Debra L. Rollins - Revenge For the Huntsman
The ancient cauldron bubbled and spit its contents angrily as Zenda added the ingredients needed to weave her magical spell. She slyly stole a peek at Burly who sat at the only table in the cottage, gorging himself on roast pig and large hunks of yellow cheese bought that morning in the village. In truth he was eating her weekly supply of food but she felt the loss well worthwhile if the spell she was concocting worked properly. Her wolf lay nearby; watching the Troll’s every move, snapping at scraps as they fell to the floor.
Zenda frowned as Burly reached down to give the she-wolf a hunk of meat, pulling back quickly and cursing the animal as she nearly bit his fingers off. They would have to learn to get along better than that if her plan were to work.
“Come, Prince Burly,” she motioned for him to stand in the center of the room. “We must get started, for time is of the essence if we wish to gain entry to the Castle White in time for this “grand ball.” Take this cup and drink the contents. I will take care of the rest.”
“How long will the spell last?” Burly eyed the dark purple liquid suspiciously.
“It will stay until I personally remove the spell. No other can break it but me. You’ll just have to trust me.”
Burly grumbled at this. He hated magical spells and witches but if he didn’t help this witch then he would be forced to somehow find the little witch by himself or return home to certain death. How much more miserable could life get?
“What kind of spell is this? A spell to make me invisible? Stronger? Invincible? Do your worse and I’ll bring back this Wolf and the girl.” He thumped his chest and swaggered around the room to prove that he was unafraid. Suck an Elf…he hoped the spell wouldn’t hurt. He still suffered a cracked head from his last fight with the little witch’s father. Even now it hurt to think too hard.
“Stand still and drink, you idiot!” Zenda commanded irritably. Burly drank the potion as she began her incantation:
“Magic potions change him do,
From fearsome Troll to human true,
Make him handsome, virile and grand,
Turn this Troll into a man.”
Burly felt strange, like his entire face and body were moving in different directions at one time. He felt his nose and pulled his hand away as he felt its large buzzard-like shape shrink away to barely anything. The large protruding teeth in his lower jaw he was so proud of, just like Dad’s, disappeared, leaving no more than little stubs to chew his food. How was he supposed to eat with these little things? he thought, fingering his mouth in horror. He raced to one of the large looking glasses set up in Madam’s parlor. Burly did not see himself reflected in its smooth surface; instead he found a human male mimicking his movements. The man in the mirror had his eyes, his coloring and long hair. Even his height and build were the same, but that was the extent of the similarities. He found himself horribly transformed into an ugly human.
“What have you done to me?” Burly cried angrily. “I will never be accepted as Troll King, even if I were to find the witch and return with her. Turn me back. NOW!”
“Patience, patience, Prince Burly,” Zenda said soothingly. “I promised to reverse the spell after I have the half-wolf and you have the girl and I follow through with my promises. Are you telling me you are not brave enough to go through with you quest? Come then, I will turn you back into a Troll and you can be on your way.”
“Aarrgh! Suck an Elf!” exclaimed Burly, frustrated with the whole situation. “Okay, I will stay this way for now, but tell me, old hag, how am I going to enter the Castle White even as a human? The King’s royal guards will never let me past the castle gates. I have no official business there.”
“Aaah,” Zenda smiled knowingly. “But you do, Prince Burly, you do. Your job is to escort the Lady Cierce to His Royal Highnesses’ grand ball. She is of course, an aristocrat from a very old family located in the remote northwest region of the Eighth Kingdom. Of course, no one has heard of the family for years. Such a pity they live so far away from Wendell’s castle. Everyone has probably forgotten of the family’s existence after all these many years.”
“Just where is this Lady Cierce and what am I to do with her once I am inside the castle?” questioned Burly, unable to comprehend what the old witch was planning. He itched to be gone from here, to find the witch, Virginia, and return to normal. Dragon’s dung! What else could happen? He rubbed his hands over his face in exasperation.
“I would like to introduce to you the “Lady Cierce”, Prince Burly.”
Burly turned and saw much to his surprise, not an Eighth Kingdom denizen, but the wolf that nearly bit off his fingers at dinner.
“You mean to…” he began to ask.
“Yes!” answered Madam Tatler. “Who better to find this Wolf, than a another wolf. But with one slight difference.”
“What’s that?” Burly asked, curious.
“She will retain her full natural capabilities as a wolf, including her ability to be absolutely irresistible to the males of her species. This “Wolf” may be only a half-breed, but I’m willing to gamble that he will be unable to resist the temptation to follow Cierce back into my lair. And when he does…I will kill him! My son shall be revenged!”
“And now my sweet pet…”she stroked the wolf’s neck affectionately, “Time for you to become human.”
She laid a bowl on the floor filled with the magic potion Burly had drank and began her incantation:
“Magic potions change this wolf,
Beast to human this time forth,
Give her beauty that none resist,
A wolf shall die from her sweet kiss.”
