Werewolf Knight 3, page 19
“No,” Imelda said, and her face blushed a lovely light shade of pink. “But it’s a funny coincidence, isn’t it? To find someone in a book who looks exactly like you.”
“I’m not a fan of those sea monsters,” Tabitha muttered. “They remind me of the strange creatures that are frozen right now in Lake Gomul.”
“It’s just nature, Tabby,” Sybil said and shut the book so hard that dust flew up Imelda’s nose. “Oh, sorry about that.”
“I’m fine,” Imelda replied between coughs.
“Alright, I’ve got my basket and my salves in case you get torn to shreds, Hank,” Sybil sighed. “And Casanova should be ready. I hope you don’t mind that I told them we were going to ride over on the direwolf.”
“You must have read my mind,” I laughed. “That was exactly what I was planning to do.”
Sybil smiled as she stood up and then offered a hand to Imelda. After Sybil had completed yet another check of her basket, we walked back to the entryway, where Matilda greeted us by the front door.
“Sir Henry,” she said in a formal voice. “From the kitchen to the field men, we wish you the very best in your duel today. Not that you need our wishes. We have complete confidence that you will perform as well as you always do.”
“Thank you, Matilda,” I said and grinned. “It’s certainly not what I expected to be doing this evening, but it looks like I’m just going to have to roll with the punches. I’ll see you later as the victor.”
“Of course, Sir Henry,” Matilda replied with a curtsy before she hurried back toward the kitchen.
“That was nice,” Sybil said.
“Charming,” Tabitha added as she yanked the door open.
Jacob and Casanova were waiting patiently just outside the door. Both looked up when the door swung open, and as soon as the pup caught a glimpse of me, his eyes widened, and then he padded over to greet his master.
“Hey, boy,” I said softly as I ruffled the fur around the direwolf’s ears.
Before I could stop him, Casanova gave me a big sloppy lick on the face. I felt like I’d been lathered up with sunblock, and I had to wipe away all the wolf spit with my sleeve.
“Here,” Sybil said, and I felt her hand me a handkerchief that must’ve been in her never-ending basket.
“Thanks,” I said as I wiped the spit from my cheek.
“Sorry about that,” Jacob said, though I could tell he was trying not to laugh. “He’s a very affectionate direwolf.”
“That he is,” I agreed.
“That’s my favorite part about direwolves,” the boy continued as he handed me the reins. “They’re fighting machines when they need to be, and faster than horses, too, but the moment they’re with their favorite person, they’re just like a little puppy again.”
“It’s true,” I said. “Thanks, Jacob. We’ll probably be back late, so we may not see you until tomorrow morning.”
“I’m sure you will be triumphant as always, Sir Henry,” the boy replied.
Jacob gave us a polite wave, ran down the steps, and headed for his family’s home on the other side of the estate. The boy and his family were some of the peasants that had followed me from Yarikh, and it was funny to think that Casanova would still be an out-of-control puppy if Jacob hadn’t been around. In fact, it felt like the Moon Goddess had intervened again, so there was no way I was going to let Sir Clancy steal these people away again.
I climbed on Casanova’s back first, and Sybil quickly slid into place behind me.
“Hey,” Tabitha said. “That’s the seat for the navigator.”
“Tabitha, I’m pretty sure that all of us could get to the castle by now with our eyes closed,” Sybil replied. “And it’s my turn to sit behind Hank.”
“Oh, fine,” Tabitha huffed. “But Imelda, you should take the middle. We don’t want you falling off, and honestly, you look like a strong breeze would knock you right over.”
“Thank you for your concern,” the ex-vampire said with a snicker. “But remember, I still have my vampire strength.”
Casanova’s ears pricked up when Imelda said the word vampire, but that was his only reaction to the word.
“Maybe you and Tabitha can duel,” I said with a smirk.
“That would be very fun,” Tabitha said. “If I had been born a man, I’d be one of the knights and not just a squire.”
“Well, you’ll have to find a different opponent,” Imelda said with a cheeky giggle. “Because as I said, I have sworn off all violence from now on. Except in self-defense, of course.”
