Chapter 1: Orders
The prince of Weldon looked down at the small village from his high tower window, his breath steaming up the glass. He ran a hand through his shoulder length blond hair, sighing deeply. A small cloud of mist formed on the window.
A knock reverberated through the room as he wiped away the condensation.
“Come in.” An old man, followed by guards entered the room as the prince turned away from the window.
“Ah, you’re dressed,” the old man said. He was the King of Weldon, aged and war scared but he was quite healthy and energetic. He dragged his left leg slightly, not using the cane he carried. The crown he wore atop of wispy white hair was made of gold and large. The family’s coat was etched on the gold. A lion, devouring a wolf.
“Yes, Grandfather,” the 21 year old prince said. “To what do I owe this early morning pleasure?” The old man sighed.
“Cedric,” he said. “I am getting old and soon it will be your turn to rule.” He sighed and licked his lips. “I want to see my great grandchildren before I go.”
“Grandfather, are you suggesting…”
“Yes, I am.” The old man stood up straighter. “Cedric, its time for you to marry.”
--
“A year? He’s giving you one year to find a bride?”
“Yes and if I don’t find one, he will find someone for me. He’ll probably pick that princess from Delwood. He likes her.” The prince paced up and down the floor of the stable as his friend paused from sharpening the sword he held.
“What’s wrong with her?”
“Her nose is too big for her face.” Cedric sighed and sat down next to his friend.
Trygg was taller than Cedric by three inches, 5’11” to the prince’s 5’8”. Dark brown eyes and hair. he had a strong build suggested he worked in these stables all his life. As new knight in the King’s court, a page rushed around him as he talked to the prince.
"I don't know what to do Try."
“You’re too picky Ced,” Try said, going back to the sharpening of his sword. “Just pick a girl, get married, have kids and live happily ever after.”
Which will be better than what’s going to happen to me, he thought to himself. Probably going to end up marrying that kitchen girl, Mattie, after all. Try thought to himself. He inwardly shivered. He sighed on the outside though and the prince noticed. His eyes softened.
“Thinking about her again huh?” Cedric questioned. Try nodded, not even knowing he was doing it. “You need to get over her. She gone, good and dea-” The next thing Cedric knew, he was being pinned up against the wall by the neck.
“She is not dead,” Try whispered harshly. “She’s alive. I know she is.” He let go of Cedric’s neck and the prince rubbed it absently.
“I can believe you love a-”
“Don’t say it your highness. I really don’t want to be beheaded of murder of the heir of Weldon.” Cedric gulped and nodded. He may be a prince but he wasn’t stupid. Try was stronger and faster than him. He should have learned by now not to bring her up around him, no less insult her. “I know she’s alive,” Try muttered. “I know she is.”
Cedric held back his insult and clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
“Cheer up,” he said, as Try looked at him. “Let’s go for a ride. It will get our minds off our problems.”
“You’re the one with problems, not me,” Try muttered.
“But…” Cedric said eagerly. Try sighed.
“I’ll ride,” Try said, slowly. “Only for a bit but I’ll ride.”
“Excellent,” Cedric said, thumping Try on the back. Try let out an ouff of surprise at the jester. “I’ll go get my bow.”
“Your bow? We’re hunting?”
“Of course,” Cedric said, smiling. “Nothing like hot, fresh venison to sway my grandfather.” Try rolled his eyes as a page saddled their horses.
--
Hannah and James stepped into the camp, avoiding a young girl who was being chased by a young boy. The boy’s pants a yard or so behind.
“Whoa, Tom,” James laughed, grabbing the back of the boy’s shirt as Hannah blushed slightly. “Why are your pants on the ground instead of on your butt?”
“They slow me down,” Tom said innocently. “I can’t catch Hosa in them.”
“I see but the rules, Tom, the rules. Do you remember the rules?” Tom looked at James and thought for the moment. “The rules say ‘If you are above the age of two, a boy must wear pants and girls a dress.’”
“‘And at the age of 13, girls wear pants or a skirt and a shirt or a dress. And men must wear pants,’” Tom recited with James, smiling.
“Right and how old are you Tom?”
“Three and a half,” Tom said proudly.
“Right. So you better get your pants on. We don’t want to get in trouble do we?” Tom shook his head and ran to grab his pants.
“Very poetic James,” Hannah admired as James stood up straight again and the boy ran pass them. James flashed a playful grin at her and bowed deeply to Hannah who immediately became agitated.
“I thank you, my lady.”
“Now, stop that!” Hannah said, stomping her foot childishly. “I’m not a lady.”
“You were,” James said, looking up at her, still bowing.”
“When I lived with my father,” Hannah reminded. “And I left for a reason. Now stand up straight, we have to report.” James winced and stood up straight.
“Do we have too?” he asked.
“Afraid so,” Hannah said sorrowfully. “If we don’t, the banshee will come after us.” James sighed and shouldered his axe.
It was a beautiful weapon. Celtic knot work decorated the blade and handle. There was leather wrapped around the bottom of the handle, shaped to fit James’s large hand. It was a gift from the Lady Wolf herself once James proved his loyalty to her. Usually, the people of the pack would treasure the gift the Lady Wolf gave them, an ornament in their home but James used his everyday, combat and all.
Hannah and James walked to a large tent at the end of the campsite. It was decorated with simples of order and authority. The rules were even pined to the flap of the tent and “the banshee”, as some people called her, loved to reprimand people about the rules. She tried more than once to change the rules but the Lady Wolf always turned them down.
Inside the tent, a woman with a beak like nose and shrill hazel eyes with stone grey hair pulled back into a tight bun, sat at a table piled with papers, reading and writing. At the sound of the flap, she looked up at Hannah and James.
“Back again I see,” she said, looking between the two. “Did your mission succeed?”
