Part 7
Birds twittered overhead. Sunlight streamed in patches through the foliage. Red detected a subtle swaying movement that gently rocked her awake.
Then there was the smell.
A huffing breath accompanied by the foulest reek imaginable brought Red fully awake. The white wolf crouched in front of her, his snout barely an inch from her nose. He flicked out his tongue to lick his own face, and bopped her own nose in the process.
Red reeled back with a savage snarl, but the playful wolf just ambled to its feet.
"Ho!" called a voice, and the rocking came to a shuddering stop.
Red glanced over her shoulder at the man sitting in front, twisting around to look at them. Still a wolf, her thoughts confirmed.
Justin squinted hard against the bright sunlight reflecting off the wagon's canvas. "Everything all right in there? Rascal, don't bother Beauty till those wounds heal! We'll be stopping off soon."
Red glared at Rascal--but the white wolf didn't seem to get the message. He waited until she stopped growling, and then, as she turned her attention to exploring the rest of the wagon, she felt his presence too close. Red looked back to see him in the act of inching his nose closer to the bandage on her side! She let him have it with a bare-toothed roar, lunging at him. The younger wolf skittered back toward the rear of the wagon, but Red wanted him out.
"Rascal!" Justin shouted from the front seat of the wagon. "Get up here!"
Rascal whimpered a bit but scooted carefully past the irate Red to sit by his master's side. Red had the whole wagon bed to herself--and nothing else to do. She wouldn't dare leap out of a moving wagon in her state. The wounds of her wolf form were only compounded by the fact that her human form was also wounded--and the latter would never heal completely until she could shift again. The idea of having to spend the indefinite future as a permanently-maimed wolf sent a shudder through her body--which only aggravated the wounds. She slumped on the pile of tarp shreds with a groan.
"Don't worry, Beauty," Justin called over his shoulder. "I've got friends not far from here--they'll get you fixed up in a jiffy!"
Red rolled her eyes and buried her nose against her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to think of Queston:
The chilly spring mornings were always her favorite. She loved to creep out into the small yard behind the Garritys’ cottage, and let the dew cling to her wolf’s pelt. Deborah would treat her the same whether she was wolf or girl--always a smile, a tender hand stroking the top of her head--and absolutely no nonsense when it came to pilfering her baked goods while they cooled. Red hadn’t known another place that felt so much like a home to her--the Garrity cottage was the center of her world, and everywhere outside was a dark and empty void….
The thrill of her first chase, when a pair of thugs decided to raid the local trading post, where collections of goods and harvests were stored and dispensed according to Queston’s unique bartering system. Wendy had witnessed the pair of them come in, trash the place, and haul off far more goods than they actually needed. Red picked up their scent and tracked the men down, to a haphazard camp further up in the mountains. In wolf form, she had ruthlessly attacked the men, defending herself against their weapons while dealing just punishment for their criminal behavior. She chased them off, wounded and terrified, and when they were far enough away, she had gone back to the camp, shifted into a human, and carefully packed up all the stolen goods to return to the post. The look of delight and awe on Wendy’s face when she discovered the recovered items in front of the doorway the next morning made the previous night’s battle all the more worthwhile…
Being a wolf and the Guardian of Queston wasn’t all about taking down villains and attacking people, either. Red sighed as she recalled the time when two desperate parents had sought out her den up in the mountains, bringing a nosegay of crimson hoods as a sort of appeasement. Their son had gone missing in the wide, craggy forest, and they needed the Wolf to find him.
Red had tracked his scent easy enough for a long distance--much farther than she expected a boy to clamber about--and it led her to evidence of a disturbed animal of some sort--possibly a bear. The boy’s trail became erratic, and she had found traces of blood on the rocks near a small creek that wound through the cliffs. The water had taken the boy’s scent, but Red was not about to give up just yet. She found a way across the river and picked up the boy’s trail on the other side, and she kept going until she found him--alive, cold, damp, wounded and gravely ill. He had been terrified, screaming at her and throwing whatever he could lay his hands on to keep her at bay, and Red had to approach him in her human form to convince him that the wolf only wanted to help, to return him to his family safely. Together, the boy and the Wolf made the trek back to Queston, and Red stayed just long enough to observe the family’s reunion from a distance.
Her decision to protect and defend the small mountain village wasn’t about becoming some kind of celebrity or essential part of every aspect of its citizens’ lives. She cared to see them thrive--and to be in this position now, carried far away without any hope of seeing them again, she didn’t know how much longer she could bear it.
