He woke the following day with a pounding head, ‘Damn that nectar,’ he thought. He climbed off the bed and walked through into the lounge. Tiddles was still sleeping. He had rolled off the sofa at night and lay splayed out on his back on the floor. As Sniffer walked in, he opened one eye, looking at him, then closed it again. Sniffer walked outside to the rain catcher and, rather than fill a bucket, just leaned over, dunking his head into the cold water. He held his breath, allowing the throbbing in his temples to be reduced before he had to come up to breathe. Repeating the process twice more. ‘I hope they serve Kloe at the bar’, he thought. He looked over his jacket and bottoms. The deep red stains were soaked into them, and he knew they would never clean. He left them hanging outside and walked back inside.
“Come on, lazy bones, we need to go and speak to Holland.” He said, poking Tiddles with his boot as he walked past him. Tiddles grumbled, rolling over and standing up, stretching; when he stretched, he nearly reached the small room's width.
The morning light had brought activity in the town, and as they left the small house, they could hear voices and shouting down the street. They reached the corner and found a large group of the townspeople gathered outside the Brick House. “What are you going to do about it?” one of the women shouted angrily as Sniffer approached. Several townsfolk had noticed Sniffer's approach and fell silent, not paying attention to him but to the monstrous beast that walked casually at his side.
“As I was trying to explain, I have hired a beast handler to track the monsters attacking us,” Holland shouted over the noise. Holland then noticed Sniffer, “and here he is.” He announced, indicating towards Sniffer and Tiddles.
Those who had not seen them arriving turned, and all fell silent at the sight. Tiddles was a beast, after all, and even though some had seen him in the cage, seeing him out on the street in broad daylight was entirely different. His actual size and rippling muscles as he strode forward were visible. Tiddles walked with his head held high and looked at the authority of power. They stopped at the front of the brick building, the crowd stepping back, making way for them. No one wanted to get close to the beast.
“Morning,” Sniffer said as he walked up to Holland.
“Would you be able to explain what your plan is?” Holland asked with a pleading look in his eyes. His eyes looked red and puffy as if he had not slept, and compared to his pristine and immaculate initial meeting, he lacked the poise and confidence.
“I was going to brief you, but I can explain,” Sniffer replied.
Sniffer turned to address the crowd. “We will be tracking today now that we have a fresh scent. We will see how far we can track and hopefully find the den where the Spylore are staying, and once we have located it, we will see what can be done to irradicate them.” He said.
Tiddles growled in agreement, showing the crowd his huge, wide mouth full of long, razor-sharp teeth. His mouth looked like hell's entrance, and several townsfolk stepped further back. He then sat on his haunches, lifting one of his giant paws, and slowly extended his claws. Each claw worked independently, and he could extend and retract them at will. They were each longer than an average person’s hand and curved wickedly at the end as though tipped with a hook. They allowed Tiddles to climb if he needed to, although he rarely needed to climb.
“The beast here has killed multiple Spylores before and classes them as a delicacy.” Sniffer continued, “And if any beast can sort your problem out for you, it is this one here.” He finished, scratching Tiddles on his head as he did. Tiddles tilted his head towards him, so he scratched behind his ear instead.
Some murmurs were in the crowd, but most of the townsfolk looked with terror and awe, transfixed by the beast.
“Please, all of you remain calm, and as I have explained, we will resolve this problem as soon as possible,” Holland stated. “Now I need to talk to Sniffer. If I can, please have some time.” Holland turned and made his way back into the building.
The townsfolk started to disperse as Sniffer followed him, leaving the beast to sit outside by the entrance, none wishing to push the issue any further, with Tiddles sitting there watching them.
“Thank you,” Holland said as Sniffer entered.
“No problem. I only came to tell you the plan, and the town now knows, so we will go and start. The only point I need to make you aware of is that the beast cannot take on a whole pack at once, even though he has his limits, so once we discover the den, we will have to watch them and start to pick them off as they leave to hunt.” Sniffer said.
“Yeah, that's fine. I just want them gone as soon as possible,” Holland replied.
