Circle Of Sisters
17. Upland, Underland
Virginia straightened her back somewhat as she walked along. Ahead, the outline of Clayface the goblin led the way forward. Behind, Wolf's eyes bored into her. She didn't have to turn around to know she had his full and complete attention. She half fancied she could feel two spots of warmth on her shoulders where his stare tried to penetrate her, body and soul. Some hours, she guessed, had passed since their arguement, but after Wolf's revelation that time seemed to be passing at an accelerated rate down here, Virginia could not be sure. Maybe it had been days. It certainly seemed like an eternity. She longed suddenly for the sun, gripped momentarily with a panic that she would never see the light of day again. The voice who had been her companion had been silent for some time now. Virginia feared from time to time that she was walking into some elaborate trap, leading them all to an unpleasant end. Wolf had every reason to be angry with her, she thought unhappily as they trudged on through the earth. Under their feet, the path ran smooth and straight, the way still lit by the glowing fungus. There had been no sign nor sound of any other living creature. Clayface had told her that this was the 'kingdom' of the goblins, but it was a mystery to Virginia why they had yet to meet another. As if reading her thoughts, Clayface dropped back a little to walk beside her.
"Vast this place is, Miss Virginia. And old too. The uplanders like to think that they were the first to organise themselves into Kingdoms, but we goblins were here long before they"
"What about the Dwarves?"
"Oh, much later they began to delve the earth and cut the stone to build their underground cities. We have a good relationship with the dwarven folk. They stay within their mountains and stone ways, intent only on their secret crafts and rituals. We goblins stay within the good earth herself. Very little do we disturb Her process. Not like the dwarves, who tap and quarry and build. It's wonder that their whole Dragon Mountain still stands, so much have they mined out of it! But they are the master stone workers in the Kingdoms"
"And mirror makers too" Virginia commented, hoping for a tidbit of information about the mirrors that the lady had told her were ahead. She sensed the others listening to their conversation avidly.
"Ah yes, but they are relatively new to that endeavour"
"They are? But some of the mirrors I have heard about date back hundreds of years..."
"Oh yes. But the true mirrors of the world, they are far far older, and not created by mere mortal hands either. Rarely seen and talked about even less, but they are there still, Virginia" the goblin replied, looking back over his shoulder as if unsure how much to say in front of Wolf and the others. Virginia resisted the urge to follow his gaze. She didn't want to know what lay behind Wolf's eyes right now. Nor Elias' for that matter. Her werewolf maker had stared avidly at her when they had been reunited, risking Wolf's displeasure to do so but unable to hide it. Virginia had been suprised that Wolf had let it slide. Regardless of how angry he might be with her, she was sure that he still considered himself her mate in that particular male way he had which meant (in his mind anyway) having to deter other possible suitors. He lingered behind them now, whereas before he would have gone out of his way to place himself between her and Elias. Virginia felt yet another thrill of fear that she had wounded their relationship so deeply with her deception that he was truly considering leaving her. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the absurdity of that thought. He'd suffered far greater rejection and hurt at her hands, back when their romance was still very one sided and she had hurled his every effort back in his face. He hadn't given up on her then, she tried to reassure herself. But it was a terrible thing to realise that she had unconciously taken advantage of his 'undying devotion' to her.
Virginia drew her cloak close about her as the goblin stopped for a moment to change their course by taking them off the main tunnel and into the entrance of a smaller one that forked off to the left. She heard Will talk softly to Wolf in their native language and craned her neck slightly so she could look at them out of the corner of her eye. Even though he was quite a bit smaller and lighter than Wolf, Virginia had learned enough about body language to percieve that it was the older brother who was now the leader of the trio. Even Elias seemed to defer to him. Virginia was stunned, to say the least, and looked carefully at the three men. Something had happened between them, definately. Wolf, once the alpha through weight, size and dominance of will, was now clearly subservient. But only to Will did this extend, she realised. With Elias he still bristled, only now it seemed he could do nothing about it without his brother's assent. Wolf's eyes were baleful and downcast as he conversed with Will. Beside her, Clayface shifted from foot to foot. Taking her attention off posturing wolf's, Virginia looked at the goblin, who looked ill at ease.
"Are you alright Clayface? Is something wrong?" she asked quietly. The goblin's pale teeth showed clearly in the darkness.
"Yes, Miss Virginia. It's just, we're so close now..." he leaned in to whisper in her ear "to the first mirror. My Lady spoke of this to you, yes?"
