“I made it to my horse and thundered off. I was coming straight back to you…,” he broke off at the malicious look on her face.
“Then hand…me…the…pendant.”
“My stallion went lame.” The inspiration was sudden and gave him courage to blunder on. “And I had to stop to care for him. As I was looking at his fetlock, the wolf attacked again. My horse ran off…” He stopped when she slowly descended the stairs of the dais, her face livid.
“I am happy to hear your horse recovered so quickly. I was worried.” She stopped immediately in front of the man, leaning down slightly to stare into his white, sweating face. Her breath smelled of death and decay as she slowly whispered, “Where is my pendant?”
“The wolf took it.”
That cursed wolf! I knew I couldn’t trust him when he came to Merlin’s with the girl that night. But, how? How did those two fools come to be here with the princess? I’ve followed that pendant through perdition and still he keeps it from me!
The leader of the band stood still, afraid to move or breathe. The Evil One still stood in front of him, their noses almost touching, yet she said nothing. She didn’t even seem to see him any longer.
In a split second, her eyes snapped back to his. “I want that wolf.”
Relief seemed to ooze out of him. “Yes, madam. Shall I regroup my men?”
Standing upright, she gave him a warm, unexpected grin. It froze his heart. “Yes, you do that.”
She turned from him and regally climbed the stairs to retake her seat.
As the man turned, wondering at his miraculous delivery, he began to notice something odd as he walked the length of the throne room. It could have been his exhaustion, but everything around him seemed to be getting…taller and bigger. Brushing a hand across his eyes to clear them, his steps slowed. As he blinked them rapidly, he kept his eyes on the far door and the fresh, clean air outside. It should have been only a few more steps until freedom. The doorway was now farther away, the broken tiles on the floor loomed larger and larger. The columns next to him that held up the darkened ceiling were now immense in height and circumference; the ceiling itself beyond the scope of his beady black eyes.
His scream of terror turned into a high-pitched squeak as the large brown rat on the floor of the throne room scurried into the nearest, darkest hole.
“You mustn’t worry, Leader.” Nimue smiled pleasantly as the tail of the rodent disappeared into the wall. “I’ve made other plans. Oh, and that vision you saw when you dared to touch my diamond? That knighthood being bestowed would have been yours, had you not failed me. But,” she sighed deeply, “you did.”
Dark clouds gathered and swirled over the top of her decrepit castle. Lightning flashed in an otherwise clear sky. Aware of the warning signs, the villagers, far away near the fair castle of the kind King and Queen, put their heads together and murmured quietly as they wondered what evil doings were next to come.
The petulant weather matched Nimue’s mood at the moment. She had seen the brilliant pink display—pink of all the disgusting colors!—centuries ago when the wolf’s group had disappeared under Camelot. She knew Merlin had nothing to do with it. She would have gotten that out of him at some point before she entombed him. Now, after all that time, the showy entrance had happened again on the nearby shoreline. But how? She had detected something different about the wolf back then, but she just hadn’t been able to put her finger on it.
Unable to figure out how the black wolf was able to transport through time, she wanted to take out her frustrations on her castle’s serving minions. The senseless creatures were always cowering at the edges of the room—even though they had been smart enough to flee when they saw the bold leader reduced into a filthy rat.
Glancing around at the huge, dismal, empty room, she gave a huff. “Perhaps they aren’t so stupid after all.” With a half-smile, she sighed. “It’s getting harder and harder to find obedient minions these days. The forces of evil aren’t what they used to be in the good old days.”
Her attention returned to the problems at hand, and Nimue looked deeply into the greenish orb that glowed under her fingertips. “I see you, man.” The image of Wals practicing with his sword behind his lodging place appeared in the swirling, green light. He had just gracefully pivoted and struck off a branch of the nearby tree. “Yes, keep practicing. I think you just found out that real swords fight back much better than trees and bushes.” After a chuckle, she leaned closer to the orb. “Now, where is that companion of yours? Ah, there he is, sitting and watching you. My, he does look amused, doesn’t he?”
