“It's not normal behavior!” I shrieked.
He stared at me, his chest rising and falling with every ragged breath, his eyes filled with pain. “It's not normal human behavior, Charlotte. That's what you mean. But what you appear to be forgetting is that not one of us are human. I'm a werewolf. We resolve our issues with bloodshed. We always have, we always will. If you can't accept that, then we're in deep trouble.” He stepped forward, holding out a hand in supplication. “Christ! I knew this was going to be a problem, right from the beginning. I didn't want to do it, knew that if I did, you'd struggle to understand.”
“You're right about that,” I said, tears welling in my eyes. “I don't understand. I don't understand any of it.”
“It's the way of a werewolf pack! Udolf and Kurt made a direct challenge to my leadership. It had to be answered, and I won't apologize for that. But I need you to know, Sugar. I love you; I've always loved you, and I don't want to lose you.” He rested a hand against his hip, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “But I can't be anything other than what I am. A werewolf. An Alpha werewolf who needs to protect his pack, and sometimes has to assert his leadership and strength to his pack members. Not only to my pack, but I need to make sure we're safe from all challenges – internal, and external. If I'd shown signs of weakness we risked being subjugated, not just by someone in our pack, but by the Alpha of some other pack.”
I wrapped my arms tightly around my waist, struggling to hold myself together. “I need some time,” I finally said, the words enunciated slowly and quietly.
“How much time?” Conal questioned.
I shook my head. “I really don't know.”
I turned my back to him, and walked slowly towards camp, leaving my heart and soul in the woods behind me.
≈†◊◊†◊◊†◊◊†≈
“I'm not even sure which way is up,” I admitted quietly. I'd suffered a sleepless night, and when our work crews headed back to Zaen, I'd refused to go, preferring to stay at the camp. I'd hear that Conal headed out at first light, but didn't know for sure. I hadn't seen him again since leaving the woods after our confrontation.
Rowena smiled gently, her eyes filled with concern. She was dressed, beautifully and elegantly, in a pair of white cotton trousers and a red silk shirt. “Charlotte, it's understandable. You've only been back with us for a matter of weeks, and those weeks have been such a rollercoaster for you. It's little wonder you're struggling to find your feet again, especially with so many things happening at once.”
Ben watched on, his dark eyes sympathetic. After the revelations of the previous morning, discovering practically everyone had kept me in the dark regarding the Tremaine leadership challenge, I'd taken a while to come around. I'd spent a few hours licking my wounds, avoiding everyone. I was still hurt, but I needed support, and Ben and Rowena had always been my strongest advocates.
“We're worried about you, Charlotte,” Ben admitted. “I know you're upset by what happened, but Conal did what he needed to do. We thought keeping it from you would protect you from the exact situation you're facing now. Matt was mistaken in telling you – he's human – it's difficult for humans to understand the ways of the supernatural.”
“It's difficult for me to understand.”
Rowena patted my shoulder and a little smile danced over her lips. “Charlotte, I think it's been well-established that you most certainly are not human.”
“I suspect your reaction might have been exacerbated by the Fae magic in your system,” Ben mused. “Jerome believes he has it under control, but perhaps that's what caused you to react so strongly.”
“What caused such a strong reaction, was Conal killing and eating Kurt and Udolf Marrok.” I muttered, surveying the people working to solve the clues I'd supplied in the drawing. I huffed out a breath, feeling quite defeated. “Conal's not my only problem; I'm still struggling with the Fae and this business with the Red Caps. Have we made the right decision?” Late last night, after discussing Goren's proposal at length with Epi and key members of the group, we'd agreed to Goren's mission to 'acquire' a Red Cap. While we needed answers, I was uncomfortable with the Fae's relationship with the Red Caps. Weren't they guilty of the same type of controlling behavior the Drâghici employed? It was a question I was still asking myself, although Arasinya and Goren had done their best to reassure me this wasn't the case. But at this stage, with the hours counting down to a point of no return, I couldn't see any other options. I only hoped the decision wouldn't turn around and bite us on the ass. I rocked Patrick in his cradle when he grumbled and stretched, and returned my attention to Rowena and Ben. “What if bringing a Red Cap here just makes everything worse?”
