I love this mini-series, but I don't think it gets the populatity it deserves.

Disclaimer: I do not own The 10th Kingdom.

Like a bear drunk on honey, the somewhat bemused wolfie seemed to fumble through the darkening forest. He would look one way, stop, whip his head in the other direction, and then run off into the forest for about 30 seconds. He wouldn't stay away for long, though, and would reappear back on the trail.

"Wolf, what's wrong?" Virginia finally asked. Wolf jumped as though he had forgotten that he was traveling with people.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing!" he said, scratching the side of his head sporadically as he always did. Prince stopped and sat down on the dirt, waving his tail at his "manservant" to stop as well.

'Antony, do you suppose something's wrong with that overgrown wolf?' he asked. Tony sighed and shook his head, his shoulders rising to meet his ears. Wolf shook his head quickly and turned around just as fast. He seemed to preoccupied with what was going on to his sides, that he didn't see the tree looming just before him, until a certain little knob reached out and jabbed him between the eyes.

"Huff puff!" he cursed, running his hands up to where he was stabbed. Virginia couldn't suppress her school-girlish laugh, prompting Tony to realize what was the matter. He's just trying to make my daughter laugh! Why that little womani-

"Oh, shut up!" Wolf snapped at Virginia and began to stalk ahead. The girl flinched and turned to look at her father, her expression: slightly confused and angry. Tony felt just as confused.

"Maybe he's pmsing again?" Tony threw out hopefully. Virginia shook her head and turned her sapphire eyes back to the stumbling Wolf.

"No, it's not even near the full moon," she muttered softly. The three of them watched the stumbling man as he growled and walked down the path. His hair was spiked up almost to the point of gel, and his eyes were bloodshot as though he hadn't been sleeping. His whole body was in constant movement, always twitching or moving. It was almost like ever fiber of his being had been electrified.

Wolf suddenly stopped and whirled around, "we really shouldn't be here…" he trailed off ominously, then shook his head and stormed off, following the trail even deeper. Virginia, who thought she might actually get to the root of the problem, sped up.

"Why? It doesn't look like we'll get lost," she eyed the pale trail, and then the fretful man. Wolf growled and looked as though to turn away, then turned back to Virginia.

"Oh… we won't get lost. That's the problem. I know this place too well. It's smells, it's trails, it's flora… fauna… nothing about this place has changed." He growled out fauna. "No one has changed and it's too close to a full moon for my liking." He glanced furtively at Virginia like a steak or fine porcelain, it was hard to tell.

"What's so bad about this forest? It's gorgeous. The trees are huge and everything about it is vibrant… maybe even a tad mysterious."

"Hopefully it'll stay mysterious." Wolf barked, glaring into the shadows. And on that note, he turned around and marched on, leaving the three humans in the dark.

'Antony, I don't believe we should stay here. If' Prince paused and stared into the forest '… whatever Wolf's afraid of doesn't get us, he might.' Using his nose, he pointed up at the evening sky. The moon was beginning to show, but there was slim slice missing from it.

"You might have a point there…" Tony whispered softly, feeling a slight knot fold into his stomach. Suddenly, a howl lit up the night, a heartwrenching, yet joyful howl that made the hair on Tony's neck stand up, and Prince's hackles raise. Virginia looked around wildly, but Wolf turned to his left, a shine in his eyes, but it was a feral shine… and it scared them.

Wolf whispered something and took off into the forest. Virginia took off after him without a moment's haste. Tony and Prince exchanged glanced before taking off after them. The foliage flew past in a green flash.

"Don't follow me!" Wolf growled back. Virginia never slowed, merely shook her head in defiance.

"You can't get rid of us that easily!" Wolf turned on her.

"Either you stop and go back to the path or I'll lose you in the trees," he hissed through barred teeth. Virginia stepped up to him and stood merely inches from his face.

"That's a risk I'll have to take." Wolf growled at her and for a moment looked as if he was going to eat her.

"You can try…" and once again he was off, speeding through the trees like a barracuda through the ocean. He slid and sped in and out of the trees, leaving Virginia in utter fascination. She sighed and took off, tripping over a branch that was lazily sticking out of the ground. Her face landed in the rich topsoil.

"Virginia!" Tony called, rushing over to his daughter. He kneeled down beside her… just before he heard the growling behind him. Prince whimpered and ran in front of Tony.

'Antony! Behind you!' the befuddled manservant turned around, just in time to get a face full of rank, hot breath that smelled of rotten flesh and hate. The dirt, though it was airy and soft, dug into his back as the full pressure of something pressed him into the ground.

"Mother… dear…" the thing hissed back to the leaves. Tony managed to open his eyes, only to close them as another assault of hot air hit him. "I found dinner…"