Little Red Riding Hood

Kori knew exactly who the elemental being was. The old nursery rhyme flashed through her mind: "Beware the Hoarfrostman, my dear, when the moon is fat…"

She also knew that to know the name of such an elemental was to have some measure of power over him.

"Hoarfrostman!" she cried with all the authority she could muster as she stepped forward. Her piercing voice rang out into the night very loud and clear and the creature practically jumped out of his hoary skin.

"Hoarfrostman! Hoarfrostman!" Kori cried again, knowing also that there was special significance in yelling a name three times. "We are both supernatural beings, you and I and I bid you, point us in the right direction. My companions and I seek out two great evil-doers. Men who have voluntarily taken the mantle of wolves. Tell me where to find them and then begone."

"South-south-east, you'll find a beast," chattered the Hoarfrostman and with that he evaporated into thin air and the intense chill around them lessened.

Kori turned to Ralph and Rudolph. "Did you hear, dears? I believe he knew where a cultist is." Kori peered ahead. "There is a crossroads over there. He said to go south-south-east."

"We heard you both, very loud and clear," said Rudolph. "Well your supernatural perception has always led us in the right direction, dear niece. We will take the fork that goes south-south-east."

As they traveled down the new path, the intense chill in the air lessened. The track was soon joined by another and Kori heard the light tread of someone approaching from some way down the new path.

"Someone with a light tread, probably a woman or child, approaches," she advised, pointing down the other path. The traveler came into view. It was a girl, perhaps a year older than Kori, with a worn traveling cloak, all patched and frayed, wrapped tightly around her with the hood up, although her pale, freckled face and the fringe of her fiery red hair were both visible. She was carrying a wicker basket that was covered with a worn and faded patterned cloth. She raised her eyebrows at the sight of the three of them.

"Good evening!" said Kori, grinning.

"What are you doing out in the woods at this hour, little Miss?" asked Rudolph.

The girl frowned. "That doesn't concern you, Mister."

"I am Lord Sommernacht and the commander of the Royal Guard," declared Rudolph. "I am not 'Mister,' to you."

Kori gently touched Rudolph's arm to placate him. "Just a little misunderstanding, uncle, I am sure." She turned to the girl. "It's not safe out here. There are two very, very bad men at large tonight. I'd feel better if you weren't out alone on a night like this."

"She is Lady Sommernacht to you, just so you know," said Ralph. "But I'm just a guard."

The girl gazed at Kori for a moment, narrowing her brown eyes and then shrugged. "I'm taking this basket to my grandmother. She lives just down this path, a very short distance. Is that the way you're going, Lord and Lady and pretty guard boy?" She gave Rudolph and Kori exaggerated curtsies and fluttered her eyelashes at Ralph.

"It is," said Kori grinning.

"Alright, let's get going," said Rudolph.

The girl linked arms with Ralph and they all trudged through the snow. She was as tall as him. They were both Kori's height and Kori was tall for her age. Their faces did look striking side by side. They had such vibrant complexions. "I'm Lady Korina Sommernacht. May I ask your name?" said Kori.

"I'm Luca," said the girl, scratching her freckled nose with her free hand.

"You are a kind granddaughter, Luca," said Kori, trying to start up a conversation. "Setting out on a freezing night like this…"

"Freezing, Lady?" Luca smirked. "You're not even wearing a cloak and you look fine."

"The Lady Korina is special," said Ralph gravely.

"Special? No, I just don't feel the cold or the heat the same way everyone else does."

"Indeed, Lady? Well I feel the cold and I could do with the help of a strong guard to warm me up," said Luca and she fluttered her eyelashes at Ralph again.

Ralph looked a little embarrassed. "My heart belongs to another."

"Ah, that lucky other," said Luca.

"Stop embarrassing the boy, little girl," said Rudolph.

Luca scowled.

They trudged on and reached a tiny thatched cottage built of large, grey stones, smaller and a lot older than Madeleine's.

Luca walked up to the front door and then turned to them. "You can all visit grandmother, if you like, she never gets visitors."

Kori felt a prickle of unease. She could sense a heavy throbbing in the air that seemed somehow muted. With a chill, she realised that it was the ominous sensation she had felt in the presence of the Wolf Mage and the Changeling!

"Beware!" she cried. "I believe there is a cultist nearby."

Luca frowned. "What? What cultist? What are you talking about?"

"Stand aside," said Rudolph striding to the door. He kicked it and it swung inward. It had been left open. He took Kori by the arm. "This time, nothing will surprise us. Scream the instant you see hide or hair of a wolf, Kori. Ralph, follow. Luca, you may stay outside."

"I'm not staying outside, my grandmother's in there," snapped Luca.

