Wolf! Happily Ever After?

by Nancy Temple Rodrigue

  As he pondered what he should do next, the old man’s head shot up and looked straight at Wolf, his white hair and beard barely able to keep up with the sudden movement. With an unexpected large grin and a welcoming gesture, he motioned for the wolf to come into his little camp. “There you are. I’ve been expecting you. Right on time, I might add. Very good. Very good. Come to the fire. Don’t be shy. You never were before.”

  As the wolf tentatively took four steps closer, eyes narrowed and head down, a feeling of recognition, of familiarity, again swept through his mind. When Wolf’s head tilted to the side, perplexed, the old man gave a small laugh.

  “Yes, yes. ‘Tis I. Took you a while! Nice to see you again, Wolf.”

  Mouth open in amazement, Wolf padded up to the fire and sat heavily on his haunches. “Merlin?” Wolf whispered unbelievingly as he looked him up and down. “How can you be here? You’re supposed to be….” He immediately stopped and clamped shut his mouth. How could he tell the wizard he was supposed to be dead?

  “Entombed? Is that the word you are searching for?” Merlin’s eyes twinkled as he rocked back in silent laughter. The whitish film that had covered one of his eyes the last time was noticeably absent.

  “Well, yes,” stammered the wolf, still not in control of his thoughts.

  “I know, I know.” Merlin held up a wrinkled hand. Then, before he continued, he took in its aged appearance, and shook his head disgustedly. “I need to do something about that. Anyway,” he finally continued, “while one isn’t supposed to change the course of the future….” He broke off with an unapologetic shrug. “Well, can’t let you young ones have all the fun, now can we? This is much too interesting, my dear friend. So, I decided to lay low and do some, uhm, traveling.”

  Wolf let the ‘young ones’ comment go by. That wasn’t exactly how he saw himself. “What about your apprentice?”

  “Nimue?” Merlin gave a heavy sigh as he looked into the burning embers of the fire that wasn’t really a fire. The sigh was still tinged with disappointment, regret and longing. “My dear apprentice,” he murmured. “Though I don’t believe she still goes by that name just now. If I recall correctly, it is Mal…. Hmm, what was it? Oh, bother. Never mind. It’s just like I don’t necessarily go by the name Merlin. But…let’s just keep that between the two of us, all right?”

  Wolf’s eyes narrowed as he thought back to his previous encounter with De Tribu. “If that was you when I was here the first time, why all that mystic mumbo jumbo you gave me? Why did you switch back and forth between the languages?”

  “Because, my lad, you…didn’t…know…me…then.” Merlin let the intricacies of time travel sink in and was pleased when realization came over the dark face in front of him. “It would have muddied up the waters too much if you had recognized me as Merlin. There was enough going on as it was. Plus,” he admitted, obviously pleased with himself, “I enjoyed vexing you!”

  With no desire to anger his friend, Merlin decided it might be best to change the subject. With a tilt of his chin, he motioned in the direction of Walt’s camp. “I like that one, Wolf. You were right. You chose well.”

  Wolf nodded. “He appreciates the ancients. You’ll be well remembered.”

  The wizard perked up even more. “Really? I am honored.” With a glance up at the sky, Merlin’s light mood began to fade into melancholy. “Well, I see the time has come that we had better part. I do hate to go, but your friend is curious and he will return to the clearing in the morning.”

  Wolf gave a wolfish smile. “Yes, that’s like him.” He looked back from the unseen camp and became thoughtful. “Will I see you again, Merlin?”

  Merlin stood from the fire, which, duty accomplished, immediately went out. Stretching his back, he grimaced as a pain shot through his shoulders. “Need to get that looked at,” he muttered to no one in particular. Ignoring Wolf’s question, he simply raised a hand. “Fare thee well, Wolf.”

  Nodding his head once in respect, there was nothing left for Wolf to say. “Fare thee well, Merlin.”

  Disneyland — 2042

  “How could it possibly take the fools over one hundred years to get it right? One hundred years since that blasted wolf gave my pendant to The Man. One hundred years! Well, wolf, I have been waiting patiently, but I will wait no more.”

