The day had turned brighter with no sight of the sun. The blue of the sky above was clean enough in contrast to the chaos that had been left messy in the village beneath. The passing wind was filled with the metallic taste of blood of the persons killed last night. The birds weren't chirping as if afraid of offending the villagers who had suffered a rough dawn.

Samara moved her dried eyes slowly, observing the absence of the women at the public well in the middle of their colony. Witnessing from the window of the kitchen, she could see the fear of unspeakable answers soaking into the neighbors all around.

People were avoiding getting asked about recent deaths and the Hamptons for betrothing their daughter to the newfound Werewolf.

Her own mother didn't go to take water. They would have to survive on the extra pots they had filled yesterday.

It wasn't a usual morning when the tea was being prepared on earthen stove for no one really. Samuel was seated in his room alone, sobbing and remembering the love of his life so unexpectedly. Her mother tried to serve breakfast toasts to him. But at the first denial was enough to sign how the heart-wrenching news had to be eaten first.

In the hall, her father was drinking tea seated at the head chair of the dining table, listening to the sobs of Lord Lester.

For a stranger, the scene would look so bogus for her father was a reputed Knight and the other man, just a vegetable seller.

But here was the beauty of the truth how being distant neighbors, good friendship from years and Rodwin's achievements had left the societal viewpoints far behind.

". . . All of his life, aspiring to serve the army, the King. . . Did I send him there at such ghost town?" Lord Lester sobbed with his tea cup left untouched on the table. ". . . He doesn't keep it back to even live an extra blink of luxury. . . Always ready to serve the public, his friends. . ."

Samara's jaws clenched as each word of her soon to be father-in-law was breaking her heart. The very face of Rodwin which she had seen in the faint light of the dawn would spread in her mind and make her feel the utmost longing for him. She just wanted to run after him to wherever he had gone, to catch him and hide him for herself and let no else see him.

He was so precious and this village was dying to kill him.

Her eyes squeezed at the thought, making the unshed tears slide down her cheeks. If he hadn't gotten the consciousness back that soon, the Knights could have been successful in hurting him. Killing him.

Her fingers shook at the mere glimpse.

How much helpless she felt at the moment, she couldn't describe to herself. She could have lost him too just like Samuel lost Ida.

After Logan and Rodwin ran away, a havoc had erupted. The villagers had gotten scared and mad. Those who had paid heed to Violet's rants, tried to hit Preston and Lori's parents. Those who believed in Lord Commandant's words religiously had surrounded Lord Lester. If it hadn't been her father, Samuel, Jeffery and his father, the crowd could have hurt him.

Violet's father had helped too. They all managed to reach their own houses. It turned worse when six to eight villagers stood in front of their house and started demanding the answers to why Rodwin was gone.

Being absolutely upset with show of hatred, Samara's own father had burst out on the crowd in anger. He scolded them about how he had fought wars and served the public, not for this day. He demanded patience until the next royal message would arrive. The villagers scattered away with angry scoffs and huffs.

Half the Knights took their positions around the colonies to keep eye on the happenings. Some of them had followed Rodwin and Logan already. Some were still investigating around the forests, looking for more proofs about the possible crimes that happened and could happen. Erasmus and some others had accompanied Lord Commandant and Nathaniel to the royal city to see the modern doctor.

Personally, she herself was deeply shocked and hurt at hearing about Ida's death. She wished that she could have trusted her more and helped her when she had came to ask for it. It would be a great regret for whole of her life. Even Violet couldn't stop hiccupping and crying while talking about her bravery that she showed last night.

Samara couldn't believe that Ida had attacked the beast so courageously.

Samuel had told how Rodwin was there with her when she took her last breath. He had informed her brother of the forgiveness she wanted from him for knowingly getting betrothed to Nathaniel and hurting him. For being weak enough to being walked over by her own father,  fiancé and his father.

But Ida was just being respectful to her father and Lord Commandant, until the patience went off. Then, who knew that she was capable of such heroic actions. She died like a Warrior.

". . . Everything will be fine, Lester. Do not cry. Rodwin is very much alive. He will be back. He is a smart boy. . ."

