After washing away as much grime as he could, Tristan tossed the dirty water out into the tempestuous wind. He grabbed the teapot he’d left out to collect rain. “This should be enough to make a pot of tea.”
In the distance, they heard the howl of a wolf. “Avery?” Snow asked.
Tristan nodded.
There wasn’t that much room in the tiny tent, but Tristan was drawn to Snow. They sat close together, combining their body heat. Awareness settled around them despite the cruel conditions they were in.
Tristan’s eyes dropped to Snow’s lips. Plump. Pink. Perfect. He leaned down, aching to taste them with his own.
The howl ripped through the wind and pelting ice. Closer this time.
“I think they’re braving the storm to rejoin us,” Snow whispered. Their eyes locked as the timing for their kiss slipped away from them. Tristan pressed his lips to her forehead before grabbing a burning stick out of the fire and brandishing it like a torch.
He stepped outside their puny shelter and waved it, guiding Avery and Ruby towards the relative safety of the tent. Like a lighthouse on a rocky shore, Tristan guided them until the pelting ice shards and rain extinguished the torch.
Braving the rain, Tristan looked for more pine cones, twigs, and dead branches they could dry off. Room was tight, but their chances of surviving together were better then they were apart.
When Avery and Ruby finally found them, they were soaked. Ruby’s teeth were chattering. “Get inside,” Tristan urged. “Dry off. Avery and I can gather more wood to give you a few minutes to change.”
The wolf looked at him drolly. “What?” Tristan demanded. “I’ll find you dry clothes after Ruby is taken care of.”
Twenty minutes later, the party of four, drawn together by fate and friendship, sat around the fire circle sipping on warm tea. Tristan filled everyone in on his brother’s news.
“In the morning, whether the storm has let up or not, we head to the cave,” Snow said. “We can’t allow Gaul to win this battle. Not over bad weather.”
Avery turned to Tristan. “Can you control the weather?”
“I don’t know,” Tristan admitted. “We have a few hours before dawn.” He settled down next to Snow, holding her close to his heart. “I’ll try in the morning. Flex my magic and test its strength.”
Avery nodded before bedding down near Ruby.
Chapter Six
Snow
Dawn rose by inches, a mere lightening of the sky as the rain continued to thrash around them. Snow opened her eyes, yawned, and stretched. A few embers remained, but the fire had died down as they slept.
Slipping out from under Tristan’s arm, Snow placed a few more pieces of wood on the fire. While they caught, Snow pulled out the ingredients for camp biscuits.
Ruby stirred. “Hey,” she whispered. “Look in my knapsack. We found some duck eggs yesterday.”
“And apples,” Avery growled, running his hands through his shaggy hair.
Snow’s belly growled at the feast they were collecting. She stopped and looked at her friends. “Together,” she whispered.
And before the sound of the word had echoed within the tiny confines of their makeshift shelter, the storm stopped.
Tristan was instantly alert. “How did you do that?”
Snow tucked a stray strand of her black hair behind her ear. “The first enemy Gaul sent our way were the coyotes. They required strength to defeat.” She waved her hand to Tristan and Avery. “Ruby and I watched your backs. We helped where we could, but ultimately you defeated them.”
“The gnats were small beasts,” Ruby said. “Tristan and Wolfe’s size and power were useless against them. But you outsmarted them.”
Snow blushed at the compliment. “Not sure I outsmarted them, but yes. It required more finesses than brawn.”
“And the storm?” Avery asked.
“We couldn’t have done it alone. There was strength to get the branches in line in the first place. Quick thinking to rearrange them into a circle that created a chimney for our fire.” Tristan frowned, thinking of how they’d worked together. “The warmth we generated and shared when we huddled inside.
“Loyalty.” Snow reached for Tristan’s hand. “Avery could have left Ruby. Tristan could have left me. But by working together, we became stronger.”
Avery pushed away the branches that made the door. Weak sunshine and warm temperatures washed over them. “That’s one thing we have going for us, then. We have each other. Gaul and Nora don’t trust each other. Paulina would be a fool if she didn’t know a coup was underfoot.”