“We'll negotiate cautiously, ensure our group are involved in any agreements reached between Arasinya and the Red Caps,” Rowena said, offering me an encouraging smile. “I know their ways seem alien, but you've never had so much trouble accepting our differences before. I agree with Ben; the Fae magic is creating some issues with your mindset.”
“If you think I'm unreasonably angry with Conal, I don't agree,” I retorted. “How can I accept what he did? We're trying to save these people, and he's killing them!”
“He had valid reason,” Ben pointed out, deliberately keeping his voice calm. “Charlotte, you know, better than anyone, that we are not human. None of these people you have aligned yourself with – not even you – are human.”
I smiled wanly. He was right. But I still couldn't see how I could come to terms with Conal's actions.
≈†◊◊†◊◊†◊◊†≈
Goren and his team returned from the Realm thirty-two hours later. Epi was almost beside himself when he caught up with Ben, Nissa and I as we returned from Zaen, and we hurried through camp. Wearing his standard tunic and pants, the little wizard, not for the first time, reminded me of a strange, little dwarf. “This is great news, excellent news indeed! I hadn't expected Goren to achieve his goal so swiftly! Come, child, I have asked them to take the Red Cap to my tent for the purposes of privacy while we negotiate.”
After a quick cuddle, I handed Patrick off to Rowena, who offered me a worried smile. “You need some sleep.”
“Clearly that's not happening soon,” I muttered, leaning over to press a kiss to Patrick's cheek. I glanced over at Lyell and Lucas' corporeal forms; Lucas inclined his head in acknowledgement and they followed Rowena, Patrick snuggled in her arms.
A great deal of noise emanated from inside Epi's tent as we approached, most of it incomprehensible. The voice doing the yelling was guttural, and I didn't need to be a language expert to know whoever it belonged to was utterly furious. Sweeping in through the tent flap, I got my first sight of a Red Cap.
He was short, perhaps only five feet tall, and his skin was brown and wrinkled, resembling old shoe leather. His ears seemed extraordinarily large for his overall size, and his face was elongated and crinkly. Piercing black eyes flashed with rage as he continued to remonstrate with everyone in the tent. His arms and legs were secured to a chair, and blood dripped slowly and steadily from the knitted cap on his head.
When we appeared in the tent entrance, Goren hurried across to greet us. Dragging my attention away from the Red Cap, I briefly scanned Epi's tent. It was significantly larger than the ones I'd shared with Conal and Nissa. Besides the standard bedroll and sleeping bag, Epi had taken it upon himself to provide a few creature comforts, including a squishy, navy blue sofa, and a rocking chair which stood in one corner. There was a fireplace, over which a copper kettle steamed gently, and a table next to the fireplace was stacked with piles of his precious books. “I didn't know you got the first-class accommodations,” I commented mildly.
He sniffed dismissively. “I am fifteen hundred years old. I need comfortable seating.”
Capturing the Red Cap clearly hadn't been a straightforward event; Goren's leather tunic was torn across one shoulder, and blood clotted in deep scratches on his skin. One eye was bruised and swollen, the skin acro
ss his cheek inflamed.
“Obviously unimpressed at being kidnapped?” I questioned, eyeing the strange little creature. He wore nothing but a pair of ragged, dirty trousers, but there were strengths hidden underneath that wizened, wrinkly skin. Although first impressions suggested he wasn't particularly strong, he was placing a significant amount of strain on the ropes holding him to the chair, and I wondered how long they would hold. A glance at Gilborg and the other two Fae involved in the acquisition confirmed they'd also copped a beating and the Red Cap was ostensibly the source of their injuries. In direct contrast, the diminutive Red Cap didn't have a scratch on him.
Goren glanced at the enraged creature, his expression resigned. “Yes, Little One, very unimpressed. He put up quite a fight.”
“So I see. Have you tried to explain anything to him yet?”
“No, not yet. He speaks Red Cap, and we speak standardized Fae, so there is a… how would you say…” Goren frowned, struggling to find the right explanation.
