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Aein awoke to awareness that Finn was shifting. Her eyes were open in a flash and fixed upon him, ready to hear any last minute instructions before he changed. But it was too late. He opened his mouth to speak just as his mouth became a muzzle. Aein sighed and reached out, stroking his fur gently. He gave her cheek a friendly lick. The morning always came too soon.
She sat up and pushed back her bedding. Every muscle in her body ached from riding. The other people in the room were still fast asleep. She instinctually felt like it was important no one noticed that Finn was missing. Two bedrolls, one of them occupied by a wolf, would seem suspicious. She rolled up the sheets and blankets and tied them together. She checked on her garments. They were dry. She packed their belongings and opened the door, hoping to find Lars waiting outside.
Water dripped from the leaves and the ground was still muddy, but the rain had stopped. At least their misery would be manageable as they traveled. But a kernel of anxiety took root in her gut. There was no sign of Lars. She told herself he was probably waiting for them up the road and not to panic yet.
"Stay!" said the innkeeper coming down the stairs. "I was on my way to cook breakfast." He scanned the room. "Where is your friend with the scar?" he asked.
Aein cursed that Finn had made himself so noticeable the night before. "He went on ahead," she replied.
"Really?" asked the innkeeper with some suspicion. "I did not hear him ride out."
She flashed him an embarrassed smile. "Headed out in the middle of the night. Bit of a lovers' spat." Finn licked her fingers and she batted his mouth away.
The man seemed to accept her excuse in part. "Now what could you do to anger a man like that?"
Finn looked up at Aein and cocked his head, waiting for Aein's answer. Aein would have sworn he was enjoying himself. "People change," replied Aein. "Now, about that breakfast?"
The man hustled to the fireplace. Hanging over the coals from a metal hook was a black cauldron. He lifted the lid, spooned a mound of porridge onto a plate, and handed it to Aein. It was better than what she had in her saddle bag and filling enough. She ate half and put the rest down on the ground for Finn to finish. She was glad to be done and on her way. She hoped no one cared there were three horses to one rider now.
The road was a mess, but not like last night. The storm seemed to have moved on, but the sky was a milky shade of white. The dead grass on either side was the color of straw. The forest beyond was filled with pine trees and scrub. A woodpecker hammered away in the distance.
She kept the horses moving at a slow pace and she was glad she did. Finn gave a whine and stopped. Running towards them through the woods was Lars, his red hair flashing against the forest like a beacon. A wave of relief washed over Aein.
He leaped onto the wet road and slid, stopping himself by grabbing Finn's horse. "This mud!" He swung himself up. "I thought my legs would fall off," he groaned, leaning across the horse's neck.
"Care to report, soldier?" she asked.
"After I get a nap," he replied. "Tie me to my saddle so I don't tip out, would you?" he asked.
She gave him a shove. "Report first! Sleep later."
Lars became serious. "I only got one. The other escaped."
From the look on his face, it was not for a lack of trying. Finn came over and rested his head on Lars's boot. Lars bent down to greet him.
"They were both on horseback," he said. "By the time I did what had to be done, the other was long gone. I tried to catch his scent, but the rain washed it away."
"Is the first dead?" she asked.
Lars nodded, scratching Finn behind the ears. "It will look like an animal attack."
Aein shivered, remembering Lord Arnkell's keep after the wedding feast. "Thank you."
Lars didn't say anything for a moment, just clicked his heels and the horses plodded forward. Finally, he said, "I hate doing that, especially now that I can remember it all."
Aein never thought about it before. The berries brought sanity to the werewolves, but they also brought the ability to remember what happened when they were in wolf form. Prior to ingestion, no one could remember what it was like before and after the shift. It was what made the wolves so dangerous. One moment they were running away from one another, the next, they became the very creatures they were running away from.
"I am sorry we asked that of you," said Aein apologetically. "Are you all right?"
Lars's face hardened and Aein realized she should not have asked him a question which sounded like she doubted his ability to do his duty. "Of course," was all he replied, shutting down.
But Lars always had it more difficult than the other wolves. He had eaten the berry while in human form, so he had been aware of the shift into wolf and how he did not want to become such a beast. He had not had the berry as a wolf and then remembered the relief of becoming sane.
Lars's eyes became distant as the sound of the morning larks sang around them. "Sometimes I wonder what life would be like if none of this ever happened."
Aein knew he did not mean it towards her, but it hit her hard. The fact of the matter was that she was the reason all of this came to pass. She was the one who found the mushrooms Cook Bolstad requested. If she had not paused to collect them, perhaps they would all be sitting in the stronghold. Perhaps her best friend would not be turning into a wolf whenever the dark of twilight fell.
"I am sorry," she replied again.
Lars waved her off, as if realizing where her mind was headed and stopped her from going there. "I only say it because I know others must feel the same. It is a strong rallying point for Lord Arnkell. All he has to do is promise that he will wipe the 'Cursed Werewolves of the Haidra Kingdom' from the face of the earth, and he has an army of followers, including those two spies who were willing to die for him. All he has to do is promise a return to normal and people will do anything."
"He tried to kill us!" pointed out Aein. "He poisoned his own people. He decided to destroy his entire land rather than join with the Haidra kingdom. If you were not a soldier," asked Aein, "would you follow a man like him?"
"A chance to go home? A chance for everything to be the way it was? Even if it meant serving a monster?" Lars mused out loud. He shrugged. "I probably would."