Rosomil sat with Aswald alone in the inn. The others in his group were keeping watch or resting at the moment. From the second he had looked at the young fisherman, he had known that something had changed within him. Something he wasn’t sure if entirely good. And what Alistair had just told him didn’t bode well for him.

  “The rumor of the Shrine of Sedna must be true, then”, Aswald said, looking across the edge of his mug of mead at him.

  “You aren’t supposed to give hints”, he replied sullen.

  “I’m stating a fact after careful consideration of what you told me about the fisher-boy.”

  For a few minutes, the only sound inside the crammed interior was the cracking of the fire.

  “A deal with the sea witch”, Aswald stated with a dismissive chuckle. “Stupid kid. This will surely kill him.”

  “He isn’t the murderer”, said Rosomil, deep in thought, watching the steam rise from his mug of mead.

  “He might become one now.”

  “No.”

  “Rosomil. It’s noble to assume the best of people, but only people.”

  “Aren’t the Selkies in this hamlet showing you that they’re people too?”

  “You’re still young.”

  “Age has nothing to do with it.”

  At this, Aswald took a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table while warming his hands on his mug.

  “That’s precisely why I didn’t want to tell you everything”, Rosomil said with a frown.

  “You know me so well, I fear I might’ve created in you the man who will one day see it fit to kill me”, he replied and let out a hearty laugh.

  “Don’t say such stupid things in jest, Master”, he said, almost hissing.

  “Yeah, you’re right”, he said, serious once more. “Especially with a still unknown danger lurking out in the dark. But back to the fisher-boy… What do you think he asked of the sea witch?”

  “I presume it’s a sealskin”, Rosomil answered, and decided not to tell him everything he knew.

  “Would make sense”, Aswald agreed and took a sip of his mug. “He’s a halfblood. She might’ve been charitable with him.”

  Judging by the haunted look on Alistair’s face and his inability to speak freely, Rosomil highly doubted it. Again, he said nothing about it.

  “Well, it shan’t be our problem if he now frolics with his girl as a seal around the ocean”, Aswald continued, unbothered. “Still, I do wonder… Why are you so easily trusting towards everyone? With what I taught you, you should be able to feel out who’s human and who isn’t.”

  “Their nature doesn’t determine their actions”, he replied, angry. “And I stay adamant. I do believe they too have a choice to be good or evil.”

  Aswald hummed understanding and took a big swig of his mead. For the following moments, silence coated them again in a tense atmosphere.

  “Tell me, what do you think is the motive behind the murders”, said Aswald suddenly and stretched his arms.

  This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  “I suspected something sexual from the fact all victims had been women and going by the rough description we had before we came here and spoke with the villagers”, he answered. “But there's the fact we now have a man among the victims to consider.”

  “Perhaps the man was exactly chosen to make you think this way.”

  “True, but if it were something sexual the murders would’ve not just escalated in frequency but also violence. And the described wounds as well as those I saw on the victims speak of an animal attack, disregarding that the hearts were cut out with a knife and some precision. Nothing appeared like the usual defensive wounds found on such victims. Besides, there were no reports of strangers or a villager approaching any of the women in an uncouth way.”

  “What’s your take on the motive, then?”

  “The choice of victim was accidental. But the death ritualistic.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  At this, Rosomil slowly turned towards him, glaring. Aswald let out a warm laugh.

  “You learned to call people stupid with just a glance”, he said, amused. “I’m impressed.”

  “And I’m impressed with your lack of concern”, replied Rosomil, cold. “It is unclear to me why the murderer takes the heart of his victims. I read about anything pertaining to Selkies and Sedna I could during our ride here, but there was nothing mentioned concerning such sacrifices.”

  “Selkies are notoriously unforthcoming with their culture”, Aswald remarked, much more serious. “And the library in our headquarters doesn’t hold much information on them either. I wouldn’t be surprised if there is a ritual they just don’t speak with outsiders about. I doubt they even told the human villagers anything.”

  “The victims were all Selkies”, pondered Rosomil aloud. “I can’t imagine such a rather cannibalistic ritual among them.”

  “Don’t ascribe human sensibilities to them.”

  Rosomil ignored him.

  “What about their skins?”, asked Aswald after a few moments.

  “They were all found naked. Their sealskins gone. I suspect either taken by the culprit or by Sedna.”

  “Could their sealskins be the reason for their murders?”, asked Aswald in a way Rosomil didn’t like, as he always used this tone to push him into a certain direction. “Don’t make this dark face. Although, it tells me you already know what I want you to consider.”

  “You aren’t supposed to give hints”, Rosomil insisted and frowned at him.

  “But can you be sure the fisher-boy is innocent? He probably wanted to have a skin of his own, not just since the murders started. Considering how he got orphaned and what his mother took with her back to her sea-witch god… It would be understandable for him to try to steal one. Perhaps he even hopes to become a pureblood Selkie by consuming their hearts. The heart’s considered the anchor of the soul. Perhaps he thinks he can change his nature by consuming it. Alt of nonhumans and even humans instinctively know this fact to be true without realizing.”

  “He just wants to protect his fiancée”, he responded, indignant. “And he doesn’t strike me as a murderer.”

  “A noble excuse. Rosomil, I know those creatures. There’s no difference between purebloods and halfbloods. They lie. They betray. Not only that, but they string you along for their amusement.”

  “I trust him.”

  “Rosomil… Please. You’re not just a talented fighter, but also a talented magic wielder. I’d rather you become the captain of your small squad than Lodwin. So stop with this. You aren’t this gullible.”

  “Lodwin is as good a knight as I and should my penchant for gullibility remain then he would be the better leader.”

  “Lodwin is a follower and not a leader. Don’t look at me like this, or I’ve to accuse you of attempted murder.”

  “Cease with those stupid jokes.”

  “You’re no fun at all, boy. Anyway, what I wanted to say is, Lodwin follows orders to a point. He doesn’t really question anything unless it’s blatantly obvious or someone prompts him. He’s a good guy otherwise and the perfect choice for your right-hand man. You, on the other hand, ask questions even before you heard the first word. You look over your orders and analyze them. Furthermore, you think for yourself. You keep your convictions until truly disproven.”

  “I don’t understand you. Now you praise the very character flaw you find so distasteful within me.”

  At this, he bellowed a hearty laugh, which irritated Rosomil even more. Clenching his jaw, he took a deep breath and let the air slowly back out. There was a certain irony within it, as Aswald had been the one who had taught him this trick to calm down.

  “How about we call it a day and talk tomorrow once more”, Aswald suggested, amused, and stood up. “It’s always fun to tease you out of your shell.”

  “A mollusk broken out of its shell will die”, Rosomil remarked coolly and deep in thought.

  At this Aswald looked at him with surprise, but he ignored him. Regarding the remainder of his mead inside his mug, he watched how some of the drops merged and flowed together.

  “Currents…”, he murmured. “I need to check the currents. Find where they were really killed…”

  Deep in thought, he only partially noticed how Aswald left him alone to go to bed.