Alright readers,
The climax has arrived! Sit tight and enjoy part 1 of the finale chapters! Sorry it's taken so long in the making, I wanted to make extra certain I'd thought over every possible idea before deciding what I was going to do and how it was going to end. Enjoy!
Maugrim's Rancor: Chapter 7
The Attack pt 1
"Oh Lucy, do stop," Queen Susan reprimanded.
The two finely dressed Queen sisters rode along inside their royal carriage, facing one another on the confortably pillowed seats.
"Well what would you have me do? I cannot fall asleep!" Lucy responded with a huff, never the less ceasing the drumming of her fingers on the carriage window cill. They had been traveling all day and both were in iratible moods considering they were restless of the rocking and jerking of the cabin which they were made to stay imprisoned within until safely behind the palace gates of Cair Paravel.
"Knit or something," Susan suggested, gesturing to the basket of yarn beside her. Susan herself was working on making a scarf for Edmund. She doubted he would ever wear it, but it was good practice anyway.
"I don't like knitting," Lucy complained, looking at the yarn basket with destest. Susan sighed dramatically.
"Then don't knit and sit quietly, we are nearly home Lu," Susan tried to comfort her younger, more impatient sister. Lucy sighed and rested her chin in her palm. Glancing nonchelauntly over at her older sister once more, she asked,
"You're not really going to give that to Edmund are you?"
Susan blew through her nose loudly and set her knit work down.
"What you don't think he'll like it?" Susan demanded.
"Not at all," Lucy responded quite frankly. Susan closed her eyes in frustration. Thankfully, the journey didn't last much longer and soon the coach came to a stop. Lucy perked up immedietly.
"Are we there!?" she asked eagerly, jumping from her seat to poke her head out the carraige door window, Susan did likewise beside her younger sister.
"Just thought your majesties would like to see the lovely view of Pair Caravel from here," Mr. Tumnus answered from on top of the coach.
He always rode with the carriage driver as he liked to keep his eyes out for any possible dangers. Now though, the two Queen sisters gazed out through the trees and beheld the beautiful sight of their beloved castle.
"It's so beautiful!" Lucy cried with the biggest smile on her face.
"How good it is to see it again," Susan agreed happily.
"We are almost there!" Mr. Tumnus called assuredly and then the coach was moving again.
Susan and Lucy then busied themselves with talking all about what the first things they were going to do when they arrived within the palace gates. However, neither of the girls expected what was about to come next...
...
Cair Paravel: TheThrone Room
King Peter and King Edmund both were sitting in their throne chairs in deep discussion.
"Are you most certain this is what you choose to do? I mean Orius could be wrong..." Edmund was saying.
"Ed, if the wolf is innocent and can proove so, he shall be set free," Peter returned, "I trust Orius's wisdom and find his insight correct. If I don't handle the situation before it escalates the situation might get the best of me," Peter defended. He really didn't understand why Edmund was trying to defend this wolf Rancor.
Especially not when Rancor was possibly out to kill him. Everything would go a lot smoother if Arla cooperated and simply led Orious and his men to where Rancor was staying. Peter had thought long and hard over this the night before, and the added nightmares of a black wolf attacking him from out of no where in his sleep had aided to this one clear decision: Capturing Rancor now was the best option.
"Alright, I'll drop it," Edmund conceded, seeing his brother's mind was clearly made up. They sat in silence now, waiting for the entrance of Orius and Arla to the throne room. Peter had called them here a few minutes ago and they still had not arrived.
What could be holding them up? Then, finally, Peter heard the clatter of fast hoofprints on the marble floors. When the centuar showed himself, Peter and Edmund were surprsied to see it wasn't Orius, but one of his soliders instead.
"My lords, there is a situation at the front gate..." he said rushedly, "The Queens have arrived, but their coach is being attacked by wolves!" the centaur informed rapidly in breathless puffs. Peter and Edmund both jumped to their feet at the same time.
