Macster - The Last Dragon

By midnight she had nearly slipped into a fitful slumber when she heard the soft scrape of bootheels on the stone floor of the hallway, incredibly loud in the stillness. Then there came a tap on the iron bars of the door, and a barely audible whisper. "Lady Virginia?"

Confused and wary, she turned and looked up. One of the guards stood looking down at her, leaning close so as not to be overheard, even though he was alone in the hallway. She vaguely recognized him as a member of the garrison of Crookedtown, a young man with a ruddy complexion, jaden eyes, and rich, curly red hair. His eyes were full of concern as he crouched down on the other side of the bars. "Milady...I came as soon as I could. I would have come to you sooner but my superiors have the eyes of hawks. And I had to wait until after the queen was through with you, you were too heavily under guard before."

Virginia furrowed her brows even deeper. "What are you talking about? Who are you?"

"I'm Corporal Andrew, milady, and I'm here to help you."

"What?" She narrowed her eyes, abruptly suspicious. "Why would you want to help us?"

The corporal glanced back furtively over his shoulder, then leaned even closer, pressing his face between the bars. "Huff-puff, do you not know what I am?"

And then his eyes flared golden in the torchlight.

The world seemed to disintegrate and fly apart, then settle down again, all of its pieces rearranged in an entirely different pattern. Breath rasping in her throat, Virginia stared at the soldier in awe and sheer disbelief. A wolf! A wolf in Red Riding Hood's palace, serving as one of her own guards! It was an unbelievable thought, one that made her want to laugh at the audacity and irony, but she had seen it with her own eyes. And now as she gazed at the corporal again, she saw the faint outlines of stubble on his chin, cheeks, and neck that she had come to associate with Wolf. Even his graceful and agile movements as he shifted from side to side had the marks of a nervous animal.

Excitement and joy flooded through her, and at once all of her morose despair and resignation to her fate departed like snow melting under the sun. A wolf, a wolf would help them escape! She bore a wolf cub, her mate was a wolf--and not just any wolf, but the one who had helped save the Nine Kingdoms and earn a pardon for all wolves. No matter what their pack or clan, any wolf would be grateful to assist them.

Yet...her innate sense of caution and skepticism made her hesitate. Why would a wolf be serving Red Riding Hood? The kind of wolf who could serve the queen that butchered his own species was not one she would trust. And not all wolves were like Wolf, some were like Old Grey. Perhaps this one was only trying to lead her into a trap, trick her into trying to escape so she could be killed in the attempt.

She vacillated for what felt like hours but was only a few minutes as Andrew watched her hopefully. How could she decide? He had been standing watch over them only a short time ago, keeping her prisoner...

Virginia blinked, suddenly remembering Snow White's words, as if in a haze: "Remain on watch..." It was a stretch, but riddles in this place usually had obscure answers. Perhaps she had been referring to Andrew!

Nodding at last, she grasped the soldier's wrist and squeezed it reassuringly. She had to trust sometime, and this was the only real chance for escape that had presented itself. "All right, let me fetch my friend and we'll see what we can come up with."

As soon as the Piper was awake and crouched beside her at the door, Virginia whispered, "What can you do for us, Andrew?" She tried not to be conscious of the Piper's warm body beside her.

The corporal smiled apologetically. "Not much, I'm afraid. I have only a few minutes until the shift changes, and I won't be back on guard again until morning. By then it will be too late for your mate." A soft growl escaped his throat, followed by a sympathetic whine. "And I don't have the keys to your cell, the guard coming to relieve me does. I could try and take them from him, but it would be too risky."

Virginia concentrated. "Can you find our belongings? We have some magic items among them that can help us escape. Colin's pipe and a pair of Troll shoes in my rucksack."

Andrew considered. "I might be able to find one of them, but not both. It depends on where they are and how well guarded they are."

Colin was wide awake now and leaned forward eagerly, brushing Virginia aside. "Fetch my pipe, then! It is more reliable than the shoes, its magic does not fail or need recharging. I can enchant the guard into giving us the keys." During the trip from Crookedtown to Incarnadine she had explained to him about the shoes and how they worked.

