Ink and Quill

Chapter 7- The Wolf at the Door

Lanterns lit up the backyard, the surrounding woods, the porch, and the door to the bathing room. Despite the light Ailsa and Blair timidly crossed the porch while squinting to see past the light to the tree line fifty yards away.

"Go on," Elizabeth encouraged with a soft nudge in the small of their backs to keep them moving, "I'm here and there is nothing out there."

Hefting her battle axe, 'Lambrys the Storm Cleaver', she wondered where it came from. Examining its wicked half-moon head and the even deadlier spike counterbalancing it, the cheeks and spike were engraved with what looked like Celtic rope around the parameter. Within the rope border following the curve of the beard and edge, from toe to heel, were the symbols of the moon on one side and sun on the other. Behind the celestial bodies were wolf heads, each one slightly different, on each side above the depictions of two women lying down dead. Behind the wolves and the women were two birds that looked to be crows, or maybe ravens. Each one was in mid-flight and seemed to be holding a spear in their talons. The rest of the engravings were runes. The long curved axe handle was also engraved for its entire length with what appeared to be the same Celtic rope work and runes that was on the axe head. To protect the handle from breaking, the shoulder and halfway down the belly of the handle were heavily engraved bronze guards, and lastly a bronze wedge and cap on the eye of the axe completed the weapon.

She was sure that it told a story, but had no idea what it could be.

Leaves rustling at the tree line snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up. Ailsa and Blair were continuing on to the bathing room, but she stopped. Within the darkness of the forest she saw the red reflections of torch light in two sets of eyes to each side of a single eye watching her. Ailsa and Blair stopped at the door and looked back nervously though ignorant of the danger only a hundred feet away.

"Elle?" Ailsa asked tentatively.

Pulling her gaze away from the wolves she knew were watching her, she saw Ailsa and Blair's fear and reassured them, "It's okay. Go on inside. I am right behind you."

They nodded as they snatched another look out at the woods, but did as she said. Once the door closed she looked back at the tree line. The black wolf stepped out and stood there glaring at her as if it were waiting for her to come over. It was as large as a Clydesdale and immensely intimidating. Hefting her axe, she looked over at the bathing room door and then stepped off of the porch.

Two days ago she would never have done this. Two days ago she probably would have run screaming back into the house. However, that was two days ago. Today she felt anger and fear, but she also felt power. It felt like a warm glow churning in her belly with butterflies, but as she focused on the warmth the butterflies were burned away. Today she was a protector, a guardian, for her... children; and either the wolves encircling them, or she, would die before she let them near her children!

"You're a courageous one," The black wolf growled as she came to a stop fifty feet from it.

"Does not a mother bear charge to the defense of her cubs," She answered, then nodded to the two wolves still hidden in the trees before adding, "I am sure it is the same for wolves."

The black wolf cocked its head so that it could look back with its good eye toward the forest before it answered, "It is... Or, it would have been... If we were wolves..."

Elizabeth's brow furrowed and she asked, "What do you mean by that?"

The wolf turned its gaze back on her and taunted, "I am here to offer you a deal."

She pursed her plump mouth in aggravation at being ignored, but decided to leave it and asked tersely, "What kind of deal?"

The wolf chuckled and Elizabeth hissed at the sound. Its voice sounded like pieces of leather whisking against each other when it spoke, but its laugh was like gravel squelching when walked upon, "I am here to offer you a quick and almost painless death if you send the two girls out to me now. I will even make sure they're dead before I start eating them if you do..."