Circle Of Sisters

23. The Circle

They had been climbing steadily for the past couple of hours, Wolf guessed. His legs and back ached, but he wanted to reach their destination before he allowed them a rest. Behind him trailed the goblin Clayface, followed by Will, with Elias bringing up the rear. The cub Alice still clung gamely to Wolf's back, but he could feel her exhaustion all the same. Her eyes had been glazed on the few times he had set her down as they had scrambled over rough boulders. Wolf felt sorry for her, but he knew he couldn't spend the time to coddle her right now. He stopped to catch his breath on a large stone that had tumbled down from the heights in distant times. From his vantage, he judged that they were now well out of range of any of the Red soldiers who might want to follow them. It was now very late in the night, and the thin crescent of moon had already set. It was dark and dangerous to try and climb up to the Coven Lake and no humans would try it till at least daylight. If they bothered at all. Maybe they had taken more of a thrashing from the gypsies than they had planned on. Or maybe the gypsies, desperate to create a diversion, had sold them out to the soldiers. Yes, two wolves and a cub. They're the ones you're after. They went this way. Wolf just didn't know, so he kept them moving. At least if they made the top of the range, there were many places about the Lake that could shelter them.

Wolf hopped down from his perch. Will, crouched on his haunches, stared at him balefully. He looked sick, thought Wolf, biting back the sudden fear. Will had bound up the wound after Wolf had pulled forth the nasty quarrel. Wolf had sniffed carefully at the arrow tip, sensing a faint noxious presence which might have indicated poison, but he wasn't sure. Now, looking at his brother, he was sure. His resolve firmed. All the more reason to get to the Lake. His brother needed time and space to shake off the poison, and the waters of the Lake were said by many to be healing, were they not?

"Come, get up" he said with more sharpness than he intended. "It's only a few more miles to the Lake". Will looked like he was going to make one his sardonic replies, but he just struggled to his feet instead. Clayface went to take his arm, and Elias came up to his other side. It said much about the sickness that his brother meekly accepted their help, thought Wolf. Alice stared at her father dully as Wolf scooped her up to his broad shoulders again. He turned and led the way forward.

Pale pink streaks lined the eastern sky as their tortuous climb finally ended. The Coven Lake lay exactly as Wolf remembered it, but he was almost too tired to admire the view. She lay as still as any mill pond, despite her size. Longer than she was wider, she stretched out along the steep sides of high peaks on three sides. Though he had never done so, Wolf knew that if you climbed those peaks you could look out over the narrow ocean strait to the 6th Kingdom as it slumbered it's 100 year curse away. The fourth boundary, where Wolf and his companions stood, was a narrow shore, broken up in places by huge boulders the size of houses. Stands of dark forest edged right down to the water in places. To his left, the Lake emptied onto the lowlands via a series of waterfalls, marking the start of the Ruby River as it wound it's way through the 2nd Kingdom and thus onwards to all the other Kingdoms. The vast snow capped peaks melted but once a year and they ran down the sides to replenish the Coven Lake. It got very cold at this altitude, but she never froze over and she never stopped flowing her life into the Kingdoms. Wolf had come here once before, years and years ago, and it was as silent a place now as it had been then. No folk dwelt along the shores of the Lake, and Wolf guessed that probably even half of the total population of the Kingdoms didn't even know she existed.

Tired as he was, Wolf still bent his head a moment in deference to the Lake and he sensed from behind him that the others were also captivated by the beauty of the place. He shook out his cramped legs as he scouted the shore line for some likely spot where they could shelter for the day. But he was also looking for Virginia, he had to admit. The need to see her once more was almost so strong that his overtired mind conjured her there, standing on the very lip of the water, arms outstretched to meet him...He coughed and blinked and she was gone. Nor was there any obvious sign that she had been there. Wolf scratched at his temple, but decided to be worried about it later.

Not far along from where they had made their stumbling entrance was a pile of broken boulders and old logs. The small party made their way there without even concious consultation. Wolf helped his brother to a comfortable spot, dragging old branches for him to sit on. Elias stood by, still fidgety despite the long climb.

"Will you get wood?" Wolf asked him, grateful for the moment that someone in the group still had energy to spend. Elias nodded and stepped out in the direction of a stand of trees. Wolf placed the cub down next to her father whilst he rummaged around in his pack for his flint to be ready for the firewood. When Elias returned, he went down to fetch water, which Wolf heated in his small kettle.

"Give me your hand" he said to Will, but his brother held it close, tucked under his other arm.

