Circle of Sisters
26. Rapunzel's Gift
Tired as she was, Virginia knew with certainty that there was still more to do this night. Her long gown and cloak had magically dried themselves off, just as they had done before. She still felt light headed, but whether that was from the excitement of being with Wolf again or whether she was still a bit oxygen depleted from her near drowning, Virginia didn't know. She made to scramble to her feet, Wendell putting out an arm to assist her. The young King smiled at her awkwardly.
"Virginia, are you well?" he asked. Virginia was sure that he knew everything. In fact, one brief glance at her father confirmed it. Slow as he was sometimes, Tony had obviously put the pieces of the puzzle into place.
"Yes, Wendell, Dad. I am well. I have been cured" she responded carefully, making sure that they understood. The relief on both their faces was immediately apparent. Wendell kissed her hand, bringing an almost silent growl from Wolf who sat still on the ground watching them. Virginia saw belatedly that he had also been hanging on that reply. She wanted to appologise to him for not telling him straight away. His green eyes bored into her with such love and affection that she felt, and not for the first time, ashamed to have dragged him into danger. Wouldn't have it any other way, his eyes seemed to say silently. Tony coughed politely. Virginia ran to hug him.
"Dad, I'm really sorry I had to lie..."
"Hush, it's alright. I think I understand. But, just a few hints wouldn't hurt. In the future, I mean..." Tony replied, Virginia feeling his held back tears. Will came forward to help Wolf up, and Virginia got her first good look at the little girl in his arms. As a guess, she could only be one person, but how she came to be here was still a mystery to Virginia.
"You must be Alice" Virginia said to the cub. Will hefted her proudly, straightening her mussed hair. She was still wet through, but didn't shiver or shake as she returned Virginia's smile.
"You're magical" said Alice with a child's typical direct appraisal of the situation.
"Oh no, not really, Alice. I had some help from some powerful friends, that's all"
"No. You're magical" repeated the cub. Virginia found her solemn stare unsettling for a moment. Will broke in, chiding his bedraggled daughter gently.
"Come now, Alice. Let's not bother Auntie Virginia right now. She's been through a big adventure and needs to rest up a bit" he said, carrying her towards a nearby fire. One of the White guards came forward with a blanket to wrap around her. Virginia smiled to hear the childs retort.
"I've had an adventure too, Papa! I was riding on the back of the monster! Didn't you see?". Her voice was muffled as her father gave her a thorough drying off with the blanket. Virginia called out to her brother.
"Will, if you are as sick as I think you are, go bathe in the waters of the Lake. Right now there are probably some residual effects of what Coventina did to it...to Elias...that will help you". Will looked at her meaningfully as he heard her hidden pain and guilt, but he did as she instructed, leaving his daughter by the fireside. Virginia sighed as she turned back to her other 'brother'.
"Wendell, I need to speak with Queen Scarlett. Could you possibly arrange it?". Wendell's face blanched before he answered.
"She got hurt, Virginia. Sometime during the, I mean, when you and the..monster, someone stabbed her in the back. It's deep and nasty. My medic is working on her even now, but I don't know how it will go". Virginia was shocked at his words. Scarlett hurt? How had that happened? Even though she had no intention of berating him, Wolf very nearly cowered before her expression.
"Ooh, I'm sorry love. I know you said to look after her and all...but that sneak Connor crept up on us whilst we were watching you and Elias. I should have smelt him coming, but I was so intent on you"
"Why would he knife Scarlett instead of you?"
"Well, she was behind me. And earlier, she dismissed him and his crazy ideas. Maybe he just wanted to strike any blow, I don't know. He's run off, but I'll find him". Wolf continued, walking along at her side as she made her way to the Queen's tent. Several of the palace courtiers, noble ladies and servants alike, clustered around the entrance. Some were weeping openly, and Virginia's heart sank. The tent flaps were closed tight, and worried muttering came from within. Two shocked looking guards stood before the opening and they lowered their lances across to bar Virginia's way as she approached. Virginia was reminded then that they were still in 'foreign territory'. She was thinking hard about what to say to get the men to admit her, when she heard the step of boots behind her.
