The Prophesy: Book 1 - Cave Lupus

 

"Now that this is done, what are your plans, Harold?" asked Samson, the next morning.

"Our goal still remains Lois, but we need to take into account what we have been through. I believe our first goal would be to re-establish your full authority on the Elvin kingdom, Sire. We need to know who has not shown up and why, and regain full control of those units that camp within the valley around here. Furthermore, we need to rebuild the nobility on sounder grounds."

"Dad, have you learned how to talk to the wolves yet?" asked Paschal.

"I can communicate with Greywolf, via images, but he must be within close proximity for me to capture his thoughts. Why do you ask?"

"We, meaning Sitar, Harp, Enron and me, are part of the collective consciousness of canines, and can ask questions and get answers much faster than any messenger will ever be able to bring them. Let us ask the questions, and we will probably have the answers faster than you can imagine."

"That is a good idea son. Is the royal scribe around, Samson? We need a list of who did not show up, and a list of all seats that reverted to the crown due to the treason of their holder."

"Let us not forget Germanicus, Harold," asked Annabelle. "Although he is free of movement, he is very closed up. He eats, he sleeps, and he walks around, but I have yet to hear his voice. Every time a noise is heard, he jumps out of his skin, and he balls up the moment a man of stature walks besides him. He seems totally oblivious to the wolves, as if they weren't there. I'm at a loss."

"Have you had any success with him, boys?" asked Harold.

"None. He is far worse than Enron. The wolves tell us he walks all night until he collapses, and then wakes up with a start crying. A couple of wolves had to force him to turn back because he was headed for the river and seemed to be asleep."

"He sleepwalks?" asked Samson, worried.

"Yes. And he shouts 'NO!' all the time, before starting to cry in earnest, and we can't get to him at all during these times. He seems to be reliving traumatic events, over and over again."

"I wish we could make him talk, it would help us figure out what to do."

"We do have an idea, but I do not know if you would appreciate it, dad."

"What idea, Sitar? The simple fact that you ask is a miracle by itself, because, usually, you do what you want and tell after; but I sense I may not like it!"

"We may enter his mind and view his memories during these episodes. However, if it is very traumatic, we may not come out of it unscathed, unless we find a way to protect ourselves from the emotional trauma."

"You are right, Sitar, I do not appreciate it. Not one bit!"

"We might do better if we entered all four in his mind, each helping in creating an emotional shield. We would need to practice with the creation and sustaining of the shield, and for that, the best would be to do it with our own memories first," suggested Enron.

"I do not know how you would do that, but continue expanding your idea, Enron."

"See, all four of us have some traumatic experiences; Paschal with that diviner and the companion carpenter at the farm; Sitar with his dad's death and the orc attack on the farm; Harp with the same orc attack and the abuse he so shortly sustained under the hands of the orc scout; me with the elves scorning me before Mitsuko fixed me up, and under the hands of the orcs while they were torturing me before I got rescued. By practicing the defences with these events, we may be able, when we enter Germanicus' mind, to sustain what we see and feel without damage."

"That would even be good for us, dad," completed Paschal. "We would come out of the exercise stronger and more balanced. We have to live with these memories, and sometimes, I feel them eating at my heart. By dealing collectively with them, we may be able to get over them."

"Aren't you afraid of losing yourselves, your humanity, by becoming insensitive to pain?"

"I doubt we will become insensitive to emotional pain; however, we may be able to deal with it better. The pain will remain, but we may be able to use it rather than be used by it,' answered Paschal.

"As for losing our identity, it's shared, now. I know what any of my brother is doing at all times, what they dream, what they think. We are one, in many bodies, yet we remain separate. It's hard to explain. We think together, and it goes further than us four, it includes the canines, all the canines in the consciousness. We are human wolves, dad. There are millions of us, and one of us. We are one in a multitude and a multitude in one."

"What happens when one of you dies?" asked, awed, Dunbar.

"Its consciousness is recovered as well as its identity," explained Enron. "We never really die. Who we are is disseminated across the Whole, and can be recalled at any time for consultation. Dunbar, what makes me who I am is my memory. These memories will never be lost. Ever. We are eternal, as eternal as the canines. To kill us, one would have to kill every single canine on the planet. Every single canine would have to die. We expand in numbers as we come in contact with other packs, dogs, coyotes, wolves, and others."

"What about Ian?" Annabelle asked, worried.

"He is part of us," told them Harp. "He is the true king of the wolves, Annabelle. You are the Mother, and Harold is the Dad; but you hold the throne in custody. You need not worry, any of you! We want you to be with us! You are growing into the Pack, and, one day, soon, you will be part of the Pack. Fully part of the pack! We are helping you along, and we understand your fears; that is why we do not push. We protect his mind and his body. He is developing as any wolf pup would; and as any human baby would. He shares both heritages fully."

"Mom," began Paschal, "it is not only us that will deal with Germanicus, it is the collective we represent. We want to train the collective by letting it learn and gain experience in dealing with the human perspective of reality. It has millions of years of experience dealing with trauma as a Wolf, but not as a Human or Elf. It needs the experience because, whatever we do, Germanicus will not be allowed into the collective Wolf. He just doesn't have the traits needed, notwithstanding his traumatic past. He is Elf we are not. We were born Human, but we were different, sort of like waiting for this to be, he does not carry in him what is needed."

