Debra L. Rollins - Revenge For the Huntsman

“She won’t be asleep for long, there wasn’t much Trolldust left.”

“Just as long as we are able to get back to the other side and away from Castle White, otherwise she may try to escape - if she is a witch as you say.”

The other voice hesitated, then spoke again. “We have maybe ten more minutes, if we’re lucky, before she gains consciousness. I told you there was very little dust left.”

“Hounds tooth!” The feminine voice cursed. “We must find another means of keeping her subdued.”

Virginia frowned at the voices in her head. Who were they talking about? She tried valiantly to open her lids but couldn’t. They felt like they had been sewn shut. On top of that, her head was beginning to ache. What had the bartender put in those drinks anyway? Wait a moment…bartender? She frowned again. Had she been at a bar and drank too much? She moaned. She wished she could wake up and remember. The smell of pink bubble gum permeated her clothing, sickening her.

“Suck an Elf! She’s almost awake. I say we kill her and have done with it. The council be damned.”

“Is that all you Trolls think of?” The female voice retorted sharply. “Killing and leather?”

“Heck no, we like pillaging too.”

“Pillaging for what may I ask?”

“Leather, what else is there?”

“What else, indeed?” said the female voice, exasperated.

“Is this Troll bothering you, Miss?” Another voice joined the fray. A very familiar voice.

“No…at least, not at the moment,” sighed the feminine voice.

“Keep your concerns to yourself,” the first male voice growled. “A prisoner speaks only when spoken to!”

“And who’s going to stop me? You?” the voice sneered. “I could bite you in two pieces in two seconds. Just say the word, Miss and it’s done.”

“Enough of this bickering,” the female seemed to be exasperated with the exchange between the two males. “Burly, you need to watch for our turn off back to the forest whilst I steer this carriage. And keep an eye on the girl in case she wakes up.”

“She’s not going anywhere. I made sure of that!”

Virginia sensed that the female had turned to the other male, now addressing him.

“As for you, Wolf…I need you to stay close by so there is no chance my influence wears off before we return home to Madam Tatler. You must promise to behave for I have no desire to be the one that spills your blood.”

Virginia’s eyes flew open wide.

Wolf!

Consciousness came rushing back and realization fell swiftly. The tall stranger that had chased her from the nightclub was Burly the Troll. Only he was human in appearance now, but the beautiful singer…who was she?

“What’s happening? Why have you come here and why are you kidnapping us?” Virginia twisted her neck as best she could to find Wolf. She moved to sit up but found herself handcuffed, making it hard to do so. She squirmed until she was turned and saw him, sitting close to the woman, without restraints of any kind, moon-faced as a teenager in love for the first time.

The silver-haired woman was forced to halt at a stop light behind another vehicle. She turned to peer upon Virginia, smiling ever so slightly, allowing the young woman to see the flaring of her icy, blue eyes in the dim interior of the police cruiser.

“You’re not human either, are you? What are you… another half-wolf?” Virginia asked, shaken by the fact that Wolf had turned to look upon her with deadpan eyes, dismissing her with nary a quick glance before turning his attention back to the young woman driving the police cruiser.

“No,” the woman conceded, “I’m not human, nor am I a half-wolf. It matters not that you know the truth. I am Cierce…a wolf, plain and simple.”

“What have you done to Wolf? Where are you taking us? Who is this Madam Tatler?”

“No more questions, witch!” said Burly menacingly. “That is none of your concern.” He turned to Cierce. “Enough talk. Watch where you’re going or we will miss our turn off.”

“Not if you do your job and let me know when we get to it, Troll,” she retorted with a loud sniff.

“Perhaps if the half-wolf wasn’t joined at your hip, I could see what’s ahead of us and I could do my job, wench!” he threw back at her.

“Why Prince Burly, I do believe you sound a bit peeved. You’re not jealous are you?” she baited.

“Jealous!” Burly roared. “Of that mangy half-wolf? Ha! At least I don’t have to use magic to attract the opposite sex.”

Now it was Cierce’s turn to howl in anger.

“It’s not magic. It’s my scent and it’s completely natural, thank you very much. Unlike your natural scent which is totally disgusting.”

“WHAT?” Burly yelled loudly, deafening Virginia’s ears.

The two continued to squabble and bicker vigorously as Virginia gave up trying to sit up and lay back in the soft leather cushions of the cruiser, trying to digest the tumultuous display of animosity between the peculiar duo. As Central Park loomed closer ahead, she continued to carefully study the pair…wondering at them with curiosity.

Tony groaned, grabbing for his head. It ached furiously and the smell in his nose held a familiar odor. His lids lifted to bare slits but it was enough to see pink dust scattered like fine powder over his clothing. His body tensed as the memory of what had happened rushed back full force.

Burly the Troll and a strange wolf werre here in New York and they were after Virginia and Wolf! All he could remember about her was a pair of cold blue eyes, nothing more. What had he told them? Tony leapt to his feet and stumbled over an inert form on the floor. The form moaned loudly and moved.

“Marjorie!” Tony knelt down, released the old woman from her bonds, and removed her gag. “Are you okay?”

“Do I look okay to you…you clod?” she snapped back. “That’s the second time in a month I’ve been tied up and gagged by some crazy person, then what do you do? You have the indecency to kick me when I’m down. A poor old woman like myself too.”

“Yeah, right,” he retorted sarcastically. “Old, sure…poor, hardly. By the way, I didn’t kick you I tripped over you. Look, enough about that, what happened with the couple that was here? Did I tell them anything?”

“You sang like a bird to that silver-haired hussy. Told her where Virginia and Wolf were at, then had the gall to nearly drool all over her. How could you let those two know where my granddaughter is?”