Kori gulped. She felt a terrible sinking feeling. What had become of Luca's grandmother? But before she could say anything, Rudolph curtly ordered Ralph to mind Luca and then led Kori over the threshold and into a bare, stone kitchen with a very low ceiling.

Immediately they were assailed by a stink of rotting meat. Rudolph choked. "Good gods, the smell!"

He kicked open the wooden door in front of them to reveal a tiny bedroom. To Kori's horror there was a wild looking man in the bed, dressed in a lady's night gown, holding the covers up to his neck with both hands. His eyes which bulged from their sockets, seemed to gleam red. He leered, showing pointed teeth tinged with blood. "How dare you invade a lady's bed chamber," he growled. Kori saw the icy gleam of a platinum ring of the middle finger of his left hand and wasting no time glared intently at him and screamed with all her might.

The werewolf leapt from the bed with a snarl. Coarse, black fur began to sprout all over his body and his claws and teeth were lengthening. Kori screamed at him again and as he lunged at them, she leapt forward, slashing with both her blades.

The werewolf swiped at her with his clawed hands, but she ducked with lightening swiftness. His gleaming red eyes seemed to register surprise for a split second, but he lunged forward snapping at her and then roared in pain as the silver edge of her sword dealt him a long, shallow wound.

Suddenly there was a flash and the acrid smell of burned fur. Rudolph had chucked something at the cultist, who roared again, enraged and lunged blindly at Kori and Rudolph. But he obviously could not see them clearly anymore and they both swiped at his groping forearms, Kori with her Runeknife and Rudolph with his sword. Rudolph's sword bit deep and was only stopped by the bone, but Kori's Runeknife, thrusted with three times the force of Rudolph's sword, sliced the cultist's left forearm clean off. It dropped to the ground with a thud, the platinum ring still gleaming on the middle finger.

The werewolf staggered and fell and Rudolph stabbed him through his right shoulder, pinioning him to the stone floor.

"My strength - gone!" growled the werewolf.

"Useful stuff, that silver nitrate Vereticus made," said Rudolph. "You won't be able to transform any time soon."

Now Ralph and Luca were here, Luca wielding a large frying pan. She dealt the werewolf a terrific blow to the head and looked up panting, her brown eyes bright with fury.

"What is this monster doing here?" She demanded. "Where is grandmother?"

The cultist gave a hollow laugh. "Your grandmother was no delicacy, little carrot top. Even my wolfish digestive system found her tough."

Kori felt sick. Luca dealt the cultist another terrific blow with the frying pan.

"That's enough, I need him conscious for now, so I can interrogate him," said Rudolph. "You can execute him yourself later, if you want. Kori, take Luca to the other room for a minute. Ralph, stay here."

Luca's breath was coming in juddering gasps. "Come, dear," said Kori, taking her by the arm and leading her to the tiny kitchen where they sat down on little wooden benches on either side of the table, facing one another. Kori gazed into Luca's eyes. Luca stared blankly back. Kori took her hand and Luca made no resistance.

"I'm so sorry this has happened, Luca," said Kori softly, giving Luca's hand a reassuring squeeze. Luca made no response.

They sat in silence, looking into each other's eyes.

The sounds of Rudolph interrogating the werewolf in the other room were very loud and clear, even to Luca who shifted at the sound of the men's voices.

"Where is the Arch-Lycanthrope?" demanded Rudolph's voice.

"Wouldn't you like to know, you oafish Kraut? You couldn't overthrow him, only I could do that. I can wield the sword the pompous fool threw away, but you're too feeble. Let me up and I'll tear out your throat with just one arm."

"I'm warning you now…" there came the sound of Rudolph drawing something from his pocket.

Kori tried to tune them out and focus on Luca. "Do you feel like talking?"

Luca stared back at her for a moment and Kori gave her reassuring smile.

"I was just taking her the basket," said Luca suddenly, but then there came a terrific yell from the other room and the werewolf's voice:

"The crags to the east, in the caves, damn you! Aaaarrrghhhhh…" Then there came the sound of the werewolf gurgling and choking.

Ralph emerged from the bedroom, followed by Rudolph whose sword was steeped in werewolf blood.

"I now see our path clearly," said Rudolph grimly. "We are to head straight for the crags. There is no time to be lost."

"Uncle, what about Luca?" Kori protested. Luca had fallen silent and was still staring fixedly ahead.

"This is more important than any one of us," said Rudolph. "If we don't move now, the Arch-Lycanthrope will evade us. Come dear niece, as your Commander I order it. Your duty to the Dark Forest demands it. We can get help for Luca afterwards."

Ralph was looking about the stone floor and he exclaimed as he spotted a loose flagstone.

