Leo felt the smile spreading across his face, as his heart leapt with joy, and he turned to see the exact smile painted across the wolf’s handsome face. They were back in the game!
Manuel nodded at the both of them sharply before turning his attention back to the trolls, each of whom seemed intent on squashing him with their clubs, and the goblin that desired his head.
With the gypsies ferociously fighting alongside the boys, it appeared that the tide in the battle had finally turned. Gypsies had always been great, very brave fighters, according to everything Leo had ever heard. This was the first time he had ever seen them fight himself. They were even braver than his instructors had implied. He was happily impressed, and he fought with a new vigor.
Magella studied the action from her carefully concealed lookout within the cave, Rapunzel watched silently from over her shoulder. Finally, after three more goblins dropped, she considered the scene to be as chaotic as it ever would become, if ever they could leave the cave without attracting any attention, it was now. She grabbed Rapunzel’s hand and began to speak rapidly.
“Move when I move, stop when I stop and don’t make a sound.”
Rapunzel nodded her eyes wide and alert, her heart pounding, for some reason Magella unnerved the teen. The the elf grabbed Rapunzel’s soft hand, and pulled her out of the cave in a mad dash.
~~*~~
Completely engrossed in the battle, Manuel was startled to feel someone clamp a strong hand on his shoulder in an attempt to direct his attention away.
Whirling around he faced the one being just crazy enough to interrupt a fighting vampire, Mercury. The handsome wolf, slightly out of breath, held fast to Manuel’s shoulder, a very serious look on his ruggedly handsome face. They both dodged in unison as a boulder flew past their heads and crashed against the cave wall.
“Take Rapunzel home.” Mercury pointed to the sky, which didn’t seem quite as dark as it had before the fight started. “If you leave now, you just might make it. We can take it from here.” He pointed at the prince and the gypsies who were exuberantly exchanging blows with the goblins and avoiding those dealt by the trolls.
“The Crone. She is near.” Black eyes bore in to green and gold flecked ones.
“I caught her scent too. I will personally hunt the Crone down. I will see this done for you. I swear.” Mercury said solemnly.
“This is not your fight. You have no obligation. You have already fulfilled your oath to me.”
“This has nothing to do with any oath. Now go, morning comes quickly.” The wolf reminded grimly, nodding again at the ever lightning sky. “Get the girl home safely.”
Manuel regarded him silently for a minute before nodding, they clasped forearms, a gesture of deep respect, and Manuel turned to the trees to retrieve Rapunzel.
“Manuel!” Mercury called out as he kicked a goblin in the knee.
Manuel turned back and raised one perfect eyebrow.
“Be fast. Get yourself home safely too.”
The smallest of smiles touched the corners of Manuel’s mouth before he sprinted away.
~~*~~
“I see you have something of mine Elf. Return her to me and I will let you live.” The Mother Goethal growled at Magella.
Reacting purely on instinct, Magella pulled Rapunzel in front of her, the prince’s jewel encrusted knife held tight to the young girl’s throat. Warily she eyed the ugly old crone. Dressed in tattered and dusty travelling clothes, her wiry, grey hair a snarl about her disagreeably wrinkled face, the old crone was even uglier then she had appeared earlier and an aura of nasty, menace exuded from her watery eyes that glowered at the purple elf.
“Of course...for a price. I didn’t go to all of this trouble for nothing you understand.” Magella laughed arrogantly. Rapunzel gasped, but was unable to move with the knife so close to her throat.
“You are dealing with powers far beyond anything a sticky fingered elf can handle. Now hand over the girl.” The old crone’s voice emerged in a growl, and she spat on the ground.
Magella laughed outright. “You have no idea who I deal with old woman. Now pay up, or get out of my way. You are wasting my time.”
“For your impudence alone I should send you to my Master, she would make a coat out of you.” The Crone sneered, making a hideous reference to an ancient witch, who swore that elves skin made the softest of leathers, she clothed herself exclusively in elf for the entirety of her reign. “If you were lucky.” She added with a chuckle.
