Oubliette

5

After some time, Gaffer finally managed to work out one thing.

𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑚𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑟.

He may very well have ruined his friendship with Snow, but he knew that with only Fly and Boy Blue she wasn't going to make it to the castle. She needed him, needed the big bad wolf.

Gaffer began to jog, still in his clothes given to him by the Emperor though he'd discarded the shoes. As his bare feet pounded the earth, the blood became quickened in his veins and his legs and arms pumped it thoroughly throughout, he felt his heart rate rise as if ready to explode. When the constriction of his chest could become no more, his pounding heart could take no more of the strain, Gaffer through himself forward into the air.

Time had seemed to slow as every bit of him took a different shape. Bones cracked and snapped as they were reshaped to support the large muscled frame of a black wolf, and a snarl slipping past sharp teeth from the rip of searing pain throughout his entire body. By the time his front paws had hit the ground to continue running, he had completely transformed and with each paw to ground, the pain of it ebbed to a dull ache he hardly even realized had been there in the first place.

When he got to the gates of the goblin city, he found Snow and the others easily, they were being attacked by a goblin wielding a steam giant. Gaffer had to bound over the first gate's wall to reach them, and when he did he crashed into the giant that to him was of equal size. He took the metal frame firmly between his large teeth and clenched down, causing steam and parts to shoot in multiple directions. Giving it a shake, removing the goblin from the seat in the top that controlled it, he gave it one good throw over the low wall into the 𝐽𝑢𝑛𝑘𝑦𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑡𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠.

"Gaffer! Oh, Gaffer are you all right?" The wolf turned to face the concerned looking Snow and he shakes his head, hanging it with shame.

"I'm not asking to be forgiven. I don't care what you think of me right now either, you won't get to the castle with this lot alone. And—and I ain't interested in being friends." No, the wolf was interested in more from this woman, but he couldn't even be a friend to her, he could hardly consider anything else. He had to come to terms with that.

"I forgive you, Gaffer."

His head lifted in surprise, "You—you do?" And he could see it in her eyes that it was the truth, those kind forgiving blue eyes. They seemed a little surprised to he noted, but he tried not to think on that too much.

"And I commend you. Rarely have I seen such courage. You are valiant, Sir Wolf." Blue says and respectfully bows to Gaffer.

"I'd say you and I are friends, Mr. Big Bad Wolf." Fly adds.

When Gaffer came rushing in, he certainly hadn't expected to receive any of this, he'd expected more sticks and stones than anything.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get that rat who calls himself Gepetto." Bufkin says, effectively shattering the praising atmosphere.

Snow nods, "Right, let's go!"

After Gaffer takes down the inner gate, they were running through the streets so easily, the surprise at the goblin army was expected. Gaffer growls, baring his teeth as he takes a protective stance over Snow and the rest. Hiding her behind one of his large legs.

"Lancers, Ready!" One of the goblins yell.

"Get Snow to the castle." Gaffer snarls, before he lunges forward into the thick of the goblins the very moment one calls for a cannon to be fired.

"Gaffer!" Snow yells, but she's being tugged away by Boy Blue and Fly.

They led her away from the thick of the fighting, but it wasn't enough to keep her from all of it and it wasn't long before they ran into some more trouble. It was at this point, Boy Blue let go of Snow and sent her on with Fly and Bufkin.

With Bufkin flying above the buildings, he was able to guide them toward the castle, but still more trouble found them and soon had them surrounded inside one of the goblin homes. It wasn't for long. Gaffer had managed to take care of the main thrall of goblins and was working his way by scent to Snow, taking out the goblins and whatever weapons they had in his wake. By the time he reached them, the goblins were sounding a retreat.

Standing below the goblin home, he looked up at, "Snow! You and Fly jump down onto my back!" He calls, and in the time that it took for Snow to convince Fly that he would be okay if he took the leap, Boy Blue found them and clambered on. One by one he felt a new passenger fall onto his back then when all were aboard, he took off for the castle.

At it's doors, he paused to give a hearty blow in pushing it open while the group slipped off his back and ran up the steps, Snow taking the lead in dragging them all down a hallway. Gaffer had to take a moment to shift back into something more sizable that would fit, and though he wasn't fully human when he followed the group, he wasn't fully a wolf either. Just caught in between.

When Snow stopped, they were in a circular room with only two exits, one that they had just come through and the other that led up a staircase. Otherwise, the room was empty.

"No! He must have gone that way." Snow says as she eyed the stair case.

"Well, then, come on!" Gaffer growls and starts toward the door, only for Snow to step in his way and place a hand gently on his chest.

Her words were just as soft as she spoke to him, looking up at him alone even though the words were to address everyone, "I must face him alone."

"Why?" Boy Blue asks, but Snow never wavered in her gaze from Gaffer.

"That's the way it's done." She answers, as if that should explain it all.

"If that's the way it's done, then that's the way you must do it." Boy Blue says firmly. Gaffer didn't like this plan, didn't like the idea of Snow going to face the Emperor alone. There was no telling what he would do to her. "But should you need us. . ." Blue suddenly added.

Snow looked over at him and offered a small smile.

"Yes." Fly adds and the smile was directed toward him then.

"Should you need us. . ." Gaffer says quietly, a pleading in the edge of his voice. It called her attention back to him, and the hand moved from his chest up to cup his cheek and he felt her fingers winding inside the fur gently. His heart was pounding, his stomach fluttering and Gaffer couldn't help the way he looked down at her. Golden eyes softened by her touch, full of want and desire, of pleading. He didn't want her to go.

"I'll call." She assures. "Thank you," Her hand slips away and he wanted to catch it and bring it back. "All of you." She finishes in the address to them all.

Before he could speak, could reach for her she had already turned and was running to and up the stairs, disappearing out of sight.

"Suppose it is just the four of us now. We shall stand guard until the fair maiden returns!" Blue states, and Gaffer knew that wasn't going to happen.

"Mr. Big B. ? Are you okay?"

Gaffer blinks. His brows furrow as he tears his eyes away from the stairs, whirling around to look at Fly.

"What did you just call me?"

Fly shrinks away and answers in a small voice at Gaffer's sudden turn, "Uh, B—Big B. Sir, Mr. Wolf."

It hit like a train going hundreds of miles an hour. His brows rose, eyes widen and his gaze turned back to the stairs.

"𝑆𝑛𝑜𝑤. . . Snow!" He took one step to bolt toward them before everything blurred and disappeared.

When things were in focus again, Bigby was in the middle of Wolf Manor's kitchen and the first thing he heard was Snow yelling his name.