They both descended to the lower deck where the cramped space meant there was only room for a bed each in Anton and Nichasin’s cabin. Hazel had the opposite cabin, which was the same size but had only one bed so it had more useable space. They found Hazel in her cabin, using the space to great effect, throwing anything that was not nailed down. Clothing of course did not hit walls with the same satisfying thump as a boot or a tankard. The knife however, was still vibrating in the wall as they opened the door in alarm at the noise.
Hazel was not changed to Wolf, but they both thought she was close.
“Hazel what are you doing? Stop it this instant!” Anton shouted but kept back, he also held Nichasin back just in case he went to her. Nichasin did not need restraining however; self-preservation was uppermost in his mind at this point.
“I thought she was Wolf, she looks more like a Hell-Cat to me.” Nichasin whispered and ducked as another boot came flying at him with lethal aim.
“I heard that!” Hazel said.
Suddenly Anton’s manner altered and he rushed at Hazel and clamped her arms in his. “Hazel, stop struggling. You have a problem.”
“Yes! My problem at this moment is you!”
“No, you have a problem with your Wolf psyche. Calm down Hazel, I mean it!” When she stopped, he let her go, but was very wary in case she should get violent again. “Hazel, you aren’t killing enough.”
“Well you won’t let me!” She retorted.
“No, I mean at the full moon, how many did you take?”
“None on the first night, we were dealing with the crew of the cog. Nichasin and I shared two on the second night and we shared one and took one each on the third night. Why?” She counted them off on her fingers.
“You are not feeding enough; your body needs more glands to keep it balanced. You were despondent this morning and yet you are in an absolute fury this afternoon. That cannot be normal.”
“But Nichasin doesn’t have such violent mood changes. And he has fed only once more than I,” she said.
“He is not developing at the same extraordinary rate as you are Hazel. Nichasin is normal whereas you are most definitely not.”
“And this knowledge has come from your studies?” Hazel asked.
“Not directly, for I have never studied one such as you. I realise you must be different because you are different. Your development has come on in leaps and bounds even since you killed the throwback Sebastian and that was but a month since. The last two moons we have had, you have not fed as much as you should have. I know that Phillipe, Nichasin and Christoph fed on their way home and then they did again before we got home, but you did not kill. Whether you did not have the stomach for it after you performed euthanasia on Sebastian or some other reason, I don’t know, but you don’t seem to feel the need to kill, yet your body does, it is giving you that message in your extremes of temper. One moment you are sobbing and the next raging. Your development is that of an Ancient who does not need to kill every moon, and yet your Wolf body is that of a whelp and because of this you do need to kill and feed.”
“I will kill the throwback tonight then after we leave the ship!”
“No you will not. I need to experiment with this one for a little while at least. He will come with us and you will not harm him. Hazel, I need you to promise me that you will not harm him, or scare him or wound him.”
After a long pause of searching Anton’s eyes with hers, she said with a vicious gleam in her eyes “I promise, but as soon as your experiments are over, I also promise that I will do all of those things.”
“You will and I will relish watching.” Anton said.
Because they had made a complaint to the captain about the man, they decided that it would serve no purpose to further link him with them, so Nichasin told him to meet them that night at a particular drinking house that Anton knew. It was far enough from the docks to not be a regular haunt for the captain and his crew to frequent but Anton knew there were friends close by in a private house where they could stay.
They walked along the street away from the docks and a carriage - open but elegant - stopped by the side of them. The coachman leaned down to Anton and spoke to him with obvious reverence. Anton replied and then held Hazel’s hand to help her into the carriage, and then he and Nichasin followed her.
“We are ready Coachman; please take us to your Mistress.”
As they approached the villa, the door opened and a woman, small and dark-haired, striking in her beauty and elegant in the way she was dressed, came out, clutching at her dress as she ran. “Anton! How good it is to see you again!” She cried out.
“This was a surprise; how did you know I was in Ostia?” Anton embraced the woman with more than mere fondness.
Before she pulled from Anton’s embrace, she kissed his cheek and mouth and then said “I was informed as soon as you had set foot upon the shore, I have my spies. I have been awaiting your visit since then. But let us not stand out on the front of the house, please come inside. You are all welcome to my humble home.”
“And how did you know I would visit you, lady? You are more presumptuous than I recall.” Anton said.
“Anton, you are so rude, how dare you? Of course I expected your visit, how could you not visit me first?” The lady laughed.
“Hah! You never will change my dear. You will always be my first call whenever I land at Ostia, no matter what the reason for my visit.”
“You are still rude, Anton, you have not introduced my guests to me.” The lady said as she glided into a large and cool room, bidding them to sit on cushions and chaises scattered about the room.
“Of course, Elizabeth, my darling, this is Nichasin; son of a dear friend and this is Hazel.”
“Hazel, I am delighted to meet you.” Elizabeth had heard of Hazel somehow, but Hazel could not sense her as Wolf, though she had suspected for a while, she could not be certain. “Nichasin, I do not think I have met your father, unless he has been to Italy, for I have not been to France in ages.”
Nichasin bowed as he kissed Elizabeth’s proffered hand and said: “Alas, my father is dead. You would not have met him then lady, for he was killed in France.”
Hazel glanced at Nichasin, she was surprised that he had told her that information; he never talked about his father. This lady Elizabeth was an enigma.
“Elizabeth, I would speak with you. It is of great importance. I would borrow your carriage in order to travel to Rome if I may?” Anton said as they relaxed after Elizabeth’s servants had refreshed them.
