The Wolf Queen

IAN DISMOUNTS HIS HORSE and loops the reins around a tree. “Abarrane?” he calls.

She drops out of the tree, “Boo.” Ian jumps and she laughs, “I got you.”

“You did.” He sighs, “Sneaking up on a soldier isn’t always the greatest idea.”

She shrugs, swishing her black dress back and forth, “It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

“Oh?” he tilts his head, “I guess I could take this gift to Princess Channin.”

Abarrane perks up, “A gift?” Her hair and the moonlight are such a similar color that her hair appears to glow.

Ian nods, he unties his clock and tosses it over his horse, “I saw it and thought of you.”

“I have a gift for you too, but you first.”

“Close your eyes.”

The Vampiress closes her eyes,Ian waves his hand in front of her. Just to make sure. He opens the bag on his saddle and pulls out a rectangle wrapped in red cloth.

“Okay, open.”

She blinks a few times and takes the package. “What is it?” she unfolds the cloth to reveal a book. It’s worn leather with symbols of the races on the front.

“It’s a spell book. Mostly protection things, but a few basic elemental things. And a sun cloak, So that someday you can go with us.” Ian explains.

“It’s enchanted?” Abarrane asks, holding up the red cloak.

Ian shakes his head, “No, it’s just a cloak. Runir calls it a sun cloak because it blocks the sun.”

She frowns, disappointed it isn’t magic. “After Will helped with the Dwarfs, we’ve started getting along. They made this for you.” She pulls a bundle from the bushes. “It’s a sword.” She places it in his hands.

“Thanks for letting me be surprised.” Ian smiles, untying the brown packaging.

The sword’s hilt is carved from deer horn with a few rubies set near the guard and the blade is dark silver with a lighter silver edge. The weapon itself is light enough to be swung with one hand, but strong enough to be used two-handed.

“It’s beautiful.” He isn’t looking at the sword.

She smiles, “You really like it?” She studies it. This might be the first time she has seen it fully done.

He nods. “I really do.”

Channin and William are pulled from sleep as the ship violently jolts. William pushes off the bed quickly. The sound of the sailors running brings Channin to her feet.

“What’s going on?” She asks, her vision going black for a second as her balance fades.

Will shrugs and moves towards the door, “I guess we’ll find out.” He opens it as the captain races up.

“We’ve run aground or something.” He has clearly been woken up too.

“Or something?” Channin asks, grabbing the doorframe to steady herself. The vagueness of their predicament annoys her.

The captain seems confused, “We are still off the shore too far for coral or the rock shelves.”

“Are we sinking?” Will jumps to the important question.

“We are taking on water, yes.” He turns and races back up the stairs to help his crew.

Will grabs Channin’s wrist and pulls her along. She stumbles trying to keep up with him. The ship’s crew race back and forth trying to keep their vessel on top of the water.

“Can you swim?” he asks, watching the commotion.

She glares at him, slightly disappointed, “No, William. I am a wolf and I can’t swim.”

“This isn’t the time, Channin.” He tries to keep from snapping at her, “We’ve got to get away from here. The force will pull everything under.”

“It’s aeration. Water needs to fill empty space. And where are we supposed to go? We can’t swim all the way to Laneyth.” Channin, ever the voice of reason. The black water crashes against the sides of the ship. It is rising.

“There are islands all off the coast,” the captain says quickly, “We are sinking faster than we thought.”

Will forces Channin towards the side of the ship, despite her protests.

“Channin, stop it,” He warns.

“Even if we make it to the islands, you could freeze to death.” She doesn’t try to hide her concern for his safety.

He is now aware that he can see her breath, “But you won’t.”

The ship jolts again. Throwing Will against the railing. He catches Channin’s arm before she crashes into the ocean. He ignores the pain in his ribs.

“Channin, we’ve got to go.” He grits his teeth as pain shoots through his side. He nearly drops her.

“Will, don’t you dare.” She warns.

“Channin, trust me.” He can feel her arm slipping, “I’ll be right behind you.”

She glances ack down at the black water, churning beneath her. “Will-“ she drags her eyes back up to him. She is only hurting him further by prolonging this. “I trust you.” She drops. The water isn’t as cold as it looked. It’s colder. Water covers her head, swallowing her. The shock is enough to send her into wolf form. It’s only a little relief.

Will takes another look back, most of the crew has done the same as them, but some are still on board. He notices something odd but before he can voice it, a third shudder pushes him over the railing and into the water.

The sounds of the surface are muffled, but he can pick out the sounds of the last of the sailors jumping ship. Something grabs his arm and pulls him up. He is met with a golden colored wolf; the green eyes give her away.

“I told you I’d be right here.”

She glares at him, he can’t tell, but she does. She pulls him along. The pair swim for the nearest dot of land, which is closer than expected, but still far enough away to leave them both out of breath.

They watch the lights from the ship sink into the dark water. Now Channin feels isolated from everything, darkness and nothing more surrounds them. She wraps her tail around her, her fur dripping wet. William is staring at her, just watching with an expression she knows too well. It’s the same look Peytra gives her when she shifts. Longing. He hesitates and reaches for her. Channin backs away. She can’t take it anymore and changes back. Her vision fades into color. Will looks back out over the water.

“Do you think the others made it off?” she asks quietly.

