-1"That's it!" Breena exclaimed.
She had figured it out! She knew what she had to do to save Wolf and Virginia and their unborn child! She had to get Wolf to see Virginia's true form. It was the only way. Breena flitted over in front of Wolf's face. He was fading fast and Virginia was going hysterical trying to help him. But her baby's condition was worsening, too, and she would be next.
How to get Wolf to see her, that was the first question. Breena was glad of the short rest she had gotten while she tried to think of a plan. It would help know. Breena used the last of the fairy magic she had and zapped Wolf with it. Wolf jumped and yipped in surprise. He saw Breena hovering for a second in front of him. But she couldn't fly anymore, she was too exhausted. She dropped out of the sky and to the ground. Wolf picked her up carefully.
"Breena?" he asked weakly.
"Yes." she coughed.
"Wolf? Who are you talking to? Are you delusional? Who's Breena?" Virginia asked in a too high voice.
"She's…" Wolf started to explain.
"No, don't tell her. She won't understand." Breena said quietly.
She couldn't muster the strength to talk any louder. Luckily, Wolf had excellent hearing. She hoped he would understand.
"Listen, Wolf. I don't have the strength to repeat myself. That is not Virginia. It's just her dream-self. You have to ignore her. Look through her. You have to see the real Virginia and wake her up. If you don't, you will all die." Breena said.
"But…" Wolf protested.
Breena shook her head wearily.
"It's true. You're the only hope for all of you, Wolf. Please, try." Breena said and was still.
Wolf was worried about the little fairy who might very well be dead. Although he doubted it. A wolf could usually sense those things. And he didn't sense death from her. Just exhaustion. She had probably fainted.
But that wasn't the important thing. He could sense that he was fading fast. And that his little baby boy was, too. And Virginia wasn't all too well, either. If the fairy was right, he would have to ignore their suffering and his own. He didn't know if he could do that. But he would try. Anything to save Virginia and his cub.
Wolf pushed himself up into a sitting position, ignoring the pain it caused. He looked around, using his senses to the fullest. He sniffed and realized that the fairy was right! There was no smell coming from the Virginia that was trying to get him to lay back down. But Virginia's scent was close. He just had to reach her. Wolf couldn't get to his feet, so he got onto his hands and knees and crawled after the scent. He stopped when he felt a rock before him. Virginia, she was here.
Wolf felt with his hands and found her face. He held a hand over her mouth. She was breathing, but it was very shallow. Too shallow. He had to wake her up! Wolf placed both hands on either side of her face and leaned over and kissed her.
Suddenly, the other Virginia disappeared and Wolf could see the true love of his life. She opened her eyes and they were wide with fright. Wolf pulled back quickly. Virginia sat up and threw her arms around him.
"Wolf." she said with such distress in her voice that it made Wolf ache inside, "Oh, that was so horrible. Are you okay?"
Wolf nodded.
"Yes, yes. Huff-puff, I'm fine now." he assured her.
Virginia sighed, so glad to be awake from that dream. She couldn't believe Wolf was really here.
"I can't believe you're really here." she voiced her thought.
"Oh, I am. Don't worry. I won't ever leave you again." Wolf said.
His arms tightened around her and Virginia sighed again. She never ever wanted to be alone like that again.
Suddenly, they both heard clapping from all around the clearing. They looked around to see the fairies were the ones clapping.
Wolf growled.
"Why are you doing that? You caused all this!" he said angrily.
Trinity flew away from the others and over to them.
"We had to. It was foretold that one day, true love would be tested again and would win out in this clearing. And that when it did, the clearing would lose its power. Today's that day!" Trinity said and took up the clapping herself.
Virginia didn't care. Either way, those fairies had almost put her through the deaths of those closest to her. One of her greatest fears. No explanation would justify that to her. She just wanted the fairies to leave her and Wolf alone. The fairies must have sensed their hostility because they all began leaving. Except for Trinity. Who landed next to Breena, who was still lying, unmoving, on the ground.
"Breena, wake up." Trinity whispered.
