Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You hated the cold. If the choice was ever given to you of either being burnt alive or freezing to death, you’d choose deadly heat every time. Perhaps it was because you’ve seen the haunting expressions of those who didn’t have a choice, whose bodies littered the streets as they begged for warmth and food but not a single soul would grant them such. You remember being young and shielding your eyes away from the dead bodies that seemed to appear every morning in your little village. Such haunting memories made the sensation of freezing unbearable, you never wanted to imagine being one of those people who everyone would stare at yet forget about the next morning. Perhaps for being younger, you’d earn a bit more sympathy but the fate was always the same.

But that was why you left your home village with only a sled filled with minor supplies in hopes to find a new place to live. You were currently in the thick Russian wilderness, specifically a forest that had snow up to your ankles although fortunately you had managed to steal decent boots before your departure. Keep moving, don’t stop. You muscles screamed for a break, to just lay down for a minute, but you wouldn’t permit a break.

If I stop now, I may never get back up again. Besides, it wasn’t wise to stop as any nearby predators would make easy prey of yourself in this state. You swallowed and grunted softly as you continued walking through the thick snow as your left hand clenched the rope that pulled your wooden sled. You wished dogs, hell even one, were something that you could afford but any seller would snort at the likes of you trying to buy one of their mutts. Perhaps you should’ve attempted to steal one but then the villagers really would be after you. You didn’t have to worry about anyone but yourself now as no one would bother trying to hunt you down over a pair of boots and some meager food supplies. Nothing much of value there and not to mention the fear over the legend of the Huntress. You paused, mentally recalling the old tale before quickly continuing walking and you spoke the tale quietly, thankful to hear something after many days of silence.

“The Huntress was once a woman raised by nature alone, belonging to God’s great forest and bounty. She was a beautiful vixen and some dared say a daughter of Eve. But as so did her mother, the beautiful girl’s curiosity grew too great one day and she ventured into the caring forest. On this day, Mother Nature was angry and fierce. No being could sooth her wrath. The bees beckoned dear Mother to sip their honey but she broke their nest. The wolves offered a she-wolf’s warm milk but she killed her pups. The creatures grew scared and every one hid, everyone but the kin of Eve.

"Mother Nature saw the poor girl and grew angry. She cursed the maiden to become a permanent part of the forest and to be forsaken as a vicious beast. She would kill all travelers, leaving only their bones to be found. Travelers were a great meal but nothing provided quite a feast that young children did. She’d lure them in, with the promise of warm food and full bellies but the only belly that would be filled was hers. The Huntress is trapped within the forest and none of mankind dare go out alone for if you hear her siren’s song, you shall be slain with no mercy.”

The legend was mostly used to scare youngsters if they disobeyed if parents were too tired to give them a beating, the exact wording having been lost over time but the tale remained the same. Quite terrifying for a younger child but now you smiled back at the games you and the village’s children made over the tale. One of you would pretend to be the Huntress while the other would continually try to dodge her axes (all of which were rocks) and whoever survived the longest would become the next Huntress. It had always helped keep your minds off the hunger that became painfully familiar during winter.

You suddenly yelped, falling forward and face first into the soft but bitterly cold snow as your left foot must’ve gotten caught on a hidden tree root. You rubbed the snow off your face before attempting to get back up but panic set in as you couldn’t get your foot free of the tree root.

Free meal for us all.

Such easy prey.

Let them simply die of cold before we feast.

You could practically hear the thoughts of the hungry predators that were watching you. Oh what an easy meal you’d make if you couldn’t free yourself soon, all they’d have to do is watch you slowly die and dig in. But you weren’t going without a fight. You began digging around your trapped foot, shoving the snow away to try and make it easier for your foot to break free. But once enough snow had been shoved away, seeing what trapped your foot made your heart sink. An animal trap. It was tied tightly around your ankles now and showed no signs of breaking by bare human strength. You stared at it for a few seconds more before your eyes widened. My dagger! It was in the sled, a few arm lengths away.

You began to crawl towards it but half way there, felt yourself stuck. The trap wouldn’t let you move any further. Not like this, it’s so close! You felt your arm stretch as far as it would go, trying to grasp anything from the sled but it was all just too far away and your entire leg was stinging now. It hurt both from the cold and the painfully tight grasp that the trap had around your ankle.

