p class="MsoNormal"The car came to a sudden halt as they reached the end of the road and there where clear signs of struggle nearby a tree had fallen leaving and eerie feeling amongst the otherwise picturesque scenery./p
p class="MsoNormal""Come on, we will walk from here" Graham said turning the engine off and getting out./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well we can't go much further in the car; the trees are getting thick" David replied agreeing./p
p class="MsoNormal""I can try track them, looks like the came from the west" Graham replied following the trail./p
p class="MsoNormal"David nodded looking over at the fallen tree he started to head to the back of the truck, Emma whimpered sure she was about to be seen along with any chance of finding out what's going on. As David put his hand in the back of the truck, he didn't even look down grabbing a bag of previsions and taking off after Graham as he carefully backtracked to where whoever caused this mess came from./p
p class="MsoNormal""This is strange, there are many tracks, they were running" Graham said perplexed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Running from that creature?" David asked/p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't know" Graham said clearly puzzled by the tracks as they continued on with Emma closely behind. She thought they almost spotted her at one point, when she stood on a twig. David turned to look and it seemed like he was starring right at her but they continued quietly on, until they found it. Like they were coming upon a crime scene./p
p class="MsoNormal"The where still embers burning in the campfire surrounded by three small one-man tents, it looked empty and whoever was here certainly left fast. There where bits of rubbish and some camping equipment sprawled about. Looking as if whoever was here, packed up in a hurry only grabbing the essentials./p
p class="MsoNormal""What is this?" Graham asked aloud puzzled./p
p class="MsoNormal""Nobody mentioned they were living out here" David replied thinking maybe some residents preferred they outdoors given their dual identities./p
p class="MsoNormal""Not that I know of" Graham replied thoughtful./p
p class="MsoNormal""Whoever they are, seems they are in trouble" David said pecking his head into one of the tents but it was empty all that was left was a small camping stove./p
p class="MsoNormal"Emma quietly ducked behind some shrubs so they couldn't see her while she listened, quickly looking at her phone for the no doubt countless messages left by Killian however as she checked her notifications the phone flickered off./p
p class="MsoNormal""Great" Emma realised with all the drama last night she hadn't charged it./p
p class="MsoNormal"Her attention went back to staying out off site or all this trouble was for nothing, if she didn't find out what had happened in the evening./p
p class="MsoNormal""At least there doesn't seem to be signs anyone was taken by the creature" Graham said relieved./p
p class="MsoNormal""Why do you say that?" David asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""The footprints they all lead away, if the creature had taken them well there wouldn't be a trace" Graham responded./p
p class="MsoNormal""Right" David agreed, so handy for your Sherriff to be a former huntsman he thought./p
p class="MsoNormal"Suddenly a group of men came over the hill bows drawn ready to strike as they came across the scene. There were about five of them they were dressed in jeans and jackets but their gear was clearly from another land, there home./p
p class="MsoNormal""Drop your weapons, we have you surrounded" One of them yelled./p
p class="MsoNormal"Shocked and slightly confused Graham held up his sheriffs' badge "This is official business; may you lower your weapons" Graham said./p
p class="MsoNormal"The hesitated until their leader who'd spoken earlier gave them the signal to lower their bows./p
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry there was suspicious activity up here last night, one can never be too careful" The man said./p
p class="MsoNormal""You can trust me, I'm the sheriff, now who are you?" Graham replied this was meet with a chuckle from the group./p
p class="MsoNormal""We don't have a good history with law enforcement" he replied still avoiding the question./p
p class="MsoNormal""Let me guess, your Robin Hood and these are your Merry men" David said eyebrows raised./p
p class="MsoNormal""Not exactly" He paused "Robin hasn't been spotted yet in this new land, my names little John" The leader announced./p
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry to hear that" Graham replied another thing that made this search so difficult is that this creature appeared as the curse broke it was hard to tell who was taken and who was never here to begin with./p
