I yawned as the sun shined through the window and a ray danced across my face. The scent of food drifted through the entryway of the kitchen. Staring around bleary eyed, I noticed two of the guys were still slumped on the floor asleep but the other threes voices echoed from the same place as the scent of food.

I got to my feet and stumbled to the kitchen, still half asleep.

"Good morning, sleeping beauty!" Blaine greeted from the dining table. I waved my hand lazily to signal I heard him.

"Breakfast is almost ready." Dre said while managing a large steak over a small fire.

We all sat in silence as food was handed out. I ate the food pretty fast and glanced in the mirror hung up in the hallway. My hair was a little messy but I fixed it. There was a pain as I brushed through it with my fingers. A huge bump protruded from my scalp, from the tree I had hit in the woods the other day. I shrugged and picked up my weapons as I headed out the door.

"I'm running over to my house to put some stuff up and get my bag real quick!" I yelled over my shoulder. There were grunts of acknowledgement, and I stepped out. I jogged down a few rows and found my house. I ran upstairs and placed my bow in the right place along with my quiver. I tucked the daggers in my school bag, then sprinted down the stairs.

☆☆☆

I sat under a tree on the small property that operated as a school. I was waiting for the guys to finish up at Dre's and meet me there. I opened the book I had checked out from the library in my spare time. I flipped through the aged pages, looking for something particular. I looked at the table of contents searching the subcategories.

Fox... Page 155

I found the right page and scanned the pictures. Finding one that looked exactly like the thing I had seen in the forest, I looked at the information.

The Enfield Beast
Foxlike in nature the enfield beast has wings like an eagle...

I skipped the information to find the personal info at the bottom.

One account:
Athena Ward

My mother.

I slammed the book shut as the noise of a twig snapping behind me caught my attention. I slipped my hand in my bag and gripped a dagger, my knuckles turning white.

I glanced around the tree and my eyes hit Valerian Byrd. He was a handsome boy with messy dirty blonde hair and green eyes. His older brother walked behind him, arrogance rotting the air around him.

He was a shadow of his older brother, Dirk. Dirk looked a lot like him just older, stronger and meaner. Valerian laid low, while Dirk was the most popular boy in Edgewood. When we were little, Valerian and I were best friends but from familial feuds and issues we'd become strangers. I wondered if he remembered our childhood like I did or if it was just a memory to be forgotten. I had had a huge crush on him ever since I was tiny but my family tended to stay away from his because of the huge feud. His older brother hated my guts and didn't mind showing it.

They passed by and Dirk ignored me as always.

"Hey Art," Val muttered as they walked by. I glanced up and waved, hope spreading through my chest. Art was what he used to call me years ago. Everybody called him Val for short, but I was the one to start the nickname along with Art.

His brother punched him hard in the shoulder and glared at him. Dirk whispered something into his ear smugly, but Val rolled his eyes. He glanced at me, and I swore I saw a ghost of the smile I had missed since I was eleven.

I stared off into space and forgot about the day. All I could think about was what just happened.

A small rock pegged me in the shoulder and I snapped out of it. Looking up I saw Shane's familiar features, and I hit him playfully in the jaw. He helped me up, and we followed the Byrds into the commons.

☆☆☆

There was a huge boom as our professor dropped his heavy books on the desk, purposefully making an awful noise. I blinked tiredness from my eyes as class begun. Only kids who were offspring from a well known hunter who provided for the village or wealthy merchants that stabilized our economy were provided education. Since four out of our group were, we were in a boring class to 'keep our generations growing.'

I yawned and picked out a piece of parchment and a quill out of my bag. I pretended to take notes even though I knew almost every species of demon we were reviewing. It was all my father talked about because it kept my mother off his mind so all he did these days was hunt.

Instead of scrawling notes on the paper I drew random images or ideas that popped into my head.

Before I knew it the class was almost over but the flustered red face of our teacher was staring at me intently.

"Yes, sir?" I said, feeling heat creep into my face.

"If you had listened to my question beforehand, you might actually be smart enough to answer it." He scoffed, happy he had finally been able to catch one of the cocky nobles off guard.

"Oh no, sir, I only didn't hear you the first time. The yowling of the cat demon I slayed yesterday must have disrupted an eardrum, sir." I said smoothly.

He scowled as people snickered behind me, I glanced over and Val was smiling down at his desk. I gained more confidence from that and listened for the professors response. "Let me make it a little more broad. So you can exercise your knowledge. Describe a peryton. One of the common creatures around here. Explain its use, its appearance, everything."

I nodded and begun, "A peryton, classified by its appearance looking much like a deer, except for its long feathered tail and white wings. It's very large, like a stag and provides excellent meat. Tastes like venison just... Better. They are harder to hunt than deer but are worth it." I said, racking my brain for all the details my dad had lectured me about two nights ago. He had told me he would catch one the next day, and he wasn't lying. Once I was satisfied I had covered everything I leaned back in my chair.

"Very good," the professor said, sounding disappointed he wasn't able to catch me in his trap. "I would expect no less of a Ward. Class dismissed."

I gathered my things and decided I would eat lunch in the garden today.
We grabbed food from the school kitchens and headed into the bright clearing. As we talked and laughed I looked up, footsteps were approaching.

"We've got company," Dre muttered as a boy stepped up. At first I was afraid it was Dirk, back to patronize me. Then I realized it was Valerian.
Shane elbowed me and snickered. I punched him in the side and he double over in dramatized pain. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." He said smoothly.

