Chapter 3
"It looks like you had a rough start with your fellow humans!" One of the wolf brothers said, with a harsh laugh (or bark), as I entered the den.
"Up yours, flea-bait!" I growled back.
He rose, eyes narrowed. "Say that again!"
I glared back. "Did I stutter?"
Moro broke our little argument, which was a shame, as I was thinking how nice this mongrels' coat would look as a new jacket for yours truly. "Enough, my son! Perhaps later, but not now!"
She turned to me next. "Judging by the state of your complexion, I would say that you know who the enemy is now."
I shrugged. "Well, I know at least one is gunning for me, but the rest is not so simple."
Moro looked at me, and I elaborated. "Eboshi is a arsehole, ambitious and chummy with doing what it takes to get her way, no doubt about it. The people under her are another story."
Moro eyed me coldly. "They would kill all of us, including yourself, and destroy the Forest. You are in no position to be neutral in this matter. The lines have been drawn before you entered our world, and the humans have made it clear whose side they think you are on!"
I nodded. Eboshi was a person I would never have trusted enough to serve. She was too much like Abstergo.
I sighed, and nodded. "I get the picture. I'm officially on your side." 'You primitive freaks,' I didn't add.
"Then will you do what is necessary to protect the forest, including killing your fellow humans?" San asked, and I nodded to her.
San stepped forward until her small form was brushing mine, her gaze hard and angry. "I don't trust you, human. If I had my way, my brothers would have made you their latest meal."
I nodded, meeting her gaze with mine. "I'll earn your trust then, Wolf Girl. In return, you had better realize that I'm not a bloke you want to get on your bad side. If there is one thing that bloody I am sure of, it is that you will fear me before you trust me."
San glared at me. "Right back at you, human!"
I smirked. "Lovely! As long as we're on the same page!"
Later that day, in the evening, I sat not far from the cave, out on the cliff that stretched out from the entrance of the cave.
That was about as close as I wanted to get, seeing as I was in the unenviable position of being mistrusted, and hated, by my own so-called allies.
I was in a very uncomfortable situation: I had a lot of enemies, allies who would sooner eat me than fight with me, and Lucifer was nowhere in sodding sight!
"That look does not suit your face." I didn't know Moro had come out from under the cave under I heard her voice and felt her warm breath on the back of my head.
"What do you mean?" I asked, struggling to hide my anger at being sneaked up to so easily.
"I could smell your worry and anger from my cave, and my muzzle is quite apt at such things. You cannot hide much from a wolf of my age, I'm afraid."
I rose to my feet, and turned to face her. "Duly noted. Can I help you?"
Moro chuckled. "Do not concern yourself with my children. They are hardly a threat you should be concerned about, as long as I am in charge."
I frowned. "I'm not afraid of them."
She shook her head. "Perhaps, but they are on your mind nonetheless."
I grimaced. "They are one of the issues I will have to deal with. Iron Town is another. They've probably figured out by now that I am now no friend of theirs, which gives me many enemies, and less choices than I would like to have."
Moro shrugged her massive shoulders. "Such is life."
I couldn't argue with that, but I reached a decision. "But now that I'm on your side, I'm going to make sure that I'm going to make those idiots as scared of me as the people in my world were."
Moro bared her teeth in a smile. "Now that we can help you with!"
The next morning, I was prodded awake by San, who did so with the butt of her spear.
Growling, I pushed the spear aside. "Do that again, and I'll bury that damned spear down your throat!"
San smirked. "Good morning to you too, human. Get ready to join us: we are going hunting!"
I yawned, and prepared my weapons before giving her a nod. "Ready when you are, San!"
I had to admit, as the wolves chased down a deer, they were rather fearsome! They worked as a perfect team, chasing the deer from two different directions, confusing the prey with barks and howls, then San finished the deer when she got into range, all within five minutes.
Watching them eat their meal, I was suitably impressed, which was the point of the exercise, judging on the fact that I had not been allowed to participate, only to watch.
I wasn't hungry, anyway. Seeing a creature being ripped to shreds in front of you ruins your appetite.
"Is that all they have for us? Pitiful!" Michael's voice sounded in my ears.
I raised a mental eyebrow. "I'm open to suggestions."
"Suggestions? Since when did you ever need my suggestions? Do what you do best: kill people. Near where you first entered the Forest, Gonzo is leading a war party, intending to survey parts of the Forest for their own use."
I nodded mentally. "We'll wait for the right moment, then I'll let you take me there."
"Indeed. While we are speaking of spectacles, I have to warn you: everything has a price."
I shrugged mentally. "I kind of expected that, to be honest. If you give me a sword, a home, and a family, then I'm a happy man. But you know that, don't you?"
