The Vaetra Chronicles: Book 01 - Vaetra Unveiled

by Daniel R. Marvello

  "I think Tam and the other boys may have been experimenting with shape shifting," I said as I set the bottle on the table in front of her.

  She picked up the bottle and her lips silently formed the word "eclipse" as she read the label. "I don't understand. What is this? What are you trying to tell me?"

  "The boy I found didn't quite look human. I think he was shifting into wolf form." There. I said it. And it sounded stupid.

  She barked a short nervous laugh and set the bottle back down near my plate. "You must be kidding. Tam would never do anything like that. He knows better than to mess with sorcery. You must have found someone or something else."

  "I hope you're right. But that bottle was in his boot. I found his boots and clothes at the clearing where he and his friends meet," I explained.

  "Are you telling me that Tam left his clothes behind? Then what was he wearing?" she asked.

  "Fur," I stated with a shrug.

  Greta and Penny both stared at me. Penny looked over at Greta, waiting for her to say something first. Greta said nothing for what seemed like a long time, her eyes never leaving my face. She finally drew a deep breath and let it out.

  "I'm not sure I believe you. You said yourself it was getting dark. But if you did find Tam, we need to get him home safely."

  I nodded. "If I go alone, he may run from me again. I need to bring someone with me that Tam recognizes and trusts. I was planning to take Alain along to the peninsula tomorrow morning, if that's possible."

  "I'm sure I can convince Alain's father to let you borrow him for the morning if it will help bring Tam home," she assured me. "I'll stop by and speak to him on my way home tonight."

  Greta looked over at the potion bottle in front of me and frowned. "I don't look forward to telling Jergen about this. He'll probably want to go with you tomorrow. I'll try to talk him out of it, but I doubt I'll be successful." She looked up at me. "You should probably be prepared to take both Alain and Jergen with you in the morning." She said it like it was a warning.

  "Why does that concern you?" I asked. "Are you worried that your husband will scare Tam off?" I didn't know enough about their family dynamic to understand the nature of her warning. I needed to know what to expect tomorrow.

  Greta shook her head. "No, Tam respects his father and usually obeys him. But Jergen can be harsh when his will is challenged." Penny nodded her head in agreement, her eyes wide. "If Tam has been experimenting with sorcery, Jergen will be very displeased," Greta concluded.

  With a heavy sigh, Greta got up to leave. Penny rose with her and gave her a comforting hug. I stood as well and gave Greta a slight bow in farewell. I slipped the potion bottle back into my pocket.

  "Don't worry, Greta. We'll get Tam back for you tomorrow," I promised her before she left, and then sat back down to finish my excellent meal.

  Chapter 12

  After two days of hard riding and far too much excitement, I slept soundly and comfortably at the Eagle's Rest. Penny would definitely be getting that recommendation from me when our guests at the Snow Creek Inn asked about a place to stay in Delta. The bed was better than the one I had at home, and the little bags of dried flowers in a bowl on the dresser gave the room a subtle floral scent. I'd have to tell Dela about that idea.

  In fact, I was so comfortable that I slept far longer than I normally do. I didn't wake up until Penny knocked quietly on my door. I sat up in bed quickly, yawned hugely, and looked around at the strange surroundings, slowly remembering where I was and why I was there. Her muffled voice came through the door. "It's nearly dawn sir, and I thought you'd like a bite to eat before you meet with Greta's husband."

  I hung my feet off the edge of the bed. "Thank you. I'll be right down," I said in a raised voice.

  I dressed quickly and collected my things from the room. I ran down the stairs to the common room and laid my sword and saddle bag next to the door. I walked into the dining room just as Penny was setting a plate of eggs and more of that fabulous bread onto the table. Thanking her for her thoughtfulness, I wasted no time devouring my breakfast.

  Penny and I talked while I ate. I asked her about her rates and how many rooms she had available, and we engaged in other inn-keeping chatter. I was just setting down my napkin for the last time and settling back contentedly into my chair when I heard the front door open. I turned my head to see a man walk in.