She could hear father going silent while her father-in-law sobbed more.

". . . It is all my fault. If. . . If I hadn't informed him what Joshua told Samuel and Violet about Jennifer being lost. . . He wouldn't have left. . . He would have still been at home with me, happy and peaceful. . . Ah! They could have burned my child. . . My only child. . . The child that was ready to ruin his sleep the whole night for the sake of looking after his colleagues. . ."

Samara blinked while wiping her cheeks. She couldn't stay quiet and teary while half the village was calling her Rodwin, the Werewolf. She knew that he could never be the sinner. There were so many hints how the one of rest of the soldiers could be the beast. Yet they trapped her Rodwin only.

She couldn't see her father-in-law like this. She didn't want to wait for Rodwin with such broken heart full of fear and longing. If she really loved him, then she would have to find the clues to actually find the beast. So she could prove that her fiancé was not the beast.

She had make it easy for the love of her life.

___

Jumping out from the window, she hurriedly glanced around to see if there was anyone present in the street.

Thankfully, the two men at the far were busy in cleaning the mud from the porch of their houses.

Violet hurriedly wore her hood of the cloak and walked away from her house before her parents could find out that she had bolted her room and was not there anymore.

Life was too short to sit in the bedroom all dolled up. She realized that last night after seeing Ida fighting with the death itself like a true Warrior. She hated the fact that she had to ran away with Jennifer and couldn't take Ida along with her too. The lady sacrificed her life to save another lady for real.

For Violet, Ida was more admirable than Samuel or Nathaniel who were the so-called love interest of her lives.

Her lips curled up at the thought of how these men could think that they were the great warriors and fighters. She wanted to spit at their faces for not being able to catch the beast last night and save Ida from him.

On top of it, now Rodwin was falsely accused too. If she hadn't witnessed last night's scenario, she would have blindly believed the news and hated him easily. But Violet had suffered the night herself and she knew that Lord Commandant had made a plan.

If Nathaniel was out of the Jennifer trap that the old man had planned, then it was clear why.

Violet didn't want to waste time in mourning and calculation. The villagers had witnessed her audacity to rebel and she knew that she had earned some haters. Before any of them could start noticing what she was doing, she needed to collected more clues.

This time, it won't be just clues.

It would be directly asking the witness.

Violet inhaled as she neared the seer's house. The path was clear with no sight of the Knights. She hurried her steps and was about to take the last left turn so she would enter the street to reach the main door of the seer's house.

But her pace slowed down just as she saw someone walking from the other side of the street. For some reason, relief filled her heart and she jogged towards the door.

Her hands reached for the other pair of hands. "How did you manage to come here? Your father allowed—"

"They were busy talking in the backyard. I slid away secretly from the front door." Samara said while heaving a sigh. "You?"

Violet smiled sadly. "Escaped from my window."

Both of them shared a determined glance before knocking on the door.

"How is Samuel?" Violet asked quietly while looking at her best friend.

Samara shook her head. "He's devastated. None of us could dare console him. It is scary to see him being regretful of not understanding and talking to her in these last days. He misses her."

Violet lowered her eyes in thought. "No one deserves like what he is going through."

"I know. My God saved me from suffering that myself." Samara choked out and gulped hard. "Though, I'll be thankful to Logan for all of my life, for being such a great friend to Rodwin. What could have happened if he hadn't been on time?" She said brokenly.

Violet smiled tightly. "I never thought that Logan could be such a clever rule breaker. I always thought of him as the blind follower of the Lord Commandant. But I know, people get helpless to earn money. It was his job."

"At last, he fulfilled the job of saving his friend," said Samara while shaking her head as if fearing from the very imagination in her mind about the fire and stakes.

The door opened and came the voice of the woman so soft.

"Ah," said the seer with a warm and tired smile. "Just at the right time. I actually needed volunteers."

Worry spread on Samara's face.

Violet was equally concerned. "Is everything alright? Jennifer is out of the danger, yeah?"

The seer nodded hurriedly while gesturing for them to enter. She closed the door after both were inside and walked towards the third room of her cozy house.

