The Werewolves of Nottinghill

by J. J. Thompson

  “Fine. Hang on, boys. France, here we come.”

  Chapter 22

  The quartet appeared in the center of the clearing that they'd seen in the mirror. It was early afternoon and the sun was high. The air was thick with the sweet smell of pine sap and a gentle breeze off of the channel made the pine trees around the field sway and whisper gently.

  Tamara's shield spell faded as she looked around and saw nothing threatening. She sighed with relief and nodded at her brother.

  Malcolm looked down at the high grass they were standing in and smiled at the sight of hundreds of yellow wildflowers dancing in the breeze.

  Sebastian stepped away from the group and turned in a slow circle, scanning the border of the clearing.

  “Looks safe enough at the moment,” he said. “Although there's no way to know how long that will last.”

  “Come on, gentlemen,” Tamara said briskly. “Let's move out of the center of the field before the troops start dropping on our heads.”

  That reminder made them all scurry away from the middle of the clearing. Just in time too. A moment later, multiple loud popping sounds signaled the arrival of their forces.

  Groups of six people began appearing in flashes of light, each one accompanied by a mage. The transportation was well timed, with one group moving out of the way for the next every minute or so. In almost no time at all, the clearing started to feel crowded.

  Aiden organized the human troops while Chase, who showed up with the first group of elves, got her archers settled into disciplined ranks.

  The last group to arrive was Gated in by Sylvie and included her sister and Chao. The magic-users joined Tamara and Sebastian and waited until everyone was organized before discussing their next move.

  “We need to scout out the coast between us and the enemy forces,” Malcolm said to the group as he came back from speaking to his archers. “If we just head out blindly, we could be the ones ambushed instead of the other way around.”

  “I can check things out with my mirror,” Tamara said as she slipped her small hand mirror out of a pocket of her robe. “But I can't guarantee that I won't miss any enemies hidden in the trees or whatever. The spell just isn't the same as having someone actually scout out the situation.”

  “I think that I have a better idea,” Chao interjected.

  The group looked at him with surprise.

  “Okay, Chao,” Tamara said curiously. “What would you suggest?”

  The summoner smiled slightly and drew his metal fan from his sash. He opened it with a flourish and it rang like tiny chimes. Chao chanted in an ancient language for a moment and gestured upward with his fan.

  “Well, it's about time!”

  Several people gasped as Ellas appeared above Chao's head in a flash of multicolored wings.

  “Ellas!” Tamara exclaimed with a smile. “How good to see you again.”

  “Ah, lady mage.”

  The sprite bowed gracefully as she hovered in midair. Then she flew down to eye level and looked around at the group.

  “It is a pleasure to see you all too,” she told them. “I've been waiting for Chao to summon me, but you know how muddled he can be. Frankly, I'm surprised that he remembered me at all.”

  “I never forget you, Ellas,” the small man said patiently. “I simply had to wait for...”

  “Yes, yes. I know. You had to wait for the proper time,” Ellas said, cutting him off. “Well, let's not dwell on your shortcomings. I'm here now, so let us proceed.”

  Sebastian was behind the fairy and he looked over at Aiden and rolled his eyes.

  Aiden covered his mouth to stop himself from laughing. If he insulted the mercurial little being, who knew what would happen.

  “We are a mile or more to the north of the gathered forces of our enemies,” Chao told the fairy. “And before we can move our troops, we need to know what dangers, if any, await us between where we are now and their position. Could you check that out for us, please?”

  The sprite smiled in anticipation.

  “Ah, a task perfectly suited to my talents. Of course I can scout out the area. I wouldn't want anyone stumbling into those monsters, Chao. Not even you.”

  She spun around to look directly at Tamara.

  “Be patient, lady mage, and keep your people quiet. I shall return shortly.”

  “As you wish, Ellas,” Tamara told her.

  The sprite nodded and disappeared in a shower of multicolored sparkles.

