บท 503: Loose Bolt
Renat had tried to make himself as unassuming as possible when taking his place by the door. He had not wanted to look like he was hiding nor seem like he was eavesdropping. But the effort was all for naught as Taran whipped around and pointed directly into the brown wolf's face.
"You!" the nobleman's voice sounded like thunder.
'I've been discovered!' Renat struggled against the urge to run. There was really nowhere to go. He dipped his head in response to the call, but chose not to speak. Averting his eyes, he waited for his impending doom.
"Guard the door. No one comes in or out, do you understand?" Taran's fierce eyes waited as the brown wolf slowly nodded. Then, with a scoff at his minion's useless bow, the charismatic man went back to selecting his victims with Yumeto as they continued down the hall.
"If I had to pick, I would say some of the most recent recruits resemble me most in size and temperament. The redhead...what was his name....you know who I mean..." Taran's voice grew softer as they turned and continued down the corridor.
Renat gripped his chest, feeling like his heart might burst out of his ribs. Because of the fear he had just felt, the fire in the scientist's belly was threatening to take him over. Only a cool hand on his furry shoulder brought him back from the brink.
"Deep breath," Alaron said soothingly. "It was very good you didn't speak. They won't remember you later because you made no impression whatsoever. I couldn't have done better myself."
The calmness in the Guardian's words caused the red in Renat's vision to recede. "Thank you."
With the brown wolf now able to think clearly, he noticed that he could not only see the Guardian's face, but the iconic cloak was stuffed inside a white apron and a cap sat atop the young man's white hair.
With the borrowed uniform, Alaron looked like other humans that they had passed in the halls.
"Why…?" Renat could not fathom why the Guardian would want to look like the enemy. Hadn't he been hiding in the shadows up until now to avoid being seen?
"We cannot be sure who is on the other side of the door. If we want to enter together, I need to fit in," Alaron explained quickly. Then he froze.
Renat could hear it too. Someone was approaching at a brisk pace.
"Strike that. I'll go inside and you get rid of whoever is coming. No admittance, remember?" Alaron grabbed the container of water from Renat's side and ducked into the room before his brother-in-law could argue.
The brown wolf's eyes went wide.
The newly titled prince had never developed a commanding presence. He was good at directing people in the University and leading by example, but trying to actually guard a door was not within his skill set.
Renat had not been royalty long enough to develop the natural ease which forced people to listen, and up until his transformation he was not large or muscular enough to ever try to physically bully someone into compliance.
'There's a first time for everything,' Renat gritted his teeth for his guest. He hoped against hope that the person nearing would take one--any--of the other doors, but it was no use. The person turned the corner with their gaze squarely trained on the brown wolf and the door behind him.
'Yumeto!' Renat tried not to show the discomfort on his face as the shrewd scientist who had made the mechanical message balls came back into view. The brown wolf turned his wince into a low growl.
"No admittance!" Renat had tried to sound tough, but it mostly came out as raspy. Kicking himself inwardly at his own incompetence, the brown wolf drew himself up to his full height in an attempt to appear more imposing.
Yumeto waved his hand dismissively. "I forgot something. I will only be a moment." He tried to walk around the thin wolf, but Renat used his long arm to block the man's path.
"Taran's orders. No one goes in or out..." Renat could feel himself begin to sweat, but he put even more energy into his tough act.
Yumeto tapped his foot impatiently. "I was just with Taran. You saw me. Shall I go find him so that he can order you to let me pass?"
The brown wolf could see the human would not give up, and the threat of Taran returning was not one that Renat could handle presently. He offered a compromise. "I could retrieve it for you, if you tell me what it is."
Before Yumeto could answer, there was a piercing scream followed by a crashing sound from behind the door. The shrewd man stiffened and pressed past the brown wolf toward the door. Only Renat's firm hand on the handle kept the scientist from pushing into the laboratory.
Glaring at the brown wolf, Yumeto yelled through the door. "Dania, are you alright?!"
A protracted silence ensued where the only thing heard on the other side of the door were hints of whispers.
"Dania?!"
Just as Yumeto was going to make another attempt to force himself into the room, Dania's soft coo called out to him tentatively. "Yumeto, is that you? I thought you had gone."
"I forgot the message ball that I was tinkering with, but the brute at your door won't let me through." Despite all of Yumeto's blustering, he was not as strong as the brown wolf and he knew it. And sending an abomination into a blind rage was not recommended. Even if his tiny bit of elven blood kept him from transforming, he could still end up dead. "What happened in there?"
Another long silence before the door handle jiggled. Reluctantly, Renat released it and allowed the door to open a little more than a slit. Dania poked her face out and gave a weary smile. "There was an accident."
"An accident! Allow me to help!" The shrewd man valued experiments as much as Dania herself. If something had gone wrong, he would help right it as soon as possible.
Dania moved back and held out her hand to stop the other scientist from entering. There was a white cloth wrapped around it, tinged with red on the palm. "No need. Things are well in hand. Anyway, it is just a scratch. No need to be concerned."
After an awkward smile and moment of uncomfortable staring, the female scientist shifted and brought her other arm through the crevice. A small device lay in her palm.
"Here is your ball. I had half a mind to use it to contact my sister before realizing it was broken." Dania's voice had an edge, but Yumeto only chuckled.
He happily took the ball. "You'll see your siblings at your wedding. When's the blessed date again? I must put it on my calendar."
In response to his prodding, the door slammed shut. Renat stepped back in place to keep Yumeto from trying to push the door back open, but there was no need.
"She will never say it, but I really am her favorite. Without my company, she would be utterly bored." Yumeto tossed the broken message ball in the air and caught it in his hands.
A small jingle sounded inside the ball causing him to close his eyes and try to imagine what the problem might be. If he couldn't solve the issue, he would have to rebuild it from scratch, and that took time.
"Blasted thing won't fall into place and is jamming up the wing," Yumeto fussed.
Renat had heard it also. His brain could not help but want to fix any problem, no matter who presented it. Even though the shrewd man was the enemy, the problem itself was merely a puzzle to be solved. And this problem had a far too easy solution. It was child's play.
"Loose bolt," the brown wolf muttered, realizing too late that he had spoken aloud.
"You think?" Yumeto turned a curious eye on the brown wolf. "I tightened them all before closing up the casing."
Renat held up his hands. "You know best," he spoke quickly. "I need to go back to keeping watch."
Not taking the hint, Yumeto popped open the casing. Sure enough a bolt was jingling about and blocking one of the wings from fully functioning. "What do you know...you were right. If you weren't so…wolfish... I might invite you to my laboratory. Glad to see you still have your brain behind all that brawn."
Renat gave a breathy laugh that came out more as panting. The giddy scientist did not seem to notice. Yumeto turned to leave, fiddling with the ball as he wandered down the hall.
The brown wolf heaved a sigh of relief as the human figure stumbled away. Just as he was about to turn the corner, Yumeto stopped short. His face pinched tight as he looked back at the guarded doorway.
"In pursuit of knowledge," the human scientist bid the wolf a scholarly farewell.
Renat dipped his head; he knew the saying well. "For the love of learning," the brown wolf answered the call.
Yumeto's eyes opened wide as his mouth hung open. His entire demeanor changed. "Renat?"
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