“At least I still have enough sense to keep an eye on these wolves. The least sign of treachery and I’m poofing us out of here, I don’t care. I don’t give an imp what Wolf says,” Breena said, her eyes darting around almost as much as she was.

“Breena, look around. Do these people look like they’re going to bite our heads off when we’re not looking?” Danielle asked, gesturing around at the assembly. The wolves had started celebrating from the moment Wolf had emerged from that cave. They really did like him. That was for sure. And since she was Wolf’s friend, she was completely off limits. No one bothered her except to ask if she wanted to join in or if she needed anything. She was really starting to like these wolves.

“Maybe not. But they sure are equipped for it!” Breena said.

“Oh, cripes, Breena! Would you let it go?” Danielle said, rolling her eyes.

Breena gave her a weird look and pointed an accusing finger at her. “Did you just say cripes?” she demanded.

“Uh…yeah. I guess I did,” Danielle realized and grinned. “Just kept hearing it and must have picked it up. Probably a much better habit than cussing. My parents’ll be thrilled.”

“Oh, no. You’re one of them, now!” Breena said.

Danielle ignored her. Instead she concentrated on the perfectly heavenly smells coming from the food that Wolf was cooking. She was more hungry than she realized. She grinned some more and wondered to herself if she would end up wolfing all her food down.

Ivy looked around at her surroundings as they walked by. This was beautiful country. She had always hated life in the cities. She hated being all cooped up. She hated the noises, and the cars, and the pollution. She had always told herself that one day she would find a wide, open place where she could hike and ride and be…free. It was another reason she liked that Dixie Chicks song Wide Open Spaces. And the other song they did Cowboy Take Me Away.

Thinking of the songs made Ivy pull out her CD case again and flip through it for a good song. She found her Dixie Chick CD and shrugged to herself. Why not? Faolan looked at her in amusement when he saw she was playing another CD.

“Who doesn’t know what I’m talking about?
Who’s never left home? Who’s never struck out
To find a dream and a life of their own.
A place in the clouds, a foundation of stone.
Many precede and many will follow.
A young girl’s dream, no longer hollow.
It takes the shape of a place out West.
But what it holds for her, she hasn’t guessed yet.
She needs wide, open spaces.
Room to make a big mistake.
She needs new faces.
She knows the highest stakes.”

Faolan opened his mouth to comment during the break, but stopped suddenly. Ivy quickly shut off the CD and looked to him to see what was wrong.

“Faolan?” she asked.

“Randal!” Faolan called quietly. Randal ran over. “Take Ivy and find a place to hide. I’ll be back,” he said quickly and took off.

Randal took Ivy’s hand and started pulling her in the opposite direction.

“No!” Ivy said a little too harshly. “I’m going after him. Randal, you hide.”

“But…” Randal started, but Ivy was already running after Faolan. Randal nervously scratched by his ear. “Cripes, this can’t be good.” He paused a moment before going to hide.

Faolan circled wide. He wasn’t sure what had made him stop, but he knew that it was something. And he was pretty sure that whatever or whoever it was was following them. Faolan had to get around to where he could smell and hear better. Right, this was the place! Faolan stopped when he heard voices. He sniffed and smelled trolls. “Cripes,” he said under his breath. He bent low to keep out of view and listened.

“I swear I heard nicey nice music!” one of them said.

“Ah, you’ve just got too much dwarf moss up your nose!” another replied.

“Wasn’t dwarf moss! It was magic mushrooms!” the first replied indignantly.

“Shut up, both of you!” a third said.

“Yeah, shut up!” a fourth agreed.

Four trolls. That was too many. He had to do something. But what?

There was a snap behind him, as if someone had stepped on a twig. Faolan whirled.

“Sorry,” Ivy whispered.

Faolan had to stanch a growl of annoyance. “I told you to go hide,” he said angrily.

“Not the hiding type. So what do we do?” she asked, peeking out at the four trolls.

Faolan was still angry that Ivy had ignored him and possibly put herself in danger, but he put that aside and tried to think of a plan. “We need to distract them, get them off our tails,” he said out loud.

“I can be a distraction,” Ivy volunteered.

“You are a distraction,” Faolan growled. “And besides, I’m faster than you.”

Ivy frowned. “What did I do?”

“Not now. Wait here. When I lead them off I want you to go get Randal and get out of here as fast as you can. I’ll lose them, then come back and catch up with you. All right?” Faolan said quickly.

