Many thanks to those of you still reading this and leaving me your thoughts. Very much appreciated. In this chapter Hal has his first encounter with a werewolf. All errors are my own and unintentional. Love to hear your thoughts :)
Chapter Twelve.
As the day moves along and the sky begins to change colour, the atmosphere becomes thicker with tension within the travelling party. Everyone is vigilant and on their guard. No one speaks. No one indulges in mindless empty conversation to try and ease the strain.
Hal's eyes scan the horizon and attempts to see more clearly through the trees at either side of the narrow rutted road. The light is beginning to fail. He knows what that means, that they must be inside before the moon rises.
Ahead of him and equally watchful is Maria. He urges his horse on to ride beside her. She turns her head as he does so but there's no smile of welcome on her face, no flirtatious twinkle in her eyes. She's just as tense as everyone else but she tries to hide it beneath a veneer of composure.
The sky grows even more dusky and long with shadows. An unearthly scream shatters the stillness and behind him Hal hears one of the wagon horses give a distressed whinny and he turns in time to see one of them rear on its hind legs and then pull away. Its mate copies, given no choice but to follow and the wagon catapults away. Beneath him, Achilles twitches, his ears flatten against his skull and it takes Hal a moment or two to calm him. In the meantime the wagon has careered off the track and is racing through the forest.
Hal doesn't think twice; he gives chase.
He bends low over the horse's neck as he gallops after the panicking wagon horses. He sees one of the wheels of the wagon bounce over a partially hidden rock and it teeters drunkenly. He spurs Achilles on until he's alongside the wagon. The vehicle bounces along and Hal hears the sound of splintering wood. He pushes his horse on until he's alongside one of the terrified beasts and he leans forward and he leans across and reaches for one of the loose tangled reins. Out of the corner of his eye he sees someone else come up on the opposite side and do the same. He realises that it's Maria. It takes a little time but eventually the horses slow to a stop. As soon as that happens Hal dismounts and hurries to the wagon. It rests at an awkward angle. He climbs up and he looks inside. Louis is lying in the back, having been thrown back as the wagon lurched forwards.
"Louis…" he climbs inside and watches his eyes slowly blink open.
"What…what happened?" he mumbles as Hal helps him to sit up.
"A fox scream scared the horses. You must have been knocked out. Come sit down." He helps him off the wagon and to a patch of grass nearby. In the meantime Wyndam is there and he stands beside Maria as she calms the panting horses.
"Is there any damage?" Hal asks, coming to join them. Wyndam looks at him.
"Rear wheel is damaged." he looks over Hal's shoulder to Louis who still sits beneath the overhang of a large tree.
"How is your friend?" Hal glances at him.
"A little dazed but unharmed." he replies and he goes to inspect the damaged wheel. He looks back at Wyndam.
"Is there a replacement in the wagon?" Wyndam nods.
"I'll need help but I can make the wagon road worthy until we reach our destination." he tells him.
"Then do it."
The two younger vampires work together quickly and diligently but Wyndam can see that Hal is plainly in charge. A wheel was packed with the luggage along with requisite tools and Hal seems familiar with them all. Once more Wyndam is surprised and intrigued by him. His attention is distracted by Maria who stands nearby and watches the shadows. He slowly approaches her and sees her turn to look at him. She looks tense.
"How much longer?" she hisses quietly. Wyndam pauses beside her and he looks to Hal and Louis.
"Not much, they are nearly done." he answers in an equally low voice.
"I wish to be gone from here Edgar. The moon has almost fully risen. I can smell them!" she retorts through clenched teeth. Wyndam turns his head. The forest is quiet, apart from the sound of a breeze whispering through leaves and branches. His spine prickles. He looks back to Maria.
"Are you prepared?" he looks down as she draws her sword slightly from its sheath.
"Always." she answers.
"Do you think there are werewolves nearby?" Louis whispers to Hal as they finish repairing the wheel. Hal looks at him and then he glances at Maria and Wyndam over one shoulder. Their vigilance has not gone unnoticed.
"I would think so, yes." he tells him. He watches how his eyes widen and his skin goes paler.
"We are all armed. If there is trouble we will manage it." he reassures him but he sees how Louis's eyes dart around the enclosure. Hal grabs his arm and squeezes it.
