Fairyfly - 14. Clash of Wolves

Riding on horseback, Prince Terryn and Huck entered the Alduin’s capital city of Thenelle with their guards a comfortable distance behind them. Whenever they would get too close, Terryn would warn them to back off. Follow, but don’t disturb - that was the order.

Since neither of them knew where to even begin searching for the famous sorcerer Esthor - or infamous, depending on who you asked - Terryn and Huck decided the most obvious solution was the best. As they approached a random group of four people on the street, they stopped right next to them.

“Excuse me,” Huck said, getting their attention. “Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me where the house of Esthor the sorcerer is?”

The men looked at each other suspiciously before one of them responded.

“It’s over there,” the man said, pointing at a hill to the left, “on that hill at the edge of the city. But if the rumors are true, I doubt you’ll find anyone there.”

Raising an eyebrow, the man obviously expected the two strangers on the horse to ask what the rumor was, but Huck simply nodded.

“Thank you,” he smiled appreciatively at the man.

“We really need his help. If he’s not there, do you have any idea where we could find him?” Terryn asked.

The man stepped closer and looked around.

“Listen, you don’t want anyone hearin’ you’re lookin’ for him, got it? Word is, the king had him executed for treason. The guy killed Princess Arabella in cold blood, then went on a rampage and threatened to kill everyone in the castle, but they stopped him,” the man whispered. “That’s what happens when you mess with black magic,” he added, shaking his head.

“Ohh, I see,” Terryn replied, faking a shocked look. Huck had to hide behind his back, struggling to suppress a chuckle.

“We’ll be careful, thanks for the warning,” the prince added and took off.

“Well, if that’s his reputation these days, I doubt he’s returned to his home,” he said as they approached the hill where Esthor’s house was supposed to be located.

“He’s a big sorcerer, you really think he can’t handle a few misinformed peasants?” Huck asked.

“I guess you’re right. Let’s hope he’s here… But I don’t see the house anywhere.”

“Maybe it’s behind those trees?” Huck suggested.

Dismounting their horse, the two men tied it to a nearby tree and climbed the rest of the way up. As they got past the tall cypress trees that formed a natural barrier, a tall stone house appeared before them. It was made of light gray stones that were unnaturally smooth, almost shiny. The windows were large and diamond-shaped, while the large front door was made of light wood, with intricate carvings on the edges.

The prince came to the door and knocked a few times, but no reply came. After waiting for a few more minutes, Huck reached for the doorknob, but it was in vain - the door was obviously locked, magically or otherwise.

“Let’s go around and see if there’s a back door,” he suggested.

As they went around the house, they stopped in their tracks, feeling as though they were thieves caught in a robbery. A big man stood there next to a horse, knocking on the back door. By the look on his face, Huck could tell the tall, hunky, black-haired man was concerned. I certainly wouldn’t mind going over there and comforting him, Huck thought.

As soon as he heard footsteps, Jonah turned around to see two surprised faces looking at him as if contemplating whether to speak or take off as fast as their legs could carry them.

“Uh, hi,” Huck spoke first, feeling a rush of blood to his cheeks.

“Who are you two?” Jonah said in his deep voice, eyeing them suspiciously.

“I’m Prince Terryn of Thorodan, and this is my friend Huck,” Terryn said. “We’re looking for Esthor, do you know where he is?”

“What’s the Prince of Thorodan doing here?” Jonah asked.

“We have a friend who might be in trouble and we were hoping Esthor could help her.”

“I’m sure he would, but…”

At that point, Huck approached the man and looked up at him.

“Look, uh…”

“Jonah. I’m a… friend of Esthor’s.”

“Oh… Do you know what happened to him?” Huck asked, looking a little crestfallen. He wondered if they were really just friends.

“Only what I’ve heard from others. I’ve been coming here in case he shows up, but no sign of him yet.”

“Jonah, we’ve heard the rumors, and I’m sure you have too. But…” Huck spoke, before Terryn pulled him by the hand, interrupting him.

“How do we know we can trust him, hmm? What if he’s one of the king’s men?” the prince asked.

“Do I look like one of king’s men?” Jonah grunted, pointing at his old, dirty clothes that fit him perfectly - or so Huck thought. “I’m just a blacksmith here, and if it’s true what the king did to Esthor, you can be sure I’m no friend of the old bastard.”

“Ok, let’s say we trust you…” Terryn replied.

“We do,” Huck was quick to interrupt.

“LET’S SAY WE DO,” Terryn repeated. “If Esthor was still alive, where would he go if not here?”

The blacksmith’s eyes went wide in surprise. Was there really a chance that Esthor was still alive? He hadn’t heard from him in weeks, and although they were just friends with benefits, Jonah cared about him as a true friend and he knew Esthor felt the same for him. He did not believe a word of the nasty rumors people were spreading about the sorcerer, knowing he couldn’t have done what they accused him of. The whole thing made him so angry - Esthor was missing and he couldn’t do anything about it. However, what these strangers were saying intrigued him and gave him hope.