“Got it,” Ivy said, but she wasn’t happy with the situation. “Don’t get caught.”

“I didn’t plan on it,” Faolan said and started moving out.

He circled around ahead of the trolls a little, then darted across the path. The trolls saw him and started running after him. Faolan stayed at just the pace that they could keep up, but wouldn’t gain to much on him. He steered them back off away from Randal and Ivy.

Ivy waited a few seconds after the trolls went after Faolan, then ran back to where she had last seen Randal.

“Randal! Come on, let’s go!” she called, but not too loudly.

There was a swish from some nearby bushes and Randal crawled out. He jumped to his feet and ran over to Ivy. “Where’s my brother? What’s going on?” he demanded.

“Your brother’s leading away the trolls. We have to get out of here, now. He’ll catch up with us,” Ivy said quickly. “Now, come on!”

Ivy and Randal hurried away from the clearing, breaking into a run after a few strides. Ivy glanced over her shoulder repeatedly. She hoped Faolan’s plan would work.

Danielle chewed slowly, savoring the taste of the delicious venison that Wolf had cooked up.

“You are one good cook, Wolf,” she called over to him.

“Thank you,” Wolf nodded.

“I mean really good. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed eating this much,” Danielle said. Breena rolled her eyes. Wolf looked at her with raised eyebrows. “How could you not enjoy eating?” he asked.

Danielle laughed. “Try school food some time,” she suggested.

The comment was lost on Wolf. Danielle shook her head to dismiss it. She, Breena, Wolf, Fiona, Dolphus and some other wolves were all gathered around the fire. The day was coming to an end quickly.

“Tell us of your adventure, Wolf,” Fiona prodded.

There was an all around agreement from everyone, even Breena. Wolf shook his head. “I’m no story-teller,” he protested.

“Ah, come on. You were there. Just tell us what happened,” Danielle said.

Wolf sighed, seeing he would never win this argument. “Oh, huff-puff! Alright! I can only tell you what I know. And that started in Snow White Memorial Prison. Which I never should have been in anyway! A trumped up charge by some farmers against a good ol’ wolfie like me,” Wolf began.

The dark figure in the corner was really starting to bug Sam. The guy just kept hunched over his beer, his eyes darting back and forth. Sam really couldn’t complain, the guy wasn’t starting any trouble. Which was a lot more than he could say about the other guys tonight. He had had five fights tonight! In fact, this guy was just about the quietest guy to enter Sam’s bar. But there was something about him that he didn’t like. For one, you couldn’t even see the guy’s face. He had a hat pulled so low over his face and the collar of his coat up so far, it was just a shadow where his face should be with two almost glowing eyes looking out. It gave Sam the creeps. And now that nearly everyone else had cleared out, the feeling got worse. Sam edged down the bar nervously toward the guy.

“Uh…it’s almost closing time, buddy. You just about done?” Sam asked.

The guy pushed himself to his feet and regarded Sam coldly. It send a shiver up Sam’s spine.

“Yes,” the guy said and flicked a some money down on the bar even though he hadn’t touched his beer.

Sam watched the guy ease out of the bar and sighed with relief when he was gone. He didn’t know what had scared him so much. He’d dealt with worse types in his days as a bartender in Manhattan. Sam busied himself with cleaning the bar. He hoped the guy wouldn’t come back in.

To take his mind off it, Sam wondered about people’s behavior lately. “This city has gone to hell,” he muttered to himself. There had been some major road rage on the streets. Too many reports of shootings and violence on the news. He was used to the dark side of this city, but it had never been this bad. He would have to repair two chairs and a table just from the fights in here! And the strangest thing was the fights had been between some of the friendliest guys in the bar!

But according to the news, it wasn’t just this city. The same stuff was happening all over the country. Even the world, apparently! Sam’s own temper hadn’t been too great lately. And it would get worse if he had to put up with any more crap like he had tonight.

“Yep, Sam. You really should have listened to Mom and become an orthodontist,” he muttered to himself.

The witch’s agent slid out the door of the bar. He grinned to himself. Fights had broken out all around him. Car horns honked so loud they could be heard across the city. People could barely pass each other on the street without arguing. He had done very well. Very well indeed.

