The Wolf Queen

CHANNIN STEPS ASIDE, HER agility won’t save her this time. Raoul catches her and pins her to the ground. Channin shifts human and escapes his grasp, then she’s back to her wolf.

“She’s definitely getting smarter.” I observe.

Will looks up from chopping wood to watch for a second, “She can’t beat Svetozar on sheer intellect alone.”

“No, but it certainly helps.”

Raoul takes another swing and flings Channin against the side of the house. She gets back up, her legs shaking. She takes another charge at him and swings around at the last second to pitch him off balance. They collide with the ground and struggle for control. The wolf gets too close and rolls down the hill. The werewolf tilts his head and watches her before bounding down after her.

“Should we put a stop to this?” I ask, standing up and shaking.

He sighs and leaves the axe in the block, “If you are that concerned, why don’t you fight her?”

I study him quickly, he’s very good at bluffing. “I think the werewolf might be a better match.”

He laughs.

Channin ducks a few more blows before Will finally steps in. “You can’t win by dodging, Chan.”

She growls at him.

“I know. You can try.” He rolls his eyes.

“You understand her?” I ask, cautious. It’s a gift that Shapeshifters alone carry. The ability to understand other Shifters in their animal form is uncommon, but not unheard of.

He shrugs, “I just know her and her attitude.”

Another growl.

He chuckles at something and picks up another piece of wood.

Raoul throws Channin again. She hits a tree and sinks to the ground. She struggles back up and waivers for a moment before collapsing.

“Maybe I’m not ready,” she’s breathing heavily.

“Don’t say that.” I make my way to her, “You’re getting faster.”

“Speed isn’t going to win the crown.” She pushes herself back up and brushes off her shirt.

“She’s right.” Raoul adds, finally returning to his human form, “I could have taken out a leg and won sooner.”

Channin looks up the hill to where Will stands, “Any input?”

He thinks for a second, “You can shift between forms faster than most other Shifters. It comes from using it so much.”

“Use that to your advantage.” Raoul suggests, “You’re a smaller target as a human.”

“But if you aren’t careful, you’ll burn it out. Your body can only take so much of going between forms before you’ll give out.”

“And if that happens?” I ask.

“We had better hope that the King will allow her to fight hand to hand.” Will looks to Channin.

I follow his gaze back. The blonde is staring at the ground. It was a lot to take in. Her greatest asset is also her greatest limit.

“I don’t know.” Runir says, coming from the house up next to Will, “Judging by Will’s back, she could always scratch him to death.”

Channin turns red and Will punches Runir in the arm.

Raoul laughs, “Is lunch ready? I’m starving.”

Runir rubs his arm, “Yeah, that’s why I’m out here. Amaryllis says it’s time to eat.”

The werewolf is the first up the hill. Channin still seems down.

“Cheer up, Princess.” I nudge her, “You will get stronger.”

She nods, “I know.”

I bound up the hill and leave the two of them alone. Will passes me on his way down to her.

“Maybe you need a new fighting style.” Will offers her his hand, “Isaac’s is designed around brute strength, something you don’t have.”

“Then how am I supposed to fight the King?” it’s more of a statement than a question.

Will considers this for a second before responding, “Study some other styles and try them out.”

She takes his hand and starts up the hill, “What about yours?”

“What about my what?”

“Your style. I saw you fight Isaac.”

“It’s a combination of two styles, really. Growing up, I was the youngest of twelve. When you have that many older brothers, you get picked on. I was too small to really fight back, but I figured out that I could use their size against them. Broke grandma’s china cabinet that way. When I left home and met Isaac, I was still pretty small, so I had to modify his teachings so that I could actually fight well.”

“It seems to work for you.”

“The stronger I got though, the less it worked.”

“Could you teach me?” she stops, looking up at him, “Will, you know as well as I do that if it comes to swords,” she cuts herself off. She is skilled with a sword, the combination of Isaac’s teachings and her adventure with Will had proven that much. But she had never seen her father use a sword.