Magella refused to be intimidated. “Yes, I think I would like to meet your Master, I’m sure she would be willing to pay for the return of what her servant so carelessly lost. Lead on.” She nodded to the crone imperiously.
The crone regarded the elf with complete hostility, the last thing she wanted was for her dreaded new Master to realise how close she had come to losing her charge.
“Name your price Elf.” the Goethal stated gruffly.
Magella smiled a wide wicked smile. “What do you have?...She’s worth much.”
“And exactly what do you know of her worth?” The crone asked craftily.
“Come now, we don’t have all night. The vampire will check on her soon, I’m sure he would love to chat with you. He’s such a people person.” Magella reminded.
“I have very little in the way of currency; I have two enchantments and a minor curse.” The crone allowed removing the vials and parchment from her ragged satchel.
“Done.” Magella extended her hand to receive the enchantments and curse, quickly pocketing the profit. “I also require information.”
“Careful Elf, you are treading very dangerous waters.” The crone was becoming more irritated by the second.
“I still have the girl in my possession.” Magella reminded nodding to the knife still held close to the silently weeping Rapunzel’s throat. “That places me firmly in the bargaining chair.”
“You wouldn’t harm her and lose on the deal.” The crone scoffed.
“Who’s losing? I already have two enchantments a curse and a jewelled knife, as well as the girl. I’ve already made out very well in this “deal”. The information is just icing.” Magella shrugged.
“Very well. What is it you need to know?” The crone spit out furiously.
“Who is your Master? I am seeking employment. And why are you hiding the girl, who is she? I think I could be of use in this matter. Stealth, after all is my occupation.” Magella smiled as she awaited her answers.
“I work for a great and terrifying Queen now.” She stopped mid sentence as she scanned the fight, her extra senses alerting her. “The vampire is missing! You are trying to trick me!” She howled in rage one gnarled finger pointing at the amused purple elf, before disappearing altogether just as Manuel emerged from the trees.
“Had I not seen through your apparent betrayal, to your clever manipulation of the crone, I would remove your head from your neck.” Manuel snarled as he took in the scene. “Bite by bite.”
Magella instantly dropped the hand that held the knife, releasing Rapunzel in to Manuel’s arms. The terrified girl fell in to his warm embrace, still trembling from what had almost transpired. Manuel stroked her hair reassuringly.
“I was just trying to...” The elf trailed off, frightened silent by the dark and dangerous look on Manuel’s perfectly sculpted face.
“I know what you were trying to do. But if you ever use Rapunzel in this manner again I will make you wish I had eaten you years ago. I do not know how to spell mercy. Do you understand me?”
Magella gulped before nodding.
~~*~~
Returning to the fight, Mercury caught the prince’s eye, Leo made his way over to the Wolf.
“Gypsies...good fighters.” Leo stated with appreciation as he ran a hand through his wild locks. “This is White’s doing I think.” Somehow, he instinctively knew whom to thank for the battle changing backup. He couldn’t wait to thank her in person.
Mercury smiled, the
y were good fighters, and without their help in this fight, Mercury was pretty sure that the outcome would not have been pretty. Even with both Manuel and himself fighting at full strength and using killing blows, fourteen goblins were more than they could have taken on and assured a victory. Not to mention the two remaining trolls; he too, was pretty sure he knew who he had to thank for alerting the gypsies...and the ogrenots. No one else knew about that little incident.
‘White’ Leo called her, he wondered how she would feel about that nickname. All that was needed now was for the goblins to accept their inevitable defeat and allow the gypsies to retreat. Judging from the looks of the battle, that moment was arriving sooner rather than later.
The goblins appeared to be on the defensive now, several lay on the ground, and the gypsies, as energetic and exuberant as the moment they arrived, pressed their advantage, emitting loud battle cries every few minutes, their swords swinging with gleeful strength.