They went into another room and Hazel was starting to doze to the murmuring of their voices. Nichasin wandered around, looking at the art pieces that were placed around the room.
It must have been an hour or so later, Hazel awoke to find herself alone and in silent surroundings. The voices she had dropped to sleep hearing had gone and Nichasin was also absent. She took her time to awaken and when she stood, she saw a garden through the doorway, and she started towards there but was stopped by the sound of someone’s polite cough behind her. She turned and looked at him. He was very handsome and his smile was flirtatious, and she could sense that he was not Wolf.
“Santi, do not waken my guest, she is tired after a long journey.” Elizabeth whispered.
Santi turned away from Hazel in order to answer Elizabeth.
“She is already awake, I did not disturb her, let me assure you, though I would have liked to have seen her sleeping.” Santi said.
“I am certain you would, but that is very improper and not at all polite.” Hazel said, in perfect Italian, to Elizabeth and Santi’s amazement.
“You said she could not speak Italian!” Santi accused Elizabeth.
“I assumed…” Elizabeth stammered.
Hazel walked past them both towards Anton who had appeared behind them at another doorway.
“You are cruel beyond measure Anton.” Hazel said as she breezed past him.
Anton burst into laughter. “I apologise Elizabeth, I did indeed tell you Hazel had never before been to Italy and has had no lessons in languages. But as you see, she is a natural linguist, it is a skill she has.”
Hazel heard a slap as Elizabeth reached Anton and whacked him on his bare arm and then she smiled as Elizabeth giggled.
Hazel was sitting in the garden and Anton sat next to her as she watched water trickling from a large jug into a pond with fish glinting as they swam.
“When do we leave for Rome?” Hazel said with an uncharacteristic sharpness to her tone.
“You are impatient to leave? Do you not care for your surroundings, the pleasing company?” Anton said.
“You obviously do, that is plain.” Hazel retorted.
“And there is something wrong with that?” Anton said with an infuriating calm.
Hazel looked at Anton, her eyes delving into his. Then she altered her demeanour and said, “No, there is nothing wrong, the problem is in myself, not our gracious hostess or her lovely villa. It’s my fault. I’m sorry I’m acting so horribly.”
Anton said nothing, just nodded his head once, but he smiled.
“We will stay here for a month Hazel. We have the use of this house and the surrounding area is – interesting. We have matters we need to deal with and also Elizabeth has affairs she must settle before we go to Rome.”
“Elizabeth is coming too?”
“Yes Hazel, I am coming with you. I hope that will not present you with a problem?”
“Again, I apologise. I don’t know why I am acting this way.” Hazel said.
“I think maybe Santi has disquieted you somewhat?” Elizabeth said.
“I don’t think that. No. I think it is more my own feelings of inadequacy, surrounded by beautiful things and beautiful people, serene in their lives when mine in such turmoil. Is Santi Wolf?”
“No, he isn’t. He does know about me though. He found out and has been begging me to make him such ever since. He stays because I enjoy his ah – company.” Elizabeth winked at Hazel and Hazel was quite taken aback at the lasciviousness in the lady’s expression. Then Elizabeth and Anton laughed at Hazel’s expression but they weren’t unkind and Hazel saw the funny side.
Nichasin had been out exploring the area and he found the taverna where Anton had told the man from the ship to meet them. He decided that it was probably best if Hazel and Elizabeth did not go with them. Elizabeth agreed but Hazel was curious why Nichasin thought this.
“Hazel, I have no doubt whatsoever that you would not be frightened in such a place, but as we are supposed to be normal Humes, and a normal woman of your social standing would never be present at such a place, I think you should stay home with Elizabeth and allow Santi to entertain you both.” Nichasin said.
“I am afraid I must agree with Nichasin, Hazel. The tavernas are disreputable places, no place for a lady such as you. But I think Nichasin is being facetious when he suggests Santi alone would entertain us. I think a lavish party to introduce you to my friends is in order. That is what we will do this evening, we will visit some of my friends and introduce you to them in order that they will come to a party and bring with them only the very best sort of acquaintances in order to further your standing when we arrive in Rome.” Elizabeth said.
“Of course you will introduce her to Encresciuta and her sister, Belafanta. They are by far two of the wealthiest women in Lazio.” Anton said to Elizabeth.
“If that is what you wish, though I would not have thought those two were the sort of women you would want to be introduced to Hazel, but no matter. Of course, I will forewarn her too.” Elizabeth said.
Anton nodded then led Nichasin away to prepare for the evening and their meeting.
“You do not approve of those two women, Elizabeth, I saw how you reacted. If you do not wish us to meet with them then I would respect your judgement.” Hazel said.
“But I respect Anton’s judgement also, he instructed me to take you to them. Anton always has reasoning behind his every instruction, it may not be immediately apparent, it may not become apparent for a long time, but be sure of one thing, if Anton wants it to happen there is most definitely something behind his request. I dare not refuse.”
Elizabeth took Hazel to the bathhouse where they were washed and dressed by Elizabeth’s attentive servants. Hazel’s hair was washed and brushed and then coiffed in a style similar to Elizabeth’s.
When they were ready, Elizabeth called for her carriage and Santi, along with two male servants escorted them. They spent a very pleasant evening travelling from one villa to another, meeting Elizabeth’s acquaintances; she did not class them as friends because Wolves were ill-advised to make friends of Humes. Hazel recounted Katherine’s end, which served to show that the lesson given by Elizabeth had sadly, already been learned.