(Sorry - I posted this in the wrong forum - this is the forum where it belongs)
A strange sight; when Tarragon arrives in Yew that evening, she sees a visitor, a man she has never seen before, on horseback, in a heated discussion with the Council's Priestess Cai'Lean. When the Mystical Circle's dream interpreter comes closer, she hears what the conversation is about.
- Next time I won't be so kind... Give me Mac or you will all die
- We cannot give you what we don't have
- Lies! Jigsaw told me he is here.
The man sitting on horseback claims that Mac is a murderer wanted by the Black Rose. However it appears that in Yew he has committed no crimes. And so it should be up to Yders ap Thul and the Council of Yew to decide what is to happen to Mac.
- Is it not acceptable if we tell you we will keep an eye open for him? If Mac is found in Yew committing any crime, he will most certainly be arrested. If you leave any address, we can contact you. Would that be acceptable?
- You can find us in Drachental, in Miner's Heaven... Don't wait too long
The man leaves, but promises to return soon, and not alone...
Matrim Sartovin, Cai'Lean and Tarragon wait until the man has left.
Then they turn to each other. Cai is clearly still very angry and tries to get her feelings under control again
- Nobody… nobody… says a word that Mac was here… understood? We put him in our jail for his own safety
- So he is a prisoner?
- No, we wanted to let him go yesterday, but he insisted on staying in his cell. It is true that Mac is a werewolf, but Sherriff Horkan Bladebite of Drachental told me this fellow Jigsaw is not to be trusted, as he would actually be a daemon of some kind
So, Cai, Matrim and Tarragon go to the Town Jail to see how Mac fares.
To Cai's surprise, he begs her to either hand him over to the Black Rose or to kill him. But Cai would not want to leave Mac to the mercy of the Black Rose or to some gargoyle daemon. And she will certainly not kill him. There has to be another way. Will all her kindness, she tries to take Mac's hand and to lead him out of his cell.
- No… I am a danger to you all!
Suddenly Mac growls loudly like a wolf and his body starts changing. Before anyone can do anything, he leaps to Matrim and bites him in the arm. The poor lumberjack shouts out in pain and clutches his wounded arm. Cai and Tarragon however act quickly…
- Augus Luminos!
- An Ex Por!
Although the werewolf cries out "FREEEEE!" he cannot move, as he is paralyzed by one of the magic spells. It gives both women that tiny bit of time they need to take a look at Matrim's wound. There is not so much blood, but the wound seems nasty and - even worse - it may be infected and Matrim may become a werewolf as well.
Mac certainly believes so. He laughs maniacally, and shouts…
- NOW YOU WILL BECOME LIKE ME!
Again he emits a loud howl, breaks loose from the spell that was keeping him on his place, and bolts for the door.
As Cai'Lean tends Matrim's wounds, Tarragon goes outside. She is not afraid of werewolves.
There she sees the creature running around, howling. In this form - indeed - Mac is a danger to everyone.
Although Tarragon can try to paralyze Mac again, she suddenly has an idea which will hopefully be better. On all fours she walks closer to Mac. The creature looks surprised. When she has finally neared him so much that he can touch her, so lays herself on her back, and exposes her throat. She once was told that this is how wolves show submission. The creature will hopefully understand then that she means no threat to him.
Indeed, it appears to work…
- MATRIM... WILL... SUFFER... CURSED... BEAST TALKS... MAC... DEAD
- What does the beast want?
- FREE
- How do we set the beast free?
- KILL... MAC
- Kill Mac, free the beast?
- AYE
- Is there no other way?
- JIGSAW
- What can Jigsaw do?
- CURE... HE CURE ME ... IF I JOIN HIM
- Why Jigsaw? Can't anyone else cure you? Jigsaw cannot be trusted
- JIGSAW HAS APPRENTICE
- What is the name of this apprentice?
- DON'T KNOW... SEEN APPRENTICE ONCE
- Where can this apprentice be found?
