There was no response from within the woodsman’s room.

  Kasia bit her lip and knocked again.

  Was that some muffled rustling she heard? Still, no one came to answer the door.

  Kasia took a deep breath and turned the handle, letting herself inside.

  "Um, sir?" She called out, quickly spotting the large mountain shape buried under a blue quilted blanket in the large bed.

  Kasia had never actually been in one of the inn's rooms before. It looked nice; comfortably furnished with a large bed, a chest at the foot, and a table with two chairs.

  “Huh? Kasia?” he mumbled softly, but didn’t move beyond that.

  Damn he was a heavy sleeper.

  Shyly, Kasia approached the bed. "Yes, it's Kasia. I…got a free day and wanted to come see you. Is that– I can leave if you prefer?"

  Shit, is this too forward? This was definitely too forward! What the fuck am I thinking showing up in his room while he’s sleeping?!

  Finally the mountain shifted. The handsome stranger sat up in bed, the blanket falling to his waist. His torso was completely exposed as he held himself up with his hand; It was muscular and defined. His pecs could have been chiseled from solid stone. Every abdominal muscle could be counted and traced. His burly arms were perfect—exactly the kind you would imagine scooping you up to carry you out of a birthing building.

  “Why would I ever want to be without your beauty?” He purred.

  That was fucking lucid for someone who was snoring less than a minute ago. Kasia thought with a raised eyebrow. But she could not stop gawking at his body. By the creator’s hands he was the most attractive creature she had ever seen. And so she continued to stare. And stare. Her mouth might have been hanging open.

  The stranger smirked at her and struck a pose, giving her a long moment to appreciate the view.

  Vain thing, isn’t he? Then again, when you look like that…

  He chuckled, “Gorgeous, right?”

  Had he really just said that? Yeah, he is definitely egocentric. And yet, does that actually bother me? I feel like it should... Kasia snapped out of a daydream that involved licking every single one of his abdominal muscles.

  "Oh. Yes. I. You. Yes." She babbled in embarrassment, tearing her eyes away to stare at the floor so she could think straight. Dammit- why can't I speak as clearly?! It's not like i have never seen an attractive man before! I live with the knights– the most elite and well trained hunters in all the world—they all have bodies like this! But did they? Maybe. But none of them had ever left her staring and breathless.

  “It’s rude not to look at the person that you’re speaking to, My Lady.” The Stranger teased her. There was a soft growl to his voice now. It made gooseflesh rise along her forearms.

  Vain and bossy. What have I gotten myself into? Apparently a woman walking into his room while he’s sleeping is no great surprise, so I’m guessing I’m not the first to greet him this way…

  “What a pleasant change of plans! I was not expecting you to grace me today.” he continued.

  Kasia lifted her eyes and did her damnedest to keep them fixed on his face. It was a struggle. Those muscles called to her, chanting her name. They wanted her to look– she was sure of it. "I was given a free day and … I wanted to spend it with you. I…thought we could talk and…kiss some more."

  ‘Kiss some more?’ her inner voice mocked her, ‘Gosh, what am I, ten?’

  But Kasia hadn’t been able to think about anything but his lips since he'd kissed her. Now that she was in his presence again, the desire had skyrocketed. She needed to kiss him again, like she needed to eat or drink.

  The handsome man made room next to him on the bed. “Come here, then. Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” He watched her eyes dart to his chest and abdomen again and amusement tugged at his lips. “Would you like to touch one?” He gestured to his many torso muscles.

  Yes. Fuck yes. She absolutely did, but…but this was definitely not appropriate. If her father found out she had gone into a stranger's room and touched his bare torso… but then she remembered the way his arms had felt around her in that cave. Her body filled with longing to be that way with him again.

  "I… I shouldn't." And yet, she found her feet walking forward, her body sliding into the bed next to him and her hand reaching forward to touch his stomach. It was hot and smooth…she ran her fingers over the ridge of each ab. Fuck he was perfect. "Are you sure you're leaving?" The question escaped Kasia's lips before she could stop herself. She clapped her hand over her mouth, horrified.

  The stranger burst out laughing. “You’re cute.” He caressed her face and gave her a deep kiss.

  Kasia’s face was hot with embarrassment, but she wasn't going to refuse his kisses. Eagerly, she tangled her hands in his long hair and lost herself in the feeling of his lips on hers. When they pulled apart, Kasia blinked several times, dazed. It felt like she was floating. "Will you tell me your name, Sir?"

  “My name… is Isaak.” He whispered with his lips brushing against hers. A finger lightly caressed her neck and shoulder, sliding a little under her shirt collar.

  "Isaak…" she whispered, falling into another kiss. Shit We're on a first name basis now. Things are really getting serious.

  A part of her wanted to beg him to take her with him when he left. But no, no, no. She had worked so hard to be a hunter. How could she throw all that away just to chase after a man? What would she even do with herself?

  Kiss, Her mind sighed in reply. I could follow him across the world for those kisses. No no no! Bad Kasia. What the fuck is wrong with you? Do you think he wants you following him around like some crazy stalker? Get a grip, girl.

  Kasia sighed, "I barely know you." Then she realized she'd said that part out loud. "Tell me about yourself, sir."

  “You barely know me? I disagree,” Isaak scoffed, “You know that I am kind. A little controlling-”

  A little? She didn’t say that part out loud.

  “-Strong. Damn good looking-”

  And none too ignorant of that fact…

  “-Funny. Charming. Good with an ax.” His velvety voice was sensual as he spoke, lulling her into a half trance. His fingertips continue to trace circles on her neck and shoulder, moving slightly forward over her collarbone.

  Ooh his touches feel so nice… he knows just how to do it. That should upset me, but it’s actually a nice change from Louis who would just bumble around and irritate me as much as he pleased me.