The witch had told him of her intentions many years ago and he had been all to eager to help. But he was unable to even go near those golden roses of Gretel’s. No, those flowers were deadly to his kind. So he had waited as she had for the right person to come along. And as soon as she had notified him of that Wolf fellow’s arrival, he had started right in on his part of the deal. He had used his abilities to slip into Wendell’s castle and use the mirror without anyone noticing in the least. “But those damned good witches. They’ll be in on this all too soon,” he said to himself, swinging wide around two men in a fist fight. He knew that the Council of the Major Coven knew of his presence here. They always did poke their fat noses in everyone else’s business. He would enjoy seeing them destroy each other.

The witch had asked him why he would help with this plot of destruction. He grinned, thinking of his answer. “There has to be an unhappy ending sometime,” he had replied cryptically.

“That frog is one royal pain in the…” Cinnamon began angrily.

“Oh, shut up,” Tony interrupted. “As if you’re a whole lot better.”

“I am never gonna think of anything with all your arguing!” Maive cried.

“Good! Then, you won’t mess anything else up!” Wendell croaked, hopping over to where she sat on the ground.

“I hope you choke on a fly,” Maive hissed. “The spell did work. A toad is the form you deserve.”

“Stop it! Stop it!” Tony yelled, gesturing angrily. “This isn’t helping at all. We’ve got to stop this.”

“Since when do you tell us what to do?” Wendell demanded. “I’m the king around here, not you!”

“I hate to tell you this, Your Highness, but you happen to be a frog. You’re more fit to croak Budweiser at this point,” Tony sneered.

Maive balled her hands up into fists. One more comment, just one more and she’d… No, Maive! That’s it! “Stop it! All of you! This is what Marissa wants!” she cried, jumping to her feet.

“What?” Tony, Cinnamon, and Wendell all demanded.

“This is her affecting us,” Maive explained. “Can’t you see that? Why else would you all be at each other’s throats like this?”

The others were all quiet as they thought that over. Maive spread her hands in a pleading gesture. “You have to see what she’s doing. This is it! This is how she’s going to destroy the Kingdoms!” Maive said, coming to that startling realization just then. “She’s turning us against ourselves! She’s going to bring down the Nine Kingdoms from the inside out. Ten Kingdoms, I mean.”

“But if we are acting like this…” Wendell said slowly, “What about the rulers of the other kingdoms? If they’re as bad, war will break out!”

“And what about New York! The…um… Tenth Kingdom is probably ten times as bad!” Tony exclaimed. “Maive, didn’t you say something about a person doing the witch’s bidding over there?”

Maive nodded. “Yes. The Council senses his activity. They just didn’t know what he was up to,” she said.

“What is he?” Cinnamon asked into the following silence.

“Well…that’s the problem,” Maive admitted. “I…we…don’t know. We just know that it’s a very bad, evil person. Who has powers of his own.”

“Oh, great,” Tony said, rolling his eyes. “Why can’t anything ever be easy with you people?”

“I’m beginning to agree with you, Anthony,” Wendell said. Cinnamon and Maive nodded agreement as well.

Ivy had to stop. There was no room for argument. She couldn’t go any farther. She had a stitch in her side, her knee was exploding with pain, and she could barely breathe. “Randal!” she coughed, “Stop!”

Randal skidded to a stop and hurried back to her. Ivy was bent over double, one hand on her cramped side, trying to catch her breath. “Are you okay?” Randal asked.

Ivy nodded. She straightened once she had her breath back. She balled her hand into a fist and rubbed against the stitch. It eased up. She reached her hand down to rub her knee. “Do you think we’re far enough?” she asked Randal.

Randal looked around a little nervously. “Maybe. I don’t know. I don’t smell the trolls,” he said.

“Okay,” Ivy said, thinking quickly. “Let’s keep going. But we’ll go at a walk. We want Faolan to catch up to us.”

Randal nodded agreement. They started off at a walk. Ivy clenched and unclenched her hands nervously. She didn’t like this not knowing stuff. It would be so much better to just have an all-out fight. At least she wouldn’t have to go through this waiting. So was that why when Randal told her he smelled his brother coming she almost jumped for…joy? She didn’t think so. Close enough.

Ivy and Randal stopped and waited until Faolan ran into view. He was panting heavily and was running a lot slower than he had been before. Ivy hurried over to help him. He didn’t protest when she took his arm to help him over.

“Lost them…,” he panted. “Should be…okay.”

“Okay,” Ivy agreed, looking around for a place in the shade where they could stop and rest. She steered Faolan over to a large tree and helped him to sit down on the ground.

