The Hawk And The Wolf

by GunBunnyCentral

When young thief Claudia Donovan - better known to the world at large as Joshua Donovan the Mouse - makes an unprecedented escape from the dungeons of Aquila, she unwittingly becomes the key player in a looming battle of good versus evil. With justice and true love at stake, can she step up to become the hero everyone else seems to think she is? (A Bering & Wells Ladyhawke fusion.)

13. Chapter Twelve

Helena swung herself stiffly down from Goliath's back as she watched Claudia climb to safety. She hadn't seen everything that had led up to her timely intervention, but she'd seen enough - the girl had fought valiantly to help Myka. Looking up sharply at the reminder, Helena searched the sky for some sign of the hawk, calling out to summon it. "Hoy!"

Ominous silence greeted her in return, broken only by the whistling of the wind among the mountain ridges. There was a note of desperation in her voice as she called out again, a little louder and more stridently. "HOY!"

Helena's voice echoed across the hills as her cry rolled over them, finally fading to nothingness. There was still no sign of the hawk - of Myka - which could mean any number of things, very few of them good. Helena, already starting to feel sick with worry and fear, stared at the ground for a moment to compose herself before turning to climb back up onto Goliath.

Just as Helena reached for Goliath's mane, an angry, annoyed, but extremely familiar shriek filled the air. Her head snapped up just in time to see the hawk start spiraling down to her, still-healing wings moving a bit stiffly. The bird landed heavily on its mistress' gauntlet, making Helena wince as it pulled at her own injuries, but the pain instantly faded as the bird ruffled its wings in happy recognition.

Helena stroked its head gently for a moment before carefully moving one wing so that she get a clear view of its wound. She couldn't help murmuring as she did so, the words and tone as soothing to her as to the bird. "Shh... be still now. Let me see."

The bird, of course, was having none of it. Very much back to its old self already, it rewarded its mistress' attentions by nipping at her sharply. Helena pulled her hand away, mouth twitching with a rueful grin even as she laughed. "So that's the way you greet me, is it then, darling?"

Goliath whickered as if amused, but stood obediently still as Helena climbed slowly and somewhat clumsily back onto the saddle - her wounds had healed rapidly, just like Myka's, but she was far from completely recovered. Helena had known that the injuries weren't fatal even as she'd sustained them, though, and the physical pain hadn't been anywhere near the worst of it. Now that the hawk - now that Myka - was back on her arm, the only truly unbearable pain she'd ever felt was rapidly fading.

Helena frowned a little as she saw Weisfelt moving for the abbey gates, but rode on toward the ruins anyway. She'd stayed away as much from fear of her anger as she had from pain and weakness - she didn't trust herself not to lash out at the Rabbi, and couldn't risk it when Myka needed him so desperately. Still, he, Claudia, Pete, and - strangely enough - Father Stephen had at least thought to call out to her every morning, letting her know that Myka continued to recover and was out of any mortal danger.

The isolation had also given her plenty of time to ponder Claudia's role in her ambush - the obvious answer was that Claudia had betrayed her to gain leniency from the Bishop's Guard, though it hardly seemed like the defiant girl she'd come to know. It didn't matter anymore, anyway, Helena had decided - whatever mistakes Claudia might have made were more than made up for by her part in saving Myka's life twice over now.

Helena rode through the abbey gates and up the hill, head high and face carefully blank. Weisfelt watched her stop at the abbey entrance proper, then raced over to her without fear or hesitation - if anything, the old man seemed pleased to see her at his doorstep, even armed and angry.

She couldn't quite keep that anger from her eyes or face as she stared down at the man whose arrogance had caused so much suffering, to herself and to those she loved. Her fists clenched involuntarily on the reins - Goliath was too well-trained to respond without further instructions, but Weisfelt saw the movement of her hands and decided not to move any closer. The holy man and the soldier stared at each other in silence, face to face for the first time in two unbearably long years.