“Is there anywhere I can get a new jacket? Unfortunately, I doubt the blood will ever come out of my one from last night.” He said.
Holland blanched at the comment from Sniffer, and he could see that just the comment over the blood had turned his stomach.
“Martha, please sort out a jacket for Sniffer,” Holland said, turning towards his secretary.
“Of course, I will take him to see Karen,” She replied.
“I will let you know how things go later,” Sniffer said to Holland before turning and following Marth out of the building.
Sniffer followed Martha as she walked towards the centre of the town and then up to the front door of a building which just looked like a typical house. She knocked on the door, and a middle-aged woman soon opened it. “Morning Karen. Can I get a new jacket for this young man?” Martha said.
“Hi Martha………..yes.” she eventually replied nervously as she looked behind them at the huge beast sitting behind them. “Come in.” she eventually finished.
A few minutes later, Sniffer left the building wearing a new jacket with a leather outer and a thick inner, which he thought was made from Wild One fur. He had asked how much he owed, and Martha had shrugged him off, saying that Holland would pick up the bill. After thanking them both, he left and headed towards the scene of the latest killing. On arrival, Sniffer had asked Tiddles to track, and he had bounded south of the town towards the river where most other attacks had occurred.
The river was about thirty feet wide, and directly over the far side, thick woodland enveloped the land. Sniffer could see a small hut and a path on the far side leading into the woods. The river itself was fast-flowing, and it wasn’t something that you could cross easily. For a Spylore or Beast, though, they could jump across. There was a group of men further downstream working with nets. Sniffer walked over to them. He recognised one of them from the bar and outside the Brick House. He was pulling in his net, and Sniffer could see the struggling Wild Ones he had caught.
“Hey, where can the river be crossed?” he asked.
The man turned at the question and jumped, dropping his net and allowing the Wild Ones in the net to break free. They started to flap and flop on the wooden decking. Seeing Tiddles so close, he had nearly fallen into the water. “Fuck”, he said, regaining balance and composure, scooping to collect his catch. “Down that way, about two hundred feet, there used to be a bridge that collapsed, and its remains are used as a ford. Be careful, though, and watch your footing. It can be slippery,” he said.
“Thanks,” Sniffer replied, and they made their way past the gawping men in the direction he had indicated.
The pair of them went down the side of the bank until they came across the ford as described by the fisherman. It wasn’t so much of a ford; it was more like a few of the larger stones from the original bridge had fallen to create an underwater pathway covered in green algae. The river still ran a good depth over the tops of them. Sniffer slowly waded over to the far side, almost losing his footing several times. Tiddles had not even bothered jumping the river; he had just jumped in and swam, splashing Sniffer to his delight. Beasts were powerful swimmers. There was not much that a beast could not do, and he had yet to overcome an obstacle they couldn’t work their way around eventually.
They got to the far side, and Sniffer turned to head towards the hut he had seen. Tiddles snorted at him and started to move in the other direction, looking at Sniffer. “Ok, boy,” he said, turning and following him. They followed the river for about a mile and then started to cut away from the bank into the treeline. Wild Ones could be heard as they tracked, and they heard several fleeing through the underbrush. Tiddles would occasionally pause, but not for long before recommencing. Sniffer guessed they must have travelled at least another mile into the woods when Tiddles stopped looking at Sniffer and got into a crouch.
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Sniffer immediately copied him and crept up beside him. They moved forward quietly a few hundred feet further when Tiddles stopped. They had slowly been travelling up an incline, and the trees had started to get sparser. Sniffer could not see through the undergrowth, so he moved forward slightly until he could move the branches of a bush aside. The trees stopped just ahead, and the ground opened onto shale and stone. Further up the side of the valley, about two hundred feet away, Sniffer could make out the entrance to what he believed was a cave.
“So, this is home,” he said to Tiddles. Tiddles gave out a low moaning sound. “Ok, well, we know where they are, but we don’t know how many yet,” he whispered. He was looking for a vantage spot that he could use to scout them better but could not see anything with a decent line of sight better than where they were without being out in the open. Whoever or whatever used the cave could easily see anything or anyone approaching it. For now, he did not dare move any closer, so they stayed where they were and scouted.
