“All right.”
Nighttime began to set in and darkness was starting to take over the already-gloomy woods. Lost in his own thoughts, Wals found he had fallen behind the fast moving wolf whose black coat blended into the shadows too well. As he picked up his pace, he called out something else that had been on his mind since his time with Mato. “By the way, just so you know? I’d appreciate it if you’d fill me in on details that I need to know. Your brother didn’t think it was necessary to tell me, for instance, that we were being tailed by a pack of wolves on this very same trail. I’d prefer to know what’s going on around me.”
“Noted.” Wolf gave a wolfish grin, unseen by his trailing companion. “I’ll give you the same consideration.”
“Thank you.” After a few moments, Wals realized what the wolf had said. “Hey, that’s not funny!”
The low chuckle told him otherwise. “We aren’t being followed. I am somewhat surprised by that fact, but we aren’t at this point in time. Hopefully, we’ll continue to be unobserved.” However unlikely that is.
“Agreed.” Wals well knew the path on which they were traveling, but Wolf seemed to have a different destination in mind. The route they were on would not come out in the village where Wals had stayed the last time they were here. “Where are we headed?”
“The castle.”
“Which castle would that be?” Wals’ question unintentionally betrayed his nervousness. He couldn’t help but wonder if the wolf was still, somehow, under her power and was leading him into a trap.
Wolf heard the worried inflection in Wals’ voice and decided not to torment the man. “Rose’s castle, of course.”
Wals wasn’t too sure he wanted to go to that castle, either. In the time they had been gone, he had started the healing process to put his love for Rose behind him. While he wished her well and happy, he still wasn’t keen on seeing her and being reminded, yet again, of her kindness and beauty and the love he had lost. Even the beautiful Tato Kala, whose name meant Antelope, back in Wolf’s village hadn’t been able to distract him. It had been too soon, too sharp a loss at that point. Perhaps, though, as he thought about the dusky black eyes and long raven-black lashes that framed them, there might be something in the future. Not yet, though. Not yet.
Wolf, unaware of the true reason behind Wals’ feeling of apprehension, continued his steady pace and course to the fair castle of King Stefan. He was glad of the silence as he could keep a stronger feel on what—or who—was around them.
“Oh, Wolf! Wals! It is you!” The kind-hearted green Fairy clapped her hands in delight. “I am so happy to see you again! Just wait until I tell the others you’re back!”
Before Wolf or Wals could say a word, she was gone in a puff of green smoke.
Close to the castle but still on the path, they had been startled by the green sparkles that suddenly appeared before their eyes. Since it had become completely dark under the close trees, they both instinctively had taken a defensive position. Relieved to see it was Flora, they had opened their mouths to greet her but, by then, she was already gone.
“Think she’ll be back?” Wals gave a chuckle as he wondered out loud to the wolf.
“Well, she was one of the ones I especially wanted to see, so I hope so.” Mouth open, he gave a wolf’s version of a grin, and, since they were alone once more, he continued on his previous route. After only a few steps, he stopped once again. “Ah, there they are.”
Wals looked up in the direction Wolf indicated. Three vivid glitter trails were heading toward their position. The lead color was red, followed by the green, and Merri brought up the rear with her special blue. The surrounding trees and hanging moss reflected the bright colors when the trio popped into view.
“Sir Wolf, and Sir Wals, too! I hadn’t believed Flora when she told me you both were back.” Fauna gave them a lovely smile as she adjusted her tilted hat.
“Now, you know I cannot tell a lie, Fauna!” Flora insisted. “Why wouldn’t you have believed me?”
“Oh, Flora, she didn’t mean it that way.” Not wanting to miss a thing, Merriweather jumped into the building fray.
“Of course I know you never lie! I was merely surprised….”
“Ladies!” Wolf had to yell to get their attention before they dissolved into a long, drawn-out argument on who meant what.
All three conical hats calmly turned in his direction. “Yes, Wolf, dear?” asked Flora in her kindly way, as if unaware there had been any contention mere moments before.
