Kneeling in the dirt close to the tree trunk, dark brown eyes narrowed toward the doe up on the hill. Shifting slowly to pull the bow into her left hand while reaching into the quiver on her back for the arrows. Carefully sliding one out with her pale fingers poking out of her sleeve. She could hear her heartbeat muffling the sounds of the forest around her making everything fade around Cara. Setting the arrow upon the bow with careful motions to keep from making a sound. Hooking her fingers around the string she began pulling back on it closing her left eye while her right narrowed in concentration. Following the doe, with the tip of the arrow, Cara breathed in slowly through her nose. Lifting the bow a little higher Cara let the arrow fly watching it pierce the doe in the shoulder. The doe stumbled down the hill as Cara moved around the tree pulling another arrow out as Cara lined the arrow within a breath sending it flying into the injured doe’s head. Breathing a sigh of relief watching the doe fall with a thump she moved over feeling her heart calm and the sounds of the forest returning to greet her ears. Slipping her bow back around her body Cara moved to kneel down pulling the arrows out with a grunt. Finally dislodging them she wiped them on her pants before putting them back in her quiver. Pulling rope from her satchel Cara tied the front legs together with secure knots moving to stand with a sigh.

She had moved to grab the rope around the doe’s hooves and begin to drag when an arrow appeared in the ground making her head snap up and narrow at the figures standing on the steep hillside.

“I think you picked the wrong prey. I’m no deer,” she told them biting the inside of her cheek to keep the venom back in her voice watching the two figures walk down towards her. They were taller than her with large frames that cast a shadow almost touching her. She did not recognize the dangerous look in their eyes or the grin that was everything but pleasant. “And as you can see I’ve already killed this one.” Cara moved to grab the doe when another arrow whizzed by her head pulling her hood down and lodging in a tree behind her.

“Not another step little fox,” he called pressing his boot into the doe’s ribs as Cara looked into his bright blue eyes. “This doe is ours. We’ve been hunting it for a while and we aren’t leaving without it. You can either stand back or we can take you with us.” He purred moving to touch her face when she slid back in one motion away from his hand. He smirked hand forming in a fist when he stepped over the doe towards Cara obscuring her view of the dark-haired archer reaching to get the doe.

“What’s a little fox doing in the woods all alone? Is your village close by? Perhaps we can go with you and keep you company lonely fox. Wouldn’t you like to not be so alone?” He asked drawing her attention back to the man looming over her.

“Don’t bother with that village, it’s too well guarded,” his friend grunted moving to lift the doe over his shoulder as he cursed when it fell to the ground instead of on his shoulder. “Stop toying with her and help me!”

“In a minute, I want to have fun with the young fox,” he purred reaching out to touch her face. “What do you say? Want two wolves to keep you warm lonely fox?”

“I’m not alone though,” Cara told him her lips twitching into a mischievous grin. His shadow obscured part of her pale face showing a flash of gold in her dark irises when howls and growling could be heard surrounding them. He pulled back looking around seeing large wolfish beasts with glowing gold eyes staring at them. Cara stepped closer to the pair. The pack of wolfish hounds moved in a single step with her heads dipped down with their low frames. A growl was bubbling in the back of her throat head bow as she slouched over in similar pose as them. “And I am no fox.”

“W-What the?” The man with blue eyes mumbled twisting his head to look at the dark beasts looming closer before back at the pale face woman as her dark copper hair fell around her face. Golden eyes peaked out from under her hair with narrowed pupils. “M-Monster!” Cara shook her head stepping in closer with the hounds.

“A monster? How unoriginal,” she said pulling her bow and quiver off her back as they fell with her cloak. The light glared off the sharp blade of her ax as she pulled it from her side twirling it in her hand. The archer moved to grab an arrow from his quiver. In a dark flash, two of the hounds tackled him to the ground one standing over him as the other sunk their teeth into his arm. Hearing his partner’s cries he turned to help before stumbling back falling down. He jumped feeling arms wrap around his neck when the blade of the ax pressed to his neck and a cackle could be heard in his left ear. He felt for his knife when his eyes caught the reflection of golden eyes of a wolf staring back at him from right next to his head and sharp white teeth peeking from behind pink lips. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Or else I’ll slip and your head won’t be the only thing that goes rolling. You see, my hounds will tear you both apart if I tell them to. They’re very hungry and they might do it anyway.” She hissed against his ear.

“W-What are you?” He asked before closing his eyes as the blade scraped against his neck just slightly.

“The better question you should ask is why I was hunting,” Cara told him. “Thankfully for you, I was the one you found and not one of my brothers and sisters. You see they would have cut you down but I believe in the power of storytelling. So you’re going to go back to whatever hole you crawled out of and tell them. Tell everyone that if they even fucking dare try to come near my village I will be one of the last faces you see before my hounds rip you apart and send you to Hela personally. Am I understood?” He closed his eyes to keep from seeing the glowing eyes in the blade as she growled bringing the blade closer feeling it dig into his skin ever so slightly.

“OKAY! Okay, please don’t kill me,” he told her making a grin appear on Cara’s face.

“Good,” she purred before whistling as the two on the black archer pulled away and he sat up holding his arm scrambling back with fearful eyes. He gasped unable to cry out at her eyes glowing behind her fallen copper hair. “Now be good piggies and go back. You will go hungry tonight but at least you’ll be alive.” Pulling her ax away Cara stood up backing up a couple of steps as the hounds circled around her eyes glowing. They moved up the hill not daring to look back as she stared on till they disappeared. A long silence hung in the air till Cara turn her eyes down to the hound next to her. Kneeling down she rubbed the top of her head looking up the hill.

“Luna, follow them till they are completely gone. Come back home once you’ve made sure they are gone,” Cara said rubbing the head of one of the hounds who pushed their head up against her hand. Moving to walk up the hill moving quickly and quietly. Cara took a deep breath before breathing out of her nose closing her eyes. One of them nuzzled her face and moving to press their head into her chest letting Cara wrap around their neck and rub the coarse fur. Eyes opening the warm dark brown eyes returned while she moved to press her face against their head smiling. “You all did so well. Such ferocious hounds you are.” She cooed softly as the other four moved in closer licking her face or nuzzling into her side. Laughing Cara smiled brightly lifting her head as one covered her face in their slobber.

“Alright, alright, get off. How am I to get the deer home and give you some of it for dinner?” Their heads shot up with joy and began to hop around making her laugh. Standing up she put her gear and cloak back on fixing it. Moving to grab the doe by their tied hooves Cara began to drag the doe while the hounds walked with her out of the forest.