The chill wind and sparse clumps of melting snow were the last remnants of winter still clutching at the awakening earth. Buds in bloom and greening trees and shrubs and grass; the chirping hatchlings and chattering young herald the coming of spring. The world appeared to be stepping from death’s grasp in life’s approach. Even so, it was still near as cold as winter.

She had to pull her cloak closer and shiver to retain a semblance of warmth. She attempted to trick herself to ward off the icy touch of winter’s remains. This, the heroine of the story, trailed an aimless pace behind the two men she was to accompany as a guide. Her eyes were swarming over the dazzling sight of new life in delight. She was a hopelessly gentle sort and terribly naive; finding the upside of the trials and tribulations in her everyday life of poverty and servitude.

“Girl, get your arse over here! We're here to hunt bears, not stroll around, you witless lass!" The hunter sneered. A bear of a human in his own right, stood near as tall one and just as wide. He had red dangling hair and a red scruffy beard that he was constantly scratching. She had often heard the people of the village jokingly comment that perhaps he had the fleas of a bear to boot. If she remembered correctly, this hunter’s name was Tear.

Tear's companion chimed in with a sneer of his own. "Stick close, as we wouldn't want our lovely little guide coming to harm, now would we?” She quickly hurried closer, walking a step behind, as they cursed and berated her a bit more before going back to the task at hand.

Even though her ability to grasp the reality around her was lacking, she was not so naive as to not understand her exact purpose amongst the travelers and hunters as a guide through this spooky forest. She rarely ever stepped out from the place she had been taken in. She never remembered the trails in which she helped her clients across. Her ability as a guide did not exist. However, she did have use as a ward against evil. Her pale flesh like those of the dead, crimson red eyes like that of fresh blood, and her stark white hair like that of a specter was reminiscent of a demon. She was rumored to be so terrifying she could even scare immortal monsters into the grave. It was not fear of her injury that had them wanting her close.

Even though this was the task the household –that had taken in the orphaned her- had given, she was not confident that she had the capability to ward off anything. She had never seen a monster before. There had never been a time when she met up with any of the rumored creatures that roam in these woods. Nevertheless, it had been guaranteed that she could offer protection. As she trailed an even closer pace at the behest of the bear-like hunter, she offered a prayer for it to be the truth. If this were all a falsity, guilt would eat her alive if she managed to survive the chance encounter.

Such heavy thoughts were so opposite to her personality that they quickly fled her in the wake of wonder and awe for the surroundings they passed. It was extremely difficult to keep the hunters’ pace and not to wander off to satisfy her curious heart. She had to constantly remind herself of the task at hand. No matter how inviting the flowers looked or how much she wanted to chase after rabbits she had to force her feet to refrain from venturing off.

The lankier of the two hunters paused, looking almost as if a specter had crossed a space marked as his future grave. “This level of quiet in these woods is unnatural,” the man said spooked. “’tis no bears that brings this disquiet. It's a feeling like the entirety of the creatures here are bating their breaths in fear.”

The bear-like hunter back-stepped at those words, seeming to realize the depth of truth those words brought. Despite his intimidating vestige he paled considerably, almost matching the stark white of his eyes. The man whom had been rumored to have taken down a dragon with his bare hands, now sat stock still, visibly showing his fear in these woods regaled for also having such monsters. “Ah, ‘tis not natural,” he agreed and then added as his hands wrung each other. “There’s a feeling of eyes upon us.” As he said this, his own eyes trailed about as if searching for the source.

The pale ghost like girl, who traveled alongside the hunters as a charm, too glanced around the captivating views hardly feeling the sense of panic swelling up in her companions. She found the stillness of the woods calming, charming almost, filling the innermost parts of her body with peace. It would have been alright with her if they could have just dozed amongst the flowers a moment. They had been walking for quite some time, setting out bear traps and hoping to cross the ferocious animals they had been commissioned to lessen.

“Un, but the presence is-“

Snap!

A hush fell over the motion absent party.

The sharp, sudden, sound grated against bones already set on edge. One of the bear traps had been triggered. However, the terrifying growling shriek of a bear never accompanied the sound. Tear scratched at his beard, wondering whether the trap had been triggered falsely out loud. His slighter companion nodded, as if agreeing with the assessment, yet neither moved forward to confirm this fact.

She, who was meant to be a charm, held no designs in going forward to investigate. If she wandered off and something ill was to befall these hunters, it would be the kind house who took her in to suffer the consequences. She did not want to be a burden. She did not want to bring trouble to that house. She did not want to be hated. Above all else:

She feared abandonment.

To be tossed aside, to be alone, to survive on the streets without the warmth of a family. She deathly feared this outcome. She would not move from her given task. On this one point, to what most would feel forgiving of a young girl, she would not relent. Even as she thought this, even as she felt this, her thin wispy legs steadily took her in the direction of the sound. Despite her convictions and the attempts of the hunters to halt her intent, she moved.

There was another sound that had begun to come from that direction: A small and heart breaking sound. It was a light and desperate sound that painted a vivid picture in her mind of a weak and hapless creature suffering the throes of pain. It tugged at her heart and pulled boot clad feet forward. At first slow, almost out of reluctance, and then swift as concern for the other party surmounted. She moved into the bushes past the grasping hands of her clients, single-mindedly going toward that sound.

The origin was not that far ahead. In fact, the triggered bear trap was the last to be set amidst the wildly growing grass. Crouching in that coverage, almost as if it were cowering to bear the pain, was a black cat-like creature. It was too large to be a village cat, yet it held no visual likeness to any of the wild felines she knew about.

As it emitted a pitiful whimper, a confusion crossing its visage as though unsure of how to react, the young girl ceased thoughts of it's origins. She quickly sprinted forward coming to fall at its side. Her hands going to the cool metal of the bear trap. “You poor thing,” she murmured as she worked to free the leg from the iron jaws, “you've been caught up in a bear trap.”