"See! I told you!" Peter said to Edmund rushing away from the throne room and towards their armory to fetch his sword and shield. Edmund followed.
Both brothers were full of dread. Were their sister's alright? Would they get their in time. The two Kings could scarcely arm themselves fast enough! Once they had grabbed their things, they rushed out of the palace and to the stables where their horses were ready at a moment's notice, Peter on his unicorn, and Edmund riding aboard Philip.
They took off at a full gallop down the castle entrance way, and spurred their horses on as quickly as possible, tearing past the lovely trees and sculpted bushes that lined the palace road leading towards the royal gates.
...
The woods near the Palace Gate: 15 minutes prior...
The three wolves sat quietly in the trees just off the side of the road. Rancor's ears twitched about, listening intently for any sound.
They could not be found out now, not when they were needing to remain perfectly prepeared for the Queens' arrivals. It was a quiet night before and while Rancor had been dealing with many doubts through his dreams, when he had woken nothing but sharp determination was left to resolve him.
He would kill King Peter, regardless of what his conscience was telling him. He'd been born for one thing and one thing only, and that was to exact revenge. And if he missed this one chance to make his destiny come true... then what was he worth?
His mother would despise him, his sister's would no doubt chide him the rest of his life... His grandfather... well... Rancor wasn't quite certain about how his granfather would feel about this.
Surely Flatfoot knew what Rancor's purpose for coming here was, and had no qualms about it, or else he would have said something before Rancor and his sister's had left. Then again, Rancor's mother wasn't known to be very tollerant of anything Flatfoot had to say. Perhaps she had warned the older wolf not to peep a word.
Rancor sighed and rested his head in the cool dirt when suddenly his ears picked up on the sound of paw prints coming near them through the trees. In a second's notice he and his sisters were up off the floor and whirled around to start growling viciously at any intruder. But the moment Rancor saw it was only Rawla, he put his bared teeth away and trotted forward, lowering his tail.
"Rawla what are you doing here?" he asked desperately. Of all the moments for her to show up, this was the worst of them! His sister's still growled and had evil narrowed eyes pointing daggers at the street dog.
"You know her?" yapped Ripclaw.
"She's nothing but street filth!" Burbite added. Rancor shot his sister's a repremanding look but knew arguing with them would only waste time. Instead he focused on speaking with Rawla alone.
"Ignore them, what are you doing here?" he repeated.
Rawla had her tail tucked between her legs. Knowing she was vastly outnumbered by powerful wolves must have intimidated her, but it pained Rancor to see the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. Little did he knew, the reason for that fear wasn't what he originally thought.
"Rancor something terrible may happen. I was in town and overheard a set of knights speaking. They were talking about capturing a black wolf that they had seen ravaging around in the woods, so I came to warn you," she said quickly, "They may come to find you at any moment!" she warned. This wasn't good news. And he thought he had been so stealthy! How had they seen him? Rancor cursed inwardly, mad that he hadn't remained unnoticed.
"Just great," Rancor growled to himself.
"You must leave quickly. I don't know why you are here, as you haven't found me fit to say so, but in order to keep from getting captured you must run," Rawla pleaded. Rancor looked down at the ground. He couldn't run! Not now! This was just all such bad timing!
"Rawla I-"
"Rancor! The carriage!" barked Burbite as quietly as possible. Rancor spun around to see that just through the trees, the Queen's carriage was rattling down the brick road.
"Rawla...I can't go, I'm sorry, I have to do something, and I know you'll hate me, but I just must. I'm nothing if I don't do what I was trained for," Rancor said ashamedly, turning his back on her and walking into the bushes to get into position.
"You best leave yourself, I don't want the soldiers thinking you were part of our plot," he added in a murmur.
...
"Rancor no..." Rawla pleaded but she could already see she had lost him. He wasn't going to listen to her and her heart ached to think that Rancor was nothing but a lost cause. There had to be good in him! She had seen it! Rawla none the less had a duty to her Kings and Queens. Turning quickly, Rawla rushed off to go warn Orious of what was happening.