Both the girls followed and sucked in deep breaths at seeing Jennifer all asleep with her body being covered by a thick blanket.

"Her stomach is bandaged. The whole back. Along with her legs."

Violet gasped just as she remembered. "Did you check her down there?" She asked shakily. "Was she touched?"

The seer widened her eyes. "Lord, no!" The woman said calmly in faint shock.

Violet palmed her chest in relief and released a long breath.

Samara blinked softly while looking at the red marks all over Jennifer's face. "Yet the proofs are there all over that it could have almost happened," she whispered in dread.

The seer glanced back at Jennifer's pale face with red marks at her forehead and cheeks. "True. But the molesters were ripped to shreds and she is fine here, defeating the death. I will kiss the ground that Werewolf walks on if such is the way of his instant justice," said the woman with a daring smile.

Violet's eyebrows furrowed as until now, she hadn't thought about it.

On the other side, Samara nodded in agreement. "Not all monsters are born with dark fur and claws. Some just hold immorality on their nose and lust in their eyes."

"And those were one of the soldiers we thought we were proud of," said Violet, disgust lacing her voice.

"For money, poor boys are ready to sell their dignity. Lust came rolling in when the prize for kidnapping her was laced with the greed of hurting her brother in the most cruelest way," said the seer while walking towards the little table on the side and mixing the paste that she was working on. "How could there be so much hatred in them for another soldier when they have fought together against one common enemy in the war?"

"It's the root of all," said Violet through gritted teeth. "Nathaniel, his father and their dirty politics."

Samara breathed calmly while saying, "Or just helplessness of pretending to be great."

The seer smiled to herself at her words. She raised herself straight and looked at Violet. "I have to bring out more bandages from my cupboards. Until then, you will have to assist me by putting the paste on the bruises."

Violet's confident expressions were gone. "On her face?"

The seer's smile faded as she turned serious. "There are more on her body. Remove the blanket gently. From the places whenever required. Don't let the cold air reach her."

Samara gulped hard as Violet grabbed the little bowl of paste shakily.

"Come with me, Samara." The seer said while walking out of the room.

Samara looked back at Violet who was slowly walking closer to Jennifer's bed, before following the medic out of the room.

The seer pushed open the door to another little cabin and breathed calmly. "Oh! Look. You are awake," she said while observing Davis' twitching eyes.

Samara's lips parted at seeing him lying on the bed with the blanket covering his naked torso up to his chest. There was this full blown bandaging on the left shoulder and to support it, the seer had wrapped it around his chest diagonally and the neck too.

"Good then," said the seer. "Because now, Samara will be feeding you the soup. You might get inspiration by remembering how her brother had fought against gashes of six arrows."

Samara winced at the memory. Her gaze lowered in reluctance when the seer walked out of the room. "I'll bring it freshly warmed from the kitchen while you just wait by his side."

Davis gulped hard and stayed quiet with his eyes slightly opened.

Samara's footsteps echoed in the room as she neared his bed. Feeling overwhelmed by the curiosity, she grabbed the blanket and slid it away to check his torso.

"What are you doing?" Davis mumbled in a rough voice.

"Looking for the wound from another arrow or spike," said Samara absentmindedly while feeling blank at the sight of clean skin. She covered him back and sighed heavily.

"Disappointed?" asked Davis while moving his half-opened eyes to her as she settled down to the nearest chair.

Samara smiled sadly. "You have been disappointing enough since the day you betrayed your real friends and befriended new ones for some hidden mean motive," she taunted, turning her gaze blank at him.

Davis breathed roughly while staring at the ceiling. He took a moment of silence before saying, "Real friends do not hide things, Samara. They do not make you feel left out."

She sucked in a breath, turning surprised.

"How could I be a friend to Logan when he preferred Rodwin over me?" Davis said quietly. ". . . and Rodwin? Well, he became a rival since the day I realized that I was falling for you."

Samara blinked while shaking her head in disbelief. "You don't even know me. You were the one helping around Rodwin in getting to me. How could you betray him all this time by liking me? Especially, when you know that he loves me from the very beginning."

