Paths Converging - part two

By Natasha Luepke

Category: Story/Post 10th Kingdom
Rating: PG-13
Summary: In-Laws are met and a dark past is revealed, neither of which belong to the protagonist.

Disclaimer: Leonida, Moon-Thorn, Fenris et al are mine; Wolf and Virginia belong to NBC and other affiliated people. Want to make something of it, you can have my collection of notes on Norse mythology.

Feedback: The wolves will stop chasing you if you drop me a line! Drop me a line and I'll explain that enigmatic comment! Addy is: [email protected].

Notes: Ummm... This story takes place after "Sachi," although you don't necessarily have to have read Luna's stories to understand this one. Luna is Wolf and Virginia's daughter; she has all sorts of crazy adventures and meets Leonida. Enjoy!

Dedicated to Nat.

~*~*

   Leonida was all too happy to hit the road. She left two days later, as Fenris had promised. She had been provided with clothes, food, lute, and sharpened dagger. It still worried her that the family asked nothing in return. After a round of hugs and promises to keep in touch, Leonida was on her way.
   Leonida adjusted her pack. The Carpenters were just too nice. She wasn't used to being included in family activities, and frankly, she didn't like it. No matter; she had wind at her hair, earth at her feet, a skirt to tangle her ankles (an old one of Kat's)...
   She passed from the scraggly Carpenters' land to the lush acres of the rest of the community. A lovely, professional sign informed her she was entering the village of Dunroamin.  In town, the people actually bustled to and fro, making Leonida a little dizzy. What surprised her though was that everyone was monochromatic. Every townsperson was brown haired and brown eyed. No one else was fair like Hati, Tyr, or Star. Every stared at Leonida and whispered about her.
   "What's you name, darlin'?" she heard a thousand voices ask.
   She hunched her shoulders and hurried on, bumping into Star Kapchen as she left the seamstress' shop.
   "You!" Star steamed. "I thought I told my sister to keep you away!"
   "So sorry, madam," Leonida stammered. "I'm trying to be on my way as quickly as possible."
   "Trouble-maker, that's your type," Star went on; everyone stopped to listen to what the mayor's wife had to say. "We don't want girls like you in our town."
   "Ma'am," Leonida repeated, nearly out of patience, "I'm trying to leave your wretched little town..."
   "Didja' see where she came from?" someone put in.
   "Yeah! Yeah!" chimed in someone else. "I bet she's a wolf!"
   Leonida's jaw dropped. Where they implying she was a wolf because she came from the direction of the forest...or the Carpenters?
   "A wolf! Why, they're only after one thing..."
   "We must get rid of her!" Even Star was surprised as to where the mob mentality had strayed.
   "Wait, wait, wait," Leonida broke in. "I am * not * a wolf!"
   "You ain't just a normal human! You don't look nothin' like us! Or even the Lady Star!"
   Well, Leonida was running into Wolf's past in more ways than one. "I'm a..." What had Fenris called her? "I'm part fox."
   "A fox! Almost as bad as a wolf!"
   She was seized from behind, though her main worry was to her new lute.
   "Leave her be," a soft voice said.
   "Fenris!" said Star. "Do you have permission to be here?"
   "That's not really important right now, Auntie Star." Fenris turned to the crowd. "That's right-this girl * is * part fox. And don't you know how lucky it is to find an enchanted fox?"
   "Ri-right!" Leonida broke in. She wasn't a bard for nothing. "I can show you...where to find golden...things." Fox tales hadn't been all that popular where she had grown up.
   "No matter; I want her gone," Star sniffed. She rattled her hoop skirt for emphasis.
   "Yeah, it's been awhile since we've had a public execution."
   "Wait-what?" Star, Fenris, and Leonida gasped at the same time.
   "Well, I hate getting worked up over nothing, you know?" Leonida was unable to identify the speaker.
   "Well, if you're gonna' punish me for being a fox--forgive me,
Fenris--the Lady Star is a wolf!"
   The crowd gasped and Leonida was released.
   Star was livid. "Do you know what the penalty is for accusing the mayor's wife of being a wolf?"
   "I can prove it!" Leonida announced. "Beneath her petticoats, I'm sure you'll find a large, fluffy tale." Leonida lunged for Star's backside. Years on the road had made her quicker than the overfed Star; Leonida quickly tore away calico and lace and found herself faced with...metal and pantaloons.
   "Little Vixen..." she heard Fenris' voice behind her. No one else had stopped her because it wasn't often that a red-haired stranger disrobed the mayor's wife.
   "Almost there," Leonida muttered reaching through the metal. But when she had uncovered the skin where a tail should be, where Luna's tail was, there was only...skin.
Leonida sighed.
   "Okay, I lost." She held her wrists out. She saw Fenris shake his head and follow the mob as she was dragged to the jail.

