Werecat Choice

Chapter 5. Pursuit

Marianne unlocked the door and looked out. The familiar gloomy landscape has not changed. No one is visible, and silence reigns. Marianne looked at the snow. There were footprints around the house. Someone approached the window. From the shape of the prints, one could say that this man had snowshoes on his feet. The snow was trampled down more under the window. Viator walked around the house and watched Marianne through the window before knocking on the door.

Marianne hurried away from the house with the dead man. The forest was left behind on the mountain, the snowy steppe stretched behind the house, conifers darkened on the horizon. This means that the forest was waiting for the traveler again.

Marianne stepped into the snow, glad to have the snowshoes on his feet, which he had taken from home. It became much easier to walk. He walked for several minutes on flat snow when he sensed that something was wrong. The shapes appeared on the left. There were about a dozen of them.

People were previously invisible in the shade of the trees on the slope. A little deeper in the forest, the red glow of the fire gleamed.

Marianne looked around at the people and continued walking forward. Short roll call, cautious exclamations. These people must have been on the alert. When Marianne appeared, they immediately got to their feet and surrounded him. In fur coats, massive build. They looked like robbers. They wore the same clothes as Viator.

The largest of the hunters blocked Marianne’s path and shouted:

– Are you in a hurry somewhere, boy?

The stranger’s voice was hoarse as if asleep, but it was harsh and harsh. The man glanced around Marianne defiantly.

Marianne went to the right.

– But we don’t think so. – Big guy got over to the right and got even closer. He stared into the youth’s face. Marianne stopped.

– Hey, Ulysses! Check how Cassius is doing. Something you can’t see. Had he escaped with our little gold, eh? You look, and his trace is gone again? He is a weak coward. And everyone knows about it. I should have sent you, Ulysses, on reconnaissance.

The robbers looked at each other excitedly. The thought of stealing some gold seemed to seriously disturb them. The thinnest and the smallest ran quickly to the house.

“Ulysses?”

Marianne had a guess: most likely, this is still a very young guy. Perhaps his age.

– Well, so what’s wrong with you? – the chief turned again to Marianne. – Let’s take off your clothes! We’ll turn out the pockets later and see if you are hiding anything of value there.

Undress? Had he heard wrong? It seemed these people didn’t care what happened to Marianne. Or rather, on the contrary: they wanted him to freeze to death. Marianne did not move. The leader of the gang did not like it. He shouted angrily:

– Something I look, you are in no hurry. We’ll have to spur you on.

And he threw the weighty gun off his shoulder. Several approving laughter rang out from his associates. Meanwhile, the circle of hunters was narrowing. The two bosses behind Marianne came very close. There were now less than ten steps between them. The young man took out Viator’s knife. It was stained with blood.

Noticing Marianne’s gesture, the leader added:

– I, frankly, do not care who you are and what your name is. I have nothing personal to you. But we have to live on something. And maybe we won’t kill you. I don’t want to get dirty with your blood.

The tone of voice with which this was said was still harsh. And even gloated. Marianne will definitely be killed. The leader is just fooling him.

“I won’t undress,” said Marianne. – Let me pass.

These words caused a friendly laughter Marianne saw nothing funny here. So they were laughing at the gesture of the leader, who threw up his hands, as if saying “try” or “can’t you see how many of us are here?”

A streak of pearly light fell on the snow and on Marianne’s face. He raised his eyes to the sky. The moon illuminated the world sleeping in the snow with mystical radiance.

Suddenly Marianne felt a powerful surge of strength and energy. He blissfully inhaled the frosty air, delighted in the sparks of countless small pieces of ice. Serenity and freedom burst into his lungs. How strange it was to feel like that now. It seemed like a forgotten, huge and warm feeling from his childhood. This feeling attracted and pushed Marianne into her unknown world. The world that was waiting for him right now. The doors were open…

“It’s the moon!” – suddenly thought Marianne. She is the source of his inspiration and inspiration for life!

“She’s so close and warm now, almost like the sun. She touches the very heart with her love scent. Its soft light transforms the forest and hills into a crystal paradise.”

Muscles throughout Marianne’s body tensed and then groaned in languor, wanting to release boundless energy. The young man even grew above the ground, became taller. At least he felt like the tallest and strongest being on Earth.