  “-You know that I’m from elsewhere. That I enjoy traveling. I came up from the South. You know that I enjoy hunting.” He drew her in as he spoke until their lips met again. Kasia melted into his lips, her mind going pleasantly blank. After yet another protracted kiss he asked her, “What would you like to know?”

  Kasia smiled dreamily at him, feeling drugged on his kisses. However, the opportunity to learn more about this intriguing stranger sent her mind firing with thousands of questions. "There are so many things I could ask! Have you always been a woodsman? Do you have any siblings? What is your favorite meal? Do you have any other interests besides hunting? I could go on," Kasia winked, "but first: what do you dream of?"

  “Hmm… Well, my favorite meal is my freshest kill.” He smiled, and Kasia noticed he had a wicked tilt to his lips as he answered the most impersonal question.

  She ran her fingers over his, tracing the peaks of his knuckles, "And your dreams?"

  “Mmm, that feels nice.” He closed his eyes. “I don’t know. I don’t have any. I live each day and welcome the next. I have few plans.” He replied quietly.

  Kasia's mouth gaped in surprise at his answer. No dreams? No plans? Did that mean that he had achieved his dreams? That he was happy? She decided to tease him some more. "So you don't even plan as far as the next day, but you already plan to leave Gdansk…hmmm…." She pursed her lips in playful disbelief.

  “Not at all. I do not plan to leave. I only know that one day I will. Do you plan to get dressed each day, or do you just do it?” He caressed the back of her head and encouraged her to lean against him. Kasia obliged, humming at how warm and soft his skin was.

  "How do you know?" She asked, ‘Or more accurately, how can I influence this so that you stay longer?’

  “Are you trying to analyze me, little girl?” His deep voice was playful, and she could hear his smile as he caressed her hair.

  "I told you, I am trying to get to know you." Kasia smiled as she tilted her head up to look at him innocently. I have no ulterior motive whatsoever. Nope. Not me. Damn. You are beautiful from every angle. That is just not fair! Kasia’s eyes drank in the sight of him, noticing more detail with every passing second. She almost missed his answer due to studying the angle that his jaw curved at where it met the thick column of his neck.

  “Hmm… I guess I just do. Is there anything about your own nature that you simply know to be true without understanding it?” He was studying her eyes. Kasia knew her eyes were beautiful. They were her favorite feature about herself. She had been told that the emerald green of her eyes could bewitch a man if he looked into them for too long. Maybe she would get lucky and Isaak would fall prey to her spell. A girl could hope.

  “You seem rather preoccupied with the idea of my leaving,” Isaak crooned, tracing a finger beneath her chin, “Would I be wrong to suggest that this is something you don’t want?”

  “You would not be wrong.” Kasia averted her eyes, stomach squirming with discomfort.

  “And yet, you seem like the type to have dreams and plans,” he said the last word in a tone that was almost mocking, “I can’t imagine my presence would be helpful in fulfilling them.”

  She considered his words,"Well, I—"

  A loud clanging noise silenced her.

  She recognized it at once as the bell from the castle– the one that summoned all knights to the meeting hall immediately.

  Really?! Now? Kurwa!

  "What was that?" Isaak asked, eyes drawn to the window of his room.

  "Danger. Something happened. I have to leave." Kasia leapt out of the bed.

  “But—”

  Before he could protest she gave him a quick peck and flew back to the castle as fast as she could. She could only hope that everyone else had been slow to answer the call as well. She could run a mile in five minutes, but it was still two miles back to the castle.

  "Kasia! There you are!" Janine came out of Kasia' room as she was approaching. "You're late. It's not looking good. Let's hurry."

  Kasia blanched slightly, worried about what news awaited them at the formal assembly. Such meetings were only called when important news and information needed to be spread as quickly as possible. This news could range from someone had died or been killed, A knight had gone missing in the field, leaders from the Church of Light or their Inquisitors were visiting, and, though it had not happened in a century or two: the knights were being called to war.

  They entered the Exalted Chamber, the last two to enter. Lines of hunter knights filled the chamber, far less than their full number as many of them were off on hunts, or still guarding their posts. Just over one third of the room was initiates.

  Knight Captain Wojciek stepped forward to address those gathered. "Early this morning the body of a Knight Hunter was discovered in the woods." His voice echoed through the stone structure.

  Dull shock ran through Kasia’s body. Her eyes darted around the room, searching every face, trying to place who was missing. Was it someone she knew? How had they died— and so close to the castle! It didn’t seem possible.

  Wojciek continued speaking,"When we found his post abandoned last night we had hoped to find him alive—that he had deserted. Sadly, this was not the case and I regret to inform you that Sir Bruno Soccoro is dead.”

  Bruno had been a soldier from Italy, who decided to leave the army to join the Hunter Knights. Italy did not have a large chapter of the Hunter Knights guild established, just a small outpost, so he’d brought his entire family to Poland to train under the three legendary hunters. In the ten years he’d lived in Gdansk, his family had grown to boast five children. The Church of the Creators, who funded the Hunter Knights provided the order with money to care for the families of all who fell fighting the spawn of the destroyer, so Kasia knew his widow and children would be taken care of, but selfishly, Kasia was grateful she hadn't known Bruno well.

  “...He will be buried with full honors and a memorial service will be held in the castle chapel. You may each stop in to pay your respects to his family and memory, if you choose. There will not be a public funeral.”

  Wojciek cleared his throat and continued, "Now, forgive me for being insensitive, but I am going to be blunt to avoid the spread of misinformation and so you are all aware of the gravity of the situation given how close to home it occurred. We have recovered the body and Lieutenant General Nathan performed the autopsy late this morning. The wounds were extensive and little of the body was recognizable. He was found pinned to a large tree with his own weapons. It has become clear to us that there is a threat out there– one that can threaten even seasoned hunters."

