Chapter 20

REN

Ren waited for just over a minute, kept Somnus in a sit on the bed in his kennel for another few moments, and then released the dog.

"Somnus, find," they said.

Somnus took off like a bullet, nose to the ground and tail wagging as he bounded out of the dogs' house and into the courtyard. He circled the perimeter, doubling back a few times, then crossing it.

And Ren saw the exact moment he found what he was looking for. Every muscle in Somnus's body tensed beneath his short fur, and his cropped ears pricked. His sides quivered as he shifted the air Ren followed the line of his nose, and his eyes were locked onto his target.

Ren crept along the side of the dogs' house until they reached the edge and exhaled a breath.

"Freeze!" they shouted, peering around the side to keep their target in sight. "You are under arrest. I am giving you one chance to turn yourself in before I send my dog after you."

Ren waited for one, two, thr-.

Their target started moving, taking a few quick steps before accelerating to a sprint.

"Somnus, take down."

The dog didn't hesitate. His paws threw up little puffs of dirt as he bolted after his target in a grey blur. He disappeared around the corner, and Ren jogged to keep up.

The chase didn't last long. There was a yelp followed by a thud and a grunt and a snarl. As Ren approached, Somnus had his target held down by a grip on the arm.

"Somnus, release."

Ren thought Somnus's gaze almost looked smug as he let go and trotted over. Hey, look what I did, his sparkling eyes seemed to say as his tongue lolled out to the side. He couldn't outrun me. I caught him.

"Yup, he's still got it." Ferris sat up, grimacing and rolling his shoulder. "He got me good."

"Are you alright?" Ren asked.

Ferris nodded. "Yes, I am. He just got a good grip." He gestured to the padded bite suit.

Ren placed Somnus in a sit and then offered a hand to Ferris, which he took, and they pulled him to his feet.

"Thanks. I'm very glad I have the padded suit, because that would hurt getting bitten without it. He's got a very strong bite." Ferris peeled open the velcro, and then undid the clasps holding the jacket of the bite suit together. He shrugged the top piece off, then unbuckled the suspender straps on the pants of the bite suit, before stepping out of them.

After brushing off a few twigs and leaves, Ferris picked up the bite suit and jerked his head toward the dogs' house. "Let's go."

"How is Charlie doing?" Ren asked as they pulled open the door and held it for Ferris. Morpheus lifted his head, and Pyxis wagged her tail from behind the gate to her pen.

Ferris twisted his mouth, pausing in wrapping the bite suit around a hanger. He pondered over his words, and when he spoke, it was slowly. "Charlie... she's doing ok. As ok as she... can be, I suppose. She knows that we're all there for her, but I know that none of us can really relate to what she's feeling and she knows that too."

"We're all there for her, but it is true that we don't know what it's like." Ren agreed as they ushered Somnus into his pen and filled up his water bowl.

"Do you think her parents really want a relationship with her?"

Ren shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps they don't realize what they've done."

Ren opened Morpheus's pen and crouched down by his side. They had him lie down, and then they ran their hand over his flank, pushing back his fur to look at the wound Pyr had caused. All that was now left was a pink line covered with a thin dusting of baby hairs from when Kristin had shaved the area.

Morpheus gazed at them through calm eyes, as if trying to tell them that he was ready to work.

"That..." Ferris grimaced. He adjusted the bite suit so it hung straight. "I can't imagine any parent not realizing when they've messed up. Mistakes are ok, but you need to own up to them and figure out the right steps to make it right and then follow through."

"True," Ren replied, rubbing Morpheus's ear just how he liked it before standing up and exiting his pen. "But your fathers were both very present in your childhood."

Ferris sighed as he crossed the room to scratch Pyxis on the head. "I know, I know. It's hard imagining a childhood other than mine, and it's sometimes easy to forget. I don't want to accidentally want to say the wrong thing, you know?"

"I get the sentiment."

"I'm sorry for treating you like a therapist."

Ren shook their head. "I don't mind. If I'm ever not in the right mindset, you know I will tell you."

"I know, and I appreciate it." Ferris offered a smile. "Shall we go get some lunch?"

"Yes, I am hungry."

Ren did one last once-over of the dogs to make sure they all had water and access to their outdoor runs if they wished.

xxxx

Inside the NYTE house, Charlie and Kristin were tag teaming in making scrambled eggs, although neither seemed particularly enthusiastic and Charlie was on her phone while Kristin slowly stirred the eggs, expression distant. Zip flipped through a book on the couch, curled up beneath a blanket. No one looked up as Ferris followed Ren through the doorway.

"Zip, I'm going to get something to eat. Do you want anything?" Ferris asked as he opened the fridge to see what was available.

This time, Charlie did glance back, gaze shifting to Ferris and then to Zip. She smiled. "Zip!"

