The Wizard in the Woods
Colin held two pairs of underwear in his hands and tried to decide which to pack. He’d barely slept through the night. He and Becca had stayed out until almost ten o’clock discussing Principal Sampson, and the only conclusion they could come to was that he was either immortal or dead.
“How about undead?” Colin had suggested as they sat on the couch in his Grandpa’s old garage.
“Like a zombie?”
“Yeah. He died and then came back to life.”
“We have a zombie in Elkwood.”
“No way! Who?”
“The janitor at the high school.”
“That explains the smell of rotting flesh.”
“He’s really quite pleasant,” said Becca. “Zombies aren’t all that bad as long as they’re well fed. But they’re fairly stupid. Only able to do simple tasks. So that rules zombie out as a possibility.”
“Maybe he’s a ghost?” suggested Colin.
“Please, there’s no such thing as ghosts.”
“I have history class with an asthmatic boy who is half dragon. We have a school bully who’s half ogre. Tori is a man-eating siren. You’re a necromancer and a witch. I’m a werewolf. You’re telling me a ghost is out of the question?”
Becca rolled her eyes in a way that suggested she knew far more about things than Colin. It was an amazing talent that Colin couldn’t wrap his head around. “You said it yourself. I’m a necromancer. I can raise the dead. I’ve seen people die, people I couldn’t save. They don’t become ghosts.”
They’d ended the night no wiser than they’d started. All they knew was that Principal Sampson wasn’t human, had a gravestone in Elkwood Cemetery, and was always around when trouble started.
Colin settled on the blue pair of underwear and packed it into his backpack. He’d spoken to Varson late last night and let him know that he was going to go and camp alone rather than be locked up in the prison. While he was sure that Terry could use the company, Colin had no intention of being locked in that prison ever again. And with Becca and Jeremy joining him on Friday night, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. There was way too much weird stuff going on, and with Silas away, Colin wasn’t afraid to admit that he was a little scared. Getting away for a few days seemed like a good idea.
Varson insisted that Colin call every morning and evening to check in. The base commander claimed it was so they’d know that he was okay but Colin suspected it was to make sure no one got eaten. Colin had conveniently not told Varson that his girlfriend and best friend were going to be joining him on the second night.
In a way, Colin was looking forward to being alone the first night. It would feel good to change and to hunt. He drooled a little at the thought of hunting wildlife.
The front door slammed, shaking Colin out of his thoughts. He looked at his alarm clock; it was 7:00 a.m. The sound of his grandmother shuffling down the hallway to the kitchen floated up from the bottom floor. She was muttering something about it all not making any sense. Colin had wanted to speak with his grandmother about Charles and Principal Sampson, and ask about hellstones and the recent attacks at the school, but she just hadn’t been around lately. It was strange behavior, even for her.
Colin zipped up his backpack and double-checked that he had everything. As an afterthought he picked up his latest notebook and slid it into his backpack. This being his first trip alone, he’d want to take notes on his changes and hunting patterns, and he wanted to write about the past few days so he could talk to Silas about it all when he got back from Europe.
Colin slung the large backpack onto his shoulder and headed downstairs. He dropped the pack with a thump in the hallway and went to the kitchen, where his grandmother was puttering around.
“Hi, Gran,” said Colin.
“Oh! Colin!” she exclaimed. “Yes, of course.” And then she continued making herself a cup of coffee.
She looked exhausted, like she hadn’t slept in days, and smelled faintly like the forest. Her hair stuck out at odd angles.
“Are you okay, Gran?”
“What? Oh yes, yes. Of course. Well. No.”
Colin pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table.
“You seem like you’ve been distracted lately,” said Colin.
The old lady let out a sigh, added cream to her coffee, and sat down opposite Colin.
Colin couldn’t decide whether she was waiting for him to say something or if she was building up to speak. It quickly became clear when she started snoring softly that she’d actually fallen asleep with her eyes open.
“Gran?” Colin said, and shook her arm softly. She awoke suddenly, and lightning flashed across the sky outside the kitchen window. Thunder crashed and Colin’s grandmother rubbed her temples.
“Sorry, Colin,” she said. “It’s been a long few days.”
