Mute (A Black Butler Fanfic)

Chapter 7

Sebby's POV

I follow the young master's orders, tailing Mary-Clara until she reaches the stables. I smell the stink of a newborn foal and it's mother. I watch from the shadows as she breathes a sigh of relief.

And then the pack of wolves surrounding the stables starts creeping forward.

She hears a twig snap and pulls out the pistol she used on that doorman. A six-shot revolver, the newest model. Fully loaded.

Does she carry that everywhere?

I saw the closest wolf race toward her, only to slam into the closed door. They started scratching at the door and making irritating growling noises.

I heard her moving things around in there, probably piling items against the door.

But they could always dig underneath the stables.

Honestly, I'd love to just be rid of these horrid beasts.

So I threw a knife into one of their heads.

It fell over, not a drop of blood hitting the ground. The other wolves noticed him immediately and started howling, mourning their fallen comrade.

It took a long time but they all finally went their separate ways; I had guessed right, the now dead one was the pack leader. They would all probably find a new pack to join.

Well, my work here was done. Mary-Clara would return to the mansion in the morning when she'd deemed it safe enough.

I headed back to the mansion, sensing a carriage pulling up to the front doors.

MC's POV

I woke up at dawn to the foal sniffing my face.

I smiled at him. Him? I peeked under his legs. Yeah, him. I should probably give him a name. Maybe . . . I thought about last night and grinned.

I traced Wolf on his back.

He licked my hand, so I think he approved.

I got up, dusting off my trousers and father's jacket. I slowly pulled the hay bales away from the door, opening it slowly.

Nothing! Hooray!

I closed the stable door after waving goodbye to Dahlia and Wolf. As I walked I thought about what today would be like. I imagined Dana telling me my schedule. 'Well, first you must apologize as best you can to Lauren. Once that's done, you'll face interrogation by your Mother about last night. Then you'll be called horrendous names by your sister. And over dinner Ciel will propose to Carlotta and you'll tell this wretched tale to myself, who missed it all.' Geez, I've got to stop being so negative. I passed under a tree, shivering in the sudden cold.

A wolf lunged from the bushes to my left, latching it's teeth onto my arm. I opened my mouth to scream, but no sound came out.

Like always.

The wolf let go, backing away a few feet. Fire danced through my arm, warm blood dripping down my wrist and fingertips. I pull out my gun with my right hand, holding it only with one arm.

The wolf froze, it's mouth red with my blood. The wolf eyed the blood on my arm, then the gun. The blood. The gun.

Oh please leave. Please, don't make me shoot you.

The blood. The gun. The blood. The gun.

It takes a step forward.

The blood.

I take a step back.

The gun.

It lunges at me.

I pull the trigger.

The wolf dies instantly, a hole through it's head. But that doesn't stop its momentum. It crashes into me, knocking me off my feet and tumbling across the ground. I roll to a painful stop, hugging my wounded arm to my body. God, it hurts so much. And all the pebbles on the ground got into the wound. This is not good. I have to stop the bleeding. But with what? I'm not taking off my trousers or-

Father's jacket. I have to use his jacket.

I hesitate, then struggle out of it, wincing when it gets stuck on the torn skin. Using my good hand and teeth I rip the fabric and tie it around the wound. Now I need to get back before any of it's friends smell the blood and come.

I pick up my pistol, holding it loosely in my right hand and cradle my bad arm to my stomach. I walk past the dead wolf's body, turning away at the sight of the wound.

I walk back slowly, much more alert than before. The pain in my arm keeping me focused.

I eventually make it to the mansion, climbing up the steps to the top. Lauren isn't there, now I feel really bad. I regret shooting at him like that. Sure, he's shot a gun before but he's never been shot at. To be honest, neither have I.

I push open the doors, freezing at the sight before me. Every butler and maid in the mansion must be in this room, wearing boots and pants and hats and scarves. Some have small bags on them full of sandwiches and water. Each are holding their gun in their hand.

Dana is the first to notice me.

"MARY-CLARA! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!?! YOU CAN'T GO AROUND SHOOTING AT PEOPLE, THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS! WHERE ON EARTH DID YOU GO??" she shouts, marching forward and grabbing me by the shoulder.

I sign Stable at her.

She rolls her honey-colored eyes. "I understand you wanted to be there for Dahlia when she had her foal but that's not an excuse to shatter a window!"

I sign Wolf Eat Horse.

She sucks in a breath. "A wolf?"

I hold up my fist, uncurling each finger one at a time until all my fingers are straight.

"F-five!? There was a whole pack of wolves?" I nod. She notices the blood-stained cloth around my arm.

"Wha-did a wolf attack you?" I nod again, wincing as she moves to take off the fabric.

She gives a kind of exhausted half-smile. "You are aware you risked your life for the sake of your horse and her unborn foal, right?"

I blink a few times and slowly nod, turning to the huge crowd before us. I point to them and throw a questioning look Dana's way.

She chuckles, "Well, I got back this morning and Lauren told me how you'd run away. The whole mansion knew of course, hearing the gunshot last night, and we were all worried sick. We were just about to leave the mansion to look for you."

I stare at them. All of them? They were all going to leave to look for me? I sign Why to Dana, utterly confused.

"Oh MC," she sighed, "Don't you get it? You spend so much time with these people, just being around them, they consider you one of their own! To live in this mansion without you there to smile everyday would be terrible! These people care for you, MC. They really do."

They all nod in agreement. I lunge forward and tackle her in a hug, trying to fight back tears. I don't need a fiance to love.

These people. These people surrounding me.

They love me.