  “Will she be able to avoid being seen?” Sebastian asked Chao doubtfully. “Ellas isn't exactly, um, subtle.”

  The summoner chuckled.

  “Oh yes. Don't let her abrupt way of speaking fool you. Ellas is very wise and, as one of the fay, she is almost invisible to magical detection. I know that there may be a wizard among the goblins, but I doubt that even a magic-user of that power level could spot her unless she wished it. She will be fine.”

  Chase walked over to join the group.

  “I noticed your friend,” she said to Chao. “Is she scouting for us? I could take a few of my rangers and do the same. I assure you that we wouldn't be seen,” she added, looking at Tamara.

  “I appreciate the offer, Chase,” Tamara replied. “But if the goblins have magic-users, especially if they have wizard with them, your skills wouldn't keep you from being detected magically. Ellas can avoid that danger.”

  “Ah, of course,” the elf said with a knowing look. “The fay are very resistant to magic. I'd forgotten that. Very well. My people are ready to move whenever you give the order.”

  “Thank you. It shouldn't be long now.”

  Malcolm tapped Aiden and gestured for him to step away from the others.

  “What is it?” Aiden asked quietly when they had moved out of earshot.

  “I'm not sure,” the big man grumbled. “I feel...something. An itch. Like someone's watching me. Don't you feel it?”

  Aiden grinned at him.

  “No, but that's not surprising. Everyone looks at you, Mal. I mean, you are hard to miss, you know.”

  Malcolm smiled briefly, but still looked uneasy.

  “I'm not kidding, Aiden. Something's not right. My hackles are up and I don't know why.”

  Aiden glanced around the clearing. All joking aside, he knew that Malcolm's instincts were usually spot on. If he was worried, it wasn't just because of stress or his imagination.

  “I don't know what to say, Mal,” he murmured. “I trust your feelings, but everything looks normal. I'll stay alert, but that's all I can do.”

  The big man sighed and nodded.

  “Yeah, okay. Maybe it's nothing. Pre-battle jitters or something.”

  They walked back to the group and began waiting with the others for Ellas to return.

  Chase told the leaders that she would prepare her people to move out as soon as Tamara gave the signal and then she walked back across the glade to the elven archers.

  Aiden watched her for a moment.

  “I'll do the same with our guardsmen,” he told Tamara. “We don't want to wait here any longer than we need to.”

  The mage agreed and Aiden rejoined the human archers. He began speaking to them quietly, letting them know that they would be on the move soon.

  Minutes passed and Malcolm suspiciously watched the trees surrounding the clearing. The dark pines looked ominous and he realized that their low-hanging branches could be hiding anything.

  “Would you stop spinning around like a top, please?” Sebastian asked him irritably. “You're making me nervous.”

  The big man looked at the mage in surprise.

  “Spinning?”

  “Yes. You keep turning in circles. Aren't you getting dizzy?”

  Sylvie chuckled as Malcolm shrugged.

  “Sorry, I didn't realize I was doing that. I'm just a bit on edge.”

  “You don't say?” Sebastian replied with a smile. “Try to relax, Malcolm. The enemy is a long way away.”

  “Yeah, I know. It's
just...”

  He was interrupted as Ellas reappeared with a pop directly in front of Tamara.

  “They're gone!” she exclaimed, her high-pitched voice loud in the quiet glade.

  Tamara stared at the sprite in confusion.

  “They're gone? Who's gone?”

  “The goblins, of course,” Ellas replied irritably. “The beach to the south of this clearing is completely empty. There are no goblin warriors, no giants, nothing. It's like they all vanished.”

  “That is impossible,” the mage stated flatly. “I saw them myself in my mirror less than an hour ago. That many goblins couldn't have just disappeared, not to mention those giants.”

  “Is it possible that the enemy's wizard realized that they were being spied upon?” Veronique asked anxiously. “Maybe they moved their location while we were Gating over the channel?”

  “Not a chance,” Sebastian told her. “There were too many of them to do that so quickly.”

