KNIGHT

 

There was an undeniable chill in the air. Even though the sky was clear, with my dulled senses, I knew that there was a cold coming I had to brace myself for. Snow was on the horizon and it was bringing with it an inevitable finality.

Oliver and I made our way back east through the woods early in the morning. The pain in my leg wasn’t enough to slow me down.

I wanted to enjoy the journey for as long as I could but it wasn’t long before we neared the fox camp.

I stopped as soon as I saw the clearing within range.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

I turned to Oliver and saw the anxiety on his face. I knew there were some in the camp who gave him trouble. This whole situation only made things worse for him.

I was determined to see this through.

A hand on his shoulder, I did my best to reassure Oliver.

“I will speak to Anita,” I said. “I will speak to all of your brethren. They will understand that there is only one choice they can make. It is the right choice. Trust me.”

The nod Oliver gave me was more reassuring than anything. I took a deep breath then marched forward into the camp with Oliver right behind me.

The foxes didn’t pay any attention to us. They continued their work, preparing for the coming snow by stocking all of their supplies. But it wasn’t long before someone finally noticed us.

“It’s Oliver!”

“He’s with the jaguar!”

“What’s he doing here? The lead Alpha banished him!”

A commotion started and they all crowded around us. Silas and Eve immediately became the most vocal among the crowd.

“What is this?” Silas said. “Is this some sort of joke?”

“It must be,” Eve said. “Oliver has been a joke all of his life.”

The pale-skinned men and women looked upon us with growing anger. They were eager to shun the both of us out of camp. But everybody grew so loud they drew the attention of the woman who was in charge of everybody.

“What is going on?”

Anita made her way through the crowd before standing in front of Oliver and me. She gave me a stern look, her brown eyes intense.

“Jaguar,” she said. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you,” I said.

“We’ve already talked. There’s nothing more to discuss.”

“There is something else—”

“We made an agreement. I tried to reason with Oliver but he was unable to see reason.”

She eyeballed Oliver for a second before she shifted her gaze back to me.

“I will honor my agreement once again,” she said. “You must leave now, jaguar. The snow is coming and so are the fierce wolves—”

“There’s no time,” I said. “I must speak to you now. There is another way.”

Anita remained defiant, shaking her head with that same look on her face.

“I won’t have this discussion again—”

“If you refuse to speak to me then I will stay here,” I said. “I will stay here and let the fierce wolves come for all of you. You will have to force Oliver and me to leave.”

Anita’s brow furrowed in anger. She took a step forward, her glare more menacing than it had ever been.

“Are you threatening me?” she said. “Are you threatening me in my own camp?”

“I’m not threatening you. I’m only helping you try to see reason.”

Anita clenched her jaw and looked away from me. Hard breaths through her nose told me just how much she was fuming.

“I am a jaguar,” I said. “I have no interest in showing you what I’m capable of but I will if I have to.”

All eyes were on Anita. I didn’t enjoy putting her in a tough spot but I knew that she had no choice.

“What are you looking at?” she said to the skulk. “Get back to work!”

Everybody scattered and returned to their duties. Anita turned to me before spinning on her heel and heading back to her tent. She didn’t say a word but I knew that I’d gotten through to her.

“She’s angry,” Oliver said. “More than usual.”

“It doesn’t matter. No matter how she feels, she will see the right choice. I’m sure of it.”

Oliver gave me a reassuring nod and sent me on my way.

I made my way into Anita’s tent and found her standing at the side. There was barely enough light in the room for me to see her. She drank from a flask of water, gulping it down like her throat was parched.

“Here we are again,” she said. “You’ve come to bargain with me. Going back on your word. Are all men in the city like you, jaguar?”

The thought of Dirge put a smile on my face.

“Back in the city, I’m a businessman.”

“A businessman?”

“I oversee businesses. Trades, so to speak. People trade currency for goods and services that the people who work for me provide. That’s how I’ve made my fortune.”

“A fortune… What is a fortune? A bounty of food? A bigger flask for drinking?”

“That’s part of it,” I said with a laugh. “A bigger house is another. A nice car and someone to drive it.”

“A car?”

“Transportation. And there’s clothes. That’s all along with the food and drink.”

Anita had her head down as she took another gulp from her flask.

“City-dwellers are strange,” she said. “A home is where you lay. What does the size of it matter if you can fit in it? What do you need transportation for when you can simply walk to where you need to go? Why do you need more food when your belly can be filled so easily? Are you so modest you need so much clothes to cover yourself?”

I nodded in agreement with her. It was easy to see why Anita didn’t understand how life was in Dirge. Things out here were so simple and my arrival made them complicated.

“Nobody needs those things,” I said. “They are all luxuries.”

“And you left all of those luxuries to come here.”

“I did. And I intend on going back.”

She stared at me, her eyebrows raised as she listened.

“I’m a successful businessman,” I said. “I inherited my fortune and its grown because I was able to negotiate with others.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I’ve had negotiations before. I’ve re-negotiated my agreements. And I’ve come back to have discussions to change those agreements. Just like we’re about to do now.”

She sealed her flask and tossed it to the side. Her arms crossed, Anita waited patiently for me to say what I had to say.

“Go on,” she said. “Beg for your life.”

