I reached the Watch just past midday. The air had continued to grow steadily warmer, not to the point of pleasantness but enough that I was no longer shivering at every gust of wind. A few Snowmelt residents watched me curiously as I hurried through the streets. Some of them rushed up to say that they’d seen me running through town with the clerics earlier, then asked if anything was the matter and if there was anything they could do to help. I politely declined any information and kept up my brisk pace.

  The Watch building was one story and narrow, built from whitestone and with a polished iron shield affixed beside the entrance. I could just make out a fenced-in training yard behind the building. There were practice dummies spaced out along tamped-down dirt and painted archery targets hung in a creaking oak tree.

  I paused at the door to spend a moment straightening my rumpled clothes. Next I dusted off what I could of the dirt and pine needles from my trek through the forest.

  There. Hopefully now I look somewhat like a presentable young woman. Believable.

  I’d thought a lot about what to say. Imagined different versions of the truth that could paint the situation in a more believable, digestible light than simply saying, ‘people in Snowmelt are being kidnapped and fed to a monster, and at least a few of your town residents are involved.’

  I’d thought about telling them I was a runekeeper, too. But they might ask for proof, and proof wasn’t something I was sure I could offer at the moment. Not without collapsing again.

  And if I marched in and declared I could wield magic, but offered no runes… well. I assumed Teela and Renner had both had good reasons to warn me against such a thing. It did not seem advisable.

  So. I’ll settle for most of the truth. I’ll tell them Teela’s been taken, and there’s a trail, and I’ll mention the rotted plants.

  But I don’t think it’s wise to mention Gil. Or that other people may be involved.

  The last thing Teela needs is for the Watch guards to go locking people up instead of looking for her.

  Or trying to beat the information out of him. Like Renner tried to do.

  I was just about to open the door when I heard footsteps approaching me from behind. Whoever it was was moving fast.

  I turned quickly, braced for something terrible. A familiar young man slid to a stop just a few paces away, looking at me with wide brown eyes. He had tawny, unkempt hair and peach fuzz along his jaw.

  It was the man Teela had been dancing with last night.

  “Hi!” He immediately turned red. One hand rubbed at the back of his neck. “Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “It’s alright,” I answered slowly, looking him up and down guardedly. Had he been involved in all this mess? He looked so young, so bright-eyed, but I couldn’t help but wonder…

  “Right. Sorry.”

  We spent a moment staring at each other.

  I cleared my throat. “Did you need something?”

  He flushed again. “Right! Yes, I… ah, I don’t know if you noticed me last night, but I… my name’s Terrence. Terrence Black, I live up on… well, that doesn’t really matter. I was wondering about your friend from last night… Teela?”

  I felt my shoulders stiffen of their own accord. Another breeze rustled at my hair and I carefully kept my voice neutral as I parceled out, “What about her?”

  His eyebrows drew together. “Well, we made plans to have breakfast this morning. Over at Maude Millie’s place. She bakes fresh bread every morning, you see, and dusts it with sugar from…” He trailed off, taking in my expression, and winced. “I just, ah, wondered if she was feeling alright? She wasn’t at the inn when I stopped by. And then I heard some folk talking about, er, something about you and Embra and Pel racing through the streets earlier. I was worried something had happened.”

  I swallowed. He looked so earnest that I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

  “Oh. I understand. I… I’m sorry, Terrence. The truth is,” I gestured to the door and the gleaming shield in front of me, “Teela… seems to be missing.”

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  He blinked at me, as if not quite understanding what I’d said. “Missing? You mean… as in… wait, missing?”

  Is it genuine concern? Real confusion? It certainly seems like it. And, salt, he looks like he’s younger than I am. Surely someone his age wouldn’t be roped into all of this.

  I had no real logic or reason to base that thought on, but it still seemed true.

  People who make bargains with Fae should look haunted. Harrowed. Like there’s a monster lurking just behind them. Like Gil.

  Like me.

  Terrence just looked… baffled.

  I pulled the borrowed cloak tightly around my shoulders. “Our bedroom window was open when I woke up this morning. Teela’s things were still there, but… she was gone.” I watched his face closely, looking for some indication of guilt. A flicker of a smile, or a smug glint to his eyes…

  No. He just looked puzzled.

  “I’m sorry, I don’t… Maybe she went for a walk? The forest can be very pretty this time of year, you know, and-”

  “Her boots were still there.” My tone became sharp, much more than I intended, and I immediately winced.

  Terrence did, too. “O-oh.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking around awkwardly. “So… missing?”

  I placed a hand on the door’s iron rung. “Follow me inside, if you want. You can hear the whole story for yourself.”

  He balked but, when I opened the door, gave another glance around and then hurried in behind me.

  We entered into a spacious room built for practicality rather than charm. There were several desks bearing neatly stacked vellum and glass inkpots, and a singular bookshelf lined with yellowed parchment and dusty, leather-bound tomes. There were a few whetstone set neatly near one wall and a wooden barrel with oil cloths folded beside it. A sheathed, belted sword lay across each desk.