"Good man. I am King Wendell of the 4th Kingdom. The Lady Virginia and Lord Wolf and I would like to see how your Queen fares this night". Virginia tried to stifle her smile at the confused looks on the guards' faces. By rights, Wendell had no power to command anything or anyone of the 2nd Kingdom, and the guards must surely know that, but Virginia could tell they were wavering. They'd had a hard night. More than half of them had fallen to the werewolf and their steel tipped arrows had done nothing but enrage him further. Virginia could not see their Captain, the one who had first accosted her, so she guessed these men were leaderless in the face of their Queen's inability to tell them what to do. They raised their lances half way, but it was enough for Virginia to push through into the tent. Wolf and Wendell followed on her heels.
Scarlett lay on her side on her bed. One of her maids sat, holding her hand and weeping. On the other side, the two medics probed and muttered. The medic of Castle White Virginia had met before when he had come to check on her after Caelum's birth. He stood at the entrance of Wendell, but his face was pinched with worry and he wrung his hands. Not a reassuring sight, but when Virginia went to see what the damage was like, she understood. It was a small wound on the outside, as knife wounds usually are, but air whispered out of the gash. Virginia suspected a lung had been punctured, or worse. Blood stained spittle coated the Queen's pillow. Wolf cursed quietly in wolfish, and Virginia was surpised by the regret on his face. By all accounts, there should be little love between any wolf and the Queen Riding Hood. Maybe he was just upset that his 'charge' had gotten hurt on his watch.
"She's taken great hurt, My Lord. I doubt whether she will live more than a few hours..." the medic was addressing Wendell. Virginia saw that the King had an expression on his face that she had never seen before. He sorrowed, certainly, but overriding all that was the sense of profound guilt she saw in his eyes. As she watched with increasing concern, a small tear escaped the corner of his eye and trickled down his cheek. Virginia was astounded at the tear. She had always assumed that Wendell and Scarlett barely knew each other, but now the ever dignified King wept for the dying Queen. Wept. Tears. Tears tears tears. Tears!
"Of course!" Virginia shouted. Wendell looked aghast at her. Even Wolf looked mildly insulted that she should be shouting and capering about at a time like this. But Virginia didn't care. She rummaged through the voluminous pockets on the inside of her robe. Finally her hands closed about something soft and damp. With a flourish she drew it fourth. The medic, who had evidently has enough of her, scowled fiercely.
"Miss Virginia, please! What's all this about? Why are you waving a hankerchief around?"
"Ah ha, but not just any hankerchief!" Virginia said, hurrying to the side of Scarlett. She all but pushed aside the medics as she pressed the damp cloth to the wound, silently praying that her sudden insight would bear fruit. For a long moment, it seemed that nothing had changed. Then, as another long minute passed by, there was a change in Scarlett's laboured breathing. It grew deeper, smoother. Colour returned, shade by shade, to her white cheeks. Cautiously, Virginia withdrew the cloth. It was blood stained now, and seemed to shrivel as she watched it. But the knife wound in Scarlett's back was closed with barely a scar to show where it had been. The two medics gasped, and Wolf, who had come around to see what she had been doing, also raised his eyebrows in surprise. For a moment he looked at her as if she had thrown off her old identity and gained a new one. Maybe in his eyes, she had. But Virginia proffered the rapidly shrinking hankerchief to him, keen to disabuse him of any fancy notions.
"No, silly, look. This hankerchief was given to me by the Lady Rapunzel herself. She just put it in my hands as I was leaving. I'd almost forgotten about it"
"The Lady Rapunzel?" Wolf asked, blinking rapidly. He took the cloth and sniffed at it. Then a broad smile creased his face just as Wendell gasped out loud.
"Rapunzel! Rapunzel's tears. They had a great healing power. She first discovered it when they fell upon her thorn blinded Prince and restored his sight. When she was alive, people would travel from all over to beg tears from the Lady...and she gave them to you, Virginia? The real Lady Rapunzel?"
"Yes, that very Lady. Although she is not strictly alive anymore, of course. But I met her. Snow White was there too. And Gretel the Great and Ruby Riding Hood". The expressions on the faces in the tent were suitably impressed, Virginia saw, but it was quiet raspy sounding voice that got her attention.
"Ruby? You met my...grandmother?". Scarlett was sitting up a little, looking at her. Her maid hastened to prop pillows under the still clearly weakened Queen as Virginia went to sit on the edge of her bed.
"I did indeed. How are you feeling, Queen Scarlett?"
