Natalya: Wizards of White Haven

by Frances Howitt

  ‘Dustin? Oh no. Freddie no,’ she cried and dashed out the door.

  Jason wasn’t the only one to hear and follow her outside. At a dead run her clothes flew off and from one stride to the next she became an enormous tiger.

  ‘What’s happened?’ Bruno asked Jason, staring after her in confusion.

  Jason took his eyes off her for a moment, realising they all looked to him to know. ‘I think Dustin and maybe all the hunters are in trouble. If there’d been an accident she’d have gone as a wolf, it’s faster. Her tiger is her battle response,’ Jason said already shedding his own clothes and turning into his dog. ‘She may need help,’ he added, unsure if they would let him go.

  At that moment they heard a roar from over at the house. Jim in lion form was galloping for the gate too, but Natalya was not waiting for him.

  ‘Go,’ Bruno said decisively to Jason. The rest of the animus in the warrior class changed into their animal and followed, whilst the wizard members rushed for one of the cavalry horses already up at the arena for practice. Bruno took a horse but also bow and sword from the armoury. He was neither wizard nor animus; he was at a serious disadvantage unarmed.

  As Natalya reached the scene the first thing she heard was savage snarling. Realising Freddie was not in pain physically helped remind her not to rush blindly in to whatever had trapped them. She slipped from cover to cover stealthily approaching directly behind Freddie, Rupert and Johnny standing together in wolf form and facing away from her. They were enclosed by something that burned them if they touched it. Freddie was her priority. Until she knew he was safe she couldn’t think of anything else. So remaining in hiding she examined the magical barrier. It was a type of shield designed to hold animus people and was brutally simple and effective. Being as magically stealthy as she knew how she infiltrated the spell, disarmed it and turned it into a defensive shield. The wizard who’d created the original spell would feel it if she stopped his spell altogether. Instead, his magic fed a new spell, a shield he would not be able to penetrate. Only once she was sure Freddie and indeed Rupert and Johnny were well defended did she slip around to the other side of the clearing. What she saw boiled her blood.

  Nathaniel, the wizard tormenter of her childhood stood in the clearing. At his feet was a bloody and mangled naked man; Dustin. She was shocked rigid. How could anyone cause another so much pain deliberately? But then again she knew this wizard, knew his depraved black heart more than she ever wished to. Even so, what had Dustin ever done to him?

  She felt a presence arrive behind her; Jason in his fleet dog animus form. She felt a sudden shift; Nathaniel was drawing magic for another spell. Natalya could see his attention was on Dustin and she threw a shield over Dustin immediately.

  ‘Do not try and hurt him again,’ Natalya warned, furiously stalking out of the bushes.

  ‘Well well little Nat is trying out a tiger form. Should I be impressed?’ Nathaniel asked scornfully. ‘I know you’re nothing more dangerous than a pathetic domestic cat.’ He watched her continue to silently approach. ‘That’s close enough,’ he ordered.

  ‘Why? I thought you just said you weren’t scared of me?’ Natalya told him ignoring his order and continuing to slowly advance.

  ‘I’m not scared of a mongrel slave girl. I know you from the inside out,’ he added with a smirk and heard the wolves snarl again.

  ‘Here all alone are you? Big mistake,’ Natalya told him. ‘What happened to your two inquisitor friends? Were they scared off?’

  ‘They had you trapped in Briarton. Unfortunately they sensed the rogue wizard nearby and were under orders to avoid him,’ Nathanial admitted with a shrug. The men had been scared silly, recognising a warning shot to leave, delivered by a wizard with a particularly dense and unusual power signature. Given the proximity to White Haven it didn’t take a genius to know who it had been from. Rumours of wizard Jim’s power, able to overcome a full battle squad, were well-known. ‘We all know he seems to like animus. It was obvious where you were likely to end up.’

  ‘So you sent your owl to check. Do you know what happened to your nasty owl man?’ Natalya asked. ‘I do. You sent him hunting me. Bad idea. I ripped out his throat. It wasn’t pretty.’

  Nathaniel backed up unconsciously. He’d felt his man die and her description fitted his end. ‘Well, he achieved his purpose in finding you, like this beast here,’ he added, glancing at the broken man. Without realising it he’d backed off enough for the tiger to reach the man.