"You must calm yourself otherwise foolish accidents will happen. I will not let anything happen to you so do not worry."
"You're a soldier Hal; you're used to the anticipation of battle, of war. I'm not. I'm… afraid." he whispers. Hal regards him and he wonders how he ever became a vampire.
"They are not worthy of an ounce of your fear. Be on your guard. If you show any signs of weakness then they will make for it. Even if you are quaking in your boots, don't ever show it to the outside world." he hisses at him.
They make it back onto the main road. The sky above them is clear and a chill breeze blows. Hal watches and he listens and he grips onto his shield tightly.
"Be aware." Wyndam warns them in a low voice. Hal doesn't respond, his eyes scan the shadowed periphery. It is black with mystery and he wonders what lurks there. Wyndam is at the front with Maria behind him. Hal turns his head and looks to Louis. He sits quietly at the front of the wagon, the reins in his hands and his eyes are wide and watchful. Hal turns Achilles back to ride alongside him.
"Louis…" he hisses and watches his head snap around in his direction.
"Remain calm. You'll be safe. I promise you that I won't let anyone or anything hurt you." he keeps his voice low but his tone is vehement.
"And do not let Wyndam see you like this. Be brave." he continues. He goes to the rear of the cavalcade and he sighs quietly and shakily.
Time seems to slow down.
Every muscle is tense and despite the chill of the evening, sweat trickles down between Hal's shoulder blades. He aches from it and wishes they were at their destination. It can't be much further now. He can hear Louis's fearful curses each time the wagon lurches into a rut or a pot hole. Hal's stomach churns and his hands are slick. A shadow bursts across their path and startles Hal. It doesn't stop and he assumes that it's another fox or some similar creature. He exhales loudly and he looks up to the sky.
The moon has risen full and silver. He swallows. He returns his attention to the road and he sees Wyndam slow to a halt. He turns his head and he looks at Hal.
"Our destination is close." he tells him.
"Then let us hurry." Hal responds, allowing a modicum of relief to bleed through. Their destination means relative safety. It will not be long now.
A long hollow howl echoes on the air and all four of them stiffen. Hal's head snaps around to his right as something explodes through the undergrowth and heads straight for him.
Before he knows what is happening, he's thrown from the saddle. He lands heavily onto the ground and his breath leaves his lungs in an agonised rush. For a moment he can't breathe and darkness blurs the edge of his vision. Above him Achilles rears, whinnying and dancing and Hal curls himself into a tight ball as the horse twists around, eager to be free of the chaos that is all of a sudden erupting around him. The horse bolts as Hal staggers to his feet, his shield still attached to his forearm. His legs feel weak and barely able to support his weight and for a brief moment his head swims dizzily. He hears a low guttural snarl and it sounds like it is coming from close beside him. He blinks and gives his head a shake to clear it and at the same time he unsheathes his sword. He sees the beast charge at him and instinctively he lifts his shield upwards and he hears the scrape and scratch of long talons against the metal. He staggers back beneath the onslaught as the werewolf snarls and launches another attack, throwing itself at him. Hal raises his shield again and the wolf batters against it. It causes Hal to stagger backwards once more and lose his balance. He falls heavily for a second time and his head hits the ground with an audible thud. He sees the dark silhouette of the thing above him. Its acrid scent catches the back of his throat and makes his eyes water. He sees it lunge towards him and automatically he pushes the shield above himself as it lands on top of him and he heaves with all of his might. The beast is thrown off to the side and Hal rolls in the opposite direction, scrabbling for his dropped weapon and is quickly on his feet again. He ignores the throbbing at the back of his head as he brandishes his sword and he gets his first clear look at a werewolf.
His eyes widen when he sees the beast. It's as tall as a man, heavily muscled with a thick covering of coarse grey fur. It draws back lips from a long snout and he sees long yellowing fangs. Hal swallows. It charges again and Hal slashes at its neck, the blade flashing silver in the moonlight. It slices cleanly across and a great gout of blood spurts out. Hal ducks behind the shield and jumps back as the creature gives a scream and collapses onto the road at his feet. He spins and sees another wolf lunge towards the wagon. Louis kicks out at it, knocking it back into the road. Hal runs towards it and runs his blade through it and watches as it falls. Hal places his foot on its back and he yanks his blade free. He then turns to see Wyndam swing a double headed axe at the head of another one and he watches it crumple to the ground. His eyes then widen and he turns again, his eyes searching for Maria and he sees her still mounted but breathing heavily. A long bladed sword dangles from one hand. The corpse of another werewolf lies at the feet of her horse.
