Keeper of the Wolves (19 page)

He disappeared around the corner. I listened
to the crunch of his shoes on the path until they faded away.
Another sound caught my attention. I turned my head to the south
and strained my human ears. The sharp ring of metal on stone was
followed by a strangled cry. Footsteps shuffled on earth and a
heavy body thumped into another. A rush of adrenaline flooded my
limbs. The castle was in danger.

Chapter 11

I ran barefoot along the edge of the garden,
leaped the tall hedge at the end, then darted through a cove of
aspen and evergreens that surrounded a small lake. Fading stars
reflected in the water, reminding me that my time to change was
coming near. I ran past the trees, then slowed at the sight of
Rasmus’ soldiers battling Viel within the castle walls.

The battle was nearly silent, peppered only
by yells of pain and the sound of metal on flesh and stone. The
Viel fought without a sound, their teeth bare and yellow in their
gaping black mouths. They lashed out at soldiers who drew near;
several men wearing Vielkeep’s black and red were held within
jagged claws, their lifeblood pouring from mortal wounds. More Viel
climbed over the wall and landed with an expectant silence made
more ominous by the scent of rotten milk and mildewed stinkweed.
Their skin fluttered in a vacant breeze and the holes where their
eyes should be turned toward the men, making those who still stood
cower in fear.

“
Force them back to the
forest,” Rasmus’ voice called from the other side of the wall. The
sounds of the skirmish came louder as though the men on that side
fought a thicker horde of attackers.

Another group of soldiers ran down the wall
to join their companions. The mass of Viel surged forward to meet
them. The guards didn’t hesitate. They attacked the front and sides
like a pack of wolves and I felt a rush of familiarity in the heat
of battle. The call to help those I cared about thrummed through my
body; I crossed the ground between us at a run.

I dove under the reaching claws of a Viel,
then grabbed one of its feet and rolled when I hit the ground. The
Viel fell against two others, bringing them down so that one of the
soldiers could end their struggles with a quick slice of his sword.
Another yell sounded on the other side of the wall. The sound came
from Rasmus. I picked up a knife off a fallen guard and held it
between my teeth, then climbed quickly up the wall.

Three Viel were on their way over when I
reached the top. The two nearest reached for me before I could gain
my footing. I sliced at one set of claws, spun on a knee and jabbed
the other Viel in the stomach, then turned again and threw the
first one off the wall. The Viel I had stabbed toppled silently
after it into the crowd below. I rose and met the next one
head-on.

The black holes where its eyes should have
been leered at me while its mouth opened in a silent scream. It
moved faster than my eyes could follow and grabbed me by the
throat. The creature picked me up and its claws dug into my skin. I
struggled, but couldn’t loosen its grip. Below us, Vielkeep
soldiers fought on either side of the wall. On the side closest to
the castle the guards were winning, but on the other side the Viel
were pushing the soldiers back through sheer strength of numbers.
The Viel’s claws tightened, cutting off my breath. I grabbed at its
arms, but it wouldn’t release its hold. I fought to pull in a
breath. Panic thundered through me as black spots began to dance in
my vision.

At the last minute, I remembered the
weakness from the Viel I fought with Joven. I kicked the creature
right below its arm. Its mouth opened in a silent scream and it
lowered me just enough so I could drive the knife through the
gaping hole between its teeth. The sagging skin of its face slid
along my hand when I pulled back. The creature stumbled, one hand
still around my throat and the other clutching at the knife. White
froth bubbled from its mouth. It teetered on the edge of the wall.
My fingers scrambled desperately against its claws and I managed to
break free just as the Viel fell.

We plummeted together toward the seething
mass on the far side of the wall. I turned the creature just before
we slammed into the bodies of at least six other Viel grappling
with soldiers. The fall knocked the remaining breath from my lungs
and I rolled, gasping past my scratchy throat. I pulled in two good
breaths and looked around for a weapon. The scent of earth tainted
by white reeking blood and the fear and desperation of Rasmus’
soldiers filled my nose.

“
Create a barrier by the
wall. Push them back,” Rasmus yelled above the strange clatter of
swords on decaying bodies and the moans of dying men.

