Chapter 3/Enter the Woolen Wolfy
Checking her appearance in the rearview mirror to make sure her current glamour of an older-aged woman is still active despite her rapidly-increasing nerves, Aura then turns a withering glare to the white cat sitting in the passenger seat. There were several times throughout the decades of their acquaintance that Aura called Ignatius a coward for his habit of staying a cat in the public's eyes and this is definitely one of those. It was his blasted potion, not hers, so why did she have to be the one to answer for whatever happened?!
"Just be glad you contacted the police about the break-in and the stolen potion when we discovered it," Ignatius mentions, his words coming out as a series of meows.
"Be glad?! Are you kidding me?" Aura hisses.
"I'm not kidding. After all, had you not contacted them, then whatever the thief did that made them call you this morning they could have blamed on you," Ignatius responds, his twitching fluffy white tail betraying his own unease.
"How are you so sure they are not blaming me? You better hope they don't put me in prison for whatever YOUR potion did!" Aura warns, picking up the cat by the scruff of the neck and placing him on her shoulders before exiting the car.
Staying calm takes a mountain-load of strength as she walks into the police station and it's not long before she's directed to the police chief's office. She takes slight comfort in the woman's amiable expression but the presence of three other people causes her confusion. Moreso once she realizes she met the youngest man before.
"Isn't that the person we sold a potion to last month, the one who wanted to stop being in love with his best friend so he would no longer be heartbroken?" Ignatius questions, getting an unnoticeable nod from the witch.
"Forgive my confusion," Aura murmurs after being introduced to the gathered occupants. "I was under the impression that I was called here because of the thief who broke into my home three days ago, not about a dissatisfied previous client."
"Oh, I'm not dissatisfied, Miss Plum!" Sunny reassures. "It's just that I'm kinda responsible for the break-in. Not that I meant to be! You see, the man who broke into your house is Marianne's boyfriend, well ex-boyfriend, Roland Darling, and he must have gotten the idea from my telling of how you helped me and Dawn."
"Has something happened then?" Aura asks.
"Unfortunately, yes," Chief Solo answers with a sigh. "It seems Mr Darling accosted Miss Marianne Flint two mornings ago and eyewitnesses all confirm that he threw a suspicious-looking liquid onto her. The police questioned him yesterday evening at the hospital where he is being treated for a broken leg and apparently in an attempt to clear himself of wrongdoing, Mr Darling claimed the liquid her threw on Miss Flint was a love potion he stole from you."
"We really were stolen from by an idiot," Aura mutters before she can't stop herself, chuckling in embarrassment at the eyes directed to her. "My apologies. I don't agree with love potions and would never make one, so that clearly was not what the potion was. Is Miss Flint alright?"
"Miss Flint has not been seen since the incident and her demolished vehicle was found yesterday at the bottom of a ravine some fifty miles away. No human footprints were found near the vehicle and despite the signs of wolves in the area, the highway patrol does not believe the animals are responsible for the disappearance of the body," Chief Solo explains.
"Please help us find my daughter, Miss Plum!" Donald begs.
Flicking a banana-shaped ear, Marianne chews the regurgitated food in her mouth as she looks out over the darkening landscape past her small pen. It should probably worry her at how easy she's adjusting to this form but she had other things to worry about. Like how waking up yesterday after finally falling asleep she was confused for the whole morning, so confused that she actually forgot that she is really a human.
Repeatedly emitting that "mwa" sound had been the only thing she could manage as she laid on the straw. She hadn't even bothered paying attention to Thang when he rushed into the stall to check on her and not even the smart-mouth calling her a drama llama could get her feet to work or stop her head from being so fuzzy. To make matters worse, the morning sun shone right into her pen and kept aggravating that headache she went to sleep with, making her terribly nauseated.
Thang became her best friend for life when he pulled out a peppermint candy from his pocket and gave it to her. She was feeling better by noon thanks to Thang's tender and persistent care but it is still a cause for concern. Even temporarily, how could someone actually forget who they are? What if it happens again and she permanently forgets her name or that she's human or everything?!
She was thankfully spared a repeat when she woke this morning, so she's holding onto the hope that it won't get worse. Unfortunately, she still has a nagging headache that subsides only mildly before returning with a vengeance.
She'd kill for an aspirin right about now.
Another unfortunate thing is that the mysterious BK did not return two nights ago, nor yesterday, nor today, and because of that, the workers of the farm were reluctant to fetch a veterinary to check her, so somehow getting a pain killer was out of the question. Though she had heard Thang mention to Stuff that if BK didn't return by tomorrow afternoon that he was going to get the nearest vet regardless of the possible trouble since he was concerned about how she was acting. That was as much as she heard before she desperately tried to tune them out when the pair became...preoccupied.