"Is everyone well?" Wyndam is suddenly beside Hal and he looks at him. Hal nods. Sweat makes his shirt cling to his skin and his breath gasps out of his lungs. His body feels as though it is on fire it is aching so ferociously.
"Yes…though I have… no idea… where my horse is…" he answers, bending over at the waist, trying to draw breath into starved lungs.
"He will not be far away." Wyndam comments as Hal slowly straightens and looks at him.
"You will need to clean both your sword and your shield after we've disposed of these bodies." He indicates the corpses of the four werewolves that are scattered about the road. Hal glances at them and he frowns.
"There were four all together?"
"A pack and I'm sure there will be more. We must get them off the road and hidden. We must do it now." he tells him and Hal sighs tiredly. He pulls his shield off his forearm and he sees the red blood that is splattered across the surface of his shield, it drips off the sword blade too.
"You can use this." Maria comments and he turns his head and watches as she dismounts and approaches him. In her hand is a rag which she hands to him.
"Do it now before it dries, we'll start on the body disposal." Wyndam instructs. Hal just nods and then winces at the pain he feels at the back of his head.
"What's the matter?" Maria's voice is sharp. Hal frowns.
"It is nothing…"
"I'm sure it is not. You hit the ground quite hard. Twice." she moves to stand behind him and slides her fingers into his hair. He winces as she prods the back of his head.
"Must you?" he demands sharply.
"Yes, it would seem that I must. You are bleeding, the cut is quite deep." and she shows him her blood stained fingers as proof.
"It will heal." he mutters. He looks at her.
"You are unharmed yourself?" he tacks on and sees how she rolls her eyes.
"This is not the first werewolf pack that I've encountered and Louis helped keep them at bay. He was almost heroic, certainly brave considering I could hear him cursing and bellyaching with every rut in the road we hit." she retorts. Hal casts a glance at Louis who is slowly walking towards him.
"Let me look after that Hal." he indicates the shield as well as the sword and Hal hands them off to him.
Hal, Maria and Wyndam haul the carcasses off the road and roll them down a steep ditch. Hal stands beside him on the edge of it and he looks down.
"They may not be discovered for days, perhaps weeks. We must make haste, our destination is not far. You fought well." Wyndam looks at him.
Hal doesn't reply and instead he turns his head and he looks around.
"Is there a problem?" Wyndam enquires and Hal looks back at him.
"I need to find my errant horse." he tells him.
"Look no further…" Maria interrupts and as Hal looks at her, she points and he turns again. He sees Achilles returning, reins trailing and Hal bites back a smile.
Hal looks up at the grand looking house. He then turns his head and he looks to Wyndam.
"This is where we are staying?" he enquires and watches as he dismounts.
"It is. Matthew is …one of us." he answers and Hal turns his head in the opposite direction as the front door opens and a myriad of people spill out of it. His hands tighten briefly on the reins of his horse and he takes a deep breath and then follows Wyndam's lead.
"Mr Wyndam…" Matthew, or who Hal assumes is Matthew greets him with a quick bow, his eyes dancing over both Hal and Maria's faces. He gives Maria's outfit a perfunctory glance before returning his attention to Wyndam.
"Apologies for the delay Matthew…there were…unavoidable interruptions during our journey. We would have been here before sunset otherwise."
"It is of no matter sir, you are here now. Come inside…all of you." he smiles at them and turns and heads back towards the house.
Hal is given a small room at the top of the house. He looks at the plain furniture and the simple bed. He turns his head and he looks at the girl who accompanies him. She carries a tray which contains food and drink. He sees as she places it on a table beside the window. She straightens and looks at him.
"Thank you…"
"Jane sir…" she replies as she looks away. Hal stares at her. She's human. He can hear her heart thumping in her chest, the whoosh of blood through veins and he is reminded of the fact that it has been a while since he last fed. The witch in the cellar come to think of it. His stomach growls and unconsciously he draws an arm across it.