They observed the cave for several hours. Nothing had come or gone, and Sniffer was getting concerned that this was not the correct location. He was about to give up and start returning as the afternoon sun shone onto the cave entrance when a Spylore appeared. Sniffer's breath caught in his throat as he watched the Spylore walk out into the afternoon sun and stretch. He reminded himself to breathe as his nerves were on edge. The breeze had been coming off the valley towards them, so their scent should be hidden. He heard it growl, and then a minute or so after two more, Spylore walked out, followed by three cubs. Eventually, more Spylore appeared; there were eight adults and three cubs. The adult Spylore were lying down, soaking up the late afternoon sun. The cubs were frolicking around play fighting, and one of them got violent with a sibling biting it, making it yelp, and got a swift smack with a massive paw from one of the adults. It protested until its sibling jumped on it in revenge, and they started play-fighting again.
Eight Spylore was not going to be easy to irradicate. They needed to be separated or at least take them on in pairs. He did not concern himself about Tiddles fighting two but eight; he would not stand a chance. They observed them for an hour before Sniffer decided they better head back before dusk, knowing Spylore went out to hunt. Tiddles led them as they retraced their steps back to the river and followed it again towards the town.
They crossed the river at the ford, and the fishermen were no longer at the river, having stopped for the day. “Do you need food?” Sniffer asked Tiddles. Tiddles just looked at him. “Ok, go hunt, but don’t be long.” He said. Even as Sniffer finished his speech, Tiddles turned and pounced back across the river. He turned on landing, looking at Sniffer, then flashed off into the treeline.
Sniffer headed back into the town centre, and even though he wanted to go and get food at the bar, he decided he better give an update to Holland first.
“Hi Martha, is Holland in?” He said, walking into the building.
“Yeah, go straight through.” She said, glancing up from the work she was doing.
He knocked and entered Holland’s office. Holland sat reading through paperwork and looked up. “How did you get on?” he asked.
“Well, we have located the den a few miles downriver on the far side. It appears there are eight adults and three cubs,” Sniffer replied.
“Eight!” he exclaimed, shock on his face. “How are we going to get rid of eight of them?”
“Time and patience, unfortunately, are the only way. We must pick them off when we can.” Sniffer replied.
“So how do we do that?” Holland asked.
“They hunt at dusk into the early evening, so that will be the easiest time. Since they have been coming towards town, I thought we could meet at the fishermen’s spot tonight and see if there is any visit. If so, we can hopefully prevent them from entering the town area again. It seems the best place as any to start. From what I have been told, there has only ever been an individual attack, so it is likely just a solo Spylore coming here. If we dispose of the one that visits, the others may not even be coming nearby.” He said.
“I can’t understand why they would have attacked the townsfolk but left the bodies,” Holland said.
“It’s purely territorial. They don’t normally attack or feed on Risen unless there is nothing else to hunt close by and listen to the sounds in the woods. You are not short of Wild Ones around here. So, they are killing anything they find that might threaten the cubs.” He replied.
“So, you are telling me that until those cubs are grown, they will keep hitting the town?”
“Basically, yes, unless you kill them or scare them off. I might add that I have never known anyone to successfully scare Spylore away from a location. Unless they are removed, they will be there for twelve months until the cubs are large enough to hunt for themselves.”
Sniffer could see the distress on Holland's face.
“Look, we should be able to pick them off. They normally hunt alone, so it is unlikely there will ever be more than one at a time when they come out into the town area.” He said. “But you do need to change a few things until they are cleared.”
“What do we need to do?” Holland asked.
“Firstly, keep everyone away from the river, especially the fishermen. For now, every time they go to the same spot, they will draw the attention of Spylore because of the scent they will leave. Not just from themselves but also from the Wild Ones they catch. That is most likely what attracted them over here in the first place. Secondly, no one, and I mean no one, walks the streets at night. As soon as dusk hits, you need a curfew in place.” He stated. “Draw up some of the barrels from across town, or if you have spares, get them set up in the streets leading from the river. You need to have them lit and burning each night. It won’t stop them but will make them wary when moving into the township. Finally, anyone living close to the river must move further into town. You don’t want any families staying out by themselves in the buildings. Is there anywhere centrally you can house people and then have a guard posted there.”
