Dark Moon Brother
Part Sixteen (language warning)
Dark Moon Night
"Virginia, dearest sister, thanks so much for the party! But we really should be going, right?" hiccupped the King. He was leaning tipsily on Tony, who wasn't in a much better state. Virginia frowned in exasperation at the pair, who were going round the clearing, bidding equally tipsy half-wolf's good evening, best wishes, nice to meet you, etc etc. But she wasn't really cross, after all, the celebrations had been both relaxed and happy, lasting from the mid afternoon to now, at dusk. And trust King Wendell to bring with him only the finest victuals to even this remote location. He certainly knew how to party in comfort and style. One of the half-wolf's, Sam, she thought, had brought with him a small fiddle and had played merry tunes all afternoon. Virginia had danced with Wolf many times, as well as her father, Elias and Wendell. Even the male wolfen had cued up to dance with her. Now, she was sitting on one of the rugs with the other two half-wolf women, Wendy and Elsie, plus Wendy's two cubs, who Virginia guessed to be twins. She smiled at the young girl cub, but the child remained hiding shyly behind her mother.
"A cub's naming ceremony is equally a celebration of the parents' abilities to raise it, especially the she-wolf, I mean, the mother" said Wendy, blushing a little. "You have reared a good cub, Virginia. He is healthy and strong. He will grow to be a fine male, I am sure" she added. Virginia glowed under the praise. It meant so much to her to be accepted by these people, except she had only just realised it. She hoped that the friendships started here tonight would continue, but she was too shy yet to ask about such things directly. Did she-wolf's ever have each other over for tea? She looked down at her lap at the small gifts the women had given her for Cub. No, Caleum now, she told herself firmly. It would take some getting used to, the new name. But she was glad that Wolf had liked the name she'd chosen. He had, after all, blurted it out at Grandmothers house that day. A subconcious slip of the tongue, but it had given her the clue she had sought. She picked up the finely carved knife and admired the artistry of the work. It had been wrought from the single pelvic bone of some large animal and wolfish symbols adorned it's handle. A thing to be bestowed when Caleum came of age, Elsie had told her, and one day, he would use it to carve his own mark in the Sacred Tree, to be numbered amongst the wolfen people. And, if he was lucky enough, he would also use it in his own mating ceremony. Virginia was enthralled at hearing about the unusual customs of the wolfen people, but found herself in a silent confusion at the mention of a mating ritual. Marriage in the tradition of her own people did not really interest her, but she wondered why Wolf had never spoken of his own ways. The other women seemed to sense her confusion.
"Look, Virginia, it is an old custom. Not many younger folk bother with it so much these days. We do mate for life anyway, regardless of any ceremony. But I have never heard of a human female participating in the ritual. It is, um, quite a, rough and tumble thing, you know? I am sure your mate would not wish to subject you to such a thing. One day, if you see one for yourself, you will see why" Elsie said, squeezing Virginia's hand. Virginia smiled in gratitude at the woman. Well, if sharp knives were involved, maybe Wolf did have a good reason for not asking her, she thought, but she didn't know whether to feel relieved about this or not. She picked up the leather bound book of wolfish fairy tales that Wendy had given her to read to Caelum. Flicking through the pages, she saw that many of the stories within were simply the same as one's she knew, only told from the wolf perspective. It would make interesting reading, she knew. Little Red Riding Hood from the wolf's point of view? She wondered what the royals in the 2nd Kingdom would make of it.
She glanced over at her father and Wendell, who had finished making their farewells. Tony was patting Wolf on the back in a friendly enough fashion and Wolf was smiling at him, but she couldn't hear their words. A weary looking James stood by, ready to lead the human party back to the cottage and their carriages. Their slightly drunken singing could be heard quite a few minutes after they had left. Sam took up his fiddle once more and started playing a soft, slow tune, and Wolf bounded up to Virginia, sweeping her up off the ground. She stared deeply into his eyes, seeing that he wasn't even the slightest bit drunk, just giddy with the excitement of the day.