The image faded as her slender finger left the sphere. “Now that I know where you are, wolf, I can proceed.”
She swept out of the throne room and headed for the barracks of her men. Stepping over and around the broken pieces of furniture and fallen masonry, Nimue muttered, “I really need to get a maid in here.”
A crockery jug was hastily hidden from view when the door of the barracks suddenly burst open. The thick, unmistakable smell of ale hung in the air. Nimue surveyed the blurry eyes and stupid grins on the faces of the dregs of society that faced her. Her gray eyes rolled briefly. “Well, you get what you pay for.” She raised her glowing staff and sharply banged it on the stone floor of the room. When the inhabitants groaned and held their hands to their ringing ears, she proceeded. “Now that I have your attention, men,” she smiled, knowing some of them were and some of them were not, “I have a job for you. Perhaps you have heard about the recent failure of the leader to perform admirably?” She broke off and looked around at the faces that had lost some of their drunken stupor.
Realizing she expected an answer, they all slowly nodded, wary.
“Ah, yes, bad news does travel fast, does it not? Well, I have a wolf to catch—and, I have found, if I want something done, I need to do it myself.”
A small sense of relief seemed to flow from one man to the next. It sounded as if she would be gone for a time and they could finally relax.
She turned to go and smiled to herself when she heard the collective sigh behind her. “Oh, yes, I forgot one thing.” Finger upraised, she turned back. “You,” she pointed at one large, oafish brute. In front of their eyes, he instantly reverted to his original form—a mottled timber wolf. “And you and you,” she continued around the room until only a few humans were left standing, surrounded as they were by a pack of lean, snarling wolves. As the pack eagerly circled her, she cried out in delight. “Now there’s a beautiful sight! Come with me, my pets! We have a wolf to catch.” She gave a dramatic, sweeping gesture with her hands as her robes flowed around her. When the robes settled, the largest wolf of them all stood in the middle of the pack. Beautiful gray fur covered her muscular body and sharp gray eyes looked around the room. “To the forest!”
She led the group at a dead run out of the castle and down the steep mountainside. Tirelessly they all ran, fueled by the spell and the spirit of evil. Straight toward the village they headed, frightened denizens of the woods scattered and cattle stampeded as they raced through the valley nestled under the protecting walls of the fair castle.
Nose in the air, Wolf already sensed the approach of the pack. He knew they were wolves and that they were coming fast. And…he knew they were coming for him. With a parting warning yell, “Get in the house!” to Wals, he turned and plunged into the thickest part of the trees.
When the vicious pack easily picked up his trail, Wolf tried to lose them with a twisting, erratic path. He leaped to the tops of huge boulders in an attempt to end his scent. From there he would jump onto a large tree branch and crash into the nearby river, swimming to the opposite side. But, whatever he did, they followed—unceasingly, unerringly. She seemed to anticipate his next move and follow his every step. Even when Wolf did a sweeping turn and doubled back on his own trail, she followed.
For hours the chase continued. Wolf began to feel the effects of the long run and the strain. But, he knew she and her followers
would never tire.
He thought about opening a portal, any portal that might be near, and escape that way. He could always come back. But, that would leave Wals and Rose to face her anger alone. They didn’t know where he had hidden the pendant. Nimue wouldn’t accept that answer, he knew. No, he couldn’t leave them.
In his contemplation, he got careless and missed the turn he should have made. Caught in a narrow ravine, the surrounding boulders were too tall for his leaps and the sides were too steep for his claws to get him to the top. Hearing the sounds already behind him, Wolf slowly turned, head down to face the onslaught of fangs and claws that would be on him in an instant.
Only he didn’t face a pack of wolves. Nimue stood behind four of her strongest men as they hurled a weighted net over the snarling wolf. With nowhere to escape, he crouched down to lessen the impact as the heavy ropes and stone anchors landed on top of him. It was so heavy he couldn’t even lift his head to snap at the hands that slid long poles through the mesh. The men grunted at his sheer weight as the poles were placed on their shoulders and the wolf hung swaying in defeat between them.
