The Wandering Shadow: Chapter Ten
10 As the hours passed and morning melded into early afternoon a comfortable silence fell between Will and Jenna. It was rather similar to how their mornings at home had been, or at least he thought so. Will looked down to his right, where she lay on her half of the cart's bench seat. He smiled. Odd as it was, he was actually just starting to get used to things as they were. He by no means wanted her condition to last, but the previous night had changed his perspective on how their life was going. Were things bad? Undoubtedly. But they still had each other. That made things at least tolerable. As they made their way down the road that day, Will found himself enjoying the simplicity of traveling. He had always been dead set on settling down and having a family of his own, so he had never given much thought to travel. Even the past few weeks his own worries and concerns had been so heavy on his mind that he had been unable to consider much else. But now, with his mind at ease he realized that he had to admit that he liked this nomadic life they had been leading. There was something about the freedom of it that he liked. Even if they had a set destination, he knew they could do anything or go anywhere in between. Will looked back over his shoulder at David, who was still in a state of exhaustion induced sleep. I think I'm starting to see how he thinks a bit, Will thought. The destination may be important, but the journey can mean just as much, sometimes even more. Will turned back to the road, a bit surprised by his own thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder if that was just a revelation of his own, or if David's presence in their lives was having an influence on him. Will was taken out of his introspective mindset by his stomach rumbling. He placed a hand over his midsection and sighed. He smiled sheepishly as he looked back to Jenna. "I think when we get to the next town we should get some food to carry with us. We've been able to hop from city to city pretty quick, so I didn't really think about it before. If we're gonna be traveling much longer though..." Jenna nodded. They would need at least something for the days when they wouldn't be able to stop in a city or town. She laid her head down on Will's lap and yawned widely as her thoughts drifted. She thought of home, and what may have changed since they had left. She wondered how much longer they would be on the road. She was hit by a wave of sadness as she worried that she might not return to normal, but it passed after a few moments as her thoughts returned to the road ahead. She was distracted for a moment when she felt an itch on the underside of her chin. Without thinking she stretched out a hind leg to deal with the irritation, but stopped, eyes widening slightly. Jenna had to all but force herself to return her hind leg to its original position, instead using her forepaw to deal with her itch. Jenna sighed softly, too quiet for anyone to hear. Lately she had noticed an increase in the influence of animal instincts. Little things mostly, like just now, trying to scratch with her hind paw like a dog might. It bothered her, and made her worry that she might be slipping further away from being human. She clenched her paws just a bit, enough to draw Will's attention Looking down at her he asked, "You alright?" Thinking quickly she pushed back into a stretch, trying to make it seem like her tensing up had just been a prelude to that action. She then shook her head, and lied back down with her head on his lap once more. Even if I could speak to him...I'm not sure I would want to tell him, she thought. He finally seems...almost happy...or at least as much as either of us could be these days. I don't want him to go back to being distant and worrisome. I'll just have to try to ignore these urges...and try to enjoy what little humanity I have left. Who knows how long it will last for? Jenna looked up in surprise as Will pulled on Vincent's reigns, bringing the silvery colt and the cart to a stop. Ahead of them was a fork in the road. Neither direction was marked. They had no way of knowing which road to follow. Will thought for a second then said, "We'll need a map to figure out where to go. We're gonna have to wake up David." Both looked back at the illusionist, who appeared to be undisturbed by the cart's stopping. The two exchanged a glance then Will jerked his head, motioning for her to go rouse him. She gave him a look that asked 'Why me?' Will smirked. "I woke him up last time." Jenna grumbled and hopped into the back of the cart, deciding she didn't feel like trying to argue. Since when is waking someone up turn based? Jenna tilted her head as she looked David over, trying to decide the best way too wake him. A devilish glint entered her eyes as she thought of what could be an amusing way. She