“Manuel has just left with Rapunzel.” Mercury informed him, a look of apprehension on his face. Leo jumped up and slammed a goblin hard on the head with the butt of his sword causing it to spin neatly in to a gypsy fighter, who in turn, deftly knocked him unconscious with an ear splitting grin.
“Does he have enough time before sunrise?” Leo asked anxiously glancing up at the sky.
Mercury was silent for a brief moment, as he too studied the sky. “I think so. As long as he didn’t sustain too much damage in the fight, he should arrive at the cottage just in time. We have to trust his judgement.” But he sounded worried just the same. “The crone, I am going to track her now.”
“And I’m going with you.” Leo stated with a quick nod.
Mercury shook his brown tangles. “The gypsies need you. They look to us for leadership in this battle. They need to know when to withdraw; and you are their prince. They’re going to sing songs about this night for years, you know.”
This was true, these gypsy boys would return home from the fight and create songs about how they rescued a damsel and fought bravely alongside a prince; this meant much to them. Leo nodded in reluctant understanding, now that the thrill of adventure was alive in his veins, he was eager to experience more. But duty was duty, he knew he had to stay and finish up. “Be careful, be in control.”
“I’m working at it, always working on it. See you at back at the cottage; I’ve got a Crone to catch.” Mercury flashed a smile and leapt out of sight. Literally.
~~*~~
Allowing his preternatural abilities to take the foreground, Mercury finally opened himself to the beast within and hunted for the crone.
Catching her scent was easier than he had anticipated. And far more fun than he had imagined, it was rare that he, or most werewolves for that matter, had the opportunity to open themselves so completely to track something or someone in such a single minded manner. He loved the power coursing through him. He loved the freedom.
Effortlessly he kept up with her wagon, his eyes blazing with intensity, his movements fluidic yet precise, and preternaturally fast as he sped through the bushes alongside the road. The local inhabitants of the forest made way for Mercury as he hunted; none of the creatures of this or any other forest would dare stand in the way of an unpredictable young wolf so close to a full moon, he could change at a moment’s notice. And no one would be safe.
The crone must have sensed the predator trailing her as well, and she urged her horse faster and faster along the dusty road following the coastline out of Lonstas. The horse ran as if the devil himself were on his heels; and in that he wasn’t far wrong in that.
Suddenly Mercury jumped out on to the path just in front her wagon, startling the lone horse who came to a wild and rearing stop. The old horse’s eyes were wild with fear as he beat the air between him and the Wolf. The dust rose up around the wagon, and the horse screamed his terror.
Mercury’s eyes, had always been unusually beautiful with the beast peeking out from time to time, but they were now completely inhuman. The crone, despite her old and decrepit appearance, leapt from the wagon and disappeared in to the trees, with Mercury fast on her heels. The trees grew tall, lush and green in the forest; the sound of the waves lapping at the nearby cliff seemed strangely hypnotic, the still air warm and humid.
Running at top speed through the trees, she glanced back and was horrified to catch Mercury lazily jogging after her, a grin pasted on his handsome face. His long legs easily covered the distance between them in seconds.
He reached out with one heavily muscled arm and grabbed her, bringing her close to him as she danced neared the edge of the cliff. She kicked and snarled ineffectually at the hulking wolf, her short thick legs beating the air.
“I think you report to Rosalyn of Rylak.” Mercury towered over the bent and snarling crone. “I’m right, aren’t I? Where is she? I have some questions for her.”
“Let go of me while you still can, Wolf.” She snarled up at him. “My new Master will slowly roast your bones for threatening me and meddling in her plans.”
“Only if there is anything left of you for her to find.” He leaned in closer. “Where is she now, your Queenly protector now?” He looked around in mock fear.
“Laugh now Wolf. Your time is coming. She is not known for her mercy.” The crone looked around somewhat apprehensively; no one liked being interrogated by a young, highly motivated wolf with no witnesses...
Bringing the ugly crone closer to his face he whispered. “Who is the child Rapunzel, and what does Rosalyn of Rylak want with her?” Menace oozing from him, the crone dangling as he held her up to his eye level. She gazed in to his eyes and saw the beast staring back at her from behind them. His stomach rumbled from his hunger, she lost all colour.
