"Logan!"
Davis gulped while staring at Samara with raised eyebrows. "The shout echoed throughout the cave. It was Rodwin. I knew his voice. I stopped on my tracks and hid on the side. Logan had fallen into a pond. Rodwin too didn't see in the dark. He fell too. They made a lot of noise."
Violet clenched her jaws while standing at the door. She came forward and entered the room to let them know that she had eavesdropped. "That doesn't mean, he is the Werewolf. He was just curious to look for the treasure."
Samara glanced at her friend while parting her lips. The environment in the room had tensed further.
Davis gave her a humorless smirk. "I crawled ahead to the path after some moment. In fear of falling, I kept alert while checking the floor. I stayed back enough to not let them feel any other presence. Wolves were howling outside. I was equally scared of them entering the cave. Rodwin and Logan talked about the treasure."
"That still doesn't mean, he is the wolf!" Violet said through gritted teeth.
Davis flared his nostrils. "Rodwin was following Logan, just like I was. Except he reached there before me. But before Rodwin could reach there, Logan still spent time in the cave. Just when Rodwin neared him and shouted his name, Logan knowingly fell into the pond. It is completely suspicious. He didn't tell Rodwin about the power of wolf that he was looking for."
"There is no such thing," said Samara while shaking her head. "It's not like there was some wishing well where he had asked to become a werewolf. I bet most of them didn't even know what a werewolf is. Did you know?"
Davis sighed heavily. "Logan had been reading Lord Commandant's books. Just like Rodwin had noticed his new habit, I had too. And what if the pond was truly a wishing well? Logan had accidentally drank the water while swimming away. He spat it right away saying, it was bitter. This meant that he had swallowed the water. Didn't he?"
"Swallowing the water from a Werewolf's paw can make someone a Werewolf too?" Davis said knowingly while observing their faces.
Samara widened her eyes while Violet clenched her jaws. "Rain water," she said while glaring at him through tears. "My Logan can't become a beast just by drinking some bitter water full of scum."
"How could that pond be a paw? The Werewolf wasn't a giant. Was he?" Samara said angrily.
Davis tilted his head. "Who knows? That's what my logic says. I saw them swimming in that water. Rodwin might have gulped the water too. He could be the Werewolf too. But Logan was there before him. And he might have asked for it. Prayer for it? He was reading the books. He was aware of the process."
Violet flared her nostrils angrily. "What did you do after they swam away?"
Davis breathed heavily while looking away, remembering the rest of the night.
"I blew fire with the stones I had in my pocket. I made a torch and found that the water very much clean," he said, contradicting Violet's belief. "I didn't want to risk going down. I am no passionate swimmer. I did spend a moment looking around the cliff for any door or hint of treasure. But there was nothing. I turned around and came out the cave with the same way I had entered in."
"Very well," said the seer while entering the room with her hands full of a wooden box. There were bandages inside. She put it on the table while adding, "You didn't give up your soul to the Werewolf devil. Didn't you? You just came out clean."
Davis turned quiet.
Samara breathed hard while looking down at her lap. "This cannot be possible. Nothing happened on seventh night then. That water was not rain water—"
"How can you say that? I said that it was raining that night," said Davis, emphasizing the words. "Not just that I did saw something else. When I had looked for the area around the cliff, I had found a cabin. In the flame's light, I found blood on the cave's wall. . ."
Violet's heart started shrinking as she met Samara's frozen eyes.
". . . Only Logan was there alone before Rodwin cave. Beneath the blood were claws poking out from the wall. They could be the real ancient claws of this Werewolf. . ."
The seer stared at Davis with raised eyebrows. "Did you touch the blood?"
"I did, it was wet. Logan might have sacrificed—"
"You what?" The seer roared in anger. She glared at him in shock. "You touched the claws. Did you get a cut too?"
Davis gulped slowly while looking at her.
Violet narrowed her eyes.
"No. They weren't that sharp," said Davis while lowering down his gaze.