"I..ah, feel a bit bruised, I think. I had the strangest dream...". The Queen replied, her face going blank. Her eyelids fluttered as she sank back down onto the pillows, asleep within seconds. Virginia dared the ire of the maid by reaching out to smooth back the errant strands of blonde hair that had escaped their confinement. On sudden impulse, she reached back into her pocket to draw out that other small memento given her in those last hurried seconds. It was a tiny wildflower, as bright red as the Queen's cloak. Ruby had slipped it into Virginia's robe, and it had survived the Lake to bloom as fresh as if it had just been picked. Virginia put the flower into Scarlett's half open palm.
"This is for you, from your grandmother". The serving maid and the medic from the 2nd Kingdom stared avidly at the tiny bloom. Virginia didn't know what exactly it's significance was, but she had some clues. There would be time to find out later, on the way home.
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The long night was over. Wolf stood at the entrance to one of King Wendell's travelling tents. Behind him, rolled up tightly in a bedroll, slept Virginia. Her brown locks curled against her cheek. Wolf felt regret, but he had to leave her for a while. He tried not to look back as he slipped out of camp. Suddenly he was unsure if she would be there when he got back. He resolved firmly to never leave her side again, no matter how much she protested about it. Feeling slightly better, he made for the darkened treeline, knowing that it would be some hours before the sun crested the huge mountains to shine onto the land here. The Lake was as still as ever. Wolf thought it looked pleased with itself, like a hidden smile graced the shallows. He edged down to the waterline, crouching on his heels. He smiled cautiously at his reflection as he drew back his sleeve. Letting his long canines come down, he used them to make two small puncture wounds in his wrist. The fat red drops fell into the Lake.
"My thanks to you, Goddess of the Waters" he said in wolfish. He sat awhile on the bank, watching his blood dissapate into the Lake. Wolf didn't begin to presume to know the ways of Coventina, but he hoped She would understand his offering, and gratefulness that She had returned Virginia to him, whole and herself again. It could have so easily gone the other way. Many souls had disappeared after rubbing shoulders with deities, sometimes never to be seen again, or worse, reappearing decades later. Wolf still had no insight into what Coventina wanted Virginia for in first place. He hoped Virginia would tell him one day. Still musing, he stood, casting about for a scent he wanted very much to find. Without much difficulty, he found it.
The man hadn't wandered that far after all, which pleased Wolf. Sooner to get this done and sooner back to Virginia. Connor squealed in surprise as Wolf grabbed his tattered shirt with one hand and the back of his neck with the other. One swift jerk, and it was done. Wolf stayed about for a few more minutes, making sure the heart stilled permanently. He left the body where it lay. Scavengers would deal with it.
On the way back to camp, he passed the great mound of earth that the Red soldiers had made to cover their fallen comrades. Two of these, also, had felt Wolf's silent touch before they died. Mortally injured, and yet Wolf hadn't really needed Virginia's silent plea to know that they could not be left to regenerate. The bloodline of the werewolf was ended in the 9 Kingdoms. Wolf had later spent quite a bit of time prowling about the Red soldiers campfires, making sure that none of them carried even the slighest scratch. Fortunately, none had. He mentally added the two men to his list of humans that had died at his hands, knowing one day he would have to atone for them, no matter any righteous cause he might have had at the time. Sometimes it was all too easy to forget that he had human blood in him as well. Wolf's rarely held each other accountable whenever they killed within their ranks, but humans did. Even Wendell and his men, who tacitly approved of wolfen people now, would be compelled to act if they found out what he had done last night. The Red soldiers wouldn't even wait for an accusation.
The two camps were close to each other, as they had to be on that narrow beach. The Riding Hood camp was still all abed, their guards and noble folk still exhausted after their long journey and it's bloody conclusion. Wendell and his men had travelled further, and faster, but they had not spent valuable energy and time in toting along useless courtiers and maids. Wendell's chief guard, who Wolf had met before, was named Hal. He smiled a little at Wolf as he came out of the shadows. Wolf smiled easily back, putting on a non-aggressive posture, knowing that there was still some fear in the White soldiers that had not been fully driven back by Wendell's brave proclaimation nearly two years ago. The sun crested the mountain and caused the waters of Coven Lake to sparkle. Hal stared suspiciously at the nearby shore.
"Think it's truly dead and gone, Wolf?" he asked, his voice betraying his unease. Wolf came to stand beside him.