  He wore a richly embroidered leather vest over a carefully-tailored brown shirt. His receding hair and trimmed beard were a medium brown that had gone mostly to grey. Intense grey eyes scanned the room from under bushy eyebrows that were drawn together to match his frown. The big man moved deliberately and without hesitation toward the table.

  "Good morning, Jergen," Penny said with a smile.

  He nodded at her. "Penny."

  I looked over at Penny with a grin. "Perfect timing. Thanks for waking me and for the excellent breakfast." I pushed my chair back from the table and got out my coin purse.

  Penny put her hand over mine with a look of concern as I untied the purse string. "There's no need to pay. Greta is taking care of that."

  "I know. But I wouldn't feel right enjoying such hospitality without at least showing my appreciation." I set a silver coin down on the table. It was a generous tip, but her care had been well worth it.

  "Thank you. You're welcome back any time," she said with a smile as she picked up the coin.

  Jergen interrupted us. "You're Jaylan?" he asked.

  I turned to him and extended my hand. "Yes, sir. Jaylan Forester of Raven Company."

  He took my hand and shook it once. "Jergen Overland. I'll be waiting outside." He turned on his heal and walked back out the door, closing it behind himself with a firm thud.

  I turned to Penny with my eyebrows raised in surprise. She gave me a small apologetic smile and shrugged her shoulders. Being friends with Greta, she was probably used to Jergen's gruff demeanor.

  I picked up my things, waved goodbye to Penny, and followed Jergen out the door.

  I started around the side of the house toward the stable and nearly bumped into Alain as he came forward with Patches all saddled-up and ready to go.

  Alain licked his lips nervously as he handed me the reins. "I hope you don't mind. Mister Overland instructed me to get your horse ready for you. Did you have anything else in the stable?"

  I looked Patches over and accounted for all of his gear. "No, looks good. Thanks for getting him ready." I attached the saddle bags and my sword sheath to the saddle, checked the cinch, and mounted up.

  Jergen and Alain were on their horses waiting for me. Jergen was looking around the town slowly, but not really focusing on anything. Alain was watching me and fiddling with his reins, never once looking over at Jergen.

  I said, "Okay, let's go." When I spoke, Alain jumped and Jergen slowly turned his attention to me, rather like an owl rotating its head to consider the worthiness of a mouse. He nodded and then urged his horse into a canter, leading the way out of town. My, what a jovial trip this was going to be.

  We were about a quarter mile out of Delta when Jergen slowed down and pulled his horse alongside mine. Alain rode just behind us. Jergen seemed ready to talk, now that there was no one to overhear us.

  "My wife says you think you found Tam," he stated.

  I nodded and said, "Yes, sir. I can't be sure since I never met Tam, but the boy I found was about the right age and more or less fit your wife's description of him."

  "She also said you think there's something wrong with him," he said, looking over at me.

  Greta's doubts had worked their way into my mind overnight and I was beginning to question what I'd seen with my own eyes. Such is the nature of memories when you see things you don't expect and have trouble believing. I half-attributed Tam's appearance last evening to the fading light and an overactive imagination on my part.

  "I could be mistaken. It was dusk when I found him, and the light was bad. I did find his clothes at the clearing, and it seemed
to me that he was either naked or wearing some kind of fur." I shrugged in apology for not being able to give him better information.

  Jergen half-turned in his saddle and spoke over his shoulder. "What were you boys up to out there, Alain?"

  "Nothing, sir. We just went hiking," he replied.

  "Hiking naked? Don't lie to me, boy. Why did Tam leave his clothes behind? Did you have girls out there with you?" Jergen asked with a stern tone.

  "No sir! We just went hiking. I don't know why Tam left his clothes in the clearing. He must have taken them off later," Alain answered.

  I didn't believe Alain for a minute, and I decided to interject my own question. "Did you boys dress up in animal skins for your hikes? Was it some kind of game where you pretended to be animals or something?"

  Alain was silent for a moment, and I looked back at him. He was staring at me and his face had gone white. I guessed my question had hit close to the mark. I figured that if sorcery was not involved, what I'd seen could be explained by Tam wearing some kind of costume.

