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The Howling

Chapter 38

Though it had pained her to do so at the time, Aina was very glad to know she had sent Nhlahla and Sampson far away. In the months that came, Ti'uu suddenly abandoned the tribe. No more did his silhouette pass over the moon. Fish dwindled in the rivers, fruits and vegetables shriveled up, and the tawny deer of Homyn Willow nearly disappeared into legend.

Aina took up her bow and went out with the hunters each day. Sometimes they returned with little or nothing at all. Foraging produced the same disappointing results. Ti'uu Bird had abandoned the tribe, and they looked to Aina to find out why. They begged her to plead with him, to dance in appeal to him. Aina knew such rituals were futile: that Ti'uu had abandoned them could only mean the end was drawing near. But she humored her tribe, and tying the great Ti'uu bird's blue feathers to her ankles, she danced around a blue fire at the center of the camp. To no avail.

With Ti'uu's absence, the foxes were also losing their magic. They could no longer conjure fire, throw up protective barriers of light, nor command the trees. Aina was the only one who retained a small amount of her powers, and even that was hardly enough to light a blue campfire.

As the months passed, the nights grew colder, and watching as Evelyn shivered in her deerskin dress, Aina lamented the fact that she had not been able to make a coat for her wife. Much like the deer, the bears of Homyn Willow had also disappeared. It was as if Ti'uu bird had halted every resource to insure the swift downfall of his tribe. It made Aina's heart burn that a god could decide to kill and save on a whim, to punish and reward. She looked at her tribe and didn't understand why they didn't deserve his salvation. Her tribe had faithfully worshipped Ti'uu all their lives, had done everything he had ever asked, and now he would abandon them to die?

"We should leave Homyn Willow," Lenard insisted. He stood before Aina, his paw on the sword sheathed at his hip. In the months that had passed, his cheeks had gone hollow, not only from slow starvation but from despair.

Behind Lenard, Eldon sat on a log, dismally warming his paws over the fire. On his back was his crossbow, and he was dressed in the torn jacket and breastplate of his division. As the days of starvation grew worse, he had taken to wearing his old uniform more, as if he were determined to die the soldier he was and not the deserter he had become.

Ever blazing with energy, Chauncey passed back and forth before the fire as Neeki sat watching him sadly. Aina glanced over at Neeki and wanted to hold her. The young bride looked so small and sad. Her cropped black mane danced in the wind around her ears, which were hanging with the brown feathers of a hawk, and a matching feather necklace - that Chauncey had made for her - was around her throat. Her worried eyes followed Chauncey's restless pacing and she snatched at his hip as he passed her, begging him in a hoarse whisper to sit down. Chauncey jerked free of her and kept pacing. His chest was heaving. He was furious. With his marriage to Neeki, he had come to believe in Ti'uu Bird as his new god. To suddenly find himself abandoned was nothing short of devastating.

Aina glanced miserably at Evelyn. The white foxhound sat wrapped in Lenard's jacket, exhaling mist in the cold, legs bare in her deerskin dress. At Aina's insistence, she was wearing Aina's moccasins, and around her throat was fastened the shell necklace Aina had given her. In the months that had followed Ti'uu's sudden absence, Evelyn's belly had steadily ripened to roundness. Aina couldn't believe it the first time she noticed the bulge Evelyn could no longer hide in Lenard's jacket: her wife was pregnant!

Aina cornered Evelyn about it, demanding to know who the father was and how long Evelyn had known. Evelyn broke down sobbing as she admitted it was the king's and she was terrified - simply terrified - that something would happen to it. After all, they lived everyday believing they were starving. Aina cupped Evelyn's face and promised her everything would be alright. But that empty promise left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Present day Evelyn shivered hard in Lenard's jacket, but catching her wife's worried eye, she smiled for her benefit and squeezed her paw.

"There would be no point," Aina answered Lenard dully.

Lenard looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "No point in leaving, my lady? Starvation has surely rattled you. You aren't in full control of your senses."

"Sampson was smart enough to leave," Eldon muttered bitterly.

Aina guiltily avoided everyone's eye. The remaining mastiffs believed Sampson had abandoned them in favor of his new love. The truth was she had threatened him away. When Nhlahla ran to him crying, Sampson held her and comforted her but stood his ground and refused to simply leave. Aina grabbed a knife and told him to get out, take Nhlahla with him, and never come back. "I don't want to see your face," she hissed, and Sampson, hurt in his eyes, slowly backed away. He took Nhlahla by the paw, and without stopping to pack food or supplies, they simply wandered off into the trees. The few foxes who witnessed the incident glowered at Aina but kept their mouths shut about the whole affair. Aina could still feel their accusatory eyes on her now. They believed she had driven Nhlahla and her lover away out of jealousy.

Aina heaved a miserable breath and looked at Lenard. "If we have fallen out of favor with Great Ti'uu, then our misfortunes will only follow us."

