As the Wolf Howls

by Michael Linford

  Black Wolf cupped his hands around her face as he spoke, ‘They took you once, and I cannot risk them taking you again.’

  ‘It’s fine, Black Wolf, trust me. This is how I want it to be. I will be fine — I have you to protect me.’

  ‘The princess is right, Black Wolf. This is how it must be,’ Grey Moon agreed, and Black Wolf realised that he would have to let her have her way.

  ‘Men, cover yourselves. We follow the princess. You all know the plan, you practised and showed me your skills, now show me your courage,’ he announced to the group, who were already covering themselves in the mud. ‘You too, Tallulah,’ he added, and watched as she did as he asked without any argument.

  Together they walked the last bit of their journey up the path to the huge wooden doors of Orgent. Amelia was in front, carrying a flaming torch, with Grey Moon, Black Wolf and Tallulah behind, followed by Lone Wolf and his army.

  When they reached the doors, they could feel the chill emanating from within. The army were crouched low as Amelia walked towards the huge wooden doors. Grey Moon was beside her, and spilt a mixture of dry powder out of bags along the bottom of the doors, before retreating into the darkness nearby.

  ‘Drop your torch, Princess,’ he whispered from the shadows, and she did.

  They all watched as a few seconds later the doors caught alight, and within minutes the two doors were burning furiously, the sound of crackling wood filling the dark, cold air. In the shadows, the men watched the fire raging, and silently waited.

  CHAPTER 37

  They hadn’t been waiting outside Orgent long when they heard a loud creaking and they watched as the huge burning doors slowly opened before them.

  ‘It’s time, Amelia,’ Black Wolf said.

  Slowly, Amelia stepped through the thick smoke and into the courtyard of Orgent. As she did so she scanned the area, making out all the people cowering in their doorways, and she came to a stop just inside the gates.

  ‘Welcome home, Princess. I’ve been waiting for you.’

  Amelia stood still, desperately trying to keep calm and not show how scared she was. She watched the huge, cloaked figure glide across the floor towards her. Behind him, she saw her father looking up at her from the floor, his eyes wide in fright.

  ‘You wanted me and here I am — now let my father and the others go,’ she demanded with false bravado.

  ‘You’re welcome to him,’ the stranger scoffed, using his powers to send the emperor flying across the floor, dumping him at her feet.

  ‘Father, are you hurt?’ she asked, fighting back the tears as she bent down to him. ‘I’m so sorry, I should never have left you.’

  ‘It’s not your fault, my child,’ said the emperor.

  ‘Leaving was your best idea, Princess,’ the evil being interrupted. ‘The mistake you made was returning, now there is no hope for you. You are alone, and powerless to stop me.’

  ‘I am many things,’ she spat angrily at him, ‘but I am not alone.’

  Slowly, Black Wolf stepped out of the smoke behind her. He was followed by Tallulah and Lone Wolf, and they all stood at Amelia’s side, showing a united front.

  ‘Oh, you have friends. How nice,’ the stranger said mockingly. ‘So these are the visitors your beloved Elspeth told me about?’

  ‘Where is Elspeth?’ Amelia replied, feeling a cold chill run down her spine.

  Amelia watched as Elspeth appeared from behind the stranger, again seemingly floating across the floor. Her eyes were burning red and she looked pale and thin. The bloodied cut on her cheek made her appear even more frightening. She came to a halt next to the stranger.

  ‘Here is your beloved servant, Princess. Although I imagine she’s not quite what you expected to find. I’m afraid she’s not feeling herself at the minute.’ The stranger cackled to himself.

  ‘What have you done to her?’ Amelia shouted at him, but as she stepped forward to hold her friend, Black Wolf grabbed her arm. ‘Leave her, Amelia. She’s a part of him now — the Elspeth you know is gone. I’m sorry.’

  ‘You will pay for this, I promise you,’ she spat at the stranger, the emotion catching in her throat.

  ‘Who will make me pay, Princess? The four of you, with sticks and stones?’ he replied, as Elspeth laughed eerily.

  ‘I have had enough of this. Give the city back to the people now, or suffer a worse fate than you could ever give to them,’ Lone Wolf said, stepping forward defiantly.