p class="MsoNormal""We have more urgent matters like the mystery of who was camping here and what scared them off" Little John said making his way over to them./p
p class="MsoNormal"Emma gulped she had an idea they were possibly chased of by a warrior and a werewolf meaning that any chance of finding clues may be gone. They really where in over their heads coming out here alone. Emma thought realising the irony in that she quickly turned her thoughts back to the mission at hand./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'd assume the creature that's what was out here last night" One of the other men said./p
p class="MsoNormal""You actually saw it?" David asked confused./p
p class="MsoNormal"The man slightly hesitated not giving a response looking suspiciously at David and Graham. He still didn't trust them and was used to taking matters, especially the safety of this merry gang and their families into his own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""I know you have had trouble in the past with law enforcement, things are different now let us take care of it" Graham said trying not to be offended by their mistrust./p
p class="MsoNormal""We only caught a glimpse, had us chasing our tails all night" Little John said frustrated but honest./p
p class="MsoNormal""Like it was playing with us" One of the others said haunted by it./p
p class="MsoNormal"Emma could feel the tension she couldn't help herself feeling the desire to get closer she squirmed from behind the bush snapping a twig but it seemed no one heard it too busy trying to solve the mystery before them./p
p class="MsoNormal""You know you don't stand much of a chance out here with weapons like those" David said pointing at his quiver. "Against a creature like this, you need magic" David was surprised they would be out her in the night endangering themselves./p
p class="MsoNormal"Little John was thoughtful about what David had said for a moment, then his eyes rested on the woods in Emma's direction. One of the other men realised what he was looking at and drew his bow back fast and let go of an arrow before anyone could react. It cut through the leaves slicing across Emma's right arm as she attempted to duck out of the way./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ughh" Emma yelled out in pain./p
p class="MsoNormal""Emma?" David yelled recognising her voice immediately he ran over to her while Graham grabbed the archer swiftly disarming him and slamming him to the ground./p
p class="MsoNormal"The rest of them drew there bows back surrounding them once more, but then little John raised his hand to indicate to them to stand down, realising one of his men had just attacked a child. The exhaustion and stress of the all-nighter taking its toll on their judgment. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""Emma, what are you doing here?" David said as he got to his knees beside her looking at her arm confused, his heart pounding./p
p class="MsoNormal""I thought I'd tag along" Emma answered sheepishly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Your arm, come on" David said gesturing her to come back over to the campsite where he had a first aid kit in his pack./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm so sorry my friend acted irrationally, we have been up all night hunting this creature, his on edge" Little John tried to explain./p
p class="MsoNormal"David glared at him as he searched for the bandages in his first aid kit frantically, there seemed to be everything but what he needed./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's ok" Emma said trying to calm David./p
p class="MsoNormal""No, it's not Emma, this isn't ok" He huffed finally finding the bandages. David stood up looking at Emma's arm her flannel shirt was dripping with blood. David rolled up her sleeve and looked at the cut, it was long going across from her forearm to her hand./p
p class="MsoNormal""It doesn't look to deep, just a warning shot" Little John said sheepishly, continuing to try and defuse the tension./p
p class="MsoNormal""Maybe I should give you a similar warning, now back off" David yelled through gritted teeth. Getting the hint, he walked away as David started to bandage Emma's arm, they would need to clean it up but this would minimise the bleeding for now./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm sorry" David said looking at Emma as she remained silent, he felt guilty for yelling. She must have been scared herself./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm just surprised that you here and the arrow" David said letting out a deep breath./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm fine" Emma said reassuringly as possible./p
p class="MsoNormal""What were you thinking coming out here?" David asked her trying to be calm./p
p class="MsoNormal""Didn't expect the merry men to show" Emma said starting to laugh, David tried his hardest not to laugh along with her but a little smile creeped through./p