“A language barrier?” I suggested. “It isn't any wonder he's mad.” With a burst of sustained effort, the Red Cap snapped the restraint around his right ankle. Gilborg and another of the Fae men rapidly moved in to replace the restraint, but not before the angry Red Cap kicked Gilborg squarely in the groin, dropping him to his knees. Gilborg raised a fist, intending to retaliate, but I intervened. “Gilborg, no!”
“Don't get close, Charlotte, he's dangerous,” Arasinya warned. The Fae Queen had been standing with Gilborg and the other Fae, keeping a wary eye on the Red Cap.
I took another hesitant step towards the little man. “He's angry, but he's probably frightened, too.” I glanced over at Epi while the Fae struggled with retying the Red Cap's ankle to the chair. “How are we going to make him understand what we're saying?”
Epi dragged his attention away from the Red Cap. “I can cast a spell which will allow you to speak in his dialect, though you will hear your words and his in English.”
“Do it,” I said, taking another step. The Red Cap caught the movement and glared at me, black eyes full of contempt.
“Go ahead,” Epi announced, after briefly waving his hand through the air. “It is done. We will all understand the exchange.”
“My name is Charlotte Duncan,” I began, watching him cautiously. “What's your name?”
The Red Cap shouted and yanked at the restraints, ignoring me. “My brethren will destroy you and your people for what you have done today! You will long rue the day when you encountered Dwarblrl'g Whetstone!”
The way he'd pronounced his name sounded like a series of guttural noises, but I thought he'd called himself 'Dwarbelrig'. Arasinya moved a little closer, her head held high, her attitude regal. “Dwarblrl'g Whetstone, I am Arasinya, true Queen of the Fae Realm, and the keeper of all Fae.”
Dwarblrl'g snorted. “As if I care!” he mocked. “You're another of the royal parvenus who want to keep the Red Caps beneath the royal boot! You care not a whit for us, nor our plight! We have been brutalized under the regime of the ugly Queen Aethelwine. If her behavior is considered the norm, why should I be interested in hearing from the sister of Aethelwine – no doubt the Arasinya Queen will give the same hardships and brutal treatment!”
“My sister is not the true Queen of the Realm—” Arasinya began, but the little creature shook his head, intensifying his effort to escape.
“I care not a whit for who you be! I do not care for any of the spawn of Keenan the Killer. He ruled with brutality, ugly Queen Aethelwine has ruled with brutality. You take what is ours, without thought or recompense.”
I glanced over at Keenan, who stood with Phelan near the tent's entrance, watching the exchange. Aiming a pointed look in his direction, the former King shrugged. “I never claimed I was perfect,” he admitted coyly.
“I'm Charlotte Duncan, Nememiah's Child. Would you speak with me?”
Dwarblrl'g stared for a moment, his expression ponderous. “Liar, liar, liar,” he started to chant, returning to his efforts to free himself. “Nememiah is long gone, his Children are long gone. Liar, liar, liar.”
“Be quiet, you hideous creature!” Goren snapped. “You will show both Charlotte and Arasinya respect!”
The little creature ignored him. “Liars; all liars, Dwarblrl'g Whetstone listens to nothing of these lying creatures' taunts and trickery. Thieving, stealing, lying Seelie Fae. Liars, all liars, every one of them.”
Goren stepped toward the creature but Arasinya restrained him with a gentle hand on his leather tunic. “No, Goren. Let him be for now.”
Goren glanced down at his bonded partner, his purple eyes softening. “We don't have time for this, my Queen.”
“We will not use violence to resolve this situation. It's apparent that my father believes we must negotiate with the Red Caps to win this war; let us give Dwarblrl'g Whetstone time to calm down.” Arasinya kept a wary eye on the Red Cap and he continued to yank at the restraints. She turned to Gilborg and the other Fae men. “Please arrange for food and water to be brought to Dwarblrl'g Whetstone, and provide him with a blanket, before the temperature drops much further.” She spoke to me in a quiet aside. “Red Caps are particularly susceptible to the effects of colder weather. If we are correct, and we need to bring this creature to our side, we must ensure his comforts are met.”
I whispered back. “His comforts would probably be better met if we released him.”
Arasinya's eyes sparkled, and she settled a hand on my shoulder. “As you have seen, Charlotte, Dwarblrl'g Whetstone has nearly brought my bonded mate, and some of the strongest warriors of the Fae, to their knees. While I am willing to work within your parameters regarding negotiation, I do not think it wise to allow him freedom from the restraints at this point.”
