True North
© WolfGrrl 2001
When delinquent Gage stumbles onto—or rather, into—the portal that leads to the kingdoms of fairy tale, she has no idea that what she finds there will change her life forever. Mysterious Gypsies, irate nobles, and a band of misfits are just a few of the characters she encounters on her journeys. But they are only a part of what will prove to be a greater adventure…the discovery of her own self, and of the purpose behind her coming.
The quote is by Matthew Arnold, from his poem "The Future."
"But what was before us we know not,
and we know not what shall succeed."
Chapter One: Open DoorsManhattan, 6:08 PM
Gage swore under her breath as she ran. Night was approaching, and Central Park was not a good place to be when the shadows fell. The trees and grass were a smear as she pounded down the trail, her heart in her throat. Breaths came in short, controlled gasps, and a stitch had appeared in her side, cutting short her diatribe as she ran. She had no time to pause and see if they were still behind her; she knew without a doubt that they were.
She ran—for the moment, there was nothing else on her mind but surviving this night. She ran—if she hesitated for even the slightest instant, they would find her. She ran—putting her entire being into the hunt—as the hunted, a position she detested. Fear surged within her as the stitch grew more painful; she couldn't keep this up for much longer. She needed an escape route—fast. There was no way she could outrun them; not here, where they knew the territory. They would have blocked off every exit from the park, and she didn't know enough about this place to find a quick enough hiding spot.
Shouting—did she hear voices? She couldn't be sure; couldn't spare the few precious seconds of pausing to find out for sure. Adrenaline flooded her system as she distantly heard the noises again, and she leaned into the wind, dark hair whipping about her face in a frenzy as she rocketed along. Arms and legs pumping, she stretched out, forcing herself on.
In another place, another time, she would have welcomed the race. Would have welcomed it with open arms and a wild laugh, for Gage loved a challenge. And she loved to run. But this—this was no game, no sport to be taken lightheartedly. She didn't like the feeling of the hunted; she loathed it, hating the fear and pain that invaded her senses, weakening her mind in all their simplicity with cringing and simpering. And she abhorred weakness, in any form, especially in herself. She was the hunter. She was the leader, the strong one. A keen mind and speed were her weapons of choice; she had both, in abundance. But now…now, what good was her quick wit, with ruthless hunters on her tail? What good was her speed, with nowhere to run?
But if there was one thing Gage was not, it was a quitter. She had a stubborn streak as long as the Nile and then some, and she would be damned if she let some two-bit hired thugs pull her under. So she ran. She wasn't ashamed of it; she had no lofty ideas of pride or honor; at least not at the moment. It was survival of the fittest, and she intended to come out on top, no matter the means. If that meant running away from what was sure to be a slaughter, then she had no qualms about using her abilities to do so.
If anyone had been in the park to witness her escape, they would have barely been able to register what they had seen, so swift was her flight. Long jean-clad legs flashed in a stonewashed blur, her plaid-covered arms pumping at her sides, the over-shirt billowing out behind her. She didn't shift her upper body along with her arms; instead, she kept her body straight as an arrow, and low, since shifting would have hindered her speed. Dark shoulder-length chestnut hair lashed about her, stinging eyes the shade of dark amber.
Gage could definitely hear voices now; harsh shouts that echoed through the gathering dusk. A copse of trees appeared in her sight, about 200 meters towards her left, off the path. She urged her body onward diligently, stepping off the trail, but deep within her, she knew that her running was futile. The little cluster of foliage would only delay their search; in the end, she would be their captive. She had nowhere left to run.
The 4th Kingdom, 6:05 PM
Tony was ecstatic. It showed; he rubbed his hands together eagerly, and paced about the Mirror Room, grinning like an idiot. His daughter had finally decided that it was time for a visit, and had sent word to him via Wolf. She couldn't have made the journey at the time due to her pregnancy, and had sent her husband instead. Now, two months and one grandchild later, she was finally coming to see her old man.
