I shot a warning look at my niece and nephew, hoping to inspire a little decorum. They both snapped to attention, and I returned to the matter at hand. “You have an urgent report to give?”
The humor drained from his face. “Yes, Your Grace.”
The Captain’s shift in mood was enough to cause concern. The three of us took seats around the large trestle table. A page brought out golden goblets of wine while a young, beefy man who looked no more than twenty entered. He knelt before us, a dented helmet tucked beneath his arm.
The Captain announced that the young soldier had been in my service for four years, and had been through the pass to the Lawless Lands once before. I thanked him for his service and bid him start from the beginning.
“I was walking the tree line, Your Grace,” the soldier began. “Near the old watch stones. I stopped to warm me hands by the fire. It’s been brutally cold, Your Grace. And that’s when I heard a sound. Twigs snapping. Leaves rustling. I could tell by the sound that it was too big to be a squirrel. So I pulled out my bow and crept a little closer. I saw a flash of tan. At first, I thought it was a big doe, and I got real excited, I did. Venison would’ve made a nice meal.” The smile on his face fell. “But then it stood. Ontwo legs, Your Grace. And I realized it was no deer.”
“What did you think it was?” Natalia asked.
The man swallowed hard. “Awere.”
I steepled my fingers under my chin, contemplating the man’s story. He was young, but he wasn’t a green boy.
Tyson leaned closer to me and whispered in Sanguisi. Once upon a time, most witches spoke Sanguisi, but the language had long since died out, replaced by the Common Tongue.Now, vampires were the only ones who kept the old language alive.“Look at the crescent moon brand on his right hand. He’s a follower of Diana.”
Sure enough, there was a mottled pink brand on the back of his hand. Not all of my human fighters bore these marks, only those who kept the ways of one god or the other. It passed as a way to tell what kind of burial rites they’d prefer.
Tyson continued.“He’s probably heard the tales, maybe even seen pictures of weres in storybooks growing up. It makes his story more plausible.”
This assertion was surprising, coming from my nephew. I’d thrown him out of my tent when he’d laughed at Alec’s story about being scratched by one.“I thought you didn’t believe such things were possible?”
He raised his brows.“People change, Uncle.”
I nodded, not agreeing with him, but rather impressed that he was demonstrating some growth. And that he’d caught the brand on the back of the soldier's hand. That kind of attention to detail was important.
Maybe he wasn’t as useless as I feared.
Not to be outdone, Natalia chimed in.“If Tyson had been visiting the army instead of spending time with his tailor, he’d know that rumors have been circulating around camp. The men know we’re going to the Lawless Lands to fight werewolves. He could be projecting.”
She also made a good point. It wouldn’t be the first time rumors like this flew around camp before we left for the Lawless Lands. If this had happened a year ago, I would’ve written it off as nothing more than fear. But things were different now.“The scratch marks on Hector’s severed head are reason enough to believe this man might’ve seen a werewolf.”
The more disturbing part of all this was how a were was on this side of the border. I exhaled through my nose and touchedthe place where my bloodstone was concealed. Reassured by the way it beat under my fingertips. I wasn’t sure if werewolves could cross the boundary between lands. I’d need to assess the condition of the barrier when we crossed.
“Thank you for this information,” I said. “You are dismissed.” The soldier bowed once again and departed the tent. I turned to the captain. “Tighten the outer patrols. Double the watch. I don’t want them walking alone.”
The captain made a note. “It’ll be tight. We’re still waiting on Lord Aurélien’s men to arrive from Carrion Hall. But I’ll make it work, Your Grace.”
“I can join the watch tonight,” Tyson offered.
“They won’t be playing Dépouiller,” Natalia hissed.
He shrugged.“Maybe we will in celebration of my capture of the were.”
“You? Catch a werewolf? Don’t make me laugh. We know nothing about these creatures beyond the old myths. Not even Uncle Bastien has seen one.”
I held out my hands to stop their arguing before Tyson inevitably brought up hiscockagain. “Lord Tyson will stay with the army tonight. He will conduct rounds with the captain and look for a trail.”
The Captain of the Guard grunted and made another note. “Freeze my balls off in the woods with the viscount. Sounds fun. Anything else, Your Grace?”
“No, that will be all.” Tyson leaned back in his chair triumphantly. I shot him a warning look.“You’re not in the capital anymore. Nor the training yard. Don’t make me regret this.”
Flashing me a bright smile, Tyson replied,“I wouldn’t dream of it, Uncle.”
His promise did little to reassure me. Which was why I wasn’t going to leave him down here unattended. “Lady Natalia, you are in charge. Ensure the army is ready for thejourney. I’m going back to the castle to ensure all preparations have been made for Roselyn’s security. We leave tomorrow at nightfall.”
She dipped her head. “I will see it done, Your Grace.”
