Winter Wolf, (C)1998 Anne Fraser and Sara Weber ___________________________________________________________ Chessie wasn't sure at first where to go as she entered the woods, but she found that this too was something her newly sharpened sense told her. Smoke loped along next to her, content to follow where the werecat guided her. As they approach a clearing not too far into the woods, Chessie no longer needed her second sight to guide her -- the sounds of the fighting were all too distinct. She slowed, unsure what to do next. Smoke took over, leading her to a strand of birch trees close to the edge of the clearing. Silently, the panther climbed the side of the tree and began edging her way out along a particularly strong branch. she encouraged her friend, Chessie looked doubtfully up the tree, but decided that Smoke was right. Choosing a tree some distance apart from Smoke's, she too climbed up into the branches and then edged out over the clearing. At first the two wolves moved away from them in their struggle, out of reach of the two cats. Then suddenly they were almost directly below them, Mitch pinned beneath the smaller, white wolf. Smoke thought, tensing and then springing off her branch. Not allowing herself time to be scared, Chessie followed her friend, landing squarely between the shoulders of the white wolf. Frightened, she dug her claws into the wolf's fur, and was greeted by a howl of pain. The wolf began to thrash, quickly dislodging Smoke who had landed on her left haunch. Chessie hung on and waited, not knowing what she was waiting for or what else to do. Mitch used the opportunity Chessie had given him to recover his breath. That silly little kitten is going to get herself killed, said the still-human part of his brain. DO something about it. Just as Beth, Lady Jeanne, Gideon and Josh all came running onto the scene, the foremost yelling, "Chessie, no!", Mitch hurled himself at Trouble's exposed throat as the white wolf fought to get this sharp-clawed kitten off of her back. , Mitch's wolf voice growled inside Chessie's skull. As Trouble thrashed and started to fall under Mitch's weight, Smoke leapt in and snatched Chessie by the scruff of her neck. The kitten struggled in this humiliating posture, but Smoke did not let go. The gray panther deposited the werecat into Beth's open hands. "I'll go help Mitch," Gideon said after a glance assured him that Chessie was fine. But with a scream that rent the night, Trouble had fallen and lay under Mitch's teeth and claws in the traditional submission posture. Now her blood smoked on the snow while Mitch snapped and growled above her if she so much as twitched. A dank-scented mist rose around the wicked female and suddenly there was a short, compactly muscled human female in white-embroidered white clothing, her short white hair sticking up, crimson blood trickling from her mouth and neck. "Spare me," she gasped. Mitch's growly mental voice commanded his employer, and there was a ring in it that made Gideon stop in his tracks. he asked his pack leader, the one who had bitten him and changed his life, made him a beast. "If you kill me, the pack will hunt for you," Trouble replied, and Mitch could smell the truth in her words, blood-red and howling. "You cannot defeat the pack, and everyone around you will die." <> "NO!" Mitch howled. "Spare me," said Trouble again. Mitch snarled into her mind, refusing to turn until he had secured his price. "Granted," Trouble gasped, feeling her life leak from her throat. "Granted, sworn by paw and tail, by blood and bone." It was an oath no werewolf, no matter how wicked, would break. Grunting, Mitch slowly backed off the prone body of the white-clad woman. And then he was a tall young man again, naked in the snow, but a young man with iron in his eyes. Trouble's own limbs stretched, warped, and she was again a silver wolf. This wolf whined, licked Mitch's outstretched hand, and loped off into the woods. Slowly, very slowly, Mitch climbed the hill towards the tableau of watchers. He reached Gideon first and put a hand on his employer's shoulder while Gideon offered him his suit jacket. Mitch wrapped it around his waist apron-fashion although it was a bit late for modesty. "Thanks for the thought, boss, but it was my fight," he said softly. "I couldn't let you get involved." "Understood," Gideon replied. "And well-fought." Mitch nodded, and kept going. He came to Lady Jeanne and Joshua. "Same goes," he said, "I couldn't let you get involved, especially not Josh. But your coming out to try to help is really great. Thanks." "Are you okay?" Josh asked in concern, seeing blood running freely from some of Mitch's wounds. "Battle scars," Mitch replied. "They'll heal." He