"And we do?" asked, surprised, Williams.

"Yes. For reasons we do not understand it never manifested in you as you grew, until now. But it is changing. We will be ONE, all of us, one day. I think this is what scares mage Marlin; his powers are meagre because they are his alone, and cannot be shared, multiplied or in any way enhanced by another mage. He doesn't really realize what scares him, but one day he will."

"Paschal, we should talk about other things; Marlin's escort reports he is heading this way."

"I know Harp. We need to talk about orcs, dad. We will practice healing human minds on each other later tonight, in the birthing glade. It will be unused."

***

The Royals were looking at the map of the terrain Paschal had drawn from the collective memory of the canines. It was a lot more extensive than what the logbooks of the Road Masters and the Elvin tradesmen could ever have supplied. In it were marked trails long lost to human memory; caves, dens, and artificial caves that were partially collapsed; Bridges, forests, both forbidden and liveable, dams, passes, drinkable and dangerous waters, human farms, settlements, villages and cities, with hidden entrances that were used by wolves and dogs alike. The spy network had worked hard to supply Paschal with a lot of precise, up to date, and accurate information. It included the orcs nests, and the breeding grounds of the priests; the edges of the forbidden forests were clearly marked in red. Paschal, Sitar, Harp and Enron were feeding the others a running commentary on the displacement of humans, elves, orcs, priests, hunters, and even hunting games, like elk or deer. Paschal had drawn the Elvin kingdom to a high precision, because this was, quite apparently, the first step in the next venture. He had rolled close the other maps of Americus, for a reason that only the boys seemed to know, as the mage entered the throne room. The boys did not make a fuss over the rolled up maps, as if they were only sketches leading to the current one they were studying with their parents.

As the mage entered the room, he heard the trailing end of Enron's comments on a movement of orcs.

"Dad," was saying Enron, "the orcs are moving south from these areas in the mountains, and the wolves report there are five columns separated by about ten miles, currently, converging towards that passage over the river.

"The dam? They are going to have a hard time crossing, it is very narrow."

"They will have a lot of problems you mean," added Paschal. "There is a strong concentration of Hunters and Priests heading the same direction, but from the other side! Wouldn't it be nice if the two forces collided on the dam? I can imagine the serious difficulties orcs will have killing priests, and our observers estimate the number of Hunters to be twice the number of orcs! All in all, the forces are almost perfectly matched."

"How can you know that?" wanted to know Marlin.

"Spies have informed us from the forests which the orcs, hunters, and priests are crossing presently," informed Sitar. "We estimate the collision should occur in about four days."

"I see. Wolf spies? And at what distance?"

"Four hundred and fifty miles due north of here, at the very edge of the Elvin kingdom."

"Yes, that is true, Marlin. The dam constitutes the northern marker of my kingdom, on that river."

"That must have been quite a run!"

"Who said they ran?" piped up Harp.

The mage looked at the young boy, wide-eyed. He fully understood it meant telepathic communication over four hundred and fifty miles and it sounded like a chat near a coffee table!

Sitar completed the report by saying "The orcs will use the sharp side of the dam to try and get behind the column of Hunters and Priests; while the priests will use the lake to do the same to the orcs. It will be a first class mess. Orcs swim like rocks, and Priests consider a flat road slippery!"

The mage was intrigued about the analysis so he asked "What about the Hunters?"

"They are good at ambush, but we know from experience that in an open fight are not up to their reputation," informed Harold.

"You mentioned something about the orcs experiencing problems with the priests? I know from experience that orcs are ferocious fighters."

Paschal looked at one of the wolves, which ran out of the throne room.

"We will explain with an illustration, I just sent Windchaser to fetch a drawing I left in our cart, replied Paschal. "Please be patient. Would you like some tea while we wait?"

"Yes, it is a bit fresh this morning."

"A cold wind from the Eastern Mountains, as is usual this season, Mage. The snow and ice cover must still be thick. It will warm up as soon as the lakes' ice cover sinks."

"That reminds me, Samson. The wolves tell me the ice cover on the lake held by the dam is very rotten, and will support neither the priest nor the orcs. I expect a lot of drowned orcs, but also priests! The later will be caught under the ice."

"Interesting. I wish I could see the battle with my own eyes!" commented Samson.

"Bah, you know we can, but it will be in black and white, given it's the wolves that will supply the television!"

hat boyat t What! They can see what wolves see? thought the mage, loud enough to make even Harold cringe.

"Yes we can, mage. Please refrain from yelling next time, you are a pain!" replied Annabelle, verbally.

"At least, he isn't a pain in the ass!" piped up Harp.

The comment brought a big bout of hilarity at the expense of the mage, but finally, things settled down.

"Can I look at the scroll you were studying?"

"Certainly, mage Marlin. Here, come closer!" replied Harold.

"What does it represent?" wondered the mage.