  Murmuring began to be heard throughout the crowd as the Lord Commander stood to take Wojciek's place.

  "This is by order and decree! The castle is under lockdown! All patrols will include two hunters! Initiates are limited to within the castle walls or to the village if accompanied by a senior knight! Everyone is to be within the castle no later than dinner, except for those on assignment! Lieutenant Generals Nathan and Ren will organize hunts to find this beast! Dismissed!... Oh, and Katarzyna, remain here."

  Kasia’s stomach dropped to her feet. What had she done to deserve a reprimand already?

  "Good luck," Janine whispered, squeezing her hand softly before turning to leave with the rest of the crowd.

  Kasia’s lips pulled back in a grimace. She would need it. She approached her father and knelt, bowing her head. "You wished to speak with me, Lord Commander?" In this setting he was the Lord Commander first, her father second.

  "Where were you?! You know the requirements. You should have been on time no matter where you were in the castle."

  Kasia flushed with guilt. "I was taking a bath. I apologize, I'll keep my gear closer in the future." Please let him believe me, please let him believe me. She prayed to the creators.

  "I expect better from you, initiate. Especially given who your Ojciec is." His features softened and he smirked proudly at his own joke. "I want you to be safe. And now in direct contradiction to that statement, your orders are to report to Lieutenant Commander Nathan. You are to assist him with cataloging the injuries and evidence from the autopsy."

  Kasia brightened, "Really?" An actual assignment? She was actually going to get to do something?!

  "Yes, really. There aren't nearly enough hunters to double patrols, guard the village, investigate the forest, examine the body, train the initiates, and everything else that I have to deal with." He sighed wearily. "You are among the oldest of the initiates and close to taking out your rites. Consider this your advanced training."

  Kasia’s smile was so wide she was certain she could feel the corners touching her ears. "Permission to break protocol, Lord Commander?"

  "What is it, córka (daughter)?" her father raised an eyebrow, dropping formality as well.

  She smiled and ran up and hugged him around the waist. "I just wanted to hug you. Thank you for trusting me- I won't let you down. I love you, Tatu?."

  The Lord Commander smiled, wrapping his bear like arms around her, "I hope that you don't. We really need you right now. Now go, your Wujek Nathan requested you specifically. Don't keep him waiting."

  Kasia kissed her father on each cheek and then ran off to meet her Uncle.

  The smell of death greeted Kasia as she approached her Uncle Nathan's 'lab' in the bowels of the castle. It turned her stomach, but she had practice controlling her reactions when confronted with odious smells. Breathing through her mouth, she pushed open the heavy iron banded door of the repurposed dungeon room.

  When she entered she saw the mangled body of what used to be a man. What used to be Bruno….

  "Kasia," her Uncle Nathan had the least gruff voice out of his brothers. "Come help me. You've spent a lot of time in the books with Ren. Time for some hands-on experience. You're going to help me catalog the injuries."

  Kasia nodded, eager to finally get to do real work, even if she was very sorry about the circumstances that it had happened under. She put on the butcher's apron and gloves over her clothes, grabbed some parchment and stick of charcoal, and hurried to Nathan's side.

  First she noticed that despite the body being completely ruined, there was very little mess.

  Her Uncle commented, "The body had been exsanguinated by the creature. It's still in a pool on the ground in the woods. Lucky for us, I guess."

  The first thing Nathan did was show Kasia how to examine any flesh that they could for injuries. This proved extremely difficult with most of it carved up. Much of it barely held to the sinews and fell off as they handled it.

  Kasia felt certain she wouldn't be able to eat meat for a long time after this.

  She had helped with autopsies before, but they were usually animals or small monsters that the knights brought back for the initiates to study: redcaps, mares, goblins and the like.

  Her Uncle Ren regularly purchased pigs and sheep that he killed in various ways so the initiates could study injuries and learn to approximate times of death.

  He had them butcher the animals with a wide range of tools to learn how each affected flesh. They studied the organs, learning to discern the difference between human and animal.

  But this was the first time a monster had killed this close to home.

  Normally Knights killed in the field had been on missions far from Gdansk. The initiates were allowed to briefly see the body and study the injuries before it was given a proper burial, but never anything this…. invasive. It felt too intimate. Yesterday this person had been walking around, laughing and hopeful and today…he was little more than rent flesh.

  The face had been smashed, leaving Bruno unrecognizable. They had identified him by his wedding ring.

  Kasia was grateful for this; It made it easier not to think of him as having once been someone she knew. The limbs had been snapped out of their sockets but not removed.

  "By the Creators…it didn't just do this out of mindless hunger or some territorial thing…it wanted to destroy him…like…like it took pleasure in the act." Kasia murmured, her voice raspy with horror.

  Nathan looked at her, studying her for a moment, then nodded. "Very astute, Kasia."

  They moved on to the bones. Enormous claws had shredded the flesh, and deep gouges revealed sharp teeth the size of fingers had bitten and torn at Bruno's body.

  "Finally! Something. Good work hunter. Whatever killed you decided to have dinner as well. It wasn't as careful as it was with the stag! Kasia, sketch these marks, exact size— outline your hand first for a frame of reference— Then take it to Ren and find out what we're hunting."

  "Of course." She quickly began to work. She prided herself on her drawing skills. While she might not have been terribly creative or artistic like Andrew or her cousin Vasya, she could replicate what she saw in front of her with life-like precision.

  A complete sketch of everything took her about six hours. Uncle Nathan had left hours ago to go analyze the site of the attack some more. Kasia finished, wiping her charcoal and ink stained fingers on her apron, before taking the sketches to Ren's study.

  Uncle Ren was so engrossed in the tome he was reading, he didn't hear her enter. Kasia cleared her throat, "Wujek? I brought you a sketch of the scratch and bite marks on the bones of…of the body."

