Silvermoon. A Tale of a Young Werewolf. A YA Novel. 12-18 (23 page)

Yvette watched them go, she turned to Julia and they made there way over the hill where they removed their elven armour and clothing. They transformed as they ran along the ridge, out of sight of the goblin spies. They ran on into the distance and when it was safe enough they made their way down into the long valley and circled round the huge hill that housed the mine and climbed up its rocky surface to their rendezvous with Lengowyn and Darkenstar and their people, over six hundred strong.

Jason, dressed in elven robes, led Jennifer up a narrow path, carved out of the hillside, towards a cave opening. He held her close to him to give the impression he was supporting her. They arrived and faced a massive door. The same goblin, still in human form - which enabled him to speak English - greeted them, “Welcome, Witch,” he said and peered at Jason, “Where is the werewolf child?”

Jennifer w
hispered, “He died
fighting your army, a troll took him
apart
before he could transform.”

Jason asked him, “Do you fear a half-elf, I am only here to escort the lady Helga, as she has suffered greatly since you took her life-stone.”

“Follow me.”

He led them to a large double, wooden door. Two goblins guarded it. He banged on it with his fist and a gap appeared. They heard a voice in goblin talk.

Their escort transformed and told the guard there. “I’ve brought the elven witch and her escort.”

Jason pulled his hood down to cover his features and bowed his head slightly when the door opened wider. As they entered, their stomachs churned as a cloying stench assailed their senses, their eyes burned and watered. They looked around them and dozens of toad-like eyes set in huge scaly green heads, perched on bloated bodies, followed them as they walked towards a figure seated on a throne carved out of solid rock, it was Lucas, dressed in purple robes.
His grey hair hung uncombed over his shoulders and his eyes, once bright, were now dull, and his face had a skull-like appearance
.

“Greetings, Helga, sorry about the stench, my children defecate steadily
and I have to provide food for
them constantly.” He rose up slowly and pointed at Jason. “Who is that? Where is Silvermoon?”

Jason hoped he would not recognise his adult voice, he bowed and said, “He perished by the lake, my Lord Lucas. My name is Herlin; I am part elf, part human. I am my lady’s escort. She weakens daily since you rescued Chanteline from the goblins.”

“Rescued! I like that. Yes I did rescue it from those fools. I had intended to join the boy Jason and his sister after they convinced Lengowyn to come out of hiding and raid the goblin lair. I would, as Lord of the werewolves, have taken charge of the rune stone, but I chanced upon Princess Re
ega and took the stone from her.
I had persuaded her father to obtain it, I told him it would grant them longevity and the fool believed me. I told him where to find it, and I suppose you know the rest.”

Jennifer said in a loud whisper, “Where is Chanteline, you said you wished to know how to use its powers?”

He moved behind the throne, beckoning them. “Come with me, out of the smell, the cleaners will be here soon.”

As they approached him they heard the door behind them open, Jason, holding onto Jennifer’s arm, saw a number of goblins carrying large shovels enter, pushing a large wooden cart before them.

Lucas bent down stiffly and opened a large trapdoor.

Jason looked at the door situated behind the throne, secured with three large bolts. To his relief, Lucas descended first, and with the throne blocking the guard’s view Jason quickly drew the well-oiled bolts back and followed Lucas. Jennifer followed, making a show of how difficult she found the long descent.

The heat greeted them as they trod the wooden stairway down to the stone floor of what was a huge furnace. A troll worked
the large bellows
continually
and a
nother left by a tunnel, dragging a large cart behind it. Dwarves poured molten metal
,
taken with ladles from a cauldron set on white hot embers
,
into moulds
. Jason assumed it was the bomb casings.

Lucas walked over to a table. Jason saw a dull
grey
-looking piece of glass, twice as big as his fist, lying there. Lucas picked it up and showed it to them. “The rune stone,” he said, grinning.

Yvette and Julia arrived at the tunnel entrance. Werepeople were helping with the excavation while others, transformed, kept watch along the hillside. Yvette asked Darkenstar, not yet transformed, “How are we progressing?”

He told her as she transformed back to human shape, we are almost ready.”

A voice called softly from the entrance, it was Dardwyn, “We are through. The tunnel is wide enough.”

The remaining werewolves discarded their clothing and the guards returned to human shape as they joined the throng. Darkenstar said, to Yvette “I assume there has been a change of plan, what is my son up to?”

Yvette told him of the recent happenings and added, “After we have dealt with the monsters and brought Jason and Jennifer out, I will try to set the explosive powder off.” She looked about her then added, “And let’s hope none of those beasts escape, for even one of them could wreak terrible damage on our forces if it transforms, after which it would produce more of its kind.”

With Dardwyn leading and Yvette following, the werepeople entered the tunnel.

Lucas approached Jennifer and said, “Give me the powers and I will set you free.”

He stopped as Jennifer slipped back her hood, “Helga doesn’t trust you. She sent me to bring back the rune stone; it is after all, my responsibility.”