Then the silhouettes in fur robes came into view again. He did not hear them, but he felt them. For a moment, Marianne forgot about their existence. They dropped out of his field of vision, out of his thoughts, and now they again loomed around. The light of the moon clearly illuminated both the snow and people.

The leader of the gang fired a shot in the air, and then aimed the muzzle of the gun at Marianne. A loud bang, like thunder, scattered around the area.

– Take off your clothes! He shouted, choking on saliva and shouting curses at Marianne. – I will not repeat again!

Marianne, inspired by the moon, was not afraid of either the shot or the threats. His meeting with the robbers was no longer worried.

“I can easily run away from them!”

Marianne wanted not just to break out of the encirclement and run away, but to fight. Not to kill, no, but to punish the offenders. To teach a lesson. And he chose the main one as his goal. Maybe he really didn’t want anything bad and was trying to delay the death of the victim? Or perhaps his teeth spoke. Distracting attention while his buddies stab from behind.

The muzzle of the gun was staring at Marianne, and not one. You can’t hesitate any longer. Marianne lunged forward at the leader of the gang, crashed into his chest. The blow was very strong. The big man grunted loudly and flew head over heels into the snow. Marianne ran over it and dashed away. Shouts and abuse were heard from behind. And Marianne had already straightened up and ran as fast as he could. Then he glanced over his shoulder. Just in time: one of the men raised his gun and aimed at his back. Marianne darted to the left, ducking his head as he ran. A shot rang out. A bullet whizzed nearby. Marianne fell into the snow, then got up and ran again. Two more shots rang out. Marianne never looked back. He ran like a spirit across the snowy steppe. It is necessary as quickly as possible to reach the nearby trees and hide behind them. Now breathing was in his ears, the beats of his heart pressed into his throat, but Marianne did not slow down. Two more minutes, and he fell into the snow behind a saving tree.

Wiping the sweat from his face, he crawled and peered cautiously out of his hiding place. It turned out that he managed to overcome a fairly long distance. Much more than he thought. A group of people in black robes sprawled across the plain. Two or three people were far away. Harsh screams echoed into Marianne’s ears. Someone moaned, someone cursed. The leader among them could not be discerned. The pursuers slowed down. Some stopped completely, one of the robbers turned back. Or so it just seemed. It was difficult to make out from a distance. Only the two most enduring and strongest continued to walk towards Marianne, but they could no longer see him.

Marianne figured he had no more than a minute of head start if the two continued to chase.

“We must move on.”

He straightened his snowshoes and was glad that he did not lose them during the race. He looked at his pocket, afraid to touch it with his hand.

– Mignis, are you all right? Mignis?

The pocket stirred. Marianne even saw a pair of thin tendrils peeking out of the hole. Hoping that Mignis was okay too, Marianne walked quickly into the woods, figuring out how not to leave footprints in plain sight.

The gloom thickened. It became completely dark. Low clouds covered the moon. This lifted Marianne’s spirits: it will be more difficult for robbers to find him in the dark, and soon they will abandon this venture. A gust of wind showered the youth’s face with ice flakes. Marianne pulled on his hood tighter. He turned around, looking at the fresh line in the snow, trodden by him. How soon will the snow cover it with new flakes? Now we need to get away from the chase as far as possible. A sleepless night lay ahead.

Marianne walked and walked. The coniferous forest sometimes thinned and climbed an untouched snowy hill, then became a dense wall near a shallow clearing.

The walking pace became lower. Marianne felt tired in his legs. The moon gave him strength. When will he see her again? Tomorrow, in a month? Or maybe at all… But it’s better not to think about it. Tomorrow night he will be waiting for her. And it will definitely be as intoxicating as it is today. He looked up hopefully: maybe even tonight she will appear in the sky? The black furry tops of the fir trees swayed overhead, and the falling snow obstructed the view. In such weather it is hard to see anything even ten meters around you.

Soon something hard came under my feet. The snow here was not deep, it became easier to walk. Marianne looked around. There are no trees in sight.

Marianne went out onto a frozen pond or river. In such a blizzard, he could lose direction and go to the side or walk in circles, so he decided to walk along the left bank. In addition, Marianne was afraid to fall on fragile ice and fall into the water. But now the mood has improved. He left less noticeable traces, and the blizzard will quickly do its job. The chase must be deadlocked in the morning.

