Wolfsbane

by Rebecca Davis

  I took a few steps towards the beast. “Does that mean I’ll see you again?”

  “Yes, we shall meet again.”

  “When?”

  “Soon, my dear. Have you always been this inquisitive?”

  I shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

  He chuckled. “For now, you must go. Cane is waiting for your return.”

  I nodded in agreement, walking back to the lavender bush. My mind was reeling, and I decided not to worry about how he knew Cane. Picking up my basket and the lavender, I turned back to the wolf. I wanted to thank him one last time. But, when I turned back to him, he was gone.

  “I will see you again,” I whispered. “I shall see you again soon.”

  With a final sigh, I started to walk back towards my home, the strange, nameless wolf-creature filling my thoughts.

  Chapter 4

  Wolfsbane

  I didn’t dare turn back or change forms the entire walk home. I kept my head down, my eyes forward, and my steps large and quick.

  When my humble, small cottage came into view, I ran inside the door and slammed it behind me. I changed quickly, standing and crossing the hut to the bedroom to get dressed.

  I threw myself on the bed with a sigh, rubbing my face roughly.

  How could I have been so stupid as to promise her that we’d see each other again? How was I stupid enough to stop and talk to her at all? Why did I do this to myself again?

  “Because you love her,” I said to myself, groaning as I sat up. “And love has the power to turn a philosopher into an idiot.”

  I grabbed the picture that Fabiana had let me keep before I left. It was of me and Ina, the day I taught her how to shoot with a bow and arrow. Her brown curls had been braided away from her face, her smile bright. Her eyes shown with excitement as she looked up at me, I had a smile that matched her excitement.

  “You’ve grown so much,” I said to the picture. “And yet, you’re still my little Ina.”

  There was a knock on the door, and I put the picture safely back in its drawer before I went to answer it. When I did, the Huntsman was standing in the doorway, bow strung over his shoulder.

  “Hatter said I should come see how you are. Said you darted like a frightened field mouse in the middle of tea.” The man said after I invited him in. “Plus, Sam said if I didn’t come check on you, she would. After she had my head, of course.”

  I chuckled as I sat in the chair across from where he sat on the sofa. “I’m sure Ms. Sam would be able to get it too. She can pack a punch, despite her small frame.”

  “That she could, which is why I didn’t dare say no. So, why don’t you tell your old friend what’s the matter?”

  I sighed. “It’s a very long and complicated story.”

  “I have time,” he said. And, as if to prove his point, he propped his feet on the small coffee table and leaned back in his seat, lacing his fingers behind his head.

  I pushed his feet off of the table, causing him to momentarily lose his balance. I glared at him as he laughed, righting himself in the cushion once more.

  “What do you find so funny?” I asked. “What is so bloody wrong with me wanting to have a decent place of living? Just because I’m a bachelor doesn’t mean I have to live in the slops.”

  “Alright, alright,” my friend said. “I’m sorry. No need to get your knickers in a twist.”

  “Thank you,” I said stubbornly, nodding my head.

  The Huntsman rolled his eyes. “So, are you going to tell me what in the bloody hell is the matter with you, or do I have to go get Sam to drag it out of you?”

  I sighed. “Get ready for a long story.”

  “That’s what I was doing when you rudely made me lose my balance.” I glared at him and he chuckled, getting settled on the long couch, which seemed to be made for a dwarf compared to his large frame. “I’m ready.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck. “Well, it pretty much started when I saw a carriage get overthrown with raiders.”

  From there, I told him everything. From when I had first met Ina to when Fabiana told me had to leave, to a few hours prior when I had seen Ina in the forest. Every single detail of mine and Ina’s history was laid out for anyone and everyone to hear.

  I wasn’t exactly proud of it. I had only planned on telling him about the insignificant parts. The parts that everyone had already known about, but didn’t have a name to go along with. But, I soon found out that trying to stop talking about Ina was like trying to close the mouth of a cave with nothing but sheer willpower. Unless you put something in front of it, it won’t work.

