Tin Man
Imaris
Chapter 11-Just A Legend?
The commissioner looked at me curiously.
"Werewolves?" he mused. "There hasn't been a pack here since the Lupine's. The mayor of central city had put out an exile on all werewolves and was sent to live elsewhere because they liked to sneak into the city and wreak havoc. Now they never hurt anyone, but they loved to toy with humans walking the streets at night. But you're right about the scent of shape shifters having more human smell than animal. So I'm going to issue a warning out right now for anyone to avoid coming into the forest without protection. We really don't know where they could be hiding. I suggest you two get back to the tower and stay there until we hear any news."
Nodding, Cain and I turned and mounted our horses again. We began heading back to the tower.
Our horses were walking, my body gently rocking to the familiar gait of the horse. My horses' ears were pricked, and occasionally twitched listening to the sounds around us. I shifted my weight in the saddle causing the leather to creak. Cain was right next to me occasionally our legs bumped one another's. The only sound other than the horses' hooves thudding on the dirt was the leather creaking.
"Why would werewolves just arbitrarily attack a family?" Cain mused. "It doesn't make sense."
"No," I said shaking my head. "Something's not right."
Suddenly, our horses froze in their tracks and began acting up by tossing their heads up and side stepping.
"Whoa," I said soothingly to Aeris as Cain's horse Ryker bumped my horse. "What's got them so spooked?"
"I don't know," Cain said struggling to regain control of Ryker. Suddenly, out of the shadows of the forest, about 10 grey wolves appeared. Aeris reared, his forelegs slashing at the air and I was knocked off. I felt myself falling over his rump before he bolted into the woods, hooves thudding on the ground. Cain's horse reared too and he was thrown. Both horses had bolted and I saw Cain had landed on his back hard. He cringed and went to get up, but one of the wolves sprang and pinned him down. The other nine began circling us. Fear had gripped my chest but I watched as two wolves began circling Cain, toying with him.
Cain couldn't even reach his gun. Letting out a low growl, I stepped toward the two wolves and picked up a long branch. I protectively stood over Cain and growled again, swinging the branch to ward them off. They heard me growl and began slinking away. Eventually, they vanished into thin air. I stopped growling and dropped the branch. I quickly bent to help Cain get to his feet.
"You okay?" I demanded anxiously.
"Yeah," he cringed, clearly in pain as he cradled is left wrist against his chest. "But I think I sprained my wrist."
"Come on. Let's get out of here," I said wrapping an arm around him as I helped him back to the tower, keeping my eyes peeled for the wolves again, but they didn't show up.
"Oh my God," DG said wide eyed as we sat around the dining room table that evening and told her what had happened. "Werewolves? But why were they changed during the day?"
"I don't know," I said gravely as Liz was sitting in-between Cain and me eating her mashed potatoes. "But the minute I growled at them back, they backed off."
"Perhaps they thought you were one," Ambrose suggested simply. "Which you kind of are, but there's many differences. Werewolves change at night during the full moon…you change whenever you want and you have a choice-werewolves don't."
"I had thought that they were only legends," Azkadelia said slowly glancing from each of us. "I had no idea they were still in the O.Z."
Cain's wrist was in a sling, so luckily he was right handed and able to feed himself. I jokingly had offered to tie a bib on him and feed him, but he had just given me a deadpan look. Cain turned his eyes onto Az.
"Az, do you remember at any time during your 'reign', conversing with werewolves?" he asked seriously as he watched her.
Az shook her head. "No. Of course not. Even then I didn't know they existed,"
"But you said yourself there were times you didn't remember what you were doing," he said reasonably. "I'm not pointing any fingers, I'm just trying to find out what's going on here, why a 'species' exiled out of Central City and probably the O.Z, are finding their way back."
"Trust me," Az said to him earnestly. "I didn't frolic with werewolves when the witch took over me."
Cain nodded, believing her, although I saw some skepticism in his expression. Suddenly a thought hit me.
"What if it was Risik?" I said alarmed as I glanced at Cain, DG, Ambrose and Raw, who had been quiet during the whole conversation. "What if Risik found a rogue pack or whatnot and joined them?"
Realization dawned on everyone's faces.
"She never revealed much information about herself did she? Other than my lovely parents back home on earth were her parent's hell bent on helping their daughter seek out the emerald, which completely backfired since I had no memories or visions of where it was held. So what if the werewolves were some sort of Plan B?"
Cain looked at me thoughtfully. "That sounds pretty logical to me. But if that is Plan B, what was Plan A?"
I felt a knot forming in my stomach. I let my fork drop. I slowly turned to him, giving him a grave expression which I knew everyone else recognized and realized what Plan A had been.
"Plan A," I said thickly as I slowly slipped my hands over Liz's ears. I didn't want her to hear what had happened to me five years ago. Once I was sure she couldn't hear me, I continued. "Was to kill me….which backfired again."
Cain's face drained of all color. I slowly pulled my hands away from Liz's ears, who went on nonplussed by anything. She happily ate, giving Cain a big grin before returning her eyes onto her plate. She looked exactly like Cain. Shoulder length blond hair and blue eyes. But she had my complexion and personality. Cain now had a sickened expression on his face. He too, slipped his hands over Liz's ears.
