I was woken by a soft bark in my ear.

I started awake, looking around, but I did not find the wolf that had woken me. To my surprise, I found that the room was still dark, though all of the wolves were rising, shaking the frost off of their fur. I did the same, while observing that the wolves were watching me warily, and there was a wide radius around me, though the room was small. My breath misted on the air, clouding in front of my nose. Despite my thick fur, I shivered.

I walked over to the closest wolf, who looked around like a hare, his ears flashing back swiftly, his eyes fearful. "Why are we waking up so early?" I asked sleepily, then yawned for emphasis.

"I don't know," said the wolf slowly. "Probably the Queen summoned us for some task or other."

I nodded, and found that he was staring at my nose. I wondered vaguely if I had something there, but he solved the mystery by taking a deep breath and asking, "Is it true that you saved the Queen from an ambush of ten enemies single-handedly, and that it was you who discovered the faun's plot at the Battle of the Dancing Lawn?"

An undignified snort escaped me before I could repress it. "I'm afraid you are mistaken," I said in cool tones, regaining my composure. "The Queen found my brother and I yesterday only, and invited me into her service." I hesitated, and added, "However, I did give her valuable information about the loyalties of…some." Let him chew on that. The appearance of me knowing more than they knew, and of being a trusted informant of the Queen, should make him nervous, not to mention the implication that the Queen might suspect those unnamed traitors I had mentioned.

He shivered even more, his ears nearly disappearing into his neck fur. "Yes, of course," he said hurriedly, and started to go. I stopped him.

"Would you mind telling me why there seems to be so much rank fear among your ranks? Especially of me? I was under the impression that you were brave and fearless fighters, but if I am mistaken, perhaps I should inform the Queen that you are afraid…?"

He shuddered and rushed to answer. "Not afraid…Fenris. Merely wary."

"Of me?" I persisted.

"Do you mean to say that you don't know?" asked the wolf incredulously. "You don't know?" He noticed that I seemed to be distracted, and hurriedly added, "Excuse me. I have to go." And almost galloped away from me. I started to call after him, but stopped myself. I had noticed my brother. His gaze caught mine for a moment, but he flinched and looked down. A vestige of anger rose in me, but I suppressed it. The wolves seemed to be all woken, but they were waiting for something. Then I remembered that I was leader now.

"It is time to go to the Queen," I barked loudly. My brother was glaring at me now – I could feel his gaze – but I ignored him pointedly. He was unimportant. "Follow me."

I bounded out the narrow doorway and padded silently along the paths that led to the throne room. The others followed me, their steps also soundless, the rustle of shifting fur the only sound until the hallway opened into the broad, high ceiling of the throne room. And there, indeed, seated upon the gigantic ice throne, the Queen stared at us with her ice cold, pale blue eyes, embedded in that unnaturally white skin. Though hardly knowing why, I shivered.

"My Queen," I said gallantly. "We have come, obeying your summons. What is it you wish of us?"

The Queen was silent for a long while. At last she stood, offering me a smile. "Come to me, Fenris. All of you, stay where you are. Your orders will be given shortly."

I padded to her throne and sat beside her, gazing at the throng of wolves. She swept her gaze over them, also, then spoke, her voice sharp in the quiet air. "Romulus." She called. "Rousseu. Ferus. Ishtar. Lycaon. Remus." Six wolves stepped forward, including the one I recognized as the prominent wolf from the previous night. "You will remain here and follow Fenris. He will command you, and you shall obey his commands as though they were my own." Their eyes swept to me, appearing surprised. So was I. Romulus looked annoyed. The female, Ishtar, looked at me, considering, her eyes piercingly sharp.

"Skoll, come to me," she said. My brother did not stir, his eyes sharp on me. I met his gaze evenly. Tension almost crackled between us. "Skoll," said the Queen more loudly. Still my brother did not move. The wolves were all looking from him to me and back again, backing away from both of us. I could almost see the hackles rising. "Skoll!" said the Queen again. Neither of us stirred. I narrowed my eyes, focused my anger and willpower and ferocity into my gaze. He still did not move. We stood like that for a long time, eyes locked. I drew back my lips and snarled, my tail curling over my back, and spoke in a low voice that no human could hear, but that my brother would hear clearly.

"Go, Skoll." I emphasized the name, telling him that he would accept this new life, like it or not. He stared at me. I noticed that his mate, a small white thing, was crouching behind him on the floor, shivering. He nosed her gently, breaking his gaze, and very pointedly not looking at me, walked up to the throne.

"Yes?" he said. His voice was challenging, his stare too direct. I nearly snarled again, but controlled myself with an effort.

