Circle Of Sisters
12. Return To Little Lamb Village
The early evening cast a rosy light over the buildings in the main square of Little Lamb Village. It struck the multipaned windows, causing random flashes of colour to play across the gigantic golden statue that stood right in the centre of the village's common area. Wolf brought his horse up abruptly at the sight. There had definately been no such statue when he had been here last. In fact, it graced the very place where his execution pyre had once been hastily erected. Wolf saw Virginia ride forward, craning her head to peer up at the thing. From his perspective at the rear, the edifice appeared to be a human, most definately a female one too. Was it one of Virginia then? His beloved mate would cringe at the thought, he knew, but as he watched her draw near enough to determine the statues features, she started to laugh awkwardly. Wolf thought he could hear a subtle irony in her voice. Intrigued, he forgot his earlier trepidations and rode forward to her side, seeing at once just who the statue was meant to be.
Sally Peep.
None other than that very flirtatious, incredibly spoiled birthday girl who had unintentionally got them all into so much trouble that day. The carving was a fairly good likeness, he saw, except for the fact it was several feet higher than it's original inspiration. It seemed to worked from clean stone and painted gold. She stood unmoving on her pedestal, holding her shepardesses crook in one hand and a small lamb tucked under the other arm. Her ringlets, sullen pout and heaving bosom were exactly as Wolf remembered them. Beside him, Virginia continued to snort and giggle in a mixture of genuine humour and sarcasm. Wolf's eyes were drawn to the gold plaque at the base of the monument.
Our Fair Shepardess Sally Peep
Who Gave Her Innocent Life
To Restore To Our Humble Village
The Magic Of The Wishing Well
"Huff Puff! You've got to be kidding" Wolf managed after a moment's perusal to make sure he had gotton the words right. Virginia looked sideways at him, but a shrug of her shoulders was all the answer she gave. Wolf felt that a simple shrug was probably the most sensible reaction. It was a mystery to him, but then, all too typical of how events could be manipulated by a community still so reliant on their being a 'happily ever after' reason for everything. The fact that Sally Peep had only inadvertently restored the wishing well water by way of her petulant destruction of her family's secret stash had obviously been conviently overlooked. But then, maybe only Sally herself knew the truth of events. Her and Wilfred Peep, of course. Wolf wondered what had happened to the old man. He had disappeared into the middle of the angry mob last time Wolf had seen him. When they had left later that day there had been no sign of what the villagers had done to him. Wolf gazed up at the structure once more, suppressing a shudder as he recalled how closely dear little Sally had come to being killed by himself. He had wanted her, surely, but when he had come upon her that afternoon she was already dead. Just bad luck that a group of Peep boys had seen him nosing around the body. But he wouldn't have eaten her, oh no, not even a nibble, because wolfies only eat what they kill themselves. The thought was reassuring to Wolf right now as he scanned the area for any lynch mob that might be assembling itself. Virginia clucked through her teeth at him.
"Come on Wolf, just relax a little. No one's going to try anything. They probably won't even remember us"
"Oh sure! Easy for you to say!" he retorted, a little more sharply than he had intended. Virginia just raised her eyebrows at him before dismounting, leading the mare over to the hitching rail in front of the Baa Bar Inn across the square. Will and Elias followed her lead, but Wolf still lingered back to snuff and scan the shadows. Satisfied that at least the immediate area was safe, he caught up with the others as they unpacked their baggage from the horses. An old ostler came forward to lead the four tired steeds away, his eyes running appreciatively over their fine breeding. No country hacks these, but only the best from the King's own stables. Wolf rubbed at his aching back and tail, sure that his own cranky mount had deliberately found every bump and overhanging branch on the whole trail. But he took care to tuck his tail out of sight as he dismounted. No sense in being deliberately provocative in this village. Will went forward to relieve Virginia of her bags as she climbed the few steps to the front door. Pushing it wide, a friendly yellow lamplight spilled out and the tantalising aroma of meat reached Wolf's nostrils. Forgetting his earlier caution he bounded up the steps to follow Virginia in on her heels.