"She did. Something about two to pass through...I think" Virginia whispered back, although the sharp hearing of the wolf's probably made it a useless exercise. Clayface hopped up and down in nervous agitation. He looked at her as if trying to prompt her to recall what else the 'Lady' had said. "Only me. That's what she said. Only I can pass through" Virginia continued, faltering. Behind her she heard Wolf hiss quietly in the gloom, but she couldn't determine whether it was in anger, fear or doubt. Likely all three. Clayface tugged at her sleeve.
"It's true. This is, a female, place. No male, of any species, can come here. It is forbidden"
"Forbidden" Virginia repeated, peering down the tunnel. It certainly didn't look any different than any other they had passed through. Virginia couldn't think of any real reason that Clayface would try and deceive them about it. She sighed loudly, feeling a rising tension in the group. This wasn't going to be easy. This way, child, come. Virginia nodded at the invisible voice only she could hear. She felt strong, adventurous, confident. This was the right way. She turned back to Wolf and the others who were waiting.
"I have to go on, alone" she spoke, hoping her voice sounded decisive. One by one she watched their reactions. Will, as she had guessed, simply shrugged his shoulders, smiling broadly at her to let her know without words that she had his full support. Virginia smiled back at him in gratitude, wondering where he had gotten his easy going and placid nature from when his younger brother seemed to lack it so vividly at times. Elias, hanging back in the shadows, let his own expression give his thoughts away. He looked stricken, just like a lover would look if the object of his ardour had declared the love over between them. Virginia resolutely avoided his beseeching stare. It made her intensely uncomfortable and she wished that Wolf would break out of whatever black mood he was in and protect her from it. But Wolf had turned his back. Clayface broke the sudden silence.
"I'll take the others upground, Miss Virginia. We can follow your progress over land and meet you" he said. "But we won't arrive at the same time I'll wager. Time passes differently down here, as you may have guessed. But you'll be safe. None will hinder your way. The Goddess has opened the path for you herself" he continued, his eyes gleaming with reverence as he looked at her. Virginia's heart suddenly lurched in her chest. The Goddess? This "Lady", the one who had been her unseen companion and who Virginia had come to find slightly annoying at times, she was a Goddess? The goblin nodded sagely as if guessing where her thoughts were going. Virginia felt sure her cheeks were burning with chagrin as she contemplated the new insight. She tightened her grip on the small pack on her back. Well, if a Goddess, no less, wished to meet her, then it wouldn't do to keep Her waiting. Clayface correctly interpreted her stance as agreement with his plan.
"Good then Miss Virginia. I'll lead the others back to you. Don't fear for them" he said, taking a few steps away back up the wider passage. Will immediately came forward to embrace Virginia in a tight hug and she found herself hugging him back hard, glad beyond words that he was there to keep Wolf in check and hopefully out of trouble.
"Take care, sister" he whispered in her ear, his brown eyes sparkling with warmth. He stepped back and gathered his small bag of supplies, before grabbing a firm hold of Elias' arm to usher him away. The werewolf opened his mouth as if to protest but then seemed to decide against it. He managed to ogle Virginia long and hard before Will got him out of view. Virginia made a silent resolve to plead or beg whatever cure the Lady might provide and bring it back to Elias, wherever they might meet again. She waited until their footsteps had faded away before she turned her attention back to Wolf. No less than a thousand and one ways of approaching this situation flew through her mind. Unable to decide what to do or say, she simply crossed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him from behind. She clung to his back, breathing deep of his wonderful wolf scent, feeling the coarse guard hairs on his back crest scratch her cheek through his shirt fabric. The muscles of his back rose in tension and his breath came quick.
"I've hurt you" she said simply. His hand enclosed hers, almost tight enough to bruise. Wolf shifted in her embrace, turning to face her. His face was in shadows, only the lambent green glow from his eyes visible, boring into her soul. "I didn't mean to..." she tried to continue.
"Hush" he spoke, bringing his mouth down upon hers with considerable force. Virginia felt herself being pushed backwards and down to the floor under the intensity of his kiss. Part of her thought it likely he would take her then and there. It would be so like him to want to seek assurances from her in that way, and Virginia knew that she would be as equally likely to let him do so. He melded the length of his body against her, but his hands stayed on either side of her face as he finally released her mouth from it's delightful prison. "Forgive me" he whispered.
"Forgive you? For what Wolf? You've done nothing wrong. I'm the one, who, deceived..."
