Part 2
A while later, Xena and Gabrielle found the scribe’s cabin and knocked on the door. No-one answered so Gabrielle said:
“Maybe he’s not here, perhaps he’s out for a walk.” Xena pointed at the roof and said:
“There’s smoke coming out of the chimney, oh observant bard of mine.” Gabrielle looked up and noticed the light grey smoke coming out of the chimney. With a smile, Xena carefully opened the door and they stepped inside. They heard the sound of a roaring fire and several lanterns were lit across the room. They couldn’t see anyone, so they called out for anyone who could be there.
Suddenly, an old man carrying a lantern appeared from behind a tall shelf and welcomed them:
“Welcome, welcome my young guests. Please come closer so I can see you better.” The women walked closer to the man and as Xena was about to introduce them, the old man sat down, lowered the lantern on his desk and started looking over his scrolls.
“You’re here to capture the werewolf, aren’t you? I knew that help would come, I just didn’t expect that it would take so long”, the old man said, seeing Xena and Gabrielle in his cabin.
“Well, actually, we’re just passing through. Our friend fell sick so we came to stock our supplies and to rest for a few days. But the three young men who arrived with us are here to help you with your werewolf problem”, Xena said, looking around the cabin and seeing scrolls upon scrolls and pieces of parchment everywhere.
“Oh come now, you’re Xena, the Warrior Princess and Gabrielle, the Battling Bard. You’ve faced all kinds of monsters and creatures, you’ve even fought the gods! Aren’t you the least bit interested in seeing for yourself what kind of creature is terrorizing us?” the scribe said turning from his writings for a moment.
“How do you know who we are?” Gabrielle asked. The man laughed and continued his work replying:
“I heard that three women arrived in our village, one a tall warrior, the second a shorter blond and the third a younger warrior who was not well. I have heard of your deeds and your reputation exceeds you. I was sure that you had arrived because you would help us with the beast of the full moon. A creature many believe to be just a story, but I know that it is not even close to being a mere story. I know that what has been frightening the villagers is completely real, because I believe what I’ve seen.”
“You’ve seen the werewolf? You’ve actually seen it?” Xena said with great amazement.
“No-one in this village has seen a werewolf before, but I have. Not the one that has been bothering us now, but when I was just a young boy, a werewolf came to our village, however it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. I can still remember the hungry, bloodthirsty look in its bright yellow eyes”, the man said, trying to look big and scary, but he wasn’t very convincing.
“What can you tell us about werewolves? Would you possibly have any scrolls about them?” Xena said, stepping closer to the scribe. He sighed and shook his head.
“No, I’m afraid I don’t, all I know about them I’ve learned from old myths and legends. Werewolves are fairly rare creatures you know, not like giants or centaurs you can bump into nearly every day. So you want to learn more about werewolves, very well. Let’s see, where should I begin? They’re huge creatures, usually at least 7 feet tall with teeth and claws as sharp as daggers. Their eyes are bright yellow and you can see all their evil and ruthlessness in their eyes. They are strong creatures, but are at their strongest during the full moon. That’s usually when they attack villages and create the most havoc. Between the full moons they wander around hunting and searching for their next victim.
“If werewolves are so rare, how can there still be so many of them? And why would they choose to attack villages right now?” Gabrielle asked, wondering why the werewolves had started attacking more and more villages in such a short time.
“If the myths are even the least bit true, the werewolf curse can have some rejuvenating effects. Some werewolves can live up to be nearly 150 years old, but this is because they choose to stay hidden and live a more peaceful life. And the answer to why they are attacking villages now, I don’t know. Possibly some of them want to start increasing their numbers and the best way to do that is to attack people and transform them into werewolves as well.
Most victims have only three choices: to go into hiding for the rest of their lives, to die in the hands of fearful humans who want all of those unnatural creatures to be destroyed or to join the werewolf pack and live their lives as vicious beasts. I’ve heard that after their transformation, some victims have returned to their villages wanting to be killed by their family and friends so that they can never harm anyone”, the man said with a sigh.
“That sounds terrible. Oh those poor people, I couldn’t imagine a fate like that”, Gabrielle said feeling upset. Xena saw her wife’s unhappiness and also felt sorry thinking of innocent people being doomed to live a cursed life.