  “What if what you saw was simply an illusion?”

  The group looked at Chao.

  “What?”

  “An illusion,” the small man said in a low voice. “What if the entire montage that we saw using the Magic Mirror spell was simply a trick?”

  “To what end?” Tamara asked, still looking confused.

  Malcolm stopped listening at that moment. He suddenly realized why he had been feeling so uneasy.

  “Tamara!” he said loudly. “You and the other mages should get to the center of the clearing.”

  She looked at him, puzzled.

  “But why...”

  “It's a trap!” he bellowed. “Mages! To the center of the clearing. Now!”

  Sebastian didn't stop to ask questions. He grabbed his sister's hand and practically dragged her toward the middle of the field.

  The other mages followed along, including Chao, who was being both encouraged and berated by Ellas as he went.

  “Guardsmen,” Malcolm shouted. “Form a perimeter around the mages. Protect them. Chase!”

  The elven captain met his eyes from across the glade and seemed to read the big man's mind. She nodded once and turned to her people.

  “Archers! Form up with the humans and defend the mages!”

  There was no hesitation from the elves. They ran across the field and spread out around Tamara and the other magic-users. They connected with the human archers and all of them faced outward, staring at the menacing trees bordering the clearing.

  When everyone was set, Malcolm hurried through the ranks to join Tamara and the other leaders.

  The mage still seemed a little dazed and she stared at him doubtfully.

  “Malcolm, are you sure about this? We haven't seen or heard anything even remotely dangerous.”

  He smiled stiffly.

  “If I'm wrong, then no harm done,” he told her and the others. “But I'd rather be mistaken than be caught flat-footed if we are attacked. Wouldn't you?”

  Everyone waited silently. All of the archers had their arrows nocked, but no one had drawn their bows yet. There was nothing to shoot at.

  “So far, so good,” Sebastian said quietly as the minutes passed. “How long should we wait, Malcolm?”

  “Don't ask me,” the big man rumbled. “But if the goblins are gone, then maybe you folks should start Gating our people home one group at a time while the rest of us keep watch?”

  “I suppose that is the best idea,” Tamara agreed. “So, who should go first?”

  Before anyone could answer, a familiar voice speaking from directly over their heads made them all jump.

  “Tamara! Malcolm! Can you hear me?”

  “Katherine?” Tamara asked as she glanced upward.

  “Yes, it's me. Barnaby is casting a Magic Mouth spell, but he can't concentrate and speak at the same time, so he asked me for help.”

  “I keep telling that man to practice more,” Sebastian said, shaking his head. “But he never listens.”

  “Quiet, Bastian,” his sister snapped. “What is it, Katherine? What's wrong?”

  “The castle is under attack, that's what's wrong,” the cleric replied in a surprisingly calm voice. “Goblins. I don't know how many there are, but from the top of the walls, it looks like there may be hundreds of them. Some are riding on giants bats and are shooting arrows at us. And that's not all. There are these monstrous fighters, taller than Malcolm and covered in thick armor, that are battering on the main gate. Our arrows are just bouncing off of them! We need you mages and the rest of our forces back here, right now!”

  “Okay, Katherine,” Tamara told her quickly. “We're on our way. Hold on for just a few more minutes.”

  “We'll try,” the cleric replied. “But those ogres, or whatever they are, are almost through the gate and...”

  Katherine's voice was cut off abruptly and the group stared at each other in horror.

  “God damn it!” Aiden exclaimed, to Malcolm's surprise. His partner almost never swore.

  “This wasn't a trap. It was a ruse, designed to draw us away from Nottinghill Castle so that the goblins could attack while our forces were divided. Clever bastards!”

  “Well, it won't divide us for long,” Tamara declared. “Get everyone formed up and we'll start Gating them home immediately.”

  “Wait,” Malcolm said as he raised a hand.

  “Wait? Why? What is it?”

  “Just wait. Do you feel that?”

  The ground shook slightly under their feet. Once. And then again. And again. A slow, steady pounding sound began to reverberate across the glade.

