There was a great wailing in the camp when the Hillside Tribe heard that their grandmother had left them for the Green Lands. Only master Bee was able to maintain her composure when she entered the tent with two younger goblins and took Old Badger’s body gently from Sal’s arms. She was laid down on a blanket and then cocooned inside it before being carried away.
Little Ant stood up and after giving Sal a tired, sad smile, she followed the other goblins out of the tent. Sal didn’t seem to even notice, and he looked less than a whisper of the man Cassio knew. He wished he could have given Sal his time to mourn and heal but… there was still work to do.
There was a monster out there and it was coming for them.
Cassio looked at Nuncio who was weeping silently in the corner of the tent.
“Nuncio, could you leave us for a moment? I need to discuss something with my advisor.”
Nuncio didn’t have any words left and he only wiped is nose before scampering out but not before putting his hand on Sal’s shoulder in a gesture of comfort. Maybe more than that. Cassio hadn’t missed how fondly Nuncio looked at Sal.
When they were alone, Cassio stood over Sal.
“Well?” Cassio said.
Sal didn’t even look up and just stared at his hands where the coldness of a dead body lingered.
“… well, what? She is dead. What else is there?” Sal said quietly.
“There is what happens next so advise me. Stand up and advise me.”
“… stand up?” Sal said and cackled bitterly: “If you haven’t noticed… I am missing a leg.”
“Believe me. I noticed. All the more reason for you to stand up. If you can’t do it now, you’ll never stand again. So stand. Show me that some undead scum can’t keep you down.”
“… Cassio…” Sal sighed.
“That was an order from your lord. Stand. If you can’t do that, how will you ever be strong enough to do what must be done?” Cassio said and then put his hand on his friend’s shoulder: “Come on, Sal. Don’t go giving up on me now.”
“… giving up?”
“Yeah. Old Badger gave up everything to save you. Don’t you dare piss that away.” Cassio said.
He could feel the muscles in Sal’s shoulder tense under his fingers and then Sal grabbed his wrist. Using his arm like a tree branch Sal started pulling himself up. The effort strained the last of his spent strength and his remaining foot trembled under his weight. It was an arduous battle that spread him thin but finally Sal was standing.
“… you… want advice… my lord?” Sal wheezed and panted: “… here it is… as your advisor… I suggest we go… and get the bastard.”
Cassio smiled and hugged his friend.
“Sounds like a plan.” Cassio said and held him tighter: “I am so sorry. I know you loved her. We will make Pietro pay.”
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Sal let out a wet sigh and then he started crying again. Cassio let him weep against his chest and he realized he was crying too. The passing of someone like Old Badger was more than deserving of his tears. When the flood was finally dwelled and he looked Sal in the eyes, he saw the old fire in them.
“Sal… I am sorry but we can’t mourn now. Pietro is still out there, and he has a lot to answer for.”
“Cassio… you’re goddamn right he does.”
“We should go and see the others.” Cassio said and took Sal’s arm: “I’ll help you walk.”
“No. I’ll walk myself.”
After a deep breath, Sal forced himself to transform. The change was a struggle and maintaining it even more so. He could see flickers when the fox tried to give way to the man. When he was this hurt and weak, even the magic of The Wyrding could not nourish him.
“That… was harder… than it should have been.” The fox prince said.
Cassio only nodded in response and opened the tent’s curtain so the fox prince could walk through. Or limp through. It was painful seeing him drag himself forward with just three legs. When they stepped out, the entire tribe was waiting for them. Armed and ready to fight. Bee stepped forward them with a grim look on her face.
“You?” The fox prince said.
“We know.” Bee said and glanced at Little Ant: “She told us everything. We are ready to bring the vampire to justice.”
Cassio nodded with approval.
“And here I thought I would have to give a speech to make you all riled up.” Cassio said.
Bee tapped the ground with her spear.
