Chapter 16

Santana stared at the fire. Her skin itched and it crawled. She didn't know why and she wasn't going to say anything about it. She was more worried about Quinn and Will.

She was watching Will as she sharpened her sword. It seemed like it was not only methodical but also relaxing for the knight. She could understand that. She and Quinn both had their own routines before their cheerleading competitions back in high school.

"Are you preparing for a fight?" Quinn asked her.

"No, not really. I just want to be prepared. The last time that we were here...it just wasn't pleasant."

"Last time you were here?" Quinn inquired.

"Danni and I travelled through here on the way to getting George. I am not saying that there are still people that want to hurt me, but I am saying that this isn't really a friendly area. We are on the borders of Ulf. They like us, but I am not very fond of them. But that is personal."

"Borders of Ulf? Care to explain that? Cause we're following you here," Santana stated joining in their conversation.

Quinn and Will both looked over at her. They could see that Santana was antsy. She'd been getting more agitated the closer they had gotten to the border of Regina's lands. Will cocked her head and looked at her a little more closely. Then she looked up at the night sky before returning her piercing blue eyes back on Santana.

"Damn it," Will muttered quietly, but it was loud enough for Quinn to hear not only the agitation in her voice but something more like worry and dread.

"What is it?"

"I can't see the moon," Will replied.

Quinn looked at Santana. They didn't know what that meant. They both looked at Will as she stood up. She sheathed her sword and walked over to her horse. She grabbed something out of her saddlebags and walked back towards their fire. She leaned over the fire and lit it. That is when Quinn realized that it was a small torch. It wouldn't give off much light, but it would serve whatever purpose that Will had.

"Stay here. Don't leave the fire. And, for everything that is holy, don't shoot me when I come back. I shouldn't be gone long," she told them and left without waiting for a reply.

"What do you think that was about?" Santana asked Quinn.

"I have no idea, but it seemed important. Are you are okay? You seem…edgy?"

"I am fine."

"San…"

"Look, Q, I know we aren't in Kansas anymore. Things are not all rainbows and smiles here. I am glad that we left Rach and Britt back at the castle. I know that Britt would be able to handle herself out here, but I am glad that she isn't here. This isn't just another one of Sue's strange summer camps, Q. We are literally on horseback in the Enchanted Forest."

"I know that."

"And, we have no idea what beyond those trees," Santana added as she drew the sword she was carrying and started absentmindedly rubbing it down with a clean cloth.

Quinn watched her. There was an uneasiness in Santana's eyes, but it was nothing compared the storm that she saw in Will's eyes. There was something that Will wasn't telling them and Quinn began to wonder if she needed to be worried about it.

Will was back faster than she thought she would be. She met Quinn's eyes. She looked from her hazel to Santana. Then, she turned her eyes towards the sky again. They still couldn't see the sky because of the forest.

"There isn't a moon tonight. It will be full in a few days. We shouldn't have any problems though. The Ulf are part of Swan Kingdoms. They joined because Cora-Danni made them an offer they literally couldn't refuse," Will told them.

"What kinda offer?" Santana asked.

"Freedom," Will said quickly.

Quinn cocked her head. Santana started fidgeting. Quinn turned to face her.

"What's wrong, San? And, don't tell me nothing. What's up?" Quinn asked her.

"I don't know. I don't feel right. I feel like there is something just beyond the trees there. I can't see it, but I know that it is there. I can feel it. I don't know how to describe it."

There was a rustling in the tree line. Santana and Will stood, drawing swords to face the tree line. Quinn stood, notching an arrow. She took two steps ahead of them. Santana took a step to be just behind her. Quinn couldn't feel where Will was, but she knew almost by instinct where Santana was every time she moved. When she took a step, San took a step too. If Quinn went towards the left, San did too.

Quinn took another step towards the tree line. The fire was finally far enough behind her. She could finally start to make out enough of the woods and the vegetation. She saw something, but she couldn't identify it. She could see it moving. She drew back the bow and tried to take aim.

That was when she heard the growl. She drew down further on an unfamiliar mass in the darkness. She aimed for the sound, only to hear an eerily similar one coming from Santana behind her. She turned her eyes, but not her head, towards Santana. Her Latina friend looked pissed. She saw the sword in her hands, but Santana didn't look like she was about to use it anytime soon. She looked like she was about to rip someone in half. Quinn knew that face. She'd seen it a lot in high school. Especially after the idiot Finn outed Santana to the jocks.

