100% Wolf Page 9

  'Take him down,' the Commander said.

  Freddy whimpered and with his scratchy little toes tried to kick the bored man, but they began to descend into the dark. Cerberus paced behind, with a rare and nasty smile. At the bottom was another thick wooden door closed with an iron bolt. The bored man opened it and threw the poodle roughly onto the stone floor beyond. In an instant, Freddy scrambled round and charged at full pelt back towards the door, where he was met by Cerberus's bared fangs.

  'Get back in there, nose-drip,' he roared. Freddy then realised that he was more scared of a real Cerberus than a mythical ghost. But only just.

  He whimpered as the door slammed shut and left him in pitch black. The man's footsteps retreated upstairs and the upper door slammed. Freddy couldn't see a thing, but shut his eyes anyway to hide from the dark. With a hammering heart, he thought of the occasions he had hidden in his tower from his furious uncle. All those times he had one friend to comfort him, one friend to talk to.

  'I can be brave just like you, Dad,' he whispered. 'I'm not scared, I'm not scared. I'm not. I'm ... Arrggh!'

  Freddy jumped high in the air with fright as he heard the rattling of a heavy chain over the stone floor. From the dark came a terrible and ragged breath. Freddy backed away until his little backside was pushing against the wooden door. With his eyes clasped tight, he waited with trembling legs. Some thing, some terrible thing, was walking across the floor.

  The ghost hound of Coldfax was coming for him.

  A few miles away, dusk fell on the woodland around Farfang Castle. A stooped and creeping figure hid among the trees. As the figure leaned forward, the fading light revealed the thick glasses and greasy hair of Dr Foxwell Cripp. He stood licking his lips and rubbing his hands together.

  'This is the place,' he whispered to himself. 'Who knows how many wolves are inside?' He gave a repulsive gurgle.

  Just then, the huge front door opened. Dr Cripp jumped back into the shadows as Sir Hotspur strode out of the castle, his face flushed with temper. He had received a rather sharp slap on his bottom from Mrs Mutton's wooden spoon for failing to find Freddy, and was sent yet again to search for him. He began to walk around the grounds pretending to look. It wasn't long before he had had enough of the charade.

  'I'll keep that foolster locked up forever,' he grumbled to himself. 'The Fang Council will grovel for my forgiveness. Soon I shall be hailed as the best of wolves – the best of wolves, sir!' he roared at the night sky and stormed inside once more.

  'And I am the best of men,' Dr Cripp wheezed with delight. 'Tonight is the beginning. I have found them at last, and I shall not rest until Britain is free of the Fangen. Now begins the final battle against the evil Werewolf Pack.'

  He raised his silver gun dramatically to the moon and turned to face the muzzled dog tied to a tree behind him. Batty snarled defiantly as the doctor walked towards her.

  Cripp gave an evil grin. 'Your time will come soon enough, werewolf.'

  Freddy, frozen with fear, heard the heavy breathing coming closer. Just when he felt he couldn't get any more terrified, he did. He almost barked aloud when he felt a warm breath blow over him from ghostly nostrils. The ghost hound must be only inches away. Then, at last, he could bear it no longer.

  'Yooooowwwwlllll,' Freddy howled.

  He leapt high in the air as the unearthly voice of the ghost joined him.

  'Yooooowwwwlllll,' they howled together. Freddy turned and scratched his little toes against the heavy oak door in an effort to escape. It was useless.

  'Let me out. Please let me out!' he howled in misery.

  'Out. Out!' the ghost hound echoed.

  A mighty paw slammed against the door just centimetres from him. Freddy scampered away and cringed in a corner.

  After a few minutes of whimpering he noticed that everything was quiet. At last he managed to open his eyes. After several blinks, the previously impenetrable darkness gradually faded into a gloomy dusk. Freddy began to hope that the ghost hound had disappeared once more. With his heart still beating rapidly, his eyes scanned the room for movement. He was confused and frightened, not only for himself, but for poor Batty too.

  'I must get out of here,' he yipped in frustration.

  'Out. Out!' came a ghastly growl.

  'Great howls!' Freddy yelped in terror once again. The ghost hound had been there all the time.

  'Howls,' the growl repeated.