Lenard tensed. "To hell_with your Teeboo!" he suddenly shouted, and heads turned in a ripple. His eyes popped, and grabbing his sword hilt, he took a lunging step toward Aina. "You are the _worst conceivable leader these poor sods could ever have the misfortune of--"

"Lenard!" Eldon shouted. He fumbled to his feet and grabbed his lover by the arm. Lenard kept at Aina, and his mouth falling open in shock, Eldon restrained him. "Lenard - have you _lost_it!"

"Have I lost it? Are you blind?" Lenard roared. "She would keep us here! She meant for us to die - all along!"

"Lenard!"

"Let me go!"

Lenard fought like a beast to get at Aina while Eldon strained to hold him back. Aina sat in shock, watching the desperate struggle with her ears flat. Dirt kicked up in clouds as Chauncey joined in. In a wild rage, Lenard snarled and shouted curses at Aina. He finally managed to draw his sword, and as it flashed in the moonlight, several foxes gasped.

"God dammit, Lenard!" Eldon growled and smacked the sword away. It went spiraling through the dirt and stopped at the feet of little Zalelew.

A silence fell over the camp as Lenard sagged miserably in the strong arms of his comrades. Eldon stroked his mane, and Chauncey looked at his captain like a frightened boy. No doubt Chauncey had never seen Lenard so given to blind rage.

Aina sat stiff in the silence that followed, her heart beating in her ears: they were going to wind up killing each other before the night was through.

"What's that sound?" Zalelew squeaked into the silence. He stood with his head tilted, listening.

"H-Hush, child," said his mother and grabbed at his tail. "Hush and s-sit down." She glanced at Lenard, eyes large with fear.

Many of the foxes were now tense, paws on bows, waiting for Lenard to make another attempt at Aina's life. They didn't hear the distant howling. But Aina did. She slowly stood.

"What is it?" Evelyn whispered, clutching with feeble paws at Aina's pants.

"Shh," Aina hissed. Her ear flicked. "Listen."

They listened. The howling grew louder, and slowly, the sound of stamping boots became apparent.

"What is that?" Chauncey whispered.

Aina followed his gaze: the glow of firelight approached their camp through the trees. The sound of boots stamping in rhythm. Armor jingling. The approaching horde was howling as one. Aina closed her eyes and could feel the fear vibrating through the forest: little creatures were scattering to clear a path, trees stood tense for the evitable spread of fire. She opened her eyes and looked sadly at Evelyn: it was time.

"Soldiers?" Chauncey realized. He looked at Neeki and yanked her to her feet. Neeki trembled when he kissed her. "Run," he whispered sadly.

Neeki shook her head and clung to him. "N-No --!"

"I said run, dammit!" Chauncey roared. He shoved her so hard she fell in the dirt. He pulled his mace and stared at her, and if Aina didn't know better, she would have thought he was going to strike her. He still wore the deerskin skirt of a fox hunter, and his bare chest in the firelight rippled with muscles as he towered over his wife. "I said run," he repeated quietly. "Run into the forest and don't look back." He swallowed hard, and Aina knew he was swallowing tears.

Neeki got to her feet, and with tears trailing down her face, she quietly took his arm. "I said no."

Chauncey's ears flattened. He began to cry as his wife touched his face. She kissed him, and they stood with their foreheads touching as the howling grew louder.

Aina could see the first row of soldiers pressing through the trees. They halted on the edge of the camp, lowered to their knees as one, and aimed their rifles.

Aina's heart stopped. "RUN!" she bellowed.

The first round came, ringing through the forest as the sudden screams of the foxes rose with it. Aina saw bullets tear through Zalelew, saw his blood splash his mother's horrified face, saw his mother fall in the dirt beside him and throw herself over his staring corpse. Her husband tried to pry her away and took a bullet in the neck. He sank beside her, collapsing on his face like a ragdoll. As she knelt screaming over her fallen husband and child, a mastiff in silver armor stamped toward her. He drew his sword as he came, and grabbing her by the mane, he slit her throat.

It all seemed to happen in six seconds flat.

The mastiffs swept upon the camp, swords drawn, chasing down the foxes as they scattered into the ruins. Aina could see they were the king's elite: they wore the same silver jackets and breastplates as Lenard. They came with fire. They came relentlessly, killing with an expertise both calculating and cold. Before long, the camp was ablaze, and all around, chaos and blood as gunfire rang to the starlit sky.

Aina's heart skipped a beat when a mastiff came up behind Evelyn. She managed to pull her wife out of harm's way as the mastiff brought his sword down. Eyes alight with rage, she lifted her paw and he was blasted back with a scream. His back hit a tree with a nasty crack and he tumbled to the blazing grass like a ragdoll. Evelyn stood stiff with horror and her blue eyes were wide and wet with tears. Aina asked if she was alright, and the duchess barely managed to nod. More mastiffs were coming, fire in their eyes, maces and swords and shields in their paws. Aina squeezed Evelyn's paw and pulled her along. They ran blindly through the smoke.