"I thought you might be dead by now, old man," Helena said finally, forcing her jaw to unclench. "There were times I vowed to kill you myself."

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, forcing herself back to some semblance of calmness, and the gratitude in her eyes when she reopened them was completely genuine. "Thank you for saving her life."

Weisfelt nodded then looked away, unable to hold her gaze for long. "Vengeance is for God to mete out, not us mere mortals."

"I am not God, old man," Helena retorted sharply. "Do not think that I have forgiven - or forgotten."

Before Weisfelt could respond, Steve came riding up from the hills, Pete in dog form fast at his heels. "Helena? Oh thank the Lord..."

Pete the dog echoed the priest's sentiment, barking happily as he rushed up to her, tail wagging. Claudia added to the noise by rushing out from inside the abbey, and Helena dismounted before all the noise and fuss accidentally spooked Goliath - he was smart and well-behaved, but he was just as stressed as the rest of them.

Claudia didn't even wait to catch her breath - or for Helena's feet to hit the ground - before she rounded on Weisfelt. "Tell her. If you want to make this right, tell her."

All eyes flew to the old Rabbi, including Helena's. "Tell me what?"

Weisfelt shifted uncomfortably, looking down at his feet as he gathered his thoughts. Then he looked up, meeting Helena's angry gaze dead-on. "I may have found a way to break the curse."

Helena stiffened as if she'd been struck. The world faded away, lost to the red haze filling her vision and the thundering of her pulse in her ears. Finally, she recovered her voice. "If you're tormenting me with false hope..."

It was Steve who spoke first, knowing his words would hold the most weight with Helena. "It's true, Helena. I don't understand it all, but I understand enough to think you should hear him out."

Helena nodded, grudgingly, and Artie began to explain what he'd discovered. "In three days, the Bishop will start taking the confession of the local clergy, just like every year. If you and Myka can confront him together - both of you, in your human forms - the curse will be broken. You'll be free, and - if there's any justice in this world - the dark powers the Bishop made his pact with will come take him away."

Helena searched Weisfelt's eyes for any sign of deception or doubt, but could find none. Conventional wisdom held that curses were imperfect by their very nature - there was always some way to defeat them, so that an innocent caught by one could break themselves free. Not, of course, that the flaw was ever obvious, or easy to exploit.

"It's not possible," Helena said finally, though it was clear that she wanted to believe it was. "Facing the Bishop together, as woman and woman?"

Still, she'd once assumed that escaping the dungeons of Aquila was impossible. Her eyes darted involuntarily to Claudia, who stood staring at her with imploring eyes filled with hope and faith - the child was nothing if not a completely contradictory mixture of many things Helena had once considered to be impossible, if she'd ever even thought about them at all.

Artie agreed with Helena's initial opinion, but knew she wasn't seeing the whole picture. "Of course it's impossible, as long as there's just night and day - that's the whole point of the curse. In three days - while all the clergy are gathered in Aquila - there will be a moment when it's neither night nor day. A night without a day, and a day without a night, if you want to be overly dramatic about it."

Helena just stared at the rabbi, searching for any sign of a joke or a jest. The old man was completely serious, though, which could only mean he'd finally gone mad. The tiny precious kernel of hope that had begin to bloom withered and died instantly, leaving only a numbing coldness that reflected in her eyes. "You've lost your mind, old man. God hasn't forgiven you - He's just cursed you so that you can suffer like the rest of us."

Artie had expected doubt and resistance, had been prepared for it - what he hadn't prepared himself for was the utter lack of hope in Helena's voice and eyes. She'd been full of light and life once, and his pride had stolen them from her. He opened his mouth to argue with her, to make her see reason, but decided that this was just not the moment. Turning away with a shake of his head, he walked slowly back into the abbey, praying that God would allow him just one more chance to convince Helena de Navarre of the truth.

