Rebecca sobbed again, tears streaming down her face. She dropped the axe and put her hand over her eyes. A hand lay on her shoulder and she looked up. The Wolf was standing over the body of the other one, his eyes wide in sadness. Philip looked down at her, a bloody axe in his hand.
"Are you alright?" He asked gently. She nodded then saw the Wolf turn to them.
"He only wants me. He won't rest until he has me. Me." Another sob escaped her and she looked tearfully up at Philip. "What did I ever do?" But her question wasn't answered because a snarl escaped the Wolf's maw. It was one that made Rebecca shiver, and no ordinary shiver either. The snarl was truly heart breaking. It came from the pit of the Wolf's stomach, bringing all the pain it felt out into the open. Rebecca could hear the sadness in it, and yet, she couldn't understand why the Wolf wanted her dead.
She shivered again, her body shuddering. "Go." She whispered to Philip. "Go now." Philip shook his head and pulled her up.
"No." He gave her a stern look then glanced at the three boys, cowering in the corner. He nodded to them and they left, moving quickly and leaving out the back window. He then turned back to her. "I have nothing to lose anymore. So I might as well put my faith in something new."
"And that would be?" She asked him, eyeing the Wolf carefully.
"You."
"Enough!" Rebecca hadn't heard the Wolf talk very much, but he seemed to have a commanding air to him when he did. Both snapped their attention to him and he crept forward.
"What do you want from me?" Rebecca yelled at the Wolf, her eyes gleaming with fear, anger and sadness all at the same time.
"Murderer."
"No!"
"Murderer."
No!"
"MURDERER!" The Wolf leapt again, aiming right at Rebecca. But it was too late for the Wolf; Philip pushed her out of the way, the two landing in the middle of the room. The Wolf yelped as he fell, and without hesitation the two ran. A horse was tied carefully behind the house and it stood, grazing lazily while everything had happened inside. Philip led Rebecca there quickly, startling the horse. With a swift hand he untied it, helped Rebecca up, then got on himself. The two were just about to leave as the Wolf came crashing out of the house, snarling in frustration. Philip gave the horse a kick, but there was no need, as soon as the horse heard the snarl it was off, racing through the clearing. With the Wolf hot on their heels, the only thing they worried about was getting to safety, but soon they had lost him. The horse continued on, though, not stopping until it got to a sparsely wooded area.
Rebecca got off, her mind racing with what had just happened. Philip came up behind her and pointed down the path.
"That is where the village is. We will go there and get as many men as we can. Then we will be able to kill the Wolf." Rebecca shook her head.
"Not until you tell me why the Wolf is chasing me. I am assuming you know, since you seemed quite aware that this wood was indeed housing wolves." She said, heaving a sigh.
"Your father, what was his name?"
"Why?"
"Just tell me."
"Patrick." Rebecca eyed Philip carefully. Why did he want to know?
"I thought so. Your father was born with a reason, I'm sure you know. He was born to kill, and that he did, very well I might add. But he was warned not to kill the Wolf."
"I never heard this. Who was he warned by?"
"My father. My father had met yours on one of his hunting trips. He had heard of your father's mark and knew that this war would indeed come if your father touched the wolves. And he tried, oh yes, your father tried. He had killed off most of them. But you see, the wolves are very vengeful creatures. If you kill their kin, they will not stop until you are dead. And so your father laughed in my father's face."
"He did?"
"Yes. Yes, he did. And he went on anyway, not caring about the consequences." Philip sighed. "Do you know how your father died?"
"Yes, of the fever."
"Not a very noble way to die. It's too bad those wolves didn't get to him when they had the chance."
"Why?"
"Because then the wolves wouldn't be after you now. You carry his blood. They know his blood. They want his blood."
"So they won't stop until they kill me? So I have to die, right? I have to die to stop them from being so… so… murderous?" She said, anger rising in her voice.
"Not unless you can kill every single one of them." He snorted. Rebecca gave him a look, though, that silenced him.
"I refuse to let them kill me." She growled, her voice rising.
"Be quiet, will you?" Philip hissed. "And besides, that's why we are going to the village. Well, you're going to the village. So you can tell the villagers what happened and you can get them to kill off that one Wolf. Hopefully if you kill just that one, they'll leave you alone.
"Why aren't you coming?" Rebecca said, her voice quieter now. "Because you can't be seen by them? Like what you were saying to your brothers."
"How did you hear that?"
"I am not deaf." She replied, her eyes rolling slightly.
"Yes. I cannot be seen by them." He replied to her, trying not to look into her eyes.
"Why?"
"God, you ask so many damn questions!" He snapped.
"Fine then, be like that. Good bye, Philip." She turned sharply and walked down the path only to be called back. She turned, his eyes resting gently on her, pleading her silently to not make this harder than it was.
"I am not even supposed to be here. In this country. My father and I snuck in when I was younger. He had been convicted of a crime that he didn't do, so we escaped and came here. And if they catch us…" He trailed off.
"Oh." She said quietly. "But you weren't convicted of the crime, you could come."
"No. Because we broke the law. We left with our father and came into the country, escaping the law."
"But-"
"Rebecca. I cannot come."
"So you're going to stay in the forest all your life? Seems a waste!"
"Rebecca!"
"Philip. Come with me. Please, I'll make sure they don't realize it is you. Besides, if they do, it'll keep them from finding your brothers." It was a lousy plea. Rebecca could see it might not work, but she was desperate. Just then, a snarl came from the bushes. Philip grabbed onto Rebecca's arm and pulled her to the horse. The Wolf's head emerged from the bushes and watched them, a smirk on his maw now. Rebecca would have cried, she was feeling so many emotions right now, but she couldn't. She had run out of tears, and now all she could do was hold onto Philip and hope he would not go.
The Wolf came out, his body looked bedraggled and his fur twisted and ruffled. Philip sighed and gave Rebecca a concerned look. Then, with a kick to the horse, they set off down the path, galloping wildly. He growled then spoke, his voice still that same velvety soft tone.
"Looks like I have no choice."