  ‘Really? You think you can rid the city of me, do you? Four simple souls, facing a power of which they know nothing,’ he said, his red eyes burning into his opponent’s.

  Suddenly, Lone Wolf let out an almost animalistic cry, and the stranger watched as a huge number of tribesmen came flooding into Orgent, through the flaming doorway.

  ‘I think we stand a good chance,’ said Lone Wolf proudly, as his men took up a formation behind them, ready to attack when needed.

  ‘Lots of men, I see, but no power,’ said the evil being, sending his black smoke out towards the remaining guards he had captured when taking Orgent, and the group watched as they all started choking on the smoke that was flooding into them.

  ‘I can gather men, it’s not a problem for me,’ he said. ‘Guards, stand ready.’ And the guards moved forward until they were standing before the dark power, their eyes now as red as his, staring blankly at the group.

  ‘This is his power — you don’t stand a chance,’ the emperor said desperately to Amelia. ‘You need to get away from here.’

  ‘We will fight to the death, Emperor, if that is what it takes,’ said Black Wolf.

  ‘I am growing tired of these children and their silly boasts. Guards, seize them,’ ordered the dark power, and the guards stepped forwards with their swords drawn.

  Outside Orgent, Grey Moon remained alone in the shadows, next to a small fire he’d lit from the burning doors. ‘Great Mother, we need your help if we are to save your land. Grant me the power to conceal my plans, I beg of you.’ He spoke softly, in one of his trances, and he watched as the bags of herbs he’d prepared earlier started smoking. Peering round the fiery doors, he threw the bags as far as he could along the floor of the city, in the direction of the group. The thick smoke started billowing out into the courtyard, obscuring everything, and it provided perfect cover for the group as the guards prepared to seize them.

  ‘Now!’ shouted Lone Wolf and the first line of his tribesmen went to war with the guards. Their native weapons didn’t have much of an impact, but enabled them to at least hold their own against the guards’ swords.

  ‘We won’t be able to hold out for long, unless you can make it to the armoury!’ Amelia said to Black Wolf as the group crouched down, hidden by Grey Moon’s smoke.

  ‘Take me and we’ll get in there safely. I can use my powers of charm if anyone tries to attack us,’ said Tallulah, fighting her fears.

  ‘It’s your only chance,’ Amelia said before Black Wolf could argue.

  ‘I’ll take her and some men, then we’ll return,’ said Lone Wolf.

  ‘Okay, but be quick — and if it’s too dangerous then come straight back and we’ll have to work out another plan,’ Black Wolf ordered. ‘I won’t lose you.’

  Tallulah picked up two of the smoking bags and threw a third in the direction Amelia had shown to them. Then, with Lone Wolf and a handful of tribesmen, they headed to get some stronger weapons.

  The smoke from Grey Moon, combined with that of the dark power, had caused chaos in the centre of the courtyard. The guards and tribesmen were still exchanging blows as the stranger waited patiently for his next move. Amelia and Black Wolf stayed together by the emperor, with a few more tribesmen stood guarding them from any attack.

  The evil being’s voice echoed loudly around the courtyard as the battle raged on. ‘What a fantastic show.’

  CHAPTER 38

  As the weapons clashed around Orgent, neither side were gaining any advantage. The tribesmen fought bravely but, without equa
l weapons, all they could really do was defend themselves without being able to launch a proper attack.

  Keeping tight against Orgent’s wall, Tallulah, Lone Wolf and the tribesmen were making their way into the armoury at the guards’ main quarters. Tallulah had used one of the smoking bags to conceal them as they crept carefully along, but the fighting in the centre of the courtyard also provided a huge distraction for them and they made it safely to their destination without being detected.

  In the armoury was a vast array of unfinished weapons and old ones that were far too damaged to be of any use anymore, but on the back wall of the room was a large collection of swords that were ready and waiting for the guards.

  ‘Men, take at least three swords each if you can and then we need to get back to the princess,’ Lone Wolf ordered, picking up a sword at random. It felt strangely familiar to him but he didn’t have time to find out why.

  ‘There isn’t much smoke left in this bag,’ Tallulah said. ‘We’d better go now; I’m not sure my charm alone is enough to protect us.’