"LOBAN, YOU PROMISED THAT WE WOULDN'T BE HUNTED ANYMORE!" a snarly voice called out from the tree line.

Will dropped her sword from an offensive stance. She held it up like she was going to salute the trees and then just abruptly put in the scabbard at her waist. She reached over and then touched Quinn's arm. Quinn finally broke her sight on the figure in front of her. She slowly released the bow string, but she didn't remove the arrow or her hand. She was still prepared to fire, but at least she wasn't aiming.

"Hori, I come in peace," Will shouted back.

"Then why do you have weapons, Loban?"

"In case we are attacked," Will replied.

"You know that such weapons aren't useful against me."

"The swords, no, not really, but those arrows are tipped," Will told him.

A man slowly walked out of the woods. His blond hair was accented by the red flames from the fire behind them. His eyes were golden and fierce. Quinn took a sharp breath, but she still didn't release her grip on the bow or the arrow. She understood Will subtle threat, but she didn't know why Will didn't push the issue further. She could feel Santana getting more agitated beside her, but she didn't dare take her eyes of the blonde man before her.

"So you've brought a Cana and a Siofra with you?"

"Siofra?" Will asked stepping in front of Quinn and Santana.

"The Orla," he stated motioning at Quinn and Santana.

Quinn could see Will's posture change. She wasn't sure what the golden-eyed meant, but she knew that it had something to do with Santana and herself. And, that wasn't something that she wanted to deal with. She didn't know what it mean and she wasn't sure wanted to at the moment. She filed the words away to ask about them later.

"Will?" Quinn asked as she moved to the left of her slightly, bow and arrow still at the ready.

"It's fine, Quinn. He's a member of the Randall. He won't attack unless Ruby or myself orders it. As I like my life and my friends, I doubt that I would tell him to attack us."

"It is still an option, Loban," he muttered.

"Don't, Hori. We've come to get some Rubrum Leaena Faolan. We've been sent by Regina for it. I am sure that you know what that means," Will told him.

"I do, but why did you come, Loban? Where is the Brannonulf, Rowan Cwen de Ulf? Where is she? Why did she not come herself?" he asked her.

She took another step forward. Hori started to come out of the wood line. Will took another step towards him. Her body was still tense and Quinn wasn't sure what to do. Santana stepped around her and that was all it took for Quinn to move. She dropped the bow and reached out for Santana, barely grabbing her by the arm.

The Latina turned to face her. Her dark eyes burned into her hazel, but she didn't let her go. Quinn shook her head and the Latina finally relaxed a little bit. She growled, but took a step back behind Quinn. Once she was back in her spot behind Quinn, Quinn could feel Santana tense back up. There was something in the air that made Quinn look up and tense, too.

"Ruby is with her niece."

"The Dark Loban has returned?"

"She has."

"What's wrong?" he demanded.

"There is nothing wrong. She came home to see her mother's. I don't believe that she is staying. But, she's feverish and we need the Rubrum Leaena Faolan for her."

"Regina's magic is failing her?"

"I didn't say that, Hori. Will you help? Or, are you refusing your Alpha?"

He nodded and backed up. She snarled at him. Santana did as well. Quinn cocked her eyebrow with her best HBIC stare. He hit his knees and growled slightly. Quinn watched as he raised his hand, made a fist and slammed it into his chest.

"You know that I cannot refuse a Brannonulf, Wilhelmina Brannon de Pryoxes."

"Then, will you take us to a crop of it?" Will asked him.

"We will travel in the morning, Princess," he stated before standing.

He moved back to the wood line. He turned just before he would have disappeared into the trees. He looked them over again.

"You might want to get a good night's sleep, Vulcannonian. I'll be back in the morning. Don't worry. I'll have the Randae watch over you. Boykin is just there. He'll make sure that you aren't harmed. Besides, no Randae would want to be responsible for harm to the Brannonulf."

He walked off as soon as he finished his short speech. Leaving them standing there, Will turned quickly and without any further explanation went over to her horse. She grabbed her bedroll and began to spread it out by the fire.

"Um….Excuse me. What the hell was that? And, why do I feel the need to rip him apart?" Santana asked as she moved closer to the fire.