  Freddy stood looking out at the gloom, his spindly legs shivering. He could make out a dark shape lying on the floor. He made a drastic decision and summoned up every ounce of bravery he could.

  'Mr Ghost Hound?' he squeaked.

  'Ghost?' came the growl again. Freddy's heart thumped but he forced himself to continue. After all, if he had to share a dungeon with a ghost hound from hell, it would be better if they could be friends.

  'Why are you here?' Freddy croaked very slowly. He wasn't too sure of what to say to a phantom.

  'Here ... ?' the spirit repeated mournfully.

  'What do you want?' Freddy yipped.

  'Want... ?' the ghost echoed.

  Freddy was so frustrated he forgot to be frightened.

  'Stinking socks! Don't you understand anything I'm saying?' he yapped.

  'I think so,' came the sad reply.

  'Well, I don't think you do,' Freddy woofed. His courage was returning rapidly. The ghost wasn't so terrifying, once you got to know him.

  'How long have you been haunting here?' Freddy continued, deciding not to be frightened any more, if that was at all possible.

  'Haunting here?' the hound repeated.

  'Yes. How long have you been a ghost? When were you last a living dog?' Freddy persisted, talking slowly and loudly, as one might to a deaf foreign ghost. 'Why aren't you in hell?'

  He jumped back in surprise when he saw the dark shape rise quickly to its feet. His terror mounted again as the hound began to walk towards him. Its chain scraped harshly against the stone floor. Freddy held his breath with fear, for now he had made a hellhound angry. Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut? As the creature's huge head approached him, Freddy clasped his eyes tight shut again. With a terrible shiver, he felt the ghost's warm breath over him once more. After some moments of silence the creature replied quietly.

  'Not a hound.'

  Freddy gasped with relief. The monster didn't sound as if it was about to tear him limb from limb. It just sounded confused.

  'I beg your pardon, sir, Mr Ghost Hound,' Freddy managed to croak politely. 'I didn't mean to be rude.'

  'Not a hound. Wolf,' the creature murmured, louder this time. Then he held his head high and gave a crashing roar. 'I am a wolf!'

  Freddy gasped with amazement and terror. He opened his eyes and saw the ghost hound clearly for the first time. He was a beautiful black wolf with brightly flashing green eyes. The great animal bounded to the oak door and pounded it with his heavy paws and for a glorious moment the wolf's power shone through. Freddy watched with awe, but then the inner light grew faint once more and the animal slouched back onto the cold floor.

  'Sorry, Mr Ghost Wolf... I didn't realise ...' Freddy began.

  'Why call me ... ghost?' The wolf looked up. It began very slowly as if trying to remember the words.

  'Because I thought you were dead,' Freddy said at last.

  'Nearly was,' the wolf murmured in agreement.

  Freddy began to have a think.

  'So you're not dead then?' he asked at last. His speech was becoming faster and clearer with every moment. His head and eyes were more alert too. Freddy began to feel mightily relieved and gave a silly woofy giggle.

  'They told me you were dead, a ghost hound,' he admitted.

  The wolf slowly came over to look at Freddy. The poodle was still nervous but bore the inspection well, pushing his chest out proudly.

  'In that case, you have been a very brave pup,' the wolf replied.

  Freddy felt himself grow with pride. He very nearly revealed himself as
a wolf too, there and then, but stopped himself just in time. He didn't want this new friend to know of his disgrace.

  'What strange manner of dog are you, pup?' the wolf wondered, peering at him through the gloom.

  Freddy sighed.

  'I'm a poodle,' he admitted with a groan.

  'A clever poodle,' the wolf decided and Freddy felt cheerful again already.

  'Well, yes,' he yipped eagerly.

  'It is so long since I met a creature who could understand Wolfen. I had almost forgotten how to speak it,' the wolf replied with a nod. 'I'm glad you're here.'

  Freddy almost burst with pride.

  'But how can a dog speak Wolfen?' the wolf asked. 'I don't understand.'

  'Erm? Just lucky I suppose,' Freddy didn't understand himself – he hadn't even realised he had switched from speaking Dog to Wolfen. Language was complicated for werefolk. Everyone knew that when in wolf form a Fangen can understand a human, but in human form they can never understand a wolf. But as a dog Freddy seemed able to understand humans, dogs and wolves. While it was extremely useful, it only served to remind him of his mixed blood, and so of his disgrace.

