"Well Grey, everyone calls me the Scarlet Hunter, but you can call me—"

As the Red Hunter spoke, Grey sensed something outside the house, heading towards them. Not "heard" or "felt," but the same prickling sensation that she had felt when she had stood at the bottom of the stairs had begun again. Yet this time, the rest of her body responded even more intensely than before, her sense of dread was even greater than before; from the baby hair on her arm to the long fur of her tail bristled wildly while her ears flattened defensively. Before she could completely register what she was doing, she had lunged at the man in front of her, yelling at the top of her lungs:

"DUCK!!!"

The Scarlet Hunter eyes widened with surprise at her loud exclamation but had no time to respond as a great whirling mass crashed right into the house. Grey's dive for the stunned man had already sent them hurdling out the door, straight over the porch, tumbling down the steps and rolling through the soggy ground. Grey's ears rang and her head spun as the sounds of the house shredding to pieces engulfed her senses. Debris flung out in every direction as she willingly pressed her body tightly against the Scarlet Hunter, pushing them as close together as possible, praying that the pieces of sharp wood would not impale them. As she squeezed her eyes shut she suddenly felt her body being held tightly back.

Is he holding onto me? Why?

After several moments the whirring and shredding stopped, only leaving behind the sound of the soft pattering rain. Grey lifted her head and looked at the disaster surrounding her. The top half of the house had been completely smashed off: most of the second floor and roof lay scattered across the small clearing that surrounded Granny's house, while other pieces Grey assumed now lay in the woods fringing the clearing.

Stirring beneath her, the Scarlet Hunter pushed himself upright suddenly, catching Grey off-guard and causing her to tip into his lap. As quickly as he had sat up, she hopped swiftly off of him, flushing red as she stuttered, "Sorry!"

"Why are you sorry? You just saved my tail right there," he paused for dramatic effect, "well, if I had one."

Grey face stretched into a grimace at his joke. What is up with this guy's sense of humor? It's worse than my dad's! Also, how can he be joking after what just happened?

Noticing her unimpressed expression, the Scarlet Hunter doubled over feigning injury, "Oooh, you don't have to make it so obvious. You shouldn't treat your friends this way!"

"We only just met a little while ago."

The Scarlet Hunter, who had now risen to his feet, pretending to stumble backward, clutching his chest, "What? I guess it was only me then— I had thought we were becoming friends."

He looked at her with a woeful expression, giving Grey a good chance to thoroughly examine his maroon eyes. While his words were playful, his eyes seemed to fall flat upon her, as if willfully placing up a barrier between the two of them. While they did not appear to be hiding bad intentions, she wasn't confident that she could rely upon this man. After all, the last few minutes of interactions did not undo her great first impression of him, based upon her running and fearing for her life as he maniacally chased after her for the better portion of that evening.

A man like this is hard to understand... but even harder to trust... and is the hardest to predict what he'd do next.

Grey spoke hesitantly as she stood, not wanting to disregard him, but also reminded of the larger problem at hand: "We were interrupted as you were introducing yourself to me. Do you know what that was just now?"

The Scarlet Hunter stroked his chin, "Well, not really, but I have a feeling that it was one of the Bitten."

"The B—b—bitten?!"

"Oh, you know of them as well?" The Scarlet Hunter stroked his chin, looking genuinely puzzled, "I thought the Bishop told me that it was a huge secret."

"No, I don't, but they sound terrifying!"

The tall man nodded, "They are, indeed. Every single time I've found traces of the Bitten, all that is left behind are the victims that have been shredded into pieces. Although there have been so many cases throughout the country, anyone who has come face to face with one of these things has ever lived to tell the tale. I've been tailing the Bitten for the past few years and this is the first time that I that close to one in person."

Grey stared at him dumbfounded, "What do you mean this is the first time?"

"That this is the first time."

"So you mean you've never seen this thing before, or defeated one?"

"Yup, as of right now, I'm the only human who has gotten this close and lived to talk about it. Or any being —besides you— for matter of fact. Although that may not last for long."

He laughed heartily and Grey trembled. A creature that shreds everything into unidentifiable pieces? Something that has never been seen by any living being? Grey clenched her fists and breathed deeply, trying to steady her racing heart.

"How can you laugh right now?! We're going to die!!"

The Scarlet Hunter reached over and clapped her on the back. "No need for doom and gloom Miss Wolflette-that-won't-be-my-friend!" He leaned over as he finished speaking, hand still on her shoulder as he stooped down to her face. "There is actually 'hope' in all of this. Somehow it seems that you 'knew' that we were about to get attacked."

Those same flat eyes— he doesn't trust me either.

Grey took a step back but willed herself to stay still and not panic.

"I didn't 'know' that we were going to get attacked: I had this feeling that something was about to happen." She looked down, her eyebrows knitting together, "Today's is the first time I've ever felt anything like this."

The Scarlet Hunter sighed, "Well, how doesn't matter right now. What does matter is that I need your help. You seem to be able to feel where they are, while I cannot. Tell me, can you try to see if it's still here?"

Help this man? I know he's smart and can tell that I don't trust him, but it's not like I have much of a choice. I don't stand a chance with my fighting skills, after all, this Bitten thing just destroyed a house! If anything he can at least put up a fight. He's also not choosing me because he has much of a choice either. We both have the will to fight and survive. If we manage to beat it, I can ask him to help me look for Granny's remains and help me home...

Grey found herself overwhelmed with emotion as it dawned upon her that her tough, beloved grandmother may no longer be alive. All the more reason to beat this thing, she thought, steeling her nerves.

"I—I'm not sure I can do it again," Grey looked up, even though her lip quivered as she spoke, she met his eyes with a determined expression, "but I will try!"

Grey saw the Scarlet Hunter give a half-smile as she closed her eyes. The first time she had sensed the creature was when it was up the stairs at Granny's house. The second time was right before it had shredded the house into pieces. Each time, her body seemed to react as soon as she felt that feeling. How was she supposed to harness it? What would Granny tell her to do?

Every time I've been able to sense it when I was getting close to where this thing was. If that's the case then—

"Let's walk around the clearing. If it's close by then I should get that feeling once I am closer to it."

The Scarlet Hunter nodded, "Then let's get started, that beats standing here and twiddling our thumbs. Which way first?"

Grey turned away from the house and started walking, "Let's walk in the direction that our backs were facing. My granny always said that in a sneak attack you should get behind your enemy since that is where they are most defenseless."

Following a few steps behind the tall man replied, "Oh your granny sounds like a smart woman. Who is she by the way: she must be someone important since you're part of the Whitefang pack."

Grey through him a side glance, narrowing her eyes, "You're pretty nosy, do you know that? Are other humans like this?"

The Scarlet Hunter laughed, "That's mean to say. Also, you keep calling me 'you;' don't you want to know my name?"

They were nearing the edge of the clearing when Grey stopped and turned back to him, "I do want to know your name, but talking so much is very distracting—."

Just then, as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice over her head, she felt something rushing insanely fast to where she was. She stuttered as she turned front and pointed in the direction saying, "Right there!" Barely a foot away from her face was one of the Bitten, it's eyes glowing like the rings of iridescence around a full moon and its body a tangle of pitch-black coils. Her heart dropped and a scream caught in her throat, but before she could let it out, the Scarlet Hunter called from behind her.

"I got you now!"