“I completely agree,” Epi piped up.
I yawned heavily, exhausted, and desperate for some sleep. Turning back to Dwarblrl'g Whetstone, I watched him chanting endlessly, pointedly ignoring everyone in the tent. “Liar, liar, liar. Spawn of Keenan, murderous king, not to be trusted, liar, liar, liar. Dirge of the Realm, filth of the Seelie Fae, liar, liar, liar.”
“I don't think we're going to resolve this tonight,” I admitted, feeling quite defeated. While I'd assumed the Red Cap would be difficult to negotiate with, the fact that he wouldn't even listen seemed a poor start. I suspected this was a situation which wouldn't be easy to resolve. “Let's keep an eye on him, give him food and water, and start afresh in the morning.”
“I will remain,” Arasinya announced. Seeing my resigned look, she drew me to one side. “Leaving the Red Cap to think about this situation will be to no end, Charlotte. The Red Cap will expect a battle of attrition to form from our negotiations; to give him time now would be a mistake. Allow Epi, Goren and myself to negotiate with him on your behalf.”
“But—”
Arasinya smiled faintly, inclining her head. “I will do as you asked, Charlotte. I will not resort to trickery or brutality to make the creature do as we require and translate the words. Please, give me some of your trust in this matter. I agree with you – perhaps we have been too officious in our past treatment of the Red Caps. While Goren still struggles with the suggestion of negotiation, I see your reasoning for such a process and will endeavor to work within the parameters you have asked for. I give you my word.” She lifted her arm, bending it at the elbow to lay her forearm across her breast in the Fae gesture of respect.
It would require another of those leaps of faith, but frankly, I didn't know what else to do. “All right. I'll agree to you negotiating on my behalf, but don't try and diddle them, please. Be fair.”
Arasinya's eyebrows drew together in a fierce frown. “Diddle? I know not what this might mean.”
I sighed. Heavily. “It means, don't try and trick him into helping. Enter into honest, reasonable negotiations with him, on behalf of all the Red Caps.”
“You have my word.”
Chapter 34: Truce & Circumstance
Fo
r a change of pace, it was Matt who met me at the portal when we got back the following day. We were getting closer to completing the preparations for our return to Zaen, but still had no solutions from the brains trust on the meaning of the thirteen words written in the Nememian language. With eight days remaining, we were running out of time, and everyone was nervous.
Matt studied me for a moment or two when I stepped from the portal, his brow creased. I thought he was going to remark on my pale cheeks and sweaty brow – the result of another ride through the portal and travel sickness which never let up – but he took a different tack. “What's happening with you and Conal?” he asked. “You're obviously miserable, and Conal looks like his whole world has collapsed.”
Surprised by his candor, my gaze flew up to meet his. “You saw what he did! Clint tried to stop them. What we saw out there—” I stopped abruptly, shaking my head, reluctant to voice my thoughts regarding what I'd seen Conal and the pack do. I still couldn't come to terms with it, no matter how many people tried to talk me around. Ben and Rowena, Striker, Nonny, Epi – they'd all tried, but I still struggled.
“Come for a walk. Nissa, I'll keep an eye on her.” Nissa was about to disagree, but Matt reassured the Elven warrior. “Ten minutes. If you want, you can keep her in line of sight, but I need to speak to my daughter.”
“Dad…” I began to protest, but Matt gripped my arm. “Five minutes, baby. It's important.”
Matt drew me out into the woods and Nissa followed, staying ten paces behind us. Once we were well away from everyone, he released my arm and turned to face me. “Charlotte, I was wrong to tell you what was happening with Conal and his pack.”
I blinked slowly. “Excuse me?”
Matt rested his hands on his hips, watching me cautiously. “I shouldn't have told you what was happening. I was worried about Conal. When we got wind of what was happening, Clint and I set out to try and put a stop to it, mainly because we were concerned about Conal getting hurt.” Matt glanced away briefly, scanning the woods, seemingly deep in thought. “Clint and I have spoken about it since. While we don't like what Conal and his pack did… we were wrong to interfere.”
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