The BlackWolf Effect (Book IV)

CHAPTER THREE - The City Of Heiligdom

 "Or rather, what should be the catacombs. This is my collection of information. My own personal library if you will. I have gathered all of this through my travels over the last thousand years. I have not been down here since Timber was born, which explains all the dust."

"Is there something in here that can tell us what's happening to me?" asked Henry.

"That is my hope, yes," said Lord Frost. "Tell me, before we begin, How do you feel about being back in Heiligdom?"

"Odd," said Henry truthfully. "I had a memory in the Great Hall of Christmas morning when I was ten. I met Timber that night. She was really little at the time so she would not remember, but she saved me from being pummeled by Bren."

"I remember that," said Lord Frost with an odd smile. "Timber only had one more Christmas after that in the Great Hall before Elizabeth took her to the northern section that was nearly uninhabited. Elizabeth told me of Timber's first sight of you shortly after that night. You were reading by the river and Elizabeth and Timer had passed you while Elizabeth was taking her to the gardens. Elizabeth told me that the first time Timber saw you, she smiled the biggest smile she could. She was drawn to you from the time she was three years old which is why she was willing to protect you at such a young age even though Bren could have easily killed her had he thrown her against the stone wall."

"That's why you had no questions or objections to our relationship," said Timber in realization.

"Your strong will, your love for Henry, and your intense need to protect those you care about is exactly why I had no objections," said Lord Frost. "I think having Timber by your side may have suppressed these current symptoms but even a love as strong as yours could not keep them at bay forever."

"I'm confused," said Henry.

"This is only a theory," said Lord Frost. "After the death of your sister, you were filled with such rage that you almost killed Sebastian. The loss of someone we love can drive us to do reckless things. I myself nearly went on a rampage when my mother was murdered. Your rage came from love. Five years ago, when Timber was almost killed, your symptoms should have become present. I think if she had died, they would have. Upon seeing Sebastian, you were reminded of your sister, and your body was sent into overdrive."

"That doesn't make sense because these symptoms started happening before I saw Sebastian," said Henry.

"Of course," said Lord Frost. "I guess that destroys my theory."

"It was a nice theory though," said Timber.

"I thought so too. Except, it is inaccurate which is of no help to us." Lord Frost sighed and ran a hand through his long blonde hair. "Henry, could you bring me that stack of rolled parchment on the third shelf by the door?"

Henry obeyed while Lord Frost cleaned up the desk and added a couple of chairs beside him for Henry and Timber. Henry gently set the rolls on the desk and sat beside Lord Frost with Timber beside him. Timber was eager and determined to find out what was happening to her husband.

"These are some of the oldest documentations of werewolves that I possess," said Lord Frost. "Much of it is highly inaccurate, but I'm hoping it will tell us if what is happening to you has happened before."

"Where did these come from?" asked Henry, examining the old-style writing with great interest.

"The countryside of a German town called Bedburg in the early 1590s," said Lord Frost.

Henry took a look at one of the scrolls and read it out loud. "'An age-old pamphlet describes those shivering moments vividly. A few people cornered a large wolf and set their dogs upon it. They started to pierce it with sharp sticks and spears. Surprisingly, the ferocious wolf did not run away, nor did it try to protect itself, rather it stood up and turned out to be a middle-aged man. He was Peter Stubbe from the same village. Stubbe was put on a torture wheel where he confessed to sixteen murders including two pregnant women and thirteen children.' That's horrifying!"