Of full moon nights and curses

by Brokentimespace

[OS, Sieg/Zwei] While Zwei always acted aloof, his increasingly distant behaviour worried Hilde and Siegfried. As the German knight investigate the matter, he undercover one of the rumored werewolf secrets, that would ultimately lead to some unforseen consequences.

Chloroforme : Thank you for the guest review ! It means a lot to me !

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Of full moon night and curses

A man rose his drink into the air and shouted :

'To Schwarzwind !'

The whole room followed in confuse and joyful clamor, amidst the sound of goblets chinking. Many continued to toast with their table comrades, I included. Winter was on its way, bringing its cloak of cold winds, storms, snow, as well as shorter days, so people were celebrating while they still could. Human warmth was one of the best thing in the world to have close by to spend the Winter, even more so than a fireplace. But apparently, some people here still needed a little convincing. People were now taking a sip of their drinks, and I was sure I haven't seen the glass of one of my men raised once. Judging by his looks around twenty, dressed barely decently in black leather, Zwei sported once again that half-bored, half-brooding expression of his. He was staring at the liquid in his glass like it was some kind of poison. He wasn't usually one to refuse alcohol, but I wasn't really surprised by his mood. He wasn't really uneasy with crowds, although he preferred smaller, calmer groups. However, the reason wasn't good enough according to me to miss the occasion to relax a little. I brought my cup closer to his and waited for a reaction. Our gazes met, expecting blue eyes looking into rebellious turquoise irises.

'You want to toast ?'

'I'd rather not.'

The answer was short, irrefutable, but not aggressive. Zwei wasn't a man of many words, even more so than me. Since he was an apt warrior, used to duels and fights, his communication habits weren't that dangerous for the group. He also seem to be someone that didn't have a lot of personal problem, so I guess it was okay if he didn't speak about him. Still, I sometime wished he would talk to us, because it wasn't the first time he was in a secretive and, to an extent, bad mood. Of course, I wouldn't want of him to tell every details of his life if he didn't wanted to, but if he confided in one of us, we would worry a little less. It was clear on his face he was in a hurry and unwilling to stay here, probably out of concern for Viola, but before I could help him out of our situation, he pushed his glass to the center of the table and announced :

'If you'll excuse me.'

'Hey, Zwei ! Where are you going ? You're not going after him ?' asked a redhead woman to Schwarzwind's leader.

'Don't worry, Hilde, he'll report in the morning.'

'Still, I wonder what's wrong with him. Any insight, Viola ?'

'I don't know anything about his current predicament.'

'Stop mothering him so much, Hilde, it happens to everyone. You particularly should know this, since, you know, once a month, you become a demon for five straight days and we, men, all cower when we have to tell you it's your turn to patrol.'

Hopefully, I knew Hilde for long enough to be assured she won't be offended by the comment. Her laugh was more discreet than mine, but her smile was brighter for sure. She traveled with us since Wolfcrown's fall, leaving behind her what remained of her homeland, people she was very attached to, and the place she was called to be the monarch of. But has she put it herself seventeen years ago, there was nothing to salvage of this place anymore. It took her two years at least to make the mourning of her past life. Two years full of nightmares, sorrow, tears and regrets, only chosen few witnessed. But she grew out of it, and her natural leadership as well as kindness took over and she came to care for my men as if they were her children, even those older than her. I can recall so well my comrade mocking me because she chipped responsibilities from me and then begging me not to let her become the new head of Schwarzwind that it still makes me smile. But I could tell, even back then, that she never wanted to overthrow me and she quickly became my second in command when her forerunner settled down.

As regards Viola... Well, she traveled with Zwei and we accepted them both. She was a fortune-teller, and when compelled to fight, she used a strange floating orb that has been unnerving to all of us. She seem to get along well with the young man and didn't show emotion most of the time. And that was about it. Every group must have its enigma, its strangest companion, and Viola was ours. Her and Zwei used to compete for that place, but the most stoic and less talkative of the two competitor won. Viola's victory was a crushing one. But since her "adoption" by the group was new, I hoped she would learn to open up to us. Though, I wondered if even Zwei had heard about her, it was hard to know. At the moment, she simply stayed here, waiting for the little celebration to end. And she didn't have to wait for too long.

After a cup or two, the three of us left and went back to the camp to spend the night. I checked Zwei's tent before going to sleep, and was not really surprised to find him missing. Well, he was a night dweller and the full moon shone high and bright tonight, so he'll find his way back to camp, and it was the only thing I had to be assured of.

In the morning, Zwei was still nowhere to be seen and none of the night guards had seen him come back. One however reported that one of the peasant that asked for our help had came back and wished to see me whenever I'll be available. I trusted my men without any doubt, but night watch was a tiring task and the focus is not the same at any given moment of a watch, so I had to verify by myself if the young warrior was here. Besides, there is one place where no one had dared to look for him and with good reason. One that hold life dear do not enter a wolf's lair.

Said beast was sleeping soundly, sprawled comfortably underneath his blanket, oblivious to the activity around him. Our lifestyle didn't allowed us to sleep in, I personally warned him when he joined the company, so he knew it, but every once in a while, he stayed in his bed late. Like all the other times, I would wake him, he would glare daggers at me and Schwarzwind will continue its journey when he would be ready to go. I knelt next to Zwei's sleeping form and shook his left shoulder. He groaned and tried to slap my hand away, shifting a little. After another try, he opened his eyes, revealing his murderous gaze. He only lacked the barred teeth to look like a feral wolf.

'"Nobody in my tent except if I invited them.", I know.'

'You're the only one not to have understood that yet.' replied Zwei with a gruff voice. '"I wouldn't be here if you were up", I know that already...'

'Good. I want you to come with me today. Grab something to eat and meet me in ten minutes.'

The very first time that situation occurred, he tried to discuss the orders and go back to sleep. Let's just say he didn't liked the bucket of cold water that ensued. Of course, he had been furious and tried to duel with me for it, but after that, he never needed to be woken up twice. As usual, Zwei was on time, Kreuzgriff, his short sword, in hand. My weapon, Requiem, would stay here in the capable hands of Hilde, because Zweihänders weren't the kind of objects to carry around in town. I however highly doubted someone would attack me with the suit of armor I was wearing, and I had daggers just in case.

We departed from the camp, towards the farm grouping we helped yesterday. They had problems with thieves and beasts decimating cattle, so we stayed around town for a few days, deterring criminals, getting rid of their camps in the surroundings and setting traps for the wild beasts. This should be enough to buy them a few month of peace. Once in town, a passerby told us who had demanded us and we arrived there after a little walk. The landowner showed us around and led us to his morning discovery : a disemboweled ewe. The sight wasn't an easy one, her blood had darkened the surrounding grass and some of her organs were spilled around its corpse, but the war and my time as the Azure Knight left me with far bloodier memories. I noted that the injuries the beast had suffered weren't the same we saw when they first called us. The gashes were less frank, the work somehow clumsier and there was a lot more left of the animal. It looked like the work of a young isolated predator.

'What do you think about it, Zwei ?'

'Killed in the middle of the night. The blood has started to dry inside of it.' he added quickly after Siegfried's curious glance.

That was a very accurate statement for someone who was perched on a fence several meters away from the corpse. I stopped my observations here, promised the men we'll set up more traps around and I'll personally watch over his kettle for the night. Until then, I had time to make Zwei talk. On the way back to camp, I started :

'How was your night ?'

'Couldn't catch any sleep. And you, that little party ?'

'We left early. Have you some chores to do at camp ?'

'Not today, why ?'

'Do you want to go for a walk ? I think you could make good use of it.'

How very subtle of me. Zwei scoffed a little, though my straightforwardness never has been a problem with him. He declined politely and we get back to the camp in silence. The remaining day was rather uneventful, everyone busied themselves like they could by playing cards, doing chores or sleeping. The night eventually fell and I made my way to the farm with a torch and Requiem. The domesticated beasts were at first a little unnerved by my presence but soon calmed down. The night was clear, the moon once again full, and later, the stars showed clearly. The wind sometimes send me a cold gust to keep me awake, the silence and stillness of nature around me luring me into slumber. I hoped the whole night would be as uneventful as the day but it was only wishful thinking.

All of a sudden, it was as if the forest around the farm came to life. The wind started whistling furiously in the branches, the tree themselves sounded like they were roaring in response. The cattle stayed asleep, but I was in alert. A sinister thing was running fast amidst the trees. I had the strangest of feeling about that beast, whatever it was. I never caught sight of it, but I could somehow feel it was moving around the place, without any explicit hurtful intent. I patrolled around the enclosure to keep him at bay, but I was under the impression it wasn't what really drove it away. A few minutes after it left, a rooster cried, ringing the end of my long shift. I met with my employer, got paid a little sum after a short report and began walk back to camp. Once out of town, I had an unexpected encounter :

'Zwei !' Hailed Siegfried.

'Sieg...?' Answered Zwei with a sleepy voice.

'Look like you didn't got a lot of sleep either. Why are you up so early ?'