Breena didn't stir. Trinity sighed and zapped Breena with her own magic. Breena started awake, looking around furiously. Trinity, seeing she was okay, took her leave quickly. Breena glared after her. Prophecy or no, they shouldn't have done that. At least, they wouldn't do it anymore now that the spell was broken.
Ivy made it a point to walk with Randal the entire day. She didn't want to be cold towards Faolan, so she talked with him and answered his questions as long as he didn't comment on that morning. She pointedly ignored that entire episode. She knew that it was annoying Faolan that she was doing that, but he didn't confront her on it.
"Do you read about wolves often?" Faolan asked, pointing to her backpack to indicate the book she had.
Ivy shrugged.
"I read about a lot of things. I've read every book in the county library at home on horses, orca whales, dolphins. I've read a ton of fantasy books. I read a big, huge book of Grimm's fairy tales. They aren't as mushy as Disney makes them seem. They can be pretty gruesome." Ivy commented.
"Who is this Disney?" Faolan asked.
"And what's an orca whale?" Randal piped in.
Ivy brightened at the chance to explain about one of her very favorite animals. She might have a little trouble explaining Disney, though.
"An orca is the biggest member of the dolphin family, but they call them whales anyway for some unknown reason. They are also called killer whales, but I don't like that name. It makes the whales sound bad." Ivy started explaining, picturing Shamu and Free Willy in her mind.
Breena landed on the rock next to Virginia and Wolf. Wolf turned to her.
"Thank you." he said sincerely, "Huff-puff, I could have lost my Virginia and my little cub!"
Breena nodded her acceptance.
"You're welcome. I would like to get us all out of here now, but I don't have near enough strength. We are close to Wendell's Castle, though. By this evening, I should be able to zap again and find Danielle." she said before he could ask.
Wolf nodded, knowing that there was nothing else to be done.
Leaf Fall had tried to organize another meeting for the Council of the 9 Kingdoms. After the last meeting, she had gone off by herself to think and to cool off. She had come to the decision that they had to meet again. The 9 Kingdoms could not break out in war! She could not let that happen!
But Leaf Fall's attempts were thwarted. Her pleas through her messengers had been turned down with the added warning that any farther presence in their kingdoms would be considered an act of war. She couldn't risk that either. So Leaf Fall sat in her castle, angry at the ungrateful, bratty, stupid rulers of the other kingdoms.
"I tried! I did try! No one can deny that I did! But did they listen? No. Of course not. They have to go and be hair-brained imbeciles!" she fumed, pacing in her throne room, "I can stand it no longer! Summon my general!"
A servant hurried to do as she commanded. Leaf Fall slumped in her throne. It had been specially crafted to accommodate her wings.
"If it's war they want, then it's war they will get." she said quietly.
Commander Forswell felt very much like banging his head on his conference table. Instead he gulped down another mug of ale. Where in the fairying forest was Wendell? And why did he keep disappearing at the worst possible times? This was no tradition for a king, for Snow White's sake! With armies mounting on every border, Forswell had been forced to increase the border guards just to handle skirmishes. He had sent countless messengers to the Castle and still he had received no orders. If this kept up he would just have to take command himself, to the Swamp with Wendell. He cared about this kingdom and he'd be damned and drugged with magic mushrooms if he let it get crushed by the armies of the other 8.
A lieutenant entered his cabin and saluted. He quickly waved aside the formalities.
"Any word, commander?" he asked, "The Troll Border is getting harder and harder to hold."
Forswell shook his head and was about to pour himself another round of ale, but chucked the mug aside and took a swig from the bottle itself.
"Your orders, sir?" the lieutenant asked, nervously shifting from foot to foot.
"Do what you have to, lieutenant. I'll send more men when I get them." Forswell assured him and dismissed him quickly.
The Commander picked up his map of the kingdoms and spread it out on the table, weighing down the corners with his ale bottle and his arm. With his free hand he traced the advances in the borders. This wasn't good. Not good at all.
