The Werewolves of Nottinghill

by J. J. Thompson

  The elf smiled as Tamara waved her to a chair to her left.

  “Not at all,” she said as she sat down.

  Dianis nodded at the others around the table.

  “Your brother was rather vague as to the reason that you wanted to speak with me,” she continued. “But as a representative of my people, it is my duty to speak with you in the Council whenever you wish. So, what can I do for you today?”

  Sebastian returned to his seat next to his sister and then Tamara sat down as well.

  “We asked you here because of a rather delicate matter,” the mage began. “I don't know if you are aware of this or not, but your fellow Elder, Shendal, visited with Malcolm and Aiden recently and talked to them about their unique...condition.”

  Dianis looked down the table at the warriors with raised eyebrows.

  “Did he now? I am aware of your curse, gentlemen, but I did not know that Shendal spoke to you about it. Among my people that would be considered a rather forward thing to do, unless the people you were speaking with were close friends. I do hope that you were not offended by his visit?”

  Malcolm shook his head silently.

  “No, we weren't,” Aiden answered. “But we were rather surprised that he would suddenly bring it up. It isn't something that we would normally discuss with others.”

  “I understand,” Dianis agreed.

  She frowned in silent thought for a moment.

  “I can see how this would be disturbing to you,” she said to Tamara. “It is highly unusual behavior. Is this why you wanted to see me? I assure you that I will speak to Shendal about this breach of etiquette. He may be my senior in years, but that does not excuse bad manners, especially with our new allies.”

  “Actually, there is more,” Tamara told her. “If it was just a visit by Shendal to our friends, it wouldn't really bother me. As you've just heard, Malcolm and Aiden weren't offended by his questions. But the Elder also visited Chao,” she waved down the table at the summoner, “and asked him some rather odd questions as well.”

  “Did he?”

  Dianis looked even more surprised.

  “Would you share those inquiries with me, sir?” she asked Chao.

  “Certainly,” he replied. “I'd be happy to.”

  The group sat quietly and listened attentively as Chao told Dianis about his conversation with Shendal. The elf watched him with narrowed eyes as he spoke and did not interrupt him or say anything until he was done.

  “Thank you,” she said when Chao had finished. “I was not aware that Shendal had such opinions about summoned creatures. I am puzzled as to why he would disparage them when visiting the two commanders and then express interest and curiosity when visiting you, sir. This whole thing is quite strange.”

  “I agree,” Tamara said. “And now we have rumors swirling around the castle that are very concerning to us.”

  “Rumors?”

  “Yes. There is talk that you and your delegation are not what you seem to be.”

  Dianis frowned at her.

  “Explain,” she said sharply.

  “Some people are saying that Shendal was investigating Malcolm and Aiden's condition because you want to use them against us. They say that, when the time is right, you will break the enchantments that are holding back their curse so that they attack the castle from the inside. Meanwhile goblins will also attack from outside the wall and from the air. You elves will retreat back to your world and allow us to be wiped out.”

  The Elder stared at Tamara in stunned silence. Malcolm leaned over to Aiden and whispered in his ear.

  “She looks like someone just hit her over the head with a shovel.”

  Aiden nodded.

  “Yeah,” he murmured in return. “Unless Dianis is the world's greatest actor, I think that Tamara caught her completely by surprise.”

  “I cannot believe what I am hearing,” the Elder said softly. “Who would start such unfounded, vicious rumors about us? Are my people so hated here? What have we done to deserve such vitriol? We were your first allies against the dragons years ago!”

  Tamara looked alarmed at the elf's reaction.

  “I assure you that almost all of my people greatly admire yours, Dianis,” she said quickly. “Please don't allow the beliefs of a very few to taint your opinion of the rest of us. Besides, we aren't actually sure that one of the castle's residents is responsible for starting this rumor.”

  Dianis looked even more puzzled.

  “Really? Then who else could be the source of such a thing?”

  “Here it comes,” Malcolm said under his breath.