"Poor Liz," DG said deadpan, but gravely. "She's going to wonder when she gets older why there were moments in her life when she was deaf."
Az's lip twitched but everyone's eyes were on Cain.
"If that's the case," Cain said quietly. "Then who knows what the werewolves are planning. For all we know they could want to continue in Risik's footsteps and try and kill you."
There was pain behind his blue eyes.
"Which is why," he said his tone changing to a firm one. "You will not be going out into those woods alone without someone with you…and armed."
I lifted an eyebrow as Cain lifted his hands off Liz's ears. "Cain, I can handle myself. I'm not a 5 year old,"
"No," Cain agreed. "But she is." he gestured to Liz. "I don't want anything happening to either of you."
"Wonderful," I said sighing. "So I get an adult baby sitter."
Cain slammed his fist down on the table, causing the silverware to rattle. Everyone jumped from being startled and they watched us. Cain stood up from his seat and put his face close to mine.
"If having a baby sitter means that you and Liz are safe," he said angrily. "Then yes you will have one. I'm sorry if I care about my family."
With that, he left the dining room. Liz looked after Cain with a worried expression and a bit teary eyed. She's never really heard him raise his voice like that before and I think it kind of spooked her. DG must've sensed this because she quickly got up and came around to the side of the table where we were with her hand extended.
"Come on fuzzy," she said. "Let's go see how much we can make our self dizzy."
Liz still looked a bit upset but she nodded and took DG's hand and they too left the dining room. Az stood up and came over to me, sitting in Cain's seat. Ambrose and Raw remained.
"Cain loves Emma and Liz very much," Raw offered softly. "Cain would rather see himself die than Emma or Liz."
I moved my eyes onto Raw. He was right of course. Cain would rather take the bullet for me and Liz than see one of us in danger. I sighed. Az put a hand on my shoulder.
"I'd never seen someone love another person as much as Cain loves you and Liz," she said warmly, her dark eyes soft and sympathetic. Much different than the last time I looked into them. "But if you get the urge to change and run, please alert us. We really don't know what those werewolves have planned. They could def try and finish what Risik started or it could be worse."
I nodded. I was going to go apologize to him now. Ambrose smiled.
"I think when Liz get's older, you're going to have to reassure her that the deafness she experienced when she was five wasn't permanent," he said lightly. I smiled and playfully tossed a napkin at him. I gave Az a hug before leaving the dining room myself. I walked down the hallway. I glanced into DG's room. They were sitting on the floor and she was using her magic to spin one of Liz's dolls like she'd used when Toto had came into the picture. DG caught my gaze and gave me a watery smile before returning her eyes onto the doll. I kept walking and found Cain standing on the balcony, his hands gripping the railing. The sun was starting to set, leaving the sky a beautiful orange color mixed with white and cream. The balcony over looked the widespread land of the O.Z. I came up beside him and rested my elbows on the edge of the railing, clasping my hands. A gentle warm breeze blew my hair back, and then tossed it around in all directions. A few threads stuck to my lips, but I didn't dare fix it.
"I'm sorry Wyatt," I said quietly. "You're absolutely right. It is dangerous now, especially since we don't know what those werewolves are up to. I promise if I have to go into the woods I will bring someone with me."
I stared at my hands. I had begun feeling rather guilty now for acting that way. After all, he was only trying to think of me and Liz's safety…and here I went acting like some spoiled child. I heard him exhale loudly before he stepped closer and stood sideways, so that his ribs were pressing against the railing. I finally raised my eyes to his.
"Emma," he said quietly. "I'm just worried about you and Liz. I love you both very much and I'd die if anything should happen to one of you."
He had a pained expression on his face mixed with pure guilt. "If something did, I would blame myself for not protecting you both,"
I smiled and stepped closer, slinking my arms around his midsection, pulling him tightly against me. His arms encircled me as well as we leaned into one another's embrace. He rested his chin on top of my head.
"Wyatt," I said quietly, my voice slightly muffled by his shirt. "You aren't super-man. You're a human being."
"I'm a Tin Man. They're supposed to protect those they are sworn to," he answered firmly. "And I'm sworn to protect you and Liz no matter what,"
His embrace tightened around me more. I kept my chin rested on his shoulder as a warm smile formed on my face. I was about to answer him on saying that if anything happened to him I'd fall to pieces but then it would just get too complicated and the 'argument' would never end so I fell silent and just enjoying is embrace. He was slightly taller than me so I had to stand on my tippy toes a bit. I felt him press his face into my neck before releasing me. He gave me a kiss before I heard footsteps running in the hall coming toward us. Cain and I released one another and spied Liz running full speed. Grinning, Cain scooped her up into his arms and held her tightly. Liz hugged him back just as tightly. DG came walking up the hall and leaned against the balcony doors door frame.
"She wanted to be with you guys," DG grinned but then her grin faded. "Everything's okay?"
We nodded reassuringly. DG looked relieved.
"That's good cause we have a bit of a situation," she said looking grave. Cain gently set down Liz but Liz stayed close to our thighs, hugging Cain's leg. He looked down and grinned before returning his eyes onto DG. Immediately, a serious look came over him.
"What is it?" he demanded automatically.
"Raw is having a panic attack," she responded. Immediately, we rushed after her.