Danielle was still running as night fell. She had surprised herself making it this far. She never knew that she had this much stamina. Although, she had never really wanted to know. The truth was she was kind of a couch potato. But now that she needed to keep going, it was good to find she could. Of course, every time she tired, she just reminded herself of how much trouble she would have been in with that wolf pack if not for Wolf. And of how happy he and Fiona had been to find that they were both still alive. And of how worried Fiona had been when she had left.
Danielle was panting so hard she could barely breathe. Every muscle in her body hurt. But she felt she had made it a long way. She had left the thick forest sometime in the early afternoon. But no matter how far she had come, she still wasn't in sight of that castle.
"Just a little farther tonight, Danielle. You'll get there tomorrow. What good will you be to anyone, panting and worn out? Just find some water and a place to sleep, Danielle." she said to herself.
When Danielle heard the little trickling sound of running water, she nearly fainted from relief. And when she actually found the source, she dropped to her knees and crawled over. She remembered enough not to drink too fast. She didn't need a cramp or a stomachache on top of everything. When she had had her fill, she sat back and looked around. She might as well stay here. She really didn't have the energy to go any farther. She didn't think she could stand up at that moment if her life depended on it.
A ribbit right next to her made her jump and give a little yelp of surprise. She turned to see a frog had hopped up right next to her when she wasn't looking. But what…the frog was wearing a crown and cloak! Danielle carefully caught the frog (who really hadn't put up any fight at all) and picked it up.
"It's about time one of you found your way back." the frog said indignantly.
Danielle screamed again and jumped to her feet. Well, maybe she could get to her feet after all.
"What the…? Who…? How…?" Danielle sputtered, backing away from the frog slowly.
"I'm King Wendell. The dog. That stupid witch turned me into a frog." the frog reported.
Danielle pointed at the frog and her eyes went wide.
"You're the…oh, my god!" Danielle said and swayed on her feet, terribly close to fainting.
"Get a hold of yourself." Wendell snapped, "Pick me up and let's get back to the others."
Danielle shook her head to clear it and gently picked up the frog.
"But how do you get…un-frogged? What breaks the spell?" she asked as she slowly started walking.
"Not that way. The other way." Wendell corrected her, "Well, let me think. This has happened before. Let's see, I believe a princess let a frog stay with her for three days, then cut off it's head and broke the spell. That way is not an option. I like my head where it is. Um…"
Danielle stopped and she, too, tried to think. What was it about that story? Oh, yes!
"Wasn't there one about a princess kissing the frog and turning him into a handsome prince?" Danielle asked.
"Yes! That's it!" Wendell agreed, "But where will we find a princess at this hour. I simply cannot stay a frog another day."
Danielle thought about it, but she really didn't know where to find a princess. Even if she knew a….uh oh. No way! Uh uh. Not going to happen! She was not going to tell him that she had played a princess in the last play she had been in or that in the stories she and Ivy liked to write, that she was princess in a place called Venos. That didn't count anyway, did it?
The frog made a sound that was kind of like a sigh.
"Any ideas?" he asked, as if it was really the all-time last reserve to ask her for her thoughts.
"As a matter of fact, yes. But I am not going to tell you." Danielle said, returning the snooty royal attitude right back at him.
She had always kind of felt that she was a princess at heart. She could sure do the royal attitude thing well. And sparkly crowns were always a good thing.
Wendell stared at her in what could have been shock. She wasn't sure if it was about her attitude or about her statement. Maybe both.
"I command you to tell me!" Wendell said, but there was a note in his voice as if he was unsure that would work.
"I am not one of your subjects, Wendell." she said, dropping his title.
"But…but…" he protested weakly, "Oh, I give up. I'm going to spend the rest of my life as a frog. Which will probably be a very short time anyway with that witch on my throne."
Danielle grimaced. He was playing for her sympathy. And that whiny voice was not helping.
"Stop that or I throw you." she warned.
Wendell was silent quickly. He had never been ordered around like that. Well, except maybe by his parents and, when he was really young, his nanny.
"Please tell me." he said finally, so quiet that she had to lean in to hear him.
