Das Mädchen in Rot - Chpt 10 [English - US]
Das Mädchen in Rot [English - US]
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Description:
Das Mädchen in Rot (German: The girl in red) is a dark version adaptation from the original story wrote by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. The adaptation tells the story of Nella - a young girl that lived with her family in a tribe and her father was killed by a black Wolf-Being (it's how the tribesman call the werewolves) as he and a friend of him saved the young Nella. After she reached her full age, Nella was summoned to be part of a cult where the grown up women wears a red mantle and depart from the tribe to the Great Mother's house for the Ancestors blessing to keep the Wolf-Beings away from the tribesmen. According to the Oracle, the Great Mother's house is deep inside of the forest - the same where the Wolf-Beings and other dreadful creatures lurk inside, preying upon the visitors that venture without a portion of cautiousness.
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Introduction:
About fifteen full moons ago, an ancient tribe lived in what would become a forest. This tribe was known for worshiping a mystical entity whose form resembled a wolf.
When the first Red Moon rose in the sky, the people of that tribe began to transform into the image of the entity. No one knew what happened to make them become the image of the entity, but it was said that the wind carried various howls throughout the world.
One night, a small group of hunters entered the forest in search of food. And when they spotted the first deer to take back to the tribe, a huge figure appeared and devoured three of the hunters who entered that place, leaving only one of them to tell what happened. He said the creature that killed the others who went with him had the shape of a man, but the head and fur of a wolf.
And it was on that day that the tribe began to fear the wolf creature that attacked our people in the forest.
Chapter 10
Day broke in the forest. William approached a puddle of water that had formed beneath a pine tree. It was icy cold as he scooped up some to wash his face. Part of his fringe got wet, and he shook it off like a wolf.
In an instant, he saw young Nella petting Hvit. The female wolf was still in pain, but not as much as before. Nella offered her some water in a kind of clay bowl. Holding the object close to her mouth, the wolf drank slowly. The girl's hand slid through her fur, massaging the wolf's ribcage. She sensed that Hvit was recovering from the blow inflicted by the werewolves who had come after her.
At the same time, William approached the two women. He was wearing the pants he had retrieved the moment he heard Nella's voice while surrounded by the werewolves. The scars from the fight with those two had healed, but were still visible as reddish projections on his skin.
“William,” Nella said, turning to face him as Hvit drank from the bowl of water.
“How is Hvit?”
“She is recovering, but she is able to drink water without needing much help."
“That is good to know.”
“And you? How are your wounds?”
“My wounds are healing well.”
Nella smiled at the young man. Then she noticed he was acting a little strangely. His gaze was slightly shifted to the right, as if he were afraid to say something.
“William, are you alright? You seem a little different.”
“Different? In what way?” he asked with a serious look.
“You seem calmer, but a little more nervous than before.”
“I'm fine, Nella. That's all.”
The girl noticed the young man turning his back, hesitant to talk about it.
Uneasy, Nella decides to ask one last question. “William. There's something I'd like to ask you, but… I've never had the opportunity to. And I want you to be honest with me.”
William remained with his back to the girl. His still sharp hearing picked up Nella's words. “Speak, Nella. What would you like to ask me?”
Nella swallowed hard as she asked that question. She knew it came from her heart.
“I felt your lips touching mine. Why did you do that?”
The boy remained quiet, nervous about giving an answer for that act.
“It was nothing.”
“Nothing? William, you've been acting really strange lately!” the girl said with a serious look, supporting herself on her hip with her left hand. She continued speaking, even though he had his back to her. “You didn't want me to come to this place and you did everything to stop me!”
The young man who had accompanied her throughout the trip paused for a second. “And in the end, I let you go, even after being warned about the dangers of this place.”
“And now, you act like it's nothing!”
William said nothing more. Hvit remained quiet, watching the two travelers argue. Nella knew he didn't want to tell the truth. In the end, she called him again, asking him something serious that she had been saving for that moment.
“Even though you didn't want me to continue with the Great Journey, why did you risk everything to protect me?”
“It's because…”
Nella looked at the boy with a troubled expression, listening to his halting answer.
“…it's because I care about you and… I like you,” William replied, turning his face to look at her.
