CHAPTER TWO
"Mam! Dad!" I bellowed as I exploded through the front door.
"Oh, hello Pet" Said Mum as she turned from the kitchen sink.
"Please" I breathlessly begged, "You have to come".
Mam and Dad looked at each other, "I can smell Rhydian" said Mam.
"He's hurt" I sobbed, "In the woods".
"I'll get the truck" said Dad.
"What's going on?" questioned Mam, turning back in the passenger seat of the Land Rover to talk to me in the back, as we bounced along the track through the wood for as far as we could get a vehicle.
I still hadn't caught my breath; it felt like I had been holding it since Bryn had attacked Rhydian.
I explained in a rush of words what had happened. It was all so quick. One second Rhydian had been holding me, telling me everything was going to be ok, and the next he was in my arms, bleeding and injured.
"Rhydian is back. He's sorry he left. That's all he said, then Bryn, his little brother, attached him. Ceri was there, they stayed with him and told me not to get humans but I had to get help."
We had gone as far as we could in the truck, for another mile or so we were on foot. All three of us were running together, Mam and Dad slightly behind me so that I could lead the way.
We crossed the stream in a bound together, Mam and Dad now following the scent. Ceri and Bryn had gone, just left him there, bleeding and hurt.
"They've only just gone" said Mam, her senses honed more clearly than mine, "They are probably nearby, watching. They would be worried you would bring humans."
"I didn't bring humans" I said through gritted teeth.
"Tames, Maddy, it's near enough for them."
Dad had ripped off his jacket and was using it to put pressure on Rhydian's shoulder. "He'll be ok" said Dad, "we need to get him back to the house so that he's safe when he transforms. The change will help the healing process but he'll be good as new in a week or so."
Dad was optimistic as usual, he never got stressed. I wasn't convinced.
Dad scooped Rhydian up easily and began moving back towards where we had left the Land Rover. The strength of wolfblood's still astounded me, Dad carried Rhydian as though he were carrying a small child, it seemed to take the minimum amount of effort.
I cradled Rhydian's head on my lap as he lay in the back of the Land Rover. We bounced back down the track towards home, Rhydian's eyes fluttered open again. "It's OK," I said, "Were taking you back to the cottage, you'll be all right".
He sighed, gritting his teeth together in pain and closed his eyes again.
We got back to home, Dad carrying Rhydian again nodded to Mam, "Spare room?"
"Yes please Dan" confirmed Mam.
Dad carried him up stars to the room that was only used when family came to stay.
Mam ran to get our substantial first aid kit. We kept it well stocked as sometimes accidents did happen; play fighting when a wolf could leave a nasty bite. "Grab some clean towels Maddy" shouted Mam.
Dad had got Rhydian onto the bed and was still applying pressure to his shoulder. Mam followed him into the bedroom while I had passed her the towels.
"Right, let's see what we are dealing with then" said Dad, "Help me take his shirt off Emma."
Mam and Dad worked as a team, easing Rhydian out of his shirt, Mam carefully examining the wound, it looked ragged and deep. "It could do with stitches really Dan" worried Mam.
"We can't take him to the hospital tonight, they will want to keep him in, and besides, how do we explain the giant dog bite? If we say it happened here, they send in people with big guns, if we say it happened in the woods then they still send in people with big guns and Ceri and Bryn are still out there. We can't risk the authorities finding out. The change will help him heal so all we can do is clean him up and make him comfortable".
Mam didn't look convinced but nodded once.
Rhydian groaned in pain.
I fluttered in the background, unsure of what to do.
"What are we going to do with him Dan?" questioned Mam, "He's going to need help when we transform. If he changes too quickly he could do more damage..." Her voice trailed off as they both examined the large bloody mess of Rhydian's shoulder.
"Go and get some water out of the kettle Pet, we can wash Rhydian's wounds" Mam asked me. "Pour it in a big bowl".
I hurried downstairs, I was still so shocked my breath came in gasps and my legs and hands trembled. I washed my filthy hands under the warm kitchen tap, soaping away the mud and Rhydian's blood. I concentrated on taking slow even breaths to calm down. Rhydian was here, and safe.
I filled a large plastic bowl with cooled boiled water from the kettle.
A loud knock on the front door made me jump out of my skin. I nearly knocked the bowl off the side. The door was being opened before I could turn, if felt my eyes turn yellow as I whipped around, preparing to become a wolf if needed.