"Ah, my beloved mate! My sweet Virginia! How long have I waited for this day?" he gushed over her, swinging her around so that her feet left the ground and she laughed.
"Wolf, honey, you're drooling again"
"Am I? But you're so delicious, so scrumptious, I can't help it! Tasty girl, tasty!" he whispered, kissing her neck so deeply she was sure his fangs would pierce her skin at any moment. She relaxed in his arms, allowing him access, but he tensed suddenly and let her go. She almost tumbled as her feet hit the ground, but his arm reached out reflexively to steady her.
"Sorry, love" he muttered, but his attention was not on her. Rather, he stared into the darkening trees, and Virginia, glancing at the other half-wolfs, saw that they were similarly focussed on something outside the clearing. None of them seemed alarmed, just curious. She heard Wolf snuffing the air and then a most incredible look of pain crossed his features. He took a deep ragged breath, then turned and spoke to the half-wolf's in their own language. One by one they relaxed and quite unconcernedly began packing up their belongings in preparation to leave. The families came forward to Virginia to thank her and Wolf for inviting them.
"Well met, Virginia! We will number you as a sister within our own clans, and we will pass word of Caelum through the community. You can feel free to visit us any time. Just ask your mate to leave marks, if you wish, or get him to teach you!" they said, and Virginia thanked them in return.
"It means a lot to me that you have accepted me and my child. I look forward to getting to know you all. Thank you for coming, and your gifts also!" she said sincerely, and gradually the wolfen people melted away into the darkness of the forest, leaving no trail nor sound at their passing. Within minutes, only Virginia, Caelum and Elias remained in the clearing. Wolf had gone to stand at the very edge of the trees, still staring wide eyed in the gloom. Virginia went to stand next to him, taking hold of his hand. It trembled, ever so slightly.
"What's out there?" she asked softly. He shuddered momentarily and turned his bright green eyes on her.
"An uninvited guest" he replied. Virginia paused to think, then, the most obvious answer came to her.
"It's your brother, isn't it?". Wolf stared at her pointedly, one brow raised in silent query, but he did not deny it.
"I know more about you than you think, second son" she added, putting her arms around him. He leant into her embrace.
"I suppose I should go and see him" he whispered in her ear.
"Yes. I think you should do just that, love" she said, withdrawing slightly and smoothing back his hair from his creased forehead. The worry line between his brows, the one she loved so much, stood out prominently. He straightened again, nodding, and beckoned to Elias who was standing back with Caleum.
"Brother, will you get my mate and cub back safely to the house? Just stick to the trail we followed in. You won't get lost. I won't be long behind you anyway, I think" he said and Elias smiled, tilting his head and tapping his nose.
"I won't lose the trail, Wolf. We'll see you soon" he said smoothly and moved off. Virginia made to follow him, but Wolf clutched at her a moment, breathing deep the scent of her hair. Then he let her go with a gentle push and she caught up with Elias, reaching for a sleepy Caelum. She turned back just as they left the clearing, but Wolf had already gone.
He stepped slowly, but purposefully, wanting time to think before he came upon his brother. It was definately him, the scent, so long since he had sensed it, but he had known it instantly. Willem. He had no trouble pictureing his face now. Four years his elder, Willem had always been slight, delicate, like their mother, with russet brown hair and eyes. The last time Wolf had seen him, in the days following the burning, he had been his brother's equal in height and strength. More than twenty years had passed, yet the recollection of that encounter was as fresh in his mind now as if it had happened yesterday, as if his troubled mind had never buried it at all. He scratched at his temples, the scene replaying in his mind over and over.
