Wenn & Wolf Tales

wwe1220

((I milked this for all it is worth. Sosumi. I think I got melodramatic in a big way, although, I thought when I wrote it that I was going for realism. -Diana -))

Wenn woke slowly. Her face resting against the cool stone and for a few moments, she knew not where she was. She blinked but it took time for her eyes to focus. She looked across the stone floor and saw library shelves on the other side of the room then knew she was in her study in the North Tower. She knew she lay in a curled and rumpled heap on the floor. Her eyes closed again and images of how she got here flood her mind's eye. Her eyes popped open again to stop the images.

She lay on her side with her knees pulled up. Her arms hugged part of her torn dress across her chest to cover. She reached out an arm to push herself up while the other arm held the dress tightly to her. As she shifted, sharp pain shot up through her from... she cannot think of it for if she does she invokes his image, his actions. The pain brought tears to her eyes for what damage he did has stiffened in her sleep on the cool floor. At last she sat up, her legs curled beneath her and leaning heavily against the front panel of her desk.

Judging from the light in the room, or lack of it, it was still night. Wenndolyne sighed relief at this. Wolf was away, Simon and the others in the Keep were sleeping. No one would see her like this if she could make it down to the bath. She needed clothes. She needed help. She needed to wash his scent from her. Each breath reminded her of him. But first, she had to get down those stairs. She knew, from before, that there is no way to lessen the agony of what she must do next, though on that occasion she had Nightshade's help. Yet before she also had a deep knife wound and had lost much blood. Wenn looked down to her lap and saw no blood coming through her dress, but she felt there was some. Tears streaked her face again as she shifted to her hand and knees, still holding her dress with the other arm to cover her bared chest though there was no one to see. She needed this for herself.

From this crawling position Wenn reached up to the desktop. With a white knuckled grip and a cry out loud she straightened and brought one leg out to brace her there, kneeling. The pain through her body threatened to take her down again but she took a deep breath and held it til it subsided. She looked across the desktop to see the broken globe of the bell jar where the emerald had been. She lay her forehead to her hand that still gripped the desk, thinking she should have tried harder to stop him but knowing now as then, that she could not.

Wenn took another deep breath to steel herself and then as quickly as possible dragged herself up to stand, letting out a wail. Her whole body ached but it was the tearing he had done that drew most of her focus. She leaned heavily on that hand that gripped the desk and turned to look at the distance from there to the top of the stairs. There was no help for it but to start walking and so she did. Both arms wrapped across her body as she took small steps toward the staircase, wincing and hissing through clenched teeth.

Her first step was torture, the second was less so. As her body began to loosen up from the stiffness of injury and sleep, the steps got gradually easier. She descended the stairs slowly, haltingly, concentrating on balance, for a fall might kill her. She had no strength to catch herself. She went down each step with one shoulder to the outer wall for support. The stone grated on her skin but she barely noticed it.

Hauntingly Wenn could hear her own sounds of pain echo in the stairwell. It seemed hours before she made it to the first landing where she stopped to rest and then proceeded onto the next flight downward. After a while, she was lost in the agony that zipped through her and lost track of how far she had come, how far she had yet to go. She thought it was only a vision when at last she could see the torchlight at the door, the base of the tower at last.

Descending the last steps almost too quickly, she had trouble righting herself, wavering. But, she was leaning against the wall near the door. She had at least made it down from the tower.

Closing her eyes to concentrate, she sighed with relief to hear the lock click open then the latch released the door to open a crack. She peered through the crack, then nudged the door open a little wider. After listening carefully and verifying no one was up and about, she limped a bit to the hallway. Passing the stairs that lead to the second floor she looked up briefly but knew she could not climb them. Wenn stopped to lean against the wall again, thinking what to do.

She could wake Chamberlain... but no... she blushed just to think what help she needed and could not have him do it. Wenn's mind raced over possibilities and at last she sighed and whispered "Sarah." Her own voice scared her just a little, sounding too loud in the silent hallway of the Keep. Thank goodness Nightshade had taken a room on the first floor for her stay here.

Crossing the hallway and to Nightshade's door, she opened it a crack and peeped in. Wenn looked down at herself and self-consciously adjusted the remnants of her dress. She tried to straighten her tossled hair, as if it mattered. She knew she looked a fright, but somehow, it did matter.

Wenndolyne opened the door to Nightshade's room and leaned heavily against the door jam. She sighed audibly to see her sleeping form and hissed to her in a whisper, "Sarah!" Seeing no sign that she was heard, she hissed again, "Sarah!!"

In the shadows of Nightshade's dream someone called her, not her, but that name. Her dream self peered into those shadows and knew who it must be that called her, "Seth?" She could see him in her dream shadows. He emerged from nothing into view.

