"I've seen that log with the strange pile of snow before."

"Maybe it's… just your imagination," Mr Derippe replied.

"And impatience", Karl added quietly.

"…..I've seen it three times before." Arma swooped down and gave the men the 'She's figured it out' look.

"We haven't even gone that far into the woods", Allin complained, rubbing her arms.

"Are you kidding?", said Karl, a small laugh escaping as his lips. "My feet are hurting and I'm a statue!" Allin blinked. Then pointed to her left. Behind a set of bushes you could see the cottage, lights glowing. Karl smacked himself in the face, admitting defeat.

"Cursed humans being so smartass and all", he muttered. "I told you we should have gone further right!" This was addressed to Jackie. He was staring at something past Karl, eyes wide. Allin was acting similarly.

"What?" Arma fluttered around in front of his face in panic. "You're joking." He turned.

A black wolf stood on a rock behind them, crouched down so it could leer in the statue's face. "You're not joking." The amber eyes slitted and a gooey grin appeared on it's face.

"……..Nice doggie", Karl muttered, his eye twitching madly. He raised his hands slowly and backed away. The wolf followed, and Allin noted that black smoke rose from its' back.

"Ok little doggie. Want to play a game?" Mr D. and Allin stared at Karl. What. The. Hell? Then Arma perched on his hand and Jackie seemed to nod in understanding. Allin was still clueless.

The wolf perked up it's ears, then growled lowly. Karl smiled playfully back.

"Take that as a yes." Suddenly, another pair of wolves appeared from the bushes. Karl almost frowned.

"Right. That puts a little damper on my plan." He shrugged. "Always Plan B."

"Which is?"

"Run like hell?", Allin suggested. "Because that is what we should be doing now." They were being pressed into a circle, the wolves snapping impatiently. Allin looked at Karl expectantly. He stared round, then grinned at the girl.

"Well, your Plan B sounds slightly better than mine."

"What was yours?"

"No idea."

"Oh boy." Then they bolted. The nearest wolf skidded round to pounce at Allin. However, Arma changed into an axe and Karl sent the wolf flying backwards into a tree, where it imploded. It's comrade launched itself forward for another attack, only to be was neatly beheaded by a single swipe. The final wolf made to run, but was impaled by a black spear and gutted against the rock.

------

Allin gaped. The wolf's 'blood' trickled down the rock, creating small indents as the stone was burnt away, and steaming in darkness as it hit the ground. She stared as the entire wolf dissolved like this, and quite some time afterwards. Jackie tapped her shoulder to get her attention, and she stammered slightly.

"It..It was trying to get me", she whispered.

"This…was why I was trying…to stay close to the house", Mr D. said almost angrily to Karl. "And why didn't…you defend straight away?" He carried on stroking Arma. The crow shook herself, then flew off to hop around in front of Allin. Karl shrugged.

"You know I couldn't have taken them all at once. I'd have ended up just like those stone wolves, turned into a shadow as well." Allin heard the last comment.

"So that's why the maze wolves vanished. They got turned into those."

"Exactly. At least we have a clue of why the wolves vanished, how those shadow turned up, and who took Clarice and Climber." Everyone turned to listen.

"The Big Bad Wolf's here."

The shadow wolf paused and sniffed the air. Dark shadows crossed overhead, and it snarled. Something out there had killed off it's brethren. It took off towards the source.

Moments later, three heads popped out of the undergrowth. Karl nodded to Arma, who flew on, watching out for any more sentries.

"Okay, so who is this nutter?", Allin asked Mr D. quietly.

"In the maze, there were several sorts of statue", Mr D, explained. "There were the angels, very few of which awoke, ….the armour suits, you had many forms there. There was a hydra, ……but he was more of an air-toy. Snake-Head, he was called. About as boisterous as the children who played with him..

And finally, ….the werewolves. There was a small pack, with three adults and around twelve teenagers. Only one of the…adults woke. He controls most of them now…. Three youngsters went awole." He sighed. "And good for them. I have a feeling that Lumin has sided with the Big Bad to gain control….over all the statues. He never liked the humanoid ones….especially the angels."

Arma suddenly swooped back, and Karl went into a defensive stance.

"Looks like we've been rumbled."

------------------

They appeared out of almost nowhere, blocking of exits and glaring at the threesome with a sort of sickly glee.

"Plan A's impossible, Plan B's also no do-able, and no, there isn't a Plan C", Karl finished before Allin could ask.

"How many wolves are there in total?", she asked.

"In the main pack, over thirty.…Those designers liked to spook the children", replied Mr D. Allin frowned. That wasn't good.

The nearest wolf prepared to pounce.

Then a plastic ball conked it on the head.

"BAZINGA!" A storm of balls rained out of the forest, crashing into the wolves with deadly accuracy. Several went up in smoke.

The barrage was closely followed by four figures, three humanoid, one wolf-like. But this wolf gleamed in the sunlight, covered in armour. The angry shouts and screams from these new attackers sent the wolves packing back into the shadows. The group's rescuers stood for a moment, panting.

Before bursting into laughter and caterwauls. The wolf-armour spotted the shocked trio, and padded over, the armour clanking with every step.

"Mr Derippe, sir", it said. The voice echoed inside the armour, but the mouth stretched into a smile. He turned and barked. The werewolves immediately stopped, and hurried over. The youngest caught Allin's eye, and tapped his friend's arm.

"It's a breather", he whispered. The older boy smiled and rolled his eyes.

All three boys were similar in the fact that their clothing was simply a T-shirt and shorts, tails swayed behind them, and a pair of wolf ears stuck out of their hair, which was black. However, they were different heights, with the tallest with slick back hair and red highlights, the middle with messy hair and blue streaks on his face, and smallest with simple yellow highlights.

The armour barked again. A huge lizard-like figure stepped carefully out of the woods, it's multiple heads swaying round and hissing, and looking very pleased with itself.

"Well now", Karl breathed. "Snake-Head, if I'm not mistaken."

"You are correct, p"

"Please. I'm not a pirate", he interrupted the armour, smiling dangerously. The wolf nodded slowly.

"You are a strange pack, even stranger to be venturing into these woods."

"We have purpose, Metal-Pad", Jackie said. "A friend of ours."

"A breather, I suppose." Metal-Pad shook his head. "She and the mannequin came through not to long ago. We shall lead you. You two." Karl and Allin looked up. "My name is Metal-Pad. The werewolves are known as Ace." The redhead grinned. "Tidal." The blue werewolf waved. "And Moony." The youngest smiled shyly. "The hydra is Snake-Head." The hydra lumbered forward, and Allin giggled as the heads nuzzled round her. They were connected to the body by plastic tubes, which led up out of the mouth. A hole was in the middle of it's back. Air was constantly blown through the mouths, and a bag of balls was hanging round it's neck. Metal-Pad nudged him to the side, and looked up at Allin. This close, she could see that it was completely empty.

"Now then. On our way."