Once Upon a Romance 02 - As The Last Petal Falls (21 page)

“You look like you’ve rubbed your face in a strawberry patch.”

“Yes, well, you look like you played in your mother’s rouge pot.”

“I dinna know what ye
look
like, but ye both sound like wee children.”

At Connelly’s dry interjection they both started, and then started snorting with laughter. Belle put her thumb to her nose and waggled her fingers at him, and Fain stuck his tongue out.

“Just for that, the two of ye can gather the spindle fruit, ye rascals.”

Fain laughed at Belle’s look of trepidation. Who knew what she expected, with a name like “spindle fruit,” but when they arrived at the large bush overflowing with yellow-orange pods, she was delighted.

“They’re like beautiful little packages! What do you use them for, Connelly?”

“Stomach tonic, mostly. The lads tend ta stuff themselves at the Yule festivities, an’ they’ll be needin’ this the next day.”

While Fain and Belle gathered a pail of the little pods, Connelly stripped some bark carefully from the spindle. Then he led the way through the forest towards the source of the stream that ran through the small valley. A shallow cave system marked the spring’s bubbling beginnings, and it was into that cave system that Connelly headed. Belle took one look at the giant icicles hanging from the mouth of the cave, like the teeth of some giant beast, and balked.

“Why do you want to go in there?”

The little man cackled. “’tis where I gather my newts’ tongues, lassie.” When Belle blanched, Fain gave his friend a stern look.

“Tell her the truth, Connelly.”

“Ah lass, the caves still grow mushrooms, down in the dark where ’tis not so cold. I gather them for the Shapherds. An’ just a few for my potions.” Belle laughed nervously, and Fain wondered what had unnerved her.

“Could I stay here? I promise not to wander off.”

“Never fear, lass, MacTíre wouldna say it, but he prefers the open air himself. Ye can both stay here, I’ll be but a moment.” With that he disappeared into the dark.

“Wh at spooked you, Belle? You look like someone ambled over your grave. “

She refused to meet his eyes as she answered. “I like Connelly, you know I do, but have you never noticed anything, I don’t know,
fae
about him ?”

“He’s got an excellent weather sense, but other than that? No,” he answered casually, but his curiosity was piqued. Did Belle know something he didn’t?

“It must just be me, then.” She smiled quickly, but Fain felt like she was hiding something. “I believed him, that’s all. When he said he was after newts’ tongues. I’d believe him if he said he was after demon ichor.”

Fain didn’t know what to say to that, but he was saved the trouble of responding, because at that moment Grey Tip poked his nose out from the mouth of the cave.

“ Fain! It’s the wolves! “ Belle clutched at his arm in alarm, but Fain gently disentangled her.

“I was wondering if they’d show themselves.”

“What?”

Fain didn’t answer. Instead, he yipped softly in greeting to Grey Tip. The large lupine predator huffed in response, and then slunk out the rocky opening. Behind him came the rest of the pack, tongues lolling out in wolfish grins as they ringed the two humans.

Belle had gone deathly still, staring with wide eyes at the emerging pack. She made a strangled noise, but said nothing, as Fain dropped to his knees in the snow and allowed Grey Tip to bowl him over. Once Fain was lying flat on his back, with the wolf draped over him, he looked back at Belle.

“Don’t mind me, I’m just going to pass out quietly.”

Her voice was soft, but the wolves’ ears all flicked towards her as soon as she spoke, and she squeaked in response. Fain laughed.

“Belle, I believe you’ve met Grey Tip, and his pack.”

“Are you telling me that this is
your
wolf pack?” It had taken a few moments of pure shock, but Vivienne had finally sputtered out a question.

“Of course not.” Fain had sat up, and had one arm looped over the giant wolf.

“Then—”

“This is Grey Tip’s pack. I just belong to it.”

Vivi stared at him in consternation. The man was barking mad.

“If it makes you feel better, just think of it this way: they’re friends.”

“But they chased me!”

“Well, yes. But you were invading their territory.”

“I—” She checked herself. “I suppose that’s true. But why chase me at all? If they like people?”

“On no, you’ve misunderstood me. They aren’t tame. They don’t like
people.
But I’ve been an adopted pack member for a long time, so they like me, and anyone they see as my friend.”

“So they chased me because…? “

“They weren’t sure you were a friend.” Fain spoke lightly enough, but Vivienne heard the undertones.
He
still wasn’t sure she was a friend.

Grey Tip stuck his nose in Fain’s ear, and the man jumped.

“Ga hhhhh… All right, stop wuffing at me. Belle, would you come here?”

“Why?” She was suspicious.

“You need to be properly introduced, so Grey Tip can accept you. Or not.” Fain tacked on the last two words with a smile, but Vivienne was nervous.