Wendell eyed his older friend with something like amused exasperation. Ever since Virginia had sent Wolf with her message of a grandchild on the way, Tony Lewis had been in a tizzy, running around, making preparations for their visit; hopefully their permanent visit, since Tony had recently made up his mind to stay in the 9 Kingdoms.
The Prince—pardon; the King—of the 4th Kingdom was looking forward to seeing his 'stepsister' as well. He and the other man had been readying a suite in the castle for the couple and their baby ever since the news had come, along with a planning a masque ball in celebration of their return. He wasn't, however, sure about a permanent arrangement; he knew that Virginia Lewis-Wolfson had a mind of her own, and she might want to return to her own dimension, for the sake of the baby. From the sound of the message, and Wolf's general attitude—spastic with a bit of pre-baby jitters thrown in—it seemed as if the two were doing well for themselves in the other world.
Finally Wendell decided to try and calm his friend down; it wouldn't do for him to have used up all his excitement before the trio even arrived.
"Anthony," he began in his usual sophisticated, if somewhat stuffy manner, "Do calm down. The mirror is on, and," he added somewhat sarcastically, "unless they've already managed to forget the location of the portal, I'm sure that the three of them…" he broke off his sentence to cover a yawn, then continued. "…That the three of them will arrive shortly." He blinked, and rubbed at his eyes wearily; all the planning going on for Virginia and Wolf's return had managed to take its toll on him.
Tony paused long enough in his pacing to gape at the King. "Forgotten! Oh, my—" he shifted his attention to the mirror, which was currently displaying Central Park, and behind the outline of the trees, the skyscrapers of New York. He rushed towards it. "What if they did? What if they got…got lost or something…" he trailed off when Wendell gave him a look. "What?" Tony asked, a defensive edge to his voice.
"I highly doubt that scenario. It has only been two months…" Wendell started to rebuke him, but Tony was nodding, looking a bit sheepish. He hung his head, laughing a little at his own foolishness. Of course they couldn't have forgotten! It had been only two months ago when Wolf had appeared on their side of the portal, just as Tony was about to step through to find Virginia and tell her of his decision to never come back.
"I know, I know. It's just that…" he sighed. "It's just that with all that's been going on; the planning for the bouncy castle, the welcome-back ball for Virginia and Wolf…"
Wendell placed a hand on Tony's shoulder. "It has been rather exciting around here for the past few months, hasn't it? Don't worry, my friend; once they have arrived, all will quickly settle down." But Wendell wasn't too sure of his own statement. He knew from experience that wherever those two went, trouble was never too far behind. He didn't doubt that this time would be any different.
Obviously, Tony thought the same way. He 'hmmph'ed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Yeah, right."
The two looked at each other; Tony with his usual expression of I-highly-doubt-it, Wendell's expression anxious. The both shook their heads, and sighed. Then they returned to their previous activities; Tony pacing, Wendell watching.
Manhattan, 6:06 PM
Virginia held little Tala close as she and Wolf approached the portal. Wolf had one hand under his wife's arm, the other holding the last of the parcels of their belongings. The other three were settled to one side, ready to be grabbed up and tossed through the magic mirror to the other side. Overhead, the sky was splashed with soft, muted shades of violet, blue, and pink as the sun headed towards the other side of the planet.
Virginia was, truth to tell, a little nervous. She didn't know how the travel would affect her little one, and she was anxious about how she would break their news to her father when they reached the 4th Kingdom. She and Wolf had decided a month ago, right after Tala was born, that they would be better off in the 9 Kingdoms, instead of New York. She didn't want her daughter to grow up in a place like this, with all of its destructive temptations and cruel nature. Of course, the other dimension was just as bad in some respects, but from what she had seen on her 'tour' through the Nine Kingdoms, she liked. It had its dangers and morality traps, like any other halfway-educated civilization. But she liked the people; people who could be cold and prejudiced, from Wolf's accounts, but they also had a sense of justice and goodness, which she had glimpsed from her time there. They believed in what was right, not who was right.
