Taho and Sena depart just before the break of dawn. Though they're all fully covered in their hats, coats and scarves, Heli regards the brightening sky with apprehension as they unload Sena's bags from the back of the van.

"What if I wanted to stay and shop?" Sena says as Eugene hands her another piece of her luggage.

"I can't afford that," he scoffs. "There are already a lot of things I need to get for three of them." He nods in the direction of Heli, Jaan and Jakah, bidding their good-byes to Taho.

"You are leaving awfully early," Jakah says.

"It was a matter of-" Tae starts, but he's interrupted as Sena walks over and wraps her arms around Heli's neck.

"Don't worry about anything. We'll figure out where this island is," she says.

"We?" Eugene gives her a suspicious glance.

"Someone has to drive," Sena responds. "I think we'll make a good team." She lets go of Heli and smiles at Taho.

"I agree," Taho says. "See you all later then." With a nod farewell, he grabs his bag and disappears into the station.

"Ready yet?" Eugene asks, the remainder of Sena's belongings slung over his shoulder.

"You better not let anything happen to them," Sena says as he walks by him.

They wave as the door closes behind her and Eugene, still carting her luggage.

"You alright?" Jaan gives Heli's coat sleeve and light tug as he heads back into the van.

"It's gonna be a long day," Viken sighs as he slides into the front passenger seat. "What do you care though, you're going to sleep through it."

"That's right," Jaan says, pulling a blanket from the back of the seat and throwing it over Heli and Jakah. "I'm looking forward to a long, peaceful rest."

"Maybe you should stay up, I wouldn't trust Eugene or Viken to pick clothes for you," Heli teases. "You may not like what they think you should wear."

Viken turns in his seat. "The only one of you that came prepared with his own stuff was Jakah."

"Given the circumstances," Jaan shakes his head.

"Of course I was," Jakah grins. "You two are just lost without me."

When Eugene opens the door and hops in, the sun is cresting over the treetops, bathing the morning in bright light. The look on his face is peculiar, like he's forcing the downturning pout of his mouth into an unconvincing smile.

"Finally got that over with," he mutters and he fishes for his key in his coat pocket. "We've got a lot to do. Quick stops only, and no buying junk." He gives Viken a pointed look.

"You're no fun," Viken sighs.

Heli pulls the blanket over his head and leans back into the seat. "Good, uh, morning then," he mumbles and the van's engine roars to life. He closes his eyes and drifts off to the soft music of the radio and Eugene's voice, counting off the list of things he needs to purchase for the day.

He opens them again to pitch darkness. Frost forms on the foggy windows. Jakah is awake, resting against Heli's arm with a tight grip around his wrist. Jaan's head leans forward onto his chest, his arms crossed as he bobs slightly with the movement of the vehicle. Heli blinks and he looks out through the windshield. In the beam of headlights, flakes of white fall onto the snow-dusted road. Surrounding them are dark forests of evergreens. A few moments pass before he registers just how slow they're moving. Or perhaps this is something more like a normal speed.

"Are you sure this is right?" Eugene says.

Viken turns the map in his hands. "I'm positive. You need to turn left up here."

"I can't see anything to turn onto."

"There, between the trees. I can see it just fine. Maybe you need your eyes checked."

Eugene's arm twitches like he wants to reach over and give Viken a smack, but both hands are firmly planted on the steering wheel.

"Is everything alright?" Heli asks.

"Absolutely," Viken chimes. "We only got lost once."

"Only once when we could have been there already," Eugene sighs. "I'm sorry we're going slower than usual, but the roads are icy."

"I'm not even sure what slow means to you," Heli mumbles.

"We've been sliding a bit," Jakah says. "And they've been yelling about the map. Sometime around sunset we were stuck in a snowdrift..."

"I told him the road turned, but he just kept going straight," Viken says.

"Do you want to drive instead?" Eugene grits his teeth.

"No, but you're not listening to my directions."

Heli watches the snowfall as they make their way through the trees, and eventually with no further mishaps they arrive into the orange lights of a town. Jaan begins to stir as they drive under the street lamps, finally waking with a stretch. Eugene stops in front of an inn and they step out into the night air.

