While Swift Heart and company were asleep, far above the world, No Heart was positively furious. Which, for him, was merely just par for the course.
"HOW COULD SHE POSSIBLY DEFEAT MY SHADOWS ALONE?" the wizard of darkness bellowed.
From behind a table, his assistant, some furball called Beastly, cringed. "I don't know, Your Evilness..."
"SILENCE! I DIDN'T ASK YOU" was the infuriated reply.
"They had help, you know..." a voice answered from the corner shadows. "Although I wouldn't give my brother much credit, he's soft as a marshmallow...a disgrace to us wolves..."
"Ah yes...Victor, was it? So you say your brother was helping them..."
"Although I don't know why. He couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag, and he chooses to follow my father's stupid rule against hunting..."
"And you wish to rule your pack, I know...that is why you came to me..."
"Yes."
"These were but weak, though. I will have to make the next demons I send after him stronger...since he is now accompanied by one of those blasted Care Bear Cousins...they have been a thorn in my side forever...but this time I will fell two birds with one stone...hahahaahaha!"
Morning came and Swift Heart was the first to awaken, rubbing her eyes and yawning ever so slightly. "Mmm...morning already?"
"Good morning, Chrissie." Rhiannon spoke. "You look like you could use a few more hours sleep.."
"I look that bad?"
"Like you've been up half the night..."
If she only knew..., she thought to herself. "Nah, just had a bit of trouble sleeping, that's all."
"From the way you look, more than a bit. But I won't ask over what...I managed to gather up some breakfast, though, if yer hungry."
"I'm all right for now. I might grab something later. How far we gotta go, Glenn?"
The lupine awoke slowly, yawning, his jaw snapping shut with a clack that made both rabbits flinch, if only slightly. "Hm? I'd say about five miles." His nose sniffed the air, once, twice...then he looked to his companions with a look that could be described as utter dismay--and a measure of fear.
"I'm picking up a scent, though..two actually. One just like we had earlier...and one I'd just as soon not have to face again in my lifetime..."
"More shadows?" Rhiannon shot back. "I swear if we get attacked by ONE more wolf I'm gonna hold YOU personally responsible."
"I wish it were one, Rhiannon..."
"Huh?"
"The other scent is my brother..Victor..."
"You're kidding me..."
"I wish. He's more vicious than any wolf could possibly be..." He spun suddenly to face Rhiannon. "If you can conceive of such a thing..."
She shook her head. "Sounds like someone I don't wanna be anywhere near."
"Guys, I can handle the Shadows...but what about your brother, Glenn?" Swift Heart interrupted.
"I don't know. For one, he is stronger, larger, and faster than I."
"So why would he be fighting against you?"
"It's a long story."
"Well, explain as best you can..."
Glenn sighed. "Several years ago he grew discontent with my father's rule of our pack and our lands...he believed it was foolish for a wolf not to hunt as he believed it was in our blood...he challenged my father, lost, and was banished from the pack for his misdeeds. But why would he return now?"
"I don't know. Do you think it would have anything to do with what's going on in your lands?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. But I do know this--he is extremely dangerous. If anyone must fight him, it will be me..."
Rhiannon glanced at Glenn, her eyes showing she was impressed that he would stand against his own to defend them. But, as usual, her attitude didn't show it. "Good...cuz I don't wanna have to fight him, you might wind up minus one brother..."
"Sometimes, I'd think that'd be doing me a favor..."
"Glenn...you don't really mean that, do you?" Swift Heart glanced up at him, her eyes pleading.
"He dishonored the pack...yet, I suppose you're right, Swift Heart, I shouldn't feel that way about him. He just seems so..I don't know..consumed by the hunger for power..."
"Do you think you could save him?"
"Swift Heart, it's been years. I don't know if it's possible."
She ran up to look him straight in the eye. "Weren't you telling me last night that nothing was impossible?"
Glenn looked down. She most definitely had him there.
Rhiannon cocked a brow at the two of them. "Is there something going on here that I should know about?"
Both of them paid no mind to her comment--at least for the moment. "If you could, would you?"
"I..."
"Glenn, promise me you'll try..."
"I...okay, I promise, Swift Heart. For you..."
"Glenn, not just for me. But for you too."
"Okay..."
Rhiannon just glanced at her sister. "Chrissie, could I have a word with you?"
"Sure, what is it?"
"What exactly are you talking about?"
"Well...nothing, really..."
"Chrissie, I know it's more than just nothing. Tell me..."
"You wouldn't understand, Rhiannon..."
"Try me..."
"Well...it's about Glenn..."
"Yeah, what about him?"
"I think...never mind, I really don't think you'd understand it..."
"Chrissie, are you thinking about what I THINK you're thinking about? I told you two, it'll never work..."
"But..."
"I'm just trying to protect you, sis...to keep you from getting hurt..."
"He wouldn't hurt us..."
"He's a wolf, Chrissie..."
That was all the further she got before Swift Heart turned on her like a wildcat, a glint of anger she'd just been barely able to keep under any semblance of control in her eyes. 'What do you know?"
"I know that it was because of a wolf that we got separated in the first place, sis..." Rhiannon replied, calmly, showing her sister she could hold her own--even if it was against her.
"Yeah, I know...but he's different..."
"I don't see any difference, sis...I just see what I see..."
"Rhiannon, don't you have enough sense to look inside?"
"What's there to see?"
"Are you THAT blinded by your own anger? Sis, I swear...stop trying so hard to protect me from something I don't need protection from! Or else you're just gonna push me away..." Swift Heart replied, tears in her eyes. "I just wanna give him a chance, ok?"
Rhiannon stood there for a long moment. There it was, right there on the table. Either she supported her sister in this or she lost her forever...and sadly enough, she'd lose her to her own shortsightedness and her foolish pride.
"Chrissie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like that. And you're right, I have been blinded by the past. What matters right now to me is you, and your happiness. Even if to keep that happiness, I have to learn to accept something that just doesn't make sense to me. I'm just scared, sis..."
"Rhiannon...you gotta learn to let go of that fear...or else it's just going to consume you..."
"You're right..." She hugged her sister tight. "I guess even the big sis has something she can learn from the little sister..."
"Chrissie, I love you...you're my only blood that I have left to me...well, other than my kids..."
"And I love you, Rhiannon...you're the only blood to me, period."
Glenn just watched the two sisters. So, it seems she finally got her to accept me...
Rhiannon walked over to Glenn and looked him straight in the eye. "I'm gonna let you have her if you want her...but listen up...if you harm ONE hair on her head or EVER break her heart...you're gonna wish you never met me...ok?"
"Okay, okay...I promise I won't hurt her..."
"Actually, I'm more worried about you breaking her heart..."
"I swear I won't do that either..."
"You better not..."
"Rhiannon..."
"Look, it's going to take me a while to fully accept this, ok? I have a lot to put behind me. But Chrissie's right. I have to start living for the future. And if she wants you in it, I have to accept that. On my terms, though."
"Fair enough."
"Anyway, we better get going. How far do we have to go?"
"Not too far. I'd say maybe...oh, a few minutes from here."
"Great. Let's go."