As the first rays of light were creeping over the horizon, Morgan dismounted at the village stables and handed his reigns to the sleepy-eyed stable boy he had woken.
"Thank you." He turned and walked the short distance to his house, entering the dark dwelling and collapsing in his usual chair. Striking a match, he lit his pipe and inhaled deeply. For an hour, he relaxed in the darkness, smoking, and thinking about what had happened.
The thoughts of that evening played through his mind in rapid succession. First, there was Connor, pledging to do whatever he had to in order to protect Aiden. Next, there was the problem of his dead friend in the forest. Finally, he needed to deal with Dillon and his family, who no doubt would be knocking on his door in a short while.
The largest problem was clearly that he could no longer hide the truth from the village, those that believed it was only a bear. His entire patrol had seen the beast trying to climb onto the roof and those men had families. It was time for a village meeting.
Morgan sighed and stood. He tapped out his pipe and walked outside. The sun was rising, though few people were about, which seemed odd. He moved off towards the inn where he planned to wake the boys and tell them what had happened.
As he approached the building, it was clear that word of the beast's appearance in the village had begun to spread. Inside, many people were talking in raised voices, demanding information and the probable whereabouts of the monster. He heard one of the men who had accompanied him on patrol trying to calm everyone and assure him that there was no immediate danger.
Morgan entered the inn and was immediately bombarded with panicked questions. He raised his arms and quieted the room.
"My friends please remain calm. The beast has left the area for now as the sun is in the sky. In a while, I will do my best to explain what I know. For now, go about your business as usual and please try to relax."
He walked through the gathered crowd and up the stairs to the boy's room. He knocked on the door. "Time to get up."
Connor yawned and opened his eyes. He heard the sheriff's boots walking back down the hallway and frowned. Today should be interesting, he thought.
He looked around the bed and room but did not see Aiden. Slowly, he swung his feet over the bed and felt the cold wood beneath them. He knelt down next to the bed, concerned that Aiden was still trying to hide from him.
"It's ok, I'm not angry with you." He said softly. "Come on out from under there."
Connor lifted the blanket and looked under the bed but nobody was there. He gasped and looked around the room again but Aiden was gone. Hoping the boy had ventured downstairs ahead of him, Connor pulled on his shirt and boots and quickly ran downstairs.
He looked around the room, noticing the large gathering of villagers, and found the Sheriff, seated in a corner, alone.
"Where is Aiden?" Morgan asked as Connor approached.
"I don't know! He wasn't in the room when you knocked!" Connor scanned the crowd again, hoping to spot him.
"What?" Morgan pushed back from the table and stood. "Where did he go?"
Connor spun to face him, anger in his eyes. "How should I know?"
"Mind your tone. There is enough tension in the room without your adding to it."
"What's everyone doing here?"
"The werewolf was in town last night. We ran it off but I'm afraid word has already gotten around."
"In town? Where?"
"Let's go outside and we'll talk." Morgan moved past him and headed for the door.
"But what if Aiden comes back here?" Connor slowly followed him.
"Come on." Morgan beckoned him to follow.
Outside, the two of them moved away from the inn and the gathering crowd. Morgan led them back to his house and sat down in the main room, and again lighting his pipe.
"Have a seat." He motioned to the couch.
"We don't have time for this. I need to find Aiden!" Connor crossed his arms.
"Sit!" Morgan growled.
"Fine." Connor sat down, keeping his arms crossed.
"Last night, my patrol saw the werewolf while it was trying to climb onto a house." He took a long pull on his pipe and exhaled.
"Why would it do that? And which house?"
"It was trying to get at someone."
"Who?" Connor demanded. "Just tell me!"
"It was your friend Dillon."
"No!" Connor stood.
"Relax, he's fine, and so is his family."
"But why?" Connor scratched his head.
"Why indeed?" Morgan held Connor's gaze. "What was it Aiden so recently said? His maker doesn't take kindly to others interacting with him?"
"But we only spent a few hours with Dillon, in the forest. We didn't do..." His voice trailed off as he realized the problem. "Oh no..."
"What is it?" Morgan asked.
"In the forest, by a stream, we played in the water and afterwards Dillon and I exchanged clothes." Connor pulled the shirt he wore away from his chest. "This shirt is his, as are these pants and boots."
Morgan nodded. "So, you essentially covered that boy in your scent. Not a very intelligent thing to do when a werewolf is stalking you."
"I swear I never thought this would happen!" Connor rubbed his temples. "This is all my fault."
"Well, fortunately for everyone, Dillon is just fine."
"Thank God!" Connor nodded quickly.
"I need to go over there now and have a word with his parents." Morgan rose and tapped out his pipe. "I won't be long."
"I'm coming too!"
"Yes, I think that would be good."
"But wait!" Connor shook his head.
"What?"
"Aiden is missing. I have to find him!"
"That is not our problem. If he ran away then he's on his own."
Connor glared at the man. "How can you be so cold? He's out there somewhere, alone!" His voice faltered and he felt his eyes beginning to water.
"If he truly has left the village then I say good riddance. He is the cause of everything that has happened here and if he does return, I'll turn him over to the mob and give them some sense of closure."
"You wouldn't dare!" Connor felt his face reddening. "Not after what you and that man in the forest did to him!"
The sheriff took two large steps forward and grabbed Connor by the shirt, lifting him nearly off the floor. "You do not ever speak of that again! My friend died because of Aiden!"
Connor met the man's angry gaze. "Good, he got what he deserved."
Morgan pulled his hand back but held it, as Connor flinched and turned away.
