The hunter

Maikah allowed five years to pass so Blair could at least grow a little, there was no point in sending a child into a nightmare, she would not be in adequate condition to face wat many concerns to be horrific animals.

Blair learned well, she took in all Maikah had to teach like a sponge and grew into a beautiful teenage girl, but this is as much time as Maikah could allow, the first of the astral spirits are already roaming the Appalachian mountains in Virginia.

"Blair" Maikah said one morning early "I know you are still very young, but it's time we set off"

"Ok?" Blair said stopping.

She managed to grasp the wolf form, and was able to revert back into her human form to remain hidden to humans, Maikah did all she could to teach her basic reading and writing, there was only so much a wolf could teach a human, about human things.

"We head south, to the Appalachian mountains, there hides the first"

Blair looked at the sun, then turned according to her internal compass, south.

"Good, you learned well"

"I had a good teacher" Blair said smiling.

"The main reason why I wanted you to become an adult first Blair is because these spirits are capable of haunting your nightmares, they are not friendly, and they are not kind as I am"

Blair felt a trickle of uneasiness "Nightmares?"

"Yes, humans sometimes create stories to scare small children, preventing them from going out in the dark of night, some have seen these creatures and are attempting to prove their existence, this may not happen, we have to stop these spirits before they are seen by man, or worse, killed"

"If man succeeded to kill one, isn't that a good thing?" Blair asked.

"No, this will spark an up rise, they will not stop until somehow they discover the truth about the astral plains, this will also set a major imbalance and the world as we know it will swallow itself up, disappearing for eternity"

Blair remembered to herself how that knife went into her heart, that feeling of disappearing, it was terrifying.

"Then, which spirit is the first?" Blair asked.

"The werewolf, we call it as such, man calls it that as well, it is a wolf brought to existence through a bite from a great wolf"

"A, bite?"

"You've seen how big your wolf form is Blair, one snap from your jaws will surely kill a human, but a nick from a fang is not heard of, neither is the bite delivered to a human, we as great wolves do not prey on humanity"

"So? Who bit that one?"

"It was an accident, the great wolf who did it brought the human to the astral plain, where he could be this wolf freely, unfortunately he has escaped in recent years, and now needs to either be captured, or put to an end"

"If this werewolf lives in the forest like a normal wolf?"

"It cannot be chanced, if he bites another human, that human also becomes a werewolf"

Blair's eyes stretched "Like a plague?"

"Yes"

She darted then shifted into a normal, slightly larger than usual wolf then used it's quadrupedal speed to run as fast as she could through the forest of Alaska.

"You seem motivated" Maikah said.

"We can't allow this wolf to bite another, it would be shameful to what you are, I am, we are the protectors, we should not be feared"

Maikah smiled "Wise words, I see a bright future for you young Blair"

Traveling at night mostly Blair used the speed of the wolf to cover the distance in three nights, arriving in Virginia she was tired, hungry and thirsty.

"I do not know these woods well Blair, you need to find a source of food for yourself, best way is to hunt"

Blair has stopped for a breather, still in her normal wolf form, she scanned the woods with her ears, sniffed the air, there was scents everywhere.

"Be cautious, one of those scents are that of humans" Maikah said.

"It's strong"

"Which means he's close, do not let your hunger overwhelm you Blair, remember, you cannot hunt humans"

"I understand" Blair said slowly walking forward, her nose working overtime, she knew a human won't spark her hunt, but what if he finds her? If he's a hunter she'll become the hunted, her normal wolf form is still very large, even if it's not her great wolf form.

She heard a twig snap and ducked ears flattened, there he was, and yes, he had a hunting rifle with him, the same ones the westerners used to attack the clans of native Americans back in the day.

She watched him closely, he scanned his surroundings, checked the tracks in the dirt, Blair knew she's fresh here, those won't be her tracks.

Then a grunt, to his rear a black figure charged him, the man was caught off guard, he fired the musket rifle but that one shot missed, he dropped back as the black bear was right on top of him, he screamed fighting it off but it was too strong.

"I need to help him!"

"It's a risk Blair, should you take it"

She decided to go for it, over the crest and down the holler, the bear still on top of the man didn't back down, and didn't hear her come, with a hard bent head she rammed the animal from him sending it tumbling, it recovered and roared at her but she straightened her legs, rose the fur on her back and roared back twice as hard, the bear moaned and turned running.

He's safe... She turned to look at the man who still lied motionless, his eyes wide as plates, good, he's still contemplating what to do, Blair turned and dashed off into the forest, disappearing from his sight.

"Well done" Maikah said.

"What do you think he would have done if I stuck around?"

"It's hard to tell, humans are not used to being saved by large wolves, he needs to get grips of it"

"What if he thought I'm the werewolf?"

"Not likely, the sun is rising and the werewolf walks bipedal, you don't match that description"

Blair sighed "Good, that was the first westerner I've seen in years, it felt odd" She looked around, still hungry, she needed food.

Blair had her nose to the ground again and sniffed for any signs of wildlife, then she found a trail leading into the forest, a regularly used one.

Tracking for about an hour she found the elk off into the distance, her hunger was overwhelming and she charged, the elk beat a retreat but she was too fast for them and got one taken down.

"Well done again, you are fitting into this forest pretty effortlessly" Maikah said.

"Thanks" Blair replied and happily started eating on the elk, but another twig cracked and she flung to the source, there stood that same hunter again, he was almost covered in a suit that seemed like grass and brush, only his face visible, his rifle against his chest.

"Don't, what ever you do don't attack him Blair"

"I was not intending to... How did he find me?"

"You leave prints in the dirt as any other animal, keep that in mind"

"Shit..." She looked at him closely, he took a few more steps, then removed the grass like hood from his head, a middle aged man with brown hair, she could figure that out now.

"Now..." He said softly "I know you won't understand me girl, but I wanted to thank you" He lowered his rifle, and from another side of him he brought out a camera.

"Mind if I take a picture of you? You're beautiful aren't you?"

Blair felt more comfortable around him, he lifted the camera and snapped the picture, the photo popped out the front and he gave it a few waves.

"The boys won't believe me if I told them, I'm glad I got to see you again" He said and slowly backed away from her.

"Thanks again girl"

Blair felt her heart warm up "Our first believer"

"It seems"

"I wonder how well he knows this forest?" Blair asked and ate more of the elk.

"Probably well, he seemed to have tracked you down pretty quickly"

Blair ate her fill then turned to the direction the man went "I wonder if he has seen the werewolf?"

Maikah chuckled "You're thinking with a clear mind aren't you?"

"I'm going to start my search with him" She said going nose down and sniffing the trail the man went, it wasn't even a full hour when she caught up to him, but he was sitting on a porch of a log cabin alongside a woman, talking.

"She just rammed that bear off me! Then snarled at it to chase it off! I nearly crapped myself but when she turned and ran off I knew she was different! She's like a guardian!"

The woman clicked her tongue "Again with that guardian nonsense!"

"He knows!" Blair said excited.

"Honey, you don't have to believe me, but look at this..."

Blair saw him hand the photo over.

"There! She stood still a second time so I could take that picture"

"Tom this is a wolf with purple eyes! This is a prop you set up you numbskull!"

The man named Tom sighed and took the picture back "I knew you wouldn't believe me"

Blair chose this moment to head down the hill to the house, she shifted into her human form again, checked her leather clothes if they sat right, then came around the corner suddenly, making the two on the porch jump.

"I believe you sir"