- MY HOME
- Your lair? Show me your lair
- CAN NOT GO HOME
- Do you want to stay in the cell again? We can provide food.
- FREEE
- I may know an old wolves lair. A friend of mine lived in it long ago
- LAIR
- Yes. It is far away, but there is good food and water
It takes a while, but finally Tarragon succeeds in convincing the creature to follow her.
She remembers from a very long time ago, a friend of hers, Dschinni, living in that hole and giving birth to her pups there. The old wolf lair is not very far away from Shame's entrance.
As Tarragon leads Mac to the mountains of Shame, and away from the town of Yew, again a change occurs and Mac becomes himself again.
- What has happened?
- Oh, you are yourself again... Good...
- Yes… Where is Cai?
- She is taking care of Matrim, the lumberjack.
As both continue to find Dschinni's old lair, Tarragon and Mac talk a lot and try to find a solution to Mac's problem.
It seems that two creatures live inside one body. Sometimes Mac is in control, and sometimes the werewolf takes control. If only Mac could be in control all the time; then the problem would probably be solved.
But there may be other ways as well. Who is this apprentice of Jigsaw?
- I know her, but I fear her even more than I fear Jigsaw. Although she is very powerful, perhaps even more so than Jigsaw, she considers him her master and she will do what he commands. Her name is Angelinas Darkheart
- Very well… We will see if we can pay her a visit… Can you tell us how you became a werewolf? Do you remember that?
- The Black Rose is sometimes hired to eliminate monsters or people. Last year on Halloween evening I had a contract to kill off a beast of some kind.
- Who gave you that contract?
- Nobody seems to remember… But the pay was made in gargoyle coin
- So a gargoyle may be behind this…
- When in the evening I went - alone - to the place where our contract was expected to be, a group of wolf-like creatures were waiting for me. I killed many, but eventually one of them bit me. Since then I am cursed with lycantrophy. I contacted Willem's father and my own father. They told me there is no cure. A few days later I found my father dead in the library. By the look of the wounds on his body, I gathered that some wolf-like creature must have killed him. It may have been me that killed him, I have no memory of what I did that night. And then I ran away. I have become a beast, and it is well possible that I killed my own father as well as Willem's father. The society will hunt me down until they have me. And Willem will never forgive me. He stops at nothing or nobody. I just don't know what to do anymore. Perhaps I should indeed go to Jigsaw and have him end everything…
- Perhaps… but now that we know a bit more about how you came into this predicament, would you give us a bit of time? The Council of Yew is willing to help.
- Very well then…
- Only don't go to Yew anymore. We will come to your lair and bring you food, blankets and anything else you need.
- You can count on me staying here, but what about the beast? When it takes control again, it will go hunting in towns and attack people
- I just hope that it will keep to its new lair and only hunt the animals that live around here… at least for a while… long enough for us to find a cure to your curse.
When Tarragon arrives back in Yew later, she heads for the healer's house immediately. There she finds Cai'Lean, taking care of Yders. It appears he has fallen down the stairs, but Yders grumbles…
- I did NOT fall down the stairs! The stairs' guardrail in Silwer's Tavern is broken!
- Ah… ha…
Everything becomes clear now, considering Yders had an accident of some kind in a tavern where some of Sosaria's best wine is served…
There is however no time for jokes. First Tarragon wants to know about Matrim. Is he well?
Under the circumstances, he is well, so Cai says, but time will tell if now he has the curse as well.
Then Tarragon tells Yders what she has found out and he nods…
Already the Council's Paladin is giving directions…
Firstly the town criers will let everyone in Yew know about the danger. Nobody is to go out alone during the day. And at night they had better stay at home and shut their doors and windows. Hopefully that will keep the people of Yew safe.
And Tarragon is given the assignment of finding Jigsaw's apprentice and to extract from her any information that can be used to cure Mac of the lycantrophy curse.
And so early the next morning, accompanied by one of the Council's brave knights, the dream interpreter heads for the village of Drachental in hope of finding Jigsaw's apprentice.