The Necromancer looked up from his place in the ShadowLands as Sarah's voice reached him. He quickly left and upon reaching her room, stepped through the shadow gate and into the shadows of the corner of her room.

Wenn sighed from the doorway. She was worn out. She almost smiled at herself when she realized why she had not awakened the sleeping woman. "Nightshade!"

At last Nightshade stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes to glance sleepily in the direction of the voice. She was not yet aware that the Necromancer was in fact in her room and he paused in his darkness, hearing another voice. Nightshade blinked and tried to focus, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and looking at Wenn in the doorway.

Managing an uneasy smile, Wenn choked out, "I... I could use your help." Tears begin to flow despite the smile she pasted on, suddenly feeling the pain full force again, suddenly weakened by the availability of help.

While the Necromancer remained motionless, a part of the shadows, listening and watching, Nightshade crossed to Wenn in the doorway, taking in her condition. Her face was swollen and bruising, her dress was shredded, spots of blood here and there.

"Mercy, come in here... lay down."

Wenndolyne nodded and leaned against her friend, "SSsshhhhh please... I don't want to wake anyone else."

"Yes, of course. Sorry."

Feeling exposed, even under Sarah's gaze, Wenn shifted to pull the dress up around her more. "Please... Help me to the bath... I think that would be best."

Nightshade nodded and assisted Wenn in turning around and heading down the hallway, careful not to make contact with her flesh, just yet. She was unsure just how badly Wenn was injured, or for that matter how, and where. It was very slow going but they made the bathing room. Nightshade worked as quickly as possible to draw a bath. She was grateful for the size of the size of the room and for the clever use of a small hearth to heat it as well as keeping buckets of hot water perpetually available.

Using his shadow path, the Necromancer followed, silently, and slipped into a darkened corner of this room as well.

After mixing and testing the water, Nightshade turned again to Wenn who seemed to barely be able to stand. "Now... let me help you step over the edge here."

Wenn nodded but realized she must let go of her dress, her cover, and she has not yet assessed the damage. Her sad eyes searched Sarah's face in the dim light. She tried to smile for her, to comfort her, "Wenndolyne, look at me. We have been here before. Don't look down. Just let the dress go and I will help you into the bath. You don't have to look now."

Again she nodded then reluctantly released the dress to fall into a heap on the floor. She held Sarah's gaze and hissed as she stepped into the bath, ever so slowly lowering herself into the soothing warm water. Closing her eyes, she sighed audibly as her aches and pain settled into the warmth of the bath.

Seeing that Wenn was set, Nightshade looked back at the dress. She scooped it quickly from the floor and rolled it so that no blood showed. Wenn opened her eyes in time to see Sarah look back at her. The injured woman's smile faded quickly as she noticed the changing color of the bath water.

Nightshade shook her head, "Do not be concerned with that. It looks worse that it is." Wenn nodded but was not convinced. Still, she set about scooping water over herself and washing as she could with the least amount of pain. Sarah knelt beside the tub with a clean moist cloth, prepared to wash the other woman's face, but she paused a moment.

Wenn's eyes met hers, "How bad?"

Pretending to brush off her concern, Nightshade cleaned as gently as possible, "Not very."

Wenn hissed as Sarah grazed a small cut along her cheek bone. She closed her eyes. She remembered that hit. Nightshade's hand paused and in the stillness, they both heard the slightest whisper from elsewhere in the room.

"You shouldn't lie to her, Sarah."

Startled, Nightshade looked around to find the voice. Wenn turned with a short cry from twisting. She covered herself, crossing her arms in front of her.

Nightshade hissed toward one corner of the small room, a heavily shadowed corner, for they had no more light than what the small hearth gave. "What are you doing here?"

The dry whisper of a voice came again, "You called to me. I came." He glanced at Wenn but returned his gaze to Sarah.

Wenndolyne's eyes were wide as she looked from Nightshade to the corner and only now could she see the vaguest dark shape within the other darkness. To her mind and thumping heart, this voice was as cold as the dark wolf. She tried to draw herself up smaller, to make herself invisible.

"I called you not," Nightshade protested.

He softened his voice but that only lessened the harshness. It remained cold and uncaring, "You called to Seth and so I answered." He then said without looking at her, "You have nothing to fear from me, Lady Wenndolyne."

She gasped as he said her name. Drawing her knees up slowly, carefully, Wenn wrapped her arms around them. Swallowing to find her voice, she begged, "Please.... please leave me be..." Though it seemed unlikely, and she knew nothing of the 'Seth' he mentioned, she still feared it was Quietus or something to do with him.

Nightshade thought back and remembered. "I was asleep .... I... That was but a dream, I thought."

The Necromancer nodded once, as if reading her memory of the dream, "And you called me."

Standing up to serve as a curtain between Wenn and Seth, to provide cover for her, Nightshade now realized she was in a nightgown and not her heavy dark robes. She felt exposed too.

