Circle Of Sisters

3. Setting Up The Board

It was a morning of revelations at the small cottage of Wolf and Virginia. After she had settled somewhat from the terror of her dream, Virginia had finally gone in to Caelum, picking out his little eyes gleaming in the pre-dawn darkness. He had seemed relieved to see her, at least, pressing himself against her as she held him close. Virginia had feared he would withdraw from her, frightened by the beast that lurked within his mother. It made her all the more determined that her son would never look at her that way, but her head had begun to ache with the effort of trying to see a way out of her predicament. Yet, she believed Wolf when he said that there was always a way out of every situation, magical or otherwise. Virginia shuddered at the thought of trusting magic once more, but then, was it the magic itself at fault or simply the user? Perhaps they had just asked the wrong questions or cast the wrong incantations. Virginia resolved to track down the witch Griselda. Not to rebuke her, no, but to learn from her mistakes. Wendell had said that she had vanished from the immediate surrounds though. Maybe she ddin't even know what had happened. Virginia just wished she knew more about the origins of werewolves, like how the first one had been made. Virginia hoped that Elias could provide some insight, some clue.

Virginia and Caelum had returned to the main bedroom, Wolf's arms enfolding them both under the blankets. Virginia felt tired once more, but Wolf was quite wide awake still and she guessed he would probably not sleep again this night. When she had next opened her eyes, sunlight was streaming into the room. Wolf stood at the basin in the corner, shaving his ever growing beard, Caelum sitting on the dresser watching with fascinated interest. It was such a picture perfect scene she could almost imagine that the werewolf had never come into their lives. She watched as Wolf finished his ablutions, going to his bulging wardrobe to pick out fresh clothes for both of them. She knew he was taking his time with it specifically for her benefit, knowing well how much she loved to stare at him unclothed. He had a strong, muscular body and the morning light glinted off the tips of the long guard hairs on his back and tail. Virginia almost wished for a moment that Caelum was still asleep in his crib. Her son noticed her awake just then and clapped his pudgy hands together.

"Ma ma. Dadda" he squeaked in his human voice, before reaching around to fish in the back of his pyjamas. "Tail!" he said importantly, holding the fuzzy little thing as high as it would go. Virginia laughed out loud, clapping in her turn as Wolf patted his boy on the head fondly.

"Yes, you're a very clever boy, Caelum, the best ever!" she praised him. She saw his nose twitching in appreciation and soon caught the scent of bacon herself coming from the kitchen downstairs. Well, no special talent was needed to know the smell of breakfast at any rate, she thought, as Wolf scooped him down from the dresser. Caelum was off down the stairs within seconds, and Virginia heard Elsie call a morning greeting to him. No doubt he was practically crawling up her trouser leg to reach the frying pan. Wolf did an artistic twirl, brushing down his always stylish clothes. He had chosen a practical get up this morning, she saw, tall boots and thick cotton jacket, perfect for tramping around the forest in. He came to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I think it's time I tracked down Elias again love. It shouldn't be too hard, humans are easy to follow, regardless of their wood skills or knowledge. And he was injured. Maybe I should take some food or medicines with me? I don't know" he said, a little bit rushed. Virginia could see plainly that he was uneasy about finding Elias and just as uneasy about not finding him.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no, I'll take Willem with me. I know you've healed quicker than you normally would do, but you're still not a hundred percent, you know? I'd feel better if you were still here. Besides, we may have to stay overnight somewhere. It depends on how far he's wandered" Wolf replied. Virginia knew he was trying not to be too chauvenistic about it, but she still fought down the momentary irritation. It was her problem, she should be the one out searching for a solution, for her wounded creator. But she would slow down Wolf, that much was true. Yes, better to let him take this first step. Besides, she had to admit to herself, the cottage and it's quiet surrounds had become like a haven for her, a place of safety in the dangerous world. She wondered if she'd ever have the courage to leave it. She sighed her assent to Wolf and he caressed her cheek gently.

"Also, I think we need to confide in others, Virginia. Willem and Elsie, well, they have guessed much already. We owe them trust with the truth. They might even have some ideas, who knows? Wendell and Tony, I don't know about them, though"

"No, not them just yet. Especially Dad. He's only just recovered from seeing me nearly die in front of him. Wendell too. It was a miracle that we persuaded them to go home to the palace, and that was only yesterday. But, I have a horrible feeling that there will be no hiding it eventually. Everyone will know, Wolf" Virginia answered, feeling a rising panic once more. And yet, under that, there was that strange calm she had felt all along, as if someone whispered in her ear. Peace, girl, all will be well. Yes. But from whom came those words? Was it the insidious disease itself, or had someone else reached across the void to place them in her mind? Was it Snow White? Virginia didn't think so. Snow had left her to her own destiny. It was not an abandonment, Virginia knew. It was simply that Virginia had been tested and found worthy. Was this another test, then, and why? She felt angered momentarily at the interference in her nice ordered life. She couldn't remember ever asking for such things to happen to her. Still, if it was indeed yet another trial, then that in itself gave her a glimmer of hope. After all, there could be no test without a solution.