"Oh my! It's the Lady Virginia!" gasped a feminine voice from across the bar. Wolf turned to see the manageress Barbara Peep making her way across the now silent common room. Every pair of eyes was fixed on the four travellers. A trickle of sweat ran down Wolf's back and he felt his canines start to come down of their own accord. He closed his eyes and waited.
"HOORAY! Welcome, welcome! Come in, sit down! Look everyone, it's the Heroes Of The Realm!" shouted Mrs Peep in unison with the rest of the crowd. A great human ruckus ensued, with all manner of compliments shouted their way.
"Perfectly wonderful for you to visit us"
"You put our little town on the map, you did"
"We've made your song our very own village anthem, Lady Virginia!"
Wolf could scarcely believe his ears. Virginia had turned a bright red, he could see, but she was laughing as well. Elias hung back, but he too was smiling in that guarded way of his, whilst Will had already moved into the common room proper to grab up a huge plate of meat and a beer. Wolf willed his hackles down and his teeth to return to their hiding places. He could sense no duplicity in the room, but then most of the attention was on Virginia. The villagers eyes were vacant as they looked upon him, seeing him but not seeing him. Wolf decided that that would be just fine with him. He wondered if the townsfolk were embarrassed by their treatment of him. Or maybe they saw in him an opportunity lost, a wolf who got away. He supposed that he might never know. Wolf felt a sudden concern for Will. The Little Lamb folk might tolerate him because of his status and influence, but Will had no such protection here. He picked his brother out of the room, seeing that he had ensconced himself within a small group who looked like they were comprised mostly of fellow travellers. Will spoke easily enough, and his little audience seemed rapt, but Wolf could tell from his stance that he remained on guard. Good. His brother was well travelled and experienced with human folk after all, Wolf counselled himself. But he hoped they would be well clear of this place before nightfall on the morrow when the full moon would rise.
Wolf looked again for Virginia and saw Mrs Peep escorting her up the stairs with a man carrying the group's baggage. He left Elias standing in the lobby as he bounded after her. Barbara Peep was showing Virginia into what was obviously the best room.
"Here you go then, my Lady. It's a humble room for such important guests as yourselves..." she said solicitously.
"It's fine, thankyou. Better than the barn we stayed in on our first visit" Virginia answered. Mrs Peep turned bright red in seeming embarrassment at the idea of national heroes sleeping in barns.
"Ah yes, well, my good sister, she's opened that place right up. Get's plenty of tourists come to see it, she does"
"I see" said Virginia with an unreadable expression on her face. Mrs Peep fussed around for a bit longer before declaring that she would send up to the room a vast array of the town's best food and drink. Wolf stepped aside to hold the door open for her, forcing the woman to walk under his outstretched arm.
"And plenty of meat, good woman. I'm ravenous" he whispered as she passed by him, unable to control his desire to provoke a response, any response, from the manageress. Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly as she nodded, but then that curious blank expression that he had seen on the folk downstairs returned to her face. Wolf thudded the door closed as her feet clattered away down the stairs. Virginia made an odd choking sound and Wolf saw that she was trying unsuccessfully not to burst out laughing.
"Oh Wolf, you're just priceless! I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing when this is so weird for you..." she said between stifled gasps. "So, do you think we'll have to pay to get in and see our very own tourist attraction?" she continued, lying back on the four poster bed and wiping at her damp face with a corner of the sheeting. Wolf left the door to straddle her small form on the bed.
"You want to go there, to that barn?"
