"If you continue down the gravel road, you will come across another house not too far away not too far away "
"We saw them coming in and out of the house. It seems they aren't bothering to commit to secrecy"
"Don't worry, the brotherhood would take care of it"
"They are taking too long "
"The brotherhood has been busy lately with
"Alright, I feel tired now. I would like to talk with you later"
"Sure, rest well" he said before closing the door on his way out.
'A house not too far away, huh?'
Anais laid down and a smile carved on her lips. But it was anything but sweet.
***
That night she materialized near the house she was kept in. Hidden in the thick of the leaves, she looked out towàard it. It was dark and the moon illumination the house. The house stood tall and proud. She felt revolt seeing it.
Through the thick of the trees, she carefully made her way to the nearest house she could find. She was not sure which way to go. Four directions she could go in and none of them would guarantee that she got the right direction.
So, she took the road behind the house, going in a straight direction. She had no idea where it would take her. She had not asked the direction after all. That would make her suspicious to Robert.
The rustle of leaves as she made quick steps toward the house could be heard. She decided to ditch the shoes so as to make as little noise as possible. Though she couldn't wagger if the idea was a good one or bad.
Trees and trees passed. So much so that she felt like she was going deeper into a jungle. She must have taken the wrong way. The house was supposed to be near or so she was told.
Her feet were getting tired, she wondered if she should just retreat but then she saw it. The print of a paw.
Squinting, she stopped walking and knelt over it. It was definitely a werewolf's paw. Then she saw where it went. And where it came from.
Parting the grass, she could see where it went. Some of them were smudged aggressively as if to destroy the traces. The soil combed roughly. Tracing the paw print she advanced slowly, her feet gliding over the grass with little to no noise.
After going farther ahead, the prints suddenly disappeared. She crouched over the last print and found out to her disappointment that the ground touched hard soil so there could be no prints. (hard soil: not easily penetrable)
She went further anyway. There was no guarantee that she was heading in the right direction even after finding paw prints. Wolves are known to run in the woods for spiritual fulfilment too. So, the prints could be misleading.
There among the thick trees, she finally could make out a house in the distance. She wondered if Robert had lied to her. The house was clearly not very near to the one she was kept in.
She had ventured very far. Maybe ten km, she guessed. Or Robert didn't consider this distance that far. It was a possibility or she was in the wrong place.
She was doubtful if this was the right house. So, far she encountered nobody. They should be protecting their territory. But then she was dealing with a bunch of lone wolves.
She advanced carefully, moving from tree to tree, blending in with the shadows. When she was near, she stopped and observed the house for movements or activity inside.
Cool air touched her back and she shivered. She wished she had a jacket but instead she wore loose clothing. Men's clothing. Aron's clothes.