  Nimue—as she was now known again—continued to mutter and curse to herself as she stalked through the pristine grounds of Disneyland. “What is that awful smell?” She had just passed the Candy Palace where the candy makers were busy preparing fresh English toffee, the enticing vanilla scent piped onto Main Street through hidden vents. “It’s so sweet, so sickening. No wonder these foolish mortals die so young….”

  Moments earlier, her arrival in a showy, billowing cloud of purple smoke had been obscured by the steam train as it released its own vapor cloud. The sorceress sourly frowned as she looked around. The train had just deprived her of the grand entrance she so craved. Her mood—already dark—dipped dangerously close to being lethal. Dressed as she was, she found she got too much of the wrong kind of attention. Assuming she was a costumed cast member, so many of those sniveling children were fascinated by her outfit. Her flowing robes and glowing green staff instantly morphed into a high-collared, form-fitting dress of the blackest purple. Now the attention she got from the men was more to her liking as she strode through Town Square. Momentarily thinking she had found what she sought, she had to hold back from angrily casting a lightning bolt through the holographic projection of The Man as he gave an ancient speech to a surrounding crowd of teary-eyed people.

  At the other end of Main Street, as she now stood in the middle of Central Plaza, she glared at yet another representation of The Man. This time he inexplicably held hands with an over-large, smiling mouse, all cast in bronze. When the shoes of the rodent began to melt from her toxic stare, Nimue pulled her eyes away and looked around. It appeared she had four options to travel. Shaking her head in disgust at the choices, she closed her eyes and let her mind reach out to find The Man, to see if he was anywhere close.

  Frustrated when she couldn’t sense what she wanted, her anger simmered and seethed behind her gray eyes. As she muttered in an ancient, dead language, nearby mothers pulled their children back from the Partners Statue and quickly left the flower-filled Plaza. They would get their pictures another time. Unaware, and uncaring, of the impression she left on those around her, Nimue turned her attention to the Castle, its colorful banners fluttering in the breeze that cooled the early evening. “My castle is far better than this pile of rubble.” She began to mutter again as she strode toward the pink and gold anchor of the Park. “This is so…so pretty,” she spat out. “How can they stand it?”

  As she stomped over to the drawbridge, she came to an abrupt halt and stood still over the first archway that was built under the walkway. There seemed to be a sort of power or presence lying under those stones in the dark water. She could feel it. Her malicious eyes lit with understanding and she actually broke into a smile. “So, this is how the wolf got through. Well, we can’t have that happen again, now can we? I don’t need my careful plans messed up again by that…that devious, ungrateful creature. After all I offered him…..” When she had altered her clothing, her powerful staff had been miniaturized into a raven-shaped brooch that more or less held the low-dipped front of her dress together. As her mind formed the action she desired, the brooch glowed green and did her bidding. A stream of lightning streaked outward and under the bridge, and the portal was closed forever.

  Chuckling to herself, Nimue continued through the castle arches and into the busy courtyard of Fantasyland. Her smile quickly faded as the laughing children and happy faces became far too much for her to bear. As she looked at the turning carrousel, she was tempted to turn it into a mass of real war horses that would stampede through the crowd. She threw back her head and laughed out loud at her wonderful idea. It was an evil sound, one that filled those who heard it with anxiety and fear
. Then, as her face was upturned, she caught a glimpse of movement up in a curtained window that overlooked the squalor below. The Evil Queen had pulled aside the blood-red curtains and glared down from on high. “Ah, Your Majesty,” the sorceress murmured, a smile of recognition on her black lips. “At last! A familiar face from home.” She was about to go into a deep curtsey but, just then, the curtains dropped back into place and the Queen was seen no more. “What is this? Am I to be treated this way?” She sent a green probe into the castle turret to find out why she had been so snubbed. It found no living creature. “More fakery? Is there nothing of value that is real any longer?” she cried, flinging her arms and gesturing to no one in particular.