But Virginia's mind was racing back once more over what Snow White had said. Now that she had discerned the meaning of one mysterious clue, she was confident she could figure out the others. The ring had advised her truly. She tuned out the wolf and the Piper as they began arguing in whispers over where the pipe might be located and sent her thoughts back to that moment just before the darkness had filled the cottage in her dream.

"Stand on your own two feet..." she murmured.

"What?" Colin interrupted himself and looked at her strangely.

But she had it. She knew Snow White had stressed those words for a reason. "The shoes. We have to go for the shoes. They won't be as well-guarded as the pipe, it'll be seen as a bigger threat."

"How do you know this?" The Piper narrowed his eyes.

She chuckled. "Snow White told me."

The expression on Colin's face hovered between awe and consternation, while Andrew only stared at her uncomprehendingly.

"Forget it," she sighed. "Just go and find the rucksack with the shoes, okay?"

Nodding rapidly, the wolf scrambled to his feet and darted off down the passage without a sound.

For the next five minutes, which seemed to last an eternity, Virginia wrung her hands and cracked her knuckles over and over until she was certain she had permanently dislocated the joints. Colin too looked nervous and worried, but despite the fact that she shared his fears, and fought the urge to assume they were being betrayed, a desperate hope made her heart flutter like a bird in a cage, waiting to be released.

As she was.

Finally, just as she was about to give up, Andrew reappeared at the end of the passage, bearing the familiar shape of her rucksack over his shoulder. She felt like weeping for joy, but kept from making a sound as he rushed to the cell. "You were right, milady! The pipe was in the wardroom, watched over by all the soldiers not on guard, but your rucksack was just thrown in the storeroom with the flour and malt. No one was even watching it." Quickly slipping the leather bag in between the bars, he watched as she tore it open and pulled out the shoes. They seemed to glow and shimmer even more powerfully in the torchlight.

"Have I done well, milady?" The wolf smiled, looking so eager to please she had to laugh softly.

"Yes, you have. Now get back to your post, and we'll act as soon as the shift change happens."

They had just hidden the rucksack under the bunk, and Andrew had resumed his former position, when another red-cloaked guard, with broad shoulders and a powerful barrel chest, appeared at the end of the hallway. Their wolven ally strode at once to meet him, his steps as regimented and unwavering as if he were a loyal soldier and had not just committed treason against Carmine. Standing between the cell and his superior officer to block his view, he drew him into a quick consultation of some sort.

Virginia didn't even try to hear what was being said. Hurriedly she slipped the shoes on and grabbed the Piper's shoulder. In seconds they had vanished into invisibility. Now all they had to do was wait.

They didn't have to wait long. Turning away from Andrew, the other soldier glanced down the hallway and saw what appeared to be an empty cell. He snarled a rancid oath. "You fool, you've let the prisoners escape! Sound the alarm!" Without waiting to see if his orders were obeyed, he ran to the cell, the keys already coming free from his belt and rattling in his hand as he searched for the right one.

It was so easy it made Virginia want to giggle--or was that the shoes again? The soldier threw open the door and burst inside, looking around wildly for some sign of how they had escaped. As a result, he was unprepared when Colin lifted a fallen stone from the crumbling wall and bashed him in the head. He went down without a sound.

Before she could congratulate the Piper, he had grabbed the keys and was dragging her out of the cell. Once the door was locked again, with the unconscious guard inside, he led the way down the hall to where Andrew kept watch for any other soldiers, scratching unobtrusively at his temple. "All right, Andrew, get to wherever it is you need to be, so you will have an alibi. You have done a good deed tonight, and we shall never forget it. Someday you will be rewarded, I will make certain of it."

Beaming, the wolven corporal nodded eagerly. "You're very welcome. Good luck, milady. All of the Kingdoms are counting on you--and best wishes to your mate and cub!" With that, he darted back down the passage and disappeared.

Grinning from ear to ear, buoyed up by their success, Virginia nudged Colin in his invisible ribs. "Maybe there is destiny after all. Come on, let's go find your pipe and rescue Wolf."

Groaning weakly as he awoke, Wolf became conscious at once of the constant waves of pain assailing him from all directions. First came the dull, persistent ache in his shoulders and the crushing pressure on his wrists, both caused by the manacles that kept his hands raised over his head as he dangled helplessly from the wall. Then came the stinging, burning sensation of the wounds crisscrossing his bare back--with the preternatural clarity born of torture, he could feel each individual laceration, and the memory of each blow of the whip that had created them was just as vivid. The cool stone blocks against which he slumped did not soothe the wounds, but instead aggravated them. He whimpered softly.

