The river crossing was bitterly cold. Ice had begun to form along its edges as the snow had started to fall. Sniffer gingerly stepped into the water, carefully picking out the fallen blocks from the old bridge.
"Shit, it's freezing," he exclaimed as he began to wade across.
Tiddles just looked at him from the far bank with what could only be a grin on his beastly face.
"Don't stand there laughing at me, you big lump", he said, frowning at Tiddles, who had just leapt over the river, landing in the fresh snow, bypassing the freezing torrent. His legs were gradually losing their feeling as he made his way across.
The initial sharp pain was replaced by numbness.
"I wish you could feel the cold. You may be a little more sympathetic," he said as he reached the far side. Sniffer brushed the water off himself as best he could, his bottoms now soaked and stamping his feet in the snow, trying to return some feeling to them inside his now squelching boots.
"We won't be able to stay out long in this. I will freeze to death if we do. Let's get to the den, check it out, and get back to you as soon as possible." Sniffer stated.
Tiddles tilted his head in understanding and immediately turned toward the den. The snow was untouched, and where it had fallen, Sniffer had to trudge through. He followed Tiddle's path as best as possible, as he had no problem navigating the drifts the wind had created. They eventually entered the treeline, and thankfully, the snow was less of an obstruction, with the bare branches above holding some of it from the ground. The beauty of the untouched scenery at any other time would have brought a smile to Sniffer's face, but due to his wet clothes, all he wished for was a warm fire to sit by.
"On days like today, I question why we do this job."
Tiddles turned his head and huffed at him in disdain. Sniffer thought he even rolled his eyes. 'Damn, he is getting more human', Sniffer thought. Tiddles behaviour over the past few weeks had appeared to change. He constantly communicated with Sniffer, and they had their language that they both understood from Tiddle's responses, but there had been a recent subtlety in his new actions. All beasts had personalities like Missy's, but this was different. It didn't feel wrong just unusual to Sniffer and his experience of beasts.
As they had started through town to the river, the snowfall had begun again. Sniffer had been tempted to postpone the trip, but since the Spylore had not been back, he had to go and check on them. He was supposed to be getting rid of them, after all. At least without them coming to the township there had been no further deaths to contend with.
They eventually worked through the trees nearing the den, feeling having very slowly returned to Sniffer's limbs due to his body's heat from the exertion. Tiddles automatically began to crouch as they neared the final few hundred feet. Thankfully, due to Tiddle's bulk, he was creating a path through the snow, which eased Sniffer's movement and allowed him to hurry along initially. As they got closer, Sniffer had no choice but to join Tiddles in a prone position. The freezing ground numbed his hands as they crawled across the snow-covered earth to their previous observation point. Once they arrived, Sniffer curled his hands inside the sleeves of his jacket. Thankfully, the new jacket he had been given with a Wild One lining had maintained his core temperature and had kept his arms from the bitterness. Tiddles adjusted his position slightly so that his body rested against Sniffers, providing him some relief.
They silently observed the den for a few hours, the snow falling and settling on their still forms. The snow that landed on Tiddles could not contend with his natural body heat. Sniffer knew he was covered apart from the part touching Tiddles. Sniffer and was going to give up on it as a bad job. Even lying next to Tiddles wasn’t keeping enough of the chill at bay after the time they had been there, and his legs were feeling numb, although he had been moving them continually to keep the blood flowing.
There had been no activity from the den, although there appeared to be at least two carcases near the entrance to the cave mouth. They did not look as though they had been there particularly long. Although they were covered in snow but not as deep as surrounding objects, this was the only sign allowing Sniffer to believe they were still in the den.
Tiddles suddenly tensed, and his ears flattened. He was staring up above the entrance of the den. Sniffer followed his gaze, and he saw a sight he had never believed he would see. He had heard rumours and stories of them, but they were always enveloped in a cloud of mystery, and he had never spoken to a witness of a sighting. He only recognised it from the stories and the vague sketches he had seen over the years.
It was stood on an outcrop of rock about three hundred feet above the cave entrance. Even at the distance it was, it looked enormous. To the uninitiated, it looked just like a Spylore apart from its colourings, but there was one significant difference. Sniffer audibly gasped to his shock as he watched in awe as it jumped into the air. It unfolded a pair of giant wings spanning about forty feet, using the downward slope of the hillside to glide silently down to the den entrance. It landed gracefully without making a sound, folding its wings against the side of its body.
The creature must have stood at least seven feet at its shoulder, and from head to tip, its tail must have been nearly thirty feet long. Its massive Spylore form and powerful muscles should have denied it the ability to fly. It was pure white, and Sniffer had to admit that it was a beautiful creature. It stood still momentarily, turning its head and scanning the surrounding area. Sniffer caught a look at its bright blue eyes. It then bent its head, opening its jaws, allowing its fangs to extend before picking up one of the carcasses and turning, walking gracefully into the den.