"It's 'salright, Wolf"

"It's not, and you know it. Now, hand it over". Wolf unwound the blood soaked bandage from the reluctantly proffered hand. The wound itself looked clean enough, with no ragged edges or copious bleeding. But the skin around it was a dark purple colour which was tracking outwards, following the veins under the skin. Will stared at it calmly.

"It's done for. Cut it off"

"No"

"Then give me the knife. I'll do it myself"

"Huff puff no. Don't be foolish. Cutting it off is a last resort. There are many things we can try before that!"

"If you say so, little brother..."

"I do say so!" Wolf responded, though in truth he had very little idea about what to do about it. He supposed Will knew that too. Maybe the goblin? Clayface spoke before he could ask.

"I can make a few things that might help, slow it down at least"

"A tight tension bandage will help too" added Elias, putting more wood to the fire. The flames crackled merrily but did nothing to alleviate Wolf's inner chill. But he nodded at the man. Clayface jumped up and went down to the water's edge. With his green fingers he fished around in the silt, gathering some of it together. Small wriggling things moved in the mud as he applied it to the hole in Will's hand. Wolf didn't like the look of it much, but at least somebody was doing something. He wished they were in the lands of his people, where many remedies were known for such things. Will's own half-wolf metabolism would help somewhat, he knew, in just the same way that Wolf had once survived the poison laced meat given him in the 10th Kingdom. Willem had sunk down to lay prone on the ground, his body racked with chills and fevers already. His daughter-cub Alice sat mute next to him. Poor cub, thought Wolf, to lose her mother and now see her father so sick.

"Are you hungry Alice?" he asked her, hoping to distract her with the most obvious question to get a cub's attention. She smiled at him briefly, nodding.

"Let's go and see if we can find anything to eat, Alice" said Elias suddenly, holding out his hand to her. Wolf looked him over carefully before indicating his agreement to the plan. Whatever he thought about Elias and his actions, he had little fear that a small child would be harmed by the man. Just as long as they were back well before nightfall with it's dark new moon.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Virginia knew she was staring rudely, but she couldn't help it. After all her travails and adventures to get to this point, this odd collection of people and other beings were the last thing she had expected. It was a smallish round cavern much like the others she had passed though. In the centre was a low wall, enclosing a pond of silver water. Around the outside, in a loose circle, were several chairs of varying shapes and sizes. Virginia's eyes went first to the only person in the room that she knew. Snow White rose to enfold her in her arms as Virginia all but ran into her embrace.

"Hello again, Virginia". The voice, so calm and loving, was just as she remembered it. Snow White smoothed back Virginia's hair. Virginia wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

"Snow White, is it really you? What are you doing here? No, wait, what am I doing here? On, don't answer..." Virginia rambled, her cheek resting still on the oh-so-traditional clothes that Snow wore. The Queen of White laughed softly, turning her around to face the others who looked on with various expressions on their faces. Virginia gazed at them, one by one, as Snow White did the introductions.

"First, we have here the Lady Rapunzel" she said, gesturing to the nearest woman, though in fact Virginia could not imagine this person to be anyone else. Long golden hair, shining and rippling with a life of it's own, cascaded from her head. It was braided into two plaits of at least six feet long. Virginia almost winced at the memory of the endless tugging and jolting that had caused her so much pain when her hair had been that long. Rapunzel fingered one of her tresses thoughtfully, and when she smiled, as she did now, her face seemed to light up from within, pale blue eyes sparkling above rosy cheeks. Exactly like a storybook princess, thought Virginia, blushing at her own drab garb and unwashed face. "The Lady Rapunzel founded the 6th Kingdom, as you know" continued Snow White. Virginia nodded, thinking hard.

"Then, the Sleeping Beauty...?"

"Aurora is my grandaughter. She and all my Kingdom are ensorcelled by a horrid curse. Turned my back for one minute and wham! Look what happened! Honestly, I was just a fool to think they could handle things!" Rapunzel answered with heat. Virginia was shocked to hear such a serene looking woman spit angry words like that. Snow White patted her arm.

"Don't worry about Rapunzel" she whispered in Virginia's ear. "She does go on and on about it". She nudged Virginia's attention away from the flushed princess towards another woman. This woman had deep brown, grave looking eyes. In her homespun peasant style garments with practical boots instead of dainty slippers, Virginia could only guess at her identity.

"Gretel the Great?" she asked, and the woman grinned broadly, bobbing a small curtsey in Virginia's direction.