Danielle sighed. She really, really, really did not want to tell him. But how could she refuse that? His voice just sounded so…pathetic wasn't a good word. He was desperate for her help. She had gotten a king to say please. She couldn't just say no.
"Oh, alright. I don't even know if this counts, but I…my character…is a princess in these stories that Ivy and I write. And I played the princess in my last play." Danielle admitted and fake coughed.
Wendell looked excited.
"That's close enough!" he said, "Okay, quick. Kiss me."
"I am not going to kiss you!" Danielle cried.
"Oh, come on. It's not going to mean anything. I just want to be a human again." Wendell pleaded.
"No! No way!" Danielle protested, "I will not kiss a frog!"
"But I'm not a frog! Not really. Don't think of it as kissing a frog, think of it as helping a king."
"Nothing doing." Danielle shook her head.
"You are being completely unreasonable." Wendell objected.
"I am not, you are! Asking me to kiss you, king or no king. Frog or no frog. You can just forget it. And don't try that please thing either." Danielle warned, shaking her finger at him.
"It's not fair, you know. A dog I could handle, but a frog! And why, why, why do I have to deal with another evil witch? How many evil witches are there?" Wendell demanded, "All I am asking is for you to help me get my body back. I'm no help to anyone like this. I can't rule my kingdom as a talking frog. If we can even get my kingdom back. You have to help me."
Danielle's eyes widened when she saw what he was going to say next.
"No…" she began.
"Please?"
Danielle sighed again. She gave him a dirty look.
"That was low. I said no please stuff." she said.
"So, you'll help me?" Wendell asked, excited again.
Danielle nodded slowly.
"Yes. But this is it! And you owe me big time for this, too." Danielle said.
"Yes, yes. Of course. Could you…um…get on with it…uh…please?" Wendell asked.
Danielle raised the frog up near her face. She was not going to like this. She closed her eyes tight and decided she had better get this over with. Danielle quickly kissed the frog. There was a bit of a spark and she felt a little like she was spinning. Danielle opened her eyes, almost involuntarily. And saw she was now kissing a young man with blonde hair and an aristocratic face. Danielle jerked backwards so hard that she fell on her butt. She stared at Wendell.
Wendell patted his arms and legs as if he couldn't believe that he was human. His eyes got wide and he started beaming.
"I'm me again!" he cried happily.
Danielle just blinked. Wendell dropped on one knee next to her, forgetting about acting kingly for a moment.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will never be able to thank you enough." he said.
Danielle opened her mouth to reply, but for once in her life, she couldn't get anything to come out. Wendell looked at her with concern.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Danielle blinked again and finally got her voice to work.
"So…so, you're the guy, huh?" she asked finally and felt like smacking herself for saying something so stupid.
"Pardon?" Wendell looked confused.
Danielle shook her head.
"You said that there were others nearby?" she asked instead.
"Oh, yes! Anthony and Maive and Cinnamon. Won't they be surprised to see me back?" he laughed happily and helped Danielle to her feet, "When this is all over, you can be assured that you will get the finest treatment in my castle. My kingdom!"
Danielle nodded absently. She was really too tired for this. Much, much too tired.
"Um…Wendell…er, King Wendell? I'm just going to go to sleep 'cause I'm really, really tired. I've been running all day looking for Wolf and I just don't have the…" Danielle started laying down as she explained and cut off when she broke into a yawn.
Wendell backed off. He nodded.
"Right. Of course. You can talk to them in the morning." he agreed, still backing off.
Danielle sighed once again and fell asleep before Wendell even finished talking. She was too tired to even sing in her sleep.
Marissa paused in front of the mirror for spying. Her hand traced the etching on the frame. She hadn't meant to come in here, but she could get those two stupid girls out of her head. How did they block her magic? How? And what if they had not been killed? The suspicion and doubt about them had kept her from sleeping all night and had finally pushed her to the mirror.
