The castle was filled with anxiety and sadness. Poor Queen Fesora had finally accepted that Mildrede was inded still working with Gast. She could now see how the girl had planted evidence and created scenes to fix herself firmly in Fesora's good esteem as a legitimate heir to the throne. And, alas, now all was proven false. The Queen despaired that she would never find her lost child. But even with such a sad burden, she turned her attention to the problem of Sentira who was still in Gast's control.

Milo had been transforming himself into his familiar mouse persona to visit Sentira and bring any news that she was able to overhear from the troll guards. It was fortunate for Sentira that troll guards had big ears to hear and had an overabundance of confidence that allowed them to talk freely with each other when awake and to anyone in earshot when they slept. This day Milo returned to the castle with news from Sentira. Gast was starting his hunt for the wolf that very day! And Fortuno was insistent that the wolf be brought in alive.

Fortan found it very curious that his brother wanted the wolf so badly. The curiosity turned to suspicion, and he urged the Queen to set her forces to work to capture the wolf themselves. If Fortan's evil twin wanted the wolf, there must indeed be something worth studying there. Dorran worried that Gast and his henchmen had an advantage. After all, the wolf had been seen very close to the recently discovered lair of Gast and his group.

Queen Fesora had an idea. Perhaps, they could use Mildrede to get Gast off track. The Sorceress was still living at the castle, although she had mysterious prolonged absences. Mildrede had no clue as of yet that the Queen and Fortan knew about her duplicity. When she came into the castle, Fesora made a point of announcing to Dorran that the guards should capture and kill the wolf at once. They spoke of artchers who had seen the wolf in the mountains. When Mildrede suddenly excused herself and left the castle, the royal party felt sure that they had sent a direct message to Gast. Hopefully, if he took the time to hunt in the mountains, the castle party would have a little assistance in their own hunt for the wolf.

Lil Bit O'Mischief found the decoy artchers in the mountain path. She saw that indeed Mildrede had taken the message to Gast, for there was Walganus, his troll guard, listening to the artchers as they made their plans to track the wolf. The artchers were clever, however. They pointed Walganus in the wrong direction ... up the slope. They stood decoy for a time before they headed to the forest for the real hunt.

Along the path they met Big_Bugga who had joined in the hunt with the Queen's party. He was carefully studying the wolf prints for any clues about wolf behavior. The tracks led him back to the western forests and past the abandoned cottage in the woods.

Sentinel Tara was also along on the hunt. She took the time to look inside the cottage again. And what a lucky choice that was! In the cottage there were signs that a boy named Renti had once lived there. In a trunk of papers, she found a letter that had been written by the mother of the woman who had lived in the cottage. Apparently a couple, Rob and Martha, had been given charge of a young boy named Renti. Mother Bascomb feared that the boy spent too much time with a friendly wolf. She begged Martha to keep the boy away from the wolf, and she encouraged her to remember her brother Markus.

Princess Bunnie found the cottage too. But she noticed that a strange little man named Marsilo was keeping watch. Marsilo promised to show Bunnie a secret path to the wolve's lair if she proved herself worthy. Marsilo had noticed many people, fair and foul, in the wood; and he would only give his help to those who proved wise. Luckily Bunnie passed his test and found herself in a lonely forest glenn. From there she found a magical passage to a hidden cave.

Pip Squeak also found his way to this cave, and after much winding and maneuvering his made his way to the wolf's lair. There he came face to face with the shewolf. Odd, the wolf seemed happy to see him and nudged him to a corner of the cave. It seemed she wanted him to investigate. Behind a crumbling rock, Pip Squeak found an old leather sack. And in the sack he found a diary that had once belonged to Isabella., the Queen's sister.

In this diary, Isabella told how she had been cast out of the castle on the night Fesora had given birth. The next day, after word had been spread that the child had died, Isabella heard cries coming for the room of Silvera the midwife. Later she saw someone who looked like Fortan helping Silvera into a cart. And then ... she saw the tiny arm of an infant wave from the opening of a sack that Silvera carried. Isabella tried her best to get word to the King. But the castle was in mourning, and Carl the Gatekeeper would not allow Isabella to enter ... this by order fo the King.

So Isabella found out that Silvera was heading to Whitmohr. And there Isabella followed as well. After a few days she found out where Silvera was living. When she got her chance, she stole the baby from Silvera and headed out of town. She did not know exactly what to do ... but she had to take the child. Finally she decided to return to her parents and let them protect the little Prince.

There was no more in the diary, and PipSqueak noticed that the wolf had disappeared into a dark tunnel. He decided to follow. The wolf's hair was bristling. She tugged Pip Squeak over behind a boulder. Then ... Gast appeared. A fight began ... Gast with his sword ... Shewolf with teeth barred. All would soon be blood and guts ... but then ... Fortuno appeared. He waved his wand and calmed the wolf. Then the two men captured the wolf and headed back to their lair.

The castle party hurried back with their report. Milo .. mousy again ... found his way into Gast's lair. There he overhead an amazing conversation.

Fortuno admitted that years before, he had turned the Queen's sister, Isabella, into the shewolf they had captured. He had not been able to kill the girl because of a necklace she wore ... the very necklace that the wolf had revealed and which Mildrede had stolen from the Queen. When Mildrede brought the necklace from her pocket, the Shewolf attacked her .. and managed to snatch the necklace from the Sorceress' hand.

Gast called for silence ... he demanded that Fortuno turn Isabella back into a woman. They needed to talk to her. After all, she may have been the last person to see the Prince. She had information that they needed. But Fortuno had forgotten the spell he used, and he needed to study the problem. Gast ordered that the wolf be put in the cell with Sentira where both could be watched carefully. Fortuno was commanded to get to his books to find out how to return the wolf the human form

Milo slipped out of the lair to return to the castle with his information.