“How can we tell if a person has been attacked by a werewolf or is turning into one?” Xena wanted to know just in case.
“A werewolf bites their victim and infects their blood through the wound. At first, the werewolf’s bite looks just like a normal wound. But after a few days, when normal wounds start to heal, the werewolf’s bite mark turns very dark, even black. The color of the bite mark will always remain dark and it is one way to distinguish a werewolf in their human form. Many do not know this, but a few sources have said that even the scratch of a werewolf could be enough to infect one's blood”, the scribe explained, drawing some pictures on a piece of parchment.
“But if someone is bitten, isn’t there any kind of cure?” Gabrielle asked with hope.
“I’m afraid that there isn’t any known cure. According to the legends, there is a potion that could possibly cure a werewolf’s bite. But the only ingredient I’ve heard of is wolfsbane, I have no idea what else is needed for the potion. And if the legend is correct, the potion must be given to the victim within 3 nights of when the bite occurred. After that, all hope is lost”, was the scribe’s reply. Xena and Gabrielle were shocked by this, but they still had more questions.
“Do the victims always transform into werewolves?” Gabrielle asked, thinking that maybe there was some kind of hope for the victims. But the scribe shook his head in regret:
“No, sometimes the bite will kill the victim instantly and sometimes the infection in their blood is too strong and the weakest victims die before their transformation is complete. Those who do survive it will become powerful beasts.”
“Are all victims doomed to always remain in their werewolf form?” was Xena’s next question.
“I don’t know. I suppose it is possible that someone, who can really control the beast within them, could possibly turn back into their human form, at least for a while. However most victims are so powerless against the raging beast within and can’t fight it. Their fate is to remain in their werewolf form, forever. The full moon will reveal the beast's true nature, whatever the circumstance. No matter how they fight it, the moon exposes them for what they are”, the old man said, drawing a picture of a man. After he had drawn the full moon above the man, he modified the picture of the man into a large beast.
The next thing Xena was about to ask was something that made her heart beat slightly faster than normally.
“And what about killing a werewolf? Does it require something special?” she asked bluntly and with a solemn look in her eyes.
“Legends say that a weapon made of pure silver is needed to kill a werewolf. You must stab a werewolf right in the heart or cut off its head to kill it. Wounding it with a silver weapon will make it weaker, but just like most animals, sometimes a wounded werewolf is far more dangerous. People have died after wounding a werewolf before they’ve had the chance to kill it. Silver is one of their biggest weaknesses, they can’t bear its touch. A werewolf can also kill another werewolf, because they are just as strong, but it has to be very rare that they would fight each other. They are united by the same curse, so it creates a bond between them. Older and more powerful werewolves can sometimes have some kind of control over younger ones, you could say that they are their commanders or masters.”
The scribe had given them a lot of important information, Xena and Gabrielle felt more at ease learning so much about the creature lurking in the nearby forest.
“I want you to remember that all that I have told you, has been gathered from different sources over the years, and some, or even most of it might not be true. But what is true, is that the werewolf is a very dangerous creature, you need to be careful out there”, the scribe reminded. Both women nodded as a sign of understanding.
“It’s getting dark outside, I suggest that you head straight back to the inn. Who knows, maybe the beast is out there just waiting for another unsuspecting victim”, the old man said, changing the subject and lighting a few new lanterns. Gabrielle and Xena glanced outside and saw how dark it was, they had been talking with the scribe for much longer than they had thought.
“Thank you, you’ve been of great help. Now we know what we’re up against”, Xena said, thanking the old man.
“I thought you said you weren’t here to capture the creature?” the scribe said with a grin.
“We can’t just stand by and watch your village face a deadly beast like that. That beast needs to be captured and the sooner the better”, Xena replied before they headed to the door.
As the said their goodbyes to the old scribe and left, the man said to himself:
“Maybe the Gods be on your side, my young friends.”
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Behind the inn, Vycios and his men were sitting in an empty warehouse which they were using as their temporary headquarters. They had a map of the area on the table and were discussing which direction the werewolf would most likely be that night.
Without a warning or even a knock, Xena barged in with Gabrielle right behind her and they were met by the surprised expressions of the three young men.
“Vycios, we want to help you capture the werewolf”, Xena said bluntly and all the men were amazed that the great Warrior Princess had changed her mind so suddenly.