Barely noticeable in the darkness, the Necromancer frowned, "Perhaps... I can help."

"No," Nightshade protested again, "I have much to do here. Calling you was not my intention. You should go." Wenn was relieved to be again unseen, hidden behind Nightshade, and hoping her friend's words would shoo away whomever this person was. Sarah added, "I know not how you could assist."

Within the shadowed corner, there was the faint gleam of a soft smile, "There is much you know not... but you will learn in time."

"I haven't time to banter with you now, Seth. We lose the night in a few hours. I must be about my work."

"I will assist, nothing more." His voice faded as did his presence while he was once more indistinguishable in the darkness.

Nightshade looked over her shoulder at Wenn now shivering in the cooling bath. She turned and knelt beside her, gently suggesting, "At least he could carry you back to my room perhaps. I do not want your wounds opened anew. And I cannot carry you myself."

Wenndolyne shook her head, "No, no, Sarah... You seem to know him but, I don't... I can't... no, I..."

The shadow sighed, "Would you do more injury to yourself, Lady Wenndolyne? I assure you, my interest lay with those who are not of the living. You have nothing to fear."

Her head turned sharply at the voice again but Nightshade shushed soothingly, having comforted countless in her healing. "Yes, I know him and if he can help you, we should allow it."

Wenn's head dropped forward to rest on her knees. Knowing time grows short, she nodded almost imperceptibly.

Nightshade rose to drag a large towel from a shelf and held it stretched open between herself and Wenn, further hiding her from their visitor. "Stand very slowly, very carefully... use your arms." Though neither woman could see it, the Necromancer turned away, not understanding the need for modesty, but respecting it in this case.

Actually feeling much better, Wenn was able to draw herself up out of the water. The warmth had worked on the aches so she could stand as instructed, but she gasped lightly as she saw a small trickle of bloody water running down her leg. She quickly looked up to Nightshade with a tear sliding over her swollen cheek.

Sarah shook her head and shushed again, "Water makes it look like more than it is." She wrapped the towel around Wenn, arms and all and hugged her gently a moment. Wenn sighed against her shoulder, then Nightshade looked around to the shadow again, "Seth... Would you carry her to my room please?" He turned and nodded once then stepped forward to pick up the toweled bundle gently. One arm cradled under her kness, the other across her back supporting her. Wenn shivered from the chill and his touch but once situated, she closed her eyes and tried to relax in his hold.

Silently Nightshade's eyes asked if he was set and the Necromancer nodded once more. She then led the way out into the hall after checking that no one was about, then further drew them down the hall and into her room. The Necromancer followed, but while they walked, he used his contact with Wenn to quickly scan her internal workings.

After Nightshade pulled the bedcovers back, he laid Wenn down with surprising care and tenderness. Even as his touch left her, he whispered to Nightshade, "She bleeds inside." Wenn barely heard it, for she was sighing her relief aloud as her body settled onto the bed, but the words seemed to filter in slowly and she looked up at the spectre then watched Nightshade close and lock the door. When Sarah returned to her side, she placed her hand gently over her abdomen. She closed her eyes, then in a moment, nodded to confirm his assessment.

When Sarah opened her eyes again, she looked up at Seth with concern, "I do best with external wounds or blood disturbances... I know not that I can..." She stopped abruptly, realizing that Wenn was hanging nervously on every word.

The Necromancer nodded, "Then we shall have to do it together."

Nightshade patted Wenn on the arm with a smile then pulled Seth aside, "Whatever you must do... I will work to heal the bruises and cuts on her face. This may serve to distract her as well."

"I will deal with the inside as you heal the outer... then we touch upon the mind."

"And Seth, there is an old would here as well, both of body and spirit. I know not what this new injury may have reopened."

He regarded her a moment then nodded, "Aye, this I could see. We shall do as we can."

Wenndolyne lay very still to catch their whispers with her sharp hearing, then watched as they turned back to her. Nightshade returned to her side and sat very carefully on the bed. The Necromancer moved to the foot of the bed and sat down, but still seemed to loom over them, at least to Wenn's frightened eyes.

Sarah's voice drew her gaze, "Wenn... just relax... let us work as we will." And she tried, Wenn closed her eyes and tried to find something else to concentrate on, but with little success. "Thank you, Sarah." She heard back that soothing shush and took a long deep breath. A twinge of pain from it crinkled her brow for a moment, then her face relaxed.

Placing a hand softly to Wenn's cheek, the one with the cut along the bone, Nightshade began her work. Her thumb brushed across the wound as gently as possible, but Wenn still sucked in a hiss.

