Hey everyone!

So this is the juicy chapter that I was talking about, but not the juiciest of you get what I'm saying ;)

Enjoy!

Her mood had altered visibly as soon as she had seen the steed. I thought she would be elated, and I wasn't planning on showing him to her until later on in the day- or at least until I could trust that she would stay even with apt transportation at her disposition.

She had been happy for a few seconds, but her face changed. She was upset, or bothered by something, and I had no idea what could have possibly changed her demeanor. She had engaged in a playful competition with me only moments ago- on her own accord. The way her eyes glint with the sight of a challenge, and the small triumphant smile that graced her features once she had put the logs in their place.

Now she kneeled in front of the washing tub, scrubbing plates and pots. I was on the other side, doing the same. I really didn't do this very often, but the chance to be with her all day was engrossing. The fact that she had helped me with the logs was surprising, to say the least.

She was still upset, it was visible on her face.

"What is troubling you?" I asked as nicely as possible. Brute force wouldn't work on her. She demanded respect in every way possible, and trying to force the source of her mood swing out of her wouldn't help make any progress.

She looked up from her work "Nothing".

"You're lying"

"No, I am not lying"

"Of course you are" I said, regarding her closely. "Now let us try again- what is troubling you?" I practically growled, she was testing my patience.

"I am worried about my father. That never crossed your mind?" She shot back, venom lacing her words.

"Of course it crossed my mind, sweetheart-"

"Do not call me that. I have a name and you know it" She interjected.

"Of course it crossed my mind, Caroline." I stressed her name, causing her to roll her eyes in response "But, you see, you were starting to relax in my presence and I didn't expect your behavior to change so quickly"

"Well, excuse me of being weary of your presence"

"This would be a lot more pleasant if you tried being civil towards me" I sighed, standing up and drying my hands on my trousers.

"It's kind of hard to do that when I am your prisoner" She said, standing up as well.

"You were the one that offered yourself" I said a little louder, stepping around the tub so that I could stand in front of her. She lifted her chin and matched my stare.

"That was when I believed my father had a chance to survive!" She hissed.

It all clicked right then. She had hoped that her father would find her horse and ride off with it. She was right to be angry. I had practically killed her father, and then let him go to find his way back to safety, taking away his only chance to make it back.

What she didn't know was that her bag- with her ax and sword, were safely hidden, and not in her father's possession. She may not have thought of this yet, but if she did, it would fuel her anger further.

She turned on her heel, striding away. Her posture and the way she carried herself with confidence didn't waver for a fraction of a second, but there was certainly more intensity to her steps. She rounded the corner of the cottage and I heard her slam the door. I continued to listen, surprised that she walked passed the parlor and through the hallway that lead to the dungeon throwing the door open and storming down the stairs.

I sighed, picking up the newly washed plates and pots, placing them back in the barrel and carrying it inside. I placed everything in their rightful places.

I had been living alone most of my life, and simple housekeeping chores became part of my daily routine. Along with gathering firewood, collecting water from the lake, and tending to...other things.

I searched the cupboards for a bottle of gin, sitting down at the head of the large mahogany table and taking a long swing.

I had carved the table out myself. It had been after a storm, thunder had struck an old mahogany tree, causing it to snap in half. I found it during one of my ventures, and decided that it would be a waste to leave it to rot.

The piece, along with the twelve chairs, had taken ages to make- nearly a year. Each detail was painfully and carefully carved. It had kept me occupied for some time.

I took another long swing, listening to what was going on in the floor below. She seemed to just be sitting again- I could only hear her breathing.

I rested my head on the back of the chair. It had been a long day. The sun was just beginning to set, casting a myriad of colors across the sky. An orangish glow streamed through the windows. I closed my eyes, letting a peaceful slumber overtake me once again.

I waited a few hours. Once I felt like it was late enough, I stood up slowly from the sitting position I had taken up against the wall. I dusted off my feet and began to take cautious steps down the stone hallway, careful not to make a sound.

I reached the stairs, a sure challenge. Stairs always tended to be noisy.

I took it, literally, one step at a time, carefully placing my feet on the places I knew wouldn't make a loud sound. Thirteen steps.

The door. The wooden door. I touched it, barely, with the tips of my fingers. The barely audible creaking noise caused me to stop abruptly, every muscle in my body clenching painfully. I waited a few minutes and then pushed on the door a little harder, a sliver of the outside hallway visible.

I breathed in a bit more and pushed it open enough for me to slip through, not wanting to risk any unwanted noise and waste any precious time.