"Yes, no doubt. I stuck him good, right through the neck. He sank like a stone. We won't be bothered by his like again" Wolf replied, thinking about that last horrible vision of Elias. The limp white man's body, twisting and twirling as the heavy current dragged him away, the long unadorned shaft of the silver tipped arrow protruding from the side of his neck. Wolf had lifted that arrow from the display on one of Wendell's palace walls. It was one of several that hung in a quiver next to the infamous Huntsman crossbow. Tucked down into his boot, he had carried it all the way from Castle White. And yet he had only taken the one arrow, and no crossbow to fire it. Had he expected, even then, to have used it on Virginia, and thus having to get close enough to do so that it would ensure his own death at her claws? He shivered, knowing the truth of it. The tent flap stirred as Virginia pushed it aside, yawning. Wolf grinned widely at her, but inwardly he resolved never to tell her what he had planned. Secrets, too many darn secrets! He drew her away up the beach a little, Hal politely averting his eyes as he kissed her many times.
"Virginia, there's someting I should tell you..."
"I know, Wolf. About the baby, I mean" Virginia interupted him. For a moment, she put a terribly angry expression on her face and Wolf winced. Well, he had promised not to spring another cub on her without her approval. But she hugged herself against him, and he knew with relief that she was not truly angry. "It's alright Wolf. It wasn't your fault. I suppose my cycles must have gotten mixed up. It happens sometimes, especially if a woman has been sick. Nearly dying would probably count too" she added thoughtfully.
"I'm glad you're not angry. I did sense your fertility, but I think that night in the barn must have done it. And it was a full moon, and well, you know what I'm like then...are you happy then? You look worried, Virginia". It was true, he could see it plainly. Maybe she thought that the adventures and dunking in the Lake had ended it. He opened his mouth to assure her otherwise, but she spoke ahead of him.
"I am worried. I know it's still there. Coventina said as much. But, she and Lucine did not remove the taint from the baby. To do so would have killed it. So, I don't know what this baby will grow up to be like, Wolf. It's a girl, by the way". Wolf felt his insides clench with both horror and joy at the same time. A daughter! How wonderful! But what kind of cub would she be? Having spent her first few days of life being bathed by Virginia's werewolf tainted blood, what sort of child would grow up under their roof? Maybe, there would be no discernable difference. Maybe only his daughter would know about it. Wolf held Virginia away from him a little, staring into her eyes. She was not upset, to the point of hysteria, he saw, but she looked troubled all the same. And, he noted carefully, intrigued and curious as well. He decided to follow her lead. There was no point worrying about it now, at any rate.
"There's no point worrying about it now, anyway" said Virginia, like she was reading his thoughts.
"You're right, we might have a perfectly normal little cub in a few months time, my love".
Virginia stared at him as if she didn't know what he was referring to. Then she stared off in the distance, north easterly over the high peaks just being touched by the sun. Then she looked back to him, and once more Wolf shivered at the power that seemed to flow out of her gaze. It was, unnerving. No longer a werewolf, but still changed from her experience. Still with secret shadows in her eyes. What on earth had gone on down there? he thought. Why would the Great Women of History, no less, deem it important enough to meet with Virginia? The very male part of him rebelled slightly at the thought of all the secret women's business that had gone on recently. Virginia tugged at his sleeve, getting his attention. "Hello there?". She winked, and the sudden air of importance about her was gone as if he'd just imagined it.
"Sorry, lamb chop. I was miles away. Now, as to the cub, I'm sure..."
"Yes, I'm sure you're right. But, the thing is, whoever and whatever she will grow to be, my attention cannot be on her right now. A far greater danger poses to destroy her. And you, me, and all that we know and love". Wolf felt lightheaded.
"Tell me" he managed to say. Virginia gazed once more to the snow covered north. A pensive look crossed her face.
"The Ice Queen. She has gained the Power she has long sought. Even now, she spreads her killing snow across the lands. She's coming for us, Wolf and no one will be safe from her deathly touch"
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Every muscle in her back ached, but Scarlett willed herself awake. She stared drowsily at the gently billowing material that made up her royal pavillion. It was daylight outside, but what day? Hazy memories surfaced randomly. That great monstrous creature, like a wolf but three times the size, that she remembered vividly. The sound of a man's scream and the dull thunk as his torn body was thrown to the ground. The woman, whose face was vaguely familiar, standing right in the monster's path, her arms outstretched to prevent it's further rampage. A sudden pain from nowhere, the look of confusion and anger from the half-wolf who had been standing in front of her. Had the wolf been guarding her, of all things? Then, blackness, fear, a horrible choking sensation. Taste of blood in her mouth. Men, shouting. Whispering. King Wendell, hovering close by. That woman again, touching her. A void, closing. A woman weeping somewhere. An infant, newborn and helpless, left exposed on a freezing windowsill...