“I do not know who the child is. My Master inherited us from her former Master; she has never seen the child.” Clearly realising now how close Mercury was to the change, she stopped resisting. Perhaps the first wise decision the nasty crone had made in a very long time.
“Whom do you speak of?”
“He who rules the midnight sky!” She trembled herself as she spoke the words. “He who needs no name save one...The Trickster.” Terrified she looked around again as she whispered the words.
“Where is Rosalyn?” He asked, his eyes boring a hole in to hers. “I know nothing of this ‘Trickster’. What does he want with Rapunzel?” He shook her slightly.
“She is the key.” The crone answered simply, wrinkled eyes widening like a child.
“The key to what?”
“Control. That is all I know. I was made to hide the key.” She whispered desperately. “I was never told why, and I do not dare ask of whom or what.”
“You were to hide her forever?” He questioned in disbelief.
“Until the signal was given.” The old crone shook her head.
“To kill her?” Mercury asked in disgust.
“To unleash her.” The old woman replied, her eyes wide with fright.
A loud snap; rabbits scattered.
The crone went rigid with fear, and when Mercury turned his head toward the sound she kicked hard at his groin with all she had. Caught off guard, he dropped her to the ground. Scrambling up with laborious breath, she backed away from the wolf scanning the forest in terror.
“I did not betray you! I did not!” She croaked as she back stepped rapidly. “I am a loyal servant! I am a loyal servant to-” And her sentence was cut off as she back stepped over the cliff.
Shocked, Mercury immediately reached out to save her, but she batted his hand away leaving him only with the torn cuff from her dress, a cruel smile on her lips. In horror he watched as she dropped down the cliff, and disappeared in to the deep water below.
Launching himself off the cliff he followed her in to the sea.
~~*~~
Traveling in Manuel’s arms was an experience that Rapunzel would never, ever forget. How fast he was! The scenery flew past in a swirl of colours, she was about to ask Manuel to
slow down so she could enjoy it, when she remembered that the approaching morning was the reason for such haste. And she knew something was very wrong when he did in fact slow down, glancing up she saw that the sky was just beginning to lighten, and the sun was near to beginning her triumphant return. She felt a spasm rock through him.
Manuel slowed and then stopped, setting Rapunzel down gently on her feet before wincing in pain, as the first ray of the sun assaulted his face. Looking at his carefully blank face, Rapunzel felt fear. They were in an open field, apparently on the other side of the Lonesome Forest, so close, yet so far...they might have well have been a hundred miles from safety, the sun was rising and there was nothing either of them could do about it. He would never make it.
He glanced up at the sky and a look of calm resignation came over him. Rapunzel began shaking her head.
“No. No.” She hated the look in his eye...almost as much as she hated the sun itself at that moment.
“Wait at the entrance of the forest until the sun illuminates the path; follow that path through the forest, do not stop for anything. And take this.” He removed a beautiful black pendant from around his neck that had been hidden beneath his white dress shirt; carefully he slipped it over Rapunzel’s head. The jewel bore a strange inscription written in ancient symbols.
“This bares the symbol for my name, and my nest, no one will bother you when they see just what protects you. It identifies you as mine.”
“But Manuel...” Clutching the pendant tightly in her hand she tried to make him stand up. The finality of his tone terrified her; she would never leave him to the mercy of the sun. Never. In near hysteria she pulled at him again.
“Get up! We can run and take shelter in the forest, we can dig a hole! Please! I won’t leave you! Don’t do this!” She sobbed as she tugged again at his arm with all of her strength. “Come on!”
“We are out of time my love.” He reached up and drew her tear streaked face closer to his, brushing his lips across her cheek. “When you reach the town of Turin on the other side, ask the first person whom you see for directions to Dr. Rutherford’s cottage. There you will be safe.” He winced as another stream of sunlight burned a path down his face and he released her.