A strange array of smells assaulted her nose just before Justin’s wagon bumped and wobbled its way to a halt.
Red staggered to her feet. Her forelegs wobbled slightly, and a shooting pain arced across her chest. She could hear Justin speaking with someone, while Rascal yapped and scurried around like a common pet, eliciting laughter and cheers with his antics.
"Been a piece since we saw you last, Justin!" boomed a deep voice. "Some of us were beginning to think that the backwater villagers had convinced you to tarry with them!"
Red's hackles rose as she heard the laughter at the jibe. A female voice chimed in, "Either that, or the poor folks didn't have enough to make it worth your while!"
A growl built within Red's throat. Didn't have enough? The double-dealing peddler had taken anything and everything that the good people of Queston had lavished upon him! And for what? It was he who gave them naught in return for hours and weeks of careful cultivation and labor! It would be he who would gain much from the extravagant city folk who could be tricked into thinking that these finely-crafted items were imports from an exotic land. Meanwhile the "backwater villagers" would starve without wholesome food on their tables, would freeze without the good blankets to spread on their beds.
Over my dead body! Red thought, and raised herself into a defensive stance as Justin replied to the curious carnies.
"Aye, 'twas not much, but I did find some treasures among the odds and ends and threads and trinkets! Just look at what I ha--"
Red interrupted with a loud snarl, showing her teeth when she saw the peddler's hand reaching back for the tarp. He yanked his hand back to safety, and she saw the eager motley group gasp and shrink back at the sight of her.
"Cor, Justin!" snapped a man with eyes so big they seemed ready to pop out of his head. "Whassat you 'ave back there?"
Red didn't twitch as the other carnies chimed in.
"Been takin' on more strays, 'ave ye?"
"I should ha' twigged Rascal might take 'isself a mate!"
"She's a wild one, aright!"
Through it all, Red hadn't stopped growling. She couldn't have prevented those things from leaving the village, but she would do her almighty best to prevent them from leaving the wagon.
Justin held up his hands as he inched closer, testing to see if she would attack him then and there. Red was no fool; she knew the moment she actually sank her teeth into Justin, as she so badly wanted to do just now, the others would be on her and not a one of them would hesitate to plunge a knife into her. She simply held her ground as Justin merely reached back and tossed aside the tarp, revealing the priceless heirlooms he'd stolen.
"Oy! That's some ripe stuff, that is!"
"Masterful!"
"Is it real gold, ye reckon?"
"Careful, don't get too close to the stray!"
Red was so fixed on watching Justin's movements that she almost didn't notice the tall man reaching over the side of the wagon to pick up one of the silver candlesticks. She darted for him, puncturing the meaty part of his hand in an instant.
The man roared in pain and staggered back.
"SHE BIT ME!" he screamed, clutching his injured hand. "THE SAVAGE BEAST BIT ME!"
The air filled with protests and outcry as Justin tried to explain that they had nothing to fear, and he would be the one to display all the goods.
"She won't hurt me!" he said. "I took her in and patched her up! Here, let me show you..."
It was too late. Red felt the sense of accomplishment as the crowd waved Justin off and returned to their own amusements and duties. He did not hold the same sway over these that he did over the people of Queston.
The peddler twisted his mustaches as he watched his audience wander away. He glanced back toward Red, and she merely held his gaze without making a sound. Her work was done.
Finally, he sighed. "All right, Beauty, you win this one," he muttered, scooting his way out of the wagon again. "But you had better not give me so much trouble when we reach the city!"
Red maintained her stance until Justin had sauntered away from the wagon to join the others around the big bonfire at the center of the camp. At last, she relaxed and let her sore legs collapse as she stretched out in front of the pile of ill-gotten goods. She wasn't some dumb pup who willingly complied with any human who showed her a kindness. She knew better than to trust anyone outside of Queston--anyone associated with Justin the dishonest peddler. She would make his life so miserable with her that he would have no choice but to bring her (and the stolen heirlooms) all the way back to Queston just to be rid of her. This was her mission, and failure was not an option.
She had just closed her eyes when her nose picked up the scent of a strange carnie. Red's head snapped up to attention and she focused on the slim, cloaked figure.
The stranger approached slowly, hands fully on display, head bowed in a submissive gesture. Red let out a warning growl, and the woman stopped, lowering her cowl to give the Wolf a better view of her face, but without making direct eye contact. Whoever it was, she knew all the signals to communicate that she meant no threat to Red's dominance. Red inched forward to the edge of the wagon bed. If the woman dared come any closer to the heirlooms in the wagon, she would have Red's teeth to reckon with.