  "One moment, bratanica.” (niece) Ren said, his eyes still scanning the page he was on. After a moment, he bookmarked the page, then turned his full attention to Kasia.

  Kasia held up her parchments. "Sketches of the injuries."

  "Fantastic," He jumped up from his chair, closing his book and took a quick look at one. "Yes, definitely a beast."

  Ren rushed around the library muttering to himself as he snatched tomes from various shelves. He returned in a few minutes with 6 large books. "You take these 3, I'll do these." Without waiting for a reply, he took half of the drawings she’d brought and dove straight into his studies.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  They spent the next couple of hours pouring through the tomes together. Kasia could tell that the dinner bell would ring soon. She had thought that she found something a couple of times but when she pointed it out to her Uncle he showed her the differences that she had missed. They were absolutely minute but, after being shown, she could see them as well. Forensics matching was difficult as all hell.

  "Tell me," Ren's voice made Kasia jump at the unexpected sound. "Was he missing his heart and liver while most of the other organs remained?"

  "Yes…" Kasia was surprised. "How did you know?

  Ren handed her the book on the page he was on: WILKOLAK. A werewolf. "The problem is…are you sure these are completely accurate?"

  "Yes, Wujek. I know I drew them true to life." She showed him the page with her hand and how each measurement could be referenced against her hand for scale.

  Ren had her hold her hand next to several of the drawings, frowning, "These marks are larger than any we have recorded before."

  "What does that mean? That he's big?"

  "Not just big. The biggest we've ever heard of…or it's something else."

  "Well…what do we know about werewolves?"

  Ren hummed, thinking, "A weakness to silver. Savage hunters. Transform on or around the full moon. Mostly solitary despite the connection to wolves, likely because an entire pack of them would be noticed very quickly.

  “They avoid holy ground, well anything holy really, water, symbols. They are hard to bring down, even for experienced hunters. They are fast and strong. But, in the end, they are animals. We can outsmart them fairly easily.”

  "So Bruno's death was just bad luck? Now that we know what we're dealing with- you and the other knights can kill it pretty quick?" Kasia asked hopefully.

  "It should be. While far more dangerous than a wolf, tracking it down and killing it should be simple enough with enough hunters. Perhaps it would be more accurate to compare it to hunting a bear."

  “But you only hunt bears when they are hibernating—they are far too strong otherwise.”

  Ren smiled, a twinkle in his eye, “Exactly. And werewolves hibernate for most of the month.”

  Kasia smiled, relieved. Hopefully this would all be resolved quickly and without any more deaths.

  When Kasia finally emerged from Ren’s private library, it was so late that she went straight to the cantina for dinner to meet up with Andrew and Janine. She told them what she and her uncles had discovered-that a werewolf was stalking the village, but told them not to tell anyone else just yet– to wait for her father to make it known.

  They agreed and all began whispering excitedly. When dinner was finished, Kasia pulled them aside. "My stranger, his name is Isaak by the way, is a woodsman! He doesn't realize the danger he's in, and I can't wait a week to tell him. Cover for me?"

  "Of course." Janine nodded, hugging her, followed by Andrew.

  Kasia carefully snuck around the guards and slipped into the secret passages that emerged in the forest not far from the village, hurrying to the inn once more. When Sondra saw her, the lady of the inn hurried forward and hugged Kasia in greeting. “Naughty girl.” She chirped gleefully. “Though I am happy to see you again.”

  "Sondra, don't leave the village right now. There's something dangerous in the woods. Also, this is a secret, so, you know, keep it to yourself." Kasia hoped her father wouldn’t find out just how many people she told about this before he was able to make an announcement…but she cared about Sondra. She didn’t want the inn’s hostess to come to harm.

  “Something Dangerous? Why would the knights keep such a thing a secret? Has something happened?” Sondra asked with concern.

  Kasia bit her lip, "You promise not to say anything to anyone?"

  “Of course. Your secrets are my secrets, darling.” Sondra grabbed Kasia’s hands in comfort and excitement. Sondra loved wringing bits of knight gossip from Kasia, Andrew, and Janine whenever the opportunity arose.

  Kasia glanced around to make certain that no one else was close enough to overhear her.

  "Knight Hunter Bruno was killed last night. The body was mutilated badly. Tatu? doesn't want to tell the villagers yet because if we're wrong about what it is, it could start a witch hunt and innocent people could get hurt." Kasia studied Sondra's eyes fearfully, trying to see if she had impressed how serious this was. "I came to warn Isaak. He goes into the woods all the time."

  “I see. You sweet thing. Sneaking out of the castle to warn him. He said something about wanting fresh meat for dinner.” Sondra replied. “I don’t know if he’s back yet.”

  Kasia went white as a sheet, her lungs felt paralyzed in her chest. The moon was still full tonight! Isaak was in the woods with whatever creature that had tortured Bruno! And she couldn't just run out and look for him! She had no idea where he was! Her eyes watered and her when she finally did breathe, it was in small gasps - her lungs still refusing to move. Her mind was racing with panic. Isaak was in danger and there was nothing she could do!

  “Maybe he came back and I just missed him.” Sondra suggested trying to comfort her. “Why don’t you go check his room?”

  Kasia nodded dumbly and she ran to go check Isaak’s room. To her horror, Isaak wasn't inside. She ran back down the stairs, panicked.

  "He's not here!" Kasia wailed in distress.

  Sondra chuckled approvingly, tapping her lips with a finger, "My, you've got it bad girl."

  Kasia glared. Now was not the time to be teasing her about a crush! "I'm serious, Sondra! No one should be going outside of the village this late."

  Sondra's face sobered, "There's still some light out. The man still has to earn his bread, honey."

  Kasia nodded sadly.

  "Cheer up. He'll be back in no time, safe and sound. He's too pretty to eat." Sondra winked.