"I showed my teeth to you. In real anger. I shouldn't have done it. I frightened you, don't deny it, Virginia"
"For a moment only though. I don't blame you. I was angry too. If I had teeth like yours, you would have seen them, absolutely!" Virginia continued. For a long moment she took in Wolf's expression, seeing that he was indeed as mortified by their arguement as she had been. She made her mouth curve in a tentative smile, probing for a similar response from Wolf. He hesitated only a second, his own lip curling in a rueful smile.
"What a pair we are" he said softly. Virginia nodded her agreement, with relief, and other sensations, flooding through her body. She took a hold of his hands, firmly guiding them to those parts of her that craved their touch, and Wolf needed no second invitation. Afterwards, Virginia lay for a long time in his embrace, wrapped up in his long coat and his arms. He breathed deeply against the back of her neck. Though it was painful to do so, she broke their connection, sitting up and pulling on her various scattered items of clothing.
"I have to go Wolf"
"Don't. Please. I don't know what's down there..."
"Nor I, exactly. But nothing bad, nothing evil"
"How can you be sure?"
"I just know, Wolf. Can you trust me enough to let me do this? This, Goddess, that dwells down here, she has been speaking to me, calling me here, ever since I became aware of what I was. It doesn't matter that Hera spoke the same. I don't claim to know what her motives were in telling me, but in all likelihood I'd have come here anyway"
"I want to come with you, and stuff the 'forbidden' routine" Wolf said, pouting obstinately.
"No. It's something I have to do myself. You've known this all along, in your heart, no matter how you try and deny it. It's, like, a quest, or a test or something. I don't know why. Why me, why you, why now? Who knows Wolf?" Virginia continued, rubbing at his ever present new beard growth. He still looked unhappy, but she could tell she was winning him over to the idea. "Anyway, aren't you the one always going on about destiny? How is it that when I've finally accepted that it's gonna mess with me again, you've gone against the whole idea, hmm?"
"I haven't gone against it" Wolf replied, looking about them as if trying to placate the spirits. "I just don't like what's happening to you. You've changed, and not just in the most obvious ways. All of a sudden I find myself almost unneeded as your protector and I don't know how to be anything different. It annoys the wolf in me no end to see you come so close to death and then to rise up so strong and decisive. I think my male ego was looking forward to a long period of weakness and recovery on your part. It's stupid, and unfair, I know, but that's what's happened"
"It's not stupid. It's just you. I know you well enough Wolf for this not to be such a suprise. But maybe that is what you'll have to learn from all this. And don't think for a minute that I still don't need you. You're much more to me than just a 'protector'. You're everything to me..." Virginia answered truthfully.
"I love you too"
"I know, but I have to do this. And when I'm done and we're back, happy in our home, I'll even let you boss me around. From time to time..."
"Really?"
"I promise" she replied, pulling him close to her for a final embrace. It was a long time before either of them could let go. Eventually Virginia extricated herself and stood, hauling Wolf to his feet. She could tell from the look on his face that he was still unnerved that she could manhandle him so easily now. A certain physical respect for her floated in his eyes now. And something else.
"I'm going now" she said, voicing her thoughts aloud. "Is there anything else you want to say before I go?" she continued, fishing for the secret so obvious in his stance. Wolf shuffed minutely before he stilled himself, shaking his head.
"No, beloved girl. Only that I love you. I'll be with you again. Soon" he responded, uncomfortable now. Virginia almost decided to get upset over his blatant omission, but discovered that she just didn't have the heart for it. Whatever it was, she didn't want to start another fight about it. No doubt it was to do with whatever had happened between him and Will. Half-wolf business, men's stuff. Wolf turned to go and follow the others, a small smile playing on his lips.
"See you soon" she whispered, alone now in the dark underground world. It was so still and silent Virginia could hear her own heartbeat thudding in a mixture of trepidation and elation. She shifted the small pack on her back, knowing that Clayface had stuffed it full of the goblin travelling food and drink. It made her wonder how long she'd be wandering down here alone. But it was reassuring in a way, that she would be alone should the new moon rising catch up with her. At least her monster-self, should it come to pass, would be able to run loose down here. No danger to Wolf, or anyone else she loved. She felt a pang in her body as she visualised her baby son, far away in a castle, waiting for her to return to him. Yes, she owed it to Caelum to try and rid herself of the werewolf's touch, she thought, firming her resolve in her mind. Hoisting the pack, she turned to face the passage that Clayface had indicated. It looked no different from any other, but she could not deny the strange pulling sensation, drawing her feet forward. The warm spicy scent of roses wafted down the tunnel and Virginia smiled in gratitude, guessing correctly that she who loved roses more than any other had perhaps sent it to ease the way ahead.