Chapter 6. Ice Lake

Marianne walked for a long time. The wind howled dejectedly in the forest, and it always seemed that someone was around. When dawn began, Marianne was completely exhausted. He could not go further, and besides, he wanted to sleep. The sleepless night completely wore him out physically and emotionally. Marianne looked out for a secluded spot under a tree, surrounded by tall snowdrifts.

“A good place for temporary shelter – no wind.”

He hastily made a depression in the snowdrift and lay down. Fearing a terrible night, a nightmare or something like that, Marianne remembered the medicine, but it was not in his pocket.

Marianne prudently lay down on his right side, so as not to crush Mignis in his sleep, and opened the flap of his pocket. He remembered nothing else. Consciousness fell into the abyss of dreams.

Snow and trees. This is the same forest. I think this place is familiar to me.

I see a red rose in the snow. Nearby is a beautiful bud of a flower unknown to me. I look at them and feel a rush of blood and warmth in my chest, near my heart…

I’ve seen them before. Am I dreaming all this?

This is a dream? Realistic vivid, but still a dream?!

And I can feel it… now, under my heart?..

Weird dream. But I like.

And where does all this come from in my brain?

I bend over and take a closer look at the miracle.

A plucked bud thrown in the middle of the snow. Its petals opened barely noticeably.

Covered with thin white sparks of diamonds, a beautiful creation of nature. Flower. The symmetry of shape and curved lines conjures up a blooming garden of vibrant colors and scents. And here is white snow and cold, lifeless, frozen forest. There is silence in the air. Not a soul in the area.

Where did the flower come from here? Who brought it? After all, someone cut it off, ripped it off. Why left here? Or maybe it’s not a rose next to him? Maybe it’s all the same…

Through the enveloping cold in his legs, Marianne felt himself awakening.

“This is a dream… just a dream.”

Marianne woke up late in the afternoon. Birds shouted loudly somewhere. The sun was shining brightly on the frozen surface of the frozen lake, and the ice glittered with many small sparks.

Marianne felt completely chilled. Besides, I was very hungry and thirsty. In his sleep, he never changed his body position and was now rubbing his numb legs. Mignis looked out of her pocket as soon as Marianne stirred and sat on his shoulder. The mouse’s whiskers looked crumpled, and she began to diligently rub her muzzle.

– Bad dream? Mignis asked worriedly.

– No. Very beautiful. It is a pity that it ended. I didn’t want to wake up, “Marianne admitted, closing his eyes and trying to keep in his memory even vivid images. – And yes. A little bit bad… Everything is as in reality, and I’m really worried.

– Take it easy. It was a dream. There are no robbers here, “Mignis squeaked, taking a seat in front of Marianne’s face.

“There were no robbers in it. Only… Flowers… In a dream I find a flower. Very beautiful. So much so that not goose bumps. Can you imagine?

– And what is this flower? – asked Mignis, looking into the eyes of Marianne.

– It’s hard to say so right away. Hmm… Both white and yellow. Sometimes it seems like purple and pink streaks and lines slip through. As if reflections on the surface of metal or silk, glass or mirror. Maybe it’s the sun’s rays that play on its velvety petals?.. Royal flower. I don’t know why I called it that, it’s just spinning on my tongue. This is the most appropriate name for him. It also gradually freezes, becomes covered with ice. I’m sure he’s still alive now. If you put it in water in a warm house, under the rays of the sun, it will thaw and… It will give roots, it will live.

It should be so. And so it will be.

– You like flowers. Maybe that’s why you dream about them.

– It’s not just a flower. There is something attractive in him. There is something else in this dream that I cannot see. I feel someone. I don’t know why, but it worries me very much.

Only then did Marianne feel how cold he was. Enough talking, it’s time to act.

The first thing he did was gather some branches and build a fire. But no matter how I tried to kindle it, nothing came of it. The ignited light was immediately extinguished. The air was humid and so were the branches.

“I’d better do it,” said Mignis. Marianne ran down her hand to the tinder laid in the center of the branches. Marianne froze in amazement. Mignis again managed to surprise him. A fire broke out. Not a small spark or tongue, but immediately a large and bright red flame. Marianne drew his hand with the lighter away from the fire. Mignis instantly jumped onto her sleeve.

– Great! – Marianne sincerely admired. – Do you still know how?

He hurried to put the branches in the fire, then sat down close to the fire and held out his palms.

“Maybe I can,” Mignis said happily, and then added: “I love fire. I remember always lighting it up when I wanted to.