  “The only one who was aware of your fellow Elder's visit to both Malcolm and Aiden, and to Chao, was Shendal himself,” Tamara said. “And while I suppose it is possible that someone is skulking around the castle, listening at doors and hiding in shadows, I think that is very unlikely.”

  Dianis sat quietly for a moment and then stood up abruptly.

  “Excuse me,” she said. “I must get to the bottom of this immediately. I shall return shortly.”

  With that, the elf turned around and walked out of the room, leaving everyone staring at each other in surprise.

  “Um, okay. Do we just wait then?” Sebastian wondered.

  “I suppose so,” his sister replied. “That went south pretty quickly, didn't it? Do you think that we've offended her badly enough to jeopardize our relationship?”

  “Dianis isn't a child, Tamara,” Veronique reassured her. “She's very old and very experienced. Even if she is angry at the moment, I'm sure that she will cool down quickly. We'll just to give her time to absorb the information we gave her.”

  “Yes, well...”

  Tamara looked around the table.

  “Okay then, I guess Sebastian's right. We'll wait here until Dianis returns. Unless any of you have something more important to do? If so, please go ahead. We'll share anything we learn from the Elder with you later.”

  “We can wait,” Sylvie said with a quick glance at her sister.

  “I will remain,” Chao told them. “I am curious to find out what possible motivation Shendal might have had, if it turns out that he is the one who started that bizarre rumor. I have a feeling that Dianis left to speak with him.”

  “Neither Aiden or I are on duty today,” Malcolm told Tamara. “We need to check in with the guards, but that can wait.”

  Tamara smiled her thanks at all of them.

  “Very well then. Let's have some more tea and give Dianis some time to get to the bottom of this,” she said.

  While the group waited once again, Tamara herself left the room to request more tea from the kitchen. When she returned, she was followed into the hall by the head cook himself, Mario Mazzanti, along with several members of his staff carrying loaded trays.

  “If you are all going to spend the day in this stuffy place,” Mario said with a sniff as he directed his workers to leave the trays on the table, “then you will need more than a few cookies to keep up your strength.”

  The kitchen staff stepped back and allowed their boss to lift the covers off of the plates on the serving trays.

  “We have two kinds of sandwiches, meat and chicken, plus lentil soup and two blueberry pies,” Mario told the group. “And fresh tea. If you need anything else, just ask.”

  “You're too good to us,” Tamara told him warmly.

  “Yes, I know,” the cook said with a crooked smile. “Now, everyone eat up before it gets cold.”

  With that, he shooed his staff out the door and followed them out of the hall.

  “Well, you heard the man,” Tamara told the group. “Everyone dig in.”

  It was just as well that the Council had been served some food to help kill the time while they waited for Dianis to return, because it took more than an hour for the elf to stride back into the meeting hall. And this time she wasn't alone.

  Tamara had been chatting quietly with Sylvie and Veronique when she saw the elf enter the hall. She stood up
to greet the Elder and then fell silent as she saw Shendal walk in behind her, followed closely by the elven captain, Chase.

  “Welcome back,” the mage said as she walked back to the head of the table.

  “Thank you,” Dianis said, her voice cool and remote. “Forgive me for leaving so precipitously. I did not mean to be rude, but I wanted to get the facts for myself.”

  She turned to glare at Shendal, who actually flinched when she caught his eye.

  “Stand there,” she ordered and pointed at a spot several feet behind Tamara's chair. “Chase, watch him closely.”

  “Yes Elder,” Chase replied evenly.

  Malcolm noticed that the captain was wearing a sword and kept her hand close to the hilt.

  “Forgive me, Dianis,” Tamara said as she watched the scene with wide eyes. “But what is going on?”

  The Elder walked over to the chair that she had sat in earlier, turned it around and took a seat. Tamara hesitated and then copied her, sitting down beside the elf as Dianis answered her without taking her eyes off of Shendal.