"Pleased to meet you, Virginia" she said, smoothing her skirts and apron as she seated herself once more. She picked up a piece of lace and resumed tatting at it. Virginia liked her immediately. Gretel had been but a peasant girl when she had come to found the southern 2nd Kingdom and her obvious ease at being surrounded by princesses and queens put Virginia at ease also. Snow was gesturing to the next woman. Like Gretel and Rapunzel, this woman was easy to identify simply by the cut of her clothes. She was wrapped in a bright red cloak, the hood of it drawn up to cover her blonde hair. Her cheeks were pink, but her eyes were cold as she stared at Virginia.

"This is Ruby, the First Queen Riding Hood". Virginia dipped her head slightly at Snow's words. Having met this woman's grandaughter, the Queen Scarlett, at Wendell's post-coronation celebration, she could easily see the resemblence. The silence stretched between them, making Virginia's skin prickle. Above all things, she positively hated to be pre-judged by someone who didn't know her. She supposed this Ruby might consider her a tainted woman for her having a relationship with a wolf, and bearing cubs to one as well. It made her angry suddenly, and she lifted her chin to stare down the cloaked queen with a cold glare of her own. The air in the chamber seemed to ripple with power, and Virginia became aware of Snow White, chuckling quietly at her side. The others, Rapunzel and Gretel, also had wide smiles. Snow White broke the silence, directing her words at Ruby.

"You see? I told you she'll be alright". Ruby threw back her hood with a dismissive gesture, but her eyes twinkled as she looked Virginia up and down.

"Yes, I think you're right Snow. She'll do very well indeed!"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Wolf's head was nodding forward on his knees. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so tired. His eyelids felt like they had lead weights attached to them. He struggled against the tide. He should remain on the alert. They were in risky territory. Although he didn't fear the Lake itself, many strange and powerful creatures dwelt along her shores. He had once seen a rare snow griffin, circling the mountain peaks on high thermals as his much younger self had stood on this very same shore. Other odd and unnamed souls lived out their days in this region too. Even wolf's tended to stay away unless absolutely necessary. They stuck to the lower moors and slopes, using the Wolf Pass to the east to make their way into southern lands.

He jumped as an unnatural sound intruded. It was now mid afternoon. He cursed quietly. There was no sign of the goblin, nor of Elias and Alice. The fire had burned down. Beside it, Will lay, curled up in obvious discomfort as his teeth chattered and muscles twitched. Wolf felt a pang of concern. And yet, if the poison was to prove lethal to his brother, surely it would have done so by now. Will looked sick and exhausted still, but very much alive despite his weakened state. Yet far greater dangers beset them now. Stealthy sounds came from all around the camp site. They were surrounded already. Will whispered a small growl to him.

"Go, get away now!"

"No, I'm not leaving you"

"For Virginia! Do it, fool!"

"Too late anyway, brother". Wolf knew the truth even as he spoke it. Humans were here. Damned Red soldiers had come after them. A man's voice spoke harshly from the undergrowth.

"Submit, or die where you stand, wolf". The voice was cold, and sneering. Wolf fought back his own sudden rise in aggression. He had little choice in the matter, which they all knew anyway. His mind raced. Virginia, no sign of her. Clayface, snuck off to some mud pit most likely. Elias? Maybe hiding, watching. Maybe half way to wherever with his tiny hostage. Few options then. Still, they hadn't been shot on sight. That left a small chance of bargaining, lying or sneaking their way out of this.

"We submit. We have no weapons" he called out.

"None that we can't relieve you of, wolf" said the man, stepping forward now. Though his face and words radiated confidence, his bearing still betrayed his unease, as did the ready wariness of the men who kept their bows drawn to cover him. As he should, thought Wolf, though he was careful to keep his own expression suitably cowed. He wanted no young hotshot getting the trembles and making a fatal slip of the fingers. He wondered what the soldiers would do. By law, all accused wolf's, and part wolf's especially were to be given fair trial, though all knew how unlikely that was to ever happen. If the accused ever made it to trial anyway.

"Do you have cause to arrest us?" he asked, knowing the stupidity of the question.

"I but follow my Lady's instructions. It is she who has cause against you, wolf". The man responded automatically. Wolf sensed a parting in the ranks of armed men and a sudden deference as they bowed their heads. The blaze of red cloak gave away the identity of the royalty that approached, but Wolf was still stunned to see the Queen Scarlett herself. He recalled her well. And behind her, another shock. A masked and hooded man, unidentifiable by humans, yet Wolf's senses knew him immediately. Connor stood at ease beside the pale queen and Wolf fancied he could see straight through the wicker mask to the gloating smile behind it.