He couldn't get the smell out of his nose. The boy had rubbed at it, dunked his head into cold pools, but it was still there. But he didn't know why he was still there. Where else to go? There were no other wolf familes here in this part of the Kingdom. His uncle lived clear across the mountains. He'd never make it. He was too small, didn't even have his teeth yet. He shivered in the bushes. Winter would come soon. He tensed as he heard a crackling of leaves, peering out of his hiding place and back up towards where his home was. Had been. There was no house there now. A smallish figure appeared suddenly, following the tracks made by the farmers, seeing there plain upon the ground the faint scuffings made by the wolfen couple, as they were bound and dragged to their deaths. The boy knew his brother now stood at the ash pile, saw him poking through the debris with a booted foot. The boy stood, making just enough noise to be heard. His brother whirled.
"You live! How is that so?" he demanded roughly, running up the slope to confront the boy.
"I, I ran, I hid. Father bid me do so" he stammered.
"Fool! Coward! You didn't help them?"
"No. He forbade me, he did..." said the boy, becoming angry in his turn. "It's all your fault, Willem. You made the trouble. Look at what you have done! You should have been here!" he screamed. The older boy cuffed him sharply across the face and he fell.
"Don't you dare! Don't you say that! Weakling, useless little brother! Better you had burned with them, I say!". The boy cowered, shocked senseless by the attack. Deep inside, the anger, as great a bonfire as the one that had engulfed his parents, rose and blinded him. He leapt upon his brother, and the two cubs rolled fighting and clawing at each other. The boy had the worst of it, but he didn't care. Blood poured into his eyes and he groped along the ground, his hand falling upon a stone, round and hard in his grip. He brought it down with all his strength, hearing the crack of the skull as his brother went limp beneath him. He heard only his gasps, tasted only his own blood and tears as he backed away. The fire inside turned bitterly cold and he scuttled down the slope, falling on his knees before the ash pile. Yes. Better he had burned. But the farmers were coming again. They had heard the commotion. The pitchfork swung through the air, but the boy was up and gone. Run and gone.
Wolf stumbled into a tree, cursing his inattention. He was that boy no longer, had not been for many years. He was a man now, a mated wolf, an alpha male. It would not do to approach his brother as anything else. He stopped to listen. Willem hadn't moved an inch. He was waiting. He was close by now. He would have scented his younger brother. Wolf wondered if his scent conjured up similar memories to the one he had flashing through his mind now. The tension was darn near impossible to bear. Best to get it over with, he thought, deciding to give up any pretense of stalking. He strode through the trees, coming with minutes to the place where his brother waited. Willem stood, and the two brothers met for the first time since that fateful day.
Meanwhile, further away in the forest, Virginia and Elias were making good time on their way back to the cottage. Caelum drowsed against Virginia's shoulder whilst Elias lead the way confidently despite the darkness of the night. The stars shone brilliantly overhead, Virginia saw, but there was no moonlight to speak of, the Goddess having her face hidden on this night. She was thinking incessantly about the days events, but especially her Wolf, who was even now seeking out his brother.
"Did you know, that Wolf had a brother?" she asked Elias as they walked along.
"Yes. He mentioned it to me. Just a few nights ago. But I do not know the full story of what is between them, only that it is sad and sorry tale. Full of hurt and anger he is, about this brother"
"I see"
"Are you angry that I know this? And you do not?"
"No. Well, yes. Actually, I don't know how I feel about it. He's always been so damn stubborn about his past. I should be used to it, I guess, but I'm not. But I am glad, Elias, that he has you to talk to. Your friendship has come to mean at lot to him, and to me"
"Thank you. It has been so long since I have felt myself part of a proper family. My own brother, Peter, poisoned the minds of my own family against me. Now, all are dead, but I have survived. I can live ag..." Elias stopped suddenly, mid sentence and he doubled over, gasping for breath. Virginia, alarmed, went to him and put out a hand to calm him as he leant weakly against a tree.
"Elias! Are you alright? What's the matter?" she asked.
"I, I don't know. I don't feel right, Virginia" he gasped.