  ‘You’re safe now Dustin,’ Natalya murmured and rubbed her face against his for a moment.

  Dustin gasped at the touch; she’d just taken much of his pain. He gazed up at her in awed relief, only to catch a glimpse of the one who’d done this to him standing free, unharmed and looking on. He knew somehow that she didn’t attack because she was easing his pain and defending him.

  ‘I got your boyfriend, did I?’ Nathaniel chortled. ‘Serves him right. You’re my pet and no one else’s.’

  ‘I am no one’s pet,’ Natalya said coldly. ‘Actually you’re wrong, Dustin is not my boyfriend.’ She resisted the constant urge to glance over at Freddie. He was fuming that she wouldn’t let him out to sink his teeth in Nathaniel.

  ‘Ah, but you do have one and he’s here right now,’ Nathaniel stated turning his gaze to the three wolves. The one in the centre was clearly the dominant one and also the one snarling with such fury.

  ‘You’re right and he badly wants to sink his teeth into you and start shredding your flesh. I could let him but I don’t want him tainted by the likes of you.’

  ‘Bold words, if a little unpleasant. You always did like your dogs. I knew you would come running to defend these unnatural beasts. So predictable, but it served to get you to leave the rogue’s grounds.’

  ‘You are more of a beast than these men will ever be. Why torture? Why try to maim him?’ Natalya couldn’t help asking. She was frustrated to have to divide her attention, partly in assessing Dustin’s injuries and attempting to heal those that were threatening his life, all whilst maintaining shields and keeping Nathanial from realising what she was doing.

  ‘I’ll put him out of his misery then since you’re too soft to,’ Nathaniel said but aimed his spell directly at the three wolves instead. He gaped; his spell had bounced off, leaving the wolves snarling but unharmed. He spun about and fired at the prone man, but that spell didn’t get through either.

  ‘Kill him,’ Dustin managed to whisper. ‘Don’t worry about me.’

  ‘You’ve brought a wizard,’ Nathaniel accused.

  ‘I am the wizard,’ Natalya told him, launching her tiger at the fat wizard. He had a shield up but her tiger’s pounce toppled him.

  ‘How dare you set people to track and kill me? You’ve hurt my friends and attacked my man,’ Natalya snarled in a red fury. All four feet clawed and rent the bubble of his shield. The shield compressed closer and closer to his body as Nathaniel’s magical strength weakened before her savage concerted assault.

  ‘You are a pitiful excuse for a man. Were you jealous of Dustin? Did you wish you had his looks? You are perverted and disgusting, getting your kicks from hurting others. No one will miss you.’

  Nathaniel could only stare in horror as the tiger snapped at him with horrendously long sharp white teeth. He couldn’t believe the power she exuded; her magic far exceeded anything he’d ever seen before. How had she hidden this throughout her childhood? He looked aside from the terrifying view and realised the wolves had escaped the trap and had gathered closely. A huge gold lion and even bigger black bear stood beside the prone man watching. None of them made any move to stop her. With so many enemies, his hope of rescue vanished. Not one of those faces was forgiving; instead they looked eager to attack.

  ‘I know where your mother is,’ Nathaniel gasped desperately.

  ‘My mother is dead. You told me so.’

  ‘I lied. I was told that was what you were to believe so you wouldn’t try to go looking for her. Y
our mother is a top grade wizard; she would not have been killed.’

  ‘You’re only saying this to save your own skin,’ she accused. ‘You haven’t said anything convincing,’ she added resuming her attack on his shield.

  ‘I know she was tested. Her magic is powerful. It was hoped that despite your being contaminated by an animus father you would produce gifted wizard children. Your line was pure wizard before your father. She had to be punished but the last I heard, she was alive.’

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘Oh no, you’ve got to promise not to hurt me.’

  ‘Do you really think you’re in any position to make demands?’ Natalya asked coldly ripping the final shreds of his shield aside and pinning flesh for the first time. ‘Jim?’

  Nathaniel followed her gaze but instead of calling her wolf the huge lion was coming over. His shield was gone. Her huge paws were heavy, claws trapping him motionless and he no longer had any magic to defend himself with.

  ‘What’s this? I’m not going to tell and then you’ll never know the truth.’ She flexed her paws letting her claws pierce his skin adding to his terror.