  The men gathered as many swords as they could carry, and under the cover of the last smoke bag they headed back to join the others. On their journey, Lone Wolf looked at Tallulah and remembered exactly why that sword was familiar to him.

  ‘You’re being so brave, Tallulah. I won’t let anything happen to you,’ he said, thoughts of the sword taking him back to the past and his job of protecting her previously.

  ‘Thank you, Lone Wolf,’ she replied, starting to move quicker as the smoke began to thin and disappear.

  In the centre of the courtyard, the tribesmen had increased in numbers and were starting to force the guards to retreat. Seeing this, Lone Wolf gave an order to the men with him. ‘We are nearly back with the princess. Take the weapons and join them in battle — this is our best chance!’

  The tribesmen ran over to the others, and swords were exchanged during battle, enabling all the tribesmen to put up an even greater fight. Sensing that the battle was starting to turn against him, the evil intruder sent an order to his ghostly men and they came away from the city’s inhabitants and joined the fight.

  When Lone Wolf and Tallulah made it back to the others the swords were clashing noisily in the cold night air. Both the evil stranger and Black Wolf’s group had moved further back as the space between them filled with more and more fighting men. Orgent’s guards were losing ground and the bloodied bodies were falling in large numbers around them, littering the courtyard and filling the air with the sickly smell of blood.

  ‘These are men I grew up with… They protected me,’ Amelia said to Black Wolf, tears welling in her eyes as she watched the guards.

  ‘I know, Amelia, but they aren’t those people anymore. They are already lost to the evil and we cannot get them back. There is only one way to help them now,’ he replied, pulling her towards him and shielding her from all the bloodshed.

  As the last of the guards fell, the ghostly figures moved in closer to the tribesmen. They had no weapons other than their power, but the group knew that this was dangerous enough and could cause endless amounts of horror in an attempt to defeat their opponents.

  ‘I can’t just sit here and watch our men fight, I should be out there with them,’ Lone Wolf said to Black Wolf.

  ‘Keep calm, Lone Wolf. Your time will come, but for now just let them fight. You need to protect Tallulah.’

  ‘They don’t stand a chance — we are already defeated,’ the emperor said, his head hanging low again. ‘Just watch.’

  The group watched as the tribesmen sliced through the oncoming wave of ghostly figures, but no sooner did the swords plunge through them, than they multiplied. Before everyone’s eyes, one ghostly figure became two, two became four, and on it went. With each blow landed, the ghostly figures appeared to become weaker, but the growing number made it even harder for the tribesmen to cope.

  ‘You will fall before too long and your city will become mine, Princess,’ the evil being called coldly across the bloody courtyard floor.

  ‘Never!’ screamed Amelia, a mixture of grief and rage.

  As Grey Moon’s smoke finally started to run out and dissipate in the air, the group saw the full extent of the horrors before them. All of the remaining guards had been killed — but so had many of the tribesmen. Bodies littered the centre of Orgent and the tribesmen were starting to retreat, fearing the immense power that they were facing.

  CHAPTER 39

  ‘Keep fighting, men! They might be growing in number, but they are getting weaker,’ Lone Wolf ordered. After retreating to recoup for a while, the tribe surged forward again, screaming at their opponents as they ran forward, waving their swords in the air.

  The evil being could feel his own power waning as his ghostly army used it to keep multiplying when they were attacked; he knew he had to do something to gain some extra strength.

  ‘Your time has come, servant girl. The princess is here so I have no use for you anymore,’ The evil stranger reached towards Elspeth, making a grabbing action in mid-air, pulling his magic back out of her and putting it back into himself. Already feeling the strength starting to build up inside himself again, he turned to Amelia and spoke, ‘Take your servant girl back, Princess. She is of no use to me anymore.’

  Dazed, Elspeth staggered away from the evil being, towards Amelia. Her eyes had returned to her normal colour but she had blood coming from her nose and mouth.

  ‘Princess, help me, please,’ she said weakly, before dropping face first to the floor.

  ‘Elspeth!’ Amelia cried and broke free from Black Wolf, running over to her friend’s body and pulling her back to where the emperor was sitting.