"Thank you, Snow" she breathed aloud, taking her first steps, away from the comfort and security of Wolf and everything he represented. From a small corner of her mind, she sensed a quiet approval.
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Elias could not deny that the fresh air and sudden sunlight on his face went some way towards easing his inner pain at being separated from Virginia. Almost. He tried to focus on his immediate surroundings, even though most of his attention tried to pull him, down, into the earth below his feet, where Virginia wandered alone. The bond between them, the one that Elias felt so strongly and Virginia did her best to ignore, was pulled as tight as a bowstring. Yet it would never break, no matter the distance between them, Elias knew that now. And Virginia could not ignore it forever, surely. One day, sometime in the future, she would look upon him with acknowledgement of it. She would turn to him for the love and understanding that only he, as another werewolf, could provide. Elias knew his heart to be a traitorous thing.
Beside him, the half-wolf Willem sat crouched, patiently waiting for Wolf to catch them up. They had followed the goblin creature for several more miles under the ground, before a faint light had become apparent. There had been some tricky moments as the goblin had squeezed himself effortlessly through a small culvert, his green hand gesturing for them to follow. Will had gone first, his small frame sliding through easily enough, but Elias had had a number of near panicking moments as he tried to force his much larger body through the opening. Just as he was about to give up and try and go back, two sets of hands had appeared to haul him throught the last few feet. Elias had emerged, covered in mud and slime, like a cork from a bottle. It had taken him quite a few minutes of heavy breathing to settle himself afterwards. The goblin had grinned knowingly at him.
"We goblins call these openings 'grisn', which you humans might call a 'birth canal', yes?". Elias had found himself agreeing with the description. It had been like being born, all over again. The fresh air and bright light had assaulted his senses after so long in the dark. It was late afternoon, and cooling. After his eyes had adjusted to the light, Elias saw that they had come out into forested lands. The trees were well spaced, with plenty of sunlight dappling the grass, so it was nothing like the disenchanted forest that Elias had come to know well. It seemed an orderly, quiet place, almost like a...
"Royal Estate" said Will, looking furtive all of a sudden.
"King Wendell's Estate?" asked Elias. Will looked him up and down strangely, then shaking his head.
"Ah, no. 'Fraid not. Unless I'm very mistaken, this is a part of Red Riding Hood Forest". Elias rubbed at his aching back, trying to remember the maps he had glimpsed of the layout of the Kingdoms. Hadn't he seen this forest marked somewhere quite a way from Wendell's palace? A splashing sound distracted him and he turned to see Clayface dunking himself in a small pond which pooled very close to where they had come out. The goblin was nodding earnestly at both of them.
'Yes, yes, very good master half-wolf. This is the Second Kingdom. Not far from the border, but this is indeed the southernmost reach of that forest" he said, blowing bubbles under the water as he paddled about. Beside him, Will huffed and continued to nod quietly to himself.
"I thought as much. I've travelled this land many times, but in the north for the most part, where live most of my kindred" he said, before leaning in to speak in Elias' ear. "Few wolf's would dare to venture down this far. These are the Riding Hood's lands and forests. We shall need to take care here, Elias" he continued. Elias nodded his agreement, filing this important information away. Knowing that half-wolfs were not welcome here could prove to be a useful thing to know. He did his best to look concerned.
"The Riding Hoods? As in Little Red of the fairy tale?"
"Yes, that's them. Well, the original little girl is long since departed, but in her adulthood she did go on to become a great queen, by human standards anyway. She and Gretel the Great founded this Kingdom and now their descendants sit upon the dual thrones. Some say that the two families are not as close as they once were. They have never warred against each other, no, but rumours and gossip always travel the paths of this land"
"And wolf's are not welcome here?"
"Not here, certainly. We're within a days ride of Hooded Castle. Further south, in Gretel's lands, we are more tolerated, but even there wolfies must watch their steps"
"Weren't you and Wolf born and raised here?"
"We certainly were. This Kingdom had always been the traditional homeland of all wolven races. It was here that the first pairings of humans and wolves were formed, leading to our half-wolf peoples. This forest stretches the whole length of the Kingdom from east to west, and if you were to travel through the breadth of it, you would come out eventually into the far northern reaches. It's a great expanse of woods, moors, fields and valleys. A hard land, but wolf's have always thrived there"
"But this forest effectively cuts your people off from the rest of the Kingdoms then" Elias surmised, trying to picture in his mind the lie of the land.