  Kasia couldn't help laughing and adding, "Might have to disagree with you there…" This caused the middle aged woman to laugh heartily.

  "Ah, to be young and in love…" Sondra sighed wistfully as stared out the inn’s windows, bronzed by the setting sun.

  "I'm not in love!" Kasia protested, "I just really, really like him. There's a difference." She jumped as someone pinched her butt. She turned around, outraged, but her anger quickly melted into relief when she saw it was Isaak.

  "What are you two hens clucking about?" Isaak flashed Sondra a charming smile, before looking at Kasia.

  "You're safe!" Kasia breathed. Then, despite the fact that they'd only spent a short amount of time together, Kasia jumped up and threw her arms around his neck.

  “Of course I am.” He chuckled, sounding slightly confused at her display of emotion, “What’s wrong? You’ve been crying.”

  Kasia realized she was making a scene. Villagers were watching her. She grabbed Isaak's hand and pulled him outside.

  "I was afraid for you! A hunter was killed last night. There's something in the woods."

  “Really? You’re sure?” He asked, his brow furrowed slightly, but otherwise he seemed unconcerned.

  "Yes I'm sure. I just spent hours sketching every gorey detail! It's a monster, we're certain. Please don't go into the woods until we've stopped it." Her hands were pressed to his chest, her eyes pleading.

  Isaak shook his head as he gently took her hands off his chest to hold them. “It’s how I make a living, Kasia. And if I don't, should Sondra or Gregosz go get the wood that they need themselves? Have you seen how big and strong I am? I’m not scared of anything.” He winked playfully but it did nothing to assuage Kasia’s fears.

  She began to cry, angry with herself for doing so, "Bruno was big and strong, too. And a trained hunter. That won't be enough! You could gather driftwood from the beach, or only cut trees at the edge of the forest!"

  “Please don’t cry.” He seemed far more distressed about the sight of her tears than the idea of a monster rampaging through the forest killing people. Or maybe he simply was confused why a girl he had just met was already crying over him.

  “I’ll be safe.” said reassuringly, cupping her cheek. ”Besides, you don’t even know me– isn’t that what you said this afternoon?”

  Kasia hugged him tightly, her eyes still blurry with tears, "Maybe not. But I want to. Please don't take that from me."

  “I have no intention of dying to some beast.” He said confidently. “Perhaps you could convince the knights to accompany me then? Do they intend to leave the villagers unprotected?”

  "No. I don't know… but we always protect the village. I could probably ask my Tatu?—" she caught herself, "---to ask the Lord Commander to spare some knights to escort villagers that need to enter the forest. I'm certain you wouldn't be the only one…"

  “If that would make you feel better, My Lady.” He purred. He tusked, “Damn, you are cute. Come up to my room?”

  Kasia blushed. She wanted to. But she was already pushing it. If her father knew she snuck out the same day a hunter was found killed– he'd lock her up for a year. Maybe. Probably longer.

  "I'm sorry, Sir— I am already risking a lot to come and warn you. I have to get back." Her heart sank. Would it really be an entire week until she saw him again? She hugged him tighter.

  “Then a good night kiss.” His strong arms swept her off of her feet and pulled her up to meet his lips. That, she gladly accepted, and wrapped her arms around his neck as their breath mingled and their lips enveloped one another.

  Despite the fact that the kiss was long and lingering, it still ended far too soon. But night was approaching and Kasia needed to be inside the castle gates before full dark.

  "Goodbye, Isaak…. Be safe." Kasia whispered to his lips, then she pushed off his chest while she still had the willpower to do so, and ran back to the castle.

  Kasia crept nimbly through the secret passage once more, her heart pounding like a rabbit. She’d never disobeyed a direct order before. She couldn’t decide if she liked what this infatuation was doing to her or not.

  “Did you find him?” Janine asked as Kasia entered the common area in the women’s barracks. “Andrew and I were able to keep anyone from noticing you were gone, but there were a few close calls.” her best friend informed her.

  "I did, and I warned him. I think he'll be careful. I warned Sondra, too. Thank you for covering for me." She hugged Janine tightly.

  “Anytime, but you owe me.” Janine winked at her friend with a mischievous smile. “Where were you today? Did you go see him? Did you sneak out twice today?!”

  Kasia bit her lip sheepishly, "I…did. And no I do not owe you, how many times have I covered for you and Andrew?!"

  Janine saw the lip bite. “Ohh! Something good happened!” She shoved Kasia toward her room. “Tell me everything and we’ll be even.”

  Kasia grumbled, but she was unable to keep the grin off her face. "There's not much to tell. We just kissed…and maybe I saw him without his shirt and he looks like he was hand sculpted by the Creators, themselves. Saints, I want to lick those abs!" Kasia’s eyes glazed over with far off fantasies.

  Janine shrieked with delight, grabbing Kasia’s hands, jumping up and down, “Ahh! You do not know how long I have waited to hear you speak like this!”

  Kasia laughed, then sighed longingly, "I'm getting it bad, Janine. I'm starting to think crazy things like, can I convince him to stay? And if not, would I go with him when he leaves? And, more importantly, would he even want me to? I've only seen the man a few times, why am I doing this?!"

  “Oho! By the Lady Creator’s tits! You’ve got a crush! A big one too!” Janine squealed. “Louis doesn’t count. Fuck that cunt. Your first REAL crush!” Janine bobbed up and down on the bed squeezing Kasia’s hands with glee, “Did you touch his muscles? Are the kisses getting better? Have you kissed him or does he keep kissing you?”

  Kasia felt her cheeks grow hot and she bit down on the inside of her cheek to contain the surge of emotions inside her. What was she even feeling?! Embarrassed but happy? Proud? Happy? “I… yes. I touched them. And—and they are absolutely perfect! And yes, I did kiss him. I really like kissing him.” she looked away, embarrassed to admit to such feminine feelings. It felt at odds with how she thought of herself.