He looks over her, “I don’t see the harm in trying. But it’s not something that can be taught.”

After lunch, they retreat back to the garden. Channin sits under the apple tree and Will stands out in front of her.

“It’s not about speed. Yes, that helps, but it isn’t a necessity.” Will instructs.

Channin nods.

“It’s more about feeling the energy in things and knowing where it is directed.”

She looks confused.

“Take this apple.” He picks it up, a small red and yellow one “If I throw it, where is it going?”

“That depends on which way you throw it.”

He sighs and looks down, “You are thinking too hard. If I throw this apple at-say- Omega. Where is it going?”

“I assume it will hit him, but that isn’t the answer you want.”

“The ground, Channin.” He states, “It will go straight and hit the ground. It won’t take a drastic turn upwards or feign to the right and go left. It goes straight.”

“Alright.”

“If I tell the apple to stop, it won’t unless it hits something.”

“That makes sense.”

“It’s the same with an opponent.” He holds out his hand, helping her up. “Now pay attention to what I do.” He takes a few steps away from her, “Try to hit me.”

“You’re giving me permission now?” She puts her hand on her hip, clearly suspicious.

He sighs, “I’m trying to help you.”

She does as told, he dodges the first hit so she tries another one, this one he pushes aside. She stumbles slightly and spins back around to face him. Will aims a kick and Channin moves to block it. He catches her left arm and spins her into him. His right arm is across her neck, still holding her arm.

She stands still for a second. “You knew I would block that kick.”

“I also knew you’d take a second shot after your first one.” He smiles.

Channin rolls her eyes and pushes against Will. He holds her steady. “I’m going to talk you out of this. Do exactly as I say.”

She nods.

“Move your right foot back. But not too far.”

She does and adjusts her foot again. Will kicks it from under her and she falls flat on the ground.

“What was that?” she snaps.

“I told you not too far.” He fights a grin, “Try again?”

She sighs and stands back up.

“Right foot. Just enough to keep your balance.”

She repeats the motion.

“Now push your left arm against my hand. Good. You’ve got to protect your neck, no matter what.”

“Right.”

“Alright, this next part is where your speed will come in. You need to grab my wrist and go under my arm. After that you need to get behind me and push down. But you’ll have to be fast enough to get it, but slow enough that you don’t end up back in front. Alright?”

She nods, “I think I’ve got it.”

“Are you sure?”

She nods again and follows his instructions. Once out of his grasp she moves to the right, twisting his arm behind him. She’s so excited she nearly forgets to push him to the ground.

“I did it!” she smiles, turning him loose before she hurts him. She leaps in a few circles, “I did it, Will. Thank you.”

He slides to the ground and rolls onto his back, “You did. I’m very proud of you.”

She drops to the ground next to him, “I’m proud of you too.”

“That move works the same way with a knife. Remember, your hand will heal.” He lifts his left hand to show her a scar running across his palm. “Your throat probably won’t.”

They spend the rest of the day that way. Will breaking down each of the moves for her. They repeat them each a dozen times.

When night falls, Ian and Abarrane return to Ravenguard. They pair have spent several weeks in Dawncliff talking about the rebellion to the Dwarfs.

“They say they are in.” Abarrane nods, “They’ve offered to build weapons and anything else we need.”

“The Vampires are all in on the supply raids too.” Ian adds.

“So we have Dawncliff?” Will asks for confirmation.

They both nod.

“So what is the next step?” Runir asks. “The Elves?”

Will studies the map in front of them, it is faded from being in the sun. “Tokia isn’t too far away. But the supply lines run through it.”

“We could move the ambush site closer to Toma if we had the werewolves.” Runir notes, “Then the supplies wouldn’t make it to Tokia.”

“The supply source would be ours.” Channin corrects gently, “We could control where they went.”

“Who has a plan?” Will sits back, observing.

