The 10th Kingdom

by Kathryn Wesley

Virginia was still yelling in pain.

  He tried to take her mind off it. “What a moment in my life. My second opportunity to save you. My story will be immortalized in song, there is no question of that.”

  She didn’t respond. Even her “ows” had stopped. He had to get some kind of reaction.

  “Oh,” Wolf said, “I’ve just found another gray one.”

  More silence. Wolf hurried the last few feet, then climbed over the windowsill and pulled himself in.

  “Ta-da!” Wolf said, standing in front of her. “Your Prince has come.”

  He swept her off her feet. She was pale from the pain. He pulled her close and kissed her. She kissed him back for a brief second, and then she shoved him away.

  “Can you untie me?” She held her bound hands up.

  “Of course,” Wolf said. “You get the full rescue service with me.”

  He grabbed her hands and bit the twine holding her wrists. The things he did for love, he thought. He shook his head, and bit even harder. The twine snapped, and Virginia was free.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The end of Virginia’s hair flopped at Tony’s feet as Wolf disappeared into the giant tree. Tony wasn’t quite sure how they’d get out of that place. They couldn’t climb back down her hair. He glanced at the axe in his hands. Maybe he should have made Wolf carry it up and then axe off her hair and tie the ends to a bedpost or something.

  Tony frowned and gauged the height of the tree. He probably couldn’t throw the axe that high, and Virginia wouldn’t appreciate it if someone else climbed her hair. He’d wait to see if they needed his help.

  Then he heard something behind him. He turned around.

  A tall, pale man carrying a crossbow was walking toward the tree house. It had to be the Huntsman.

  Tony cursed under his breath and hid behind the nearest tree. He held the axe in his hands. He had to do something, but he wasn’t sure what. And all of his plans so far had been dismal failures.

  So he bit his lower lip and waited.

  “Careful you don’t trip over your hair,” Wolf said.

  Virginia was picking her way down the stairs and Wolf was helping her. This hair thing had gotten out of control. If she had just her normal haircut, she would have been out of this tree house and far away already.

  She had reached the carcasses on the first floor when the door opened. The Huntsman came in and frowned in surprise at Wolf. Wolf jumped in front of Virginia, but over his shoulder, she could see her father running up behind the Huntsman.

  Her father had an axe.

  “Stay back, Virginia,” Wolf shouted. Apparently Wolf had seen her father too and was trying for a diversion.

  But it didn’t work. The Huntsman turned as her father reached the door. He kicked the door shut, trapping her father’s body half in and half out.

  Tony was making horrible grunting noises and flailing with the axe, but the Huntsman managed to grab his arm. Wolf dived at both of them, knocking the Huntsman back against one of the tables. Carcasses fell everywhere. Wolf slid in the blood on the floor, but managed to retain his grip.

  Knives scattered.

  Virginia wasn’t sure what to do. If she picked up one of the knives, she might get Wolf instead.

  The Huntsman grabbed Wolf’s throat with one hand and one of the knives with the other. Wolf struggled, yanking on the Huntsman’s wrist.

  “Virginia!” Wolf shouted. “Get the axe!”

  That stopped her indecision. She ran to the door, where her father was flailing, and took the axe gently out of his hand.

  “Chop his head off!” Wolf shouted. “Stick it in his back— anything.”

  Something banged behind her. She turned. Wolf was struggling, managing to keep the Huntsman’s knife hand away, but just barely.

  Virginia raised the axe and then hesitated. She’d never killed a man before. She wasn’t sure she could do it.

  “Do it!” Wolf shouted.

  Virginia closed her eyes and brought the axe down as hard as she could. She heard a thunk and opened her eyes. She’d missed the Huntsman completely and hit the table, chopping it in half. Wolf and the Huntsman had fallen backwards onto the floor. The knife moved away from Wolf’s throat, and the Huntsman started screaming.

  It took a moment for Virginia to realize what was going on. The Huntsman had fallen back on one of his iron traps. It had closed on his leg. There was a lot of blood, but he was still waving the knife.

  Wolf picked up a piece of wood and hit the Huntsman over the head. He fell back, unconscious.