He lowered his hand and released Connor. "Let's go." He turned and stormed out of the room.
Connor followed but a few paces behind. He kept scanning the village, hoping to see Aiden somewhere.
At about eight o'clock in the morning, they reached Dillon and Clare's house and were met by the two men Morgan had left to stand guard. He sent the men home and knocked on the door.
Dillon's mother opened the door and quickly ushered them inside.
"Is it true sheriff? What my son told me?"
Connor noticed the entire family sitting around the table, including Henry. He gave a small smile when he saw Dillon, still wearing his clothes.
"I'm afraid it is."
"Come sit with us, have something to eat." Dillon's father motioned to an empty chair at the end of the table.
"I'm sorry Connor but there's nowhere for you to sit at the moment." Henry smirked.
"That's fine, I don't mind standing." Connor shrugged.
"Where is Aiden?" Dillon asked.
Connor faced the boy and felt his eyes beginning to water.
"He's around town somewhere." Morgan said. "Now, we need to talk about what happened last night."
Dillon's father nodded. "From what I gather, my son was out on the roof, where he should not have been, and something came out of the forest and tried to attack him?"
"That something...is a werewolf." Morgan said quietly.
Dillon's mother gasped and placed a napkin over her mouth.
"So it is true, what the villagers are all whispering of late." His father scratched his stubble. "I didn't believe them, didn't want to."
"It is true." Morgan nodded. "I withheld that information from you all as I didn't want to alarm anyone. I didn't think it would enter the village."
"Why did it?" Henry asked.
Connor sighed, knowing where the conversation would end up going. "Because of me and Aiden."
"You dear?" Dillon's mother asked.
"Yes. It's a long story and really, doesn't make a difference at this point." He caught the sheriff's eyes.
"Agreed." Morgan nodded. "What is of more importance is why it was here, at your home."
"Yes, I wonder why it came here." Henry glared at Connor.
"Again, that is my fault." Connor faced Dillon's father. "I'm sorry sir, I never meant for this to happen."
"You didn't do anything wrong Connor." Dillon shook his head.
"Well, not intentionally, but it is his fault." Morgan clarified.
Connor nodded. "I'm so sorry Dillon. I never should have traded clothes with you."
Henry snorted. "I knew it."
"Be quiet Henry!" Dillon yelled.
"Enough, both of you." Dillon's father slapped his hand down on the table. "Dillon, take Connor up to your room and return his clothes to him."
"Yes father." Dillon glared at Henry for a moment longer and then motioned for Connor to follow him upstairs.
"I'm sorry about that, please continue." He faced the sheriff.
"The creature is following Connor and his friend Aiden, for some reason. I can only assume that because Dillon was wearing Connor's clothes the werewolf thought he was Connor."
"Will it return?" Henry asked.
Everyone faced the sheriff, awaiting an answer.
"I assume it will." Morgan sighed. "This creature is nothing if not persistent."
"But what can we do?" Dillon's mother placed her hand in her husband's hand.
"Get out of this house. You are too close to the forest here. I'd say leave the village if you have anywhere else you can go."
"I can take Clare to my parent's home, in the next village." Henry suggested.
"And the rest of us can spend a few nights in the inn, I suppose." Dillon's father said.
"Yes, that would be safer than here." Morgan agreed.
"Is it safe for them to leave?" Clare's mother asked, pointing to Henry and Clare.
"Yes, if they go now and are there before nightfall. The werewolf is not after them and may not even be aware of them. It is after Connor and Aiden, and now perhaps Dillon as well."
Henry rose. "Then if you will excuse us, we should leave now." He pulled Clare to her feet.
"Ohh..." Her mother hugged her tightly. "You two be safe."
"I'll take care of her." Henry faced Clare's father.
"Thank you, Henry." He nodded.
Those two left the house and the sheriff continued sharing a limited amount of what he knew of the werewolf, holding back that it was essentially because he had wanted Aiden and Connor with him that the beast had followed. Thus, he had endangered the entire village because of his lust for the boys.
Upstairs, Dillon led Connor into his room and closed the door. In an unexpected gesture, he threw his arms around the older boy and hugged him, trying not to cry.
Connor was momentarily taken aback by the sudden contact but quickly wrapped his arms around the younger boy and held him.
"It's ok..." He gently rubbed the boy's back while he sobbed a bit. "You are safe and that's all that matters."
In a moment, Dillon pulled away and wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry Connor; I don't mean to be such a baby."
"I think, given the circumstances, it's ok." He gently punched Dillon in the arm.
The boy smiled. "Thanks. Henry would make fun of me if he knew I cried."
"Well, I'm not Henry." Connor shook his head.
"Thank God!" Dillon laughed and wiped his arm on his sleeve. "Oh, I shouldn't get your shirt all wet." He grimaced and pulled the shirt over his head, handing it to Connor.
Connor quickly removed the clothes he had on and set them on the bed, standing naked in front of Dillon.
Dillon looked Connor up and down for a moment before also pulling off his clothes and handing the pants to Connor.
It did not escape Connor's notice that Dillon was becoming erect. Before his own erection gave away his thoughts, Connor pulled his pants on and slipped his feet into the boots Dillon had just been wearing.
"These are all nice and warm." He smiled and laced the boots.
"So are these." Dillon pulled his own boots on, since getting them back. He pulled the shirt over his head and shrugged. "I don't think we needed to switch clothes again."
"Oh? Why's that?" Connor pulled his own shirt back on.
"Well...I'm back in my own clothes...but you've been wearing them...so they smell like you. It won't make any difference."
"Maybe not." Connor shrugged. "But at least it will make your parents happy. I don't think they liked that we traded clothes."