“I’ll go find some water. I can smell some close by,” Randal announced and hurried off.

“I…lost them,” Faolan repeated.

“I know. I heard you,” Ivy nodded. “Save your breath. You must’ve run pretty hard. How far did you go?”

Faolan shook his head, indicating ignorance.

“Pretty far, I’d guess,” Ivy said and he nodded.

He wiped his forehead with his sleeve and grinned at her slightly. “You’re right. Tail does come in handy,” he said.

Ivy smiled. She pushed Faolan’s hair back out of his face. He looked at her silently.

“Ahem!” Randal coughed.

Ivy spun around to see Randal standing over them with a small waterskin that she hadn’t noticed he had had before. He held it out to them. Ivy took it and handed it to Faolan, who swallowed some gratefully.

“Thanks, runt,” he said.

“Woah, easy with that. You’ll be sorry if you drink that too fast,” Ivy warned, taking the waterskin away from him. “Believe me, I know.”

Faolan growled irritably, but didn’t protest. They waited until he caught his breath.

“What now?” Randal asked.

“One of you help me up and we’ll get going again. I don’t know how far it is to the king’s castle,” Faolan said.

Ivy quickly got to her feet and gave him a hand. He was a lot easier to pull to his feet than she had anticipated. She almost fell backwards, but he held onto her and pulled her back to him. Ivy let him, wondering what he would do. He whimpered and nuzzled her cheek. Ivy stood still with wide eyes.

“Ewww,” Randal’s voice cut in, “Knock it off.”

Faolan laughed and stepped past Ivy, leading her after him. Randal rolled his eyes and followed them.

Virginia turned her head to the side. She could have sworn she heard something. She stopped and looked around, but she didn’t see anything or hear anything farther. She started walking again, but she heard the noise again, coming from somewhere else this time. It sounded like whispering. She tried to ignore it and kept walking. The whispering got louder and started coming from both sides of the path. She couldn’t ignore it now. She stopped and spun around.

“Whoever you are, show yourselves!” she said with as much authority as she could muster.

The voices seemed to start giggling. They were laughing at her!

“I mean it!” Virginia said, backing up a few steps nervously.

Something bright buzzed past her face. Then something else flew past her ear. Virginia spun in another circle. Little bright things were buzzing all around her. Virginia almost cried out, but one of the things stopped in front of her face. It was a fairy!

“Lady Virginia! It is so good to meet you,” the fairy said and giggled again.

“What the…? Who are you?” Virginia asked.

“My name’s Trinity,” the fairy announced with a small bow. “We’re the forest fairies!” There was chatter from all the fairies at that comment.

“Woah, woah. Hold it. Could you guys stop buzzing around like that, please?” Virginia asked, her eyes following another fairy as it flitted past her face. “What do you people think you’re doing?”

“I thought she was succulently slender,” a male fairy whispered loudly near her.

“She’s pregnant, you troll!” a female fairy said, shoving him.

“Don’t worry, Virginia! We’re good fairies,” another said.

That was a relief! But, trusting these fairies might not be such a good idea. Even if they were good fairies, they seemed pretty mischievous, too. She would be careful.

“What…what do you want?” Virginia asked cautiously.

“We want you to visit with us!”

“Yeah!”

“Um…I don’t think I…” Virginia began. The fairies began to flit about again. Was it her or did their buzzing sound…angry? Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to upset them. “Okay,” Virginia amended.

The fairies stopped flying around and just hovered by her.

“Great!”

“Oh, good!”

“Come on, this way!”

Virginia let herself be led off the path and into the forest. She was really nervous about this, but there wasn’t much she could do.

“I’m Briar,” a male fairy introduced himself, hovering in front of her nose.

A girl fairy shoved him out of the way. “Ignore him. My name is Chepi. He’s got a crush on you,” the girl fairy giggled.

“Chepi! Stop bothering her!” Trinity said, shooing her away. Trinity smiled apologetically at Virginia. She had dark blue wings, black hair, and blue eyes. She seemed to be some sort of leader to the group. “Sorry. They’re just excited to meet you,” she said.

“Uh…that’s all right,” Virginia said slowly.

The fairies led her into a quiet clearing. Virginia was directed to sit in the middle on a rock. The fairies all settled around her on leaves and branches. She looked around at them, wondering what they expected her to do.