turned to Beth and Chessie, the latter still a frightened were-kitten huddled in Beth's hands. "Little sister, I owe you my life," he said. "Come back to us, Cheshire, Cheshire. Little Cheshire Cat, be human again." Calling her true name three times, of course, worked the charm and Chessie was back to a little girl. Mitch scooped her up in his arms. "I owe you and Smoke my life," he said again. "Thank you, kitten." "I had to help," she whispered in his ear. "I could hear her, Mitch." "Could you now?" He set her down with a kiss. "You are on your way to learning, Chessie." Then he looked at Beth, and no words at all passed between them. Not out loud. There was no need. On that cold moonlight night, with blood and the signs of a tremendous struggle on the snow, an understanding was born on the hill at Birch Fields Farm. "Let's go in and get warm," Lady Jeanne suggested. It was a little odd, a little surreal as they walked back to the house. Despite the positive outcome of the battle, no one felt much like talking. Perhaps they were all a little overwhelmed. In any case, each was absorbed in his or her own thoughts as they returned to the kitchen and resumed the chairs they'd previously abandoned. Beth fetched Mitch a blanket and he wrapped it around himself while trying not to bleed on it. Lady J held Chessie in her lap, looking at her adopted daughter and feeling vaguely guilty. The little werecat had been so brave, it didn't seem right to scold her. And yet... Chessie, exhausted from the night's events, had simply curled up against her Mama J and fallen asleep as soon as they'd gotten inside. Beth had disappeared again after getting Mitch the blanket, and now returned with her medicine kit and some towels. Walking over to where Mitch sat, she took the chair next to him and opened up the bag, spreading various small packets on the table. Mitch looked at the various packets curiously, and grinned. "Looks like Beth and Pandora would get along, eh boss?" he said, looking across the table to Gideon. "Who's Pandora?" Beth asked, looking up from the bag she'd been searching through. Mitch grinned at the edge her voice had taken on, and Joshua laughed. "Pandora and her _husband_ are neighbors of ours," Gideon replied to Beth. "She is a wonderful healer, more reliant on a knowledge of herbs than most in this age." "Hmm," Beth said, blushing slightly as she realized how she'd sounded. "We likely would get along then. When my mother died, grandmama moved in to help Dad raise my sister and me. She was an Ojibway elder, and taught me all that her mother had taught her." Turning back to Mitch, she added, "With your permission, I'd like to take a look at some of those battle wounds of yours." Joshua stifled a yawn just then, the third such as far as Gideon had caught. Joshua tried to wave away the concern he saw in his husband's eyes, but truth was the evening _had_ rather tired him out. "I think it would be best if I retired for the evening," Joshua said, forestalling anything Gideon was about to say. "That was rather more fresh air than I've been accustomed to of late. No, really, I am _fine_," he added, seeing the concerned looks on the others' faces. "I'm just tired." He grinned as he spied the kitchen clock an added, "And unlike _some_ nightowls I know, 2:00 a.m. is rather late for me!" Beth and Mitch both blushed, and Lady J chuckled. Standing carefully, so as not to wake her sleeping burden, she spoke softly to her guests. "I think it's time for me to put this little one in her bed as well," Lady J said. "I'll accompany you upstairs." Turning to Beth and Mitch, she added, "And I think you two would be best off getting _some_ sleep before she wakes up!" "Yes, Mom." Beth and Mitch grinned at each other after speaking in unison. Following Lady J up the stairs, the three paused outside the guest room. "I wish you sound sleep and pleasant dreams, Joshua," Lady J said, smiling ruefully. "This hasn't exactly been the restful vacation I promised you two, has it?" "Trouble tracking Mitch here wasn't anything you planned," Gideon said quickly, while Josh nodded emphatically. "You have nothing to apologize for." Lady J shrugged, but said nothing more about it. Instead, she told the Baron that she planned to return to the living room for a while after she settled Chessie in, and he was welcome to join her there later in the night if he so chose. With that, she carried Chessie off to bed. * * * * * * It was quiet for a few minutes after the others left. Mitch relaxed in his chair, watching Beth as she carefully mixed together the various ingredients into a salve. "This may sting a bit at first", she said, looking up at him through her hair. Mitch nodded. The worst of his