  ‘I’m sorry, Princess, I didn’t want to help him but I couldn’t fight his power.’ The girl sobbed quietly to herself, all the strength slowly draining from her body, as the blood continued to flow down her face.

  ‘Shh, Elspeth, it’s okay. Just hold on and we’ll get you out of here,’ the princess said, fighting back tears.

  ‘I’m so tired… I just want to sleep.’ Elspeth’s voice was barely a whisper, and then her head slumped onto Amelia’s chest.

  ‘No, Elspeth, no! Wake up, please just wake up!’ Amelia sobbed, rocking backwards and forwards with her friend’s lifeless body held tightly in her arms. ‘Why her? She was innocent! She has nothing to do with this!’ she screamed at the evil intruder, who laughed.

  ‘You’re right, Princess, she was nothing. Especially now!’

  Amelia tried to get to her feet, but Black Wolf stopped her, his hands on her shoulders as he spoke softly in her ear, ‘He wants you to go to him, Amelia. Don’t be fooled by him.’ And then he turned to Lone Wolf. ‘Whatever happens, you keep them here with you, safe.’

  The dark power was stronger but still needed to gain more magic if he was to succeed. Slowly, he used his power to grab one of the fighting tribesmen and hung him in the air between the fighters.

  Slowly the ghostly figures disappeared, one by one, and the remaining tribesmen fell through fresh air and landed in heaps on the floor with no opponents left to fight. When they realised this, they stood to face the dark power and instead watched as one of their own people was choked to death in mid-air and the body was discarded on the city floor, by their feet.

  ‘You cannot defeat me, Princess. I will use all your men and just get stronger. I haven’t even started with the fire yet. You remember the fire don’t you, Black Wolf?’ He laughed coldly to himself again.

  Black Wolf couldn’t listen to any more and launched himself at the evil being, wild with anger.

  ‘Black Wolf, no!’ shouted Amelia, but it was too late; the evil being caught his body as it leapt towards him, then sent it flying towards the city gates. Black Wolf’s head connected with the wall and he fell to the floor, unconscious, whilst Amelia looked on, her mouth and eyes wide with fright.

  CHAPTER 40

  The freezing cold water woke Majila from his slumber. His head was pounding and
he was struggling to clear his vision. He leant forward to rub his eyes and realised his hands were tied tightly to the chair behind his back; panicking, he tried to move his legs and found they too were tightly bound, at the ankles. He struggled against the ropes to try to free himself but they wouldn’t loosen. The chair edged slightly across the stone floor but he was completely trapped.

  ‘You cannot escape, Majila, it is pointless trying. Even if you broke free from your ties, you wouldn’t make it out of this room alive.’ A loud voice cut through the fog of Majila’s thoughts, bringing him back to the feeling of dread that waking up in this room had given him.

  Slowly his sight started to clear and he could see what was facing him. He was in a large room that had no windows and it was empty except for two guards stood to his side and one huge figure in front of him.

  The figure signalled to the guards and they dumped something on the floor between Majila and himself. Majila looked horrified as he saw a mop of blonde hair fall from beneath the blanket on the floor and he realised it was Esmee.

  ‘What have you done to her? If you’ve hurt her, I swear I will kill all of you.’ Majila was snarling as he spat his words towards the shadowy figure stood before him.

  The stranger stepped forward and pulled back the blanket, revealing a dazed Esmee laying on the floor. Majila carried on struggling against the ropes, powerless to help, as he watched the stranger grab Esmee by the hair and lift her head towards him.

  ‘I haven’t hurt her yet, but I will if you force my hand. Hand yourself in now and she’ll be freed. This child is of no use to me; it’s you I want, Majila.’ The stranger stared deep into Majila’s eyes and continued to pull Esmee’s head back.

  Majila remained defiant whilst trying to loosen his hands from behind him. ‘How do I know she’ll be safe? Once you have me you could kill her too. I don’t trust you, your words mean nothing to me.’

  The stranger signalled to the guards and one of them bought their sword out and held it towards him. Majila watched as the stranger placed his hands over the tip of the sword and mumbled quietly to himself. As he did so, Majila saw fire appear from nowhere between the stranger’s hands, heating the tip of the sword until it glowed with a fierce heat. Then he turned to Majila and spoke.