Blood for Wolves

chapter 19

I awoke with a start, kicking up a few leaves as I bolted upright.

“Calm down dear, it’s just a dream.”

It took my brain several seconds to register what was in front of my face. A fire burned between me and an old woman. Alex lay docilely beside me, unperturbed by the woman’s presence. It took a few moments for my brain to register that she was the old witch who gave me the necklace and Alex his Sentry uniform. She prodded at the fire, sending a shower of orange sparks into the air.

“That’s what Henry did,” she said.

“Who?” was all I could manage.

“Henry. The servant to Prince Gerald, long ago when the Prince was transformed into a frog.”

I closed my eyes for a moment. My head pounded. How long had I slept?

“I’m sorry,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “What did he do?”

“When Prince Gerald was cursed to become a frog, his manservant Henry was so distraught he had to band his heart so it wouldn’t break.”

I warmed myself by the fire, but kept my eyes on the old woman. Strange. She didn’t seem quite as old as before.

“Who are you?” I finally asked.

She gave me a grandmotherly smile. “Now that is a good question.”

I waited. She continued to poke at the fire. It reminded me of Wolf. I quickly banished the thought from my mind.

“Well?”

“Wolves were not always bad.”

Okay, not an answer to my question. But I let her go on. I didn’t have the energy or the desire to try arguing with a witch.

“In fact, there was great peace between them and the people here. True, the occasional sheep or cow would go missing, but there was never any cause for worry. The people and the wolves were great friends and often enjoyed one another’s company. After a time, it came to be that both men and maids fell in love with those of wolf packs, and likewise wolves fell in love with humans.

“Finally, when many could bear the strain no longer—for wolves mate for life, as you know, and being unable to be close to their mate can break their hearts—a pack of wolves came together, male and female alike, to seek out a way to be with the humans they loved and who loved them in return. Together they traveled the long, hard road to the next kingdom where lived the most skilled sorceress in all the lands. It was very difficult for them, climbing over the mountains through the cold and the snow, but they were determined, and they made it.

“They beseeched the sorceress to grant them human bodies, and the sorceress’s gentle heart saw the love the wolves had for their humans and granted their request. But there was one thing she could not change. Though they would appear as human, their hearts would remain as wolves’ hearts and they would keep their tails as a reminder of their former lives. They agreed and were changed and returned to their beloved humans.”

An uncomfortable chill danced down my spine. I got the feeling that like the Red Riding Hood story, this wasn’t going to have a happy ending.

“All was well for many decades. Many half-wolves were born, and more full wolves went to the sorceress and begged for her secret, which she granted them before she died.

“But then came a day when two sisters fell in love with a wolf. He only desired the younger of the two. They married and lived happily while the eldest grew angry and filled with jealousy that her love should be turned away. To the detriment of all wolves, she knew the art of sorcery, and used her magic in her rage to curse all the changed wolves in the land, opening their hearts to the deceit and lust and greed of human hearts. She delivered upon full wolves the desire to hunt sheep and cattle instead of deer and elk, and filled them with a bloodlust for young maids and human flesh. She tried all she could to take away their human form, but her rage and life were consumed in her magic and her spell was incomplete and she died the night of a full moon.”

I stared at her in fascination. It answered so many questions. Why wolves were ruled by a full moon. The crimson color in their eyes. Their violence and why humans hated them so much.

“This is why wolves are so feared,” the woman continued, “why they devour grandmothers and young maidens, shepherds and sheep. Those that were in close proximity of the vengeful sorceress when her spell was cast became werewolves, and until this time, they were banished from these lands and sent far away into another.”

I wondered if any had stumbled into my world. Perhaps that was where the stories had come from. The witch poked at the fire, and again I was reminded of Wolf.

“But this story has long since been forgotten. It has been over a century since the sorceress’s curse. Humans and wolves hate and fear each other now, and poor half-wolves are lost, not knowing their place in the world, packless and alone.”

I gazed into the fire, watching the flames curl and dance. “Isn’t there any way to break the curse?”

