Chapter 11: Assistance is Obtained
Carlyle, Alfred, and Brian moved in grim silence, leaving the bodies in a tangled thicket on the mountainside. By the time they hauled the empty cart back home, the air had grown brittle.
Brian disappeared inside to find Margaret, but Carlyle caught Alfred’s arm, nudging him toward the path. “Let’s go,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
“Where are we going?” Alfred scrambled to keep up as Carlyle’s stride lengthened.
“To find the group,” Carlyle said. “We’re going to need some help if we’re going to fight the robbers. And clearly, we can’t rely on our parents to do anything. We’re going to have to organize this ourselves.”
Alfred glanced back at the house. “Should we get Catherine?”
“If we go back in the house to get her, then we’re going to have to explain to the adults where we’re going,” Carlyle said. “And then they’ll argue with us and tell us not to go. We don’t have time for all of that.”
Alfred nodded, pulling his collar tight. The first few flakes of snow began to drift from the leaden sky, vanishing against the dark dirt.
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It had begun to snow again.
Catherine sat cross legged on the ground. She was in one of the wooded sections of the mountains, surrounded by trees on all sides. She looked at her hands. She tried again to will the energy glow into being, but it wouldn’t come. She could feel the energy inside of her. Why wouldn’t it come out?
She closed her eyes. She could feel something inside of her. How could she connect with it?
While she was concentrating, she began humming absentmindedly. It was an old tune she had heard Finn sing sometimes. Catherine didn’t even realize what she was doing until she opened her eyes and saw that her hands were glowing yellow again. Catherine was so surprised that she stopped humming, and the yellow energy glow slowly faded out. She started humming again. The energy started returning to her hands. She could see the glow start to grow bigger.
Catherine hummed louder. There were now two big balls of energy forming in each of her palms. She moved her hands. The balls of energy moved with them. She continued humming. The energy balls weren’t getting any bigger, but they did seem to be getting brighter now. They were like little globs of light enclosed within her palm and her fingers. They were also warm. They melted the snow flakes that landed on them.
And Catherine smiled. At last, at last she was beginning to control it. Everything had been difficult for her lately, but at least now there was this.
And then, Catherine stopped humming, and began to whistle. It was the whistle that Branoc had taught her.
The whistling had the same effect on the energy balls that the humming did. It seemed to nurture the energy and make it brighter.
Catherine whistled louder. The mountainside was very quiet, the only sound was the falling snow, and the sound of Catherine’s whistling bouncing off of the trees.
After some time, a cawing sound from the air answered Catherine’s whistle, and there was a soft flapping sound, and Catherine looked over to see Branoc the raven landing on the ground near her. She stopped whistling, and the yellow glowing energy disappeared.
“Greetings, young one,” said Branoc. “I have come just as I promised I would. Tell me how I can be of service to you.”
“I want to talk to the wolves,” Catherine said. “But I don’t know where to find them.”
“People don’t usually worry about finding the wolves,” said Branoc. “If you go for a walk in these mountains alone, the wolves usually find you.”
“Not me,” said Catherine. “They are avoiding me now.”
“Why is that?” asked Branoc.
“They are afraid of my powers,” Catherine said.
Branoc cocked his head curiously. “What powers?” he asked.
Catherine started humming again. The yellow energy appeared back in her fingers.
“I see,” said Branoc. “And what else can you do?”
“I’m not quite sure yet,” said Catherine. “I’m still learning.”
Branoc nodded. Then he said, “Are you sure you want to meet the wolves? I do not want to see you come to any harm.”
“Do not worry about me. I am sure.”
“Very well,” said Branoc, shaking his wings. “I will find them for you. I’ll fly around these mountains until I spot them.”
“Tell them to meet me here,” said Catherine. “Tell them not to be afraid. I will not hurt them. Tell them I have an offer for them.”
And Branoc flew off.
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The teenagers weren't hard to find. They were gathered at the "Eagle’s Shelf," a flat stretch of rock halfway down the slope. The group was huddled near a rocky overhang that shielded them from the wind. Carlyle saw them all—Lucas, Kevin, Marcus, Paul, Shawn, Stella, Gabrielle, Lucinda, Molly and Abby. They were laughing about something Lucas had said, the sound echoing thin and bright in the mountain air until they saw Carlyle’s face.