“There is an old building just off the main street in the centre where we could sleep people,” Holland replied.
“Also, don’t put guards on rooftops as lookouts. Spylore can easily jump or scale onto a building, and they would likely take them out before they even knew they were there.” Sniffer said.
“Martha, could you get Stevo for me, please,” Holland called from his office.
“Will do.” She replied.
“Some of the families down by the river won’t be pleased moving, and I know the fishermen are going to complain, but needs must,” Holland stated.
“Do you have any firearms?” Sniffer asked.
“A couple of people own firearms. Francis goes hunting and has one, and Sheila has an old pistol that her father owned before he passed away.” Holland said.
“I would suggest any firearms are given to the guards. Even if they are not a great shot, the sound of a weapon going off may scare a Spylore enough. I saw the guards had clubs, but they won’t get close enough to one to use them without getting in range of their teeth and claws, so I would suggest making spears or something to at least have something with a little more range.” Sniffer suggested.
“You really think that all this is necessary,” Holland asked.
“Anything is better than doing nothing; it will give some of the townsfolk something to do rather than just sitting and worrying, " he replied.
Sniffer knew that Holland was only young, and he could see his uncertainty. He may have been a great leader when everything was going to plan, but he did not have the experience of the hardship of the outside world by all accounts. He hoped that he would be able to remain calm enough under the pressure. His appearance that morning on the Brick House steps with the crowd had shown he was susceptible to his emotions, and allowing himself to be seen in a dishevelled state was not the impression he needed to be showing.
Stevo and Martha returned after a short time, and Holland gave him instructions, and he set off to grab others to help clear the buildings and grab the oil barrels. Martha headed off to speak to Francis and Sheila to get their firearms, and Sniffer decided to go and eat before it got dark. It did amaze Sniffer that these people had no idea how to look after themselves. He supposed they had been sedentary until the recent attacks started.
As dusk drew in, Sniffer had left Tiddles at home after returning from his afternoon hunt satiated and happy to sleep on the broken couch, to go and grab himself some food. He had called into the bar, ordered some chowder, and finished his second bowl when he noticed the families moving down the street from the riverside. They were making their way to the building assigned to them. Sniffer had been told that it was an old store by all accounts and had metal shutters over its front, which at least would offer protection and security to the families who moved inside.
Sniffer left the bar and bumped into Stevo outside, who told him that all four of the families that lived by the river were moving, and he was heading off to check on the oil barrels and that Holland was over there sorting the place out. Sniffer made his way to the store and walked inside. It probably used to be full of rows of shelving like the trading posts he knew, but it was now empty. Some old beds had been brought in, and stacks of blankets piled on an old counter that stood by the entranceway. As families turned up, Martha was busy handing them out to the families. Several children were among the family members, enjoying themselves playing and excited about sleeping somewhere different along with their friends. The looks of annoyance, anger, and fear on the adult's faces told a different story. “How long will this be for?” an elderly gentleman asked.
“As long as necessary, Tim, sorry, but it is for your safety,” Martha answered kindly.
“Holland, I am going to head down to the fishing area before it gets any darker,” Sniffer said.
“Sure.” He replied, turning to answer a question from a woman struggling with a small child tugging at her hand. Sniffer recognised him from his first day in town and the one viewing Tiddles. He was unhappy being under his mum’s control and was trying to pull free, complaining bitterly. As Sniffer watched, he kicked out at his mum, catching her in the ankle and making her yelp in surprise, releasing his hand. He went to sprint away, and as he did, his mum regained her composure and grabbed him by his hair. He squealed in shock and stopped dead in his tracks. “I have told you before, Jez, you are not going outside.”
‘He is going to be one hell of a handful,’ Sniffer chuckled as he walked out of the store and collected Tiddles.