Having warmed up a little, Marianne and Mignis had breakfast with cheese sandwiches, washed down with water from a plastic bottle. And Marianne ate the chocolate bar with great pleasure. The mouse has given up its share. She didn’t even smell him.

Marianne’s mood rose, her strength increased. The pain in the muscles reminded of yesterday’s journey.

Marianne took out his phone. As soon as I looked at him, against my will, I remembered Viator and his tragic death. Marianne unlocked the phone and looked at the screen. He made a zig-zag path, fixed on the map, and moved more east than north. Marianne tried to find Wolf Mountain or something similar. But here the card was powerless. The battery remained at thirty-three percent, and Marianne switched off the phone. The GPS application was constantly receiving signals from satellites, calculating coordinates and, therefore, consuming a lot of energy. And the charge must be saved, otherwise the phone will quickly become useless.

Marianne decided to better explore the lake. From the open ice, you can see everything in the area further. In the north, the forest went up – there was a high hill. And to the northeast, the forest was barely visible at the very horizon. The smooth surface of the ice rushed there and hid behind the right bank, on which there were much fewer trees. The right, eastern bank was very close. Marianne walked on the ice and almost immediately not far from the shore on the flat surface of the ice he saw a blue spot – unfrozen wormwood.

Coming closer, I noticed that the ice of the hole is uneven, knocked down by something hard at the edges. The ice is about thirty centimeters thick. And the polynya itself is a little less than a meter in diameter. Why such a large hole could be needed, Marianne did not know.

The lake was deep. The water seemed black and motionless, beckoning to itself with a serene charm. For a moment, Marianne’s heart fluttered with magical peace.

Marianne filled one bottle with water. Now you don’t have to melt the snow.

The water was not as cold as Marianne had expected. He took a few sips. Great taste as if from a spring. The surface of the water rippled. Large bubbles of gas from the depths disturbed the surface. Marianne leaned closer to the water, but saw nothing in its thinness.

He was worried that someone had cut this “well” in the ice and might come here again. It snowed yesterday, and all traces were covered with snow.

Marianne hurried back to the fire. The weakness still squeezed the muscles of the legs, but the closer the evening approached, the less the pain was. Marianne felt better and better and did not feel sleepy at all.

“Do you think, Migny,” Marianne said to his companion, “is it a good idea to hit the road at night?

Mignis sat on the branch of a tree overhanging the fire, and dozed, inhaling the smell of smoke. But then she revived.

– It is possible at night. If you walk along the coast in the same way, then it is even quieter at night. It’s harder to see us at night.

– Yes, that’s right. But we’re heading north. Here the coast goes to the northeast. We’ll have to go through the forest. Have you heard of Wolf Mountain in the north?

“I don’t remember…” Mignis answered after a minute. – Is there a big and warm house?

– Yes, of course, that’s exactly what I’m going for. Look for protection in it. – And he figured that he did not know anything about this place. Only the fact that they had to find refuge on Wolf Mountain, that there were people like him, not like ordinary people, but werewolves, inspired great hope. And that Mignis would like it there, Mariann had no doubt.

“At night, so at night,” said the mouse. – It’s up to you.

– It will soon get dark. Let’s wait a bit and go.

The wait was unbearably boring, but Marianne decided to rest his legs before the long journey.

New branches were required for the fire. The weather was good. Mignis also went with Marianne, sitting on his shoulder. She wanted to see the forest. Marianne got carried away collecting branches and went deeper from the parking lot than he expected. The fact is that he noticed a large old spruce, the branches of which hung low over the snow. Coming back, Marianne went straight ahead. He was approaching his fire from the opposite side when he saw…

– Mimarian! Squeaked Mignis. – Look!

“Traces! Fresh”.

They were located above the parking lot, were sheltered from it by high snowdrifts, which protected the fire from the wind. Marianne dropped some of the collected branches, wanted to pick them up, but then caught himself and threw them away.

Mignis left her place on her left shoulder and climbed to the top of the hood.

“There’s someone here. Traces left by man. A robber?”

A small step, probably someone crept up and watched Marianne, did not come close, kept a distance. Then this unknown person went back on his own way. Marianne moved to the track of the footprints, looking around carefully. He thought of the knife and felt for it in his pocket. Who could it be? He was sure that he had left his pursuers and now scolded himself for being naive.