"Yes, but only if a wolf allows it to be so" replied Will, looking as sly as any wolf might. "After the childhood drama's of Little Red, she made it her life's work to tame this land. Humans flocked to her and built great cities and towns all through the woods, clearing and felling as they went. Nowadays, most of Hooded Forest is just like this. Nice, tame, orderly. And yet the humans wonder why their forests no longer support wild game for their hunting sprees, and so every year they encroach further and further into the wolfen territories, clearing the land for their farms and cattle"
"There must be a great deal of conflict in those parts"
"On occasion, but it's usually small scale. Lynch mobs, burnings, cattle theiving, sheep poaching. Especially in winter, when all feel the pinch"
"I would hardly equate being burnt at the stake with sheep poaching" Elias said, raising his eyebrows at Will's description of 'small scale' reprisals. Will's face clouded over and Elias immediately regretted his words, recalling too late the manner of Will's parents' deaths. "I'm sorry" he murmered into the sudden silence. Will nodded brusquely, but turned his back to peer back down the grisn. Nearby, the goblin had finished his bath and was now studiously applying slick brown mud to the back of his neck and his ears.
"Sunscreen" he said in response to Elias' silent query. "We goblins have sensitive skin you know". Elias looked down at his own mud streaked clothing. It would be good to bathe away the dirt, but he was unsure of how cold it would get with nightfall coming on. He picked absently at the bits of mud that had dried on his hands. Beside him, Will was down on his haunches, listening intently down the hole in the ground.
"My brother comes" he said after a good few minutes. Elias tried to keep the elation out of his expression. He had been hoping Virginia would turn her lupine lover away, and he knew what a blow that would be to Wolf. Elias had heard every word of their earlier arguement. He knew that Virginia was gaining more and more independance and personal strength and he also knew that it was his werewolf touch that had been responsible. It was just like what had happened to he himself, all those years ago in the French countryside. Mental and physical strength, decisiveness, concentration and dominance over others. All these, and many more, now flowed through Virginia, gifts, tools to be used. Elias had embraced them, and they had taken him from a reserved, somewhat timid young man, to a brilliant, even ruthless businessman. He had made his fortune within five years. He had enjoyed his success, revelling in his ability to control and influence people without their being aware of it. So why try and cast that away, Elias? his subconcious mind whispered to him. Elias was dismayed to find that he had no answer now. It had all seemed like a good idea at the time. Just a wave of the magic wand, and hey presto! Of course none of it had worked out as they had planned it, and ever since that fateful day, Elias had had to come to terms with the knowledge that he was not at all displeased with what had happened. Of course, at first he had been shocked, horrifed even. He had recoiled from Wolf and his tidings like he had carried the plague. But, deep within Hera's swampy tomb, he had come to realise he had been given an opportunity like no other. His own mate, a beautiful woman with unique gifts just like his own. Together they could run the length and breadth of this fairytale world, and none would stand before them...
"...hoy there Elias! Stop daydreaming, man, come give us a hand here!". It was Will, of course, lying flat on the earth, his arm reaching back into the hole. From under the ground came a long string of wolfish curses. Elias sighed deeply, masking his irritation as he went forward. He brushed aside the small goblin and reached down to grasp the other of Wolf's hands that protruded from the grisn. It took much grunting heaving and cursing before they managed to free the big half-wolf from his earthy prison. Elias stepped back as Wolf popped out with sudden rush of mud and water. Wolf lay gasping like a hooked fish and Elias felt carefully of his wounded shoulder, sure that he had opened the axe wound again with all the effort. Under his fingers it felt closed still, though a warm trickle of blood seeped out from under the scabs. He flexed his shoulder experimentally, happy that he still seemed to have nearly full movement in it. Elias knew that he was still in a physically vulnerable state, in comparison to the ever angry Wolf who still looked like he wanted to murder him. Elias cast down his pride filled eyes, not wanting to provoke the half-wolf. Even though Will had in essence taken over the alpha position, limiting Wolf's behaviour somewhat, Elias did not fool himself into thinking that Wolf would not pass up an opportunity to do him harm if one presented itself. He would have to be very, very careful over the next few days. His one time 'brother' hated him now with a passion, and Elias knew all about what that felt like.