by Raquel Paiva
The roars outside caught his attention. Two animals were fighting not far from there. He looked at Lúcia who was staring at him, her wet eyes wide open. Something serious had definitely happened and he would make her tell him all about it.
“Let's go inside. I want you to tell me where you have been and what happened.”
XI
Pedro prepared some chamomile tea for Lúcia to help her calm down. It was late, no need to wake Adélia up. He didn't ask any questions while Lúcia told him about the two encounters she had had with Luvinus. He listened carefully as she spoke. Finally, he placed two cups of tea on the table and stared at her.
“You could have died. Are you even aware of the danger you were in? You will never go out at night alone again, never again.”
“Luvinus protected me.”
“Luvinus is as fierce and bloodthirsty as the rest of his breed. You will never go to him again and I will warn the men.”
“Please, I don't want them to hurt Luvinus. He's different.”
“Luvinus will die just like the others. Only when they are all dead will we be safe. You will be locked at home every night too for your own safety. I don't want you to be accused of witchcraft either if anyone finds you chatting with that beast.”
Anger rose in Lúcia’s chest.
“This is my house, it is very ungrateful of you to speak to me like this. I was the one who gave you shelter and who took care of you when you were sick.”
“And that's why I’m talking to you like that, Lúcia.” he snapped at her. “Because I love you and because when all this is over I want to take you to Lisbon to be my wife.”
Surprise left Lúcia speechless. She had never thought she would be proposed to in that way. Pedro looked at her pleadingly.
“I love you, Lúcia Bastos. The mere thought that you could have died tonight makes me feel sick. Believe me, these creatures are dangerous, very dangerous. My late wife, Amélia, was killed by one of them, I am now sure.”
Lúcia felt a thud inside and looked at him in shock. She could read the pain on his face.
“What happened?” she asked softly.
Pedro sat on the chair, his head in his hands. When he told Captain Nogueira and the doctors what had happened to Amélia, it was only for information, he had not shown any emotion, for the sake of professionalism. But with Lúcia, he had to share it all. It was the first time that he would really speak about what happened.
Lúcia sat down beside him and held his hands.
“It was our first year of marriage and we were so happy.”
Thus he started his story.
“Amélia and I married young. She was one of the most cheerful and kind women I had ever met. I will never forget her beautiful, bright hazel eyes nor her long, silky dark hair.”
Lúcia shivered, slightly uncomfortable. Was she jealous? She said nothing, though, and let Pedro go on with his story.
“After five months of marriage, her belly started growing. We were so happy at the prospect of our firstborn. However that winter was really harsh and food didn’t abound. We couldn’t produce any food in our small plots. Fights over vegetables and eggs at the local market became regular. People were starting to feel desperate. One of those fights involved my wife.”
The young man sighed. Lúcia was dying to know what had happened but let Pedro take his time to resume.
“All because of a stupid cabbage.”
“A cabbage? Did your wife fight because of a cabbage? Then you must all have been very hungry, indeed.”
“Amélia went to buy some food and was unlucky enough to grab the last cabbage from a basket from the vegetable vendor, Mr. Antão, at the same time another woman did. Unfortunately, that woman happened to be Mrs Aida Fonseca, the wife of the richest man in the village. They were both unpleasant people and everyone avoided conflicts with them, mostly out of fear.
“I saw that cabbage first. Drop it immediately!” Aida demanded to
Amélia, pride and malice on her face.
“We grabbed the cabbage at the same time, Mrs. Fonseca. “Amélia said in a calm tone, trying not to feel intimidated. “The fairest thing to do would be to share it.”
Aida shuddered at her audacity. No one ever failed to do what she wanted. People always agreed with her, even if she was wrong – which often was the case - to avoid conflicts with the influential Fonseca couple.
“I do not intend to share anything with you, you brazen fool. This cabbage is mine. How dare you even make such a suggestion?”
Pedro approached.
“Amélia, what's going on here?”
It was Aida who answered:
“Your insolent wife had the nerve to try to get this cabbage all for herself. I had already grabbed it and seen it first, so I asked her to give it to me immediately.”
Pedro looked at his wife. He knew that Amélia was a fair and humble woman and that she would not lie just to defend herself. People were already crowding around, curious. Could it be that the peaceful Pedro Fernandes was challenging the Fonseca couple?
“We grabbed the cabbage at the same time, Pedro. Mr. Antão is a witness.”
But the vegetable vendor turned his back and walked away. He didn't want any problems with anyone, least of all with the Fonsecas. They could even get people never to buy vegetables from him ever again and that would be his ruin. People gathered around them, more and more expectant. There was some noise. Amélia continued:
“I suggested sharing the cabbage, that would be the fairest thing to do as we are both hungry and this is the only cabbage left. Mrs. Fonseca refuses to do that though.”
“I am Aida Fonseca and my husband is Alfredo Fonseca, the most important people in this village. The cabbage is mine by right.”
Amélia blushed in rage. Pedro swallowed hard, trying to oppress the same rage against that woman’s impertinence. He was not afraid of the Fonsecas himself, but he feared what that shrew might do against Amélia. She was already in the sixth month of pregnancy, she should not be disturbed nor subject to any danger.