  When I finished, I sat there, waiting for the Huntsman to say something. It was a few minutes before he did.

  “You have gotten yourself into one bloody hell of a mess.” He said, chuckling a little.

  I rolled my eyes. “Why, thank you. I hadn’t figured that out yet.”

  “So, what are you going to do? I mean, ?I know you, and it’s unlike you not to act on something like this. I’m actually surprised that it’s taken you this long.”

  I sighed. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

  “Well, I can tell you what I think you should do.”

  “And what’s that?”

  He leaned back in his seat again. “I think you should go see Fabiana. She’s the one who started this whole mess anyways, right?”

  I nodded. “Ina was eight when Fabiana sent me away. What if, now that she’s almost of age, she doesn’t feel the same as I? Or, even worse, what if she doesn’t remember?”

  “If she was as upset as you say she was when you left, then she’ll remember.”

  “I suppose you’re right.” I said, nodding again.

  “So,” he stood up, stretching his arms above his head. “Do you know what you’re going to do?”

  “It looks as if I’m going to pay Fabiana a visit.”

  Chapter 5

  Ina

  I threw the useless book over my shoulder, hearing it land with a thud on top of the quickly growing mountain of titles.

  I pulled another promising-looking spine off of the shelf, quickly flipping through the pages. Groaning in frustration when I found nothing I was looking for, I chucked it behind me as I had all the others. This time, my throw earned me a loud yell, a mix of shock, pain, and protest.

  “Hey,” I heard Cane’s voice say from by the doorway. I turned around to find him rubbing his head, a scowl firmly in place.

  “Sorry, Cane.”

  “Yeah, yeah, just watch where you’re throwing next time.”

  “I will, promise.” I smiled and nodded my head in affirmation before going back to my search.

  “What are you looking for anyways?” He asked, looking over my shoulder. I nudged him and he grunted before moving to stand next to me.

  “Who says I’m looking for anything?” I asked nonchalantly. He gave me a look. I sighed and tossed the useless book in my hands with the ones in the floor. “Cane, what do you know about wolves?”

  “Wolves?” He asked quizzically, perching on the edge of a chair. “Why?”

  “I know it’s going to sound crazy…”

  “You? Sound crazy?” Cane gasped, feigning shock. “I couldn’t believe it even if I saw it!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Stop playing around, Cane. I’m being serious!”

  “Okay, I’m sorry. What was it that you were saying?”

  “I know it might sound crazy,” I repeated, sitting on a fallen beam, tucking my legs under my skirt and wrapping my arms around my knees. “Yesterday I saw…Something.”

  “What kind of ‘something?’” He asked, putting his arms on his knees.

  “A wolf. At least, I think it was a wolf. It was as big as a foal, but had the body of a wolf and…” I hesitated.

  “And?” He pushed.

  “And…And it talked.”

  “Talked?”

  I nodded. “Just like you and I.”

  “Well, that is strange.”

&
nbsp; “It is. That’s why I was looking for information about it. I had never heard of anything like it before. But, so far, I’m coming up with scratch.”

  Cane hummed in consideration. “Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll see if Fabiana has any books about talking, horse-sized wolves when I go home tomorrow. If I find anything, I’ll bring them when I come back next week.”

  “Thank you, Cane.” I said, smiling with excitement. “But, can you not tell Fabiana about this? You know how she gets when I get curious.”

  He chuckled. “I think we could both agree that it would be in both our best interests not to let Fabiana know.”

  I nodded. “I completely agree. Thank you.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah. You love me, I’m the best, I’ve heard it all before. Now, do you think I could get something to eat?”

  “I’ll think about it.” I laughed, jumping off of the beam and onto the floor.

  That night, as I got ready for bed, the wolf-creature’s words kept creeping back into my head. With the creatures words came many questions. How soon was soon? Should I go looking for him, or will he find me? What will I say to him next time I saw him?

