"I just found out she has a sheepskin cloak," Timothee muttered quickly.
Timothee paused, pondering what his reaction should be. He didn't want to disappoint his new friend, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if it was right to manipulate others like that.
"Honestly, it's kind of strange. Prily is a good kid. It's not like her to sneak around and hurt us," I voiced uncertainly.
Yet, deep down, I knew it was improbable for someone as kind as Prily to harbor any ill intentions towards us.
What could her motive possibly be?
"So, what's our next move, Lycan?" the Guard asked urgently.
Timothee sighed, pacing back and forth in the cramped room, pondering the right response.
"This isn't an easy decision," Timothee finally said. "If we do nothing, I'm certain Silver Armor will crumble within a few months. But accusing anyone without solid proof could also tear our family apart."
"Sorry, Lycan. Perhaps it would be wise to question them kindly. Who knows, memories alone can become faulty." Healers Cruz added, trying to ease Timothee's burden.
Timothee nodded, considering the suggestion. He knew that approaching the situation with kindness and understanding would be the best course of action, but he couldn't shake off his doubts and fears.
"We'll try questioning them first," Timothee said decisively.
"I'll be heading there as well," I declared, raising my gaze to meet Timothee's intense stare.
The two guards traded wary glances before shaking their heads in unison. "Nothing to worry about, Lycan," they assured us, their voices echoing each other with a hint of intrigue.
"Are you certain?" Timothee inquired, his intense gaze locking onto mine.
I responded with a confident nod. "I was the initial target of the attack. There's a chance the assailant got injured when I fought back, stabbing them with a fork," I detailed with a hint of defiance in my voice.
Timothee's eyes shot open wide in surprise, and he gently smacked his forehead in a comical gesture of disbelief.
"You walk a path not understood by many, Barby. Yet, if this is the journey you choose, I will walk beside you," Timothee spoke with a heavy heart. "Are you well in spirit?"
I nodded, my smile stretching wide across my face, a silent promise of the adventure that awaited us. Together, we rushed out of the house, our steps quickening with anticipation as we made our way to the orphanage, where stories and souls intertwined.
By then, the shelter had fallen into a deep silence, its residents lost in dreams, except for the select few who stood watch, their eyes wide open in the quiet of the night, guarding not just against dangers from the outside, but also against the storms brewing within their own hearts.
"Lycan?" The guard showed respect and opened the path for us to enter the sanctuary grounds.
"Has someone unknown walked our lands?" Timothee asked.
"Barbara, awaken Prily and Mara," Timothee commanded me.
I nodded and immediately ran towards the room where Prily and Mara were sleeping.
"What's going on?" Prily rubbed her eyes, just waking up.
"I need your help, Pril," I said with a smile, apologizing for waking her.
"Why?" Mara, who had also woken up, asked as she approached us.
We quickly explained the situation, and both of them were ready to head to the orphanage with us.
"Prily, do you have a cloak with sheepskin on the edges?" I tried to confirm.
Prily nodded and immediately went to her room to fetch her cloak. Timothee, Mara, and I followed her, but Prily kept searching her room in confusion for her cloak.
"I can't find it," Prily said sadly.
"Did you throw it away?" Timothee squinted, trying to understand.
"No, I put it in the closet and haven't used it at all," Prily tried to remember.
"Try looking again, maybe you just forgot," I tried to reassure her.
"Prily!" Timothee's voice got louder.
Timothee stepped forward towards the closet Prily mentioned and opened it. He searched inside but found nothing.
"What is this?" Timothee pulled out an air hose from behind the closet.
"That... that..." Prily was stunned by what Timothee had found.
"What are you planning, Prily?" Timothee's eyes sparkled as he stared at Prily.
"Timmy, stop cornering her," I yelled. "We don't have solid proof! Look, Prily isn't injured at all." I tried to defuse the escalating tension between them.
However, Timothee's suspicions were not easily pacified. He continued to interrogate Prily, pushing her for answers and accusing her of betrayal. But deep down, I knew that Prily could never betray us or the orphanage.
"If you didn't throw away the cloak, then where did it go?" Timothee's face turned redder with restrained anger.
"Forgive me, Lycan. I swear everything I say is true, I have no idea where the cloak has gone. I placed it in the closet. And when I couldn't see it anymore, I thought I had stored it away," Prily explained, her eyes welling up with tears.
I sighed and then hugged Prily's shoulders, "I know you didn't mean to hide the cloak. But could you explain to us where you have been in the last 3 hours?"
Prily sniffled and wiped her tears, "I-I went to the forest. I followed the trail of footprints that were leading away from our village."
Timothee's anger dissipated and was replaced with worry, "What did you find in the forest?"
Prily shook her head, "Nothing. The footprints suddenly disappeared and I couldn't find them again. I thought it was strange, but I didn't think much of it until now."
I furrowed my brows, "Did you see anyone else in the forest?"
Prily nodded, "Yes, there was a stranger who seemed to be lost. I asked if they needed any help and they just shook their head and ran off into the forest."
Timothee and I exchanged looks, both of us thinking the same thing.
"There are many oddities here." As Timothee uttered those words, a chill swept through the room, and every eye darted around suspiciously. Just then, a faint noise echoed from the shadows, causing hearts to race and pulses to quicken.
Was it the sound of footsteps, or merely the wind?