“Thank you Xena, we appreciate your knowledge and amazing skills. With both your help we can’t fail”, Vycios said, walking up to Xena and even bowing his head slightly.
“So what’s your plan?” Gabrielle asked enthusiastically. The men showed them the map and explained where they had been the previous night and where there were paw prints of something much larger than a dog or an ordinary wolf.
After discussing their plans for a while, Xena asked almost suddenly:
“I forgot to ask this earlier: what kind of weapons do you use when you deal with werewolves?” After getting a sign from Vycios, Crucios emptied his supply of weapons on the table. Xena took a long look at the weapons and after seeing enough, she noted:
“Impressive I must say. Almost makes my sword and chakram seem insignificant compared to everything you’re carrying.”
“On the contrary Xena, your chakram is legendary and an excellent weapon for werewolf hunting. I’d really like to see it in action”, Vycios said, taking a glance at the circular weapon hanging from Xena’s side. Xena also looked at her signature weapon and then back at the weapons on the table.
“So are you ready to do some wolf watching?” Vycios asked with a pleasant smile.
“Yes, but we have to check up on Exl before we go. Or else she’ll come after us and that won’t help her condition at all. We’ll meet you outside the inn in just a while”, Xena said and after receiving a nod from the men, Xena and Gabrielle exited the warehouse and returned to the inn.
“I’ll go tell Exl about our plan, I’ll have a chance to check if she’s finally beating her fever”, Xena said to Gabrielle as the bard went into their room to leave her bag.
Xena knocked on the door and after hearing her friend’s voice telling her to come in, she entered the room and seeing the raven haired warrior, Exl seemed relieved.
“Xena, I was wondering where you and Gabrielle had disappeared to. I thought you were just going to get some supplies”, the young warrior said with worry in her eyes. Xena remembered what she told Exl earlier, but plans had changed after they had gone to see the old scribe.
“I’m sorry Exl, we got distracted by something and didn’t get to do any shopping. How are you feeling?” Xena said, sitting down next to the Guardian.
“Actually I’m feeling much better, I think that second dose of the medicine worked”, Exl said with a smile. Xena was happy to hear this and decided to feel Exl’s forehead just to be sure. But as she touched the patient’s forehead, she was amazed how hot it was. It was just as hot as the night before, but Exl said she was feeling better. Exl saw the amazement in Xena’s eyes and asked what was wrong.
“Are you sure you’re feeling better? I mean are you really sure?” Xena asked and Exl replied wondering what Xena was trying to get at:
“Yes, I don’t feel as weak as I did when we got here. The medicine you gave me finally worked.”
“I don’t think it did. Your forehead is just as hot as before. I don’t know how it’s possible that you’re feeling better with a fever like this, but I do know that your fever hasn’t gone anywhere”, Xena said and looked puzzled. Exl tried her own forehead and could feel how warm it was. This disheartened her and she shook her head in disbelief.
“So this means that I still have to stay in this room and become one step closer to start climbing the walls”, she said, sounding like she was almost about to give up. Xena took the cloth from the water bowl and started to gently wipe Exl’s forehead. Xena knew Exl was starting to get annoyed with her having to stay inside, in bed without anything to do, but that was her only chance to get better.
“So what’s the latest news about the werewolf? Exl asked, wanting to get her mind off her condition.
“Gabrielle and I decided that we have to help Vycios and his men so we’re going to be on the watch in the surrounding forest tonight. Vycios believes that now that the full moon is very near, the werewolf might be closer to the village”, Xena said to Exl as she finished wiping the feverish forehead of her companion.
“I want to come and help. You can’t go there by yourselves, I won’t let you”, Exl said, trying to sit up, but she had to lie back down because she felt very weak all of a sudden.
“No chance. You have to stay in bed and rest. The more you rest, the sooner you’ll get back on your feet and the sooner you’ll be back in action. If things go our way, that creature’s reign of terror will end tonight. And besides, Vycios and his men will be there with us and they know what they’re doing. Trust me, we’ll be fine”, Xena said, patting Exl’s shoulder.