Last of all came the internal pains, the powerful hunger that gnawed at his stomach and the unquenchable thirst that plagued his throat, both of which could not be satisfied, as the plate of raw meat and bowl of water which the guards had brought him were placed just out of reach of his chains. He growled audibly. Just as strong were certain other natural urges which he struggled valiantly to restrain; he was surprised he had not voided himself while he had been passed out. There was no sump or chamberpot or anything resembling them in sight. There were no fixtures at all in the cell, with only dusty straw scattered across the floor for a bed--which, considering his current predicament, was rather redundant. He couldn't lie down anywhere, and if he could it would be directly below the wall, where he would be relieving himself if he could not hold it. It was like being in a stable, a pen for a vicious and filthy animal.

Which was what he was, according to Red Riding Hood.

A pain-wracked howl escaped his throat as he threw his head back toward the ceiling. Gnashing his teeth, he snarled. How dare she! Huff-puff, everything she had said with those perfectly formed lips (good enough to bite right off!) had matched his own inner voice, that had always told him he was a nasty and horrible beast. But he refused to believe it, not now, not when she said it. He longed to clutch her by the throat and force her to recant her hateful venom. The only problem was, if he did that, he would be proving her right about the savagery of wolves!

Now he wanted to scratch at his temple, and couldn't do that either.

Wolf wrenched and jerked at his chains, trying to dislodge the bolts that held him to the wall, but they seemed to be the only thing in this ancient fortress that was not weakened by age, and refused to budge. Finally, panting and whimpering, he collapsed again, which only increased the stretching and near-dislocation of his shoulders.

He was still suspended there, trying to think of some way to keep from focusing on the pain without counting sheep (a dangerous proposition in his current state of hunger) when he heard the faint strains of music, somewhere in the corridor outside his cell. Frowning, he inclined his head and listened. The music was languid, somnolent and smooth, very quiet and monotonous, and it almost put him to sleep to listen to it. It also sounded very familiar.

The pipe grew slightly louder, as if the musician were approaching, and Wolf expected the guards outside his cell to cut the song short with a brusque command and the point of a spearhead, but oddly enough they remained silent. After a long moment, the music reached the door to the cell and paused--and then to his shock he heard the sound of the key in the lock!

With a rusty whine of unoiled hinges, the door creaked open to reveal--nothing. No, wait--a strange shimmering, barely perceptible to his sharp eyes and completely undetectable to human eyes, passing in front of the forms of the guards, who appeared to be frozen stiff in some sort of trance. At the same time he caught a whiff of a delectable, delightful, divine, excruciatingly sweet scent he would never forget, that of his beloved Virginia! And...he rolled his eyes. Underneath it, the scent of the Piper as well. They had come to rescue him, wearing the Troll King's magic shoes! Never before had he been so glad those foul pieces of footware were around.

But at once a strange emotion surged through his veins, jealousy, followed quickly by fury. He was the one who was supposed to save Virginia, he was the one who had rescued her multiple times! It was supposed to be up to him to interpose himself between his mate and terrible danger. But no, now it was the stupid shoes that would garner all the praise--them and the Piper! That truly made his blood boil, that that snivelling, arrogant princeling would not only be the one to receive Virginia's thanks for the rescue, but that he himself owed his life and freedom to the Piper...

The thud of the cell door closing jarred him from his irrational thoughts, and he looked up just as the whirling golden light of the shoes' magic filled the air. In seconds Virginia was standing there, looking triumphant as she held the shoes in her hands. Behind her the Piper took his pipe from his lips, but it continued to glow with a silvery shimmer and give off a low, soft note as it had in the cavern in the mountains.

Virginia pulled away from the Piper, as if glad not to be in contact with him any longer than necessary. Then she dashed to Wolf's side, tears in her eyes as she took in his condition at a glance. "Oh, Wolf, what have they done to you?" Hurriedly she unlocked the manacles and he slumped into her arms. She embraced him at once, causing him to wince.

"Careful, my love," he whispered huskily.