The sight I saw made me rush forwards shouting as I went.
"Gran!"
I couldn't believe it. Of all the people to arrive at just the right time, my Grandmother was the person we needed to see most.
"What are you doing here? How did you know? It's so good to see you!" The words tumbled from me as I hugged my fabulous granny.
Gran had taken early retirement from her job as a nurse a couple of years ago and had decided that she should see the world. So she did. Off she had been travelling.
Gran took a deep breath "Where's the patient" she stated.
He wolf sense amazed me. She must have been able to smell the blood. Or maybe my fear.
Mam had hurt the knock and appeared at the top of the stairs.
"Oh, Mam" She whispered to her mother, "are we glad to see you".
Gran dumped her bags and shot up the stairs removing her coat as she went. Mam gave Gran a very quick update. "It's a boy called Rhydian, a wild wolfblood. He's been bitten by his brother."
I followed as carefully as I could, carrying the bowl of water into the spare room.
"So this is the boy" said Gran as she looked at Rhydian, glancing towards me and then Mam and Dad. The boy? Who else was she looking for? How many injured boys did we have in the house.
"Not now Mam" hissed my mother under her breath.
"Danial Love, nice to see you" said Gran in a swift hello to my father. "Now, how's this lad doing?"
Gran appraised the situation with a clinical eye. "Nip down and grab my big carpet bag for me would you Dan. It's got all my bits and pieces in it." Gran eased the towel off Rhydian's injured shoulder; it was still a gaping bleeding mess.
Dad shot downstairs and returned a second later with the bag.
"Now then" said Gran, "first things first. We need to get some pain relief on board. Got any soluble Paracetamol Emma? It won't do much but might take the edge off and coupled with a few regular drops of White Willow Bark it might be enough to keep him calm through the night." Gran rummaged through the large bag while Mam dashed to the bathroom cabinet to find some paracetamol.
Rhydian was conscious and opened his eye to glace at me. "It's OK I whispered, this is my Gran". He closed his eyes, I could see the pain he was in etched along the sides of his tight jaw.
Gran and Dad managed to sit Rhydian up enough to administer the Paracetamol and White Willow Bark drops from a phial in Gran's bag.
I appraised Rhydian from the end of the bed. His dirty jeans were a little too short on his long legs, the muscles on his arms and body were leaner than they had been and his face had lost some of the roundness of youth, his jaw and cheek bones more defined, he was clean shaven but his hair was longer, the blond tufts didn't look like they had been cut in a very long time. I wondered absently how much I had changed in over a year.
"Next for the wound" continued Gran, "honey this time please Emma."
"No honey is this house" said Dad giving a tense laugh, "Golden Syrup for us. Will that do?"
A flat "No" was Gran's reply giving Dad a look that could wilt flowers. She clearly didn't think much of her Son in Laws' medical knowledge.
"I don't want it for my toast Dan, It's a natural antiseptic and will help the wound heal" Gran huffed, rolling her eyes at Mam.
"What else could we use?" queried Mam.
"Can we get some from someone?" asked Gran. "Have you found yourselves a keeper yet? Or still going alone?"
A what? I was confused. Gran was talking gibberish now.
Mam and Dad looked at each other. Dad gave a small shrug, "She's got to know sometime Emma, we've protected her for too long".
What on earth were they talking about? A keeper? A keeper? Protected for too long? I was too lost to keep up.
I turned to Mam with my mouth opening and closing looking for the right answer when I didn't even know what question to ask.
Mam gave Dad a single nod.
"Madeline" (This was serious if my mother was using my full name). "Madeline, you need to call Tom and ask him to come over now and bring a jar of honey, oh, and Shannon to."
"Err, right, Tom." I stammered. This was getting more and more inane.
I whipped my phone out of my pocket and found Toms number. How was I going to get him over here?
Shannon answered.
"Where's Tom" I demanded
"Oh, Hi to you to Maddy, he's in the loo, he left his phone on the table, we're at the Bernie's cafe. Wait, why are you ringing Maddy, is everything OK? Aren't you changing tonight?" All of this came out in typical Shannon style, her brain was going faster than her mouth could keep up.
"I can't explain" I blabbed "but I need you both to come over to my house and bring a large jar of honey, it's urgent."
"Honey? Err OK, bring honey. Right, we'll be right there"
Shannon had clearly perceived the urgency in my voice.
"Honey? Who needs honey?" I could hear Tom in the background "I thought girls had chocolate cravings..."
