Wolf Mountain
The Case Files of White and Doorchester’s Magic Shop.
Logan House Publishing Presents.
From the World of We Were Heroes.
The Case Files of White and Doorchester’s Magic Shop.
Wolf Mountain
By J.R. Logan.
Agatha, after a couple of days, had calmed down. The ley line stabilized Obadiah. Curt had talked with other mages. The consensus was to take the baby to Alfheim for the best outcome. Remaining on Earth risked Obadiah becoming human. But in Alfheim, he could be an elf and live thousands of years. Better than eighty as a human or three hundred as a half-elf on Earth. Agatha also planned to seek out her ancient Redcap grandmother, who might know what to do.
The problem was getting to Alfheim. Opening a portal was risky and difficult. Also, time dilation occurred when a human cast the spell. Obadiah was sensitive to magic, as babies are. Going through an interdimensional portal had unpredictable side effects.
But Mrs. Gnome knew where a stable portal was. Her cousin’s and aunt’s relatives on the other side of the family’s daughter-in-law regularly traveled to Alfheim at a portal at Wolf Mountain.
“The portal guardian on the Earth side should let you pass,” Mrs. Gnome said.
“Should?” Emily asked.
“Not much of a guardian otherwise.”
“Where is this Wolf Mountain?” Emily asked.
“West Virginia,” Mrs. Gnome said.
“That’ll take too long,” Agatha said. “Obadiah could become human before we get there.”
Emily held up her cell phone. “Let me make a call.”
The next evening, Kel and Aga came to the magic shop. Emily explained about the baby. As an elf and a knight, Kel had no love for Redcaps. But once Aga, a dragon with a maternal instinct that spanned centuries, got a hold of the baby, he knew how it would end.
“Aga, take them to the portal. I’ll stay here and do some hero work until you return.”
“Thank you, Kel,” Aga said.
As the sun set, upon Dragon’s back, Emily and Agatha, with Baby Obi, flew for eight hours to Wolf Mountain. The baby was safe in the Dragon’s aura of magic. The clouds broke as they neared the mountain. Soon, Aga circled a wooded plateau sheltered by the summit of Wolf Mountain. In the center of the plateau was an unnaturally round clearing. The trees were an arm’s length off the edge of a pool of water. Clean sand covered the bottom with a ring of stones marking the pool’s edge.
Aga transformed into her elf form and reached down to touch the stones. A rune upon every stone glowed with green light.
“This is it,” Emily said.
“I’ll need to open the portal,” Aga said. “It will take time.”
The smell of magic rolled over them, but it came from the forest. Emily and Agatha turned, feeling a presence behind them.
“The Guardian,” Emily said.
Agatha set Obi down next to Aga. “Not a friend,” she said.
“It’s coming up the path,” Emily said, but Agatha was gone.
The man in a gray tunic stepped into the clearing; he was eight feet tall. Knots of corded muscle covered his shoulders and arms. Its neck bulged twice as wide as Emily’s waist. The same neck that held a bull’s head with long, polished horns. Aga didn’t watch. She stayed focused on the pool.
“Shit,” Emily said.
As the beast man stepped into the clearing, he reached for Emily, and the other hand held a double-bit axe. As his thick fingers closed over Emily, she turned to mist. Agatha dropped from the trees with a crack that echoed off the mountains. The rolling pin struck bone. With a snort, the axe came down as Agatha hopped back.
“Vacher!” A woman called out in a rough, growling voice. Agatha stood beside the Dragon with cleaver and rolling pin. The beast-man snorted again, then turned to walk back down the path. He stopped almost out of sight. Something magical was in there, a silver gossamer in the darkness. Then, it gracefully came out into the fading moonlight.
“Loop Garou,” Agatha said.
“Bonjour,” A tall silver-furred werewolf said. The magic they had felt coming up the path. The beast-man was magically blank. He was near, but no one could feel him.
Holding out a long, clawed hand. “I am the guardian of the portal. I’m sorry, Vacher is very protective and a little bored. Also, a Dragon, a Redcap, and a Vampire are not common visitors.”
“Please. We need to take the baby to Alfheim,” Agatha said, picking up Obi and showing his face.
The werewolf stepped back. Fur started to shorten. The knees popped. Claws pulled into the fingernails. Soon, a naked woman with long silver hair stood before them. She draped the long hair over her breasts for some modesty. “To Alfheim?” she said, her voice slightly nasally.
Emily and Agatha told the story of the baby’s abduction. As the story finished, the pool turned to a shimmering azure, then, with a pop, swirled in multi-colors.
“We can go anytime,” Aga said, sweat pouring from her face.
Emily and the werewolf walked down the mountain path. “How are you getting back?” The werewolf asked.
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” Emily said.
“You can spend the day at my place. I am Sylvia Yamamoto, Guardian of Wolf Mountain.”
“Emily White, I do wizard work. If its no trouble with me staying?”
“There are so few visitors. We’re almost at my cottage,” Sylvia said. A cottage. A two-story stone and wattle building made of local materials. The building is built to be authentic, down to the working shutters on the windows, and heated by a single stone fireplace. The cold air blew through the cottage in the winter, except for the one acre of glass greenhouse that enclosed the cottage and nearby grounds. It kept all the weather out.
“My husband is an engineer. He hates snow,” Sylvia said, opening the glass doors.
Emily pulled her phone out from the lead pouch, as they walked in it turned on. “Can you get a connection up here?” Emily asked.
“I don’t have a phone,” Sylvia said.
A text came over from Curt to call him ASAP. “I’ll make some tea. Go ahead and make your call.” Sylvia walked off to the kitchen, grabbing a bathrobe on her way.
“Curt?” Emily said, walking around the living room.
“How’d it go?” Curt said.
“Good, we got them off without a problem,” Emily said.
“Problems,” Curt said. “You had a friend stop by, Judas Scarlet.” Curt’s tone had changed.
Emily took a deep breath. “No, what did he do?”
“Jude brought in Tomroy,” Curt said. “He stopped by the shop looking for you.”
“I’m on my way,” Emily snapped the phone shut. Sylvia came out of the kitchen. “I have to go now,” Emily said at the door.
Outside, her body twisted and bent, shrinking down and sprouting feathers. A great horned owl opened its wings and flew off, smacking into the greenhouse wall.
White and Doorchester’s Magic Shop stories can be read at Logan House Pub on Substack.
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