“Then let’s say I believe that you’re really who you claim to be...” Jonah said, raising an eyebrow.

“We are,” Terryn huffed.

“I don’t know that. For all I know, you’re the king’s guards coming to trash his house.”

“Ok, fair point. How about we tell you what we know, and you tell us what you know?” Huck asked, and Jonah nodded.

“We ARE who we said we were and we just came from the castle. Esthor isn’t there. He was locked up in a dungeon, but he somehow escaped,” Huck said.

“So it’s true then? But it can’t be, he couldn’t have killed...”

“It’s not what you think. From what we’ve heard, he DID kill the princess, but only to save her. She was infected by a Lykos and the Fever would’ve finished her off anyway.”

“Then why the hell was he imprisoned?” the blacksmith grumbled.

“I guess the king didn’t see it that way. All he saw was a man killing his daughter instead of curing her. I’m not saying he was right… He was just so angry and desperate to punish someone.”

Jonah could barely believe what he was hearing. The truth wasn’t as horrible as the rumors, but it still pained him to hear what had happened to his friend. At least Esthor managed to escape, but how? And where? It wasn’t until a few moments later that Jonah noticed Huck had his arm on his back, rubbing it in an attempt to comfort him.

As the blacksmith looked at him, Huck got nervous and quickly removed his hand.

“So, do you have any idea where he might have gone?” Terryn asked, interrupting the awkward silence.

“I can’t be sure, but I know he has a sort of a teacher, an older sorcerer who taught him magic - Khalgos,” Jonah said. “He’s like a father to Esthor, so maybe he went to seek his help.”

“Do you know where he lives?” the prince asked.

“Yes. Not many people do, though. His house is way over there, on the other side of the Howling Forest,” the blacksmith pointed with his hand. “I’ve never been there myself, but Esthor told me. There’s a big ravine and his house is near the edge of it.”

“Thank you,” Terryn said. “We should go and look for it.”

“If we find Esthor, we’ll make sure to tell him you’re worried about him,” Huck added as he went to follow Terryn. Once they reached their horse, the two friends mounted it and said farewell to Jonah, thanking him once again for the help.

“Be careful out there,” the blacksmith said, looking at Huck.

“We will. See ya later,” Huck gave him a smile, waving at the man as they rode off.

~~

The sound of someone trying to open the front door woke Rulf up. He quietly left the bed so he wouldn’t wake Esthor up and slowly went to the other room, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was on the other side of the door.

It was already dark so it was hard to see anything but a large silhouette through the window. Whoever it was, they weren’t giving up. Although the door was locked, they kept trying to pick the lock. Shifting into his wolf form, Rulf grabbed a large wooden bat and stood behind the door. Even when shifted, the Lykos’ front paws allowed them to use objects, though not with as much precision as in their human forms.

Suddenly, the door opened and Rulf swung to hit the intruder, but a strong Lykos arm stopped him mid-air, knocking the bat away.

“You!” Rulf growled, dropping the bat and lunging at the other wolf in full force, knocking him to the ground.

“Rulf, what are you doing here?” Fendrel asked, taken aback.

“I live here!” Rulf shouted, swinging at the other man but Fendrel was faster, dodging the blow and pushing him away.

“Is that how it’s going to be?” he grumbled as he got up from the floor, eyeing Rulf menacingly and confidently strode toward him.

“You infected Arabella. I should kill you right now,” Rulf hissed.

“I don’t think you can.” With one strong shove, Fendrel slammed Rulf into the wall, making him wince in pain, but the smaller Lykos wasted no time. He immediately grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it against Fendrel, breaking it in pieces. As the older Lykos stumbled for a moment, Rulf took the chance and pushed him through the back door and out into the garden.

“I did what I had to, they had it coming!” Fendrel growled as he recovered and made another lunge at Rulf, slashing his arm with his claws.

Rulf felt a sharp sting of pain across his bicep, but only for a moment. Full of adrenaline and rage, he was only focused on the betrayer in front of him. The man who was once his friend ended up causing him so much pain.

“She did nothing! Brom killed your parents, not her!” Rulf shouted angrily, managing to overpower Fendrel and knocking him down onto the grass.

“Don’t make me infect you too,” Fendrel threatened as he wrestled with the other wolf, his sharp fangs coming dangerously close to Rulf’s neck.

“ENOUGH!” a booming voice interrupted them. They looked up in surprise, only to see Esthor standing at the door, his face pale and his jaw trembling.

The sorcerer stretched out his hands in front of him. As he slowly moved them apart, Rulf and Fendrel felt they were being separated by an invisible force.

