A Human Heart

I was bitten by a Werewolf at about twenty seven years of age. My wife and children have paid the greatest price for my foolishness. My current care-taker is careful not to repeat my wife's tragic mistake, that leaves me estranged from my sons, and alone in these my declining years. This story is written so that you may understand the constant torment and loneliness it is to be afflicted with this condition.

Perhaps it would be best to explain how this happened. It might help one to understand how I was so foolish to have put myself in the position to have been bitten in the first place.

I was the game keeper in the Yukon Reserve. This was located in the northern part of what was then called Yukon Territory. I understand it is now a Province of Canada. The Yukon Reserve stretches from Ft. Yukon and Circle Alaska in the west, what is now part of the United States. Then to the headwaters of the Porcupine and Peel rivers in the north (extending to within a hundred miles of Ft. McPherson). The southern boundary has been encroached upon by Muggle establishments along the Yukon River and has had to be pulled fifty miles north of the Stewart and western Yukon river.

It was my duty to ensure that the large herd of unicorns and emigrant centaurs were not disturbed by the local Muggles. This proved to be difficult as the Yukon gold rush was going on at the same time. This gold rush resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of acres along the Stewart river. Muggle greed will overwhelm any repelling charm we knew at the time. Goblins, and a Yeti befriended by the Centaurs, solved this problem. There has been no more encroachment on the preserve since.

I was chosen for this job as no other wizard in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was able to approach a unicorn. My wife also had this talent. So we were a perfect fit for this job. The reason originally, for the creation of the preserve, was overcrowding of the Centaur herds and preserves in Europe. Several herds requested to emigrate to the Americas. We accommodated them with the Yukon Reserve. They were initially unhappy with the selection of location. Yukon can be brutally cold for long periods. Also, as several herds had applied, there wasn't sufficient room for all of them. The herd adapted to it in time and are completely content in their preserve. This was no end of relief to myself and my wife. The first four years were... harrowing to say the least. Getting the herd to wear limited clothing took unwearying patience. In the end the logic of it, and the death toll, forced them to see reason. They now produce a line of jackets and coats that are very popular in the United States, England, and the Continent.

An unusually large herd of Unicorns were discovered by Smethlinda Anynwick (a cousin of my wife) while surveying the boundaries of the proposed preserve. This herd prompted the immediate conscription of myself and by default, my wife. We were fortunately delighted to be ordered to such a position. The challenge and adventure of setting up such an establishment was irresistible to us. That was fortunate, as I doubt weather we would have had any other choice but comply with the wishes of the Ministry. They were suspiciously relieved by our enthusiasm for the project. So we packed bag and baggage and moved ourselves and two of our children to the new world.

Setting up a household, in such a place as the Yukon was at that time, was arduous. Even now, I am told, the Yukon is a challenging place to live. We applied all the skills and magical knowledge we had. And still, the first three years were... rough. The worst part of it was the Centaur herd. Don't get me wrong, they are cultured, intelligent people. Quite the most fascinating conversationalists I have ever known. Once you have their trust, that is. They are also fatally stubborn and proud. We buried over a hundred of them the first two years. Finally, the leader was willing to listen to reason and they have been fine since. Our friends are the only herd of Centaurs in the world who regularly wear clothing. I miss them almost as much as my wife and children.

After three years the Centaur herd was independent of us and things were looking up. Then in our fifth year, there were unexplained deaths in the Centaur and Unicorn herds. The frightening thing was when and how brutal they were. All signs pointed to a Werewolf. Our colony was threatened after only just being established. I applied for assistance from the Subdepartment for the Control and Disposition of Dangerous Creatures. This subdepartment later became the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, it's own independant department. They sent out a taskforce of six wizards. Only three of these worthy men would return to their home.