  The troops were looking around fearfully, but Malcolm began cursing angrily under his breath. He was much better at it than Aiden.

  “Hurry, Tamara. And you other mages. Start Gating right now. We're about to have some company.”

  “You mean...”

  “Giants. Katherine didn't mention them, which means that the goblins must have left them behind, probably to delay us while they attack Nottinghill. Or maybe they can't transport something that big. Well, either way, the joke's on them. Aiden and I know how to deal with those monsters. So start Gating. Aiden. Let's go!”

  The two men listened intently for a moment and then turned toward the east. That was definitely the direction that the footsteps were coming from.

  They moved through the troops, ignoring their looks of surprise and curiosity, and hurried toward the edge of the clearing.

  “We'd better change now,” Aiden said as he stopped several yards away from the trees. “I don't want to lose my armor.”

  He bent over and slipped his chain-mail tunic over his head as Malcolm glanced back and saw many of the guardsmen watching them.

  “Are you sure that's a good idea?” he asked quietly. “If our people see us transform, some of them are going to freak out.”

  Aiden kicked off his boots and dropped his sword belt.

  “Who cares?” he snapped. “Better that they get scared than stepped on, don't you think? Now hurry up, Mal. It sounds like those damned giants are almost on top of us.”

  Flashes of light from the center of the field indicated that the mages had started Gating people back to Nottinghill. But most of the human warriors would still be around to witness their commanders' transformations.

  Malcolm hesitated and then sighed in resignation. He copied Aiden, removing his armor and boots. Then he grabbed Aiden's arm.

  “Let's at least leave the clearing before we change,” he said urgently.

  Aiden looked over his shoulder at the wide-eyed observers and nodded.

  “Fine. But come on! We're wasting time.”

  They raced into the trees until they had lost sight of the watchers. The stomping of heavy footsteps sounded like they were all around them now and they ran between the trees straight toward them.

  “There!” Aiden shouted as the bald head of a giant appeared above the tops of the trees.

  Malcolm lowered his head as he ran, fury bubbling up inside of him. Those monsters
threatened his people and that could not be allowed.

  His rage engulfed him and he felt his body begin to transform. There was no pain this time and neither Malcolm nor Aiden made a sound as they changed. A moment later two ravening werewolves sprang through the trees directly at the first giant.

  Tamara was about to Gate out the last of the human troops when she stopped abruptly and turned toward the forest. All conversation around her was cut off by the chilling sound of an inhuman howl.

  “Werewolf,” one of the guardsmen, a young woman, whispered fearfully.

  The mage looked at the other people around her and saw expressions of fear and disgust on their faces. She scowled at the troops.

  “Yes, a werewolf,” she declared harshly. “Malcolm and Aiden, our friends, your commanders, are out there right now using their powers and risking their lives to save yours. Which one of you has the nerve to look me in the eye and say something disparaging about them?”

  There was no response, but many of the group dropped their eyes or looked away.

  “I thought as much. If any of you think that you can do what Malcolm and Aiden are doing, then you'd damned well better have at least a portion of the self-sacrifice and bravery that those two men have.”

  The young guard who had appeared so afraid at the sound of the howl looked directly at Tamara.

  “My apologies, lady,” she said shakily. “I am not frightened of the commanders. Far from it. And I know that they can control their alter-egos. I was taken by surprise, that's all. But if it was necessary, I would stand with them even now, to defend Nottinghill and my friends.

  Tamara stared at her for a moment and then smiled.

  “Good. That's what I wanted to hear. I just hope that the rest of you feel the same way. Now, gather around. Let's not waste the chance that Malcolm and Aiden are giving us.”

  Tamara and the other three mages had had to Gate several times to transport all of the archers back to the castle. Each time they did, they were surrounded by the sounds of battle. People were yelling from the top of the walls and a heavy pounding against the main gate continued relentlessly.

  “Keep going!” Katherine had called to them at one point.