“Well, we could easily get Raoul into Toma to bring the werewolves to fight the soldiers. Even a few could really mess things up.” Channin suggests.

“But just in case, we should have somewhere for them to fall back to.” Runir says, “However, if we take the cities at the same time, there isn’t much anyone can do about it.”

“What?” Raoul scoffs, “Two attacks at once?”

Runir shakes his head, “Not two. Three.”

The whole room is skeptical now.

“Just hear me out.” Runir says. “If Raoul and Channin go to Toma. They can get the werewolves to fight the soldiers. Channin can’t be turned. Will and Ian go to Paedleigh with the Dwarfs and Vampires. You don’t have to kill them, but force them to retreat somehow.” He sighs, “That leaves Abarrane and I to go to Tokia. The Elves see that there is equality between an Elf peasant and a Vampiric leader.”

“Why can’t you take Ian?” Abarrane growls, “I don’t want to go to a city filled with Elven peasants and be their equal.”

“Because Ian was turned.” Channin realizes that Runir is right, “He won’t get the same respect that you do.”

Abarrane sighs and looks to Ian, “This is a ridiculous plan.”

He shrugs, “I never said it was good.”

Will leans forward, “Alright, one question remains. Can everyone do their job?”

Channin looks to Raoul and nods. Ian nods too, his mind already searching for an idea. Abarrane takes a deep breath and agrees.

“Then it’s settled. When do we want to do this?” Will looks around the room.

“It’ll have to be a full moon for the werewolves to be at their peak.” Channin suggests.

“But if we are causing chaos, the moon will give us away.” Ian corrects.

The room falls into an eerie silence as they all try to think of the solution.

“You could always use magic to cause a storm.” Amaryllis calls from the kitchen.

They look between each other.

“You are brilliant, Amaryllis.” Channin says, “What do you need for that?”

“Oh, I don’t know how. I’m a healer, I don’t mess with the weather.”

“Then why suggest it?” Raoul grumbles.

Amaryllis shrugs and tosses a scrap of meat to me, “I just know it can be done.”

Ian glances at Abarrane, trying not to make it obvious. Channin picks up on it and stays silent. Quite the feat for her.

“I might be able too.” The vampire says quietly. “Might being a really big part of that.”

“Alright, we get a storm cloud to cover the moon, the werewolves can keep their power.” Will looks back to Runir, “You can convince the Elves to join us?”

He slowly nods, “I think so. If not, we can at least stop the trade of horses.”

“Then this is the plan.” Will shifts slightly in his chair, “Elves are born under the Buck moon, convincing women to join a rebellion with newborns is going to prove difficult. The moon for this month is next week. We’ve got to be ready by then.”

A collective round of protest is raised.

“I know that there isn’t a lot of time, but you’ll have to work out your strategy from the road.”

“Will, I think that we can find a better time to attack.” Channin speaks softly.

“He’s right.” Abarrane sighs, “If we don’t strike soon, there could be more soldiers.”

As they disperse, William stops Runir. The Elf looks nervously between Channin and his General.

“Is something wrong?”

Will laughs, “No, the opposite. Channin and I have been talking. You’ve come up with two plans now and proved that you are an exceptional leader.”

Channin holds out a small bundle of white fabric, “We want to make you a General. You’ve earned it.”

The Elf carefully takes the bundle from her and unfolds it. A thin stone disk adorned with a raven over a compass. The reverse side is inlaid with a wooden wolf. It’s tradition for the high ranking officers to carry a totem of their monarch’s symbol. Svetozar’s men wear the Badge of the Bear, Channin’s will wear the Emblem of the Wolf.

He turns it over and over in his hand, considering their offer. “I’ll be the first Elf.” Runir continues when he is met by confused looks, “There has never been an Elven General. I’ll be the first.”

Channin rolls her eyes, taking the pin from him, “Stop being sentimental and just take it.” She fastens it to his cloak. Channin Ozera has chosen her first General in the rebellion and he is the first of his race to be anything more than a foot soldier.