Its head landed somewhere on Eccles Street.
Winded, Cletus shifted back into a man and fell to his hands and knees. Dunstan didn’t stay to check on him, but leapt away.
There was one more left, and it was jumping from rooftop to rooftop trying to escape. Dunstan cut him off and knocked him back down to the ground on West High Street.
William, Martin, Dylan, and Clarence all raced to it and encircled it.
It swiped at William who deflected its blow with his axe.
Martin seized the moment and quickly lunged his spear into the creature’s thigh, narrowly avoiding the creature’s attempted backhand.
Clarence, armed with a broadsword like Cletus, raised his weapon high overhead and brought it down upon the creature’s arm, cutting it cleanly off. It roared in pain and Dylan stuck his sword through its ribs, while William finished it off with a blow the head.
It collapsed into an unmoving heap.
The four men looked at each other. None had sustained any injuries.
Dunstan, still a wolf, picked up Cletus and jumped with him down into Town Square, where he quickly turned into a man and hugged Abbie.
Amber waited for Dunstan to come to her, but he leapt away towards Avondale Road.
Cletus saw her hurt eyes and said, “Just checkin’ on stragglers, love. Don’ worry now.” He then unstrapped his broadsword, and it collapsed to the ground in heavy, immovable thud.
The entire town slowly found its way back to Town Square, to round up the fallen and wounded, and to salute a soldier finally returned home.
Amber found William and her father talking together. They had maybe spoken three sentences together their entire lives. Now they were talking and laughing. Jessica had her arms wrapped around William and seemed unwilling to let go of him any time soon.
Amber listened to them retell their own experiences, but couldn’t keep herself from looking into the night sky hoping to see Dunstan leaping down.
She saw Martin talking to Mara Thompson. Mara was a couple years older than him, but still very young and beautiful. Martin’s bravery had apparently caught her eye, but it was clear he had never really talked to a girl other than Amber or Jessica. He didn’t seem to know what to do with her attention, and couldn’t stop himself from blushing and running his hands through his hair. But Mara was persistent, and it was clear she wasn’t going to leave him alone any time soon.
Amber walked down West High Street looking for Dunstan. How long was he going to be out? She really wanted to talk to him and get him back into town. This was the time to bring him in and end his ‘outsider-villain’ status among the townsfolk.
A beautiful young woman, not much older than Amber herself, with red, pouty lips and dark, curly brown hair walked towards her. She was wearing black leather leggings with a tight, fitted tunic. Draped around her was a red hooded cloak. It seemed an unusual dress, but it didn’t hide the fact she was stunningly beautiful.
“Where is Starlight Tavern?” the woman asked.
“It’s at the end of Strood Street,” Amber replied. “But we’re not open, you see—”
“Do you run it?” the woman asked.
“My parents do,” Amber said. “If it’s shelter you need, you’re going to want to—”
Before Amber knew it, she felt a stinging pain in the back of her head and was falling to the ground. Losing consciousness, she felt herself being lifted up and saw the ground zoom away and be replaced with the mighty pines of Bowland Mountains.
Branch to branch, the cold air stung her cheeks as they flew into darkness.
CHAPTER 17
Orange fire beneath a star filled sky. The wind was cold on Amber’s back, and her head was throbbing. Past the campfire, shifting shadows moved and collided, growling— continuous crunching snow filled the air.
Amber tried to push herself up into a sitting position, but her head spun and her stomach flipped. She laid back down and spit the excess saliva out of her mouth.
Where was she?
She managed to turn her head and saw the lights of a distant town far down below.
Was she in Bowland Mountains? Was she looking at Bruton?
A wolf howled not ten feet away from her amidst the circling shadows.
She was with the wolves.
One of the black shapes shifted into a man and walked to her. Shaved head, unshaven face. He had deep purple circles under his eyes, and his teeth were jagged and crooked.
He looked up and said, “I want ‘er. Let me have ‘er. I want ‘er. We want ‘er.”
