Cearbhail: Yes, I have finally posted something new. I knew what I wanted to do for this chapter for almost a month now, but I haven't had the time to sit down to it. But, it's up now. Next chapter should be interesting because I introduce a new character. I'm sure you'll figure it out shortly. Anyway, enjoy.

[King John]

"Your Highness, Duke Wolfe is requesting an audience with you."

I thought it was just a dream, but when I opened my eyes, a guard was waiting by my bedroom door. I glanced around the room, hoping to see that it was morning. However, it was quite the opposite. I didn't see the sun at all. Great…a late night request from Duke Wolfe. I couldn't think of anything else I'd rather want to do than to listen to him whine.

I pushed myself out of my silk sheets and brushed off my nightgown. I grabbed my royal night robes, tied them off, grabbed my crown, and followed the armed guard to the royal courtyard. I'd been woken up in such conditions before, and it usually meant something bad had happened. I didn't like it when bad things happened. That meant I had to do something. I'd warn Wolfe to never summon me, whether day or night. I warned him that if he did it again, I'd have his head. This had better damn well be worth it.

The guard stepped out of my way as we entered the courtyard. I brushed past him, nodding to him. He took up a position behind me. Several other guards strolled around the courtyard with their crossbows at the ready. The night shift was unusually active tonight. Then I heard the bell towers clanging off in the distance. I could see billows of smoke in the night sky, as well as the bright plumes of fire reaching up into the sky. What had happened in the past two hours?

The answer lied with Duke Wolfe, and I knew it did. He waited patiently for me, soaked from head-to-toe. He looked like he took a swim in the river. So, whatever had happened, Wolfe had to have been in the middle of it. I took a deep breath and proceeded to walk up to him, keeping my voice low and under control. The Sheriff of Nottingham stood beside him, guards lining up behind him. If he was here then it could not be good at all. As if the billows of smoke and fire were not enough indication of that.

"Duke Wolfe, you had better have a good reason for waking me up in the middle of the night." I spoke lightly enough to show my control but with the force of a king reproaching a peasant. Before Wolfe could respond, I looked over to Sheriff William Brewer. "Do you care to tell me why my city is up in flames?"

Sheriff Brewer bowed down to his knee. "Sorry, Milord! It seems that a warrior from the holy lands has infiltrated our city. He has laid waste to our town, our lighthouse, our barracks, and our harbor."

"A warrior from the holy land?" I echoed his choice of words. "What makes you think one of those sand crawlers is here in England?"

Duke Wolfe stepped forward. "I've seen him myself, Milord. He wears all white; some sort of dress with baggy pants. He has a giant hood that he keeps pulled over his head. He's dressed head-to-toe in weapons. And he fights like the demons they are known to serve."

That description might have been accurate. I've never seen one of them myself, but that sounded like something out of our fairytales. I turned to look at Brewer. "Have you seen him as well?"

"I have not, Milord, but I have plenty of knights that have seen two of them: one man and one girl." He responded. "The girl was reported leaving the ship that crashed into the docks."

"What?" I held my voice back so much that it barely broke out as a whisper. "A ship crashed on the docks?" I looked back at Wolfe, seeing him still dripping onto the floor. "What happened to you? Why are you soaked?"

"I was on my way to Paris with my shipment of slaves. That girl in white was one of the heretics from the Holy Land. We didn't think much about her; she was unarmed and dressed in simple white robes. But when we tried to restrain her, she moved so quickly that my men didn't stand a chance. She killed all of them and freed my shipment of slaves. Then they blew up my cannon powder. The ship started sinking and the slaves started fighting back. I jumped ship and watched as they sailed my ship right into the harbor, drowning half the town in water before destroying half the harbor with the ship."

How could simple slaves do so much damage with a sinking ship? "Exactly who were your slaves?"

"Heretics, Milord. Non-believers of the church. Witches." He responded. That's when it all came into place in my mind.