p class="MsoNormal""No just a demon that only appears in the shadows, come on let's go home" David replied eyebrows raised judgingly at Emma's decisions today./p
p class="MsoNormal""We should at least look around for a clue while where here, something clearly went down" Emma replied./p
p class="MsoNormal""And Graham and I are looking into it, but there isn't anything to go on whoever was here is gone and they didn't leave much behind" David said./p
p class="MsoNormal"David and Emma sat down in the grass, the adrenaline wearing off Emma felt rather woozy looking at all the blood, but safe now sitting next to her father amongst the flowers ready to continue her argument./p
p class="MsoNormal""Clearly that monster didn't set up this campsite, but whoever was here is up to something we need to look around more" Emma pushed./p
p class="MsoNormal""You almost got yourself skewered with an arrow, you're going home then I'll come back and look around" David replied but his resolve was fading./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm supposed to help them, help her" Emma paused her mind once again going back to the moment Lily was taken there was silence for a moment before Emma found her second wind./p
p class="MsoNormal""Do you want to waste time dropping me back, or are we going to do something" Emma said it with such desperation she so badly wanted to be involved with stopping this monster and solving this mystery./p
p class="MsoNormal"Sensing Emma's annoyance and frustration at the way she had been kept out of the fight. It had been on his mind since that night of the dance, he let himself relax momentarily as they sat in silence thinking it over. How Emma may have been reckless, but brave just like he was, like father like daughter./p
p class="MsoNormal""Emma, I know you got some saviour destiny, but for now you're my fifteen-year-old daughter so you're going to have to let me handle the whole fighting of monsters thing for a while, I'm not too bad at it" David said somewhat jokingly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh yeah, you think you can handle it" Emma replied with smile./p
p class="MsoNormal""You know, I fought a dragon once" David replied gloating./p
p class="MsoNormal""You'll have to tell me how" Emma replied intrigued./p
p class="MsoNormal""First we should start small look around her for some clues" David said getting up brushing the grass from his pants./p
p class="MsoNormal""Really" Emma replied excited./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, but stay close" David replied sternly. "They might come back"/p
p class="MsoNormal""Come on, we will walk from here" Graham said turning the engine off and getting out./p
p class="MsoNormal""Well we can't go much further in the car; the trees are getting thick" David replied agreeing./p
p class="MsoNormal""I can try track them, looks like the came from the west" Graham replied following the trail./p
p class="MsoNormal"David nodded looking over at the fallen tree he started to head to the back of the truck, Emma whimpered sure she was about to be seen along with any chance of finding out what's going on. As David put his hand in the back of the truck, he didn't even look down grabbing a bag of previsions and taking off after Graham as he carefully backtracked to where whoever caused this mess came from./p
p class="MsoNormal""This is strange, there are many tracks, they were running" Graham said perplexed./p
p class="MsoNormal""Running from that creature?" David asked/p
p class="MsoNormal""I don't know" Graham said clearly puzzled by the tracks as they continued on with Emma closely behind. She thought they almost spotted her at one point, when she stood on a twig. David turned to look and it seemed like he was starring right at her but they continued quietly on, until they found it. Like they were coming upon a crime scene./p
p class="MsoNormal"The where still embers burning in the campfire surrounded by three small one-man tents, it looked empty and whoever was here certainly left fast. There where bits of rubbish and some camping equipment sprawled about. Looking as if whoever was here, packed up in a hurry only grabbing the essentials./p
p class="MsoNormal""What is this?" Graham asked aloud puzzled./p
p class="MsoNormal""Nobody mentioned they were living out here" David replied thinking maybe some residents preferred they outdoors given their dual identities./p
p class="MsoNormal""Not that I know of" Graham replied thoughtful./p
p class="MsoNormal""Whoever they are, seems they are in trouble" David said pecking his head into one of the tents but it was empty all that was left was a small camping stove./p
p class="MsoNormal"Emma quietly ducked behind some shrubs so they couldn't see her while she listened, quickly looking at her phone for the no doubt countless messages left by Killian however as she checked her notifications the phone flickered off./p