The tracks were large, shapeless. Of course, this observer was in snowshoes. And where did he go now? Maybe he left this place, or maybe he hid until dark in an ambush. It’s not safe in the camp now. And there you need to return for a backpack and then run from here. Now Marianne was faced with a new choice: to return to the camp in the way in which he came here, or to follow the trail, see where they will lead him.

The first option seemed safer. If you follow other people’s tracks, there is a very high probability of coming face to face with an unknown observer. There was a third option, but it still did not seduce Marianne: go straight through the snowdrifts to the camp. Fortunately, the haze of the fire is visible. But then he will be caught between two fires. On the one hand, the enemy could enter the back, on the other hand, the same enemy could already be waiting in the camp or near it.

Marianne hastened to leave the way he had come, and, before picking up the backpack, decided to carefully study the situation around from afar. The branches he collected were left to lie in the snow and were striking. It came to Marianne’s mind too late when he made a detour around the trees and turned around for the tenth time. In vain he did not sprinkle them with snow. He did not go back to them – every minute was precious – and hoped that the branches on the opposite side were not so noticeable.

Mignis got down from Marianne’s head and sat on her shoulder. Marianne saw, when he turned around, how she stood up on her hind legs and moved her long mustache. Mignis was his eyes from behind.

– Do you see anyone? Marianne whispered, barely audible.

Mignis crawled to her ear and said:

– Nobody.

Marianne nodded. Mignis’s tail slid across her cheek, and the mouse was gone. The young man crept up to the lake and looked around his camp.

“And really nobody. Where has this man gone? Gone or is hiding somewhere nearby?”

Behind, from behind the lake, there was a prolonged howl. Wolf. A deadly cold ran over Marianne’s skin. This guttural sound burst into the peace of the forest like a thunderclap on a sunny day. It seemed that needles fell from the branches of the fir trees.

The source of this sound was nearby, somewhere behind the trees on the other side or closer.

Marianne ran to his backpack, forgetting about the fear of entering the camp. He threw it over his shoulders and rushed to the spruce. It seemed to Marianne that this was the only way out.

To his surprise, Marianne very soon found himself almost at the top of the tree. It was impossible to climb further – the branches bent dangerously, bent down and cracked. The palms were scratched, the jacket was covered with snow and small spruce needles.

Marianne looked down. Through the many branches below, the place of the fire was guessed. A faint haze rose from that place. The fire was almost extinguished. An excellent view of the lake opened up from the tree. No one around. No wolf, no man.

“Maybe the wolf will pass by?”

Marianne had no idea that he was afraid of wolves. Suffering to panic, Marianne forgot about everything. Now he found composure.

– Blink? – She is all right. Her nose was visible from a hole in her pocket. In addition, Marianne had to cover the fire with snow and hide the traces of his sleepover. Wolves can probably wait a long time under a tree if they realize where it has gone.

And then a cry came to Marianne’s ears. Quiet at first. Then a loud cry of pain. It was the voice of a man, not a wolf. And he called for help. Without hesitation, Marianne rushed downstairs. He flew from the tree, hitting thick branches and scratching against the rough bark, ran to scream. It was not far away. A man lay in the snow.

“Rogue!”

Judging by the clothes, one of them. The snow beneath him was scarlet red. The man floundered on his back and wheezed, holding on to his throat. A dog-sized animal was sitting on the robber’s fur coat. His fur shimmered with a silvery sheen as it fluttered. A giant fish with the paws of a lizard tore the robber’s chest with its paws and mouth, and he tried to throw off this creature. Marianne quickly took out a knife. Shouting: “Get out! Go away! " – rushed to the lizard fish and swung his knife. When he slashed the creature across its shiny back, it jerked, bristled, and grabbed even harder into the arms and neck of its victim. Marianne struck again and again. The creature’s body arched and fell into the snow. A bloody mouth with long, sharp teeth appeared in front of Marianne’s face. The creature screeched disgustingly, turning into a whistling whisper. Marianne stepped back, stumbled, and fell to his elbows. The lizard fish crawled away with unnatural movements, leaving a bloody line behind it. Marianne jumped to his feet, knife held out in front of him. But the creature didn’t think to attack. She crawled away and still hissed disgustingly. Marianne felt something pressing on his chest. It was Mignis who could not find a place in her breast pocket.