That was right; Duke Wolfe was transporting the vile witches from this town and giving them to France. Well, the ones I didn't keep locked up in the dungeon. I kept them around because they were useful when I need something done. However, this was a troubling development. If the witches revolted once, it could mean that they were getting ready to begin fighting back. I could not have that. Too many of them were too powerful to let them run around as they wished. "You're saying that a handful of witches sank our ships and destroyed our harbor?"

Duke Wolfe nodded. "I am saying that indeed, Milord."

I turned to Sheriff Brewer. "I want your men to seize and kill all known witches. Clean this town out once and for all." As he started to turn to go, I grabbed his shoulder. "But before you go; what else has happened to my city?"

He turned back to face me. "According to the reports: the bandits from the forest have blown up our iron mine outside of town; and the white warrior killed several of our guards as well as an innocent wagon puller. We believe this warrior is working with the bandits, who we also believe is responsible for the release of our prisoners aboard Duke Wolfe's ship."

So much had happened in one night. We could not let this go without some sort of response. I had to do something to make sure that everyone knew not to screw around with my town. If those witches destroyed my harbor, I would destroy them. If those bandits blew up my iron mine, I would crush them with all my might. If there was a warrior from the sand lands in my town, I would send him back home in a box. "Sheriff, we have some witches to hunt."

"Right away, Milord. … I don't know where they hide." Sheriff Brewer looked worried for a second. He feared what I might do to him if he failed me. He should be afraid, but his concern was noted.

"I have a few of their members in my dungeons. Let's pay them a visit and see if we can get a few answers from them." A smile formed on my lips. I had a few new toys I wanted to test out. Today was getting better already. "Do you know how to pull fingernails out?"

…

[Malik Ishtar]

I looked around the camp. It did not look like we forgot anyone. Everyone that I personally knew was huddled around the campfire; the coven members were warming up by the fire. Locksley and his men were celebrating several victories against the King's forces. And then there was my sister, who for whatever reason, was here in England. And she was standing right in front of me, preparing to tell me why she was here.

"So, tell me, Laila…why are you up here? Why aren't you in Assassin school with the other initiates?"

Laila gave me a toothy smile, one she used on Father all the time when she wanted to get away with something, and rubbed the back of her head in both embarrassment and contemplative hesitation. I knew she was just stalling before she told me what I already knew. "I…missed you?"

"You told me that, already. Why didn't Father stop you?"

She rolled her eyes and shrugged. "He doesn't own me."

"He kinda does." I replied back. "Last I checked, you were being arranged to marry Yaliab. What happened to that?"

She shrugged. "He may have tried to kiss me, and I may have burnt his house to the ground and burnt his face off with melting cheese. It's hard to say, really." She shrugged again, this time shaking her head. "but I think the wedding is off."

This time, I was the one shaking my head, face-palming lightly as I rubbed my temples. This girl was lucky to be alive. If any other girl did what she did, they'd have been punished for it. Heck, she still might if she returned. As I looked her in the eye, I don't know if I had it in me to send her back. If she returned, she'd be punished (probably killed) for what she did. If I let her stay, her punishment would only grow with each day passed. Sending her back might be a blessing or a death sentence. But, if she was here under my orders…that was a different story. As an Assassin, I could take on initiates to help me with my station if I was undermanned (which I was). So, this seemed like the best course of action.

I nodded to her and said, "Well, you can't return home. If you did, Dad would have to kill you. If you stay here, Dad will kill you. But…if I order you to stay and help, Dad can't touch you until you're dismissed. So…you're staying here under my orders."

Laila's face broke out into a massive smile. She flew into my chest, hugging me tightly. "Thank you, brother! I'll be good, I swear." Does that mean she'll only destroy half the city? I thought bitterly as she hugged me tight. As much as I loved my sister, she was a handful when she got angry. Maybe it was a good thing she was here with me after all. I can keep an eye on her. As long as nothing crazy happens that messes with my overall plan, we should be good.

I turned to face both Locksley and Little Red. I nodded to both of them. "I think we should lay low tonight and head back into Nottingham tomorrow. Well, just the four of us. Just to make sure we can get the others to their homes with little trouble."