I hung up. "It will take them about 15 minutes Gran".
"Good" said Gran "Just time to get this lot clean. Calendula-Mother tincture drops in the water will help this heal."
Gran got another little brown bottle out of the bottom of her carpet bag, checking the label carefully she added a few drops to the plastic bowl full of water I had brought up. Then she began to work at cleaning the wound on Rhydian's shoulder.
"So, how much does she know then" said Gran, not looking at Mam and Dad.
"As much as she needs to" said Mam in her firm voice. "And now is not the time to be having this conversation."
That put an end to whatever that conversation was. I knew my parents had kept wolfblood things from me in the past but I thought we were past all that. Now, the only secret we had was between us from the rest of the world.
It seemed an age before Tom and Shannon arrived. I was pacing the bedroom watching Gran treat Rhydian with care and compassion that came naturally to her.
Mam and Dad were giving each other anxious looks and trying not to look at me. Something was going on, I could feel it in the knots in my stomach and I fervently hoped that it had nothing to do with Rhydian. What were they all keeping from me? Were his injuries more serious than they were letting on?
I bounded down stairs when I heard Shannon and Tom approach the house. They didn't even get as far as the front door. I could hear Mam, Dad and Gran saying something in whispered urgent tones, something about 'need to know'. More secrets. Shannon and Tom were both out of breath when they arrived, they had clearly rushed.
"I think you had better come upstairs" was all I greeted them with.
They both looked concerned as I lead them upstairs to the spare room but I didn't know how to prepare them for what they saw. Rhydian was lying on the bed, still with his eyes tightly closed, his breathing was laboured but the wound was now at least clean but still terrifying.
Shannon gasped when she saw Rhydian, Tom stepped back and looked like he was about to bolt down the stairs. To his credit, he took a deep breath and stayed put.
The room seemed very full of people. I could see the million questions forming in Shannon's mind and the one forming in Tom's. Rhydian.
"Ah" said Gran when she looked up and saw Tom and Shannon. "The Keeper and The Witch. Perfect"
"Sorry, the what?" spat Shannon, turning already to confront Gran.
"It's OK dear" smiled Gran, "I didn't realise you didn't know."
I couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Know what? What is going on?" my voice sounded high and strained.
Gran relieved Tom of the large jar on honey he was carrying and in one movement undid the lid and began pouring the honey onto one of Mam's best towels.
Mam spoke next. "Shannon, Tom, this is Maddy's Gran, my mother Ellie."
Tom and Shannon just stared at Gran with shocked faces.
"Take over Emma" ordered Gran "and I'll explain".
"Shannon, Tom, we need your help. Rhydian has been hurt. Bitten by his brother. As you know tonight is a full moon so Maddy, her Mam and Dad, and I will all transform tonight and so we won't be able to help Rhydian. He will need White Willow Bark administering when he is in pain, regular fluids and he will need Milk Thistle Root extract every two hours to slow the transformation. It's important that he doesn't change too quickly – he'll tear this wound apart. He'll be quite safe to you if he has had the Milk Thistle Root, besides he can't hurt you anyway, not if you're the keeper Tom."
"If I'm the what?" questioned Tom.
"I'll explain more tomorrow when we are all together, no time now" said Gran "but all you need to know is that all four of you are linked and there is a reason that you found out that Maddy is a wolfblood. A future all four of you will share."
"I'm sorry" spat Shannon in her assertive woman voice "I believe in science, I don't believe in hocus pocus."
"Of course you don't" said Gran, smiling in the special way that only someone who knows a secret can. "It's interesting that you are wearing that talisman?" Gran pointed at the necklace round Shannon's neck. A small silver charm of two leaves and two perfectly round pearls.
"Talisman?" questioned Shannon "It's a necklace my Nan gave me ages ago".
"Yes dear, but why did you put it on today?"
"Well, I... I don't know" Stumbled Shannon, "I suppose feel safe when I'm wearing it..."
"Safe. Yes. You would feel safe wearing it with friends like yours. That pretty little silver thing is a representation of mistletoe. A natural defence against the werewolf. You're a White Witch if ever I knew one. Forget the Hollywood, broomstick riding, cackley hag image you have in your head. Witches are women of science. They know how to use the natural things around them, herbalists, chemists, biologists. How did you find out that Maddy was a wolfblood?"