   Leonida plucked her lute idly.  So she was in prison, so she had made an ass of herself, so the townspeople wanted to kill her...She closed her eyes. Where was Virginia now?

      ...The fire raged in the hearth. Virginia kneeled, warming her hands.
      "Look, what do I do?" Leonida asked.
      Virginia faced her. "I have no idea. I'm supposed to tell you that you need to high-tail it back to your little village, that there is indeed something evil hunting you."
      There was a pounding on the sea cottage door. "Yeah, something evil's after me."
      Virginia shook her head. "What I meant was that what attacked you before on..." Virginia consulted a note card she'd produced from her pocket. "On the Moon Path--that creature will attack again."
      "Well, don't you have special powers or something, to help me?"
      "Well, Leonida, it's not my fault you did something as stupid as attack the mayor's wife."
      Leonida crossed her arms. "Fine, I'll be put to death because I was a stranger, and because I'm a fox, and because I attacked the mayor's wife. I should have taken out some innocents while I was at it."
      "You might."
      Leonida looked up.
      "Look, I gotta' go. Maybe if you'd shed a few tears we could have worked something out. Just do whatever Fenris tells you..."

   Leonida opened her eyes. She had been in a few jams before; she was sure she could get out of this.
   "Guard!" she called as she attempted to lower her neckline and raise her hemline. There was no answer. "Guard!" she tried again, sticking her head through the bars. The hall was silent. She dropped her dress and placed a hand on the wooden wall beside the cell door. It crumbled beneath her touch. She thought it odd they hadn't searched her for weapons when they brought her in; now she knew why: not many people were brought to jail.
   Using both hands, she ripped away chunks of rotting wall. In less than ten minutes, she had enough room to squeeze out her lute, then herself, if she turned sideways. In the corridor of the prison, she looked both ways and saw...pigs. She knew better than to question her good luck; Leonida worked on finding the exit. She found Fenris instead.
   "Little Vixen!" Fenris said, surprised. He held a large key ring in his hands.
   "Fenris! What's going on?" she said, gesturing to the pigs.
   "I was calling in a favor to get you out of prison, but I got confused by all the keys. C'mon; the spell won't hold long." He took her by the arm and guided her down the hall.    Outside, Star was waiting with a carriage.
Leonida ran a hand through her hair.
   "Sorry, ma'am--"
   "There's time for that later," Star snapped. "Get in!"
   "You see, we came to break you out of prison, but obviously--" Fenris began once they were safely in the carriage.
   "Obviously she's used to this kind of life," Star interrupted.
   "Well, I've looked out for myself; not going to stop now," Leonida replied.
   "Look," Star called back form the front of the carriage. "I never meant for you to be the main attraction of a public execution. I'm going to give you a pardon."
   "Then why bother breaking me out of jail?"
   "Well, Mama and Aunt Star both want to talk to you, so I turned the guards into pigs, got the keys and... Anyway, it would look too suspicious if we talked to you after you were pardoned."
   "Suspicious," Leonida repeated.