Hearing that, her eyes widened. Her hand, which had been on her waist, moved from its place, and her body assumed a neutral posture.
“Even though I didn't want you to go ahead, I did everything to protect you. You are young, beautiful, educated, and very sincere.”
The girl looked at her colleague with a slight expression of surprise, but also relief.
“And… I don't know what that feeling is, of liking someone like you. So much so that I was the one who kissed your lips. Even though I did things that didn't please you, I… I wanted to apologize for all of that.”
Hearing that, Nella remained silent. She sighed at William's response. Then she smiled.
“William, I… you don't need to apologize for that.”
The young man looked calmly at his travel companion, even with a slight expression of seriousness.
“Besides, I'm glad to hear your sincere answer. And… I care about you too. I've never met another person who would risk everything to protect me, the way my parents would. If all this is over, maybe I'll invite you to meet my tribe and even my mother. Who knows, maybe she'll accept you as part of the family.”
“I… perhaps I'd appreciate the invitation. But I don't know if they'll accept me the way I am,” William replied, worried because of his nature.
“Don't worry, William,” said Nella, smiling to reassure him as she approached him.
With that said, the boy saw the Girl in Red close to him. Her right hand rested on his chest. He felt her heartbeat grow stronger and faster through that touch.
“I know it might seem strange at first, and the tribe chief might have some disagreements with you, but they will accept you. Just as I accepted you into my life.”
William was a little nervous. He was in the presence of a girl. Emotions made him nervous, his heart beating fast.
“Do you… Do you really want this?” the boy asked, in a low tone as he brought his face closer to hers.
“I do, William. I want you to be more than my guardian and guide. I want you to be my companion for the rest of my life,” the girl replied in a low, serene tone.
In an instant, William moved closer to Nella's face, first kissing her forehead, then her nose, her left cheek, and finally her lips. Nella reciprocated, kissing his lips. The two young people surrendered to their feelings. Their tongues explored the inside of their mouths, touching one another.
Pausing for a second, Nella pulled away from her companion. Her hands reached for the cord that tied her red cloak, pulling to untie the knot. Then she let it fall to the ground and grass. William helped her undo the belt that held her dress and finally the main garments that covered her body.
Hvit remained lying down, drinking water from the bowl while watching the two travelers in a passionate moment. She stopped drinking, lying down to rest.
////
In the midst of that tranquil morning, the two young lovers were kneeling on the grass in a spot not far from where they were. Their clothes were removed, and their bodies were pressed against each other, feeling the heat coursing through them. Nella remained embraced by William, feeling his lips brush against hers and her neck, sighing with pleasure.
The two lay on the floor, with William kissing her navel and licking that spot, moving up towards her left breast, causing shivers and moans to run through Nella. With his face close to her left nipple, he began to caress it with his lips and tongue. His waist was aligned with her belly, his masculinity pressed against her. Nella cried out in pain, contorting her arms behind her and closing her eyes. This was her first moment with William, her chastity broken. William's body flexed forward, his hips swaying around her legs as he slid forward, feeling Nella's body in the process. Nella sighed and moaned.
Later, the two changed positions. With William lying on his back on the floor, the girl was on his chest, kissing him as she moved down to his legs. Then, she straddled his waist. Her hands positioned themselves on his chest, pressing firmly as she swayed her hips around that area. The boy sighed, watching her body sway against his waist. Nella moaned with pleasure. Her breasts swayed in time with the rhythm of the ride.
Finally, the two were sitting on the floor, with Nella straddling William's waist, gripping his shoulders tightly as she rubbed her pelvis against his. They were both at the peak of pleasure, with William grabbing her thighs and collapsing onto the floor, climbing on top of her. His hands gripped the earth, his teeth and eyes clenched. Nella cried out in pleasure, holding his back as she felt her womb being filled with William's seed. Even though she carried the werewolf boy's gene, Nella would accept carrying it and being the mother of his offspring.
////
Minutes after their intimate moment, William held the girl in his arms, with her lying on his chest. He felt her warmth and her skin sliding against him, her hand resting on his chest.
“That was really good,” William said, looking up, holding the girl by the shoulder.
“Yes. It was really good.”
“I hope there aren't any suitors in your tribe or anyone who's already had a first time with you. I don't want to cause trouble because of this.”