"Of course. As you have probably realized, I cannot promise you an easy path, but I can certainly tell you that you will not have to walk it alone. Never forget that when you fight, it is His strength that you use, not yours."
I smirked coldly. "Noted. Next time, when you want me to do something, don't beat me up just to get the message across."
"You had that coming. Now, let us get to the matter at hand!"
San, wiping the last droplets of blood from her lips with the back of her hand, turned to her human ally. His eyes were closed, and a pensive expression on his face.
"So, human, how was our demonstration?"
He opened his eyes, and gave her a diplomatic smile. "Remind me never to get you sods angry at me."
San nodded, grinning. "We'll see about that. So, what can you offer us?"
San narrowed her eyes, as the young man turned his head to the side, and let out a brief chuckle.
"What's so funny, human?"
Her anger faded as he told them of Gonzo's mission. "Well, why didn't you say so before?"
San rose, spear in hand, but I raised a finger. "It's my turn now, San. Find a place to watch, and I will show you wolves how an Assassin does what he does best."
San was about to question how he could possibly get there before her pack, when he winked at her, and disappeared.
San and her brothers turned to Moro, who chuckled. "Assassins! I shall stay here, as I know what he is capable of, when I first looked into the human's eyes!"
San nodded, and she and her adopted brothers left the cave.
Moro wasn't telling the complete truth. There was another reason she wanted to stay.
After they were gone, a warm and loving voice filled the cave. "Hello, Moro. It has been far too long since we have seen each other."
Moro smiled, as the Lion of Judah entered the cave through the entrance. "Aslan. This is a surprise, but a welcome one."
Aslan smiled. "You have grown much since we last beheld each other."
Moro grunted. "And you have not changed a bit. Immortality can do that to you. I feel death creeping toward me, while you have the luxury of never having to worry about age. You are, after all, older than the moon and the stars."
"I have no age, my daughter. You would not find it a luxury, watching suffering and pain happening to your creatures, while you can only do so much without interfering in the Grand Design. Immortality has its drawbacks."
Moro, seeing the pain in her Father's eyes, wondered how He could stand it, and decided to change the subject.
"Your Right Hand is a good addition to the Tribe! He is able, I grant you, if annoying."
Aslan smiled. "Although I wish he did not have to slay his fellow man, he has a good heart, and he will serve you well in the years to come."
Moro snorted. "Years?"
Aslan raised a clawed paw. "It does not seem like it at the moment, but he will fit in eventually. Now, we have important matters to discuss."
Moro and the Son of Man settled into comfortable positions, and their discussion began.
I sat in a tree just above the path, watching the two dozen or so soldiers marching towards my spot. I was going to enjoy carving that bald bastard down to size.
"Do not kill Gonza." I frowned mentally at Michael's interruption.
"What?"
"Not disobey me, Mortal!"
I nodded reluctantly. "That's right, you bastards! Step here." I muttered, as they marched ever closer.
"That human's a fool. He's one against over two dozen!" One of the wolves muttered, watching from some distance away, in the midst a series of huge boulders.
"Hunting that deer was something we do all the time, but we rarely attack a group this large," San agreed, her doubtful gaze watching the Assassin high in his tree.
And then she tensed as he dropped directly into the path of the war band! "Not just a fool, but a suicidal one!"
"Hullo, Lads!" I said, leaning on the hilt of Michael's sword, smiling ferally.
"So there you are, foreigner!" Gonza growled, after his men stopped and stared at the crimson-clad man who had just appeared, seemingly from nowhere.
I nodded. "Aye, it's me, and I've chosen my side. Unfortunately for you lot, it's not yours."
Gonza smirked. "Then you've written your own death warrant, stranger! Who gave you those bruises and cuts on your face? I'll send them your head when I remove it from your shoulders!"
I smiled. "Feeling cocky, are we? Now then, about this pickle we're currently in: I'm afraid this is as far as you get. One step more, and I'll slaughter the sodding lot of you. You're not in that shithole anymore, You ugly fucker. You're buggered!"
Gonza laughed. "Surely you are joking-" Before he finished, five of his men fell slain by my throwing daggers.
"I did warn you morons, but it appears that have to force the issue."
As I said this, I raised the Sword of the Right Hand, and began to whirl it through the air, deflecting the archer's arrows back at their own shooters, taking down another half dozen men.
Gonza and several men charged forward, screaming their war cries, each falling like cut grass under the Sword of Heaven.
I made sure to not kill Gonza, but I gave him a knock to the noggin in the bargain.
I turned to the dozen or so remaining soldiers. "Penny for the guy? Do you fuckers really think you can even touch me?"
All of the arseholes seemed game to try.
"You're all going to die here," I said, smiling with feral joy.