"Ah, did you have one of those pastries too, that Wendell brought?" she joked, trying to lighten the situation, but it was clear to her that something was drastically wrong. He was getting paler by the second. There was a strange sound then, like a cracking, stretching sound, and Elias shrieked in horror as he stared at his hands. Virginia looked at them as he held them up. Was it her imagination, or were they suddenly twice as big, and hairy? Elias grabbed at her, shouting into her face.
"Oh no, oh my God, no. I'm changing! You must run, now! Hurry, go! I can't stop this thing, girl, GO!" he screamed at her and she fell back, stumbling. Caelum woke up and squealed in terror when he saw Elias. The horrible sounds continued, and Virginia realised that it was breaking bones and tendons she was hearing.
"RUN!" Elias shouted, half screaming as the transformation took hold. Virginia needed no further prompting. Urgeing her frozen feet to move, she turned and dashed away, holding a crying Caelum tight to her chest as she tore down the narrow trail. The sudden horror lent speed to her running feet, but she cursed the long skirts that hampered her. She dropped the bundle of Caelum's gifts, as well as her small pack with his spare clothes and food in it. Her heart pounded in her ears, but behind her, she could hear the continuing screams and thrashing of Elias as he fought the change. How could this be happening? He'd been cured, everyone thought so. His curse had been reversed, it was gone! Then, the cold realisation hit her. Not gone at all. Just reversed. What would normally happen under the full moon, now would happen under the new moon! She felt sickened, and angry. Curse the damned magic in this place! Nothing was ever straightforward here. She should know that by now! She picked up speed, ignoring her burning legs. Knowing what had happened to Elias would not help her now. She risked a backwards glance. The sounds had stopped, and a deathly silence that she had never heard in this forest settled over the trees. Then she heard it. A ghastly howl broke out, but it was no wolf howl that she had ever heard. This was a great gurgling shriek of a howl, like the baying of huge hound that had caught the scent of prey. There was a terrific crashing through the trees now, and her heart nearly stopped in terror when she realised it was coming her way. Virginia put her head down and flew down the path, hoping desperately that she was going the right way. She had to get to the cottage. It's thick stone walls and stout oak doors would protect them. It must have been the fear clouding her mind, for she was sure that the trees were leaping out of her way as she ran, making a wide avenue pointing directly at the farm. At her back, the werewolf bayed again and crashed loudly through the branches being flung it's way. Then, suddenly, she was out of the forest and open paddocks lay ahead. She jumped over the low fence and sped across the fields, with the werewolf running silently behind her.
Wolf stared at his brother with a mixture of fear, anger, shame and longing. There were so many conflicting emotions going on in his head he found it difficult to focus on Willem face. His brother was evidently having exactly the same problems, so the two half-wolfs simply dropped their gazes, fidgeting uneasily. Willem stirred and spoke so quietly Wolf could barely hear him.
"Lucian" he breathed. "You've grown, little brother. They say you're a hero now" he added, without the slightest trace of bitterness in his voice. Wolf stared at him from under his lashes, doubtful. Better you had burned. The words whispered through his mind again. Willem continued.
"You look like Father, even more now than before. I hear you have a mate and a cub. I would have brought a gift for my nephew, of course, but I did not receive an invitation"
"Why did you come, then?" Wolf found his voice at last. He fought to keep it together. Ah, the scent of family! There was none like it. It was entrancing, no matter what lay between them. He knew Willem would be feeling similarly conflicted. It's all your fault! Had he really said that? Had he really picked up that stone? He studied his brother in the faint starlight. There, on his temple, a thin line. He had broken the unspoken code between the wolfen people that day, to pick up a weapon. Willem stared back at him, and reaching into his coat pocket, withdrew an object. With a quick flick of the wrist, he tossed it to Wolf, who knew what it was even before he caught it. He stared at the hateful thing in his palm.
"Do you wish to finish what you started that day?" Willem asked, all too casually. Wolf hefted the stone gently, then opened his hand to let it thump to the ground. A great deal of his lifelong pain and anger fell with it.