Carlyle approached with a brisk, heavy stride, Alfred trailing like a shadow. The laughter died instantly. Marcus stood up, “What’s wrong?”
“The robbers,” Carlyle said, his voice flat and hard. “They attacked our house. They killed my father. Alfred’s father is wounded. And they aren't finished. I think they’re going to come back and attack it again.”
Tragedy was not unheard of in the mountains, and it was not the first time this group of teenagers had heard reports of a violent death. But this sudden announcement still shocked them. They began talking excitedly, and everyone flooded Carlyle with questions.
Paul stepped forward, his eyes wide. "Are you okay?"
Before Carlyle could answer, Abby broke in, “How did they get past your door?”
“What are you going to do?” asked Shawn.
“Why did they attack?” asked Molly.
It was this last question that Carlyle responded to first. “The first time they attacked our fathers on the road to rob them,” said Carlyle. “The second time they attacked us in our house because they didn’t want to leave any survivors. But now I think they will attack us again because they just want revenge.”
“We killed three of them,” added Alfred. “Catherine burned one of them to death.”
“Catherine!” exclaimed Gabrielle. “How did she do that?”
Carlyle wished Alfred had kept quiet about Catherine. He ignored Gabrielle’s question, and continued. “There were only five of them this morning, but they will be coming back with more,” said Carlyle. “Maybe ten or twenty. Alfred and I can’t fight them off alone, but with the whole group of us, we might just stand a chance.”
Lucas crossed his arms, looking at the fire. “But why should we help you?” he asked.
“Because,” said Carlyle patiently, “You’re not just helping me, you’re helping yourselves. The next time the robbers attack, it could be your father on the mountain road.”
“But robbers don’t usually attack the mountain folk,” said Marcus. “They usually just rob the people down in the forest, and then hide out in the mountains.”
“Maybe they’ve changed,” said Carlyle. “They’ve attacked my family. Your family could be next.”
“I’m not afraid of them,” said Lucas.
“If you’re not afraid of them, then prove it,” Carlyle said. “Come and help me fight them.”
Shawn, the oldest of them, stood up. He had a way of standing that made the others go quiet. He looked at the grim set of Carlyle’s jaw and then at the rest of the group. “Carlyle, if your family is in danger, then of course we will help you. That’s what we do. The group helps each other.”
A ripple of nods went through the teenagers. Carlyle finally let out a breath he felt like he’d been holding since the morning. “I knew I could count on you. Go home. Grab your bows, your knives—whatever you have. Meet at my house before the sun drops. We’re turning it into a fortress.”
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As the snow fell harder, Catherine sat cross legged on the ground. She was still humming to herself, and trying to focus the ball of energy. Her eyes were closed.
Then, she heard the soft steps of the wolves' paws on the ground. And she heard the panting of their mouths. And she opened her eyes, and looked at them.
The lead wolf was approaching her cautiously. He looked wary of her, but he also did not look completely subservient. The wolves resented the fact that Catherine had summoned them. That was plain enough to see on their faces.
“Why have you asked us here?” the wolf snarled. “We do not owe you anything. We have not attacked you. The other witches leave us alone if we leave them alone.”
“I’m not one of the other witches,” Catherine said.
The lead wolf growled menacingly. “If you are not one of the witches, then you are not under their protection.”
“I am not,” said Catherine, calmly. “I have nothing to do with them. They do not protect me,” Catherine held her hands out towards the wolves, “nor do they restrain me.” Catherine started humming again, and her fingers glowed with yellow energy.
The wolves looked at her hands, curiously. Then, after a few seconds’ silence, the lead wolf asked, “What powers do you have?”
Catherine stood up suddenly. The wolves all instinctively took a step back. “If you touch me, you will find out,” Catherine said in a sharp voice.
The hair went up on the wolves’ back. They were all growling now.
Catherine sat down again. “But come,” she said, in a much calmer voice. “I do not wish to fight. I want us to be friends. I want your help.”
“We are not your servants.”
“No, but I assure you, I will be a useful friend for you to have. Moreover, I promise you that the task which I propose will not be one that is distasteful to you. You like attacking humans, don’t you?”
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