  “It appears that we have a snake in our midst,” she said darkly. “My colleague here is not what he seems.”

  “I don't understand,” Tamara replied in confusion.

  “Shendal has betrayed us,” Dianis told her. “Both your people and mine. He joined our delegation with the express intent of disrupting our new alliance and he tried to use your commanders' condition,” she gestured down the table at Malcolm and Aiden, “as a way to stir up discontent.”

  Her expression showed such disgust and recrimination that Shendal lowered his head and stared at the floor.

  “I still don't understand,” Tamara told her. “Why would he do that?”

  “Ah, now that is the question, is it not?” Dianis replied. “And to get the answer, I would like to ask your resident summoner for his help.”

  Chao sat up in surprise.

  “Me, Elder?” he said. “Certainly I will help in any way that I can, but what could I possibly do for you?”

  Dianis turned around in her chair to look at him.

  “I would like you to summon your friend, the sprite named Ellas. Shendal expressed his distrust of her to the commanders while also asking you many questions about her. I believe there is a reason for that, and I would like to speak with her to learn what that reason is. Is it possible for you to contact her?”

  “Yes, of course. The invocation is simpler now because there is a connection between us. I do not know what she could possibly tell you, but I am sure that she would offer her aid.”

  He looked cautiously at the Elder.

  “She is very curious and rather forward in her opinions though,” he added. “So please do not be offended by anything she has to say.”

  Dianis' severe expression softened and she seemed to almost smile.

  “I am difficult to offend, sir, I assure you.”

  “No, you mustn't bring that 'thing' into our presence!” Shendal blurted out loudly. “It is an abomination!”

  He took a step forward and almost lost his balance as Chase grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back roughly.

  “Be silent!” she growled at him. “And do not move.”

  “As you can see,” Dianis told the group without looking at Shendal, “our 'friend' here does not want us to bring the sprite into his presence. Let us find out why, shall we?”

  Chapter 15

  Chao's summoning ritual did not take long. He stood in front of the fireplace and his elaborate movements as he used his fan to call forth Ellas were fascinating to watch.

  Both Malcolm and Aiden were mesmerized as they listened to Chao chanting.

  “I wonder what it's like,” Malcolm whispered to his partner.

  “What?”

  “Casting spells. Being able to summon creatures or Gate to wherever you wanted to go. Stuff like that.”

  Aiden looked at the big man with some surprise.

  “Why? Would you want to?”

  “Maybe. Come on, Aiden, wouldn't it be faster and easier to scout out a location or meet a group of refugees if we could just,” he quietly snapped his fingers, not wanting to break Chao's concentration, “zap to where we wanted to be? That would be awesome.”

  “Well yeah, I suppose so. But we can't, so why bother thinking about it?”

  Malcolm glowered at him.

  “Tamara said that we have magic. Don't you remember? Thanks to this curse or spell or whatever the hell that werewolf gave us when we were bitten, she thinks that we might actually be able to use the power if we were properly trained. Well, I don't know about you, but I want to try that someday. Combine some sort of magical ability with our fighting talents and we could really give those damned goblins a surprise, when they finally get around to attacking the castle.”

  Aiden nodded thoughtfully.

  “That's an interesting idea. Hmm. When this Shendal business is cleared up, let's speak with one of the mages and see what they can do to help us.”

  “Now you're talking!” Malcolm said, delighted.

  He kept his voice low but he was grinning from ear to ear.

  Aiden put his finger to his lips and nodded at Chao.

  “Focus,” he told Malcolm.

  “Right.”

  While the summoner performed his ritual, Shendal stood as still as a statue and glowered at him from across the hall. Chase stood behind the Elder and watched him closely.

  Dianis had turned her chair around, ignoring her former colleague, and now observed as Chao worked, as fascinated by his ceremony as the others were.

  With a final flourish, Chao snapped his fan closed in dramatic fashion and slipped it back into his sash. He stepped back, away from the fireplace and bowed slightly.