Locksley nodded. "I hate to admit it, but we overdid it tonight. King John will not let this go so easily."

Little Red looked worried. "But…if he doesn't know who did it, who will he punish?"

Locksley snickered and shook his head. "If he doesn't know who did it…he'll punish the whole town. But…I'm guessing Wolfe got away…didn't he?"

Little Red nodded. "Yes, he did."

"Then King John knows the following facts: Wolfe transports slaves for profits. He also hates witches. A ship-full of profits and witches just destroyed half his harbor. If he's looking for someone to blame…he has a target already in mind." Locksley said while glancing between Little Red and myself. "I will bet that tonight, every witch in town will be targeted and killed. And…we're not there to save them."

Every Little in the ground all gasped at hearing Locksley say that. Little Red fell to her knees, her eyes tearing up. "No…" She whispered. Then she bolted up on her feet, sprinting past us. "I have to go warn them!" She took off through the woods. It barely gave us enough time to even process what she was about to do. Honestly, I should have seen it coming. Both the consequences and Little Red taking off on her own to save someone.

I sprinted to catch up to her, but she was quick on her feet. She kept going further and further away from me. I couldn't keep up, so I did the next best thing, I tried to keep pace with her. As she continued to fly through the forest ground, I continued to keep up behind her. I could do a lot of things to slow her down, but not without hurting her. But, hurting her would be a lot better option than her dying. I looked behind me to see Locksley and Laila tagging along behind me. I looked back up at Red to see her still sprinting forward, dodging trees and branches like they were nothing to her. I, on the other hand, seemed to take them all as awkwardly as someone who didn't grow up around them. So, I did the only thing I could. "Red! Stop running! You'll only die if you expose yourself!" She didn't respond to me, she just kept charging through the woods. "Ok, I get it. You have to save your coven. So, follow me! I'll make sure you get into the town undetected. And we'll save your friends!"

She didn't slow down, but she did scream back, "Ok, that's fine. Once we get near the edge of the forest, I'll stop for you. Until then, you better keep up or I'm leaving you behind."

…

[Bo-Peep]

The Assassin was long overdue. He should have been back by now. Of course, I heard all the commotion outside the walls of Little Red's house. I could feel the explosions, the emotions of the confused knights, the pain of all those on shore when the ship ran them over. I felt every single one of their lives blink out. I felt the pain they endured in their last seconds of life. To feel all that in the course of a few seconds between 20 or more people…it's soul tearing.

But there was nothing I could do. The least I could do was feel their pain as they were whisked away from this mortal plane. It is my fault they all suffered. I sent the Assassin to go free my children. I thought he could handle it, but I guess I am wrong. I thought he'd do as least amount of damage as possible. I saw his heart. He has a good heart. He cares for the people in his company, and for those who have normal lives. I believed he would do all in his power to keep those innocent bystanders alive. After sensing what I have sensed all night long, I do not feel that is the case. While he has a good heart and his intentions are noble, he has no control over his environment yet. He is the slave to his body and mind, not the master. And until he can master his environment, more will die. And I fear, it will start with me.

Jingleheimer must feel it too. He's been very silent the past few minutes. The way he clutches his cane close to him, the way he silently chews on the inside of his cheek. He knows what's about to happen. I cannot help but feel responsible for how this has turned out. And now, I must own to my mistakes. I'm sure the Assassin will own up to his, in his own time. I casted a glance to Jingleheimer. He glanced over to me, smiling sourly and nodding to me. He knows it is time.

So, I do the only thing I can do. I give them a chance. "Mary, Tommy, Jack, Jill, Muffet, and Lucy. I believe it is time for you to go."

My granddaughter looked up at me with curious eyes. "Grandmother?"

I started to push myself up on my feet. My knees creaked with the effort and I felt one of my joints snap. I hated being old. There were spells I could do to keep myself younger, but I never liked relying on mana for everything. Age catches us all, well…most of us. Mother Goose was eternal. She was a legend. She was the best of us. And I expected that she'd be here any day. Too bad, I don't think I'll be alive to see it.