"Oh, it's a representation of the terrain and constructions of the Elvin Kingdom, mage Marlin. I drew it up," replied, matter-of-factly, Paschal. "It is drawn to scale, with each inch represents ten miles, for a total of 8 feet long by six feet wide. That is why we are using this big table on struts, and mud bricks to hold the corners flat. This means the Elvin Kingdom is nine hundred and sixty miles long by seven hundred and twenty miles wide at its widest. At the bottom left are the meanings of the symbols, and at the top is the direction of the needle that indicates the north of the planet. I coloured the live forests in dark green, marked the roads in black, trails in dash, and rivers and lakes in blue. I also put in farms, villages, towns, and, more important, the nests of the orcs, the breeding grounds of the priests, and some other symbols indicating natural resources, such as tar, salt mines, gold mines, and iron deposits. Also marked are caves, dens, and other shelters. Note the red areas. These mark the edges of forbidden forests; and in yellow, I marked dangerous streams and wells. Also indicated are dams, bridges, and fords. I even have an indication of depth in fords, the speed of water, the presence of falls and rapids; and the nature of the soil, on trails. We learned the hard way that a trail isn't always as easy to travel as some said it was!"

Dunbar blushed, but said nothing! Marlin did not know the story behind the Grand Master's blush, but he figured it had to do with a trail of doubtful quality the boys had to travel.

At this moment, the wolf identified as Windchaser came back, carrying in its mouth a leather satchel that apparently contained a parchment.

"Thank you, Windchaser, you were quick. Yes, I know you had to ask one of the boys to retrieve the package for you from the cart. It was smart of you to do so," thanked Paschal.

The wolf guard returned to its guarding duty, tail high, proud as a peacock for having pleased the boy. Paschal opened the container, and pulled out the parchment, and unrolled it delicately.

"This, Mage Marlin, is the body of a priest we killed. I drew it armoured and nude, back and front. True colour, well as close as I could match. Notice the presence of protective bones and scales over the entire body. The only weak point is there, as far as we know," pointed Paschal as he indicated the windpipe at the junction of the head and the upper torso. "Now you know why the orcs are going to have problems. Hitting that specific point is difficult, even when they are nude; but when they are armoured, they only need to lower their chin to their breastbone and the armour protects it. Needless to say, this is not something they publicize! The only advantage we have is that it looks of a different colour than the armour, and this can be used to estimate when to strike. Yes, this also explains the funny exercises you have seen us practice with that dummy. It is designed to match the behaviour of the neck region of the priests, including in colour and armour."

"I also think they cannot keep their head down while they breath, so they must regularly expose the vulnerable area. We would need to capture one alive to be sure of that, but the one I killed seemed either oblivious to the danger, or needed to open up to breath, since it flashed like clockwork," added Harold. "That was what brought the spot to my attention."

The mage was fascinated by Paschal's drawing. It looked so alive he half expected the beast to jump out off the parchment and come alive.

"What about internal organs?"

"Sorry, we were a bit short on time, and it was seriously beginning to smell. Give me some fresh priests and I'll consider!" replied, ironic, Paschal.

"We will certainly meet others, mage, as we travel. I am sure Paschal will have the occasion to do some more detailed sketches of their interior, before they become a bit too rotten to be worth their smell," added Dunbar.

"Given how bad fresh fish smells, Paschal had better draw fast!" added Harp, whose distaste for fish was surfacing.

"So, what do we do?" asked Annabelle, looking at Harold and Samson.

"I suggest we move north, leaving the caravan here under the protection of elves and a centurie, Annabelle. In fact, I would like that you stay with Ian and the first centurie. Meanwhile, Samson and I collect the elves in the camps and move north. First, we will re-establish the authority of the king on our way, second, with the help of the wolves, we will hunt down the orcs nests that have taken ground within the Kingdom; and third, we will wipe out what will be left of whatever survives of the forces reported by the wolves on this side of the dam. I shall evaluate the pertinence of crossing the dam to wipe out the residual forces on the other side given its size and potential to come haunt us while we are busy in the south later on. How does that sound?"

"What about the elven camps south and west of us?"

"They will be involved in the expeditionary forces as well. I believe in unity when it comes to war, and this is the time for those that tried to defy my authority to show they are really willing to stand for the kingdom rather than bicker day in day out," replied Samson. "I shall send movement orders tomorrow morning to the nearest camps."

"We will notify the wolves of the moves, Samson," added Sitar. "They will let the move occur without trouble, but will protect its sides."

"And Canis Lupus Familiaris will act as courier, carrying parchments with the orders in satchels strapped on their backs, for the commanders," completed Enron.

"Canis what?"

"Dogs, dad. We could use wolves, but the Elves would be nervous."

"But dogs are less effective runners and are more likely to fall into ambush," said Williams.

"True, but they will be framed by a wolf escort. The dog carries the message and comes within view of the camps, the wolves stay behind, the dog goes in delivers the message, gets the reply, comes back out, and returns here, or wherever we will be, with the escort."

"Everything seems so simple with you, Paschal."

"Thanks! I try to keep it simple!"

"How will the dog know where to go?" wanted to know the mage.

"Do we need to explain things again?' asked Harp. «Like this!»

"We will keep Germanicus busy today. Maybe he will open up and tell us some stuff," suggested Sitar. "The wolves again had to herd him back to the oxcart last night."

"Yes, I saw the boy, with his wolfish escort as I was going to do a quick report to my Order. What is up with him?"

"He sleepwalks. The wolves gently nudge him out of harm's way."

"Oh. I see. I was wondering about the two big black ones framing him on each side. That is what they were doing."