The seer stared at him sternly. "If the claws cut your or even pricked your finger like a small needle, your blood is sacrificed to place. You are too a participant then!" She yelled angrily.
Davis looked at her in shock. "What participant? Is there some competition going on? I checked the blood to investigate. Had it been frozen, I wouldn't have doubted Logan. There must have been someone else who came even before him. I didn't take any part. I didn't sacrifice and all that stupidity."
Violet and Samara looked at Davis with keen eyes.
"How did you get hurt in the shoulder?" asked Violet while staring at him.
"It's an arrow's gash," said Davis while glaring back at her. "Erasmus hit the arrow in open, not caring who it could get to. It got me."
"Simply because you were the wolf," said Violet while smirking humorlessly.
"How the fuck can you decide that? I didn't drink the water! I didn't pray and shit! I just followed them like an investigator!" Davis said angrily. "I have told you the truth and now you all blame me, only." He winced at the slight pain in his shoulder.
Samara lowered her eyes in thought.
"It could be possible that the Werewolf's soul, Pylas— he is looking for a heir. His legacy could be run ahead if there's another man who takes the responsibility. His soul would have obviously been looking for someone brave and clean. You were the only clean one there with no greed and doubts. You had no intention of interest. You were just keeping an eye," said the seer while looking at him.
Violet blinked in the surprise and felt the fear crawling her heart.
Samara too couldn't sit straight closer to him anymore. "Did you get a cut, Davis?" She asked calmly. "A mere poke could have done the danger."
Davis stared at her with glossy eyes. "I honestly didn't notice. I had wiped the blood on my breeches," he said pleadingly.
"Pylas got the options. He chose you. . ." Violet sneered angrily.
Davis clenched his jaws and gave her a dead look. "Or Logan. Because I am all hurt here, and I am not healing that fast. While your Logan took away Rodwin, saving him from getting burned because either he knew, an innocent was getting killed or he was saving the actual beast."
"It's one of them," said Davis while looking one by one at the three ladies in the room. His eyes narrowed and he nodded his head in confidence. "And my heart says, it's Logan because Jennifer was hurt at the back and at the leg. She wasn't bleeding from the chest above. Look at the frozen blood at Violet's neck. . ."
The seer and Samara looked at Violet immediately in horror as she touched her own neck in confusion.
"Ida spiked him. Later, he met you. He hugged you. And his bleeding neared yours," said Davis with a confident smirk. "Think about it, Violet. Think about it."
Violet gasped in shock when Samara got up with terrified eyes. The seer too looked stunned.
While in the other room, Jennifer was all awake, carefully listening to the truths.
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A loud knock appeared on the door, everyone stopped doing their movements.
Davis was resting after getting newly bandaged. Violet was cleaning the rest of the old cotton strips. Samara was helping the seer in cooking food for the patients. Jennifer's turn to change bandages was yet to come.
"Who is it?" Samara asked the woman in a low voice.
The seer shrugged her shoulders. "Hope, it isn't the Knights," she said while wiping her hands and going towards the main door.
Violet too had gotten out of Davis' room and was now walking along the seer to the door. Both the woman took a long breathe before the seer finally opened the door.
A silent gasp escaped Violet as Logan's red face appeared in the sight.
"Violet?" Logan asked in confusion while looking at her and then, sighed in relief. "Thank God, you are here only." He looked at the seer. "I need to talk to Jennifer. We went to the Castle. The King listened to our narration of what unfairness the Lord Commandant practised and now, the Royal Knights are here in the village. The old man is summoned along with Nathaniel for detailed investigation of Ida's escape from her home. The Knights are asking around the neighbors. . . I needed to come here before they could question Jennifer. . . They'll scare her. . ."
"Come inside," the seer said hurriedly who opening the door full, letting him in.
Violet's eyes filled up as Logan entered the house and hugged him. Her hands shook while reaching for his back as Davis' words had settled in her mind. She had checked her neck and she knew, he was putting the right facts in the right way.