“We are likewise happy to see you. Is it possible to get inside out of sight? I have something to ask of you.”
The red Fairy gave Wals a look-over. “Well, as before, he can only go so far inside the castle.”
Even in the darkness, it was plain to see that the embarrassed Wals turned a shade of bright red.
“Oh! My dear Wals. Now, I meant no offense. I really didn’t.” Fingers to her lips, Fauna was quick to apologize when she saw his reaction to her words. “We are forever grateful to you for all you did. But,” she sighed, “that doesn’t extend to the King. He still hasn’t forgotten that you stole Rose away into the night for that secret rendezvous. Most improper, you know. Most improper.”
With no desire to go over the same argument they had had before, Wals chose to remain silent and let Wolf handle whatever it was he wanted to cover. If they considered the fact that the love of his life was now with another man, it made it all a moot point anyway.
When Wals made no response, she took his silence as acceptance. Even though his arms were folded over his chest and he wouldn’t meet their eyes, Fauna considered the matter closed. “Now, Sir Wolf, if you two will follow us, we can use the same passage as before.”
Wolf had never been to the secret entrance in the castle wall, so he was quite intrigued. Wals merely gave a heavy sigh as the solid oaken door quietly closed behind them. He knew there would be no happy greeting from Rose this time. The complete darkness of this hidden level of the castle was broken by torches that suddenly sprang to life. Wolf could see stone stairways that would lead to the upper great towers, and a few blackened doors that led to other, secret chambers in the lower realms of the castle. Instead of the expected layers of dust and cobwebs that should have coated everything—as in another, darker castle—this typically unused section was spotlessly clean, though undecorated.
“Will we be disturbed down here, ladies?” Wolf subtly tried to find out if Rose knew they were here.
“No, no, we will be quite comfortable….” Flora broke off, a hand going to her mouth as she looked around. “Oh, dear me, it isn’t too comfortable, is it? Perhaps this will be better.” Her waiting wand jumped into her hand and suddenly four elaborate chairs and a rather large, green embroidered pillow appeared on the floor. “I embroidered that myself.” A proud blush tinted her thin cheeks.
As expected, they all took a moment to admire the neat stitches and intricate floral pattern. “It’s almost too pretty to sit on.” Wolf preferred to sit on the floor and hoped to get out of the quandary.
“No, no, I insist! What’s the use in having pretty things if you don’t share them?” the green Fairy exclaimed, gesturing for Wolf to get comfortable.
After having to turn around three times, he was finally able to get into a place on the lumpy cushion that allowed him to face the others and still be in a somewhat dignified position. In the first attempt, he had sunk to the bottom and his four legs stuck straight up in the air. “Yes, very nice.” He ignored Wals’ smirk when his hindquarters slipped off the satin fabric and smacked the cold, stone floor.
“Now,” Merri started, after she had handed around tea and cookies, “how have you two been? You look well, Wolf, after that terrible wound you incurred. But, then, it has been almost two years since we’ve seen you.”
“Two years?” Wals and Wolf looked at each other in shock.
“It…it’s been just a month in our time.” Wolf looked to the blue Fairy for clarification.<
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“Yes, that’s the way it was when I was in your time.” Merriweather nodded that she understood his surprise. “Many more years had passed here than the number of years the princess and I were actually gone. Oh! I’m sorry, Wals. I shouldn’t have mentioned her.” She had seen a fleeting look of loss pass over the man’s face.
All three faces turned to him, sympathy obvious on each. “No, it’s all right. I…I do hope she’s well and happy. I really do.”
Fauna recovered the quickest and clasped her hands in front of her. “Oh, she is just lovely! And the baby looks just like her, too!”
“Baby?” Wals and Wolf echoed together.
Alarmed, hand to her mouth, Fauna looked over at Merri. “Oh, dear. Perhaps I shouldn’t have mentioned that.”
Flora decided to tell Wals the rest of it. “She is well and happy, Wals, and we thank you for asking. Yes, she and the Prince welcomed a new princess to the family. They were married soon after Phillip came back, you know. She’s a wonderful mother.” She gave a happy sigh as she thought about the new life and new adventures to come for all of them.