  Alain looked down and finally answered. "No, sir. Nothing like that. We just went hiking."

  Jergen harrumphed, but didn't pursue the matter further. I don't think he believed Alain any more than I did, but the boy was sticking to his story for now. We'd see how things went when we found Tam.

  I thought about the potion bottle that was still in my pocket. If we didn't get better answers from the two boys later on, I'd surprise them with it and maybe shock them into giving us the truth.

  ***

  We reached the sign to Buckwoods and entered the trail behind it in single file with Alain taking the lead and Jergen behind him. If we encountered Tam, I wanted him to see his friend and his father before he saw me.

  I wondered what we would find when we reached the clearing. Would Tam's clothes still be there? Why did Tam stay in the woods for two nights rather than go home? What was keeping him here? Did it have anything to do with whatever was going on in Buckwoods?

  The forest seemed more cheery today. The sky was mostly cloudy, but the sun emerged periodically to stream down through the trees and sparkle on the dew-laden branches. The smell of warming pine needles wafted up from the trail, and fresh pine scents breezed across us as we rode forward. Chickadees flitted from branch to branch ahead of us, chirping happily.

  I felt a little foolish about running from what I had seen the night before, but then I reached up and touched one of the still-tender scratches on my face and frowned at the memory of my wild dash through the forest. I wasn't easily spooked. The wolf howls had touched on something primitive within me, and remembering them set my nerves on edge again.

  As we neared the clearing, Alain exclaimed, "Tam! Stop! It's me, Alain."

  We spread out into the clearing to find Tam, still without clothing. He crouched at the other side of the clearing and edged toward the trail behind him. His eyes were wild as they shifted back and forth among us.

  Any doubts about what I'd seen the night before evaporated. Tam's face and ears were still distorted and his entire body was covered with light brown fur. His toes and fingers were stunted and clawed. His brown eyes were wide and his lips were pulled back from his teeth in a snarl that revealed long white canines in both his upper and lower jaw.

  Alain dismounted, his face flushed and his eyes wide. Tam took a step back, and growled like a dog. There was no other word for the sound he made.

  "Tam, what's happened to you? It's me, Alain," he repeated. Tam lifted his head and sniffed the air. He didn't growl again, but he didn't relax his stance either.

  I decided that being on foot might make us seem less threatening. Apparently, so did Jergen. We both dismounted and stepped around in front of our horses. I stayed back a couple of steps to let Jergen and Alain handle the conversation with Tam, such as it was.

  Jergen looked at the thing Tam had become and then over at Alain. "Are you telling me that this creature is my son? How is that possible?"

  When Jergen spoke, Tam took another step back and growled again.

  Alain held up his hand. "Wait, Tam! Don't run. We're here to help you." Tam stared at Alain and made a whining sound. Alain's hand dropped back to his side, and he looked over at Jergen. "Yes, it's Tam. Something has happened to him," he confirmed.

  I slowly reached into my pocket so as not to disturb Tam, and removed the bottle I'd found in his things. I held up the bottle between my thumb and forefinger. "Does it have anything to do with this?" I asked Alain.

  Alain glanced over at me and then looked sharply back when he saw the bottle. His eyes went wide. "Where did you find that?" he asked.

  "It was hidden in Tam's boot."

  "What is that?" Jergen demanded.

  For a moment, Alain looked like he might try to run. He swallowed hard and he glanced at his horse.

  "Tell us!" Jergen shouted. Tam growled again and crouched lower.

  Alain looked at Tam, and then back at the bottle, which I was still holding up. His shoulders fell and he looked at the ground. "It's a potion. A lycanthropy potion," he said in defeated tone.

  "What does it do?" I asked, although I had a pretty good idea already.

  Alain looked over at me and waved a hand toward Tam. "It lets us explore the forest at night in wolf form."

  Jergen took a step toward Alain. "Wolf form? What are you talking about? Are you telling me that this is what you boys have been up to out here? Fooling with dangerous magic and turning yourselves into wolves?"

  Alain cringed at Jergen's tone. "It was harmless. We only did it once in a while, and only for an hour or two at a time. I don't understand why Tam hasn't fully changed back. Nothing like this has ever happened before," he said defensively.