“Umm…” Hannah looked at James who nodded. “It was a bit of a failure actually.”
“What?!” the woman squawked, standing up from behind her desk. “It failed? How?!”
“Well…it’s a little complicated,” James said as Hannah turned white. “We had a situation and we had to kill him.”
“Kill him?!? You were supposed to get information from him!”
“He found us out,” Hannah explained desperately. “We had to kill him, Cosima.” The woman, Cosima, rubbed her temples for a moment.
“There is not excuse. I must record this as a failure.”
“But Cosima-”
“No buts Miss. Hannah.” Cosima looked coldly at Hannah. “Need I remind you that you are still the underdog of this pack? The Lady still hasn’t accepted you. And need I remind you also if you don’t make it into the pack we send you back to your father, your memories gone?” Hannah was even paler now, stuttering silently. “Now leave.” Hannah nodded, on the verge of tears and ran out of the tent. James glared at Cosima and followed the girl.
“That was unnecessary Cosima,” a calm female voice said from behind the tent wall behind the old woman. Cosima jumped and turned to face the silhouette of a woman of 5’ 7” height and slender build. The woman’s hair was long enough to brush the back of the woman’s knees. Cosima gulped when she also saw the shadow of a sword at the woman’s hips. “You knew she would fail that mission didn’t you?”
“I-I did not milady.”
“Do you think he can lie to me?” the voice asked, still calm and even but it was colder then before. This made shivers run up and down the old woman’s spine. “Just because you are my second in command and didn’t have to pass a test, doesn’t mean you can scare or make new pack members leave.”
“I am only doing what is right for the pack-”
“Is that for you to decide?” the voice interrupted.
“No,” Cosima said quietly.
“Whose is it?”
“Yours my Lady Wolf.” The silhouette nodded.
“Hannah will be invited to join the pack,” the Lady Wolf said. “She has proved herself.” Cosima nodded reluctantly.
“What shall she be given?”
The silhouette turned. “Give her the cloak,” the Lady Wolf said before walking away. Once the group’s leader was out of earshot, Cosima began muttering curses. She didn’t like Hannah or any high class people. They were more powerful than her and Hannah reminded her she was working of an outlaw. Cosima sniffed. Second in command of all things. She was talking orders from a-
Cosima shook her head and looked around nervously. She shouldn’t be thinking such things. The Lady Wolf knew everything. Thoughts, events, words, everything.
She sighed and slipped into her chair. She tried not to mutter as she wrote a note in straight, stiff writing.
“Desporon!” A small boy with plantinum blond hair cut close to his skull ran into the room.
“You called Ms. Cosima?” He asked, shaking slightly. Cosima frowned but hid it well.
“Give this to Isabella.”
“Yes Ms. Cosima.” As the old woman ground her teeth together, Desporon ran out of the tent. He ran across the camp and passed a tent highly decorated, guarded by two large men. A small girl with light brown hair ran passed the guards into the tent. If she had been anyone else, the guards would have sprung to life and blocked the entrance. But she wasn’t anyone else.
The girl’s name was Lupita. Brown eyed flecked with amber, her high energy normal for a three year old. She looked around the empty tent then frowned when she saw the hidden flap loose. She sat on a cushion that served at her bed and curled up on it, her eyes watched unblinkingly.
Minutes passed until a hand pulled the flap away. Lupita smiled and sat up, squirming a little in excitement.
A woman looking about 19, standing 5’ 7” with knee length hair, black as a raven’s wing, flecked with gold in the setting sun. She had bright, amber eyes that sparkled at the sight of the three year old. Her leather armor moved silently as she re-closed the flap and she set her sword next to her when she sat down on her cushion. The two were silent until Lupita squealed in delight and flew into her mother’s arms. The woman was not surprised of the gesture and returned it happily, giggling along with the girl.
“Lupita, my little pup,” she said. “What mischief have you caused today?”
“I stopped Tom from catching Hosa,” she replied happily.
“Really? How did you do that?”
“I grabbed his legs and made him trip.” The woman gasped.
“Is he alright?”
“Yea,” Lupita said, a little down now. “But he is mad at me now.” The woman hugged the girl.
“Don’t worry my little pup,” she said, stroking the girl’s hair as the three year old clung to the leather vest the woman wore. “He won’t be mad at you for long. No one can stay mad at you for long.” The little girl smiled through her tears and hugged the woman tighter.
“I love you mama,” Lupita whispered. The woman smiled.
“I love you too.”
“Milady? Isabella the tailor needs you.” The woman stood up and sat Lupita on her cushion. She picked up a cloak, putting it on and pulled the hood over her head to cover her eyes. Then she put the sword back on her hip and called to the guard.
“Tell her the Lady Wolf comes and for her to wait not long,” she called and a shadow moved away from the tent. Absently, the Lady Wolf touched an amber pendent that rested in the hollow of her throat. Engraved in the amber was a hollowing wolf toward a full moon. Lupita saw this.
“Mama…”
“You will meet him someday Lupita,” the Lady Wolf said quietly. Lupita nodded. The Lady Wolf smiled at her daughter. “Now sleep my little pup, tonight we have a festival and we will have a new pack member.”
The little girl nodded and laid down on her cushion. The Lady Wolf exited the tent and waved down the guard.
“Protect my daughter,” she said and she walked toward the tailor’s tent. She stopped suddenly and looked up at the sky. The moon was a bright round globe that hung low in the sky, taunting the Lady Wolf. She sighed.
“Almost three years to the day. I wonder if he is still alive or if he was killed.” She touched the pendent again, sighed and walked to the tailor’s tent.
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Ok, chapter 1 is up and all critique is welcome. also if you can help me chose what rating this story should be, that would be wonderfeul ^^' Chapter 2 will be up in a few days ^^