"No and I blame Henry. He kept bringing it up during dinner last night and breakfast this morning." Dillon frowned.
"So...I want to talk a bit about what happened last night, if that's ok?" Connor sat on the side of the bed.
Dillon sat next to him, close enough that their legs were touching. "I don't mind. I won't keep secrets from you."
Connor smiled. "Thanks."
"Well sure, we're best friends." The younger boy smiled.
"And that makes me happy." Connor nodded. "So...I guess the biggest question I have is are you alright after last night?"
Dillon wrinkled his brow and was silent for a moment before responding. "I guess so. I mean nothing really happened. That thing tried to get me but the sheriff scared it away.
"Ok. I don't want you to be frightened."
"Yeah, Henry wants to take Clare away so he isn't here if the werewolf returns." Dillon scoffed. "He's such a coward."
"What about you? Do you want to leave too?"
"Me? Gosh no! I'll stay here with you and Aiden. If it's looking for you then it's probably looking for me now too. Right?" Dillon faced him. "We should stick together, the three of us."
Connor thought about that for a moment and then nodded. "You know? It might be. I never thought about that but once it sets its mind on someone it doesn't give up easily."
"And it thought I was you?" Dillon lowered his voice.
"I think so. You probably smelled like me and it didn't know the difference."
Dillon smiled. "Yeah, I was still in your clothes."
"Oh? You didn't change before bed?" Connor felt his penis swelling.
"No...I..." His voice trailed off.
"It's ok. You don't have to explain anything to me."
"Well it's not like it's anything bad. I just...really like the way your clothes smell and it made me feel funny inside. I kind of pretended you were still here, with me." He looked away. "That sounds dumb."
Connor put his arm around the younger boy's shoulder and pulled him close. "I think it sounds nice and I'm glad you feel that way."
"You do?" Dillon looked up and smiled.
"Yeah. Aiden and I feel the same way when we wear each other's clothes." Connor looked suddenly sad.
"Hey. Where is Aiden?" Dillon asked.
"I don't know. He wasn't with me when I woke up this morning." Connor let his arm fall off Dillon's shoulders.
"But he's still in town, right?"
"I'm not sure." Against his wishes, his eyes began to moisten.
"Connor? Don't be sad." Dillon put his arm around the older boy's shoulders in a return gesture of friendship.
"I'm just worried about him. He didn't tell me he was leaving and I have no idea where he is or if he's even alright." He sniffled and wiped his eyes with his fingers.
"You really care for him, I can tell." Dillon nodded.
"Yeah, he's my best friend."
"And you are my best friend." Dillon smiled. "So let's go looking for him, together."
"I don't even know where to begin looking." Connor shrugged.
"Well...where did you see him last?"
"Last night in bed. We are staying in the inn."
"You two are sharing the same bed?" Dillon asked quietly.
"Yeah." Connor gave a small nod.
"I think that's neat." Dillon let his hand slide off Connor's shoulders and set them both in his lap.
"Well, there's only one bed in the room." Connor laughed quietly.
"Still, if you ever stayed here I'd want you to sleep with me in my bed. That sounds fun."
Connor looked over at Dillon and smiled. "Thanks."
"So what about it? Can we go looking for him?" Dillon asked.
"I don't think your parents will let you go after what happened."
"You are probably right. Still, we should ask." He stood. "Come on."
The boys returned to the main floor and found the sheriff sitting with Dillon's parents.
"Well that took long enough." His mother folded her arms. "You each have your own clothes on again?"
"Yes ma'am." Connor nodded.
"We are going to go out for a while, if that's ok." Dillon said and walked towards the front door.
"Absolutely not!" His mother called after him. "If you think I'm letting you out of my sight after you nearly died last night you are crazy."
"But mom..." Dillon pouted and walked back to the table.
"She said `no' and that's the end of it." His father shook his head.
"Your parents are correct, young man." The sheriff nodded. "It is safer if you stay with them. You will all go to the inn for the next few days, until the moon cycle has passed."
"But Aiden..." Dillon began to protest.
"...will be there too." Connor cut the boy off. He didn't want to have to explain anything about Aiden to his parents.
"Yes, we will all have dinner together." Morgan nodded. "And now, Connor and I need to be going."
"Alright. We will see you later tonight." His father agreed.
Outside, the sheriff paused. "Well you two seem awfully chummy." He gave him a knowing look.
"It isn't like that. We are just friends." Connor pushed past him and headed back to the inn.
"Well see that you don't become too good of friends." The sheriff chuckled and followed.
Connor started to respond but bit his tongue and kept walking. He would not let that man bait him into a conversation that could later be used against either himself or perhaps Dillon.
They reached the inn and as Morgan had assumed, even more people had packed into the main room, demanding answers. Rumors had begun to spread as to the size and description of the werewolf.
"My friends, if I might have your attention." Morgan clapped his hands. He looked to his side and noticed Connor racing up the starts, no doubt to see if Aiden had returned in the time they had been gone.
"Now if you will please give me a moment, I'll explain what I know about the werewolf."
The room quieted down as Morgan began to tell what he thought they needed to know and nothing more.
Connor reached the room the boys shared and threw open the door.
"Aiden?" He scanned the room but it was empty. "Damn it! Where are you?" He felt his pulse racing as he imagined all sorts of things that could have happened to his friend.
He closed the door and made his way to the main room. He saw the sheriff standing on a chair addressing the people in the room.
Connor turned down a side hall and found another door out of the inn. He moved around to the side of the building and as soon as possible entered the forest.