“Help!” You began to scream, the last thing you could do to try and save yourself. Perhaps the hunter who set this trap was nearby, best case scenario. But it was winter, prime time to set up traps like these far from your home as the cold would keep the meat fresh and prevent any rotting so hunters could take their time gathering prey. Meaning that you could be stuck here for a very long time. You continued screaming for help, shouting till your vocal cords began to grow tight. “Help! Anyone! Please!”

Tears haunted your eyes, threatening to swell up and fall but you blinked them away. You didn’t want to die like this, you couldn’t die like this. Perhaps a pack of wolves would take pity and eat you quickly but you felt sick imagining yourself freezing and becoming a statue.

“Help…” Your voice was growing weaker from being strained and your body wasn’t shaking anymore, a very bad sign as you still felt deathly cold but no longer had the strength to shake and try feebly to heat your body up. The snow was beginning to feel hot, burning your skin despite the thick layers of clothes you had on and it began to burn your hope as well. You faced the gray sky, watching the patterns of the tree branches twirl and curl in your vision and a soft lullaby suddenly could be heard.

Lullaby...? You wondered if it was the sound of an angel ready to take you or maybe your own sanity freezing away as you slowly died but you watched the sky haphazardly as the lullaby grew louder. It was comforting, reminding you of a time where your mother would sing such sweet songs on stormy nights to calm you down but now an angel sang as you would depart from life to comfort you through the process.

The lullaby kept growing louder and louder until a dark figure stood over you. You were too delirious to make out what it was, a human? An angel? A devil?

As it grew closer, you could make out… Rabbit ears? You didn’t have the strength to question it anymore, whatever it was could have you if you meant you wouldn’t be so cold…

Just take me and make it quick. You thought of your last prayer but before you could even finish it, the darkness finally swallowed you.

****

Burning wood, a familiar and comforting smell. One that meant you were comfortably resting near the fireplace.

Wait… Fire?

Your eyes quickly shot open and you were shocked to find yourself inside someone's home. You were laying on the ground, wrapped in a blanket created from animal pelts that was shockingly soft and you were close to the fireplace that lit the darkened room. You looked at a window to see it was night. You sat up, wincing a bit as your whole body ached. You muttered a Russian prayer, thanking god for sending aid but as you scanned around the living room, you saw no signs of life.

“Hello?” You called out curiously. Of course you were beyond thankful that this stranger saved you but… Something felt off. Perhaps it could be the fact you were still in shock from nearly dying but still, something in your gut didn’t trust this place.

You rubbed your temples, sitting up for a bit before shakily standing up and placing the pelt blanket on a wooden chair. Every step you took stung and you knew it was from the trap but a white cloth was wrapped around it tightly, hiding the wound and keeping pressure on it while it healed.

“Is anyone here?” Did they go out, searching for more help? Were they asleep? You were about to call out into the darkness again when a dark and raspy female voice spoke back.

“Quite lucky, not eaten by wolves.”

You stiffened, wondering if that was a threat or not but you still wanted to express your gratitude. “Ye-yes… Indeed,” you swallowed, “I thank you from the bottom of my heart for rescuing me.”

The stranger let out a faint chuckle and you could hear a low creak of a chair before the stranger walked into view. You felt your heart drop to your stomach. A woman of greater height than anyone in your village, towering the tallest man and woman. She looked strong enough to tackle ten men with ease and she certainly seemed used to violence as her exposed arms had scars that told many tales of a rough life.

But it wasn’t how tall or strong she looked that was the most frightening. No, it was more so the stained axes that were clipped onto her belt, the wooden mask that resembled a hare, those bright amber eyes that seemed to stare at you like you were her prey. You never believed much in the tale of the Huntress, nor legends at all, but seeing this woman in front of you…

“Hungry?” She asked while tilting her head, akin to a curious dog. You swallowed hard, trying not to shake from fear.

“No… Thank… You…” The words were forced out through gritted teeth. The large woman tilted her head again and before you knew it, reached her hand out and touched your forehead. Perhaps your body was still heating up as your body practically begged to be touched more as the stranger’s body heat was so comforting, so warm…

Perhaps you would’ve if you weren’t absolutely terrified over possibly being in the home of the Huntress.

You could see her lips curve into a frown. “Must eat, come,” she rumbled in a disturbing gentle tone but you remained frozen. Likely out of fear but the stranger did not seem to take it that way and her expression turned into one of minor annoyance and… Concern?