“If you say so Xena. Damn this fever, why won’t it just let go of me”, Exl said disappointed. Xena gave her a small smile and got up to leave. She walked to the window and closed it so that Exl wouldn’t have to get up to do it. As she walked to the door and was just about to open it, Exl made one last comment:
“Xena, if I hear any signs that you’re in trouble, I swear, I’m getting out of this bed and coming to your aid, even if it’s the last thing I ever do.” Exl said this with the steadfast look she had, but in her eyes Xena could see that Exl said this out of care, worry and love.
“I know, that’s why I hope the beast won’t show itself anywhere near the village”, Xena said and after saying good night, she exited the Guardian’s room and went to meet Gabrielle in the bar.
“How is she?” Gabrielle asked the moment Xena appeared in the bar.
“Well, the fever hasn’t made her lose any of her loyal, protective, Guardian spirit. She said that she’ll run to our aid if she hears any signs that we’re in danger,” Xena said as they started heading outside. Gabrielle shook her head and then looked up at Xena saying:
“Oh, Xena, what would we do without her? It’s a shame she can’t come with us.”
“I know, I would go crazy if I’d just have to lie in bed while everyone else gets to have all the fun”, Xena said as they got outside of the inn.
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Vycios and his men led Xena and Gabrielle into the forest and showed where they had been the previous night. If the werewolf knew how to avoid the men, maybe the women would be able to see something if they were positioned between the village and where the men would be patrolling.
“We will go further east and try to surround the beast. If it gets past us, your job is to turn it back towards us and not let it get to the village”, Vycios explained and while Xena would have preferred to join the “hunt”, she accepted to be part of the backup plan and far more importantly, she didn’t want to separate from Gabrielle, not while the werewolf could be anywhere.
The men went deeper and deeper into the forest and soon their footsteps were nowhere to be heard. Total silence fell in the dark forest and while Xena wasn’t frightened by the eerie silence, she could feel how Gabrielle was very nervous.
“Xena, do you think the werewolf will come this way?” Gabrielle asked with a slight tremble in her voice.
“Not if Vycios and his men are right about this. But if it does, I’ll be ready”, Xena said with her fingers carefully touching the cool metal of her chakram.
Suddenly she sensed something, something was approaching them. She tensed up and seeing this, Gabrielle started to look around them nearly frantically. Xena heard leaves rustling around them but couldn’t see anyone or anything. Gabrielle pressed her back against Xena’s back and tried to look around the best she could, but she was very frightened because they had never encountered a beast like this before.
Then the sounds of branches breaking and something moving very close by was heard, and Xena was able to see an extremely quick glance of a large figure disappearing into the darkness. As she was about to grab her chakram, some more sounds were heard from the left of them and this time Xena didn’t hesitate to grab her chakram. Luckily it was only Vycios and his men who came to them running. Gabrielle was relieved that whatever it had been in the forest, it was now gone.
“Did you see it?” Vycios said and Xena lowered her weapon.
“Just a quick glimpse, did you?” she replied. The men shook their heads and Vycios answered:
“No, we heard it move around and when it headed in your direction, we rushed here as soon as we could. Did you see which way it went?” Gabrielle tried to find the direction where whatever it had been had run to, but wasn’t at all sure because her heart was still beating like crazy.
“I don’t know, it felt like it was all around us. How about you Xena, did you see where it went?” Xena shook her head and said briefly:
“All I know is that it didn’t head towards the village and that it went just by us. Which seems odd, considering that we’re talking about a bloodthirsty creature.”
Xena looked at Vycios for a moment and after a short moment of silence, the man said:
“Like I said before Xena, these beasts do not think like humans. Who knows what goes on in their beastly minds?” Xena looked at him for a moment longer and replied sharply:
“That’s something we may never find out. I think we should get back to the village and think of another plan to capture the beast. I doubt that we’ll have any luck finding it tonight.” The others agreed and the group returned back to the village.
When they got back, there was a large group of villagers gathered by the edge of the village and when the villagers noticed that the hunters had returned, they didn’t seem pleased.
“So the great hunters return and clearly their hunt wasn’t successful. Maybe you would have had better luck if you had stayed here”, one of the villagers said displeased. The women wondered what was going on as the men looked at villagers astonishedly.
“What happened?” Gabrielle asked and the villagers pointed at a pile of bloody wool which was behind them.
