Sachi - part one

By Natasha Luepke

Category: Story/Post "10th Kingdom"

Rating: PG

Summary: An ending and a beginning. Sequel to "Indra."

Disclaimer: At this point, the majority of the characters are mine; Wolf and Virginia belong to NBC and various other companies, as does the entire "9 Kingdoms" concept. I make no money off of this; sue me, all you get is my Brothers Grimm.

Feedback: Please? That'd be awesome! Addy is: [email protected]

Notes: First, a shout-out to my girl Archna for her help in this; she didn't even know that I had used her name until * after * "Indra" was written. Oh, and the style's a little odd; please bear with me, all will be revealed in due time.

If anyone ever reads my dedications, they know I dedicate all my stories to Nat. This is also dedicated to my girl Archie; may she one day meet her Raj.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"See the storm's broken/In the middle of the night/Nothing left here for me/Just washed away."-Moby, "The sky is broken"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Part One

"As Luna ran through the wood, the faint yellow and reds of dawn gradually overtook the blues and purples of night, replacing a thousand stars with just one. Luna spent the night going in circles, changing from one form to another as she grew tired. Dawn broke and Luna found herself back at the edge of town.
"Luna made sure her tail was hidden, then covered her head with her long purple scarf. She looked longingly at the stable yard of the inn, but decided her Nine Kingdoms attire would make her more conspicuous than necessary.
"She stopped at the first hut she found and, squaring her shoulders rapped on the door.
"The woman who answered was red. Red dress, red pants, red slippers, red scarf, red-rimmed eyes, red irises.
" `Can I help you?' she asked wearily. `I must be leaving soon.'
" `Holle!' Luna whispered urgently.
" `Tell me you brought a wolf. Else I will not be seen with a fugitive at my door,' Holle snapped.
" `Let me in; I'll explain.'
" `Not unless you're trailing a wolf behind you, * Wolfs* daughter."
" `Holle, is that smoke I smell?' Luna finally managed to push past Holle.
"Holle folded her arms. `Unfortunately, you are not the only guest I am entertaining.'
"A figure stood in the center of the room. He had a greenish tinge to his pointed face. His clothes-tunic and pointed shoes-were in forest colors of green, brown, and black. The true anachronism of the character, however, was the cigarette held between his slender fingers.
"Holle rolled her eyes. `This is Puck.'
"Puck took a drag from his cigarette. `Oberon wanted Sanum back into his services. So here I am, stuck in the Eastern Empires, and I find that you to have gotten him thrown into prison!
" `Yeah, Holle, here's the thing: I found the wolf-`
" `Then where is he?'
" `Well, see, it's not that simple. He's an enchanted wolf looking for his lost wife-`
" `Are you sure you can trust a wolf?' Holle sneered.
" `So, I told him that * I * was actually a wolf-`
" `You are.'
"Luna coughed. `Who was cursed by a gypsy to turn into a human. Then we got into a fight. No fear, though; I have a plan.
"Puck blew a smoke ring. `Let's hear it.' His voice was like a sharp steel blade scraping across smooth stone.
"Luna flicked her ear. `Okay, all we have to do is break Sanum out of prison, find Indra-that's the wolf--, find Archana-Indra's wife--, and then find the real wolf, and we're all set.'
" `Look,' Puck said, examining his nails, `I'm here to break Sanum outta' the slammer and take him back to Oberon. I wasn't told nothin' about wolves."
" `Well, I owe Indra, to help him. Holle, would you be able to turn him back into a human?'
" She shook her head and sighed. `If Sanum's a fugitive, that makes me a fugitive. Into the woods, I guess.'
"The caper was brief. Holle and Luna hid in the woods behind the prison. Puck became invisible, enchanted the guards so that they might sleep, unlocked Sanum's door with pilfered keys, and left a straw-stuffed dummy in his place.
"Luna turned away as Holle and Sanum embraced. She took a deep breath, then turned back.
" `Sanum, I missed you!'
" `How have you been? Did you find the wolf?'
"Luna flicked her ear. `Sorta.' Hey.you're looking well.'
"Sanum placed an arm around Holle's shoulder; Luna cursed her inane comments.
" `Thanks to Holle.' Luna merely nodded.
"The quartet took to the forest once Puck pointed out the very real possibility of their capture. Luna thought it strange that Sanum wasn't the least bit surprised by Puck's reappearance.