“Come,” she growled insistently and her hand suddenly tightened around your wrist. You could feel how rough it was, so rough yet oddly comforting…

You decided to follow after the woman, mainly because you didn’t have much of a choice with her tight grip and also you didn’t dare risk angering her. You were quite hungry as well, having only a few meals in the time you’d been traveling. You traveled through the darkness, one room into another, before eventually you seemed to reach her kitchen which had a lamp on a table, lighting the room up a bit. You involuntarily began shaking, watching the large brute release her grip and headed towards a large stove, a bot already inside boiling with the light embers underneath it.

She seemed to examine it, using a large wooden spoon to stir it around. You just stood nervously, looking around for the nearest exit. Window there over the table but the beast of a woman would catch you. Run through the darkness? Perhaps but seeing her eyes, you had a sinister feeling that she could see through the dark with ease, the way she maneuvered through such ill lighting with complete ease. You would just pray and hope for a merciful death, a quick broken neck before you were cooked and eaten. But all the while you were stressing and fretting over what to do next, the stranger had poured out two bowls of soup and placed them onto the table that was across the window.

“Eat,” she instructed softly, breaking you out of your thoughts.

You sat on the log stool, eyeing the soup and the small iron spoon next to it. The woman sat down with a heavy thud, looking down at you curiously as you both seemed to be waiting for the other to make the first move before digging in yourselves. A few heartbeats passed of silence and finally, the large brute spoke again. “Must eat, good for body,” she grunted and pointed at your bowl of soup then at yourself.

She speaks perfect Russian yet her grammar is so peculiar. You noticed how oddly she spoke, wondering what the reason for that was. Had she lived so long in the woods she lost some of her mother’s tongue?

“Eat!”

You flinched as her fist banged on the table with enough force to shake both bowls and the contents inside, the silverware rattling as well. You shakily grabbed the metal spoon and scooped up some of the soup. It only had meat inside, expected due to the rather brutal winter and it tasted essentially like meat and boiled water but you were in no position to complain and you were hungry enough to start shoveling it in your mouth quite greedily. The stranger watched with her predator-like eyes, seemingly pleased before eating her share somehow even more messily than you.

It was honestly like watching a wild animal eat, slurping and swallowing the meat chunks without chewing. Maybe it should’ve been terrifying to see such savagery but… It was endearing in a peculiar way. You watched with delirious amusement the other tip the bowl into her mouth, finishing off all the broth. It just made the terrifying brute of a woman so less scary to see her with broth dripping down her chin. She took notice of your staring and stared back, her amber eyes surveying you.

“More?” She questioned and you gave a small shake of your head but as terrifying as it was to look into those eyes, you couldn’t force yourself to look away. They reminded you of an eagle, or some sort of bird of prey, eyeing their prey and simply waiting for the right moment to strike…

“I think I’m okay to leave now, I thank you again for your hospitality,” you said once you managed to finally break away from the intense gaze, beginning to stand up but felt a familiar tight grasp around your wrist.

“Must rest, it’s nightfall now,” she spoke with a curt nod towards the window. It was night, meaning it was dangerously cold out most likely and you had no time to start up a small fire… Perhaps staying til morning wouldn’t hurt anyone. Besides, your mind was in shock as silly tales like the Huntress weren’t real after all. This was just some kind stranger who lived alone in the forest, nothing unusual or suspicious if you didn’t account for her almost inhuman height and build.

You sighed, not wanting to fall into those worrisome thoughts and figured it would be good to try and relax in some actual shelter.

“Thank you… I never got your name?” You spoke quizzically and the large woman looked up at you.

“Anna, you?”

“(Y/n),” you responded with a small smile and felt a bit of relief once Anna released her grip.

“Follow me.” And so you did, not even squeaking out any form of a protest as you became lost in thought partially. Anna… A beautiful name, one I wouldn’t picture her having but… It suits her oddly.

You mentally thanked Anna for grabbing a lamp as you otherwise would’ve probably tripped over something. The wood underneath both your weights creaked softly, the home being eerily quiet as you could practically hear your own heart beat as Anna led you into a hallway. You walked to the last door on the left, watching Anna gently open it with her bear like hands. It would’ve made you chuckle if it wasn’t so intimidating being in the other person's presence. Anna placed the lamp onto a small hook that was near the doorway, lighting the room dimly. A bedroom, a shockingly cozy one at that. Large bed, soft hand knitted blankets alongside ones crafted from animal pelts, a wooden chest at the end of it, and a small bookshelf.

