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29th of First Seed, 428 3E
My frightening assignment for the Adventurer's Guild is complete and the guild steward considers it a success in spite of the fact that I did not manage to kill the beast and return to the guild hall with his head. While most of New Pelagiad slept, I went to the location where the werewolf was believed to be hiding. It wasn't so much a cave as it was a large basement of a destroyed building. As soon as I reached the bottom of the rotted staircase I summoned my reindeer warden guardian, for I suspected that I was going to need the help.
The werewolf was indeed in that abandoned basement skulking in a corner and as he stepped from the shadows I immediately noticed that he had antlers, making it clear that he was a Bosmer. The mer who immediately came to mind was Godonir. Yes, Neldor's brother Thorinor has antlers, but he does not give off a wolfish smell. Godonir does.
I did not speak to him, for I wasn't there to talk. Baring his fangs, the werewolf growled not so much at me, but at the silver blade I was wielding. We spent several minutes just circling each other as he sought a way to pounce on me without coming in contact with my weapon. I of course was looking for a way to dispatch him without being grabbed and bitten.
This werewolf was no Pup and he soon found a way to bypass my defense and gave me a swat that was hard enough to knock me over backward. I confessed that I shrieked as he leaped forward and immediately pinned me down.
My guardian, which had been in spirit form to keep itself concealed (and therefore have the element of surprise) took on a solid form and charged forward with an angry snort, but not before the werewolf leaned down and clamped his jaws on my upper left arm, easily breaking the skin.
Before the werewolf could do much else he released my arm and let out a yelp of pain as my reindeer gored him with her antlers (yes, her. Reindeer are the one species of deer in which the female also grows antlers). Much heavier than a humanoid, the reindeer was able top push the werewolf off me and drive him back against the stone wall.
Ignoring the pain my arm, I grabbed my blade and scrambled to my feet. My guardian and I had the beast cornered and no matter how strong he was, he did not have much of a chance of evading the reindeer's massive antlers or my sword. Or so I thought.
He sat down on his haunches and fixed his gaze on me. I expected him to snarl but instead he just crouched there looking pleased with himself, smirking as much as a canine face an smirk. Then, just as my guardian and I were about to charge forward the werewolf leaped straight up in the air, going quite a few yards above our heads. Looking upward, I watched him grasp a ground-floor window which he scrabbled through with a triumphant howl.
"Damn!" I exclaimed as my guardian and I hurried back up the staircase and searched the area for our prey. He had made sure to leave no tracks and my sense of smell is not so strong that I could follow him. Before long I had to admit defeat and go to the healing center. I had been bitten by a werewolf and this was not the sort of thing that could be cured with a simple healing potion. Dismissing my warden guardian to the spirit realm, I hurried over to the healing center which is across the road from the guild hall.
My wound was treated in the infirmary by an antlered female Bosmer named Sifina, and no there is no chance that she is the werewolf who bit me. For one thing, Sifina smells like wildflowers rather than a wolf. Second, the werewolf in the basement was most certainly male. Not only was his body shaped like a male humanoid, he...this disgusts me to write this...he made a point of pressing against me while he was biting my arm. There's no doubt that the werewolf was a male.
Giving me a reassuring smile, Sifina said after the wound had been dealt with and I had been given a Cure for Lycanthropy potion, "There. You will be fine, but I can only allow you to leave here if you promise to go home and rest. You need to allow the potion to gently work through your system and completely eliminate the disease that the werewolf infected you with. Will you promise that?"
I answered, "I must go to the guild hall and give my report to the steward, especially since I think I know who the werewolf is."
Sifina replied, "Very well, but afterward go straight home. To be safe you should rest the entire weekend."
Placing my hand over the bandaged wound, I protested, "But my sister is planning to get married. I can't miss it. I won't miss it."
Frowning a bit, Sifina said, "I'm certain that she would understand. You need to completely heal, especially since this werewolf might try to bite you again when he realizes that you're not going to become a werewolf yourself."
A bit surprised, I asked, "So you think he meant to just infect me instead of killing me?"
Without hesitation, she answered, "Oh yes. Your wound was very clean. The flesh wasn't torn so I could tell that he didn't shake you and try to cause even more damage. This werewolf did not want to rip you apart. Indeed he tried to bite you with as little damage as possible."
Feeling queasy, I inquired, "But why would he want to turn me into a werewolf?"
Appearing sympathetic, Sifina stated, "I can only speculate, but my guess is he would like you to be his new alpha female. He's likely seeking to breed in ways other than just passing Lycanthropy along through a bite."
I couldn't help but shudder as I remembered how the werewolf had pressed close as he pinned me down and bit me. Neldor would be beyond furious. My future brother in-law Darkfell would also likely be more than a little angry about this.
Noticing my reaction, Sifina repeated, "You are going to be fine, and if you do as I tell you and rest you will regain your strength and be ready to fight another day. Now, go to the guild hall and tell the steward what he needs to know. Then go home. You have been up all night and are in desperate need of sleep."