wounds were on his neck, where Trouble had torn at his throat. While they would most likely heal well enough without extra attention, Mitch wasn't about to turn down the chance to have Beth fussing over him. Mitch hissed as he found out she hadn't been kidding about the salve. However, the stinging was soon replaced by a slightly cool and numb feeling, though he could still feel the gentle touch of her hands. Sitting back in her chair, Beth smiled. "That will prevent any infection from getting in," she said, looking pleased. "If your healing is anything like Chessie's is, you'll be right as rain in a week or less." Mitch nodded, smiling back at her. Well, perhaps grinning would be a more accurate description. "But aren't you going to kiss it and make it all better?" he asked to Beth, his grin broadening. Beth laughed, not exactly the response Mitch had been looking for. "Why am I reminded of a certain scene from one of the Indiana Jones movies?" she asked, winking at him. Before Mitch could begin to look disappointed though, she leaned over and kissed him lightly on the lips. When Mitch would've deepened the kiss, she pulled back slightly. "Mmm, too public," she said softly. "Why don't we go up to the studio?" Mitch smiled and nodded, taking her hand as they rose and left the room. * * * * * * The next evening, Beth packed them all into the Cherokee and took them to the airport to catch the private chartered plane back to Fletcherville. Mitch was a bit stiff and sore, but not too badly off. Chessie was snuggled right beside him on the trip. "Do you hafta go home?" she asked as they arrived in the airport parking lot. "I'm afraid so," Mitch replied. "I've got my wolf to look after there, and besides, that's where we live." He ruffled her hair. "But I promise to come back and visit," he said, but it wasn't Chessie he was making the promise to. "And you must come and visit us, too, Chessie," Josh spoke up. "Oh, I'd like that, Uncle Josh!" she exclaimed. "And thank you again for the doll!" "You're very welcome." They made their way through the small airport, Lady Jeanne once again assuring the officials that they did not notice a large gray panther and a small brown-and-white spaniel. Pumpkin was sulking--she hadn't been allowed to have any fun at all this trip. "Thank you, Jeanne, for a most interesting time," Gideon said to their hostess at the gate. "We will return your hospitality sometime soon, I assure you." "I am sorry things turned out as they did," she began. "Don't be," replied all three men at once, and they all laughed. "It was for the best, really," said Mitch, with meaning. "We're cleared for take-off in twenty minutes," said the pilot meaningfully, coming up behind his planeload. "We'd best get on board, then," Gideon bowed. "I hate long good-byes," Mitch said. "Then we won't say them," Josh firmly hustled the other two and the two animals out the gate and towards the waiting plane. They turned and waved, and Mitch blew Beth a kiss. Beth stayed and watched, Chessie and Lady Jeanne at her side, until the plane was only a speck of light in the sky. * * * * * * "Mitch, you've got a rather large package here." "Cool!" Mitch grinned as he joined Evan in the living room at Oakwoods. Looking down at the return label, his smile broadened, and he started to tug at the packaging tape. Evan sighed as Mitch began to growl and took out his pocket knife before Mitch could either become too frustrated or damage the contents in his eagerness to open it. "May I?" the Nameless One asked, and Mitch nodded. Evan had the tape cut through and the outer wrapping removed in short order, revealing a rectangular package, only an inch or two thick but fairly tall and wide. It was wrapped simply in red paper, with a white bow and an attached card. Ripping off the red paper, Mitch found a somewhat familiar painting. However, Beth had made some changes since he had first seen it in her studio. Chessie had an additional playmate, Smoke, and a faint overlay image of herself in kitten form. Among the birch trees that formed the backdrop, Beth had added two adult figures, herself and Mitch, who was overlaid with the ghostly form of his wolf shape. Mitch had his arm about her waist, and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Hey, that's really nice," Evan said. "More than just nice," Mitch replied with a smile. He turned it over, to find that the inscription was one he didn't really want to share with Evan. It had the word "love" in it for one thing. He blushed, but Evan refrained from kidding him and simply offered to help him hang it wherever he liked. The painting was entitled "Winter Wolf". ___________________________________________________________ The End For Now