  ‘I thought we’d reach this little snag. That’s why my wizard friend here is the solution. You know of him as the Rogue. He can simply take the information from your mind.’

  Nathaniel gaped at the terrifying lion staring at him with intense predatory eyes and acknowledged the aura of power crackling around him at this range. He was what she said and not an animus as he’d initially supposed. He knew he was going to die whether he told them voluntarily or not. Without another thought he grabbed his knife from his belt and drove it into the tiger. She shrieked but instead of flinching and falling away, her jaws opened and swept down. He felt a hideous white hot pain in his throat and the world went dark.

  Bedlam ensued. Her sudden shriek and bloody retaliation ripping out the man’s throat then tossing his limp body aside like a stick was horrifying.

  Freddie changed instantly and was at her side as she fell. He grasped the hilt of the knife and pulled it out of her side. Blood spurted thickly between his fingers and he desperately tried to stop her bleeding to death.

  ‘Don’t you dare leave me!’ Freddie cried cradling her huge heavy tiger as best he could. She shimmered back into human form which was a very mixed blessing. It meant she didn’t have the strength to maintain her tiger and it also revealed the blood gushing over her skin.

  ‘Jim, please! Do something,’ Freddie cried desperately. She lay wheezing in his arms, struggling just to breathe. ‘It went into her lung, didn’t it?’

  ‘Sounds that way,’ Jim agreed, having just reverted to human form. He put his hands where Freddie’s had been on the wound and concentrated. ‘Dammit why’s she so weak?’

  ‘She replaced the wizard’s trap with a shield of her own to protect me,’ Freddie explained whilst Jim worked. ‘Then she was shielding Dustin and even began healing him so he didn’t die on the spot. You saw the rest.’

  ‘I should have known. Getting through a wizard’s shield is no easy matter either when they’re putting all they have into it,’ Jim added.

  ‘Take my strength,’ Jason offered suddenly.

  ‘Yes, good idea. Thank you,’ Jim said pushing his weary hand though his hair not realising he was smearing himself in her blood. He’d been trying to do some healing of Dustin’s injuries while she battled, but hadn’t wanted to exhaust himself in case she’d needed help finishing the wizard off. Unfortunately, to straighten broken bones and then begin repairs on so badly injured a man meant considerable magical strength was needed, both to do the work but also to keep Dustin’s mind numb of the awful pain. He watched now as everyone present circled her, wrapped in Freddie’s arms, offering him a merge. Jim let their strength infuse and reinvigorate him. Now he could concentrate. It was delicate work to repair and re-inflate a punctured lung and needed to be done quickly to prevent the lung filling with fluid. That could be fatal, especially with her blood loss and general weakness. He had to take meticulous care, which was not best done when already tired. But with the meld he felt revived enough to work out what needed to be done to mend an unfamiliar internal injury he couldn’t actually see. He was very relieved, and knew everyone else was too, when at last he heard her begin to breathe without wheezing. Now he could attend to the relatively straightforward process of mending torn and damaged muscle and finally skin. He remained in contact a little longer sweeping her body for other injuries masked by the serious one. He paused and moved his hand to her abdomen feeling the flutter of new life. He met Freddie’s eyes and saw his small smile; so he already knew and they were keeping it quiet. He respected that prerogative and remained silent on the subject. He then bestowed some of the meld’s strength on her to aid her recovery.

  ‘Thank you and well done everyone. She should make a full recovery. But she’ll need to rest for at least a week and not shift,’ he told Freddie seriously. ‘She looks healed, but magical healing needs to be backed up with the body’s own reinforcement, and for that it needs time. Right, if everyone would stay together a bit longer we’ll get Dustin’s pain eased for him.’

  ‘Here, take this.’

  Freddie glanced up; one of the wizards from her class was proffering his shirt. The animus students had left their clothes behind so they had nothing to offer. ‘Thank you,’ Freddie said sincerely and put her in the man’s shirt. It was large enough to cover his lady’s exposed skin quite well. While he hadn’t given it a thought while she was gravely injured, she might not be happy to know all her class mates were viewing her naked body. He and all the animus men were currently naked because Jim needed their magic. But at least they knew the only woman amongst them was asleep. The shirt would also help warm her.