“Amélia, it is best not to argue any longer because of a mere cabbage. Even though I believe you, you must not risk getting upset. This will harm our child.”
Aida gave an unpleasant laugh and Amélia shuddered with fury. Pedro was a peaceful man, but why was he not able to stand up against that witch when she, his wife, was right? She pushed the cabbage against Aida’s chest, almost crushing it and walked away in quick steps.
“A most wise decision. Do have a good day.” Aida said arrogantly as she paid Mr Antão and walked away.
Pedro looked at the people around him. He was furious. He hated himself for not defending his wife, but what good would it do to get into unnecessary conflicts with the Fonsecas over a cabbage? He could not let them harm his wife and his unborn child. But he was feeling like a coward now. He felt people move away and started heading home. Later he found Amélia in the kitchen chopping carrots. She didn't speak to him when she saw him walk in.
“I am sorry.” he started.
Amélia looked at him straight, her eyes showing all her disappointment.
“They have money and they always win, right?” she said calmly. “I'm sorry you didn't stand up for me.”
“I defended you as I thought best. Why such an unnecessary fight over a cabbage? Besides, you're pregnant, you have to think about the child.”
“It is not the cabbage that I mean, Pedro.” she snapped, waving her knife around. “I don't care about the cabbage, but I feel disappointed that my husband did not stand by me.”
The words hit him in the heart like the sharp knife she was holding. Amélia thought he was a coward. He hated himself and he hated the Fonsecas. He had not feared what could happen to him, but the prospect that something bad could happen to Amélia when she was already in a fragile condition had terrified him.
“They would hurt you both.” was the only thing he managed to say.
She did not answer him. She didn
't speak to him all day. That night Amélia went to bed earlier than he did, leaving him to his thoughts. It was raining and thundering outside. The weather could not have been more in line with his mood. Suddenly he heard men screaming.
“Wolves, wolves!”
He opened the door and looked outside. The peasants ran around with guns and drawn swords. Pedro even heard roars and grunts. Then someone fired.
“What's going on?” he asked the first peasant who ran past his front door.
“Get your gun. The village is being attacked by wolves. They are devouring our cattle.”
Amélia went to him.
“Pedro...” she whispered, frightened.
He immediately took his rifle from the wall. He heard howls and roars outside. If the other men were to fight, he would have to join them. It was the only way to make his wife proud of him again. Furthermore, they had to protect the cattle. They had so little food left that they could not afford to lose more to hungry wolves.
“Don't leave the house, dear. Lock yourself in the room and stay there. Don't open the door to anyone before I am back. I won't be long, I hope.”
He gave her a kiss on her cheek. Amélia just said:
“Be careful.”
Pedro put his hand on her face and ran out, rifle in hand. He didn’t know, but he would never see Amélia alive again.
It was a Full Moon night, but the clouds hung thick in the sky, making it difficult to see. Pedro ran and joined a group of men near a stable. Inside, the sheep whined, terrified. Two wolves lay on the ground, both with a bullet hole in their heads. There was a wounded man lying on the floor. He was bleeding profusely from his left arm.
“We have to call a doctor.” Pedro said.
They were too late. The man exhaled his last breath and his head fell on his chest. He had bled to death.
Leaving the barn, Pedro and the other men headed for the wooden fence that separated the village from the edge of the woods. Some wolves ran in retreat, howling and whining. They had managed to drag two sheep with them. One of the men fired again, but missed. Suddenly they heard a ghastly cry coming from the centre of the village. A cry conveying such fright and horror that the blood ran cold in Pedro and the other men’s veins. For a moment they could not move or think clearly. Only a huge fear would be able to make someone scream like that, as if they were seeing the Devil in person. Finally, Pedro recovered his senses and shouted at the others:
“Let's go.”
They ran towards the place from where the cry had come. When he reached the centre of the village, he halted paralyzed. He couldn't see well, but there was a huge figure, with bright yellow eyes, staring at him menacingly. That figure was attacking a man who screamed in sheer horror and despair as if maddened. Pedro fired at the creature. It just growled and ran away swiftly. He approached. The man was dead. He looked again to where that figure had fled. What could it be? It seemed too big to be a normal wolf. Was it the Devil himself who had emerged from the depths of hell to torment them? Pedro didn’t believe in folklore stories, but at that moment they were the only thought that throbbed in his mind. Little by little, the silence returned to the village. The men calmed down, some women and children showed up inside the doorways of their houses, not yet recovered from the shock. The animals started to calm down too.
“Damn creatures from hell.” a man swore, spitting on the ground. “We have so little food left and they still come to steal from us.”
“How many casualties?” Pedro asked.
“Tomás died in the stable, poor Antunes and two of my sheep.” said someone else, his voice heavy with hatred.
“We'll be on guard in groups all night, in case they come back. Let's check if anyone else is injured and if there is further damage.”
