Shifters - The King of Wolves - Book 1

CHAPTER 2 - A NIGHT OF SINISTER PERFORMANCES

The sun began its descent, casting a warm golden glow as I arrived at the bustling harbour. The salty breeze greeted me as I stood next to the docked ships. Merchants in colourful robes were inspecting their merchandise before shouting orders to the dockers to load them on their massive ships, stocking them for overseas trade.

The shouts and calls of the merchants were accompanied by the echo of pounding nails and grinding saws. Skilled craftsmen wielded their tools, shaping the sturdy oak into the skeletal frames of ships at the shipyard.

Among the hard-working men, I searched for the familiar face of my father. His large build was easily recognizable and I tried to catch his attention by waving and shouting to him. When he noticed me, he laid down his tools and walked over to his supervisor. Probably asking for permission to leave his station for a while. After receiving the approval, my father made his way towards me. Cyrus, my best friend, soon followed as he spotted me too.

Even though my father is a broadly built man, the years of labour had taken a toll on his body. His weary gait betrayed that his health was catching up with his age. Yet, his eyes still sparkled with a sense of vivacity and brightness.

"Poppy, you're back sooner than expected" my father acknowledged, using my given nickname due to my favourite flower. "Did business not go well?" He enveloped me in a warm embrace, his tousled beard tickled against my face. 

"On the contrary," I replied, untangling myself from his hug. "I earned enough coins to sustain us both for at least two weeks. Perhaps you should take a few more days off, considering you've only recently regained your health." Now that my father was closer, I could see the beads of sweat running down his pale face. I frowned in concern, maybe his health had not returned as we had previously believed.

"Oh, it's alright" my father assured me and gestured towards Cyrus who stood beside him. "Our young friend here is as worried as you are. He won't allow me to carry a thing. Says he's got it covered."

Cyrus blushed slightly, his posture shifting uncomfortably as he was met with my father's critical gaze. "When you young folk keep treating me as an old lad, the people will think of me as an old lad. I just had a minor cold, nothing serious. I can still saw, timber and carry planks as I did before" my father kept complaining. I smiled warmly at Cyrus, silently conveying my gratitude with a nod of appreciation as I ignored my father's continuous grumble.

"I'm sure you can father, however, it's kind of Cyrus to do so. He knows how worried I can be." I reassured my father. 

"There's no reason for you to do that" my father murmured, but he rested his case. "How come you earned so many coins?" my father asked, changing the subject.

"Well, I met a Werewolf at the market," I replied a hint of doubt in my voice. Though my encounter with the Werewolf hadn't been truly unsettling, it still left me with many questions. The Werewolf I met was far from the ferocious beasts told in the stories, however, I still hope I never encounter a shifter ever again. Friendly or not, they still make me feel uncomfortable.

My father's raised his brows, a shocked expression forming on his face. Cyrus' mouth fell open from astonishment as he gasped fiercely. "A Werewolf?!" His eyes roamed my face and body, searching for any signs of harm. "Did anything happen?" He asked, his voice filled with caution.

"Don't worry, everything is fine." I reassured him quickly with a smile, "I don't think she meant any harm."

"How intriguing, a Werewolf here in Terrassen." My father chimed in with genuine curiosity in his voice, unlike most of us here in Terrassen, he was always fascinated by their kind. "What did she want?"

"She bought almost all my herbs and said something about a friend being poisoned. I didn't understand much as she talked in riddles most of the time."

"I thought shifters were indestructible, that they couldn't get sick." My father questioned out loud.