Steve looked between Artie and Helena for a moment, before giving Helena an unexpected hug that she couldn't help but return. "I need to talk to you, Helena. Please don't leave until I come back."

Claudia watched Helena nod her agreement, but knew she had no intention of listening to anyone siding with Arthur Weisfelt, no matter how trusted a friend. As soon as Steve was out of earshot, she turned to Helena. "Isn't it a sin to lie to your priest?"

Helena's answering smile was tight and humorless. "After all the other sins I've been forced to commit, no one will even notice."

With that, Helena shook off her melancholy and somehow managed a much more genuine smile. There was nothing but gratitude visible as she held out her hand to Claudia. "I am in your debt, Claudia. I will not forget what you've done for all of us."

Claudia, suddenly bashful, grinned shyly and awkwardly shook Helena's hand. She forced the bashfulness away, though, trying to help Weisfelt's cause with a few well-chosen words. "Me? I'm just happy I *could* help. Myka - my lady de Anjou - she asked me to give you a message, though."

She chose her next words very carefully, hoping that Helena's sudden and complete, if wary, attention would let her plant the right seeds in her friend's mind. "She said to say that she loves you, and that she misses you. She also said not to give up hope, that she knows you can break the curse if you just keep the faith."

Helena's eyes bored into her, searching for any sign that she was being manipulated or deceived. Claudia held her ground, though, meeting the other woman's eyes squarely and letting her genuine hope that Weisfelt had found a way out for them add weight and believability to her words - she hated lying to Helena, but *someone* had to try and keep her from throwing away the only real chance they'd found to break the curse.

Helena looked away, hiding her disquiet by staring again at the hawk. The hawk, seeming to enjoy the attention, preened a little before making a noise that sounded almost like a greeting. Finally, Helena turned back to face Claudia, suddenly painfully aware of how young and small the child really was. "You're free to go - I had no right to keep you in the first place. You've done more than I ever could have expected."

Claudia didn't move a single step, though. "Thanks."

The child stood there as if still awaiting orders, and Helena began to feel increasingly awkward. "If you're careful for the next few days, you'll be free of the Bishop's Guard - once I return to Aquila, they'll forget all about your escape."

Claudia just nodded, red hair bright in the morning sun. "So you and Ladyhawke are going back to Aquila?"

"Ladyhawke..." The unexpected nickname caught Helena by surprise, and she smiled for just a heartbeat or two as she glanced over to the hawk. The smile faded away as she considered Claudia's question. "Yes, we'll be returning to Aquila. One way or another, it's time to end this."

Claudia wanted to shake some sense into her - or maybe just scream at her that Artie was offering her a way out that cost nothing to try - but she forced herself to stay calm. "Let me at least help you get back into Aquila - it should be easy enough for me to get back out in all the confusion."

Helena knew exactly what Claudia was up to, but couldn't hold it against the girl. "And maybe in the meantime you can convince me that the old man isn't simply mad?"

Claudia grinned even as she shrugged noncommittally. "If he's right, maybe I can spot what's happening. He told me what to look for."

Helena just rolled her eyes. "Very well. You might want to get your own horse this time - the guards' horses are still milling around out there, and I'm sure one of them will suit you. And when we get to Aquila, you get us in and then you get yourself to safety - is that understood?"

"Of course," Claudia replied, still grinning. "Trust me - I want to live just as much as I want to help. Is it okay if I take a couple minutes to go say goodbye?"

Helena nodded her assent. "Tell Stephen that I'm sorry. I just... can't. Not today."

An hour later, they were well underway. Helena had managed to capture one of the now riderless horses for Claudia, who suddenly found that she was no longer afraid of the animals - in fact, she and her new mount got along quite well from the instant they laid eyes on each other.

It made Claudia rather proud, actually, and buoyed her confidence. If she - Claudia the Brave, sometime squire to Helena de Navarre and sometime defender of Myka de Anjou - could learn to ride a horse, and ride well, then she could do just about anything.