  The wolf wasn't convinced but Freddy didn't have time to chat.

  'Well, I am glad to have met you, Mr ... Wolf, but I must try to escape now. My best friend is in terrible danger,' the poodle cried.

  'Escape?' the wolf laughed with a deep rumble.

  'Do you think it's impossible?' Freddy asked sorrowfully.

  'Nothing is easier,' the wolf continued. 'For you, anyway, little pup,' he added sadly.

  'How? If it's easy, why are you still here?' Freddy yapped in disbelief.

  'I'm too large and I'm chained up. I can only go out the way I came in – through the door. And if they loosened these chains no man or beast would stop me. I would be free and I would have my revenge!' the wolf howled, standing fierce and proud once more.

  Freddy wisely stayed silent and inspected his toes. For a few moments anyway.

  'When can I escape, then?' he asked eventually, when it seemed the wolf had forgotten all about him. The animal was pacing strongly around the cell, now fully alert and awake.

  'How about right now, little pup? Go and save yourself and your friend.' He gave a smile full of sharp fangs and his eyes glinted green. That was when Freddy saw it, hanging around the wolf's neck.

  'A Moonstone!' he cried.

  The wolf turned and looked at him curiously.

  'It is indeed a Moonstone. How could a poodle know such a thing?'

  The wolf leaned closer and then jolted upright. He had in turn seen the stone hanging around the little pup's neck.

  'A Moonstone?' he growled. 'Tell me why you wear this, pup.'

  Freddy sighed. Any moment now, his disgrace would be revealed and his new Wolfen friend would turn from him in disgust.

  As soon as Freddy had been taken from the cell, Hamish gave Bruno a secret wink. They waited until the Commander and Cerberus walked past and disappeared into the office at the far end of the long corridor. The dogs in all the cells were now very quiet, sad and fearful for the foolish pink poodle. He was only a puppy, after all. Hamish gave Bruno the nod; it was time to unleash his secret weapon, one so dangerous that they kept it only for emergencies.

  The terrier walked to the far end of the cell where he would be safe. The boxer, with a look of total innocence, moved to stand next to St John, who was busy licking his paws. Bruno held his breath and then released the SBD. The terrible gassy fart was indeed Silent But Deadly.

  St John went green and looked close to fainting. While he was in this weak state, and before he could cry for help, Hamish flew over and landed on his head.

  'Go, quick, Bruno, find her. I can keep this fellow quiet. Phew, that's some smell you've made, lad. Well done.'

  Bruno smiled proudly. In an instant he had pulled up the iron grate and disappeared into the drains.

  'Why do you wear the Moonstone, pup?' the huge wolf repeated softly.

  'Why do you?' Freddy replied, trying to delay answering the question. The wolf sighed.

  'It is a sad story of betrayal,' he rasped.

  'You can tell me,' Freddy yapped. 'I don't have to escape right now. I can wait for a few minutes, if you like.'

  The wolf laughed deeply.

  'What a funny pup you are,' he answered. 'Locked up with a dangerous ghost hound but happy to hang around.'

  'Ghost wolf,' Freddy corrected and they both laughed.

  The wolf lay on the stone floor and began in a soft rumble.

  'I am not what I seem, little poodle,' he began. 'Normally I would never tell a mere dog this great secret, but I trust you not to be afraid.' The wolf smiled, already fairly certain that Freddy was not a mere dog.

  Freddy preened himself happily. Of course, as soon as he saw the Moonstone, he had already guessed some of what the wolf had to tell him. But he hadn't guessed it all.

  'I am no ordinary wolf, but a werewolf. Do you know what that means?' The wolf paused.

  'Of course I do! I'm not stupid,' Freddy yipped, insulted, and the wolf laughed again.

  'Of course you do,' he agreed. 'So normally I would be a man.'

  'Yes, except on the first night of the full moon,' Freddy answered.

  'Exactly, but when a werewolf wears a Moonstone ...'

  'You can't transform back into a man again,' Freddy yapped furiously. 'And now you have to look ridiculous forever!'