As they came at me, my sword sang through the air, and the mercenaries proved no match to the slashing and whirling of Michael's sword. I thrust and parried, ducked and weaved, sweeping away my enemies.
When I was finished my gruesome work, I sighed, bowing my head, and I sent up a prayer for their souls.
A groan interrupted me, and I turned to see Gonza lying nearby. The blow to the head that I had given him was enough to make him no threat to me, so I took my time making my way over to him.
"Well," I said, wiping the substantial amount of blood on my sword on his expensive-looking clothing, "How fucking stupid do you feel now?"
Gonza glared up at me. "Kill me, you damned murderer. That's what you love to do, isn't it?"
I hummed, and shook my head. "Actually, I do, but getting paid for it helps to make it even better. Taking care of Lemmings like you does put a smile on my pretty face!"
I knelt next to him, and grabbed him by the throat, all business. "All right, mate, listen up! I'm going to let you live. Now, go back to that gun-toting bitch you call a leader, and tell her that the Forest has a new Bobbie in charge. Tell that hag I will use any and all means to fuck her business up, and free the Forest from anybody that wants to fucking try me!"
With that, I gave him his horse, which had conveniently stayed close by, and sent him on his way.
I turned to the load of boulders where my allies had been hiding. "You lot can come out now. I've sorted things out."
The wolves approached me, and I smugly noted that they were cautious in doing so.
"So, how was that?"
San chuckled. "There may be some hope for you yet!"
I smiled back. "Excellent! Shall we be off then?"
Eboshi sat, her face expressionless, as Gonza reiterated what had happened to their group of mercenaries.
"What a waste of money," Eboshi said, after he was done.
"I'm going to kill that boy!" Gonza snarled, wincing as noggin was being tended to.
"No, you won't. Well, not anytime soon, at least," said Eboshi. "So, the Forest has a new Guardian, does it? What a pity! I could have used him. Well, if he is not with us, then he is against us. Not even he will be able to stand against us when we recieve the newest edition of the rifle. We will deal with him in due time."
When we returned to the cave, we stopped short as we beheld Moro's visitor.
"Father!" I cried, bowing before my King and my God.
Allah bade me to rise, and turned to the snarling wolf brothers.
"Peace, my sons! I was merely having a discussion with your mother," he said gently, but I could hear the warning in his tone.
The brothers both locked stares with him, and both seemed to calm instantly.
San stood, stock-still, staring at the beautiful cat-like creature, which was as large as a horse, a lion with warm, noble, breath-taking golden eyes that shone with power and love. His golden mane seemed to shine and shimmer, and she ached to run her hands through it, despite her pride and trepidation.
"San, it has been a long time since I have seen you. When I last saw you, you were a baby," the Lion said, and his adoring smile brought tears to her eyes.
"Are you real?"
The Lion smiled. "Come. Touch me, dearest, and I will prove as much!" She did so, and gasped as she touched his mane, amazed at its warmth and softness.
His eyes held such love and caring that it made her knees shake.
God had a way of disarming and calming even the most excited of creatures solely on the power of his Love.
I completely understood San's dazzled state of being at this moment.
After a long moment, San pulled back, suddenly seeming to realize what she was doing. "Thank you," she said awkwardly, and Yahweh gave her a nod. "Anytime at all, my child."
And then he turned to the brothers, who tucked their tails between their legs, and bowed their heads reverently.
He returned it, and turned to me. "If I might have a word?" I nodded, and we both stepped out of the cave.
Once we were alone, the Lion of Judah morphed into His Human Form. "I am here concerning what happened at the village."
I reddened. "I'm sorry, Father, but you don't know how hard it is: being alone! Is it so wrong that I want a woman? It's been hard enough without the kids, and its been ages since I had a good-"
Christ raised a hand, forestalling my argument. "Please understand that I will not keep you from having a woman, but in due timed. Besides, it would be easy not to have a wife, as far as your duties are concerned. You would not have time to sire children, and Michael is rather...thorough when it comes to punishing immorality."
I nodded, and winced as I felt the bruises on my face with my hands. "Michael could've made that clear with words, not with blows."
Christ smiled, and shrugged. "At least he didn't set you on fire! He was in a good mood at the time."
I looked down, and sighed. "Did he have to go to that extreme?"
Smiling, Christ placed a hand on my forehead, and I felt the pain disappear as He healed my wounds. "There, much better. Now, I must leave you to take care of other things I must attend to. Being God is not an easy thing, you know!"
I bowed low, and Christ pulled me into a hug, which I returned.
"Fear not your enemies, and give your allies time and patience. By the time I next appear, it will be hard to pull you apart! Look to the East, pray on the Seventh Day, and do not kill needlessly. I will return soon!"
I smiled. "Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!"
With a smile, he disappeared, and I returned to the den.