"I knew there was something strange on the moors and I kept followed my instincts..." Shannon's voice trailed off. I could see her considering what Gran had said. "You followed what you knew to be true" said Gran "Tenacity is a trait most witches possess."
Gran smiled.
"A quick test for you then," continued Gran" tell me Shannon, what does Calendula Mother do? And the Honey?"
Shannon didn't even pause "Calendula Mother is for pain relief and inflammation, honey is an antiseptic to prevent infection and help healing, but EVERYONE t knows that..." Shannon took a breath as she looked at Tom and I, we were both stunned. How did she know this stuff?
"Do they? I don't think so ." stated Gran.
"They do if they used the internet" countered Shannon.
"Or if they are interested in the natural world" argued Gran.
Slowly Shannon seemed to realise that Gran made sense, it was like watching the sun come up in the morning.
"I'd better phone my Mum and Dad and let them know I'm staying over" Shannon confirmed, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Tom texted his Mum too, she was working shifts so would be out of the house anyway.
Gran showed Tom and Shannon how to administer the Milk Thistle every two hours, the Calendula-Mother to help with the pain and fluids to keep Rhydian hydrated.
Rhydian was calmer now, his breathing more regular.
My mind was spinning. I couldn't believe what Gran had been saying. I wanted to open the front door and run as fast as I could, I could feel the nervous energy in my limbs, the moon was nearly up and the urge to be free was pulling me out on to the moor.
Mam noticed my twitching arms and legs. "Time to go." She ordered.
Gran, Mam and Dad all moved towards the door, subtly giving us the space we needed.
"I can't believe he came back" said Shannon absently, looking at Rhydian.
"Why has he come back Maddy?" queried Tom.
"I don't know" I answered honestly. "He didn't get the chance to explain before..."
I couldn't say the words. I was all still to horrific in my mind. The truth was that I knew he had been injured protecting me, but I still didn't understand why I need protecting from Bryn in the first place. Why would Bryn attack me?
I briefly hugged Shannon, "Please look after him for me."
I went to join my family in the safety of the cellar. As Dad closed the bolt across the door with a chilling and resounding clang, I felt as though I was going to suffocate in the confines of the dark damp room. Mam and Dad hugged me as we began to change.
"He'll be all right love, you have both have an important job to do..." was the last thing Gran said before her shape shifted.
I woke with a start the next morning, now returned to my human form. I hadn't been asleep for long, just dozing after a night spent pacing backwards and forwards in the dark cellar, more cramped than usual because of Gran's presence. It wasn't planned to contain four grown wolfblood's. I'd felt claustrophobic and contained, even in my wolf form I had wanted to check on Rhydian.
Mam, Dad, and Gran were still asleep, also returned now to their human forms. I struggled to open the heavy door as quietly as I could but it was still noisy, Dad stirred as I fled up the cellar steps.
Shannon opened her eyes as I entered the spare room; she was curled up in the small arm chair under the window. I hesitated inside the door, "He's ok" she whispered, nodding toward Rhydian, still in wolf form curled up peacefully asleep on one side of the double bed, the Milk Thistle had done its job of slowing down the change. The honey soaked towel still covering his injured shoulder in a sticky bloody mess.
I could hear my parents climb the stairs, Mam talking gently to Gran, telling her to go and get into bed in my bedroom.
Tom was asleep on the other side of the bed, a sight I never thought I would see. What must have happened during the night? I eased the blanket from the end of the bed and took it to cover Shannon in the chair. Pillows had been strewn on the floor during the night; I took one over to the side of the bed and sat down on it on the floor next to Rhydian's head. He opened his yellow eyes and looked at me, moving his head so that his soft nose was pushed against my neck, I reached up and stroked the thick fur on his head and scratched behind his ear. He moved his head so that our foreheads were pressed together, wolf and girl. I fell asleep.
I woke up to the delicious mouth watering smell of bacon frying coming from the kitchen. Rhydian was awake too and now back in his human form, his forehead was still pressed against mine, we smiled at each other from this strange blurry view point. I realised my arm was still resting on Rhydian's neck, I began to self-consciously to slowly pull it way from him, but Rhydian caught it and pressed it to his face, breathing in the warmth of my hand. I blushed to the very roots of my hair.
"I'm starving" I whispered.
"Me too" whispered Rhydian back.
"How is your shoulder feeling?" I braved a peek under the messy towel covering his wound. The skin beneath was no longer a bloody gaping wound but now an angry scar, bright-pink and sore. The wonder of wolfblood healing, Rhydian was almost as good as new but it would still take a few days before he fully healed.
