Macster - The Last Dragon
Three: Into the Forest
Drawing a shuddering breath, Wolf felt a strange mixture of relief and uncertainty as he guided Virginia carefully under the sheltering boughs of the Disenchanted Forest. Shadows lay deep upon the winding, narrow pathway, cast by the shifting leaves and branches of the canopy high above. Squirrels and shrews darted amongst the underbrush, and the wind whined and moaned eerily through the looming trunks, but otherwise all was peaceful, still, and unthreatening. A welcome change from the danger they had just fled...yet he could not completely banish the fear and distrust he held for this forest even now. The Huntsman might be dead, but the forest still contained deadly magic and sinister creatures concealed just out of sight--or even in plain sight--within the seemingly innocent woods.Wolf scratched absently at his temple. His aunt had tried to wean him of that habit as he was growing up, to no avail. It seemed as indelible a part of him as his tail, as if in some obscure sense he needed it to feel at peace with himself. Huff-puff. How very odd.
Beside him Virginia shivered a little and wrapped her arms around her shoulders. He should have been more insistent that she bring a coat or at least a thicker sweater, but she had been positive it would be warm enough here, and that in any case she would stay in the well-heated castle. And he had to grudgingly concede that point. Neither of them had expected this sudden jaunt into the forest.
He glanced back over his shoulder to where the sunny fields of new spring grass were still faintly visible between the trees, endless rolling hills surrounding the narrow, rutted road they had followed. Just within the edge of the forest he could make out the shape of the lone wagon, its shafts resting at an angle on the ground where Wolf had left them after releasing the sway-backed dapplegray gelding that had been pulling it.
Wolf sighed. He envied that horse. It did not have to worry about evil Ice Queens, dangerous spells, or long journeys that threatened the lives of its children.
And that was not all he had to worry about either. Even once he and Virginia had finished descending the castle wall and fled the gardens of the Royal Estate, even once he had led her down the winding alleys and lanes of the Fourth Kingdom's capital city to a deserted innyard and commandeered the unattended wagon, even once he had concealed her beneath the straw and cloth and driven the vehicle at a nerve-wrackingly slow pace out the gates--even after all of this, he had not felt safe. For although they had escaped the Ice Queen, they could not escape the memory of the Seeking mirror.
Running a hand through his hair, Wolf led Virginia along the moss-carpeted road, following its twists and turns until the sunlight faded and left them in layers of shadow and darkness. The entire time he kept his eyes on her more than he did the road ahead, trying to read her expression and see if she was still suffering any lingering side-effects. Silently he cursed himself for making the suggestion of consulting the mirrors. He had spoken without thinking, like a pup still in the den, when he should have known that anything the Queen had possessed would be far worse than Troll magic.
Finally, after he had brought Virginia far enough into the woods that he felt it safe enough to talk, he came to a halt and turned to face her, resting his hands on her shoulders. "Virginia, sweetheart, are you all right?"
For a moment she seemed uncertain whether to lash out at him or be grateful for his concern. "I'm fine, Wolf," she said softly at last, reaching up to caress his arm. "Just a little stressed and out of breath. That wasn't exactly a walk in the park."
"I know, and it was my fault." He pulled her into his embrace, gripping the rucksack she wore on her back, but she pulled away, giving him a look that combined disappointment and frustration.
"No, Wolf, I'm the one who chose to use the mirrors. And neither of us could know I'd be so...affected." She put a hand to her head and rubbed it. "I had no idea I was so much like my mother."
Wolf didn't quite know what to say to that, so instead he simply gave her hand a gentle squeeze and shouldered his own pack. His Virginia was so sensitive, especially about her mother, and he had no desire to upset her in her condition. In any case, the Queen was the last thing he wanted to think about, and now was not the time to argue about who was to blame.
Sniffing the air cautiously, he gazed about their verdant surroundings, inhaling every fragrance and scent, sorting and labeling them even as his instincts constantly cried out to him to either roll in one or dash far away from another. Then he looked back at Virginia in what he hoped was an encouraging manner. "Well, my love, at least you are free of it, and we can now endeavor to find this dragon that can help Wendy and Tony."
He was about to continue on when he noticed the indignant and perplexed look on her face. "Um...did I say something wrong, Virginia?"
"Yeah." She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Back at the palace you seemed pretty negative about this whole quest. In fact I'd say you were frightened. Has something happened to change your mind that I don't know about?"
Sharp girl. She always had been, but now that trait was not particularly desirable at the moment. Wolf shrugged as nonchalantly as he could, smiling disarmingly. "Oh, nothing much. It's just that the country we must pass through is not very safe, especially for you. A great deal of forest and mountains, several rivers..."
Virginia cut him off. "Wolf. I know you're hiding something from me. And you promised you'd never do that anymore. What is it?"
Wolf whimpered. He had promised that. And he could never resist her when she spoke in that tone of voice. But he didn't want to upset her...
He sighed. "Well...the thing of it is, Virginia, the Sixth Kingdom is...ensorcelled."
