Jessica and Becky spent a little while discussing the options. "Okay, let's think about this," Jess said. "If we want to get home, what's our best choice?"
Becky frowned. "From the way the old lady was talking, Jess, it doesn't sound like we might ever get home," she said glumly. "I mean, even if we made it back, how would people react to monst-uh, creatures like what she's described?"
"But we can't just give up!" Jess moaned. "I don't want to be some...some thing for the rest of my life!" She sighed, collecting herself. "Look, it sounds like becoming some other kind of creature is the safer way out of this mess than just trying to make it off the island without getting caught, but if it's possible to change us one way, it has to be possible to change back, right? So if we can just think of which choice is the best for making our escape, we can get home and figure out from there."
Becky shrugged. "I dunno," she said. "Maybe we shouldn't get our hopes up too far. But...okay. Let's say we do plan for that. Mermaids would be an obvious choice, since we can just swim straight for home."
Jessica nodded. "True. On the other hand, who knows what we might run into in the ocean? There's sharks and killer whales and squids and stuff, and we would still be getting used to moving in those bodies, let alone fighting. Heck, even what I still remember from self-defense class is completely useless when you don't have legs. And we'd be pretty much helpless on land, which means if we met the wrong sort of person coming ashore..."
"Yeah, I guess so," Becky replied. "Okay, so if we don't want to swim, then the next easiest way to get off the island is flying. Dragons, maybe?"
Jess shrugged. "I dunno...wouldn't they be kind of an 'attack on sight' thing? I mean, imagine if some dragon just plunked down in the middle of a city. Even if they were more human-like...I don't want the cops thinking we're Godzilla or something."
"I guess that's a good point," Becky said. "Still, it would've been nice to have some built-in weapons if we needed them. And the only other flying options are the bees and harpies..."
"Yeah," Jess sighed. "And I don't really like those ideas, either. I mean, harpies don't have hands, do they? Do you think it might be a better idea to pick one of the land forms and just try to sneak back aboard the ferry? As long as we're immune to lycanthropy it shouldn't matter..."
Becky shook her head. "No. Still plenty of other things they could do to us if we were caught, immunized or no. If we want to get off the island without swimming, we've gotta fly. Bees, or harpies?"
Jess groaned. "Well, not bees, for sure," she said. "What if they were some kind of hive-mind and we were, like, brainwashed? They might make us stop wanting to leave."
Becky shrugged. "I don't think the old lady would've suggested it if it were like that," she said. "But just in case...I guess harpies it is, then." Jess nodded, reluctantly.
The two girls went to find Elise the librarian. "We've...we've decided to go with the harpies," Jess told her. The old woman smiled. "Very well. Let me get some things together, and then we'll-"
She stopped as the library door was flung open and a figure dashed inside and slammed it shut. The two girls shrieked and hid behind a bookshelf, but Elise frowned and marched up to the front of the library. "Was that really necessary, sir?" she demanded.
Jess and Becky peeked out. The "sir" she was addressing was a young man not too far from their own age, dirty, disheveled, and panting hard. He startled visibly at being spoken to, and looked like he was almost ready to attack the old woman, but held control over himself. "You...you're not one of them?" he asked.
Elise smiled slightly. "If I were, I would've attacked you, wouldn't I?" she said. "They can smell the difference between one of their own and a true human, you know."
He nodded. "I know. I tried to blend into the crowd when they changed back during the day; I was running because it didn't even come close to working."
She nodded. "Naturally. But you needn't worry about them for the moment; they can't come in here unless I let them. What's your name, boy? You look like you've had a rough time of it; are you hurt?" She glanced towards the back of the library. "It's all right, girls, you can come out."
The young man glanced at Jess and Becky and smiled, then turned back to Elise. "I...um, my name's Jason," he said. "I came with the last ferry, three days ago, just before the full moon...I took off as soon as I figured out what was up, and I've been in and out of the woods ever since..."
The old woman raised an eyebrow, smiling. "Three days? Goodness, aren't you the lucky one. I don't think most visitors make it past one, unless they find one of the other tribes first." She shook her head in dismay. "I can't believe it's come to this...they used to be decent sorts, back when they were a few smaller packs...their new alpha is the one behind this, he's the one who brought all the others under his dominion, and ever since they took the port and the ferry, every tour group has just added to their numbers..."