Marissa turned the mirror on and commanded it to seek out the girls. A picture formed of the dark-haired girl sleeping on the ground. So, at least one of them had survived. Marissa waved her hand at the mirror and asked it to show the other. The picture changed to one of the blonde girl. She was walking next to a young boy. A young man followed after. Her companions weren't human. She could sense that. But what they were, she wasn't sure.
"So you've both survived, then. Good girls." Marissa mused.
"Mirror, mirror on the wall.
Those girls will bring about your fall.
Mirror, mirror on the wall.
You cannot fight them all."
Marissa spun around to see a face in one of the mirrors.
"What mirror are you?" she demanded.
"My name is of no concern
For I tell it only to those who it earn." the mirror said.
Marissa's mouth twitched angrily.
"You say these girls will defeat me? How?" she asked.
"If together they do stand
The rose will drop from your hand.
If against you they do turn their will.
You can be sure that you they will kill."
Marissa paced before the mirror.
"What then? What must I do?" she asked, spinning towards the mirror, "How can I stop them from turning against me?"
"Find the weakness inside each.
Then victory is in your reach.
But opposition you will meet.
For not only the living will oppose the feat.
A woman known as Snow
Helps them in their journey, so." with that the mirror darkened.
Marissa pondered what it had said. A weakness. She would have to weed out their weaknesses if she wished to win. At least she was good at that. But the mirror had said more. Something about opposition and snow.
"Snow…Snow White! But she's dead!" Marissa protested.
But wait! Weren't there rumors that Snow White had become some kind of fairy godmother. That she had even helped in defeating the Evil Queen. Maybe she was helping these girls now.
"This will be more difficult than I anticipated." Marissa said.
She would have to get to work. But wait… She already knew of a major weakness for more than one of her opponents. The full moon.
"It has never been done before." she hesitated, but a wicked grin spread across her face, "There really is a first time for everything."
"Can we build a fire tonight?"
Faolan looked a little nervous about that. He glanced over his should as if even mentioning a fire would bring someone down on them. He wanted to refuse the fire idea, but he saw that she was shivering even with her jacket and Randal seemed cold, too.
"Oh, alright." he agreed, "But I will stand watch, just in case."
Ivy nodded in vigorous agreement.
"If you want, I'll go get the wood." she offered.
"No, I'll get it." Faolan shook his head.
"Would you stop being so…I don't know, stubborn. I can do something, you know. I'm not helpless." Ivy protested.
She hated it when people treated her like she couldn't do anything. It grated on her nerves. Faolan must have sensed that she felt that way because he raised his hands in defeat.
"Okay. Have it your way. Huff-puff." he said.
The three of them looked around and all silently agreed that where they were was as good a spot as any for the night. Randal began collecting rocks for a fire-pit. Faolan nodded approval and half-turned to go off into the woods for the wood. He looked at Ivy and raised an eyebrow. Ivy nodded, yes she was coming.
"Be right back, Randal." she said quickly and hurried after Faolan.
They didn't say anything as they walked in the woods, just picked up sticks quietly. The silence was okay at first, but it started getting uncomfortable and Ivy felt she had to say something. She looked around for something she could talk about and something made her look up.
"Oh, my god." she said, dropping all the sticks she was holding.
"What? Grrrr, stop goofing around and help me, would you? You said you could do something." Faolan said a little snippishly.
When Ivy didn't move or respond, he sighed and walked over to her.
"What are you…oooooh!" he said, looking up and seeing the moon.
"The moon's full. That's impossible. It wasn't even close the other night." Ivy whispered, so astonished that she couldn't speak any louder than that.
"Oh, who cares about that? Look at that moon. Isn't it the most beautiful thing?" Faolan asked. He turned to Ivy quickly, "Howl with me."
"What?" Ivy asked, startled.
"Howl with me. At the moon. It's not that complicated." Faolan said, as if she were being incredibly dumb.
"I don't think so." Ivy shook her head.
Faolan's look darkened and Ivy heard the low growl forming in his throat.
"Um…okay." she said quickly.
Whatever happened to Faolan on the full moon that made him act like this, she didn't think it would be a good idea to make him mad and see what happened. Best just to go along.