She pressed her lips together. “It was a muddled curse. The attempt of one so young to manipulate power beyond her grasp. There are only whispered rumors in the trees and among the birds of how to break it. They say a wolf must love so dearly that his heart breaks in two and he lives inside the Earth for three days. Then he must arise, healed, and the curse will be broken and the hearts of wolves will be free once more.”

Well it certainly wasn’t going to be my Wolf. Bastard. Then I remembered my initial question and looked closely at the old woman. Now she certainly looked older, the winkles in her face deeper, her eyes full of sadness and her mouth set in a despondent frown. I tilted my head, searching.

“You’re the sorceress from the story, aren’t you? You said she died, but you’re her.”

A faint smile appeared on her face. “I am dead my dear, I assure you.”

Alex huffed, startled. I put a hand on his neck.

“But then…how…?”

“Very old magic. I foresaw the trouble wolves would encounter, so long ago I set up a web of magic to help the one destined to open the path to salvation.”

“But you can touch things. You gave Alex real clothes.”

Her eyes twinkled like they held a secret. “That is why I was the best.”

I sighed, frustrated. There was so much here I didn’t know. I touched the key around my neck. “What do you mean, ‘open the path to salvation’? I thought I was just a Guardian?”

“You are,” she said, becoming grave. “What you will do will save all wolves.”

I laughed bitterly. “Right. Sure. I’ve been doing a bang up job so far.” Then a thought hit me. I held up the key to her. “Can you change them back? Marianne and my brother?”

She shook her head. “My magic does not extend that far.”

I slumped back. The fire crackled between us. I pushed the end of a stick into it with the tip of my boot.

“So,” I said at length, “why are you here?”

“I am here to help and give you the things you need.”

“You gave me a necklace that almost got me eaten by harpies.”

“No. I gave you a necklace that allowed you to fly. You almost got yourself eaten by harpies.”

She had said that the necklace was to keep me grounded. I folded my arms, knowing she was right.

“What did you say to Wolf that day?”

“I told him something he didn’t want to hear.”

I wondered what that could have been. Maybe that he would die before seeing me frozen for all eternity. Maybe that I would kill him. I shook away the thought. He’d hurt me tremendously and I hated him, but the idea of actually pushing a blade through his heart was too much for me to conceive. Now the werewoman on the other hand…

“So what do you have for me this time?” I asked.

Her eyes twinkled again and she reached inside her tattered clothing, producing a small vial of crystal clear liquid.

“Lavawort flower extract.”

She handed it to me. I turned it over in my hands.

“What does it do? Does it heal like lavawort?”

“Indeed, it can. But it is also the most deadly poison within the three kingdoms.”

I scrunched up my face in confusion. “How is that possible?”

Alex sniffed at the vial.

“It is a very unique flower with very unique properties. Lavawort leaves have a fraction of the oil as the flower. Gum leaves are only used to temper the painful sensation that lavawort can inspire. Those who are healthy and drink the flower extract, die. Only those who use it in the direst of situations may be saved, but with great pain.”

I fingered the vial. Strange. With it I could save someone who was dying, or I could use it to kill others. I considered dipping the tips of my remaining crossbow bolts into it.

“So what happens now?”

“Now you do what you have to do.”

I pressed my head to my knees for a moment before looking up again. “Are you like my fairy godmother or something?”

But the old witch was gone. So was the fire. I sighed, cool springtime air washing over me. Alex was asleep. I would have wondered if it had been a dream if I didn’t have the vial of lavawort flower extract still in my hands. I tucked it inside a coat pocket and settled closer to Alex for warmth. The sun would be up in a few hours and we would have to go. Until then, I wanted to get in as much sleep as possible. Things were far from over.

I awoke, cold and wet. For the first time since my stay in this world, sad gray clouds blanketed the sky and a light rain fell. Springtime rain, helping the ferns and flowers along in their bloom. It had the opposite effect on me. Stiff, miserable, I got to my feet and rummaged through my pack. Alex woke, shaking water off himself. I had the pathetic hope that perhaps my rain jacket would be in it, but apparently when the werewolves went through it, they’d taken it out and never put it back in.