Sniffer suddenly remembered to breathe, realising he had not been while he had watched the display. They were named Angelore’s, originating from how they appeared when they attacked from the sky. The rumours involved stories of seeing an angel swooping down and carrying livestock and people away. After seeing the size of it, Sniffer believed that the stories could have some truth in them. It had dwarfed a normal Spylore, and looking at it glide so effortlessly made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Spylore's could be a tricky opposition, a giant flying version, but an entirely new twist on the scenario. Sniffer had no idea where to start; he had not thought them real until now, sitting amongst the fairytales of Wild Ones, and he did not even know if Tiddles could compete with such a monster.
He nudged Tiddles and started to back away from the den. They eventually weaved back down the hill, Sniffer's mind in complete overdrive during the return journey. He had not even considered how cold he had been after witnessing the Angelore. They had not seen any Spylore, so Sniffer could not even confirm if they were still there or had been driven off. "If that thing starts attacking the town, I am not sure what we can do," he said. Tiddles turned, looking back at him, and just growled with an evil glint in his eyes. 'Well, at least he wasn't scared', thought Sniffer.
They arrived back at the river, Sniffer not even considering how long it had taken them to return. Again, he waded across. The skies were darkening, and he hurried back to the tiny house. He would report his findings to Holland but needed to change first.
He got to the house and opened the door. No heating meant it was cold but not as cold as outside. He went to the stove and proceeded to light the wood burner. Thankfully, the logs for the stove were under an overhang on the back porch and had remained free from the snow. The records soon began to crack and pop as the flames caught, and the warmth slowly seeped into the room. He opened the wood burner, allowing as much heat as possible into the room. He immediately went and got changed. He pulled his sodden boots and bottoms off and placed them near the stove. He also removed his jacket so as not to lose its warmth when he went back outside. He found some dry, clean bottoms and socks and pulled them on. The immediate difference in his temperature was a pleasant sensation. He then put on a dry pair of boots. His face and hands were now burning from the warmth.
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"I am off to see Holland. Are you coming to see Martha?" Sniffer asked as he pulled his jacket back on. 'I need to thank the tailoress for this jacket and maybe see if she has any bottoms', he thought. Tiddles, on returning, had taken up his customary position on the broken sofa and just turned to look at him. "I will take that as a no then". Tiddles turned his head again, placing it on his crossed front paws and closing his eyes.
Due to the time he had taken getting changed, dusk had arrived. The snowy clouds blurring the feigning light. He made his way straight to the Brickhouse. The lights were on inside, and the hum of the generator which powered the building could be heard easily, the township streets being empty as usual, especially as darkness approached. He walked in straight in. Martha was not there, and Sniffer had been hoping to get a coffee or other hot beverage from her, and he grumbled to himself. He may be wearing dry clothes now, but he was still cold. He went to Holland's office, where he could hear voices, and the door was ajar. He gently knocked on the door and looked in. Holland was sitting in his office with a couple of the townsfolk; he recognised them but did not know their names. Holland looked over to the door at the interruption; he saw Sniffer and smiled. "Hey, Sniffer, give me a few minutes to finish up here," Holland said.
"Sure." He replied. He went back over to Martha's desk and sat down. He could hear the discussion from Holland's office where they were talking about crop rotation for spring. Sniffer had not even considered a township's normality since he arrived. He was so focused on his task, but they had routines that they followed. The Keefir herds, the tailor shop, even the laundry service. He hadn't given them a second thought, having only gone to the general store on any previous visit to Fair Oak. He decided he would have to learn about everything the township could provide. He realised that due to his normal nomadic lifestyle, he knew little about most townships he visited. He waited patiently for them to finish talking. Soaking in the heat from a small oil burner, he sat by Martha's empty desk. After about ten minutes, Holland escorted his guests out, and once he had wished them a good evening, he turned back to Sniffer.
"Sorry about that," Holland apologised.
"No problem, you still have a town to run," Sniffer replied.
“How did you get on; any luck at the den?" Holland asked.
“Yes and no, we may have a bigger problem than we thought.”
“What’s bigger than a pack of Spylore’s killing the townsfolk.”
“Have you ever heard of a beast called an Angelore?” Sniffer asked.
“Yeah, in bedtime stories, they were created to scare children. Doc used to tell me stories when I was younger. Why?” Holland questioned.
Sniffer found it strange that even now, he addressed his mum as Doc. "Because I have just seen one,” Sniffer said.
“They are not real,” he scoffed.
“Well, if you have the worst nightmare, then this is it, I have never seen one until today, and it has me freaking out about what to do,” Sniffer stated honestly. “It is huge, and the problem now is I do not know even if the Spylore are still in the area or whether this has forced them out. So, we could still potentially have both to deal with.”
“Spylore’s and an Angelore, that’s a little farfetched, don’t you think? Look, your board and lodgings are covered. You honestly don’t need to worry about making shit up if you are concerned about payment.” Holland said with an incredulous look.
“I think your mum was right with what she said about you earlier,” Sniffer snapped.