'Being walking around, since "I could make good use of it".' Answered the young man ironically.

'You shouldn't keep that going for too long. We can't permanently keep an eye on your back in battle.'

'Don't worry about that, it has been going on for a while now. I have everything under control.'

'What are you exactly talking about ?'

'Running around on full moon nights.'

He stopped dead in his tracks. He immediately regretted. "Running around on full moon nights", hum ? That explained quite a lot, actually. However, dark spots remained. I choose to go easy on him. I didn't get that confession fairly and I didn't want him to feel betrayed. Now that part of his mystery was unveiled, maybe he would talk about it by himself, or in the worst case, I would got in one more argument to make him do so. We parted ways in the camp, each one going in his own tent to rest. I talked with Hilde in the afternoon, and since she was on night shift, I asked her to warn me if Zwei was behaving strangely. The endless cycle of day and night continued, and with a new night came new insight. Hilde woke me and reported :

'Zwei is missing.'

'Do you know for how long ?'

'More or less ten minutes I guess, judging by my patrol.'

'There is nothing to worry about, Hilde. I will simply see if I can find him. If I'm not here by tomorrow morning, you may send men to search for us, but not before.'

'Siegfried, is there something we should know about ?'

'Maybe the night watch will change next month, but it is too early to take decisions.'

Hilde nodded. I walked, guided by the moon. The better the view, the closer I supposed I was to my goal. And that reasoning paid. After ten minutes, I found a clearing rather well exposed to the moonlight beams, with a peculiar sight in the middle of it : Zwei, in the nude, curled up and sleeping. I found his boots and clothes on the branch of a nearby tree. When I attempted to come closer to his belongings, he began growling, not so sleepy anymore. I turned around, hand on my dagger handle and discovered our comrade on all four, barring his teeth, with a fierce, dangerous and primal look in his now golden irises, ready to jump at my throat. One would think he wasn't a serious threat at the moment, but if it was him who disemboweled that ewe and since he had the strength to tackle me and the required agility to reach my throat, I wasn't that optimistic. I went back to where I came from under his burning gaze and when he deemed the distance sufficient, started to go backwards and fled in the bushes. I was deeply disturbed, and wondered what he'll remember by tomorrow. I stood there, processing what just happened and contemplated if I should left something to say I witnessed everything. I decided against and went back to camp to a worried Hilde.

'Did you found him ?'

'Yes, but he wanted to be left alone. He promised he will be back in the morning.'

'Don't get me wrong, Siegfried, I trust him, but someone has to do something about this. Do you want me to...?'

'It won't be necessary, Hilde. I'm certain he would be moved by your concern, but rest assured, the matter is in my hands now.'

Well, I felt like I was breaking a good half of the oath we agreed on when Hilde became my sworn ally. Even though it had been her initiative in the first place, and he had been adamantly opposed to it back then, I still had the feeling to betray her trust and it bothered me. However, I thought Zwei would not want his secret to be revealed, and he would probably make me regret to ever learn about it. Even if he remembered, I should be able to stay alive at least until tomorrow, if my presence tonight didn't change anything in the cycle.

I was comforted in the morning when I saw a certain black clad mercenary carrying buckets of water and some animation surrounding him. And believe me, it wasn't for the buckets of water. Men were expecting the days where Zwei couldn't get up in the morning, because it meant that two days after, he would pick two men and go on a hunt with them. And apparently, those hunts were a once in a lifetime experience. I had yet to be invited and to be honest, I was quite curious about it. They always left without bows or any real hunting equipment and always came back with too much to eat. Zwei chose his companions, asked for permission and they departed. And like every other time, they came back for noon, spent but happy, with three days worth of meat for all the group. Within the hour, everyone was feasting. We salted and shared between everyone what we could not eat today and began packing everything, so we could leave before the sunset.

For nearly thirty days, we roamed roads, villages, towns. For a whole month, I paid attention to Zwei's mood, trying to foresee the start of a future cycle. Instead, I learned that Viola seemed to be able to predict moon phases with great accuracy. And I intended to use that as much as I could. Except I was too late. The full moon showed before I could decide for a real course of action. I couldn't follow the young man on the first two nights, but found him in a nearby clearing by the third night. I observed him for several minutes, and while I believed I had been silent enough, he changed his sleep posture to face me and locked his golden eyes on me until I left. He was less wary and threatening than last time but he still seemed ready to jump on me if the need arose. I didn't stay much longer after that and everything went back to normal the morning after. However, I noticed he seemed a little distracted when he asked for his hunting permission. Aside from that, nothing changed at all.

To be ready for the next cycle, I only waited twenty days to see Viola. And by the first full moon night, I had everything ready. Well, everything that could be mastered by a man, anyway. And a moon-possessed Zwei isn't one of those things. I searched him for several hours each one of the three night, and didn't even caught sight of him. Was he being more elusive because I found him the first two times ? I wasn't sure but it was a possibility. And seeing how Zwei didn't came to ask for his permission and started avoiding me for the next few days, I thought I had a solid proof of my theory.

Hopefully, we stopped by a town that required our protection for a month or two and offered a neat sum of money for it. We settled down, and I took Zwei on scouting. He was rather bored by it, but I could saw his interest spike when we neared a clearing. I wondered if he even realized it. I had to test his reaction when we actually entered one, so we did so. And it was the moment he choose to speak :

'Are you searching for spots to sunbathe, Sieg ?'

'Look who's talking !'

'I already told some of your men it was natural tan, I thought the word would have reached your ear. It's boring around here, anyway. Did you pick me for that little "Walk & Talk" thing you told me about two month ago ? You didn't even do the scouting by yourself usually !'

'Alright, brat, we go back to camp.'

'Call me "brat" again and I assure you will need someone to watch your back, Sieg !'

'I don't need anyone beside you to do that, Zwei !'

That started a week or so after the end of the last cycle. The occasions to use Requiem were getting sparse, so I trained every two days early in the morning to be able to take it up if I needed it. And I found an unexpected audience. Of course, I didn't told him immediately I knew he was there, because he remained hidden all along and I still didn't know where he really was hiding. I just felt his intense gaze between my shoulder blades. How did I know it was his ? Well, I had no certitudes. I just knew. He followed me in silence after the initial shock and nothing really happened for two weeks. He kept watching me, I still didn't find him and the start of a new cycle was coming by, slowly. The new full moon eventually showed up but this time, I was ready. I waited until the night was at its darkest and toured the nearest clearings.

I found him scraping his shoulder against a tree. He noticed me immediately but didn't flee. He sniffled the air and looked curiously at me. I guess it wasn't me he was after, but rather the meat piece I had behind my back. I showed it to him, and something lightened up in his beast eyes. He took one or two steps towards me, warily. I went next to a tree, sat and threw the meat at a reasonable distance. He closed the distance between it and him, sniffled it, looked at me, sniffled at it again, snatched it and went back a little. I observed him, and remarked he really was acting like a wolf would. He kept the meat on the ground with his right hand and try to tear little bits so he could chew on them. His posture was so unnatural for a human body, down on his knees, almost folded in half just so he could get a mouthful. His hands were adorned with black and sharp claws except his thumb for some reason, his canine longs and pointy. I mentally replaced this image by one of a true wolf. When he was done with the meat, he stayed where he was and looked in my direction. Maybe the possession brought unseen enhancements, but Zwei always had a keen sense of smell anyway, so I threw one of the marrowbone I intended to keep for the night after. He caught it in the air, coming a little closer to me. His jaw was powerful enough to snap the bone in half and I only got his attention when I rose to return to camp. He watched me leave, licking his lips. The next morning, Zwei slept in like usual and went on patrol all day long.

Night fell once more and wolf Zwei and I met in the same clearing. I brought the remaining marrowbones, and threw the first one closer to me than yesterday. It worked, and by the third one he was almost eating in my hand. I feared it would have been harder to coax him, but I guessed he wasn't that savage after all. I still wasn't petting his head, but I had the feeling it would come faster than I expected. We didn't do much more that night. However, our recent activities around town had drained me and I went back to camp earlier than the night before. And the night after as well, but for a different reason : Zwei fell asleep a few meters away from me. I found no point in staying, so I left. And that idea was a good one, since I had a surprise the morning after :

'Sieg, get out of that suit of armor of yours ! Today, we hunt !' yelled Zwei from the middle of the camp.

'Don't you think it is a little sudden ? It's not like I have matters to attend to here.' answered the elder, leaving his tent.

'Leave that to the girls, they can deal with it. Or maybe you just don't want to cut your pretty face in the forest ?'

'I hope you have at least one good reason for this whim, Zwei.'

'Chill, Boss, I'll lend a hand to Hilde if needed.'

'On which side are you supposed to be, Klaus ?' asked Siegfried, genuinely surprised. 'Well... Try not to set the camp on fire while I'm not here, old friend. And don't make a fool of yourself, Zwei, I only come because I don't want to see you throw a tantrum.'