“What? Oh no. I've never had another person I'd relate to in the same way we did. Besides, the Chief would come to my mother, telling her I'd be prepared to marry a future husband. Just like my mother told me when he went to my grandmother, saying she would marry my father.”
“But since you went on the Great Journey, I believe you would get married after you returned from it.”
Nella laughed. “Yeah. Who knows.”
They looked at each other as they lay in the middle of the forest.
“William.”
“Yes, Nella?”
“I'm scared.”
“Why? Did I do something bad to you?”
“No. It's just…”
“What happened?”
“After all this is over and we find the Wolfslayer and face the Alpha, what will become of you and the others?”
“Consequently, we would be a broken pack and we will go our separate ways. Like the others did until a new Alpha emerges. But I guarantee they won't be able to attack the other tribes, not even yours.”
Nella looked at her mate.
“Stay with me,” she pleaded.
“Nella.”
“Please, stay with me. Stay by my side so that when I have my child with you, he doesn't end up on the same path as you.”
William pulled her close, embracing her tightly.
“Of course I will, Nella. I will stay by your side, no matter the circumstances. I will help you raise our child.”
With that, the two shared a kiss, spending that moment embraced.
////
At the same time, the group of hunters headed into the forest in search of the Girl in Red. They followed the main path to the Big Mother's cabin. Ulfric, Johann, and the others followed the path with their weapons in hand, hoping to be attacked by the werewolves.
“It's over there. The Great Mother's hut.” Johann pointed to the wooden house.
“Or what's left of it,” one of the hunters added.
Nearby, the group spotted a large hole in the wooden wall and signs of a struggle. Without saying anything more, they entered through that opening. Snow covered part of the furniture and the wooden floor. Next to it was the body of a dead creature. It was large for their size and too heavy for one person to turn it over alone. Several men gathered to turn the body over, including Johann and Ulfric.
The hunters turned the body over. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a dead werewolf, showing wounds from a fight and a bite mark on its neck, with a piece missing and insect larvae crawling around, devouring the dead flesh.
“It's a Wolf-Being!” shouted one of the hunters.
“Yes. It's a Wolf-Being, just like in the stories,” Ulfric said, frowning and his eyebrows furrowed. “But this one is dead.”
The men examined the dead creature's wounds to determine the cause of death. Johann glanced briefly at them, then at Ulfric.
“I've hunted wolves, wild boars, deer, and caribou. But never a Wolf-Being. I've even heard stories that they're immortal, but I see that those stories might be wrong.”
“They may be mistaken, but I don't believe we can kill the Wolf-Beings under the current conditions.”
Ulfric looked at his colleague with a closed expression, crossing his arms as he spoke. “What do you suggest we do?”
“There is an artifact located in the center of the forest. I didn't tell the Chief about it, because he would keep this story from all of us, as he always does. One that is capable of stopping them,” said Johann, knowing of the Wolfslayer's existence.
“An artifact?” asked the black-bearded hunter.
“Yes. I've heard stories about a silver sword that a hunter used to kill the Alpha leader. Not many know the story of the Wolfslayer. It was buried in the past along with the sword. Only a few know about it,” Ulfric replied to the man. The others began to speak one after another, silenced by the leader's loud call.
“They don't make weapons out of silver anymore these days. And wielding one will make you a legend.”
“That's why we need to go to the center of this forest and retrieve it to face the Wolf-Beings,” said Johann, determined to go after the sword.
“That place is where the Wolf-Beings reside,” said another hunter, carrying a wooden shield painted white, red, and blue.
In the midst of the analysis, one of the hunters addresses the two men who were talking about the Wolfsbane.
“This Wolf-Being was killed some time ago. But what's most striking is the wound on its throat. A chunk of flesh was forcefully torn off by the bite of another Wolf-Being,” said the man examining the dead monster, pointing to the spot after removing a portion of the larvae with the blade of his axe.
“A Wolf-Being facing another Wolf-Being?” Johann asked, surprised.
“That's what it seems to be.”
“And to think that these monsters would be united beings. But they are not,” Ulfric replied.
“Why would a Wolf-Being do such a thing? They don't usually attack each other for obvious reasons,” the red-bearded hunter asked Ulfric.