Later downstairs, after Elsie had dished up get another huge breakfast (and it was beginning to make Virginia feel as though she had been underfeeding Wolf, so huge were the helpings that the she-wolf served), she and Wolf began to fill in Willem and Elsie with the details of what had happened to Virginia that night. The half-wolf's were surprised, but nodded to themselves often as the changes they had obviously noticed in Virginia suddenly made sense to them.

"Well, I never! I've lived many years and I thought I'd seen everything. But I've never seen nor heard of anything remotely like what's happened to you, Virginia. But, is it all that bad, do you think? I mean, we would be able to restrain you, you wouldn't hurt anyone, and think of the benefits, the opportunities you might have now" Elsie said matter of factly. Virginia wasn't surprised by her reaction, nor her questions. They were much the same that had been going through her mind anyway.

"No, Elsie. I have thought long and hard about it, really, but deep down, I know that this is not what I'm meant to be. It's true that it's tempting to keep what I've gained in just these few days, but for me, the price will be too great. And I fear, no, in fact, I know, that one day I will do great harm. No, I'm just a woman, a human woman, born that way, bound to live my life that way. This thing, it's not me, I know it"

"Not just any woman" said Elsie, rising from the table to clear the dishes. She looked deep into Virginia's eyes for a moment but refused to elaborate further.

"What will you do now?" Willem asked. Virginia smiled at her mate's brother. Willem had insisted that she call him 'brother' as well, and to treat him as one. They were all pack now, he had said, and Virginia could rely on him as much as Wolf. She liked Willem a lot and was glad that he and Wolf seemed to be forging a new relationship. But he was quite different from Wolf, in both appearance and manner. Willem was much slighter of build, with fairer hair and skin, deep russet coloured eyes with many laugh lines around his mouth. He'd told her he was a storyteller, a lone wolf travelling from place to place, earning his keep by both entertaining and educating wolf clans. And gypsies too, he said, as well as dwarves, elves and more tolerant human packs. He seemed well travelled, and he had been in the far northern Kingdoms when the first news of the Four Who Saved The Nine Kingdoms had filtered through. But he had never assumed that the wolfen hero of the tale had been his own estranged brother. Only months later had he learned the hero's pack name as it had travelled through the wolfen community and known who it was. Virginia wondered just what had prompted him to seek out Wolf once more, but she was glad that he had, regardless.

"Wolf will go to find Elias, firstly. What help he will be, I don't know, but he is the most obvious starting point. We need to know what went wrong with the spell, so I'm thinking we will need to find Griselda again also. It's a lot to do, and we don't have that much time either"

"When will, this, change, happen to you, Virginia?"

"I don't know Willem. It could be three weeks away, at the next new moon, or it could be less than two if I follow the more traditional werewolf cycle" Virginia put her head in her hands. The lunar cycle ruled her life now, and it's Goddess. Virginia didn't know if she truly believed in the Moon Goddess as an entity. Gods and Goddesses had never really been a part of her life before now. She knew that wolfen people had no doubts at all, in fact Wolf had hinted to her that he had met the Goddess personally once (and then there was that strange apparition she had seen in the forest in upstate New York), but Virginia was still unsure. Being a practical 20th century girl, she supposed she would believe it when she saw it. She pinched her upper arm in her own superstitous way of warding off the very thought of having to see such things. The world just kept getting wider and wider from Virginia's perspective, and it amazed her that her ordered modern mind had coped with all she had seen and done in the past year and a half. She wondered for a moment how Natalie, the brave young doctor that Wolf had 'stolen' from New York a week ago was faring. Had she returned to New York a gabbling madwoman, or simply a smart young woman with a secret smile? Virginia knew that the priest called Frederick, who had helped Wolf that night was still in the 4th Kingdom, staying at Wendell's palace, and quite the novelty apparently. Virginia raised her head again to find Wolf and Willem staring at her with concern at her long silence. Wolf came around behind her chair to kiss the back of her neck, his favourite place.

"Hmm, cheer up love. Trust your wolfie to save you, you should! Well, at least he can make a start, right now in fact! Willem, will you come with me? We go to hunt our poor Elias" Wolf murmured. Virginia saw Willem straighten a little, obviously pleased that Wolf had asked for his help. Willem came forward then and rather daringly lifted Virginia's hand to his lips, kissing it in a gentlemanly fashion, but Virginia smiled to see that he had half an eye on his brother the whole time. Wolf snorted in amusement and scooped her right out of the chair, carrying her out the front door. They stood on the ill fated doorstep and kissed, before Wolf untangled them, bowing his way out the gate. Virginia lifted up Caelum to prevent him from following them and together they watched as the two half-wolf brothers disappeared over the fields towards the forest.