“I didn’t…” he started. “Well yes, I did…but I was under some sort of spell. That wolf hypnotized me somehow. Then that Troll knocked me out with Trolldust. It wasn’t my fault that…”

Tony stopped when he realized that his mother-in-law stared at him with a strange look on her face. Only then did he realize what he had just said. Now what was he going to do? Marjorie would never believe him in a million years that Trolls and places like the Nine Kingdoms existed; she’d just think him drunk and hallucinating…that’s all.

“Look, I know that sounded weird, but it’s true. Those two are out to do Virginia and Wolf harm. I need to get to them before the other two do.”

“What’s going on, Anthony?” demanded Marjorie. “She’s my granddaughter and she’s carrying my great-grandchild. I won’t lose her like I did her mother. I couldn’t bear another loss like that. I haven’t heard from my daughter since the day she disappeared…I don’t even know if she’s dead or alive and I won’t have that happen to Virginer.”

Tony hesitated. The old woman deserved to know the truth, even if it was just part of the truth. How was he going to explain Christine’s death without revealing even more about the Nine Kingdoms dimension? Of course, how were they all going to explain a newborn baby with a tail? Marjorie would find out the truth somehow anyway, why not at this time when he needed her help in finding Virginia and Wolf? Marjorie knew the location of the nightclub and could get them there quicker, rest assured. Tony made his decision.

“Look, I know this is going to be hard to believe…” he pleaded with her. “But try anyway. It all really started when Christine disappeared all those years ago…” Thus he began his tale.

Wendell was extremely displeased. Kneeling before him was one of his dungeon guards and a very frightened courier. Both men feared for their lives, but the courier especially. He stuttered so badly, Wendell could barely understand a word he had just said.

“Let me see if I heard correctly…you say Madam Tatler is behind the mirrors theft. That she forced you to return to my castle and take them back to her? You thought the mirrors contained magic and that Madam Tatler, mother to the hated Huntsman, is a known witch herself. Yet you took them to her anyway? Why?”

“S-s-she was going to d-d-do me harm, Your Highness. Then who would t-t-take care of my f-f-family? I was fearful she would harm them t-t-too. I didn’t want to do it, t-t-truly I didn’t!”

Wendell turned to the guard next.

“And what, may I ask…is your excuse for allowing my possessions to leave the castle?”

“I was gone to visit family when the mirrors were stowed away in the dungeon, Sire. I did not know they were yours. They gave me the creeps when they whispered to one another. I didn’t figure anyone would want such ugly old mirrors. I figured that’s why they were down there in the first place. Please spare me, Sire and I will see that they are returned to the Castle White as soon as possible.”

“As you shall,” said Wendell sternly. He turned back to the courier. “Why did she want the mirrors? Did she say?”

“She w-w-wished to l-l-locate a half-wolf by the name of Wolf. S-s-she means to k-k-kill him in r-r-revenge of her son’s d-d-death.”

Wendell’s eyes widened. Wolf! The bolt that was meant for Virginia that the half-wolf had knocked away had flown straight up, then down to strike the Huntsman’s heart, killing him instantly. He had not been there to witness the evil man’s death personally, but had seen the aftermath. Now there was even more urgency in reaching Anthony. They must all be warned of the danger, for Madam Tatler was heard to be a vindictive woman at best. She would try for revenge, of that he was for certain.

Wendell sighed; the news from the ancient book in the library would have to wait for now, which was too bad considering what he had discovered. He waved to the head guard.

“Have your men prepared to leave the castle within the hour. We must find this Madam Tatler post haste if we wish to head off disaster,” he ordered, then turned back to the courier. “Prepare yourself also, I need your help in leading the way to her location. If you come through and we find her before harm befalls Wolf, I may spare your life. If not…” He let the sentence hang, then turned and walked swiftly away.

The courier swiped a hand over his face and moaned to himself, “Rotten beanstalks…what a mess,” then turned away to do his king’s bidding.

Bork was livid! He should have known something was up when Blabberwort allowed herself to be seduced without nary a fight. When he caught up with the wench, he would beat her until she begged for mercy at his feet. Not to mention the fact that the position she left him tied was most unbecoming for a highly respectable Troll such as himself. Thank the gods that his own personal servant had found him first or he would never have been able to live the ridicule down. After a few hours, he thought of a better punishment for his wayward wife. Instead of beating her, he would fill her belly with many children to keep her busy and out of mischief. He smiled at the idea and would have patted himself on the back if he could only have reached it.

Now what to do about the Troll King and his wife’s running away? He knew the dogs could follow their trail, but the two had a large head start. He also was fairly positive that they headed in the direction of the Fourth Kingdom and Castle White to find their brother, Burly. All they would accomplish, even if they were lucky enough to find him alive, was to send him to his death by the Council of Elders anyway. Burly’s quest must be fulfilled alone or he would be put to death. Bork shook his head in frustration.

“They left to find their brother, didn’t they?”

The younger Troll turned to the voice behind him to see Derk the Dangerous standing there, dressed in full riding regalia.

“Yes.”

“They care much for each other, even though death may await them all.”

“I know.”

“You care for them too.”

“I have known them since my youth, their father took me in as his own. They treated me as one of their own.”

“You love her.”

It was a statement, not a question.

“Yes…” he hesitated. “Since the day I first laid eyes on her.”

“Then we must find some way of stopping them from interfering in Prince Burly’s quest.”

“We?” Bork was confused. “But you are on the council. Is that not a conflict of interest?”

“Only if we do not find them before they find Burly,” he chuckled. “Now, young Troll…assemble your most trusted Trolls and best hunting dogs. We will find them in time…we must.”