I discarded my armor, put on some lighter clothes and retrieved a bow from my belongings. I couldn't even recall the last time I used it. My aim was going to be laughable. When I was ready, I joined the hunter. He rose an eyebrow when he saw my bow but stayed silent. We left the camp and I followed Zwei as he led us deep into the forest. He was obviously at ease among the trees, branches and other bramble, and I wondered if it had something to do with his nocturnal runs. However, I was far from the truth. We stopped seemingly in the middle of nowhere without any warnings, my companion took off his boots as if it was the most natural thing to do, took a pair of dagger from them and my bow from me, handed me one of the sharp weapon and hid our stuff in a tree.

'You're still with me, Sieg ? You hadn't questioned or complained about anything yet.'

'You invited me, it would be impolite to complain.'

'Don't be so formal, Sieg. There is no one beside you and I. And the fun will soon begin.'

I guess it was when I saw the look in his eyes that I understood. The ferocious glint almost sent shivers down my spine. No wonder he threw my bow. We weren't here to hunt like noblemen. No wonder it was a "once in a life-time experience". Men weren't supposed to hunt alongside beasts. It worried me. When he was possessed, he was dangerous, but he had almost no rational thoughts, or at least it was what I believed. The human being I saw before me, playing with his dagger with a sick smile plastered on his face, had the thought process of a human, the instinct of a starving wolf and possibly its reflexes. As long as I wasn't his prey, everything should be fine. And to achieve that, I had better not stand in his way.

'Ready ?'

I nodded almost timidly. And in a flash, he was gone. I caught sight of him and ran after his dancing image among the trees. He wasn't running anymore. He was the winter wind carrying the last leaves. His movement were fluid, silent. His pace was fast, restless. He took impossibly sharp turns without any warnings. It continued, seemingly out of time, like the forest itself has become infinite. No matter where I looked when I wasn't trying to trip, trees were there as far as the eye could see. Then, something changed. Something that I couldn't properly explain. I couldn't tell if it was a light smell, a faint sound, a vague sight, or a plain feeling. It just happened, and Zwei reacted. He slowed down, took more careful but as silent steps. I immobilized immediately, afraid I would make his prey run away. I saw the prodigious jump in slow motion. From here, Zwei's hand grazed the neck of the doe. It looked like a caress from here. The bloody gash his forearm left in its wake said otherwise. The wild animal spasmed until the young man whispered something in its ears and closed its eyes. The whole scene staggered me. I didn't really know if I was impressed or afraid, though. Zwei studied me, my face, my reaction. His stare was searing. And to be honest, I didn't want to know what made it so intense. The atmosphere was suddenly heavy between us.

Then, the spell broke. He took the corpse on his shoulder, brought us back where the game started, and dragged me to his next prey. The course of action was always the same, and by the fifth iteration, fatigue was taking its toll on us. And just when I thought he would take me on a sixth, we stopped by a river after yet another unbridled journey. He lay down with abandon, his chest heaving, a leg arched and his left arm draped loosely on his midsection. I discarded my shirt and threw it aside without paying attention and lay down next to my younger companion. I wonder what someone walking here at this precise moment would think. We were hopefully dressed enough to avoid any confusion but the though lingered in my mind longer than needed. And then Zwei gave the finishing blow to my sore body and wandering spirit :

'I dreamed about you.'

'What kind of dreams ?'

'I can't remember them very well. I just know you were there, one way or the other.'

I massaged my eyes with the tips of my finger to chase the images playing behind my eyelids. In seventeen years, I had more time than needed to discover all the things I was denied when I was the host for Soul Edge and later Soul Calibur. Sexuality was one of them. I had adventures in seventeen years, being on the road had helped : you didn't had to be ashamed of what kind of service you were using, by the morning, you wouldn't be here anymore. And with Klaus came another discovery. He had always been a member of Schwarzwind, and from the very beginning, I could tell something was off. I learned later that Klaus choose his lovers among men. Understandably, he didn't want anyone to learn about it, especially not me. But what happened in Schwarzwind's camp, stayed in Schwarzwind's camp. We were stateless, free of laws and religion. We didn't judge, because what made the strength of the group was our unity. After that turning point, my horizons broadened. The few experiences I had were enjoyable. I pushed that line of thought aside after hearing a far too vivid light panting sound right above me. I casted my hands away from my eyes, opened them and found precisely when my ears heard : Zwei, each one of his hand on the side of my head, looming over me, still recovering.

'Are you okay, Sieg ? If you are too old for this, you should have told me.'

'I'm okay, leave me five more minutes, vigorous young man.' Mocked the blond swordsman. 'What time is it ?'

'We will be at camp for noon.' Zwei said, after retreating to have a proper look at the sky.

'Good. Can I drink a bit before we go ?'

'Sure, go ahead. I'll wait.'

'Why would you have to wait ? The river is long enough for us both !'

'Superstition.'

Well, that was a reason like any other. And with what he must have experienced lately with the entire "holy warrior" story, I couldn't blame him. He drank after me, we retrieved our belongings and came back to camp under a round of applause. Everything went back to normal and so was the following week. I pondered a long moment during that calm week. That hunting party made me think about Zwei presence. He joined the group out of gratitude, because I protected Viola and him. By finding Patroklos, he repaid his debt. Obviously, Zwei belonged more in the wild than in a mercenary group. I observed him and after what I saw in the forest, he seemed so withdrawn from us, so secretive, almost like he was playing a role. And I had to talk with him about it, so I convoked him one afternoon.

'You wanted to see me ?'

'Indeed. Take a seat.'

'So, what is it ?' asked Zwei after a short silence.

'You do know you owe nothing, now, right?' Zwei nodded. 'It means you're free to go, as well as Viola, if you feel like it.'

'Are you telling me to leave Schwarzwind?'

'Of course not. I'm glad to have you around...'

'What's your point, then ?' attacked Zwei.

'What I saw in the woods make me think you would be more in tune with yourself without us. The shell you seem to bear here vanished last week.'

'I don't know if you are telling me the truth but did you thought where I would go if I left ? I have nowhere else to go.' he added, after Siegfried rose a brow, 'Schwarzwind is my pack. But if the alpha male has serious reasons to expel me from it, I won't stay longer than necessary.'

And with that, he left, angered. It was for now of no use to go after him. After twenty minutes, I searched for him. When I returned, he was in his tent, trying to pack his things. With a firm grip on his shoulder, I spun him around and looked at him straight in the eye.

'You are staying. I can't let the cubs on their own that young, can I ?'

I saw on his face surprise and well hidden joy. Only a faint smile passed through, and that was a rare sight. Ever since that day, he made some efforts to brood a little less among us. He was still more often grinning than smiling, or carving signs into wood than playing cards with everyone. By the time another cycle started, he spared regularly with other men and sometime stayed up when it wasn't his night shift to help. As for me, I grew tired with several night patrols I had to do for one of our anxious clients. I however refused to let Zwei on his own for that cycle, and joined him on his first night. I struggled a little to find him but he seemed happy to see me, especially with the piece of meat I brought. He fell asleep soon after, next to me, and though I didn't know when, I followed him in the slumber realm. The next morning, the sunlight woke me up. Zwei was nowhere to be seen. My dagger wasn't at my belt anymore. And wood shavings were scattered around me.

'Tell me, Sieg, how was your night ?'

'Now that you mention it, I'm a little cold right now.' answered the elder.

'For how long do you know ?' asked Zwei with venom in his voice.

'It is the fourth cycle I take part in.'

'That explains a lot, actually. The scouting, your worries about me, the "more in tune with yourself without us". How could I have been so blind ? Do me a favor and stop following me on full moon nights. I have a good reason to stay away from camp during those times. Anyone else knows about it ?'

'No.'

'Good things you can keep secrets.'

He threw the piece of wood he was carving away and my dagger at my feet. That day had to happen, I guess. But I wondered, what was that good reason he talked about ? Anyway, I wasn't going to just listen to him. I would feel like abandoning him. He could boast all he wanted he got things under control, maybe it was the case, but I wasn't leaving him alone on this one. I came back the following night, and apparently, he was expecting me. With no gentle attention. The moment I put a feet in the clearing, he was growling and ready to pound on me. The fight seemed inevitable. I didn't brawl often in my life, but a possessed Zwei was going to be an interesting opponent. I took two steps towards him and knelt. He lunged and sent us both roll on the floor. He emerged on top, clawing at my arms and trying to bite me. When he tried to claw at my face instead, I took his wrist in a vicious grip, dislodged his other hand from my arm and hold his wrist in a similar fashion. He tried to break free, but I eventually knocked him over. From here, I reached for his throat, letting go a hand that had the time to cut my left cheek. Once I had his throat however, he immediately stopped struggling. I let go his other wrist, that he let fall, slack, alongside him and retracted the hand surrounding his neck. He stayed unmoving for several seconds, worrying me. His gaze was full of fright and respect. He rolled slowly on his side, then on all four trying not to break eye contact. He backed off cautiously and lay down with his head in the middle of his hands, on the grass. He watched me curiously as I sat against a tree trunk. The staring contest continued as he rose and approached. When he was close enough, he started to smell me, like he was trying to commit my odor to memory. Then, he came a bit closer still and rubbed his scalp under my chin. And after that, seemingly because he got no reaction from me, he gave the cut he made in my cheek a long lick and fell asleep on my knees.