Much queer indeed, her grammar is so off yet she pronounces everything perfectly.

That was something you picked up on right away, how Anna spoke with perfect pronunciation but struggled in proper grammar and phrasing. Yet she had many books, a rare thing for women to even have, most only permitted to be purchased by men. So why would Anna have books if she was so illiterate?

“Sleep,” the strong woman broke your thoughts by gently nudging you towards the large bed that was covered in blankets.

“Thank you again, I wish I could repay you…”

“No, perfect to help such a little one in need,” Anna assured and you offered a faint smile. Perhaps you shouldn’t be afraid. What had Anna done? She’d fed you, nursed you, and now offered you a comfortable bed to rest in. Sure she was intimidating but that was no cause to be concerned, right? She was simply a gentle and kind giant, like the more lighthearted tales you were told.

You kicked off the leather boots, placed them to the side and began to shovel off the many layers of clothes. They were placed in a neat pile and eventually left you only in a white tunic and thick trousers.

While you undressed yourself, Anna had done the same thing and removed any unnecessary clothes such as her pelt or suspenders and eventually, her wooden mask and veil.

“You have such a graceful face,” the words were out of your mouth before you could even think about what you were about to say but praise be to god that Anna smiled in return. Her face was quite beautiful, seemingly untouched by her harsh and solitary life. Elegant, long eyebrows that complimented her oval and widely shaped eyes. Anna’s lips looked painfully soft and were so pale that it was difficult to see any form of color but in better lighting, they were a grayish pink. She was a brunette and had very short hair, admittedly not well groomed as it looked like it was cut by her own hands, but still beautiful nonetheless and matched her well.

You would’ve continued staring longer if those intense amber daggers weren’t staring back.

“Must rest, sleep will help heal,” she spoke in a firm tone you felt was familiar to a mother’s.

Speak of the devil, perhaps the sight of a comforting bed triggered it but weariness was slowly setting in. Your bones ached, your body was exhausted, you did need sleep. You trudged to the bed and nearly collapsed into it, using the last bit of your willpower to pull the layers of blankets over yourself before closing your eyes. But before sleep took its reins, you nearly bounced in the air as something quite heavy dropped onto the bed and you turned around surprised to see Anna laying down in a tattered tank top with the light from the lantern only highlighting her dangerous muscles.

Wait, is she sleeping with me…?

You felt an odd sensation of warmth through your entire body as the other moved the blankets over herself, shifting a bit to get comfortable which wiggled the whole bed. “Night little one, rest now,” Anna gently cooed through closed eyes, seeming to have no issue falling asleep with a stranger. Perhaps if you weren’t so tired, you would object and sleep on the floor or some other option but the exhaustion was hitting you hard and despite your sheepishness at first, it was enough to sink you into a deep deep sleep.

Chapter Text

Sleep didn’t last long enough, despite having slept for nine hours straight, you still felt quite drowsy as your eyes begrudgingly began to open. The sunlight felt harsh and your head rang before you adjusted to the bright light and you glanced around. Well, it wasn't a dream. Anna is already awake though. The large woman was nowhere to be found and you were perhaps a bit relieved to be alone in the bed. You yawned, sitting up and rubbing your temples.

“Sleep well?”

You jumped, not even noticing the other slowly lumber into the room somehow. Anna was wearing a cat mask and similarly to the hare one, had a dark veil attached to it which hid some of her dark hair. You bit your tongue, deciding not to question the childish wooden mask but instead greet her politely.

“Wonderfully,” you yawned in response honestly. Anna nodded, seeming pleased with the answer and motioned for you to follow her.

You gently threw the blankets to the side and stood up, following after Anna as you two walked through her small house. Now that it wasn’t pitch black, you could actually see the small details and how beautifully crafted the cabin was. Animal antlers displayed proudly, small paintings here and there, even a self portrait of another elderly looking woman that was displayed in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by smaller and messier portraits of… Children? But before you could make any comment you were pulled into the kitchen once again.