“You’re very noble, Imelda,” Tabitha said. “I like a girl who sticks to her ideals.”
“Everybody on?” I asked and glanced over my shoulder.
“We are,” Tabitha replied. “Time to kick some Clancy butt!”
Before I could nudge Casanova forward, Tabitha slapped the pup on the rump. The direwolf shook his head like he didn’t approve of Tabitha’s methods, but he started to run forward until he was at a full gallop.
We swooped past Sybil’s little herb hut and garden and straight through the front gate. Then we flew across the green fields of Lupercalia along the familiar road toward the castle.
“Ah,” Sybil said into my ear. “It’s such a beautiful evening to be running through the hills of Lupercalia. Look, there’s Stock.”
Sybil pointed to the left at Stock, which looked exceptionally quaint and beautiful in the orange glow of the setting sun. Each of the little houses had candles in the windows, and I could see the outlines of figures going back inside to their families.
“Turn right,” I heard Tabitha say over Sybil’s shoulder.
“We all know where the castle is, Tabitha,” Sybil said with a giggle. “Even Casanova. Take a night off, for once.”
“I can’t help it,” Tabitha replied. “I just love to navigate. It’s instinctual.”
Cold air ruffled my fur and flakes of snow kicked up by Casanova landed on my chainmail, but I didn’t care. I was about to take part in my first duel, and I couldn’t wait. But even better than that, I’d get to see some of my Lupercalian friends that I hadn’t visited with in a while. I’d been traveling back and forth between Lupercalia and New Jersey so much as I dealt with the expansion that I’d practically dropped out of Lupercalian society. So tonight I could finally catch up with everyone and maybe demonstrate why I was still the best knight in the kingdom.
The royal castle came into view, and boy, did it look beautiful. The outer walls were covered in holly, and lanterns had been placed on the posts near the drawbridge. Blue and silver streamers fluttered from the flagpoles, and somewhere, people were singing.
“Oh, dear Goddess,” Imelda gasped. “It looks so incredibly beautiful here. I can’t believe that I’m actually going to be in the royal castle with all the nobles. Do you think it’ll be okay? Do you think they’ll hate me?”
The priestess had a good point. She had been a sworn enemy of the state, through no fault of her own, and now she was about to walk into a dining hall filled with knights who were determined to eradicate her former kind.
But Imelda was still a priestess, so she was valuable to the Kingdom. In fact, she was so valuable that the Goddess herself had used her magic to restore Imelda’s human self.
“Don’t worry, Imelda,” Sybil said. “Look at how all the peasants on the estate reacted when they met you. They only saw you as a priestess. I’m sure the nobles will be the same.”
“If anyone tries to mess with you, they’ll have to mess with me first,” Tabitha said. “I know that you have vampire strength, but I have blue blood. They’ll have to listen to me. And if they don’t… well, I’ll make them listen.”
“Thanks,” Imelda said with a low laugh. “You three are the best friends that anyone could ask for.”
“Don’t mention it,” Tabitha said.
We joined the queue of direwolves that were waiting for one of the castle squires to take the reins of the oversized canines. The squires were fast, and the line moved quickly as each wolf was led away to the stables while the riders made their way inside the castle.
“Helloooooo, castle,” Tabitha practically sang. “I’m so excited to see my parents. That’s another reason you can’t lose, Hank. If my Daddy sees that you can’t hold your own in a duel, he’ll make me move back home.”
“Thanks Tabitha,” I said with a chuckle. “That doesn’t fill me with dread at all.”
“How are you feeling?” Sybil asked.
“Good,” I said. “Though I’m not quite sure how this works.”
“Well, of course it’s not usually to the death,” Sybil replied. “Too few blue bloods to risk that.”
“Sure, makes sense,” I said as we reached the front of the line.
“You will have to think of a good speech if you win,” she said. “You have to openly intimidate him in order to get the crowd’s favor. They love a show.”
Okay. So it was starting to seem like Lupercalian dueling wasn’t unlike WWE wrestling. I suppose I was technically in costume, I’d just have to get creative with my words.