“The beast killed two more sheep. This time it was very close to the village, it could’ve attacked us”, was the village leader's response to the amazed hunters. Xena and Gabrielle were very surprised, the creature they had seen hadn’t headed towards the village after going past them and it hadn’t come from that direction either.
“You’ve been wasting our time, that creature has terrorized us for far too long. You have one more night to capture or kill it, or else we’ll take matters in our own hands”, the village leader said angrily to Vycios. The hunters looked at each other and trying to calm down the angry villagers, Vycios announced:
“We understand how you feel. A beast like this terrorized our community and everyone single person in our village feared for their lives. You have my word that after tomorrow night the creature will never bother you again. I will personally bring you the werewolf’s hide.”
Hearing this promise and the seriousness with which Vycios had made it, the villagers started heading back to their homes and they would lock their doors because they were still afraid that the beast would come to the village. Vycios and his men talked amongst themselves for a while before saying that they would check the area around the latest attack before heading back to the inn and then wished the women goodnight.
Gabrielle and Xena headed for the inn and they could sense the fear in the villagers as the people walked away from them.
“Xena, if the werewolf just killed and ate two sheep, why would it try to attack or even come near us?” Gabrielle whispered to Xena as they walked along.
“I don’t know Gabrielle, that puzzles me as well. There is something very weird about all of this. Why haven’t we seen the werewolf even though it’s been very close to the village and why haven’t Vycios and his men been able to get close to it? They’re supposed to be experienced werewolf hunters, but somehow they just can’t capture this one”, Xena said with a thoughtful expression.
“Now we only have one more night to capture it or the villagers will put their lives in danger to get rid of it once and for all”, Gabrielle said when they arrived at the inn.
“We have to try something different tomorrow night, we can’t let these people face something they won’t have a chance against”, Xena responded.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to get really tired. It’s been a long night. Should we check up on Exl?” Gabrielle said with a yawn.
“I’ll do it, you go on and get ready for bed. I’ll just take a quick look and be right with you”, Xena said, seeing her spouse’s fatigue.
Gabrielle went into their room as Xena quietly opened the door to Exl’s room. The Loyal was sound asleep and Xena was happy to see that Exl was able to sleep with such a high fever. As she walked over to Exl’s bed, Xena noticed that the window was open even though she remembered closing it when she left. After closing it, she noticed some hairs on the floor in front of the window and crouched down to pick them up. They were coarse and a much darker color than Exl’s hair, but where had they come from? Xena was also starting to feel tired and thought that whatever they were, they could wait until tomorrow.
“Sleep tight Exl”, Xena whispered to her friend as she headed out of the door and into their room where Gabrielle had already dozed off. After taking off her armor, the exhausted warrior climbed into bed and was fast asleep sooner than she could have said “Morpheus”.
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The following morning Xena woke up with a strange feeling, like the one she had had the previous night when the creature had approached them in the woods. The feeling was like something heavy was weighing her down. She didn’t really know what that feeling was, but something was telling her to go and see Exl. Xena rose out of bed carefully and after getting fully dressed, she snuck out of their room and made her way quietly to Exl’s room. She opened the door carefully and saw that Exl turned to look at who was at the door.
“Xena, good morning. What got you up so early?” Exl asked rather cheerfully. Xena walked up to her and that strange feeling was gone all of a sudden.
“I… Well you know me, always an early riser. But why are you awake, you really need your rest?” Xena started with a stutter but quickly turned the discussion back to how Exl was doing. Exl sat up and Xena sat down next to her.
“I didn’t sleep that well, I was up late waiting for you to return so that I’d know you were safe and then I just had a restless night. Do you have good news? Did you capture the werewolf?” Exl explained rubbing her eye and then turning back to look at her friend.
Xena shook her head and said with something you could almost identify as a sigh:
“Unfortunately not. The villagers are getting tired of being scared and they gave us only one more night to deal with the werewolf. If we haven’t captured it or… killed it by tomorrow morning, the villagers will do it themselves.”
“Xena, if you and Vycios’ group can’t do it, the villagers won’t stand a chance. Please, let me help you, I feel much better, my fever is practically gone! You need all the help you can get and you know that I track and hunt and fight and…” Exl was getting anxious and Xena didn’t want her to get too excited. She put her other hand on Exl’s shoulder and took hold of Exl’s hand with the other and tried to calm down the enthusiastic warrior.