Faolan's entire expression changed and he grinned.
"But…I…I don't…I've never…" Ivy stammered.
Faolan's eyes widened as if he were surprised.
"Oh, it's easy. Just look at the moon and just howl. Just let your feelings flow. I'll start." he said.
Faolan tilted his head back and let loose with a long howl. Ivy hesitantly joined in. It wasn't that bad. Of course, she did feel a little silly. If she did this at home, they would lock her up and throw away the key and then barricade the door just in case. But she wasn't at home now, was she? Both howls drifted off and stopped. Faolan looked at her.
"See, I knew you could howl. I told you I'd teach you to be a wolf. Okay, next lesson. We're going to need to find a sheep. Or a rabbit. Chickens would work." Faolan's mind started drifting and he started rambling under his breath about chickens, sheep, and rabbits.
Ivy was really getting creeped out. Faolan had been right before when he had said she didn't know what happened on the full moon.
"Uh…Faolan?" she asked hesitantly.
"Hmmm?"
"Shouldn't we get back to making that fire?"
"Which fires that?" he asked, sniffing the air.
"The one we were gathering wood for just a minute ago." Ivy said a little impatiently.
"Oh. That fire. If we have to. But wouldn't it be more fun to track down a little bouncy rabbit?" Faolan asked.
Ivy tugged on his arm and pulled him back towards their camp.
"No, I really think we should get back." Ivy insisted.
Faolan sighed and rolled his eyes. He let himself be pulled back to their little camp area.
"That was a good howl!" Randal said when they came into view.
"Thanks." Ivy said absently.
"What's for dinner?" Randal asked.
"Mmmm, dinner…" Faolan mused.
Ivy was glad at least that Randal didn't seem as bad as Faolan was. He did seem a little edgy, though. And he had been grumpy and moody before. But still…
"Maybe we should skip dinner…" Ivy suggested, her mind coming up with some scary ideas about dinner.
"Skip dinner?" Faolan asked as if she had spoken blasphemy, "No, no, no!"
Randal, too, seemed astounded at her suggestion.
"I'm too hungry." he whined.
"See. I knew we should have found a rabbit. No, two rabbits. Oh, I could eat a dozen, I'm so hungry." Faolan muttered.
"I don't think we'll be able to find a dozen rabbits." Ivy said slowly.
"Mmmm, probably not. Well, as many as we can find. You humans really need to learn the magnificence of raw…I mean, rare meat." he said and turned to bound back into the woods.
Ivy didn't want to leave Randal and she didn't feel to comfortable with being alone with Faolan right now, either. But she couldn't let him go off on his own. Who knew what he would do?
"Randal, stay put." she called over her shoulder as she ran after Faolan.
He grumbled something, but looked like he would do as he was told. Good. Now to find Faolan.
Virginia, Wolf, and Breena walked back to the path and followed it for the rest of the day. Breena rode on Virginia's shoulder this time. But as night fell and they still hadn't reached the castle, Wolf grew edgy.
"I'm hungry." he said, bounding from on side of the road to the other.
"What else is new?" Virginia said with a small smile at his antics.
Wolf growled in annoyance.
"Don't patronize me!" he snapped.
Virginia stopped in her tracks, she was so surprised at his outburst. Wolf only acted like this during the full moon. But it wasn't a full moon yet. It couldn't be.
Virginia looked around and finally found a perfectly full moon rising in the night sky.
"It can't be…" she said.
Breena followed her line of sight and saw the moon. The fairy shook her head.
"How…?" she asked.
"Wolf?" Virginia asked and forcefully broke off her staring at the moon. She looked around and didn't see him anywhere, "Wolf!"
Breena and Virginia exchanged a worried look.
"He's gone." they both said.
Virginia started yelling Wolf's name louder and searching frantically with Breena hanging onto her for dear life.
Wendell was so incredibly happy to be back that he almost ran back to the others. He restrained himself to a very quick walk.
"Anthony!" he called.
Tony turned around where he was sitting on the ground. He did a double-take when he saw that Wendell was human. He jumped to his feet.