'How will I explain that to you in the morning ?'

I drifted off to sleep, lulled by my tiredness and the soft warmth emanating from my comrade, my hand unconsciously stroking his hair.

'Sieg ! Sieg ! Wake up for fuck sake !'

'Zwei... ? Calm down, please.' said the blond man with a sleepy voice, eyes still closed. 'Are you dressed ?'

'Of course I am ! Weren't you listening when I told you not to follow me anymore ?! Now tell me precisely what happened !'

I told him, as he amicably asked. By the end of the story, I could tell he didn't believe it all. But he also seemed to grow concerned when I mentioned the brawl and pointed my still red cut.

'Was there a blood swap ?'

'Not that I can recall...'

'Sieg, it's not the moment to fool around. Be honest, was there a blood swap ?'

'I bled, I was cut. If anything, the blood went from me to you, not the other way around.'

'Thanks goodness !'

'Why is that so important, anyway ?'

He froze. He looked destabilized, with a little of anger in the eye. However, rather than running away like he would usually do, he sat cross-legged in front of me. He seemed to hesitate, and after a sigh, stated :

'I don't want you to share my curse.' confessed Zwei with a neutral tone.

'Is that really how it works ?'

'I'm not sure, and I don't want to find out. Especially not with you.'

'Any other supposed means of transmission ?'

'Toast with someone, drink at the same spring as I... '

'That explain quite a lot, actually.' thought Siegfried.

'Go where I go as a wolf...'

Everything dawned on me at once. Apparently, the only thing that didn't involved me trying to be cursed was the hunt. It wasn't the curse I feared the most. I had been an imbecile all along. I must have been oozing with uneasiness, or turned a shade of white because Zwei shook my left shoulder.

'I know you didn't meant to do that, so now get a hold of yourself. Everyone will be worried for us if we don't make it to the camp in ten minutes. I'll handle what I can in your stead today so you can rummage through your thoughts quietly.'

I merely nodded. Hilde welcomed us, asking where we had been in the past few hours, why we didn't reported we were leaving and saying that everyone was worried about us. Only after did she asked for the cut. Zwei babbled something about a beast attacking me and him getting the creature off of me while I regained the peace of my tent. It was a lack of communication, all along. We put each other in danger because of a simple lack of communication. I still couldn't believe it. I took care of everything I would usually do in the camp, but for the first time since I reformed Schwarzwind, my mind was elsewhere. Zwei knew how he could transmit his curse, but he never mentioned a way to break it. I could only suppose he searched but didn't found one. But he couldn't possibly have searched everywhere, so maybe I could still help him. And the first person I would turn to to find hints in case of magical problems was Viola. I had better talk about it with Zwei beforehand, though. Now, or tomorrow for that matter, wasn't a favorable moment. I had to wait for the next night, and two or three days after so Zwei and I could rest. I had the feeling that the next night was going to be an especially long one, so I went to bed in the middle of the afternoon, much to Hilde surprise. She didn't say much, because I still appeared to be shocked. While trying to find sleep, I though I might not wake up in time to follow Zwei.

The Moon apparently didn't want his son to be alone tonight. I awoke with a start in the darkest of night. I immediately went for the clearing, drawn by the moonlight. As usual, Zwei was already there, though he seemed agitated, from a distance. And then he saw me. He didn't bark, but I swore I heard him do so. He rushed at my side and tried to pull me in the clearing by the sleeve. I didn't put any resistance and he dragged me next to the tree I fell asleep against the two other night. When I sat, he put his hands on my torso and started licking my face. Even with the mental image of a black wolf, this was getting out of hand. I pushed him aside and put my hands in the grass. He seemed sad. I wasn't more resilient to a sad dog face than anyone else, so I patted him on the head. He rolled on his back, almost begging me to rub his belly. The situation was getting increasingly grotesque with each passing moment. I tried not to look at him, but something caught my eye. The crescent moon tattoo on his torso was shimmering with white reflections. I wasn't absolutely sure it was the first time he has been doing something like that, but it was the first time I noticed. Seeing that I didn't complied with his request, Possessed Zwei cuddled and took his sweet time to settle down on my lap. He didn't fell asleep this time however. I could tell without even watching him because when I began to stroke his hair, he reached for my hand with his head. Without really realizing, my hand started to wander on its own. From his hair, I slowly caressed the bridge of his nose, then went to scratch under his chin. He was very appreciative of it and reached for my hand when I was done. But I tried something different. I let one of my fingers slide along his neck, then down his spine. Zwei's body responded with a shiver and a sigh that didn't belonged to the animal he was impersonating at the moment. For a split second, I was under the impression Zwei had broken the possession spell when his head turned toward me and a flash of turquoise showed in his golden irises. But when he rubbed his head against my torso in appreciation, I concluded it was only an impression. Out of cautiousness, I avoided to touch him in any other place than his face. I petted him a little while longer, until he fell asleep, and followed him soon after.

The next morning, Zwei was once again up before me. We didn't talk this time. Something was disturbing him. Greatly. He went on his usual hunt with two of my men, they came back with enough meat for us all and the day was uneventful at best. I kept an eye on Zwei and the confused gaze he had in the morning never left him. I was on night shift that night, so I fell in a deep slumber after a long hour watching the gibbous moon. Alas, I didn't sleep that long. I was drawn out of it by what I first identified as a calm breeze blowing on my face. Then, I noticed it was a regular and warm breeze, that it blew only next to my lips. I opened my eyes drowsily, only to find someone's face less than a centimeter away from mine. It backed off quickly and until I could focus, the form was dark and indistinct. The moon outside provided only a dim light through the fabric of my tent. I would hold my sleepiness responsible for my lack of self-defense reaction but that intruder seemed oddly trustworthy. I rose on my elbows and he responded by straightening up. And that's when I saw small bolts of lighting running on the other form and everything clicked.

'Zwei ? What are you doing here ?'

'…'

'I know you're not possessed, the moon isn't full anymore.'

'How do you know it is me ? I don't even see your face.'

'Call it an intuition... What are you here for ?'

'I... I want to remember your touch.' whispered the young man.

'Is that a polite way to ask for an intercourse ?'

The heavy silence that followed led me to believe he understood very well what kind of intercourse I was talking about. It didn't sounded like him to hesitate or to be shy about something. Besides, I wasn't really sure to understand what he was talking about. The only idea I had to know what everything boiled down to was to encourage him.

'I didn't meant to upset you. Now tell me what has being bothering you since this morning.'

'I'm aware of what happens to me while I'm possessed, but I don't recall how it feels like when I'm back to normal. And, you've done something that made me surface. I wish to know what it was.'

To be honest, it sounded like a very bad idea to agree to his request. I may have acted inappropriately towards him while he was semi-conscious. Those acts didn't carry the same messages now that he wasn't a beast anymore. I couldn't simply do the exact same gesture now that he was an equal. I wasn't sure I wanted to take the risk to see him misinterpret...

'Misinterpret what ?' suddenly thought the eldest.

'Have you done something you should be ashamed of ?'

His tone was strangely calm, conciliatory. He wanted to know. It almost sounded like he would be pleased to know what happened. It did make sense but it seemed so aberrant to me, accumulated with everything that has happened lately my head almost hurt. My mind was a mess. Too many questions, too many acts to think about, little to no answers, lack of sleep...

'It's alright if you can't tell me, Sieg. I guess you do not understand what your instinct whispers anymore.'

I heard the shuffling of clothes and saw a ray of moonlight briefly enter my tent when Zwei got out by the side of my tent. I was far too exhausted to make any sense out of what happened, so I decided to sleep on it, as my fuzzy mind wouldn't let me do otherwise anyway. I wasn't at all surprised to find I had overslept the next morning. And if it wasn't for the whole camp bursting with life, I would have stayed a little longer under the covers to calm the splitting headache I had. I rose with a little difficulty and put on my armor despite being still numb. While I was getting ready, I overheard Hilde and a voice I knew quite well now throwing orders around. I had better step in before they drive everyone crazy. I got out of my tent, which Hilde immediately noted. Zwei and her shared a glance, nodded to each other and the lady came toward me :

'Good morning, Siegfried. You should have told me you were sick, Zwei and I could have taken your place earlier.'

'You know me, I didn't expected it to last that long. I see you two have done well until now, so I'll think about it next time.'

And with a smile, she was back to work. I honestly wished I could tell her. She probably was still worrying about Zwei and I didn't want to be her next subject of concern. The former had covered me up nicely, by the way. Zwei was crafty, it was a secret to none, and especially not to me lately. And it confirmed he would do whatever was necessary to keep his secret between him and I. I ignored if it was a good idea and how long we will be able to keep it that way, but I will respect his will as long as I could. Some men came to see how their captain was doing in the afternoon, gave me some advices and went back to their tasks. For the following weeks, I got some quality rest, and left Hilde with more responsibilities. I planned to meet Viola but since I didn't got the occasion to concert with Zwei about what I should tell the young woman, I postponed my visit. I feared I would once again miss the next Full Moon, but I found Zwei in my tent an evening, waiting with a worrisome expression on his face.

