Susana - Sins of the Mothers

"Why are you all upset? Doncha think it's pretty?" Victoria smiled as she reached for the shiny comb, obviously unaware of its poisonous abilty.

"No!" her mother screamed as she pulled her away from the comb "You must never touch it - it's poison."

Victoria whispered, "Mummy, it's magic." Her eyes glowed strangely as she said the word 'magic'.

Wolf had seen another girl's eyes glow the same way with magic slippers. He knew how addictive magic could be to a lost and lonely girl. Virginia knew this as well. It broke her heart to think her four-year-old daughter was lost and lonely but the proof was right under her pillow.

Wolf knelt down to nearly eye-level with his daughter and spoke softly, "Where did you get it, sweetheart?"

Her face seemed to go blank as she answered in a flat voice, "I do not know. It was there in my hand and I just put it there for some reason. Under my mother's pillow. I do not know why. I do not know where it came from."

She took a breath and seemed to come alive. "Can I go play now?"

Virginia started to question her further, but Wolf stopped her with a subtle shake of his head.

"She is not lying- I think she may be under some kind of enchantment."

Virginia was stunned. "Who? When could they have done such a thing? Wolf, I could have been killed. Or, if she had pricked her finger, she could have been killed. What in the fairying forest is going on?"

Wolf hesitated for a minute, scratched his eyebrow. "What to do , what to do, daughters killing mothers, mothers killing daughters, Cripes! Someone could get hurt. Poison combs? This is some bad stuff and I don't like little Lambchop mixed up in all this. This could be very bad for her psyche," he babbled as he paced back and forth.

He finally seemed to regain control of himself. "Virginia who is doing this to us? What shall we do?"

Virginia spoke decisively. "Wolf we stick together like glue. One of us with the children at all times. I'll tell the staff not to admit visitors until things are resolved. I'll be back soon - I have some things to do."

Wolf scratched his brow and said "Uh-Virginia, you're not going to talk to the Fate Mirror are you? Tell me you're not! You know how you are with magic - just like Lambchop. Oh sweetie don't do it - you love the stuff too much."

Virginia placed her hands on the worried wolf's shoulders. Love lay thickly between them. "Trust me honey, it's the only way. I'm in I'm out. I won't get hooked. We have to. Tomorrow. You can go with me. Okay?"

Wolf nodded "yes".

That night they lit the fire in the fireplace, drank hot cocoa, then all piled into the parents' bed for the night. It had been a long time since they had played 'den'. They snuggled and played cards, sang shepherdess songs (only the clean versions), and the children treated their parents to their special rendition of "For the Love of a Wolf". The syrupy folk ballad was written about them right after their big adventure. It had been the number one song in the Fourth Kingdom for about a year. It really embarrassed Virginia - especially the part about He broke down her heart's steel gate for he was her true soulmate...

Very late, when the cubs were fast asleep, they crept to the balcony and closed the heavy doors. They lay down on a thick sheepskin they kept at the foot of the bed, and made sweet and very quiet love. Afterward they lay next to each other held hands and spoke about the wonders of love. Especially the two wonders in the next room. They sensed it would be the last time they would all be together for a long time. After Christine's death it had been decided to distribute the magic mirrors throughout the kingdoms, to prevent any one person from ever again having so much magic in their possession. Virginia had been elected to keep the Mirror of Fate. Although she had not been happy about it, she realized it was an honor and a statement of great trust by her self-proclaimed 'brother' Prince Wendell, so she accepted it. It remained locked in a secret corner of the lodge, in a room to which only she and Wolf had keys. In the early morning she and Wolf crept out from beside their sleeping children, evaded their curious servants, and stealthily entered the dusty room where the mirror resided. Virginia gave a little sneeze as Wolf removed the dust-covered cloth from the ancient mirror.

As she scratched her itchy nose, she caught a glimpse of her own image, distorted in the mirror. Her eyes looked huge and luminous; she seemed to tower over her surroundings, in contrast to her actual petite stature. Silently she reassured herself it was just her watery eyes playing tricks on her, but a tiny sliver of her soul wished it could be a shadow of her destiny to become that powerful and confident creature which the mirror reflected.

"Cripes Virginia, this place is no good for you, you're getting that moony look you get around magic stuff, lets hurry up and get out of here," Wolf muttered, breaking Virginia from her reverie.

Gently, with just a tickle of fear, she spoke to mirror, "Mirror of Fate, ancient and wise, help us. Our daughter is in trouble and we don't know how or why."