  Janine released Kasia’s hands and jumped on the bed bouncing, then around the room with excitement. “Kasia! You don’t know how happy I am for you!”

  "I know! I know! But he's leaving and I'm trying so hard not to let myself fall for him, but whenever I'm with him, all of my intentions just go out the window!” Kasia whined, “But I really like how I feel when I’m with him. I could get drunk on his kisses…I want more now! How am I going to wait an entire week to see him again?!" Kasia flopped back onto her bed despondently, and stared at the ceiling. "Fuck me."

  Janine’s smile only grew wider. “I would, but I don’t think that Andrew would approve. Besides, I think there’s someone else you’d rather be fucking.” She snickered.

  Kasia rolled her eyes and snorted.

  Janine sat beside Kasia on the bed, and began brushing Kasia’s hair back from her brow, “I’m sorry that he’s planning on leaving. But we don’t know when that is. He could mean years from now.”

  Kasia sat back up, her face contemplating, "True. I might have been a little forward in asking him how he knows when it's time to leave and he was like, 'I dunno, I just do'," Kasia lowered her voice and did a terrible impression of Isaak.

  Janine made a face and stuck her tongue out.

  "But… I also think I like him a lot more than he likes me. I think…he enjoys my company and my appearance, but if he decided to leave tomorrow I doubt he'd ever think about me again. How do I deal with that? I want to just…make myself understand that this is just for fun, it's a fling and that's okay, but it's so hard Janine!" she covered her face with her hands.

  “You want what you want, and that is okay.” Janine flopped on top of Kasia and pulled her friend’s hands away from her face. “I’m sorry that I tease you so much. I’m just excited. I’ve felt bad for so long having Andrew and you just…watching.”

  Kasia made a face and Janine backtracked, “No! I don’t mean in a creepy way! I mean—kurwa! I meant that we are your best friends. And then Andrew and I became something more, and you could have been angry but you weren’t! You just made room for us to be a couple inside of our friendship. So, whatever you need, I’m here. Including helping you sneak out again. It’ll be tomorrow, right?”

  Kasia sighed and kicked at the wooden floor of the small room with her boots. "The more I see him, the more attached I'm going to get. Maybe a week to cool my heels will be good for me?"

  She decided to spend the night in Janine’s room, not wanting to be alone. After removing her boots and trousers, she crawled into the bed, cuddling up to Janine who wrapped an arm around Kasia, pulling her close.

  “Or it might just make you want him more.” Janine teased. “Good night, Kasia. I hope you have sweet, sweet dreams.”

  Kasia elbowed Janine with a laugh, and the two girls chatted until they fell asleep side by side.

  —----------------------------------------

  “Ready for training, bitch?” Rang a voice right behind Kasia in the Cantina during breakfast.

  “Begone Harold.” Andrew snarled. “I’ll happily do a week of hell days to beat your ass again.”

  “Both you and Janine attacked without honor.” Harold snarled back defending the fact that they had given him a good beating before they were separated.

  “And we’ll do it again. Leave Kasia alone.”

  “She agreed to be my training partner. Or does she have less honor than you?”

  Kasia just rolled her eyes at Harold's inane chatter. "Thank you guys, but I have recently discovered I can kick Harold's ass all by myself." She smiled wickedly at her friends, then straightened her face before turning around to face Harold. "Let's go. I'm eager to learn from the best."

  Harold’s expression turned flat. “You got lucky.” He muttered.

  Kasia snorted with laughter, "Whatever you need to tell yourself, asshole."

  Lieutenant Commander Ren was waiting for them like he was every morning. But instead of starting drills, he led them all into the dungeons to Nathan’s lab.

  The same table with Bruno’s remains was there, covered with a large sheet.

  “As you know Bruno was found dead in the woods. Before we start, does anyone have any questions?”

  "Do you know what killed him?" Louis asked.

  “No, we do not know what killed him. There were no witnesses. Anything else?”

  “What about his family?” Stanislaw asked. He was a younger initiate and newer recruit. One of the knights that had returned recently had brought the young man back with him. He was left an orphan by a monster. A lot of knights had similar stories.

  “We will help them start a life in the village and ensure that they never go without. Sir Bruno gave his life to the order. His family is our responsibility. Any other questions?”

  No one spoke, but the atmosphere had grown quite somber. Everyone was thinking about how they could be next and was becoming a knight really something they were willing to risk their lives for? Well, most everyone. For a few, like Harold, it simply solidified their determination to rid the world of the Destroyer's spawn.

  “Then let’s start. I do not mean to be callous, but we must continue on.”

  The Lieutenant Commander ripped the sheet off of the table to reveal the remains. It was far cleaner than when Nathan and Kasia had performed the autopsy, but was still a mess. Arms and legs were splayed like ropes. Holes riddled the chest. The head couldn’t hold together.

  “This is what we risk being hunters. This is the mostly likely end to our story.”

  At the sight of the corpse, a few of the initiates coughed, holding down vomit. A few others failed to do so.

  “This is the truth. Will you be a hunter? Will you continue? Or will you choose a peaceful life in a village somewhere? Be a farmer, a smith, a tailor. Anything else is safer. Now is as good a time as any to leave.”

  The group was extremely quiet. No one moved for several minutes. Ren waited even longer. Finally Dorota stepped away from the group. Tears streamed down her face.

  “It takes incredible courage to choose your path.” Ren said comfortingly. His face held no recrimination. “No one in the castle will begrudge you for choosing something else.”

  A few others joined Dorota away from the rest of the group. Most of them were younger initiates who had just started their training. But a couple of the seasoned ones left as well.

  Wojciek walked up to the small group that had decided to quit and kindly guided them back to the castle.

  “Everyone who remains here, I'll see that you become a hunter or die trying. If you are not absolutely certain of your convictions, you will die. It is not too late to choose another path.”