  The biggest question that I had was how he knew who I was. How did he know my name? Or who Cane was? How did he know that Cane was waiting for me back home? Where had I seen him before? He had said that he had known me for some time…

  I sighed at my reflection in my vanity mirror. “This is all so confusing.”

  That night, I had a restless, fitful sleep, my dreams filled with the horse-sized wolf that had known me, even though I didn’t know him.

  Chapter 6

  Wolfsbane

  I banged my fist against the door for the third time, my clenched fingers leaving an imprint in the door. “I know you’re in there, Fabiana, and I know you know why I’m here. So open this door, before I break it down.”

  I stepped back quickly when the door flung outwards as it opened, the thick would narrowly missing my face.

  “Quiet down, do you want her to hear you?” She questioned, the all too familiar scowl firmly in place.

  Fabiana was a woman few dared to confront as I had. Her short stature meant nothing to her, and over the years she had found ways to make even the strongest sailor fall to their knees.

  “I’d prefer she didn’t for both your sake and mine.”

  She scowled more, and moved out of the way so I could enter. The doorway was barely big enough for a man of normal size, much less me. I quickly squeezed through the opening, once again narrowly missing the wood as she slammed the door closed.

  “What do you mean, for my sake? She questioned, hands on her hips.

  “We both know how she is,” I started. “How do you think she’ll feel knowing that you’ve kept something like this from her?”

  Her scowl started to falter, and she tried to hold it in place regardless. “She’d…She’d understand. She’d see that I was doing what was best for her.”

  “She’d see that you did what was best for you. Ina might have gotten older, but she’s still as stubborn as always.”

  “That she is,” she sighed as she sat down, almost as in defeat. “So, you’ve seen her?”

  “I’ve been watching her,” I corrected. “To keep her safe. I have only gone to her once, yesterday, when she could have gotten hurt from a fall. I was shifted the entire time.”

  “So, she didn’t know it was you?” I shook my head. “Good, then there’s still time.”

  “That’s why I came, Fabiana. Her twentieth birthday was almost a full moon ago, and I haven’t gone to her yet. I don’t know if I can wait much longer.”

  “I know, and you won’t have too.”

  I was getting ready to speak when the front door flew open, hitting the wall with a loud crash. A blonde head ducked in, followed by a boding heaving in armloads of sacks and bags. I watched as Cane let the drop before kicking them all to the sides.

  “Fabiana, I have some…” His sentence was cut short when he looked upon his mother and I in the living room. He smirked.

  “Well, it seems like the wolves are up and running again.”

  I bit my tongue until I tasted blood. I needed Fabiana to at least agree with me, even if she still didn’t like me. And, pulling the head off of her son might have the opposite effect.

  “Keep quiet, Cane. We both know it’s time.”

  “But, he doesn’t deserve her!” He yelled, making his mother wince. “They don’t belong together.”

  “Everything is on their side, son.” Fabiana responded coolly. “The Fates brought them together all those years ago, and the Queens have said that it is their time. Even the grounds are in bloom much earlier than usual. It is their time.”

  “It’s not right,” he growled, sounding almost as animal-like as I did. “I don’t care who is on their side. She doesn’t deserve to be stuck with a beast the rest of her life.”

  “Enough,” I bellowed, finally stepping in as I stood to my full size, towering over the blonde boy. “Your opinion doesn’t change what is. Ina and I are Perfects, and that is how it will stay.”

  He chuckled a low, dark laugh. “You never know, the Fates could change their minds. They did with the hat-maker who went crazy, why couldn’t they do it with you and Ina?”

  “And who would they choose instead? You, the one she sees as a brother?”

  “That’s enough,” Fabiana said in a hushed tone. “Wolfsbane, come back tomorrow. I’ll take you to see her then.”

  “Y…You can’t be serious!” Cane bellowed.

  She nodded. “It’s time. And, we do not have the power to stand in the way of the Fates plans.”