“Paulina is no fool.” Tristan’s voice was resolute.
They broke their fast around a puny fire, sharing a plate of scrambled eggs, sliced apples, and camp biscuits. After their quick but pleasant breakfast, they began to break down their camp.
Tristan stood in the entrance, called upon his magic, and pushed back into warm the wind. Heat generated in the palms of his hands that he dispelled with a flick of his wrist.
“Be careful,” Avery warned. “You don’t want to alert Gaul or Nora that you have your powers back.”
Tristan nodded in agreement. “Griffin is held with silver chains. Our strength is weakened by silver.”
“Hah,” Avery scoffed. “Try being a werewolf with silver in the world.”
Tristan grinned. “Duly noted.” He arranged their packs while Snow and Ruby gathered their weapons and strapped knives to each thigh.
“We ready?” Ruby asked.
“Let’s roll,” Tristan agreed. The hour walk to the edge of the castle grounds was done in silence. Around them, crickets and mosquitoes hummed, but the sounds were normal. Expected.
Finally, the cave was in sight.
“Are you sure you want the Wolfe and I to talk to Paulina,” Ruby clarified. “You have met the good sheriff before, right? Big muzzle. Sharp teeth. Cranky attitude.”
“With Griffin captured, Avery is as much a town leader as I am.” Tristan’s hands braided a cord and used it to keep the gold talisman close to his body.
“Why don’t you do it? You have more experience with diplomacy,” Avery said. They took one last look to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything.
“I need to get my brother.” Tristan set his jaw. Stubborn. Unyielding.
“I don’t trust Paulina. She is just as likely to kill as to see us,” Ruby argued. “I say we deal with one enemy at a time. Free your brother, fight Gaul if necessary, deal with Nora and Paulina later.”
“We need help against Gaul and Nora,” Tristan insisted. “You two are our best bet for a political solution.”
“Maybe your father failed to mention this, but Paulina’s idea of a political solution was to kill everyone in sight.” Avery was breathing heavily. Little huffs of breath steamed the air.
“Maybe Ruby and the Sheriff are right. Let’s free your brother and get back to our side of the Grimm. Political solutions are best when we aren’t knee deep in enemy territory.”
“Go, we’ll be fine,” Tristan insisted. Ruby and Avery shared a look before heading down the path towards the castle.
Tristan
Hiding behind a patch of scrub brush, Tristan and Snow watched. Waited.
Gaul paced in the mouth of the cave, muttering to himself about partners who don’t show up on time.
“Trouble with the uprising?” Snow guessed.
“Could be. He seems quite agitated.”
“Why don’t we attack now?” Impatience made Snow’s voice tight. She lifted her staff. “We can take him. You have your magic back now.”
But still, Tristan waited. He sent a message to his brother alerting Griffin they were just outside the cave. “We’ll be stronger once we free Griffin. Gaul is expecting someone else to show up. We need more information before we rush in.”
It was clear by the stiffness of Snow’s shoulders she was not pleased with Tristan’s decision.
“Watch.”
Gaul, decidi
ng that his relief was not showing up, left the cave unprotected.
“Goblins must check their gold hoard twice a day.” Tristan’s gaze scanned the horizon. “I think it’s safe now.”
They approached the cave consciously. “Red?” Snow’s voice was frantic.
“Snow?” Red’s reply was faint and thready. “Griff! It’s my sister, isn’t it? Tell me it’s real. This isn’t a dream, is it?”
Snow went to rush in, but Tristan’s hand restrained her. She pushed it off of her and ran towards her sister’s voice. “Griffin, we’re coming in.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Griffin sounded amused despite the pain he was in.
Tristan and Snow followed their sibling’s calls. “Griff!” Tristan raced to his brother’s side. Griffin is in chains, his front paw caught in a bear trap. Blood oozed from the jagged wound. The smell of infection overpowered Tristan.
“We need to get them out.” Snow grew frantic as she tried to pull her sister’s shackles off of her thin wrists.
“It’s not healing because the trap must be made of silver,” Griffin explained to Snow. He gritted his teeth, determined to ignore the pain he knew was in store. But when Tristan grabbed the silver teeth of the trap, he fell to the floor panting in agony.