The old witch stretched her back and placed a hand to her forehead, looking up at the sun. She lowered her hand and resumed digging in the small patch of vegetables growing on the side of her hut.
"Mira? Can we talk?" A voice called from the darkness of her home.
"Of course we can child. Bring me a ladle of water, if you'd be so kind." She continued digging around some plants.
Footsteps behind her in the dry leaves made her turn. She smiled at the boy and took the large ladle he was holding out.
"Blessed be, that is refreshing on such a hot day as this." She drained the ladle and handed it back. "Now then, what has you looking so worried?"
Aiden sat down in the dirt, crossing his legs and looking up at her. "Did I make the right decision?"
"Could you be more specific?" She stopped cultivating the ground and leaned on the shovel.
"Leaving Connor." Aiden looked down at the ground and wiped his eyes.
"Oh no...enough with the water works." She smiled and reached down, tilting his chin upwards so she could look into his red and swollen eyes. "It isn't up to me to pass judgment on your decisions. You are old enough to do that yourself."
"I guess I'm hoping you will tell me it was wrong and I should run back to him as fast as my legs will carry me." He smiled sheepishly.
"If that is what you are thinking then it is probably what you should do. The heart often knows better than the head." She released his chin and gently slapped his cheek. "Now then. I have more work to do and you are distracting me."
"I guess I'll go back inside and think some more." Aiden rose and dusted the dirt and leaves off his pants.
"I won't be much longer." She continued to work the ground.
"Ok." He returned to the darkness of the small dwelling and sat in a chair, trying not to cry. For a while, he rested his elbows on his knees with his face in his hands. He kept playing the events of the night through his mind, second-guessing himself.
He had never meant to shift into wolf form with Connor in the room. Certainly not while they were having sex. It had been a terrible mistake; one he was having difficulty forgiving himself for. It was true that, other than perhaps a sore butt, Connor had seemed unharmed. But for that brief moment when he was not in controlled of the shared body the wolf who could have hurt or even killed Connor.
He had shifted back to human form in the early hour before dawn and crawled out from under the bed. Connor lay curled up in the bed, his back against the wall. Aiden had reached a hand out to touch him but pulled it back at the last minute, remembering what had happened earlier that night and feeling a terrible guilt.
He had left the room before Connor awoke; slipping out quietly and leaving through a first-floor window. Then, not knowing were else to go, he had run through the woods until he reached the witch's house. A ring of flickering blue light had surrounded her home when he approached but he was able to walk through it unharmed.
She had met him in the doorway, having sensed his approach. She wrapped her thin arm around him and took him inside. For the next few hours she listened as he poured his heart out, explaining what had happened.
She told him he was being foolish and that if Connor truly loved him, which she knew he did, this was nothing that would come between them.
"I am being stupid!" Aiden balled his hands into fists and slammed them down on his thighs. He sighed and stretched, his back cracking. "Alright. Enough of this. It's time I returned and stopped behaving like a baby."
He walked to the doorway, ready to make amends for what had happened, and stopped. Mira was talking to someone at the far edge of the clearing, where her garden met the forest.
Aiden ducked back into the darkness and listened. It was Connor! His heart leapt with joy and at the same time terrible shame for what he had done.
"Now don't you worry, I'm sure everything will be fine." Mira soothed.
Connor shook his head. "I can't find him anywhere. I thought maybe he came here. I've been looking all morning. It's already noon!"
"Did something happen between you two love birds?" She cackled, trying to calm him.
"He...that is...there was an accident. But nobody got hurt!" Connor quickly added. "I think he feels bad for what happened but I'm not angry with him. I love him so much and I just want to find him."
"I see. Well, sometimes people need time alone to sort through things." She brushed a fly off his shoulder.
"We don't have a lot of time. The werewolf came into town last night. It tried to attack one of our friends."
"Oh? Was he or she injured?"
"He. His name is Dillon and no, he's fine."
Aiden took a step closer to the door. His heart had momentarily raced when he heard about Dillon but as the boy was unharmed he relaxed. Aiden desperately wanted to run out and hold Connor but he couldn't bring himself to face him, not yet.
"Well, I bet if you head back into town you will find Aiden waiting for you. He loves you very much and I doubt he will stay apart from you for long. Besides. I have work to do and you are distracting me." She cackled.
"You really think he'll be there?" Connor looked hopeful.
"I do." She nodded.
"Ok...if you think so." He turned. "If you see him tell him I'm looking for him and I'm not at all angry." Connor waved and walked quickly back towards the village.
Mira waited until he was hidden amidst the trees and nodded. "He knows, sweet boy, he knows."
She turned towards the door and leaned on her shovel. "Well? Are you satisfied now?"
Aiden left the shadow of the hut and walked to her. "Yes. I'm behaving foolishly. He has forgiven me so I should forgive myself."
"Very wise." She handed him the shovel. "Now, before you go back to the village I want to give you that map I made."
"Yes, thank you." Aiden took the shovel and followed her to the hut. He placed the tool against the side of the dwelling and waited.
Mira returned with a piece of paper, rolled up and tied with twine. "Here it is. It's the best I could do with my aging memory and information from my books. It should get you very close to the priests. From there you can ask around and find them."
Aiden took the map. "Thank you so much."
"I just hope they can help you. If anyone deserves a blessed life if is you two." Mira chuckled.
"Ok, now you are trying to make me laugh." Aiden smiled.
"As you should! You have something special with that farm boy and you need to remember that."
"Yes ma'am, I will." Aiden smiled and hugged her strongly.
"Lord child! Are you trying to crush me?" She gently held him.