Logan pulled away and her wet gaze went directly for his neck that looked as clean as a whistle, under the collar of his shirt. How could it be possible? It was the same shirt too that he had been wearing last night. Or was it some other? She didn't notice the color in the dark.
Deep in her heart, she was coming back from Davis' words. A relief was trying to settle. Trying.
"Is Rodwin okay?" Samara shrieked from the kitchen's door. She rushed to them while looking up at Logan. Her lips trembled as she asked, "Where is he?"
Logan observed her worried face. "He is fine. He said that he was going home."
The seer gave Samara a pat on the back. "Go, meet him. I will take care of the food."
Samara gave her an unsure look.
The seer smiled. "Go," she emphasized, making her collect her cloak from the nail and rush out of the house in a blink.
"Why did you save Rodwin?" Violet asked all of a sudden.
Logan's eyebrows furrowed and then straightened when he saw her stern eyes. "What do you mean by why? He is my best mate. He is innocent. He didn't kill for some fun. I had to save him with all my might."
"How do you know? How can you say that?" Violet asked him back with confidence.
The seer blinked while looking at Logan who was now shocked.
"Because he had been with me even when I heard the howls. Even when I saw the beast," said Logan while glaring at her. "Don't make me feel that you are just like the foolish society who thinks a hardworking soldier could dare kill people for blood lust!"
"He killed Ida!" Violet spat back. "He could be the beast!"
"You changed your mind or what?" Logan scolded her in shock. "You were the one defending the beast in front the village and now you are backing away. Rodwin said that Nathaniel saw Ida taking her last breathe in Rodwin's arms. For them, it was a last important conversation. She was telling Rodwin about the spike. About the beast. About Lord Commandant. Nathaniel knowingly called him her murderer like a fool."
Violet turned quiet in fury. "This beast killed Ida. The girls who dared to attack him like a true Warrior. I won't leave this beast even if he turns out to be you!"
Logan flared his nostrils and glared at her. "Ah! Then come for neck, right now. I will let you bite!"
Violet pushed him hard on the chest angrily, making him roll his eyes.
"Enough," the seer scolded. "There are two patients here. Talk to them and each other, quietly. And no matter who the beast is," she said while holding Violet's hand and glancing at both of them. "He saved Jennifer from getting raped. By default or knowingly? We don't know. But he saved her."
"Don't dare talk about my friend being the beast again!" Logan warned Violet who walking towards the two rooms.
"Or what? You will ask him to claw me!" Violet taunted angrily.
"Yeah! I might!" Logan spat, while walking towards Jennifer's room. "Why don't you come and ask the girl who saved her right away?"
Violet followed him angrily into Jennifer's room. Logan did peek in Davis' room on the way who was pretending to be asleep.
"Be gentle with her!" The seer scolded while walking towards the kitchen.
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Entering her house, Samara blinked through the swollen eyes. It was silent all around. Her eyebrows furrowed at the strangeness she felt.
But she had to hurry.
She directly went for the kitchen and picked up the basket. Filling two bowls with the left over curry her mother had made for lunch, she covered them with the lids. Covering the basket with the handkerchief, she was about to walk out of the kitchen when her mother showed up all of a sudden.
"What are you doing? Where were you all day?"
"I was helping with the seer to tend Jenny and Davis was there too," she said lowly while looking at her. Seeing her mother's gaze on the basket, she gulped and smiled lightly. "Logan arrived there. He said that him and Rodwin have talked to the King already. The Royal Knights are here to arrest Lord Commandant and investigate Ida's death."
Her mother blinked with a stern look on her face.
"I am just taking the food for Rodwin. Logan said that he directly for home, first." Samara smiled while suddenly realizing, "Where is Lord Lester? I should tell him the good news that Rodwin has returned home!"
"No."
Samara's smile faded. Her eyes moved over her mother's blank face. "What's wrong, mother? Where is he?"
"He went home. He would have already cooked for his son. . ."
"But I must see him, mother. He must be injured! He was bruised!" Samara said while walking ahead.
