Chapter 21 ½ (Dawn)
Dawn's tenure as Wolfhaven's Guildmaster rarely gave her any dull moments. Over the years she handled a myriad of incidents and brewing problems within her guild. Some issues occurred regularly, following patterns. One of the most common, especially after new recruits joined, was struggling apprentices.
They would have some kind of problem with performing guild duties, such as making mistakes in fieldwork, or not getting along with teammates. Whether it was from physical clumsiness or emotional problems– such as homesickness– they were always hampered by diminishing confidence. Such apprentices usually panicked when the Guildmaster came to visit them, as they assumed she would scold them, or threaten to kick them out of the guild. Her striking appearance as an Arcanine made her seem intimidating.
Yet Guildmaster Dawn would offer only kind words, encouragement, and advice, as the performance of all guild members was ultimately a reflection of her leadership. Rarely did she ever have to use stern language, and expulsion was even more scarce. Many apprentices would improve after Dawn spoke with them, displaying renewed confidence.
Such was the case when she approached this year's struggling apprentices on Friday night. However, there was one exception: the Charmander named Jacob. She could not speak with an apprentice who wasn't physically in the guild hall, and when she checked his room, Jacob was not there.
That alluded to another recurring, but less common issue: runaways. Once in a while, a disillusioned apprentice (or disgruntled member of a full-fledged team), would leave the guild without notice. While those cases were more delicate, the Guildmaster and her peers often resolved them without incident, usually using the same diplomatic approach as they used with regular, struggling apprentices.
So when two other recruits, a Totodile named Leon, and a Cubone named William, came to alert her of their missing friend, she gave them assurance that Jacob would be fine. She had already organized a small team to search the town of Wolfhaven for the Charmander and bring him back to the guild. From there she could help quell whatever drama may be impeding him.
Yet what actually unfolded that night was something the Guildmaster had never experienced nor anticipated.
The search party returned with no Charmander in sight, though that wasn't the unusual detail. No, what caught her attention was when Nightwatch had reported a forest fire in the woods north of the guild. She sensed that the fire and Jacob's disappearance may not have been a coincidence, but before she could speculate, even stranger details began to pile up.
She went out to the Groundskeeper to ask if he had witnessed anything. He wasn't there. With rising anxiety, she personally led a Nightwatch squad into the woods where the fire was reported. Charred trees and scattered ash not only confirmed earlier reports, but she also saw other signs of a struggle. Broken tree branches, slashes on the bark, and cracked scorch marks that hinted at the use of electric-type moves as well.
Later, after she returned to the guild for an emergency meeting with their most accomplished veterans, one last anomaly brought the mystery together.
At the meeting's conclusion, the Guildmaster retired to her room for much needed rest. As she entered, however, two things immediately caught her attention.
The window to her room had somehow been opened, and an envelope had been left on her bedside table. Nothing else in her quarters appeared to have been disturbed. Cautiously, she unsealed the envelope, then darted her eyes across the text of the letter. Each line instilled more dread than the last.
Right after she finished, someone knocked on her door.
"Come in," she called, setting the letter aside.
"Guildmaster," Flint, the Excadrill Quartermaster, entered. "My squad swept the forest again. No sign of the Groundskeeper, nor the Charmander apprentice."
Dawn tore her gaze away from the letter to give him a grim expression.
"Whatever that look is," Flint said, "it can't be anything good."
"Flint," Dawn began, "I need you to bring two of the apprentices here– Leon and William– as soon as possible." She glanced at the folded note on her table. "Aaron and Jacob… I'm afraid I've discovered what happened to them."