5DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sofia the First nor do I claim to. I just like the show and wanted to write a little something for it. However, I do own the OC Zwick and Rene as well as the concept of the Rune Mage I'll be using for this story.
_[ STORY ]_
The sun was at its zenith when the three hikers broke through the tree line into a small clearing, the black maw of a cave entrance greeted them first thing.
"Eh bien c'est une belle vue*," Rene mused looking behind him, he had taken the lead some time back, "anything I said you recognize?" he asked the princess.
"Um..'belle vue' I believe is 'nice view'?" Sofia asked coming up beside the guardsman.
"Very good, you're catching on to Franch a lot faster than you give yourself credit," the guardsman praised.
"Thank you and thank you for helping me get a head start on my language class for next semester," Sofia beamed looking behind her, "are we in the right spot, Mr. Cedric?"
"Yes," he confirmed a bit winded coming to stand beside her.
"I don't see any flowers though?" Sofia questioned.
"Ah, you should know by now, dear Princess, that magic is never what it seems," Cedric said with a wink walking towards the cave entrance.
"Bit of a cliche if you ask me," Rene whispered to the Princess, who giggled.
They joined Cedric as he examined the stone arch, he muttered to himself before pulling a thin black key from his pocket and inserting it into a small hole towards the top of the entry. The wall of black disappeared revealing a sunlit field of stone that glistened brighter than any of Ambers polished jewels.
"Wow! It's so pretty," Sofia said as she stepped into the narrow valley.
"This is Geo Rose Glen, only those with an obsidian key can enter this area, which by the last count was forty-nine," Cedric explained walking deeper into the glen.
The walkway curved obscuring the entrance from view allowing for a dark figure to slink in behind them.
The valley walls opened up into a patch of green a waterfall rumbled to the right of where the group entered the area a stream flowed into the rock wall by way of a tiny opening. Flowers bloomed along the water's edge.
"That's what we're here for," Cedric said pointing to the pink blossoms.
Sofia and Rene took the backpacks they were carrying and placed them on the ground and started to unpack.
"So how do we start?" Sofia asked bringing an hourglass-shaped jar over to Cedric.
A howl echoed around the group before the Sorcerer had a chance to speak, "that sounded like a wolf!" Rene belted his bag forgotten; hand fell to the hilt of his sword.
"That's impossible the wolf population was driven from this area decades ago to make it safer to travel here," Cedric stammered.
As he said this a sizeable and imposing shape came into their line of sight, "ruissellement mon cul*," Rene swore, "that is a wolf and from the looks of it, is a desperate beast to come after humans."
"What do we do? It's blocking our exit," Sofia asked.
"A bit of magic perhaps," Cedric muttered, snapping his fingers, nothing, "what!?" he tried again and again, no magic was forthcoming. He pulled his family wand from his sleeve and cast a spell; the wand didn't so much as spark.
"Mr. Cedric!" Sofia cried pulling on his sleeve.
The beast charged, Rene drew his blade and rolled to the side out of the wolf's path, he spun around and used the flat of his sword and tripped the creature. It rounded on the man and began it's attack anew.
"Sofia quick, to the waterfall, there is a ledge carved into the stone. Get to the other side and find a place out of sight," Cedric ordered spinning the girl away from the conflict and towards the rushing water.
"But Mr. Cedric…"
"No buts, GO!"
Sofia hesitantly ran off as Cedric turned back to the fight, he saw Rene pinned to the ground, the man's sword lodged in the wolf's mouth. Cedric with no magic could do very little, but distract the beast taking his cane he tossed it, it landed square in the wolf's sides catching its attention.
"Oh that was a bad idea," he said backing up.
The wolf pulled free of the guardsmen and lunged at the Sorcerer and just his luck Cedric tripped on his robe tumbling backward as the wolf swatted at him, the blow struck his legs propelling him a few feet to the side. Before the beast could make another move the silver flash of a blade connected with its neck sending it to the ground in a heap.
"Thanks for getting its attention," Rene huffed.
"Are you alright?" Cedric asked seeing blood staining the man's shoulder.
"I'll be fine, damn thing got me with its claws is all. It's not too deep." Rene said, "what about you? I saw it hit you," he asked.
"It did, but it got the brace I have on, breaking it. The doctor will not be pleased."
"Better than coming back wounded," Rene said helping Cedric to his feet.
Sofia rejoined the two, and they departed the glen with haste leaving their supplies behind, they arrived home well before they're estimated time and as the two men predicted Zwick was livid grounding Rene for two weeks and Cedric was not allowed to leave the palace for a month even accompanied.
Not long after they departed deep within the Geo Rose Glen, the 'deceased' wolf morphed into a ball of black shadow a pair of red eyes glared into the sky where they watched the flying coach leave.
"Not the target master wanted, but they should still work," it muttered aloud, flashing a toothy grin before vanishing, the green grass withered where it had been.
_[ ~FIN~ ]_
Note -[Franch] Ehbienc'estune belle vue - Well this is a nice view, 'Ruissellement mon cul' - run off my a*s.
Note 2 - Well, that's a wrap for this story I have two more coming. The first will be a prequel to this one, "I'll Explain Later..." the second will be a direct sequel to this one called 'Fevered Truth'.