~*~*

"They had been walking for an hour, Luna in the lead. Puck had excused himself and Sanum to discuss Oberon's offer. Luna trailed off the path, sure she heard whimpering. It was Indra, his left hind leg caught in a steel trap.
" `Indra-omigod-Indra! Cripes, Holle!" Indra howled as Luna ran a hand over his brow.
" `What in the name of the Nine Kingdoms is wrong, Wolfsdaughter?' Holle snapped as she appeared, slightly out of breath. She immediately dropped to her knees when she saw Indra. `Oh, you poor creature,' she murmured. Turning to Luna, she said, `Hold his leg, carefully as you can; I'll pull this as far as I can. You,' she said to Indra, `Remove your leg when I say "Go." `
"Luna had no idea that Holle was so strong; the trap was pulled back far enough in just a minute or two. Holle immediately began to tend to Indra's wound, surprising Luna because, 1) it seemed rather out of character for Holle and 2) this was * Indra *, a wanted wolf!
" `How is he?' Luna asked nervously. The blood scared her, leaving her in a fit of ear-flicking and `cripes'-muttering.
" `Ah.I need to run and get something.Take your scarf and staunch the blood on the leg; those metal teeth are pretty rusty.' Holle rose from her crouch and jogged farther into the forest.
"Luna sat down, unwinding her scarf from her neck. She wrapped it around Indra's leg, wincing as he did.
" `I'm sorry, Indra, for deceiving you,' she said softly. `But I came back-we'll help you, help you find Archana and the real wolf. And no one's going to prison. We're a roving band now, like Robin Hood.'
" `Who?'
" `Never mind,' Luna muttered, scratching his ears.
"Holle returned, pushing Luna aside and applying a few herbs to the wound. `Good as new,' she announced. `This poor bit of purple cloth on the other hand.'
"Indra thanked Luna, then cocked his head toward Luna. `Shouldn't you be a wolf right now?'
" `Ah.'
" `Oh,' Holle broke in, `I'm the gypsy that cursed her. I thought it'd be easier to get you out of the trap if she had two hands.'
" `You don't look like a gypsy.'
" `What, you want I should curse you, too?'
"At that point, Puck and Sanum returned. Puck went up a few yards to light up a new cigarette; Sanum sat and put his arm around Holle.
" `Oberon wants me to work for him again. He said the records are all out of order.'
" `Records?' Luna repeated.
" `Oh, yeah: Who's been enchanted, with what, how many arguments he's had with Titania.'
" `Yeah,' Puck put in, `I'm more a doer than a paper-pusher.'
" `So.' Sanum said softly to Holle, `How do you feel about returning to the Nine Kingdoms?'
"Holle picked at her hem. `I hate it here, you know.'
" `I know.'
"She looked into his eyes. `It's agreed then.' When they began to kiss, Luna slipped back into wolf form.
" `Indra, provided we turn you back into a human and make it out of here, what would you like to do?'
" `I can't return to the village. You know what I've always liked to do? Paint. Draw. Sketch. Think I could get work doing that?'
" `Sure. Know what you should do? Go to Kissing Town. In the Fourth Kingdom. Paint pictures of happy couples.'
"Indra raised his brow.
" `Or whatever,' Luna shrugged.