   Moon-Thorn met them in the front yard.
    "Oh, Leonida," she said. "Little lamby, I'd had no idea you could get yourself in such trouble."
   "Star's fault," Leonida whispered; Fenris heard and chuckled.
   The four of them sat on the porch.
   "I'd wanted to ask before you left, but I was afraid...something like this would happen," Moon-Thorn began.
   "Moon told me you mentioned a story about a girl, her father was named Wolf?" Star put in.
   Leonida nodded.
   "Tell us more about Wolf."
   "Well," Leonida began. "It's quite famous-he's quite famous. One of the Four who Saved Nine Kingdoms and all."
   Star, Moon-Thorn and Fenris just stared at her.
   "I've never heard a tale like that in the Second Kingdom," Star said.
   "Oh, well..." and so Leonida proceeded to tell an abbreviated version of Wolf's earliest legal exploits.
   "Now, I had some déjà vu with this today," Leonida continued. "Wolf and Virginia and Tony and Prince were headed towards Little Lamb Village..."
   Moon-Thorn leaned forward. "What did he say about his parents?"
   "That...they were burned by the farmers..."
   Moon-Thorn looked over to Star. "And his mama was obsessed with the moon." Star refused to show her face; she only nodded.
   Leonida leaned back against the step. "So you are wolves."
   It was Fenris who spoke. "Yes."
   "Why doesn't Star have a tail?"
   Moon-Thorn placed a hand on Leonida's shoulder. "Then there is something I should tell you. But first, Wolf--does he still live..."
   Leonida raised an eyebrow. "When he's here, he lives in the Fourth Kingdom. But he's been all over; I'm still shocked you haven't heard of him in the last twenty years."
   Fenris shook his head. "Are you kidding? Riding Hood the Third is the ruler here; we never hear any wolf-related news."
   Leonida nodded. "Then tell me, Moon-Thorn. Tell me."
   Moon-Thorn took a deep breath. "We'll be here all night, I'm afraid."
   Star sighed, but Moon-Thorn began.

~*~*
   This is several tales in one: the tale of a girl, the tale of a boy, and the tale of their children.
   Once upon a time, there was a poor peasant woman. She was widowed shortly after she found herself with child. She wandered the land, but no one would shelter her, or offer food. She communed with the land, and learned to eat as the wild animals did. One night, after wandering into the Second Kingdom, she found herself in the garden of an evil witch. The garden was full of beautiful fruits, beautiful vegetables, and beautiful flowers; the poor peasant woman couldn't but help herself to a few. But the witch caught her.
   Usual payment for this sort of trespass would be the child, once it was born. But the witch took pity on the woman and said she might keep the baby. The woman blessed the witch for her kindness and quickly left for the woods.
   "But," she heard the witch say behind her, "as you travel and ravage in the night like a wolf, so shall the child be born a wolf."
   The peasant woman stopped in her tracks. "A wolf?"
   The witch cackled. "In order for your daughter to be human, she must save the life and earn the love of a human."
   The woman fled to the darkest corners of the forest.
   In a few months time, the woman gave birth to a baby girl. But the baby was indeed a wolf cub; the only human touch were her eyes, deep brown eyes that comprehended the world around her. She could however, speak like a human. She grew up happy, a child of the forest who wished to be a human only to please her mother. Otherwise, the Little Wolf-Girl was perfectly happy to spend her nights howling at the moon.

   Once upon a time, there was a man with three sons. The first two sons were as clever as could be, but the youngest son was just a simple lad. One day, their father decided they should go out into the world, so that they might seek their fortune.
    In the forest, the three boys came upon the Little Wolf-Girl. She was lost, having been separated from her friends during a game of hind-n-seek. The two smart sons wanted to kill her, but the simple son prevailed, and set about calming the Little Wolf-Girl, even sharing his lunch with her. The Little Wolf-Girl had never seen any humans besides her mother before; she immediately fell in love with the youngest son who had been so kind to her. She wasn't sure if she could make him fall in love with her, but she knew she could help him.
   "Where are you going?" she asked him.
   "I do not know, Little Wolf."
   "Then follow me; I have something to show you."
   She took him to a little vineyard. She told him there would be twelve guards who would be sleeping with their eyes open and that there would be two shovels: one gold, one wooden. He must use the wooden one for digging.
   The boy walked through the little vineyard, careful not to wake the guards. Instead of the wooden shovel, however, he chose the golden one, and woke the guards. In order to be set free, he had to bring back the golden apples from the golden tree.
   "Follow me," the Little Wolf-Girl said. She led him to the golden tree with he golden apples, and warned him that there would twelve guards asleep with their eyes open.
   "There will be two poles," she said. "Use the wooden one for beating the tree, not the golden one." But, the simple lad used the golden pole to beat the tree and woke the guards.  In order to be set free, the guards said he get the golden horse with the golden wings.
   "Follow me," the Little Wolf-Girl said. She led him to a stable protected by twelve guards who were asleep with their eyes open. She said that there would be two bridles and he must use the straw bridle, not the golden one. The boy, however, used the golden bridle and woke the guards up. In order to be set free, the boy had to get the golden girl in the golden cradle and bring her to the guards.
   "Follow me," the Little Wolf-Girl sighed. Once the boy saw the Golden Girl, he would instantly fall in love with her, and leave the Little Wolf-Girl behind.
   The Little Wolf-Girl took him to the cave where the Golden Girl was kept.
   "There will be a ghost," she warned. "The ghost will tell you three times to go back; ignore it.  There will be twelve guards; do not speak to them or wake them."
   This time the boy did as he was told and returned triumphantly with the Golden Girl in the Golden Cradle. But he did not want to give her up. The Little Wolf-Girl said she could help.
   First she hid herself in the cradle, pretending to be the Golden Girl. When the switch was discovered, she ran away. Next, the Little Wolf-Girl dressed up in saddle and bridle, pretending to be the Golden Horse with the Golden Wings. When the switch was discovered, she ran away. Finally, at the apple tree, all the apples turned to wolf's heads, and the Little Wolf-Girl ran away.
   The simple lad went home, accompanied by all of his golden treasures, as well as the Little Wolf-Girl. They ran into his two older brothers, who had not fared as well. The older brothers stole all of his things and then threw him down a well! But when they returned home with their ill-gotten goods, the vine wouldn't make wine, the apple tree wouldn't bloom, the Golden Horse with the Golden Wings would not neigh, and the Golden Girl would not laugh. The Little Wolf-Girl was able to rescue the boy from the well and take him home.
   When they returned to the boy's home, the vine made wine, the tree bloomed, the horse neighed, and the girl laughed. Their father chased out the two older brothers, and the old man gave his blessing for his son to marry the Golden Girl. The Little Wolf-Girl whined a little, for she knew all was lost.
   "I don't know, Papa," the simple lad said. "There is something about this little wolf." He hugged her around her neck and the curse was broken. Where once was wolf was a human girl, dressed in nothing but long hair. She fell into his arms, and they were married the next day.