You’re telling me.
“Did you hear about the school attacks?”
“School attacks? What school attacks?” she asked, clearly surprised.
“There was a vampire attack two days ago, and then yesterday a telekinetic kid destroyed the biology lab. You didn’t hear about any of this?”
“I’ve been busy,” she snapped defensively.
This was all truly surprising, as Colin’s grandmother was an integral part of the Elkwood community. She knew almost everything that went on in the town.
Her shoulders slumped slightly. “I’m going blind.”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, Gran, but you’ve been blind for some time.”
“Not like that!” she snapped. “I’m finding blind spots in my powers.”
This was new territory. Colin’s grandmother never really talked about her powers.
“What do you mean?” asked Colin.
“My power is rooted in the elements. I’m blind. But if I concentrate I can see large chunks of Elkwood as if I’m viewing it from above. Like a map. But ever since that damned demon showed up in my bedroom the other night, I’ve started noticing blank spots.” She twisted the coffee cup in her wrinkled hands and for the first time Colin could sense fear in his grandmother.
“He’s gone.”
“Who?”
The words were out of his mouth before he’d really thought about it. “Charles the demon. He disappeared. Two nights ago.”
“What?”
And then Colin couldn’t stop himself. He hated keeping things from his grandmother so he told her everything that had happened so far.
“Hellstones,” said his grandmother, more to herself. “You’re sure that’s what he said?”
“Yes. Have you heard of them?”
“No. But I don’t venture into that side of things very often. I understand my power but I prefer to stay out of everyone else’s business. There are others in Elkwood who might know more though.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier,” said Colin. “Varson told us to keep it to ourselves.”
“That idiot barely knows his head from his rear end. Now you tell me this new principal is a mystery in himself. I miss the days when Elkwood was simple and less complicated. Wait, why aren’t you going to school?” she asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“It’s a full moon tonight,” said Colin. “I’m going to leave this morning and hike north to the spot where Silas and I normally go.”
“Alone?”
“I’ll be fine, Gran. I promise not to eat anyone.”
“I’m not worried about you as a werewolf. But with everything going on, are you sure you’ll be okay?”
Colin momentarily thought about telling her that Becca and Jeremy were going to meet him out there tomorrow night but he caught himself. Chances were she wouldn’t approve.
“I’ll be fine. With all this craziness, I’m looking forward to getting out of town. But what about you? Are you going to be okay?”
His grandmother pushed back from the table and waved her hands dismissively. “I’ll be fine. I may even do some poking around to see if I can find out more about this principal of yours.”
“Please be careful, Gran.” Concern crept into his voice.
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m an all-powerful … well, mostly all-powerful witch. I’ll be fine. You’d better get going. Be careful out there. Watch for anything strange.”
Colin stood up. “Strange in Elkwood is just a normal day.”
The old lady patted Colin on the shoulder and shuffled down the hallway to her chair in front of the television.
Colin ate a good breakfast including a full box of cereal, some leftover bacon, several pieces of toast loaded with peanut butter, and a box of orange juice.
He slung his backpack over his shoulder and pulled up his hood.
“Bye, Gran.”
But she was already snoring softly in her chair. Colin smiled and headed out the door.
***
A few people said hi to Colin as he passed along the outskirts of downtown. He could smell the uncertainty on them. They were likely wondering where a thirteen-year-old was going on a school day carrying a big backpack and camping gear. Colin just nodded politely and picked up his pace until he reached the edge of Merton Forest.
The trees loomed against the gray sky. Colin took a deep breath, taking in the scents of the forest, the dew on the grass, the moss growing across the ground. He began to feel a sense of comfort and a little bit of excitement. He’d always made this journey with Silas. Going it alone was scary but also came with a profound sense of adventure.
Stepping into the forest, Colin began his trek north. He passed the clearing with the babbling brook, where he’d experienced his first change, then turned west to walk closer to the shoreline. The forest sat upon rocky cliffs that ran along the shore, all the way into Washington. It was a straight fifty-foot drop from the cliffs down into the ocean. Further south there was a break in the cliffs that opened up into Elkwood Bay, a large beach area where some of the students would sometimes go for bonfires at night.