  ‘Use my horse,’ Bruno offered Freddie. ‘If you get on I’ll lift her up to you,’ he added. ‘Everyone else is walking back with Dustin’s litter. I’ve been pretty useless up to now, but I can help carry that litter.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Freddie said and realised that while he’d clothed Natalya, he was still bare skinned. Bruno hadn’t said anything, he didn’t have to. Freddie hastily covered himself in his wolf’s thick fur and mounted the horse. He watched Bruno struggle a little with Natalya’s limp but tall and heavy frame trying not to catch her ribs. But soon enough they got her up in front of Freddie where he could hold her on. Noticing how many were watching, he was very glad she was no longer naked.

  A rough litter had been assembled to carry Dustin. Freddie moved over to them noticing Dustin’s eyes were open.

  ‘How’re you doing, my friend?’ Freddie asked him anxiously.

  ‘I don’t hurt so much now. How is she?’ Dustin asked and reached across with a newly healed arm to touch her bare foot dangling nearest him. It was cool to the touch but not cold and he felt a pulse. She lived!

  ‘He stabbed her and punctured her lung!’ Freddie said darkly. ‘But she will recover.’

  ‘She saved my life,’ Dustin said gratefully. ‘Take care of her.’

  ‘You can be sure of that. Come on, let’s get both of you home,’ Freddie declared and led the way out of the clearing.

  He noticed a flash, heard a strange crackle and then smelt something gamey turn burnt in moments. He steadied his horse and looked back. Jim had incinerated the dead man. In a few moments nothing remained but splashes of blood and grey ash that the wind picked up and swirled away. No one passing this way would see the evidence unless they knew where to look and even then it was unlikely they’d ever suspect a man had died here. It could just as easily be the site of a game kill. Given some rain or more wind, all the remains would simply vanish as though they’d never been; a fitting if ignoble end.

  30. Life Does Go On

  Natalya slept a great deal over the next few days. Freddie rigged up a hammock for her on the porch so she could rest comfortably, close to where he was working. She much preferred being able to watch the world go by and also have his company rather than being
stuck all alone in the bedroom. She had not had a shortage of visitors though. Amelie visited daily and during their long talks he’d become quite accustomed to keeping watch over Daisy, who was a surprisingly active crawler. When Jim was about he felt a little presumptuous to be holding his child, Amelie actually encouraged him. She told him he could only benefit from learning how to handle a baby since he was soon to be a father and that his child would be Daisy’s cousin.

  Jason visited often too, stopping by briefly on his way home. Sometimes he was accompanied by others from her class and once by her teacher Bruno. Their obvious concern was deeply touching and lifted her spirits more than they probably knew.

  ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ Freddie asked noticing she’d dressed, tidied her hair and was not heading for either her hammock or the chairs set out.

  ‘Tactics class,’ she told him. ‘It’s only physical stuff I shouldn’t do, right? I don’t want to miss any more classes than I have to. I’m so behind everyone else as it is.’

  ‘You don’t think walking all the way up to the school and then sitting through a long lesson counts as physical exercise?’

  ‘I can go slowly. I’ve time enough, if I leave now anyway.’

  ‘It’s only been three days. Maybe it’s a bit soon to return, love. Your body still needs rest. You slept all morning.’

  ‘Yes, I’ve rested enough to last me an afternoon.’

  ‘You’re determined aren’t you,’ he sighed putting down the length of wood he was carving.

  ‘What are you doing?’ she asked watching him dust off his trousers and wash his hands.

  ‘Coming with you. It’s the only way to be sure you don’t overdo anything,’ he told her. He expected her to kick up and try to prevent his coming along. He knew very well he was being overprotective but he couldn’t help it. She was pregnant and had been gravely injured.

  ‘Sorry to pull you away from your carpentry. I think you’ll enjoy the lesson too, assuming Terry’s happy for you to stay.’ His apprehensive expression cleared and the beautiful sunny smile lit his face that she loved. He offered her his arm and they walked slowly up to the school. She reflected how useful it was to know how he felt and thus what to say to avoid any misunderstandings. They didn’t remain in each other’s mind for long at a time however. It took effort to maintain sufficient external awareness of one’s own body to watch where one was going and not to walk into things. They’d both been ribbed by their peers for seemingly gazing into space. Conversing only was easier; it didn’t require the same concentration. She’d found it surprisingly effective to converse and only dip into his mind for clarification.