***

The day was spent readying messages for the Elven camp commanders, to be delivered by their champions for the first round, accompanied by a dog for the return message. As each group left, a pack of ten wolves would escort them in the bushes, with the messenger dog keeping company to the elves and their mounts on the roads or trails. Paschal's very precise map of the immediate area helped in planning the order of deliverance for the messages. Each commander would be receiving its marching orders in a pre-ordained sequence. Although Germanicus spent the day with the boys, he seemed totally oblivious to what was happening around him. The morning wore on, and by sext, the first batch of orders were on their way. The next would be going out the next morning, in such a way that each group's arrival would be spaced by a day's interval. The Kings did not want to have integration problems between units, or to be overwhelmed by a massive arrival of newcomers.

The afternoon was spent training, under the dull eyes of Germanicus, who seemed to show little interest in the prowess of the boys, and their peers. The afternoon droned on, and nothing seemed to even elicit the slightest spark from the boy, sitting on bleachers watching the boys, men, and wolves train. He might as well have been on the moon.

At vespers, Germanicus was invited to the royal table, but barely ate. Finally Harp looked at the boy and said to his brother across the table, "I wonder if he knows his dad, the archduke Franz of Sophia, is dead?"

For the first time the boy seemed to notice what was said and looked at Harp, wide-eyed.

"Finally!" exclaimed Sitar.

"What?" queried Harold, who had been in deep discussion about the next few days and the problems inherent to integrating vast numbers of men in a coherent army; he had missed Germanicus' reaction to Harp's comment.

"We got a physical response from Germanicus when I mentioned that his dad was dead."

"We never did mention that the archduke was dead to him did we?" enquired Samson.

"Not that I can remember. And we took great care to dispose of the body and his head before he was back in camp with us," reminded Yamato. "Not that what was left of it would have been identifiable as the archduke. The crows and vultures had pretty much cleansed it up when we took the spike down. By the way, we removed the last spikes yesterday. There wasn't much left to tell people who these heads belonged to. I am beginning to believe your sons are right, Harold. There isn't much difference between a noble and a commoner, when you go down to their basics!"

"Deflate the head and all men are equal!" replied Annabelle.

Harp looked at her and asked, to everyone's hilarity, "Which one?"

That boy knows too much for his age thought the mage. He got an immediate response from the voice he had learned to associate with Harp: «I am eternal. Stop seeing me as only five springs!»

Germanicus was lost at the exchange. That boy was responding like he knew what he shouldn't have known, but everyone thought it was normal. Well, not everyone: the look of surprise in that man they called the mage or Marlin, seemed genuine; and it had been followed by another look, one Germanicus had come to associate with being scolded, but he had heard nothing.

Harold looked at Germanicus, and saw the questions cross his face, his emotions fly like birds in the wind. He decided that telling the boy about his dad might be the first step to do, after all.

"Germanicus," he started softly, as the table became oddly silent, as if by silent command. "Germanicus, listen to me boy."

Germanicus looked at the big man, which was not yelling at him like his dad did every time he said his name. He began shaking, but he couldn't go anywhere. He felt the cold nose of an animal on his neck than a raspy tongue licking him.

"Germanicus, your dad is dead. He betrayed King Samson, sitting to my left here. He refused to recognize Enron as the heir, and I had to kill him, because this is high treason."

"Germanicus," took over King Samson, "did you notice your colours are not displayed in the agora?"

"Yes, but I thought my dad was waiting to attack the village and kill everyone in it, as he had ordered his men to do."

"So, that is what he had intended all along. Well, his men, including the one that kept abusing you under your dad's order, are all dead, or have been ordered to submit to royal justice," said, gently, Annabelle.

"Do you really mean it? The Beast is dead?"

"Yes, the Beast is dead," confirmed Annabelle.

"You mean dad is really, really dead?"

"Well, if you are calling your dad the Beast, yes he is dead, I saw him die in front of me after getting the beating of his life," said Yamato. "I saw him die with my own eyes, and the axe beheaded the corpse right in here."

"May the Light shine on the instrument of his demise; he died like he deserved to die, beaten to pulp, like he disposed of my mother and my sisters in front of my own eyes. Finally, there is a Justice in this world! Too bad he cannot die twice! My elder brother has not been avenged in fairness!" The last two sentences were said in such a cold and icy voice that it sent shivers down the spines of everyone that heard the boy say them. What depth of hatred must inhabit a child to use this tone!

"What happened to your elder brother?" asked, gently, Annabelle.

"He had me watch as the monsters ate him and his best friends alive! I promised myself that, should I survive my dad, I would hunt down all these monstrosities and kill them one by one. He brought me to the Temple and there, tied to chains by the wrists, was my big brother and his friend; they were slowly lowered in the pool to their waist and I saw them get eaten up by these beasts! I have nightmares every night of this scene!"

By then the entire table was green, and a few were returning their supper on the floor.

"Do you know why he did that?"

"He told me he wanted a man as a son, not some monster. I never understood what he meant, because my big brother was a loving, caring person, and seemed to love me a lot; he and his friend were inseparable."

Annabelle came close to the boy and, kneeling in front of him, asked, "Can I hug you, Germanicus?"

"You won't hurt me?"

"No, I will not, I promise."

The boy slowly came to her and melted in her arms, and slowly started sobbing. It grew to an all-out tear fest, as the boy let out a tiny part of his pain. The boy was racked by deep, uncontrollable sobs, and his voice grew hoarse from the loud pain it carried. Slowly, first the boys, then the kings, followed by Dunbar, Williams and Yamato joined in a giant hug, which was completed when even the wolves took part in it, howling in sympathy for the boy they felt was so in pain it shattered the species barrier. The hug lasted for hours, all idea of food discounted; it was well past matins before Germanicus finally fell asleep and was carried by the strong arms of Harold to the Royal cart, to be put to rest in a wolves' nest. For the first time in many years, Germanicus slept.