Quinn finally dropped the arrow from the bow and walked over to her horse. She grabbed her bed roll and went back to the fire. She returned the arrow back to the quiver. She dropped the bow on the ground, but far enough from the fire for her to spread her bedroll. She grabbed the bow and the quiver. She set them on the far side of her bedroll. She then undid the belt that was holding her sword and dropped it on the nearside of the bedroll. She didn't need to be told twice to get some sleep. They had ridden hard that morning and she was finally feeling the effects of their adventure. The adrenaline dump that she had just experienced was wearing off.

"Q, seriously, you aren't curious?" Santana demanded when Will didn't answer.

"San, we are so far out of element here. I am just trying to deal with things as they happen. I don't know who he was or what he wanted, but it seems that Will does. He's agreed to help us and I assume that the Randae are some sort of guard. He's ordered them to watch over us tonight. This means while we are sleeping, we are safe. I'm tired. I am sure whatever questions that we have, Will answer them tomorrow. Right, Will?"

"Yes, Quinn. It would be a good idea to get some sleep. I'll answer your questions in the morning. Right now, I am going to sleep. We have another tough day tomorrow."

Santana started to protest, but Quinn shot her a look. She mumbled under her breath as she went to her horse and got her bed roll. She unrolled it and got in it. She didn't remove her sword. She lay there staring at the branches above her and wondered if she could actually sleep. The next thing she knew it was morning.

"We're going to need food for our journey. Quinn, get your bow. Santana, take care of the fire and the horses. Hori should be back soon. If he gets here before we get back, promise me not to kill him," Will told her as she was still waking.

"Excuse me!"

"Stay here. Play nice. Clean up camp. Can you do that?"

"You better be glad your immortal or I would have killed you already," Santana stated as she finally got up fully.

"Is she always this grumpy?"

"When she isn't with Brittany, yes," Quinn answered giving her friend a knowing smirk.

"She's going to ask me all sorts of things when we get back, isn't she?"

"Yes," Quinn said simply.

She had already reattached the belt around her waist that carried the sword. She reached over and grabbed both the quiver and the bow. She looked over at Will to let her know that she was ready. By the time they were about to head into the wood line, a dark gray wolf came out of it.

Will looked at it and then at Santana. She shook her head. She turned around and faced the gray wolf.

"Boykin!" she yelled at the wolf.

The massive gray wolf turned to face her more fully. It cocked its head and then padded over to where she was standing. She put out a hand and it nuzzled it.

"Boykin, change. Don't be rude. The sun is up."

The wolf shook its head, but made no movement. This seemed to make Will angry, but she didn't push it. She leaned down until she was eye to eye with the beast.

"Turn."

The wolf sat on its haunches. Santana began to snarl again. Quinn looked from her to the wolf and back again. There was something that she was missing, but whatever it was Will knew how to deal with it.

"Don't make me do it, Boykin. Turn. Please," she pleaded.

Finally, the large wolf sat up. He howled softly at her. She reached out and he licked her palm.

"Boykin, turn and stay here."

The wolf nodded. He shook his body and Quinn's eyes went wide. The wolf transformed into a young man around the age of twenty. When he stood fully, he had to be at least six foot tall. His hair was dark brown, almost black. His eyes were golden like the man from the night before. In the morning light, Quinn couldn't convince herself that it was the firelight playing tricks on her. The black pants that were hanging low on his hips hugged his lower body like a glove.

"Find a shirt. Play nice. Don't do anything stupid."

"Yes, Loban," Boykin told her as he walked over to a stump and sat.

He just watched Santana as she resumed her chores about the campsite. She shook her head and turned back to the woods. She waved at Quinn to follow her and off they went. Nothing more was said until they were deep in the forest and alone.

"So…"

"Yes?" Will asked.

"Loban?"

"It is a Wolf term for knight."

"So you are knight to them as well?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"Which means?" Quinn asked.

"I am Ruby's second."

"Danni's Aunt Ruby?"

"Yes, she is their Alpha."

"Meaning?"

"She is their queen."

"And they don't know that she's…"

"No, they don't," Will answered quickly.

"Why?"

"Because they would demand to see if Danielle was Cana?"

"Cana?"

"It means wolf pup."

"And, Danielle?"

"She is Belle's child."

"She's not of Ruby's blood?" Quinn asked.