~*~*
   Moon-Thorn paused.
   "A lovely tale," Leonida said softly.
   "Yes," said Star, "but what by all rights should have ended happily ever after didn't."
   "What became of the Golden Girl?" Leonida asked.
   Moon-Thorn furrowed her brow. "I don't know."
   "What were your parents' names?"
   Moon-Thorn smiled sadly. "I don't rightly remember any more. Wolf might, though."
   "Now," Fenris broke in, "onto the Unhappily Ever After bit."
   Moon-Thorn nodded and resumed her tale.

~*~*
   The Little Wolf-Girl and the simple lad remained with his father in the Second Kingdom. The Wolf-Girl was happy enough with her new life, but she missed the simple pleasures of the forest. The witch's curse had not been completely erased, either; the Wolf-Girl kept her tail, and every full moon, she would grow fangs and stay up all night howling. But besides that, the couple was very happy. Several years later, they had a son, a lovely little chap they named "Wolf." Several years later, they had a daughter, called "Moon." They had another daughter, named "Star" and a son named "Sky."
   Wolf and Moon were dark like their mother, with brown hair and eyes. Star and Sky were fair, like their father, light of hair and blue of eye. All four had tails. They were swift and clever, and could hear and smell better than any of their friends. And every full moon, they would follow their mother outside to howl with her.
   The townspeople were always a little nervous around the Little Wolf-Girl, but figured that one wolf couldn't do much damage. That there were cubs, however, that made them worry. What was to prevent one of the little wolf children from biting a playmate if things got too rough-and-tumble? What if all four decided to go after the town's sheep? There would be nothing left! What the townspeople disliked most was that their mother encouraged them. The townspeople began to fret, and continued to do so even after the oldest cub, Wolf, left the den.
   The year Sky was three, a terrible drought struck the land. The crops withered and the livestock began to starve.  The farmers began to argue amongst themselves, until they finally saw a solution to their problems: blame the Little Wolf-Girl. They decided that the drought was punishment for her pretending to live like a human, and then they could finally be rid of her.
   One night, during a waning moon, the townspeople descended upon the Wolf-Girl, the simple lad, and their sleeping cubs. By torchlight, the Little Wolf-Girl was accused of being the cause of the drought; she must be burned at the stake. If she was to be put to the fire, her husband should be as well, for he was the one who had brought her to the town in the first place.
   But the children were still so young, someone pointed out, how would it look to burn children? All this was discussed as the family was taken from their home; Wolf, who had been visiting, snarled the entire way to the village square.
   "Well, how's this?" the town magistrate said. "The children will be sent from town, to live with foster parents. We'll hold them in the prison until then.  The oldest one, we'll just exile him."
   Moon and Wolf just looked at each other helplessly; they were overpowered and outnumbered, and Star and Sky were too little to be of any help. The four of them knew nothing of fair trials or hysteria. Moon gathered the little ones to her skirts, and Wolf put his arms around them protectively.
   "Don't we even get to speak to them?" he shouted above the din. Moon would later think that for the four of them, time slowed even as the movements of the mob became more frenetic. The only response to Wolf's question was a hand across the face.
   "Is there nothin' we can do?" Moon asked, as the wall of people between them and their parents thickened.
   Wolf growled, looking like a true animal in the torchlight.  The Little Wolf-Girl and the simple lad had remained eerily silent.
   A pyre was quickly built. Amidst the cheers and jeers, Moon heard her mother say calmly, as if they were sitting in the same room, "Be good. Look after one another. We love you."
   That was quickly drowned out by Wolf nearly shouting, "Don't look, Moon, don't look Star, don't look Sky, don'tlookdon'tlookdon'tlook."
   Moon could feel the heat at her back. The throng of people prevented her from seeing her parents even if she had wanted to. The little ones wept into her skirt; she wept into Wolf's shirt.
   Moon doesn't know about Wolf or Star or Sky, but she has succeeded in forgetting the rest of that night, the sights, and sounds, and smells.
   Wolf disappeared that night, and Moon never saw him again. He said they would find each other, they * had * to. But he was little more than a child, and knew he would not be safe.
   Moon and Star and Sky collapsed from exhaustion, succumbing to a sleep filled with nightmares. When they awoke, they discovered their tails had been cut off, leaving them with little stubs.
   Moon and Star were sent away to the same village, and adopted by different families. Moon would fall in love with the only son of her adopted family.