Colin walked along the cliff edge for a few miles. The wind whipped against the shoreline and waves crashed, throwing a fine mist up into the forest.
He and Silas always made a habit of taking a different route to their usual camping spot. Silas argued that it helped develop their natural tracking ability. Going it alone for the first time, Colin was beginning to worry. He’d never followed the coastline this far up, and he began to consider turning back inland in case he lost his bearings when the forest opened up and Colin found himself standing at the edge of a garden. The garden consisted of a neatly trimmed lawn of lush green grass with well-tended flowerbeds. A path made of flat stones ran through the garden, through a white picket fence, and up to the front door of a small cottage with a red door, which swung open.
The old man that Colin had seen briefly at the base hobbled out of the cottage, leaning heavily on his walking stick. His gray hair was perfectly combed over to the side and a pair of large, thick glasses was perched comfortably on his broad nose.
“Ah, young Colin!” shouted the old man. “Nice of you to drop by. I don’t get much company up this way.”
The old man beckoned Colin to come inside and disappeared back through the doorway. The smell of fresh bread and cooking bacon floated out of the open door and Colin was standing on the doorstep before he’d even realized he’d moved.
“Come in, come in!” shouted the man.
Colin ducked through a doorway that seemed a little smaller than it should have and walked down the hallway. The house was small and quaint, with a few rooms and sparse wooden furniture. Underneath the food, it smelled of leather and old books. Colin followed the smell to the kitchen, where the old man was pouring two cups of coffee. A plate of bacon and eggs, and a fresh, crusty loaf of bread were already set at a small round table near the kitchen window, which looked out over another garden at the back of the house.
“You’re Alfred,” said Colin.
“That I am, young man. That I am.”
Alfred placed the coffee next to the plate of food and invited Colin to sit down. This was a stranger—albeit a stranger who worked with Night Watch—but a stranger nevertheless. However, the stranger was serving some great-smelling food. Colin had already been walking for a couple of hours and his stomach was beginning to complain.
He leaned his large backpack against the kitchen counter and sat down. Alfred looked pleased that Colin had accepted his hospitality and, picking up his own cup of coffee, sat down with some difficulty in the opposite seat.
“So you’re a werewolf. I find that fascinating,” said Alfred, his heavily wrinkled face cracking into a wide smile.
“And you’re a sorcerer?”
“Wizard,” said Alfred. “Not many sorcerers around. Nasty bunch. Too much power for their own good. Always striving for more.”
This was possibly the best bacon Colin had ever tasted. The bread was so fresh it was still warm. And the coffee was incredible.
“Sir, if you don’t mind me asking—”
Alfred held up a slightly shaking hand. “Please, call me Alfred.”
“Alfred. What is it you do for Elkwood?”
“I make sure everyone gets along. Just like it’s your grandmother’s job to keep us hidden, it’s my job to make sure the normal folk don’t notice the special folk. How is old Beatrice keeping?” asked the old man.
“Gran? She’s well. Well, not as well as she’d like. Her powers are a bit … ”
Colin caught himself. How much should he tell this old man? He didn’t really know much about him.
“How did you know I’d be coming this way?” asked Colin.
“Wizard’s intuition,” said Alfred. “I have a special relationship with the forest. It’s why I live out here. The trees speak to me.”
“What do they say?”
“Mostly boring things. They complain a lot about squirrels, you know? But occasionally they tell me something of interest. This morning they told me you were walking up the coast. I expect you’re getting out of town before your full moon change?”
“Yes. We … I mean, I camp a few miles north of here. How much do you know about werewolves?” Colin wiped up the remainder of his eggs with the last piece of bread and felt a pang of sadness that all the food was gone.
“Only what I’ve read in the books. I have some interesting old journals about werewolves if you’d ever like to borrow them. Mr. Varson and Mr. Emerson have kept me informed of your unique situation.”
“Why don’t you live in town like everyone else?”
“I’d miss my forest too much and I like the solitude. The soldiers at the base fetch me when there’s a need, like your little incident in Seattle last weekend. I must admit, it was nice to get out and see a big city again. You’re not to worry, though. I thoroughly wiped you from the minds of all those people who saw you turn that night.”
