Werewolf Knight 2, page 5
“That’s true,” I admitted.
“Well,” Sybil said as she walked toward the stairs. “I’ll just go find a nice dress to put on. At least I don’t have to worry about wearing armor for every special occasion.”
“Well, lucky you,” I said, but as she started to head to the stairs, I ran up behind her, took her by the waist, and lifted her over my shoulder.
“Hank!” she protested.
“What?” I laughed and adjusted her slightly so that her weight was evenly distributed over both shoulders. “You’re the one getting a free ride."
“I guess,” she sighed. “You know, I could get used to being carried around like this.”
“That’s the spirit,” I said.
I got to the top of the stairs and turned right, toward our bedroom. Tabitha had her own quarters as well, but she insisted that my bed was the most comfortable in the whole manor, so she hadn’t used her own bed even once. Not that I was complaining.
The door to my private quarters was a heavy piece of oak that had my coat of arms carved into it. It still blew my mind how quickly the artists of Lupercalia had been able to create the thing, and I didn’t think I’d ever adjust, no matter how long I stayed.
“Tabitha,” I called as I knocked on the door. “Tabitha, are you awake?”
I heard someone shuffling around the room, so I knelt down and plopped Sybil back on the floor.
“I’m not awake,” a grumpy voice came from inside my room. “So go away.”
“She always does this,” Sybil sighed and turned the doorknob.
The dark blue velvet curtains had been pulled over the windows on the far side of the room so the place was barely lit when I stepped inside. The only thing I could see clearly was Tabitha, who was sprawled glamorously across our massive four-poster bed.
“Oh, Tabitha,” I sighed playfully and went over to sit on the foot of the bed.
“What is it?” the noblewoman asked without opening her eyes, and I noticed that her eyeliner was already smudged from her usual tossing and turning.
“Naptime’s over, Tabby Cat,” Sybil said and flung the curtains open.
“I need my beauty sleep,” Tabitha wailed as she pulled a pillow over her face.
“It’s time to go to the palace,” I said. “Come on. Put on your finest attire. Apparently, the King has an important announcement about a Sacred Lake.”
Tabitha shot up and looked around the room. Then she patted her platinum-blonde hair and squinted through the window.
“Is it really that time of year already?” she croaked. “How could I have forgotten something so important?”
She hopped out of bed and pulled the massive quilt back over the pillow in a single, lazy motion.
“That’s what I thought,” Sybil laughed. “Luckily, Charles stopped by to tell us that we were expected to be there tonight. I thought you were supposed to be our insider for everything to do with the Lupercalian nobility.”
“I am,” Tabitha insisted and shrugged her shoulders. “But I must’ve gotten too distracted with all the business on the estate and in New Jersey. This is my first time living outside of the palace since I was a pup, you know, so I haven’t been paying much attention to all that.”
“Let’s go choose something to wear,” Sybil suggested. “And you can fill me in on this Sacred Lake.”
“Ugh, fine,” the blonde replied.
I noticed that the noblewoman didn’t complain anymore, though, as the witch tugged the blonde toward the walk-in closet. Of course, the manor hadn’t come with a walk-in closet, but the two women had acquired so much clothing between Lupercalia and New Jersey that we’d changed one of the rooms into their closet.
“Right,” I sighed and pulled off my own clothing.
It was time to get into Knight mode.
I went over to my wardrobe and pulled out a pair of gray suede pants and a gray suede shirt. I pulled them on and then slid the chainmail over my comparably lighter and softer clothing. I grabbed my pair of black leather boots and pulled those on as well, since I’d quickly discovered that trying to put on shoes after I’d slid on my armor was almost impossible.
Once I had my bottom layers on, I crossed the room to the wooden mannequin that held my armor. Since we were simply going to the Palace for a feast rather than heading out on a quest, I would only have to wear the leg pieces, sleeves, and breastplate.
The mirror in my room was large but slightly warped. The girls had talked about replacing it, but I kind of liked the slight funhouse effect, so it stayed. Even now, I had to chuckle as I took in the narrow waist and long face that the glass gave me.