  Virginia let out a sigh of relief. Wolf wiped off his forehead. They looked at each other and she knew that if either of them had acted a moment later, one of them would be dead now.

  “Open this door,” Tony shouted. “I’m completely squashed.”

  Virginia and Wolf hurried to the door and managed to squeeze it open. Tony stumbled inside, clutching his ribs.

  “What is this place?” Tony asked, looking down at the Huntsman.

  “It’s a bad place,” Wolf said. “Let’s go.”

  Virginia was looking at the Huntsman too. He was pale, and his leg was bleeding badly. “We can’t leave him like that.” “You’re right,” Wolf said. “Give me the axe. I’ll do it.” Wolf grabbed the axe and raised it over his head.

  Virginia was appalled. “We can’t kill him.”

  “Of course we can,” Wolf said. “He’d kill us.”

  “That’s not the point. He’s helpless.”

  “Exactly why we should kill him.” Wolf started to bring the axe down.

  “Wolf,” Virginia said. “No!”

  “But he’ll come after us.”

  “I don’t care,” Virginia said. “We’re not killing him.” She couldn’t stand it. The Huntsman wasn’t an innocent man, but he could no longer defend himself. She knew, from all that she had been taught, all that was within her culture and her life, that killing a defenseless man was very, very wrong. After a moment, Wolf sighed. He tamed away from the

  Huntsman. Then Wolf gazed at Virginia. She saw something in his face she’d never seen before. A sorrow, a worry.

  “You’ll regret this moment,” he said.

  It took Tony nearly an hour to dig out Prince Wendell. The poor dog hadn’t moved an inch. Tony kept hoping that the spell would just wear off and Wendell would be talking again in his aristocratic little voice.

  But Wendell was saying nothing.

  Tony wiped the golden dog off, making sure he got all the dirt and twigs from Wendell’s cold, smooth surface. Then he patted Prince Wendell on the head.

  “Welcome back, boy,” Tony murmured. “Time for walkies.”

  At that moment, he heard something behind him. He turned quickly, still spooked by that horrible Huntsman fellow. When he saw Wolf carrying the axe, he relaxed.

  “How did the haircut go?” Tony asked.

  “Well,” Wolf said, “I think I might have overdone the axe trim a little.”

  Virginia followed. Her hair was as short—maybe shorter— than Tony’s. Her hair had never been that short in her life.

  Apparently she saw his horrified reaction before he could hide it. She held up a hand. “Don’t say a word.”

  So he didn’t. At least, not to her.

  “What have you done to her?” Tony asked Wolf. “She spent years growing her hair.”

  “No, she didn’t,” Wolf said. “It was about a day and a half at most.”

  “She looks like a boy,” Tony said. “You’re doing too many things to my daughter. I don’t like it. You stay off of her.”

  “Oh, don’t you start,” Virginia said to her father. “What do you know about anything?”

  “Now, now, come on, everybody,” Wolf said. “I know we’ve all had our differences, but from now on I want us to be friends. You know what the old biddy was saying about the three sticks? You can’t break them when they stay together. It’s time for us to bury the hatchet. What do you say?”

  Tony
stared at Wolf for a moment. The guy was too interested in Virginia. But he had helped them a lot. Except for that dung bean. Tony shuddered. “I don’t know,” he said. “I guess so.”

  “All right,” Virginia said.

  Wolf held out the axe. “And here’s the hatchet. I mean I know it’s really an axe, but it’ll do.”

  He walked toward Tony. Tony took a small step backwards. Wolf ignored him and placed the axe in the hole where Prince Wendell had been.

  “I would like to say a few words as we bury it.” Wolf closed his eyes. After a moment, Virginia did too. Tony made a face and then followed suit.

  “Dear animals of the forest who look after us and protect us, and appear to us in many guises,” Wolf said, “Virginia, Tony, and I have decided to be the best of friends. And the gift Tony has given me, namely his gorgeous, dreamy, creamy daughter, Virginia—”

  Tony’s eyes flew open. Virginia’s cheeks were flushed. She was enjoying this.

  “There you are,” Tony said. “You’re getting right off the point again.”

  Wolf opened his eyes too. “Sorry.” He didn’t sound at all contrite. “You can cover it with earth now, Tone.”