“We aren’t fighting with moon silver, are we?” I asked Tabitha with some concern. “Because surely if it were to get heated, moon silver is pretty dangerous to werewolves.”
“No moon silver,” Tabitha said and shook her head. “You’ll be able to heal in minutes if you get sliced.”
I shuddered slightly at the word sliced, but I got distracted when I saw one of the squires heading straight for me.
“Sir Henry the Baker,” the squire said as he took the reins.
“Dromgoole,” I said with a laugh. “It’s been a little while."
The small squire was wearing a red and blue checkered tunic with red leggings and red boots. He’d covered his head with a navy-blue hat, complete with a matching blue feather, though I could see that the tips of his ears were still red from the cold. He was holding a notebook with what I assumed to be the logistical plans for the evening, so he took the reins with the other.
“It is an absolute pleasure to see you back at the castle,” he replied in his usual falsetto. “And my goodness, isn’t the puppy being so well behaved?”
“He’s done well with his lessons,” I said.
“Very impressive, sir,” the squire replied.
We dismounted and smoothed out our clothes. To my surprise, Dromgoole didn’t lead Casanova to the barn right away, and we turned to look at the tiny man.
“Hello, Dromgoole,” Tabitha said. “How is everything in the palace these days?”
“Fantastic as always, dear Miss Blueclaw,” Dromgoole said, and he bowed his head. “How are things on the estate? Your parents miss you very much, and they’ll be absolutely delighted to see you.”
“I’m sure Daddy will be very excited about tonight,” Tabitha answered. “After all, Hank is fighting in his first ever duel.”
“So the rumors are true,” Dromgoole said and nodded before he looked around to see if anyone else was listening. “I’d heard that a challenge had been sent, but it’s been so long since we’ve had a duel here in the castle that I thought it couldn’t possibly be true.”
“Well, you’re in luck,” I said. “And I am the happy recipient of said challenge.”
“I’m sure you’ll do just fine,” Dromgoole replied.
Just as the little squire was about to take away Casanova, he caught a glimpse of Imelda and stopped.
“Oh, my,” he said. “My apologies for not introducing myself to your new friend. I am Dromgoole, squire to the King. And whom, may I ask, are you?”
“I am Imelda,” Imelda said, and I could see the tips of her teeth pop out from underneath her lips.
Dromgoole squinted for a moment before shaking his head.
“Lovely to meet you, Imelda,” the squire said as he made a quick bow.
His curiosity satisfied, the squire finally led Casanova away, and I gestured at the girls to follow me through the great stone archway that led to the staircase.
“Do you think he knew?” Imelda whispered into my ear.
“Who cares?” I shrugged. “You’re a priestess who was saved by the power of the Goddess. How could they not love you?”
We came to the top of the stairway and passed through the small hallway with the rosette window. I could hear the crowds of nobles and staff as they feasted and chatted even though the door was closed, which meant there was a large crowd in attendance. Word had obviously spread that there was going to be a duel.
“Time for some fun,” Sybil muttered.
I opened the door, and we were immediately hit with a wall of heat and sound. I knew that I was more sensitive to everything thanks to my wolf senses, but this was really something different.
The royal court was teeming with nobles, and not just the decorated knights who usually hung around the hall. There were plenty of other nobles there as well, and while I recognized quite a few, there were also plenty that I’d swear I’d never seen before.
The usual attendees were all wearing their gleaming armor which was made of moon silver and covered in an assortment of diamonds, rubies, and garnets. They were so successful in their careers that they turned their armor into one giant trophy, and every stone and gem was another sign of their success. It was impressive, though part of me thought they looked a bit like giant Christmas tree ornaments.
More impressive than the armor, though, were the moon swords. Each sword was unique and had been crafted by the knight who owned it, and everything about it was important to the knight, from the gems that studded the moon silver to the inscriptions that were carved into the surface. Just the sight of those weapons sent a twinge of electricity down my spine. They’d been hard won and forged by their owners, and I couldn’t believe that I was close to being able to forge a moon sword of my own.