“I’m not here to beg for my life,” I said. “I’m here to beg for yours.”

“Mine?”

She scoffed and looked off to the side.

“And how is that?” she asked.

I started slowly pacing back and forth as I spoke.

“You told me of the life you live. You told me this skulk has lived the same way for generations. If your ancestors from centuries ago saw the way you lived, they would find little different.”

“As it should be.”

“You are strong people. You are proud. You are resilient. You have managed to survive out here in the Timberlands for so long despite how cruel nature can be.”

“I know what you’re getting at. My people were smart enough to avoid the fierce wolves. They know we would be unable to deal with them.”

“…And how do you know that?”

Anita glared at me. Her jaw tense. Hard breaths through her noses. The intensity on her face only let me know that I was getting through to her.

“Are you an Alpha?” I said.

“What?”

“Are you an Alpha?” I repeated.

“Of course—”

“Then why are you so willing to bend over for another.”

“Watch your tongue, jaguar.”

“It’s true. You speak of the wolves as if they are gods. Some mythical creature that will wreak havoc on you and your people if you even look in their direction.”

I shook my head in defiance. I was believing my words more and more as I spoke them.

“Don’t let them bully you,” I said. “Don’t let them dictate the terms of your peace. The Timberlands belong to all who dwell here.”

“And what of you? Why should I bend over for a jaguar?”

“Not for me. For Oliver. One of your Omegas. You must fight, Anita. Fight to protect him. He is one of yours!”

Anita’s head dropped. She stared at the ground, sliding her tongue between her teeth as she tried to figure out what to say.

“So it’s come to this…” she sighed.

“Even if you banish Oliver and me, you know that your people will always live in fear of the fierce wolves. You can be the Alpha that ends that fear.”

She didn’t respond.

“Be an Alpha, dammit!” I told her. “Make your ancestors proud!”

Anita turned back to me, her stare as icy as it had been this whole time. But when I looked into her eyes, I saw the passion in the fiery redhead I was searching for.

She didn’t say a word. She just marched past me and out of the tent. I followed her outside and found her stomping her way to the center of the clearing.

“Gather around!” she announced. “Everyone!”

The foxes all looked curiously at her as they surrounded her. I moved over next to her and saw Oliver standing among the crowd.

There was a nervous tension in the air. Even Anita looked slightly unsettled. She stared at the ground to gather herself before speaking again.

“The snow is coming. Along with it, the fierce wolves. One of ours made the mistake of passing through their territory. Now they will come to demand tribute.”

Anita turned toward each of the foxes and began shaking her head.

“I say no. We will not give the wolves a tribute. We will not submit to their will.”

“Yes!” Silas shouted. “Banish the lowly Omega and be done with it!”

“Silence!” Anita barked at him. “You are all foxes.”

She looked at Oliver. It was hard to believe the tender smile that formed on her face.

“Even him,” she said. “I refuse to bend to the wolves because of a simple mistake. The Timberlands are our home. For too long we have lived in fear, gated off from those more violent than us. No more.

“I speak to you now as your Alpha. We will stand up to the wolves. And if they challenge us, we will beat them.”

The men and women all standing around gasped. Looks of shock and disbelief were on each of their faces. I could hardly believe what Anita was saying.

“We only want to live in peace!”

“They’re too violent!”

“We can’t beat them!”

The crowd murmured among one another when they realized that Anita spoke the truth. She held her hand up to quell all of them. A growing smile on her lips, she shook her head.

“You are my brethren,” she said. “Our ancestors carved a place for ourselves in the Timberlands. For generations, we’ve lived meek lives in the woods. We will stand up to the wolves. We will make those who came before us proud.”

“Our ancestors didn’t work so hard just to see us get slaughtered!” Silas shouted.

He stepped forward and started to try and reason with the crowd, who remained silent.

“Don’t you see?” he pleaded. “This will only lead to bloodshed. Banish Oliver and the jaguar and be done with it, Alpha! I beg of you!”

Silas and Eve both groveled at Anita’s feet.

But it was clear her heart wasn’t changed.

“Get up,” she said.

“What?” Silas said.

“I said get up! On your feet!”

The twins immediately jumped back up.

“Just because you are Omegas doesn’t mean you have to be so weak,” Anita said. “Look around. Your brothers and sisters. Look into their eyes and see how strong their hearts are. Stand with them. Stand with me.”

Silas and Eve were the only foxes in the clearing who looked worried. Anita’s words had reached through to them. Even the elderly Baron had a quiet look of confidence.

I took a step forward.

“Your Alpha is right,” I said. “You will beat the fierce wolves. You have survived for generations and you will continue to thrive. There is no wolf or no snow that will stop you.”

“Stand and fight with me!” Anita shouted.

The crowd around us all cheered. The tension in the clearing disappeared, replaced with a brightened enthusiasm.

Oliver rushed up to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. He dug his head into my chest and I held him close. I could barely hear him speaking over the loud crowd that surrounded us.

“Thank you…”

I patted him softly on the back. With Oliver in my arms, I turned toward Anita. She remained stone-faced. A defiant Alpha, through and through. She gave me a confident nod that told me she believed every word she said.

The fierce wolves were coming. We would be prepared.