'May I help you ?'

'A new cycle will begin soon. Don't come, under any circumstances.'

'You are convinced it is useless to warn me, aren't you ?'

'Trust me on this one. October's moon have frightening names for a reason.'

I didn't know anything on full moon name, except maybe the Harvest Moon, in September. Zwei's attitude left me with an uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. We shared a glance. His screamed 'Don't leave me alone on this one'. The only thing I had in mind was to find a way to help him better than the other times. I hoped he understood it. His shoulders seemed lighter when he got out, but his steps stayed heavy. His body language was easier to read now. My following nights were punctuated with unusual dreams. They started almost every time with the same pattern : Zwei and I were going on another hunt, that was awfully similar to the one he invited me to, but he was less preoccupied with my exhaustion and more eager to find a way to make my chest heave for quite a different reason. To be honest, I was willing and even helping him achieve his goal, as well as repaying him his cares in kind. Amazingly, I could faintly feel his lips and his heat on my skin for a few second after my awakening. Every time, I would stay down and look around to see if it was really my mind playing tricks on me. Every time, I would find out that yes, my mind was creating such vivid visions and feelings on his own. It was new to me. I dreamed, like everyone, but recurring dreams were another things entirely. Especially when those dreams were about someone. Was I on the verge of some kind of mid-life crisis ? And what did it make of Zwei ? Was it a fleeting desire or something that would last ? I wished I could answer all those questions without sounding like a damsel. In my early forties, it was downright embarrassing. The questions usually invaded my head before I could sleep, so when my head was clear after a long week, I knew something was up.

'Full moon again, hum ?' concluded the German warrior.

'Tell me Hilde, have you heard about full moon name ?'

'Oh, Viola. Why aren't you sleeping this late ?'

'Well, I supposed you might like a little company. And the moon is beautiful tonight.'

'Is Viola distracting Hilde for me ?' wondered Siegfried.

'Alright, tell me more about those names, then.'

'Men gave names to the moon related to their activities or the season. June moon, for example, is called the "strawberry moon", because it's the time when you can pick them.'

'How about this month's moon ?'

'It has multiple name. Some call it the "hunter's moon", other the "sanguine moon", because of how red it is.'

I had no doubt anymore :Viola's intervention wasn't trivial. She somehow managed to know I was here, that I would need her help to bypass Hilde surveillance, and provided a nice bit of information. Maybe Zwei feared more the moon's name rather than the moon or the cycle itself. I headed for the nearest clearing, but didn't find the young man. I ran to the next one, urged by a little of anguish. After the third, I found him scratching his hand's claw against a tree trunk. He was rather unresponsive to my presence this time, but he wasn't distraught or restless either. I whistled. He faced me, came slowly, sniffled my hand and let it into his hair afterward. It was good to know he somehow still recognized me, and that is tattoo was reacting. He wasn't that cuddly tonight, but nonetheless rested his head along with his forearms on my knees and began falling asleep. The mental image of a wolf refused to replace his naked body. I could only pray the sight of his broad shoulders and his well-toned chest wouldn't spark an untimely reaction. I chased the suggestive flashes my head was sending me and let my hand linger on my forehead. The gesture was apparently enough to unnerve my comrade, as he poked at my forearm with his hand. His face held the slightest hint of concern and it was playing with my heartstrings. After several seconds of staring at him, a single question sprung in his mind. What would happen if I stole him a kiss ? Just one... He wouldn't even recall it in the morning. Or maybe he would recall. But was it that important ? He kept ogling me every occasion he had, he even got in my tent at night to do who knows what !

'You're making me doing irrational things, Zwei. I'll regret this...'

And yet, I stilled his face in my hands and brought our faces on the same level, and came closer to his. He was surprisingly docile and calm. His expression changed for an instant, showing curiosity instead of concern. Afterward, I inched close enough to be unable to see all his face anymore, and my eyes closed automatically soon after. He then startled me when he put his hand on my mouth and ebbed away.

'I can't let you do that. I don't know what would happen. Sieg...'

Suddenly, both of his hands reached for his head and he folded in half, grunting in what appeared to be pain. I didn't know what to do to ease his torment, so I simply stayed still, watching a sickening spectacle. It was when his elbows touched the ground that I snapped out of my inaction. I covered his hands with mine and pulled him flat against me, like a mother would do with her frightened child. Luckily, he fell in a position that allowed me to whisper gently in his ear :

'Stop resisting like that, Zwei. We have several hours left before the sunset. You'll hurt yourself.'

'I don't want to kill humans anymore.' articulated Zwei painfully.

'As long as I'm here, nothing like that will happen. I swear it.'

He tried to bury his head in the crook of my neck, let his hands fell and the Earth pulled them almost violently. His body was hit by a tremor and he relaxed, all signs of pain gone. His breathing was steady and regular, so I assumed he was asleep. Unlike the preceding times, I didn't follow suit. Instead, I thought of his last declaration while absentmindedly caressing his forehand with my thumb. So our hands were stained with blood ? With the black claws, it wasn't hard to believe. The proof I had once done the same weren't as visible now. And yet, I knew scars had time to heal, but not to close entirely. The last question that crossed my mind when I finally gave in to slumber was : will you be the one to pry them open or will you help me suture them for good ? Maybe both...?

'Earth to Sieg ! Earth to Sieg !'

'Five more minutes...'

'You're sure a heavy sleeper for someone with responsibilities.'

'But look around, the sun is barely up !'

'That's the point, so we can make it to the camp without worrying Mom Hilde.'

'Promise me she will never learn of that surname. She would kill you for it.' warned Siegfried after a short laugh.

When we neared the camp, Zwei showed me a discreet path to join my tent. I was up half an hour later, like nothing unusual happened during the night. My younger comrade found his courage only two hours later, but was in a surprisingly good mood. He helped around with the packing, since our contract with the local town was expiring soon, with the first days of Spring. Hopefully, our rumored werewolf will have enough time go on his usual cycle-closing hunt before we departed. But until then, we still had two nights to go. With the busy afternoon, the wait was rather short and I was almost surprised when I didn't see the sun high anymore. Zwei spent the dinner chatting, laughing around. He was now far from his past introverted self. But other profiles were clouding the horizon.

'May I have a word with you, Siegfried ?'

'Of course, Hilde. Have a seat. What do you want to talk about ?'

'Well, all night watchers are written down in our registers. I couldn't help but note that since two or three months, neither you nor Zwei had been on a night watch during a full moon night. You two made the same number of watch as any of our men, Zwei even made one more last month, so I guess everything is alright.'

'What's your point then, Hilde ?'

'Quit playing innocent. I know you and Zwei are hiding things from us. Even if it is a personal matter, we both know you are far too prone to keep your problems for yourself and let them rot in a corner.'

'I have to ask you to reconsider. Am I hiding things from them ?' the knight made a large arm sweep designating the guests, 'Or am I hiding things from you ?'

I knew Hilde wasn't stupid. But the heart could easily make you mistake one of those things for the other. And I had been confronted with the case several time already. It was however the first time that a woman was the source of the remark. Hilde was a collected person, but I still feared her immediate reaction.

'They may not seem like it now, but I can swear to you that half of my men were at least once in the same predicament as Zwei's. You once were too. While I'm now by his side doesn't mean I'm not by yours anymore. We are working his problems out, leave us some time.'

'Please excuse me if I'm interrupting something, may I join you ?' asked Viola after a short silence between Hilde and Siegfried.

'Of course, Viola. Did your cards told you something ?'

'Well, I examined some of them last night and realized I could draw some parallels between some cards and people in the camp. One of the most striking, I think you'll agree with me, is between the eighteenth arcana and Zwei.'

'The eighteenth ? Isn't it the Moon ? This one is indeed almost obvious, but wouldn't it be applied to you too ? What does the card itself means ?'

'Zwei is much more than I a child of Selene. In the readings, it usually carry feelings like confusion, fear, deception and tension.'

Speaking of the young man, he was now out of my sight. Viola hastily and discreetly showed me a direction. As naturally as possible, I followed her hint. On the way, I wondered if I wasn't a little early. The stars were bright compared to the pitch black night sky, but our comrade seemed absent. The branches ruffled, and for a moment, I believed I had found him. However, when I saw a hooded figure with a blade as long as my hand, I grabbed my dagger. I parried the first incoming blows and gauged his abilities. That guy was out to kill, every single one of his movement screamed it. I could use his zeal against him, and I knew precisely how. But before I could put my plan into motion, I heard a howl. Its sound was feint, it came from no particular direction, but we both heard it. And the cutthroat took advantage of my distraction. I fell, ended up a little dazed when my head hit the floor. I saw a flash of silver jump above me, stayed still and listened to a fantastic growl. I rose to my elbow and discovered my aggressor fleeing before an ethereal silvery wolf pierced by a crescent moon. The beast then turned around and sat next to me.

