After his humiliating defeat from Buck, Fenris walked the castle searching for his room, or the room he woke up in. He was in pain physically and mentally. Physically from all the claw marks given to him by Buck and mentally from the fact that it was Buck who had given him his injuries.
"How did he get so strong? Whatever he did he better share it with me", Fenris said to himself. Walking to his room he found the two werewolves he had seen with Buck earlier.
They both had red hair and seemed younger than Fenris. If he had to guess they were in their teens. "Hey, what happened to you?"Alden asked. Fenris didn't answer and just walked past him.
"I'm guessing either Buck or Lycan did that to him", Aria said. "He was acting all tough a few hours ago. I never would've guessed he was such a weakling", Aria said.
Fenris stopped in his tracks after hearing that. "Ah, please forgive my sister. She doesn't know how to use her inner voice", Alden said in a panicked tone.
"Oh what's he going to do, attack me?", Aria asked mockingly. "If this guy couldn't take on Buck then he's got nothing on me".
Fenris slowly turned his head, Alden had sweat running down his face. "See, haha, no inner voice. Sorry mister, I'll scold her while you're gone. She's just a stupid kid", Alden said.
"A stupid kid?", Aria asked in annoyance. "I'm fifteen you jerk, and so are you. Stop treating me younger than I actually am".
"Then act your age", Alden said in a hushed tone. It wouldn't have done anything Fenris would still have heard it regardless. "You can start by not picking fights just for the fun of it".
"I am acting my age", Aria said. "I'm not just a coward like you". Seeing the two of them bicker Fenris was reminded that they were children and attacking them would be quite pathetic for him.
He continued to look for his room and found it. It seemed like there was a change of clothes for him there. He didn't know who put it there. The door opened and Fenris didn't react much because he smelled that it was Buck.
"Hey, how are you doing? You're not still pouting, are you?", Buck asked. "No, just wondering how you got so strong", Fenris answered. "All will be revealed in time, my Friend. Now take a bath there's a room here for that, and get changed for dinner. We'll be talking about the next steps for you in this family", Buck said.
'There he goes calling this group a family. He's pretty desperate', Fenris thought. He Went into the room that Buck had shown Fenris. He got in a wooden bath filled with water.
'This is nice, although it doesn't beat taking a bath in a stream'.
Back at the town, the red hunters were in. The group rode to Rosa's house. "Alright, Let's do this", Ragnar said. He quickly got off his horse and proceeded to the house. "Hold on a second!", Winter screamed. She got off her horse and stood in front of Ragnar with her arms spread out.
"Girlie, what do you think you're doing?"Ragnar asked. "If what those men said in the tavern is true, then this woman is innocent, I won't let you terrorize her as you did to those people in the bar", Rosa said.
Ragnar looked toward Morgan, who was yet to get off from his horse. "Winter we need answers. Every second that werewolf is left alone people are in danger", Morgan said.
"I understand that, just... just let me do the talking", Winter said. "She's going to feel threatened when she sees all of us in front of her house. I'm confident I can put her at ease, that way she'll be more willing to talk".
Morgan said nothing for a while. He had a look on his face that said he was contemplating on winter's suggestion. "Father, please".
"Fine", Morgan said. "You can go talk to this woman.". "Thank you, Father," Winter said. She was walking off the front door. "But Winter make sure you persuade her to talk, if not I will do whatever it takes to get the information we need out of her", Morgan said.
Hearing this Morgan stopped for a while, then continued walking. She knocked on the door. Rosa opened it, and as Winter had guessed she was frightened at the scene in front of her.
She couldn't blame her after all there were people on horses, wearing armor at the front of her house. "I've done nothing wrong. If you are bandits, take what you can although I don't have much", Rosa said.
"No, we aren't bandits", Winter said. "Sorry for the scare, we're actually from the hunter's guild and there are a couple of questions we need to ask you".
"The hunter's guild?", Rosa asked in shock. "Is there a werewolf in town? Is it one of my neighbors". Rosa was in a panic state when asking these questions. Most people in this world were whenever it came to discussing subjects on werewolves.
"No. But we believe one came here a few months ago. Witnesses at a tavern we just left say you brought home with you a few months ago", Winter said. "Do you remember anything about that?".
"No that can't be right I never…", Rosa stopped talking. She suddenly remembered meeting Fenris on the road when he was asking for a mage whose descriptions were similar to her daughter Andrea.
She couldn't tell them anything. If she did it could put her daughter in danger, as anyone who helped werewolves were considered to be criminals, and from the stories Fenris told about the two of them. Her daughter helped Fenris a lot.
'Maybe … maybe she didn't know what he was. Maybe she was clueless just like me. Even if that's the case I can't tell them anything about Fenris it could lead them to her', Rosa thought.
"I never met such a person nor did I bring them to my home", Rosa said. "She's lyiiiing!", Ragnar shouted in a mocking tone. He was several feet away from Winter and Rosa but could still hear their conversation due to one of his abilities as a werewolf.
"How did he hear us?". Rosa asked. "Never mind him", Winter said. "Back to what we were discussing: are you sure you don't recall meeting someone a few months ago and bringing them to your house?"
