The late morning investigation began at the Army compound, where Illyria set her talents to saving the two fellows who were injured in the wolfen attack from the night before. For those who have never before witnessed a Healer’s psychic surgery, it is a difficult wonder. The patient fuzzed with liquor, and the witch hunter holding him down an impossible casual strength, she went about her soft-handed, bloody work.

Inquiries were made of the Medicker, Bulliher, her was there, concerning the deaths and disappearances. He provided the details and locations for the others who perished, so in total:

W-4, 6, 8 months: three children at the orphanage run by Claret, the monk of the Light, along with “Matron” and his initiate, Orissen.

W-2 months: a boy about 3, child of a Forester and his dressmaker wife, went to bed one night and perished, waking up the next morning.

The Medicker mentioned that the only person who might know about people involved in magic in the town other than Adept Cern might be Ahriman the Bookseller – an elf.

Parting ways quickly, the hunter crew went to meet Ahriman as Captain Varcrest went to oversee some matters with his men, to reunite at the Chapel of the Light in the South East corner of the Fort.

Ahriman was a youngish elf, formal, neat, orderly and self-contained. After some conversation with the Lady Illyria, he confessed that the only people in town who purchased books on magic and other things would be the Mayor’s wife, Aphorisia, and the Smith’s wife.

After perusing the bookshelves, the Witch Hunter … let himself into Ahriman’s private study and rifled through his things. Though the bookseller stank of human magic, there was nothing obvious or nefarious in his private chamber, and no hidden rooms obviously accessible. Laying a gold out for his troubles, the witch hunters departed.

At the Chapel of the Light, lunch was afoot. The Lady Illyria remained to speak with Claret about the troubles in the Fort, as Hound and the Witch Hunter and eventually Alain made their way into the dormitories in search of evidence. Encountering the formidable Matron, the Witch Hunter discovered some fading on one of the beds used by one of the children who passed away. Calling in the Hound, with the Captain following after. The Hound snuffled about and confirmed an old sense of rotten magic in the wood, very faint now. The 3 beds they identified with the stains (the Captain finding one), were confirmed with the Matron to be the beds the children slept in when they passed away.

Back outside, Claret told the lovely Illyria his secret: he did not have the Talent to a priest of the Light, but he had a small Psychic Gift. With her discretion promised, he told her he had sense something about Miss Elaine that might prove useful: she had a sizable amount of Potential Psychic Energy. She did not have the Talent and was not an Adept, although perhaps she could have been. He did not know details particularly of any of the other missing, except the 3 children under his care – like most children – also had strong PPE. Claret’s initiate was not present – he had been sent away to the little town nearby for supplies, and would be back in a few days.

As they prepared to say their goodbyes to Claret, the Hound roused and growled, then turned to the rear buildings of the Chapel, past the trees, and barked, low and long.

The witch hunter stood up, hand on his whip. “Wolfen,” he growled.