He flinched, startled. "Y-yeah?"

Charlie jerked her thumb at Ferris. "Dipper's makin' something to eat. You want anything?"

Zip placed his bookmark between the pages of his book, and then closed it, setting it on the coffee table with careful precision. He thought about it before replying. "A... a sandwich, please."

"Ham and cheese? PB&J? What would you like on it?"

"PB&... J, please."

"Alrighty. I'll bring it over when it's ready."

Charlie huffed and dropped her phone on the counter. "Ren, can you put something on? It's so quiet in here. I can't think. Kristin, wanna move over? I can finish the eggs."

He muttered a soft thanks, then shuffled over to the table and sat down.

"Do you want some music or something on the tv?"

"Tv. Music isn't enough. I need to see it too right now."

Ren nodded. Zip sat up to make room as they sat down on the couch. When Ferris offered to make them a sandwich as well, Ren accepted and said they'd eat whatever he was having.

Picking up the remote and turning the tv on felt strange. Zip had disabled the Camera Trap alerts on it and wired it so they instead went to the Moonfall Precinct. The group had discussed returning to their former job of arresting poachers, but no one really wanted to. Not while the Trinity was still on the loose and no one knew what had really happened that night.

No one except Ashley and the Trinity, Ren's subconscious added.

They turned the tv on, and it was still set to Waverwell News. Ren went to switch the channel after what had happened when NYTE was interviewed by Shaheena, but Kristin stopped them.

"Wait!" he said, hurrying over to stand behind the couch. "That's Jason."

"Who's Jason again?" Ferris asked, turning around and balancing three plates in his hands. Zip pushed off his blanket and got his sandwich from Ferris.

"Jason Starr. Alaska's ex-boyfriend."

"What the hell's he doin' on Waverwell News?" Charlie grumbled as she scooped scrambled eggs onto two plates.

"No idea," Kristin replied.

"Let's see then."

They all piled onto the couch. Ferris, Ren, and Kristin sat on the couch, and Charlie and Zip perched on either arm.

Waverwell News showed the same stage that NYTE had been interviewed on, and sunlight bathed everything in a soft glow.

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Jason Starr lounged in his seat across from Shaheena. He had an arm up on the back of his chair and his legs stretched long in front of him. An easy smile spread across his face and his eyes were hooded to match his expression.

Jason's outfit was the opposite of Shaheena's in every way possible; she wore an orange dress cinched around the waist with a chain belt, and he wore loose sweatpants and a T-shirt. She had her hair done in neat curls that framed her face, and he had his hair gelled up into spikes that stuck up at every angle.

"Hello, Jason Starr. Thank you for giving us your time and agreeing to answer some of our questions."

"Of course, Shaheena," he drawled in reply. "I'm always so happy to help. I really want to get Alaska's murder solved, so just... anything I can do to help out. We had our fights since she just couldn't understand what I was saying sometimes, but she deserves justice and was a good person at heart."

"So you knew Alaska?"

Jason nodded. "Indeed I did. We worked together, and we dated. But then she cheated and that caused a bunch of problems. But regardless, I just want to know what happened."

Shaheena hummed, giving no real response.

"So what do you think happened?"

"I don't know." Jason shrugged. "I mean, Ryzor from the Corville Precinct told me that the Trinity killed her and that they killed that Ashley guy, too, but they haven't found them. I want answers, you know?"

Ren glanced over at Kristin, and he was staring at the tv. His dark eyes hardened. "Ashley was far more than that Ashley guy, Jason," he said, voice low and grinding.

"Sources have told me that you and Alaska were frequently in fights and that the two of you had a very rocky relationship. What can you tell me about that?"

Jason jumped forward in his seat, holding out his hand. "What the-... what sources are you talking about? Lemme see those papers."

Shaheena gave them over and let Jason read through them.

"Well, everyone has fights."

"Sources have stated that you and her frequently broke up and then got back together again."

"Everyone does that. It wasn't forever. We're supposed to be together, you know. Whatever. Just because Alaska and I sometimes had our differences doesn't mean I'm guilty of anything. We fought sometimes, but that doesn't mean I killed her. I was working when she was murdered!"

Kristin leaned forward and turned off the tv.

"I'm done with that. I thought I could handle it, but it seems not. You can keep watching, but I don't want to hear it." Kristin picked his way off the couch, dropped his mostly-full plate of scrambled eggs on the counter, then retreated to his room and shut the door behind him. A moment later, Ren heard a muted thump of what they assumed was him laying down on his bed.

"Maybe we shouldn't be watching tv so soon," Ferris murmured.

"I just wanted something to break the silence in this house."

"It's not your fault, Charlie," Ren said.

"I'm going to... to check on-on him," Zip said softly, standing up and slipping away.

