Scent assaulted him first thing when Alaric opened the door. Marie. Strong scent of herbs, candle wax and something that was just Marie. Yet he couldn’t sense anybody in the small house.
“This place has been empty for few days. Woman who lived here left us,” Alaric explained, urging Logan to step in.
“You can live here for now. For free. We’ll see later… If you want to stay, I’m sure that owner is willing to sell this for you…”
*Where did she go?* Logan asked.
“Who? The owner? She still lives in here, but she bought herself a smaller house after her husband died.” Logan huffed and rolled his eyes. He wasn’t completely sure if the boy was really an idiot, or just acting like one.
*The woman who lived in here before me! Where did she go?* He asked. Alaric threw him a hasty sidelong glance before going to the fireplace and wiping off imaginary speckles of soot from in front of it.
“She just left. We didn’t ask her why. Perhaps this wasn’t what she was looking for, who knows? But enough of her. As you can see, you have most essentials in here already, bed, table and chairs. Pots and pans. And everything you need you can get from your neighbors, and merchants from the marketplace.”
*When did she leave?* State of his new home wasn’t the top priority for Logan now.
“Couple days ago. Uh… Look, uh, sir…”
*Wolverine. You can call me Wolverine.*
“Wolverine. I have to return to work. But my mother and father live right next door. My dad, he’s a blacksmith. If you have any questions, or if you need anything, don’t hesitate to visit,” Alaric said before bolting out of the door.
He crouched next to the fireplace, resting his elbow against the cool stone. Marie. Marie had been here. Surrounded by a pack of beasts. Had she really left? Just left?
*Oh, God…* He hadn’t turned to God in ages, not after he had been cursed. Now he bowed his head to a prayer. While he had been wallowing in his self-pity, she had been living among beasts. He couldn’t smell blood anywhere nearby, but that didn’t mean a thing. They could have dragged her outside.
*I’m not one of Yours anymore. She never was… Shouldn’t mean a thing to you… Just keep her safe. She may not swear in Your name, but she’s… She’s my salvation…*
Blasphemy? Would God reach out and strike him down now? And for what? Sins he had already committed before were far greater in Logan’s eyes than the plea he had uttered. He had nothing left to loose. If God chose this moment to extract His revenge and decided to rain down His wrath upon him… Let Him. There was every possibility that Marie was still alive, and just on the road, but even greater was the possibility that she was already dead. Sure, his new ‘friends’ seemed like a decent people, but they were just a pack of wolves.
*What do we do now, Buddy…* He muttered, scratching the fox that had followed him inside.
Buddy had no answers. Actually, Buddy wasn’t all that interested about him right now. It was sniffing around in the house, checking corners and neatly swept floors. Buddy had no care in this world.
*Maybe we should go to see our new neighbors…* Logan grunted standing up and shouldering his knapsack again. He wasn’t going to leave his belongings alone. Not in here.
House and the store downstairs looked empty and silent, but he could hear noise from behind it. He walked past the front porch to the backyard. Noise was coming from a small shed. He could smell burnt metal, coals and water. He knocked on the door of the shed. Banging and clanking noise stopped, then door flung open. Tall, muscular man wearing a leather apron, carrying a heavy looking hammer stood in the doorway, looking at him expectantly.
“Good day, my good sir. What can I do for you?” Man asked. Logan stepped past him in to the shed, away from the sun, and pulled down the hood from his head. Man didn’t even flinch, but his smile got even wider.
“You must be Wolverine! Alaric stopped by and told us you’d be moving in today! It’s nice to meet you. I’m Mick,” he said, extending his hand. Logan hid his paws to the sleeves of his cloak.
*It’s not a good idea to touch me. But it’s nice to meet you, too. Alaric told me to stop by if I had any questions,* he murmured. Mick looked little taken aback for his refusal of a handshake.
*Silver. It’s all over me,* Logan explained, uncovering his paws and revealing gleaming silver claws and silvery fur. Mick nodded, then turned towards his forge. Picked up the rod he had been smiting and shoved it in to the furnace to heat it again.
“So… What is it that you wanted to know?” He asked, tone of his voice still conversational, but his whole posture rigid.
*The woman. The one who left.* It was probably best to be honest.
“Rogue? What about her?” Mick asked.
*I know her. And I’m worried.*
“Worried? I would be too. Small and nice girl like her… She’s one of a kind. What is she to you? Daughter? Sister? Friend?” Mick asked.
*Wife. We parted ways little over a month ago. She… She might be a little too trusting because of me…* Logan spoke, starting to ponder if it was truly him that was being too trusting for his own good.
“All I know is what Alaric told me. He had seen her when she was leaving. Everything packed and ready. She didn’t even know who we are. Didn’t know about the pack. Alaric told me she had been crying. She had told him that she had made some horrible mistake, and that she was going to rectify it. Then she had just left.”
He couldn’t smell a lie on Mick. Just sweat and hot metal. Man was telling the truth. Yet he couldn’t discard his suspicions.
*Who is this Alaric, anyway?* He asked. Mick stirred glowing coals in the furnace.
“He’s my son. He helped Rogue a lot while she lived in here. Repaired the house. Made a garden. Talked with her. He was even going to go after her when she left. Just to keep her safe. It’s not a good idea for a lone woman to wander around…” Mick said.
*It’s not. Especially around here…* Logan murmured.
“Alaric told me that you were bitten. I can understand why you don’t trust your kin. But believe me, your wife was safe as long as she lived in here. We’re wolves just like the Rebels, but we do not hunt man.”
*That’s what Matt told me. I find it hard to believe. Of course you would tell me that.*
“And why would we lie to you? You’re no different from us!” Mick huffed; taking the rod he had been heating and placing it to anvil. Deafening sound of iron against iron drove Logan out from the shed.
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