A woman laughed. “You want every female you see,” she said. “She’s no different. But I will admit, she is very comely, isn’t she?”
The man leered at Amber and said, “That’a yes, then? We’ll be quick, I promise.”
Amber heard someone drop down behind her. It sounded like a heavy fall, as if he or she had dropped from a great distance.
“No, she’s not here to give you your evening entertainment,” the woman said, now much closer. “She’s here to lure that bastard wolf. I’ll not have you… doing whatever it is you want to do to her. Leave her be. When she’s disposable, you can get rid of her as you wish, but not until I say so.”
This satisfied the man and he shifted back into a wolf before leaping away.
The woman in the red hood leaned over her.
“How are you, sunshine?” she asked. “I thwacked you good, didn’t I? Didn’t meant to hit you so hard— sometimes my strength surprises even me.”
Amber didn’t say anything.
“Do you know who I am?” the woman asked. “Just curious, really, to see how much you’ve put together.”
“I do. You’re the new alpha,” Amber said. “The one who almost killed Spratling. The one running the show.”
The woman stood up and smiled. “Oh, you’re a smart one, aren’t you? That’s me. He was a tough one, Spratling was, but he fell. And hard, if I remember correctly. Tried to finish him off, but he was smart. I was right off about it for a while. I really wanted his head on a staff. It would have been so fabulous to have his head on a staff. But you can’t always get everything you want in life, can you? All the same, I inherited his pack without killing him, so I can’t complain. I’ll get it soon. I know I will. I’ve put it out to the universe and have visualized his head in my hands. I can feel its weight, his scratchy little beard in my hands as I turn it around and around…” The woman laughed and looked at Amber. “You have to tell the universe exactly what it is you want else you won’t get it. Rule number one to magic.”
Amber must have had a look on her face because the woman said, “What? Surprised I’m a woman? Surprised a woman beat Spratling? Did you think I’d be some seven foot man with the thighs the size of tree trunks? From what I’ve seen, size only slows you down, honey. You’ve got to be quick to get what you want in this world.”
Amber didn’t nod. This woman was clearly insane.
“I think that it’s because I’m a woman that it bonded with me so strongly,” she continued. “Me facing the wolf as I was, a frail little thing, impressed it— and wild animals obey first impressions if nothing else. Give them thunder and lightning the first time they see you, and you can have them eating out of your palm that very same day.”
Amber pushed herself up and fought the nausea. “What is it you want? Why have you been coming into Bruton?”
The woman lowered her hood and knelt down to Amber. “Everything. I want everything I didn’t have before… and then some.” She stood up, “And why shouldn’t I? There’s no one who can stop me. Even Dunstan is weak compared to me.”
She flexed her arms for Amber to see. Two tiny slivers of muscles rose. “Well, you can’t see, but I am incredibly strong. Sometimes true strength isn’t seen. What is it my father used to say? ‘He don’ look et, but ‘ees wiry? An’ the wiry ones are the ones you need to look out fo’, Nora.’ I’m wiry. My pa would be so proud.” She kissed her biceps and sauntered back over to Am
ber and sat down beside her cross-legged. She pointed to the lights down in the valley that were Bruton.
“I want it,” she said. “Just like bucktooth over there wants you. Already have Pentworth. Did you know that? Probably not, we’ve kept them pretty locked in tight, but we took them not too long ago. Spratling protected both Bruton and Pentworth, so when he fell it was the first place I took. Where I’m from and all. Nostalgic value and whatnot. Would’ve taken it sooner, but it took me a while to train my boys how to properly turn someone into a wolf. They kept eating everyone I pointed out! It got reeeeaaally aggravating, but I get it. People do taste the best.” She sucked her teeth as if to emphasize she ate people.
She pointed again. “So anyway, Bruton’s next. Arundel after that, then Maldon. Then Ledbury. Really looking forward to that one. Not even going to try and turn anyone. I just want that one to burn.” She nodded to herself, “I think it would be pretty spiffing to see Ledbury burn to the ground because of me.”
