First light the morning following the attack on Narysia's home found three men skulking around the once peaceful, country home. They were all three armed and obviously hunting for something. They appeared in light armors of leather and scales. One was armed with a sword, a strong shield ever ready. One was armed with a bow and arrow, held loaded and ready to pull back in an instant. The third was armed with a spear, also held at the ready. Clearly each of these men expected a fight at any moment.

It was the archer, Rowland was his name, who spotted what they were looking for. Two bushes, fairly close to each other, bore snapped twigs and branches. Leaves and other such debris from these bushes littered the ground on the other side. There were wolfen paw prints in the damp soil both before and beyond the disturbed brush, leading into the forest. The country home sat upon the shores of a lake and the river which fed the lake, turned this way and that in a soft, winding path in the direction these paw prints were facing. With a quick, bird-like whistle, he signaled his comrades over. The three of them grinned and began to follow the trail.

~*~*~*~

Meanwhile, back on the banks of the river, the scuffling sound of footfalls in the sand and pebble shore aroused Narysia from snoozing. She had curled into a ball, her tail draped over her face to try and keep the cold out. The sound would be met with a perking pair of ears and a pair of sunshine yellow eyes to peek out from behind her tail and investigate the source. "Daddy?" she blurted out immediately, thinking he must surely have found her at last to take her to her nice, warm home. Already she was imagining a warm blanket and a cup of hot tea.

That hope, however, was shattered when she realized that the person who approached her was not her daddy at all. In fact, as she saw his black fur and wolfen head and feet, she knew immediately he wasn't even human. As the male bent down to examine her, he was quickly met by her bared claws and fangs. Not being a normal wolf, her claws were sharp as spears and black as the night against her snow-white pelt. The fangs she bore appeared as if they could rip a man's thoat out. It was quite an impressive sight, considering she was such a small child. She probably couldn't do much against this much larger male, but she was making it clear that she would try to hurt him as badly as she could if he got any closer.

Not wishing to harm the little cub, he backed away slightly, holding his paws to the side in a gesture he hoped would show the child that he meant no harm. "Easy little one" he said "You are in no condition to be fighting. I will not hurt you." As he spoke, he trained his ears on the surroundings, keeping one trained on the child, but alternating as he listened all around.

He sniffed the air too, catching the child's scent, which perplexed him. He could smell the wolf in her. This was expected sense she appeared to be one. However, another scent was just as strong. The scent of humans. Strange. In these times, humans and furries kept to themselves, always fighting and hating one another. The meet a child that smelled so strongly of both, he could think of only a few theories. Those sharp fangs and claws, told him immediately what was most likely.

He'd heard of werewolves before. Men who walked as wolves during the full moon, hunting what their feral minds craved, blood and flesh. Some of the older, more experienced werewolves could control the change, even change at will, however, they always retain their human forms. This child seemed conscious of her actions and yet she appeared hardly human.

In any case, he could find out why later. What was important now was to get this child some better protection from the cold. He could not leave this child to fend for herself. If she didn't get picked off by wild animals, she'd succumb to the cold and freeze to death. He took off his thick cloak and held it out for her. "Come on, little one" he said in a voice that was soft and full of consern for the child "Drape this around you. It'll keep you warm."

Narysia stared at him, not letting her guard down even for an instant. "My daddy told me never to trust strangers" she said, showing no sign of getting out from her little cubbiehole, nor letting him get any closer.

"Your daddy is a wise man" he said "And he's absolutely right. My name is Xorath. What's yours?" To further show he meant no harm, he knelt down on one knee, draping the cloak over the other. "Please accept this before you catch a cold."

As the male seemed to assure her he was no threat, Narysia dropped her guard and curled back up against the cold, determined not to do what he asked. Her parents had properly instilled on her mind the usual stories of little girls who trusted strangers only to be taken away and never seen again. However, one sneeze later and she found her nose was stopped up slightly. Even as young as she was, she knew she would get sick if she didn't get warm soon. Making up her mind, she sprange forward as quick as she could and made to snatch at the cloak. Xorath made no sudden movements and made no attempt to stop the child. She came to a stop some few feet away and wrapped her sivvering form up in the thick cloak. It smelled somewhat of fish as well as the scent of the wolf male, but it was still warm from him wearing it and it offered the protection from the cold that she needed.

Xorath would smile softly to her and move to his boat. Dragging out some meager supplies, he began to set up a little campfire. He knew he could simply force the child to go with him easily enough, but that would accomplish nothing. It was important now that he gain this child's trust if he was ever to see her to safety. Nothing good could come of leaving this child to fend for herself. For now, he simply set about gathering wood. In a short time, he would stoke up a fire for them. He made no effort to persuade the little girl to warm herself by it. He returned to his boat and brought out the fishes he had caught as well as a few stakes to skewer them on. It wasn't much, but he hadn't exactly planned on camping.

"M-my daddy... should... find me soon" she said, a little nervous that Xorath seemed to be hanging around.

"And if he doesn't?" he asked "What then?"

Narysia looked offended. "My daddy always finded me before" she said with a huff.

"I will stay with you and protect you until he arrives" he said, his voice soft and kind "But I'll make a deal with you. If he is not here by morning, you will come with me and we will go find him. Is that acceptable?"

She didn't know what to do. On the one hand, this was a stranger she had only just met. On the other, her daddy never took this long to find her before. If he didn't find her by morning... she trembled and grew frightened at that thought. In the end, she conceeded, nodding in acceptance. In the meantime, she moved closer to the fire for warmth, but still maintained distance from him as he proceeded to clean and prepare the fish for cooking.

~*~*~

Elsewhere in the forest, the three hunters continued to follow Narysia's trail. It wouldn't be long before they found her...