A sword fell near my head. I looked up to
see a soldier’s eyes roll back. Claws protruded from his stomach
and lifeblood slicked his black and red jerkin. I grabbed the sword
and drove it through the Viel’s throat before the creature could
react. I fumbled with the long blade, but managed to right it in
time to disembowel another creature before the Viel around me
realized I was a threat.

A sound like the wind blowing through the
branches of a dead tree rustled past. The Viel turned in a silent,
seething mass. A shudder ran through my skin. Gratitude and relief
filled me at the faint brush of sunlight on my shoulders. I threw
down my sword and ripped off the shirt Joven had lent me. I doubted
he would want it back now that it was covered in white sticky ooze
and the stench of a long-decaying Viel. Of course, he might be able
to turn it into a new fashion.

A snort of crazed laughter left me as my
limbs pulled and I changed into the familiar, welcome form of the
wolf. A growl ripped from my bruised throat and a swell of fury
fueled my muscles. I knew how to fight like a wolf, and wolves
defended their territory and loved ones with their life. The Viel
had threatened those I cared about, and now they would pay.

I swept through the mass with vengeance on
my teeth. Each bite and torn limb drove them back. Red danced in
front of my eyes as I dodged claws and leaped in to rent decaying
guts and shredded skin. The sound of the wind through dried
branches increased as the Viel drew closer to the forest. The
soldiers around me strengthened their attacks and Rasmus’ voice
rose above them, leading his men as they defended their castle,
Lord, and Lady.

When the remaining Viel reached the trees,
they vanished between them like wraiths in the shadows. I paced the
trees, willing them to return. Their smell lingered in the air as a
reminder of how many had escaped. It was over too soon. My blood
still boiled with anger at their attack. I didn’t want to rest with
their threat at our backs.

“
Victus.”

My eyes searched the dark trees restlessly.
The rising sun barely pierced the shadowy depths, but it was
obvious they were gone.

“
Victus.”

It was Rasmus who spoke. I suddenly realized
that a deep silence stood where the sound of soldiers regrouping
should have been.

I turned slowly to face the General. His
guards stood behind him in a silent, watchful half-circle, their
expressions mixed between fear and awe. They had seen me change
when I fought beside them to defeat the Viel.

“
Are you alright?” Rasmus
asked. Blood streaked the side of his face, but he looked otherwise
unharmed.

I couldn’t have said anything even if I had
the ability to do so. The Viel had almost overrun Vielkeep Castle.
I had changed in front of an entire battalion, compromising Koya’s
position and my own at Vielkeep. The Viel were still in the forest
behind me threatening the safety of those I had come to care about.
I wanted to run the creatures out completely, but they had vanished
and left me with plenty to explain and no ability to do so.

Unsure of what to expect, I took a step
toward Rasmus. My breath caught in my throat when he dropped to one
knee and put a fist over his heart. “You turned the tide of battle,
Victus. We owe you a great debt of gratitude for helping us save
Vielkeep.”

The soldiers around him looked at each
other. Several dropped to the ground beside their General,
exhaustion and relief on their faces. Rasmus rose and turned to his
men. “Victus’ secret protects our Lady Vielslayer from those who
are trying to harm her. Swear to me that you will keep his secret
and protect them both as he has protected us. We have bled as
brothers, and as brothers we will defend Vielkeep from the inside
and out.”

A multitude of voices repeated his last
words and the tightness in my shoulders loosened to leave weariness
in its stead. Guards turned away to help the wounded, and though I
caught a few questioning glances thrown my way, there was little
hostility or fear in their eyes, only pain and the weariness of
soldiers who lived when their friends had died.

“
We need to report to Lord
and Lady Vielslayer,” Rasmus said.

I looked up to see sorrow in his eyes as he
surveyed the slaughter of his men and the torn bodies of the Viel
among them. It was easy to see that no one had expected such an
attack; I knew as well as he did how close we had come to losing
the battle and letting the Viel in to destroy Vielkeep.