But aside from the silly distortions, I liked what I saw. I looked official, but not too over the top. And luckily, Ava had given me a haircut back in Jersey like she used to do when we were in high school. I looked like one handsome wolf.
I heard a knock on my door and turned around. I smiled as I saw the two most beautiful women I’d ever seen come toward me.
“Like our outfits?” Sybil practically sang.
Sybil was wearing a typical long, emerald-green dress with wide sleeves. But unlike the casual ones that she used for gardening and tending to her potions, this one had golden vines embroidered on the fabric. It gave the illusion that the vines were growing up her slender body, while the tight fit emphasized her soft curves and long arms.
Tabitha, on the other hand, was wearing an electric-blue suede bodysuit which clung to her hips and ass like a glove, pointy red boots that looked very medieval, and a red tunic-like shirt that was as tight as a corset at her waist. It should have looked ridiculous, but the noblewoman pulled it off.
“Before you tell me that I look like a jester,” Tabitha started. “I want to tell you that I don’t care. I like how blue and red look together, and nobody is going to convince me to stop wearing them together.”
“I wasn’t going to say that at all,” I replied. “I was going to tell you both that you look amazing. How’d I get so lucky?”
Both of the girls blushed, and Sybil swept her hair behind her ear.
“Oh, Hank,” the witch giggled.
“Flatterer,” Tabitha said cheekily and came over to me. Then she gave me a soft, sensuous kiss under my ear that sent a shiver down my body and made my cock twitch slightly.
“I know you love it,” I growled and slapped her on her soft ass. “But first, we should hear what the King has to say. Then we can have some fun.”
“Promise?” the blonde growled.
“Promise,” I replied.
“How are we getting to the banquet tonight?” Sybil asked as we headed for the staircase.
“Casanova,” I said. “He needs the training, and since he already knows his way there, we won’t have to waste a lot of time trying to direct him.”
“Unless he gets distracted,” Tabitha sighed. “Which he surely will.”
“Another reason he needs training,” I said. “And this really is a good time to do it.”
“And if we’re late, we can just blame it on our wandering pup,” Sybil laughed.
“There is that,” I agreed.
When I swung the front door open, I saw that the sky was beginning to dim into a dark blue shade and the clouds had dissipated into a nice mist. It would be perfect conditions for the trip to the Palace.
“Beautiful day,” Tabitha mumbled as she closed the door behind us.
We strolled along the front of the house and then turned the corner into one of my favorite spots on the property. It wasn’t much to look at, just a decent-sized lawn and a couple of shade trees, but it always seemed warm and the sun shined just a little brighter on that patch of grass.
And as I’d suspected, Casanova was there, in his preferred bit of shade under one of the trees. He was watching a couple of kids chase each other around with sticks while they pretended to be knights, pirates, or possibly some combination of both.
“Awww,” Sybil sighed.
I waved at the kids, who waved back and smiled. Then I made my way over to Casanova.
“Come on, boy,” I smiled and clapped my hands. “We’re going to visit the King, so you can visit your brothers and sisters.”
The giant black fluffy ball sprang up and panted up at me. I looked into his bright blue eyes, and he gave me a satisfying lick on my hand.
“Where’s his harness?” Tabitha asked.
“I have it in my shed,” Sybil said.
We walked back to Sybil’s shed while Casanova dutifully followed us. He padded behind us, though sometimes he would bolt ahead to chase a butterfly or dart off into the shrubs after a squirrel. He was a good pup, but he definitely needed to learn how to behave when he was supposed to be on the job.
Sybil ran into her little hut, and I heard her rummaging around for several minutes. When she reappeared, she had the direwolf-sized harness in her hand. Unlike the ones they used for horses, the direwolf harnesses didn’t have a bit. Instead, they went over the neck and under their belly, and fastened on their back.
“When do you think you’ll get a real saddle for him?” Tabitha asked as we watched Sybil fasten the harness around a patient Casanova.
