Chef Fenris POV
The shadow touched the center mark of the stone. An elder stood up. He adjusted his heavy robes. He cleared his throat.
"It is time." The elder shouted.
I looked at Alpha Stone. I looked at Grand Prince Magnus. They looked at each other. Their plans had worked. The Blackwood throne remained empty. The air felt cold.
"Wait." I whispered.
No one heard me. Or they did not care. The guard raised the iron hammer. He prepared to strike the Great Bell. The hammer was inches away from the bronze. The crowd held its breath.
"Don't you dare hit that bell!" A voice commanded.
The shout shook the Great Hall. It sounded like the voice of the Alpha King. It was deep. It was full of authority.
"They are here." I whispered.
Excitement surged through me. My hands stopped shaking.
The door of the great hall flew open. Alpha Alaric stepped in. Sophie walked beside him. Cassian followed. They were covered in dirt. They were covered in dried blood.
Magnus widened his eyes. He gripped the arms of his chair. He looked like he wanted to vanish into the floor. Alpha Stone looked at Alaric. He looked at Sophie. He blinked rapidly. He looked like he had seen a ghost.
"So you would have started the competition without the Alpha King?" Alaric asked.
He walked into the center of the hall. Every step was heavy. Every step was a challenge.
"Such disrespect." Alaric said.
"We didn't think you would..." Stone started.
"I would what?" Alaric cut him short. "You didn't think I would come back alive? Is that what you planned?"
Stone did not answer. He looked at the ground.
"Well, what a shame." Alaric said. "I am here now. Let the competition begin."
Alaric looked at Sophie. He gave her a sharp nod. He headed for the high throne. He sat down. He did not look tired. He looked lethal. Sophie went to fill her space. Cassian stood at the center. He was ready to kick start the competition.
Martha and Silas ran to Sophie. Martha grabbed Sophie's arms.
"Are you okay?" Martha asked.
"I am fine." Sophie replied.
"What happened?" Martha asked. "Did anything happen? Why did you stay so long?"
"We thought you were not coming back." Chef Pip said.
Pip was sobbing. He wiped his nose with his sleeve. Sophie put a hand on his shoulder.
"It is okay, everyone." Sophie said. "I am fine. Let us focus on this competition. We can talk about what happened later."
They all nodded. Martha hugged her quickly.
"What should we do now?" Silas asked.
"I can see everything is ready." Sophie said.
She looked at the hearth. She looked at the wood piles.
"This firewood will not be enough for the first round." Sophie said. "We need more wood. We need a consistent, high heat."
"Cook Damien, get more firewood for us." Silas instructed.
Damien frowned. He did not move at first.
"Move, move!" Silas ordered.
Silas did not mind the expression on Damien's face. Damien turned and walked toward the wood stores.
"What else, Chef?" Martha asked.
"Martha, get the best beef in the palace." Sophie instructed. "Slice it into square shapes. I know you have the nose to smell what is fresh. Get the fresh beef right now."
"I am going." Martha said.
"What about me, Chef?" Pip asked.
"Get the special ingredient you all dried and grounded." Sophie said. "The pepper. That is the secret weapon for this first round."
"And me?" Silas asked.
"Light the hearth." Sophie said.
They all scattered to get what she had instructed. Cassian stepped forward. He held a large scroll.
"The theme of the first round of this competition is Unknown Dish." Cassian announced.
His voice cut through the whispers. He hung the parchment paper on a wooden stand. Everyone could see the bold letters.
"The chefs from both Packs are expected to prepare a dish not known in this time." Cassian added. "This round would last for two hours. Let the first round begin."
Silas lit the hearth. The flames jumped up. Martha returned with the beef. I could smell the freshness from across the hall. It was bright red. It was marbled with white fat. Damien brought more wood. He stacked it high. They started working.
Skade was already prepared. She started cutting. She started chopping. She moved with speed. Chef Varg and I assisted her. I watched Sophie's team. I admired how they loved her. They were willing to do right by her.
Pip came back. His hands were empty. His face was pale.
"I can't find the peppe." Pip said.
"But we kept it together last night." Silas said.
"Yes, we did." Martha added. "I saw it this early morning while we were preparing."
"I cannot find it there again." Pip said.
"Are you sure?" Sophie asked.
"Yes, Chef." Pip assured. "I checked every jar. I checked every shelf. It is gone."
"We will go check for it." Silas said. "Martha, come with me."
Alaric was looking at them from the throne. He leaned forward. I believe he wondered what was going on. He saw their worried faces.
"Very pathetic." Skade sneered.
She did not stop her knife.
"How can they win a competition when they are not organized?" Skade added.
I looked at her. I did not say anything. We continued working. Sophie looked confused. She looked at the empty table where the pepper should be. She realized the truth. Someone did not want her to win this competition.
Martha and Silas returned. Their hands were also empty.
"Truly, the special ingredient is not there again." Silas said.
He lowered his head. He could not look Sophie in the eye.
"How can we prepare the peppered beef if we cannot find the pepper?" Sophie asked.
"I...I do not know." Martha stuttered.
"We have to change the dish." Sophie said.
"Now?" Martha asked.
"Yes." Sophie replied. "We have to do something else with this beef."
"So what do we do?" Martha inquired.
Sophie was quiet. She looked at the hourglass. The sand was falling. The time was running out. We had two hours to finish. Thirty minutes were already spent. Sophie had done nothing. She closed her eyes. She gripped the edge of the table.
She turned to Silas.
