Tol-in-Gaurhoth Threefold and Six: The Night Guard

[Eönwë]

A thin mist surrounded the ground around the podium set up in the village square, as Eönwë, the mayor, addressed the village. "People of Upper Downsbury," he called, "You have been gathered here for a very important purpose."

He had spent many years planning this. It had begun many years ago, when wolves had first terrorised the little village of Upper Downsbury, located as it was, surrounded by the wilderness of Minhiriath, known by none but the rangers. It had been the rangers who had saved them in the end, before the wolves had killed the entire village.

He had only been a child at the time, and now he was last living person to remember the attack. His uncle's friend, Formedacil had gone with the rangers for many years, to live among them. They had accepted him after it was revealed that he had managed to fend off a werewolf for a while from his wife and children. On his travels he had hunted and faced many evil creatures, including werewolves, and became a famed hunter among the people of the village. He had returned to live among them again for the last twenty years, a retired old man.

Eönwë scanned across the crowd, looking at the men, women and children that made up the town. He would reveal to them the terrible truth, and the solution that he had come up with that fateful day many years ago, the day when the werewolves had attacked.

"As a few of you may be aware," he began, "Our most dreaded nightmare has become a reality." He paused. "Wolves have come to our beautiful village again." Eönwë paused, let the gasps of shock and terror among the population subside. "But this time they are different.

"A few weeks ago our shepherds were complaining about lost sheep, but most of us ignored their warning, at our own peril. Then, last week, our dear famed and experienced werewolf hunter Formendacil was found dead." It had been a sore blow to the village's pride. Formendacil had died of unknown causes that night, but his yellowish waxen skin led most to believe that some foul illness had taken him. "It was no mere illness that killed him. It was a poisonous bite from a werewolf."

He paused to gather himself. "I believed that this may have been a survivor from the last attack, seeking vengeance for his lost packmates. He snuck in and murdered poor Formie in his sleep. The old man had no chance against against such an attack by such a foe. I was aware of this at the time, and tracked him. I managed to find his den among the scrub and bushes of the wilderness, and there he stood, grinning at me with his long yellow fangs and his grizzled face. He had not become weak in his old age, but tougher and more cunning. But in the end, I slew him." Eönwë lifted a sack, and out of it raised the monstrous and grisly severed head of the beast. "He was not a mere Warg like those that attacked us last time, but a true Werewolf, a descendant of Drauglin, and almost as cunning.

"And at that time I thought that the ordeal was over. But now I fear that the beast may have bitten some among our number, causing them each Night to transform into wretched beasts, into his form. Tonight, we shall see whether my fears are true or not, for if they are, then the wolves will be filled with an insatiable bloodlust, and will not stop killing until all the village is dead, before turning on themselves. But these wolves are not dumb beasts. Each day they will masquerade as one of us, ans will pretend to be innocent. If my fears prove correct, then each Day we must select who we think is most likely to be a one of our lycanthropic foes. We will execute them at dusk, and hopefully, we shall be rid of them by the end of this week.

"In addition, I have taken an extra precaution," this was his plan. "As you know, over the past few years, we have trained guards for our city, under the guidance of the late Formendacil. From now on they will be deployed each Night to protect whomever we think to be the most innocent of us. Though the wolves will also know and will avoid killing them, and perhaps kill another, it will help to keep those who we find our more innocent. And if that person is a wolf, then he or she will not be able to join his or her fellows, which will lead to less carnage in the Night. In this way, we can save those who we trust for longer. However, the guards will not protect the same person twice in a row.

We will start with these two systems tomorrow, when we have time to think and we will not make such rash decisions. Also, I fear that the wolves are among us now, so I will say this to them: We will find out who you are eventually, and then we will kill you." But will it be too late by then? he thought to himself.

The speech ended, he bid everyone a good Night, and all but a few slept in peace.