“I don’t know.” Will pushes himself up, “but we need to get dry.”

Channin follows him with her eyes, “Where are you going?”

“To find firewood. Or flint. Anything at this point.”

She stands up and trails behind him, he navigates through the island surprisingly well. Almost like he can see where he’s headed. He leads her up a small hill to an old tower. It’s the same height as the watch towers back at Dragonspire, large rough stone walls rising into the sky. There is some kind of room at the top, but she can’t make it out from here.

“What is this place?” she asks.

He pushes the broken wooden door open, “I forget your world experience is limited to books. It’s a lighthouse.” Will tries the stairs, they are solid, “They used them before magic to warn ships of rocks and the shore. There’s a fire at the top.”

Channin smiles a little, “Ironic.”

At the top of the stairs there is a small room. A place for a bed in one corner and a small desk and chair in the other. A ladder leads to a trapdoor and the lantern room. He vanishes up the ladder and after a few minutes he calls back down to her

“See if you can find any flint down there. It’s a gray rock probably-“

She looks around the room and pulls open the drawer on the desk. Exactly what she was looking for. A small tinder box lands at the top of the ladder, “Like this?” She pops up the ladder, grinning.

“That’ll work.” He grumbles, helping her up.

“I just know what it is, I’ve never used one.” She explains, sitting beside the fire pit.

He puts the fire steel in her left hand, “Hold the steel part this way,” the flint in her right, “and do this.” He guides her hand and then takes a quick step back.

“Afraid I’ll catch you on fire?” she asks.

He shakes his head, “Just don’t want to be in the firing range.”

She makes a confused face and tries a few times to get the fire to light, it doesn’t work. “I think it might be broken.”

“Keep trying.”

Channin does and gets a few sparks, rebuilding her confidence. She tries a dozen more times, without results. As predicted, she tosses it aside.

“Harder than it seems. Isn’t it?” Will laughs, picking it up and walking over next to her.

“You’re the general. Shouldn’t you be doing this?” she growls.

He sighs and kneels across from her, “You know, I won’t always be around to light fires for you.” In three strikes, he has a small fire started.

“How did you do that?” she’s annoyed and interested at the same time.

Will laughs, “You don’t have to know everything, Milady.” She studies his face. His laughter travels all the way to his gray eyes. There is something behind them that she can’t place. She watches him a few more minutes, trying to figure it out.

“I guess not.” She moves to the window and looks over the sea. From their height, they can see Dragonspire. A few small lights signify boats going towards the wreck site. She recalls the shock of the water. It was like an ice bath and she knows anyone still in the water is probably a lost cause. “They are looking for us.” She tells Will.

He stands next to her. He’s just started to dry off, but still holding his ribs.“There’s something we should talk about.”

She looks to him, “What is it?”

He takes a deep breath, wincing at the pain it brings with it. “It’s about Bowen Blatz.”

“Oh.” Her attention shifts back to the water. The conversation suddenly becomes one she isn’t sure she wants to have.

“They split up to try to get the upper hand. When the other team arrived, there was no rebellion. Just some peaceful Orcs. Bowen’s team never came back. On their way to the boat, they were ambushed. Some of the attackers had weapons from your father.”

“What are you saying?” she snaps.

“I don’t know.” He isn’t even sure what he’s trying to accuse Svetozar of, “I just wondered if you had heard anything at the castle.”

“My father isn’t up to anything.” She folds her arms across her chest. Annoyed now.

“Just hear me out,” Will tries to calm her down, “When I met Bowen, none of his men carried weapons from the king. They are a personal gift. Isaac has one but he’s the only one I know of.”

She agrees. Isaac keeps his on him at all times around the castle, but he prefers to use Chakrams in battle. The sword carries a bear on one side and the symbol for the King on the other.

“So where did they get them? Isaac may have been drunk, but he seemed convinced the king was up to something.”

“You are basing an accusation off an Orc’s word and the confession of a drunk?”

Will asks, “What do they have to gain by that?”

She thinks it over for a moment and sighs, “I guess nothing. But that doesn’t prove that they weren’t mistaken.”

“It doesn’t.” Will responds, “But how many ships that run aground burn, Channin? That ship-“ he motions to the last of the search boats, “Chan, it was on fire.” He lifts the edge of his shirt to show her the burn on his ribs. It’s blistering already. Something else catches her eye. A green amulet around his neck.

He retreats inside to the fire. It has grown and is now warming the room. Channin follows him and sits down against the wall.

After almost an hour, Channin speaks softly, “What’s the amulet for?”

He gives her a puzzled look and pulls it off for her to observe. It’s a dragon, curved around on itself to form an ‘S’ shape.

“It was a gift from a teacher.”

“Not Isaac?” She asks, turning it over in her hand. It isn’t stone, but she can’t tell what material it’s made of.

“I’ve had lots of teachers.” He admits, “It was one of the others.”

Channin returns the amulet. He lowers his head and she slips it over his head. When he lifts his head back up, there is a moment where they make eye contact. His eyes are the color of storm clouds. The clearest gray she can imagine. Shapeshifter eyes, if she didn’t know better.

“You should get some rest.” His voice is now low and soft.

She nods, forcing herself to look away from him. She can’t keep her mind off him for the rest of the night. She falls asleep, wondering if he will follow her into her dreams.