Martin Millar - Lonely Werewolf Girl (14 page)

Dulupina was no longer strong. Her hair was grey, and even in
werewolf shape she looked fragile. Though she was closest to the great
fire her legs were covered by a woollen blanket, woven in the dark
green MacRinnalch tartan. Her voice was rather soft. Since her son died
she had spoken little. The death of the Thane had been a terrible blow
to the old werewolf. Dulupina held Kalix responsible. He had never
recovered from her brutal assault.

Tupan and his daughter Dominil were talking to each other in
low voices. The Great Mother looked at them for a while. Tupan, her
second son, had always made her proud, almost as proud as the Thane. In
his werewolf form he was strong, upright, a true MacRinnalch. As for
his daughter Dominil, she was rather different. Dominil was a very
striking figure both as human and werewolf. She was tall, and her hair
was white, as it had been from birth. Not an albino; rather, it was if
she had somehow inherited the genes of an arctic snow-wolf. Dominil's
eyes were deepest black. With her long white hair, the effect was
startling, which Dominil knew.

Quite what her granddaughter's thoughts were, Dulupina had
never been certain. Dominil seemed close to no one. It had been
rumoured at one time that she had some involvement with Sarapen but if
that were true, nothing ever came of it. Dulupina had never seen them
show any signs of familiarity. If anything, a slight enmity seemed to
exist between them and they had exchanged only the briefest of
greetings when entering the chamber. Sarapen was as often at the castle
as he was at his own keep, but Dominil rarely encountered him during
his visits. She had her own chambers which she seldom left.

Baron MacPhee, a huge, fat man and an even fatter werewolf,
coughed rather pointedly in Dulupina's direction. Dulupina smiled. The
Baron was a friend and supporter of very long standing and she
understood him well. There were stags roasting in the banqueting hall
and he wished to get the meeting over with so he could proceed to the
eating. Dulupina looked towards the Mistress of the Werewolves. She in
turn looked towards Rainal.

"We will begin the meeting," said the clan secretary.

The hall fell silent. Verasa, Mistress of the Werewolves,
transformed from her human shape.

"It is time," said Rainal. "To elect the new Thane."

41

"Who makes nomination for the new Thane?"

There were a few seconds silence, then Baron MacPhee spoke up.

"I nominate Sarapen MacRinnalch."

This was good. It was fitting that the nomination should come
from the loyal supporters of the clan rather than a member of the
ruling family. Baron MacPhee had been a great friend and companion of
the Old Thane. There were murmurs of agreement from around the table
and the Barons prepared to raise their glasses to Sarapen as the new
chief of the clan.

"I accept the nomination," said Sarapen, which was the only
correct response.

"Are there any other nominations?" asked Rainal, merely as a
matter of form. More seconds passed in silence. The huge fire crackled
in the corner. Sarapen began to rise. Then, as if she had been waiting
for that moment to discomfort him, Dominil spoke up.

"I nominate Markus MacRinnalch," she said.

There were more murmurs, a little louder. Sarapen sat down
firmly. He glared at Dominil. Dominil, still human, still with her mane
of straight white hair spilling over her shoulders, stared back at him
with her black eyes. Though he was angry at the delay, Sarapen was not
yet perturbed. Nor was he overly surprised at Dominil's words. There
was something of a history between Sarapen and Dominil and relations
between them were now very cool. Sarapen was surprised that she chose
to bring her dislike of him into this meeting where it would surely do
nothing but cause her embarrassment, but he could put up with it. He
waited for Rainal to speak.

"Do you accept the nomination?" asked Rainal, looking to
Markus.

Sarapen did not believe for a moment that he would. When
Markus calmly echoed his own words of a few moments before, the huge
werewolf was stunned.

"I accept the nomination."

The murmurs round the table became louder.

"You accept?" growled Sarapen.

"I do."

"Who do you expect to vote for you?" said Sarapen, angrily,
his temper already beginning to give way. Markus did not reply. The
Barons looked uncomfortable. They hadn't expected that there would be
any need to vote.