And so I did as Sifina instructed. I told the guild steward that I believed the werewolf to be an antlered Bosmer named Godonir but that I had no idea where he lived. As I mentioned, this mission was considered a success because I had returned with a lead which could help to track this black werewolf down. The information was quickly passed along to law enforcement.
When I got home I was grateful to see that Neldor had an early lunch ready for me; grilled beef patties on a sourdough bun. When I told him about the werewolf (leaving out the...pressing...part) he nearly hit the roof and started insisting that I quit the guild right now.
"We need the money," I pointed out.
"You can sell paintings and potions," he countered.
I insisted that I was and am all right, reminded him I am not a frightened, fragile banished princess anymore. Being a ranger in Lokken had made me a more seasoned adventurer and far more skilled with weapons. I'm not leaving the guild until the day that we can both leave the guild.
While I was eating my lunch I couldn't help noticing that Neldor was warily watching me out of the corner of his eye. After a while he asked, "Is that cooked enough for you?"
I assured him, "I am not craving bloody rare meat if that's what you're wondering. Sifina is a Spinner from Valenwood, so you should know that she knows what she's doing when it comes to healing."
Neldor admitted, "Yes. Valenwood is crawling with werewolves, so every Spinner needs to know how to cure Lycanthropy."
Following my lunch I went upstairs for some much needed sleep. Just as I had put on my nightgown I received a call from Acacia who immediately told me that Darkfell had told her what happened and the wedding was being put off until later in the spring.
"No it's not," I argued.
Acacia insisted, "Yes it is. To be honest we had decided to postpone it anyway since the roses aren't blooming yet."
Not entirely believing her, I remained silent as I raised an eyebrow.
To my amusement she said, "Don't look at me that way! Well, you're not looking at me, but you know what I mean."
"How do you know how I'm looking?"
Sounding amused, she explained, "I've been around you enough to know when you're skeptical about something. I swear on the spirits of both of our mothers that Darkfell and I decided to put it off because the weather still gets so cold. I want the roses in full bloom in the chapel garden when the ceremony takes place. Think of how pretty the memory crystal images will be."
I agreed, "Yes, the roses would be the icing on the cake. All right, I believe you."
Sounding relieved, Acacia said firmly, "Now, you rest. Let the cure potion work. Darkfell said that he and his partner Anaril are going to look into the lead you gave them. Hopefully they can find and lock up the mangy hound that bit you!"
With a tired sigh, I replied, "I hope so."
When the call ended I allowed myself to curl up in bed and pull the warm blanket over me. After the night I had just been through I expected to have bad dreams, but thankfully I didn't.
*~*~*
My frightening assignment for the Adventurer's Guild is complete and the guild steward considers it a success in spite of the fact that I did not manage to kill the beast and return to the guild hall with his head. While most of New Pelagiad slept, I went to the location where the werewolf was believed to be hiding. It wasn't so much a cave as it was a large basement of a destroyed building. As soon as I reached the bottom of the rotted staircase I summoned my reindeer warden guardian, for I suspected that I was going to need the help.
The werewolf was indeed in that abandoned basement skulking in a corner and as he stepped from the shadows I immediately noticed that he had antlers, making it clear that he was a Bosmer. The mer who immediately came to mind was Godonir. Yes, Neldor's brother Thorinor has antlers, but he does not give off a wolfish smell. Godonir does.
I did not speak to him, for I wasn't there to talk. Baring his fangs, the werewolf growled not so much at me, but at the silver blade I was wielding. We spent several minutes just circling each other as he sought a way to pounce on me without coming in contact with my weapon. I of course was looking for a way to dispatch him without being grabbed and bitten.
This werewolf was no Pup and he soon found a way to bypass my defense and gave me a swat that was hard enough to knock me over backward. I confessed that I shrieked as he leaped forward and immediately pinned me down.
My guardian, which had been in spirit form to keep itself concealed (and therefore have the element of surprise) took on a solid form and charged forward with an angry snort, but not before the werewolf leaned down and clamped his jaws on my upper left arm, easily breaking the skin.
Before the werewolf could do much else he released my arm and let out a yelp of pain as my reindeer gored him with her antlers (yes, her. Reindeer are the one species of deer in which the female also grows antlers). Much heavier than a humanoid, the reindeer was able top push the werewolf off me and drive him back against the stone wall.
Ignoring the pain my arm, I grabbed my blade and scrambled to my feet. My guardian and I had the beast cornered and no matter how strong he was, he did not have much of a chance of evading the reindeer's massive antlers or my sword. Or so I thought.
He sat down on his haunches and fixed his gaze on me. I expected him to snarl but instead he just crouched there looking pleased with himself, smirking as much as a canine face an smirk. Then, just as my guardian and I were about to charge forward the werewolf leaped straight up in the air, going quite a few yards above our heads. Looking upward, I watched him grasp a ground-floor window which he scrabbled through with a triumphant howl.