In silence they trod back to the Dark Castle, their triumphant leader, the Evil Fairy, ahead of them all.
Flanked by a row of sharp spear points, the net was removed from the exhausted Wolf. He had not been allowed to sleep or eat for two days. When his defenses were at their lowest, Nimue finally called him into her presence.
“Welcome to my humble castle.” She gave him a broad smile as she threw out her hands. “I’m so glad you could join us, wolf. May I offer you some water?” She clapped her hands and a terrified lad of about fourteen scurried out of the darkness with a bucket.
Wolf saw the look of fright on the boy’s face and refrained from snapping at him. He could tell the boy was here about as willingly as he himself. His head turned away from the much-needed water, the wolf stared defiantly back at the woman. The boy wisely vanished back into the depths of the shadows that lurked everywhere in the castle.
Nimue pretended to be shocked by his refusal. “What? You aren’t thirsty?” Her eyes narrowed and she suddenly flew into a rage. “Then perhaps this is more to your liking!”
The green orb glowed and the water in the bucket was changed into bubbling, spitting acid. Unimpressed, Wolf snorted at it and kicked it away with his hind leg. The acid spilled out of the bucket and ran toward his guards who screamed and backed away from the red, hissing flow.
She looked surprised at the insolence, and then began to chuckle. That chuckle quickly turned into full laughter. Her men looked at each other, unsure of what they should do. A couple of them gave a nervous laugh at their mates who were still dancing away from the spilled acid.
“Oh, wolf.” She gave a hearty sigh when she got control of her emotions, “I can see that we would get along famously if you would just let us. You see,” she added as if in confidence as she leaned away from her throne, “I know you are more than just an ordinary wolf. I also know you can talk, only you have been too stubborn, or perhaps afraid to do so. So, I give you permission to speak freely.” She waved an airy, regal hand in his direction.
Wolf sat on his haunches and tilted his head at her, his blue eyes steady. No chance, lady.
“Come now, it’s all right. We all know it is true, wolf.” She waited for his mouth to open; she intently watched the muscles play around his face. When she saw his black lips part, she smiled in triumph.
Only, Wolf just let his tongue loll out of his mouth and panted. Rather undignified, but that was all she was going to get.
He could see her gray eyes change in anger. “Very well,” she snapped, “if that’s the way you want to play it.” Her index finger began to stroke the ever-present orb as her eyes closed.
Seeing the gesture, the sword pointed around him started to waver as the guards fell back a few steps. They would have fled the room, but they didn’t dare.
Coming warily to his feet now, Wolf’s eyes narrowed as he waited. He saw a streak of green light curl upward from the throne and slowly snake its way over to him. Around his body it swirled. Tensed, waiting, Wolf felt absolutely nothing, so he slowly relaxed his stance. Quickly thinking through his limited options, he decided it would be better for all if he let her think the spell actually worked. He figured, correctly, that the next attempted spell would be a lot worse. He closed his eyes so she wouldn’t see them roll upward in derision.
“What is it you would like me to say, madam?”
The deep voice coming from the beast shocked the guards who surrounded him. The spears were quickly lowered into place as their eyes widened in fear. They apparently had no memory of their own transformation just days before.
Nimue, on the other hand, was delighted. “I made an animal talk! Oh, imagine the possibilities,” she crowed. “I should have tried this years ago with my poor Diablo.” She glanced out the glassless window at the frozen, stone raven that used to be her pet. Stuck forever on the turret, it was frozen as if in mid-flight, its mouth open for a warning that never came. That malicious blue Fairy had done that.
Whatever you want to think, witch. Wolf would like to be around when she tried it again, over and over, and failed each time. But, then again, perhaps it would be better if he wasn’t.
She turned back at his amused chuckle. “Something you would like to share with the group, wolf?”
“No, not particularly. But, thank you for asking.”
Her gray eyes narrowed. “Do not push the limits of my good temper, wolf!” she warned. “I can just as easily turn you back into a common brute.”