  “Ellas, come forth,” he said in a commanding voice.

  Nothing happened for a moment and Chao sighed loudly and shook his head.

  “Why must you always be so stubborn?” he asked wearily. “I know you are there. I can feel your presence. Are you simply determined to embarrass me in front of others?”

  “You must be reminded on occasion not to take me for granted, human. It helps to keep your kind humble, don't you think?”

  The high-pitched, squeaky voice seemed to come from all corners of the hall. Everyone at the table looked around, trying to locate the sprite.

  “Fine. Consider me humbled,” Chao told the unseen speaker. “Now please, show yourself. Tamara and the other mages are eager to meet you again.”

  Malcolm winked at Aiden.

  “He knows how to appeal to her ego,” he muttered.

  “Clever man,” Aiden agreed.

  “Are they?” Ellas answered, sounding delighted. “Why didn't you say so at once, silly man?”

  There was a flash of light and a shower of colorful sparks several feet above Chao's head, like a small firework exploding in the hall. A winged figure shining with its own light flitted down to hover between the summoner and the fireplace. Her wings were translucent and she looked remarkably similar to old illustrations of pixies. She wore a long white gown and her tiny feet were bare. Although it was hard to see her face from where he was sitting, Malcolm remembered that Ellas was very beautiful. And she knew it.

  “There you are, human,” she said with a sniff as she looked Chao up and down. “Wait. You do not look well. Are you ill?”

  The immediate change in her voice gave away the sprite's feelings for the small man. Apparently she cared for him but chose to hide it most of the time.

  “I am fine, Ellas,” Chao reassured her. “There is a flu going around right now. I might have gotten a small dose of it.”

  “You must take better care of yourself,” Ellas scolded him, actually shaking a small finger at him as she spoke. “You are not strong and Lei is no longer around to nurse you back to health.”

  Chao's expression changed as she mentioned his late brother, but he kept himself under control and gestured at the watchers around the table.

 
“Ellas, we have more important concerns at the moment than my health. I assume you remember the Council members?”

  The sprite flitted around Chao, her wings flapping so quickly that they were just a blur, and she looked at everyone seated at the conference table.

  “Of course I do, silly man. Lady Tamara, how lovely to see you again.”

  “And you, Ellas,” Tamara replied with a smile.

  “Sebastian, looking handsome as ever.”

  The mage grinned at the compliment and nodded at her.

  “Oh and Sylvie and Veronique, my favorite mages. We must spend some time together. Chao does not summon me often enough and I miss our little talks.”

  “As do we, Ellas,” Sylvie assured her.

  “And of course the two special warriors are here as well,” Ellas said.

  She flitted away from Chao and flew along the table to hover in front of Malcolm and Aiden.

  “You know, I don't much care for fighters,” she told them as she bobbed up and down with her arms folded. “But you two are unique. Did Chao mention that I believe your curse can be corrected, or did the silly man forget? He does that often, I'm afraid.”

  “He told us,” Aided replied slowly. “But we were also informed that you might be, um, mistaken about that.”

  “What!”

  Ellas put her hands on her hips and her already high voice rose even higher. Malcolm flinched at the sound.

  “I am not mistaken!” the sprite exclaimed angrily. “No one knows more about Alteration magic than I do. No one! Who dared to dispute my word?”

  “I am afraid that it was one of my people,” Dianis said from the head of the table.

  Ellas turned quickly and squealed in surprise.

  “An elf?” she gasped. “Oh my, three elves! How marvelous. You have returned. But,” Ellas looked confused, “were you not expected to be away for centuries? What happened?”

  “Before we continue,” Tamara interrupted, “allow me to make the introductions. Ellas, this is Dianis, a member of the Council of Elders. Behind us are Shendal, also an Elder, and Chase, the captain of the elven troops stationed here.”

  “Lady Dianis,” Ellas said with surprising formality. “It is a great pleasure to meet you. I have long admired your people.”