Madam cackled with glee as she watched the wolf change from a hairy beast with long, sharp canine teeth into a young woman. She was lean but well muscled. Not an ounce of fat adorned her body. Her hair was striking, extremely long and pure silver, it glowed in the candlelight. And those eyes…her eyes stayed the mesmerizing blue of her wolfen ancestry. Eyes that could hypnotize a man into doing anything she so desired. Eyes glowing with hatred in their depths. Madam was proud of her new “child”. If she had been given a daughter, she could have asked for none better.
“Shouldn’t she have some clothes on? Or is she supposed to be related to the Naked Emperor?” asked Burly in curiosity, never having seen a naked human woman before.
Madam looked down and realized that what he said was true. Cierce was unclothed, which made sense, she supposed, since the wolf wasn’t wearing human clothes at the time she was transformed. Quickly she wrapped her riding cloak around the young woman and led her, wobbling on unsure feet, to the old woman’s bedchamber to find decent clothes for her to wear.
As they disappeared into the bedchambers, Burly could hear an unfamiliar voice ask, “Why have you changed me into a human, Mistress?”
Tony waited by the traveling mirror for his daughter and Wolf to enter the Nine Kingdoms dimension. The talking bird had returned earlier that morning with their answer to the invitation sent by King Wendell. Tony was anxious to know how his daughter felt and to have a heart to heart talk with Wolf. He could see Central Park even now framed by the mirror and straightened his tie quickly as he noticed them making their way between the shrubbery and trees to reach the portal into this world. A few moments later, Virginia stepped through and was in Tony’s arms, hugging him tightly…Wolf not far behind.
Tony held her at arm length, looking at her. She seemed no different. Well, maybe, happier for certain although Wolf seemed nervous, scratching at his temple and searching the room as if looking for a quick exit.
“Dad! I’m so happy to see you!” cried Virginia, looking up into his eyes. “You’ve been behaving yourself, haven’t you? How are the bouncing castles coming? How’s Prince and King Wendell?”
“I see you’re putting the dog before me, how sad…for me that is.” said a voice behind them. Virginia and Wolf turned to see King Wendell standing there, a smile of welcome on his face. “You there,” he motioned to one of the many servants following behind him, “Show Miss Lewis and Wolf to their rooms.”
Virginia laughed at Wendell, then grabbed her father’s arm as the servant led them down the corridor. Wolf on the other hand held back and motioned to Wendell that he needed to talk with him alone. The palace guards stood their ground, not trusting the half-wolf with their king. The fact that Wolf appeared agitated, continuously pawing at his temple didn’t help matters any, but Wendell waved them away.
“I need your help, Your Highness…”
That evening, the sun set low in the sky, allowing a full, luminous moon to stand brilliantly in its place. The darkened dungeons of Castle White held fast a sole guest, prisoner only to himself, howling wantonly, just as the many generations before him.
Virginia was concerned for Wolf. He had been locked up for two days now and although she knew he was being fed, (she didn’t even want to know what) she worried about his health and missed him terribly. Her dad, bless him, tried to keep her occupied with teas and brunches held in her honor. She smiled at the memory of Tony sitting, pinky finger up, with a delicate china cup sipping tea of all things. Her dad never drank tea before; but then again…he was never treated like a gentleman before either. He was definitely changing for the better.
The royal ball was scheduled to begin at eight o’clock that evening and she had yet to find a gown to wear. She decided against the gown that she wore when receiving their awards for saving the Nine Kingdoms. No woman coming to the ball would be caught dead in the same gown twice; her appointed maid assured her, then rushed off to find a suitable replacement for Virginia. The young girl had been sweet to think of Virginia’s wardrobe faux pas, but had some concerns about her abilities in replacing the pretty white gown.
A light rap on the door heralded the girl, along with an expanse of blue-green, silky material draped over her arm. The maid spread it upon the huge bed, causing Virginia to gasp at its beauty. It shimmered like the waters off a tropical coast, cool and inviting her to slip into its folds. She did so without delay, the delicate silk cascading over her slim hips to fall in a whisper to the floor. The gown came with matching elbow-length gloves and shoes dyed to the same color. She felt like a water nymph preparing to enter Poseidon’s domain. Virginia wondered where the girl had found the gown, but decided she really didn’t care.
As the maid fixed her hair, all Virginia could think about was how Wolf was feeling after his self-imposed imprisonment and how he would react once they were alone together again. The suites they had been given had connecting doors, but they yet had time to make use of them due to the timing of the full moon. She missed the warmth of his body and his wolfy ways so much.
An elaborate clock in the room chimed the eighth hour and with a final pat of her hand, the young maid proclaimed Virginia to be ready. She helped her to slip on the gloves, pinched her cheeks to a rosy glow and sent Virginia on her way to the ballroom.