  Then Alain took a closer look at the bottle in my hand and stepped over to take it from me. He turned the bottle around, and when he saw the label, he gasped.

  Jergen narrowed his eyes at Alain and stepped closer to him. "What is it?" he demanded.

  Tam snarled and lurched forward a step when Jergen moved closer to Alain. Jergen noticed the movement and took a hesitant step back.

  Alain looked back and forth between Jergen and me. "This is Eclipse. This is one of the strongest lycanthropy potions made."

  "So what?" I asked.

  Alain shook his head and held up the bottle. "We don't use stuff this strong. It would change you for hours. Maybe the entire night. We stick to the weakest potions because they are cheaper and only last a short time. This would cost...I don't know...a fortune." He waggled the bottle in emphasis and felt the remaining liquid slosh around. His face went white and he quietly murmured, "Oh, no," as he stared at the bottle in disbelief. He then looked sharply over at Tam. "Tam, what have you done?"

  Jergen stepped forward at that moment and snatched the bottle from Alain's hand and yelled. "A fortune? Tam's wasting my money on magic potions so he can run around the forest in a wolf suit?"

  When Jergen grabbed the bottle, Alain held out his hand in desperation and said "Wait!"

  But Jergen ignored him and punctuated his tirade by throwing the bottle at the fire ring where it shattered upon the rocks. The last bit of potion dripped slowly down the side of the stone to be absorbed by the ground.

  Alain stared at the fire ring in dismay.

  Jergen's violent action provoked Tam into motion. He roared and launched himself at his father. Jergen, taken completely by surprise, barely had time to bring up his left arm in defense before Tam crashed into him and knocked him to the ground. Tam grunted in pain when he landed fully on his father. He rolled off with a wheezing sigh and lay there on his back, his father's dagger protruding from his chest.

  Alain cried out and threw himself to the ground next to Tam. "Oh, Tam. I'm so sorry. Why didn't you tell us what you were going to do? I could have warned you." He lowered his head to his friend's face and began to sob.

  Jergen had the wind knocked out of him when he crashed to the ground. As soon as he caught his breath, he sat up
on an elbow and looked down at the creature lying next to him. As we watched, Tam's features melted back into the normal form of a sixteen-year-old boy and his breathing stopped.

  "What have I done?" Jergen whispered. He reached over and pulled the dagger from Tam's body and placed his hand over the wound. He laid his head on Tam's chest and said, "Don't worry son, you'll be alright." But listening for a heartbeat was futile. Jergen raised his head from Tam's chest slowly with tears in his eyes.

  Jergen got to his feet and picked up the dagger. He stared at the weapon, his son's lifeblood dripping from the edge of the blade. "It...he attacked me. I drew without thinking. I didn't even try to use it; he just fell on the blade," he muttered to himself.

  Alain looked up from Tam's body and glared at Jergen. "You shouldn't have destroyed the bottle!" he shouted. "It was our only way to bring him back to himself."

  Jergen blinked a couple of times and looked down at Alain. "What are you talking about? This is your doing! You and your magic potions!"

  Alain glanced at the dagger in Jergen's hand and swallowed. He looked back up at Jergen and explained. "You're supposed to drink the entire potion, but Tam didn't. He must have thought he'd save some for another time, but I'm sure I told him you can't do that. That's why the potion didn't work right. Our only hope to get him back was to have him drink the rest of it."

  Jergen's face went ashen, and he turned his face away from the boys. I thought he might be sick for a moment, but he gathered himself and turned to point the bloody dagger at me. "Not a word of this to anyone," he hissed. Then he pointed the dagger at Alain. "You either."

  His eyes darted around and he chewed his lip as he thought for a moment. "I don't think anyone gains anything by knowing the truth about what happened here," he finally said, looking at Alain. The boy looked unhappy about what Jergen was suggesting, but nodded his head and looked back down at Tam. Jergen continued, "Tam got lost and fell. He had the misfortune to fall on a sharp branch. When we found him, he was already dead." Jergen nodded to himself, satisfied with the story he'd concocted.