Anna didn't think of herself as one given to panic. Most of the time. Some of the time. Rarely. Maybe.

When it mattered, she wasn't given to panic, she decided.

But she was starting to now.

There were people everywhere and she'd lost Kristoff. She didn't know where Nestor was either. There was a subtle alteration in the chaos. She felt the press of the crowd pulling her toward the inn, so she let herself be guided.

'Princess!' A voice exhaled in relief. She turned to see one of Nestor's men addressing her.

His green coat was torn in several places, and his shako was gone. He held his sabre, ready. It was streaked with blood.

'What's happening?'

'We're pulling back to the inn, please, follow me.' She nodded.

'Yes..wait, no. Follow me!' She insisted, grabbing the man's arm and dragging him behind her. 'We need to end this mess and I need your help!'

'Highness!?' The soldier blustered at the contact.

'What wouldn't a mother do for her child!' She shouted, over the rising clamour.

The soldier was confused, but remained dutifully silent.

They approached the inn, people were already standing together, backs to the wall, armed with torches, spears, whatever they could find. She couldn't see Nestor or Kristoff here yet. She resolved to go ahead anyway.

Though nobody had seen Vickers yet, she suspected he was in the inn. It was at the heart of the village, where everybody would end up. And where Vickers was, she suspected she would find the answers.

'Come on…um…sorry, what is your name?'

The man stood to attention, out of habit.

'Private Jurden, highness.' He saluted. She raised an eyebrow expectantly. '…Karl Jurden, highness.'

Anna couldn't help but smile. He was a large man, older than she by a long way. Probably he had served her family for years, and here he was in the middle of this anarchy saluting her like a nervous youth.

'Never mind all that, let's go.'

…

Anna, followed by Jurden, made their way inside. Indoors, the villages wounded had gathered for what little safety there was. Her heart moved for the people around her, but she forced herself onward.

She stopped once, to ask at the whereabouts of the Southern diplomat, and found her suspicions vindicated.

'He's in the basement.'

Jurden acknowledged, and followed her as descended the dim lit staircase. As the darkness grew heavier, his hand moved to his sabre hilt, out of habit.

Neither could make out much, as they reached the bottom. There was silence, for a moment, as Anna cautiously looked around.

'Found a door, its locked.' She muttered.

'I think I can help, your highness.' She stepped aside.

There was the clicking of the lock in the dark, then the door shook with a bang as he shouldered it. The old door gave way.

'Nice work.' Anna grinned. 'Now, let's see…say, do you hear…'

The room yielded only a little more light than the one before, but from within they could see movement, and hear the muffled sound of dozens and dozens of little barks and yelps.

'Gods, princess…'

'We've found them.'

'Indeed you have.' A voice scythed through the inky gloom. 'A shame, but not to worry, we can work with that.'

A man strolled casually from the shadows, coming to rest near several large objects covered in canvas.

He was tall, wiry. He had jet black hair, oiled backward. He was clad in a light brown overcoat, wearing the yellow dress uniform of the Southern Isles Diplomatic Corps. Anna recognised it from their delegations in the past.

'We know what you've done.' Anna spat. 'You'll answer for your crimes here.'

'Oh, you may think you know a little, but I can assure you, you know little enough that you're no threat to me.'

'All these people hurt, for what?!'

'A good deal, your highness. The tragedy of Kolhak will serve a far greater purpose than the culminated lives of its inhabitants ever would have.'

'You're wrong.'

Beside her, Jurden drew his sword.

Vickers didn't flinch. Anna felt uneasy.

'Would you like to see the cubs? It took a long time to gather so many.' He ignored Jurden and pulled aside the covers of all the large containers. Anna gasped at the sight.

They were all cages. And within, wolf cubs. Dozens. Dozens upon dozens. Little yapping cubs, snapping at the bars, each other and the rooms other inhabitants.

Anna ripped her gaze from the cages, and glared at Vickers.

'We've stopped you. It doesn't matter what else is going on, we'll release the cubs and the attack will stop, all the attacks will stop.'

'Yes, they will. In fact, I'll be glad to assist you. Only…'

Something in the room was off. Anna had felt it since they'd entered, there was something else in here with them.

'Only…?' Anna hazarded. Her heart quickened, she felt tense. Beside her, she could tell Jurden felt it too.

'Only three is a crowd.'

The only warning they had was a low growl. The great black shape was on Jurden before he could even react.

Anna stumbled backward, managing only a half-strangled gasp as she saw the beast close its jaws around the soldiers throat.

He was dead before he hit the ground.

'Y-y-you…' She choked out. Tears stung her eyes.

The beast was a massive hound of some sort, yet it possessed definite wolf-like features. It regarded her, curiously.

'Go.' Vickers said.

The…animal, obeyed the command without pause, padding slowly into the dark. There must have been another way out of this room. Anna wondered just how long Vickers had been setting all this up.

'And now, highness, you and I will reveal the cubs and release them, saving the village.'

She glared at the man, feeling bile rise in her throat. Her blood felt white hot, her hands balled into fists.

'You won't get away with this.' She spat through gritted teeth.

'But your highness, we're going to save everybody, together.' He smiled.

'I would never-'

Vickers stopped smiling. He crossed the room till they were face to face.

'Yes you will. You will because if you don't I will have us wait down here. We will wait down here while the attack rages on. We will wait for as long as I deem necessary, and people will die.'

She opened her mouth to object again when voices echoed from the stairwell behind her.

'I'll tell everybody what you did.'

'Feel free.' The man shrugged casually. 'But later. A word from you about this now, and I will have my companion come back and what happened to that useless soldier there will seem like a pure kindness.'

Anna seethed. She'd never felt so powerless. She couldn't let this…man…get away with this, but she couldn't let him hurt her friends. She buried her feelings as best she could.

'I won't lie for you.' She said, less sure than before.

'Fine.' Vickers nodded. 'Just don't say anything. That'll do.'

Moments later, Kristoff and Nestor were in the room, frantic.

'Anna, we've been looking everywhere for…'

'Ah, gentlemen, just in time. If we hurry, we can prevent the loss of more life.'

Kristoff narrowed his eyes, he and Nestor took in the sight of Jurden's body by the door. He turned to Anna, but her stance, her expression…she was unreadable.

He saw the wolf cubs in the cages. He had been right after all.

'What are you doing here?' Nestor demanded, rising from the side of the fallen soldier.

'I am here to offer what aid I may, and the aid of the Southern Isles, in this time of crisis.'

'Not the first time I've heard that tonight.' Kristoff interjected.

'You speak of course, of the disinherited Hans, once a prince of our Royal Household.'

Vickers' momentum never let up once, during the conversation. He lied with ease, even knowing it was likely nobody believed him, the lies still came. As if he thought he was untouchable.

Anna watched him lie, watched him talk and lie, laugh and lie with a burning resentment in her soul.

'Come, friends.' Vickers smiled magnanimously. 'Let us return these children to their mothers. Dawn comes soon, and with it, safety for the people of Kolhak.

He left the room, heading upstairs. Anna trailed closely behind.

Kristoff and Nestor looked at one another, then the cages. They stooped to the fallen form of Jurden and carried him carefully upstairs.