A Conspiracy of Wolves

‘Assuming that my mother meant that Gerta was no virgin, I am ashamed to confess I was emboldened, sought opportunities to catch her alone. Only then was I aware of her silence and clear unease whenever Paul’s hounds wandered her way. And I made another discovery. Something followed her overhead, up in the trees. It was more than the rustlings of birds or small animals. I caught glimpses – a foot quickly withdrawn, an arm, fingers wrapped round branches. Gerta was never actually alone. She had a companion, a girl who dressed as a boy – short tunic and leggings. She hid up in the trees watching, occasionally dropping things from her high perch to frighten away the dogs.’

‘So Gerta had a witness to your encounters,’ Owen said.

Crispin’s frown deepened, dark brows pressing together, his focus sharpening, as if Owen’s observation had yanked him from the past. ‘Yes.’

‘Gerta’s younger sister?’ Lucie asked.

‘I thought so, but later, something Warin said …’

‘I did not mean to interrupt,’ said Owen. ‘Go on. You’d noticed her unease about the dogs.’

‘Yes. The next time I managed to speak with her away from my friends, I asked why she feared them. Why her sister abused them. “Wolves”, she called them. She told me that in her homeland they prowled the forests and ate children. She swore it was true. I told her they were hounds, not wolves, and I would keep her safe. But she would not go near them.’ He bowed his head. ‘I should not have told the others. I don’t know why I did. They could be so cruel. Hoban and Olyf encouraged Paul to let the dogs off their leads the next time Gerta appeared. She threw pebbles at them, then ran, saying she would set her brother on them if they did that again.’

‘A foolish thing to do, if she feared them so,’ Owen noted.

Crispin looked away. ‘I admired her. Even when confronted with what she most feared, she defied us. What courage. But if there is any blame in this, it is mine. I should have kept her secret.’

Lucie was keeping a tally. So far he’d mentioned another girl and a brother.

‘The next day Bartolf informed Hoban and me that Paul could no longer bring the hounds into Galtres. Hoban insisted I accompany him when he told Paul. While Hoban talked, Paul groomed his bloody hounds, whispering to them that he would let them eat her tender flesh, cooing to them about how they were strong and faster than any girl.’ Crispin poured himself more wine, but set it aside. ‘We’ll get her,’ he said. ‘We’ll get the bitch.’ He picked up the wine and drank.

‘An ugly tale,’ said Owen.

A curt nod. ‘But then we did not see Gerta for a long while. Autumn came, then winter, a time when we seldom went out into the forest. And then, in spring, when the river swelled with the snowmelt from the moors, Hoban caught sight of her walking by the river. He saw her there several days in a row, at the hour when he was walking home from school.’

‘His family was not living in the city that year?’ Owen asked.

‘No. Bartolf was failing as a merchant. The family was forced to sell land and lease their big home in the city – it fetched a good rent.’

‘So he discovered the place she walked in the afternoon,’ said Lucie, guiding him back to the story.

‘Yes. We found her at last. And no sign of her companion in the trees.’ Crispin closed his eyes for a moment. ‘I make it sound like an innocent game. But I knew it was not. It felt wrong to me. Frightened me. Their idea arose out of anger, and a desire to hurt a young woman who made them feel foolish, and who had bested them, finding a way to forbid Paul to bring his hounds into the forest unlawed. I wanted to excuse myself, but I feared they would turn on me.’

‘Did you try to talk to them?’ Owen asked.

‘Or warn her?’ asked Lucie.

‘No. This thing with Gerta, it changed them. I was with them because I wanted to keep them in sight, make certain they weren’t coming after me, and the only way to do that was to be part of it. They meant to hurt her.’ He closed his eyes for a moment. ‘I should have warned her.’ He stared at the floor.

‘You had found her,’ Lucie prompted.

A nod. ‘We left school early and hurried out into the forest with two of Paul’s largest hounds – by now he had seven of them. She was right where Hoban had said she’d be, walking, singing to herself, looking so content. I could have shouted a warning. But I didn’t. I was a coward. As we moved closer Olyf stumbled over a rock and cursed. Gerta heard it, turned toward the sound, and Paul chose that moment to let loose the dogs, shouting the order to attack.’

Crispin had gestured with his stump, and now, frozen in the air, he glanced at it with loathing. Lowered it. ‘So many penances – my crippling, my duty to my mother.’

‘What happened?’ Owen asked.