  'Quite so. I must look ridiculous forever. Excellent, pup,' the wolf laughed.

  'Stinky feet! I didn't mean you,' Freddy said in confusion. 'You don't look ridiculous, you look ... fierce.'

  The wolf chuckled throatily once more.

  'Some years ago, I was leading the Blood-Red Hunt through the woods, when my brother howled to me to come quickly to the Stone Circle. When I arrived I found that Cripp was there – the wolf hunter,' the wolf hissed out the hated name. Freddy growled with disgust.

  'It was a trap. Somehow my brother knew the hunter was there,' the wolf continued.

  'Your own brother betrayed you? What did Cripp do?' Freddy yipped.

  'The pathetic wretch was trembling with fear as he held his gun. I leapt for him, but my brother knocked me from behind – Cripp never saw him in the trees. When I fell, the hunter shot me.'

  Freddy woofed with outrage.

  'With a silver bullet?' he cried. The wolf indicated yes with his ears. 'How could you survive?'

  'It missed my heart, only catching me in the shoulder. See the scar?'

  Freddy could just make it out in the gloom.

  'I chased Cripp down to within an inch of his terrified skin. I had lost so much blood, however, that at last I collapsed and he escaped me. When morning arrived I was too weak to transform back to a man.'

  'I know Cripp got away because I ...' Freddy began but came to a standstill, for he didn't want the wolf to guess his shameful secret. The wolf did not appear to have heard him, however, and carried on with his story.

  'That morning, my brother, who had transformed back, found me. He put this Moonstone around my neck and brought me here. I haven't left this dungeon in six years,' the wolf concluded with a sorrowful howl.

  Freddy was appalled.

  'But why would he do that?' he cried.

  'So he could be the leader of the Great Pack,' the wolf explained. 'He never forgave me for being chosen ahead of him. He is the Grand Growler now, so he informed me several years ago.'

  Freddy was stunned as the truth dawned on him. It was too awful, too terrible and also too wonderful, too magnificent to be true.

  'So what's your name?' Freddy bellowed.

  'Flasheart, Flasheart Lupin.'

  Freddy couldn't speak. He couldn't dare to believe it. The joy was beyond anything he had ever felt before.

  'And what is your name, pup? What are you really? No mere poodle, I know that much. How do you understand Wolfen? And why do you wear a Moonstone?'

  Freddy flopped onto the floor, suddenl
y deflated by reality. He knew that his father would be like all the other wolves and call him a disgrace. In fact, his father would be worse, for he was such a famously brave wolf, so proud of the memory of Sir Rathbone. He would be ashamed to have a son like him. There was no escaping it. Freddy gave a huge sigh and began.

  'I'm supposed to be a werewolf like you,' he said sadly, waiting for his father to laugh out loud or roar with disgust. When he didn't Freddy carried on.

  'I don't know why I'm not. I never wanted to be a poodle, but when I transformed I looked like this. Only not pink, and with no silly bald patches. My cousins did that, and I'm still going to get them for it. Anyway ... the Fang Council was furious with me and expelled me from the Great Pack.'

  The wolf was silent for some moments. 'So they sent you here to Coldfax?' he growled. 'That's no way to treat a pup.'

  'Nobody sent me, I was caught, but my uncle says I must stay here forever. He hates me because I've brought shame upon my Pack and disgrace to the memory of... of...' Freddy paused and closed his eyes in shame; the moment he had been trying to avoid had arrived.

  '... Sir Rathbone de Lupinne,' he croaked.

  More silence followed, and then at last the wolf crept closer. He sniffed the little poodle, whose eyes were now hidden under his paws. Then came a deep growl.

  'Freddy?' the wolf asked. Freddy didn't want to look up and see the disappointment in his father's green eyes. He said yes with his tail.

  'I am the father of the bravest pup in the world.'

  Freddy looked up in astonishment.

  'You're not ashamed of me then?'

  'I have never been prouder or happier in my life,' his father replied huskily.

  'Oh, Dad, I've missed you so much,' Freddy yipped.

  In a second Freddy was being crushed between the great paws of the mighty wolf, as father and son were reunited. As he is very sensitive about being considered a sissy, we will leave them alone to their tears and hugs for a short while.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  The Plan Master