Aiden gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for all you've done for me, and us. I'll never forget you." He released her and stepped back a pace. "I'm going to meet him in town and put this behind us."
"Good. Take care child and if you ever need me, you know where I am."
Aiden waved and then hurried off after Connor. He ran through the woods for fifteen minutes and then heard someone up ahead, moving around in a thick group of pine trees.
He quickened his pace, turned his face, and closed his eyes to protect them, crashing through the branches and into the small clearing beyond.
"Connor!" He called happily and opened his eyes as he ran forward, into a pair of strong arms.
"There you are!"
Aiden's arms were pinned to his sides and held firmly. "You've led me on quite the chase."
Aiden froze, momentarily unable to fully comprehend the situation. He had assumed it was Connor and was so eager to rejoin his friend that he wasn't really paying attention to the woods around him, or he might have felt his maker's presence.
"No!" He screamed and fought back, kicking and smashing his head into the man's face.
It worked and his maker released him, wiping blood from his nose and mouth. "You little shit!" He reached forward again, fingers just grabbing ahold of his hair.
Aiden twisted and flailed, feeling his hair rip and landing roughly on his side on the ground. He immediately rolled to the side and gained his feet. He would not be so easily caught this time!
The man kicked his foot and caught Aiden in the leg but was otherwise unable to catch him.
Aiden was nearly knocked off balance but charged back through the branches, back towards Mira's home.
He didn't turn to see if his maker pursued him as he could hear the noise behind. He ran as fast as he could and when he was near her home he called out.
"Mira! Help me!" He ran until he could see her standing in the doorway.
She had the shovel in one hand and was holding the other hand over her eyes, blocking the sunlight.
Aiden ran up to her and turned, gasping for breath. "It's him...my maker!"
Mira dropped her shovel and pulled him into the hut, closing the door behind them.
The man approached the house and paused twenty or so feet from the door. He held out his hand and a faint blue glow formed between it and the hut.
"Witch!" He growled. "You do not want to become involved."
"Stay here and keep quiet." She pointed a boney finger at Aiden and wrapped the small dagger into her apron, hiding the weapon.
Mira opened the door and stepped outside, into the sunlight. She calmly walked up to within a few feet of the man and stopped.
"You cannot pass through my barrier." She faced the tall man who was glaring down at her.
"Let me in. This boy is of no concern of yours." He smiled down at her. "I can give you gold!"
"Bah!" She laughed in his face. "You have nothing I desire. Be gone, at once."
He stopped smiling and glared at her. "Give him to me!"
Mira unwrapped the dagger from within her apron. "See this? You know what this is don't you." She moved the dagger towards him and it's blade glowed brightly blue as it approached the thin barrier between them. "If you come here again I will not hesitate to plunge this into your black heart. No go!"
He moved back, away from the knife and pointed towards her hut. "Either hand the boy over or I will wait here until the moon rises tonight and take him!"
Mira scoffed and turned around, walking back to the doorway. She looked over her shoulder once and then closed the door.
"I'm so sorry Mira!" Aiden shook his head. "I should not have come here. I've endangered you."
She set the knife on a table and took a seat. "No child, you have done nothing wrong. He was bound to come looking for you here eventually. Your scent is everywhere." She soothed.
"What will you do if he returns tonight, as the demon?"
"I will freshen the barrier and he will not be able to pass. Only on the full moon would he have the slightest chance and that was last night. He may transform...and he may fuss...but he will not enter this place."
"So you are safe?" Aiden relaxed.
"Safer than you."
"I wish I could stay here, at least for the next two nights."
"You and I both know that isn't possible. With you in here, my warding spell is weakened. Besides, your friends need you."
"Connor!" Aiden looked suddenly alarmed. "I thought it was him I was following through the woods but it turned out when I caught up to the person moving around it was my maker."
"Well then Connor must be safely back in the village." She nodded.
"I have to go warn him!" Aiden moved to the door and paused. He placed a hand on the cool wood and concentrated. "He is still out there."
"I would imagine so. I suspect he will remain here until either you go out or the change takes him. Still, if he can't have you he will double his efforts to take your friends."
"No, I have to go!" Aiden shook his head.
"Hmm...I wonder." She was thoughtful.
"What is it Mira?" Aiden walked over and stood next to her.
"I suppose I could distract him and you could go out the back and circle around." She scratched her cheek.
"He would sense me." Aiden shook his head.
"Not if I do a good job of distracting him." She chuckled. "But, let's wait a bit and see if he leaves on his own. Come, sit beside me." She tapped her foot on the floor.
"I do not wish to delay, no offense."
"As intent as he is on reclaiming you at this moment, it would be difficult to effectively distract him. We need to wait a while for him to calm down, if that's possible."
Aiden sighed. "Ok, I suppose you know best." He sat on the floor and crossed his legs.
"Well I like to think I do." She laughed.
For the next three hours, they remained quiet in the small dwelling. Aiden kept his eyes closed and stretched out with his heightened senses, confirming that his maker had not moved.
Mira busied herself moving around the hut, organizing the many herbs or reading from old books.
As the afternoon was getting on, Aiden sighed and stood, stretching his sore legs. "He's still out there." He frowned. "I need to go."
"Well he is determined, I'll give him that." Mira stood. "Very well. It is getting late and we should try to get you back to the village sooner rather than later." She walked to the table and gave him a braided circle of plants, about four inches in diameter. "Hold onto this and he will be less likely to detect you as you move away."
Aiden took the plants and sniffed them. "Ugh...this stinks!" He grimaced. "What is it?"
