THE HUNTER AND THE WOLF
The Hunter and the Wolf
Kitee, North Karelia, Finland
The sliding door in the dining area slammed open and shut. Radi knew that he really needed to lock his doors at all time. If he locked them, that would mean that people would just make copies of his key.
"You need to come with me," Lari said as he entered the living area.
Radi looked up at his friend. "Why?"
"I'm getting a tattoo."
"And what does that have to do with me?"
"You already have one." Lari sat down next to Radi on the sofa. "And I need support before I talk myself out of it."
Radi really did not know where this came from. It was true that he had a tattoo on the lower right side of his stomach just below his pants line. It was for his uncle (his mum's first husband) who was killed during the last war. But Lari getting one was a completely different story.
"Why do you want one?"
Lari shrugged. "It's for someone, like yours is."
Radi nodded. He knew who it was for. Lari's father was killed by a road side bomb when he was four years old. "Why are you asking me to go with you?"
Lari stared at the floor. "Because you understand what's it like to be marked for someone."
Radi sighed. He had never meant his uncle. He had just gotten one because his half-brothers and father had one. "I never even met the guy who mine is for."
Lari nodded. "I know. You will just understand why I have to get one."
Radi knew that he was not going to get out of this one. He really had nothing better to do today anyway. Fairyland could wait a little bit longer.
Radi nods. "Okay, then."
Lari looked up at his friend. "Does that mean you will come with me?"
"Yeah. Who knows I may even get one myself." Radi picked his sweatshirt off the floor beside the sofa and pulled it over his head.
"You're joking right?" Lari asked as he stood up.
"Why?" Radi asked as his head poked through the top of the sweatshirt.
Lari shook his head. "Nothing."
"Why?"
"Does your school even let you have tattoos?"
"They just have to be covered during the school day," Radi said with a shrug.
"So anywhere underneath your uniform is game?"
Radi nodded. He was not even sure why he was talking about getting another tattoo. With the threat of death in the air, it made him want to do one more reckless thing. He wanted to live for the moment now. He wanted to feel human before some sort of monster took over him.
Lari stood up and clapped his hands together. "Let's do this thing then."
!
Floor stared out the window, still in shock. There was no way that Esa could actually be gone. There was just simply no way that someone as strong and fierce as Esa could be dead. He was just supposed to be one of those people who lived forever…Who was always supposed to be there. He was like the person who always chased the monsters away that seemed to always hid under the bed.
Lydia snorted in her sleep, causing Floor to jump and almost drop the gun she was holding.
So far, they had seen no sign of the Rogue, but they weren't taking any chances. Every time Floor looked out the window, she feared that they were going to see its haunting red eyes staring back at them.
To make matters worse, humans were also dying. Lydia had managed to tune into the local radio last night. Deven Aro was apparently in charge of the investigations, but so far had turned up any leads. Floor knew he probably wouldn't either, not unless he was familiar in the ways of the supernatural-something she highly doubted he was.
Lydia snorted again. Floor swore at her before turning back to her post. Here she was-guarding a wolf, something she would have never thought she would have done. It really was amazing how much could change in a such a few short months. It really wasn't all that long ago she was hunting with Tarja and Kendra.
Floor shifted her weight around. This was why she hated guard duty; it was for the most part boring. Every once in awhile, something exciting would happen, but it wasn't all that often. Sighing, she scanned the darkness. It probably was a good thing that guard duty was so boring. It usually meant everything was nice and calm.
A tap of her shoulder sent her whipping around with the gun raised.
Lydia stared at her with wide eyes. "I was just going to let you know that I woke up."
Floor lowered her gun. It took every bit of power that she had not to scream at her. "Okay, next time, just say something before you touch me so I don't shot you."
Lydia nodded, the width of her eyes not going down one bit. "I promise."
There was something that was just so childlike about her that made Floor want to protect her. She was so doll-like and breakable that it wasn't even funny.
Lydia peered around Floor. "Have you seen anything?"
Floor shook her head. "No, it's been pretty quiet."
Nodding, Lydia still stared out the window. "I know it's out here. I know he's watching. He's just not letting us see him."
"I never said I didn't believe you. Do you really think we would be doing all of this, if I didn't?"
"Do you think the creature killed all of those people?" Lydia asked, abruptly changing the subject.
"I really don't know," Floor admitted.
Lydia's eyes once again shifted to the outside. "No one really seems to know anything. Please, don't take it the wrong way."