"Oh yes, tonight" she answered with a look on her face that left no doubt in Wolf's mind what would transpire there. Later, after they had gorged on the sumptuous platter sent up from the kitchen, Wolf followed Virginia out the back door and into the night. They tiptoed across the field to the barn door, passing the none too subtle sign with 'Come And See Where The Heroes Slept. 2 Silver Wendells each" painted on it. Faint moonlight came in the upper window, just like it had done all those months ago. Wolf shivered as he caught sight of the post where Virginia had tied him up that morning, when he had been so close, so close...
"Something wrong, Wolf?" Virginia said from behind him. He turned to see her standing bathed by the moonlight. She wore a simple garland of flowers bound about her brow, and nothing else. Wolf struggled a moment to control his reaction to her, but gave up.
"Virginia" he breathed finally. "Will you, do a thing for me?"
"What's that then?"
"Tie me up?"
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Wendell dropped his fork with a rattle on the fine china. His dining companions, Tony and the half-wolf woman Elsie, were deep in conversation about the doings of Caelum that day. That same cub, none the worse for wear after his nightime escapade, was stretched out in front of the fire, a knobbly end of a roasted lamb leg clutched in one hand. Tony interupted his ramblings to stare at him curiously.
"What's up, Wendell?" he asked with the familiarity that he was known for. Wendell supposed that his friends seeming lack of 'respect' was due to the fact he had been born and raised in a King-less land. Wendell couldn't quite concieve of any land not having a King or Queen to rule it. How would they ever get anything done? He toyed with his food a bit before answering.
"I'm worried about Virginia"
"Well, I am too. She shouldn't be off gallivanting so soon". Wendell saw the hidden pain on Tony's face when he spoke, and he realised that Virginia had told her father even less than what hints she had dropped for himself.
"I think something's happened to her"
"What do you mean? Have you had word or something?" said Tony, half rising from his seat. Wendell held out a placating hand.
"No, no, nothing like that. They'd still be in the my Kingdom. Nothing will happen to them. What I meant was, something has happened to her. She's different and I don't like it"
"You mean like she's under some spell or something?". Wendell almost smiled at Tony's response. He had been living here long enough if magic was the first thing he thought of now.
"It's to do with that Elias creature"
"Elias? He's just a man, from America of all places. What would he have to do with it?". Wendell stared blankly at Tony, unsure of what he meant? Hadn't anyone sat down with Tony and put all the pieces together?
"Tony, answer me truthfully. What do you think happened to Virginia that night?"
"Well, I...ah, well, something, no, some wolf attacked her. I know it wasn't Wolf, but..."
"But what? Have you never asked her?"
"Well, no. She was too sick, I was too worried. At the time, all we could concentrate on was keeping her alive..."
"I know, I know, but, I think the man Elias did it. Wolf told me as much, except when he spoke of Elias, he was not speaking of a man, but a monster. A huge wolf like beast". Wendell watched Tony's face as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place. He could only hope that Virginia's father could understand the solution better than he could. Beside him, Elsie stirred uncomfortably. Wendell fixed her with an icy stare.
'You know something!" he said, gripping her forearm hard. The she-wolf squirmed, but before she could answer, Tony blurted out a strange word.
"Werewolf. Oh my God, he's a werewolf"
"A what?"
"A werewolf. Lycan-something, they call it. Just a legend, a myth in my world. How can it be?"
"Legends are always based in truth, Tony. Surely you've realised this by now"
"Oh no, oh no..." Tony's face had gone ashen. "Virginia. She was touched by a werewolf. Oh, no..."
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The following morning dawned with grey skies and vast heavy clouds which dripped their loads down the sides of the inn. Virginia lay back under the covers, watching the rivulets of water trail across the window glass. She snuggled deeper into the blankets, feeling the cool air despite the fact that at least half of her was draped by Wolf, still sleeping. She fingered the faint rope burns on his wrists with a smile. Well, he had asked for it, after all. Afterwards they had slept a little in a pile of hay, but Virginia had woken them to return to the inn well before dawn. The last thing she wanted was to wake up in the morning to dozens of paying tourists getting more than their moneys worth. It made her wonder what other areas of the Kingdoms had become 'must see' attractions. The cellar in the Snow White Prison, the auction room in Kissingtown, the cave on the side of Dragon Mountain. Industrious Kingdom folk were no doubt cashing in on many aspects of the story. She yawned and stretched, thinking about how to go about the next step in the journey. She needed to go down the Well, that much was clear. But the how, when and what exactly was at the bottom of said well were still things that needed to be figured out.