p class="MsoNormal""Great" Emma realised with all the drama last night she hadn't charged it./p
p class="MsoNormal"Her attention went back to staying out off site or all this trouble was for nothing, if she didn't find out what had happened in the evening./p
p class="MsoNormal""At least there doesn't seem to be signs anyone was taken by the creature" Graham said relieved./p
p class="MsoNormal""Why do you say that?" David asked./p
p class="MsoNormal""The footprints they all lead away, if the creature had taken them well there wouldn't be a trace" Graham responded./p
p class="MsoNormal""Right" David agreed, so handy for your Sherriff to be a former huntsman he thought./p
p class="MsoNormal"Suddenly a group of men came over the hill bows drawn ready to strike as they came across the scene. There were about five of them they were dressed in jeans and jackets but their gear was clearly from another land, there home./p
p class="MsoNormal""Drop your weapons, we have you surrounded" One of them yelled./p
p class="MsoNormal"Shocked and slightly confused Graham held up his sheriffs' badge "This is official business; may you lower your weapons" Graham said./p
p class="MsoNormal"The hesitated until their leader who'd spoken earlier gave them the signal to lower their bows./p
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry there was suspicious activity up here last night, one can never be too careful" The man said./p
p class="MsoNormal""You can trust me, I'm the sheriff, now who are you?" Graham replied this was meet with a chuckle from the group./p
p class="MsoNormal""We don't have a good history with law enforcement" he replied still avoiding the question./p
p class="MsoNormal""Let me guess, your Robin Hood and these are your Merry men" David said eyebrows raised./p
p class="MsoNormal""Not exactly" He paused "Robin hasn't been spotted yet in this new land, my names little John" The leader announced./p
p class="MsoNormal""Sorry to hear that" Graham replied another thing that made this search so difficult is that this creature appeared as the curse broke it was hard to tell who was taken and who was never here to begin with./p
p class="MsoNormal""We have more urgent matters like the mystery of who was camping here and what scared them off" Little John said making his way over to them./p
p class="MsoNormal"Emma gulped she had an idea they were possibly chased of by a warrior and a werewolf meaning that any chance of finding clues may be gone. They really where in over their heads coming out here alone. Emma thought realising the irony in that she quickly turned her thoughts back to the mission at hand./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'd assume the creature that's what was out here last night" One of the other men said./p
p class="MsoNormal""You actually saw it?" David asked confused./p
p class="MsoNormal"The man slightly hesitated not giving a response looking suspiciously at David and Graham. He still didn't trust them and was used to taking matters, especially the safety of this merry gang and their families into his own style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""I know you have had trouble in the past with law enforcement, things are different now let us take care of it" Graham said trying not to be offended by their mistrust./p
p class="MsoNormal""We only caught a glimpse, had us chasing our tails all night" Little John said frustrated but honest./p
p class="MsoNormal""Like it was playing with us" One of the others said haunted by it./p
p class="MsoNormal"Emma could feel the tension she couldn't help herself feeling the desire to get closer she squirmed from behind the bush snapping a twig but it seemed no one heard it too busy trying to solve the mystery before them./p
p class="MsoNormal""You know you don't stand much of a chance out here with weapons like those" David said pointing at his quiver. "Against a creature like this, you need magic" David was surprised they would be out her in the night endangering themselves./p
p class="MsoNormal"Little John was thoughtful about what David had said for a moment, then his eyes rested on the woods in Emma's direction. One of the other men realised what he was looking at and drew his bow back fast and let go of an arrow before anyone could react. It cut through the leaves slicing across Emma's right arm as she attempted to duck out of the way./p
p class="MsoNormal""Ughh" Emma yelled out in pain./p
p class="MsoNormal""Emma?" David yelled recognising her voice immediately he ran over to her while Graham grabbed the archer swiftly disarming him and slamming him to the ground./p