“When he’s been trained to joust,” I replied. “At least, that’s what Charles recommended. He needs to learn navigation and then sport. But I think for short journeys like this, it makes sense to go bareback. Charles said it will make it easier for him to adjust to the extra weight on his back, especially if all three of us are going to be riding him together.”
Sybil finished fastening the harness around Casanova’s torso and led him to us.
“Nice job,” Tabitha nodded. “I know a few lords who still can’t put the harness on themselves.”
“Thanks,” Sybil smiled. “It helps that Casanova’s very patient.”
“There’s a lot more to it than that,” Tabitha replied. “Trust me.”
Sybil ducked her head, but I knew she was pleased by the compliment.
I winked at Tabitha, took the reins, and led the way to the main gate. Since it would be dark soon, I knew the gatekeeper would be by soon to lock the gate for the night, so I pulled out my own copy of the key and locked it behind us. Truthfully, I’d sort of wanted my own moat as well, because, heck, it was a castle, but everyone had assured me that a knight’s estate didn’t require such measures.
One day, though, I knew I would have one built.
“Okay, boy,” I said as I climbed onto Casanova’s back. “Remember to wait until I give you the command.”
Casanova pawed the ground, but at least he didn’t try to bolt away like he had the first couple of times we’d tried to ride him. He hadn’t been spooked or anything, just ready to run and not at all concerned whether everyone was on board and safely seated.
Tabitha climbed on next, followed quickly by Sybil. When everyone was settled, Tabitha poked me with one of the hands she had locked around my waist.
I took a deep breath and took a quick glance over my shoulder just to be sure everyone was holding on. I loved my pup, but I had to admit, his running style so far had been bumpy, and if legs and arms weren’t secure, people tended to fly off.
“Good thing I’m in the middle,” Tabitha chuckled. “You saw me on that magic cow at the fairground. I can stay on anything. Just keep your arms locked around me, and you’ll be fine, Sybil.”
“Yep,” Sybil squeaked from the back.
The last time we had ridden Casanova, the witch had insisted on a turn at the reins. She had lost control immediately, been bucked off as Casanova had chased after a rabbit, and almost accidentally trampled within a matter of seconds.
“Here we go,” I warned as I nudged Casanova forward with my knees
The pup tensed beneath me, and before I could stop him, he reared up like the Lone Ranger’s horse. It was great for me, but I heard Sybil gasp and felt Tabitha’s arms tighten around my torso.
But as quickly as he’d stood up, the puppy returned to all four feet and started to race down the track. Since he was only three months old, he still had the goofy gait of a puppy even though he was nearly as powerful as an adult direwolf. His feet, which were still too big for his body, carried us in a gait that was somewhere between an enthusiastic canter and a bouncy gallop.
It was not a comfortable ride, but my only consolation was the repeated assurances from Charles that the pup would grow into his body and the ride would become much easier.
“Can we go any faster?” Tabitha yelled as we zoomed over the green Lupercalian fields and up the misty hills to the castle.
“Are you crazy?” Sybil shouted back.
It felt like we were on a rocky boat. We swayed from side to side, sometimes all sliding uncomfortably to the left and sometimes to the right as Casanova hurtled himself toward the palace. It was like riding a bumper car.
I gave Casanova another light nudge, and the pup opened up his stride. But Tabitha was right. The faster pace smoothed out the direwolf’s gait, and suddenly, we were no longer bouncing around like pinballs.
“Woooo!” Tabitha yelled.
I was really starting to enjoy the run, so I was disappointed when the castle appeared out of the mist. I could see that the drawbridge was down, and several other knights on direwolves were already crossing the moat.
We were racing so fast that I knew we were in danger of crashing into the other direwolves, so I pulled back slightly on the reins to slow Casanova down. But my pup was too excited, and he kept hurtling toward the drawbridge like his life depended on it.
“Uh-oh,” I mumbled as the bridge loomed before us.
“Hank!” Tabitha yelled. “Do something!”