Verasa remained silent. She had known that Tupan's daughter
planned to nominate Markus. Verasa herself had suggested it to her some
time ago. Such was Dominil's dislike for Sarapen that she needed little
persuasion.

It was not a time for speeches. Whatever campaigning, plotting
or arguing had to be done was done outside the council chamber. Here,
there would simply be a vote. The clan secretary frowned. He hadn't
been expecting this either, and he hoped the meeting might end without
rancour.

"Those in favour of Sarapen MacRinnalch please raise their
hands."

Rainal counted the votes.

"Those in favour of Markus MacRinnalch."

The secretary again counted while the werewolves sat in uneasy
silence.

"And those abstaining."

The only sound to be heard over the roaring fire was the heavy
breath of Sarapen as he struggled to control his emotions.

"There are seven votes for Sarapen MacRinnalch. There are five
votes for Markus MacRinnalch. There are two abstentions. Three members
of the council are absent. Since no member of the Great Council has
received the required nine votes, I declare, in accordance with the
laws of Clan MacRinnalch, that we'll vote again tomorrow."

Sarapen exploded. He smashed his fist on the table.

"You dare to oppose me!" he yelled at his younger brother.
"You will regret this!"

Markus remained seated, expressionless but not cowed. Sarapen
turned his eyes on his mother. He struggled to control himself. He knew
that she had organised the opposition to him. She herself had voted
against him. Against Sarapen, her oldest son. It was beyond belief.
Unable to contain his anger and fearing that he might become violent,
Sarapen threw back his chair and marched out of the room.

Those seven who had voted for Sarapen were Sarapen himself,
Kurian, Kertal, Marwanis, and the three Barons. Those five who had
voted for Markus were Verasa, Tupan, Dominil, Lucia and Markus. Thrix
had abstained from the vote. So, inexplicably, had Great Mother
Dulupina.

42

"Are there no more pop-tarts?" enquired the Fire Queen.

"Eh… shouldn't we look for Kalix now?" said Moonglow.

The Fire Queen pouted, which she liked to do, when her lips
were looking their best. Malveria never left her palace without a
careful application of several layers of lipstick. Today she'd used an
undercoat of deep plum overlaid with a layer of Russian red, and was
pleased with the dramatic effect. She looked at Daniel.

"Do you want to rush off to find the young werewolf?"

Daniel saw Moonglow directing a pointed look in his direction.

"I suppose we should look. After all, you went to all the
trouble of getting a new pendant."

Malveria nodded. It was true. She had gone to a lot of
trouble. And while she did not much care if Kalix lived or died, it
would be wasteful not to use it.

"It is easier to track a werewolf in werewolf shape than it is
to track a werewolf in human shape," explained Malveria. "But I am a
skilful enough hunter to find either. So let us hunt. Young man, I
believe you have a car?"

Daniel nodded. He didn't much like being addressed as young
man, particularly as Malveria looked only few years older than him, but
he was prepared to put up with it. Malveria was a famed beauty and her
voice was soft and sweet like an exotic musical instrument. Daniel felt
he could put up with a lot from her.

The Fire Queen had been in a car before but it was still
sufficiently novel for her to feel some anxiety that Moonglow might
take the front seat, and she hurried to claim it for herself. Daniel
turned the key in the ignition. The Fire Queen struggled to open her
window. Daniel tried to help and she giggled as he leaned over her. In
the back seat Moonglow frowned. For a powerful ruler of an alien
dimension, Malveria could be extremely helpless when it suited her.

"How entertaining this is," said Malveria, as they drove
slowly through the grey London streets. "I am hunting for a werewolf!
It is just like ancient times in my kingdom, though then of course any
Hiyasta hunting a werewolf would have been attempting to kill this
werewolf. How strange that I am seeking to save one's life."

"Did Hiyastas and Werewolves fight each other?" asked Moonglow.

"At one time."

"Why?"

"The original reasons are now a little obscure," replied
Malveria. "Though the bad feelings between us became worse during a
wedding hosted by the Fairy Queen."

Moonglow was agog at the thought.

"There really is a Fairy Queen?"

"Of course. There are several - "

Before Malveria could elaborate further something
caught her attention and she looked sharply to the left.

