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“Wonderful.” He ducked into the cave, a cheery smile on his face that was infectious. “I bet you need to stretch your legs.”
“I wouldn’t be opposed to it.” I replied, ready for some fresh air outside the stuffy cave.
“Let’s go then,” he stepped to my side, wrapped my arm around his, and led me out of the cave.
I blinked at the brightness and breathed deeply thankful to be out of the oppressive earth. My first impression of Greenwood was all the green. Moss climbed up the trunks of every tree while more dangled from branches and twigs. Spongy grass covered the forest floor like a natural carpet.
My toes tingled wanting to shuck my boots and dance barefoot under the towering trees. If it weren’t for the fact that I needed to escape I might have asked to do just that. I couldn’t though. I needed to stay vigilant and take the first opportunity I had to run. Barefoot made for terrible running so I’d keep my boots on.
Tuck led me to a small building and gestured for me to enter. Ducking inside I found a crude washroom complete with a chamber pot, a pitcher of cool water, and a soft cloth. After relieving my full bladder, I used the cloth to clean my face and hands.
I emerged feeling refreshed and more than a little impressed by the structure.
“This is genius. A washroom out in the middle of the woods. It’s like a dream.” I laughed, giddy that this existed.
“It is a marvel. The best thing is that we can put wheels on it and hook it to some donkeys.”
“A washroom on wheels.” It was a concept I’ve never thought of but now I couldn’t get it out of my head. I needed a traveling washroom.
“Einri thought it up and built it himself.” Tuck informed me and I was surprised that a bastard king knew how to build anything. “How about a walk? Show you around Greenwood.”
“Fresh air would be nice.” I agreed, welcoming the subject change and the chance to look around.
Tuck led me down a well-worn path that wound through the trees. Birds were chirping while a breeze blew through the leaves making them rustle merrily. If I wasn’t a prisoner here this would be my dream home. So much green lushness surrounded me that it made me want to build a little cottage, wash my clothes in the spring I could hear, and live off the land.
Children’s laughter echoed and I looked around to see where the sound came from but didn’t see anything. The brush didn’t rustle, and I couldn’t hear the sound of running feet. For a moment I thought I imagined it until Tuck tapped me on the shoulder then pointed upward.
Tipping my head back I looked way up into the canopy and what I saw stopped me in my tracks. Bridges connected the trees with buildings built around the trunks. Children ran along the suspended bridges and platforms chasing each other.
My jaw dropped as I tracked the pathways. Not just children ran down them but both men and women walked on them going about their normal lives like they would on the ground.
“How…” my question trailed off as I took in this village in the trees.
“When we left Brural we brought our families with us.” Tuck began continuing down the path. I followed, still gawking at what was above our heads. “Our families are precious to us and when a member is cast out then the family is shunned. There weren't any other options. Einri gathered who he could while others sought him out and joined him. We roamed around for a time, scared to settle down and be discovered. Einri heard of a place that would be perfect for us, far from the rule of Rusalko and his witch. We’ve integrated and settled here.”
I listened to his story and my heart ached for these people, but there was still so much that I didn’t understand.
“Why leave? I know you all were given a potion that made you what you are, but if it worked why were you cast out?”
“I’ll answer your question, but I need to start at the beginning.” He led me to a couple of rocks by the spring that bubbled through the landscape. When we’d settled, he started talking again. “I used to be a friar assigned to a company of soldiers under Einri’s command. We’d finished our rotation and were heading back home. Thankful for our work at the front, the king orchestrated a grand feast for us. There were musicians, dancers, and bards singing songs of our heroics.”
“I’d just finished my glass of wine, when the king rose to speak, while servants passed out glasses for a toast. I can’t remember what he said but I remember feeling proud and excited for a well-deserved break. We drank, not realizing that a potion had been mixed in. The change came quickly. Many men collapsed and were writhing on the ground. I rushed to help saying prayers as I went when it gripped me. Something foreign and alien awoke inside me clawing to the surface. It forced my body into something different.”
Tuck’s whole demeanor changed the longer he spoke. I could tell that reliving this was incredibly difficult. I surprised myself by reaching out and pacing my hand on his forearm. I knew how easy it was for the past to come and consume you again.
“When I woke up, I was a man again, a very naked one. I have no idea what had happened to me or what I did, but one person who did. While everyone had lost their humanity during the change, Einri kept his and was able to prevent those of us who survived the change from doing something we’d regret.”
“That must have been terrifying.” I added softly. I couldn’t imagine the betrayal he must have felt. Their own king had poisoned them and watched as they became these things, these werewolves.
“It was confusing mostly. Not everyone changed back into their human forms. Some remained wolves, losing all humanity and from then on existed as animals. We call them rogues. Those of us that became what the potion intended were made to swear fealty to the king or be put down. However, the king is not one of us. Our animals demand that we gather under an alpha and the only true alpha among us was Einri.”
Of course, he was.
“After that we were hunted because our wolves wouldn’t allow us to bow down to him. The man can reason where the animal cannot. The king betrayed us all and that is unforgivable in the wolf’s mind.”
Now that I understand. There was no grey, only black and white. The king betrayed the man, and the wolf will protect the pack. The bigger picture in all of this was starting to become clearer.
“What happens to the rogues? Are they hunted too?” I wondered, because I couldn’t imagine the king hunting animals.