...
"Get ready," Rancor ordered his sisters, "We'll do this just as we planned..."
The siblings all hunkered down low on their paws and waited for the perfect moment. The royal carriage was now pulling up to a halt before the Palace Gates and the guard centaurs standing by moved forward to open the gates and welcome the Queens home.
"Your majesties!" the guards bowed respectfully and then proceeded to motion that the gates be opened. Slowly but surely, the heavy iron bars opened and the bridge to the mote just on the other side of the rock walls lowered for the carriage to go through.
"Now!" Rancor barked, and his sister's sprang to life, barking and snarling as they rushed from the trees to intercept the carriage.
Burbite jumped first strait towards the coach window where Susan and Lucy's screams could be heard echoing through the woods. Rancor found the sound of the two Queens' loud distress made him shutter in shame. How could be doing this? He waited, staying in the trees as his two sisters worked together to create chaos, bringing the guards forward away from the open gate to fend them off with their swords and tall spears.
That was when Rancor noticed the Captain of the centaur soldiers, Orius galloping through the gates from the direction of the castle, and he meant business. For a moment, Rancor feared for his sister's lives, knowing that this Captain was probably more skilled than they. But as he watched on, Rancor still waited for that perfect opportunity to slip by without notice, and sneak through the gates.
Then, he saw it. Both guards were chasing after Burbite, as she had taken to leading them away into a random direction of the forest in a fake retreat, while Ripclaw continued to harass the carriage, running from one side to the other all the while keeping Orius occupied in being unable to reach her. Rancor took his chance and sprinted for the open gates.
He ran and ran as swiftly as he could, right through the opened iron bars and over the draw bridge crossing the mote. As soon as Rancor found some shrubbery, he jumped behind it, hiding quickly and sulking further along up the path between refined bushes and blooming trees.
The sound of clattering hoof prints down the castle road resounded distinctly into Rancor's ears and before he knew it, the sight of King Peter aboard his pure white unicorn stallion was seen racing closer and closer, no doubt to aid his sisters. King Edmund followed behind. Now was Rancor's chance. Rancor would catch this King off guard, and he would kill him. He had to. He could not waver.
Keeping out of sight as the horses galloped closer, Rancor waited until the perfect moment. Then... with all the power his hind legs could muster, he jumped. He flew through the air, soaring up and out right towards King Peter. The King barely had time to react before he felt a body smashing into him. Both wolf and man, toppled together from off of the unicorn's back and into the road.
...
"Pete!" Edmund called, pulling up on his horse's reigns as fast as he could to bring Philip to a stop.
Peter scrambled, the impact from the fall having pushed air from his lungs, and his eyes swirled dizzily as he stumbled to a stand. Finally, he found his sword, and ripped it from his sheath, wincing in some pain.
This was the moment he locked eyes with his opponent. The huge black wolf, looked even more intimidating with his hackles raised, teeth bared and wild yellow eyes beaming bright. This was the wolf Rancor, Peter's nightmare come to life before his eyes. Edmund went to dismount, but the frightened screams of Susan and Lucy could still be heard by the palace gate.
"No Ed! Go help Susan and Lucy!" Peter commanded, holding up his sword defensively towards the black wolf who had begun to circle him, "This wolf is my fight," Peter said lowly... his eyes narrowing.
He had to face this fear without help. For too long the anticipation of this fight had haunted him. Now it was here, and it was all his.
Edmund swallowed but did as his elder brother had ordered. He cantered quickly off to help aid the Queens, leaving Peter alone in his battle against the very living and breathing manifestation of Maugrim's Rancor...
Is this intense or what?! Next chapter will be up tomorrow so come back to for part two of "The Attack" pt 2! Also, I apologize for any misspelled words or wrong grammar! I tried to find it all, but I may have missed a few things!
-Stokin D Embers