Two days and she learned very quickly that if Stuff and Thang were in the barn alone together for a length of time that it was best to go to the outside pen connected to her stall and try to ignore what was going on. Not that it bothered the other animals in the barn but she was human, despite her present appearance, and she'd give the rendezvousing couple as much privacy as she could offer, for her own sake as much as theirs. No need to embarrass her or them when she becomes human again.
Marianne sighs before swallowing her food. She hopes she can become human again...at least, she thinks she does. Surely, she was happy being human. Wasn't she? As if suddenly becoming a llama isn't enough of a worry, she knows something is very wrong with her and she knows it has something to do with whatever happened the day before yesterday.
She was driving...somewhere. She must've known where she was going but she can't remember where. Or for that matter, where she was before but she's very sure that she was leaving something that was bad. It felt like it was bad when she tried to think about it, anyway. Then there was a pain in her head and then nothing.
Why can't she remember what happened? Did she blackout? That's kinda obvious since she woke up as a llama but did her turning into a llama cause the unscheduled nap or was it something else?
There was a car, her car, and it was badly damaged, so she must've been in a car crash. Is the crash responsible for why she feels...off or is it because she's a llama? Or a side-effect of however she turned into a llama?
And how did she even turn into a llama?! Did she do something? Or was something done to her? She can remember that she was angry about someone, not that she can remember who it was, so was it that person or someone else?
Nothing is making sense and it's not helping that she can't even talk to anyone. No human could understand her despite her understanding them but neither could she understand any of the other animals and they couldn't understand her. Just silence within all the noise that surrounds her.
Marianne's thoughts pause as she notices a moving figure in the darkness and she narrows her eyes. No doubt it's Prim again. That lucky llama. It's not jealously by the fact he gets to roam free and sleep in the house that's the source of her dislike. Her first meeting with the white icy-blue-eyed gelding was not a pleasant one since the thief ate all her breakfast before Thang noticed him. Not that she was hungry yesterday but that's beside the point. Especially when he tried to do it again at dinner!
Her angry reaction to spit at him had done the job but it didn't deter him completely and he tried all day today. She's beginning to suspect their inability to communicate with each other has something to do with his persistence since the other llamas deter him from thieving their meals by just turning their attention to him. Even the smaller ones, the alpacas and sheep manage to keep him away despite his bigger size.
Standing to her feet, Marianne moves to walk back into the barn when she notices something odd about the figure in the distance. Prim may be smaller than her but he's not that small. Plus, he also has a prancing gait, not a slinking one. She perks her ears forward and stomps her front feet before moving closer to the pen's fence, not noticing as her behavior is picked up by the nearby llamas in the pasture as she focuses all her attention on the concealed figure.
It only takes another second before she identifies the source of her unease and she lets out the shrill trumpeting sound again as a large wolf moves into the porchlight's range. The other llamas echo her as some crowd the fence nearest to where the threat is, some stomping their feet and grunting loudly. Within seconds, Prim runs out of his entrance to the house and Marianne feels her heart drop as the stupid llama charges the wolf.
Okay, she may be mad at him for trying to steal her food but she didn't want to see him become a wolf's dinner!
Surprisingly, the large tawny-colored predator lets out a yelp before running away from the charging llama with its tail tucked beneath it. Even more surprising is the words she can hear coming from its mouth as it runs around trees and farm equipment trying to evade its pursuer.
"Prim! Prim, it's just me! Prim! You stupid llama! It's me, Prim!" the wolf hollers.
As if her life needs another shock, the large wolf barrels toward her pen and jumps the fence, two human feet landing effortlessly on the ground within reaching distance from her. Where once was a tawny wolf, now crouches a tall, slender, tawny-haired, angular-faced, blue-eyed, and incredibly naked, man. Did she mention naked? Cause he is definitely without one stitch of apparel gracing his lean figure and she can't keep her wide eyes averted as he stands and turns to address the bewildered Prim on the other side of the fence.
Nice butt.
"You silly llama!" the man laughs, holding out his hand to Prim. "It's just me."
"Welcome home, BK!" Thang greets as he walks closer. "You sure took a while to come back."
"You know how it is with the old man. Had to take a few days to cool off," BK explains.
"Understandable," Gus murmurs, shifting the rifle in his hand to turn the safety back on. "Gave us a bit of scare, though, since we didn't know it was you. Pity we didn't get Prim chasing you on camera."
"Uh, BK, you might want to get out of there. Like right now," Beaks mutters nervously.
Marianne watches as Beaks gestures to her and she narrows her eyes as BK turns to face her. After the scare she just had, spitting at the startled man just seems like the right thing to do.
Bog growls at Beaks when he continues laughing. He'd open his mouth to yell but he didn't want to take a chance until he is sure he got all the llama bile off his face.
