Sorry dude

I look up to see my girl Hazel. Her brown eyes filled with relief that she got there in time. It's not often I see her shoulder length brown hair tied back either. She has her black leather pants on and it does look a little funny with her silver chest plate.

"It's my feisty kitten in shining armor." I try grinning.

"Oh be quiet. Drink this and rest." She shoves a blue potion into my hands. Turning she begins raining her hell fire arrows on the shadows. I drink the mana potion and wait for it's effects to kick in.

I look over and see her old trainee Samantha surrounded by crackling lightning. Her long wavy dirty blonde hair tied back is still effected by static. Her pale blue eyes focused on her target. She has that same smirk Hazel gets when she is on a roll. She is taking out shadow figures left and right with her lightning charged spear.

"Finally! Now there is someone respectable! Hazel of hell fire!" Frederick yells.

Hazel's head snaps toward him with her eyes narrowed. Hazel starts a slow walk toward him while still firing arrows at shadow figures. Fear comes over Samantha's and Frederick's faces. 

"What right do you have to belittle someone who tried saving you! Yes he can be full of himself and incompetent sometimes but I'm the only one that gets to humble this attention seeking idiot!" Hazel is closing in on the frozen in fear man.

Samantha moves like a blur. She makes it to Frederick before Hazel does.

"Base!" Samantha throws a scroll down and a one way green portal appears behind the man. "Sorry dude! This is for your safety!" With a round house kick to the man's chest he is thrown into the portal. Once through it closes up behind him.

"Samantha!" Hazel's voice is stern.

"What's that sound? Looks like I'm needed over there!" Samantha does her best to flea.

"Samantha." Hazel is quieter now but the murderous intention is much thicker.

"Y-yes?" Samantha is frozen. Her head shakes while she looks over her shoulder toward Hazel.

"Is that anyway to treat a civilian?" Hazel knocks an arrow.

"No?" She whimpers.

Hazel pivots releasing her arrow at the last straggling shadow figure that was making it's way toward me.

"Hey! I could have handled that one!" I yell at her.

"Sure you could have." Hazel turns her head back to Samantha. My healing spell finished up with my leg so I get to my feet. I run up behind Hazel and wrap her in a hug. 

"What are you doing?" She asks.

"Giving Samantha a chance to see tomorrow." I give Samantha a smile.

"Oh really?" Hazel tries flinging me off. We end up doing some close combat moves til I pinned her to the ground.

"You remember who taught you right?" I ask her.

"Oh save your wish!" She snaps at me. "You better be happy Aba got us here in time to save you."

"Oh I am." I lean down and give her a kiss.

"Alright. That's enough a child is present." Hazel says after I pull back.

We look at the young adult staring off into the forest.

"What is it?" Asks Hazel.

"I smell a carcass up wind." She says quietly.

Hazel and I exchange concerned looks. I get off of her and she hands me another mana potion.

"We should investigate right?" Samantha asks a little hesitant. We are all hoping it's an animal.

"Yea just to be on the safe side." Hazel tried comforting her with a few pats on the back.

"I'm all charged up and ready to go again." I say confidently to try to ease the situation.

"I'm sorry to ask you to lead the way but your nose is more keen than ours." Hazel says.

"Alright." Samantha leads the way into the forest.

Not very long til we come across a mangled deer. 

"Werewolf?" Samantha asks squatting a bit away from it.

"The size of the claw marks indicate it's one that can take out a sprinkle vampire." Hazel says all muffled from a cloth over her nose and mouth.

"Those wolves still have their human thoughts while turned." I don't want to scare Samantha but someone is going to have to say it. 

"Meaning this was intentional." Samantha spoke up. "They didn't even bother eating any of the meat. They just shredding it." She points out the limbs it scattered.

"Samantha do you want to head back and make sure that guy is alright?" Hazel says trying to pull her to the side. "We should make sure his things are returned since you kicked him through the portal without them. Along with picking up the reward."

"Oh yes his journal made it sound like he missed his daughter a lot. Could you also return that?" I add in also ushering Samantha back to camp.

Samantha is quiet walking back to camp. Meanwhile Hazel and I bicker over her not believing I took out over 400 of those shadow figures.

"The werewolf wanted to hurt Frederick didn't he." Samantha asks quietly.

Hazel and I look at each other. This girl is too smart sometimes.

"It's looking that way kid." I speak up.

"James!" Hazel hisses and smacks my stomach.

"What? She already figured it out." I go on the defense. "The journal talks about Fred hearing howling for days. He obviously was being stalked. Then the way the deer was mangled shows this person was not happy he put up that barrier yesterday."

"So you two want to stay and bring the werewolf in?" Samantha asks sadly.

"It's for the best. Hikers have been going missing in this forest for a few months now. It's our first real lead we had. We need to act on it." Hazel gives Samantha a hug. "You know we will be alright."

"Besides Aba will send you if we need you." I say. A golden scroll hits me in the head.

"Here it's for you." Hazel hands Samantha the scroll.

"Why my head though?" I look up at the sky.

"I'm needed in town to return Frederick his belongings." Samantha says. 

"We will help you gather his things." Says Hazel starting to help pick up the hikers belongings.

"Also I will be bringing back your armor and sword James." Samantha adds before grabbing a portal scroll.

"I will need those for tonight. That would be very helpful thank you." I give her a small bow.

"No problem. Aba said I can take your portion of the reward for a delivery tip. Base!" She hops through a special three jump portal.

"What!?" I shout.

Hazel only laughs. "Oh that girl." Hazel turns to me. "Now mister prepared for anything, what kind of m.r.e's are we having tonight?"

"Why only the finest for you my lady!" I bow with a smile showing the way to my bag. She giggles at my act.

We get the water ratio poured out and wait. Soon enough Hazel and I are sitting next to each other eating our food out of their pouches. Enjoying each other's company and the quiet forest.

"Here you go!" Samantha scares us both when she hops through the portal.

"How is this little girl so scary!" I try catching my breath trying not to choke on my drehydrated pasta.

"Try living with her! I swear she pops up out of the woodwork!" Hazel also is trying to calm down.

"I love you two too." Samantha says flatly.

"Thank you for bringing my things." I get up.

"You're welcome! Thank you for the generous tip." Her smile is sweet yet cunning. I'm scared to ask what my portion was. She hops back into the portal that disappears behind her.

I begin to get my gear on. Then a howl is heard off in the distance.

"Here already." I say into the forest.