"I do not care," said Davis slowly. "Rodwin has always been open about it because he knew it from the beginning." He winced in pain and breathed more. "I didn't because I realized it later. I didn't betray him. If I had, I would have still been his close friend."

Samara blinked in thought. "Fine. Rodwin and Logan didn't value you. But why opposing Samuel to support Nathaniel? What did my brother do to you? We have been family friends. What did I do to you? You disrespected me and my brother in the court!" She said desperately.

Davis turned quiet while looking at her with a glint of helplessness in his blue eyes. "Nathaniel has helped me out a lot throughout the War. After the War, his father made medicines and pastes available for my injuries."

"So, to return those favours, you will forget your morales and principles? You will stand against the right? You know what Nathaniel did to me! If you really even admire me, then you wouldn't like the person who hurt me and my brother," she said angrily.

Davis breathed hard, his face turning stern. "Rodwin has been no less. He has forced his advances on you throughout the adolescence and now, you gave into his love."

"Advances!" Samara whisper-yelled in disgust. "That was wrong. Yes! But you knew that Rodwin's love for me was real. Now, I love those advances. While Nathaniel? He slept with the women before the war when we were still courting! He knowingly got himself betrothed to the woman who didn't want him and loved my brother! That is appreciable to you!"

"Nathaniel has had bigger problems in his hands. If I had been him, I might have done such reckless things too." Davis said mournfully, making Samara gasp in disbelief. "Neither Nathaniel is good for you, nor Rodwin. I was there for you at all the times. My family was there for you at all the times. My mother had talked to your father about the betrothal. But he had always skipped the talks. Now, what do I get from this?"

Samara's lips parted in disbelief.

Davis winced while gulping hard. "As I had expected. You do not even know about it," he taunted lowly.

Samara gritted her teeth and was about to speak. All of a sudden, the seer appeared in the door and brought the hot soup.

"There you hold it," said the woman while putting it on a small table near Samara. "Davis, help me get you seated."

Davis groaned when she snaked her arms beneath his neck and asked him to lean on his right side. Taking support of his right elbow, he raised himself. The seer helped by pushing on his back and hurriedly assembled the pillows accordingly.

"Very well." She said while moving away.

Groaning in pain, he sat properly and relaxed back on the pillows.

"Now, I must leave for my room. Won't take too long." She said and walked out of the room hurriedly.

Samara picked up the bowl and started filling up the spoon with the soup quietly.

Davis stared at her. "I can drink it by myself."

"It would be disrespectful to not follow her order when she has been so caring to me and my family. Therefore, stop thinking as if I am doing any favor on you," said Samara quietly while raising the spoon to his mouth.

Davis flared his nostrils and then, observed her facial features. "What happened in the morning?" He asked all of a sudden.

"So, now you care about what happened?" Samara said while feeding him another spoon of soup. She wasn't meeting his eyes. Seething in anger, she breathed hard while forwarding the spoon again. "Ida was found dead in the forest by Rodwin who as usual was helping around the people. Nathaniel comes there and sees that she is taking her last breathe in Rodwin's arms. Then, he accuses him of killing Ida."

"What?" Davis said in disbelief. His eyes widened slowly. "Ida. . . She was in the forest? Nathaniel was too?"

Samara looked up at him and smirked humorlessly. "What did you think that they were doing some rituals in the church? Ida knew that you all four scoundrels were about to hurt Jennifer!" She seethed in anger.

Davis was stunned.

"Earl ran away after you backed out and informed Nathaniel about the worst that Preston and Lori were thinking about doing to Jennifer!" Samara said enthusiastically. "I cannot believe that you would take part in such atrocities! I am ashamed to have called you an acquaintance—"

Davis blinked and breathed roughly. "I backed out."

"You did not take any step to stop them. Jennifer was still attacked!" Samara whisper-yelled while glancing back at the door.

Davis's lips parted in shock.

"Preston and Lori tore her clothes!" She said with glossy eyes. "On top of it, the beast arrived there. Thankfully, he attacked the boys first. Jennifer ran away and was eventually saved. But she has caught many deep wounds—"

"Preston and Lori?" Davis asked with raised eyebrows.