Including, she hoped, convincing Helena to test Artie's theory instead of blindly committing suicide by attacking the Bishop - which was exactly what she'd told Artie and Steve, when they'd all agreed that the two men would follow a short distance behind. That way, they could be there to help when Helena finally came to her senses.

The main road to Aquila was too well-guarded for them to use now, so they stuck to the foothills, taking a winding, circuitous path that Helena swore would lead them to a less-guarded side gate to the city. There was plenty of time for Claudia to elaborate on Artie's theory as they traveled, though she made sure not to test Helena's patience too much.

Claudia was actually fairly hopeful that she'd succeed in convincing Helena - the older woman was tired and a bit grumpy, but receptive enough to Claudia's words. She didn't forbid Claudia from explaining everything Artie had seen that gave him such faith in his plan, and she was surprisingly willing to answer Claudia's questions about growing up with Myka, Pete, and her brother Charles.

They finally stopped to rest at midday. Claudia was completely exhausted by then, having already adjusted to Pete and Myka's nocturnal schedule - Helena, injured as well as tired, was fast asleep before Claudia had even finished tending to Goliath and her own new mount, a surprisingly docile gray she'd already dubbed Mouse.

Claudia, despite being the last to fall asleep, was still the first awake. By the time Helena woke not long after, she already had a fire going and was working on putting a small meal together - Helena actually praised her for her initiative, a far cry from the original tenor of their relationship. (Helena, for her part, did not overlook how surprised the young thief was at receiving said praise, and quietly resolved to be kinder to the poor girl.)

A storm had been moving in from the west even before they'd stopped - Claudia had noted how much darker and thicker the clouds seemed as she'd waited for Helena to wake. As they mounted up and started back on their path through the hills, those clouds were joined by loud, rolling thunder, and Claudia stuck her hand out to catch a few stray raindrops. "This is going to be a bad one, Captain. We're going to get soaked."

Helena, lost in her own dark thoughts, was jerked back to the present by the use of her former rank and title. Claudia, who'd meant to tease a little while showing her respect, just grinned until the other woman rolled her eyes and gave a tiny smile in return. Another boom of thunder cut the exchange short, though, as Helena scanned the darkening skies. "You're right. The storm is almost here and the sun is going down. You need to find shelter."

"It's sunset already?" Claudia scanned the same uniformly gray skies and couldn't make heads or tails of the time of day. "How can you even tell?"

Helena called a halt, then swung down off of Goliath. She handed her sword - and Goliath's reins - to Claudia. "After two years, how could I not?"

Helena whistled to call the dog - to call Pete - who'd wandered off as they rode, then raised an arm to summon the hawk. This time, the hawk came just as soon as she was called, settling happily on her mistress' arm. The dog arrived not long after, barking and scampering as if already enjoying the impending storm.

Turning to Claudia, she transferred the hawk to the girl's outstretched arm and ordered the dog to stay with its friends. Her next words were spoken in the same tone that she'd used with the soldiers under her charge, though Claudia couldn't really understand the gesture of respect without being told as much. "Protect them both, Claudia."

With that, Helena turned and began to head for the woods, limping a little as the hours of riding aggravated her injuries. The dog sat whining as it watched its mistress, voicing Claudia's unhappiness as much as his own, then ran after Helena when she stumbled ever so slightly.

Claudia didn't even try to call him back. The dog wouldn't listen to her any more than the human Pete would have, and Pete and Helena as a dog and a wolf were better suited to last out this storm than she herself was. The thunder was starting to spook the horses and the hawk, and she needed to find shelter for them all as quickly as possible.

Still, she couldn't help but watch for another moment as her two friends made their towards the trees. What was it like, she wondered, to roam those woods as a wild animal living on instinct alone, all memories of a human life temporarily forgotten? Then again, Pete and Myka and Helena still recognized each other even in their cursed forms, so maybe some part of their memories lingered still...