***

At lauds, the four princes retired to the focal point of magic energy they knew existed in the village, and bonded with the Wolf collective consciousness. They spent the next three hours exploring each other's memories in depth, and sharing their humanity with the Wolf Collective; in return they received a massive input of support and understanding of their needs and feelings, and unrestricted support for what they intended to do for Germanicus, the next night. They came out of the fusion reinforced and better ready to protect themselves; furthermore, they had gained a deep knowledge of each other's weaknesses and strength. Their bond resonated in the Wolf Conscience, tightening the canines into a more coherent entity. They came out of the trance refreshed, more powerful than ever and glowing in the magic dimension like never before. The Wolves became more Human, and the Humans, more Wolf.

The mage was in the dark about this, kept asleep by the boys themselves, through careful use of magic. Harold and the others knew there was a reason for this, and had not discussed the boys' motives. When Marlin woke up at his usual hour, prime, he did not notice anything unusual, and went about his morning business as if nothing was out of place.

Germanicus woke up at tierce, feeling refreshed for the first time in years. For the first time, too, he ate more than some fruits and a piece of bread, to the amazement of the royals. Not that he was anywhere close to the boys' appetite, but it was not the bird diet he used to favour before.

The usual dispatches were dealt with rapidly, and for the first time, Germanicus seemed to notice the presence of the 'big dogs' as he called the wolves. No one fixed his perception of things, for the moment.

At sext, he asked Samson what would happen to him since his dad was dead. It was a miracle of sorts, that the boy would even consider the question, so King Samson carefully weighed his options. Finally, he decided to be honest with the boy rather than run around the bush.

"Germanicus, you would normally have inherited the title of your dad, that is, be the Archduke Germanicus of Sophia; however, by forfeiting his bond of fealty to the throne, your dad has effectively cut you off any such possibility, at least in the immediate future. However, you can regain some status as time goes by. It may never be an Archduchy, since this is the result of many steps that your ancestors took, but nonetheless, you would have a place in feudal society."

"I don't want to be the Archduke of anything, especially not of Sophia. I have too many bad memories associated with that Archduchy to ever want go near it again!"

"That is fine with me, Germanicus. And I am glad you found your voice and told me what you wanted. For now, the Archduchy, like quite a few others, have reverted to the Crown and will be under my direct administration. You will stay here, under the protection of Queen Annabelle, while me and my Liege Lord, King Harold, her husband, go clean up my kingdom."

"Who is Queen Annabelle?" asked, worried, Germanicus.

"The lady that consoled you last night, Germanicus."

"Oh, that's her name! She reminds me of my mother, but much younger!"

"Well, she is a mother, to Heir Prince Ian of the Wolf Throne."

"The Wolf Throne?"

"Yes, Germanicus, the Throne of Nature is bonded by a relationship of Vassal to Liege to the Wolf Throne, whose King is Harold."

"There sure are lots of dogs around here, big ones at that!"

"Oh, Germanicus, you really are naïve. It's cute, boy, but you should listen. On which throne does Harold sit?"

"The Wolf Throne, you just said it!"

"And?"

"What, and?"

"Look around and think, Germanicus, think!"

"I see big dogs, lots and lots of big, huge dogs they aren't dogs? They sure have big teeth if they are dogs If they aren't dogs, and this is the throne of the Wolf they are wolves?" the last word said in a tiny, tiny voice.

"You took your time, Germanicus! Yes they are wolves. They have been protecting the Throne of the Wolf, the princes, the heir, my own family, my own heir, and you, for that matter!"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. They saved your life quite a few times since you have been brought here. Sleepwalking in this place isn't the safest of displacement modes! They kept you warm at night, guided you safely to where you could sleep, and got rid of a couple of snakes that would have done you in had they not disposed of them."

"And how do you know all that?"

"We talk to the wolves and they talk back to us. How do you think we manage to get them to do all that they do?"

"I don't know. Training?"

"Training thousands of wolves overnight? You doubt of nothing boy!"

"You talk to wolves?" asked Germanicus, doubtful.

"Why do you think this throne is called the Throne of the Wolf?"

"You really are serious? You really talk to the wolves?"

"Me, not as good as Enron, my son, boy, but I'm learning. It takes a special mental set to talk to wolves. But I'm getting it, slowly but surely. Do not worry; you have never been safer in your entire life. Just so you know, you have ten wolves to escort you at all times. Their job is to protect you and make sure you do not harm yourself or get lost."

"Oh, OK."

"Let's eat before Harp devours every bit of food in sight, and then we will go watch the boys train, if you want."

"Harp?"

"Oh, boy. You sure didn't follow up what happened around you since you have been here!"

"I have been in a haze, I don't even remember what happened since I left Sophia, except lots and lots of pain."

"OK, Harold has four sons, thee he adopted, and the one he had with Annabelle. The three adopted princes are, in order of decreasing age, Sitar, Paschal, and Harp, the blood brother of Sitar."

"I understand."

"Good, let's eat before that tornado raids my table again!"

"He really eats that much?"

"You have no idea!"