~*~*

"Puck insisted that he, Holle, and Sanum leave right away. Luna begged them to stay; she was certain she would need Holle's help; besides, she was afraid she'd never see Sanum again. It was no use. Puck angrily tapped ash from his cigarette and insisted time was of the essence.
"A little away from the group, Luna made her good-byes. She thanked Holle, and then asked if the witch might remove the piece of Gleipnor from around her neck.
" `Oh,' Holle rolled her eyes, untying it, `it wasn't really a piece of Gleipnor or anything like that-it was only a piece of black ribbon.'
"Luna only sighed in response.
"Luna had never been a fan of high drama, of teary heart-felt good-byes or last-minute entreaties of love. All the same, a thousand such melodramatic scenarios rushed through her mind.
"Instead, what passed was merely this: Luna apologized for getting Sanum thrown in prison and told her `not to worry about it' and `to take care.' Before he disappeared into the trees with Holle, Puck, and Luna's heart, he offered one last piece of advice.
" `Luna, you pride yourself on your wolfishness. But you're more human than you think. You'll fall in love many times.'
" `But Dad-`
" `Your father is a completely different person.'
"And he kissed and her, and walked away, but it was Luna who didn't look back.
" `So,' Indra said sympathetically, once the two were back on the road, `not only did you fall in love, but it was with the love of the gypsy who cursed you?'
"Luna realized she had yet to reveal her true identity to Indra, but she wasn't in the mood for proper introductions. She sighed; here she was, stuck in the Eastern Empires, hunting for a wolf that may not exist, helping another wolf find his errant wife so that he might become human again.It was enough to make one hoooooowl! Her howl was met by another anguished cry. She turned to Indra, who merely shrugged his shoulders.
" `Do you know what was said in that howl?' she asked him He shook his head.
" `It said, "Help me! Here I am!" I think we've finally made contact with the other wolf!' Luna howled again, asking the new wolf for his location. Luna and Indra followed the wolf's voice for the rest of the afternoon.
"It was dusk when they found him. By now, they were in the deepest part of the forest, near the Borderlands. Little light, be it sun-, moon-, or star- made it through the trees. Luna and Indra came upon a small cottage, as well as a caged wolf.
" `It's but a cub!' Luna whispered. It was just a child in the wooden cage, a dark-furred puppy with a white underbelly. Indra approached the door of the cottage while Luna spoke with the cub.
" `What happened, Little One?'
"His eyes darted to and fro nervously. `I was tired and couldn't run fast enough.'
" `Where are you parents?'
"The cub whimpered. `Humans. Wolves are not well-liked.'
"Luna sat on her haunches, remembering stories her father had told her. Wolf did not like to speak of his past, but on a few full-moon nights, when both sported fangs and wild eyes (though, truly, Wolf's changes had became last drastic after meeting Virginia and Luna's were never as severe as her father's to begin with), he had haltingly told his daughter of the family he'd lost, of parents put to the fire, of scattered brothers and sisters.
" `So, you are alone, Little One?' Luna asked, returning to the present.
"The cub nodded. "You and your mate should stay away from the town.'
"Luna was about to pry some more, but was interrupted by Indra's startled cry of `Archana!'
"Luna stood and turned. In the doorway of the cottage, backlit from a fire or candles within, was a woman, dark of hair and eye, strong of chin and nose. She was dressed in a silver-accented black sari and held a broom in her hands.
" `Wait a minute-Archana-`Indra's words became syncopated as Archana hit him with the broom. Luna chuckled.
" `Indra?' Archana asked, finally letting up on her assault. `When Raj said he'd turned you into a wolf, I'd thought he was kidding.'
" `"Raj," eh? Where is he?'
"Archana placed her broom by the door and crossed her arms. `In town.'
" `Where did you catch the cub?' Luna broke in. While she hated to meddle in the love affairs of others, she felt a strange surge of protectiveness towards the cub. She wanted to free him and get him to the Fourth Kingdom, where he'd be safe. And in the darkness of the deep woods on a cloudless, starless night, trapped in a wolf's body in the Borderlands, Luna realized she had been struck by love. Maybe not the romantic love of her parents, but unconditional love nonetheless, the protectiveness and pity towards another creature, and that as long as she lived, no harm would come to him.
" `Ack! * Two* talking wolves?' Archana asked.
" `She was cursed by a gypsy.'
" `Riiiiighttt.'
" `Where did you get the cub?' Luna repeated, a bit of a snarl in her voice. Indra stared at her, surprised.
"Archana ran a hand through her hair. `Well, Gypsy-Wolf, we'd had reports of wolf-attacks, you know? Every wolf found has been killed or driven away. Raj and I are pretty sure Lomadi is an orphan. I thought, you know, I could raise him and keep him.'
"Luna sat on her haunches. `I'm taking him with me.' (Out of the corner of her mouth, she whispered to Indra, ` "Lomadi"?'
` "Wolf" ` he whispered back.)
" `But-` Archana interjected. `A trained wolf could be useful.'
" `Lomadi, do you wish to stay?' Luna called to the cub in the cage.
" `Nooooo!' he responded, ending in a howl.
" `There ya' go,' Luna said. She returned to the cub's cage, leaving Indra and Archana alone.
" `How did you find me?' Archana asked. `Why?'
" `I remained in the woods by the inn, hoping you'd return. That other wolf helped me find you. I just wanted to.end it right.'
"Archana smiled. `I'm sorry, Indra. Good bye.'
" `I'm sorry, Archana. Good bye.'
"Once Indra finally had permission to move on-something her been longing to do-the spell was broken. Luna raised her head in surprise as, in a shower of sparks, a man replaced a wolf. Lomadi merely shook his head, muttering something about not understanding humans. Luna giggled, then whispered that'd she be back.
"She walked to Indra's side. `Congrats.'
"He scratched her ears. `Thank you.' He was paler than Sanum, his hair longer; he was taller and more broad-shouldered. And his eyes were cinnamon. Archana smiled one last time and closed the door.
" `Shall we?' he asked Luna.
" `Sure you want to come with us?' Luna asked as they walked back to Lomadi.
" `Yeah,' he sighed. `I need a change of scenery.
"Luna smiled. Indra lifted the wooden cage, freeing Lomadi, and they were off.
End Part One.