The Queen was staring him down, but he hardly seemed to notice. Her gaze swept over to his mate, shivering and cowering, and a peculiar smile quirked the corners of her mouth. "Poor dear," she said in a voice that positively dripped with kindness, compassion, and insincerity. "Come here. You look positively freezing." She trembled even more, but slunk up to the Queen, her ears pressed back, and lay down at her feet. The Queen draped a fold of fur over her, but she still looked terrified. My brother's ears flashed back, his eyes narrowing. I almost expected him to whine no fair, he looked so indignant.

"My Queen, what do you wish," he growled, the words seeming dragged out of him.

"I wish you to obey me, Skoll," she said mildly. "Only that."

"Obedience is not always as simple as "only"," said Skoll softly. "Especially for ones not made to obey commands of anyone."

The Queen glanced casually at his mate – at least it would have been casual. "How are you, my dear?" she asked softly, her voice containing only a hint of ice. "I hope you are well." The hint was obvious. I could see Skoll's jaw clench.

"You are harder and crueler than winter, my Queen," I heard him mutter, and she laughed. She laughed! I sat down hard, startled.

"You see well, Skoll. It will benefit you, if you use it in my favor. You will lead the rest of these wolves into Narnia to seek out treachery. I am sure you will find it. Treachery lurks everywhere, these days. There is no telling where Fenris will find it." I bared my teeth in what might have been a grin. Maybe.

Skoll bared his teeth as well. It also might have been a grin, but probably not. "I will do as you say, but only for now. I am not well suited to obedience."

"Yes, but obedience may be rewarded with freedom," said the Queen softly. "We shall see, Skoll. Serve well."

Skoll barked at the wolves and padded out of the hall. As soon as he was gone, the Queen called me to her side.

"My dear Fenris," she said, resting her hand on my head. "I fear that treachery may lurk in your brother. Watch him carefully. I fear that he may side with our enemies when the time comes." She paused, then continued. "Thank you for your loyalty last night. It was admirable, and merely confirmation that you are a worthy guard for me. And perhaps even a companion. There are many things a Queen has, but often I am lacking in companionship – of necessity, you understand."

I beamed and puffed up under the Queen's praise. "Thank you, My Queen. Pardon me for asking, but how did you see?"

She laughed coldly. "I have my ways, my dear Fenris. My eyes are everywhere." She looked coldly down at the small she-wolf that was my brother's mate. "Everywhere." She twitched her robe away from the she wolf and stood. "Ginarrbrik? Find a place for this one. And give her some meat." The dwarf motioned at the she-wolf. She drew herself up, regaining some composure, and followed the dwarf. When she was gone, the Witch turned to me. "Fenris, I have something to show you."

"Of course, milady," I said.

"Follow me, then," she answered, and swept out of the hall. I padded along silently beside her for a time, and then we burst out into the sunlight of an open, snowy courtyard.

I was stunned, at first. All around me were statues, perfectly detailed, frozen in a moment of attack or fear. Centaurs, dogs, lions, griffins, horses, even a giant. There was a few wolves that I could glimpse, muzzles raised in a howl of pain that made me shiver, and fauns that made me yelp with satisfaction. The Queen continued walking through the throng, and I saw – here a dwarf, a leopard, a sheepdog, more wolves, a dragon. She stopped in front of a statue that I was sure she had been leading me to. It was yet another wolf, this one much larger than the ones I had seen before, lips pulled back in a fierce snarl, face a rictus of pain and anger. I felt myself begin to snarl also, my tail tucking between my legs, backing away from the statue. He had also a dark mark on his stone muzzle. The Queen ran her hand over his head lovingly.

"He was living, once," said the Queen to me. "My guard, my loyal and trusted companion. He was much like your brother – defiant, brave, challenging everything. He was a good wolf – but he betrayed me to my enemies. I was not defeated, obviously, but he was. I do not forgive or forget, Fenris. And my punishments are forever." She jerked her hand away from the wolf, her cold eyes stabbing into me.

"Why did you show me this?" I asked warily.

"To remind you of the price of failure, Fenris. You may be a good companion, but one failure and you will be like Vestal here. Stone. I trust that you will not fail, Fenris?"

"Never, my Queen," I said swiftly.

"Good," she said coldly, and turned. "We'd best be getting back to the palace now. Remember, Fenris. I do not tolerate failure." Then she was gone. I hesitated, casting a last look at the horrible statue. Then I hurried after her with a final shudder.

A/N: More name origins:

Rousseu was the author of many stories about children raised by wolves, which he classified as Homo Ferus. Romulus (for those few that don't know) was a child raised by a she-wolf that founded the city of Rome, along with his brother, Remus, whom he later killed. Ishtar was a goddess that could turn her enemies into wolves. Lycaon was a Greek king who was supposedly turned into a wolf by Zeus. Vestal was the name for the kind of priestess that gave birth to Romulus and Remus.