***

The afternoon was a revelation to Germanicus. He acted like he was seeing the exercises for the first time. He looked everywhere, eyes bigger the saucers, visibly taken by surprise at the level of activity that was going on. The boy was flabbergasted by the princes' ability with all sorts of weapons, their ferocity in combat, and how wearily seasoned legionnaires handled them. As he watched Harp dispose of a decade of legionnaires with his quarterstaff, hitting them in the tibia, the knees, the thighs, the balls, and the feet faster than the men could move to get to him, he wondered what he was really seeing. That boy seemed like the angel of death before it grew wings! Then he watched Harp and Sitar go at each other using real blades! And they were not doing it slow motion at that. The blades seemed to form a continuous thunder, flashing in the sun, and creating a rainbow of sparks. Then Paschal and Enron entered the deadly dance, and the four were furiously fighting each other. The whole show was breathtaking, and very scary at the same time. After half an hour of uninterrupted combat, a horn was blown and the boys disengaged. They were sweaty, but not overly so. Where in heaven or hell did the boys find the energy to do that! If the boys were that good, no wonder the Beast got his ass whipped by their dad!

That evening, Germanicus ate a good meal for the first time. He felt hungry, but Annabelle saw to it that he did not over-indulge.

"Grow into your appetite, Germanicus. Let you stomach grow to its full size or you will get sick!" she said, mothering the boy.

The evening was spent watching jugglers, flame-breathers, and men swallowing sabres. The wolves kept going in and out reporting events to the boys or the kings, under the amazed eyes of Germanicus, fascinated by their constant ballet.

As the evening drew to a close, the boys took a walk, bringing Germanicus with them. They guided their walk to the magic focal point, and sat down, Germanicus felt relaxed for the first time in a long while, and promptly fell asleep between the boys. This is what they had wanted.

The dream state, which followed Germanicus' falling into the arms of Morpheus⁵¹⁵¹ ("Morpheus: Goddess of sleep and dreams in Greek mythology."), facilitated the boys' work by opening him to their gentle mental penetration. They followed Germanicus in his dream, more like nightmare, and saw what he had seen.

The nightmare started with his dad, Archduke Franz, walking in their room unannounced, and finding his big brother and his friend in the same bed, asleep. The yelling, the name-calling and the violence were explosive. The father had taken the two boys to the dungeon and, when Germanicus had objected, he had thrown his youngest son against the wall, rendering him unconscious.

The next day had been horrible: Franz had brought Germanicus to see how perverts got executed in his duchy. The scene would mark everyone forever for its hatred and atrocity. Luckily, the boys managed to shield themselves from the emotional overdrive that coursed through Germanicus as he relived, once again, the horror of that day. The boys gradually absorbed the pain and shock of Germanicus and spread it to the Wolf Consciousness, to protect their own mental integrity. Then began the slow, careful healing of the boy, not through forgetting or forgiving, for neither was possible, but by accepting that what happened could not be changed and that he was not his dad, therefore not responsible for the horror. The normally white glow of the magic field turned deep black before reverting slowly, through the entire spectrum of colours to its original white, as it washed the boys and healed them from the trauma. Deep within the Mother Earth burned a fury that consumed their pain and reduced it to ashes of a fading memory that got dispersed in the Wolf Conscience. Only remained the dull pain of a loss, shared by all five boys and the immediate Wolf Conscience; the rage was there, its red-hot ambers covered by the ash, ready to explode should another like Franz ever cross the road of the boys or the wolves, to engulf the person in the rightful flames of vengeance.

Next came the balm over the wounds: the gentle memories of his big brother; his love for his little brother Germanicus, his protective demeanour; and above all, his love for his friend who had shared his fate that day. Germanicus had seen lots of sharing between the boys and marvelled at their closeness, finding it beautiful. He could not understand his dad's rage or its roots.

«They were a couple; they were in love,» stated Sitar, getting the information from the Wolf Consciousness.

«A couple?» Harp enquired, not really understanding how two boys could be a couple.

«Yes, Harp; they were a homosexual couple. Their love is no less real than the love mom and dad shared or that inhabits Annabelle and Harold. Love ignores sex, or, for that matter, any boundary. It is a deep-rooted emotion of caring, sharing, giving. These two would have given their life for the other, had they been given the opportunity.»

«I don't want to be a homosexual. I hear they play with pricks, and I hate needles since I fell in the cacti patch, near our old home!»

The comment elicited laughter from the Wolf Conscience and Sitar, but the real meaning of prick emerged in their collective consciousness to help Harp understand.

«You are who you are Harp. You have no more choice in that matter than in your eye colour; if to be homosexual is your fate, nothing can change it; learn to accept yourself and others; it will make life easier both on you and them.»

Sitar took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and resumed.

«Harp, you accepted hate of the orcs; learn to accept love. It is a much more rewarding feeling, whatever the nature of the love; we love you, you love us; we need not share body to know that, but nothing is lost if we do. We are too close to ever be able to separate our feelings, to recover even a tiny part of the intimacy so cherished by those that do not have our gift. We dream, we breath, we eat, we sleep, and, eventually, we will have sex with people of either gender and share every instant of it, even if we are not in the same bed. We feel each other's intimate needs to the point we go to the latrine at the same time, unsure who of us needs to go for real. We feel our thirst, our hunger, we see, we hear, we feel, we taste, and eventually we will feel the call of this need too, at the same time. You said it yourself, Harp, we are one, we are eternal, and that has consequences. When the oldest of us feels nature take its course, we will all feel it, even you. If one of us feels for a boy, we will all feel it; if one of us feels for a girl, we will all feel it. We are one. We can be that way and be happy only through total complete commitment to each other, through unhindered love. Conventions of society cannot, will not, apply to us.»