"Please, it's important you tell me the truth". There was worry on Winter's face as she said this. She couldn't help but worry about what would happen to the woman in front of her if she chose to lie again.
"Like I said earlier I never met such a person", Rosa repeated. "Now, if that's all I ask that you all leave my land immediately".
"Listen we ..", Winter wanted to continue but was interrupted.
"That's enough winter", Morgan said. Turning her head around she found her father by her side. She wasn't sure when he arrived. "But I just started, it only lasted a few minutes. I'm sure I can get her to talk".
Morgan glared at her causing Winter to turn away immediately and stop talking. Morgan approached Rosa. This caused her to brace herself, she was expecting a hit from it but it never came.
Morgan simply shoved Rosa to the side causing her to stumble on the ground and enter her home. "Stop!", Rosa yelled. "I didn't give you permission to enter my home".
Rosa began to hear furniture break inside the small house, she rushed in, but Winter held her hand. "DON'T. Trust me you'll only make things worse".
Rosa tried to break the grip on her hand but it didn't work, Winter was stronger than she looked. A few moments later MOrgan emerged from the house holding a wooden torch in his hand which was on fire.
"Nice house you have here," Morgan said. "Not big but quite lovely, you made it seem like a loving family resides here even though in reality it's just you".
Rosa knew what Morgan was implying with those pretty words. He was threatening to burn down her house. This made her shiver and tear up. This house was all that was left of her family, her husband was dead and she had no idea where her daughter was, if Morgan destroyed her house she would truly have nothing.
"Please, I'm begging you, don't do this", Rosa pleaded with tears rolling down her face. "I won't have to, if you just answer my questions truthfully", Morgan said. "Where is the werewolf who was here a few months ago?".
"I don't know", Rosa answered. Morgan, clearly not convinced with her answer, was about to place the torch on her house. "I said I don't know!", Rosa yelled in horror. "I'm telling you the truth, he came here but left he didn't tell me where he was going".
"Finally some honest answers", Morgan said. "Fine, you don't know where he is. I can believe that but why did he come to your house? Someone said he was asking around for a blessed one. Do you know anything about that?".
This was the question she was dreading to hear from him. She was willing to give Fenris up if it meant saving her home, but there was no way she would tell him anything about her daughter.
"Well? I'm waiting for an answer, woman". "I .. I don't know", Rosa lied. Morgan looked towards Ragnar. Ragnar shook his head, indicating that Rosa was lying. "Back to lying are we?", Morgan said.
"That's a shame, I thought we were finally starting to make some progress". Morgan threw the torch inside the house and it quickly started to burn. "Nooooo!", Rosa screamed.
She rushed in, maybe she could stop the fire, but she was tackled down. Looking up she saw it was winter who was on top of her. "Let me go you bitch! Can't you see my house on fire!".
"There's nothing you can do," Winter said. "You would just get burnt by the flames." Rosa tried with all her strength to break free from Winter but to no avail. "ANIMALS!" You're all bloody animals. You'll all burn for this", Rosa screamed in agony as she watched her family home being burnt.
She was crying so much that Winter could've sworn she saw a little blood in her tears. "The only thing that's going to burn is that house of yours", Ragnar joked. Winter looked up at him with disgust. "What? It was funny".
The house was now completely on fire, Winter didn't let go of Rosa for fear that she may run into the burning building. Moments passed and the house was completely burned down.
Winter finally let go of Rosa. Rosa didn't immediately get up, but when she did she didn't run. She didn't have the energy nor did she need to. The thing that she tried so desperately to save was destroyed.
She slowly walked towards the ashes of her home and knelt, not saying a word. Winter looking at the scene was heartbroken. "This is punishment for protecting a monster. You have no one to blame for yourself.", Morgan said.
He approached winter. "Never let it be said that I am incapable of showing mercy. I spared her for you, winter". He left winter, leaving her to clench her fists. 'This was mercy?'.
"What now", Ragnar asked. "Now? Now nothing. This hunt has proven fruitless. I knew it was a longshot finding this werewolf and I took the request. We leave it and hunt others", Morgan said.
Morgan got on his horse and so did Ragnar. "Winter! We're leaving". Winter said nothing to her father and approached Rosa. "I'm sor..".
"Don't you dare", Rosa said. She turned her head to Winter and her facial expression showed anger. No, not anger it was something more; pure hatred.
"You have taken the last remnants I had of my family. I am not a follower of any gods, but I pray to them all that they curse you for the rest of your lives".
Hearing this, Winter backed off and got on her horse. Her head was down, she felt guilty, but that wasn't anything new. Guilt had become her companion now. This wasn't the first time that her father had hurt someone to get something nor what had happened in the tavern earlier.
This was her first hunt, it had lasted a little over a month, and throughout she witnessed her father destroying things and hurting people just to get information.
She was horrified by his actions but didn't dare go against him. He was her father after all. He said he was doing this for the greater good to protect people from werewolves, to prevent the death of innocents that the werewolves brought everywhere they went, like they did to her mother.
She followed her fathers and the red hunters, leaving the destruction they had brought.