"The cultist was talking about a sword. It seems the rogue had a plan to betray his master and knew about a special sword. Maybe a magic sword? It could be very important. There was no sign of anything in the bedroom, but could he have hidden it in the kitchen?"

Ralph gripped at the edges of the flagstone, but though he strained, he could not move it. "A little help, Kori? Please?"

Kori nodded and kneeling on the stone floor, shifted the flagstone aside.

There, revealed on the earthy floor, was the hilt of a sword of prodigious size, wrapped in black leather with a great, red pommel stone that appeared to gleam balefully in the ghostly light of the moon that streamed through the windows.

"Can you uncover the rest of it, Kori?" asked Rudolph excitedly.

One by one, Kori shifted the other flagstones to reveal a huge sword in a scabbard of black leather.

Kori gazed down at it. "I suppose that's the sword, then?"

Rudolph knelt down beside her. "What a fine weapon! There must be few who can manufacture such blades as this."

"Likely not," said Kori and she stood up again and sat opposite Luca whose brown eyes were now bright with tears. Kori moved round the table and sat beside the red headed girl and put her arms around her, gently rubbing her back.

Rudolph had unsheathed the great sword and had lifted it. Looking over Luca's shoulder, Kori could see that the blade seemed to gleam with an icy glint in the moonlight streaming through the window. "Ach, it's too heavy," grumbled Rudolph. "But look at the craftsmanship! See how impeccably formed and wickedly sharp the blade is. If any weapon could smite the Arch-Lycanthrope, this would be it."

"Indeed, My Lord," said Ralph, looking at it admiringly.

"I do not think that I can wield it, though, more's the pity. Maybe if I had the full strength of my youth... But Kori, I want you to try and see if you can swing it. If you can, we have the edge, literally and figuratively."

Kori sighed. "If it will please you, uncle, I will try."

"Outside of course, there's no room here," said Rudolph gesturing to the door. "And right now, there's not a moment to lose."

"Sorry, Luca," said Kori, gently touching the other girl's freckled cheek as she got to her feet.

They stepped outside into the moonlight and snow. Kori gripped the sword hilt and then gave a piercing cry as a jumble of images flashed through her mind, like the memories of a nightmare…

She could see a rocky chamber suffused in a dull, red light. Five men stood in the chamber around the edge of a gaping hole, gazing into the blackness and chanting the same phrase over and over, esoteric words that meant nothing to Kori, but words of power nonetheless. The echoes of their chanting out of time with their voices caused an unsettling resonance that filled the vaulted space…

One of them, a man in plate armour built like an ox, with a mane of silver hair and hard, cold eyes strode forwards and brandished his great sword in both hands. It was the sword that Kori now held! The man was clearly a great warrior, but Kori would not have wanted to meet him – he had a really nasty look about him. He cast his sword into the gaping maw of the pit and the other four copied him, each casting a relic of his former life into the darkness below: an ebony staff, a signet ring, a bloodstone amulet and a sharp dagger.

Kori could see each one of them clearly, and recognised the first werewolf she had fought in the woods back home, with the same streak of grey through his shaggy black hair. He licked his fingertips and giggled.

The cultists all raised their hands to display the platinum rings they had consecrated for their demonic ritual and one of them, a man wrapped in robes and hood as black as shadow, yelled a hideous sounding string of words which were answered by a bellow for the depths below.

And then in her fevered vision, Kori saw the thing they had summoned from the netherworld. It was a wolfish demon, its insubstantial flesh dark as an evil man's dreams, snarling like a caged beast. The demon leapt onto the warrior who had cast away the sword and Kori could see the Arch-Lycanthrope transform for the first time…

And then the vision faded and the moonlit woods came back into focus.

Rudolph was looking at her anxiously. "What is the matter, dear niece? Your eyelids fluttered for several moments and you would not answer me. You only made choking sounds."

"I have seen much, uncle. This sword has been used in the demonic rite by the Wolf Cult and when I touched it I got this vision flashing through my mind of how and why... It belonged to the Arch-Lycanthrope. He had to chuck it away as a condition of summoning the demon, but I suppose that other cultist must have retrieved it later, because he wanted to stab his master in the back."

Rudolph looked grave. Kori looked him in the eye. "Perhaps any object that's been used to conjure a demon could make me have visions. I don't know. But this sword was the Arch-Lycanthrope's and it might be used to kill him."

Rudolph nodded. "Can you swing the sword, Kori?"

"I'll try. Please stand well back."

Rudolph stepped back as Kori lifted the great sword with both hands and swung it in a wide arc. "Indeed uncle, I can, although it's almost as tall as me. I'm going to have to carry it strapped on my back."

"There is no time to be lost," said Rudolph. "In the caves to the east, the Arch-Lycanthrope is waiting."