"Pri…I mean, Wendell, you're human!" he cried.
"How?" Maive demanded, getting to her feet as well.
Wendell hurried over to them.
"You won't believe it. I found one of the girls, Danielle. She played a princess in a play and something about stories, but the point is she kissed me and turned me human again!" Wendell said quickly.
"Yes, I suppose that would work." Maive admitted.
"Where is she, then?" Tony asked, looking behind Wendell as if he might be hiding her.
"Oh, she was very tired and fell asleep over the hill, but I'm back!" Wendell insisted.
"That's great, Wendy." Tony said absently and turned to go back to his spot.
Maive had already lost interest and was reading some kind of scroll. Wendell frowned. This wasn't the response he had been hoping for. Where were the "Oh, it's so good to have you back to yourself, Wendell" 's and the "It's such a relief that you're you again, Wendy" 's. Did they even care? And what about that Cinnamon girl? She hadn't even looked up.
"Um…you three don't seem to understand. I'm no longer a frog!" Wendell said.
"Oh, we understand." Tony insisted.
"Uh huh." Maive agreed with a nod.
Cinnamon didn't comment.
"Is there something wrong with her?" Wendell asked, pointing at Cinnamon.
A growl came from Cinnamon's direction. That got Tony and Maive's attention.
"You can at least address me, you know! I'm not just some animal that you ask the owners if it's safe to pet." Cinnamon said angrily and, when she looked up, her eyes were glowing.
Everyone backed up a few paces from her. Maive looked at the sky and saw the moon.
"No." she said.
"What?" Tony asked.
"The moon." Maive gestured, "It's full."
"Oh, yes. You're a sharp one." Cinnamon said sarcastically, taking a step towards them, "You know if it weren't for you guys messing up this whole situation with that witch, I wouldn't even be here. I'd be home in the 5th Kingdom munching on a rabbit. Maybe a squirrel. Or maybe I'd come across a little farm. With sheep and chickens and pigs. The farmer would fall asleep and the shepherds would get careless. I'd be in and out before they even knew what happened."
Wendell, Tony, and Maive exchanged worried looks. They backed up again as Cinnamon stepped closer.
"You humans aren't too great at guarding against wolves. You think you know us. You think you know what we'll do. But you can't know. If you did, you would be a wolf." Cinnamon said with a predatory grin.
Tony was sure he saw fangs in that grin. He didn't like the way this was going. He had seen the damage Wolf had done to those chickens in Little Lamb Village. Tony did not want the same kind of damage done to him. He looked at Maive and Wendell, wondering if either of them had a plan.
Cinnamon's eyes dimmed and she shook her head.
"What am I doing? Why is it a full moon already? What's happening?" she asked frantically. She was so worried, she started panting, "I can't be near you three, I might do something bad. I've got to get away!"
Cinnamon spun and ran off. Neither of the three humans moved. They were all breathing hard.
"What do we do?" Tony asked finally.
"What can we do?" Maive challenged.
Tony shook his head.
"I don't know. But we have to do something. We can't just sit around here. Can we?"
"No." Wendell shook his head, "You're right, Anthony. We have to do something. But you're right, too, Maive. There isn't much we can do."
Tony glared at him.
"Don't pull that crap. You got an idea?" he demanded.
"I think we should stand watch for Cinnamon until the full moon is over. Beyond that, I don't know." Wendell admitted.
Maive and Tony both nodded agreement.
"Watches would be a good idea." Maive said, "I'll take first watch."
Wendell and Tony both slowly sat down. Maive found a spot on a tree stump and looked around cautiously before seating herself. They were all very quiet, listening for any sound of Cinnamon. After a few moments they heard a howl pierce the air that sent shivers down their spines.
Suddenly, Wendell's eyes widened and he jumped to his feet.
"Danielle! She's all alone!" he cried and ran back the way he had come.
Tony and Maive followed him slowly. They both glanced around nervously, imagining they saw the gleam of eyes in the bushes or heard a rustle from behind them.