Instantly, Tristan let go. He looked at the burn marks etched into his palms. “How can we get you free?”
“We’ve tried brute force,” Griffin said, shaking his head sadly. “You need to find a silversmith. Someone who can dismantle the trap.”
“No time.” Tristan stood helplessly for a moment, hating to see his brother’s suffering.
“Free Red,” Griffin ordered. “Her chains are made of plain steel.”
“I’m sorry,” Snow crooned, cradling her sister in her arms. “I shouldn’t have let you leave without me.”
Red lifted her eyelids. Sage met spring as their eyes met. “Don’t kid yourself,” she whispered over parched lips. “You had no power over my decision.”
Tristan channeled his bear strength and pulled on the chain securing Red into the wall. With a loud rusty sound, the rock released the metal spike and freed Red.
“She’s so weak,” Snow commented, brushing her sister’s filthy matted hair away from her forehead. Snow kissed Red’s grimy forehead and held her sister close. “You poor thing,” she crooned, rocking back and forth. Once a vibrant fighter, Red was reduced to a shell of a woman.
Snow and Tristan looked at each other. Each wondering how long they must endure watching their loved ones suffer. And what they could do about it
“I can heal this. After,” Snow offered. “The pain must be passed enduring.”
“No,” Red said, lifting a weak hand to stroke her sister’s hair. “I have you and Griffin. Nothing is past my endurance.”
“What do we do, now?” Snow asked.
“Well, I suggest we free Griffin and get the hell out of here.” Avery’s voice came from behind them. Ruby stood by his side, her staff at the ready for any danger.
“I thought I told you two to deal with Paulina.” Tristan stood to face Avery. He didn’t like being ignored. It reminded him of his status as younger brother. The spare to Griffin’s heir.
“We took a vote and decided it was a terrible idea. Now, let’s free your brother before Gaul comes back.” Avery stood in front of the baron and assessed the situation.
“Don’t you think I haven’t tried? It isn’t working.” Tristan held up his hands revealing the burn marks.
Ruby grabbed a hold of the chain. “Put your hands over mine.”
“Oh, good idea!” Snow saw what Ruby wanted them to do. “We hold the chains. You pull us.”
Avery wrapped his hands around Ruby’s while Tristan did the same thing around Snow. “One, two, three… Pull,” Tristan ordered once they were in position. Griffin could escape with his back paw held in the trap as long as they freed the trap from the wall.
“We’ll get you to a silversmith as soon as we get you free,” Tristan vowed to his brother.
Using their combined strength, the two shifters pulled with all of their might. “It’s starting to give.” Excitement made Ruby’s voice rise. “Once more, and we’ll have him free. I’m sure of it.”
Panting, Tristan took another deep breath. He looked from his brother to Avery and nodded. “Okay. We can do this,” he cried, rallying everyone for another attempt. “Again. One, two, three…Pull!”
Snow and Ruby tightened their grips and threw their human strength into the mix. All four felt when the spike driven into the cave wall loosened. Unable to stop the inertia they landed in a pile on the ground.
Once Griffin was loose, Snow examined the bear trap. She pulled one of her daggers from the holster strapped to her thigh. “Ruby, I’m going to pry the teeth of the trap open. Use your staff to hold it open so the baron can free himself.”
Ruby nodded in understanding. Together, they worked to free Griffin from the razor-sharp teeth of the bear trap. Griffin watched them intently. As soon as Ruby’s staff held the trap open, Griffin pulled his paw back. Ruby removed her weapon, and the trap sprang shut.
The chill of evil laughter came from the mouth of the cave. The six friends jerked around to see Nora, Paulina’s sister. Tall and slim, she seemed overjoyed to see them. Waist-length black hair billowed around her as though controlled by invisible forces, she approached.
“Gaul was right.” Depraved joy dripped from her voice. “Set the trap, use the right bait, and the prey will walk in of their own accord.”
Chapter Seven
Tristan
Nora was right. They had behaved like the amateurs with no one guarding their position. Tristan looked to his right. Griffin’s paw was still bloody and sore. Avery stood to his left, crouched in a fighter’s position.