~*~*
   "I'm sorry," Moon-Thorn said. "I can't go on."
   Fenris put an arm around his mother. "It's okay," he said softly.
   "Have anything to add?" Leonida asked Star.
   Star shrugged. "Star had her clever nephew magically remove any trace of her tail, so that she could marry well. She doesn't love her husband, but does she have connections!"
   Leonida shook her head. "Don't you feel anything?" She wiped her own eyes.
   Star shook her head. "This was all a long time ago; I was very little. Moon remembers far more than I. Frankly, all I remember are the people who took me in. I barely remember Wolf or Sky."
   Moon-Thorn had calmed down. "So, what happened to Sky? And why do you call yourself Moon-Thorn?" Leonida asked.
   Moon-Thorn sighed. "Sky is...dead. A fever took him. As for my
name...When I was old enough, I left home. I went mad for a bit, hiding in the forest, spooking people. Didn't kill anyone...human, anyway. But I ran into the Path of Thorns, and Cordelia. She told me that I had to find Ted, that I was destined for better things, that I was destined for love. And here I am, with a husband, and wonderful children. And no, our lives aren't perfect, but this was what I had wanted when I was very little, and with my parents still. So, I added 'Thorn' to my name to remind me."
   Leonida smiled. "When I was younger, all I wanted was a family."
   "So, now what?" Star asked.
   "I should be on my way," Leonida said.
   "We're going to the Fourth Kingdom," Moon-Thorn said.
   "What?" Fenris asked.
   Moon-Thorn shrugged. "Well, your father plans on retiring soon. Kathan will stay here and take over; Kat will be married. We'll take Hati and Tyr with us. And you, Fenris, well..."
   Leonida thought back to her dreams. "I don't think I'm supposed to go with you," she said.
   "No, you're not," Moon-Thorn said.
   "I'm going with Leonida," Fenris decided.
   "What?" Leonida squeaked.
   "What if you get attacked again?" Fenris asked.
   She shrugged; Virginia * had * mentioned something about that. Anyway, her mind was a million miles away. Maybe she couldn't get a reward for reuniting the Wolf family, but perhaps...she could make some money writing an exhaustive biography about the entire Wolf-Moon-Star-Sky pack...

