Toris found himself traveling in circles. He was certain that he had been traveling in the right direction once he reached a set of footprints, only to later realize they were far too small to be Ivan's. Sighing, the Lithuanian crouched down and ran his hands through his hair. Where would Ivan have gone if this wasn't the right trail? Toris was lost now, finding one tree looking the same as the previous hundreds. He let out an audible sigh and stood, pulling the machete out of his belt loop and turned towards one of the taller trees. He swung twice, making a large mark in the bark of the tree, then continued on, making another every several hundred feet.

The sun had already gone down about an hour before, and the stars were starting to shine through the tops of the leafless trees on the opposite horizon. Toris walked on, nervously. He hated to be out in the woods at night… Every other sound was amplified. The Lithuanian looked over his shoulder several times, sure he had heard something behind him. Shaking it off, he picked up his pace. It wasn't long before he reached a patch of mist layering the ground. The wind blew harshly, causing a howling sound to creep across the forest.

"I can't see anything… I hope I don't— " Thump. Toris was cut off, running straight into the side of a building. He stumbled back, holding onto his nose. "Ah! How'd that get there…?" Toris stumbled around the house, noticing that the door was left wide open. He arched an eyebrow and walked in, pushing the door farther back. "It's empty… I wonder who was here last."

Walking into the back of the house, he noticed a room that was fairly well-kept. He noticed a blue book lying wide open on the bed. The rest of the room was dark, only one candle burned on the nightstand, the wax dripping onto the floor. Toris stepped over and sat on the bed, picking up the book and looking at it.

Diary,

Brother is on his way. I shall meet him soon.

I know he is alone. He always is after taking care of something.

I'll make sure to get him this time. I promise.

He'll marry me.

He will.

Toris arched an eyebrow and set the book back down after flipping through at least three more pages of nearly the same message on each. He hadn't been paying attention, now aware that it was practically pitch black outside. The sun sat fast this time of year, though the days were becoming longer and longer. Prying the candle off of the table, he used it to find a path back to the door, but from that point on, he would have to walk in the dark. The wind was blowing far too hard for any kind of flame to stay lit. "I guess it's going to be a long night… I have to get back to Raivis, though. I can't just leave him there… I have to find Eduard too. I promised." Pulling the machete out of his belt, he stepped out of the door and into the cold winter winds. He held his jacket close to his body and went on, trying to keep the loose snow from blowing into his eyes.

Ivan hid behind the door of the back room, pressing everything that was moveable up against it. "I… I have to find a way out before she gets here…I don't like this one bit." The Russian stood and looked for a window within view when he heard a loud banging noise coming from the main room of the house. Quickly, he darted to the furthest wall and opened a covered window that hadn't been moved in years. There was a slight squeak as he paused, listening for movement. Soon, he heard a loud scratching against the door and a loud knocking. "No, no, no… I-Ivan is not in here! Go away! There is no one named Ivan here…!" He said, nervously.

"Brother…! I know you're there, let me in. You can't ignore me or escape… We'll get married, brother… Married…" The voice was loud against the opening under the door. After a silence, there was a loud cracking noise, the door splintering in the middle, a large knife protruding through the grains. Ivan jumped, hopped out of the window, and then ran straight through the woods. He was shaking, afraid of what would have happened if his younger (and quite mental) sister had reached him.

Ivan pulled himself over an embankment, not looking back at all, and slid down the other side, using his metal pipe as a walking cane. Once he reached the bottom, he sprinted in another direction, nearly running into a few trees in the process. Wincing once his shoulder was clipped by a large, broken branch, he ran a few more feet and fell to his knees. The Russian could feel his arm begin to sting and swell… He wasn't sure, but he was probably bleeding as well. Shrugging it off, he began to run again, this time stopping once he heard another noise. Eyes widening, he hid behind a snow drift, crouching down. Once he heard the other get close, he leaped out and swung his pipe—

CLANG!

A sharp metallic noise sounded, metal against metal. Ivan's eyes widened once a foot flew up and made contact with his stomach, pushing him down to the ground. He reached up, his scarf blinding him, just in time to block another blow by another kick, grabbing the other's foot and twisting it. He felt the other kick away and land on top of him, sitting. Pulling the scarf from his face, he was just in time to notice who was sitting on him. "Toris!"

The brunette stopped, the machete held high above his head in a stabbing position, his face looking quite angry. Once he noticed it was Ivan, he then too calmed down. "I-Ivan…! I found you!"