Taming of a Werewolf

A new arrival in search of a werewolf, who is currently in human form. Twists at the end.

A resounding knock on the heavy wooden door. A moment later, the peephole opened, then closed, and the door opened. In the hallway outside stood a tall, bulky figure of a man; with the bright light behind him, he made a dark, ominous outline; even then, it was clear the man wore a long cloak and hood covering his face. The doorman gestured for him to enter and awaited the stranger’s name to pass on to the other guests. The stranger spoke in a deep, gravelly tone, “I am expected.” The doorman gave a slight nod of the head and stepped aside just in time to avoid being brushed aside by the stranger. In a voice of questionable authority, the doorman offered to take the stranger’s wrap. Once inside, the stranger undid a clasp under his chin and pulled the hood from his head, and in one swoop pulled it from his shoulders and placed it across the doorman’s extended arm. Another nod of acceptance of the wrap, and the doorman faded into the shadows of the corner.
         The stranger had cold gray eyes, gray eyebrows, and long hair in a ponytail. His sharp chin and cheekbones suggested a hard demeanor. The stranger’s choice of clothing supported the adventurous look of the face. Dressed in black, he had pouches on his belt and a double leather layer over one shoulder. He carried a black revolver on his right hip and a long dagger on his left. His black boots with lacing down the front and reached to his knees.
         The stranger’s entrance had not gone unnoticed by the other guests. Men in brightly colored jackets and white-ruffed shirts stared at him; some raised an eyebrow, wondering who he was. Several women smiled at the stranger; the air of mystery that his presence suggested brought fear to some and wild fantasies to others. The stranger assumed that the ladies were dressed in their finest. Colorful gowns featured cinched waists and plunging necklines.
         The stranger looked around the large ballroom. Lamps on the walls cast long shadows across the walkway path around the center area with their low lighting. The fourth wall featured a small troupe playing music softly. An area for dancing sat before the musicians. These ladies were not so well dressed as those at the tables; their dresses were rags to the finer ladies and their male companions. The stranger glanced up the row of tables to his right, looking at the curious stares and raised eyebrows. He might have smiled slightly before his icy stare returned. To his left, the stranger studied the men and women who sat or stood near the tables; they were watching him.
         With a dagger in one hand and the other near his belt pouch, the stranger strolled. He glanced at the old ladies and tables of bottles and piles of powders. He noticed one item, momentarily pulled from his observation of patrons and furnishings. The old woman smiled at the stranger through stringy hair and a mouth missing more then one or two teeth. In a gravelly voice of age, the woman murmured, “Good evening, sir, may I help? I have fine potions and the very best powdered medicine you can find anywhere.” The stranger studied the table for a moment. “Do you have any Wolf Bane?” The old woman lost her smile and stepped back from her table, “No, sir, no Wolf Bane, how about some Kone flower or Widow’s Breath, picked this morning while the dew was still on the grass?”

The stranger offered no reply; he merely turned his back, resuming his observation of diners as he moved past. He passed tables, meeting gazes, while others shifted nervously. The stranger perceived hushed inquiries regarding his person, lost within the music’s low tones. For a minute, the stranger paused at a table, intently studying the back of a seated man. The man was lean and tall with blonde locks of hair circling his face. One of the blonde man's companions nudged him on his arm and nodded in the direction of the stranger. The blond man rose and turned toward the stranger. The stranger gazed into the young man's eyes. Without apology or acknowledgment, the stranger moved to the subsequent table, then the subsequent guest. The whispers grew louder, but the stranger ignored them and continued with his search.

Working his way around the troupe, he studied them too. He glanced twice toward tables displaying merchandise. Only upon reaching the far corner, distant from the entrance, did he speak with an elderly vendor. The stranger silenced the woman as she began to speak. “My good woman, do you have any Wolf Bane?” In a voice trying to hide the fear that gripped her throat, the old woman answered, “No, my lord.” The stranger nodded, “Fine, do you have any holy water?” “No. " My lord”, the woman answered, her voice quivering now with fear. “My lord, perhaps there is something else you need that I may carry?” The stranger glanced over the table again. “No, I think not.” The stranger stepped away from the table and continued his study of the other guests.
Out of the corner of his eye, the stranger saw a strapping young man in a dark green jacket with matching tails taking a quick pace toward him. The stranger turned to face the young man. In a gravelly voice, loud enough to be heard across the room, the stranger asked, “Something I can do for you, young man?”
The stranger’s loud, harsh voice startled the man. Shuddering slightly, the young man managed to ask, “Sir, is there something or someone that you are looking for?”
          “Why do you ask?”
After swallowing hard, the young continued, “Sir, surely you can tell that your manner of searching and staring at the guests has made them uncomfortable. Perhaps if you told us what you were looking for, we could help you?” The man's voice drifted off to a whisper. The stranger narrowed his eyes, “Sir, I will know what I am looking for when I see it; you do not have the years to find it or help me find it.”
The stranger left; the young man remained, bewildered. Again, the whispering increased among both males and females.
The stranger approached a young blonde woman in a striking blue gown and hat. The stranger’s eyes met the stranger’s gaze, and her face showed the most pronounced fear among everyone else. As she realized the stranger had stopped at her table, her eyes widened. Beside the lady sat a man with blonde curls and an emotionless face, staring at his wineglass. Upon being nudged, his emotionless face contorted into a sneer as he met the stranger’s stare.
As if suddenly set on fire, the young blonde man slipped his hands under the table, upsetting it, the chairs, and the other people sitting at the table, and in the same motion, went to his feet and headed for the nearby balcony doors. People shattered and tripped over each other to get out of the way. The stranger moved quickly and was only a few feet behind the young man when he burst through the balcony doors onto the large patio outside. The doors slammed shut behind the two men. From the ballroom, the guests could hear the two men fighting. Several individuals neared the balcony’s exit to observe the activity. Suddenly, the entryway burst open, and two men sprawled onto the dance floor. The young man’s appearance had changed considerably; he was large, and his clothing, alongside his features, seemed disheveled. The young man roared with fury, clawing wildly at the stranger. Suddenly, the young man pushed the stranger aside and headed for the balcony doors again. The stranger recovered his footing and, at the same time, pulled the two leather straps that hung from his one shoulder to his belt, and he raced back through the balcony doors after the young man.
This time, the guests thought for several minutes before approaching the balcony doors. They could all hear the cries and shuffling on the patio of the two combatants. As suddenly as the confrontation started, it ended. The guests looked at each other for a moment. One guest reached for the door, expecting to see the two men lying on the balcony floor. What he saw and what the others saw shocked them. Women squealed, and men gasped as the stranger strolled through the balcony doors with a large white wolf on the leather straps.
Guests quickly parted a path for the two, man and wolf, as they headed for the door. The stranger smiled as he heard more whispering and words of surprise from the guests. The stranger stopped, scanning the crowd until he saw the blonde woman in blue with green eyes. He lifted his free arm, and the woman stepped from the crowd and laced her arm in his. They turned, proceeding toward the exit.
The doorman stood with the door open and the stranger’s cloak at the ready. The stranger, the lady, and the wolf paused as he gave the doorman a card. Gesturing with his head, the stranger ushered the lady and the wolf from the room. Once the door was closed, the doorman read the card the stranger had given him. “Thank sir, for your invitation to your Ball. I hope your guests enjoyed the performance.” Signed by Sir William Foxworth, proprietor of The Traveling Troupe.