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Connor was an inexpert nurse, but he got the job done in the end, realised Elias. But then, Elias was beginning to doubt that the young former priest was there at all. His eyes which were once shifty and darting were now vacant and staring into space, when they weren't ogling the undead corpse that lay in the crypt. He had shown no sign of recognizing Elias, not even when he had heard his name spoken. Elias had cringed for a moment, expecting the man to attack him, verbally or physically, and in truth, Elias probably would have let him. He knew the part he had played in the boy's downfall. And yet he had no desire at all to step up and try and shake some sense back into the man. The quiet darkness of the crypt suited him just fine at the moment. He could have described his mood as equally dank and depressing. He heard the rustling of Connor's footsteps as he came back down the stairs from the cottage above. He watched, partially fascinated, as he could almost see the invisible directions Hera was giving the man. Step here. Pick this up. Mix these together. Elias wondered vaguely if it was a tiresome thing, to have to think out every step on behalf of a human automaton like Connor.

"Tiresome, yes, but it's effort well spent" whispered Hera in his mind. Elias found his hands massaging his temples unconciously as the words wound through his thoughts. It was not a painful thing, not at all, but a part of him rebelled against the unnaturalness of it. Could Hera control him as easily as she did Connor?

"You? No, of course not. As long as you have your own will, then none can command you otherwise. This boy, his mind has long been fractured. It was easy to coax him through the Travelling Mirror. That fool wolf left him there after all. And I, whose body can no longer function in this world, well, can you blame me for taking advantage? The boy doesn't know any different. In fact, living in this Kingdom, where I can protect him, is in many ways better than being cast adrift in his own madness, don't you think?"

"Yes, I suppose"

"Suppose nothing! You know it is the best option. And for me, I gain eyes, tongue and legs to once more affect the world, as is the right of all thinking creatures"

"You want to affect the world? Why, and why now? Surely in the natural order of things, your time has been and gone, Hera". Elias watched out of the corner of his eye as the rotting figure clenched it's fists. Small bits of dried flesh crumbled from the bones at the effort. He fought down the nausea in his stomach as the very air crackled with tension. He did not fear Hera, but he respected her strength of will. The corpse relaxed minutely. He almost felt her sigh as it whistled through the room.

"Affect. Change. Influence. Why? Because I can, and I will it. Yet you, of all people, need to ask me this? Did not you reach out and take that which was given you with open arms? Even as you knew it corrupted your soul, brought pain to those you loved, did you not embrace it? Of course you did. You have the same drive as all men and women, to stand above, to conquer, to carve out your world as you think it should be. No one blames you for this. I do not. I understand you, Elias. Our stories are not that different, you know"

"Maybe they are, maybe not. But there is one major point that you've overlooked. I did embrace it, yes, but I never asked for it that night. It was given to me, but I would have refused it if I could. And now, I have given it to another in exactly the same way"

"Ah yes, the sweet Virginia. The newest heroine of the Nine Kingdoms, no less. Heh, imagine the scandal this will cause when the facts leak out! But, for all that, she is a strong one, this girl, though she can hardly be called a girl anymore"

"You speak like you know her"

"Of course I know her! Did you learn nothing of the history between us?" Hera muttered in Elias' mind. He cast his mind back to the puppet play he had seen a few weeks ago on the lawns of Wendell's palace. The realisation of just where he was and who he was talking to struck him suddenly, and strongly. Hera chuckled quietly in the gloom.

"So, here we are. Am I what you expected, then?"

"I had no expectations. And yet, you speak of Virginia with almost an air of respect. This surprises me, Hera"

"But of course I respect her. She defeated me, and my Christine. How could I feel otherwise? Like her? Not really. Agree with her? Never. Do I consider her my adversary? Certainly"

"You tried to destroy her"

"She came to me as the Virgin in the Great Testing. I played my role, nothing more. If not me, then another. I worked through Christine to thwart the girl, but she rose up to best us both. And yet, for all that, she remained unncorrupted. She has power in her, yet she refused to use it and still does"

"You make it sound like you were doing her a service"

"One day, she will realise this, yes"

"I don't understand"

"Of course you don't. You haven't been chosen to receive greatness, Elias, not like our precious Virginia. But such things aren't just given away to anyone, you know. One must be found worthy, one must grow and gain wisdom. You get none of these things simply sitting around your pretty little cottage"

"Doesn't Virginia get a say in all this?"

"She has already accepted the challenge. The day she stepped through that Mirror, she became a player in the Great Game. And yes, she knew no more than you did when your path was so altered, nor I"

"Is it all just a gigantic game then? Are we all only someone's playing pieces? What and when is the end?"

"Well, that depends on who wins, of course. But right now, we have more important things to concentrate on"

"Like what, Hera?"

"On whose turn it is"