“Please give them our kindest regards.” When he saw that Wals seemed too stunned to speak, Wolf felt he needed to say something.
“Oh, yes, regards.” Wals came around enough to add what he thought he should. He then lapsed back into silence as he realized the relationship was now completely over for him.
Wolf knew it would be best to bring the discussion back around to the reason they had come. “I have two reasons for coming back. The second is to thank you,” he looked pointedly at Merriweather, “for the gift you gave my father. And me.” An unexpected flood of emotion came over him and he had to pause a moment before he could finish. “You have no idea how much it meant for him to see my face again. I do believe that was the first time he was ever speechless!”
Merri briefly bowed her head. “I was glad to do it for both of you. How did you know it was me? I tried to be discrete.”
Wolf gave a small grin. “After I returned, the boy Peter told me that he had seen a funny blue sparkle follow me into the vortex. I knew it had to be your doing.”
“You said that was the second reason. What was the first reason you two came back?”
Wolf turned to face the leader of the fairies. “It’s for the pendant. Did you realize we went back without it?”
Fauna’s mouth turned down in a brief frown. “Yes, we thought that was the case. It was none of our business, though. Rose was our concern—well, and helping you as we could.” She looked away at one of the far, dark walls. “She knows it’s still here, as well. There has been a lot of prowling out in the woods over the last two years. She’s still weak, but she does know it is still here.”
“Obviously, from what you say, Nimue hasn’t found it then.”
“That’s right, Wolf. That last fight took almost everything out of her.” Merri gave an unladylike snort. “Too bad it didn’t finish her off…. Her Dark Castle has been very quiet, which is good for everyone ‘round about. Trying to keep you, Wolf, under the effects of her spell, all the wolves she commanded, and with all the spells she had to weave, it was all just too much for her. She used too much of her power all at once.”
“Then, perhaps I won’t be assaulted this time when I fetch it.”
“Oh, you can bet that she will be watching,” Fauna told him pointedly. “Make no mistake about that. I doubt that she’ll be able to do much of anything about it right now. But, it wouldn’t be wise to think she is gone for good, Wolf. Never assume that.”
Thoughtful, Wolf quietly nodded. That was good news for him on this trip, but it could mean danger at some future point in time. “I will remember, Fauna. Thank you for telling me.”
“Now, what can we do for you two? Do you require anything of us?”
The large dark head swung around to Merriweather. “Now that you mention it, there is one little thing you can help me with.”
When Wolf told them he couldn’t remember exactly where he had buried the pendant, the three good fairies all broke out into delighted laughter. “Oh, Sir Wolf! That is too much! ‘All the trees look alike!’ Oh, whatever you do, don’t tell them that. They would be devastated.”
“Who would be devastated, Flora?” Wals wasn’t sure whether to be irritated that Wolf had, indeed, lost the pendant or wonder about the curious statement the fairy had just made.
Flora wiped a tear from the side of her eye. “Why, the trees, Wals, the trees! They take their appearance quite seriously, you know. Don’t they in your time? They just love spring.”
Wals and Wolf looked at each other. How does one answer that? “We aren’t sure,” was all Wolf could come up with to say.
“Well, we’ll put out the call and let you know what we find out. I think your specifics on what you do remember will help narrow it down quite significantly.”
“Umm, I really don’t mean to be rude, but, how long do you think it’ll take? We don’t have anywhere to spend the night.” Wals wasn’t too keen to go back to the dreary tavern where he had stayed before and he figured he wouldn’t be allowed to stay in the castle for a moment longer than was absolutely necessary.
“I’ll see to it.” The green Fairy Flora gave an airy wave as she disappeared from view.
“She has such a way with the flowers and trees,” Fauna sighed. “I, personally, like the creatures better. But, to each their own.”