"I'll go and find some food" I whispered. Shannon and Tom were beginning to stir, wiping sleep from blurry eyes and yawning. Tom seemed slightly stunned that he was on the bed next to Rhydian and hastily scuttled down to the end of the bed, not making eye contact with anyone.
I got up and stretched, I was uncomfortable from sleeping in such an awkward position. I had had such vivid dreams, first about the night before, I could see Shannon and Tom caring for Rhydian, him changing to his wolf form, Tom had been nervous. Rhydian had been in such pain but Shannon had helped. Tom had finally calmed down and helped Rhydian.
Then the dreams changed and I was running wild with Rhydian, running as wolfs and then as humans, it had seemed so real, the feel of the woodland beneath my paws, the smell and sound of Rhydian running alongside me. I could even taste the water we had stopped to lap from the stream. I must have been too tired after the stress of the previous evening.
I nipped downstairs into the kitchen to find Mam frying plate full of bacon butties, Gran was sitting at the kitchen table chatting with Dad who was leaning against the kitchen worktop, all of them were drinking large mugs of steaming tea.
"Morning" I greeted them all.
"Afternoon actually" laughed Dad.
Gran began to get up from the table.
"Let me have a proper look at my grand-daughter" she said, "I hardly had the chance last night".
She hugged me tightly and then stood back at arm's length, examining me from head to toe.
"You look more and more like your Mam every day" Gran clucked.
I blushed. "How long are you staying Gran? I... I... I mean tell us all about your trip, was it amazing? Did you meet any other wolfblood's?" The words tumbled from me in the wrong order.
Gran chuckled. "Oh my trip has been fabulous, pet. So much to tell you and you should see the photos and video I took, but now I'm here for as long as I'm needed, which I think might be a while given the current situation."
There she was, being all mysterious again; still I was so pleased to see her.
I heard Dad suck in his breath through his teeth, clearly having his Mother in Law to stay, no matter how well they got on, wasn't on his event horizon.
"Rhydian seems much better this morning" I said.
"I peeped in" confessed Gran, "you all looked so peaceful. Just be careful with the Eolas though, wolf to human contact can be tricky even when that human is a wolfblood."
Mam and Dad had both whipped around to face me, furious looks on their faces.
Eolas. A strange ability that some wolfblood's possessed to connect with nature and with each other. I'd dabbled with it but it scared me, Rhydian was better at using it.
I looked confusedly at Mam and Dad. "But I don't use Eolas, not after you told me what had happened to..." I trailed off, I didn't want to talk about Mam's long lost cousin in front of Gran, I was worried that reminding her of the loss of her niece would upset her.
"Yes, your Aunt Louise uses Eolas unwisely. I caught up with her briefly last summer in southern Ireland. She sends her love."
Mam huffed and turned back to making the mountain of bacon butties. She was still furious at her cousin and best friend for turning wild.
"But by putting your heads together like that" Gran continued "you will communicate with each other. It's how wolfblood's communicate in their wolf form. Really Emma, Dan, she should know this."
"We've never needed to use it" stated Dad, shrugging. "It never came up. Besides you know how Emma feels about using it."
"I do" said Gran, "Emma never quite mastered it did you, Pet? Still Maddy should know how it works, an understanding like, given her position."
That explained the vivid dream; I was seeing Rhydian's thoughts, then as he fell asleep his dreams too. I blushed again when I realised that I had been in them. Rhydian could use Eolas well but I didn't trust myself with the strange ability to see things other wolfblood's couldn't. Mam had frightened me with tales of her cousin.
"Right, these butties are ready, shall we take them upstairs, just this once" Mam forced a smile onto her face.
Upstairs in the bedroom, all my friends were awake. Shannon had helped prop Rhydian up on the pillows and given him a glass of water. Tom still looked shattered sitting on the edge of the bed.
"Needed a bit of extra help did you" grinned Gran at Tom, pointing to Shannon's silver mistletoe charm around his neck.
I'd never seen Tom move so fast to take the necklace off.
"He had a wobble at about 3am when Rhydian got a bit snappy" smiled Shannon, looking a little smug as she replaced her necklace around her own neck.
"Sorry" Said Rhydian, looking sheepish.
"You've done very well, thank you both" said Mam with genuine feeling "Now, who fancies a butty?"
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