As they went, Aina saw Chauncey fighting bravely to defend Neeki's life. Tears were in the young mastiff's eyes: he was fighting soldiers who had been his brothers in arms. They recognized him as well and shouted for him to surrender. He refused, shielding Neeki with his body as he brought his mace down. The motion left Neeki open, and a mastiff lifted his crossbow and shot her in the neck. As Neeki coughed blood and slumped to her knees, Chauncey stood like one stricken. Then his face twisted with sudden fury, and lifting his mace high, he screamed, "Noooooo!" and leapt at the one who had failed her. The mastiff reluctantly shot him in the chest. Right in the heart. His eyes were dull with relief as he slowly fell to his knees, then collapsed facedown in a cloud of dirt.

Evelyn halted and screamed Chauncey's name. Aina forced her along by the arm and could hear her sobbing as they ran. She glanced at her wife and saw the curls of her tousled mane clinging to her tears.

Aina managed to get them into the forest, and the screams rising from the camp were far behind them. They ran, breathlessly, relentlessly, the reaching branches of bushes and trees slapping lines of blood across their cheeks. Evelyn staggered and nearly fell. Aina caught her and pulled her on. They couldn't stop. Stopping meant dying.

"Where are we g-going?" Evelyn sobbed.

"Far away," Aina answered breathlessly.

But it wasn't to be. The mastiffs had taken precautions, and an entire division of them had surrounded the camp on all sides. Aina and Evelyn halted as they came face to face with a wall of armed mastiffs, who stood calmly and quietly, long rifles lifted, waiting for the inevitable foxes who would flee toward them.

The mastiffs took aim as the females stumbled to a halt. Aina's heart about stopped. Her first instinct was to shield Evelyn with her body, but the mastiff in the lead called for his soldiers to halt.

"Stand down, boys!" he shouted.

Aina tensed as the lead mastiff walked toward them, armor jiggling with his slow stride. A fluff of fur hung from his upper lip and chin to form beard and mustache, and he wore a wide brimmed hat with a long red feather to match the red jacket of his division. Aina hated him on sight, hated that he could walk so at ease, so nonchalantly when her tribe was being slaughtered not thirty feet away. He halted and stared at Evelyn, then nodded.

"The former Duchess Evelyn Lorraine Kingsley, I presume?" he said.

"Y-Yes," sniffled Evelyn, tears still trailing down her face.

The mastiff nodded and startled them both when he removed his hat and bowed deeply. His long amber mane was pulled back in a puffy tail and flopped from the bow. Behind him, the other mastiffs took a knee as one. Aina looked at Evelyn for an explanation, but the foxhound seemed just as perplexed.

The mastiff in the lead straightened up again and tugged on his hat. "Allow me to introduce myself, your highness. I am Captain Lorenzo Evans, at your service. I have been given orders by her majesty to secure both you and your . . . vixen friend." He glanced at Aina curiously. "Is this she?"

Evelyn swallowed hard. "You won't harm her?" Her fingers tightened in Aina's and she drew her close.

Captain Lorenzo Evans bowed his head deeply. "You have my word, your highness. The king has crowned you princess of the land. If the princess wishes it, not a hair on her hide will come to harm."

Evelyn's mouth fell open. "Crowned me princess?" she whispered breathlessly.

The captain smiled. "Yes, your highness. It was not in my orders to harm your vixen anyway. But if she doesn't come peacefully, I will have to use force. The queen has requested her arrest."

Evelyn's wet eyes glanced miserably at Aina. "You said her majesty ordered this? Not the king?"

The captain hesitated.

Evelyn's face twisted. "Tell me!" she practically shrieked and took a halting step, her white curls bouncing. "I command it!"

In the face of her sudden wrath, the captain sank humbly to a knee and bowed his head. "The king ordered that we bring you in peacefully, your highness," he admitted to his boot. "Your exile has been lifted. In fact, you are now his princess consort."

"Then stop this madness!" Evelyn screamed and pointed an angry finger at the distant fire, from which the wailing still rose in mournful chorus. She stamped her moccasin. "Stop it now!"

"I can not do that, your highness," the captain said to his boot. "The king ordered that we find you, but the queen ordered the massacre. I can not break orders."

Evelyn choked back sudden tears and held out her paws in angry appeal. "But why would she order this! Just to h-hurt me?"

"She wished for us to capture the renegades," the captain answered, and Aina knew he meant Lenard, Eldon, Chauncey, and Sampson. "We were to find and arrest them and kill all who stood in our way. If the renegades resisted, we were to kill them as well. But for the most part, her majesty wanted the foxes put down and the renegades peacefully arrested. The king did not contest the order."

"Ah," Evelyn said dryly and a tear escaped over her lip. "Then it was just to hurt me."

Aina squeezed Evelyn's shoulder, peering with sadness into her face. She wanted Evelyn to know it wasn't her fault it was happening. She held back the urge to scowl: it was Ti'uu Bird's. He could have stopped it. But instead, he chose to do nothing.

Evelyn turned her back to the distant fire. "Then take us away from here."

"Of course, your highness," the captain said dutifully and straightened up.

They were led to the road by the mastiffs as screams continued to tear the night sky. The march was silent, broken only by Evelyn's occasional sniffles and a sad cough or two from the captain. A carriage was waiting for them, guarded by more mastiffs on horseback. Aina and Evelyn climbed into the carriage . . . never dreaming that Nhlahla and Sampson were watching from the trees, tears standing in their eyes.