*** Back At The Inn ***
In the thick darkness and torrential rain, The Regulars arrived. They were numbered seven and were covered from head to toe in their cloaks that had been drenched from the downpour.
Mrs Wells ushered them into the dull and empty inn with a bright lantern. The only source of light in the grey night.
She offered to take their wet cloaks but they shook their heads showing it was unnecessary. They climbed up the crooked wooden stairs that creaked under the weight of their feet, their cloaks casting long shapeless shadows behind them. Mrs Wells followed closely behind intimidated by the unapproachable aura they gave off.
They abruptly stopped and stood at the entrance to their rooms as if being held back by an invisible force. Their faces contorted into a scowl but Mrs Wells was oblivious to that and could only wonder why they stood there.
"Who has stepped foot in this room?" A hoarse-sounding voice was heard. Mrs Wells was taken aback. It was the first time she had been addressed by them. Her palms were sweaty and she held on tighter to the lantern.
"I...I asked my help to tidy the place up...Susan's her name." She stammered studying the emblem embedded on the foremost sides of their cloaks unable to meet the intensity of their gazes.
"Please excuse us". The voice said as he grabbed the spare lantern from Mrs Wells and stepped into a room with the others shutting her out and only then did they remove the hood of their cloaks revealing a young girl amongst the middle-aged men and women.
"Vivian." A man beckoned to the girl.
"Yes Father" She went to him, bowing as a sign of respect.
"Did you find the journey tedious? It must have been tough riding on horseback for so long under the rain."
"Not at all. It is an experience I greatly treasure." She kept her head down as she spoke, her words polite.
"Do get some rest. I shall see you in the morrow." He replaced the hood over his head and exited the room with the other adults leaving Vivian alone.
Vivian sat on the bed unsure of what to do. It was her first gathering and she had been excited to come with Father but now she was left on her own.
'What were the others up to? '
She put her ear to the side of the thin wall and listened to the sound of voices just outside her door.
"You sensed it too?" She could hear Father's voice. He had never sounded this excited.
"It can't be! A hybrid? Does it even exist? The four lands have long kept to themselves after the great war. Who would dare create one? " A scornful tone was heard.
"I do not know if it does but you do know what we sensed." It was a woman who spoke up this time. Her eloquent speech, sharp and precise.
"That aura is certainly unique. I have never come across it in all my years. In a way it intrigues me."
"We should go after the girl Susan, maybe we can find her and get the answers we need." An irritated man grumbled not hiding the sense of urgency he felt.
"Not in this weather. Tracking her would be difficult if not impossible. We would have to wait and plan our next move carefully." Father said, probably stroking his chin as he did when in thought.
"Our partners would be enthralled by our discovery. We should make good use of this opportunity..."
The voices died down and footsteps could be heard moving in a far away direction.
Vivian returned to her bedside, set aside the large cloak she had been gifted and lay on the different and uncomfortable bed.
Though hybrids were not unheard of in the past as the four races mixed freely and interbred in those times but after the war that claimed a lot of souls on all ends, the races split and had nothing to do with one another making the existence of hybrids rare if not impossible.
'Just what was that creature they sensed earlier that got the others so excited?'
She knew no answers would come to the questions in her mind so she let it be. She shut her eyes letting her thoughts drift from the odd aura to a land free from her worries.
***************
Nicolas scurried through the trees, his black shirt and breeches blending with the darkness around him. His sharp blue eyes scanned the nearby trees and shrubs as he arrived at the back of a certain inn. He took slow confident strides, the moist soil as squishy as marshmallows under the soles of his boots.
He stood with his back to the wall, studying the patterns made by the stars on the night sky, waiting, grateful for the cover of darkness.
The stillness of the night was shattered by the sound of approaching footsteps. The walker seemed in no hurry but took his time to arrive and take cover from the drizzle under the inn's shade.
Nicolas lowered his head waiting for the figure before him to speak.
"What have you for me Nick?" The figure rasped most of his features obscured by the cloak he had on.
"There have been no new sightings in the area or the other locations. It seems the witches have retreated for now or maybe they finally accept defeat." He sneered not masking his contempt towards the witches.
"One should never underestimate his opponent. For all we know it might be a ruse. We may not know their motives nevertheless we must on remain on alert."
" I shall do my hardest." Nicolas offered a bow.
"If that is all, I bid you good night." The man turned to leave. His cloak sweeping up a bit of the mucky soil.
"There is something else." Nicolas called out massaging his temples as if remembering but in fact he deliberately held back this piece of information to test the man's patience.
"Previously I was sceptical but now I am certain. Earlier, deep in the forest, before the rains descended, I perceived two rare scents that appeared to have mixed from battle. One I have never encountered and the other a werewolf."
"Werewolf you say? No werewolf would dare stray this far from Munbeam. Not after what happened!"
"But indeed it was a wolf. His scent though faint showed great strength."
Something dark passed through the hooded man's eyes and he studied the inn more carefully.
'It seems we might have to stay a bit longer.' He stroked his chin.
"You may leave." He waved the young man away and set to work under the blanket of darkness.
*******
It was still dark when Father knocked at the door. Though Vivian couldn't see through the tightly shut windows to confirm her theory she had been trained to discern the weather from the sounds and vibrations around her. With her eyes shut it was easier to pay attention to the tones of the night.
She knew it was Father from his unhurried footsteps, from the way he tapped softly on the door almost as if he wasn't there at all.
Though she had been awake for hours nestled under the soft blankets she hesitated to open her eyelids, to move from her tranquil state, to unlock the door and let him in.
She was broken out of her reverie by the knock that sounded again. She hurriedly slipped on her cloak and went to get it.
"Good day Father," she gestured for him to come in.
He plodded to the edge of the bed and sat. A weary expression on his aged features, his eyes bereft of any sleep.
"I have heard reports about a strange creature in the woodlands with an unusual presence. It may be connected to the aura we sensed in this room or something else but it isn't a matter to be taken lightly.
On that account, you shall stay behind to observe the girl Susan, see if she has any peculiarities and report back to me. You must fit in as one of them to gain their confidence but be cautious for the creature is not one to be trifled with.
I shall make the needed arrangements with the innkeeper. A box of clothes shall be delivered to you on the morrow. You shall stay in this room for the main time." His voice showed no trace of fatigue but was as assertive as ever.
"I will do as you say Father but may I change rooms? This space reeks of evil. I was troubled and could hardly sleep last night."
"Don't be afraid Vivian, this room has been fortified with a protective spell, nothing would get to you."
"A spell? Is that not the work of those vile witches?" She gruntled but pursed her lips on seeing the look of displeasure on Father's face.
The witches had been loathed for centuries for the many atrocities they committed in the past but not all witches were truly bad. The black witches were known to experiment on humans using their dismembered bodies to form potions and charms but the white witches were a new variant that used their knowledge for the good of the four lands. Despite their good works they were still met with cynicism and opposition from people like Vivian who refused to be open-minded and accept them.
"If it would ease your worries you shall be given a different room. But know that I have high hopes for you Vivian. Do not disappoint me." Father spoke after an awkward silence and made to leave.
Vivian stood and watched his retreating figure. She could only nod and sigh.
"As you say Father."