The damp chill of the weather back home is incomparable to the bitter, frigid cold of this place. The air feels like needles on the exposed skin of Heli's face. He pulls his scarf up further to cover his nose. He may have felt chilled before, but the prickling frozenness here goes right through his whole body.

"Brr," Jakah rubs his hands together. "This temperature is uncomfortable, even for me."

Jaan nods in agreement as he helps Viken unload their bags.

"You're going to love what we bought you today," Viken grins.

"For me?" Heli mumbles through his scarf. Jaan hands him a couple pieces of luggage and they trudge through the cold up the inn's steps and inside.

As expected the interior is warm with a crackling fire. A Christmas tree sits in the corner of the room, laden with baubles of golden glass and painted red hearts. Dark wood panels cover the walls. Their bedrooms are cosy as well, with deep red duvets and matching curtains.

"This is the most travelling we've ever done at once, I'm not sure if I love it or am getting tired," Eugene says as he drops a bag on a desk.

"I think it's been fun," Viken says, but Eugene's already stepped out to retrieve more of their things. Viken throws his coat to the floor as he beelines for the shopping bags, rummaging through each until he pulls out a sizable box. He tosses the box aside as ungracefully as his coat and whips open a powder blue cloth. A long white cord hangs from one corner, which Viken plugs into an outlet in the wall, then spreads the blanket over the bed. He stands with a wide grin.

"Eugene didn't want to buy this since it cost most of what he had left, but I'm glad we did. You look more dead than usual. Lay down," he gestures to the bed, turning a dial attached to the cord.

"What does that mean? More dead?"

"You're kinda blue."

Heli returns a confused look and the huge smile on Viken's face is suspicious. He takes his coat off, places it on the back of the desk chair and then sits down on the bed and lays back. The blue blanket is soft enough, but there's a strange stiffness to it.

"I don't get it," he says. "What's so special about this?"

"Give it a minute."

Heli blinks at the ceiling. He's comfortable, but he doesn't feel anything special about this weird blanket.

"What is it supposed to- oh."

Somehow Viken's grin grows even wider.

" Oh."

A steadily growing heat rises from the blanket. Heli closes his eyes, as warmth spreads through him.

"There's a timer here," Viken says. "The temperature is supposed to adjust automatically, don't just reset it to stay on full blast constantly, it might catch on fire."

"Are you serious?"

"I know you'll go up like a tinderbox so be careful with it."

"You've got to be joking."

Heli frowns when Viken shakes his head.

"Isn't there a less dangerous version?"

"Yeah, sure." Viken laughs.

"OOF."

Viken drops onto the bed, draping over Heli's stomach. "Better?"

"Get off," Heli says, but they're both laughing as Viken rolls over.

"This does feel nice. Maybe I'll use it instead," says Viken. "So you don't have to worry about catching on fire."

"Why are you on fire?" Jaan enters the room with another bag. "That better be the reason you haven't helped bring in anything."

"We're trying out this electric blanket," Viken says. He pats the space next to him. "Take a seat."

Jaan pauses looking from Heli to Viken, then shrugs and joins them on the bed. All three let out a collective sigh.

"Thank you for this," Heli says. Viken responds with a pat on his arm.

"They really might not get up now." Heli cracks open an eye to see Jakah and Eugene standing over them.

"Too bad for them, someone needs to come down with me to find the person who hired us," Eugene says. He takes Heli by the hands and pulls him up.

"Do I have to?"

"One or all of you, doesn't matter to me. We've got a job to do," Eugene claps the back of his shoulder.

Heli groans but follows Eugene out into the hall anyway.

"It's your job," he says.

"There is one good thing about being here, where it's this cold," Jaan says, his hands in his pockets as he joins the others as they head back downstairs. "Chances of other vampires following us is pretty low."

"You mean Lamia or her clowns wouldn't enjoy an arctic getaway?" laughs Eugene.

"Decidedly not."

The reception area of the inn is empty. Even the worker from whom they've received their room keys is nowhere to be seen. Instead, laying by the door is a fluffy grey dog with a dark face resting on its front paws. Its ears perk up as they approach.

"Look, a puppy!" Jakah skips to the dog, leaning down to pat its head, only for the dog to leap back growling. It snaps at Jakah's hand before taking off running down a hallway.