“So Abbie was right. You’re just a would-be tyrant. No nobler purpose than a three year old going after a cookie jar.”
“Such a double standard in this world,” Nora sighed. “Men try to conquer the world and they get the word great added to their name. I say I want a few cities and the only woman nearby calls me a tyrant. But people will remember me as a great woman. I think the place to start is to have a good epithet from the get go. What do you think of Nora the red hooded goddess?”
“What’s stopping you? Surely not Dunstan’s not stopping you. It seems you have an army here. Burn the world down and begin your reign.”
“All in time,” the woman said. “Let’s not be hasty. Nothing valuable has ever been gained from acting rashly.”
“He’s out there,” the woman’s voice becoming quieter. “I can smell him. He’s encircling our little mountain top. There’s blood in the air, but it’s the blood of mine— smells like Blake, Miles, and Abel if I’m not mistaken. He’s looking for a loophole, but he’s not going to find one. He’s just going to have come in if he wants to get you out.”
“You can smell him while you’re human?” Amber asked.
Nora pointed to her nose and replied, “Like I said, the demon respects me.”
“And your only purpose in kidnapping me is to kill him?” She tried to keep the venom out of her voice, but it spit out all the same.
“There can only be one alpha, sweetie,” the woman said. “Nothing personal. Although my boys are loyal, they only answer to strength. If another strong wolf gets in my way, it could end all of my plans.”
Amber’s blood was boiling, but there was nothing she could do.
Dunstan was honed in on her. Had to be under these circumstances. And she knew he was planning something.
“Were you going to marry him? Dunstan? Before you knew I was going to kill him?” Nora asked.
“No,” Amber stared her in the eye with an unwavering gaze, “I am going to marry him,”
CHAPTER 18
Nora laughed. “Well, if he can defeat an army, then he deserves you.” She sniffed the air again. “There he goes. Seems rather slow for what I’ve seen him capable of. Up to something, that’s for sure. He’s over there if you want to see,” she pointed. “See the trees moving over there? That’s him.”
Amber did see, and Nora was right. He was moving a lot slower than normally. The man who took her to the ocean in less than an hour seemed to be moving no faster than a fledgling bird.
Had he been hurt? He wasn’t hurt during the raid earlier in Bruton. If he was, it must have happened after he left.
“Something’s not right,” Nora said and dropped down. She sniffed the air and looked around. Suddenly Amber had a knife to her throat as Nora dragged her back to the campfire.
“Stay still, sweetie. You’re Dunstan’s up to something, that much is sure. I don’t know what it is, but he’s moving like he’s been hurt, and yet his blood’s not in the air.”
The fire exploded behind them and Nora’s hand was quickly pulled away from Amber’s throat. Amber was knocked forward, but saw that a great muddied wolf had its hands clasped against Nora’s, and it seemed to be losing in a battle of strength. Nora laughed and started to turn, and the monster kicked her away before she finished shifting. The creature picked Amber up and quickly jumped away. The pines on the mountaintop rushed away as they flew across to the next peak. Amber managed to look up into the wolf’s eyes and saw that he was Dunstan, covered in dirt and grime. They landed roughly, and he continued to sprint with her across the snow covered mountaintops.
Nora was fast behind them, turned into her wolf form and was right on their heels.
The edge of the peak fastly approached.
“Dunstan, what are you doing? Dunstan!”
Amber shrieked as Dunstan leaped off of the mountain.
“Dunstan! You’re going to kill us!” Amber screamed.
She turned back and saw Nora stop at the edge of the cliff and cock her head in confusion.
Amber looked down and saw they still had a ways to fall. Three tiny torches lay below them, and Dunstan seemed to be directing his fall towards them.
“Dunstan!” Amber screamed.
Dunstan slanted his body and pierced his feet forward— they tore into the ground like a plow pulled by twenty horses. Amber shut her eyes in time but was still stung by dirt and rocks flipping into the air and flying through her hair. They suddenly lurched forward and were rolling across the ground, Dunstan’s body folded around Amber’s, protecting her. They slammed to a stop and Dunstan’s furry arms wrapped around her.