lowered herself just a bit, then sprung off the bottom of the cart onto David, bouncing back off him almost immediately. David cried out in a mixture of shock and pain, rolling onto his side and clutching his stomach. "Ahhaha...what the hell?" Will burst out laughing. Between David's reaction and the smug look on Jenna's face he couldn't help himself. David gave Will an incredulous look. "Are you--ugh--actually laughing at this? Come to...think of it, are you actually laughing? Don't think I've heard you laugh before." Will cleared his throat, bringing himself under control. "It uh...it has been a while since I've felt like laughing. Too much serious stuff going on, I suppose." David pushed himself back into a sitting position and groaned. "Well that's lovely. Glad you're so damn amused...but why the hell is your bitch jumping on me anyway?" Jenna sat up perfectly straight, staring at David as though she were a noble who had just been horribly insulted. He withered under the gaze of her emerald eye, doing everything in his power to avoid looking at her directly. After a moment she let out a huff, stood up, and returned to the seat beside Will, making sure to smack David in the face with her tail as she went. Will had to fight the urge to start laughing again, restraining himself only because of the look on David's face. Will cleared his throat again. "We uh...she woke you up because the road splits here. We need your map so we can figure out where we're heading." "Bloody hell...couldn't you have been a bit gentler about it at least? Honestly." In spite of his complaints though David started rooting around in his pockets, until after a minute he produced the many times folded paper, stretching forward just enough to hand it to Will. Will took the map with a nod. "Thanks. You can feel free to go back to sleep if you want." David crossed his arms with a 'humph' and sat back against the side of the cart as Will tried to decipher the map. He still felt tired, but he didn't really feel like going back to sleep. Can't honestly say I feel I'll get much sleep with these two around anyway, he thought. Several minutes passed and--after figuring out that they needed to follow the right fork of the road--Will urged Vincent forward setting them in motion once more. As the hours passed David generally ignored Will and Jenna, trying to find ways to keep himself occupied. This proved rather difficult, as even the scenery was somewhat bland. There were mountains to the north, and that was it other than grass and trees. It was the nice kind of day that he--were he on his own--would have passed simply by sleeping, perhaps in the shade of one of the trees dotting the side of the road. I used to have such a nice, easy, simple life, he mused. Then these two come along and suddenly I'm traveling to hell and back all just to turn a wolf back into a woman. I mean honestly. If I had known that day I was going to wake up and get drawn into this mess of theirs, I rather think I would have stayed-- He was taken away from his thoughts as his attention was drawn by movement in the corner of his eye. He looked back at the road behind them, narrowing his eyes. Had he just imagined it? Or had he really seen that shadowy blur? David turned back to face the front of the cart and quietly said, "Will." Will looked back, quirking a brow. "What's going on? I thought you were asleep with how quiet you were being." David shook his head. "No. I...I think that...something...may be following us." Will and Jenna exchanged skeptical looks before Will asked, "What makes you say that?" David hesitated before explaining. "See...as an illusionist and thief, I'm rather used to sneaking about and deceiving people. I'm also rather adept at spotting others trying to do the same. Sometimes I can just feel it happening, kind of like a sixth sense. I've had this itching feeling that we've been followed for a while now, but I didn't talk about it. Figured I was just being paranoid. But just now I saw...something moving behind us. Like a shadow." Will shook his head. "I'm sure it's nothing. You're probably right about being paranoid. Mix that with how tired you are...I'd be seeing things too. After all, who would have any reason to follow us? We're not rich or important, and as far as I know neither Jenna nor I have anyone who would wish us any harm. Can't say the same for you, but still." David nodded slowly. "Maybe you're right. I still feel rather uncomfortable though." Will shrugged. "I wouldn't know what to tell you. Besides, even if someone is following us, I'm sure we could deal with it should they show themselves." David looked less than reassured. "I hope you're right mate, I really do." As they continued along the road David found he was continuously looking back, part of him hoping he would see something, part of him hoping he wouldn't see anything.