I padded across the hallway as quickly and as quietly as I could. When I reached the end I peeked around the corner, looking for any signs of my warden. Nothing.

The windows of the parlor remained open, the darkness of the night consumed each pane. I stepped out of my hiding spot, trying to relax my muscles and making it seem like I was just walking calmly through his cottage. If he caught me in my act, he would hopefully think that I was just walking around casually, as opposed to what I was attempting to do.

Something caught my eye. It seemed to be coming from the dining room. I stopped walking and craned my neck to try and see what it was.

It was him. He was sitting at the head of the magnificent mahogany table, a bottle in his hand. His head was tilted back slightly, indicating that he had fallen asleep.

I felt a burning sensation in my chest, and I let out a breath I hadn't noticed I was holding. I moved towards that the door swiftly, taking advantage of the new found information- he was asleep. That didn't mean that he wouldn't wake at any moment, but I had a window of opportunity and I wasn't going to miss it.

I rounded the side of the house and stepped around any twigs and branches that could make an unwanted noise. I reached the stables and started looking for the lock.

"Hey, boy" I whispered soothingly to Spade. He made a small snorting sound, and I shushed him, trying to keep him as quiet as possible. I found the latch on the door and pulled it open, swinging the door of the stable open and grabbing Spade by the mane, pulling him out. There I looked into the stable, hoping to find the riding gear- but there was nothing there.

Once he had stopped shuffling around, I placed my hands on Spade's back and pulled myself up, swinging my legs over to either side of him. I had never ridden a horse without the proper equipment. But here I sat, barefoot, with no reins or seat. I grabbed handfuls of his mane and pulled towards the left, getting him to move towards the only apparent exit. I dug my heels into his sides and he took off.

At this point, I didn't care if the hoof beats resounded throughout the clearing. We were past the cottage and through the trees in record time, following the light of the full moon. I looked back for a second, but there was no one behind me. He wouldn't be able to catch up- I was already too far away for him to chase and he had no horse- or at least that I knew of.

We weaved through trees. I tried to stay on a straight path, and tried to calculate the path my father would have most likely taken. In this case, there was probably a trace for me to follow, but I was trying to put as much distance between me and the clearing as possible.

It brought me back to the day I had met the stranger in the woods for the first time. After our duel, I had waited for him to disappear between the trees, and just as fast, I had mounted Spade and taken off at lightning speed. Following the trail had become increasingly easy, and keeping up with it at a breakneck pace at the moment wasn't difficult.

Now I was doing the same- running away from him. The fear that coursed through my veins wasn't idiotic. He was a predator, and I was his prey, his target. He seemed like the type of person that didn't take no for an answer, and would do whatever it took to reach their goal.

I dug my heels into Spade's sides once again, pushing him to go faster.

The wood of the bow dug into my back, the three arrows I was able to salvage scratched my flesh. I reached back and took them out from my dress. I had grabbed the red cloak and taken it with me while I made a scene and stomped into the house. In those few seconds where we had faced off, a plan had formed in my mind. I stormed down to the dungeon with the sole intention of grabbing the bow and arrows that remained discarded in a corner of the room. I stuffed it into the back of my dress as soon as I had a chance and sat down on the ground, hoping that he wouldn't come down to check on me like he had done before.

Thankfully he had not. I continued to adjust the arrows and bow as I waited for the sun to set, so that I could escape with the cover of the night.

I would find my father, take us back to the village, and stay there. I wouldn't wander off into the woods ever again, I wouldn't even ask- I wouldn't ever speak of this again.

I knew what was in the woods, and I wished I didn't.

I took the ribbon out of my hair and tied the arrows together. I kept the bunch on my lap and slipped the bow over my shoulder like I had done so many times before.

I had been riding for at least an hour, pure adrenaline kept me going, digging my heels into Spade's side every time he would start slowing down.

The distinct sound of paws padding against the ground caused me to turn around and catch a glimpse of a huge dark creature running along side me, chasing me. There was another on my other side. I dug my heels into Spades sides again, but suddenly, another one of the creatures appeared in my path.

Immediately, I took an arrow out of its tie and set it on the bow, releasing it into the creature. It yelped out in pain. Its companions howled. They were wolves.

Spade jerked to the side and came to an abrupt stop. I looked down. There was a wolf, its teeth sunk into his leg. I grabbed another arrow and shot it straight through the beast's eye.