“My apologies.” When pigs fly.
“I think you know why I brought you here, wolf. I want what is mine. It has been out of my possession far too long. You know that of which I speak?”
“Yes, Nimue.”
“Ah, you do know who I am. Interesting. And you will take me to it?”
“No, I shall not.”
There was a grunt of “ooh” that went through the surrounding men at his words. Again they held themselves back from leaving their posts. At least her anger won’t be directed at me this time, was each of their thoughts.
Nimue calmly stood from her throne and descended the four steps. She seemed to be in deep thought. Her men unconsciously leaned away from her as she paced back and forth in front of the waiting wolf. “Well, I see we are at an impasse. I want my pendant back and you do not wish to give it to me.” She stopped directly in front of Wolf and looked down at him, grudgingly respecting the fact that he did not cower. “Is that how you see it as well?”
“Yes, madam. That is a succinct summary.”
She snorted. “You sound more and more like that blasted Archimedes. But, yes, that is where we stand. Unless,” she stopped, and tapped a finger on her black, lower lip, “unless you decide to join my happy little group here.” She waved a hand around the men-at-arms, each of whom winced as her fingers flew past his position. “Think of what fun we could have together! The pendant would be shared equally with all.”
Wolf bowed his head briefly. “Again, I must decline the honor.”
She spun on him before he had time to react. Her scepter pointed at him, its tip glowing with prickling heat. The black lips formed soundless words as Wolf was bombarded with unseen forces. Too much for him, not even knowing how to resist, the evil penetrated his body and his mind. Scenes of darkness and pain played over and over in his brain, and, finally, tragically, overshadowed all his memories and thoughts of friendship and love and family. Try as he might, already exhausted, he just couldn’t fight off the intrusion. He couldn’t regain his own self. Flung to the cold stone floor, he lay panting from the exertion.
Seeing a film darken his blue eyes, Nimue smiled smugly. “Now, let’s talk about my pendant.” She calmly retook her throne and settled into its depths.
Wolf staggered into the small room at the back of the tavern. “There you are.” Wals was glad to see him. “I wondered what happened to you af
ter that pack ran you off. You’ve been gone for days.” He broke off at Wolf’s lowered head and narrowed eyes. “You okay, Wolf? You look a little beat up.”
Fighting every new instinct deep within him, Wolf could only manage a few words. “Come with me. Quickly, Wals.”
“You don’t sound very good, Wolf. What’s wrong?”
A growl forced itself out of his mouth and he had to snap his mouth shut. “I can’t explain it. Just come.”
The wolf blended into the darkness of the forest and followed the path to the sea. Wals looked around. “Hey, this is where I met with Rose. We haven’t been back here since we were attacked.”
“Quit talking!” Wolf yelled at him.
At the surprised, hurt look on Wals’ face, Wolf shook his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I…I’m supposed to kill you now, Wals. That’s what I’ve been sent to do.”
Wals gave him a big grin. “Who sent you? King Stefan? I know Rose’s father wasn’t too happy that she snuck out that night. Good thing he doesn’t know about the other times.”
Wolf picked up a piece of driftwood in his mouth and snapped it easily in his jaws. “This is supposed to be your neck. No, it isn’t the King. It’s Nimue.”
“What?” Wals was shocked. “That…that was centuries ago! How did she get here?”
“You know who’s supposed to be here in this time. They are the same. And she still follows the pendant. She will always follow the pendant until she gets it back.”
Wals held up his empty hands. “But I don’t have it. You know that. You saw that burly guy take it from Rose. I tried everything I knew to stop him.” He broke off with a shrug, still angry at his failure to protect Rose.
“Wals, Nimue forced me to join her side. I…she put me under some kind of spell. It’s taking everything I have to keep from leaping at you as I have been commanded.”
“You’re serious.” Wals’ eyes got big as the truth of the situation began to sink in. Wolf was acting far too differently for him not to believe. “What do you want? Why did you bring me here? You can’t kill me. I’m your friend.”
Wolf! Happily Ever After? Page 11