“I don't know. In any case, we need to find out more things here in this cabin that might connect to what happened here.” Then he signaled for four hunters to investigate the place for more.
The other men went out to investigate the cabin, leaving Johann and Ulfric in that room and the rest of the members outside. Those two men approached to speak while watching the other hunters gather furniture and objects of wood or fabric near the dead werewolf. Their intention was to burn the Great Mother's cabin when all this was over.
“This place is lost, Johann. We're going to find out more about what happened here. After that, we'll finish the investigation, then burn down this cabin and go looking for Nella.”
“But what about the Great Mother?”
“If my suspicions are correct regarding the Wolf-Being we encountered, and she is dead, either as herself or as one of them, I fear that your friend is in trouble and the Great Journey is compromised.”
Johann had to agree with the group leader. Nella needed help if the cabin's former resident was dead and couldn't find other ways to communicate with the spirits. In the middle of their conversation, they heard the sound of one of the hunters calling.
“Ulfric! Johann!”
“We found the body of an elderly woman here!”
The hunter's call was heard by the two, leading them to where a hunter with light brown hair was standing. I was in the room where Nella found the Great Mother's body the time she was in the cabin during the Great Journey.
Johann was horrified to see that poor old woman, now nothing more than a thin, dry, lifeless body. Her complexion was a reddish-brown, with the bones of her ribs, spine, and limbs becoming visible. The smell was unbearable for men.
“The body of an elderly woman,” Ulfric said to Johann, looking at the elderly woman's body.
“It's the Great Mother. She was the only person to live here in the forest.”
The light-brown-haired hunter showed them the scratch and bite marks inflicted by the werewolf. Ulfric and Johann approached her calmly, ignoring the stench of decay.
“Do you see? Her neck, shoulder, and body—everything indicates that she was attacked and killed where it was most vulnerable and would cause the fastest bleeding.”
“And she'd been dead for a long time,” said a red-bearded hunter to Ulfric's right.
“Everything indicates that the wolf-headed monster came before Nella and tried to impersonate the Great Mother to kill the young Girl in Red. Or even worse.”
Johann stood up to meet with Ulfric.
“With the Great Mother dead, I fear the girl will no longer be able to continue the Great Journey,” said the leader of the hunters.
“Nella wouldn't give up on this so easily. In any case, Nella is on her way to the sword. She'll need all the help she can get if she's to recover the sword and kill those beasts.”
The man agreed with the group leader. “Yes. She's going to need it. Men, call off the search and let's move on to find Nella! Burn this place down along with the remains of the Great Mother!”
The other hunters raised their arms high, shouting with enthusiasm. Several pieces of furniture and artifacts that had previously been in their proper places were knocked onto the wooden floor, some being placed around the woman's body. Five men carrying torches toppled the burning ends, setting the hut ablaze. Crackling sounds echoed from the flames, consuming the wood, the fabric, the flesh, and everything else nearby.
Then Ulfric, Johann, and the group moved away from that doomed place. The walls and the thatched roof of wood had collapsed due to the fire, and the weakened structure could no longer support the weight. Johann looked at that place one last time. He expressed concern for the whole ordeal his friend's only daughter had faced. Then, he looked ahead again.
////
Some time later, Nella was tending to Hvit. She offered her some raw meat from a sparrow she had shot with William's help. She saw the wolf eating well.
William looked around the place. He sensed that the air had changed. The scent of his other siblings became evident as they approached. The boy walked towards the girl and the wolf, a little worried.
“William, what happened?” Nella asked, worried by the guardian's agitation.
“Nella, we have to go. I sense the others are heading this way, and we can't wait much longer to go after the sword.”
That being said, Nella was a little serious, considering Hvit's well-being.
“But what about Hvit? We don't know if she's fully recovered.”
“Recovered or not, we can't stay here any longer! You know very well what could happen to you if they catch you and take you to the Alpha!” exclaimed the werewolf-boy, approaching the girl.
“I know. But we can't risk moving forward while we're still recovering from our last encounter with the werewolves. Especially you, William Brown.”
That comment didn't sit well with young William. “Don't be stubborn, Nella!”
“Stubborn?! I only got involved in this because my tribe had no one else to seek out the Great Mother and try to get some help from the Spirits,” Nella replied, crossing her arms with a serious expression.