The men agreed with Pedro. It was crucially important to stay alert the rest of the night. After half an hour, they felt a little relieved. Nothing else was missing, thank God they had only suffered those two casualties and the loss of two sheep. It could have been much worse. The sun began to light up on the horizon bringing an end to that night of blood and dread. Pedro felt drained and longed to return home to his wife. Amélia would heat him some soup and he was longing for that comforting feeling. He started walking home when a middle-aged woman came running to him.
“Pedro, Pedro Fernandes! The most horrible thing has happened!”
“I know it. I spent the whole night fighting it.” he muttered.
“No, come with me!”
The woman ran heavily towards Pedro's house. He went after her and suddenly a chill went down his spine. The door was broken. He approached but then stopped. He saw a trail of blood coming from his room, heading towards the forest. There were huge footprints on the floor. A frightening, dreadful thought took over his body. The woman beside him wept and moaned softly. Pedro couldn’t accept the thought forming in his mind. When he got to the bedroom he saw his wife, an image that would remain with him forever. Amélia had suffered the most violent and brutal death anyone could ever had. Blood was dripping from her torn throat, staining the sheets and her white night gown. But the worst of all, what would most torment him for the rest of his life, was seeing Amélia's belly completely torn open and transformed into a grotesque mass of blood and viscera. He couldn’t even make out the dead foetus that had been growing in her womb. His child was dead too.
When Pedro finished his story, he had tears in his eyes and was sobbing. Lúcia was shocked and unable to utter a single word to comfort him. It was too horrible. She just held his hands and stayed with him until the sobbing subsided. Then Pedro raised his head and wiped his eyes.
“I didn’t even have the chance to ask her for forgiveness for my cowardice. I should have been with her, I shouldn't have left.”
“You couldn't have done anything, Pedro. You left to fight with the other men and protect your village. How could you know what would come next?”
“It was our first child.”
“I am so sorry.”
“For months without end I hated myself. I buried her and the next day I left the village. I have never returned. I decided to go live in a convent in Lisbon, the monks were understanding and kind to me, they gave me a small room and food. For weeks living was unbearable, it felt like punishment. Every night I would wake up bathed in sweat as I saw her torn in my nightmares, accusing me of having forsaken her.”
“You didn't abandon her and I know she forgave you.” Lúcia said, squeezing her hands tightly around his.
Pedro closed his eyes.
“I once tried to end my life.” he confessed. “Nothing made sense anymore. What kind of life was I to lead, constantly plagued by guilt and with nothing to cling to in order to survive? I tried to hang myself in my own room, but one of the monks found me and called the others. They broke the door and pulled me out of the rope just in time to save me. I still have the marks on my neck.”
Lúcia instantly looked at his neck. It was true. There were two scars on his throat, where the rope had rubbed the hardest. She touched them. Her cold fingers made him shiver. He had never had any contact with another woman since Amélia's death.
“I stayed in the convent for a very long time and after my suicide attempt, I made the decision to seek out the hideous creature that had so savagely killed my pregnant wife. I was going to find out more about it. There was a library in the convent with a forbidden books’ section. It was locked as only the superior monks could access it.”
“Did you access it then? How?” Lúcia asked, eyes wide open.
“I asked the superior monks for permission to read those books too. In one of them I found out about this bloodthirsty creature, half wolf, half man. It is called werewolf. A most fearsome animal, precisely like this creature you have met, Lúcia.
The young girl felt uneasy. She entirely understood Pedro’s rage and revolt, but she knew Luvinus wasn’t bloodthirsty as the young man was saying. She didn’t argue with him though. Pedro was clearly upset and it wo
uld not be wise to upset him further.
“So what else did you find out about these werewolves?” she asked instead.
“The only things that can kill werewolves are fire and... silver. Silver bullets or silver blades dug in their hearts or heads can put an end to a werewolf’s life.”
Lúcia could swear from Pedro’s look in his eyes that he could not wait until he could do it hence avenging his deceased wife.
“This monster becomes especially invincible on Full Moon nights when it is at its most powerful self and more resistant to silver.”
He stared at Lúcia who was puzzled at these revelations. He carried on:
“After finishing my studies and recovering from the shock, something that took a year and a half, I asked for shelter in the army. I wanted to become a soldier and look for this creature to kill it with my own hands. I became friends with Captain Nogueira. I didn’t really read your father’s letter but when the captain told me something vicious was attacking this village, I immediately suspected one of those horrible monsters was here. I offered to come to Sintra while Captain Nogueira stayed to organize the soldiers. I wanted to first question people and draw my conclusions. I came armed with silver swords and bullets. I was not attacked, but if I had been, I would have known how to defend myself. Along the way, I always tried to stay overnight in peasant or noble houses. If it were not possible, I would climb to the top of a tree so as not to be caught off guard if that creature encountered me. But the trip was very painful, mainly because Amélia appeared in my nightmares again. When I arrived I was very weak as you know.”
He smiled at her.
“I never thought I would ever find love again.”
Lúcia returned the smile and he put his hand on her face.
“Werewolves are irresistibly attracted to pregnant women and... women who are still pure. Like you.”
Lúcia shuddered. Shorath's words came back to her mind.
"The other werewolf ..." she murmured, eyes wide with fear.