I leaped off of Spade and pushed the beast off his leg. There was another wolf. It was big, its coat the deepest shade of coal black I had ever seen- it basically blended into the night. I stood between the wolf and Spade, fumbling with an arrow, trying to get it on the rest.

One more perfect shot, and I would be home free.

The wolf continued to circle me, waiting for the right time to pounce. I waited, too.

But soon, the horrifying realization that this wasn't the only wolf left crept up on me. There were other beasts hidden between the trees, in every direction, their eyes sparkling in the moonlight.

The huge black wolf continued to circle me, slowly. I began to notice that it was much bigger than an actual wolf. Wolves that I had seen before were smaller, with a gray coat. This one was almost the size of Spade- its legs strong, its head, teeth, and eyes big.

It stopped its circle and stood poised, ready to pounce. I knew it would come at any moment, and once I would let go of the arrow, about a dozen more would pounce.

This is the end.

I held my breath, thinking of the words as the beast leapt in the air. I aimed the arrow head at the monster, waiting for it to get close enough.

But I never go the chance. Another creature collided with the wolf in mid air, falling to the ground with it. A deafening roar erupted through the forest as the two creatures tussled on the ground. There was a loud pop and a ripping sound, and one of the wolf's legs went flying, then another, and another two.

Once the creature was completely maimed, the unexpected hero stood up, covered by the shadows.

I had no chance to get a look at them because suddenly, all the creatures that had had their eyes trained on me were suddenly on top my savior, suffocating them.

One wolf went flying, then another. They were being thrown off as if they were nothing. Roars, growls, howls and barks erupted from the pile. More wolves went flying. Some would hit the ground and run off, yelping and whining. Others would hit trees, getting stabbed by an out sticking branch.

Now the stranger battled on the ground with another one of the wolves, and was losing. Without thinking another second, I aimed the head of the arrow and released.

I rushed over to the heap. There, I saw a large black wolf, with an arrow straight through its head, dead atop the stranger. I pushed it off, revealing no one other than Klaus.

He lay on the floor, his eyes closed, breathing heavily.

He sat up abruptly, his eyes open and wild- yellow. I scurried back, away from him.

I noticed then that he was bigger, his shoulders wider. Besides his eyes being yellow, his canines were elongated, his other teeth significantly larger.

I waited for him to calm down. He looked at me, a low growl emerging from his chest. I stayed still, looking him straight in the eyes. He soon closed them again and rubbed his hands over his face, taking a few deep breaths.

When he removed his hands, his eyes had returned to normal, his teeth and body were returning to normal as well.

I began to inch closer.

There were multiple deep scratches all along his torso. Blood painted his whole body, flesh ripped.

I ran my fingers over his shoulder.

"Do not touch me! Do not get close to me!" He yelled, scrambling back. "Get away!" He growled.

"I am trying to help you!" I yelled back. I stood up and stomped forward to where he was now sitting, extending my hand.

He regarded me carefully, then placed his hand in mine. I pulled him up, letting his arm come around my shoulder as he leaned on me for support.

The coppery smell of blood hit me strong. There were multiple abrasions running along his arms as well, all of them deep.

I helped him get up on Spade. He swayed from side to side, about to pass out. I quickly mounted Spade, turning around so that I was sitting facing Klaus.

He looked at me quizzically as I untied my cloak and draped it around him. He had no shirt on, only trousers. He didn't even have boots.

I turned back around and turned Spade around, back in the direction of the cottage, I didn't even know what had come over me. I could have taken this chance to leave him there and be on my way, to find my father.

Instead, I was heading back to the place where my father had been tortured and where I would probably be for the rest of my life. He would probably punish me for escaping- but I could escape again before that, maybe while he is resting, too weak to go after me...

I pushed the thoughts away and concentrated on weaving between the trees, pushing Spade to his maximum potential.

He had obviously passed out by now, or had been very close to. His body was resting against my back, his head lay on my shoulder. I looked at him, his eyes were still open, but battling to stay awake.

Sooner than I thought, the clearing came into view. I broke through the barrier of trees and headed straight for the stables. Once in, I jumped off and helped Klaus off. He was slipping in and out of consciousness. I closed the door of the stables and focused on getting into the cottage.

"Come one, Klaus. Stay with me" I said quietly. I was basically carrying him into the cottage, but his feet continued to work. He stumbled along, trying to help me, but his efforts weren't much help. Once at the cottage door, I kicked it open and rushed in, setting him down on a couch. His eyes closed instantly as he knocked out.