Jingleheimer started to rise to his feet as well. "Hoods up, Littles. Tonight, there will be a severe thunderstorm. It will mask your escape."

"Our what?" Lucy cried out. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back up. What escape?"

That's when someone pounded on the door. "On the orders of his Majesty, open the door."

Jingleheimer sighed as he started walking towards the door. "That escape. There will be others out back. Wait for my signal and then run for it, out through the back door." He started to open the front door, pausing to look back at me. "Are you ready?"

I turned around and grabbed Mary by the shoulder. She looked up at me, confused and worried. "Grandma? What's going on?"

I smiled at her and hugged her close to me. "Run as fast as you can for the forest. Don't look back, don't slow down. Get your friends out of Nottingham." I pushed her away from me. "Go! Don't dawdle about."

Mary still looked confused but she rushed with the others to the back door. When Jingleheimer nodded, they opened the door and ran out. Just seconds before they charged out the door, a giant streak of lightning crashed into the backyard, both blinding and distracting the knights blocking the exit. I watched as my granddaughter and what remained of the Littles charged out into the darkness provided by the thunderstorm. The heavy rain and wind should keep the archers from taking them out. And their protection charms should keep them invisible from anyone looking for them.

I started to sit myself back down. Jingleheimer opened the door and it suddenly burst open. Knights dressed in heavy armor stormed into the house, from both the front door and the back door. They quickly and efficiently cleared the rooms, drawing crossbows on both Jingleheimer and myself. "You are hereby under arrest for witchcraft."

I smiled despite knowing how this would end. "Oh Humpty Dumpty…how history repeats." I looked over at Jingleheimer. "Should we show them what we can do?"

Jingleheimer started to sit down as well, taking off his glasses and cleaning them off. "No…I don't feel like starting a war." He looked over at me. "We've lived a good long life. Haven't we?"

My years were way behind me. My only reason for living was to make sure my coven had the proper instruction. They were in safe hands with the Assassin. And with Mother Goose coming by, they would receive proper instruction as well. I felt good about this. It was time to go. "Yes, we have had a good life." I nodded to the guards. "We'll go quietly."

…

[Malik Ishtar]

I don't know where this heavy rainstorm came from, but it was exactly what we needed to sneak back into the town. I didn't dare go through the massive hole I created by accident when I blew up the watchtower. That would have been an easy entrance, but I bet they had it supervised at all times. So, I took the alternative route. The ladder that Locksley showed me. It was on the opposite side of town and it was easy for Red to climb as well.

Once we were on top of the staircase, walking was across the rooftops was challenging but easier than running down the now flooding streets. Not flooding with water, but flooding with people. The sun was barely rising. What could bring everyone outside this early in the morning? I looked back at Red to see that she was still scared to death about being on a roof of a building, but she was even more scared of slipping on wet tiles. "Are people usually up this early?"

She slowly trudged up to me, slipping on the tiles every few steps. When she saw the giant collection of people clambering through the streets, she looked shocked. "It's pouring outside. No one would be out here unless it was the King demanded it." She turned to look at me. "Do you think…"

I nodded to her. "Let's go see what's happening."

So, we raced across the rooftops, well, slowly. I looked on ahead. The rain had let up a little and visibility was still pretty low. But that worked in our favor as well. If we approached silently and cautiously, we could easily approach whatever was going on and get out just as easily.

The river of people seemed to form into a giant semi-circle up ahead. I couldn't really see what was going on, but I could see ropes hanging off a giant pole. And three people were lined up. I activated my Sight, which allowed me to see what was going on. I could see the Coven Mother and the Coven Father standing side-by-side, their arms tied behind their backs. A man wearing a black mask over his face as starting to put ropes around their necks.

Oh no! They were going to be hanged. I charged forward, screaming, "Stay here!" I called to them. I pushed as fast as I could go, jumping from one roof to the next.