"I'm going to deal with my parents," Charlie grumbled. "So much for a group lunch. Maybe we'll get dinner together."

"How about I make something?" Ferris offered. "We've got some chicken that probably won't keep for much longer. How about I find a recipe to go with it and make that for tonight?"

Charlie shrugged as she cleared her plate. "Sure, if you wanna. Ain't gonna stop ya."

Ferris turned to Ren once they were alone and Charlie had returned to her own room. "How are you doing?" he asked.

Ren shrugged, looking down at their hands. "I'm doing ok," they murmured. "I don't think I would've been able to handle hearing about Ashley, but it's still tough with Alaska. I suppose I may have forgotten just what it has done to me and the effects losing Ashley is still having. Is it wrong that sometimes I forget how much it hurts?"

Ferris was silent for a moment, and Ren looked up at him. He had his elbows on his knees, and he stared at the ground. "No, I don't think it's wrong. The hurt comes and goes for me. Sometimes it feels like I won't make it another minute without having Ashley around, and then other times it feels like maybe I will. Still feel that dagger in my chest though. Still feels like I should check and see if I'm bleeding out."

Ferris ran a hand across his chest, moving back and forth like rubbing a scar.

Ren leaned back on the couch and closed their eyes, wrapping their arms around their sides. "I think I can get that feeling," they whispered.

They could feel each beat of their heart and the emptiness in the house, and they could hear the hollow ringing in the air, the silence where there should've been laughter. Ashley rarely stopped laughing, and he and Charlie were constantly teasing each other or pranking each other. He and Kristin were inseparable and hardly spent any time out of earshot of each other. Zip would often have Ashley helping repair vehicles. Ferris would get his help on requesting funding or coordinating with politicians or Precinct officers. Ashley would help Ren train the dogs and would volunteer to wear the bite suit, taking pointers from Ren on how best to work with them and make sure the dogs knew exactly what to do while biting someone.

And now the house was so quiet.

"I need something to do," Ren found themselves saying. They rinsed off their plate and placed it in the dishwasher. "I'm going to see if Charlie wants any help."

"Ok," Ferris replied. He pulled out his phone to look for chicken recipes. "You're not alone in missing Ashley but sometimes feeling like the hurt just isn't there quite as much."

"Yeah," Ren murmured. "I feel bad when it doesn't hurt so much. But I know Ashley wouldn't want me to be hurting. He probably would've tried to find some way to take that pain away."

Ferris nodded. "He absolutely would've tried to find some way to take the hurt away. He'd probably be making us laugh right about now."

"He really would've been."

Ren could almost imagine Ashley goofing off in front of the tv, making them and Ferris cry with laughter.

Almost.

Their heart cracked and splintered.

"I'm going to go see if Charlie wants anything," Ren whispered. They exhaled slowly to ease the tightening snare around their heart.

They could help Charlie. They could see if she wanted anything. It would give them something to do.

"Hello, Charlie," Ren said as they gently pushed open her door. "What are you doing? Do you need anything?"

"I'm working," Charlie muttered. "I'm pissed off at Beverley and Richmond, so I'm working. I'm going to prove to people that there ain't anythin' more to the whole Arkreon thing than just a slip of my stupid tongue. Got me into trouble, so now I have to get myself out of the trouble. Didn't even mean anything by it, too."

She slouched down in her chair as she sulked, arms crossed over her chest and a dark scowl on her face.

"Would you like any help?" Ren offered.

"Nah, I'm fine. Hyperfocus gets triggered easier on my own. And I'm on a bit of a roll here right now. Don't wanna break that."

"Wait, what are you working on, Charlie?"

She tilted her head back to look at them. "I'm proving that Arkreon and the disease have literally nothing to do with each other. Figure it's the best way to get Leviathan Inc. off my back. Goin' through everything I can find on both the disease and Leviathan Inc. Currently readin' through Ashley's journal."

"The Corville Medical Center is looking at that."

"I don't care. I'm reading about it. They've got all their fancy tools and stuff, but I've got my inability to let something go. And I'm just... angry that people don't know how to drop it. Maybe they just need another story. If I can get them talking about something else, ya know?"

"I think so."

xxxx

The next day, Ren was out early. They cleared weeds growing around the dogs' house, and then organized the gear and supplies for the dogs.

Nothing was off about that— Ren did it regularly. But what was odd was that not all was silent, save for the sounds of the Forest.

Ren could hear footsteps. Soft sounds on the rocky dirt road, the sounds of skittering pebbles kicked away. Sounds that were coming from outside the camp.

And that wasn't normal.

Ren quickly hung up a handful of leashes on the nearest hook without looking, then checked their messages to make sure there wasn't any reasonable explanation like someone expecting a visitor. No messages were on their phone. They frowned. Who could possibly have walked all the way here?