Sensing Claudia's scrutiny, Helena turned to look back. The hawk called out in greeting as Claudia waved, raising the sword in a salute filled with confidence she really didn't feel. It was enough, though, as the dog barked happily in acknowledgment and Helena returned Claudia's salute with a brief smile.

A very loud, very close boom of thunder marked an equally close lightning strike, and Claudia involuntarily turned toward the noise and brightness. None of the immediately visible trees had been hit, though, so she turned back - by then, however, Helena and her canine protector had already disappeared from sight.

The cold raindrops finally turned to cold rain as Claudia began to ride on. She hadn't ridden very far at all when she came upon a group of villagers hurrying down the road - they were all dressed in their festival best, laughing and chattering, and were all too happy to tell Claudia about the wedding feast they were headed to.

Claudia followed them to their destination - a small nearby inn - and gratefully took shelter in its large, if somewhat rundown, barn as the storm hit in earnest. The hawk, not liking the storm at all, flew up into the rafters the second they got inside, perching up under the roof even as she shook her damp feathers out.

Mouse and Goliath, at least, were more or less content once they were out the rain. Neither objected as she removed their saddles and dried them off as best she could - they certainly didn't object as she gave them each some hay to nibble on. Claudia wouldn't have blamed them if they'd continued being nervous and restless, of course, but wasn't going to argue with them making life a little easier on her.

She stood watching the storm for another moment or two - it was definitely impressive enough, lots of thunder and lightning as the rain came pouring down in sheets outside. The leaky barn roof was in desperate need of repair, but it was still dryer and warmer inside the barn than out of it, so Claudia found the driest spot she could and settled in to rest for a bit, Helena's sword tucked carefully beside her. Muscles she hadn't really known she'd had were already protesting the last several hours spent in the saddle, but she took a strange pride in the feeling.

The hawk decided to join her after a moment, swooping down to land on a nearby stall. The poor thing was probably hungry, but Claudia figured it could feed itself. "I'm pretty sure there are some mice or lizards or something you can eat. Just keep away from any cats."

Claudia, still cold and wet, just shrugged and rolled her eyes as the hawk failed to even acknowledge her existence. "Serves me right for getting mixed up in all this. You know I'm not one to question You pointlessly, Lord, but what were You thinking?!"

The hawk began ruffling its feathers as if agitated, and Claudia almost thought for a second that it was somehow insulted by her conversation with God. Then it began moving and shifting restlessly, gold eyes scanning the ceiling, and Claudia finally understood. Sunset had arrived.

Claudia jumped to her feet, suddenly flooded with an anxiety and restlessness of her own. Helena had charged her with protecting the hawk - but the hawk was about to turn back into Myka, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do. She'd never even truly been alone with Myka before - there had always been someone else nearby, even if they were in another room.

She didn't even know if Myka would be clothed or not once she'd changed. The thought made her face redden for some reason, and she glanced toward the barn door. "So I'll just wait outside or something. You do... whatever it is you do."

The overhang on the roof of the barn wasn't enough to keep off the rain and wind as Claudia stood there waiting, though, and she was soaked through in short order. Shivering, she glanced over toward the inn, just in time to see a cart decked with wedding garlands pull up - the newlyweds, laughing, hopped out and raced for the inn, as did the guests riding with them.

Light poured out of the inn's door and out into its yard, seeming almost as warm and sweet and unobtainable as honey to Claudia, who stood there watching in the cold and wet. There was a burst of cheers, greetings, and laughter as everyone piled into the inn's common room, joining those who had already arrived. There was also sweet, lilting music - someone inside was very skilled with a lute - and Claudia couldn't help smiling a little.

Eyes turning back to the cart, she was struck with sudden inspiration - it was wrong to steal from newlyweds on their wedding day, of course, but God would understand. Taking a deep breath, she raced out to the cart, which was still laden with gifts - and conveniently covered to keep those gifts dry. After a moment or two of searching, Claudia's quick, clever hands found a reasonably pretty dress of blue homespun as well as a plain linen shirt and simple rust-colored jerkin.