'Ein ?' The canine barked. 'Good boy ! Can you lead me to Zwei, now ?'

He barked once more and ran in the direction where I was coming from. He didn't wait for me, and shortly became nothing but a glimmer. I followed still, worried not to have found the camp yet. I stopped and tried to act rationally, mark some trees along my path so I could know if I was really lost, look at the stars to know where was the North, but the will o' the wisp reappeared. It certainly wasn't the sanest decision I made that night, but the light was drawing me in anyway. I didn't know if the moon was especially bright tonight, but when I saw Zwei both on edge and distressed, it became the least of my worries. Our eyes met, but the younger man kept sniffing around nervously and showing his teeth. It was like all my efforts to tame him were vain and it hurt more than what I was willing to think. I simply stood still, waiting to see the events unfold by themselves. Ein went through a nearby bush and approached his master. I thought they behaved like two wolves from the same pack were supposed to : they smelled each other nose from a distance, and Ein rubbed his cheek on Zwei jawline, probably as a sign of submission. They seemingly discussed with grumbles, mewls and it somehow appeased my fellow comrade. With his task fulfilled, the wolf spirit vanished behind the back of Zwei, who strode with almost sorry steps towards me. As he came closer, he started smelling the air again, and stopped. I knelt down and stretched out my arm. It intended at first to bring the possessed man closer, but it seemed to have the opposite effect. It was only then that I realized it was the arm grazed by that rogue's weapon a few minutes ago, and it was in all likelihood the scent of my blood that was driving him away. I wasn't supple enough to lick my wound and thus show him everything was alright and go back to the camp didn't sound like a good idea. I showed him my other hand and he agreed to come closer. In ten minutes, we were back to our usual posture, though I was still under the impression he was wary : he kept moving, like he found no position comfortable. Suddenly, he let out of loud yelp, rose to his knees, shaking his hand and hissing. And stayed on his knee while he examined his hand. We shared a curious glance, blue eyes staring into turquoise ones. And it hit us.

'What did you do, this time ?'

'Give me your hand. A clean cut...' described Siegfried.

'I felt the twinge, you know. Don't you have a sheath for that dagger ?'

'… on your thumb.'

'Why does it matt...'

Just like last time, Zwei bent because of the pain. He abruptly tried to bring his hand to his head, but my grip was firm enough to keep it in mines. After unsuccessful tries, he gave in but kept twisting in pain. I could tell he was trying to talk, but I couldn't make any sense of the sounds his lips were trying to articulate. Except for a pain-loaded "Do it !". What was I supposed to do ? What did he expected me to do ? The only thing I was sure of was that I had something to do with his thumb. And see my comrade in pain was slowly eating away at my common sense. After yet another cry, I did something, yielded to a weird instinct. The yells subdued, the curled up form of Zwei relaxed, his breathing stayed deep for a few second but it eventually became steady and calm again. He tried to recover his hand, but met some... resistance. The dreaded moment of the discovery was inching closer. Zwei was for sure going to remind me of that night all along my life, but the look on his face was priceless.

'Sieg ? What is my thumb doing in your mouth ?' He shrugged. 'I assume you can't talk ?' Zwei grimaced when he heard the slurred answer. 'You can't talk. I acknowledge this will sound crazy, but bear with me, and open wide your mouth.' Zwei then moved his thumb in Siegfried's right cheek.

'That's ridiculous.' Commented the blond man.

'Well, at least your speech is understandable now. And do I need to remind you it was your bright idea ?'

'Not now. I know you, you'll remind me every possible time, so cut me some slack.'

'Damn right, pal. What do we do ? My clothes are on the other side of the clearing, and you don't seem too keen on moving.'

'We'll do what we did the last time : sleep. Make yourself comfortable.'

It took contortions and patience, but we finally settled down. Beside my folded right leg and the invading thumb, I was comfortably placed, but I wonder how Zwei was going to rest tonight. His head was in the crook of my neck, his body lightly pressed against mine, his body below his midsection curled up to keep the heat and hid his nether regions.

'So you still have some modesty left, heh ?' though Siegfried. 'Good night, Zwei.'

'Good night, Sieg'.'

When the young man woke me up, shortly before the sunrise, I had a band covering my light wound and my dagger was missing. That was unexpected, but I knew who to hold responsible for that, so I didn't even mentioned it. I got my weapon back in due time, allowing me to see briefly wrinkled but healed thumb of Zwei. I rose a brow but said nothing, to preserve that peaceful silence between us, occasionally disturbed by the wind blowing in the trees. It was a good kind of silence, despite the weird night that passed. We weren't ignoring each other, we weren't thinking about how strange the last hours had been, we were simply enjoying each other companionship for the time being. We parted ways when we neared the camp, simply knowing we would see each other the next night. It seriously began to sound like we were going on rendezvous three nights a month. And I later realized it was how Zwei sealed the deal that gave us a little tranquility. First, he barged in my tent unannounced. That wasn't as unusual, not only for Zwei, but anyone else as well, as I may make it sound, but my other men knew at least not to do it when I was doing paperwork. But as I previously said, the young man had the habit of doing such things, so I simply dealt with it.

'Since you have no attention of leaving me alone on full moon night, maybe we should go to the clearing together from now on. What do you think ?'

'A wise idea indeed. Anything else ?' answered Siegfried, still focused on his papers.

'I don't think so... Meet you after that evening meal, then.'

Secondly, after the meal, I didn't expected him to warn the night watcher, before we went "for a walk". I thought foxes were known for being cunning and wolves known for being abused by foxes, not the other way around. On a side note, I don't know if it was deliberate on Zwei's part, but the night watcher was Klaus. Klaus, besides his particular affinities, also had a talent. When I learned about it, I couldn't even understand why he choose the mercenary life while it would have opened the doors of the Emperor court for him. Klaus could tell if two people formed a matching pair. And in seventeen years, he had never been wrong once. Maybe the court wouldn't have been the best place to use that gift, because nobles would only have used it for their personal amusement, and thus, Klaus wouldn't have stayed long enough for them to realize he was always right. Knowing this, knowing what happened when he saw a couple meant to endure whatever life would be throwing at them, the glint I saw in his eyes and the found smile he gave us when we left sent chills down my spine.

Zwei got undressed away from my supposedly prying eyes. He then threw a piece of wood my way to warn me he would soon be possessed. Out of cautiousness, I waited for two more minutes and walked in the clearing. I noticed no unusual signs, so I judged the moment right to confirm my theory. The werewolf moved towards me much more naturally this time but he tensed, reasonably so, when I unsheathed my small blade. His wariness increased when I took a firm hold on his hand and he became steadily jumpier as I drove the pointy end closer to his thickest finger. He let out a weak yelp when the blade finally cut the skin and despite spasms I succeeded in retaining his hand. My comrade seemed stunned but eventually came back to his senses. He didn't even seemed surprised.

'Same trick as last night, Mister magician ? Or is there a more down to earth explanation ?'

'Beasts don't have a thumb, so I guess it recall your human nature. You probably have to be reminded constantly too, which means I'm afraid we'll have to use the same stratagem again.'

'Actually, you're quite comfortable as a pillow. So I don't mind.'

It didn't felt like him doing and saying things like that. His voice was his usual hoarse baritone and detached tone, but I stayed a little dumbfounded. Yet again, if he connived with Klaus, maybe I was in for a lot more of troubles than I expected. We took exactly the same position, and Zwei let out a satisfied sigh when he was comfortable. After such a sigh, I believed he would simply go to sleep but he was in a more talkative than usual mood.

'Do you want to know why I like to watch your back ?'

'I see no particular reasons on my own, so I'll have to tell me.'

'I saw the ocean once. I will remember it all my life. Water as far as the eye could see, the rhythm of the tides, small bits of the moon dancing on the waves crest. I swore to myself I would see it again one day.' he paused, 'The first time I saw you train in the morning, I didn't intend to stare, but I found myself mesmerized like when I watched the sea.'

I honestly didn't like where this discussion was going. Of course, I was flattered and touched that he choose to tell me that little story. I would have never thought Zwei wished to see the ocean once again, and considering the way he told me about it, I believed he had that dream since he was a child. Despite the previous Nightmare being an acquaintance of the actual Emperor, we never encountered difficulties traveling in the borders of the Holy Roman Empire. No rumors had led us to the sea until now, which was North, North-West from the zone we were currently patrolling in but it seemed like a decent destination. A fast calculus showed me the journey could be done in two weeks and a half, that I rounded up to three weeks. That small project had the strange effect of refreshing the air I was breathing. The world seemed a little brighter, too. And a carefree smile crept up my face. I didn't see it but the spark in Zwei's eyes left little doubt. I felt like an idiot, because of how long it had been since the last time I felt like this, and thus of how uncharacteristic of me it has become.

'Looks like you're not the only one out of your right mind tonight.' mused the blond swordsman.

'While we're at it, do you remember the day when you recruited Viola and I ?'