«What about me? I feel so lonely!» Germanicus asked.

«We will be there for you, Germanicus. We will protect you and help you satisfy your need for companionship until you find your mate, whatever sex that mate may be. No one will harm you for being who you are, or for being different, if it is your fate,» replied, firm, Paschal.

«What if I am like my big brother?»

«Our love will not be diminished by it, on the contrary. Knowing how some react to this type of love, we will grow even more protective of you, Germanicus. Now sleep; prime is near, and we need to resource ourselves.»

The mage found the boys, in a pile, at the fountain of magic, kept warm by their canine escorts, including the six pups and their parents. The magic flow seemed to have been strengthened by their presence, and the halo was visible with little effort to the mage's magic sight.

***

The boys were awoken from their peaceful slumber by a licking wolf.

«I am awake, Greywolf. What is it? Dad is looking for us? Oh, damn! I forgot to tell him where we were going to spend the night! I hope he isn't too mad!»

«No, I am not, Sitar. But you need to come for breakfast, and clean up some, we are expecting the first arrivals this morning from our letters sent a couple of days ago.»

«Dad? It's you? Finally! You have mastered our gift!»

«Yes I did, last night while I was trying to make a little brother to Ian. It's like the gates opened and now I hear the wolves like I hear you. I have been receiving reports from the wolf patrols since an hour before prime. This is how I know what is happening.»

«Have you managed to focus?» Sitar wanted to know.

«Yes son. It seems innate in our gift, contrary to the mage's, who is broadcasting like a herald from the top of a roof! He is noisy, isn't he?»

«Yes dad. I just wish he would learn to at least reduce his noise level; you can hear him fart in his mind!»

«And it smells as bad, I noticed!»

The boys woke up Germanicus and they went to have breakfast. For the first time the boys saw him smile, and even pet one of the wolves as they walked towards the dining hall.

"How are you this morning, Germanicus?" Harp asked.

"I've never felt so good in years. I remember my brother and what happened to him, but for the first time, I feel like I am alive. I had the strangest dream, last night."

"Do you remember it?"

"Yes, Prince Sitar. All of you were in it, and you shared my memories of my big brother, and I learned what was happening between him and his friend. I still do not understand why it made dad do what he did, but I now understand what was happening between my brother and his friend. You explained things to me, in that dream. I feel much better understanding that, at least."

"Is that all you remember?" continued to prod Harp.

"There was this presence, that seemed both one and infinite in numbers. I was in it and out of it, part and yet separate. It's hard to explain?"

"This is the Wolf, of which we are the Royals, Germanicus. It binds us all to one and one to all, yet leaves us separate. We can talk to each and every wolf individually, or to a group, or to the whole, the Wolf Conscience. It was not a dream, Germanicus; we brought you with us so you could heal by distributing the burden of pain and memories between all of us. You still have your memories, your pain, but it is no longer yours alone to bear."

"I hope Sitar's explanation satisfies you, Germanicus," said Paschal. "If you need to come find refuge in the Consciousness, we will know, but feel free to ask, since we will not actually invade your mind to bring you into the Consciousness against your will. We did this last night, because you needed it, and could not be helped otherwise."

Germanicus stayed silent for a little while then, turning towards Enron, asked, "Do you all know what there is to know about me?"

"Yes, Germanicus, your hatred, your love, your desires, your deepest wishes are known to us. We know you better than you know yourself; but do not be ashamed of any of these thoughts or wishes, however intimate they may be. We have an infinite number of lives to gauge these feelings and thoughts against, and they do not stand out. You may feel you are unique in these thoughts and feelings, but we know this is not the case. Our history dates to the first canines, and we have all these resources of the dead, the living, and the newly born at our disposal to understand your feelings; we know all about humans as well, because humans do things with us present, unaware that we know. Rest assured, you do not stand out, in any way, either against the canine background or the human one."

"But everyone will know!"

"If you are talking about the Royals, yes. Others, they need not. Only you will reveal what you feel to others, we are bound by our oath of protection we took towards each other to protect you to ensure that no harm shall befall you because of indiscretions from us."

"Thank you, Prince Paschal. I feel much better knowing that what you know will stay between us. Does your dad know?"

"He is Royal, therefore he does. So do Annabelle, Samson, Dunbar and Williams. All of us share the Consciousness of the Wolf; therefore we share what we know. Ian will, when his mind begins to open up in a couple of years. For now, all he is aware of is hunger, heat, cold, being uncomfortable when he is a mess, the smell of the Milk Nanny, the heat beat of his mother, the gentle tongue of Samantha cleaning him up, and other simple things. He sees himself as a wolf, and a human too. He cannot differentiate himself from his environment yet, and feels whole with the world. He is a part of the Consciousness, like a bud on a tree, growing to differentiate himself from the trunk, but deeply rooted into the tree. Call this true innocence."

By then, the boys had reached the hall and were getting their food. Germanicus took more food than the previous day, mindful of Annabelle's admonition on eating too much too fast.