"Go to the palace pantry." Sophie said. "Get me the red wine there. Not just one jar. Pip and Damien should follow you. Get me as many jars as they have."
Silas nodded. He tapped Pip and Damien. They all left together.
Wine? I asked myself. What does she want to use wine for? I have never seen anyone use wine to cook beef. Is she trying to invent a style?
"She wants to use wine to cook beef?" Skade hissed. "What rubbish. She will ruin the meat."
"Why not watch and learn?" I replied.
Skade gave me a stern look. She continued cooking.
"It seems like there is commotion between your chefs." Stone mocked.
"A competition is not complete without it. Don't you think?" Alaric replied.
He looked Stone dead in the eyes. He did not blink.
The Blackwood chefs returned. They carried six jars of red wine. They were breathing hard.
"Put the beef in the pot." Sophie instructed Martha.
Martha dropped the meat into the iron pot.
"Now turn the red wine inside the pot." Sophie said. "Pour it until I say stop."
The hall grew noisy. The elders opened their mouths. They looked at each other. I heard them whisper.
Wine in beef? What is she doing?
They poured four jars into the pot. The liquid was deep purple.
"That is enough." Sophie said.
She added other ingredients. I could not tell what they were. She covered the pot. She brought out some flowers. She washed them. She prepped them. She made sure all her chefs were working. She indulged them with tasks.
One hour was spent. Skade was preparing the Glacial Peaked Poultry. She brought out an unfamiliar ingredient. It was red and powdered. She poured it into the pan.
Soon, everyone started coughing.
"What is she doing?" An elder asked.
"Does she want to choke us?" Pip asked Sophie.
"What is she adding that is making our nose hurt?" Silas asked.
Sophie was sniffing the air. She looked at Skade's pan. She looked uncertain.
"Let us focus." Sophie said.
"Filter the beef." She instructed Martha.
Martha drained the wine. The beef was now a dark, rich color. Sophie poured the beef into a wide pan. She poured fresh wine over it.
Fire erupted in the pan. The flames jumped three feet high.
"Woah!" The crowd shouted.
Everyone marveled. The orange light went high.
"I have never seen anything like this." An elder admitted.
"This is indeed a sight to behold." Alaric said.
He turned to look at Stone. He was proud of Sophie.
"That is nothing." Stone replied. "My chefs can do more than that."
"Then they would have done it first." Alaric challenged.
Skade was angry. She saw the people looking at Sophie. She filtered the oil from her pan. She poured it into her hearth. Fire erupted from her station. It was blue and orange.
Skade was trying to show Sophie she could do the trick.
"Ugh, huh!" The crowd cheered.
"The Moon Crescent chef can do it too." An elder stated.
"See what I told you?" Stone looked at Alaric. "It was a mild trick. Anyone can do it."
Sophie added more wine. Her fire became bigger. It roared. Skade added more oil. Her fire erupted too. It was now a competition of fire.
I tapped Skade.
"Stop." I said. "Sophie knows what she is doing. You will spoil the dish."
Skade ignored me.
The time was up. Sophie had plated her beef. She garnished it with a sauce. She added the beautiful flowers. It did not look like food. It looked like art. Skade plated her poultry. It looked like a meal for a king.
They both came forward. They presented their dishes. The elders and others received their portions. Cassian stepped forward.
"It is now time for the dish to be tasted." Cassian said.
"The Alpha King and Alpha Stone will taste the dishes." Cassian added. "Alpha Alaric will score the Moon Crescent fairly. Alpha Stone will do the same for Blackwood."
"Let the tasting begin." Cassian instructed.
The royal tasters stepped forward. They tasted the poultry first. They nodded. The Alphas tasted it. They closed their eyes.
Ummm... filled the hall.
The elders were all humming.
"This is good." An elder said.
"Not just good, but excellent." Another added.
"But it burns the tongue." A voice interrupted. "What did they put in it?"
"We need water!" Most of them cried.
Skade looked at them with disgust.
"The poultry is well cooked." Alaric stated. "I could feel the depth of flavor. You added something hot to the oil. It brings the fire in the taste. This is excellent."
"This is an unknown dish." Stone said. "But it feels like I have known it all my life."
"Do not jump to conclusions." Alaric warned.
It was time for Sophie's dish. The royal tasters stepped forward. They tasted the wine beef. They did not just nod. They hummed loudly. They forgot their jobs. They closed their eyes.
Everyone tasted the dish. Alaric and Stone looked like they were in a trance. They laughed. They smiled.
"It is indeed delicious." An elder with a white beard roared.
"I have learned a new invention." Another man stated. "I will use wine to cook my beef."
"This is the best beef I have had in my life." Someone admitted.
"The red wine was well infused into the beef." Alaric said. "The beef is soft. It melts in my mouth before it gets to my throat. It leaves me wanting more. The flower give it a clean taste and an extra depth of flavor. This is spectacular."
"I have never seen red wine used to cook beef. I must confess that this is extraordinary." Stone added. "It is delicious."
"It is time for the scores." Cassian announced.
The maids cleared the plates. Cassian brought two parchment papers. He handed one to Stone. He handed one to Alaric.
"You will score fairly." Cassian stated.
The Alphas took their charcoal. They wrote on the paper. Cassian walked toward them. He peeked at the score Stone wrote for Blackwood. Cassian brought out one finger. He showed Alaric the score. Stone had written 1.
Alaric went pale. He stopped breathing for a second. He was not happy with the score. Cassian took both papers. He hung them on the stand.
"It is time to reveal the score." Cassian announced.
He loosed the parchment. The paper rolled down.