  Kasia grit her teeth in determination, sweat prickling at the back of her neck. She felt someone's eyes burning a hole into her back and turned to see Harold glaring at her expectantly. Kasia flashed him a vulgar gesture and turned away to face Ren again.

  “From now on, every day will be hell day. I’m going to push you past your limits again and again. Ten laps around the castle for warm-up. Go!”

  True to his word Ren worked them hard. But it didn't feel like a punishment the way the previous hell days had.

  Afterward, Andrew, Janine, and Kasia made their way towards the cantina.

  “You’re done already, Red?” Harold’s snide voice followed them.

  Kasia grit her teeth, "Did you have something else in mind Pan Pechowiec? (Mr. Unlucky)" Kasia had decided that if he was going to say she only won because of luck, then she would never let him forget that he lost.

  “You said that you wanted me to make you a better hunter. We’re done with Lieutenant Commander Ren’s training. Now it’s time for mine. Come with me.” He ordered her.

  Kasia shrugged, "As long as you're right there doing it with me, Pan Pechowiec. You're going to need to train harder too, if luck is enough to beat your skill."

  Harold growled at her, “Don’t you fret that pretty face. I’ll be right on top of you.”

  Kasia's eyes widened, her cheeks going pink. Surely he hadn't meant that the way it sounded. "Right…Well, let's go then. Janine, Andrew- I'll catch up to you guys later."

  “Seriously? You’re going with that asshole?” Andrew scoffed, a seeming little hurt.

  Kasia looked apologetically at Andrew, reaching out a hand to place on his shoulder. She really didn't want to keep training after how hard Ren had worked them today, but if Harold could do it, so could she. "I want to be as strong as I can be. I don't want anyone to doubt that I belong here."

  Andrew sighed, “Since when did you care so much about what everyone else thinks?”

  Kasia's lips twitched, “Since I realized what they thought of me.”

  “I’m not going to wait any longer.” Harold drawled, “Are you coming? Or are you a quitter?”

  "By the Creators' hand do you ever stop talking? I already said I was coming." Kasia snapped, stalking after him.

  Harold smirked. “You’re going to have to make me.” And walked off to the training area.

  Kasia followed.

  Harold grabbed some training swords from the rack and tossed her one. "We're going to spar again."

  Kasia looked exasperated, "You're still trying to prove it was just luck?"

  “Definitely.” He grinned as he took a ready stance. “You’re just lucky that I’m not a monster.”

  "Are you sure?" Kasia gave him a teasing smile. "I know I'm terrified that I'll find you under my bed one night."

  This time it was Harold’s turn to blush. Whatever he was thinking, it wasn’t about monsters....

  “Come at me!” He growled roughly, as if to shake off whatever thought was making him blush.

  Kasia nodded, all joking aside. She took a deep breath and then charged, doing a diagonal upward slice with her sword. Harold attempted to bring his sword down to block her attack but was unfortunately too slow as it struck him in the stomach. “Fuck!”

  Since his blade was now down, and hers was up Harold decided to copy her move. He struck upward aiming to hit between her arm and body, but Kasia brought her blade back down to meet his and blocked it.

  Kasia spun and did a horizontal slice to his other side and the sword connected with Harold’s side with a loud thump.

  “Not again!” he growled angrily. Fury flashed in his eyes as he ignored their swords and swung his fist at her face as hard as he could.

  Kasia dodged the fist, surprised by his attack, and tried to swing back with her sword.

  Harold used their proximity to dance behind her and stay away from her sword. Furious, he dropped his sword and wrapped his arms around Kasia, grappling her.

  Kasia shrieked, again surprised, but curled down and flipped Harold over her. Then she stood above him and tried to thrust the practice sword into his chest. Harold spun to the side before her strike could land. Quickly he got to his knees and lunged forward, his arms around her waist to tackle her to the ground. Kasia scrambled beneath him, grunting as she barely slithered out of his grasp. "Jeez you're fucking handsy tonight! Is steel not good enough for you?!" She followed her complaints with a downward slice aimed for his chest again.

  Kasia’s blade connected squarely with Harold’s chest. Pain shot through his expression and he gasped as the air was thrust out of his lungs. He doubled over trying to catch his breath, angry tears filling his eyes.

  Kasia felt triumph surge through her chest, hot and heady— until she saw his tears. Her sword dropped from her hand and she rushed toward him. "Harold! Are…. Are you all right?" She almost reached out to touch him, but stopped at the last moment.

  It took a bit of forced heaving before Harold could finally pull some air into his lungs. “Fuck… you…” He wheezed.

  Kasia gave a half smile at his biting response, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Fuck you too, asshole. I'm… sorry that your pride is hurt. It shouldn't be, You fought well. And maybe in one on one I'm better. But you're much better at tactics and working in a group than I am. I really do think we could help each other become better."

  Harold continued to kneel on the ground waiting for his breath to catch up with him. Once the wheezing ended and he could breath, he stood up. Without looking at Kasia he walked away. Not in the direction of the cantina, but the barracks.

  Kasia chased after him. She didn't say anything, just stayed nearby. She understood how much it hurt to be beaten or feel weak.

  She was really glad she'd beaten him, though. Now he could no longer say it was dumb luck. He'd finally have to admit that she had worked just as hard as he had all these years. But not right now. Right now, he needed comfort, though she wasn't certain he would accept it from her. So she stayed silent.

  Harold shoved Kasia roughly, "Get the fuck away from me!"

  Kasia caught a glimpse of more tears on his cheeks. He was angry she was seeing him vulnerable. She wasn’t certain how to help. A thought struck her as her stomach growled. He must be as hungry as she was. "I'm going to go grab us dinner." She turned on her heel and ran to the Cantina to get food for them both. She imagined he would not open his door to her, but she would try.