“Damn it!”

I resisted the urge to throw the pack on the ground. Wet and cold in the woods was not a good combination. I touched the key, suddenly glad that Marianne wasn’t herself. This situation would be worse on a child. I tasted the water on my lips and my brain suddenly reminded me how thirsty I was. I cupped my hands together, at the same time tilting my head back and opening my mouth. I would have preferred to wring the water out of the coat, but drinking down blood, dirt, and sweat weren’t high on my list of favorite things to drink.

“All right,” I said once I’d gotten my fill. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked to Alex. “Let’s go.”

We’d maintained a steady northeasterly course in order to reach the castle featured on the map. I’d tried to judge how soon we’d get there by the rough estimations I’d made by examining the map. We could reach it sometime during the night if we didn’t stop to sleep again, or maybe during the next day. I prayed we wouldn’t overshoot it. I might have to climb a tree or two myself at some point to get a look at what might be ahead, now that Marianne was stuck being a key.

We trudged through the woods, carefully going up and down gullies, me trying not to slip in the mud while Alex bounced nimbly over the ground. Even when in rain gear, hiking through the rain was only fun for the first fifteen or twenty minutes or so before it became annoying. We skirted rocky outcroppings and fallen logs. I kept an eye out for fairy rings and cursed necrotic forest patches. A few times Alex stuck his nose into the air and steered us away from an area. I didn’t know if he smelled werewolves or something else, but I trusted his judgment enough to follow his lead. I hoped the rain would at least hamper our scent a little bit.

I shivered, trying to do the impossible and ignore the cold as the day wore on. For once I wished Alex hadn’t thrown his hat. Not like it would have done a lot of good to wear it now. I might as well have jumped in the pond again, soaking wet in just shorts, a sports bra, and a long coat. I worried about what I would do when night fell. Bad situation to be in. Alex knew it too; he kept looking at me every so often. But for now the only way to remotely stay warm was to keep moving. There were no caves and no abandoned huts like the one I’d followed Marianne into.

Suddenly Alex stopped. He snorted once, his nostrils flaring.

“What?” I asked, taking the crossbow from my shoulder and loading it.

He backed up, stamping and grunting. I aimed the crossbow into the forest around us, turning in circles, my heart pounding. Had they found us? After so much, would this be it? I only had five bolts left. I licked rainwater from my lips.

“Come on,” I whispered. “Come on.” I hated waiting.

Alex bugled. I spun and something flashed amidst the trees. I kept my finger tight on the trigger. Don’t pull. Don’t pull. Make them count.

Alex pawed at the ground, his hooves throwing up dirt and leaves. He lowered his antlers, ready to charge. More movement. To my left this time. A swish of a silvery tail. Low to the ground.

Full wolves. And they had us surrounded.

“Come on,” I shouted. “Show yourselves!”

As if in response, they did, emerging from the mists of the rain and forest foliage like phantoms. They stood in a circle around us, waiting. I aimed the crossbow at each of them, finally settling on a white wolf who was a little larger and stopped a little closer than the others. I didn’t recognize the pack, but guessed it was the alpha. Maybe female. For a moment my mind flashed back to the image of the wolf who’d tried to protect me and got shot for her trouble. I shoved it back. Now was not the time. Suddenly I hated this place. Hated the sorceress in the old witch’s story and her curse on the wolves. Hated that I’d gone from biologist and champion for wolves to paranoid and pointing a crossbow at them.

“Who are you?” I demanded. “Are you with the Mistress?”

The wolf tilted its head as if confused and then looked behind itself. I followed its gaze. Behind me, Alex bellowed. I quickly realized why. More wolves appeared. I guessed maybe twenty surrounded us. I said nothing and kept watching them, wondering how many I could take down if they were on the werewoman’s leash.