"Oh nothing! Nothing at all!" Shane exclaimed, sitting up immediately. I looked over and glared at him, he just smiled back evilly. I looked over at the table he usually sat at. Everyday he would sit with his older brother and his friends. It was the popular table pretty much. I didn't really care what table I sat at since I was content with our group. I knew that some people would glance over with jealous looks at how much fun and laughter radiated from our group which made me happy. The guys could cheer anyone up after a bad day.

Soon we were back in action cracking witty remarks and dirty jokes, and Valerian would chime in at times. He seemed happy, happier than usual in fact. I noticed that he had seemed dim around his family, like the light that seemed to shine from him all those years ago had been diminished to a tiny spark.

I shrugged it off and the rest of the day seemed to fly by. We finished a class that taught you hunting skills, and the teacher always favored the families who were on the leaderboard... especially me. As soon as the day was over I realized the rest of the week we were on break which meant no school because in a few days the town would count up all the points from hunts, and the family at the top would get special honors and junk like that. Of course second place got rewards too, but not nearly as good as first place.

The guys said that they were all going to head over to the sea serpent because the crowd would be gone for the last few days of hunting. I nodded and told them I would need to drop by my house to check on a few things and they all nodded.

I sprinted down the block and found the right house. I let myself in and stopped at the stairs. I turned slowly not believing what I was seeing.
A tuft of red fur lingered by the window. My eyes wide I stomped up the steps.

Sitting on my cot was a snoring demon. The Enfield Beast, the name I had learned that morning, was in my house. 

A chewed up piece of parchment was crumpled on floor next to it. I ran to pick it up but immediately dropped it when I realized it was covered in fox saliva.

Gathering up courage I uncrumpled the delicate note and recognized my fathers broken scrawl.

Artemis,
I will be gone the next few days, hunting. The Byrd family is catching up way too quickly. Due to unforeseen circumstances I will need to spend all of my time in the woods. Your contribution to this family may be the ticket to turning the tides for good. Your hunting professor tells me of your skill. You may come if you'd like, it's entirely up to you. But either way I love you, Art.
Love,
Your father.

I knew what he meant by unforeseen circumstances, he meant my mother. She had done a lot of hunting as well and in her absence we were losing points fast. I also pondered him talking about my hunting professor. I knew I was good in combat, my only problem was, having the guts to kill a living, breathing thing. I nodded my head making my decision. I needed to help my family and nothing would stand in my way... Or at least I hoped.

☆☆☆

I had taken care of the demon in my room, for now. I walked quickly down the cobblestone heading toward the sea serpent.

The structure appeared and I quickened my pace. Once I was inside I recognized a figure sitting in a circle made up of barstools in the middle of the abandoned tavern.

The only people were the bartender, Shane, Dre, Blaine and Valerian Byrd. I headed over to the one barstool set out that wasn't taken.

My bow was slung across my shoulder along with a quiver. I had brought it along because I had decided I would go into the woods at dark to find some extra meat that might just save our family legacy.

"Hey!" Blaine greeted with a huge white smile, that would send me falling head over heels if I were a normal Edgewood gal.

"Hey," I laughed.

"We decided to bring old Val down here with us," Shane said, putting a hand on 'old Val's' shoulder. "You don't mind do you?" He continued, grinning.

"Not at all," I said, like a snake ready to strike. I would get Shane back some day, he wouldn't know what hit him.
"What's with all the weapons?" Dre said gesturing.

"I'm going to go see what I can find in the woods tonight," I said, trying not to reveal too much in front of a Byrd. Even if he was the Valerian I had known for so long. Dre nodded.
"If you want any help, or just a hunting partner for company, just drop by and find me." Valerian said, coolly. If I wasn't already suspicious I would have been chomping at the bit for an invitation like this but at this moment it just seemed plain old fishy.
"Okay," I replied, puzzled. Shane looked at me surprised. He knew that I liked Val and was shocked I didn't jump up and down as soon as he offered. I sent him a unspoken message of, "tell you later."

After about a half an hour more of talking the bartender told us he was closing up early because of the lack of customers. We nodded and headed out.

"Hey, good luck with the hunt." Shane, Blaine and Dre all said. The sky had grown dark.

"Thanks," I said slowly backing towards the familiar path.

"Oh hey Art, you want me to come along? If you want to get started alone that's cool. I could meet you there if you want. I know this great place..." Valerian trailed off. "What's wrong?"
He seemed sincere so what was the harm? I thought.

I sighed at last, "It's nothing." I said, dismissing the question. "Why don't you meet me there."

His eyes sparkled in the small bit of moonlight that peeked out of the dark clouds. "Alright."

☆☆☆

I doubled back, remembering a good luck charm my mother gave me just before she disappeared. On my way through the rows of dark houses I heard the faint sounds of an argument. I was curious so I peeked around a corner and saw a familiar face.

Dirk and Valerian were standing on the street corner.

"At first I thought you were stupid, cozying up to that Ward girl. But now I see your plan, little brother. Your smarter than I thought! Going with her on a hunt then sabotaging the scores somehow. Goodness brother! There are so many things you could do to that poor unsuspecting girl! You could take her kills and break her heart, launching her into misery and who knows what. Or making her disappear just like her mother!" Dirk fantasized.

Valerian stood in front of him, engulfed in his muscular shadow. He nodded solemnly and waited for Dirk to finish.

"I must let you go. Don't want you to be late for your date in the woods." Dirk said evilly and let him slip down the street, leaving the village in utter silence as the dark realization of what to come fell on top of me.