Getting lost

I find myself sitting in the town's cathedral pews, all alone with my flask. I should say there are no other humans in the sanctuary with me. Aba's presence shifts around in the shadows waiting for me to speak. I take a sip from the cold metal canteen before slipping it into my coat pocket. 

I take a ragged breath before speaking my concerns. "I almost.... we almost lost her." I choke on the words. "Not once but twice....twice!"

My hics from crying echo loudly off the stone walls. I try my best to wipe the tears and snot from my face. A small wooden box of hand sewn handkerchiefs scrapes on the floor as it's pushed out from under the pew I'm in. I slowly bend down and grab a green one. I blow and wipe away the mess I made of myself.

"Hazel" Aba says my name, his voice gently moves through the cathedral. 

My body starts to calm then my mind slows from its racing thoughts. I wait patiently for what he has to say next. 

"I'm sorry you had to go through that pain." He quietly says.

"My pain? What about Samantha?! She's fighting for her life right now! She took a life to save me! Yes in self-defense but that messes with your head and you knew that werewolf would attach itself to her! Why did she have to come back there? I thought she was far away and safe. If James' didn't drop his stupid sword. No. I could have done better. Why couldn't I land a hit on that werewolf? Why?!" I cry out. I try wiping with my handkerchief just to smear snot on my face. I get a new one from the box and try to clean myself up.

It should have been me or James to take down that black werewolf. Samantha did that to save us but it should have been me to make that choice. She acted so strange for days, no weeks afterwards. How could I not see it sooner? She was holed up in her room for days and refused missions. The girl never turns down a job. She will do any job that involves money. One day I saw bruising around her neck, I dragged her out to get checked out by the local witch Matilda that instant.

Turns out the werewolf attached himself to her as a vengeful spirit. He tried to take hold of her body. Once we found out Matilda put Samantha into a slumber. Samantha would wake victorious or be dead. The minutes felt like hours, the hours felt like days and the day felt like a week. Matilda kicked me out of her place and told me to go take care of myself. James isn't in town so I came here. 

"Will she wake victorious or will I loose her too?" I ask Aba.

"You know I can't answer those kind of questions." He whispers gently.

"I need to know.... I need to." I whimper rocking back and forth in the pew while holding the handkerchief to my face.

I hear an audible sigh from Aba. A golden scroll makes a small thump on the pew beside me.

"A mission? Now of all times?!" I scream throwing the hunk of metal towards the alter. It burst into flames and disappears before hitting an intricate carved angel statue.

Another one appears but this time above my head. With a heavy thud it hits me and then the ground. I swear and hold where it hit.

"Read it before throwing it." Aba's voice is stern. "You wanted the answer and you know I can't tell you directly."

Directly. How could I be so dense?

I grab the scroll fumbling it so many times from hurrying to open it. And my heart sinks while reading it.

[You have one week to prepare for an Amarok hunt. One will appear in five days in the northern region. After it wrestles with the local prince it will run amok. I do not want any of the villagers hurt up there. You can bring one other person to help this Amarok find peace.

Love always, Aba]

"An Amarok?" I say shaking. 

Aba stays quiet.

"Another wolf?!" I scream throwing the scroll. Again it bursts into flames. I collapse between the pews. "You and a wolf got us into this mess already!"

"It will all-" Aba's voice is faint.

"Don't tell me it will all make sense in due time." I sob.

I lay my head on the pew seat. I am a little relieved with the hint that Samantha will wake up. Exhaustion takes hold of me since it's been over 24 hours since I last slept.

~~{A dream that is also a memory}~~

"Hazel? You ready yet?" Heather calls out down the hallway.

"Almost!" I yell back.

I finish packing potions into my belt and head out of my room. Heather is ready at the end of the hall. Her golden colored armor contrasts really well with her mocha skin.

"I'm ready." I tell her.

"Good. Today will be your first Amarok hunt. Did you do your research on them like I asked?" Heather asks in her calling my bluff voice.

"I believe so." I tell her. She waits for me to continue. "Oh, um, the northern region, wait. There is a wolf spirit in the northern region that appears every so often. Depending on the the spirit it's actions are different but they always have the traits of a wolf. They hunt alone, most Amarok's hunt people or animals that are separated or alone at night. A few have been noted to strengthen those who wish to be stronger. On one account one pulled a human's soul from their body for angering it."

"How did that person anger the Amarok?" Heather leans in folding her arms. Her long braid falls over her shoulder. Heather's brown bangs frame her round face well. Heather is also rather tall so she carries her weight well.

"The person killed her pups in hopes to eradicate the Amarok from the north." I reply.

"So if we find puppies?" Heather leans back.

"We call them cute and offer them meat?" I ask a little sarcastic since I will be running for my life if we find pups.

"Funny but not a bad idea." Heather's full lips turn up into a smirk. "Let's go." 

We make our way through town to the waypoints and travel to the northern region. The snow is deep where it drifted along side the trees and tall rocks. 

"If you move slow enough." Heather says while slowly stepping on the snow. She was able to stand on the hard surface without falling through.

"I did that as a kid and thought that was the coolest thing!" I beam toward Heather while getting onto of the snow too.

"Alright lets start heading out." She smiles while leading me slowly over the snow.

Awhile goes by. Then some more time goes by.

Have I seen that straggily pine tree already?

We keep walking for what feels like entirety in the cold. Then we walk past the same straggily tree.

"Heather?" I ask.

"Yes?" She asks back.

"We have past that tree three times now." I inform her.

"Really? I counted four times." She says with a straight face.

"Are we lost? Again?" I ask concerned. 

"Not at all. Well sorta. We have to be lost to be found." She smirks holding a finger up to her ear signaling for me to listen.

In the distance I hear the sound of a single wolf howling at the moon.