She looked him over as she spoke, poking and prodding the damaged areas of his dirty, battered clothes. Suddenly, she stopped, adjusted her glasses, and leaned in close. Jason winced as she dug a little deeper into a wound on his shoulder. "Oh dear," she said. "Come with me to the back room, I'm going to have to take a closer look at this."
He followed her, and the two girls did as well - Elise might've said that the werewolves couldn't get in without her say-so, but it was all too easy to imagine themselves huddled in the main area of the library while their protector was elsewhere, and having one get in nonetheless...
Elise dabbed at the wound with an alcohol wipe, causing Jason to grimace. "Oh dear," she muttered. "I'm afraid that's...yes, that's not good at all. Not good at all. When did you get this? Do you know?"
The young man looked nervously at her. "Uh...I think that was early this morning, before sunrise," he said. "I had a narrow escape...I actually came into town to see if I couldn't get a bandage or something."
The old woman nodded. "Not more than eight hours, then," she said. "That gives us a little time..." She took a swab that she'd taken from the wound before wiping it down and stuck it under a microscope. She sighed. "Oh dear. Yes, that's definitely the virus," she said. "I'm afraid you're infected, boy."
Jess and Becky edged away from the two of them, wondering if they should stay here - but where else could they go, if the werewolves could tell they were humans? Jason didn't look any more comfortable. "I-infected!?" he gasped. "Y-you mean, I'm...I'm going to...?"
Elise frowned. "If it's left unchecked, yes," she said. "But it takes some time to work - we have a minimum of four hours before it'll be unstoppable."
"You mean you can treat it?" Jason said. "Well, no time to lose, then...what do I do?"
The old woman shook her head. "I can't," she said. "But, as I told these young ladies, there are other creatures on this island whom you could join. They're immune to the effects of the virus, and since you aren't a late-stage case yet, that will effectively cure you. If you're willing to make the trek alone, I can give you directions to any one of them, or you could join me as I escort them."
Jason sighed. "I...I'll have to go with the escort," he said. "I'm in no shape to be doing any more running...I'm pooped."
Elise nodded. "Very well, then, the harpies it is for you. Come on, girls, let's get our expedition underway. I was hoping not to be in a hurry, but making the mountains in less than four hours is going to be pushing it a bit."
"Pushing it a bit" felt more lke "forced death march" to the three young adults; despite her age, the old librarian displayed remarkable endurance, and only seemed a little winded when the others had to stop and rest from exhaustion. Still, something about her perseverance made the three of them feel a little more motivated, and they actually did make good time; it helped that the road through the forest toward the mountains at the center of the island was well-worn and even. Forest gave way to a little grassy plain, and then to rocky foothills before the real mountains. Not once did they see any sign of the werewolves; either they didn't go out much during the day, or Elise's protection was just that good.
"Um...ma'am?" Becky asked, as they were coming to the base of the mountains. "The other girls...um, did they...?"
The old woman sighed. "I don't know," she said. "More than a few of them, probably, yes. Others might've escaped; if they're lucky, they'll make it to one of the other tribes and join them. Certainly if I see any I'll do everything I can for them. But things aren't going to really get better until someone breaks up the pack and deposes their current alpha, I fear. Ah, here we are. Watch yourselves, children, and follow me carefully; the harpies don't have need of good footpaths like you or I."
Even Elise seemed to struggle a bit more as they made their way up the first real mountain slope, but she led them well, up to a little ledge in front of a cave; there was a large nest out front, more artfully woven than that of most real birds. The librarian gently set herself down beside it. "Now we wait," she said.
"Who are we waiting for?" Jess asked. "Is this their leader's nest?"
Elise laughed. "Goodness, no. They don't go in for that sort of thing among the harpies. They're all a rather anarchic bunch - pleasant, but good luck trying to carry over any assumptions of hierarchy. No, it's strictly birds-of-a-feather here. But they are quite a social species; I think you'll find them quite pleasant, in their own way." She glanced up into the sky. "No, the person we're waiting for is just one of the ones who happens to know about this sort of thing. Some of the other tribes make it an official function, though. With the bees it's very nearly a priestly caste. Ah, I think that might be her."
She pointed; they could just make out a winged silhouette against the bright teal sky, but they could hardly have told it from a crow or an eagle at that distance. As they watched, the shape drifted lazily across the sky until it was nearly straight above them, then zagged back almost the way it had come; it banked into a slow circle, and they realized it was descending rapidly, coming to meet them.