White noise

Prologue - The court

It was a rainy morning, and Robert felt it's a bit cliché. It was without a doubt the worst day of his life. He was accused of something he didn't do willingly just because he had the audacity to be born as a werewolf. His ears were still ringing from the firecrackers and police sirens. His insides formed a nervous knot. He's going to face the court and they didn't even tell him who will speak on his behalf...if there will be anyone at all. He knew how these courts work, after all he was not human so according to majority he has no rights whatsoever. There was just a little spark of hope... only one name that would mean he might walk away as a free man. If he only got Cromwell on his side...
He was dragged to the court room and chained to the spot. They even put a collar on him, God damn collar! But he didn't fight back, that would be useless. He might even get killed if he tries to run. And so he just bowed his head and waited for everything to happen. He listened to people arriving at chatting quietly, until he caught a faint scent of salt water. He looked up and saw a woman who just arrived. She went straight to the place where his attorney should be. His heart beat sped up. This woman... according to stories he heard, it might actually be her. Dark wavy hair, blue eyes, glasses and most importantly, the scent, that fits the description of Lyra Cromwell! He sure hopes that's her.
The court begun. He was charged by breaking in...he couldn't argue with that. It's true he jumped right through that shop window but not because he wanted to! Those little brats set off some firecrackers behind him and he got startled! He didn't want to break anything...it just happened. He looked at Cromwell and noticed she's taking notes about his chargers. Wasn't she informed in advance who is she defending? He was getting worried again...
Soon it was her turn to speak. She stood tall and looked around, even offering Robert a reassuring smile. Then her gaze moved to judges. "Your Honours, I stand before you today not only as a legal advocate but as a voice for justice and equality. The charges against my client, Mr. Randulf, stem from a moment of instinctual reaction, not premeditated intent. We cannot ignore the circumstances that led to his actions—an unforeseen stimulus that triggered a natural response. Allow me to demonstrate." She went over to him and unexpectedly slammed her notebook on the desk. He jumped, loud noise triggering partially his transformation. She continued in calm voice. "As you may see for yourself, this stimulation triggered instinctual reaction. Mr. Randulf has a way better hearing than any of us, just like dogs. And loud noises might stimulate fight or flight response. In both cases his response was flight, not fight, that shows clearly that Mr. Randulf is not an aggressive person." She continued speaking. Her words resonated with passion and conviction, capturing the attention of the judges and swaying the momentum of the trial in Robert's favor. Later he couldn't remember what exactly she said, but the outcome was clear. In the end of the day he was declared innocent. It was like a spell. He needs to thank her, he has to! Which means that after he's set free he will definitely find her.