'I do remember you didn't spoke a complete word to me until the third day after your recruitment. I even asked Viola if you were mute.'

'To be honest, I was too busy undressing you with my eyes when I first met you. I was somehow relieved when you asked me to find Soul Calibur new wielder. It gave me the time I needed to think.'

He stopped here, leaving me with no conclusion. One of them could lead to some unfortunate consequences... But I was unsure whether I saw the cause as a good or a bad thing. In any way, I only wished I wouldn't be forced to bring pain in yet another human life. In his especially because he was, to me at least, almost a relative by now, like any other member of Schwarzwind. The object of my worries had in the meantime fall into a quiet slumber, blissfully oblivious to the turmoil going on in my head. He was always kind of feverish when he was under the Moon influence. I had no reasonable explanation of that phenomenon but that warmth had lured me into sleep more often than I would like to admit. Tonight was no exception.

In the morning, we followed our usual pattern. Zwei summoned two men after he took care of some chores, while I worked on our itinerary. The easiest road we could travel was to follow the course of the Elbe until Hamburg then decide if we continue until its estuary or go straight for the shore. I announced where we would be heading for the next month and got an overjoyed reaction from my German men. Under the curious gaze of the few "foreigners" Schwarzwind counted, my compatriots explained and were awarded with more enthusiasm. The Elbe's banks usually were usually teeming with caravans, thus with bandits, so we could as well be employed along the way. The men knew that well, and the more contracts, the merrier. Plus I was sure that a few head were now sporting a bright smile because they were be able to eat, or possibly catch themselves, some fish. By the next morning, we were already on the roads, Hilde opening the way and I distributing the reward earned from our last mission. Zwei and Viola were as usual closing the march. They were chatting and enjoying themselves. The young man saw me come from afar and let his eyes linger on me for an almost uncomfortable amount of time. And the fact was it wasn't a gaze cast to warn or intimidate me, albeit from a distance Zwei always appear threatening. Viola noticed and smiled. I delivered their wage to the two friends and began to join the middle of the group, but turned back midway. Zwei was pleasantly surprised, while Viola seemed at best amused.

'I forgot to thank you for your help, Viola.'

'Please, don't mention it.'

'Help ? What help ?' inquired Zwei.

'She distracted Hilde twice so I could meet up with you.'

My choice of words left Viola a little skeptic, at least from what I saw. I came back to my intended place after telling them we would be together at dinner. I wondered for a lengthy amount of time what meaning did Viola's expression carried. I simply concluded it had something to do with Hilde and I had better confront her about it as soon as possible. Along our way, we formed a convoy with several wandering merchants, as expected. In a little more than two weeks, we reached Wittenberge, and stopped there in the afternoon. For the time being, I let the men go do whatever they wished to do. As for me, I got some visit.

'Hey, are you doing something important ? I need to tell you something.'

'Well, no paperwork this time, so I'm at your entire disposal. What is it about ?'

'I asked Viola about that kiss you nearly stole me, last time.' he started, a little lower. 'What it could entail since I'm cursed.' Zwei clarified.

'Did you learn something ?'

'She gave me a cryptic answer... "You will have to bear a chain made from the blackest and heaviest steel". Or something along those lines.'

I ignored until now Viola gave her oracles in English. Or at least in what I recognized as English through Zwei's thick southern German accent. Hopefully, I had some knowledge of the rainy island tongue and therefore understood most of the warning. However, what worried me the most was who that "you" was referring to. While in German we had different pronouns to refer to a single person we knew and to several person at the same time, English simply regrouped both cases with "you". The crux of the matter was then to know if Viola was referring to Zwei alone or to Zwei and I. The "chain" itself was very ambiguous too : was it Zwei's curse or something else entirely ? I exposed my first conclusions to my younger friend but he seemed rather bothered by the small enigma.

'Any lead ?'

'I didn't even understood what she said the first time. Now that you've explained, it's clearer, but far from being solved. But as I already told you, I don't want you to be cursed.'

'It's far too simple. You would have heard of means to spread your curse, but not of the easiest and most harmless, thusly the more common, one ? This seems too much of a coincidence to me.'

He was reassured. I wasn't. This was only an hypothesis. And even if it was true, who know what could happen instead. Chains weren't usually associated with pleasant places, or being, for that matter : dangerous beasts were enchained and humans were in prison, where they could be tortured. Plus, the chain was specifically made from black and heavy steel. I didn't see anything positive with those two adjectives. I thought about it for the week and a half we had before reaching Hamburg. The only decent certitudes I had was that "you" meant both of us, and the chain wasn't Zwei's curse. I put some distance between Zwei and I, on my own volition. I subsequently wondered why I decided to do him a favor by traveling to the sea shore. I acted on a fairly reasoned impulse, but it was still an impulse. I suspected I would soon be unable to lead the group if I didn't put an end to this masquerade. I found myself strangely reluctant to end it, though. And before I could find all the resolve I needed to confront Zwei about what transpired between us recently, we were a few hours away from the coast. At dusk, most of the camp was settled down and I was kind of brooding in my tent. As I dreaded it would happen, Zwei payed me a visit after he helped around.

'Hey, you don't intent to stay here all the week, do you ?'

'I need some time by myself.'

'You won't make me believe that, Sieg'. You were avoiding Hilde, now you are avoiding me...'

'What make you think I avoid Hilde ? Besides, you should know what I spend my time doing, lately.'

'Oh please, don't give me that. You need to watch over me three nights a month, not every night for three months. Don't you lack a little sleep ? You're on edge lately.'

'Get out of here.'

No need to raise my voice. Zwei had a keen earing and my voice could be quite intimidating while low. It took me several minutes to cool off and eventually realized I may have been excessive. Still, Zwei was ungrateful, sometimes. His damn riddle was depriving me of my sleep, perhaps more than him. But it wasn't his fault. I was the one who was obsessed with it. And what was I trying to achieve by solving this riddle, anyway ? What was I unconsciously hoping for ? Before I could punch the table out of frustration, I heard the bell announcing dinner. It was welcome, to say the least. I needed a break, badly. It has been a while since we had such a grand meal. Such a joyful one, too. See them laughing and smiling made my heart warm up. It however made it obvious that the warmth didn't exactly reached my smile. I still had persons to apologize to. I waited until everyone was done and came in Hilde's direction. She made room for me next to her. I was a little uneasy at first, but with a little patience, I found my words.

'I didn't meant to avoid you lately, sorry.'

'Zwei told me he needed your support. Viola also introduced me to some Moon-related magic. So I guess I have a good idea of what is going on. I don't know how you can live with those unexplainable phenomenon around you. It would drive me crazy.'

'Sometimes I wonder how much of a sane man I am.'

'Believe me, you don't want to think too hard about this, Siegfried. Or else you may want to find a woman and have children.'

We both laughed. Yes, I guess it would sound crazy if I left the roads and decided to found an household like any reasonable man of my age should do. I guess I love the roads too much and the children too little to actually do that. Besides, what would have I to bequeath to my offsprings ? Not much I fear. Before I could delve too profoundly in my thoughts, Hilde shook my shoulder and added :

'Maybe you should go and talk to Zwei now. There was a shadow in his eyes earlier. And I believe he was in your tent before dinner, am I right ?'

'We can't hide a thing from you, can we ? Thank you, Hilde.'

I went straight for my tent and put on lighter clothes. The night weren't so fresh anymore, and the sand was a pain to get rid of inside an armor. I hurried to the nearby shore and followed it until I found the person I was looking for. He had secured a sitting place among the pebbles and his gaze was loosely following the tides. The small rocks didn't allow me to be discreet, Zwei heard me and turned around. I felt no aggression from him, so I simply sat by his side. The moon wasn't full and wasn't that high, but I could understand why he had dreamed to witness that scene again.

'It isn't has beautiful as you remember it, does it ?'

'To be honest, I think I grew out of those things. Still a nice sight, though.'

'I'm sorry I went a little overboard earlier.'

'I should be the one apologizing.'

'What for ?'

He took his time to answer. The trouble was neatly drawn on his face and it worried me.

'Hilde told me you were coming back to your self from the first time you two met. "A withdrawn repentant who was convinced his death would be the only way to expunge his sins and would accept no external help in his quest to defeat the evil sword Soul Edge.". That's a spine chilling description. Could I be the reason behind that regression, Sieg' ?'

'Why would you be the cause ?'

'I ignored you were religious and... well... I know more than enough that religion actively prohibits some relationships. And any thing that looks remotely magic to boot. Let's just say I'm a major offender in both cases.'

I would have laughed at that if my comrade didn't look like really down. He genuinely believed he had tarnished me by his mere presence and looked heavyhearted for it.

'How can you believe I am still a religious man after I had been the chosen host of two swords too powerful for ordinary men to carry ? For a time, my nemesis was my old possessed armor. I earned my right to live after I defeated the previous Nightmare. And no gods were here to help me, or guide me, in my quest. Hopefully, Hilde, stubborn as she is, restored a little of my faith in humanity.'