“Rulf, get away from him,” Esthor ordered. He needed Rulf out of the way so he could clearly focus on Fendrel alone. Since he could not see the cursed wolf, he needed to use his extra senses, and having another Lykos around would not make things easier. Rulf reluctantly obeyed, running to the side but remaining close to the sorcerer.

“You!” Fendrel grunted. He was livid to be interrupted in the fight, and by none other than Esthor - the man who spoiled his plans by killing the princess. Still, he felt some sort of sadistic pleasure at knowing the damn sorcerer was still alive. Maybe now he’d get a chance to do what King Norius failed and finish him off instead of merely blinding him.

“So the king didn’t kill you after all…” Fendrel growled.

As soon as he uttered those words, a sudden force knocked him back, slamming him into a tree. With a thud, he fell down, cursing at the sorcerer. He is more powerful than I thought, Fendrel realized as he tried to get up. Every bone is his body was hurting and the Fever was starting to take its toll on him as well.

“The king? Esthor…” Rulf asked, the wheels in his head starting to turn. He looked at Fendrel and back at Esthor, trying to make some sense of the situation. Why would the king want Esthor dead?

“Oh, he doesn’t know-“ Fendrel began to ask, but was immediately interrupted as his body flew into the air. Floating ten feet above the ground, he started to feel his limbs stretching.

“I could tear you apart right now,” Esthor threatened and Fendrel could see he was serious. For the first time in a while, the Lykos was actually afraid. He thought his limbs would be ripped from his body at any moment.

Even though Esthor couldn’t see Fendrel, he could hear his grunts and that was enough for him to focus on.

“Esthor, what is he talking about?” Rulf pleaded, but kept his distance from the sorcerer.

“Rulf, I’m sorry,” Esthor whispered, turning his head to where he heard Rulf’s voice coming from.

“Esthor, I want an answer!” Rulf demanded this time. “What happened with you and the king? Did you have something to do with… Arabella’s death?”

With a quick swipe of his hand, Esthor dropped Fendrel to the ground, not trying to be gentle at all.

“Go and never seek Rulf again! Or next time, I will break your spine.”

Without wasting a moment, the wolf scampered off into the woods. He felt lucky to be alive, but even more than that he felt angry, furious that the sorcerer humiliated him after foiling his plans.

He was blind, though. At least the king did one thing right. All I have to do is catch him by surprise and with one quick slash, I’ll get rid of him, Fendrel thought.

As for King Norius, the revenge will be even sweeter. His miserable father shed no tear when he killed my parents, hunting them down like animals, so why should I spare anyone in his family? No, they will all fall, one by one.

Back in Rulf’s home, Esthor sat on the bed, trembling. His head was hung low and his hands were shaking. The confrontation with Fendrel was nothing - what he was really scared of was Rulf’s reaction to the truth.

“I’m so sorry, Rulf,” he whispered, covering his face with his hands. Will Rulf ever forgive him for what he did? Will Esthor ever be able to forgive himself? At that moment, he wasn’t sure.

Not once did he doubt his actions or felt what he did was wrong. Even in his darkest moments, when he was chained up in the castle and had his eyes taken out by Zane, he refused to apologize because he knew he did the right thing. No one else could see it, but he was so sure of it back then. But now… not so much.

What he did hurt so many people, but worst of all – it hurt Rulf. It was all clear to him now. That special someone Rulf said he had lost - he was talking about Princess Arabella.

“What did you do? Tell me,” Rulf asked coldly, standing beside him. Esthor was afraid more than ever. He could hear it in Rulf’s voice – the distance, the contempt. He just couldn’t bear it.

“The king… He called for me… Arabella was ill with the Fever and no one could cure her,” Esthor whispered, struggling to breathe. “He thought maybe… maybe I could do something, cast a spell or whatever.”

“And?” Rulf asked, taking a deep breath. He prayed to all the Gods he knew that Esthor was innocent and that his worst fears were merely an illusion.

“And I knew there was no cure. I just wanted to end her misery… Stop her from turning. You have to understand…”

That was it.

Turning away, Rulf went to the other end of the room and sat down on a chair, feeling empty and hollow. He remembered the day he found out Arabella had died. Bess and he were out in the town, waiting to see the dreaded wedding ceremony, in which his lovely princess would marry Prince Terryn. Instead, something much worse had happened. He lost the woman he loved.

And now, he found out that the man he loves was the one who ended her life.

“Get out,” Rulf said, sniffling and wiping the tears off his face.

“Rulf, please. I am so so sorry. I know what I did was wrong,” Esthor pleaded, turning around and trying to find Rulf. “I never meant to hurt you like this… Or anyone else. I wish there’d been a way…”

“Leave, please. I can’t be with you right now.”

With that, Rulf stood up and went to the bedroom, locking the door behind him.

Thanks a lot to all the readers! I appreciate your comments, likes, etc. 
And thank you @AusGlitterati for all of your input!