Chapter 14

Prince Philip, Mulan, and the Huntsman were getting closer to Princess Aurora, Philip's one true love, every day. During the last six months, the three of them have become thick as thieves, but the Huntsman kept a look out for his wolf brother everyday but to avail.

The Huntsman took the middle shift during the night because when he tried to sleep through the night, he couldn't do it. About a month ago, he had awoken during the middle shift when it was Philip's turn.

"You're not on yet," Philip told him. "It's only midway through my shift."

"I can't sleep," the Huntsman told him. "It's like whenever I try to sleep my mind is trying to tell me something. Something important. Something I should know."

"But you don't know what, do you?" Philip asked.

The Huntsman shook his head. "But an image in my mind keeps getting clearer with every passing night," he told his companion, and with every passing day, he trusted his two companions, Philip and Mulan, more and more. The more he trusts them the more that he feels like that their his friends.

"And it hurts you," Philip replied. He too was starting to understand his companion.

"I guess it does," the Huntsman replied.

"Why don't you tell me about it?" Philip replied. "This image you see in your dream. Tell me about it."

"It's of a woman," he answered. "All I can see is that she's a blonde and wearing a red cloak, I guess is the best way to describe the garment, but I feel like I should know her."

"Maybe you do know her," Philip replied. "You're still missing twenty-eight years of your life, my friend; maybe it's a memory that's trying to surface."

"Mulan says I shouldn't think about it because it hurts my head too much," the Huntsman replied.

"But..." Philip could hear it in his friend's thoughts.

"But I can't not think about it," the Huntsman replied, "and I need to solve the puzzle that is in my head. I need to know where twenty-eight years of my life went."

"Huntsman, you're always going to think about it," Philip said. "A piece of you is missing, and maybe it's just not your life."

The Huntsman looked at Philip for a moment. "You think I have someone who means as much to me as Princess Aurora means to you?" the Huntsman asked.

"I do," Philip said. "Why else would the woman always be on your mind?"

"Shouldn't I be feeling something?" the Huntsman asked.

Philip shot him a look. "At the moment, my friend, you're feeling confusion," he had pointed out.

"I mean when I look at her in the dream or in the memory," the Huntsman replied.

"You're not scared when you see her," Philip pointed out. "That's something, and I believe someday you'll see her and your wolf brother again."

"If I do happen to see her or vice versa, how I know it's her?" the Huntsman asked. "I'm still not getting the whole image. It's blurry."

Philip smiled at him. "Have some faith," he replied. "If the image doesn't clear before we see her, I believe she'll recognize you, and did you stop to think that maybe she has your wolf brother?"

The Huntsman stared at him. "No," he answered. "I never stopped to think that. I never stopped to think about that."

"If she really is your true love, Huntsman, like I believe, she would have taken very good care of him," Philip replied.

"She would have, wouldn't she have?" the Huntsman replied smiling at that thought. "I'll finish your shift and do my shift as well. Go get some sleep. I'm not going to get back to sleep."

"Are you sure?" Philip asked.

The Huntsman nodded. "I'm sure," he told him. "And starting tomorrow night, I'm going to volunteer for the middle shift."

"If you're sure," Philip replied.

"I am," he confirmed. "Go get some sleep."

"Night," Philip said as he started to walk off.

"Good night," the Huntsman said back.

Philip nodded and then walked over to where Mulan was still sleeping.

The Huntsman looked at the stars and he vowed to himself that he was going to remember and find the girl in his dreams and in his memories along with his wolf brother.