  There were only two other people in the room. The first was a broad-shouldered man with fair skin and an enormous red mustache. He was dressed in black woolen trousers and a navy vest bedecked by wooden buttons. He smelled earthy and bright, like pine soap and mint. He was sitting at a desk and reading a piece of parchment aloud. Upon my entrance he fell silent and raised his small, sharp eyes. They swept me from head to toe and he stood.

  “Good day, Miss. Always a pleasure to see a new face in town.” His voice was like a rockslide; deep and rumbling. He tapped two fingers against his forehead and dipped into a little bow.

  I smoothed my tunic down and sucked in a deep breath of air. The room smelled like pine and metal.

  “Good morning, sir. Are you captain Davith Rell?”

  He dipped another little bow. “I am indeed, Miss. How can I be of service?”

  I was acutely aware of Terrence, standing just beside me. His eyes were wide and fixed on my face.

  I cleared my throat. “Captain, my name is Brin Damelle. I’m here to report a crime.”

  Davith’s bushy red eyebrows shot up. “Oh? Trouble on the road, my lady?”

  I shook my head. “No, sir. I came into Snowmelt last night with two companions, and as of this morning one of them is missing.”

  He blinked at me, looking momentarily shocked, then narrowed his bright eyes. They swept me over again, as if trying to judge whether this was some kind of joke.

  I stepped forwards. “We stayed in the Snowswept Inn. This morning, I woke to see that our bedroom window was open. Teela- that’s her, my missing friend- was nowhere to be found, and all of her belongings were beside her bed. Her clothes, her boots, everything.”

  The captain stroked his mustache, looking thoughtful.

  The room’s other occupant, a thin man with cropped russet hair and a faded gray vest, drummed his fingers on his desk. “Ah, not to cast doubt, Miss Brin, but this is a very safe-”

  I shook my head. “When I asked Master Lewen if he’d seen her, he was confused. He didn’t seem to remember her- or me, for that matter.” I looked from one man to the other and added solemnly, “And when I looked beneath the window I found a handprint. Not a human one.”

  Davith’s eyes grew wide, and he drew a sharp breath through his nostrils. “Ashes, my lady, you can’t mean to think-”

  I didn’t give him the chance to finish, either. Teela didn’t have time for it. “I found rotted plants, too, and followed them into the woods. Hoping to find a trail. I didn’t, but I did find a witchwood tree that had been torn to shreds.”

  The captain grew very still. “Torn, you say? A crime, a terrible one indeed, and not a soul in Snowmelt would do such a thing.”

  I thought again of the scored back. The wounds made by an axe. If only you knew, captain.

  The other man cleared his throat. “A crime, or an animal of some kind.” His gray eyes settled first on me, then on his captain. “It’s possible, surely. If it was a monster, the tree should’ve destroyed it. More likely that it was wildlife, or even lightning.”

  I shook my head and took another step forward, meeting the captain’s eyes pleadingly. “Sir, please. A-and there’s another thing, too; on our way up, on the road east, we found a… a cage, of sorts. A very large one, full of dead birds”

  Terrence made a strangled sound from beside me. I glanced over to see that his already fair skin had gone pale.

  The captain shook his head, muttering, and grabbed the sheathed sword on the desk beside him. My heart soared as he belted it on.

  “Well, my lady, I pray there’s nothing so sinister at work as what you imply. But I’m not worth my station if I ignore such claims, and a missing woman is indeed cause for alarm.” He waved for the other man to grab a sword, which he did.

  Terrence piped up, his voice high but firm, “Captain Rell, I’d like to help look for her, too.”

  Davith gave a curt nod. “The more eyes the better.” He strode forwards and opened the door, his broad shoulders at attention. He held it wide and gestured for me to go through first. “Well, my lady, I do hope this is all a grave mistake. Perhaps we’ll find your friend wandering about in the square, shopping for new clothes and boots.” He offered me the barest ghost of a smile.

  I didn’t have it in me to return the faint attempt at levity. “I appreciate the haste, captain. I don’t think there’s a moment to spare.”

  He blew a heavy sigh. “Ashes. Well, my lady, let’s start at the inn. Not to doubt your word, but I’d like to see this handprint for myself, as well as talk to the good Master Lewen. Get the story for myself.”

  I held his eyes, holding my breath. He seemed so… capable. Worried by what I’d said, but not deterred by the danger. His readiness to help almost seemed like a fever dream after everything else that had happened this morning.

  I brushed past him, bracing myself against the sudden rush of chilly air. “And… and then, captain?”

  The three men followed me out. Davith stroked his mustache, mouth curled downwards at the very corners, and motioned for me to lead the way. “If your story checks out, we’ll gather the other Watch and send them through Snowmelt asking for volunteers. This is a good town, my lady, with good folk in it. Like Terrence, here. We’ll get search parties rounded up and scour the area for your friend. And mark my word, we’ll find her.”

  I nearly burst into tears. Nearly. My heart fluttered with relief and I led them towards the inn at a run.

  Teela didn’t have time for my tears.