'What were the sin you tried to repent for, then ? And what is than old armor you talked about ?'

'Those Sins, Zwei, are pieces of my past I rarely talk about. You have knowledge of battles, and you confessed to have already killed men, but believe me, I'm not sure you are actually ready to hear what I'm about to say.

That little introduction was meant as a deterrent. Zwei's facial expression was a strange mix of morbid curiosity and cautious seriousness. I couldn't have found words to deter him, he was determined to know. Thus, I started my macabre story.

'I first sin I committed, and that actually entailed all the other, was my father murder. I didn't actually knew it was him until he presented his head to the men who were accompanying me. I suffered from trauma for several month and eventually convinced myself that the man who killed my father was actually the one wielding the legendary sword Soul Edge. I finally found the weapon next to the corpse of a pirate and defeated the flame spirit that seemed to be his guardian. I claimed Soul Edge for myself, it deemed me worthy of being its owner and thusly, Nightmare was born.'

'I have a hard time believing you were the one that brought the first Evil Seed upon this world and laid waste to Europe. Surely you had something to repent for.'

'I was insane by then. The sword promised me it would bring my father back. It was an act to harvest more souls to empower it, of course. As I was leading a ritual to fully restore the sword strength, intruders broke in and defeated the allies I had made. Their fighting spirit called me, and I restored enough sanity to fight the Sword influence. I thought it would be enough, and I was led to believe it was the case. However, I discovered I slaughtered men and women alike in my sleep. I tried to resist it, but the sword took over again. Nightmare was on rampage for the second time, and had gathered enough souls to restore Soul Edge. He came back to the place where he intended to execute the ritual the first time and began the preparation. A swordsman came by and when Nightmare tried to harvest his soul as well, I thought it was the perfect opportunity the fight the sword back. Nightmare came to a stop, stood motionless, and his opponent, albeit in a very bad shape, dealt the blow allowing me to escape the sword influence for good.'

'Since you don't mention that man's name, I assume that either you don't know who it was or you're not good friend with him. But please, continue.'

'As I surfaced, I discarded my armor as fast as possible and saw a sword bathing in light, and the other, the one which had possessed me all those years. My hands got a firm hold on the holy sword and drove it into the cursed one. I then began a journey to redeem myself, that eventually took me to a cathedral where I met my old armor, animated by the will of the Dark Sword, and we battled. The two swords clashed, until their powers combined in a gigantic explosion that blow the cathedral to bits and that I mysteriously survived. After that, I went on crusade as the host of Soul Calibur. As its twisted twin, the sword had an influence on my mind. I think it is its influence that urged me to stay to my own, not to accept any help. We eventually crossed paths with Nightmare and Soul Edge once again, but this time, I managed to put an end to this madness. For seventeen years, Soul Calibur stayed dormant, under my watchful eye, until it changed form before my very eyes. I knew it needed another wielder and you found him for me. The rest is recent enough, I guess.'

We fell silent. I think he needed time to process all the new informations. And maybe, now, be scared of me. It was true that I had reliable allies and friends I held close to my heart. But it didn't erase the fact that I was a mass murderer and a parricide. I was mostly at peace with myself now. But I couldn't ever allow someone to become more than a friend. They were possibly already more exposed to danger than anyone else, I had to be able to protect them no matter the circumstances to make it up to them. In order to do that, I couldn't let the death of a lover incapacitate me. Several minutes ticked by and Zwei laid back, his hands supporting his head. I did the same, looked at the clear skies above.

'You're no monster, Sieg'. If anything, I'm impressed. Now, I'll tell you my story, so that we will be even.'

'Don't feel compelled to. It won't change my mind, you cannot be my lover, Zwei.'

The blunt confession shook him more than the story of my life. However, Zwei wasn't one to simply give up.

'We'll discuss that later, Siegfried. Well, for starters, I'm from Austria. My mother was a fairly normal women, except that her love for my father was a little bit... unconditional. So much in fact, that she didn't even mind that her son was used as a prototype for her husband future army of werewolves. Don't get me wrong, my mother loved me and I hold no grudge against her but her love for my father was... unsettling, almost unnatural. My father wasn't gifted at birth with magic, but he believed in it, since he witnessed some of the fights of the Azure Knight. His fear of the wielder of Soul Edge made him seek a way to protect him and my mother from him. So when he learned of a spell able to change a simple man into a powerful beast-man, he didn't hesitate a second and choose me, his overcurious-in-his-male-friends of a son, as his experimental subject. As you can probably guess, the ritual didn't go as planned.'

'Is that how Ein became your pet ? And how you got your tattoo ?'

'You could say that, yes. Though it was more likely that I was intended as his pet. As for the tattoo, apparently, it's the only part of the ritual that worked.'

'And your parents ?'

'I fled home soon after I recovered from the ritual. My new instincts didn't deem the place safe enough. I was fifteen. I never came back. I don't even think I intended to come back one day.'

Zwei indeed had quite a tragic back-story. I wanted to let several minutes pass, but my unlucky comrade once again showed his uncanny ability to recover and resumed the discussion :

'Now tell me, Siegfried, now that we both know each other's past, that you didn't openly rejected me because I'm a man, tell me what is still in the way ?'

'Are you telling me you still envision me as your potential lover ? What part of my past didn't you understand ?'

'The part where you stayed single for seventeen years. Did you spend those seventeen years on a desert island or deep in a forest ? Now answer my question, Siegfried.'

'I could be your father.'

'You're not, and I don't mind the age difference. I'm an adult and I'm very aware of what I'm asking for and what I am doing.'

'No one is allowed to love me.'

He shut up. His bragging confidence was gone. I thought he would lay still, but instead, he moved and put his hands on each side of my head, like he had done in the forest. He looked serious but I saw raw emotion in his eyes.

'Why would you come to such a sad conclusion ?'

'Because I don't want anyone dead or hurt because of me, like it had already happened.'

'If you don't want anyone to be hurt, why do you keep hurting us both by denying what you feel for me ?'

'How can you be so sure of what I feel ?'

'How can you be so sure of what you feel if you never give it a try ?!'

His sudden outburst left me with a bitter taste in the mouth. What he said made sense. But not enough to convince me. What I felt had no importance. I couldn't jeopardize a human life for a selfish reason. He calmed down and started whispering.

'Sieg, please. You're not living that way. You're just waiting to die.'

'If it can allow you and the others to live safely, I'll gladly wait.'

His will was starting to wither away. His voice lost its pugnacity. His head fell, and he kept whispering, though I wondered if he really wanted me to hear what followed.

'What do you think is threatening us anyway ? The swords are gone. You did your part. You choose your successor as Soul Calibur's wielder, Patroklos. Soul Edge choose Graf Dumas and later Pyrrha. As weird as it may seem, they moved on. Why can't you ?'

He spoke words of truth. My right hand slowly rose from my belly and my index attentively followed the bridge of Zwei's nose, from its tip to his forehead. When my hand reached his hair, I let it nestle at the back of his head and pulled down abruptly. Surprised, he fell flat against me, the top of his head under my chin. I lowered my hand on his back until I could get a good grip on his jacket and gently slid it off his shoulders. I shushed to tranquilize him. Turquoise met blue. I had permission but it had better be worth it. He rose, discarded his jacket and laid back down. My index traveled down his spine, producing a short spasm and the same sigh I heard that night.

'This is what you wanted to remember. It's what brought you back to me that night.'

A smile reached his lips. Zwei rarely smiled, especially happy and tranquil smiles. I tried to commit the sight to memory, because of how rare it was. However, the supposed werewolf made a move and tried to steal me a kiss. I stopped him at the last possible moment with a single finger on his lips. They moved to form a silent "why ?". I answered with a silent "not today" and indicated the gibbous moon with my eyes. He looked at the celestial body, understood, and I gave him a found smile. We lost track of time in each other embrace, but eventually got back to our tent before the sunrise. The separation was only bearable because we were living next to the other. Zwei had grown on me a lot faster and a lot more powerfully than I expected. Paradoxically, now that I accepted my nascent bound with Zwei, I felt freer. My mind seemed unusually at peace and for the first time in several month, the following day was a carefree and tiredness-free one. Zwei waited for me where we were the previous night.

The moment was formal.

We faced each other under the white light of the moon. The wind itself perceived the moment as important enough not to blow. Rhythmically, the waters washed at the shore lazily.

' "You will have to bear a chain made from the blackest and heaviest steel". Do you accept this oath as a proof of our commitment towards each other ?'

'I gladly accept. March forth, and seal the oath with an unique act, Siegfried Schtauffen.'

I closed the distance between us. He bowed his head and our lips met in a tender yet firm kiss. It lasted a short eternity. Long enough that we both lost your breaths. The wind offered us some fresh air, so a joyful laugh could escape my mouth. Zwei eyes showed genuine confusion.

'I never realized you were taller than me by a good ten centimeters. This is ridiculous.'

'You know, it's the first time I heard an honest laugh from you. I like how it sound : rich and warm.'

'You are saying very endearing things for someone who just got cursed a second time.'