p class="MsoNormal"The rest of them drew there bows back surrounding them once more, but then little John raised his hand to indicate to them to stand down, realising one of his men had just attacked a child. The exhaustion and stress of the all-nighter taking its toll on their judgment. span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span/p
p class="MsoNormal""Emma, what are you doing here?" David said as he got to his knees beside her looking at her arm confused, his heart pounding./p
p class="MsoNormal""I thought I'd tag along" Emma answered sheepishly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Your arm, come on" David said gesturing her to come back over to the campsite where he had a first aid kit in his pack./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm so sorry my friend acted irrationally, we have been up all night hunting this creature, his on edge" Little John tried to explain./p
p class="MsoNormal"David glared at him as he searched for the bandages in his first aid kit frantically, there seemed to be everything but what he needed./p
p class="MsoNormal""It's ok" Emma said trying to calm David./p
p class="MsoNormal""No, it's not Emma, this isn't ok" He huffed finally finding the bandages. David stood up looking at Emma's arm her flannel shirt was dripping with blood. David rolled up her sleeve and looked at the cut, it was long going across from her forearm to her hand./p
p class="MsoNormal""It doesn't look to deep, just a warning shot" Little John said sheepishly, continuing to try and defuse the tension./p
p class="MsoNormal""Maybe I should give you a similar warning, now back off" David yelled through gritted teeth. Getting the hint, he walked away as David started to bandage Emma's arm, they would need to clean it up but this would minimise the bleeding for now./p
p class="MsoNormal"span style="mso-spacerun: yes;" /span"I'm sorry" David said looking at Emma as she remained silent, he felt guilty for yelling. She must have been scared herself./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm just surprised that you here and the arrow" David said letting out a deep breath./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm fine" Emma said reassuringly as possible./p
p class="MsoNormal""What were you thinking coming out here?" David asked her trying to be calm./p
p class="MsoNormal""Didn't expect the merry men to show" Emma said starting to laugh, David tried his hardest not to laugh along with her but a little smile creeped through./p
p class="MsoNormal""No just a demon that only appears in the shadows, come on let's go home" David replied eyebrows raised judgingly at Emma's decisions today./p
p class="MsoNormal""We should at least look around for a clue while where here, something clearly went down" Emma replied./p
p class="MsoNormal""And Graham and I are looking into it, but there isn't anything to go on whoever was here is gone and they didn't leave much behind" David said./p
p class="MsoNormal"David and Emma sat down in the grass, the adrenaline wearing off Emma felt rather woozy looking at all the blood, but safe now sitting next to her father amongst the flowers ready to continue her argument./p
p class="MsoNormal""Clearly that monster didn't set up this campsite, but whoever was here is up to something we need to look around more" Emma pushed./p
p class="MsoNormal""You almost got yourself skewered with an arrow, you're going home then I'll come back and look around" David replied but his resolve was fading./p
p class="MsoNormal""I'm supposed to help them, help her" Emma paused her mind once again going back to the moment Lily was taken there was silence for a moment before Emma found her second wind./p
p class="MsoNormal""Do you want to waste time dropping me back, or are we going to do something" Emma said it with such desperation she so badly wanted to be involved with stopping this monster and solving this mystery./p
p class="MsoNormal"Sensing Emma's annoyance and frustration at the way she had been kept out of the fight. It had been on his mind since that night of the dance, he let himself relax momentarily as they sat in silence thinking it over. How Emma may have been reckless, but brave just like he was, like father like daughter./p
p class="MsoNormal""Emma, I know you got some saviour destiny, but for now you're my fifteen-year-old daughter so you're going to have to let me handle the whole fighting of monsters thing for a while, I'm not too bad at it" David said somewhat jokingly./p
p class="MsoNormal""Oh yeah, you think you can handle it" Emma replied with smile./p
p class="MsoNormal""You know, I fought a dragon once" David replied gloating./p
p class="MsoNormal""You'll have to tell me how" Emma replied intrigued./p
p class="MsoNormal""First we should start small look around her for some clues" David said getting up brushing the grass from his pants./p
p class="MsoNormal""Really" Emma replied excited./p
p class="MsoNormal""Yes, but stay close" David replied sternly. "They might come back"/p