Samara clenched her jaws and lowered her eyes. She looked back at him and nodded. "The Werewolf killed them."

Davis sucked in a breath in disbelief. He lowered his eyes slowly. "I had told them to not follow the plan," he said coldly. "I had warned them. But they didn't listen."

Samara narrowed her eyes at him.

"I already was feeling that Lord Commandant was making a fool of us. He was using less words. He was only talking about the raise in our salary if we do this for him. He was making it up about how he was just trapping whoever was the beast from Samuel and Jeffery."

Samara fed him a big spoon of soup and gave him a dead look. "What did you do after you ran away?"

Davis gulped hard while looking in her eyes. "I was upset with myself. . ." He hesitated and winced slightly. "I just wanted to end everything with Nathaniel and his friends. As we had reached there an hour before Jennifer's usual time, I thought that I would find her in the way and could warn her. But she didn't come from that way."

Samara felt her heart dropping.

"Instead, I found Jeffery." Davis said quietly while furrowing his eyebrows as if he was trying to remember last evening.

Samara looked away while thinking hard. Wasn't it too early to leave home? If it was too early for Jennifer coming to Aunt Maria's land, then how Jeffery was out of the home.

"How did he look?" She asked slowly.

Davis blinked in thought. "Calm?" He said while remembering, "He was in his house clothes. His face looked greasy as if he was only working with his father."

"Didn't you tell him about that sick plan of your new friends?" Samara asked angrily.

Davis shut his mouth in utter shame. "I didn't meet him. I was hiding and observing his direction. He was going towards the north of the fields. Towards the forests."

Samara's heart stopped as she realized something.

"He wasn't looking worried. He looked caught up with work on his mind. This is how, I have often caught him since the childhood. They have a square field down that side. He had once told me that he goes there to check upon the vegetables and brings back soil for the backyard as it gets greasy because of their usual work and the oil they use." Davis told her slowly.

"What?" Samara was confused. "So, was he holding a sack to collect soil?"

Davis shook his head. "No. This is why, he looked suspicious to me. Just when I thought about following him, I heard horses. That's when I knew, the Knights had started roaming the forests. I hid behind a tree until Jeffery was gone. The faint galloping was gone too. So, I started walking back towards the village."

"For what?" Samara asked in frustration. "Why? You should have told Jeffery about what could have happened to Jennifer!"

Davis lowered his eyes. "I couldn't, Samara. I was very much blank. I couldn't understand what to do in that moment."

Samara kept listening carefully. "So, you were going back home?"

"I did," said Davis while blinking. "But my mother was already worried that I was out. She was not happy when Earl had came up to take me from home to join Preston and Lori. I didn't want to go and answer things to her. I went to Logan's home instead."

Samara glanced back at the door and leaned closer to Davis. "Why? You don't talk to him anymore."

"To tell what was happening and ask him to inform Erasmus. But Logan was already gone from his house," said Davis with seriousness glinting in his eyes. "His mother said that he was allotted in Erasmus' team. It's a lie because no one was in his team. There was a battalion of royal Knights only."

Samara bit her lip in helplessness. Logan was out already. But Violet had said that he went out because Davis' mother came worriedly at his house.

"But why would Logan lie?" She asked more to herself.

Davis gave her a dead look. "Because he is the beast."

Samara shook her head while flaring her nostrils. "He cannot be."

Davis leaned closer and whispered, "He was the one out already with no official purpose. Or maybe, yes. He had a very official purpose of the night."

Samara gulped nervously.

Davis smirked humorlessly. "To transform."

"Why would I believe you?" Samara whispered quietly, feeling her heartbeats going erratic in the suspense.

Davis gave him a knowing smile that seemed so confident. "Because this sinner of a Soldier didn't become a wolf on the thirteenth night of the War," he said while looking in Samara's eyes. "That night was had happened naturally. Unpredictably. Everyone ran from the wolves. We all tried to save ourselves from getting killed. No one wanted a bite. We wanted to reach the tents as soon as possible."

"It was the seventh night of the War when this main event happened, Samara. The full moon night.”

Violet widened her teary eyes while hiding behind the wall near the door. 

____

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