  "Kasia! That was fast!" Andrew waved her over to sit with them.

  "Uhh, we're not done, I just didn't want to miss dinner so I’m grabbing us some trays." She lied casually. She got in line to grab two trays, then ran off to the men's barracks.

  She wasn't exactly sure which room was Harold's, but she knew which wing belonged to the initiates, so she just started opening doors until she found him. It was quite easy since everyone was at dinner except him.

  Barracks doors had no locks, so she could walk right in. Finally, in one of the rooms near the end, she found Harold.

  "I told you. Leave me the fuck alone!"

  "No." Kasia replied coolly. She went to the small table and set their trays down. "You are the one who wanted to train tonight, so we're training." She sat down at the table and began to eat her own meal. "A hunter needs to take care of their body, even when they feel like shit. I don't want my partner holding me back in training tomorrow cause he didn't feel like eating. You heard Ren, every day is hell day from now on. Consider me your personal demon. Now eat."

  “I told you to fuck off. Do you not get it? Are you that stupid?! I hate you!” Harold snarled at her.

  Kasia continued to eat, thinking about how she should respond. “If you want me to leave, then you need to eat. Otherwise, I’m not going anywhere.”

  She didn’t look at him. Just stared at the wall ahead of her as she ate. She understood that he wouldn’t want her to see him while he was vulnerable. But she also knew the only thing that had kept her from quitting was being comforted by her uncle and father.

  Kasia reached up and ran a finger along the red cord around her neck, “The night after I fell asleep when I was supposed to be watching the sheep, the day that you carried me through the run… I went to my Wujek and asked him if I was just kidding myself trying to be a knight. He told me only I could answer that question. That I’m not even a fraction of who I could become if I kept training, learning, and getting better. You’re going to get so much stronger, Harold. Don’t let this get to you.”

  “You think that I’m just going to quit?” Harold snarled at her, voice dripping with venom, “I’m not weak like you. No, I don’t want to have dinner with you. We’re not friends, Katarzyna. Get out or I’ll throw you out!” Harold’s face was red with fury, all signs of tears gone. His gaze held violence. “Out!”

  Kasia sighed. She was irritated that she had failed to help him; that he hadn’t let her help. Why was she wasting any more of her night on him? “Have it your way. Wallow alone.”

  Kasia picked up her tray and left. She had already finished her dinner, so she returned the tray to the cantina. Andrew and Janine were already gone, which didn’t surprise her. She went to the women’s baths and washed the sweat and dirt of the day off, then went to bed.

  Jon Najberg, The Lord Commander POV:

  "Do you think the monster that killed Bruno is the same one that killed the hart?" Hugo asked the assembled council. "The one that marked Katarzyna?"

  Dobron hummed thoughtfully, "The hart barely had any meat left, while Bruno was largely left untouched in that regard. But both bodies were staged… that's a bit much to be a coincidence. I suspect they are the same, yes."

  "Then why didn't it harm Katarzyna?"

  "It's possible that it recognized her as a female…but, just marking her?" Chelb added.

  "It clearly wants attention… and doing this right outside the famous castle of the Knight hunters? It's challenging us. This is a game, do you see? 'catch me if you can'. It didn't hurt Katarzyna because it's escalating each time. If it goes all out in the beginning, it ruins the game." Rasz pounded his fist on the table. He and Dobron were the two oldest members on the council, other than Ren.

  "Are werewolves that smart? I've always found them to be…crude. Mindless. This kind of plotting sounds more like a vampire." Hugo frowned. “Granted, I've only ever hunted one, but it just behaved like a dog with rabies.”

  "I've faced a few. Normally the beasts aren't that bright, but every once in a while you get one that's unusually smart. I once found a nest of ghouls that had become thralls of a necromancer. He could see through their eyes, y'see? They used tactics and maneuvers I was completely unprepared for. It's how I lost me leg. Maybe something is controlling this fellow, too."

  That had been Erik's last field mission. But he hadn't been ready to retire. He now served as the guard captain, and was damn good at it.

  "No, the rabies behavior, as you called it, are the young ones. The newly turned." Jon spoke up. “My brothers and I have encountered one or two that managed to last longer than a year with the curse. Each of them was smarter, as if some of their human intelligence had started to return.”

  "But they all died the same." Nathan replied while threading a knife around his fingers. He was itching to fight whatever it was.

  Ren sighed, "If it's a werewolf, then it's probably someone in the village. One of the sailors or traders that pass through so often. Which would explain how an elder werewolf would be possible. But it could also be that an elder passed through and spread the curse to a villager—explaining the escalation. The new monster might not even know that they are a danger to everyone. Do you want a fight so badly that you want to hunt villagers?"

  "What?! No! Of course not! We don't know that it's a werewolf. It's far too big to be one." Nathan looked at the entire council. "I know that we want to know what it is. But we are all experienced enough that we all know it would be irresponsible to treat the creature as a known entity."

  "Nathan is right. We need to confirm what it is that we are hunting." Jon supported his brother.

  "Both attacks happened during the full moon. That's enough for me." Wojciek voiced his opinion.

  “So what do we do?” Guard Captain Erik looked to the Lord Commander.

  Jon sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Unlike most of the men his age or older at the table, he still had all of his. It was always easier to decide what to do when out on assignment. It was another man’s responsibility to make decisions for the villagers. He only had to worry about the hunt.

  “We start by telling no one. If the villagers feel like we suspect them then it’ll be hell. We will continue our patrols. If we haven’t found anything by the next full moon then we will start preparing traps for a werewolf.”

  “What about the lockdown? Is everyone still confined to remain inside the castle’s walls?”

  “Yes. Ren, can we make more use of the initiates? Perhaps their training will be going on patrols with experienced hunters during the day.”

  Ren nodded, “Yes. I daresay they’ll even thank us for it.”