“Found it!” In a flurry of green sparkles, Flora reentered the room a mere moment later and made the happy announcement. “That delightful elm family in the glade have been keeping watch over it. Such a nice grove of trees. They said the….” A confused look overshadowed her joyful expression and she had to break off. “Hmmm, now, what was that word they used? Oh, let’s just say creature and get on with it. That creature had been looking all around the glade, but they wouldn’t let her see it.”
“The trees can do that?” Wals asked as the fairies abruptly stood, obviously ready to leave the castle.
“Why, yes.” Flora flew over to him and retrieved the tea cup from him. “The elms are really pleasant. Now, the maples can be quite forgetful, so it was good you didn’t use them, Sir Wolf. The walnuts get rather grumpy when the squirrels take over. But the thorn bushes, oh, they are rather nasty creatures, I do hate to say.” She lowered her voice before she continued. “You all remember what the thorns did at her bidding, don’t you? Quite a nasty business.” Disgusted, she finished with a shake of her head.
Not sure what to say in answer to any of that, Wolf and Wals wisely remained silent and followed the trio out of the castle into the dead of night. They headed in the direction Wolf thought they should go. With Flora’s unseen help, he began to recognize more of the area the further they walked.
When the path widened, they were in a lovely glade brightly lit by the full moon that shone overhead. The leaves of the elms became edged in silver as a gentle breeze drifted through the air, turning them this way and that.
“Yes, this is the place.” Relieved, Wolf trotted over to an impressive elm on the edge of the clearing. “This is it. This is the tree.”
The breeze must have gotten stronger, because Wals was sure he saw the lowest branch of the tree dip down to lightly graze the back of the wolf. Too far away, he couldn’t hear the wolf give his thanks for the protection of the woods.
“I can’t believe you couldn’t remember where you hid it!” Wals kept up his light ridicule of Wolf as they approached the beach. “That’s almost too funny!”
“It’s not like I didn’t have anything else on my mind,” Wolf muttered in self-defense. “Let’s see how you would do under a spell like that.”
Properly chastised, the smile left Wals’ face. “You’re right. I forgot that part of it. Sorry.” Though sincere in his apology, he still planned on sharing it with Lance just as soon as they got back.
Always up for an adventure, the three good fairies had decided to accompany them to the beach for their f
inal good-bye. They assured the wolf that they would take the well-wishes and congratulations to Rose and Phillip on the arrival of the new little princess.
All five of them came to an abrupt halt before they reached the location of the portal. On the edge of the lapping water was a thin, gray wolf. Emaciated and exhausted, she sat with her head drooping. Her eyes were now a dull, lifeless gray, not the fiery red they had been during the battle. Nimue was almost unrecognizable.
“What do you want, witch? We are done with you.” Wolf stopped just short of what he considered lunging range in case she decided to turn on Wals.
“Ah, my pet. I have missed you, my wolf.” Her once-proud, once-commanding voice creaked out of her throat. She tried to sit taller, but it was too much for her. “I came to offer you my hand to join me once again. Once I am myself again—which shall be soon,” she promised with a hint of the same fire, the same delusional air she always kept around her.
“I will not fight you again, witch. We are done.”
“Fight?” She feigned surprise. “I am not offering to fight. Join me, Wolf. We could rule these lands together.”
“Never. Leave me, or I will finish this.” Wolf snapped in her direction, his fangs bared and his head lowered.
The gray wolf slowly got to her feet, which caused all of them to tense. She smugly chuckled at their reaction. “Fools. I will leave you now, Wolf. Because I so choose. You are being so unreasonable.” She gave a deep sigh, her ribs showing in the process. “Oh, my dear pet. We had such fun together.”
The five watched as the thin wolf slowly walked down the beach away from them. It seemed as if the effort was too much and she had to drop heavily onto the sand to regain her breath. Turning her head, she glanced back when she heard the commanding howl. The vortex was about to come and take her diamond away. And she could do nothing about it.
The three good fairies took a defensive stand around Wolf and Wals, just to make sure there were no tricks as the pink began to swirl behind them and the waves crashed heavily onto shore.
Wolf! Happily Ever After? Page 23
