Forever Green

~34 ~ An Unexpected Summons

Theiden brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I did it for you," he said. "How was I supposed to know if you would ever go back to normal? I'm not about to let you live with a curse for the rest of your life. Besides, I hunt in the forest nearly every day. I know my way around much better than you do."

"Not better enough to not get caught, apparently."

Theiden gave a start and turned to the doorway, where his mother was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

Theiden took a breath. "I—"

He was interrupted by a fist banging against the front door downstairs, and his mother turned to glance nervously out of the hall. Beside him, Em gave a frightened gasp.

Theiden picked the hunting knife back off the floor and rose to his feet.

"Stay here," he muttered to the two of them, stepping carefully out into the hall and made his way down the stairs.

The banging continued as he crossed the foyer, knife clutched tightly in his hand.

"Papa, who is it?" Em whispered loudly from the top of the stairs. Her grandmother immediately hushed her, and Theiden didn't bother to respond as he yanked open the door.

"About time!" the tall, long-haired figure on the other side exclaimed. Theiden slowly lowered his knife.

"Tareth, is it?" he asked, and was answered with a nod. "What are you doing here?"

The witch hunter crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "Decliteur sent me. He's finished reviewing your application that you sent in before you disappeared."

"My...application?" Theiden felt a growing sense of dread as he remembered how he had applied to join the witch hunters months earlier.

Tareth continued, oblivious to Theiden's unease. "Yeah. We decided you should join us. I've been sent to bring you to our headquarters right away." He reached up and scratched the side of his nose, looking expectantly at Theiden.

"I, well—after being away from home for so long, I don't think—" Theiden began.

"With both the witch's attack at the river gate last night and a strange red monster loose in the city, it's more important than ever that we have loyal citizens who will defend our home from these terrors," Tareth warned. "And especially someone like you, who's been tormented by them for so long—well, it just wouldn't make sense if you didn't join us. People would think you've been bewitched."

Theiden bit back the protest on his lips and clenched his jaw. It was his fault he hadn't made sure that Gil wouldn't escape when he turned back to his nocturnal goblin form, and it had only sent the city into a panic the previous night to see the creature jumping across rooftops and growling down at terrified passerby. They hadn't managed to catch him, but now there was a teacup sitting somewhere in the middle of the city, and Theiden had hoped to find the creature before it changed back again that night.

But he couldn't dispute Tareth's words. The man's reasoning had him backed up against a wall. Theiden had applied of his own accord, and if he were to refuse now, it would only bring him under suspicion for harboring sympathetic feelings towards the witches.

"All right," Theiden said at last. "Let me get my things and I'll be with you in a moment."

"Where are you going, Papa?" Em asked, scurrying down the stairs and following after him as he went about the house to prepare for his departure.

Theiden turned to look at her.

"Stay here with your grandmother, okay?" he told her. "I'll be back by the end of the day."