“Hey, calm down, it’s not good for you to get so worked up. You don't know how much I’d want to have you by my and Gabrielle’s side out there in the forest, but right now, I can’t let you risk your wellbeing by letting you out of this bed. I’m not doing this to pick on you, I’m doing this because of how important you are to me and Gabrielle.”
“I know Xena and I understand. I’m sorry I’ve been so insisting, I just want to be useful and keep you safe”, Exl apologized. Xena patted Exl’s shoulder and said with a smile:
“You’re always useful, every single day.”
Then Xena said that she’d go see if Gabrielle had woken up and would order all of them something great for breakfast.
Before getting ready for that night’s hunt, Gabrielle and Xena had plenty of time to get the supplies they needed for later and even have dinner with Exl to spend some quiet time together. Afterwards they left Exl to rest and went to Vycios to go over the plan once more. Malicios and Crucios were patrolling near the edge of the forest, just in case.
“My men are waiting for us in the forest, I think it's time we head there as well”, Vycios said, rolling up their map. Xena nodded, having finished sharpening her sword and after placing it back in its scabbard, she was ready to finally come face to face with the werewolf.
“I’ll go and tell Exl that it's go time. I don’t want her to get any more worried than she already is”, Gabrielle said looking at Xena.
“We’ll meet you by the inn,” Xena responded as Gabrielle left the warehouse.
“Thank you for your help Xena, it’s more than we could’ve hoped for”, Vycios said while gathering the last of his gear before they headed back to the inn.
“This beast has caused enough trouble, it needs to be stopped, now”, Xena stated.
All of a sudden, Gabrielle came running back to them and said fearfully:
“Xena, Exl is gone!”
“What?” Xena said, feeling her heart suddenly skipping a beat. Gabrielle’s eyes were distressed and she explained:
“I went to check up on her and when I got to her room, she wasn’t there. It looks like there was a struggle.” Hearing this, Xena rushed into Exl’s room with Gabrielle and Vycios right behind her. Upon entering the room, they saw that the bed sheets were ripped and on the floor, Exl’s weapons were out of their sheaths and the window was wide open. Xena walked to the window and noticed claw marks on the window sill. Something on the floor caught her attention and taking a closer look, she noticed more of the same hairs which she had found the night before.
“What is it Xena?” Vycios asked when Xena picked up some of the hairs. Xena walked back to them and gave Vycios the hairs.
“I found hairs just like this last night in the same place in front of the window”, she said and after feeling, smelling and looking closer at the hairs, Vycios said what they all feared:
“Werewolf hairs, the beast was definitely here.” Gabrielle couldn’t help herself as the wave of fear coursed through her as she realized what had happened.
“By the gods, the beast took Exl. But why?”
“Tonight the moon is full, the werewolf must have come to the village and smelled that there was a human in a weak condition in this room. It came in through the window and when Exl tried to fight it, it took her”, Vycios replied thinking of what possibly could have happened.
“You make it sound like she’s going to be that creature’s midnight snack. No, Exl would never go down without a fight, but she is still weakened by the fever. She could have passed out trying to defend herself and the werewolf saw her as an easy catch”, Xena said with a snarl directed at Vycios. She knew Exl and how tough she was, but had to admit that she was only human, and humans had weaknesses.
“Xena, what are we going to do? We have to save Exl, but we have no idea where she is. We don’t even know if she’s…” Gabrielle tried saying but couldn’t finish her sentence because it was too dreadful. Xena wrapped her arm around Gabrielle’s shoulder and squeezed her closer to calm the worried bard.
After a while, Xena let go of Gabrielle and crouched down to take Exl’s Guardian axe from the floor. She looked at the letters X and G which were engraved on it and at the Guardian’s emblem on the handle. Xena turned to look out the window with her cold, determined gaze and said with menacing tone in her voice:
“It’s time to do some wolf hunting.”
Not wanting to waste any time, the group left the inn and Xena led Gabrielle, Vycios and his men into the forest following the paw prints beginning at Exl’s window. As the best tracker, Xena had no trouble following the distinct prints and they rushed through the forest with a fast pace. As they went deeper and deeper into the forest, the prints started going all round the forest as if the werewolf had tried to mislead them or as if it was lost and confused.