Two knights who were crossing the bridge heard her cry and turned to look over their shoulders. Their eyes widened in shock at the sight of Casanova bearing down on them, and I heard the gray direwolf growl in alarm.
I pulled back as hard as I could on the reins, and Casanova reared up until he was nearly vertical. Try as I might, I couldn’t hang on, and one by one, the three of us slipped off the direwolf’s back.
I crash-landed on the wooden drawbridge, and my ears rang as silver clattered against wood. I immediately looked behind me to check if Tabitha and Sybil were okay, but luckily, they both appeared unharmed.
“You alright?” I asked the girls.
“Yes,” Sybil said as she stood up. “I was right at the back, so I actually had barely any distance to fall.”
“And this was nothing compared to some of the tumbles I’ve taken from a horse,” Tabitha replied as she brushed dirt from her leggings.
“Okay,” I said as I climbed to my feet. “But I have got to work on commands with him. Casanova!”
I expected the black ball of fur to run toward me, but all I got was a soft whine. When I looked around, I realized that one of the knights had grabbed Casanova’s reins and was giving him a pat on the head. The man’s own direwolf was standing patiently between the palace guards, though it was giving Casanova one of those exasperated looks that all adults seemed to have.
“I’m so sorry about that,” I said as I started to walk toward the knight. “I’ve been working with him, but he gets excited about coming here.”
“Don’t apologize!” the knight replied. “It’s not every day I get to hold the reins of a royal direwolf.”
“George!” I called out happily when I recognized the voice. “I haven’t seen you since the joust.”
“Henry,” he bowed his head. “A pleasure to see you once again. It’s been too long.”
“Hello, George,” Tabitha called over and waved.
“Hello, Miss Blueclaw.” He bowed his head again. “It’s an honor to gather with you all on this sacred feast day. And the little puppy who I met only two months ago has certainly grown into…”
“A bigger puppy,” I laughed. “But a puppy nonetheless.”
“It’s good you’re riding him this early,” George replied. “Once you get past the first hiccups, they’re as right as rain.”
He handed me Casanova’s reins, and then the four of us walked across the bridge together with Casanova trotting quietly behind. The sandy-haired direwolf sniffed at Casanova and then joined us as we stepped into the main courtyard. The place was busy, and it was a quest in itself just to avoid getting trampled.
“This is crazy,” Sybil said as she narrowly avoided getting her foot stomped on by an unruly horse.
“It’s always like this,” Tabitha sighed. “I’d almost rather go to the stables with the direwolves than head upstairs.”
“My lord,” Dromgoole the squire cried out as he ran up to George and took his direwolf’s reins.
“Hey, Dromgoole,” I said.
The little squire looked up at me with his eyebrows raised, and then made a quick, curt bow. He was dressed in a navy-blue and checkered tunic, dark blue leggings, and a white floppy hat, all of which probably had some connection to the night’s events, but I wasn’t sure what that was.
“An honor, Sir Henry,” he said. “I’m sorry I can’t stop to chat like we usually do, but it’s a very busy night for us squires.”
“Of course,” I replied.
Dromgoole tugged on the reins while a second squire stepped up to me. The new guy looked a lot like Dromgoole, though I didn’t remember him from any of my other visits.
“Evening,” the young squire said in a nasally voice. “You are Henry the baker, yes?”
“Uh, yeah,” I said.
“Marvelous,” the squire said as he took Casanova’s reins. “We’ll take good care of him, sir Knight.”
“Thanks,” I muttered, but the squire was already out of earshot.
“This is one of my favorite times of the year,” Tabitha murmured.
“I thought you wanted to stay in the barn?” I teased as we joined the line of people heading up the grand marble staircase.
“Well, that’s just to get away from all the people,” the blonde replied. “If it wasn’t so packed full of people giving me the side-eye for being different, it would be the best holiday, hands down.”
“What’s going on?” Sybil whispered to the blue-blooded noble. “I heard something about a Sacred Lake?”