That last puzzling vision had woken her fully at last. She felt chilled, but knew it to be fever. One of her maids, in the process of sponging her brow, squealed in surprise to find her mistress awake and looking at her.
"It's alright, Sal" Scarlett spoke to the girl. "Bring me some water, please" she added, feeling her throat parched. She managed to sit up as the maid poured clean water into a goblet. Scarlett brought it to her lips, then froze as her eyes picked out an unusual addition to her bedding. "What...what's this, doing here?" she asked the maid, although she did in truth know half her answer already. It was a tiny flower, popularly called Grandmother's Kiss in the 2nd Kingdom. It grew only in one place in that land, and bloomed on one day of the year. How had it come here, all the way from the tomb-like monument of Grandmother's Cottage, and still as fresh as if it had flowered on that one day, months ago? The seeds from which these plants sprung were said to have fallen from the very posy that Ruby had gathered on that fateful trip to see her Granny, all those years ago.
"The Great Lady of the Lake put that in your hands as you slept, my Queen" stammered Sal the maid.
"The Lady of the Lake?"
"Yes, ma'am. She who healed you. You don't remember? I don't know if Lady of the Lake is her proper name, my Lady, but that is what all the camp is calling her this morning. I did hear the King Wendell call her 'Lady Virginia' though" Sal continued, clearly overcoming her surprise to follow her serving folk's tradition of gossiping. Scarlett held up a hand to forestall the maid before she launched into yet another round of chatter. Scarlett's head hurt with all the strange information. One part of her dreaming, at least, must have been true. Wendell was here. In fact, a quiet word at the entrance of her tent caught her ear. A soldier of the House of White, asking after her well being. No, not a soldier, but Wendell himself! Her guard poked his head in the entrance, careful not to look directly at her, since she was in her nightclothes after all.
"My Lady Queen? King Wendell of the 4th Kingdom enquires after you this morning" he announced. Scarlett felt flustered. What should she do? Sal came forward with a long regal wrap to throw about her shoulders and began fussing with her hair, pinning it up.
"A moment, please" Scarlett said quickly, making a decision. Well, he had likely seen much of her last night anyway, and what the eyes had seen could never be erased. The maid worked quickly, making her presentable at least, despite the fact that she was still too weak to rise and therefore had to stay in bed. Wendell, accompanied by a large, balding man, came into her tent when Sal announced that her mistress was ready.
"Queen Scarlett" Wendell began, bowing low. "Are you well this morning?"
"I regret that I am still abed, King Wendell. But I appear to be mending well. A little fever only, and some bruising remain" Scarlett answered carefully. Hopefully Wendell would assume her flaming cheeks to be a result of fever, not passion. But by the Gods he was a gorgeous man, dressed quite simply in his riding clothes but still with that regal poise. His own cheeks were flushed, she noted. Maybe he was unused to waiting on ladies still in their nightclothes.
"I am very glad to see you mending. I was...we were, worried about you, Queen Scarlett"
"I confess that I have strange memories of that night, King Wendell. I am not entirely sure of what happened. Someone attacked me...I think"
"He did indeed. But don't worry, he won't be bothering you again" broke in a new voice. The half-wolf had poked his head in through the tent flaps. Scarlett was becoming more mortified by the second. Bad enough to have Wendell standing about in here, but for the wolf to see her as well. She was on the verge on shouting out to the errant guard when the woman from last night entered in on the wolf's heels. They were holding hands, easily, and Wendell turned to beam at them, kissing the woman on the cheek.
"Hello Virginia" he said. 'You're looking much better yourself"
"I am much better. But I still need a good week's sleep, I think!" Virginia answered, hugging the older, heavier man. Her father, of course, realised Scarlett belatedly. Then Virginia came to sit familiarly on the edge of Scarlett's bed, her hand toying with the small bloom laying there. She turned and addressed the watching people.
"Would you be so kind as to excuse us? The Queen and I need to talk". Scarlett was mute with astonishment as one by one the royal, serving and wolfen visitors filed out. Who was this woman, to command people like that? But all of a sudden, it didn't seem to matter. Scarlett reached out and grasped the other woman's delicate hand.
"Tell me everything" she said.