Darting back to the barn, she found that Myka hadn't changed back yet - the hawk, still there, just stared at her curiously. Grinning, Claudia laid out the gown, feeling both a little silly and strangely proud of her quick thinking. "I can't vouch for the fit, but this should work. Give me a minute, and I'll go back outside."

Helena trudged through the rapidly darkening trees, caught in the same cold, pouring rain that Claudia and her charges had just escaped. Without even consciously choosing to do so, she and Pete, in his canine form, were following roughly the same path that the others had taken - even if they'd wanted to, they couldn't have resisted the compulsion that drove them to stay near Myka, in whatever form she currently inhabited.

The impending change began to announce itself, for both of them. In Helena, as a human, it manifested as itchy skin and burning, twitching muscles, accompanied by sharpening senses and the ascendance of her more feral instincts. She'd never been able to ask Pete or Myka what it was like for them, but Pete the dog's various whines and growls indicated that it was probably just as uncomfortable for him as it was for her.

The nightly ritual was so deeply ingrained after two years that Helena was barely even conscious of it anymore. The first and most important part was to get her human clothing removed and safely stowed before it got damaged in the change or abandoned by her wolf self. Tonight, as well, Pete would need them to cover himself until he could retrieve his own clothes - the fit would be terrible, but it would have to do.

And tonight, at least, those were the only worries on her mind. For once, Myka would not be left unprotected in a strange place until Pete recovered his wits and found her - they had a friend and ally now who would look after her, unlikely a fit for the role as Claudia might be. Helena couldn't help a tiny smile - more just an involuntary twitch of her lips - as she recalled Claudia's earlier attempt at a brave, confident salute simply to reassure her.

A warning blared by her animal senses told her suddenly that she was not alone amongst the trees, and Helena stopped to look around for the threat even as she searched for a suitable place to transform. She was close to a path, so it was probably just a traveler, but the wariness was ingrained.

Sometimes, it was also entirely appropriate. Even through the wind and rain, she could hear two horses approaching - there was only one rider, though, and he smelled strangely like a wolf. Combined with the scent of blood and death he also carried, the man could only be one thing - a hunter.

Cursing the timing of it all - at no other time would she be both so vulnerable and so desirable a target to a random passerby - she decided that the clearing where she currently stood would have to do. She'd have to be quick about it, too, if she wanted to be safely on her way before the hunter spotted her. Pete, fortunately, had an animal's instincts for these things in his current form, and had already tucked himself away somewhere nearby.

Helena had just enough time to strip down and stash her clothes someplace safe before the curse caught her. If the actual transformation hurt, she could never recall it afterward - one moment she was just there, naked as the day she was born, the next she was a wolf again, with no memory of being human as she darted off wherever instinct took her.

The wolf hunter - still working day and night to find the Bishop's prized black wolf - arrived just in time to see something bound off into the trees. When he shivered as if crossing something unnatural, he told himself it was just the chill of the storm.

Claudia had paused just long enough to change into the dry shirt and jerkin before heading back outside to give Myka some privacy - fortunately, the rain had slackened to the point where the barn's overhang actually provided the young thief some protection from the storm. She was even warm and dry enough to hum along happily with the music coming from the inn, as it switched to a familiar tune.

After a few minutes, though, she began to get a little restless. The barn was totally quiet - not even the horses were making any noise that she could hear - and it had to be well past sunset by now. Feeling strangely anxious, she called out to Myka. "Milady? Myka? I'm coming back in now, just so you know!"

There was no sign of the hawk, or of Myka, as Claudia walked back into the barn, but it was dark enough that she could barely even make out the horses in their stalls - their snorting and shuffling were clearly audible now, though. She scanned the shadows again as her eyes adjusted, but still couldn't see anything. "Milady?"

