| |
Sword in hand, Lars ran towards the steps to meet the enemy. Aein continued to aim and fire, but her stock of arrows was running low. She saw a flash as Finn shifted out of wolf form and shouted to his troops. His short, blonde hair seemed to glow in the rising sun. He raised his sword and shouted at his men, "To me! To me!"
An ogre grabbed a soldier and swung him, cracking his head on the wall and then sat down heavily to enjoy his meal. One of Lord Arnkell's men tried to prod him with a spear to keep moving, but the ogre just swiped him aside with one paw, dashing his skull upon the flagstones, and then dragging the man's corpse over to enjoy as a second course.
"RUN!" Queen Gisla shouted to King Vadim. "Get yourself to where you can shift!"
He nodded, heeding her words. "To me!" he cried to his soldiers.
They surrounded him, forming a perfect wall with their shields as Queen Gisla shifted into a wolf and attacked a man taking aim at King Vadim. He fell beneath her weight and was dead before he hit the ground. Queen Gisla looked over her shoulder and snarled at King Vadim, as if asking him what was taking so long to be gone.
"I am hurrying!" he shouted as he dispatched an enemy soldier who broke through the shield wall.
Aein took aim, trying to give him as much cover as possible. Finn's silvery scar was easy to spot in the fray of black bodies. Lord Arnkell's side had their archers in the bailey, too, and they had no problem firing upon the werewolves. Except they used bone and flint tips, and now that Queen Gisla's soldiers could control their form, they were able to transform and be healed with each shift in seconds. An arrow stuck in a hide clattered harmlessly upon the ground as fur was replaced with human skin and then Queen Gisla's pack transformed back again. They were almost invincible. Lord Arnkell's soldiers backed away, fearful of the magic. Aein could not help but smile. This weakness which had threatened the werewolves of Queen Gisla's stronghold since the start no longer held any power.
But then Lord Arnkell's second wave flowed through the gate and they were prepared for what they were about to face. Some had silver chains they were using as whips. Some carried silver coated swords. Some had silver tipped arrows. Aein took aim and let her arrows go as quickly as she could load them. She picked up the arrows fired her direction and sent them back upon her attackers.
And then the final wave entered and Aein froze in instinctive fear. It was Lord Arnkell. He sat on a chestnut horse. He exuded power from every inch of his tall, broad-shouldered body. Aein remembered how long ago, he had been the most handsome man she had ever seen. His brown hair was cut close to his tanned scalp and face. His cunning brown eyes absorbed everything beneath his heavy brow and his chiseled jaw opened to shout a war cry.
And then time slowed to a crawl.
Aein saw Lars register Lord Arnkell's arrival. And Aein saw Lars make a decision. A foolish, idiotic, passion-filled decision.
"NO!" she shouted as Lars ran headlong into the company. His face was contorted. He was fueled by his anger. A yell ripped from his throat as he imagined he would be able to right all the wrongs this man committed against them.
Lars was only one man against an entire army. Aein grabbed a discarded sword and ran down the steps to try and protect her friend from the stroke she saw coming.
But she was too late. In an instant, Lars was there. And in another, he was gone.
"NO!" Aein screamed again.
She saw him. He was lying on the ground bleeding. He could not transform into werewolf form to heal himself. His eyes locked with Aein's as he realized what had happened. His mouth opened to say something. And then he disappeared beneath the trampling feet of war.
And he was gone.
"You stupid, stupid boy..." Aein shouted as she crossed swords with another soldier, trying to get to Lars. Her eyes filled with tears and rage filled her heart and she directed it all at the woman fighting her. "If only you hadn't eaten those stupid berries. If only you hadn't..." She cut the soldier across the belly and the woman fell to the ground clutching her abdomen and gasping. Aein kicked her to the floor and kept going.
But Lord Arnkell was making his way forward, pushing back Queen Gisla's dwindling guard. And then he did something Aein did not expect him to do.
He dismounted.
He reached into his pocket and brought something out.
Aein looked closer and realized what it was.
He had a mushroom.
And with one swallow, he ate it all.
The transformation was sudden and violent. The skirmishes around him paused as everyone, no matter what their side, stepped away in fear.
Lord Arnkell screamed as the werewolf shape tore its way out of his body, transforming his teeth into fangs and his body into that of a wolf. He was larger than Queen Gisla. He was larger than Finn. But then he held up his arms and, as if called, the fog came pouring through the gate into the bailey. It swirled around him like a cyclone.
Aein's throat became bone-dry as she realized what he was doing. "He will be uncontainable..."
Lord Arnkell slowly stalked out of the fog.
His eyes were red. His body grew with each step. He was now twice a werewolf's size.
He had turned himself into a wild wolf.
And then he ran at Queen Gisla.