  The bright music of Fantasyland and the laughter of the people around her were too much. With a rude push back through the Castle, she looked at her other choices as the lights began to twinkle all the way down Main Street as darkness fell. “Hmph, if they want a vision of their tomorrow, just wait.” That was one promise she was anxious to fulfill as she turned away from the high-tech wonders of the Tomorrowland entrance. “I will supply my own adventure, thank you, so that leaves Frontierland. Wonderful,” she muttered dryly. She stepped off the curb and directly into the path of the double-decked Omnibus that had just pulled away from the curb. Its quaint bulb horn gave a good-natured honk at the oddly dressed woman who glared back at the tall green thing that was telling her to get out of the way.

  A whinny diverted her attention just as she was about to raise her hand and melt the horn that gave another honk. “Ah, finally! Something familiar.” She walked over to the huge Belgian horse that pulled the trolley. The horse snorted and tossed his head as he waited for the streetcar to load. There were blinders on his eyes that prevented him from seeing the approaching woman. When she suddenly appeared in front of him, the horse’s eyes widened in fear as he sensed her evilness. With a sudden half-jump, he lashed out with a huge hoof, telling her to get back, to get away from him. Alarmed, the conductor of the trolley hurried to the horse’s nose, and pulled down the big head, murmuring to calm the animal. “I’m sorry, ma’am, he usually isn’t like this. Something musta spooked him.” And, from the look in your eyes, it was probably you, he thought to himself, but wisely said nothing else.

  The horse started to calm only when she turned in a huff and stormed away. Across the wooden bridge, she went through the upright logs of the fort-like entrance to Frontierland. Banjo music played on hidden speakers in the area, but she was so engrossed in her mission that she failed to hear the lively tune. What she did hear was the frightened screams that came from the Big Thunder rollercoaster. Not knowing the source of the terror, the screams pleased her greatly. “A dungeon! Finally, the sounds of home.” Eyes closed, she gave a deep sigh as the screams continued. “Perhaps they are not as backward as I thought.”

  The Rivers of America seemed to be pulling her forward, the same strange pull that she had experienced on the bridge of the Castle. Not able to locate the exact source of the power she could sense, the Evil One walked along the fenced waterway until she came across a large group of people beginning to gather. Seated on the ground, they were all apparently waiting for something to happen on that small island across the narrow channel.

  With barely a stir in the air, a presence suddenly appeared next to her, silent and menacing. With a calm smile on her beautiful face, she turned to look into the blazing blue eyes. “Ah, it’s you, my pet. So, you decided to come out of hiding. I wondered when you would dare to show your face, now that you have a face and not a muzzle.” With a contemptuous sneer, she gave his human body a slow, scrutinizing look. It was obvious she didn’t care for this form of Wolf any more than she had cared the animal he had been last time she had seen him.

  “What are you doing here?” Wolf kept his demanding voice low. The desire to bodily drag her away from Disneyland and all those innocent people was so strong he had to curl his hands into fists in restraint. When he saw her fingers start to make a familiar gesture in his direction, he laughed in her face. “Your spells no longer have an effect on me. Go back to your despicable hovel in the darkness. You aren’t wanted here.”

  “And I have missed you, too, Wolf.” She decided to face his anger with sticky sweetness. “Such bad manners, my dear pet. Have you learned nothing in all this time? I…I just wanted to visit my old friend.” Eyes wide, her face was a mask of innocence.

  “You are not wanted here. I want you…no, I demand that you leave. Now!”

  Pretending to be surprised, she put an elegant, ladylike hand on her chest. “Leave? Why, I thought the sign out front,” as she waved airy in the direction of the entrance, “said ‘To all who come to this happy place, welcome.’ Did I misunderstand something? Oh! How embarrassing!” Somehow she even managed to look self-conscious. “Why, I just got here to this…this…place.” The mask fell, and, showing her true disdain, Nimue nearly spat out the last word. “Is this what my pendant did?” She threw up her arms in disgust and turned in a full circle. “If that is true, why, it should shrivel up, ashamed of itself.... Oh, I do want it back, you know,” she added casually as if suddenly chatting about the weather.

  “That will never happen.” Unamused and unaffected by her theatrics, Wolf hadn’t moved from his place in front of her.