Then suddenly there were no more prints to follow, they just seemed to have vanished.
“Damn it”, Xena said, stopping by the last paw print in a small clearing somewhere in the forest.
“Which way should we go?” Gabrielle asked and Vycios was the first to reply:
“It’s impossible to say. We have to choose carefully if we want to save your friend. If we don’t make a decision quickly, all hope will be lost.” Xena took a step closer to Vycios and stared at him with her icy cold stare.
“Don’t underestimate Exl, you don’t know what she's gone through. She has never given up, not once in her life. If she has to, she’ll fight that beast with or without any weapons. But she WON’T give up”, Xena said behind clenched teeth. Vycios tried to say something, but couldn’t get a single word out his mouth as he faced the cold gaze of the fierce Warrior Princess.
Suddenly, something moved behind the trees very near them. It was something big and it definitely wasn’t human. Trying to look around to see where the mysterious being had gone, none of them saw or heard anything.
“Did you see that?” Gabrielle asked timidly. The sounds of branches breaking came from somewhere close as well as a low growl.
“I did and I heard that as well”, Vycios said, looking around frantically. Xena drew her sword and chakram, and tried to locate the creature.
“Well Vycios, you’re the experts, what do you usually do in a situation like this?” Xena asked, taking a side glance at Vycios.
“We’ve never actually been in a situation like this, to be honest. But we have to try something”, Vycios said and gave Malicios and Crucios a few quick hand signals. The other two men disappeared into the dark forest in the directions which Vycios had shown them. Vycios turned to Gabrielle and Xena to give them some instructions.
“You stay here as decoys and keep your eyes open, I’ll go and chase the werewolf this way and before it even has a chance to get near you, Crucios and Malicios are ready to take it down. If we do fail and the beast gets past us, you might only have one chance to kill it. One quick strike to the neck will do the trick. I’m sure you’ll be able to do it Xena, I mean, if it comes to that”, Vycios explained. Xena looked at him quietly for a minute and then said very bluntly:
“I’ll do what I have to.” With a small nod, Vycios walked into the darkness of the forest and left Gabrielle and Xena to wait like sitting ducks.
“Xena, I’m scared”, Gabrielle admitted as they stood waiting in the dark silence. She took hold of Xena’s arm and squeezed it tightly. Xena could feel her own pulse getting faster and faster, all of this was new to her and despite all the advice the scribe had given them, facing a werewolf for the first time was something she would’ve preferred to do with both Gabrielle AND Exl by her side. The silence didn’t last for long when several pairs of feet started running around and it sounded like some kind of struggle had commenced. The women heard shouting and the snarling and growling of something that seemed to come from a big, dangerous and angry creature. Then a long howl was heard before everything went silent again.
Xena and Gabrielle held their breath not knowing what was going on in the dark forest and what would happen next. Finally they heard Vycios shout:
“We caught it!” Xena lowered her sword slightly and then they saw Vycios coming out of the darkness holding a chain and at the other end of the chain was a hooded figure following him. To the women’s surprise, the figure wasn’t 7 feet tall and covered with fur, but at least more than a foot shorter, dressed in clothes with a dark hood covering its head and in addition to the chain around its neck, its hands were tied behind its back.
Xena’s suspicions started to grow and she demanded:
“Vycios, what’s going on?” She didn’t have a chance to even move a muscle, when Malicios and Crucios suddenly appeared from nowhere and grabbed both Xena and Gabrielle into their very tight grips. This took them completely by surprise and made Xena drop her weapons. The women just looked in awe when Vycios said with an evil grin:
“I suppose you want to see the werewolf for yourselves, so here it is.” He pulled on the chain once more and the figure took another step forward. Vycios pulled the hood off the figure’s head and what Xena and Gabrielle saw was a complete shock and something truly impossible. They saw the familiar light brown hair and the scar over the left eye of their loyal friend and faithful Guardian, but even more horrifying were her eyes. When Exl lifted her head after the hood came off, for a very quick few seconds, her eyes gleamed bright yellow before turning back into a pale, greyish half blue, half green. After seeing her family being held captive right in front of her, Exl tried to take a step closer to them and shouted:
“Gabrielle, Xena!” but wasn’t able to move much because of the chain around her neck.
End of part 2