– Hush hush. She left. She’s gone, “Marianne said quietly, as if afraid that the creature would rush at his voice. Then he turned to the wounded robber. He looked awful.

Marianne dropped to his knees in front of the man and covered the wound on his chest with his hands. He saw in an educational film how to provide first aid to the victim, but in reality he realized that he was helpless.

The man’s neck was scratched, the fur coat on his chest was torn into small pieces. The victim first held his hands in front of his face, then carefully laid them on the snow. Fingers on both hands were seriously injured. What was left of them looked more like minced meat. The frightened eyes of the older man stared at Marianne. His face was also covered in blood, his mouth was twisted in pain.

Marianne shouted:

– Help! Anyone! “Perhaps the robber is not alone here. Then his friends will come to the rescue. – Help!

Marianne screamed and screamed until he was exhausted. Nobody showed up and shouted back.

The man was breathing heavily and looking at Marianne. It was clear from the wounds and blood loss that he would not survive without medical attention.

– Are you alone here? Marianne asked. – You need a doctor. Tell me where is the nearest village or at least one person, and I’ll go for help!

The robber was silent. Marianne looked around. See no one. I tried to remove my hands from the wound, but the bleeding intensified. I had to press on my chest again.

The man stuck out his tongue, then swallowed and asked:

“So you didn’t kill Cassius?”

– What? Whom? – did not understand Marianne.

“What he says? About whom? Is this the time to think about some Cassius?”

“And Barclay was furious. Thinks you killed him with an ax. – For a moment a smile flashed on the lips of the man. – I didn’t believe it… But Barclay thinks differently. Damn him with his ideas! I see you are just a child, you could not have done this.

– Cassius? Maybe you mean Viator? – did not understand Marianne. – I did not kill anyone! Didn’t kill! – He was shaking. – Better tell me where to find your friends. I will bring them, they will call doctors, rescuers. They will help you!

The man shook his head.

– Its end. And I managed to move here. In such cases… There is no one here. Even wild animals bypass these places… Here is my payback. And this damned Wolf Mountain is very close. So that she was wrong!

The man was confused in his thoughts, but the words about grief abandoned in agony alerted Marianne.

– Do you know where Wolf Mountain? – blurted out Marianne. – Are there people there? Can they help?

– Wolf Mountain? I saw her from afar. What kind of people are there! Inhumans! That’s who is there. A strange place. Damn anyone. No, people don’t live there. They look like you and me, but they are not. Even animals feel them and are afraid. Nobody knows how many there are and where they came from…

The man exhaled and closed his eyes.

– Oren Hadley. That’s my name. Tell people if you get out of here that I am dead. Tell me where it happened.

– Why don’t you tell me where to look for help? Marianne asked, not noticing that he was shouting. Now he was sure that this was one of yesterday’s robbers. – Where are your friends? They are close? I will call them…

Oren shook his head and croaked:

– Maybe before I die I will do at least one good deed. I will save you. And my soul will be sent to heaven. But my heart is still heavy…

Marianne did not know what to say to this.

– You have to leave these places. Go east. Oren tried to nod in the right direction. – Sooner or later you will go out on the road. On it you will come to the city.

Marianne shook his head. Tears ran down his cheeks.

– Only to the east! Do you hear? To the East!

Oren fell silent, closed his eyes. It seemed that he had already departed into another world, but his chest was still faintly heaving.

“Stay away from anyone you meet…” Oren said in a very weak voice. – There are different types here. Trust no one and…

The chest froze. Oren’s lips never moved.

Oren Headley.

Marianne slowly climbed off the blood-soaked body. He looked at his bloody palms. He felt very sorry for Oren, he was impressed by the death of this stranger. To distract himself from his worries, he began to wipe his hands on the snow, not noticing the cold.

A familiar sound sounded somewhere. Motorcycle motor.

The roar of the engine grew louder. Marianne stood up. Someone was riding a snowmobile on the ice of the lake. Another appeared after him. Marianne wanted to wave her hands and scream. But Oren can no longer be helped.

“What if they are yesterday’s robbers?”

They will be glad if Marianne falls into their hands. He was afraid of any person in these places. If he’s already figured out anything, it’s that he must stay away from everyone in this forest.

Marianne hastened to retreat from the open area, then rushed to his camp. They may not have noticed him yet. The sound has become quite loud. Marianne bent down by the tree and looked at the lake.