They could see the lights of Nice on the horizon when night fell, and thus agreed to stick to the road until they reached the city. Arriving at the city at that late hour though meant that everything had already closed its doors for the night--including inns and hotels--leaving the three of them to spend the night in the cart. When morning came they split up, David going to the port to find if any ships would be leaving soon for Alexandria, while Will and Jenna set out to do some shopping. Along with purchasing some nonperishables as food supply while on the road, Will made a point of getting a bag of peppermints, the memory of their trip across the Atlantic and his accompanying seasickness haunting him with the thought of their upcoming crossing of the Mediterranean. Their shopping done, Will and Jenna made for the port with the pace of a leisurely stroll. Odd as it was they felt no need to hurry. It was a rather interesting change for them, all things considered. Maybe, Will thought, we've just become used to this. When they arrived at the port it took but a few moments of searching to find David, standing against the cart, waiting for them to appear. He grinned as they approached. "I was wondering what you two had got up to. It's a good thing there weren't any ships leaving an hour ago, or we would have missed them." Will shrugged. "We weren't in any hurry. Did you find any ship's leaving today?" David smiled a bit wider. "That I did, as luck would have it. And, it's even big enough that we can hang onto Vincent and the cart." David patted the colt's flank affectionately. "It'll be leaving this afternoon around two o'clock, so we have some time. The ship in question is called the 'Summer Wind'. It'll take us straight to Alexandria." "Good. How long will the trip take?" "'Bout three days, assuming fair weather and no extenuating circumstances." Jenna's ears splayed. Three days seemed like a bit too much. Like Will she found herself feeling less urgent, but at the same time it she had hoped for a faster pace. Will sighed. "Three days huh? Well, it could be worse. Did you actually buy our way onto the ship yet? Or were you just waiting for us?" David smirked. "We can get on the ship, yes. But do you really want to know whether or not I paid properly?" Will shook his head. "I...you're right, I don't think I want to know." With their plans set they had nothing to do but wait until they could board. When the time came they made their way through the port to where the Summer Wind was docked, first ensuring that Vincent and the cart were properly loaded into the cargo hold before they boarded the ship themselves. The ship was larger than any Will or Jenna had traveled on so far, designed for comfort as much as transportation. This was made even more apparent when they found their room. It was a bit on the small side, but was decently furnished with two beds and a nightstand between them, leaving the opposite wall to be occupied by a simple dresser and a door, through which was the room's adjoining bathroom. It was no luxury suite, but it would be fine for the three days.
Their first day and night on the ship was largely uneventful, with everything running smoothly. Will and Jenna spent most of their time in their room, avoiding attention as best they could. Their second night on board the sky was clear and there was a full moon out, nestled among the glowing silvery clouds of stars. The simple beauty of it was irresistible, leading Will and Jenna to sit out on the deck, enjoying the serenity of the stars and the sea. Jenna's tail wagged happily as she looked at the sky above. Somehow the scenery made her feel at ease. There was something about it that made her feel almost normal again. Then the moment was ruined by a strange sound tearing through the night. Jenna's ears flattened. The sound was low and mournful, with a sort of feral beauty. It took but half a second for Jenna to realize the sound was emanating from her. She was howling at the moon. She stopped immediately and looked over at Will. He was staring at her, eyes wide with worry and surprise. He didn't know what to say. It occurred to him then for the first time that she might be starting to lose herself to more wild instincts. Seeing the vulnerable state she had so quickly fallen in to, Will acted just as fast, kneeling down and hugging her tightly. She whined quietly and nuzzled him, burying her face between his shoulder and neck. After a moment or two he whispered, "Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine. I promise...we will get this sorted out...somehow."
Logan sneered. He was so sick of watching them. He had followed Keller and the wolf across two countries and an ocean already. All he had seen the whole time was what seemed to be endless moping and futile attempts to undo what likely couldn't be undone. As he peered around the corner at them, embracing on the deck of the ship, he felt almost sickened by the display. He turned away, deciding that it was time to 'speak' with Carmina again. In the time since she had changed him, he had grown used to the mental pressure that came from the connection between them. He had made a habit of using this connection to keep her informed of anything that seemed significant, or that he thought might change what she wanted from him. Logan started to reach into the depths of his mind, trying to latch onto the connection. Finally it came to him. What news do you have for me? It was less like a voice in his mind and more like her stream of consciousness crossing his own, like he was thinking her thoughts. They felt different, yet familiar at the same time. When he answered he spoke aloud, a habit he had developed to keep his own thoughts organized during these conversations. "They are still traveling Mistress. They have some new lead that they think will allow them to change her back." Another one? "Yes. Someone in Egypt. A friend of the other man who is traveling with them." What troubles you about that? I can feel your...concern. Logan nodded. "Yes...well there won't be quite as much space to hide while following them there." You will find a way. "Of course Mistress. I thought you may also wish to know that the wolf seems to be losing some of her grip on her humanity. Is that--" It's a normal part of what I've done to her. Don't be concerned over it. "Very well then. And what of this person they think can help them change her?" I highly doubt he could do anything, but remain watchful. It may be something you will have to...deal with. Logan nodded slowly. "I...believe I understand. There is one more thing." He felt a burst of irritation before the reply came. What is it? I can't have all my time taken up by you, you know. I still have a great deal of planning to do. Logan gulped. "It's just...as time has gone on I've felt my body start to...weaken. As though I were hungry, or tired. Yet I cannot rest, and food does nothing to abate these feelings." He felt a cruel sort of amusement cross their mental connection. Have you not figured it out yet? You are still thinking as a human. But you are far more now. Humans are no longer your kind...they are your prey. You in undeath must feed upon the energy of the living. Simply follow your instincts. He shook his head. "I...I don't understand." No reply came though. Their connection had been closed, only the subtle mental pressure of it remaining.
