Jazzy - In the Shadows

Wolf gazed over the mirror. It certainly was much bigger than any of the traveling or spying mirrors. He looked over the patches of dirt that covered the mirror in spots from top to bottom and wondered why the Dwarves never cleaned it. He figured that since they were always so devoted to their mirrors that they would at least clean them once in a while.

Wolf shook his head and cleared his mind of that thought; he wasn't there to critizise the Dwarves' cleaning habits, he was there to find where Virginia was. The problem now was to think of a way to ask the mirror. He'd never been good at rhymes and at that moment secretly despised the people who were. How had Virginia and Tony figured out so much from him? He knew they couldn't rhyme very well either. But if they could do it, there was hope for him.

Wolf cleared his throat and shut his eyes in concentration. After a moment of putting words together that rhymed and made sense, Wolf spoke to Gustav: "Gustav, will you be real nice and oh so kind, to help me see my mate so her I can find?" Wolf sighed, he knew it was lame, but Gustav seemed to get the point.

With a gigantic rippling effect, Gustav came alive from his placid state and his eyes and mouth formed from the water-like reflection. The patches of dirt remained with him, reminding Wolf that he was only a mirror. Wolf was broken out of his observations as Gustav's old and dried voice spoke to him.

"A long way you have traveled to seek my aid. To save your mate, a price will be paid."

Wolf stared at Gustav for a moment, unsure what to think of that statement but then pressed on to his next question. "Where is she and is she close, can I find her by using my nose?" Wolf somewhat winced as he bent the rules a bit, 'close' and 'nose' didn't rhyme too well, but it was the only thing he could think of.

Gustav seemed to notice Wolf's poor attempt, but only grunted slightly before answering. Obviously, not everyone could rhyme. "A kingdom's king once stayed far from here; his magic helped to make himself disappear. His kingdom was built by vengeance and hate; he released the queen from her cell and met his fate."

Wolf didn't need to hear much more to know the she was in the Troll king's palace. The simple thought of wicked Trolls keeping his beloved captive made him curl his lip and snarl under his breath. Why would Trolls want to take her? She was the sweetest person in the whole Nine Kingdoms! One thing was for sure - they were going to pay dearly.

Wolf turned his attention back to Gustav who was patiently waiting for his next question. "Why do the Trolls want to take my mate, and what are their plans for her fate?" Wolf felt better about that poem; at least it rhymed properly.

"The Trolls aid a girl who wants a crime to be paid, by taking a life she expects her hurt to fade."

Wolf whimpered, they were planning on killing Virginia! His heartbeat started to accelerate as he stood there, his fists clenching and unclenching. Of course Wolf had known that whoever had captured her had probably had that in mind, but hearing it out loud for the first time shot through him. He had to reach her in time. He had to.

He was going to take off for the Troll Palace that very instant, but one more question loomed in his head. A woman was leading the trolls? The last time that something like that had happened, they'd lost their king. Wolf would've thought that they would learn from their mistakes, but then again, you can never be too sure what a Troll would do or forget. Wolf shook hid head. Leave it to Trolls to practically condemn themselves to ruin.

Wolf gathered up his thoughts again and formed them into a rhyming question. When he spoke, he was surprised to find his voice merciless and cold. "Virginia is captured by this controlling dame, who is she and what is her name?" Wolf swallowed.

"The girl has a hate she holds to keep, once related to a Sally Peep." That was all Gustav said and Wolf needed nothing more. He nodded briskly and shot off towards the entrance of the library.

"Did you find what you needed?" The librarian shouted after him as he stopped in the middle of placing a book on a shelf. Wolf nodded and shouted his gratitude before springing through the manufacturing room and heading for the entrance where he'd came from. Most of all the Dwarves stopped their work again to watch as Wolf flew by and up the ramp towards the tunnel. It grew silent except for Wolf's thudding steps up the ramp and over to the narrow dirt path up the side of the cave. When he'd made his way up the bridges and into the tunnel, he lost sight of all the Dwarves. As soon as he was out of their sight, the room suddenly exploded with noise of voices and banging. Typical Dwarves. Wolf raced back down the corridor and up a crude version of stairs that were placed close to the slide.

Nearing the top, his breath was ragged and hot; he hadn't noticed just how steep or long the slide had been until he'd actually had to climb back up. As he ran out from the skeletal dragon mouth, he instantly winced against the blinding sun that shone directly in his face. When he had arrived, it was sunrise. Now it was mid-afternoon. Time was slipping by quickly and he had no way of stopping it.

He brought his hands up and blocked the sun as he carefully, but swiftly, made his way back down the mountain. As he squinted out into the field at the bottom, he saw the horse patiently waiting by the tree he had tied him to, slowly eating the grass.

When he reached the bottom of the mountain, his eyes were finally adjusted to the light, and he climbed onto his horse and untied the knot. Wolf kicked the horse and sped off to the west, towards the Troll king's palace. This was it. He was finally going to be able to rescue Virginia. He was just hoping he would make it in time.

"I really think we should go after him. What if he needs our help?" Tony asked as he paced the throne room in front of Wendell. He had his hands behind his back and his brow was creased in thought and worry.

"Antony, I'm sure that if Wolf needs help, he'll come and get it. He can rescue Virginia, he did it before." Wendell's voice was so calm and sure, Tony wondered how he could possibly just sit there and shrug it off.

"I doubt it. He'll want to do it his way without help, even if he does need it," Tony said as he paused and stared down at the marble floor. Going after him didn't seem like a bad idea. He knew that Wolf was going to Dragon Mountain. Of course Tony could just wait outside for that part, but he wanted to help bring home his little girl. He was very unnerved just thinking and waiting for her to come home.

"Antony, just relax. It won't do you any good to have a heart attack about it," Wendell said softly, with a tint of his own humor in it. Things like this happened daily in the kingdoms; he should understand that if it was meant to turn out Happily Ever After, it would.

"I can't relax when Virginia's out there in the hands of some maniac. At least when I was out there with Wolf, I felt as if I was helping her come home. Now that idiot decides to take off by himself, unarmed and alone." Tony shook his head.

"Antony, I think you should go to bed. You're becoming as much of a lunatic as Wolf was before he left. Stop worrying and get some sleep."

"Ya know, that's another thing." Tony said wagging his finger up and down at Wendell with his other hand on his hip. He looked like a scolding mother who was punishing their child.

"Oh, now what?" Wendell sighed and he slumped down in his throne, preparing for another one of Antony's 'the world is against me' theories. He put his hand over his forehead and closed his eyes, trying to momentarily tune out his voice, but to no avail.

Tony didn't notice Wendell's comment or his expression; he carried on anyway. "Wolf hadn't gotten any sleep, food, or clothes. How can he possibly go out there and successfully save Virginia from whoever took her? What? Does he think that I couldn't handle going out there with him? I thought I all ready proved to him that I am capable of many things. I think he purposely left so that I wouldn't go with him. I should show him a thing or two. Virginia's my daughter and--"

"And is also in love with Wolf," Wendell cut in. "If I can trust him, you can too." he said gently as he descended from his throne and went over to Tony.

"Wendell," he sighed. "I just want her to be safe."

"I know you do Antony. But taking your aggravations out on Wolf isn't going to help the matter. Just trust and believe that he'll bring her safely home." Wendell patted Tony on the back and turned to leave the room. "Get some sleep and food Antony. You look terrible."

Indeed he did. Tony nodded and headed off to his room as well, thinking of Virginia. Finally, after spending half the night thinking about it, he agreed with Wendell. If anyone could save Virginia, it was Wolf.