Biting her lip, she pulled back and reached up to cradle his face in her hands, lifting his chin as she pressed her lips to his. There was an unusual fervency in her kiss, a passion and desperation that surprised him. Their ordeal had been trying, but they had not been separated that long... He rolled his eyes. What was he thinking? Any amount of time away from his dreamy, creamy girl was sheer agony for him, and he knew she felt the same way.

Gasping, he finally broke the kiss and stroked her forehead and cheeks, brushed her hair back from her face as he gazed at her searchingly. Swallowing his pride, he smiled. "I knew you would come for me. But how did you manage it, sweetheart? The shoes, the pipe, they had to be well-guarded!"

Virginia looked somehow embarrassed, but then she smirked slightly. "Let's just say that not all of Red Riding Hood's men have no hearts. Some of them are so honorable, you might think they were wolves."

Wolf stared at her in amazement, his heart racing with an excitement he had never thought he'd feel. "Goodness gracious me--do you mean...? The wolven resistance! I knew they were strong in number and brave in deeds, and I have heard so many tales of their fight for justice, but I never suspected they had spies and agents right here in the palace!" Admiration surged in his heart for these unknown wolves who risked their lives and the chance of discovery to stay close to Carmine and ensure that her cruelest orders and laws were blunted and softened, or never carried out at all.

Nodding in agreement, Virginia retrieved his shirt from the floor where the guards had thrown it earlier and handed it to him as she helped him stagger to his feet. "I was pretty sure he couldn't be the only wolf here. Anyway, he brought us the shoes and we used them to escape. Then it was easy to steal Colin's pipe from the wardroom, and he was able to enchant the guards. So as soon as you're ready, we can just walk right out of the palace. No one can stop us."

It sounded wonderful. But Wolf wasn't ready to leave just yet. No, after all the pain and anguish and torment of his past being dredged back to the surface, after all of his old wounds had been reopened, after the way his aunt had treated them all--but especially his beloved Virginia--after all of this, his soul cried out for a reckoning. Red Riding Hood owed them for all she had done, and her account was incredibly delinquent.

"No! We're not leaving!" Clutching the shirt with both hands and snarling, he hastily put it on and started buttoning it. "You think I'm just going to let that trollop get away with her crimes again? Not a chance! Not a chance in a straw-built pig house!" Running his hand through his sweat-soaked hair, he turned away and began stalking about the cell.

Virginia watched him anxiously. "Wolf..."

"What?"

She rolled her eyes. "We have to get out of here! My father and Wendell, and all the Kingdoms, need us! If we waste time here trying to clear your name or bring the queen to justice..." She trailed off helplessly.

"You think I don't know that?" Wolf wheeled about, and he could feel the animal nature growing dominant inside his heart; he knew his eyes had turned golden and inhuman by Virginia's reaction, but at the moment he didn't care. "But if we don't do something now, we'll never get a chance like this again."

"What chance?" Virginia snapped, her temper rising as well. "What can we possibly do here? Everyone hates wolves, no one would believe us! And where would we stay while we were here? We can't use the pipe and the shoes to stay hidden forever, and no one would take us in."

Wolf scratched at his temple vehemently, a strange sense of relief at being free to do this again filling him. It calmed him--a little. "Well, we aren't going to be any safer if we just take off for the Sixth Kingdom! Don't you think Her Majesty will send soldiers after us as soon as it's known we escaped? And we can't count on Piper-boy being able to protect us." He glared at the Piper. "You'd be lying to me if you said you could control the whole palace, let alone all of Incarnadine. Because that's what you'd have to do to keep us safe."

Colin frowned and looked down, unable to meet his gaze. "You have a point. My great-grandfather could control thousands and millions of rats, but they have primitive minds, and I don't possess his facility with magic." Finally lifting his eyes, he jutted out his chin pugnaciously. "What do you suggest we do, then?"

Wolf had been waiting for this opening; his cunning mind had been darting through all the possibilities even as he'd been speaking, and he knew exactly what they had to do. It was the only way out--and besides, it would let him get the revenge he craved. "Simple, princey. We need a shield, a hostage, someone to give us a little insurance policy so no one would dare harm us."

Even before he had finished, he could tell they knew what he intended. Both of them stood frozen in disbelief, and then they both burst into speech at the same time.