“What happens if I don’t get accepted?”

“Well, I don’t think they’ll actually
eat
you…” He trailed off and she squeaked. Again. She was going to have to give herself a stern talking to. This was simply undignified. “Relax, Belle, just come over here.” She took two hesitant steps forward. “Oh, but I should probably warn you—”

Fain never had a chance to warn her of anything. With one bound Grey Tip left his side and landed before Vivienne. She straightened her spine. If she was going to be eaten by a wild animal she would do it like a full-blooded member of the Royal House of Albion, not like some snivelling coward who couldn’t stop squeaking. Her resolve almost faltered when the wolf reared back and placed his heavy front paws on her shoulders, but she swallowed hard and took a deep breath, and then stared straight into the giant golden eyes.

Grey Tip’s muzzle was inches from her face. His hot breath smelled like sweet copper, and his teeth gleamed in the weak sunlight. A light breeze ruffled his heavy winter coat, but otherwise the two stood motionless, gold eyes meeting violet.

Then he licked Vivienne’s face, from chin to hairline.

“Ewww…”

Grey Tip dropped his paws back to the forest floor, and graced Vivi with a wolfish grin as she scrubbed her face. Then he yipped and dashed off into the trees, with the rest of the pack hard on his heels.

Fain was laughing at her. “I think you’ve been accepted.”

Vivi gave him a dirty look, and then flopped down into the snow. “That was… quite a shock to the system.”

“You did well. I was much more frightened the first time he did that to me.”

“And when was that?” She gazed at him speculatively. “When were you first accepted by the wolf pack?”

“When I lived alone in the woods, for a time.”

“Why?” Vivienne asked before she could stop herself, but then immediately covered her ears with her hands. “No, don’t tell me. I’m not supposed to be asking things like that, am I?”

“No, you’re not.” But he chuckled as he said it. “Although I can hardly blame you. Still, let us wait on that answer until things are… more settled.”

An awkward silence settled between them. Fortunately, Connelly chose that moment to return from the subterranean mushroom forest. Once he was standing next to Vivienne, he looked around at the prints in the snow.

“So the wolf came ta greet our lass, did he?”

“Indeed.” Fain took bundles from Connelly as they spoke.

“An’ did the great beastie slobber all over her?”

“He did seem to take to her remarkably quickly.”

“What can ye say, lad, some critters are smarter than the men I know.”

The day flew by. After the wolves left, Connelly took them on a long but easy trek through the woods to find a patch of flowering black hellebore. He cautioned Belle and Fain to leave the flowers alone, while carefully harvesting several of them into a clay pot.

“Is everything you gather poisonous, Connelly?”

“’tis a difficult question ta answer, lass. Even water can kill ye, should ye apply it wrongly, yet ye need it ta live.”

Belle was mulling that over when they heard movement coming up the path they had taken. Fain stepped in front of her and drew his sword, but Connelly kept working calmly.

“Use yer ears, ya great lummox. ’tis only Davies.” Fain strained to listen, and could hear a faint wheezing that did sound like it
could
be Davies, but how Connelly could be so sure at such a distance…

He glanced back at Belle. “I see what you mean.”

She flashed him a quick smile, and then focused her attention back towards the approaching noise.

In a few moments Davies broke into the clearing. The young man was ruddy from exertion, and he panted, trying to catch enough breath to deliver his message.

“Breathe, man, breathe.” Fain stepped forward and helped support Davies’ shaking legs.

“Connelly. We need Connelly,” he gasped.

“Did something happen on the—” At the last moment, Fain remembered his audience. “Hunt?”

“After.” Davies was breathing easier, and his words came faster. “That beast is a devil, MacTíre. It’s kicked Tom Woddsmith in the ribs, and he’s hurt, bad. I came back to the keep for Connelly, then traced you out here.”

“Where are the rest of the men?”

“About three leagues from Dorshire, to the south-southwest. I can show you where they’ve holed up, now that I’ve caught my breath.”

Fain turned to Connelly. “It’ll be fastest if you head straight there.” Connelly nodded and grabbed his pack. “Belle, sorry to cut your day short, but we need to get back to the keep.”

Davies started shaking his head. “You need to come with us, MacTíre. None of us can handle that animal.”

Fain closed his eyes in frustration. He needed to be with his men, but he couldn’t send Belle back to the keep alone. Nor did he want to bring her with them. It was a bad choice. He was trying to decide on the lesser of evils, when he felt Belle’s small, mittened hand press into his arm.

“Let me come, Fain. I promise, I won’t ask any questions.”

He opened his eyes and scrutinized her face. All he could see was utter sincerity, and worry for the injured man.

“All right.” Fain kept his gaze locked with hers, watching the relief surface in those violet eyes as he made his decision. “Davies, lead the way.”