"Do not worry, Germanicus, we will be able to raid the Royal Kitchens during the morning, to get you more food!" informed Harp.

"Oh no! Not another kitchen shark in deer skin flaps!" moaned, dramatically, King Samson.

"I can go bare butt if it eases your existential pains!" replied Harp.

"Better not, Harp, he might drop his knife and harm himself, blinded by its beauty!" replied Paschal.

You almost got yourself mooned, dad!" added Enron.

***

The first group came into the village, framed by wolves and legionnaires, around tierce. The procedure would become standardized rapidly: it would begin by an oath of fealty to the Throne of Nature and a second to the Throne of the Wolf. If the first usually went without too many sparks, the second usually caused some deaths, as there remained stubborn eves that considered themselves above King Harold and humans.

Each group was told the same thing by King Samson:

"From now on, there will no longer be a group belonging to Archduke So-and-So, Baron Whatever, or Count Is-That-So! There will be elves, under the banner of the House of Samson, King of the Throne of Nature, vassal of the Throne of the Wolf. You are under my command, and you will abide by my orders! You have seen the effectiveness of the legions in battle during the melee, for those that took part in it!"

Waiting for the noise to calm down, King Samson continued:

"It has been brought to our attention that there are disrespectful comments addressed to the humans by some who seem to have forgotten the meaning of vassal. To prove to you that they are not to be trifled with, Prince Sitar and Prince Harp will demonstrate their ability at sword fighting. After that, if anyone of you is stupid enough to defy one of the human princes in the Circle of Judgement, then he will get what he deserves. Have I made myself clear?"

Another hush followed this sortie by King Samson, but apparently, the king was not done setting the record straight, since he was still standing, drumming his fingers on a small table.

"It has also been brought to our attention that some of you have abused family, serfs, animals. This will stop now. You do not own family, serfs or animals. They are with you because they so wish, this, notwithstanding the use, no, the abuse of possessive to talk about their life. Life is a gift, not a property. Should any of you disregard this warning, he will forfeit his life! Change how you see those that live with you or die!"

Finally, Samson tackled the big issue he had led them to with his speech.

"Let us warn you that discrimination and abuse based on physical differences, be they of health, origin, of age, of sex, or sexual preferences, shall entail swift and final punishment. We shall not tolerate any discrimination whatsoever in this kingdom! For those that do not understand, let us spell it out: there shall be no disrespect shown to a sick person, an elderly, a child, a boy or a girl, a woman whatever her transient condition may be, a homosexual, or any other form of sexuality that may arise; there shall be no disrespect towards anyone, be they rich or poor, prince or serf, merchantmen or beggar, whatever the station in life, the social status or the fortune; there shall be no disrespect towards animals, be they of company or otherwise. There shall be no disrespect due to hair, skin or eye colour, height, weight, or any other physical characteristics. Dwarfs or giants will be treated with equal respect, not as monsters for faire shows! We, of the Throne of Nature and the Wolf Throne, encourage diversity in life, and we will protect it."

The King sat down and watched, fire in his eyes, the group members whisper between each other. Harold let a few minutes pass and stood up.

"So that all of you know with utmost certainty that we will always know the truth, let us tell you why some of you died when their head of services swore fealty in your name, from the red light emanating from this fearsome blade. This blade can sense when someone is true to what he says, and swears an oath he intends to uphold from deep within his heart. You have met the Sword of Light. Mitsuko!"

Immediately, the hall brightened as if the noon sun had descended under the Tree to light it from the throne.

"We will know without fail if you lie to us about anything; do not even try to hide from us, for we will find you. You have been given the law of the land. Abide by it, or else! And let us make this clear so none of you is mistaken: blue blood, whatever that is, will flow red if you ever use your status to abuse others!"

The rest of the day was spent training and getting the new group integrated into the existing units of elves. They had two days to be incorporated into the army, and learn of tactics used with wolves and human legionnaires. Usually, an hour of demonstration was sufficient to convince even the most recalcitrant stiff-necks that the Kings were not to be taken lightly. The organization of the camps around the village was not left to chance or based on first come first occupant basis. Each incoming group was divided in ten units, under supervision of a decade of legionnaires and a decade of Royal Elf Guards, accompanied by a centurie of wolves. They were dispersed in camps that framed the village in a very organized way, which would leave enough space for the future incoming groups. The idea was to prevent any cohesive attempt at overturning the King while creating a spirit of corps that would be very useful in the upcoming campaigns.

The pattern would repeat itself every two days, until finally, all camps had been regrouped around the village. Training and integration intensified. The day where the troops would move together was drawing near.

The wolves kept reporting the condition at the northern frontier; apparently the two armies, orc and priests, were engaged in a war of attrition, locked in all-out battles and skirmishes, neither force able to overrun or pass the other along the dam or around the lake. This served the Kings marvellously. The wolves reported that both armies were calling in reserves, and that entire orc nests or Priest reproduction bogs were being emptied to supply the armies with materiel and fighters.

"If only they could exterminate each other!" commented Samson.

"Do not count on it; sadly, it seems the orcs multiply faster than cockroaches; eventually, the priests will run out of fighters. Those that harbour temples in their midst will feel the pressure as they try to replenish their female population through captures."

"Yes, this is sad, Harold. For now we have our war to fight; hopefully, when we deal with them, they will be weakened enough that we will be able to remove this threat."