“And did you achieve anything in the time you were mad at me?”
Hearing that question, Nella fell silent. She looked to her left. “Not much.”
“Not much?” he asked seriously, raising his right eyebrow.
The girl's eyes turned to William. “The least I could get with through the Spirits was the path here, until we were ambushed by the two werewolves.”
“Right.”
Hvit watched the two of them in the midst of that little argument. Her mouth was open, and she was slightly out of breath as she gasped for air.
“Well, at least the path to the Wolfsbane lies before us. While we still have a chance, I say we should press on.”
William walked past Nella to continue toward Hvit. He lifted the female wolf with both strong arms, carrying her as if she were a lamb.
“And I have to remind you that it was you who agreed to search for the sword, not me. Therefore, the sooner we can find the sword, the sooner we can save your tribe,” the boy concluded, continuing on toward the mountain pass.
Nella didn't answer anything else after that. She continued along the main path with the boy and the wolf, carrying the few things they had managed to gather, such as water, food, and some makeshift utensils.
////
The two travelers and the wolf continued on along a white road, completely covered in snow. Around them was a closed passage, with walls of rock and ice. Stories told of a mountain that was crumbling, creating cliffs and deep gorges. And the road they followed was part of a stream that had frozen years ago, and what little water remained was lost due to cracks in the ground.
William led the way, sensing that the icy ground had both thin and firm layers. This allowed him to guide Hvit and Nella more safely to the Wolfslayer sword, avoiding missteps that could break the ice and cause them to fall to the bottom of the abyss. William knew there were sharp rock formations on the ground designed to pierce unsuspecting and unfortunate travelers.
Nella looked around her and then at Hvit. The wolf had recovered and was feeling a little better after the confrontation with the werewolves. She walked normally as if nothing had happened. With a relieved expression, she turned her attention back to William.
“William, are you sure this is the way to the sword?” Nella asked, somewhat apprehensive about where they were.
The brown-haired boy kept looking straight ahead. Even though his back was to her, William answered as he walked away.
“I have it. It's the only place I know if we want to get to the sword.”
Nella looked on with slight surprise at her guardian's response. She continued on with Hvit behind William.
Their journey continued uninterrupted. The young Girl in Red tried to remain calm, believing that her guardian was doing everything to keep the group safe.
However, something caught William's attention. As he took his next step, he smelled a familiar scent coming from behind him. Hvit smelled the same scent as him. But Nella had a feeling that this was a bad omen.
“William?” the girl called out worriedly. “William, what happened?”
The boy looked to one side in the direction of the scent he had caught.
“William?”
“Nella, wait.”
William looked around while Hvit and Nella paused for a second. And when he spotted a figure forming in the middle of the entrance, shrouded in a light layer of mist, it worried him. The figure split into three, emerging as three werewolves. The travelers' eyes widened in horror.
“Run!” he shouted to the two of them.
Nella and Hvit continued running with their guide across the ice bridge. The surface was sometimes slippery and thin, with the risk of breaking and leading one or more people to certain and horrible death. Nella felt her foot slip a little, but she kept running with William while they were still some distance away from the werewolves.
At the same time, the monsters ran on all fours, catching up to the group of travelers. Faced with this situation, William stopped for a second, running towards them with a terrifying look.
“William!” Nella called out in fright, seeing the boy walk past her.
No answer. Instead, William ran to a point on the bridge where the ice was thinner. And with a clenched fist in his right hand, he punched with all the strength he could muster. In an instant, the entire structure began to crack and crumble. The werewolves ran as fast as they could to catch up with William, Nella, and Hvit. However, the blow caused the ice floor to shift, with planks lifting or breaking, and one of the monsters falling into the newly created hole. The other two continued on, even though they struggled to advance.
William punched the ground again, this time with both hands. The force was enough to knock down the other two, hearing the screams of the werewolves falling towards the stone spikes. But the blow made the ground around William unstable. Instead of stopping after punching the bridge for the last time, the boy ran as fast as he could.
Nella and Hvit ran across the collapsing bridge. They heard cracking sounds and saw fragments breaking off from the road made of ice and snow. And when it seemed things were getting bad enough that their lives were in danger, they felt something grab them by the waist, lifting them off the ground. It was William, in werewolf form.
