*We’re in trouble, Buddy…* He whispered. Fox seemed to agree, curling against his feet. They were crouching behind a thicket. On the other side of those bushes was a large clearing, one he distinctively remembered not being there few weeks before. Group of five men were working on that clearing, chopping wood.
Out of a habit he had been traveling during day, avoiding roads and villages. Up until now it had worked, he had seen people only from distance, and he was quite sure that they hadn’t seen him. Now he had stumbled too close. If he tired to go round the clearing, men would see him. And they would become very suspicious if he didn’t answer to their greetings, or join their company for a moment to share news from the road.
*What the hell do we do now?* He muttered silently, letting his fingers slide through silky fur of the fox. It had already started shedding the puppy-fur, and he could practically tear it off in large chunks. Buddy didn’t much appreciate it. Loose fur was itching.
Suddenly decision of what to do was taken off from his hands. Buddy decided it had gotten enough of his pawing, yipped loudly and leaped over the narrow bushes to the clearing, drawing attention of the men working there.
*Shit. I kill that critter…* He huffed, standing up and making sure that the cloak covered him from head to toe before following the fox.
*Don’t touch it.* One of the men was approaching Buddy, axe raised high up in the air. He stopped and all five of them turned to look at Logan.
“It’s yours?” Old, chubby man with grey hair asked. He appeared to be the leader of this small group. Logan nodded, then realized that they couldn’t see his gesture from under the thick cloak.
*It’s mine. We’re just passing by.* He spoke with a hushed tone, trying to soften sharpest edges and slurs from his words. Old man nodded.
“Never seen a man travel with a fox before. But have seen weirder companions. Where are you heading?” He asked. Rest of the men dismissed Logan and the fox as something unimportant, and continued working.
*Nowhere in particular.* He didn’t feel like sharing his destination with these men.
“Need a job? I was supposed to have five men crew working here today, but one of them didn’t show up as promised,” old man asked.
*I’m… I don’t have the time…*
“Sure you have. Big ox like you, you could easily fill up the space of three men. I’ll pay you good. Just for today. How about it?” Man asked, clapping his shoulder for good measure. If he noticed something strange, and Logan flinching, he didn’t let it show.
“And there’s a warm meal and soft bed waiting tonight every man in my crew. You look like you could use some food and rest. Have you been on the road for long?”
*I really don’t…* He was starting to get nervous and stutter. Suddenly old man gripped his arm hard. His eyes narrowed and peered straight at Logan’s, flashing briefly yellow.
“How about it, brother?”
“We could smell you for some time already. Lurking in those bushes. But I can’t understand why you choose to walk around like that. Don’t you understand that anybody could see you? People don’t like us, you know,” old man, Matt spoke. He was sitting with the men, sharing their meal. Still shaken. They were all wolves.
*I… Uh, it’s complicated…*
“How complicated it can be? You’ll put all of us in danger!” Younger man he had heard Matt calling Alaric huffed. Matt raised his hand to silence him.
“We were all born to the pack. Our parents taught us how to behave. It looks like our youngest forgot his manners momentarily…” Matt said, casting an apologetic glance to Logan’s direction.
*Born?* Logan asked. It felt like these people were talking some strange language. None of what they said made any sense to him.
“Born. Just like anybody else. We were born just a little different. Just like you,” matt tried to explain. Logan shook his head.
*I wasn’t born this way. I was made.*
Suddenly it became very silent. Men stopped talking. He could see their hands reaching for axes they had earlier discarded.
“Filthy mutt!” He couldn’t see who shouted those words, but every man bolted up from where they sat. He could practically taste the fear and loathing that floated in the air. He scrambled hastily to his feet. Buddy sensed that something was wrong, and fled to the forest, just as he had tried to teach it to do earlier. Axes rose. All but one of them. Matt threw his weapon away and sat down again.
“Sit down, boys. Just because he doesn’t follow the way of the pack doesn’t mean that he’s a rebel…”
“There are two kinds of us. We’re Lycans. We live most of our lives as men. We belong to the pack from the birth. It’s our way. Then there are our wilder… Brothers. The ones who follow the call of the wolf. Wander around night and day, maiming, killing, and spreading the curse. Raising their ranks by biting people. Rebels. You could say that us Lycans are the good wolves, and Rebels… They’re misguided,” matt explained.
*Only good wolf is a dead wolf…* Logan whispered. Again tension in the group surrounding him rose. Matt scrunched his forehead.
“You were bitten. What were you before you were turned?”
*What does it matter? What ever I was, what ever I wanted, the mutt that bit me took it away from me. I’m looking for the cure. You seem to know a lot about these things. Have you heard about it?* Logan asked. Matt shook his head.
“I know about two kinds of cure. A potion made of silver, garlic and holy water. Then there’s ‘the cure’ hunters have to offer. Silver through heart. I’m afraid there’s nothing to take away the curse from you.”
*There has to be! I can’t… I can’t stay like this for the rest of my life!* Logan growled, throwing back the hood from his forehead.
“What is that?” Alaric asked stepping closer and poking his silver speckled cheek with his finger, then hissing from agony when metal burned him.
*Don’t touch! It’s silver!*
“I think it would be for the best if you came with us, my troubled friend. You’d be safe among your kind. We live in Salem, not too far from here. Alaric could take you there now,” Matt said, rubbing his chin.
Salem? Wasn’t he awfully close to Salem when he last saw Marie? What if she was there? Living the life she couldn’t have had with him? Could he cope with that? Seeing her happy and well without him? Perhaps with another man?
*I’m not so sure if it is a good idea. Perhaps I could come there later, if I don’t find the cure…* He started. Matt huffed.
“There is no cure! There never will be a cure! To you this may seem like a curse, but once you get control over it, you’ll see… You’ll see it’s more of a blessing. Come with us. We may be able to help you. You seem like a decent man.”
*There has been only one person in my life I have trusted. Trusted with my life. How can I be sure that you’re telling me the truth?* Logan asked. Something in the way Matt kept eyeing him, almost hungrily, made him suspicious.
“You can, and you should trust me. Why would I lie to you? Our village is small. Crops we grow on our fields are equally small. They’re enough for us. But we have neither food nor roof to spend on to drifters and slackers. Come with us. See for yourself. Spend some time with us, and then decide if you stay or leave,” Matt said.
*And if it feels like it isn’t the place for me?* Logan asked, trying to gouge the feelings of the men surrounding him.
“You’re free to go. We won’t try to stop you,” Matt said.
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