"Damn!" I exclaimed as my guardian and I hurried back up the staircase and searched the area for our prey. He had made sure to leave no tracks and my sense of smell is not so strong that I could follow him. Before long I had to admit defeat and go to the healing center. I had been bitten by a werewolf and this was not the sort of thing that could be cured with a simple healing potion. Dismissing my warden guardian to the spirit realm, I hurried over to the healing center which is across the road from the guild hall.
My wound was treated in the infirmary by an antlered female Bosmer named Sifina, and no there is no chance that she is the werewolf who bit me. For one thing, Sifina smells like wildflowers rather than a wolf. Second, the werewolf in the basement was most certainly male. Not only was his body shaped like a male humanoid, he...this disgusts me to write this...he made a point of pressing against me while he was biting my arm. There's no doubt that the werewolf was a male.
Giving me a reassuring smile, Sifina said after the wound had been dealt with and I had been given a Cure for Lycanthropy potion, "There. You will be fine, but I can only allow you to leave here if you promise to go home and rest. You need to allow the potion to gently work through your system and completely eliminate the disease that the werewolf infected you with. Will you promise that?"
I answered, "I must go to the guild hall and give my report to the steward, especially since I think I know who the werewolf is."
Sifina replied, "Very well, but afterward go straight home. To be safe you should rest the entire weekend."
Placing my hand over the bandaged wound, I protested, "But my sister is planning to get married. I can't miss it. I won't miss it."
Frowning a bit, Sifina said, "I'm certain that she would understand. You need to completely heal, especially since this werewolf might try to bite you again when he realizes that you're not going to become a werewolf yourself."
A bit surprised, I asked, "So you think he meant to just infect me instead of killing me?"
Without hesitation, she answered, "Oh yes. Your wound was very clean. The flesh wasn't torn so I could tell that he didn't shake you and try to cause even more damage. This werewolf did not want to rip you apart. Indeed he tried to bite you with as little damage as possible."
Feeling queasy, I inquired, "But why would he want to turn me into a werewolf?"
Appearing sympathetic, Sifina stated, "I can only speculate, but my guess is he would like you to be his new alpha female. He's likely seeking to breed in ways other than just passing Lycanthropy along through a bite."
I couldn't help but shudder as I remembered how the werewolf had pressed close as he pinned me down and bit me. Neldor would be beyond furious. My future brother in-law Darkfell would also likely be more than a little angry about this.
Noticing my reaction, Sifina repeated, "You are going to be fine, and if you do as I tell you and rest you will regain your strength and be ready to fight another day. Now, go to the guild hall and tell the steward what he needs to know. Then go home. You have been up all night and are in desperate need of sleep."
And so I did as Sifina instructed. I told the guild steward that I believed the werewolf to be an antlered Bosmer named Godonir but that I had no idea where he lived. As I mentioned, this mission was considered a success because I had returned with a lead which could help to track this black werewolf down. The information was quickly passed along to law enforcement.
When I got home I was grateful to see that Neldor had an early lunch ready for me; grilled beef patties on a sourdough bun. When I told him about the werewolf (leaving out the...pressing...part) he nearly hit the roof and started insisting that I quit the guild right now.
"We need the money," I pointed out.
"You can sell paintings and potions," he countered.
I insisted that I was and am all right, reminded him I am not a frightened, fragile banished princess anymore. Being a ranger in Lokken had made me a more seasoned adventurer and far more skilled with weapons. I'm not leaving the guild until the day that we can both leave the guild.
While I was eating my lunch I couldn't help noticing that Neldor was warily watching me out of the corner of his eye. After a while he asked, "Is that cooked enough for you?"
I assured him, "I am not craving bloody rare meat if that's what you're wondering. Sifina is a Spinner from Valenwood, so you should know that she knows what she's doing when it comes to healing."
Neldor admitted, "Yes. Valenwood is crawling with werewolves, so every Spinner needs to know how to cure Lycanthropy."
Following my lunch I went upstairs for some much needed sleep. Just as I had put on my nightgown I received a call from Acacia who immediately told me that Darkfell had told her what happened and the wedding was being put off until later in the spring.
"No it's not," I argued.
Acacia insisted, "Yes it is. To be honest we had decided to postpone it anyway since the roses aren't blooming yet."
Not entirely believing her, I remained silent as I raised an eyebrow.
To my amusement she said, "Don't look at me that way! Well, you're not looking at me, but you know what I mean."
"How do you know how I'm looking?"
Sounding amused, she explained, "I've been around you enough to know when you're skeptical about something. I swear on the spirits of both of our mothers that Darkfell and I decided to put it off because the weather still gets so cold. I want the roses in full bloom in the chapel garden when the ceremony takes place. Think of how pretty the memory crystal images will be."
I agreed, "Yes, the roses would be the icing on the cake. All right, I believe you."
Sounding relieved, Acacia said firmly, "Now, you rest. Let the cure potion work. Darkfell said that he and his partner Anaril are going to look into the lead you gave them. Hopefully they can find and lock up the mangy hound that bit you!"
With a tired sigh, I replied, "I hope so."
When the call ended I allowed myself to curl up in bed and pull the warm blanket over me. After the night I had just been through I expected to have bad dreams, but thankfully I didn't.