“William!” Nella cried, surprised to see him in werewolf form, but relieved that he had caught her and Hvit.
“Don't worry, Nella! I'm here!” replied the werewolf boy, running while holding the Girl in Red and the wolf in his arms.
Hearing this, she smiled with relief. Her traveling companion and guardian ran and jumped from one block to another as the bridge collapsed. Behind them, she could see nothing more, as the entrance was gone along with the three werewolves who fell to their deaths. Only smoke of dust and ice rose from the impact of the ice floors with the ground and the rocky stakes.
William held both of them in his arms as he ran. The entrance to the cave where the Wolfslayer was located was within his reach. However, the floor collapsed in front of him, preventing him from continuing. It was a very large hole for a long jump like the one he made to reach the other side of the ravine. Even Hvit didn't have enough strength for such a feat, as she wasn't fully recovered.
“William, the bridge!” Nella called, pointing ahead.
The brown-furred werewolf saw the hole. His body was rife with adrenaline, which pulsed through his veins while he was in that form. At the last moment, he gripped young Nella and Hvit tightly, trapping them in his arms.
“Hang on!” He shouted to Nella and Hvit.
With that said, the two clung tightly to William's arms. And as he reached the edge, he took a long leap toward the other side of the cliff. The travelers were flying over that dark and sinister crevice. Nella tried her best not to look down, lest she be startled and slip from the werewolf-boy's arm. Hvit remained firmly in William's arms, looking ahead.
William saw the section of the bridge approaching them. However, as he landed on a piece on the other side of the bridge, he felt they were losing their balance. To his horror, a piece of the bridge broke off from the rest of the stone structure. In response, he had to do something that Nella wouldn't like.
The Girl in Red and the wolf felt their bodies being thrown forward, hurled towards the center of the cliff. Nella felt her body slam into the icy, rocky ground, rolling until it stopped. But, recovering from the shock, she saw her companion falling at the edge, unable to grab onto the cliff in time. Hvit and Nella ran to that corner.
“William!” she cried out in fright, looking down to try and help him in case William had found a corner to cling to.
No answer. The girl's eyes were filled with tears, afraid of being alone with Hvit to go after the Wolfslayer and suddenly being ambushed. He looked at the wolf and then at the cliff. As before, nothing.
Seeing that William had not escaped his fate and that there was nothing more to be done, the two decided to move away from the cliff, preparing to continue on. In the midst of that moment, they heard the sound of someone calling the girl's name.
“Nella!”
Turning quickly after hearing the call, Nella was startled. She ran back to that place.
“William!”
Hvit ran along. Reaching the edge, it was William in human form, with both hands gripping a corner of the rocky wall. His legs were suspended in the air and part of his clothing was torn due to his transformation into a werewolf.
Nella extended her left hand to the boy, asking him to extend his.
“Come on, William! Give me your hand!” Nella shouted, holding her arm out to him.
William's body swayed, suspended in the air. He gathered what remained of his strength, propelling himself upwards. At that moment, his left hand reached for Nella's hand, but it was too far away to grasp it and lift him up.
The boy kept his other hand gripping the edge of the hole. And with Nella holding her hand outstretched to him, beckoning him to climb up, William gathered what remained of his strength, propelling his body upwards. In a superhuman effort, he catapulted himself, freeing his hands from the hole. Nella was startled, but grabbed him at the last instant. Hvit bit down on the sides of his wrist, avoiding piercing the veins with her teeth. William felt his body being pulled by them, being brought to the other side of the cliff. The boy fell from exhaustion, feeling his body and head touch the rocky ground. Nella helped him by staying by his side while Hvit sniffed and licked his face.
“William, are you alright?” Nella asked, looking worriedly at the boy.
William was made to sit down. He rubbed the back of his neck. “I… I'm fine. Thank you, Nella. Thank you, Hvit.”
The Girl in Red smiled. She stepped away from him so that William could stand. He, in turn, briefly advanced toward the passage to the cave where the sword was. Pausing for a second, he turned his gaze to Nella.
“We have to go. We don't know how long we'll have until the others catch up with us,” William said with a serious look.
Nella nodded forward. She and Hvit followed him to the cave. With the bridge destroyed, there would be no way for the werewolves to reach the group via the main path, which no longer exists.