His jaw sagged and he said, “The Townsend girl!” He turned to Jason as he threw off his robes and transformed, “And Silvermoon.”

Lucas stepped back and his body shuddered and grew. Jennifer pulled out her bow, strung it and quickly nocked an arrow. Jason transformed rapidly and crouched, ready to spring and Jennifer drew her bow taught. The pair stared in wonder as Lucas’ body shrank back to his normal shape, his body withered and his knees buckled.

Dardwyn eased forward and peered
through a
hole, Yvette asked, “Are we there now?”

He replied as he pushed a mound of dirt out of the way, “Yes, it’s a large storeroom, I hope they haven’t fitted bolts as they said they would,” and then he disappeared.

“Bolts!” said Yvette as she scrambled down onto the storeroom floor after him. “Now you tell me.” She added, “Can we transform in here?”

“Yes, of course, it
’
s quite a large room.”

She groped for him in the darkness and said when she found him, “Show the way my little hero.”

Dardwyn turned the doorknob, and pushed against the door. “It’s not bolted,” he whispered.

He stepped to one side and light crept into the room as Yvette opened the door, just wide enough for the others to see they had room to transform. Soon the room became packed with huge furry bodies,
with more waiting to enter. Yvette said, “We must secure the door at all costs.”

Darkenstar
nodded in agreement and
said, “It’s now or never, but slowly.”

Yvette moved out into the room, she almost vomited at the smell. She looked at the others as they grimaced and said as the place behind the throne became too crowded, “Now!”

She bounded out and collared a goblin standing idly before the throne; she grabbed his spear, seized his head between her jaws and ripped it off. Another guard ran to the door, Yvette threw
the spear and pinned him to it
.

The werewolf pack pounced on the creatures, they ripped off their scales and slashed open their bodies, increasing the stench in the room. As the numbers diminished Yvette said, “There are others,” and pointed to a dozen openings in the cave wall. As she did so a torrent of toad-like creatures of various sizes hopped out, bleating like lambs.

The goblin, pinned to the door was still alive, Yvette saw him slip the latch and due to his weight, the door swung open. “The door, it is open,” she cried out.

The werewolves were at
work, ripping and slashing, but so great were the monsters numbers that one of them slipped
through their ranks and
through the open doorway, pushing it
wide open , after which over a dozen
escape
d
onto the mountainside.

As the goblin army formed ranks and the trolls ambled forward.
Seawan roared, “Prepare for battle, archers prepare to shoot, high angle.” He raised his own bow and saw the creatures leave the cave entrance and cried, “Stop!”

One archer, a young elf and slightly nervous, let loose his arrow as he lowered his bow, it flew across the valley and struck one of the creatures between the scales on its neck. The arrow did not penetrate deep, but caused the animal to bleat. Then the bleat changed to a
growl and the growl became a roar as the creature transformed.

Seawan watched in horror as the others, over a dozen, followed suit.

Jennifer lowered her bow and said, “Helga was right, Chanteline has taken away your longevity, you

are dying Lucas.”

The old man stared back at her, “Then you shall not have it.” He ran as fast as his wobbly legs could carry him and held the rune stone over the cauldron. “Say goodbye to your rune stone,” he whispered hoarsely.

A dwarf ran forward in the hope of preventing him. His action halted Jason just as he was about to pounce
and the dwarf stopped in his tracks as Jason sidestepped him
. The troll working the bellows stopped pumping and kicked Jason to one side as he passed him, causing him to land badly, leaving him winded.

Jennifer screamed, “What do you want Lucas, Helga can save you, did you know that? Come with us, we forgive you, werewolves are our allies, not our enemies.”

Lucas spoke in goblin and the troll growled and moved towards her, she loosed her arrow and it buried itself in the giant’s throat. She loosed another and
another and
the troll stopped in its tracks, then it dropped to its knees,
coughing, spewing blood,
clawing at the shafts, mewing pitifully, blocking Jennifer’s aim and then it toppled forward and hit the floor with a splat. Lucas let out a cry of anguish and the rune stone fell from his grasp
into the cauldron of molten metal
.

Jason, after recovering from his clash with the troll, came to his feet and leaped forward his arm outstretched.

Jennifer screamed, “Jason, don’t…”

She watched
,
her mouth agape as Jason plunged his hand into the molten lead. He howled in pain and pulled out his arm, hairless but unburned. His hand clutched the rune stone and with his features creased in agony, he sank to his knees. His body took on human shape once more and Jennifer rushed towards him, joined by the dwarf. The other dwarves joined them and they watched as the rune stone glowed a brilliant white, they stepped back, shielding their eyes. Jason rose up, he turned, with the stone in his grasp and hurried towards the stairway.

“Jason, where are you going?” she called out.

Lucas appeared before her, baring his teeth, “This is all your fault,” he said and picked up a metal ladle.

She drew her sword, blocked and side-stepped his feeble swing and with one blow severed his head from his body. She called out to the dwarves as she ran after Jason. “We must leave, there is danger here for you, follow me.”