"No, wait!" Jakah runs after the dog. "Why are you running away from me?"

"I'm going to need him to think about that, just for a second," Jaan sighs.

"I wanna pet the dog," Viken stares down the hallway Jakah had vanished down.

"Why don't you make sure they don't hurt each other, hm?" Eugene says, but Viken is off before he can finish.

Aside from the reception desk, the lobby has a small cafe. Though the door is open, it seems to be closed for business. Chairs sit flipped atop the long wooden tables, still decorated with evergreen centrepieces and red ribbon. The room is entirely empty save for one person, wiping down countertops with a white rag in one hand. Her other arm is wrapped up in a sling. She turns as they approach. Half her face is bruised and bandaged. Splotches of purple run down her neck.

"Can I help you?" she asks, dropping the rag on the top of a bar.

"We're looking for Eira Ivensen," Eugene says. "Do you know where to find her?"

The woman laughs, then winces, pressing her good hand lightly to the plaster on her cheek. "I do, since she is me."

"You called about a, uh, paranormal problem?"

"I did." She looks Eugene over. "I was told an exceptionally powerful mage was on his way. For some reason, I was picturing someone older."

Eugene's smile drops just slightly. "They're plenty old enough."

Eira raises an eyebrow. "You're just not the typical image of wise old sage, that's all."

Eugene pulls out one of the stools tucked under the bar and takes a seat. As Heli pulls out the stool to sit next to him, it occurs to him he hadn't before given much thought to how potential clients found or hired them for jobs. Certainly they didn't just advertise in a newspaper or phone book.

"Why don't you just tell me what's going on," Eugene says. "We were told something about attacks."

"Right," Eira focusses her attention on Eugene as she explains. "It started in the late summer. A couple bodies were found in the forests and they were…not whole. Both had the same bite marks."

Eugene shifts in his seat. "And the cause…?"

"The initial idea was some bear or wolf. My father and some others have been setting traps trying to catch the thing, but no luck. And meanwhile more bodies were found."

The smile disappears from Eugene's face completely. "If you think it's an animal, why call us?"

"I wasn't done," Eira says. "No one had seen any trace of whatever this man-eater was, and no one had survived an attack either. Until me, anyway." She lifts the arm in the sling. "I was walking around the back of the inn here, it wasn't even that late. Someone grabbed me from behind. I know it was human arms, but also…not. Whoever it was seemed abnormally large. They dragged me towards the treeline, and I must have blacked out, because the next thing I remember is falling into the snow and seeing something run through the trees. That thing though, it did look like a wolf. Large, and furry, running on four legs. It was fast and disappeared before I could get a good look."

Eugene nods as she relates her story, the furrow in his eyebrows deepening as she goes on.

"You were grabbed and dragged by something human, or with human arms?" He repeats.

Eira nods. "Yes. Hands, like a person."

"But you saw a wolf running away?"

Eira nods again. "I think it dropped me because pappa was coming around the corner of the inn. He found me in the snow, but didn't see anything else. He doesn't believe me about the hands. Insists my memory is confused because of the injury, or because it was so dark."

Eugene rests his elbow on the bar, his hand on his chin as he thinks. Eira's wounds are well-bandaged, but it's obvious a serious injury took place. Being on her face, it's not a stretch to think there was some sort of blow to her head that would cause confusion of the event. Heli wonders if there was any way for them to see the kind of bites on the bodies. There would certainly be a difference between a wound caused by the mouth of an animal or…something else. He certainly doesn't have the nerve to ask Eira, but sends the idea to Eugene anyway.

Eugene shoots Heli a glance. "You don't mind if I ask more about the attack?" he asks Eira.

"Not at all," she says.

"Is there anything else you remember? Anything at all?"

"There was," she pauses. "A smell. A strong, disgusting smell. Like something rotting. But that's all. And that's the real reason why I thought, this creature was not something normal. There were plenty of people I could talk to that were familiar with the old stories of monsters. Through a series of recommendations, I was eventually given your number. I see you have experience with the undead, at least."

Heli glances up from the spot on the counter he'd been staring at to Eira looking him dead in the face. He averts his eyes just as quickly. Eugene starts out of his seat, but Eira laughs.

