Chapter Eleven: Full Cycle

I rose earlier this morning, in hopes not to rouse the two.

I grabbed my belongings, as well as helped myself to an extra loaf of bread for my journey.

The sooner I left, the sooner the monster would be on my trail and away from them.

The sun had not yet come.I had been there altogether far too long.

During the stay there were times when I had grown irritable.

I had growled at the girl in anger when she had sent letters off to Guilden from the city. I had not wished to have their interference. I despied being bottled up in a small cottage, weakened and deprived of the hunt.

But now, I was back at it, back on the prowl. I opened the door and took in a fresh breath.

Scanning the area I saw nothing out of place. I had made it a habit to check the outside mornings, afternoons and just as I went to sleep, but never was there a sight of anything. The beast must have found me too hard a prey to defeat.

I was a bit disgruntled. By now the trail would have gone cold. I had no choice but to check in with the other Rangers.

Since the girl had contacted Guilden, I wold no doubt find him first.

I took a few steps out. A breath. something was breathing. My senses seemed heightened by the rest. I strained to listen.

The breathing was normal, yet no animal was making it. Human. It wasn't the girl nor the sage. It was out here.

I went for my bow.

I crouched low and shambled forward, pausing to listen for the telltale breathing.

The bush rattled.

It might be nothing, it might not. I could ont afford chances. My shoulder, though sore, was now readily in shape to hold a bow.

I stared into the bush.

Instead of losing an over hasty arrow, I found a small rock nearby and lobbed it into the bush.

A delicate thud found me rather reassured. There was stirring.

A hagard man sumbled out.

"Don't hurt me."

He looked tired. He looked, oddly enough, like the farmer.

His eyes were back though.

I stood, pulled back an arrow.

"Don't move sir. I've got an arrow aimed at your heart. Do you recognize my voice?"

The man's hands went behind his head. He nodded.

"How did you escape from the prison cell?"

The man looked down to the side, hoping the answer would be written in the ground.

"SIR! answer me."

He shook himself from his thinking.

He stumbled over his words, fretting to find the answer that would assuage me. He couldn't come to a conclusion on how he had been freed. And so he gave me what he knew.

"I don't know."

I cursed.

"sir....you are under the influence of dark magics. do you understand this?"

He stared hard at me. Perhaps he was unaware of his chance.

The reddened hands told me that he indeed was the catch.

I resumed my interrogation.

"How did you regrow your eyes. I helped you walk for a time. They were most assuredly gone."

The man pondreed this, actally taking the time to feel his face.

"It happened after nightfall some time ago. I woke up and I felt better."

A noise erupted from behind me.

I spun, arrow still at the ready.

Chrysanthemum let out a gasp as she toppled through the door.

She had been eavesdropping and the old thing couldn't hold up. She lay there, ontop the door, a bit frightened. The turned and looked back at the man. He was still there. I walked over to here, checking both people.

"Rise girl. What you have heard, ignore. Go back into your home."

I gave her no time to retort. My back was turned and my arrow was aimed again at the man.

"Sir, forgive me. I have sought a cure for you."

The man's eyes widened.

"cure?"

"You are a wolfman. i cannot free you of this unnatural state. you are guilty for killing ten innocent people, as well as attacking a member of the Rangers, myself. For this crimes, and possibly others, I must execute you today, lest more crimes happen. THis does not bring me joy. Do not make this hard."

Chrys had stayed to watch. She had risen and drove fists into my back.

"You can't just kill him!"

I rolled back and elbowed her to the side. I took aim.

I pulled back. My fingers released the string.

She yelled. THe man uttered something unrecognizable.

His hand went up to his chest, shaking, grasping the arrow protruding from it.

His eyes looked to me again. THey seemed different. And then, he fell.

My mission was finally complete.

The girl screamed at me for being a heartless cur.

"Girl, that man was the same wolf who attacked last night. I walked over to him. He sputtered some blood, still attempting to cling to life. I squeezed hismouth open, none to gently.

"Look."

Sure enough, a missing tooth.