Head pressed into his chest, she could feel him breathing and the beat of his heart, but knew from his limpness that he was unconscious. She pushed her way out of his arms and saw the long trench of their descent from the mountain— it looked like a meteor crash. Amber felt something wet roll into her eye and noticed she was bleeding from her temple.
Banged and bruised, she was miraculously in one piece. He had rescued her. Of course he had come, how could she have doubted it.
They were against a house. Jessica and Martin’s house.
Martin was the first to make it over to them, sprinting with a spear to his side.
“Amber! Are you OK? Is he OK?”
“I think so,” Amber said. She could barely stand, her knees were sharking terribly. “I can’t believe we survived. I was sure we were going to die.”
“Sit down, you don’t have to stand,” Martin said and helped her down.
“I don’t know if they’re coming,” Amber said. “They, she might be coming right now.”
“Town’s ready. Let them come,” William said, catching up. “Horses are ready. We’ll pull back in just a moment. Did you see Spratling?”
“No, I didn’t… What just happened?” Amber asked.
“So Dunstan’s been bathing in really pungent baths to impress you,” Martin said. “Well, he said they were pungent, I think to you or I he was just bathing, but anyway, Spratling found out what he’d been using. Dunstan took a mud bath while Spratling took a ‘Dunstan’ bath. So while Spratling was running circles around you, Dunstan maneuvered himself to a point he could jump directly into the alpha’s camp and get you out.”
“But Spratling can’t outrun them,” Amber said. “He’ll be killed.”
“May be limping a bit, but give him more credit than that,” William said. “This is Spratling we’re talking about.”
Amber wasn’t quite sure.
Dunstan stirred and moaned.
“Let’s get ‘im into the wagon,” Amber’s father said walking up. “We need to pull back to Town Square.”
Martin, Clarence and William loaded Dunstan into the wagon. Once in, Amber sat in the front and steered them back to town.
“Old Abbie said you’d probably be taken back to the alpha,” Amber’s father called to her over the horses. “Who is ‘e? What does ‘e want?”
“She,” Amber emphasized. “She doesn’t want a
nything. She’s just insane.”
“The alpha is a woman?” Martin asked, and Amber nodded back to him. He didn’t respond with anything sexist. He just raised his eyebrows and sat back down. He’s beginning to become a warrior, Amber thought. They all are. Casually playing with his spear while monsters descend from the mountain.
They rode into Town Square where all of the men, including Jessica and Abbie, were armed and waiting. Jessica wore a helmet and chainmail, with a short sword strapped to her side. Abbie, too, was adorned with chainmail and a helmet, but had a crossbow resting against her leg instead of a sword. She was still leaning down into her cane.
Amber couldn’t believe her eyes. Not about Jessica, but about Abbie. She had worn chainmail once when she was a young girl and could barely walk two steps, and seeing Abbie do it, all but ancient, was a blow to her ego.
Jessica saw her and immediately ran to her.
“He did it? He really did it?” she asked. Amber frowned and nearly broke down. Jessica could always pull emotions out of her whenever she tried to bury them. “Do you think they’re coming? Were they right behind you?” Jessica asked.
“They won’t be coming if they haven’t already,” said Abbie. “We’re pumped up and ready for a fight— blood lust running through each and every one of our veins. No value in ‘em attacking us yet, doin’ so would just get a lot of ‘em hurt. No, they’ll wait until morning to attack us. That way we can see how many of them there are, maybe be a little less brave when we see what we’re up against.”
“I pray you’re right,” Mayor Haven said, walking up. “It will give us more time. I don’t know how to prepare for this. Should we put blockades up? Force them to just come down a certain street?”
Both Abbie and Amber shook their heads and said no. “Whatever you do, they’ll just jump over it,” Amber said. “And we’ll be blocked in. No, the only way we’re going to win this is by one of us taking out the alpha.
And you can’t miss her.”
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