance between themselves and the bear’s isolated home.

Trees flew by them as they made it out of the clearing. The cabin was behind them. Xavier glanced ahead to make sure his sisters were with him. He deliberately slowed his pace to allow them ahead of him, just in case Kiam decided to follow. Both of them were there; Claudia to his left and Janet to his right. The next look was behind him to make sure they were not being followed. A glance showed him nothing but trees. He could not even see the clearing anymore. They had to have been far away. Good.

“Keep running!” Xavier yelled.

“Where are we going?” Claudia panted as her legs pumped along the ground. Nothing stealthy about it. They were going for speed.

“We can figure it out later!” He responded.

“Is he following us?” Janet did not look back. Maybe a little clumsy, maybe a little cautious, but she did not want to trip.

“I didn’t see him, but I don’t want to. We have to get far away!” Xavier’s legs burned, but did not feel tired. Fatigue was for those who were not running for their lives.

Up ahead, the forest seemed denser. The trees were almost hemmed in. It almost seemed darker somehow. Familiar, maybe? It was a little disorienting not knowing where they were and running anyway, but he kept going. They ran and ran and ran. Then, a sudden brightness assailed them as the path opened up. The sudden shift brought them all to a halt. Three wolves skidded to a stop, with Janet slipping and falling on her forelegs.

They were in a forest clearing, one wide enough to accommodate a cozy cabin. It had a garden full of beautiful plants, both familiar and exotic. Rustic and well maintained, the cabin had the look of being fashioned by hand with beautifully carved shutters flanking the windows and a roof made of wooden planks. At first, the triplets thought they came upon someone who could help them. A kindly woodcutter or hunter, like something out of a fairy tale, to save them from the beast chasing them through the forest. That hope died when they noticed Kiam standing before the cabin.

He laughed in a way that sounded both merry and mirthless. The laughter of someone who caught someone after they failed at being clever.

“I told you, little kinder.” He began. “Do not run off. You’re lucky I was able to guide you back so easily. You would not have liked it if I had to go into the forest to collect you.” He continued to walk toward them. Xavier scooted back and looked behind him. He contemplated running again, but the path they came from was gone. Brambles and thistles seemed to sprout from nothing behind them, filling the gaps between the trees with sharp points.

“This is my forest now. It will one day be yours, but for now, I have mastery over it.” The bear stood before them. He moved down to one knee to get closer to them. “And nothing in it escapes my notice.” He reached down and grabbed Xavier by the muzzle. The young wolf yelped as he was pulled to look up him.

“Likewise, you are my kinder now….and you belong to me. I love you, little ones, but that does not mean I will not punish you if you misbehave. So, no more running off, and no more talking back. Especially you, little Xavier.”

Xavier squirmed in the bear’s grip. Eyes wide, he was terrified but would not admit it. The look in Kiam’s eyes was not one of a loving parent, but one of someone who would crush your skull if you did not do as he asked. Kiam let him go and Xavier gasped, realizing he had been holding his breath the entire time.

Kiam smiled. “Now, let’s see that garden, shall we?” He said as he gestured toward the collection of plants by his home. “I have such things to show you, now follow me….yes, this way.”