Mira chuckled. "I find the scent calming but I suppose you would not. It's wolfs bane."
"Will it hurt me?" He held the plant at arm's length.
"I wouldn't advise eating it." She pointed across the room. "Over there, behind that heavy curtain, is a small window. Your narrow butt should just be able to squeeze out." She chuckled. "Go on now."
Aiden nodded and moved across the small room. He moved a thick curtain aside and light poured in through a round window. "This isn't very big." He frowned.
"You should fit. Go now and be quiet until I get him talking to me again. Then, circle around far into the woods and then head back towards town. Keep a fair distance away or he may sense you have left the area."
Aiden thanked her again for her kindness and crawled out the window, falling to the ground on the outside. He lay in the leaves, quietly listening.
Mira rummaged around on the table until she found a small knot of hair attached to a leather cord. She held it up and nodded. It was made from the lock of Aiden's hair she had cut on his first visit. Closing her hand around it, she opened the door and stepped outside, noting the man hadn't moved. "Oh...are you still here?" She walked casually towards him. "I thought I told you to leave."
"Witch!" He spat the word at her. "I will remain until tonight when it's my turn to work the old magic. Then, you shall see my true power!"
"Oh stop. I'm not the least bit interested in all that. You and I both know that you cannot pass my barrier, especially since I strengthened it with the essence of your prodigy." She winked. "He graciously gave me a lock of his hair. See this?" She displayed the token. "I now have nearly total power over him and thus partial power over you as well."
The man glared at her and balled his hands into fists.
"That's right. This warding spell is created especially to repel you."
"There are ways around such things." He hissed.
Behind the hut, Aiden heard them talking and took that as the sign that he should begin working his way around and back towards town. He gripped the wolfs bane tightly and hoped it would mask his movement. He moved straight away from her hut for about fifteen minutes and then began to circle around to what he hoped was the north.
Mira kept his maker talking and distracted as long as she could but eventually the man sniffed the air and looked around.
"What is your game, witch?" He sniffed the air to the north.
"No games. You are not worth the effort." She tried to make him angry so he would focus on her.
He looked around the woods again and narrowed his eyes. "Something is different." He inhaled deeply. "He is gone! You have delayed me on purpose!" The man turned and ran back towards town.
Mira did not know how far away Aiden had gotten but she hoped it was enough. "Be like the wind, child..." She returned to her hut and closed the door. She needed to strengthen the barrier spell in case the werewolf did return that night.
Aiden ran towards where he assumed the village was. It was tough going as he was plowing through the forest where nobody had been, dodging low-hanging branches as he went. It took nearly an hour to reach the village and then another few minutes to get his bearings.
He stepped out of the trees, scratched and dirty, and turned his attention towards the center of town, where the inn was and hopefully Connor too.
A large crowd was inside the building and had spilled out into the main square. He tried to push through the many people but they would not let him inside. Angry and tired, Aiden stepped back down the stairs and looked around at the assembled people. He didn't see Connor, Dillon, or the sheriff so he walked away, intending to look elsewhere.
Earlier that afternoon, Connor exited the forest and made his way to the inn. He checked their room but Aiden was not there. He sighed and left, heading back outside to search the village for his friend.
Meanwhile, Dillon and his parents had packed up a few clothes and supplies for the next couple of days, while they would be staying at the inn. They left their house and began to head towards the middle of town.
Connor continued to search the village for an hour but did not find Aiden. He headed back to the sheriffs house and walked inside. "Sheriff?" Nobody answered him. He looked into the man's bedroom but it was empty. His gaze fell upon his grandfather's sword, propped up against the wall by the bed.
Given the sheriff's general mood and threats to reveal Aiden to the mob, Connor become angry. He entered the room and picked up the sword. "This is mine!" He had no way of hiding it but he wanted to get it away from the sheriff.
He left the house and quickly made his way to the village stables, not wanting to attract any attention while carrying the sword. Once inside, he confirmed he was momentarily alone and tucked the sword behind several bales of straw, out of sight. Certain nobody else would find it in the near future, he left the stable and headed towards the inn.
Dillon and his parents arrived outside the inn and were amazed by the number of people present. They pushed their way inside and eventually arrived at the bar counter.
His father beckoned to the barmaid. "Can we get a room for a few nights?"
"I'm sorry but they are all taken." She shook her head.
"Well...the sheriff told us to get a room here. The werewolf tried to attack my son last night so we can't stay at home."
She covered her mouth and shook her head. "Oh my word!" She looked across the room and pointed. The sheriff is sitting over there. Go tell him we are out of rooms and see what you should do.
Dillon's father nodded and told his wife and son to stay put. He moved across the room and explained the situation to Morgan.
"Well, we have three options I suppose." Morgan scratched his chin. "You could take the room Connor and Aiden are using. It only has one bed but I'm sure we could find a mattress for Dillon. Or, you could all come and stay at my house. I only have one spare bed so again, same sleeping arrangements. Or I guess you two could come with me and Dillon could stay here with Connor. That would probably be the safest, given the large crowd that has assembled."
Dillon's father nodded. "I think we will all stay here, taking Connor's room. Can he and Aiden stay with you in your house?"
"Of course. They had been doing that but switched to staying here only recently."
"Then it's settled. Which room is his?"
Morgan rose. "Let me show you." He led them to the second floor and opened the door to the room Connor and Aiden had been using. As he expected, it was empty except for a small sack with the boys' spare clothes. "It looks like they aren't home. I'll take these with me." He lifted the sack. You get settled in and I'll send someone to bring you a small mattress for Dillon."
"Sir? The boy faced him.
"Yes?"