"You're not really trying to hide it, yeah? This one is as white as milk and people don't normally have that eye colour either. Though, I thought there were five of you when you came in. You're missing someone."

Heli feels an arm on his shoulder and turns to see Viken.

"They're not a danger to anyone," Eugene says.

"I didn't say they were," Eira says. "I can tell well enough there's some intelligence in those eyes, however unsettling they may look. As long as they don't bite."

Her tone is playful but she looks at Eugene with an expression of serious enquiry. He backs down onto the stool, letting out a breath.

"On the subject of bites, is there any way we could see the marks from this monster of yours?"

"If you mean on me, no," Eira responds. "I had a broken arm, some cuts, but no bites. On any of the bodies before, also not likely. I don't think anyone in the mortuary would believe they're not animal attacks, and unless you have a plan to impersonate some police, I doubt you'd get far."

"You're not making this easy."

"No one here believes me," Eira shrugs. "But, I can tell you which way the wolf ran off to."

"If it went into the forest, it could be anything," Eugene sighs. "Well we got more to go on this time than the vampire job. On the subject, as long as the cat's out of the bag, do you have anything they can eat?" He tilts his head in the direction of Heli. "Anything with blood in it would do."

Eira taps the counter. "I might have something I can whip up in the kitchen." She turns and leaves through a door at the bar's far end.

"What about us?" Viken hisses. "We haven't eaten since this afternoon. And don't worry, the dog and Jakah have not attempted eating each other. He's trying to coax it out of the stairwell."

"You've got a few more options, plus we bought a whole bag full of snacks," Eugene replies. "If you want something else, when Eira comes back, ask."

Viken sulks as he pulls out a third stool. "You don't think she's going to bring out more blood sausage do you? That stuff was disgusting."

"You barely even tried it," says Eugene.

"What I had was enough," Viken shudders. "I thought I was gonna be sick."

"What do you think it is? The monster she described?" Heli asks.

"Hmm," Eugene crosses his arms. "Some sort of shapeshifter? A human that turns into a wolf?"

"Sounds pretty obvious, don't you think?" Jaan leans over on the other side of Eugene. "How much do you want to bet the attacks aligned with a full moon?"

"Any of you ever dealt with a werewolf?"

Jaan and Heli both shake their heads.

"Aren't they supposed to be your mortal enemies?" Viken asks.

"No?" Jaan returns a confused look. "I don't really know much about them, but I wouldn't want to have to fight with one."

"We'll figure it out," Eugene says. "Let's not jump to conclusions yet."

"What do you know?" asks Heli. "About werewolves."

"Well," Eugene starts. He opens and closes his mouth a couple times. "They're weak to silver."

"You're about as prepared for this as you were for vampire hunting, aren't you?"

"Not so," Eugene retorts. "We have way more information this time. And I have you."

"But I don't know anything either," Heli says. "What do you expect me to do?"

Eira returns, saving Eugene from having to answer. She sets down the plate piled with thin, round cakes. Steam rises from the dark brown food and Heli can tell the scent definitely has the metallic notes of blood. Next to it, she also places a small jar of bright red jam.

"Here's something you all can eat," she says. "As long as you don't mind reindeer blood."

Viken coughs as he recoils from the bar. "I'll pass. If you need me I'll be eating snacks in the room. Or whatever is left as long as Jakah hasn't used it all to bribe that dog."

Eugene also decides to pass, though Heli finds the pancakes delicious and filling, especially so with the berry jam Eira added.

"Actually eating is nice, isn't it?" He teases Jaan, who's chewing slowly as if he'd forgotten what the sensation was like. "Or do you feel like a common ghoul?"

Jaan holds up a fork with a bit of cake speared onto the end. "This world is incredible isn't it?"

Helieseung had hoped they could go back to relaxing on the new electric blanket after eating, but Eugene has other plans.

"Grab your coat, let's look around outside." Eugene doesn't even give him a chance to argue. "The sooner we can figure this out, the sooner we can go back home, okay?"

Heli is already eager to return to a warmer climate. He laughs to himself at the absurdity of how he considered himself cold back at L-'s castle, or even in the little cottage during the dropping temperatures of autumn. He had taken for granted just how warm it had really been. Standing outside now, he can see his breath in spite of his lukewarm body temperature.

