There was an awkward silence.
'Um. Can I borrow your coat?'
'Oh! Yes, of course, of course.'
Warwick snapped out of his shock. Now he had a simple problem to deal with, he could put off dealing with the big problem.
Louis rose shakily to his feet. Warwick wrapped his coat around him and led him back to town. Louis could still hear the cries of angry wolf hunters. Thankfully, they didn't run into any of them.
Warwick escorted Louis briskly into town, keeping to the backstreets, and headed towards the inn. Louis had hoped to sneak in unnoticed, but they were accosted by the irritatingly helpful barmaid, Lucy.
'Good morning, sirs. I've heard tell of a wolf in town.' She caught sight of Louis. 'Ere, what's happened to you then?'
'Fell in the river. Excuse us!' Warwick grinned at her and pushed Louis up the stairs before Lucy could notice he was bone dry.
Warwick sat Louis down on his bed.
He poured a jug of water, more for something to do than for Louis's thirst. But he couldn't prolong the conversation forever. He sighed and took a seat on the chair.
'So I'll just say it,' he began. 'You're a werewolf.'
Louis stared. 'I'm not a werewolf.'
'You were bitten by a wolf then you turned into one.'
'There's no such thing,' said Louis, although until recently he thought turning into a wolf at all was impossible. 'There was no full moon or anything.'
'I don't know the rules.' Warwick shrugged.
'Look,' Louis sighed. 'I didn't just turn into me as a wolf. I turned into the same wolf I killed yesterday. Ever since then, I've felt like it's been inside my head. Today it just sort of... broke loose.'
Warwick studied him closely. 'Is it still in your head now?'
'Yes, a little. It's calmer than before.'
'...Can you let it loose again?'
Louis blinked in surprise. For some reason, he hadn't anticipated this request. The thought made him anxious but he was curious himself.
He closed his eyes and tried to get the wolf's attention. It pricked its ears up and came forward. Last time, the transformation had come in spurts, as if from a pump that Louis was covering with his hands. Now, it came like a stream and Louis could control how quickly it flowed.
He felt his body begin to shrink inside Warwick's coat. He felt the fur cover his skin, evenly and all at once. He felt his tail appear behind him, shifting his position on the bed so he wasn't sat on it.
Warwick watched, transfixed as his brother disappeared in front of him. He leant forward, watching his brother's face stretch into a long snout. When it finished, he couldn't resist touching the tip of Louis's nose.
Louis's eyes snapped open. Suddenly feeling very self aware, the wolf ran back into the comfort of his head. His body shot back to its normal, human self. It made him feel a little dizzy.
'Sorry, sorry!' Warwick said, arms raised.
Louis rubbed his head. 'I think it's under control now.'
Warwick paced the room. 'This is incredible! Who would have thought, my little brother...? I know a lot of people in Stonewater who will pay bags of gold to see a trick like that.'
'What!?' Louis balked. 'You're not turning me into a freak show!'
'Not a freak show. You'd be... a performer. The star attraction! Think of the gold you could earn!'
'Forget it! If I have any say, I'm never turning into a wolf again!'
***
Louis came down to the stables, looking forward to getting out of Westriver and back to the farm, only to find Pearl already tacked and chained to her cart. Warwick's men were loading it full of goods.
'Morning!' said Warwick. 'We could do with your help in Stonewater. You don't mind tagging along a bit longer, do you?'
Louis narrowed his eyes. 'I know what you're doing. My answer's not changed.'
'That's as may be. But if you don't come I'll tell father and John about your little trick, eh?'
He slapped Louis playfully on the back. Louis glowered.