////
The two travelers and the wolf proceeded through a cavernous passage, filled with rock, ice, and water. Nella gazed at the ice walls, where several creatures were preserved in the frozen water, mostly fish, plants, and mollusks. The place was illuminated in an icy blue hue, with light filtering through holes and reflecting off the ice. Later, her attention turned back to William.
The brown-haired boy remained ahead, with the two girls following him in case he spotted any sign of danger and to prepare for the worst. Their gaze remained serious and fixed ahead.
Ahead, they spot an opening with a beam of light illuminating the place. Entering, the group sees some rock formations, bones, pieces of clothing, and an opening high in the cavernous ceiling. The hole seemed small because of its height relative to where they were.
But in the middle of that place, while they were searching, Hvit, Nella, and William spotted something that caught their attention.
“William, Hvit. Look!” she pointed.
These were the mortal remains of a man who spent the last moments of his life on the ground. His legs were stretched out on the ground, his right hand was clutching his chest, and his left arm was slumped, as was his skull, which was looking forward but slightly tilted to the right.
Nella stared in surprise at the dead body. William approached her.
“It's him.”
It was the hunter described in William's account of that place. Some of his clothing and armor were preserved, but his flesh and face were consumed by time.
“The hunter.”
“Or what's left of him,” he added.
The hunter's body had remained seated in that pose for years. However, Nella felt that something was holding him down. She approached the corpse, extending her right hand towards it, with her colleague holding it for a second.
“William, what's wrong?!”
“Nella, wait. We don't know what might be here. There might be traps,” the boy replied with a serious look.
“But William, I feel there's something about him that might be our chance to save my family and my tribe.”
William remained quiet while holding Nella's hand. Hvit barked at him, trying to tell him that there was something behind the hunter's body. William chose to let her go, allowing her to search it. The girl placed her hands on the already dry body, trying to move it, being assisted by the boy.
Hvit sensed something approaching them when she heard the sound of stones falling from the top of the passage. She looked up, fearing that something or someone might come that way. Still, she growled, warning the two travelers.
“Hvit, what happened?” Nella asked.
William knew that the way the wolf growled was a sign of imminent danger. “Something tells me we can't stay here much longer.”
“We have to be quick,” agreed the Girl in Red.
Having said that, Nella and William pushed the body aside. In the process, they heard the sound of old bones shifting due to the lack of cartilage and the weight of the metal pieces covering the body. Then, they removed the hunter's body, throwing it aside. To their surprise, the object holding him was the Wolfsbane, the silver sword.
“That's it, Nella!” said William, looking at the sword with a surprised yet excited expression. He then turned to Nella. “It's the Wolfslayer!”
Nella was relieved to receive this news. The only way to save everyone she knows and loves in the tribe is right before her eyes.
“Incredible,” she replied, smiling. She extended her left hand toward the silver blade of the ancient weapon capable of killing the Wolf-Beings.
However, before she could touch it, the sound of rocks falling through the hole at the top of the cave began to grow frequent and numerous. Hvit barked at the two of them, with Nella and William looking up. This time, a dark shape was descending through the passage. And it was descending rapidly, as if it were a large rock falling to crush the group.
“Nella! Hvit! Get out of there!” shouted the boy, extending his right hand to Nella. The girl, in turn, ran away from the place with Hvit. William saw the two of them getting away as rocks fell in great quantity with that figure coming from above. As a safety measure, he ran in the opposite direction from the Girl in Red, feeling something hitting the ground forcefully, throwing snow and pieces of rock in various directions.
A huge curtain of smoke and ice rose from the area, covering the mysterious figure. Nella and Hvit ran towards William, with the boy reuniting with the two.
“William, are you alright?!” Nella asked, running towards him.
“I'm alright, Nella,” William replied. “I hope you two are doing well too.”
“But what happened?”
“I don't know. We almost died.”
The three exchanged glances for a second, then turned to the spot where the figure had fallen to the ground. The curtain was slowly dissipating, and the object was rising from its place. It had the silhouette of a monstrous creature, with sharp claws and gigantic arms, shoulders, and chest. And out of nowhere, it took a step towards the group, revealing itself to be the Black-Haired Werewolf.
-x-
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