Running With The Wolves (A Nuts-and-Dolts Wolfwalkers AU)

Chapter 3

The wolves were attacking a flock of sheep and a farmer was trying his best to fend off a wolf with his pitchfork. Penny gets closer and aims her crossbow at the wolf...waiting for the right opportunity to shoot.

"Quick! Shoot! Fer God's sake, shoot!" the farmer shouted.

Just as Penny pulls the trigger, a sheep bumps into her throwing off her shot. The arrow hits Merlyn's wing and he falls to the ground.

"MERLYN!!" Penny gasped.

Then the wolves stop their attack at the sound of howling. A wild looking girl with silver eye emerges from the shadows, the wolves standing at her side. She growls at Penny and the farmers, then grabs Merlyn.

"Hey! That's my bird. Leave him alone!" Penny pleaded.

The wild girl retreats deep into the forest with Merlyn tucked in her arm. Penny tries to follow after her, but three wolves stand in her way, snarling and growling at her. A wolf was about to attack her when an arrow grazes its ear, making it yelp.

"Penny!" Clover shouted running towards her.

The wolves run away and Penny attempts to follow them to get to her pet falcon, but her uncle grabs her and holds her back. He turns her around to face him and checks her over for injuries.

"Penny, you could've been eaten alive! What were you thinking? What are you doing out here?" Clover said worriedly.

"Merlyn! He's gone. W-we gotta get him back!" Penny replied.

"No, Penny, it's too dangerous. You're not going after him. Not out there." Clover said, hugging Penny to his chest.

"But...we can't leave him." Penny cried.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But, I promised your parents I'd keep you safe." Clover said cupping Penny's cheek and wiping a tear away with his thumb.

"B-but..." Penny wept, bottom lip quivering.

"It's gonna be alright, Penny. You'll be safe back in town." Clover said leading Penny away from the forest.

Leaving the forest, Penny sees the farmers loading the sheep onto a caged wagon.

"Woah, I saw the whole thing! You're one lucky little girl, those wolves would've gobbled you up." Robyn the woodcutter said.

"It's a good thing that wolfwalker girl took mercy on ya and called them off." she told Penny.

"Don't fill my niece's head with that nonsense." Clover told the woman.

"It's not nonsense! I've seen them with my own two eyes!" Robyn argued.

"The wolves...they're clearly pissed off at us for cutting down their forest. If we stop the chopping, they'll stop the chomping, plain and simple." she added.

"But, we need to clear the wood." Clover replied.

"My God, did you not see!?" Robyn groaned annoyed.

"Well, actually, I did see the wolf attack." Clover replied folding his arms across his chest.

"But did you see the way those wolves answered her call?! I'm telling ya, that forest is full of wolves and we're doing nothing but angering them!" Robyn told him.

"Well, it won't be long before the wolves are gone." Clover said confidently.

"It won't be long before they're inside the town walls." Robyn said in a serious tone.

"No! We won't let that happen. We'll tame these lands. The Lord Protector has ordered it." Clover said.

The woman then begins to laugh hysterically, making Clover irritated. He clenches his fists as his sides and glares at her.

"That buffoon, General Ironwood doesn't care about protecting Argus! He only cares about controlling it! And its people!" Robyn said.

"That moron has way too much power! And his orders are ridiculous and stupid!" she added angrily.

"If you have any grievances, you speak directly to me." a deep voice said from behind Robyn.

Upon his horse was the Lord Protector himself...General Ironwood...surrounded by his soldiers.

"I...uh..um..." Robyn stammered.

With a cold and stern look on his face, Ironwood snaps his fingers and his men immediately cuff Robyn in chains. Penny clings to her uncle's side, frightened by the general.

"What the h*ll!? I didn't do anything!" Robyn objected.

"You spoke out against the military and its general, that is against the law. And your punishment will be the stocks." Ironwood told her.

"You're a tyrant." Robyn growled.

"No...you're a rebellious troublemaker who must be taught a lesson." Ironwood replied.

His guards shove her into the caged wagon along with the sheep.

"A few more like her and we'll have a rebellion on our hands." Ironwood muttered to himself.

"Hunter, see to it that every last wolf in that forest is executed. That is an order." he told Clover.

"Yes, general, sir." Clover saluted.

"And this girl...is she your ward?" Ironwood asked.

"Yes, she's my niece." Clover nodded.

"There should be no child beyond the walls. Why is she not in the scullery?" Ironwood asked Clover.

"She...doesn't work there, sir." Clover answered.

"You! Make sure this girl reports to the scullery!" Ironwood commanded a soldier.

"Work is prayer, girl." he added, staring down at Penny, who shrank in on herself under his gaze.

"U-Uncle Clover?" Penny said, looking to Clover with pleading eyes.

"Just do as the general commands, sweetie." Clover said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Penny walks away and stands just behind the caged wagon full of sheep and one prisoner.

"I ride out to deal with a revolt in the south. When I return, I want all the wolves gone from this forest." Ironwood said.

"Yes, sir." Clover replied standing straighter folding his hands behind his back.

"You have two days...don't waste them." Ironwood warned.

The general then leaves with a small army of soldiers, and Penny follows the caged wagon being pulled by the farmers, with two guards standing on each side of the wagon. Penny looks over her shoulder and watches Clover go back into the woods to hunt the wolves. They were almost back in town when Robyn got the girl's attention.

"Psst, hey, kid. The one who took your bird. I've her before. She's a wolfwalker. They can talk to the wolves." Robyn whispered.

"Wolfwalkers?" Penny replied tilting her head to the side.

Robyn tells Penny that the wolfwalkers can heal and that they probably did so to her falcon. Knowing that Merlyn might be okay, Penny had to do something to get away before they went behind the walls of the town. She causes another distraction by letting all the sheep out so she could sneak away during the chaos...with a little help from Robyn of course.