“We’ll just have to be even more careful then,” she said. She didn’t feel good about that and felt like walking through Wrexon would leave them way too exposed but ultimately, he was right. They needed to restock.

“I’ll be careful.” He winked at her, that devilish grin on his face again. “Don’t worry. Nobody's going to know.”

Three days later, they saw Wrexon off in the distance. It was comprised predominantly of gray, stone houses with slate roofs. There were other buildings as well that housed factories, warehouses, governmental offices, and even a clock tower but most were the houses. Plumes of smoke drifted into the sky from dozens of chimneys and factory smokestacks. She could smell a distasteful, acrid aroma in the air. She looked at Russel and saw him curl his nose in disgust at the smell of polluted air.

They continued toward Wrexon and eventually merged into a long line of others trying to get into the city. There was a bit of a hold-up because the entrance was being controlled by a group of about a dozen soldiers being overseen by two knights in full armor. Both had their helms off but their hands were resting lightly on the hilts of their swords.

“That doesn’t look good,” Lola said, whispering. They were surrounded now by people on all sides.

“Don’t worry,” he said. “We don’t have anything to worry about. Just stay cool and we’ll get through just fine.”

She didn’t say anything. She kept her gaze focused on the soldiers and the knights. It scared her that they were coming face-to-face with soldiers. They had worked so hard to keep themselves hidden and now all that hard work could be blown if their luck went the wrong way. She felt her heart spike a bit with that fear.

Eventually, it was their turn. The soldiers eyed them, a wary, cautiousness in their gaze. But also boredom. They probably had been out there all day doing the same monotonous thing over and over again. When Russel and Lola walked up, one halted them with a raised hand.

“Where are you two coming from?” the soldier asked, his tone one of absolute boredom.

“Bluffin,” Lola answered, her voice confident. When the soldier looked at her with a blank expression, she elaborated. “Tiny farm community near the Venkoff.”

Understanding dawned on him.

“Ah,” he said. “And what’s your business in Wrexon?”

“My wife and I have some family we came to visit. My sister just had her baby,” Russel told the man.

“On your journey here, have you witnessed anything strange or come across any creatures of supernatural origin?” he asked.

That startled Russel somewhat. They’re asking about all supernatural creatures? He thought the king’s focus would be on just werewolves.

“Uh, no,” Russel said. “Not that we’ve noticed anyway. Darling, have you had any encounters with supernatural entities?”

She forced herself not to roll her eyes at Russel. She looked at the soldier and smiled widely.

“Nothing, sir,” she said. “We got here without trouble.”

“Good, good,” the man replied, still bored. He started to wave them through.

The whole time, the two knights kept careful watch over everyone coming and going. Lola caught one of them taking an unhealthy interest in Russel. The man’s eyes wouldn’t stray from Russel almost from the minute they got there.

“Thank you, sirs,” Lola told them, trying to be overly sweet about it.

“You both have a pleasant day,” Russel said with a chipper smile.

They started to move forward, heading into the city proper. Serk’s hooves clip-clopped on the cobblestone streets, making loud clicking sounds. They went past the soldiers and were almost in when the knight that had been eyeing Russel with hefty amounts of suspicion reached out and grabbed hold of his arm.

“One moment,” the knight said. The metal gauntlet he wore creaked with the strain of his grip. “Please step out of line and stand over here. I’d like to ask you a few more questions.”

Russel kept his face composed.

Inside, he felt a flutter of panic.