Then a familiar face appeared. The alpha male I’d spoken with only a few nights before. It felt like a week. The same one to attack the werewolves during our escape. He trotted over, stopping beside the white female. He examined us for a moment before his eyes met mine. I didn’t lower the crossbow.

What is this? he asked.

“They’re cursed,” I said, knowing he could understand me. “My brother and the girl.”

Where is your mate?

Anger flared inside of me. “He’s not my mate.”

His eyes widened. How is that possible? He is your mate.

“He’s not my mate. He broke his vow.”

This time the alpha’s eyes narrowed and his muzzle drew back in a snarl. Wolves do not break their vows!

Too angry to even think of backing down, I bared my teeth back at him and roared. “HE LIED! I loved him, and he betrayed me!”

The alpha relaxed, and instead tilted his head in pure puzzlement.

Not so. If this were true your heart would break and you would die. Such is the way of mates.

“No!” I lowered the crossbow and pointed at him viciously. “No. Humans do not just lay down and die from broken hearts. We pick them up and put the pieces back together and go on, no matter how much it hurts.”

The second the words left my mouth, a searing pain shot through my chest. As though a pair of hands had taken hold of my heart and twisted. I dropped to the ground, clutching at a spot over my heart.

What the hell is this? I struggled to catch my breath. What has this place done to me?

Alex trumpeted and reared around to stand over me, threatening the alphas with his sharp antlers. The wolves didn’t move. Instead they merely watched as I recovered. I managed to get to my knees, sucking in deep breaths of air as the pain subsided. The alpha male moved forward. Alex snorted and pawed at the ground.

“No,” I gasped, putting a hand on his chest, “it’s okay.”

He backed off a little, still grunting and kicking up a few leaves. The alpha touched his head to mine.

You are different. I am sorry. You have been hurt. He licked my cheek, then gave my forehead a light bump with his. You taste delicious.

I wanted to smile, but couldn’t. I settled for rubbing one of his ears, and fell into silent speech. Were you hurt in the fight?

We had three packs to their one. I was not, but lost two, the others one each. They fled soon after.

I’m glad you didn’t lose too many. The light of the day was fading, and with it the temperature. I shivered. I’m cold. I wasn’t nearing hypothermia yet, but if the temperature dipped too low and the rain kept up, I would.

He looked up at the dark clouds, heavy raindrops striking his muzzle. He faced the other alpha. I couldn’t quite understand what he said since he wasn’t talking directly with me, but I thought I caught the word “den.” After a few more moments he had his answer. He pushed at me with his nose.

Come. She has a place for you.

I stood and beckoned to Alex. “They have somewhere we can stay.”

We followed the two packs west for about a mile until we came to a spot where the foliage grew thicker, overlapping on itself to create a surprisingly large hollow. I ducked inside. It was still wet, but not as much as sleeping outside would be. The two alphas trotted in.

Your brother is too large to come in. He will be fine outside as that.

I sat down in the leaves, rearranging the coat around me in a feeble attempt to cover up as much as possible. I glanced around as several more wolves came in.

The alpha sat down close beside me. We will stay with you tonight. He lay down. But tomorrow we must leave.

“In that case,” I said, and took off the coat. I wrung it out as best I could near the edge of the hollow and then folded it in half. I placed it on the ground beside him and then lay on top of it. It was still damp, but it would be better than the cold ground. I rested a hand on the alpha’s neck. Why leave?

Not our territory. Not every pack knows about you.

I nodded and curled up next to him, draping one arm over his big form. The other alpha took up a spot behind me with the other wolves huddling around us and each other. Though they were damp themselves, their coats had great waterproof abilities. I quickly grew warmer, sandwiched between two fur coats. I buried my face into the alpha’s shoulder and sighed. He didn’t smell like my Wolf, just the familiar scent of regular wolves. Pain tweaked in my chest for a moment. I groaned faintly. The alpha male nuzzled his head against the top of mine.

“Do you have a name?” I said, not knowing how to ask since I couldn’t do any more body language.

He shifted ever so slightly. No.

Of course not, I thought, and drifted off to sleep surrounded by wolves.