   Pigs. Pigs were taking over the center of town.
   "Huh," Fenris commented. "That's the longest this spell has ever lasted. I mean, you can even see the sun on the horizon."
   "Yeah," Leonida replied distractedly. She had jumped out of the cart and was running her hands along the outside of the prison wall. All of the wood was rotting.
   "Vixen, are trying to * break * back in?"
   "Yup." She slid her hand beneath a board.
   "I, uh, I'll see you later," Star said, annoyed at being regulated to the background.
   "Yeah, thank you," Leonida said over her shoulder. She placed the board against the wall, waited for a pig to scurry past, then pushed her lute inside.
   Fenris placed a hand on her shoulder. "You know, I don't think I've met anyone who's broken back * into * prison."
   She looked at him. " 'S in your blood. Now, once I'm in, replace the board."

   Once back in her cell, Leonida pulled some parchment and a pen from her bag. She took notes from what she had heard that night, and added questions that would need further investigation ("Parent's names?").
   More light entered the cell through its high window. She decided it would look better if she were asleep when the guards turned from pigs to humans. She cleared a spot on the floor, lay down on her stomach, threw an arm over her lute, then drifted off to sleep.

      ...She stared at the heavy wooden beams of the ceiling, straw from the mattress of the old rope bed sticking her in the back. The hearth was dark.
      "Jeez, Leonida, how do you live like this?" Leonida sighed; Virginia again.
      Leonida sat up. "Have you worn those dark blue pants in * all * of my dreams?"
      Virginia looked down. "What, my jeans? Yes, I suppose I have."
      "You're looking rather frazzled; maybe you should leave me alone."
      Virginia tugged at her sweatshirt. "Allen's sick, but--"
      "Who?"
      "My youngest. Hey, I thought you broke out of prison."
      Leonida stood up and walked to the window. "I did." She pushed the wooden shutter open. Outside there was only a pale gray nothingness. "You should be able to see the ocean from here, you know? Deep blue on peaceful days, white on bad days."
      "Leonida, bad days are ahead, I must warn you," Virginia said gravely.
      Leonida slammed her fist down on the windowsill. " * Every * day has been a bad day!"" The sill crumbled from the blow. "Dammit," she muttered. She ran her hands through her curls, ripping out her braid in the process.
      Virginia sighed. "Look, there's something following you. And it's going to follow you no matter where you go. So go home."
      "Home," Leonida snorted.
      Virginia took Leonida's hand. "Oh, Leo, it's going to be hard. Ferris will help you. And I'll be here to guide you."
      Leonida shrugged. "Guide? You don't even know what's following me. You can't even keep track of whether or not I'm in prison. I should be helping Moon-Thorn get to the Fourth Kingdom safely. And who's Ferris?
      Virginia let go of the girl's hand in order to pull another note card from her pocket.  "I meant Fenris, and you know it. Leonida, it will be hard. But you're the only one who can do it."
      "It? What?"
      Virginia looked Leonida in the eye. "Save your village, Leonida. Maybe even your kingdom." Virginia's eyes were like the sea. Leonida had to believe her...

   "Miss? Miss?" the guard shook her.
   Leonida rubbed the crick from her neck. "Yes, sir? What's going on?"
   He scratched his head. "Well, miss, there's been a terrible mistake. Mayor Kapchen sent down a pardon this morning and the Lady Star says there are no hard feelings. You're free to go."
   Leonida straightened out her dress and then gathered up her pack, purse, and lute. "Well, thank you, sir. Have a good day."
   Fenris was waiting for her outside.
   "You're really coming with me?" she asked him.
   He nodded. "I've never even left this town, can you believe it? I've heard there are schools that teach magic; I'd like to attend one."
   Leonida smiled. "There's a good one in my hometown, which is where we're headed."
   He rummaged through his bag. "Well, I have all of my books and medicines. I've said good-bye to my family. I'm ready."
   Leonida stopped a minute. "What about Kat's wedding? Won't you be missing that?"
   Fenris paused. "Well, ye-es. But Kat is a big believer in destiny and says that I'm supposed to be with you."
   Leonida looked at him.
   "For this journey," he said gently. "I know you're still waiting on that Oisin of yours."
   Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute!"
   Fenris smiled. "Little Vixen, I * am * a magician; I know how to find these things out."
   She placed a hand on his back. "Well, we must be going. I have creatures to attack me and towns to save."
   "Which way?"
   "North...and west. Home to my little town in the Sixth Kingdom."
   Fenris nodded, following her through town, towards the unknown.
The End

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Fire rages in the streets/And swallows everything it meets/It's just an image often seem..." -Sheryl Crow, "Redemption Day"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*