  Tony wondered why he got all the horrible jobs, no matter what world he was in. But he didn’t complain, at least not out loud. He started to cover the axe with leaves and diit. “Shouldn’t we keep it?” Virginia asked.

  “Oh, no,” Wolf said. “When magic has served you, it’s best to pass it on. Anyway, it’s been used to kill people. It might bring us bad luck.”

  Tony shuddered, but Virginia didn’t seem perturbed.

  “Oh, yes, bad luck,” she said. “We wouldn’t want any of that, would we?”

  Finally, a break in the trees. Wolf grinned. He could see daylight ahead. It had taken a half day longer than he had thought it would.

  “It’s the end of the damned forest,’’Tony said, amazed. “I thought you said it was a thousand miles?”

  “And it is,’’Wolf said. “A thousand miles long. But not very wide.”

  Virginia looked positively stunned. She looked good stunned. Of course, she looked good all of the time. She followed Wolf out of the trees and stopped.

  Ahead was a large valley and open pasture land. It was beautiful after the darkness of the forest. Wolf wanted to stretch his arms toward the sun.

  Then he frowned. There was something unusual parked by the crossroads.

  “I don’t believe it,’’Tony said.

  “It’s Acorn’s wagon,’’Virginia said, pointing. “There it is. That’s him.”

  Virginia and Tony started to run, leaving Prince Wendell behind on his little cart. Wolf glanced at Wendell, tempted to leave him behind, but knowing that Virginia would never ever forgive him.

  She was too tenderhearted by half.

  Wolf grabbed the rope and gave Wendell a tug. The damn dog was heavy. Wolf had to struggle to catch up to Tony and Virginia.

  “What if he won’t give the mirror back to us?”Virginia was asking Tony.

  “Then we’ll club him to death,’’Tony said. “This is not a matter for debate. We’re going home.”

  Wolf slowed a little. The time of reckoning was finally here. He’d have to show Tony and Virginia how to turn on the mirror, and then they’d leave him.

  He wasn’t sure how he’d live without Virginia. And he’d only known her a few days.

  Tony and Virginia had already gotten to the wagon. It was tiny up close. The dwarf was sitting in it, rolling some shag into a pipe and brewing a cup of tea.

  “Hey, Acorn,’’Tony said. “Remember me?”

  “Anthony!’’Acorn the Dwarf was a homely fellow, with a scarred face and metal in place of his teeth. He leaned toward Tony. “You got out of prison. How unlikely.”

  And, apparently, he had known Tony well. Wolf caught up to them and stood beside the wagon. He stared at Virginia, trying to memorize her face.

  “Where’s our mirror?”Tony asked.

  “Mirror?” Acorn said, clearly puzzled.

  “It belongs to us,’’Virginia said.

  Acorn lit his pipe. The smell of shag permeated the air. Wolf resisted the urge to rub his nose.

  “Is it valuable, then?”Acorn asked.

  “No, it’s worthless.’’Virginia was such a terrible liar. Wolf smiled fondly. He would even miss that about her.

  “You’ve come an awful long way to get back a worthless mirror,’’Acorn said.

  Virginia frowned. Wolf recognized that look too. It was her “decision” look. He knew every detail about her. He had never known anyone else so well.

  “It’s a magic mirror,’’Virginia said. “We traveled here through it. We’ve been trapped in this world ever since.”

  “Virginia,’’Tony said.

  “All we want to do is go home,’’Virginia said. “We won’t take it. We’ll just go home and then you can do whatever you want with it.”

  The way she said “home”made it sound as if her heart was there. If she left, Wolf’s would be too.

  “I am moved by what you say,’’Acorn said.

  “Then please let us go home,’’Virginia begged.

  “But I don’t have it anymore.”

  Wolf let out a small breath. He didn’t want to look too pleased about this. But Virginia didn’t even notice him. Instead, she ran around the back of the miniature wagon. She looked panicked. Tony just looked defeated.

  “I’m afraid I swapped it with someone in the village down the road there, not half an hour ago.”

  Acorn sounded apologetic. But apparently Tony had had enough. He grabbed Acorn by the throat. Wolf raised an eyebrow. All this going-home stuff was quite important to these two.