Wolf grinned happily. Finally, they were going home! He couldn't wait to see Tony. And the King, of course. He hefted the bag he carried, and chucked it into the portal. It disappeared with a sucking noise, seeming to disintegrate as it did so. The other bags soon followed suit.
Finally it was just Virginia, Tala, and he. For a few moments the couple stood, eyeing the portal in front of them, Virginia with trepidation, Wolf with boyish eagerness. In the distance, they could hear police sirens, and a little closer, harsh shouting. They turned to look in the direction from which the voices came, but saw nothing. Just a clearing between the copse of trees they stood in and the paved trail about 200 yards off. Wolf wrapped his arm protectively around his wife and baby girl; unnaturally quiet, as he had been almost the entire time they had been preparing.
Wolf's smile grew more serious, and tugged at her shoulder, urging her to not look back, but to look forward. The girl turned back to look at him; a long, searching look. Then she raised her chin and turned to glare at the portal, a familiar look that said a challenge had been accepted.
Wolf's smile brightened again, and it hit him: they were actually doing it. They were moving on, to gain a new foothold in the course of their destiny. No longer would they run from society and themselves; they would be in a place where their child could—would—grow up in peace and unity with people who cared for her, loved her, made sure she would never have to face life's tribulations alone. With her family.
"Let's go home," Virginia said softly, still gazing at the magical link between this world and the next. Without hesitating, both stepped in.
Manhattan, 6:09 PM
Gage made a mad dash across the clearing that separated the path and the cluster of trees. With the voices of her pursuers still dogging her every step, she flew to her haven, while the last rays of sun finally disappeared, leaving her in darkness.
She reached the copse, and put on the brakes, staggering to a halt, nearly falling flat on her face. For a few precious moments, all she did was breathe, bent over, hands resting on her knees as she gasped in painful bouts of air, the stitch in her side throbbing, making itself known. Her ears were ringing, and sweat flowed from her pores, dripping down her back, underarms, and chest. The cool night air, clogged with the vapors of the city, chilled her, leaving her shaking, barely managing to keep to her feet.
Finally, she looked up. She managed to stagger a few steps, and then fell to her knees in the dewy grass. Still she moved on, dragging herself farther into the darkness of the miniature forest.
A noise from in front of her made her stiffen, her head whipping up; ready to fend off anyone or anything that might come along. And froze.
There was…something…something standing only a few feet away from where she lay. It shimmered in the gloom, giving off a flickering milky white and blue glow, casting uncanny shadows on the trees and shrubs around her. It seemed to be moving, like a whirlpool, spinning in on itself even while she watched. The noise that had made her look up was a soft chiming sound, dim and far away. For some reason panpipes came to mind. And the sound seemed to be coming from the…thing.
Yet another noise. She tore her gaze away from the spectacle, back towards the…voices!
She could see them now, five of them; they were standing on the path that she had broken away from…and they were looking and pointing towards her shelter.
With a sinking feeling, she turned back towards the swirling pool of light. It was over. They had discovered her; when they got to her, they would either rough her up a bit and take her back to headquarters—or they would finish her off right here. It all depended on what orders they had been given.
Gage squeezed her eyes shut, trying not to cry. Now there really was no place left to run.
But wait…
She opened her eyes again, and fixed them on the pool of light. What was it? Where does it lead?
Gage swallowed. Where had that last thought come from? With a growing sense of panic, she twisted back around to look at the thugs. There were several more of them; they seemed to be arguing about something. But they hadn't moved, so she had a little more time. But not much more; any moment, they would come stalking across the clearing, flicking out butterfly blades and automatics with silencers.
She wondered—time for what? Surely she wasn't thinking of…
The blue pill or the red pill, she thought, somewhat giddily. Trying not to consider what she was doing, she hauled herself to her feet, and before the sane part of her mind could put up an argument, she flung herself at the pool of light.
Let's see how deep this rabbit hole goes…was her last thought before she was sucked in.
