Chapter Seven- Discovered
Isis was awakened by a foreleg draped over her side that then pulled her so her back touched a furry chest and belly. She gave a hum of contentment and Thoth returned it. "That was a great night," she murmured.
"Indeed. You did well for your first hunt."
"I need to work on my speed. If you hadn't been with me, it would have gotten away."
"Out of sight, yes, but the scent is locked in your mind. You would have been able to track it down. Plus, camels are not the distance runners that wolves are. It would have just been delaying the inevitable."
"That's nice to know but I do need to work on speed."
"And that is why I had suggested a race as I sensed your mild frustration. It was also a good way to expel the energy we had gotten from eating."
"Perhaps, we should head back home. I mean, we are laying inside a tomb."
"One that is not being used yet. I don't have to open my stand today. I'd rather just lay here with you and sleep some more."
Isis yawned. "I admit, I'd like to do that too. There was no court meeting today."
"Then, go ahead and go back to sleep." Thoth's voice took on a sleepy tone. "I'm already there." Isis heard a soft sigh and she copied it. She was comfortable and they were out of the heat. She relaxed and drifted off to sleep again.
Mahad led a small group of guards out into the desert. He wanted to be sure that the tombs were still secure and look at the layout of an empty one in order to choose which traps to place within it. He had noticed that Thoth wasn't open for business as they left and figured he was somewhere with Isis. The two of them had become practically inseparable the last two days. He wasn't jealous. He was happy that Isis had someone who loved her and she clearly loved him back. He was sure that if matters continued the way it was now, Isis may resign from the court and move into Thoth's home, thereby making them a married couple.
She had said they wouldn't marry for a long time, but that can change as life out here can be brutal and short. Mahad put those thoughts aside as they reached the tombs and split the unit to examine all the tombs and report to him. They headed off and Mahad contemplated what kind of traps to set in the empty one as well as designing new ones. It was important to come up with new ideas as to deter robbers from breaking into the burial chamber.
"Master Mahad," a guard said as he came up to the priest. "We have a problem with the tomb that's empty."
"What is it?" Mahad asked.
"Wolves. Two of them. They appear to be asleep."
Mahad, curious, approached the tomb carefully and just inside the entrance were two black wolves, fast asleep. He stared at them before he moved away and gathered his men.
"I don't think those are real wolves," he said. "Real ones are gray, not black."
The guards exchanged looks before one said, "Werewolves, Master?"
"It looks that way. I want you to all head back to the city. I will keep an eye on our werewolves. They may resume human form so we will know who they are."
"Please be careful, Master Mahad," one said as the group left.
"I will be," he said to himself before positioning himself so he could watch the tomb without being noticed by its current occupants. He also ran through what he knew about werewolves while he waited.
He knew that anyone could be bitten but only on the full moon. The men were called werewolves while the women were called wifewolves. Once infected, one could take wolf form whenever they wanted but only speak as wolves. The full moon turned one into a wolf who ate humans as well as turn them.
Silver was their only weakness though Mahad wasn't sure how. The fur color was an indication of their hair color so he knew that these two had black hair. Movement caught his attention and he looked up to see the two wolves emerge and stretch their legs. He saw a glint of gold around the neck of one and wondered if these were criminal wolves. That wouldn't surprise me. The dark nature of the werewolf would likely prompt one to- His train of thought abruptly stopped as the wolves changed into Thoth and Isis!
Mahad's eyes widened and he stifled a gasp as he hurried away. Thoth and Isis are wolves? When did that happen? The full moon was a while ago and Isis was perfectly normal. I think it's clear that Thoth has been one before he came to the city, but how did he turn Isis? Mahad couldn't understand how it happened…unless the full moon wasn't really needed to turn someone! That would fit and they were alone on that camping trip. He could have told her his big secret and then bit her whether she allowed it or not doesn't matter as I just saw her change. I will be increasing security again tonight as I now know that a werewolf and a wifewolf live among us. I won't expose them yet as Thoth has not harmed anyone in months, save for Isis. Mahad nodded to himself as he headed home.
Isis listened to Thoth talk about his past as they walked home. "Your mentor was a true dark one," she commented.
"Yes. He was three hundred when he bit me. I was not his first turn, of course. He said he had turned dozens of people before me. Whether any were women or that he had fathered any children, I couldn't say."
"Children? You mean they would be born like us?"
"Yes. I had asked him about that. He did say that any offspring between a werewolf and a wifewolf would be born a werewolf or wifewolf. If one of the parents is human, so is the child. Once one full moon cycle has passed, the child can be bitten, whether or not consent is given as the werewolf or wifewolf is likely a dark one."
"When did you leave your mentor and why?"
"He was killed forty years after I was bitten. You could say he got arrogant and very cocky in his old age. I wager he had also had too much to drink that day. You see, he was angry that I hadn't turned anyone, though I did kill and eat people on the full moon. We were both in human form in a village, but my mentor chose to change in front of others. He was clearly drunk now that I think back on it. That is what made him do such a foolish move. He had me pinned to the ground and was about to kill me when some brave villagers attacked him and a long silver dagger struck him in the skull and then across his throat for good measure. None of them knew I was a werewolf or they would have killed me too. They had asked if I had known he was a werewolf as we had lived there for a time. I put on a good acting job of being shocked and scared as I said that I did not."
"Thoth, you are not a dark one. Yes, you've killed and eaten but only on the full moon and that is unavoidable. The full moon is coming and we will both kill and eat people."
"We will take pleasure in it in the daylight hours of the cycle. I tend to keep to myself during those times."
"Yes. I remember your stall being closed during the cycle. I never found it odd or curious. I just assumed you were ill."
"And I seized on to that explanation as I couldn't really think of what else to say."
"Claiming illness will not work for me. However, a trip would work and saying you will be with me may convince any I talk to that I will be safe."
"A trip would be the perfect excuse, at least for this coming cycle."
"And we'll have time to come up with a different excuse for the next cycle." Isis smiled and headed for the palace while Thoth headed for his home.