  She reached out to run a black-tinted fingernail down the side of his handsome face. “So serious.” She let out a regretful sigh, her words a gentle purr. “You were once mine, wolf. Do you remember the fun we had? The plans we had? You could be mine again. I really do have such a forgiving nature, you know.”

  Wolf held back from jerking down her arm as he stared unblinking into her malicious eyes. “Again, that will never happen, witch.”

  Taken aback, Nimue gasped. “Witch? Oh, wolf, that is so hurtful. You know how delicate I am. It is such an ugly word to hear.”

  “Then it’s a good thing you can’t be reading my thoughts.”

  Secretly, she was amused by his words, and had to admire the fierceness of his stand against her. Not that she would let him know, of course. Her fingernail now traced a trail down his other cheek, deep enough to draw a thin line of blood. Not once did his eyes leave her face or blink. “Did you not learn, Wolf, that I do get what I want?”

  “No, it should be obvious, even to you, that I did not learn that. The proof being that I am standing here, my own man and not one of your senseless minions. And the pendant is safe here with me. And notnow or ever will be in your possession.”

  She gave a small chuckle and dropped her hand, her fingers forming an unseen fist in the folds of her dress. “Oh, do not mock me, wolf. I know The Man has what belongs to me. It has escaped me twice before….”

  “Thrice,” he corrected with a smug grin.

  “But this will not happen again.” She continued as if he had not interrupted. “I am here for my property. It took me a…little while to locate all of you together, but I finally have. Being the generous creature that I am, I will give you until tomorrow. I kindly suggest you tell The Man. Or I will.” The promise was a mere hiss as she leaned her face closer to Wolf. “Tomorrow. Leave me now.” She gave him a commanding sweep with her hand. “I think I will enjoy the festivities,” she claimed brightly as the opening music of Fantasmic! began and the crowd, oblivious to what went on behind them, began to clap and call out for the show.

  “You will not harm anyone, Nimue.” When she tried to push past him, Wolf put an upraised finger in her face as a warning. “You are not the only one who has learned something in the passing of the centuries.”

  Snickering as if he were a fool, Nimue turned from her adversary and paid him no more heed. Her message was delivered. He had been given the warning.

  As the popular music, light and pyrotechnic show progressed, Nimue got angrier and angrier. How do they stand all this happy, singing drivel? And that…that mouse! He’s everywhere! If they want some fireworks, oh, I’ll give them fire….

  Her muttered tirade against
at the show halted when she suddenly appeared to challenge the oddly-dressed rodent. Her mouth open, Nimue stared in delight as she watched the forces of evil fly across the spraying fans of water and a band of skeletons began to dance on the Island. Finally, something good to root for! She came as close as she ever came to being happy when Murphy, as the thirty-foot animatronic dragon had been affectionately nicknamed by the cast members, began to rise from her hidden platform. So beautiful. She’s so beautiful, she cried, a tear streaking down her face. It’s been so long. Just then, when the dragon screamed and fire erupted out of her mouth toward Mickey, setting the whole River on fire, Nimue abruptly turned and left the show. She had seen what she needed to see.

  Watching from the darkness surrounding the show area, Wolf frowned at the thoughtful, unsettling look on the sorceress’ face. A small smile playing across her features and that could not bode well. By the time he pushed through the crowd to follow her, she had already vanished. He could smell the sulfur in the air and knew it hadn’t come from Murphy.

  She would be back tomorrow. That was a definite. He knew from their dealings in the past that she didn’t give idle threats. There was only one thing he had to do: He knew he had to warn Walt.

  “I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I’m realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter. But, this…this is beyond anything we’ve had to deal with before. I just don’t understand it at all, Wolf. How could she possibly have come here now? And, why now?”

  “Apparently she has recovered completely and also has learned much since I last saw her.” Wolf could only slowly shake his head as he wondered what they were in for. “She does sense that you’re close by, Walt. But she didn’t seem to know exactly where you are and she didn’t know about this room—or she would have come here already. She seemed drawn to the north part of the Park. Even so, I unquestionably know you’re in danger.”