  “Swapped it?” Tony shouted into Acorn’s face. “Swapped it for what?”

  Acorn looked behind him. Virginia had already found the trade. A small lamb stood in the back of the wagon. It had a pink bow around its neck. It opened its mouth and bleated.

  Wolf felt a shudder run through him. He clenched his fists. Sheep and lambs were the greatest temptation of all. He stepped away from the wagon to clear his head.

  “Wolf, do you think you can simply ignore me?”

  It was the Queen’s voice. Wolf looked down at a puddle and saw her face reflected in it.

  “I’ve changed,” Wolf said. “I’m no longer under your influence. You cannot touch me now.”

  “Oh, really?” the Queen asked, then laughed. “It’s a full moon tonight. Your blood is already hot. You are a wolf. What will you do when the wild moon calls you? What will you do then to your new friends?”

  Wolf hurried past the puddle and waited for Tony and Virginia. What would he do? For the first time, he wished they had found the mirror. He didn’t want to betray them. He didn’t want to hurt anyone, least of all Virginia.

  And he wasn’t sure he could stop himself.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Wolf felt himself walking slower and slower.

  The forest had given way to gentle pasture land. A way up the hill, someone had built a log fence that rose waist-high. White cottages with thatched roofs dotted the countryside. A little white sign up ahead said, Little Lamb Village 3 Miles.

  “That’s it,” Tony said. “That’s the place.”

  “I don’t think we should go into this village,” Wolf said. He didn’t know how to convey his worry to them.

  Virginia didn’t even turn around. “But Acorn said the mirror is here.”

  Wolf bounced in front of her, hoping she would understand. “A wolf goes by his instincts and I don’t like it.”

  Virginia looked over his shoulder. Wolf followed her gaze. There was a scarecrow on one of the fields, only it had a ram’s skull on top, and fur carcasses below. Similar scarecrows—or scarewolves, to be more accurate—dotted the landscape.

  Several farmers stopped their work, pitchforks gripped in their hands, watching as the trio and solid little Prince Wendell passed.

  If Virginia didn
’t understand those looks, she didn’t understand anything. “It’s farming land,” Wolf said, “and farmers don’t like wolfies. Huff-puff, no siree. Let’s stop for breakfast and think what to do.”

  “You just had breakfast.” Virginia walked past him. She sounded amused.

  He’d had enough. ‘ ‘I want another breakfast, all right? What are you, my mother? Do you tell me when I can eat or not? Why don’t you draw up a list of rules of things I can and can’t do.”

  He hadn’t expected that last to come out like that. The full moon. He cursed it. He could feel the edge.

  Virginia looked at her father. Tony frowned. Wolf could read their expressions as clearly as if they’d spoken: What’s gotten into Wolf?

  “We’re going into the village,” Virginia said. “End of discussion. You can do what you like.”

  Tony and Virginia continued on. Wolf glanced around him. Farmers, scarewolves, sheep. He closed his eyes and then sighed. Nowhere here would be good for him. He might as well stick with Virginia and Tony.

  Wolf walked after them, feeling dejected. The sound of the wheels on Wendell’s cart pulled him forward. Virginia would hate him now. She’d think him crazy. And what would she do when night fell?

  Wolf shuddered. He needed her. He needed her on his side now.

  He had to tell her what was going on.

  He picked a small bouquet of wildflowers and hurried to catch up to her. When he reached her, he thrust them under her nose.

  “Virginia, forgive me,” Wolf said. “I didn’t mean to be so rude. It’s just my cycle coming on. Once a month I get very irrational and angry, and I want to pick a fight with anyone who comes near me.”

  Virginia smiled a small private smile. “Sounds familiar.”

  This was where he asked for her help. He sure hoped she understood. “I’ll be perfectly all right as long as you keep me away from temptation.”

  They crested a hill. On the other side were meadows tilled with flocks of sheep. Pretty, lovely, curly sheep, all with white bows.

  “Ohhhhh,” Wolf said, very low, like a moan.

  Shepherdesses carried their crooks as they skipped after their flocks. It felt as if they were moving in slow motion. Delectable, delicious, delightful.