"Could I stay with Connor and Aiden at your house?"
"Dillon!" His mother scolded him. "The sheriff has enough to worry about without you getting in the way."
Morgan shrugged. "I'll have the boys already so really, it won't be a problem. I don't mind. Actually, it would be easier for me to keep an eye on all three of them if they are together."
She smiled. "You are too kind." She faced Dillon. "Young man, do exactly as you are told and do not cause problems!"
"Yes mother." He smiled.
At that moment, Connor entered the room, having seen Dillon and his family enter the inn.
"What's going on?" He noticed the sheriff holding the sack with his and Aiden's spare clothes.
Morgan handed him the sack. "You and Aiden are moving back in with me so Dillon's parents can have this room. There are no vacancies at this time."
Connor took the sack. "Oh, I see." He faced Dillon. "What about you? Are you staying here too?"
The boy smiled and shook his head. "Nope. I'll be staying with you and Aiden, at the sheriff's house." He could not mask his happiness.
"Now remember, young man, you are to be on your best behavior." His mother scolded.
"Yes mother." He headed towards the door. "Come on Connor, let's go to his house and drop off these clothes." He displayed the few spare clothes he was still holding.
Connor nodded and the two of them left, heading outside, away from the crowd.
"You sure you want to stay with us at the sheriff's house? It would be safer at the inn." Connor wondered if the sheriff were up to something, agreeing to let the younger boy stay with him. He knew what the man was capable of and began to worry.
"Are you kidding? We are best friends and we need to stick together." He smiled at Connor.
Connor returned the smile and led the way to the sheriff's house.
Back at the inn, Morgan gathered everyone around him and stood on a chair in the middle of the main room.
"My friends, please, may I have your attention." He called out.
The room fell silent as everyone awaited what he would say. At the back of the room, Dillon's parents descended the stairs and paused at the bottom.
"I understand many of you have decided to spend the night here. I think that is wise but I caution everyone to be careful. There are so many people here that we can't risk anyone panicking and people getting hurt. I do not think the creature will enter here so we are all safe."
Someone called out. "Sir? Did the werewolf kill someone last night?"
Morgan shook his head. "No, we arrived in time. It was attempting to get to someone but that person was not harmed." He momentarily glanced at Dillon's parents but did not name them.
"I heard it was almost ten feet tall!" Someone across the room blurted out.
Morgan shook his head. "Now this is what I don't want to happen. You are all blowing this situation out of proportion. The creature is hardly taller than I am."
"But it ripped Russell apart, last month!" Another person called out.
Morgan thought back to the prior full moon when Graham's brother Russell had been attacked in the woods and later died. "Yes, it did, but please keep in mind they were in the woods. That did not happen here, in the village."
"But last night it DID come into the village!" A woman cried out.
Morgan sighed and shook his head. It was going to be a long afternoon.
Connor opened the door to the sheriff's house and led Dillon inside. He moved into the small room with the spare bed and dropped his sack of clothes.
Dillon set his few clothes on the bed next to Connor's.
"Is this where you are Aiden sleep?" He looked at the small bed and smiled.
"Yes, when we stay here." Connor felt a pang of sorrow, still worried about Aiden.
"I don't think there will be room for me to sleep here too. I guess I could sleep with the sheriff, if he doesn't mind.
"No!" Connor shook his head.
Dillon shrugged, not understanding why Connor was suddenly upset. "It's ok, I don't mind."
"You don't understand...he..." Connor bit his tongue and stopped talking.
"He what?" Dillon sat on the edge of the bed.
"Um...he likes to sleep alone." Connor lied.
"Oh. Well, I could sleep on the couch I suppose. Would he mind that?"
Connor shook his head. "That would be fine. Aiden and I slept there one night."
"You did? Why?" Dillon asked.
"He was having trouble sleeping and I guess that helped..." Connor didn't want to go into more detail about that night.
"Oh. You two sure are good friends." Dillon smiled.
"Yeah, I guess we are." Connor faced him and smiled slightly.
"You still worried about him?" Dillon frowned.
"I am. I don't know where he went." Connor looked down at his feet.
"We should go looking for him. Come on." Dillon stood and moved to the door.
Connor nodded and followed. "Ok but we stay together."
The boys began searching the village, looping back and forth in an attempt to cover the entire area and not miss anyone. They walked around for several hours but never found Aiden, who at that time was still in the woods with Mira.
Dillon and Connor returned to the sheriff's house and sat on the bed they would be sharing.
Connor rubbed his eyes. "I don't know what to do now. I'm tired of walking but I don't want to give up searching for Aiden."
Dillon yawned. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night and I'm tired too." He stretched.
Connor nodded. "Let's take a short nap and recover our strength. In an hour we will continue looking. That sound like a plan?"
Dillon nodded and flopped back on the bed, scooting up to the head and pressing his head into one of the pillows.
Connor crawled up next to him and lay back, closing his eyes. He could smell Dillon's scent, as the boy had worked up a slight sweat from all the walking around. He felt himself becoming aroused and rolled onto his belly to hide the fact.
"It will be ok Connor, we'll find Aiden." Dillon mumbled as he drifted to sleep.
"Mmm..hmm.." Connor replied, his eyes closing.
Morgan climbed down off the chair and sat down at the table, scratching his chin. For nearly two hours he had been trying his best to calm the villagers. Now, he needed to rest this voice and have a drink.
Dillon's parents took a seat at the table with him and they all had a late afternoon lunch.
"I want to thank you sheriff, for all your kindness in this matter." Dillon's father took a drink from his mug. "My son is alive and safe because of you."