The woman stopped within arm's reach of the edge of the wagon bed. She did not venture any further, but let her eyes slide over Red's form. She still held her hands out in front of her, and Red breathed in her scent: strong herbs, sage, incense, cloves... Red smelled her calmness, her intrigue, her sense of earthy connection. The hands came closer, but the eyes remained fixed on the Wolf. Red let the growl fade to almost nothing, but the woman made no sudden moves. Her hand brushed against Red's paw, and instinctively, Red tilted her head and snapped her jaws very close to the woman's skin. The woman obeyed, and held still.
She's not after the heirlooms, Red thought to herself. She's curious about me. At this realization, Red finally sought the woman's eyes. Did she know about Red? Would she help? The woman maintained her gaze just below Red's line of sight, and dared to reach toward Red's injured shoulder.
"Oy!" Justin's harsh cry broke the moment between them, and he came tromping over the grass toward them. "Hands off my wagon, you!"
The woman withdrew her hands and backed away one full pace. Red backed away too, retreating to her spot near the pile of stolen goods as Justin came to stand protectively at the back of the wagon.
She saw the way this strange woman glared at the peddler. "This one is not yours," she said, nodding toward Red. "You have stolen her from her home."
If Red had been human, her jaw would have dropped. A small thrill rippled over her hackles. Someone knew!
Justin snorted. "I haven't stolen nothin' or no one! This wolf here followed Rascal back to camp, and she was already bleeding, so what was I going to do, just leave the poor animal? I wrapped her up, put some o' that special salve on there too, but she seems to still limp about. I was hoping Maribell had summat else to heal her up. I might get used to having two pets gamboling about!"
The woman placed her hands upon her hips and leveled her gaze at Justin. "The wounds you can bandage will heal, but there are others you do not know, and these will not heal by any means you would attempt yourself."
Justin crossed his arms and glared at her. "Oh yeah, Desiree? And why's that?"
A small smile played around Desiree's lips. "Because under those bandages are the wounds carried by a wolf--but this one is not just a wolf. She is also a woman."
Her decision to protect and defend the small mountain village wasn’t about becoming some kind of celebrity or essential part of every aspect of its citizens’ lives. She cared to see them thrive--and to be in this position now, carried far away without any hope of seeing them again, she didn’t know how much longer she could bear it.
A strange array of smells assaulted her nose just before Justin’s wagon bumped and wobbled its way to a halt.
Red staggered to her feet. Her forelegs wobbled slightly, and a shooting pain arced across her chest. She could hear Justin speaking with someone, while Rascal yapped and scurried around like a common pet, eliciting laughter and cheers with his antics.
"Been a piece since we saw you last, Justin!" boomed a deep voice. "Some of us were beginning to think that the backwater villagers had convinced you to tarry with them!"
Red's hackles rose as she heard the laughter at the jibe. A female voice chimed in, "Either that, or the poor folks didn't have enough to make it worth your while!"
A growl built within Red's throat. Didn't have enough? The double-dealing peddler had taken anything and everything that the good people of Queston had lavished upon him! And for what? It was he who gave them naught in return for hours and weeks of careful cultivation and labor! It would be he who would gain much from the extravagant city folk who could be tricked into thinking that these finely-crafted items were imports from an exotic land. Meanwhile the "backwater villagers" would starve without wholesome food on their tables, would freeze without the good blankets to spread on their beds.
Over my dead body! Red thought, and raised herself into a defensive stance as Justin replied to the curious carnies.
"Aye, 'twas not much, but I did find some treasures among the odds and ends and threads and trinkets! Just look at what I ha--"
Red interrupted with a loud snarl, showing her teeth when she saw the peddler's hand reaching back for the tarp. He yanked his hand back to safety, and she saw the eager motley group gasp and shrink back at the sight of her.
"Cor, Justin!" snapped a man with eyes so big they seemed ready to pop out of his head. "Whassat you 'ave back there?"
Red didn't twitch as the other carnies chimed in.
"Been takin' on more strays, 'ave ye?"
"I should ha' twigged Rascal might take 'isself a mate!"
"She's a wild one, aright!"
Through it all, Red hadn't stopped growling. She couldn't have prevented those things from leaving the village, but she would do her almighty best to prevent them from leaving the wagon.
Justin held up his hands as he inched closer, testing to see if she would attack him then and there. Red was no fool; she knew the moment she actually sank her teeth into Justin, as she so badly wanted to do just now, the others would be on her and not a one of them would hesitate to plunge a knife into her. She simply held her ground as Justin merely reached back and tossed aside the tarp, revealing the priceless heirlooms he'd stolen.
