Life As We Know It - XIX Twenty-One Hours Remaining I knocked on the first door on the list and was greeted by a walking sentient mop. Or rather a Sheepdog, shaggy even for a sheepdog. Only his nose could be seen emerging from the wall of fur. “Can I help you?” He asked. “Uh yes. I am looking for a Mr. Iselief?” The Sheepdog’s ears perked up. “I assume I’ve found him? Uh hello my name is Janelle of the Metamor Watch.” I extended my hand. The Sheepdog shook it very slowly. “I…okay, would you like to come in?” Iselief slowly moved out of the way and gestured to his table. The room was unusually cold. The shock of this on my tail caused me to pull it onto the table. Iselief stared at it, then me. “Sorry about that.” I laughed nervously but left my tail on his table. “I was here to speak to you about a woman named Chamomile—“ “Who?” Iselief asked.
“Woman, human. Probably asked for a hair sample?” I could almost see his black eyes lit up from behind the veil of fur. “Oh my yes I know who that is! How on Earth could I forget her.” He laughed. “I used to work as a whitesmith before the Curse. Now I instruct smiths instead of making things. Too hot with this fur coat, ya know?” “No I don’t.” I said. “Anyway you know, I hear a lot of strange questions from them.” He continued. “She gave me the strangest I’ve ever been asked.” “How strange?” I asked. He licked his nose as he thought about it, tapping on the table. “How long have you been cursed?” “Since the Three Gates.” I said. “I was there the day it happened.” I had been in the Watch only a few months, but I’ll get to that soon. “Well I was there also.” Iselief said. “And she wanted to know when I was cursed. And when I said since the beginning, she wanted a hair sample.” My tail began to thump against the table. “A hair sample? Just a hair sample?” In my mind I began to see something. Just a theory of course, but something. Little things that seemed to flow together. “That’s interesting. Did you give her one?” “Yeah I did.” He said. “Mostly to get her to leave. She scared the daylights out of me in all honesty.” I nodded. “What’s happened to her?” “She’s been arrested.” “What for?” I shook my head. “I’m afraid I can’t say. We’re working out some issues.” Iselief nodded. “For what it’s worth, she scared me but I didn’t dislike her.” He began tapping harder. “Be gentle with her Warden. I dunno what happened but I can tell ya, that woman’s been through the ringer.”
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