“And what’s that?” Holland asked, anger entering his voice.
“That you are bloody pig-headed. Do you think I would put my reputation on the line and make up a story about a bloody Wild One? I have been doing this job long enough and do not need to make 'shit up', as you said, and I have never lied about the Wild Ones that I see or have tracked,” Sniffer snapped back.
“Look, sorry,” Holland said, scoffing again, “I just don’t believe it. We have never had a Spylore problem until the past couple of weeks, and now you say there is a second Wild One that may or may not be extra to the Spylore.”
“Well, I hope it does not come down here for your and the town's sake because, seeing that thing with my own eyes, I currently have no idea how we can combat it. If the stories are true, they attack from the sky, so there is no point in searching for them on the ground. Also, if you have any guards thinking being on a rooftop is 'still' safe, then that's a fucking no now. I mentioned it is a bad idea before with Spylore’s, but with this thing, if it visits, they may as well be asking for it to come and kill them,” He snapped.
Sniffer turned and left Holland’s office. He was scowling as he reached the outside. Doc was just on her way in. She immediately noticed Sniffer's frown. "Is everything all right?" She asked.
“Just your son not listening,” he snapped.
“He is stubborn, but his heart is in the right place,” She said.
“Well, it may be, but unless I can find a way to deal with this damn beast problem, it will not matter what the townsfolk do,” He stated, “Sorry, Elizabeth, it’s not your fault,” Letting out a deep sigh.
“He is mine after all; maybe I can talk some sense into him; what’s the problem now? Not that I hold much hope.” She smiled weakly.
Sniffer explained about Angelore and his concerns. By the time he had finished relaying his story, Elizabeth's expression was one of wide-eyed terror.
She stood in silence for a while before slowly replying, “I saw one once,”
“What?” he replied in shock.
“When I was a young girl, I never told Edward about the attack, but that is how I managed to get rid of that bastard of a father of his out of my life. I am not from around here originally; I was raised in a township on the other side of the lakes in the North. The bastard who raped me used to drag me off to a barn to abuse me," her face showed signs of painful memories.
"This was before I knew I was even pregnant with Edward. I had climbed up into the hayloft where he always took me, and as he was bolting the barn door. On this occasion, I decided to jump down from the opening and began to run back across the field towards the town. When he realised, he began to chase after me across the field. I remember it still vividly. It had been a bright summer day, and the sun was starting to dip in the sky. I had started running towards the woods heading back to town when a huge shadow seemed to block out the remaining sun. I remember glancing up and seeing this thing hovering above. I can tell you it did look like an angel as it was silhouetted against the sun. The way its wings were held, it began to swoop. I wasn’t its target, thankfully. The speed at which it hit was phenomenal, and it grabbed the bastard.," her eyes wide as she explained.
"He didn’t even see it coming. It just picked him up. I remember watching it pierce him through his chest, and it carried him off. I had just frozen initially and then eventually ran back into the town. I was hysterical and told anyone I saw what had happened. None of the townships believed me when I told them about the creature. Even though I had been petrified, I can only remember thinking it was my guardian angel. It had got rid of the bastard who had been raping me. I never repeated the story until the day my parents realised I was pregnant. I reminded them what I had told them about the creature taking the bastard away. I never even knew his name. My parents were too embarrassed about the pregnancy, so they packed me up and shipped me off to the South to stay with my aunt near New Talisia. It was not until a few years later, when I had set out on my own and travelled further South, that I even heard of the rumours about Angelore's. At 12 years old, though, I had no concept.” She finished telling her story.
Sniffer stood listening intently. “You are only the second person ever I have heard of an actual eyewitness account.”
"Who was the first?"
"Me," he replied, smiling. “Can you remember anything more specific about it?”
“I can’t. I am sorry. It is so long ago now that I just remember its wings' shape as it swooped down. Well, it did not make a sound. It was silent. It just struck and flew off.”
“Well, I still have absolutely no fucking idea what to do about it if it does come to the town."
"I am sure you will think of something if it does."
"I really hope so, but I am not betting anything on it."
"Do you want to head over to the bar?"
"Sure, but weren't you going to see your son."
"He can wait for now. We have more important things to discuss."
Elizabeth turned, heading in the direction of the bar. "I did not think you went there often?" Sniffer said, following quickly.
" I don't, but I now have a reason. Holland has charged Fika, and it has been declared that she must provide two years' labour to the township as punishment."
"So, what does she have to do?" Sniffer asked questioningly.
"Well, putting it simply, I now have a permanent apprentice. When she is not working at the office, she has to stay locked in her room at the bar."
"I would be pretty happy with that outcome if I was her. Especially having to spend two years with you," He finished quietly.
Elizabeth glanced sideways at him, and he noticed the slight colouration in her cheeks as she blushed.
"So, what does a doctor have to do normally when not checking out dead bodies," Sniffer gabbled out, trying to change the topic rapidly as they approached the entrance to the bar. His cheeks turned a Rosey shade of red.