The red rage drained away. He was on a freezing hillside against a cold sunset, and they"d left him alone, and he might just make it to the tower...
In one movement, changing from man to wolf as it moved, the werewolf sprang. Vimes went backwards into the snow. He could feel the breath and the blood, but not the pain
No talons ripped, no teeth tore.
And the weight was lifted. Hands pulled the body off him.
"Bit of a close one there, sir," said a voice cheerfully. "Best not to give them any quarter, really." There was a spear right through the werewolf.
"Carrot?"
"We"ll get a fire going. It"s easy if you dip the wood in the fat springs first."
"Carrot?"
"I shouldn"t think you"ve eaten. There"s not much game this close to the town, but we"ve still got some - "
"Carrot?"
"Er, yes, sir?"
"What the hell are you doing here?"
"It"s all a bit complicated, sir. Here, let me help you up - "
Vimes shook him off as he tried to help him to his feet.
"I got this far, thank you, I think I"m capable of standing up," he said, and forced his legs to support him.
"You seem to have lost your trousers, sir."
"Yes, it"s the famous Ankh-Morpork sense of humour," growled Vimes. "Only... Angua will be back soon, and... and..."
"Sergeant Angua"s family, captain, are in the habit of running around the woods in the snow stark bol - stark naked!"
"Yes, sir, but... I mean... you know... it"s not really..."
"I"ll give you five minutes to find a clothes shop, shall I? Otherwise - Look, where the hell are all the werewolves, eh? I was expecting to drop into a heap of snarling jaws, and now you"re here, thank you very much, and there"s no werewolves!"
"Gavin"s people chased them away, sir. You must"ve heard the howl go up."
"Gavin"s people, eh? Well, that"s good! That"s very good! I"m pleased about that! Well done, Gavin! Now, who the hell is Gavin?"
A howl went up from a distant hill.
"That"s Gavin," said Carrot.
"A wolf? Gavin"s a wolf? I"ve been saved from werewolves by wolves?"
"It"s all right, sir. When you think about it, it"s not really any different from being saved from werewolves by people."
"When I think about it, I think perhaps I was better off lying down," said Vimes weakly.
"Let"s get to the sleigh, sir. I was trying to say we have got your clothes. That"s how Angua tracked you."
Ten minutes later Vimes was sitting in front of a fire with a blanket around him, and the world seemed to make a little more sense. A slice of venison was going down well, and Vimes was far too hungry to bother much that the butcher appeared to have used his teeth.
"The wolves spy on the werewolves?" he said.