I spent a restful night at the inn and was up early the next morning for breakfast. In the taproom, they served the traditional breakfast of Brest, which is to say scrambled eggs on top of porridge. As usual, the eggs were slightly underdone. People in Brest liked to stir eggs and porridge together, but I preferred to eat my eggs first and then what lies underneath. Aubrey was not the serving wench this morning, but she entered the establishment along with her husband just as I was finishing my breakfast.
“I don’t understand why you have to go,” said Aubrey.
“I am the road ranger in these parts,” replied her husband. “If there is some danger about, it is my duty to deal with it. I can’t leave Eaglethorpe… that is Lord Dewberry to deal with this on his own. It might be dangerous.”
“If it is dangerous,” replied Aubrey, “then I definitely do not want you to go.”
“Oh, it is dangerous,” said I, interrupting the couple. “I have been sent on a mission by the Queen of Aerithraine herself, with whom I once spent a night of passion.”
Ellwood’s face turned decidedly pink.
“Oh, everyone says that,” said Aubrey. “That woman must spend more time on her back than sitting on the throne.”
Ellwood’s face turned bright red.
I shrugged.
“Are you not going to defend the Queen’s honor?” asked Ellwood.
“What? Against your wife?” I wondered. “All the world knows the name of Eaglethorpe Buxton and all the world knows that he is not one to argue with a woman.”
“That has not been my experience,” spat Ellwood.
“In any case,” said I. “The Queen has sent me on a dangerous mission to East Knucklewick. This isn’t by any chance East Knucklewick, is it?”
“No,” replied Aubrey. “This is Shoopshire. East Knucklewick is two towns over, on the other side of West Knucklewick.”
“Well, East Knucklewick has been under the terrible curse of a werewolf, and since I am the world’s foremost authority on werewolves, having once killed one with this fork,” I whipped out my fork, “she has sent me to deal with it.”
Ellwood rolled those large expressive eyes.
“Well you certainly seem to have everything you need,” said Aubrey. “My husband shall have no need to go with you.”
“I can’t let him face a werewolf alone,” Ellwood told her. “I happen to know he has never killed a werewolf with a fork.”
“Well I happen to know that he has killed a goblin with one,” she countered, “or at least blinded one.”
“A goblin is not a werewolf,” said Ellwood. “Now go home and rest. You are after all, carrying my son and so you must take care of yourself, so that he arrives healthy and strong. I promise to be home in four days time one way or the other. Either we will have killed the werewolf or the full moon will be gone and it won’t matter for a month.”
Aubrey offered up her cheek, which Ellwood kissed.
“See that you come home intact,” said the pregnant girl. “Now that I have had a real man in my life and in my bed, I don’t think that I could get along for long without one.”
Ellwood nodded, looking decidedly uncomfortable, as his wife stepped back out the way she had come in.
“You have a horse?” I asked.
“I do.”
“I shall send the boy out to fetch Hysteria and then we will be on our way.”
Inside of an hour, we were on the road toward West Knucklewick. It was a journey of only eight miles, so I looked forward to reaching it well before tea. Then we could continue on our way to East Knucklewick arriving just after dark on the first night of the full moon. It seemed the perfect timing, considering our quarry was the dreaded and feared creature known as the werewolf.