"For the crimes of 34 counts of murder. For the crimes of destroying Nottingham port, sinking of trading ships, the damage to the mines, and the destruction of the wall. We find your coven guilty as charged. Do you offer anything in your defense?" I could hear the Sheriff address the Coven Mother.

I felt a solid wall of nothing slam into me. I was taken off my feet, crashing into my back. The rain was eerily silent for that few seconds. "What transpired is entirely my fault, no one else's. Punish me, if you wish, but as my final wish, do not harm my children. They had no part in this tragedy."

Everyone in the town started booing her and Jingleheimer. I looked up to see the townspeople chucking tomatoes and other things at the old lady. A large crackle of lightning overhead seemed to silence the crowd. When they settled down, the Sheriff nodded. "Your final wish has been noted." He reached up for the lever.

The Coven Mother looked up at me. I was a good distance away, but she peered right into my eyes. She seemed to smile and even offered a small nod. Take care of my children, Assassin. She closed her eyes and that's when I heard the trap door underneath her give in. I watched as her neck snapped and she flailed for a few seconds before coming to a stop. More lightning flashed overhead.

The Sheriff walked over to Jingleheimer. "Do you have any final requests?"

Jingleheimer looked up at me and smirked. "All I ask is that someone take care of my dog." He nudged his head. "End of the street, brown coat, responds to Jacky. Likes pig fat."

The Sheriff looked confused by his statement. "Yes…we will see to that." He pulled the lever and the trap door underneath him gave in. I watched again as Jingleheimer flailed before coming to a stop. So…this was it. The leadership for the coven in this town was dead. I was all alone. I had to take care of all the witches without the support of the Coven Mother or…whatever Jingleheimer was. And worse off…I had to tell Red that I failed in protecting her leadership.

"No…" I heard right behind me. I spun myself around to see Red standing only a few feet away. She was gazing at the hanging, her eyes wide and her face more flushed than usual. "She's…she's gone. They killed her." Her face hardened for a second and I think I saw some sort of blue flame fly out of her eyes. "I'll…" She stopped, glancing down at her feet. "I'll get them for this."

As she started to charge forward, I could see the malice in her eyes. I've seen it in my sister's a lot. She was out for blood. If I did not get her under control, there would be another dead witch in a few minutes. So, I stood up, tackled her to the ground, and pinned her arms to the ceiling tiles. "No!" I whispered to her. "Do not give in to your hatred. The only thing that awaits you is death right now." She tried to struggle against me but I kept her hands pinned to the floor. "She died so that you would survive. If you go out there now…you'll only make her death meaningless. Listen, if you want revenge, I can train you. I can turn you into an Assassin. We'll get you your revenge."

She finally stopped struggling and glanced up at me. "Is that a promise?"

I nodded. "I will teach you everything you need to know to make them pay. But…you can't kill anyone unless I say it's ok. Ok?"

She glared at me for a few seconds before nodding. "Ok, fine." I released her hands and slowly started climbing off of her. When she stood up, she brushed her hair from her eyes and said, "So, what are we going to do first?"

"Teach you to blend in. Because it looks like this town is looking for you…and your friends. But, I guess for now, we should lay low and stay in the forest." I looked back at Locksley, who was now catching up to me with my sister right behind him.

My sister looked over at Red and smiled. "I've seen that look plenty of times. Who are we going to kill?"

"No one." I informed her. "My mission is not one of death…one of distraction. I am here to cause chaos to King John. So…" I looked back at Red. "no killing anyone unless I say so."

Both Laila and Red looked unhappy with my decision. "Yes, sir."

"Yes, brother."

They both said it in a deadpanned voice, showing just how much they thought of my decision. Oh great…this was going to be a fun week. I turned around to face Locksley. "Well, let's get back to the forest. There is nothing left here to do."

Cearbhail: Yes, I know, I said 'heads rolling'. I originally thought guillotine but there is just something about lightning and hanging that makes deaths so...special. Anyway, ha! Wolfe is a Duke. I thought that was funny. See you next time.