  “Thank you, Fabiana.” I said, understanding how hard it much be for her in that moment.

  “I must warn you though, Wolfsbane. You may not recognize the person she once was. The sadness of your abandonment left its mark, and she has been ill for a long time.”

  Chapter 7

  Ina

  I heard Fabiana before I saw her.

  “Just be patient with her,” she chided. “She may not remember you.”

  I put down the pruning shears I’d been using, wiping my hands on my apron. “I’ll be right back.,” I said to the rose bush in front of me.

  I made my way into the living room, untying my apron and folding it haphazardly in my hands. I tucked a stray piece of my dirt brown hair behind my ear, looping it around a pin so it would stay in place.

  Fabiana was whispering what sounded like comforting words to a large man whose back was to me. His auburn-red hair hung almost to his broad shoulders. The ends of his brown, worn trousers were neatly tucked into a pair of dusty boots. A green shirt covered the top half of him, the fabric barely stretching over his back. He had his sleeves rolled almost to his elbows, his forearms covered in long, this scars and still-healing scratches.

  “Fabiana, it’s good to see you.” I welcomed as I gave the aging woman a hug, kissing her cheek. “What did I do to deserve a treat like this?”

  She sighed wearily. “It’s not what you have done, but what I have done.”

  “What do you mean?” She hesitated, but that only grew my curiosity. “Fabiana, what are you talking about?”

  She put a hand on the man’s back, turning her attention off of me. “It’s time, son.”

  The man turned around, and twelve years’ worth of disappointment, anger, sorrow, and hatred came flooding back to me. Suddenly, I wanted to scream and cry and throw myself at him in joy. His brown eyes held apprehension and worry. He was nervous, and kept fidgeting with his hands at his sides, running them through his hair more than once.

  “Hello, Ina,” he finally said quietly, breaking through the silence. “It’s good to see you again.”

  “Is it now?” I questioned, my voice cold and hard.

  “Ina,” Fabiana chided.

  “Well, excuse me for my lack of excitement, Fabiana, but I’m not entirely thrilled at the moment. If you both excuse
me, I have roses I need to attend to.”

  I didn’t wait for a reply. I turned my back on them and made my way to the sunroom. Picking up the shears once more, I went back to the task at hand – trimming the thorns off my roses. Unfortunately, I was all too aware of their approaching footsteps, and Fabiano’s almost pleading voice.

  “Ina, give the man a chance.”

  “He doesn’t deserve a chance.” I replied curtly, keeping my attention on the red, yellow, and pink flowers in front of me.

  “Please, Ina,” Wolfsbane begged. “Just give me one chance to explain.”

  His thick Scottish brogue almost brought me to my knees. I quickly shook my head and moved to a different table, so I didn’t have to see the sadness in his eyes.

  “Don’t be this way, Ina.” My guardian said, putting her small hand gently on my arm.

  “How am I supposed to be, Fabiana?” He just disappears one day, after two years of… Of whatever it was we had. Then, he just waltzes back here and expects me to forgive him? In case you forgot, our stories don’t work like they do on the Other Side. There’s not always a happily ever after at the end of the fairy tale.”

  After a long moment of silence, I heard the man from my past mumble something.

  “What was that?”

  “I said,” he made his voice louder, almost to a bellowing yell. “That I can’t waltz.”

  Both Fabiana and I gave him a strange, confused look, and he shook his head. “What are you talking about boy?”

  “She said I just waltzed in here, thinking she’d forgive me,” he replied to Fabiana, a small smirk on his face. “I don’t know how to dance, I can’t waltz.”

  “My mistake,” I said curtly, rolling my eyes.

  “It wasn’t his doing, Ina. He didn’t leave by choice.”

  “Then why did he leave?” I turned all of my attention on Fabiana, not expecting what she said next.

  She shifted her eyes down, as if she couldn’t stand to look at me anymore. “Because I made him leave.”

  Chapter 8