“Protect Red,” Tristan said to Snow. Snow nodded and pulled her staff from the scabbard she wore on her back.
“Keep your brother in the middle,” Avery said, using their shared shifter line of communication. “His teeth are dangerous, but he’s no good with that injury.”
Tristan nodded, knowing the sheriff’s words were correct. Ruby took her place on Griffin’s right.
“All this for me?” Nora blinked wild blood-red eyes at them with pretend innocence. She raised her hand, and the wind began to blow.
“Your power of wind is useless in a cave,” Avery mocked. “You know better than to go into battle when your enemy awaits.” He snarled, baring his teeth to the one who would betray the peace treaty.
“Thank you for your advice.” Nora’s eyes narrowed. “Maybe one day you can use it yourself.” Using the wind she had generated, Nora pushed them further back in the cave.
Tristan grunted and instantly shifted into his bear form. Like a flock of geese, he marched into the wind and took the brunt. In a heartbeat, Avery shifted into his wolf body and took position behind Tristan. Griffin, still limping on his injured paw, took the rear.
Ruby wrapped a bandana around her face to keep the dust, and debris Nora stirred up out of her sensitive eyes and ears. She dug her fingers into Avery’s fur and hid behind Griffin’s bulk.
There would be no quarter requested and none granted.
Tristan was familiar with the foul stench of wickedness. It clogged the air as nothing else could. Witches are masters of illusion. The wind carried the scent of Nora’s fear and adrenaline.
Nora had known they were coming. She had baited the trap and waited like a spider in the midst of her web.
The ground beneath his feet shifted, and his paws sank into the black mire. Tristan panicked looking around to make sure his friends stayed clear of the bog. He struggled and slid further into its depths.
“Help,” he cried, flailing for purchase. There was no solid ground beneath him.
“It’s an illusion,” Griffin said. “Don’t rely on your eyes. Use your other senses.”
Avery howled in agony. Tristan turned to him. “What?”
“Rub
y, no!” Avery called.
“I’m fine, you mangy mutt,” Ruby yelled, still swinging her staff at Nora-phantoms.
Griffin stumbled forward, desperate to clear the area and defeat the witch once and for all.
Tristan pulled himself out of the mud and leapt over the wind. He hurled through the air, six-inch claws exposed. He slashed across Nora’s body, but instead of killing her she multiplied.
Nora came at them from seven different directions at once. Tristan slashed his claws again, only to have her turn to smoke.
“It’s not real,” Ruby cried, swinging her staff and finding only air.
“Use your other senses.” Griffin ordered, every inch the Baron in his command.
Tristan closed his eyes as he followed his brother’s orders without conscious thought. Snow’s words resonated in his mind. They were stronger together. And now, there were more of them.
He turned in on himself. There, but no longer mired in the mud Nora created. Tristan had to filter through the noise. Avery’s howls as he was hit. Griffin’s chuffs and charges on one of the Nora-mirages. But how to find the real her?
Once the sounds drifted away, Tristan was left with smell. There were Snow and Red, afraid in the rear of the cave. But Snow stood bravely over her sister, weapons at the ready. Watching. Ruby, a whir of activity behind him. His brother, loyally encouraging him to do what was right. And Avery, smelling of wolf fur and revenge. And finally. Oh yes, finally, his bear nose did not let him down after all.
The seven deadly Noras scattered around the cave, attacking them from all sides. Tristan pulled on the training he’d had. Fighting the almost invisible gnats that had almost killed him. The freezing rain for which they’d been unprepared. The barking yips of the coyotes.
Following his nose, Tristan centered in on Nora, the witch. Ignoring all the phantom Noras, Tristan penetrated her chest wall with his claws. Her voice was still a jarring cacophony as it echoed off the cave walls.
Tristan cringed as his sensitive ears protested Nora’s dying screech. Nothing mattered but stopping the hideous shriek of the dying traitor. He made a fist and pulled. With a giant sucking sound, he removed her still-beating heart from her body.
Snow: A Retelling or Rose-Red and Snow-White (Thistle Grove Tales Book Book 2) Page 4