What a nice welcoming home. Not only did he get chased by his own pet llama but he also got spit on by a llama that he doesn't own in a pen that should have been empty.
"Welcome to the club, BK! That llama spit on Thang, Gus, Brutus, Mugs, and me," Beaks announces.
"Except you deserved it. Every single time!" Thang huffs.
"You're such a llama mama," Beaks teases.
"Anyone care to explain what's going on?" Bog interrupts, drying his face after washing it for the fifth time.
"I found the llama the day before yesterday wandering the side of the road on my way back from picking up the feed and I mistook her as one of yours, so I coaxed her onto my truck and brought her here," Thang explains.
"Yeah, you missed a really good show, too, BK," Stuff comments, leaning against the nearby stall. "The llama chased Beaks for a solid three minutes before Thang lassoed her and then she spit at Beaks."
"Why doesn't that crazy thing spit at you?" Beaks complains.
"Because I keep my distance when she's obviously upset, I make sure she knows I'm nearby so as not to accidentally startle her, and unlike you specifically, I haven't teased her," Stuff points out.
"Did you find the llama's owner?" Bog questions.
"We didn't want to try searching until you got home," Thang answers. "She had some injuries when I picked her up but I wasn't able to look at them until she calmed down a few hours later. What I could see was nothing compared to what I couldn't see and I pulled broken glass out of most of the injuries. She's been acting awfully strange yesterday and today, too. Very listless, doesn't walk around that much in the pen, keeps laying down most of the time, isn't eating that much, and isn't interacting with the other animals. Well, except Prim but that's because he's been trying to eat the food she leaves behind."
"She doesn't interact with us either. Other than spitting, anyway," Gus adds.
"The llama mama is the only one who can get near the drama llama without her getting upset," Beaks comments.
"Maybe she's a berserker," Bog mutters in concern.
It wouldn't do to have a berserk llama on his farm. At least the llama isn't an intact male but even a female could cause a lot of trouble. With her full coat on, it's hard to tell about her condition but she didn't appear to have been abused, so the injuries Thang mentioned could have come from something the llama did.
"Or maybe she's really sick," Thang insists. "Oh, I forgot! Yesterday morning was really weird. She was calling out in distress when I came into the barn and didn't stop for nearly three hours. She didn't appear to be injured further and none of her wounds looked infected. But nothing seemed to work to calm her down, not even after giving her one of my candies."
"Alright, let's go have a look at her. No point in getting all cleaned up if she's just going to spit at me again," Bog quips.
Checking to make his loincloth is secured, it wouldn't be the first time a llama tugged just the right way, Bog moves away from the barn's water pump and heads toward the stall. He's startled by the unusual amber eyes staring back at him as he approaches but the brown-and-white llama just huffs before looking away. Calling does no good to get the animal to return her attention to him and the pinned back ears as he opens the stall door tells him that going in with the llama is going to be a bad idea.
"Come now, girl. BK just wants to check on you. He's not going to hurt you, just like I didn't hurt you," Thang calmly explains.
"Did you check the injuries recently, Thang?" Bog asks.
"Right after I fed everyone their supper," Thang answers. "They looked alright but I can't be sure I found every injury. Her coat is very thick and she might have some hidden."
"Easy now," Bog coos, reaching for the llama's head. "Let's just have a look and see if you need anything done right now that can't wait until morning."
He's relieved when the llama doesn't protest as he examines the cuts on her face but he furrows his brows in concern when he gets a closer look at her eyes. Thang quickly retrieves his small flashlight at his request and the llama emits a distressed sound when he shines it into the dilated pupils.
"Was she acting alright when you picked her up?" Bog questions.
"She seemed alright, cranky but alright. She didn't start acting oddly until the next morning," Thang comments.
Momentarily ignoring the worrying sign, Bog moves his hand slowly and gently around the llama's head, coaxing the hair to allow his fingers through to the skin as he touches his way down her neck. He easily finds the wounds Thang treated and is happy to note their healthy-looking healing. The llama grunts when he tries to get her to stand and he rolls his eyes at the stubborn creature before crouching down next to her to continue checking her chest.
"I don't feel any more wounds but she does seem bruised," Bog notes as the llama emits another distressed sound when he prods her left shoulder.
He gives his own distressed sound when the llama suddenly whacks his side hard with her neck, causing him to fall face-first into the straw bedding a few feet away.
"You know, ignoring her attitude problem, she does have great conformation and fiber. Her owner might not even want her back if she is a berserker and we could probably buy her for a steal-of-a-deal," Beaks mentions as Bog rights himself. "With the llama mama handling her, we might be able to breed a few good crias from her."
"Over your dead body," the llama grunts angrily.
"What did you just say?" Bog asks breathlessly, staring at the llama in shock.
"I said...," the llama starts before turning her own shocked attention to him. "Wait, did you just hear me?!"