“There’s so many people in here,” Imelda whispered into my ear.
I looked down at the ex-vampire and put my hairy paw on her shoulder. She looked so fragile and innocent, but I knew that underneath that exterior there was a resilient priestess who still had the physical powers of a vampire.
“It’ll be fine,” I said as Tabitha sidled up to my side and crossed her arms.
“You know,” the young aristocrat whispered, “most of the nobility gather in the castle this time of the year. Now that winter’s here, everyone will find a place to hunker down until spring, and a lot of people prefer to stay here so they can be close to all the gossip. So there will be people here that even you’ve never met, Hank.”
“That I can deal with,” I replied. “Though I have to admit, aside from the knights, I haven’t seen anyone I recognize yet.”
“Well, my parents are here somewhere,” Tabitha said. “Oh, there’s my father.”
I spotted old Blueclaw a moment later. I saw the old knight was wearing his usual armor, though he’d added what looked like a cane made of moon silver that he used to rest his paw. I appreciated how impossibly decadent it was to have a moon silver cane and smiled to myself as I pictured myself with something similar.
“Daddyyyyyy,” Tabitha sang as she waved to her father.
“Let’s go say hi,” Sybil suggested.
“Before the King gets here,” I added. “There won’t be much chance to linger once he arrives.”
I took Imelda’s hand and guided her through the crowd while Sybil and Tabitha led the way. At first it seemed like everyone was too busy minding their business and catching up with their compatriots, but it soon became clear that we were attracting attention. I met the eyes of a few unfamiliar squires who immediately averted their gaze, or ran off to whisper with another squire. A few nobles bowed their heads at the sight of Imelda.
“How are you doing?” I whispered to the priestess.
“Just fine,” she replied, though I noticed she was careful to keep her teeth hidden.
“Daddy!” Tabitha squealed again.
I looked up and saw that we’d reached the table that old Blueclaw was sharing with some of his fellow knights. I chuckled as Tabitha elbowed a couple of lower-ranking noblewomen out of the way and practically threw herself into her father’s lap. Blueclaw tried to keep a look of stern disapproval on his face, but I could tell he was happy to see his daughter again.
“Henry,” the old knight said as I stepped up to the table. “Good to see you here.”
The older knight started to rise, but that was difficult with his daughter wrapped around him.
“Don’t trouble yourself,” I said with a laugh. “I only have a little while to catch up before I become the evening’s entertainment.”
“We’ll sit,” Tabitha said and grabbed an empty chair from another table.
I found three more empty chairs and set them close enough to Blueclaw that we could talk in peace, though I made sure to nod to the knights that I recognized.
“Why Henry, it appears that you’ve brought a priestess with you,” the old man said with a laugh as I sat down. “Is this for extra blessings for your duel?”
Imelda and I exchanged a glance and both broke into a fit of laughter. She put her hand on her chest and instinctively threw her head back, and the sharp points of her teeth were suddenly on display for everyone at the table.
Blueclaw’s face darkened from a jovial grin to a look of absolute shock. He raised his eyebrows, and his jaw almost dropped on the table in front of him.
“This is Imelda,” Tabitha said. “We saved her from the White Basilica. And she used to be a vampire.”
I didn’t realize how many people had been eavesdropping on us until the tables near us got significantly quieter. The old knights at our table looked horrified, but at least no one had lunged across the table to attack the priestess.
Great. I couldn’t even turn up for an impromptu duel without causing a minor scandal. Sometimes even I couldn’t believe how many ridiculous situations I managed to get into within a single day. At least nobody could accuse me of being boring.
I took a deep breath and prepared to give the entire backstory. But before I could, one of the oldest knights at the table next to us shot up and pointed his aged finger straight at the priestess.
“Imelda Lowery,” he said, and his voice shook slightly. “I never thought I would live to see the day when somebody from the village of the Obsidian Temple returned. Imelda, it’s me, Timothy Berridge. You were my family priestess all those years ago, before that terrible infestation overran the village.”
