The House Of Ellis, Episode 22

Lady Madison made her way up to the farm gate.  "Okay, Cordelia, what do we have?"

Cordelia looked back, a worried look on her face.  "We've got trouble.  It's the wolves...and there are a lot of them."

Lady Madison looked, but couldn't see them.  It was unlikely that Cordelia would joke about something like that, so maybe she just had very good eyes.  She was an archer, after all.  "How many are we talking about?"

"They're still a ways of, but I can count thirty to fifty."

"Hmm...that many, huh?"

Cordelia nodded.  "It's just an estimate based of the edge of my sight, but it's definitely in that range."

"Right.  How soon?"

"They'll be here by the time it gets dark."

Lady Madison nodded.  "Sweep the perimeter.  Make sure there aren't any other threats on the way.  Lady Glinda, Lady Iocasta, protect the farmer's house.  Sophia, protect the barn.  Shalista, defend the south.  Lady Audrixia, take the east.  Hilde, Akiko, take the west.  Wendy, watch the main gate"  She drew her sword and started walking ahead.  "I'm going out to confirm a sighting and thin out their numbers.  Everyone got that?"

"Yes, milady," everyone said with authority.

Everyone except Shalista.  "No."

Lady Madison stopped and looked back.  "This isn't the time, Shalista."

"Going out alone against those numbers is insane, even for you.  I'm going with you."

"No, you're not," Lady Madison said, glaring at her.

Shalista glared right back at her, hands on hips.  "Yes, I am."

"Why won't you do what I say?"

Shalista softened.  "Because you're my best friend.  The first real friend I've had in quite some time, in fact.  If I let you go out there alone and you don't come back, I'll have approved the death of my best friend."  She walked in front her.  "Either we go together or you don't go."

"And you intend to stop me?" Lady Madison asked.

"No, I don't intend to," Shalista said.  "I will."

"Um...guys?" Lady Iocasta said, her voice shaky.

Lady Audrixia stepped in between them.  "With all due respect, milady, I am in agreement with Shalista.  The two of you together can devastate their numbers.  The rest of us can mop up any who squeeze past you."

Lady Madison grumbled.  And grumbled.  Then, grumbled some more.  "Akiko, guard the south."

"Yes, milady," Akiko said, bowing.

Lady Madison headed out with Shalista in tow.  After they got out a little distance, Lady Madison said, "Damn it, Shalista.  You embarrassed me in front of everyone."

She heard sniffling.  Looking back, she saw Shalista crying.  "Hey.  What wrong?"

"I just want to be helpful.  I can't believe you'd think I'd try to embarrass you on purpose."

"I wanted you to stay behind precisely because I recognize your strength.  I knew that if something happened to me, you'd be capable of finishing the job."

Shalista shook her head.  "I can't accept that.  You see, I already lost a friend under similar circumstances.  I just didn't want the same to happen to you."

So she had a past.  Maybe she'd ask her about it when she had time.  "I didn't know it meant so much to you.  I didn't know I meant so much to you."  She turned around and hugged her.  "I'm sorry."

Shalista hugged her back.  As they shared a long embrace, Shalista hands slowly worked their way lower down her back.

"Keep 'em above the waist."

"Aw, you suck."

"Haven't you already felt me up enough?"

"If I had, I wouldn't still be trying to do it."

Lady Madison pushed her away and laughed, "perv."

Suddenly, the sound of howling echoed through the air.

She turned and saw the clearly saw the wolves.  They were still a distance away, but close enough to be positively identified.  Forty-five doglike creatures were running in their direction.  The howl was likely a warning to get out of the way or be killed.

Lady Madison and Shalista nodded at each other.  "Try not to let a single one through."

Lady Madison's hand started glowing yellow.  "Nature's wrath, sear through the enemy.  Lightning!"

Bolts shot out of her hand and into the oncoming pack, taking out five of them.  A few stopped to check on their brethren, but the rest kept coming.

Lady Madison drew her sword, raised it over her head, and bellowed, "I'm am Lady Madison!  Tremble in fear before me, maggots!"

A few wolves stumbled and fell to a stop before turning and running away, whining.  The rest kept coming.

"You've been warned.  Rawr!"  She and Shalista ran at the pack.  Their weapons slashed and pierced wolves, resulting in whines and pained howls.  Wolves attacked and were promptly cut down.

"Die, mangy curs!" Lady Madison bellowed, striking down several at one.

"Get back here," she heard Shalista scream.

Looking back, she saw a few had gotten past them and were headed for the farm with Shalista giving chase.  She let a lightning spell loose.  While she didn't hit any of them, she did scare them enough for Shalista to catch up and kill them.

Shalista turned and gave her a thumbs up, then said, "Look out!"

Lady Madison turned just in time to see a wolf lunging at her.  His fangs were so close to her face, she could smell his putrid breath.  She fell back to avoid the attack while piercing his heart with her sword.  She rolled through with the momentum and withdrew her sword, recovering in time to kill two more that were approaching fast.

Some wolves ran away while others continued on, only to be killed by Shalista.  One tried to run away from Shalista and was sent off with a punt to the butt.  "Yeah!  You don't mess with sexy warriors!"

The remaining wolves tried running away, but Lady Madison struck them down with magic.  Then, they beheaded each of the fallen to make sure they were dead.  "The job's not done," Lady Madison said.  "About ten or so got away."

"So do we follow them?" Shalista asked.  "No.  It's getting dark.  It'd be too dangerous."  She scooped up a wolf corpse.  "We return back to the farm and wait for them to come back.  In the meantime, grab a corpse.  Lady Iocasta will cook us up some wolf stew."

Shalista took up a dead wolf.  "See?  Aren't you glad I came along?"

There certainly were a lot of wolves.  Maybe, just maybe, she couldn't have driven them off without her.  "Yeah.  I guess so."  Then they headed back toward the farm.

Upon arriving, they saw Wendy and Cordelia at the gate.  "Did you kill them all?" Cordelia said.

Lady Madison shook her head.  "No.  They'll probably be back.  Until then, we've brought back dinner."

Lady Iocasta wandered over.  "Ah, now I can make some wolf stew."

Suddenly, they heard a howl in the distance.  "Better make it fast," Shalista said.  "It sounds like they've already regrouped."

Then they heard an ungodly sound.  "What was that?" Wendy asked.

"I can't see," Cordelia said.  "It's too dark.  I have to wait for it to get closer."

Lady Madison dropped her wolf carcass.  "I don't like the looks of this.  Wendy, go gather everyone up.  I get the feeling we're going to need everyone to tackle whatever made that sound."

"Yes, milady?"  Wendy trotted off.

"Agh!" Cordelia said.  "I s-see it."

Lady Madison turned to see it as well.

It was the wolves that got away.  That isn't what had Cordelia worried, though.  No, that thing was in the sky.  She couldn't make it out clearly, but it was big.

The closer it got, the clearer it became.  It was a wolf.  A giant wolf with wings.  It must have been the size of a small building.  It landed in front of them and let out the noise they'd heard earlier.  It was definitely him.

Lady Madison looked at Shalista.  This quest was her idea.  "I hate you..."