"She is. But, she isn't. It's complicated, but Danielle didn't inherit her Wolf mother's traits."

"She is the daughter of an Alpha, but she isn't a Wolf?" Quinn asked trying to understand.

"Yes."

"Does Belle know?"

"Yes."

"And, that is why they don't know about Ruby?"

"Yes."

"What about Danielle?" Quinn asked.

"She knows that her mother is sick. She visits her every day, but she is with Granny. If any of the wolves found out that she wasn't a Cana, they would challenge Ruby for status."

"And, since Ruby can't fight, they would have to fight you?"

"Exactly."

"And, that's a problem because?" Quinn asked.

"Politics."

"You don't want that power?"

"No, I don't. I've already submitted to Ruby. She is also my Alpha. It is my birth right, but I gave it to her. I have no need of the throne of Ulfland. Just because my mother was a Brannonulf doesn't mean that I want the throne. I have my own to deal with. But, then again, I am a Queen of nothing."

"What?"

"My kingdom exists but I am the last of my kind. There are no more Vulcannonians here. They all died from a magical disease, more like a curse. Somehow I was not affected and I survived. The Wolves know that. They know who I am. They can smell me."

"Well, that's great," Quinn said sarcastically.

"I don't have all the traits that they do, but I do have a few. I don't turn. I have super strength and speed like the Wolves do. I can shift into something more than human, but it isn't a wolf. They would follow me only because no one would be able to defeat me."

"Do they know about Danni being your True Love?"

"They know that I have claimed her as my mate, but it doesn't matter. I would never make a play to be Alpha, so they don't worry about us having pups. They worry about Ruby because Ruby has taken a non-magical being and a non-Wolf as her mate. Normally this would have been a problem for the pack, but Ruby is Brannon."

"You keep saying Brannon like it isn't supposed to mean something to me. What does that mean? What does being Brannon mean to the pack?" Quinn asked as they continued to stalk through the forest as quietly as they could.

"To be Brannon is to be a pure blood. Ruby's mother was a Brannon. She had her own pack. Her grandfather was Brannon, but he left the pack. Anita, Ruby's mother, went back to them when she was old enough to turn and understand what it meant. When she had Ruby, however, she knew what it would mean for her to live with her. Wolves were being hunted and killed for their pelts. They were being hunted because people were afraid. She gave Ruby back to Granny to raise. When Regina realized that the girl that Granny was raising was also her father's daughter, she gave Granny the red cloak to protect her."

"Why is the cloak important?"

"It keeps Ruby from turning."

"Red Riding Hood?" Quinn asked.

"Yes."

"Wow. They really got that story wrong. What else is wrong about it?"

"Peter and the Wolf, do you know that one."

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

"Yeah, well, Ruby ate him."

"She's that wolf?"

"Yeah, and the kicker of that is that Peter was her boyfriend at the time."

"She ate her boyfriend?"

"She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't know that she was a Wolf. She'd turned and well, ate him. She went on the run then. That is how she ended up betraying her sister."

"Huh?"

"She joined Snow's army."

"Ah," Quinn stated as she scanned the woods before them. "There. A stag not too far off."

"Do you have a good shot?" Will asked quietly.

Quinn moved slowly and methodically to a tree. She reached behind her back and drew an arrow. She notched it. Leaning into the tree for support, she drew down on the stag that she could see. She pulled the bow string back until it was to her lips. She took in a deep breath and zeroed her eyes in on the stag's flank. She slowly released the breath and let the arrow fly. Before the arrow had gone too far, she drew another one and held her bow at the ready.

The stag grunted in pain as it fell. Quinn was off like a bullet. She was tearing across the forest floor like she had been designed to do it. Will wasn't far behind her, sword drawn, and a strange smile gracing her lips.

When they came upon the beast, Quinn loosed another arrow into it ending its suffering. Will watched as she moved around the beast, sizing it up. When Quinn looked up at her with the question on her lips, Will just smiled. She sheathed her swords and drew a knife. She cut open the stag and removed most of its innards. Once she was done, she wiped the blade on the stag and then sheathed it. Then like the stag weighed nothing, she reached down and picked up, placing it on her shoulders.

Quinn just cocked an eyebrow at the feat of strength. She knew that Will had to be drawing on her Wolf blood in order to carry the stag. She turned away and started back towards camp.