"That way," she said. "I can sense her."

They drove for another ten minutes, the Fire Queen now
concentrating on the hunt. Moonglow was becoming anxious.

"Should we try the hospitals?" she wondered out loud.

"If she has been taken to hospital she will surely be dead,"
said
the Fire Queen.

"Why?"

"Different blood. You can't cure a werewolf in a human
hospital. Anything they gave her would poison her."

Malveria laid her hand on Daniel's leg.

"Stop here."

"I can't. No parking."

"Stop here."

Daniel stopped.

"She is in that alleyway," said Malveria, indicating a dark
and narrow opening. They hurried from the car, shivering in the cold
winter air.

When they found Kalix she was almost dead. She lay stiff and
cold at the very end of the filthy alley. The Fire Queen had to check
her frozen body carefully before discovering the tiniest flicker of
life.

"But she will die very soon."

"What will we do?"

Malveria shrugged. There was nothing to be done. In a few
minutes Kalix's life would ebb away and that was the end of it.

"Perhaps we could eat more pop-tarts?" suggested Malveria.

Moonglow glared at her.

"Do you have no feelings at all?" she said angrily.

Malveria was astonished. She was not used to that tone of
voice being used against her. She started to utter an angry retort but
Moonglow wasn't listening. She was hastily pulling the boxes off
Kalix's body and telling Daniel to help her carry the werewolf to the
car.

"But she is going to die," said the Fire Queen,
matter-of-factly.

"No she isn't," said Moonglow. "We're taking her home and
she's going to recover."

Malveria looked towards Daniel, expecting him to agree with
her. It was obviously hopeless. Daniel, however, was too busy helping
Moonglow. Malveria noticed for the first time that Daniel was in love
with Moonglow. And yet she had heard Moonglow speak of her involvement
with another young man called Jay. Her mood brightened. This was surely
entertaining.

"Very well," she said. "If you wish to take her home."

Malveria muttered a few words. In an instant all four of them
were transported back to the new flat. Daniel was open-mouthed with
astonishment. He had just been teleported through space. Life was
becoming stranger all the time.

"How did you do that?"

"Never mind how," said Moonglow. "Help me to get Kalix warm.
Get a quilt. Make a hot water bottle."

Malveria laughed.

"You hope to save her life with a hot water bottle?"

"I'll try my best."

Watching Moonglow forlornly rubbing Kalix's wrists, trying to
bring life back into her, the Queen felt an odd twinge of emotion.
Sympathy for the werewolf? Surely not. Sympathy for the girl? Again,
that would be strange. Malveria had not forgiven Moonglow for talking
sharply to her. No one in her kingdom would have dared to do so. Yet
this girl apparently felt quite free to take an angry tone with her
even though the Fire Queen could have blasted her out of existence with
a wave of her hand.

"Perhaps this is amusing also," thought Malveria. "I am
interested in this girl, and her strong spirit."

She attempted to venture a word of sympathy, and did her best
to sound sincere.

"The werewolf really is going to die. I'm sorry, she is beyond
your help. She has been broken inside, in many places. Bones and organs
are shattered. She doesn't work any more."

Moonglow's eyes misted over. She took Kalix in her arms as if
trying to lend her warmth from her own life force. Kalix was cold,
colder than anybody Moonglow had ever touched. Her skin was like ice
and the blood that covered her nose and mouth was hard
and black. Moon-glow raised her head to look at Malveria.

"Can't you help? You have power."

The Fire Queen said nothing. Daniel arrived back with a quilt
and a hot water bottle. He stood and watched helplessly as Kalix lay
dying and Moonglow hugged her, now in tears.

"Fetch water and a cloth," said Malveria abruptly. Daniel
hurried off.

"You understand if I were to help this werewolf it would cost
me dearly?" said the Fire Queen to Moonglow. "She is so far down the
path of death that she cannot easily be brought back. Already her soul
is communicating with the other souls in the forests of the werewolf
dead. And though I have great power it would cost me much to reach out
so far towards these forests. I would not be a welcome visitor there.
The effort would…"

Malveria searched for words to explain what she meant. There
was nothing in human language to communicate it exactly.