Virginia realised at once that her going down the village Well might not be favourably received by the townsfolk. Even if she pulled enough 'rank' on them, she'd still end up with half the village following her just to see what she was up to. So, secrecy was needed, and that meant under the cover of night would be the only option. Virginia hated to waste a whole day waiting for nightfall, but she didn't see any other way four people could access the well without being noticed. So, they'd need a rope or two, at least, except that Virginia didn't know how deep the well was, nor how much water was at the bottom. She didn't quite fancy having to swim any distance, and who knew how far they would have to travel? Travel to where, and whom? Virginia was assailed by a sudden raft of doubts. Surely it was a foolish mission to just jump into the unknown. What if Hera had laid a cunning trap at the bottom of the well? What was in it for the old witch anyway? Virginia didn't know why she was suddenly so trusting. Was her desperation to somehow return to normal so strong that she would follow anyone's suggestions? Maybe she should have gone straight to Snow White's icy tomb and begged her for aid.
The subtle increase of breaths on her cheek signalled that Wolf was awake, and sure enough when she turned her head, there were his green eyes boring into her own. He smiled at her, letting his fangs descend for a moment to graze her shoulder tip.
"It's the full moon tonight. Are you scared you'll change?"
"No, not really. Elias described the sort of things I'll be feeling in the days leading up to it and I've got no symptoms that I can tell. So, we've got only two weeks now"
"We should plan ahead well before then, to get you to safety if we haven't found what we're looking for by then"
"You mean, lock me up in some cage and so make the Kingdoms safe from me" Virginia answered, caressing his cheek when she saw her words had hurt his feelings. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't take it out on you. And you're right to think like that Wolf. I couldn't bear it if I ever killed anyone, knowingly or not" she added as he wound his arms around her back to draw her on top of him.
"You won't, you won't, I promise. Now, what is the plan for today?"
"I have to go down the Well. Tonight would be best, because I don't think the villagers will be too happy when they find out. But I'd like to find out how deep it goes and how much water's at the bottom. I don't want us all drowning"
"We'll ask about. Surely someone has measured the depth of it at some time" Wolf replied matter-of-factly. Virginia kissed him deeply, glad that his ever practical mind had come up with a probable solution to at least one dilemma. She raised herself up on her arms to slide out of the bed, but he grabbed at her again to nuzzle along her neckline with little nibbles. Wolf held a close a moment before letting her go finally, which suprised Virginia, given that he was well and truly ready for her. He smiled slyly from the bed as she turned to scoop up clothing from where they had tossed it last night.
"So, it's the full moon tonight and we'll be spending it most likely stuck in waist deep cold water, with my brother and Elias for company and probably getting laughed at by a bunch of overpaid fairies" he said, winking at her. Virginia laughed for a while at the image his description had conjured up in her mind.
"Yep, sorry love. But you can't say that being with me is boring now, can you?" Virginia replied with an exaggerated shrug of her shoulders, pulling on trousers and boots.
"Ah no, never that beloved Virginia" he called after her as she closed their bedroom door. Downstairs, Will and Elias were already up and loading their plates with breakfast. After selecting a delicious looking bowl of porridge, Virginia joined them at the long dining table. Will looked over her breakfast with typical half-wolf dismissiveness.
"Ha! Porridge.Yuck! Call yourself a wolf do you?"
