The Cabin-A Wolfwalkers Fanfiction(COMPLETED)

Chapter Twenty-Four

    The day had come to finally get rid of the Lord Protector once and for all. I woke the others, and soon, the whole pack was up and moving about, stretching and yawning. After we had prepared for the battle, we headed off to the forest where we would await the signal. If the townspeople successfully took control of the gate, Robyn would shoot an arrow up into the air. When we saw the signal, we would rush into the town and overpower the guards. Then, with his army neutralized, the Lord Protector would have nowhere to run and would be forced to surrender. The townspeople would finally be free of his tyranny, and we wouldn't have to constantly check our backs for enemies. It was a win-win for everyone except the Lord Protector. Perfectly designed.

    Me and Mebh had decided to be in our wolf forms for the battle for the extra speed and power. It would also enable us to keep up with the other wolves in the chaos of the melee. We awaited the signal from Robyn until suddenly, a glint of steel caught my eye in the afternoon sun. I saw the gate was wide open. "Wolves!" Mebh shouted. "Attack!" A slew of wolves surged forward with me and Mebh in the middle of them, and Bill and Moll leading the charge. The guards on top of the walls panicked and shouted. We streamed through the town walls as muskets started to fire. Townspeople opened their doors and joined the fray, axes and sickles at hand, yelling. Guards rushed towards the street, only to find it covered with wolves. They got trampled and stepped on, and whenever guards would emerge from other streets, wolves would tackle them, trample on them, and bite them until they lay groaning with wounds on the street. Some townspeople stayed behind, acting as cleanup crew, grabbing the guards, searching them, and throwing them in cells.

    We flowed throughout the town, disabling the guards and searching for any that we missed or that were hiding. We flung open barrels, dug through hay, and double-checked the scullery, back alleys, and basements until we were certain that no guards had escaped our grasp. In case there were, some wolves set up a perimeter just outside the town gates, searching for stragglers or escaped guards.

    Wolves surrounded the castle, but the doors were locked and shut. "We need keys," Robyn said. " Find a guard. If he's dead, search him. If he's alive, threaten him." Some townspeople obliged, and a few minutes later, came back with a set of keys. We unlocked the doors and burst through. I sniffed the air. He was definitely here in the castle. We just need to find out where. "Fan out. We'll find him somewhere." The wolves split up into groups of two and three and commenced to search every room, looking for the Lord Protector. Me, Mebh, Robyn, Moll, and Bill all went to the very top, to the Lord Protector's personal chambers. The doors were locked. With the set of keys, Robyn unlocked the doors, and we went inside.

    The Lord Protector was there, standing with a flintlock in each hand. "You devils. Why won't you leave me alone!?" He fired both flintlocks. I jumped out of the way of one and it hit the stone behind it harmlessly. The other shot went wide, hitting the wall.

    "You never left us alone! You captured me to present!" I swiveled around. Moll was standing, her face angry. Tears fell down her face. "You left him to die in the wilderness! You tried to kill off our pack!" She walked towards him. "You were always the aggressor, whether it was cutting down trees, burning the forest, or invading our home, you were always the one who started conflicts. Not very leader-like." I saw a glint of silver. The Lord Protector had a small dagger concealed in his sleeve! He was whipping it out and was going to stab Moll! "MOLL! WATCH OUT! HE HAS A BLADE!" Moll gasped just as the Lord Protector slipped his dagger into his hand. He was just about to pierce Moll's heart with his wicked-sharp weapon when I heard a whistle and a thunk, a sound I had heard while hunting countless times before. It meant an arrow had struck flesh. It meant a kill. The Lord Protector, tyrant and unrightful ruler of England and Ireland was dead with an arrow in his forehead. He dropped, dead, onto the floor with a thud. I turned and saw Robyn on one knee, her crossbow out, the trigger squeezed. Mebh stood, shocked. Then, she talked, getting louder as she spoke. "Robyn. We did it. You did it. We got rid of the Lord Protector once and for all! He's gone! Done! It's finally over!" She hugged Robyn. Robyn smiled and hugged her back.

    Triumphant, we called the wolf pack to us and headed out of the castle into the town square. Townspeople were cleaning up from the fighting, righting turned-over carts, and helping each other with their wounds. "People of Kilkenny!" Robyn called. "He's dead!" The townspeople looked in awe. Then Sean raced forward. "You did it? Yes! Down with Lord Ironsides! Ireland is free once again! We are free!" He cheered, and the townspeople cheered with them. Tears grew in my eyes. All of the spite, all the anger, the hatred. I could release it after two years of being alone. I walked with my friends in the streets, laughing and grinning, victorious.