"Are you insane?!?" Virginia cried.

"Are you mad?!?" the Piper gasped.

"We can't take the queen with us! Do you realize how much trouble that would cause?" Virginia balled her fist and punched him in the shoulder none too gently, apparently forgetting the abuse he'd suffered. "She'd slow us down, and we'd have to watch her all the time. We'd never make it to the dragon, and even if we did, what would we do with her then?"

Wolf was tempted to suggest feeding Red Riding Hood to the beast, but instead he replied bluntly, "Do you have any better ideas? I can't think of a better way to get out of the palace, and the city. None of Red's advisers or sycophants are worth taking with us, and no one would care if they got hurt while we were being recaptured. The only one I can think of with enough importance to warrant caution in the guards is the general of Carmine's army--and he's far too strong for us to overpower him. No one would suspect us of going after the queen, and at this time of night she's sure to be unguarded."

The Piper blanched, his eyes wide in horror, and he gripped his pipe until his hands trembled. "I never thought the rumors about wolves were true, especially after you acted so nobly to save King Wendell, but this is lunacy! And the moon is not even full--what are you, rabid?"

Snarling, he bared his fangs at Colin, making him rear back and press against the wall. Wolf glared at him hatefully. If his magic were not necessary to gain access to the queen... Turning back to Virginia, he expected her to raise another objection, but strangely she did not. Although she had her hand to her forehead in frustration, he could tell by the curve of her shoulders that she had resigned herself to this course of action. But why? Had he been that convincing?

Suddenly she began muttering under her breath. "So that's what she meant..."

"Who?"

"Snow White."

Wolf blinked, his anger and lust for venegance fading into confusion. "What? She visited you again?"

Virginia nodded absently. "Sort of. In my cell, I had a dream...and she told me lots of things. One of them was that all of us, and Red Riding Hood, are tied together by destiny. And twice she spoke of hostages. I thought she was just being metaphorical, but maybe not. Maybe she knew this was the only way for us to escape, and have any chance of restoring your good name." Her morose expression did not seem at all in keeping with her words; clearly she was still not happy with the latest developments.

He wasn't exactly pleased either; the last thing he wanted was to be connected to Carmine any more than he had to be. Kidnapping her for revenge and to earn his pardon was one thing, but to know he was bound by destiny to that ruthless, wolf-murdering temptress brought out his feral side and made him want to find some wild animal to shred. But who was he to argue with the greatest queen who ever lived?

"Well, Missy White is right, Virginia, and you should always listen to your fairy godmother," Wolf hastily agreed, nodding sagely. "Besides, look at it this way: now you can get back at Red for all those nasty things she said about you." Normally he would never want to remind his sensitive mate of anyone who had hurt her, or advocate a vindictive spirit in his one true love, but this was an exception. Live and let live might be his usual philosophy, but when it came to Carmine, the past could not be forgotten. Still, he did wonder if Virginia would be upset with him.

He needn't have worried. The doubt and uncertainty were fading fast from Virginia's eyes, to be replaced by a gleam of almost delightful wickedness. A slow grin answered his words, and then she chuckled. "Yeah...you're absolutely right, Wolf. It's time for me to take charge again. She won't have power over me anymore. I guide my own destiny."

The Piper was glancing back and forth between them, even more distraught. "I don't believe it...milady, you too are a party to this hazardous undertaking?"

Wolf flashed his eyes at the prince warningly, but only smirked. Finally he was leading the mission again, and with this one stroke he would both safely conclude their escape and help Virginia pay back the queen for each and every insult she had given. Now who was the better rescuer? "Sorry, Piper-boy, but it looks like you're outvoted. So if you're done whining, we have work to do. Right, Virginia?"

Seeing the look on Virginia's face, one of malicious glee, the Piper gave up at last. "Very well, but if matters go awry, do not say I did not warn you!"

The Piper raised his instrument to his lips and began to play once more, and Virginia donned the shoes, then reached out to touch him (with a certain reluctance that made Wolf wonder if Colin had done something to offend her which he, as her mate, ought to know about). As Wolf in turn placed his hand on Virginia's shoulder, just in time to be swallowed by the vortex of magic, he whispered. "Duly noted. Now let's go snare us a Hood!"