“Lord Lionheart… we might be small but that does not mean you can look down on us. The vampire crippled our protector. Our grandmother is dead because of him. We will have justice.”
Before Cassio could answer, his hunting instincts warned him of danger.
The hairs in Cassio’s arms stood up when he felt a presence. The presence of a hunter even bigger than himself. For a moment he thought that Pietro had found them but this? This was different. The threat was not Pietro’s cold, calculating malice but something… terrible.
“Justice?”
The voice grumbled like an earthquake and sent chills down Cassio’s spine. He looked around in the dark forest and realized they were surrounded by glowing eyes. Low growling filled the camp and the goblins squeezed closer together, raising their spears to meet this sudden enemy.
A grizzly bear big as a rhino stepped forward from the darkness. The biggest Cassio had ever seen and with eyes the color of golden honey. Too big to be anything but a skin-changer prince. It was the first time that he really understood that the skin-changer clans might have named themselves after animals. Foxes, wolves, cats… but they were none of those things. They were gods that merely resembled their namesakes.
“We too have come for justice. Justice for our murdered brother.” The bear prince said and glared at Little Ant: “The time is up, small goblin.”
“… no.” Little Ant whispered.
“… Cousin?” The fox prince said.
The bear prince turned to look at his vulpine kinsman. He regarded the fox prince for a moment… and his missing foot.
“Hello, cousin. You seem to be missing a leg.”
“You… were always so perceptive.” The fox prince panted and limped up to the bear prince: “What… is the meaning of this?”
He tried to look imposing, but all could see his three legs could barely support his own weight and that his breathing was labored.
“You know damn well. I can smell my brother’s blood on you.” The bear prince said and looked at Cassio: “You’re both guilty.”
The honey-colored eyes circled the camp.
“And so is everyone who stands with you. Hillside Tribe! Step back or be punished with them!”
The fox price growled.
“A vampire… your brother… was controlled by a vampire… the same one… who took my leg… you can… smell him on me.”
The bear prince bared his fangs and Cassio could almost hear the spirits of the dead resting inside his guts.
“I can and the vampire is equally guilty. I will punish all who had a hand in my brother’s death. Including the vampire. But first I will deal with you.” The bear prince said and stood on his hindlegs: “We will have a trial by combat! I am my clan’s champion! Name yours!”
The fox prince panted while he tried to stay standing.
“… cousin… don’t do this.”
“I will have justice.” The bear prince said.
“… this… is stupidity…” The fox prince said.
“I will have justice and blood. You can decide if you want to die whimpering or fighting.” The bear prince said.
The fox prince’s eyes narrowed.
“… fine… our wolf cousin… he will fight for us. I name His Dreadful Highness as our champion.”
“No.” The bear prince snapped: “Only those present can fight.”
The fox prince spat at his cousin.
“You… goddamn… coward.” The fox prince said before collapsing under his own weight: “… curse… of the Wild upon you.”
The tiniest of smiles played on the bear prince’s face.
“It looks like my cousin has lost his footing. Who will take his place?”
There was a point where a sane man would have to be insane to stay quiet and Cassio stepped forward.
“Have you lost your mind?” Cassio said.
The bear prince gave him a dismissive glance.
“Who do you think you are to talk to a god like that?”
“Someone who sees you’re mad. We are mourning and the true murderer is out there. And what do you do? Threaten us.” Cassio said and pointed in Pietro’s general direction: “The vampire you want is that way. Take him and leave us be.”
The bear prince grinned at him.
“I will. After I have dealt with you.”
Something snapped inside Cassio. He knew the stock the bear prince came from, and he knew the only language his kind understood.
“Okay. You want a trial by combat? Okay. Then you will fight me. Little Ant! Fetch me a spear!”
The bear prince scoffed.
“You? A human?”
Cassio drew a sharp breath.
“I am viscount Cassio de Rossi. The Lionheart. A lord of Garuccia. A descendant of King Eld. And if you spit on my mercy, you will suffer my wrath.”