Her mother flared the nostrils while forwarding the hand to stop Samara. "Keep the bowl back at the shelf. You aren't leaving home. Especially when that man has killed Samuel's lover!"
All sanity left Samara's mind as she stared at her mother in shock. "What did you say?" She whispered lowly.
The realization slowly settled in her heart as she walked closer to her mother. Looking in her eyes, she asked, "You sent him away? You asked my soon-to-be father-in-law to leave? For his son could be Ida's killer! How dare you accuse my fiance like that!"
"Samara!" Came her father's voice from the dining room.
Her mother snatched the basket from her hand while gesturing for her to leave the kitchen.
Samara restlessly walked out to confront her father. "What is happening?" She cried angrily. "Have you all gone insane? You all think that Rodwin killed her! The beast killer her!"
"Well, Rodwin is the beast!" Samuel shouted from his roam. He walked out angrily to glare at her. "And as my sister, you are not leaving this house to see him. He is a criminal!"
"He was out in the forest to save you!" She screamed in anger.
"Save me? He killed the love of my life!" Samuel scolded through glossy bloodshot eyes.
"What proof do you have!" Samara shrieked angrily. "Ida's fiance, Nathaniel. . . His. . . His statements! Ida was informing Rodwin of who killed him. Who the beast could be! She had an important conversation with him before she took her last breathe! Of all, you are going against her thoughts by accusing Rodwin. Because of you, she has been killed. She was out there to save you from getting trapped! You killed her!"
Samuel widened his eyes. His jaws clenched in anger.
"Samara! Rodwin has attacked Lord Commandant!" Her father scolded furiously. "Even if he is not the beast, that old man would put him in danger anyway. I can't marry you to a man who is being accused as a killer by the whole village."
"The King believes him!" Samara said while suddenly gasping. "What did you say? I can't marry him? Is this some game to you? We have given commitments to each other with all of our hearts. No one can change that. We are to be married! And none of you can't stop me from going to his home! I will support him even if he is the beast—"
The slap came so unexpectedly.
Samara's wide gaze was stuck at the wall in shock as her hand covered her stinging cheek. Tears escaped from her eyes as a soft cry left her mouth.
"I won't let marry you that criminal! That animal!" Her mother shouted in anger. "He killed a woman! He attacked the Lord Commandant! These soldiers here, all of them are in bad lists. Your father will find you a fine man from other village! But God forbid, I'll kill you if you speak his name again!"
"Rodwin! Rodwin! Rodwin!" Samara screamed angrily while glaring at her mother. A loud so escaped as her father and brother came to get hold of her.
Both grabbed her arms and forcefully took her upstairs to her room.
"If you dare try to get out of this room, I will—" Samuel spoke.
"Why so much hate?" She sobbed angrily while looking at her father who was locking the window.
"Because he has been announced as the killer!" Her father scolded hard. "His reputation has been tarnished! I won't get you linked with him anymore by any chances. All connections with them Lester's end here!"
Her mother entered the room and hurriedly rushed to her.
Samara screamed as she grabbed her hand and tried to pull out the engagement ring from her finger. "No! Mother! Why would you do that!" She cried loudly while keeping her fists tight.
Her mother slapped her again, making her cup her cheek.
Samuel grabbed her wrist and squeezed it too hard for her to keep her fists tight.
Samara let out a loud cry as her mother pulled out the ring and stood up from the corner of the bed.
"This will be sent back to them!" Her father announced while going out of the room. "Forget him!" He said coldly on the way.
"Samuel! Please! Samuel! Don't!" She cried while looking at her brother who was walking along with their mother, out of the room.
He turned around to pull the door close before giving her the last glare.
"Forget him, Samara! I can't get my sister married to a monster! He is meant to be dead as soon as possible!"
The door shut loudly. The sound of the big lock was obvious.
Samara couldn't believe what just happened.
No. She couldn't.
Forget him?
She let out another sob while shaking her head and looking at her empty finger.
No, she couldn't.
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