I paced at Rasmus’ side. He gave a few quiet
orders, directions for burning the slain Viel and instructions to
take his fallen men to the chapel until their bodies could be
prepared for burial. He paused and picked up a scrap of
used-to-be-white cloth. I recognized it as my shredded shirt, once
a frilly white article of clothing Joven was proud of, now just a
tattered remnant of how I revealed my ability to change form to
Rasmus’ men in order to save their lives.

“
Lieutenant, join us,”
Rasmus said to a man with a white streak in his black hair. He
looked young to be a lieutenant, but as he followed the General,
his eyes held the alert look of someone who was no stranger to
battle. Thin white scars showed on his forearms and a long-healed
wound at his brow had resulted in the white streak. He surveyed the
men and the bloody field as Rasmus did, two men battle-weary and
concerned about a foe who might return stronger than Vielkeep was
prepared to defend against.

Rasmus took a side door into the castle I
hadn’t used before; as he wound his way unseen through back
passageways, I noted them in the back of my mind in case I ever
needed such a path myself. The Lieutenant glanced at me several
times while we walked, but when I met his gaze he looked away
without a word. We paused in a small wash room where both men
rinsed their hands and Rasmus scrubbed the blood from the side of
his face. The wound close to his hairline was small and had already
begun to close.

“
Are you sure you’re
alright?” the General asked me quietly as he patted his hands dry
on a dark blue towel. I wondered if he could smell the lingering
scent of Viel that tainted his clothes. The same odor clung to my
fur. I fought an overwhelming urge to roll in some leaves or splash
thorough Vielkeep Castle’s courtyard fountain. I nodded and again
felt the Lieutenant’s gaze, but ignored it.

Rasmus studied me carefully for a moment,
then pushed open another door. A servant sat in one of the regal,
highly-polished oak chairs with clawed feet and a hawk emblazoned
in gold at the head. The boy scrambled to his feet at our entrance
and stuttered an apology with a quick bow.

“
Tell Lord and Lady
Vielslayer that their presence is requested in the Red Room,”
Rasmus said. A slight twinkle showed in his eyes, but he kept his
voice stern and frowned in disapproval.

“
Y-yes, G-general,” the
servant stuttered before he slipped out the door.

When it shut, Rasmus gave a quiet chuckle.
“Guess I needed to see that after what we’ve been through.” He
glanced down at me. “Reminds you that not everyone feels the
world’s about to end.”

“
Or they’re taking advantage
of the luxuries of life before it does,” the Lieutenant said in a
wry tone from where he stood near the door.

“
Perhaps we should recommend
a discreet removal of the finer candlesticks before they are
pawned,” Rasmus replied gamely.

The Lieutenant laughed. The sound surprised
me; for two men who had been in a battle, they acted surprisingly
nonchalant.

Rasmus must have read my look because he
gave a knowing nod. “Don’t worry, Victus. Sometimes humor is man’s
way to adapt to situations beyond our control.” He sobered. “They
surprised us. It won’t happen again.” The steel in his voice was
answered in the Lieutenant’s nod.

I padded to the window and gazed down at the
courtyard below. I wished we could see the back of the castle where
the battle had been, but Rasmus’ men would send a warning if the
Viel were spotted again. Given their hasty retreat, I doubted they
would be back without regrouping, if indeed such creatures
regrouped.

The servant opened the door again and
stepped aside to let Koya and Joven in. Both looked worn out from
dancing through the night and Koya’s cheeks were flushed. “What’s
the matter? We only meet in the Red Room if-” Her words stopped
mid-sentence when she saw the blood on both men’s clothes.

“
What happened?” Joven
demanded.

“
Viel attacked the Keep,”
Rasmus said.

“
But-” Koya’s eyes met mine
and widened. “What is Victus doing here?”

“
He turned the tide of
battle,” Rasmus replied. He took a step toward me. “He distracted
them and his attack threw them off balance so we could gain the
upper hand. Without him, you might be facing Viel right now instead
of suitors.”

“
Viel might be easier,” Koya
replied quietly. The flush of her cheeks deepened when she realized
she had spoken the words out loud.