Morgan nodded. "Well, it's my job to keep you all safe and I'm glad to be of use. The boys will be fine at my house tonight. I'll make sure no harm comes to them."
Dillon's mother smiled. "Thank you so much."
Morgan finished his mug and stood, stretching his arms. "If you will excuse me, I'm going to head home for a bit and check on the boys."
Dillon's father rose and held out his hand. "Thank you again."
Morgan shook his hand and then left the inn. He returned to his house and opened the door. The boys were not in the main room so he entered and looked around. He found them in the spare bedroom, sound asleep together.
He paused in the doorway, gazing upon them as they slept.
At some point, Dillon had rolled onto his side and back against Connor.
In his sleep, Connor had instinctively spooned in behind the younger boy and draped his arm over his sleeping form.
Morgan smiled and left the room, closing the door quietly. He adjusted his groin and took up his usual spot in his chair, lighting his pipe.
For several hours he relaxed and fantasied about what the boys in the other room might do to each other or with him, all the time gently fondling himself through his pants.
Later, Connor yawned and opened his eyes. It took him a moment to realize it wasn't Aiden next to him and he slowly untangled himself from Dillon, painfully aware of the erection in his pants.
He rolled onto his back and stared up at the dark ceiling.
"Oh no!" Connor called out and sat up.
"Humm?" Dillon yawned and rolled onto this back, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What is it?"
Connor swung his legs over the bed and stood. "It's almost dark out. We've slept too long!"
Dillon jumped out of bed and moved to the window. "Oh no."
The boys left the room and smelled the lingering pipe smoke from before, but the sheriff was not there.
"Come on, we've got to get to the inn and see if Aiden returned." Connor jumped off the porch and ran towards the inn, Dillon right behind him.
They pushed inside and made their way up to Connor's old room, but it was empty. They returned to the main room but could not see Dillon's parents or the sheriff.
"I wonder where your parents are."
Dillon shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they returned home to get something?"
"We should go look." Connor left the inn and paused outside.
The sun was now almost all the way down and the moon was rising on the edge of town.
"We don't have much time." He faced Dillon.
"You stay here in case Aiden comes back and I'll just run home and check if my parents are there." Dillon turned to leave but Connor grabbed his arm.
"Be very careful. It's almost night." He gave the younger boy a stern look and released him.
"Don't worry; I'll be back in no time." Dillon ran off and disappeared into the glowing darkness.
Connor slumped his shoulders and shook his head. Where could his friend be? He rubbed his eyes and then paused, sniffing the air. He could smell Aiden!
He turned and sniffed the air all around him but the scent was strongest towards the stables. Not giving any thought as to how he was able to smell his friend, he moved off in that direction, his heart racing.
He ran to the stables and stepped into the darkness within. "Aiden?" He whispered.
"Connor!" A whispered voice called out from the opposite end, by the hay bales.
Both boys moved towards each other and collided in the darkness, arms wrapped around each other and mouths pressed together in a passionate homecoming.
Connor pulled back. "I've been so worried. Why did you run away from me?"
Aiden stepped back a pace and shrugged, though it was unseen in the darkness. "I hurt you last night and...I..."
"No, I'm fine. It was an accident but I love you too much to be angry about something like that."
Aiden sighed and a great weight fell from him. "I'm glad. I...can't imagine not being with you."
Connor stepped forward and hugged his friend again. "You never have to be."
Aiden leaned his head forward and rested his nose on Connor's shoulder. He gave a small sniff and grinned. "You smell like Dillon."
"Yeah, I guess I do. It's a long story but the short of it is that he's staying with us for tonight, in the sheriff's house."
Aiden pulled away. "No, I can't go there."
"It will be ok; Dillon and I will be there too. All three of us in the same bed." Connor smiled to himself in the darkness.
"You don't understand." Aiden lowered his voice. "I arrived back here a few hours ago but have been hiding here most of the time."
"Hiding? Why?"
"When I went to the inn to look for you I overheard some of the villagers talking about what the sheriff had told them, about the werewolf attack last night."
"Oh, so you know about that. It's ok, nobody was hurt and that's why Dillon is staying with us."
"No, it's not that. One of the men was telling another man that the sheriff had confided in him that he knows why the werewolf is in town. He said it's looking for someone and the sheriff intends to hand that person over to the beast tonight, by chaining `him' to a tree at the edge of the forest."
"What? Morgan didn't tell me any of that!" Connor raised his voice.
"No, why would he? I mean I don't know for sure if what I heard is true but it sounds like that bastard is going to betray me."
Connor was thoughtful. "You know, just this morning Morgan said he had a mind to turn you over to the villagers. I thought he was bluffing but now I don't think so. He blames you for the death of that man in the forest."
"And rightly so. I did what I knew would lead my maker there and I'm not sorry for that." Aiden's voice was hard.
"No, I don't blame you for that. It's just...I think the sheriff might actually do you harm."
"Agreed." Aiden's voice trailed off.
"So let's do this: you stay here for a while longer and I'll go find Dillon and bring him back here."
"And what then? We can't stay here tonight, it isn't safe."
"I'll...think of something when we get back. You stay here and keep out of sight!" Connor leaned forward in the darkness and felt for Aiden's face. Finding it, he pulled their lips together and kissed him strongly. "Stay safe!"
He rushed from the stable and in the direction of Dillon's house.
Aiden ran his tongue over his lips, tasting the remains of Connor's saliva. He crept to the edge of the stable and looked out, up into the sky where the moon was quickly rising.
He sniffed the air and turned towards the forest, to the East. His maker was near.