[littlemanpoet]

Dread fell upon the village. The clouds hung low, hiding the sun, but it did not rain. The air was still. Added to the seaside smell of salt, decaying seaweed, dead fish, and gull droppings, was the smell of blood. The dogs were frenzied with it, uncomfortably reminding the villagers of the growing number of werewolves. Alcarillo picked up the remains of his wife and, surrounded by the rest of the villagers, brought them to the graveyard. As Alcarillo dug the grave, Gurthang spoke.

"Hear me, villagers." His tone seemed foreboding. Suddenly he threw aside the large woolen cloak he was wearing, and behold! Everyone jumped back at the sight of a BLACK cloak underneath! Not black like dyed cloth, but a swirling, rich black that seemed to spread out from him. Sure that he was the Evil Wizard, they all ran for the door, but with a word he stopped them.

"Halt! Do not leave, for I have a message that none of you should miss. Do not fear me, for I am the Good Wizard. Though my color is Black, my heart is not. I am Gurthang the Black (Sword). I have been bidden to aid you in this time of trial. Evil has gained the upper hand. But do not quell, for they are only five among us all. Now, the real battle begins."

The revelation of the Good Wizard did not have the effect Gurthang had expected. The former seer, and father of Gurthang, Nilpaurion, taking strength in his obvious innocence, set aside gentleness and hurled ultimata. Some looked at Gurthang in envy, wondering why the Watchers hadn't picked them. Roa didn't like her independence of mind limited. Diamond threatened to get even grumpier. Valier insisted Roa was the evil wizard. "Why?" She was asked. "I'm convinced!" "By what?" she was asked. "My gut feeling!" The villagers groaned and told her to go back to her gardening.

Trying to get order back, Gurthang laid out a plan. Diamond and Roa pooh poohed the plan. Gurthang couldn't believe his ears and got snippy.

Caranlondien took her mushing whip and snapped it in the air. "Now listen, everybody, we all know it's no fun being told what to do, but our chances are improved. Don't you want to live?"

By way of answer, Diamond cast the first vote. "I'm voting early since I don't see anymore point in saying anything that's not sanctioned by Gurthang or Nilp." She turned on her heels and left the graveyard in a huff. Someone commented that her miff was sprung from family rivalry. After all, Diamond was having to live down the embarrassment of a rather wolvish, not to mention, largely dead, family, whilst Gurthang and Nilpaurion had suddenly been vaunted - for the first time in their lives in Sealville - to positions of honor, respect, and influence.

Into the ensuing calm was presented a series of character analyses by cooler heads. Amid the careful analyses fell a vote here, a vote there, and a cry from Valier that Roa was the evil wizard. The assemblage rolled their eyes yet again .... and yet another villager voted for Valier. Mormegil and then others decided that Diamond was unanalyzable because she simply talked too much. Apparently, talking too much was not considered an attribute of wolvishness, and she received no votes all day long.

Finally, Nilpaurion saw that maybe his tone had been somewhat offputting, and he apologized, asking the village to give his son half an ear.

Lommy came to Valier's defense: "That's just Valier."

"At least someone understands me!" cried Valier.

"How can you be so confident, unless you're the evil wizard, or a werewolf following orders?" asked Spawn.

"I'm not following anybody's orders!" Valier insisted.

But the more she talked, the more the votes against her piled up. But not her alone. Before the day was done, Eomer had received a vote, as had Alcarillo; Zali had received four votes as continuing suspicions swirled around her odd behavior since the death of her lover. Roa garnered six votes. But to Valier there accrued seven votes.

"No lynching for this one," Mormegil said. "We'll plant her in her garden and see what grows from the seed."

The villagers seemed to like this idea. The tied her up and walked her to her garden. They dug a hole. Soon it was deep enough so that her head was a foot below the ground level if she were standing at all her height. They dropped her in.

"Any last words?" Mormegil asked.

"LONG LIVE THE EVIL WIZARD!!!!! BWAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!" She transformed. She burst her bonds. She howled. She grew. Her lupine head rose above the ground and her hairy arms sought purchase to lift herself up and out of the hole.

"Stone her!" cried Mormegil. It was lucky that the seaside was made as much of stone as sand and gravel and earth. The pelted her with stones of varying size until she was stuck in the hole, unable to get her hind legs free. They kept at her with the stones until her snout was bent to one side and her eyes had been bloodied shut, her arms broken, and finally, her head bashed in. She was no longer a pretty sight. And she was dead.

The sun set, though it could not be seen, for the sky was slate and the air was still. Blood was all over the ground, all over the clothing of those who had killed the werewolf, and the smell of blood was in the air. The villagers tried hard to get the blood off their hands, with little success. And they waited in fear for the coming night.

~ The Tally ~

One evil wizard
One good wizard
Three werewolves
One hunter

~ The Dead ~

Elempi, father of Diamond of the Battledore, killed on Night One
Loki the leech collector, lynched on Day One: innocent
The Saucepan Man the barkeep, killed on Night Two: innocent
Nogrod the retired jester, lynched on Day Two: werewolf
the phantom the loud, unpredictable, adventurer: hunter
Naria the servant who empties and cleans chamber pots: werewolf
Celuien the Healer and Cupper, lynched on Day Three: innocent
Lhunardawen the jeweler, committed suicide on Day Three: innocent
Cailín the match maker, mauled by werewolves on Night Four: innocent
Valier the gardener, planted and stoned in her garden on Day Four: werewolf

~ The Living ~

Diamond of the Battledore
Caranlondien the Sled-Team Driver
Roa Aoife the weaver
Dancing Spawn of Ungoliant the Baker
Kath the minstrel
Lommy the little girl who steals other children's candy
Glirdan with the giant crush on Kath
Sleepy Ranger the former wanderer
Kitanna the beloved of Eomer
Firefoot the artist
Alcarillo the old retired sea captain
Oddwen the filthy, insane street urchin who steals chickens
mormegil the retired mariner and current mayor
Feanor the shepherdess with a love of alliteration
Zali the seamstress and beloved of the phantom
Jenny Hallu the unmarried maiden & aunt
Lalaith the frivolous aunt and guardian of Oddwen
Eonwe the freeloading husband of Lhunardawen
Eomer the adventurer & lover of Kitanna
Nilpaurion the ne'er do well hubby of Dancing Spawn
Gurthang the stable-hand