Something closed around Claudia's arm, and she bit back a yelp as she jumped and spun to face whatever it was. 'It' was Myka, human again and clad in the gown Claudia had stolen for her - she'd grabbed Claudia's arm to get her attention, though there was a mischievous glint in her eyes that said she'd known it would startle her friend. After a moment, she spread the skirt of the dress out a little and smiled to indicate her gratitude.

Claudia, swallowing her embarrassment now that all was well, grinned back. "Claudia the Brave, right?'

Myka smiled again and even laughed a little - the combination seeming somehow to light up the whole barn - before turning to greet Goliath and introduce herself to Mouse. Once she was satisfied that both horses were comfortably settled - and had shared another laugh over Mouse's name - she turned to gaze out into the storm. "Where's Pete? And... how is Helena?"

Claudia took a moment to choose her words carefully - she'd long since worked out that convincing Myka of Artie's plan was the better part of convincing Helena and even Pete. "Pete's with Helena - he ran off after her and wouldn't come back. Helena's fine, almost healed. She told me to say that she loves you, and she misses you."

Myka had never been an easy one to fool - she could tell right away that Claudia was hedging. "Helena's taking us back to Aquila. Isn't she?"

"Yes," Claudia admitted, biting her lip as she watched sadness shadow Myka's gaze. Acting on instinct, as always, she decided that keeping Myka's spirits up was crucial to gaining her agreement. Forcing a bright smile, she somehow managed to conjure up an equally bright tone. "Tonight, though, I'm supposed to make sure you rest and relax. Helena said that I should tell you to consider me her proxy, and to follow my instructions as her own."

Helena had said no such thing, and they both knew it. Still, it was a credible imitation of Helena, and Myka let it stand - though her smile made it clear that she'd probably never obeyed Helena a day in her life. "Fair enough. What do you instruct?"

Claudia needed a break as much as the rest of her strange new friends, and new exactly what would make both herself and Myka feel much better. "There's a party going on at the inn. We're going to sit by a warm fire, drink some wine, and maybe even dance a little."

"Dance?" Myka's tone made the word seem somehow unfamiliar to her - or perhaps merely an imaginary concept.

That completely sealed the deal for Claudia. "Why not? It'll be fun."

The thief watched Myka peer out across the yard, taking in the light and music spilling out into it. The conflicting emotions filling Myka's face were almost painful to see - she looked for all the world like a prisoner who'd been isolated for so long that things like companionship and music and dancing no longer even seemed real.

The musicians changed song - one that Claudia recognized, and one she knew the steps for - and she impulsively bowed at Myka. "I know this one - I can probably even lead. Shall we practice?"

Myka hesitated a moment, uncertain, before smiling again. She took Claudia's offered hand and curtsied. Claudia actually managed to get the two of them coordinated after a rather clumsy start - Myka apparently knew the dance too, and they quickly fell into sync as they wove through the steps together.

Myka moved gingerly at first, as if unsure of her feet, but she'd spent her entire life dancing and it didn't take long for her to remember it. She grew more confident with each repetition of the steps, until she was flying through them with Claudia - her cheeks grew rosy from the exertion, her face filled with more color than Claudia had ever known it to have, and she even clapped and laughed as the song, and the dance, came to an end.

Claudia couldn't help smiling herself as Myka's laughter rang in her ears, more beautiful in that moment than any song she could name. It was the first time since they'd met - was it only mere days ago? - that Claudia had heard Myka laugh, truly laugh. Judging by Myka's stunned expression, she'd been just as surprised to hear it as Claudia had.

Myka's hands tightened over Claudia's, those unusual moss-green eyes seeming, in Claudia's mind, to shine like some sort of jewel as they filled with emotion. Claudia knew Myka had to have spent her life dancing at manors and palaces, dressed in the finest silks - something in Myka's expression, though, said that none of that would ever mean as much to her as that one song danced in a rundown barn, while wearing stolen blue homespun.

