The Last Spirit Wolf (Elena Norwood)

-Noah-

When Liam notices us, he immediately perks up, smiling at us.

I come forward, hugging him and patting his back.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." I tell him.

He hugs me back unlike the last time we saw each other.

"Always a pleasure, Your Highness," he says.

After a few more pats, we separate.

I take a good look at him. He looks like shit. His clothes are dirty. He's lost his shoes. Judging by the smell, he also hasn't showered in weeks if not months. His hair and beard have grown out so much he's almost unrecognizable. "So, is this a new look or a lifestyle change?" I tease him.

He rolls his eyes.

"Shut up," he says, but then realizes he's talking to his King - not that it matters to me - and adjusts his tone, "I mean, shut the f**k up, Your Highness," he says. We both laugh.

"It's good to have you back," I tell him, but pause, "why exactly are you here?"

We had agreed, or rather, *he* had agreed, that he wouldn't come back until he killed Harriet;

but for some reason this doesn't look like the face of a triumphant man.

He shakes his head.

"It's not what you think," he says, "we have to talk, Noah."

I turn to look at Elden.

"No no, he can stay. I actually think he *should* stay." Liam says.

"I already fed him, let's get into it," Elden says, wasting no time and taking a seat on one of the wrapped up chairs. Very down to business.

I raise an eyebrow, looking at Liam now.

"Yeah, he's the one who found me, actually. I was trying to get into the Castle through the tunnels out back but I realized, I didn't know where they were."

I nod, crossing my arms and giving him my full attention.

He begins,

"So, when I left the Castle, I was following Harriet's tracks, as you know I intended on killing her, but after about a month, her trail went completely cold. Instead of turning back to the Castle without accomplishing my mission, I decided to.... roam around... and see if she turned up anywhere. Another month went by and I was looking... rough around the edges... so to speak, and encountered a group of rogues right at the edge of our territory. To avoid an incomplete reading experience, visit Jobn'i'b.com. Because of my appearance, they assumed I was like them; exiled and forgotten. Of course, I went with them to see if I could find any information to help me find Harriet, but I had no luck. Instead, I became a... part of the rogues..."

I raise my eyebrows at this. It's not unexpected that Harriet was cunning enough to hide from him, but I never thought infiltrating the rogues would be this easy.

He continues,

"So, for the past couple of months, I've risen in the ranks within the rogues and finally got close to their leader. Noah, you have no idea how organized these people are. They have ranks, just like us, training grounds, leaders, a sort of... Council... and they're coming for all of you."

I frown, noting that he said 'all of you' instead of 'all of us."

"What do you mean they're coming for all of us? When?" I ask.

This is certainly not something I need right now. With Vera in wolf territory and my throne being challenged, I don't have the necessary manpower or Vera's intuition to win a war, much less the willingness to fight one.

"Soon," he says grimly. "But I really came down here because the timeline might have just been accelerated. There's a man, Alcott, I believe his name was, he started negotiating with rogues a few days ago."

This revelation does take me by surprise. That sneaky son of a bitch isn't negotiating with the Houses then, he went directly to the rogues.

"He promised the leader of the rogues that if they helped take you down, they could then have all the land they desired; the Castle even."

"So, the bastard has been planning a coup all along."

"He might have challenged your claim to the throne publicly to give him time to assemble the people he needed." Elden says.

"No," Liam answers him, "apparently he had already been in talks with some factions within the rogues. He only challenged your throne when he already had a meeting secured with the leader."

I finally sit down on one of the chairs, contemplating this new piece of information.

This changes everything. If Alcott is negotiating with the rogues in order to get himself an army, that's exactly what I need to be doing, too.

"What are the numbers, Liam? What kind of army are we talking about?"

His face turns grim.

"More than you can muster, that's for sure. At least seven rogues to one of yours. And they're mostly lycan."

I close my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose.

This is perfect, just perfect.

"But that's not it," Liam continues, "I talked to Sadira, the leader, and her commanders. They don't actually trust Alcott, they want to use him to secure passage into the Castle, get rid of you, and then get rid of everyone else. There is not a single rogue that doesn't have beef with the Houses and the Families, there's no chance they'll be left standing after all of this."

"If they want to double-cross Alcott and the Houses, then why not take down the Families and leave the Castle alone?" I ask. It's a stupid question, but I need to understand the rogue's motivations in order to come up with a plan.

"Because, though we didn't realize it before, the Houses have been abusing their power and fucking people over for generations. Anyone who ever dared disagree with them or not pay up their taxes would either get beaten, killed, or in the best case, exiled. The rogue force we see now has been forming for a long time, Noah. And, justified or not, they blame the Castle for turning a blind eye."

Great.

I sigh, closing my eyes again and rubbing my hand through my hair, exasperated.

"How soon should we expect them?"

Really, the only real option I see now is to gather up whatever army I can and go to war with the rogues; maybe we can even hold the Castle and they can take everything else.

I just feel so defeated already. There's never ending shit coming our way and there seems to be no ending it.

"What do they want, really?" Elden asks Liam before he can answer my question.

Liam hesitates, trying to find the words.

"This is just my perception, right? But I've noticed most of these people just want... a home. They have cluttered up in numbers because it gives them a sense of belonging and safety. Some of them even liked the idea Alcott presented, of being given a home to come to, only of course, Sadira knows better than to trust a Council member."

"Have you told them I would have no problem in giving them land? A home?"

He rolls his eyes.

"Of course not, they think I was a prisoner of war here or something."

"Can you get us a meeting with their leader?" Elden asks.

"And discuss what exactly?" I ask him.

"That you are not your father's son, or your grandfather's grandson," he says, annoyed I'd even ask. "Noah, your father and grandfather were great men, the best this Castle had to offer, but what Liam is saying is true, they turned a blind eye to the abuse that the Houses had been inflicting on the common people, all because they needed their continued support. Maybe if we can convince them that you are nothing like that, and that your promise to them is legitimate, we

can negotiate with them to take the Council out, or at least, to not kill us all."

I turn to look at Liam.

"I'll see what I can do," he says, standing up and offering his hand to me.

I take it and shake it.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

"You know, in the meantime, you could shower and whatever, you smell like death."

He chuckles.

"I smell like a wild animal for a reason. It helps disguise my scent, and yours. They'll never know I was even here," he explains.

I nod at him and he turns to leave with Elden, but suddenly, I remember something.

"Liam, have you had any leads on Harriet since? I need that bitch dead."

He turns to me, shaking his head.

"The trail has been cold for months now. Even with many rogues on the lookout, I have no idea where she went. It's like she just vanished beyond the western mountains."

He turns to leave again, exiting through the door behind Elden, heading towards the tunnels.

I grind my teeth.

I had hoped Liam had taken care of her already, but I guess that's one more thing to add to my list.

Harriet not only proved to be treacherous, she also proved to be cunning. I fear that given enough time, she will undoubtedly make a move against us at some point.

If Liam doesn't find and kill her, I will.