"Oy! That's some ripe stuff, that is!"
"Masterful!"
"Is it real gold, ye reckon?"
"Careful, don't get too close to the stray!"
Red was so fixed on watching Justin's movements that she almost didn't notice the tall man reaching over the side of the wagon to pick up one of the silver candlesticks. She darted for him, puncturing the meaty part of his hand in an instant.
The man roared in pain and staggered back.
"SHE BIT ME!" he screamed, clutching his injured hand. "THE SAVAGE BEAST BIT ME!"
The air filled with protests and outcry as Justin tried to explain that they had nothing to fear, and he would be the one to display all the goods.
"She won't hurt me!" he said. "I took her in and patched her up! Here, let me show you..."
It was too late. Red felt the sense of accomplishment as the crowd waved Justin off and returned to their own amusements and duties. He did not hold the same sway over these that he did over the people of Queston.
The peddler twisted his mustaches as he watched his audience wander away. He glanced back toward Red, and she merely held his gaze without making a sound. Her work was done.
Finally, he sighed. "All right, Beauty, you win this one," he muttered, scooting his way out of the wagon again. "But you had better not give me so much trouble when we reach the city!"
Red maintained her stance until Justin had sauntered away from the wagon to join the others around the big bonfire at the center of the camp. At last, she relaxed and let her sore legs collapse as she stretched out in front of the pile of ill-gotten goods. She wasn't some dumb pup who willingly complied with any human who showed her a kindness. She knew better than to trust anyone outside of Queston--anyone associated with Justin the dishonest peddler. She would make his life so miserable with her that he would have no choice but to bring her (and the stolen heirlooms) all the way back to Queston just to be rid of her. This was her mission, and failure was not an option.
She had just closed her eyes when her nose picked up the scent of a strange carnie. Red's head snapped up to attention and she focused on the slim, cloaked figure.
The stranger approached slowly, hands fully on display, head bowed in a submissive gesture. Red let out a warning growl, and the woman stopped, lowering her cowl to give the Wolf a better view of her face, but without making direct eye contact. Whoever it was, she knew all the signals to communicate that she meant no threat to Red's dominance. Red inched forward to the edge of the wagon bed. If the woman dared come any closer to the heirlooms in the wagon, she would have Red's teeth to reckon with.
The woman stopped within arm's reach of the edge of the wagon bed. She did not venture any further, but let her eyes slide over Red's form. She still held her hands out in front of her, and Red breathed in her scent: strong herbs, sage, incense, cloves... Red smelled her calmness, her intrigue, her sense of earthy connection. The hands came closer, but the eyes remained fixed on the Wolf. Red let the growl fade to almost nothing, but the woman made no sudden moves. Her hand brushed against Red's paw, and instinctively, Red tilted her head and snapped her jaws very close to the woman's skin. The woman obeyed, and held still.
She's not after the heirlooms, Red thought to herself. She's curious about me. At this realization, Red finally sought the woman's eyes. Did she know about Red? Would she help? The woman maintained her gaze just below Red's line of sight, and dared to reach toward Red's injured shoulder.
"Oy!" Justin's harsh cry broke the moment between them, and he came tromping over the grass toward them. "Hands off my wagon, you!"
The woman withdrew her hands and backed away one full pace. Red backed away too, retreating to her spot near the pile of stolen goods as Justin came to stand protectively at the back of the wagon.
She saw the way this strange woman glared at the peddler. "This one is not yours," she said, nodding toward Red. "You have stolen her from her home."
If Red had been human, her jaw would have dropped. A small thrill rippled over her hackles. Someone knew!
Justin snorted. "I haven't stolen nothin' or no one! This wolf here followed Rascal back to camp, and she was already bleeding, so what was I going to do, just leave the poor animal? I wrapped her up, put some o' that special salve on there too, but she seems to still limp about. I was hoping Maribell had summat else to heal her up. I might get used to having two pets gamboling about!"
The woman placed her hands upon her hips and leveled her gaze at Justin. "The wounds you can bandage will heal, but there are others you do not know, and these will not heal by any means you would attempt yourself."
Justin crossed his arms and glared at her. "Oh yeah, Desiree? And why's that?"
A small smile played around Desiree's lips. "Because under those bandages are the wounds carried by a wolf--but this one is not just a wolf. She is also a woman."
<><><><><><><><>
No comments:
Post a Comment