I ran into the kitchen and grabbed a large pot, running out of the house and out to the lake. I dipped the pot in picking up as much water as possible. I made it back to the house as quickly as I could without completely spilling all the water.

I set the pot down and went to go grab a few more pots, distributing the water between them. I put two to boil in the fire place, trying to get the water as clean as possible.

I went on a search for a piece of cloth in the house, having to grab a small blanket and tearing it into even pieces.

I began to soak a few in the cold water and kneeled down before Nik, starting to wipe away the blood around the cuts. Once that was done, I dropped the cloth back into its rightful pot and set the bloodied water and rags aside.

I went and grabbed the two boiling pots, steam rising from the surface of the water. I carefully began to dip a few pieces of cloth into one, being careful with my fingers. I bit my lip and shoved my hand in, a burning sensation traveling up my arm. It wasn't enough to burn me, but enough to cause some uncomfortableness.

I took out a cloth and wringed it, the air stinging my skin.

Carefully placing the cloth on an open wound, I began the task of cleaning them.

He bolted up, hissing in pain,

"What are you doing!" He yelled, a wild look in his eyes.

"Trying to help you!" I yelled out again "That's going to get infected if it's not cleaned" I placed a hand on his chest and pushed him back onto the couch "Now hold still" I demanded.

I placed the cloth on the open wound again, causing his face to contort in pain.

There were about ten deep cuts running along his torso, and the task of cleaning was far from easy. Fear of causing an infection lead me to change the water and boil it about ten times (once for each wound).

He would tense and clench his fists as I would work on him, grit his teeth, or growl.

Once I had finished, the wounds were no longer bleeding as much as before. But there was still some blood, and the cuts began to secrete a clear liquid. I was able to find a much larger blanket which I transformed into a large gauze. I wrapped it along his torso in an effort to hold the bleeding for the night.

I moved to his arms and did the same- cleaning the wounds and wrapping them.

"There, all done" I said. I moved to gather all the pots. I started moving them outside, dumping the bloodied water into the grass and rinsing out the pots by the washing tub, doing the same with the pieces of cloth- just in case they would be needed again.

I brought everything in and placed them in their rightful places.

I searched through the kitchen and found that he had cheese and bread, as well as fruits and leftovers of a roasted boar.

I put everything together and took it over to the fireplace, reheating strips of boar meat and warming up the bread with cheese.

I looked for some milk and brought that over too, heating it up and pouring it into a goblet.

He lay on the couch where I had left him. I sat on the edge of the couch and nudged him carefully. His eyes fluttered open sleepily.

"Come, you need to eat" I coaxed him, holding out a piece of meat. He caught it between his teeth and chew hungrily.

I fed him the rest of the boar and the bread with cheese along with the milk.

"That's what I thought" I said, smiling down at him. I took the plates and placed it in the kitchen, going back to attend to him.

He was now staring at me, no troubles with staying awake.

I touched his forehead to make sure there was no signs of a fever. He was cool.

I grabbed my cloak. It had fallen on the floor when we had come rushing in. I lay down on the couch opposite to him and covered myself with the cloak.

"I got blood on your cloak" He said.

I looked down. There were splashes of red on it. The cloak was already red, but these were darker.

"I'll wash it in the morning" I said, turning to him with a small smile. He returned it.

I closed my eyes "You should rest" I said.

"I'm fine. You should rest. You've been through a lot" He said. I opened my eyes.

"Me? You just fought off a whole pack of wolves...with your bare hands!" I held out my own hands to make a point. He just chuckled.

"Sweetheart-" He began, but shot him a look.

"Caroline-" He began again "You just fought off two wolves, and spent a good portion of the night riding at full speed if my calculations are correct" He said, causing me to look down and blush. My plan hadn't worked, and it was because I had helped him.

"The adrenaline running through your system was what kept your energy so high, and you're going to experience a crash at any moment. So rest. I promise I will" He finished and settled back into the couch. I did the same.

"How did you do it?" I asked, my eyes closed.

'What, love?"

"Fight them all off." I yawned "They should have killed you. Should have killed me" I finished, snuggling deeper into the warmth and softness of the fur and blankets.

"Well-" He said, but I was slipping into my dream realm, the last few words drowning out into the black haze.

"You're going to have to stick around to find out."

Love it? Hate it? Hmmm?

Next chapter I will clear up exactly what happened here, so if your confused, don't worry!

Bye for now!

~M

P.S.: Thank you to all who followed, reviewed, and favorited!