Mind of a Witness

Chapter 8

Tessa woke me just before dawn, and I kept watch while she collected the small game traps from the surrounding area. A fat rabbit and a thin pheasant was the sum total of our bounty.

She and I sat back to back, sharing our watch in comfortable silence. Every once in a while, she would give me a small nudge to keep me awake. I'd return the favor with an occasional, gentle tug on her tail. Though conditions were drier and she had her writing tablet at the ready, she didn't broach the subject of our nocturnal activities. I took that as a hint, and remained mum on the subject as well.

Morning passed without incident. The four of us shared a hearty cooked breakfast before breaking camp. We saved the rabbit skin for curing, and the feathers for fletching.

The horses weren't as difficult to round up as I first feared. They didn't seem to be in much of a running mood. Aaron charmed them with carrots and the promise of a good brushing. Once he had the eldest mare, the other three equines followed without complaint.

We travelled throughout the morning and just past noon. Our progress was intentionally slow, as we watched for signs of another ambush. Perhaps these assassins had no taste for a daylight attack on a well-travelled highway... but we would take no chances.

As the foot traffic became less sparse, Aaron and I took the lead. We donned the silver cloaks that announced our membership in the Royal Guard, though mine was honorary of course. Our pins were silver as well, an accoutrement only to be worn when travelling on the Queen's business. Our more official attire should allow the werewolves in our presence to pass freely. Still, Teddy and Tessa dug out their own cloaks: Forest green affairs that bore no markings. They pulled up the deep hoods, hiding the most obvious of their wolven features from prying eyes.

The seaside town of Whitby wasn't exactly an urban utopia, but it wasn't tiny. It was a fishing town, consisting of perhaps a thousand people. That number was growing, as the alum trade became a chief concern. The harbor was in the process of being scraped and deepened, so that bigger ships could dock.

Given my own attitude towards werewolves, despite any recent change of heart, I couldn't expect these people to welcome my companions with open arms. Despite their heavy cloaks, any real examination of the werewolves would immediately betray the nature of their species: Bare paws and fluffy tails were rather uncommon amongst the local populace. For the moment, our official escort was enough to keep any troublemakers at bay. But the most common reaction to our passing consisted of some combination of snorting, scowling, and spitting on the ground.

Exploration of the town uncovered nothing. Tessa and Teddy allowed us to do all of the talking, of course. Aaron and I made inquiries, but the gruff replies were always the same. And I believed them. Despite being standoffish towards strangers, the populace wasn't capable of a mass-conspiracy of the sort required to hide a royal assassination attempt. These people knew nothing about any plot against anyone.

In the late afternoon, we decided to move on. We purchased dry rations at a significant markup before proceeding North out of town. Secrets were often brewed and kept in more rural settings. So we hoped to have better luck making our inquiries further away from any central population.

The obvious place to start was Vance Foster's ranch. We hoped that returning his steeds would earn us some good will. Normally the ride would take half of an hour, but the horses made it to their destination ten minutes faster than expected. We simply pointed them to the Northwest and gave them free rein. They were clearly eager to get home.

We rode past the front gate, bordered on each side by a massive corral. Collies patrolled their respective pens, keeping their horses safe. Canine eyes followed our progress, but other than a stray bark or two, we remained unmolested.