She knew that there would be a time for questions, but right now wasn't really it. They were on a mission to save Danni and that is what she needed to be focused on. She led the way back to camp without thinking about it and she didn't realize that she'd done it until they came back into the small clearing where camp had been.

Santana looked at her and then Will. She saw the stag. She saw the look on Quinn's face. And, then she said, "Hells to the no, if you think that I am butchering that."

Quinn laughed. Santana just looked at her like she'd lost her mind. She still didn't understand why Quinn was just going with everything. She wanted to go back to the castle and check on Brittany. She didn't know why, but she wasn't comfortable in those woods. It was like there was something in her blood that was telling her to run, but to what she didn't know.

"Don't worry about that, Santana. I'll clean it. I should be ready in a few minutes."

Santana just nodded and went back to the horses. Quinn joined her. She could see the worry on Santana's face. She wondered what was wrong with the Latina. She usually wasn't this edgy in strange situations.

"San?"

"I don't know, Quinn. I just don't know. I mean, come on. We're in the woods. This isn't one of Sue's sadistic summer camp outs. This is the mother fucking Enchanted Forest. There are werewolves among us and you are acting like this is nothing. I don't get it. I don't understand why you aren't freaking the fuck out. Because this…this is not normal," Santana told her.

"Because...I don't know why I am not freaking out, San. I know that should freak me out but it isn't. I just killed a stag at a distance that I shouldn't have been able to see it, but I did. I don't know what it going on any more than you do. All, I know is that we promised Danni that we would help her and we are. She's back at that castle, sick and feverish. We're out here trying to find something that will help her. With as much as she has done for us back in New York, I think that a little uncomfortable trip in the woods is something that I can deal with."

Santana turned, but nodded at Quinn's words. She knew that they made sense. It was that she just couldn't shake this feeling of dread or worry or need. She couldn't pinpoint this building anguish inside herself and that worried her. She wondered if somehow the magic of this world was drawn to her and she was going to get sick like Danni had.

"Cana!" Boykin yelled at them.

Quinn and Santana turned to him. They watched as Will neared him, bloody knife in hand. They couldn't tell if it was a threat or warning that Will gave him, but the wolf seemed to back down from whatever confrontation he wanted to start.

It was then that Hori returned. He looked from where Boykin and Will were to where Santana and Quinn were standing. He walked over to Will.

"Cana doesn't know?" he asked.

"She isn't from here."

"Earth?"

"Yes, and if she is Cana, she hasn't turned. When she does, she is going to lose her shit and I personally don't want to be there when she does. When is the next moon?" Will asked him.

"Two to three days," he answered.

"How long until we get to the crop of the flowers?"

"Three days."

"Fuck."

"What do want us to do, Loban?"

"Keep the pack back. And, as the Randall, keep the Randae in check. Don't let any of them think that they can challenge her. I'll take it as a personal attack and I'd rather not turn on the pack. Make sure that they get the word."

"What are you going to do the night she turns?" Hori asked her.

"Hope to all that is holy that she doesn't filet me open for trying to help find her way back in the morning."

"And the elf girl?"

"One thing at a time. I'll have to talk to Regina when we get back. This is going to change things, drastically, but that is kingdom matter for her to deal with. Is there anything that you will need for the time being?"

"No, we are ready. A quarter of the Randae at your service. Do you wish to send word to Regina?"

"Yes, send Boykin."

"Write your missive and I will," Hori told her as he went back to the wood line where Boykin was now sitting and waited for Will to write the note.

Will turned back to face the other women. She knew that Regina would understand what she wrote if she sent in Vulcannonian. She couldn't risk the note being read otherwise. Quinn and Santana didn't ask for this. They didn't understand. They didn't know that the inherent magic of this realm was affecting them so much. She sighed. Three days. She had three days to figure out how to tell them that their lives were really full of lies and that they were more than they could ever imagine back home. She began to wonder if that was the reason that Danni was drawn to them in the first place. Could she since something about them? Did she know what they were when they didn't even know themselves? Time was the only way that they would find the answers and it was also the enemy at the same time. She had three days until the full moon. She prayed that would find a way to deal with this long enough to the get what they needed and then get back to the castle for Danni. She had a mission and she wasn't about to fail because of two foreign women that didn't know the true power of their own blood. She couldn't fail. She wouldn't fail. They would just have to deal until they got back to the castle. It was the only way.