"No, I do not" he answered. "Do you wish to burn me?"
"I do not, little brother. I do not". Two simple statements, thought Wolf, and it was done. Finished. The ease of it shocked him, but then he corrected himself. It had been the hardest thing also. He had played out their reunion in his mind many times over the years. Always it had ended in yet more violence and hatred, a widening gulf unbroachable. But until tonight, he hadn't even suspected his brother yet lived. He let out a deep shuddering breath and realised that tears coursed unchecked down his cheeks. Close by, his brother wept also. A wind blew through the trees and Wolf fully expected to see his parents come forth from the spirit world to comfort them. But the sound that reached his ears brought anything but peace. It was an unearthly, ghastly, death laden howl, but was no wolf. His whole body turned rigid at the noise and he heard his brother mutter under his breath.
"By the Goddess! What makes that sound?". Wolf knew. He didn't know how, but he knew. It was Elias, but not the Elias Wolf had come to know. He had Changed. A werewolf ran through the disenchanted forest. It took only a few seconds for Wolf to realise the full extent of the horror now roaming this night. Virginia and Caelum. They were with that werewolf.
The clods of earth flew up under Virginia's shoes as she bolted across the field. The cottage was in sight, it's comforting, stought walls beckoned to her. Ragged sobs escaped her as she covered the final few yards to the front door. She was spent, utterly exhausted, and her hands shook uncontrollably as she fumbled for the keys. She refused to look behind her. She knew it was there, knew that it paced to and fro just a few feet away. Damn it! Where were the fucking keys? She cursed as she searched her pockets. They were gone, lost somewhere in the mad dash. Desperately, she looked around for something, anything, to use as a weapon. Lying there near the door, half hidden behind a flower pot, was her small hand axe. A tiny thing really, but she snatched it up, and using one hand to shield Caelum, beat at the small glass pane in the top of the door. It shattered under her assault, shards flying in every direction. It was a tiny window, but big enough for what she wanted. Grabbing up Caelum by the scruff of his neck, she shoved him through the broken window and dropped him, hearing him land with a thud and a squawk on the other side. He immediately started up a ruckus of crying and wailing and she said a silent prayer that he hadn't been too badly hurt. But anything was better than facing what now prowled her gardens, she thought, turning now and putting her back to the door. She felt faint with terror as she looked upon the thing that was once Elias.
The werewolf was huge, far larger than she had ever imagined. It stood at least four feet high at the shoulder and was nearly as long in body as Jed the pony. It was covered completely in dense black hair, which stood up all on end, making the thing look even more massive. It moved back and forth on all fours and the sharp nails on it's paws made a terrifying clack clack sound on the cobblestones of the path. It turned to face her and she nearly passed out when she saw the glinting fangs. Wolf's own canines, though impressive enough, were nothing compared to this creatures'. It lunged suddenly, baying loudly and the teeth snapped just inches from her face. Then it backed off. It was clear that it wanted her to run, so it could give chase. Virginia was not about to offer herself for it's entertainment, even if she could will herself to move. She was not leaving her baby. It crept closer again and she swatted at it with the hand axe.
"Elias! Stop! It's me, Virginia! Stop, please. I know you can hear me!" she shouted at the thing. It lunged again and she screamed as it grabbed the axe out of her hand with it's jaws. It flung the implement far over the hedge. She was dead now. She knew it, and she watched with almost a detached manner as the werewolf swung round to bear down upon her once more. It struck so swiftly she barely even saw it, and the pain, when it ripped through her body, seemed to be happening far away, to someone else. In the dim light she saw a figure leap out of the darkness and knew it to be James, wielding the much larger wood axe. He leapt straight on to the monster's back and she saw the werewolf scuttling backwards, snarling, away from the house, with the boy hanging on grimly. They disappeared into the night, but Virginia knew that the true darkness had come, for her. Her vision failed, becoming narrower and the world tilted. Her eyelids fluttered weakly for a moment, then she knew no more.