"Could I have some hot water brought up?" he requests and she smiles at him.
"Of course." she all but whispers and Hal watches her leave.
Every muscle in his body aches as he sits on the edge of the bed. He kicks off his boots and slowly peels off his doublet. One sleeve is torn. He checks his body for signs of injury, for any mislaid scratches or gouges but finds nothing except a patchwork of dark bruising that's beginning to bloom along his left arm and shoulder. It will be gone by morning but right at this moment it aches fiercely. He sighs and stares at the plain whitewashed wall in front of him. The confrontation with the werewolves had been both exhilarating and equally terrifying but he had survived. He turns his head towards the door when he hears the tentative knocking. He gets to his feet and opens it. Jane stands there; carrying a large jug nestled inside of a bowl, a square of white linen is looped over one arm.
"Your hot water Mr Yorke." she tells him. He stands to one side and lifts an arm to invite her inside. He sees how she looks at him, how her skin flushes pink and he looks down and sees his grubby bare skin on display and he barely bites back a smile.
"Thank you." he answers and watches as she places it on the table that is situated beside the window. She places the cloth beside it and looks at him. She bobs him a little curtsey that strangely charms him and he watches as she turns to depart. He then starts forward but then halts, clenching his fists instead. He watches the door close quietly behind her and he sighs gustily. He turns towards the table and sees the steam curling from the jug she's just left there. He approaches it.
There's another knock on his door and the suddenness of it makes him start. He turns as the door opens and he sees Louis there. He carries a small dish, a cloth covering it. He steps inside and closes the door behind him. Hal watches him curiously.
"Compliments of the house." he tells him in a low voice and as he comes closer, Hal catches the scent of it and his stomach growls again. Louis places it on the table beside the jug and he looks at him.
"Mr Wyndam wants to leave by sunrise, he asks me to tell you not to be late." there is a brief pause and Louis looks down.
"About this evening…"
"It is forgotten. I shall not be late. Good night Louis." Hal interrupts. Louis blinks and then nods his head.
"I shall let Mr Wyndam know then. Good night Hal." Hal watches him take his leave. Once he hears the click of the door closing, he turns again.
He sees the bowl left for him. Eagerly he reaches for it and uncovers it. He smiles and as he drinks, his eyes slide blissfully closed. It is warm and comforting and deliciously fresh. As he drains the last of it, they open again and his eyes are a shiny inky black. He stares sightlessly ahead for a moment and then he blinks and it is gone.
He lifts the jug and pours the steaming water into the bowl. He dips the cloth into it and slowly, methodically he begins to wash. He feels the heat of the water on his skin but it doesn't last for long. His mind begins to empty as he cleans away the events of the day. He would like to bathe properly but even he knows it isn't possible in an establishment such as this one, it is too time consuming considering their planned early departure in the morning. Perhaps he'll have the opportunity to before they set sail. He frowns against that thought, of crossing that narrow strip of sea and arriving back in England. He would rather not but he owes Wyndam. As Maria has reminded him, he owes him everything now.
He tries not to think about them, he tries not to remember but it's difficult. It seems the closer he gets, the more they intrude on his thoughts. He dips the cloth back into the water and watches the water turn muddy. He lifts it out again and hears the water drip. He doesn't really feel the heat of the water as he rubs the cloth across his chest, increasing the pressure as if trying to clean from the outside in. He doesn't feel the scrape of the roughened material against his skin, does not notice how it turns red beneath the onslaught. He's thinking about England, about London, about Lizzie.
About him.
They depart early the following morning with a different wagon. Wyndam had declared that the old one 'reeked of dead dog' and Matthew was only too happy to provide a replacement.
Hal has an ache in the pit of his stomach that neither food nor rest can ease. He's hungry, he is always hungry but this is something different, it is sharper and beyond his control.
"We'll reach our destination by night fall." Wyndam tells him. Hal lifts a quizzical eyebrow.
"And which destination will that be?" he enquires.
"A step closer to home Hal and with a favourable wind, we shall be in England presently."
England. Home.
Hal swallows against a suddenly dry throat.