The couple gazed in fascination as the flat surface began to flow as though liquid into swirling blue whirlpool patterns. An elderly man's voice began to chant:

Lord and Lady Wolf who stand before me
Be certain you wish the truth to see.
This Future - is truth and destiny.
Someone from the good Wolf's past
Has set a deal- the die is cast.
The chain is unbroken and will hold fast
Her beauty is great, her heart is cold
With deceit and cruelty she has been bold
To tear a young lamb from her fold
Alas the outcome could not be worse
She has sold her soul for a destiny curse
Too soon is sung a young life's last verse
A man who is not a man but his heart is whole
Will face a choice and pay the toll
Insanity will leave him and his unwhole
The only answer to save a young life,
The two must be parted - the mates for life
A wolf must sacrifice his beloved wife.
You shall say farewell to the flaxen child
When the moon is calm, not wild
This truth is bitter-envy the beguiled
On the midnight stroke of her fifth year
No breath shall leave tiny lips, I fear
No more shall be the child so dear
A Destiny can not be broken or changed
Go to Dragon Mountain, in the Dwarf Range
The evil one waits but beware her exchange.

Virginia awoke on the cold stone floor of the mirror room, looking up into the eyes of a very worried Wolf. She had no memory of fainting, but one look at the now-covered mirror and she remembered its words. "Oh my God Wolf, what does it mean? Our child is doomed? And what is that about sacrificing your mate for your child?" Not since the death of her mother had she felt such despair. Ten years of living in the Kingdoms had caused her to accept as fact what she had previously thought impossible. Curses, destiny and magic were very real here. Here they were the reality. Here...but maybe..."Wolf what if we were to leave for the 10th Kingdom, now, today? Maybe this curse would not work there." She looked up hopefully at her husband.

Wolf had never had looked so pale and worried. His instincts and the little he knew about Destiny Curses, told him she was wrong. But he had never seen his wife like this either. When she had fainted he had thought the shock of the mirror's words had killed her. She was still a little blue around her hands and mouth, and covered with a fine layer of sweat despite the chill of the room. He avoided answering her questions. "Virginia, let's get you laying down and I'll talk to Magda, she's bound to know about his stuff. There has got to be an answer. We just need to find it."

A sudden thought flashed into Lady Wolf's mind "Wolf! My God! The children! Who is with them?" Still dizzy, she scrambled to her feet, and after hastily locking the mirror room door, she staggered down the corridor, Wolf at her heels. The open windows carried the sounds of Wolfie engaged in a game of dodge-ball which he was loudly winning. Victoria was quietly playing in her nursery with her dollhouse, the latest of a series of extravagant gifts from Uncle Wendell, who seemed to take particular delight in spoiling his little niece. Virginia allowed herself to be led to the chaise in the hallway where she could see her daughter's back as she talked to her dolls. She drifted into a restless sleep under a blanket of dread from the threat to her daughter.

Victoria, however was not speaking to her dolls. She was chatting with her "friend" Rampion. She felt special knowing that only she could hear the voice of her friend. The hypnotic voice told her all kinds of secrets, magic potions, stories of famous, powerful wizards, and games of all sorts involving magic. Somewhere in her little-girl mind she wondered if Rampion had given her that poison comb. But no, why would her friend want to hurt her Mummy? Although she wondered why she didn't get angry when Rampion suggested nasty things about her parents, like that they were ashamed of her, or they really didn't love her as much as her brother. Something seemed to push those disturbing questions about her friend away as soon as she thought them. Something made her forget any thoughts Rampion wouldn't like. Sometimes even just thinking those thoughts made her afraid. Oh well, she just wanted to enjoy her friend now and wasn't she really just the most fun pal she had ever had?

Wolf left Virginia in the care of her maid as he walked out to the little cottage on the grounds of the estate. Magda was a wise woman with extensive knowledge of herbs and magic. Her skills and knowledge had saved many a life, including Virginia's when her daughter was born. She was a trusted friend to the Wolf family. Wolf had written down the Fate Mirror's words verbatim, and read them to the old woman. As he finished, she drew a heavy sigh, and sat down in her worn rocking chair. "You must do as the mirror said. Do not delay, go to Dragon Mountain. I have no other advice, my lad. A Destiny Curse is bought with a soul. It is the most costly curse possible, and totally unbreakable. It is the ultimate expression of hate and evil. You shall have to choose, my friend, you know that."

Wolf stared wide-eyed at the woman. He had hoped for a reprieve. Now he hung his head, shaking it and whimpered "I can not." The old woman lay her gnarled hand gently on his,"If you do not they will both die." A strange, cold, savage look came over Wolf's face. "I shall find whoever has done this and kill them - slowly."

Magda shook her head sadly. "A Destiny Curse protects its maker. Any attempt by you or anyone on your behalf to harm the maker would result in the immediate death of your entire family."

Wolf buried his head in his hands and muttered "What if we were to leave for the Tenth Kingdom? Would it work there?"

Magda replied "Not even time-travel can escape this curse." She looked into his eyes and spoke, "Friend, you and yours have been like family to me. I would happily give up this old life to spare you this, but I can not. I can only say leave now and make your choices well. Remember that you and your wife are blessed. You live in the realm of true love. There is no force in the universe that can break that, not even death."

Wolf leaned over the old woman and kissed her hand, spilling his warm tears over her sleeve. "Thank-you Mother, you have been a good friend to us."

The ancient woman watched him walk slowly to the manor house, head hanging. He had the gait of a very sad and tired old man.