Claudia let go of Myka's hands, turning away as her heart filled with some emotion she couldn't name and didn't understand. All she knew for certain was that it wasn't for her to feel... well, whatever it was - only Helena had the right to that. Forcing herself into motion to cover her awkwardness, Claudia went to retrieve Helena's sword from where she'd left it.

After a moment or two, she dared to glance over at Myka again. Those green eyes were now filled with something sisterly, or perhaps maternal - Claudia had little enough experience with either - as Myka smiled at her. "So you're to be my protector, too, are you?"

Claudia grinned back as she carefully wrapped the sword in burlap to protect it from both the elements and prying eyes. "If I have to be. The truth is, though, Helena will kill me if anything happens to her sword."

After double-checking that there was nothing else they needed to take with them - the few personal possessions in the old, worn saddlebags would be of interest to no one - Myka grabbed a blanket and draped it over them both. Eyes alight in anticipation of music, food, and wine, they raced through the barn door and toward the inn.

Later, Claudia would curse herself for not being more vigilant. As it was, neither of them saw the horse materialize out of the darkness - they both ran smack into it, then staggered back in surprise. Claudia heard Myka gasp, and looked up herself - her lungs emptied of air at the sight that greeted her.

The horse's rider sat glaring down at them both in annoyance - a huge, terrifying bear of a man whose face showed no trace of human warmth or pity. There was still blood on that face, actually, despite the rain - whatever he'd been doing, it hadn't been friendly or pleasant. His voice, when he finally spoke, was really more of a low growl. "Watch where you're going, boy."

'Of course, sir," Claudia replied, not even questioning the reprieve. "It won't happen again."

She reached out to grab Myka's elbow, hoping to urge her on, but the woman stood frozen in horror as she stared past the man and his horse. Claudia turned to see what had captured her attention, and very quickly wished she hadn't - the man was a hunter, apparently, and his pack horse was piled high with fresh wolf pelts.

Myka remained frozen and silent until her eyes fell on one inky pelt. Paralysis gave way to screaming before Claudia could intervene, and nothing Claudia did stopped that awful, awful sound. Finally, Claudia turned Myka away from the ghastly sight, pulling her close in a way she wouldn't have dared under any other circumstances. "It's okay, Myka. Shh..."

A sudden interest filled the hunter's dark eyes at the name, and he favored them both with a horrible grin. "Myka, is it? Unusual name for a lady, that."

Claudia had the sword uncovered and in front of her before the man could say anything more. It took everything she had, but she raised it and held it steady, pointing right at the man's face. "Say one more word to her and they'll be picking pieces of you out of the mud. Ride on."

The hunter, unimpressed, just grinned. That amusement faded, just a little, when he reached out a hand to Claudia and almost got it sliced open for his trouble. "Easy, little man. I mean your lady no harm."

"Good," Claudia shot back, trying to maintain her bluff. "Ride on, and no one will get hurt."

The hunter rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath - probably not repeatable in polite company - but ordered his horses into motion. Claudia helped them along by smacking the lead horse firmly in the rump with the flat of the blade. She took care not to hurt the beast, but it understood her point anyway and moved a little faster as it carried its rider off into the night.

"Well, I guess we showed him!" Claudia, flush with triumph, lowered the sword and turned to look at Myka. The words died unvoiced as realized that her charge was no longer standing there - a moment later, noise started coming from the barn.

Before Claudia could rush in to see what was going on, Myka burst out of the barn atop Goliath. She hadn't even saddled him, but that didn't seem to phase her at all - she just dug her heels in and raced right past Claudia, urging the charger on all the while. Claudia just barely managed to avoid being trampled - there was absolutely nothing she could do in that moment to actually stop Myka.

Peeling herself away from the barn wall, Claudia stared despairingly out into the darkness. "Helena's going to kill me..."