They peeked out of the doorway to the dogs' house.

A young person stood at the gate to the NYTE camp.

Not Pyr Iskie or any poacher they had arrested before. This person looked far too young. Younger than Ren was, younger than anyone in NYTE by what appeared to be a few years. Although the way they carried themselves made them seem far younger— hunched shoulders, body folding in on itself, hung head and wide eyes.

Ren slipped out the door of the dogs' house, sticking close to the wall. The courtyard would give them a much clearer view, but it would put them wide out in the open. Ren knew just how quickly a bullet could travel and how they would have no time to react.

The young person didn't appear to be armed, but that didn't mean there wasn't a gun or other weapon hidden away in their clothing.

Ren sent a quick message to Charlie, telling her to return the back way, and then another to Ferris, Kristin, and Zip, alerting them to the young person's presence but adding that they shouldn't interfere unless absolutely necessary.

"Hello?" The young person shouted, cupping their hands around their mouth. "Is anyone there? I'd-." Their voice cracked and lost all of its power. "I'd like to speak with you guys. I'm... I'm not armed."

Ren knew they were taking a massive risk. One Charlie would undoubtedly call incredibly dumb and reckless in a heartbeat. But they still did it and walked out from behind the dogs' house and into the courtyard, out into the open.

"What is your name?" Ren asked, approaching slowly.

The young person stiffened when they saw Ren, honey eyes widening.

Scratches lined the pale skin of their arms and hands, and as Ren got closer, they could see how sharp the person's cheekbones were and the redness of their eyes. A tear slipped down the person's cheek, catching on the long strands of black hair sticking to their face. Ren filed the information away but kept their expression carefully blank.

"What is your name?" Ren repeated.

"S-. S-Sprague," the person whispered.

"Sprague?" Ren echoed, stopping a few feet from the gate separating the NYTE camp from the rest of Silverlight Forest.

"Yeah, Sprague... Sprague Fetch." Their breath caught in their throat, voice turning into a whine by the end of the sentence. They couldn't even look at Ren, and as they rocked on their feet, they slowly inched away.

"What are your pronouns?" Ren asked. "I'd like to make sure I'm referring to you in the correct way. Mine are they, them, and theirs."

Sprague hesitated, eyes widening. Their shoulders hunched up.

Ren wondered what was going through Sprague's head. No one at NYTE was expecting any visitors, so Sprague was likely there of their own choice, yet how they were acting hinted at an entirely different story. One Ren couldn't piece together.

Ren heard the door of the NYTE house open, followed by Ferris's low voice murmuring something they couldn't make out. No footsteps made their way down the stairs and into the courtyard.

Good, Ren thought.

"I... uh. Pronouns?"

Ren nodded. "Yes, pronouns."

"Um. I-I guess he and him. His, too?" Sprague shifted on his feet, hands curling around his biceps as he crossed his arms over his chest. His bottom lip quivered as a tear rolled down his cheek.

"Thank you, Sprague," Ren said with a small smile. "What are you doing here?"

"I..." Sprague's voice cut off with another sharp whine, and agony flared in his eyes. He choked on a wet sob, body shaking. His chest heaved with his next breath.

Ren furrowed their eyebrows. Normally, they'd be reading any intruder in Silverlight Forest for their next move— if they were going to draw their weapon and shoot, where they would be heading next, where they would be targeting in their next attack.

But Sprague's expression and body language didn't speak of any malice or bad intentions, leaving Ren confused. He just seemed to be in distress, and he slowly sank to the ground, forehead dropping to his knees as his arms bracketed his face. His sides shook as he tried to slow his ragged breathing. Several long minutes ticked by, and Ren waited for Sprague to break the silence that hung in Silverlight Forest, blanketing every surface. Not a sound could be heard. Even the birds had fallen quiet and ceased singing.

"I needed to tell you something," Sprague finally whispered, voice breaking over his words. He lifted his head to gaze at Ren through watery eyes. His cheeks shone with slick tears.

"Ok," Ren replied, unsure of exactly what they should say. They couldn't read Sprague well enough to form any sort of guess as to what he might have been holding onto. But they would listen, and then go from there. Listen to what he had to say, and then make the best decision based on that.

Silverlight Forest seemed to be holding its breath, and a breeze blew through, making Sprague flinch and rise a few inches off the ground before settling back down. The door at the NYTE house creaked ever so slightly, and Ren knew at least Ferris was in the entryway, but most likely he was there with Kristin and Zip as well.

Sprague drew in a sharp breath, taking a moment to visibly steel himself. He stared at the ground, unable to meet Ren's eyes. His shoulders were hunched forward, and his knees were pulled into his chest, arms around his shins.

Ren braced themselves, readying their mind for whatever came next.

"It was me," Sprague whimpered.

"I'm the one who killed Ashley Baok."