“Could you … ” Colin hesitated, not sure how to frame his question. “Could you cast a spell on someone that would make their senses disappear?”
The old man nodded knowingly. “You’re talking about what happened to you in Seattle. I can manipulate memories and I can even make people see certain things, but I can’t do anything like that. That’s Rune Magic. Tricky stuff. What you’re referring to is a binding spell, and they tend to be complicated. Whoever cast a spell like that would be trying to make sure you didn’t see, or rather, sense something.”
“They were hiding something?”
“Or someone.”
The clock on the wall chimed and Colin saw that it was already one o’clock. “I have to be going. Thank you so much for the food.”
Alfred struggled to his feet and steadied himself with his walking stick. “You’re most welcome. Good luck with your camping trip. Lots of good hunting up this way.”
The old man followed Colin to the front door. A light drizzle had begun to fall.
“Colin,” said Alfred. “The trees have been saying some funny things lately. Complaining about large dogs. Could be werewolves, could be regular wolves, could be coyotes, could be bears, could be unusually large chipmunks; trees aren’t always the best at describing things. Best to keep your wits about you though. If you find yourself in trouble and require my assistance, just talk to a tree.”
The old man winked, and Colin nodded and started down the garden path. He considered asking Alfred about Principal Sampson but he really didn’t know the wizard very well, even though he seemed like a nice old gentleman.
Colin, his belly full, headed back inland, picking up familiar scents as he went. The area where he and Silas camped was around five miles north of the Elkwood army base. He’d drawn Becca a map before he left so she and Jeremy would be able to find the place, but Colin had already decided to travel a few miles south to meet them tomorrow. The last thing he wanted was for them to get lost.
He reached the campsite at around three o’clock. A massive rectangular boulder at the edge of the small clearing marked the area, along with the obvious smells left behind from Colin and Silas’s previous visits. A ring of stones they had built for the fire sat undisturbed in the middle of the campsite. Colin quickly set up his tent, gathered wood, and started a fire. He was tempted to just change before nightfall and go for a run but decided against it. Silas had told him about werewolves that spent too much time in their wolf form and forgot how to be human. Colin definitely didn’t want that to happen.
Instead, he let several pieces of chicken cook over the fire while he feverishly wrote up the events of the last few days in his notebook. There were a few new smells he wanted to make a record of, and of course there was all the weird stuff that had happened with Terry, Micah, and Charles. He wrote several pages about what had happened when they’d discovered Charles was missing and the fire had burned Colin’s body. He’d never healed so fast before, so he wrote about the sensation, what he could remember, and how he’d felt in the moment. Colin wasn’t entirely sure what he planned to do with all these notes he was making. Maybe he’d write the Comprehensive Guide to Being a Successful Werewolf?
The smell of barbeque distracted him and, his writing forgotten for the moment, he devoured the chicken along with four baked potatoes. Chances are he would eat again tonight, but he didn’t want to be so hungry that he ate the first animal he found. What if the first animal he found was a skunk?
By seven o’clock the last sliver of sun was barely visible above the horizon and darkness was falling quickly across the forest. The constant clouds that hid Elkwood were a little thinner here, away from the township, and the shape of the full moon began to peer through the clouds. It wouldn’t be long now.
Colin stripped off his shirt and jeans and draped them across his tent, and stood in just his underwear. Colin could smell the wildlife nearby, and he imagined the squirrels were likely giving him some strange looks.
He performed a series of stretches and opened up his senses. He could hear and smell the night creatures of the forest awakening and could feel the pressure in the air shift slightly as the weather prepared to change, likely to more rain.
Colin felt the familiar tingle begin to run along his spine that signaled the change wasn’t far off. And then a new smell intruded on his senses: herbs and a strong perfume, almost like someone had been burning a candle.
“Just as I thought,” said a deep, smooth voice. “You can sense me.”
Colin spun around in a panic and watched as the man with glowing red eyes floated from above the treetops and landed lightly on the other side of Colin’s campfire.
“Hello, Colin,” said the man. “I thought it was about time that we met.”