He glances up at the sky, searching for the moon, but it's cloudy. He hadn't been paying much attention to the moon phases when the sky was clear and he has no idea what it might be now. That's something Eugene and Viken ought to know, isn't it? He wouldn't get any energy from the moon if he can't actually sit in its light, and he wonders how the clouds might affect lycanthropes.

"What should we be looking for?" He asks Eugene, who is testing the batteries in his torch. "It's pretty bright with the street lamps," he adds.

"Always good to have a torch," Eugene says. "We're looking for…anything I guess. We'll start by looking around the back here where Eira said she was attacked. I kinda want to get an idea of the layout of the town too."

"Should we split up?" Viken asks.

Eugene surveys the faces of his bundled-up companions. "Yes, but not all separated. Jaan, why don't you go with Viken? Heli, you stay with me."

"Why do you get Heli?" Viken whines.

Eugene hands him a torch. "You're safer with Jaan. He's more experienced at fighting."

"You just want to boss me around," Heli mumbles. "What's stopping them from just going back inside?"

"Absolutely nothing," Eugene says. "Come on."

He takes Heli by the arm. A narrow path cuts through the snow around the inn, leading to a back door. There are considerably less lights on this side from the building, just whatever windows are illuminated on the second floor. Eugene flips on his torch and shines it around the ground and into the forest not far behind them. Several days worth of fresh snow cover whatever tracks might have been made by Eira's monster. Through the evergreens is nothing but darkness. He doesn't see anything unusual, no marks on the building or anything evident on the bark of the trees.

Eugene motions for Heli to follow as they continue on, back onto the main street of the town. Houses cluster together along the roads, painted in shades of red and yellow. They pass by a dock stretching out into the fjord. Mountains rise on all sides, making the whole town feel enclosed and small.

"You're going to have a hard time without any other witnesses," Heli says. "Do you think we're going to have to go into the forests? Or into the mountains?"

"Definitely," Eugene looks up, scanning the mountaintops. "We'll at least be able to rule things out."

"Wouldn't it be better to look around during the day when it's light?"

Eugene laughs. "That would make more sense but, if it is a werewolf, wouldn't it turn back into a human? Besides, we don't really have a choice."

Heli is about to ask why, when the sound of a scream shatters the tranquillity of the still night. They both turn to the direction of the sound, and without a word are off. The scream sounded close, and Heli can smell the blood before he sees it. Deep, bloody footprints lead away from one narrow street and towards the trees behind a house at the edge of town. A small crowd of neighbours are already gathering, awoken by the scream, which appears to be an older woman leaning out of a window, still shrieking. Cautiously, Heli and Eugene step around the people, trying to catch a glimpse. If Heli can just get a good look, maybe he can discern teeth marks before the authorities arrive. He holds his nose and they grow closer and the scent of fresh blood becomes stronger. He doesn't need that temptation activating his curse now either.

Eugene gasps as he steps around the end of the crowd. When Heli sees what's lying at the base of the trees, he stops holding his breath. What's in the snow before them isn't the sight of appetising human blood. There's blood alright, but the shape of whatever it was doesn't resemble a human. He can't make head or tail of what it might have been at all. All that's left is blood, bone and fabric scraps. In addition to the bloody smell is something else, an undertone of decay permeating the air.

"Do werewolves usually completely devour people?" Heli whispers to Eugene, who takes a step back and pulls Heli away from the growing gaggle of people

"Look." He points.

Heli turns to see they're not that far from the inn at all. It's just down the street in fact.

"You didn't hear any kind of commotion while we were looking around before, did you?"

Heli shakes his head and Eugene frowns.

"We weren't gone that long either. Whatever happened here was fast…This is weird."

Heli glances back at the inn. They ended up right where they started, nearly the same place where Eira had been attacked. He turns to Eugene. "You don't think-"

Over Eugene's shoulder, something in the trees catches Heli's eye. Something dark and huge, like a shadow slinking through the forest. It stops, seems to turn, staring back at him with glinting red eyes. Though it stands just outside the illumination of artificial light, he can make out the outline of an animal on four legs.

"I don't think what?" Eugene prompts.

"There's something in the forest."

Eugene turns to look, but the dark creature is already gone.