Unending Moonlight

Chapter 3

 

 

Cynthia was nearing the entrance to the Lycan cave when a group of lower ranking werewolves jumped out to ambush and surround her. The leader of the squad, a particularly ungroomed lycan, stepped forward so as to speak with Cynthia.

“Going somewhere, human? How did you get in here?” The squad leader licked his teeth as he paused for a moment. “Ah, but nevermind that. It looks like you’re trying to leave, and in a hurry too. Did we big bad wolves scare you off?”

The group of mangy looking werewolves cackled, and one of them spoke up.

“Yeah, we musta scared her off ’cause we’re so scary-like!”

Another lycan next to the one that spoke nipped at their colleague, then spoke as well.

“Ah, shuttup Lynch! If anything, it was your smell that did it. You ‘aven’t bathed in at least a century.”

The lycan squad leader barked at his subordinates, and returned to looking at Cynthia.

“You haven’t explained yourself, human. Why are you trying to leave? And come to that, why haven’t you been killed and eaten by now? Why haven’t we killed and eaten you yet?” The last question seemed to be more directed at himself and his squad more than to Cynthia.

Cynthia was very pleased that she had such a great opportunity to flex her newly acquired muscle. First, she would make them figure it out on their own by telling them slowly. Second, she would get them do as wanted, such as escorting her out or maybe even giving her a ride…

Starting with her best dead-pan voice, Cynthia began speaking. “I’m leaving because I’ve just completed some very important business here, and as for why I haven’t been eaten yet… well, why do you think I haven’t been eaten yet?”

The squad leader eyed her suspiciously. “I don’t know. That gash on your arm has bled plenty enough that we could smell it the moment that you entered this tunnel, and the wound is obviously a very one recent because of how it is still relatively fresh. What business could you have had here that included you getting a wound of that size?”

Still eyeing Cynthia, the squad leader thought for a few minutes. Cynthia reflected on how not only did strength diminish as the chain of command went down, but apparently so did intelligence. It fascinated her to see that not only was this small group dull-witted, but they really lacked personal hygiene, even by werewolf standards.

The squad leader spoke up, having finally put some of the clues together. “You did some fighting, eh? I would think, based on the direction you came from, you were in…”

Yet again the lycan had to stop and think as he gazed at the cavern behind Cynthia. As the truth dawned on him, his face grew in horror as if he’d just been rushed by a mob of blood-depraved vampires.

“Do you… did you… you didn’t…” He started to back away, but his even slower-witted companions held their ground, for reasons they probably did not understand.

Cynthia decided to fill the lycan’s mouth with words. “You’re right, I did not. I did, however, defeat him in combat.”

The lycan in front of her suddenly regained himself, and stood even closer in front of her with renewed enthusiasm. “Ha! I love a good joke, and you just brought me a great one. You had me thinking that our Alpha had been killed, yet when you tell me you defeated him without killing him… Ha! Even if you could defeat him, you would need to kill him for certain in order to be sure he wouldn’t just turn around and rip you in half when you weren’t looking.”

Realizing that this group wasn’t the glorious opportunity that she’d hoped for, Cynthia suddenly grew very tired of this charade. She started walking forward, but before any of the lycans could do anything, she spoke.

“You bore me. Move out of my way and let me pass.”

Almost as if it were a hard-wired reflex, all six lycans quickly stepped back and put their hindquarters to the wall and stood at attention, the way the lesser type of lycans do with all four limbs on the ground, as she walked by. Cynthia couldn’t help but smile to herself as they did so, and she wondered when they would realize what had happened.

But it would seem that even fools aren’t completely inept at everything. Cynthia had barely taken some twenty steps away from the group, when the squad leader shook his head as if coming to from being unconscious, then moved from his spot and started following Cynthia and speaking.

“Now I’m certain that I know nothing. Human, only alpha has the ability to command us like that, and yet you are not alpha. But having come from the throne room, with blood on your body and stories of combat, surely something happened that is beyond what I know.”

Still walking forward and not breaking stride, Cynthia leaned her head back. “Very good! You’re getting very close to the truth. Continue.”

By now the entire squad was following her, but that was more because they were following their squad leader. “And I might not be very bright, but I was placed a leader among a lowly pack because I have some skill in seeing things that some of my fellow ranking lycans would probably miss. The fact that we, none of us, do not have the desire to rip you to shreds says that you must have some kind of protection, such as a blessing from alpha, or maybe something more.”

Cynthia stopped and turned around. Perhaps she’d been trying the wrong approach with this group. She put one hand on her hip, and held her battleaxe down, twirling it as she spoke. “Tell me your names. I would like to know your names for future use.”

The squad leader introduced himself and the others. “My name is West, and this is Fen, Gregory, Trift, Liz, who is the only female of this group, and Lynch, who you probably already know by now.”

Cynthia waited a moment to see if the rest of the squad would catch on, but when they didn’t, she ventured a comment. Looking at Liz, she spoke. “So Liz, you’re the only female in the group? What is that like?”

Liz bared all of her teeth and growled at Cynthia. “Just fine. I keep these pups in line. I’m more lycan than any of these pups put together. I could take any of them right now, you better believe it.”

“If that’s the case, why aren’t you the group leader?” Cynthia responded.

“Well, I… I’m not to good at… being, uh, a… leader.” Liz looked toward the ground. Cynthia noted that Liz’s demeanor shifted quickly at the mention of the subject.

West ventured a comment. “It’s true that Liz here is the best fighter we’ve got in the group, but she’s not that great at making critical decisions not related to personal combat under pressure. Her parents aren’t too happy to see their only daughter a pit fighter.”

Liz snapped at West with her jaws. “Ah, shutit West! Don’t go stickin’ your snout in places where it’s not welcome.”

West snorted. “Not welcome, eh? So I’m an unwelcomed lycan, am I?”

Cynthia noted the tone that the two of them took with each other. Obviously Liz was short with everyone, but her temper seemed to go up a few degrees when speaking with West. Chuckling to herself, Cynthia mused that even though lycans were considered undead monsters by humans, they still retained many human qualities such as love.

Yawning, Cynthia interrupted their bickering. “Liz, West, I do think that is enough. Now, why don’t the six of you escort me out of here? I promise to answer all questions truthfully once we are safely a ways away from Halfpaw.”

The group of lycans looked ready to do it, but also looked confused. Only West had a thoughtful expression on his face. He squinted especially hard at Cynthia before speaking.

“Tell me, what is your name?”

“Cynthia, Cynthia Von Stryker.”

West nodded his head and turned to face his squad, “Alright you lot, let’s take Lady Cynthia outta here.”

Laying down on his belly, West gestured for Cynthia to climb on top of his back. Though he wasn’t exactly clean, Cynthia bowed thankfully and jumped up.

West’s muscles flexed as if he were about to break into a sprint, but his head and face showed that he was busy thinking. After a few moments of stillness, West turned his head to look at Cynthia and voice his thoughts.

“Why did I just call you ‘Lady’? It felt like the natural thing to do, as if it was something I’ve always done, but yet I know that’s not true.”

Cynthia chuckled to herself. West was a bit slow, but he was definitely insightful and could make good observations. Patting his neck, Cynthia spoke. “I told you, I’ll answer your questions once we’ve left Halfpaw. Now, won’t you please get going?”

West clicked his tongue and sighed. He arched his back slightly, and started to run with a gait which would make even the fastest horse hide from embarrassment.