The next day Jenna's mood showed little improvement. Will did what he could to comfort her, but as they lay on the bed they shared in their room, he grew to wonder if there was anything he could do to make her feel any better. It was almost like she had reverted back to how she had been after she first changed, or--perhaps more accurately, he thought--how she had been in London after they found that Anita was unable to do anything for them. It used to be he always knew how to make her feel better when she wasn't herself. But now that she literally wasn't herself, he found it increasingly difficult to find ways to lift her mood. He longed for the days when he could make her happier with just a hug and a few soft words. As the day wore on he found himself being drawn into her mood, beginning to experience a profound sense of depression. By sundown he had gotten to a point where he was ready to give up. As he stood at their room's window, watching the light fade from the world as the sun dipped below the waves, he decided to try one more time. Turning away from the window he walked over to their bed, sitting beside her. Jenna looked up at him for a moment then put her head back down on the bed, not really interested in what he was doing. She--like him--was at a bit of a loss. She had had little moments when animal instinct had taken over before, but never anything so powerful. It scared her that just a month after losing her form she might be starting to lose her mind as well. She couldn't help but wonder how much she might have lost another after another month. Her mind was brought back to the present by Will's voice. "I was thinking, maybe we should leave the room for a while. We shouldn't spend our whole day here. Not to mention that neither of us has eaten all day. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty hungry." She didn't respond at first, not quite ignoring him, but not acknowledging him either. But as she lied there something about what he said began to work its way into her mind until she could no longer ignore the hunger gnawing at her stomach. With a grumble she hopped off the bed and went to sit by the door, looking at Will expectantly. He resisted the urge to laugh, thinking, I should have thought of that sooner. Will stood and walked over to her, opening the door just wide enough for the two of them to slip out. They headed aft to the ship's dining hall, finding it surprisingly lacking in occupants, with only a few scattered seats filled. Will got their food, and they booth took a seat at a small table in one corner of the room, doing their best to ignore the looks they were getting from the other dinners present. They were--to their mild surprise--joined by David part way through their meal, the illusionist pulling up a chair to their table. "Rather glad to see you two out of the room. Does this mean I'll be able to go back there tonight without being drowned in depression?" Jenna offered a short growl in response before returning to her food. Will could certainly sympathize with the sentiment behind it. "Do you have to be quite so insensitive?" David shrugged. "I'm just getting a bit tired of you two acting like every thing that happens is the end of the world. Honestly, you would think you two would be somewhat used to it by now." "This isn't something you just get used to. It never gets any easier. Everything that goes wrong is just a reminder of what we're dealing with. Sure, sometimes we can ignore reality and do our best to enjoy what we do have. But then, the moment we let our guard down, something else happens that just makes us remember--" Will was distracted by a mournful whine from Jenna. It occurred to him that what he was saying likely wasn't doing anything to make her feel any better. He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly. She looked up at him then nuzzled his hand, accepting his simple apology. David cleared his throat nervously. "Right...well...er...I suppose that even though I don't really understand how you're feeling about your...circumstances, but I should try to be more...sensitive, yeah?" Will looked at him with a bit of surprise before offering a nod to acknowledge his concession. He turned back to Jenna and had another moment of surprise as he realized the sorrow seemed to have gone from her eyes. He could she still wasn't quite all right, but there was some improvement. She was feeling better mostly because she realized that through the whole day Will had been doing everything he could to help her through her depression. Her tail waved back and forth slightly as she thought, I've lost so much, but I still have him. And he won't stop trying to make me feel better. I'll always have that. A short while later they left the dinning hall behind, planning to return to their room to get some extra sleep, knowing they would likely have a busy day ahead of them. They found their way blocked though by a cluster of people, both crew members and passengers. It was clear to Will that the mood of the crowd was a somber one, and from what he could glean of the crowd's murmuring, something was vey wrong. Without waiting for Jenna or David, Will started working his way to the center of