At her feet, the Necromancer stretched out one thin pale hand toward Wenn. His lips moved softly to call upon his powers of healing, even while Nightshade's touch made a few more passes over Wenn's cheek, and with each, the cut grew more shallow then began to turn more pale, like her healthy skin. Gradually, Nightshades's hand smoothed slowly over the bruised and swollen cheek. Wenndolyne grew quite calm as Sarah seemed to caress her face, the pulsing aches slipping away from beneath her hand.

The Necromancer sent forth his awarness, deep into the internal works of Wenn's body. He could now see the damage within his mind, and there was a hint of something more.

Nightshade drew back her hand as the healing to that side of Wenn's face was complete. Wenn was left with no more than a rosy blush where once has been a bruising gash. Then, Sarah whispered something to herself, something not words really, just soft sounds almost lyrical. Her patient further relaxed to the soft chanting and to the caress of the healing hand now erasing pain from the other side of her face.

Focusing his powers on the injuries he detected, the Necromancer began to mend the torn muscle and ruptured internal organs. Nightshade passed her fingers over Wenn's shoulders to soothe aching muscles. She grimaced a little as she wiped away the darkening bruises on Wenn's arms, knowing what must have happened, how it often happens. She worked faster now as the surface injuries faded, and seemed to Wenn to be chanting a little louder, though it was still nothing she could discern.

The Necromancer paused in his work and his whispered words, now seeing something he had not expected. He hissed aloud, "There shall be a child from this."

Nightshade turned her head to look at him as Wenndolyne's eyes flew open wide. Before she thought better of it, she sat up with a cry of pain to add to her shock, "No!" She shook her head.

"Sssshhhhh You'll wake the keep!" Nightshade warned.

"NO..." Wenn hissed, "That cannot be... it cannot!" She folded her arms around herself and looked woefully at each then to Nightshade, "We were unsure that could even happen. We in fact thought it could not happen." Through tears now, she looked back at the Necromancer, "Pray can you tell... are you sure..." She wanted to ask if he could possibly know whether the child was that of Wolf or Quietus, but she really only wanted one answer.

With his mind and art, the Necromancer returned his sight within her then nodded. "There is indeed a child." He answered the question he thought she wanted answered.

Wenndolyne sobbed and dropped her head, "Can you know... Can you know if it is the seed of the.... of the dark wolf?"

"No," he shook his head, "I cannot."

She laid back onto the bed with a groan and covered her face with her hands.

"What matters the seed?" He offered, "Tis the upbringing that determines the child."

She shook her head slowly in her hands. "If only I knew..." Wenn choked out, "I would gladly bear a child for my love. I have wished it.. but..."

"I can stop this if you wish, but in doing so... you will not bear a child ever again. Even so, this instance will be rough for there is damage here from another time I see."

Nightshade nodded and looked to Wenn, unable to help in this except to brush softly at her hair, "There was another time, some time ago, yes."

"I see that the healing arrived late or was not completed, the damage too much to mend."

"Both." Nightshade offered, for she had been there and come along many hours after the incident. She also, at that time, was not so skilled as now, nor had she ever the power to knit flesh deep within, especially when it required a finer touch.

Wenn was still agonizing, "No way to know?"

"Too soon to tell. But the choice needs be made now, Lady Wenndolyne, so I may know how to continue with the healing."

Wenn crossed her arms over her face and sighed heavily, "I cannot kill even a possible child. This may be a miracle chance for the only child I can ever bear for my love...so..." She took a deep but shuddered breath, "Please... just finish with what you must do."

Nightshade locked Seth's gaze a moment, then nodded, before returning her attention to Wenn. She gently caught her wrists and drew her arms down then smiled. "You have changed little in so many years. That bodes well for this child."

While Sarah comforted and supported Wenn, the Necromancer went back into his mind and Wenn's body to finish his repairs as he could, where he could. Before he withdrew from her, he released a spell of restorative energies to work within her and continue to strengthen.

After long moments, both Nightshade and Wenn were nearly startled by his voice, "It is done. You need rest now."

Nodding to Seth and then gently squeezing Wenn's hands, Nightshade added, "And I have done all I can do as well." She pulled the covers up to tuck Wenn in. "Sleep here. There are other rooms. I'll find one."

"No, Sarah, please... Stay with me?"

"Go to sleep," she smiled, "I need to walk. I will return to your side and stay with you til morning."

Wenn nodded, "Thank you. Thank both of you." Even as she spoke, exhaustion dragged her toward sleep.

The Necromancer stepped around to Nightshade and offered his hand, "I would walk with you." She looked down at it then took it, following as he quitely opened the door for her to step through. Nightshade looked back once more to see that Wenn appeared to be asleep at last, then she proceeded into the hallway with her escort. As he paused to close the door with his free hand, she whispered, "Seth, I do thank you for your help."

There was an odd smile in his voice, "You called. I answered." He gave her hand a squeeze and then released it. Before she could wonder about it, he stepped back into a shadow among shadows in the darkened corridor... and vanished completely.

(dj/dp)