Floor gave her a small smile. "Don't worry, I'm not."
"Good," Lydia whispered. She looked back at Floor. "Why don't you get some rest? I'll handle it from here."
!
The next morning greeted them with a sight that they hadn't seen in a long time: sunshine. They both stood in front of the window, letting it warm their skin. Even though it was so sunny and so warm looking out, there was no denying the chill that managed to find its way through the cracks.
"Get down!" Lydia screamed.
Floor only had seconds to hit the ground just as a chain came crashing through the window, sending a layer of glass flying at them. Rushing to her feet, she managed to get completely upright just as the chain managed to be pulled right out of the window.
"It's here," Lydia whispered as she got to her feet.
Floor scanned the area, but didn't see it. She did have to agree with Lydia. The Rogue was here. The chain laid innocently out in the clear space between the hut and the forest. She pulled out her gun and reloaded it. "We can't let it beat us."
Lydia's entire body was shaking. "And just what do you propose we do?"
"We fight it."
The moment the young women stepped out of the hut, it appeared. It stared at them, licking its lips as it was thinking about how they would taste. It seemed to be blinking a lot, as if the sunlight actually hurt its eyes. It seemed like the creature normally preferred the darkness, but for some reason, it had decided to show its face to the light today.
Rats and other small creatures had been all it had ate for awhile…They were so tasteless and did not keep his strength up. He had been longing for the wolf for such a long time. There was just something about her flesh that drew him in.
With a dripping maw, it smiled at them, baring its sharp, uneven teeth.
Keeping her gun raised, Floor stared at the creature, sensing that something else was here with them. Turning quickly away from the Rogue, she saw it.
It peered out of the shadows, covered in what she thought was a cloak. It stumbled closer to them. She chanced a look back at the Rogue, which still hadn't moved, but did seem to have its eyes locked on Lydia.
It crawled closer to them…Rot seemed to linger around it, making it seem like it had been locked up for a long time, until just a few days ago. Floor stepped back from the creature. Up close, it looked even more deadly that it had that night they stole the ring.
It stalked closer to them, hunting them. Floor tighten her grip on her gun. Bullets would give them no chance against a monster like this. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lydia dart back into the hut, letting the door slam behind her. Well, at least she had some kind of a brain.
Floor looked back at the creature, knowing she had to do something or she would be killed.
It stared at her. It looked like had been in another fight. There was no way they could have done all of that damage to its amour like skin.
It moved forward so quickly that Floor barely had time to react. She fired a couple of useless shots at it, but the bullets just seemed to balance right off it. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the Rogue, just sitting there, watching without really any interest. Maybe it was thinking that it would let the creature finish her off and, then, it could eat her.
Then, suddenly, a shape darted out of the house, tossing a glittering object to Floor. Floor caught the object. "A sword?" she gasped.
Lydia nodded, gripping her own sword. "Since this thing is so old, I thought maybe going back to the old ways would be the best route to go."
The creature darted forward again. Its claws sounded like death on the ground.
Floor turned to Lydia. "RUN!" Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Lydia was rushing back into the hut and hopefully right out the other door.
Floor turned to the creature. Its shrieks…It reminded her of rage and despair…It was like everything that was bad in the world was right in front of her.
The creature's eyes focused on her once again. It seemed to be licking its lips…It was actually thinking about how she could taste. That alone was enough to send shivers down her spine.
She took several steps back before turning and running, not even bothering to look back to see if it was coming.
Floor slammed the hut door shut. It wouldn't stop the creature and the Rogue, but it would at least slow them down at bit.
Lydia was fumbling with something, stuffing objects into a bag.
"What are you doing!" Floor roared as she grabbed onto Lydia, dragging her toward the other door.
"I was getting some things we may need," Lydia gasped. "Now, will you let go!"
The creature and the Rogue slammed into the other door with such a force that Floor could actually hear it start to give.
Floor flung open the other door, just as she heard the front door give. She could hear the Rogue and the creature coming at them with everything they had. She flung Lydia through the door.
They struggled to the other door shut, but the creature and the Rogue were faster. The creature's claw managed to get caught in the door, it bellowed, trying to latch its claws onto the nearest object. It was so close to Floor's arm…So close…If it managed to get a hold of her, she had no idea how she would manage to get free.
They had to get the door shut. To let it go like this, would mean a certain death.
Floor leaned against it with everything she had. If only Lydia was able to transform…If only…Then, they may have somewhat of a fighting chance.