ch 2 In Over Your Head
#2 of In Over Your Head
Chapter two
The Other Wolf-Man
But it was not the end.
And The window would not remain closed; no, for now that Joey had received an invitation he could come when ever he wished and unlike Fruanc who new what the weaver was Joey did not. And he intended to catch the weaver for his own possession, after all, he'd gone out of his way to reap what was offered by the invitation, and this was his town.
Biding his time Joey waited for the other wolf to have had his turn and when he saw the wolf leave shortly after arriving Joey tailed him at a safe distance to make sure it was safe for him to go back and have his turn with the human. The other wolf went to a grave yard made a fire and started burning a book of some kind. At any rate he looked like he'd be busy for a while which meant that Joey wouldn't be interrupted. Returning to the house of the wreath weaver Joey crouched down and jumped up to the first levels roof less than soundlessly springing up from there he caught the sill only to find that the window had been closed. "Damn it!" hissed Joey cursing the wolf who'd stolen his easy invitation. Dropping down to the ground Joey slunk around the house quietly. If he couldn't get in the original way then he'd just have to bide his time again, the human would have to come out of the safety of her home sooner or later, and when that happened Joey would take his opportunity. Until then he'd wait in the gardens dense bushes and get some rest. He could set up a trap after his nap.
"Richard time to get up," I heard my moms voice from somewhere below. It still wasn't full light outside I thought, and it had been a long night. It felt that way at least. I'd had a weird dream about some half naked wild man kissing me, it had been terrible. I hated nightmares in general but this one had been the worst in a long while. It seemed so real and the funny thing was I could swear that I hadn't made the bundle of herbs that hung in my window. Had I been sleep walking? "Richard! Wake up and go milk the cow!" Shouted my mother at the first floor stair well. Obediently tumbling out of bed I staggered to my dresser to get a clean shirt. Finding none I absently felt about in my drawer for something that wasn't there. I had no clue what I was checking for but when I didn't find it a small pang of regret stabbed through me. Having nothing to connect it to though it subsided. Going down the ladder from the attic down the stairs I grabbed the milking bucket just as mom returned with the eggs from the chicken coup in her apron.
"You've finally managed to pry your head from your pillow huh," said mother in passing, a wan smile on her face that said she'd already had her coffee. I nodded a yes heading for the path back around the house to the garden and the back grazing fields. "Well, see if you can't find your way to finishing your chores before breakfast won't you." I nodded a yes mother before turning to plod around to the back of the house. The crisp breeze that came off the sea this morning had strong bight to it today. This really woke me up shocking me out of my sleepy stupor. Walking through the garden my mind absently strayed to a particular combination of herbs. That was unusual I thought. I didn't cook and night shade and wolfs bane were poisonous. A chill went up my spine then but I figured it was only the wind. Walking to Bessy's pasture I gave a moo and a holler to our cow. "Bessy Milking time."
Me and Bessy got on well enough, a lot of it had to do with me delivering, and feeding, her, raising her from a calf, and then breeding her, and delivering her calves. I guess she thought I was mom or maybe dad. If anyone but me tried milking her she'd kick the bucket and move over to the far end of the field.
Looking up from her patch of grass she gave a moo and started heading my direction. Hopping the fence I strolled over to the stool just as Bessy arrived rubbing her big nose and head she pushed against me in that affectionate way she always did every morning
"Good Bessy," I crooned patting her flank as I went about situating the bucket and stool. This being our morning ritual she went to surveying the ground for more grass to chomp on while I milked her empty for the day. It was still late spring and having recently birthed her second calf, she still gave the highest quality of milk. The calf had weaned two weeks earlier and so Bessy gave us extra milk that mother could churn, curdle, or sell fresh. Finishing with the milking I stood up, moved the bucket, and stool giving Bessy another pat before taking the milk to the kitchen for mother. Next I had to go to the barn and throw the grain for the chickens and geese, fill the water troughs and check on weather or not the stalls needed mucking yet. Fortunately they were still very clean.
Leaving the barn my chores all but done, I headed through the garden again. Passing in front of the large hedge-like bushes I felt the shiver from earlier only more intense. I was just passing in front of some wolfs-bane, and then in a blinding flash of purple light I lost conscious hearing a voice saying. "Finally, you're all mine."
As the sun rose that morning Joey woke to the sound of "...Milk the cow!" yawning and stretching Joey tested the air. He could distinctly detect the scent of the older female who'd arrived later the evening before with her mate. From the smell of things they'd been at a gathering of pack that the man creatures partook in with each other. These gatherings could not compare with those of the werewolves but they were entertaining to crash. Watching the older female Joey waited. He could not touch this one, she had not invited him but the one who had would be out soon and when her elder was back inside he'd set his trap.
When the woman had gone to the barn and returned to the house Joey dashed out from the bush. Drawing a circle in the dirt on the path, the wolf plucked a sprig of wolfs-bane placing it in the center of the circle, he stamped his paw in five spots around the circle. Taking a stick Joey broke it into five even parts he poked one into each print. Then taking five others he broke them into five additional pieces he placed them off the path within four other bushes of wolfs-bane. Taking his last branch he retreated to the safe vantage point of the evergreen bushes, to wait where he had the detonator circle prepared, braking his stick he placed four of the five pieces. He'd place the fifth when he could slip away with the one who'd invited him. Joey Watched as the young lady went about her duties. She wasn't much of a looker seeming more handsome than beautiful, but he'd waited to long to give up over a thing like looks. She milked the cow and then returned with the bucket full of milk to the kitchen before going to see to feeding the animals. When this was done and she returned to the kitchen then Joey would detonate the magical trap he'd created. The human she, finished tossing hay for the cow and horses, and then went about tossing dried corn cob for the chickens. When she went to get water from the pump Joey decided he couldn't wait any longer. The older she might come out if he waited to long and he wanted to be well away by that time. At least as far as the old spring that the towns wells had almost killed. Watching carefully from his hiding place Joey waited for the human to have entered the ring of circles and just as she was about to step directly into the middle Joey stabbed the final twig into the last paw print of the detonator. A purple light burst between the five stems of the first circle and then shot to where the other bushes had been primed creating a full circle. When the light departed there lay the human two buckets of spilled water on the ground around her. The purple light still running in small electric bolts over the humans body and in her eyes. "Yes," it had worked. She was his now for as long as he wanted. Rushing forward Joey scooped up the girl. She weighed slightly more than he'd expected but to a werewolf it was still a very small burden.