The Wolf'sRose

tuttugu ok sjau

Mikkel turned to Midnight and yelled, "What do you mean she's the reason he was born?"

Midnight smiled and tugged a lock of hair that had fallen across her forehead back into place. "Did you not think that the nimbus elders would not have foreseen Rose as well as the elvin elders? Moorwyn told a few days ago that when he was a juvenile that a nimbus elder came to him and showed him the dream that she had. He told me how the minute he smelled Rose that he knew she was the one. Evidently, the elder had shared the dream with Moorwyn's mother and father, and when they laid a clutch of eggs in their hoard, the elder claimed Moorwyn and proclaimed to his parents that their son was going to be the one who helped reunite the races once more." Midnight smiled wistfully as she watched the two soar across the sky.

Mikkel followed her line of sight just in time to see Moorwyn toss Rose onto his back, right at the top of his neck, actually. Rose reached out and grabbed the horns that rose on each side of the dragon's head and held on. All watching also noticed that the large diamond (few recognized it as a dragon tear) around Rose's neck began to glow. Mikkel could hear Moorwyn growl something to his mate and watched as Rose raised the tear into the air as the dragon breathed flames. 

Everyone watched in astonishment and fear as the flame curled around and turned to Rose, seated on the great beast's neck, and engulfed the dragon tear. Gasps were heard as the flame was absorbed into the stone and it gently settled back around Rose's neck as Moorwyn tried to land as gently as possible with the battlements crowded and with the pregnant alpha female seated on his neck.

When Mikkel approached he noticed that Rose's face was aglow with pure and rapturous joy. He had intended to yell and her and take her to task for frightening him so. But at one glance at her face, he couldn't find it in his heart to do so.

Florisha approached carefully, not knowing the mindset of the Alpha Jarl. While Rose was her niece, she was the alpha female first and Mikkel's mate. Standing before the couple she bowed. "My Lord, My Queen. You know what must be done, don't you?"

She watched as two large tears escaped from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. "I do. I will not enjoy the destruction, but it will put an end to all of this. Before I go, I must see the unicorn in the stables and speak to him." Rose raced down the steps of the battlements leading to the courtyard and the stables. Once she entered the stables she found herself face to face with the unicorn stallion and Silka.

Immediately Silka bowed followed quickly by the unicorn stallion. "Good afternoon, My Lady Luna. Swiftfoot and I were just discussing how long it would take you to come here." As if to agree, the white horned horse neighed loudly and nodded his head. "Majesty, if I may?" Silka asked. When assent was given Silka placed one hand on the unicorn's neck and one hand on Rose's shoulder.

Rose gasped. Voices. She could hear hundreds, no thousands of voices, in her head. And not a single one was familiar. 

"Be at ease, My Lady Luna. It is the herd. They wish to honor you with praise. The unicorn king has himself something to say to you." Silka said as she smiled gently.

At Rose's nod the stallion tuned and stared her in the eye. The stare was so intense that she couldn't break it. She couldn't even blink, the gaze was so powerful. Then as suddenly as the voices started, they stopped. Then one voice, deep and regal, spoke up. "Welcome Your Majesty. I am Swiftfoot, and I am the Leader of my herd. We are fewer than we were. The Unseelie have trapped and enslaved many of my kind. It is my understanding that is why you came here, is it not? You wish to know how to save the ones that are bound to the dark fae, don't you?"

Rose nodded as tears once again escaped from her eyes to run down her face. "I am sorry, Your Majesty. They only way that I know of saving them is to either kill them or to kill their masters.",  At Rose's gasp and her swift denial, Swiftfoot laid his muzzle against the side of Rose's face and bobbed his head as if he wished to wipe her tears away. "Dry your eyes, Lady Rose. These are the only two escapes for them and not only are they aware of it, they would welcome it. Their masters deaths because that would mean no more enslavement and no one to steal their magic. Their deaths for the same reason." Swiftfoot nuzzled Rose once more before stepping back to look her in the eye again. "Be at peace, My Lady. Many have and are grieving for those about to die. But yet, the same shall rejoice when they pass from this life and their captivity. You should too. Enslavement has not been easy for them and what one has felt, we all have felt. Several of the unicorns are tired, My Lady, tired of fighting what seemed for so long like a hopeless fight. Many have had their spirits broken and have been separated from their families for so long that reintegration into the herd might well be impossible. No, My lady. Let them have this death. At least they will die in battle as many would wish."

Rose turned at run to the entrance of the stables where Mikkel stood waiting. His paws warm as they patted her for comfort, his fur clean and warm. His growls echoing throughout the courtyard as Rose realized that the wolves of the clan were in hybrid transformation. A few had chosen to fully transform, but many had chosen to stand upright on their hind legs. Rose reached up and tugged on the snow white ear of her mate and kissed the side of his muzzle, unafraid of his sharp teeth and razor like claws that held her. Rose leaned back and looked up at her mate and husband. In such a short time they had become so very dear to each other. This clan was her clan and she loved them as much as Mikkel did. As she looked over the assemblage, she realized that she knew each and every one, right down to the last pup.

"Today we face an old adversary. An enemy so vile and hated. They have tried treason, assassination and many other means to break this clan. But we are strong, and together we fight!" Rose shouted as she raised her fist in the air.

"Oh no you don't!" Mikkel said from behind her. Just as Rose was about to argue with him, her dragon tear began to glow brightly. Midnight, realizing what was happening, steered her out into the courtyard where Moorwyn waited. This time, Rose climbed up herself instead of being flung. Rose turned to look at Mikkel and said," I love you, my wolf. I will be much safer in the air and you know it." Mikkel nodded his head as stood back as the great guardian of the keep leapt into the air with his mate on his back. Turning, Mikkel rallied everyone as the large fortified doors opened and they began to pour forward out of the keep courtyard.