the group. He was stropped short by a member of the crew. "I'm sorry sir, but we can't let anyone get any closer." Will rolled his eyes and reached into his bag, producing his I.O.M.E. badge and showing it to the crewman. "Can you let me through now?" The sailor hesitated for but a moment then nodded. "Yes, of course." He stepped aside and Will was greeted with the all too familiar sight of someone grieving over the body of someone they cared for. In this case it was a man a few years younger than Will, sobbing over a woman with platinum blonde hair who--outside of the stillness of death--seemed unharmed. Beside them stood a man who--based on his uniform--Will guessed was the captain of the ship, trying to appear dignified and sympathetic at the same time. He quirked a brow as Will approached and asked, "Who are you then? Some relative of theirs?" Will shook his head. "No. I'm with I.O.M.E. I thought I would offer my assistance." "I see. Do you have any forensics skills? We have yet to discover the--" he stopped for a moment, looking to the grieving man, then lowering his voice to say, "The cause of death." Will nodded. "Limited. My skill set is more directed toward raids...making arrests...that sort of thing. But I could probably figure it out, given some time." "Good." The captain knelt beside the grieving man, and Will could just barely hear him say, "Mr. Erics, this man is an I.O.M.E. Officer. He'd like to take a look at your wife. He might be able to figure out what happened to her." Erics looked up at Will, his eyes bleary and his cheeks wet. Will did his best to look as though he felt sorry for the man's loss. After a moment or two Erics nodded and stepped away, allowing Will to get to the woman's body. Will knelt down and began his examination. He was no doctor, but he did have enough knowledge to know how a person's body should feel. But it was immediately apparent that her case was far from normal. A corpse would still retain it's warmth for some time after death--up to several hours depending on the environment. But she was cold, as though all the heat had been sapped from her body. A few moments later he found something else odd: there was a series of four small puncture wounds on her neck. Will stood, having gotten all he needed from her. He stepped over to Erics and crouched beside him. "I need you to tell me what happened, if you can." Erics nodded. "I uh...we were...god...we were just t-taking a walk on the deck. Thought it would be nice. It's a beautiful night...you know?" Will nodded. "I do. Go on." "R-right. So we were...just walking...then...something...something hit me from behind. Everything went black. I...I g-guess it knocked me out. When I came to...Violet was...she...she was--" Will placed a hand on his shoulder. "I understand. You don't have to say any more." Will stood and turned to the captain. "I believe I know what happened. Things here match the profiles of certain...scenarios documented by I.O.M.E. in the past. So...with the necessary conditions met...I do believe I'm authorized to tell you that the person behind this probably isn't human." "Excuse me?" "I can't tell you much. But you're going to have to trust me. Now I want you to listen carefully. I want you to gather up every passenger and crew member on board, and keep a careful eye out for anything that moves like a shadow. The killer likely won't strike again, but it can't hurt to keep everyone together--and more importantly out of my way." "Out of your way, officer?" Will nodded. "Yes. The next part of my job here is to try to bring down the killer. It'll be easier if I don't have to work around the crew and passengers." "Right...I understand. If there's anything else you need...?" Will shook his head. "No. That should be it. Oh, there is one other thing." He lowered his voice as he said, "You're going to want to move the body, mostly so Erics will move. The killer won't likely return, but if it does then someone on their own would be an easy target." The captain nodded his understanding and set off to do as Will had instructed him. Will sighed heavily then turned and walked back through the crowd, this time with far less difficulty as the people seemed to part before him. On the other side of the crowd Jenna and David were waiting for him, the former looking somewhat concerned. David--though looking more disinterested than anything else--asked, "So what's going on then?" Will hesitated. "Well...someone had died." "Ah. Well that's...unfortunate." "It's worse than you know. It was murder...and the killer wasn't an ordinary human." Jenna and David both looked confused when he said that. David asked, "What does that mean, exactly?" As Jenna looked at Will, she saw him less sure of himself than he had ever been. He seemed nervous, and unwilling to say what was on his mind. Finally--after a few minutes of silence--he finally said, "It mean's we're dealing with an incredibly dangerous situation. Everyone one on board might be. I've already got the crew of the ship working to gather everyone on board into one place so they'll be out of our way." "Out of our way? Why do we need them out of our way?" Will took in a deep breath. "Because...we're going hunting."