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The rest of the day in Little Lamb Village passed by peacefully enough for Virginia's liking. Wolf spent most of the afternoon inside their room at the inn. Virginia knew he was still uneasy about the villagers' reaction (or lack of) to his being there. Virginia had also found their empty stares strange at first and she sympathised with Wolf. It would be unnerving to watch other's gazes slide over you like you weren't there. Besides, Wolf liked being the centre of attention in most instances, so his male ego would be feeling a little deflated. But Virginia guessed that Wolf would indeed have been the topic of most discussions last night and today, albeit the secret and whispery type of talk.
Of course there was another reason that Wolf had wisely chosen to remain out of sight. It was full moon night tonight, just as it had been when they had first come to this town all those months ago. Wolf didn't typically react as violently as he had that day, Virginia knew. That first time out of his prison cell, with the initial rejection of his advances to Virginia, coupled with the influence of the Evil Queen had produced a rather manic transformation. Virginia had not seen anything remotely like it since then, but, it was better to be cautious. They were after all surrounded by endless wolfy temptations. Virginia wondered how Will would behave as the day drew on. He'd been sweating and fidgety at breakfast and had disappeared shortly afterwards. Virginia crossed her fingers that he wouldn't cause any trouble. She didn't fancy having to try and convince another sheep jury.
Feeling bored and fidgety herself, Virginia went for a walk through the village's streets. The cobblestones were clean and the town appeared well cared for, but Virginia noticed that many of the shops that had once belonged solely to Peep families now contained other families and their businesses. They all did a brisk trade, although much of the produce was of a lesser standard than Virginia had remembered, though still quite acceptable. Apparently the sharing of the magic waters of the well meant that it's influence was less, which worried Virginia for a while as she meandered through the lanes and alleys. Eventually her steps led her to the town square where the Well stood, proudly repainted with a new roof. A small crowd of admirers and the curious stood looking on as the Village Idiot recounted the story of the stolen waters.
"And then, ladies and gentlemen, our Good Shepardess Sally, she saw the error of her Family's ways and took it upon herself to return the waters to the Well, though she did pay the most grievous price, being murdered by her own Grandfather Wilfred Peep" the Idiot said in his high pitched sing song voice as the audience oohed and aahed. Standing at the back, Virginia was sorely tempted to call out "And what happened then? Who did you nearly murder on behalf of your precious Sally?" but she held her tongue with effort. She wanted no trouble, no further attention than she had already received. Besides, something told her that she really didn't want to know what the Little Lambers thought about their thwarted execution. Virginia waited until the tourists had thrown their coins and departed before approaching the well herself. The Idiot gaped at her with no sign of recognition whatsoever.
"Ello Miss, want to 'ear the story of our Well then?"
"No, thank you. I know what happened that day"
"Ahh. Care to make a wish then?"
"Not today thankyou, but, would you happen to know how deep the Well is?"
"Ah well, it's as deep as it needs to be" the Idiot replied as if Virginia were the stupid one. Virginia stared into his muddled face, but no further information seemed to be forthcoming. She sighed and leant over the low wall to peer down into the depths. Far below, the gleam of rippling water caught her eye. It seemed to roil and bubble as she watched, almost as if it were trying to creep up the sides to reach her. Come to us. That voice again. It made Virginia shiver in spite of it's soft musical tones. What must she be thinking, to jump blindly down into the depths like that? Do not think, become. That voice was one she knew. Snow White was down the Well? Virginia leaned right over as far as she could, straining her eyes to see.
"Why?" she called out, and her voice echoed of the stone walls. A small tear escaped the corner of her eye to trickle down her nose. It hung suspended for a millisecond before it fell. Virginia watched as it plinked into the waters below. Instantly, the water changed, becoming a huge mass of colours swirling before her eyes. Great sparkling lights lifted from the surface, travelling upwards. They struck Virginia's face, hands, breasts and belly as she leant forward over the rim. She felt a great warmth and rush of love enfold her. It was so intense that she didn't even scream as she fell.