“Breakfast is late but still needed,” Anna chided and on the table that you two had dined on last night was two plates filled with sliced and cooked meat, cooked egg yolk, and two cups filled with water. The smell made you drool and you would throw no fit over accepting such a filling and delicious meal.

“Thank you again, Anna,” you grinned and quickly sat on a wooden stool, Anna following and doing the same.

You cut the meat and quickly shoveled in a mouthful of the greasy slab. Little seasoning, only a minimal amount of salt from seawater most likely it seemed, but by god was it delicious. You wondered what animal it had been harvested from, the taste not ringing any bells. Didn’t taste like beef or pork, but whatever it was you’d have to remember to ask Anna so you could perhaps attempt to prepare it yourself one day. The eggs were fluffy and warm in your mouth, it wouldn’t be far fetched to imagine you were eating a cloud. “I will never be able to repay such generosity, may god bless you for such kindness,” you spoke softly once the two of you had finished eating.

Anna eyed you curiously for only a second before nodding but remained silent as she devoured her own share of food.

“I must continue on my travels now, but your kindness has saved my life and it will be remembered.” Anna stared at you again but with less curiosity and now with a more hidden emotion as she stood up silently.

“You can’t,” she spoke as if there was something obvious that you should know about.

“What?” You nervously replied, feeling that similar sense of fearfulness as the lumbering woman took a few steps closer to you.

“Your things have rotten, all gone so not wise,” Anna growled and you blinked, mentally translating her peculiar wording into something you understood.

Does she mean my supplies? They rotted?

“My supplies?” You questioned and the other woman nodded slowly. Where are all my supplies anyways? You pondered as when you woke up here before, you saw none of them and hadn’t seen anything since but Anna spoke up before you could ask that.

“I fix more things before you leave. Now stay, it's too cold for you.”

I can’t argue against that… A familiar uneasy feeling was in your gut but you decided not to give it much thought and instead smile at the other, grateful for such continued generosity.

“Are there any chores I might assist with? I feel horrible not being able to provide anything back, I insist you allow me to help you while I stay here,” you spoke politely and Anna paused, seeming to take a second to think.

“You and axes, familiar?”

You nodded.

Not exactly but you knew enough to not accidentally cut off your own thumb. “Go dress warm, I’ll take you to do chores,” she instructed before grabbing both of your empty plates and silverware.

You nodded again and headed back towards the bedroom where your outdoor clothing and gear still were. More of those drawings. On the bedroom walls were several more small sketch portraits of children, mostly young girls but they all seemed to share a common trait of looking quite skinny. Maybe it was an artist flaw but it was enough to make you feel a twinge of uneasiness looking at the portraits. You glanced away and mutely began to throw on your clothes and boots.

Once everything was set, you left the bedroom and walked back into the kitchen to see Anna staring thoughtfully out the window.

Such beautiful eyes… You took a moment to examine the other and swallow up as many details as you could. Every mask she wore seemed only to make those brightly colored eyes pop, being the first thing you would look at before you began to slowly look down at her body. However you were interrupted as the other woman turned around to face you slowly, causing your face to grow hot out of embarrassment as it was clear she knew you’d been there for some time now.

“Follow,” she ordered and despite her large statue, moved quite quickly. The two of you headed outside the cabin and you could tell this was nowhere near where you’d been when you had passed out. No landmarks that sparked any familiarity, only what seemed like miles and miles of trees surrounding the cabin. Anna led you to a giant tree stump, visibly wounded and disfigured with small nicks and cuts but provided a semi flat sturdy surface. Near the stump was an ax, visibly worn by age, and some logs of wood. You mentally prayed that Anna wouldn't request you to chop wood, not that you wouldn’t but because you already felt hot in the face at the idea of looking like a fool in front of her if you struggled to actually chop the wood.

Anna grabbed a log with complete ease, gently putting it on the stump as if it weighed nothing. She then grabbed the rusty ax and like a serpent, threw it down with shocking speed. The log was split into two. “You remove this, replace after,” Anna instructed once she looked back up at you. “Understood?”

You nodded quickly and grabbed the two halves of wood and placed them together in the start of a neat bundle. You then dug your fingers underneath a full log, grunting as you lifted it up and practically dropped it onto the stump. Anna watched you work in silent amusement but didn’t make any comment, instead swinging her ax down once again and the wood was split.

It soon became a steady process, you visibly struggled but always managed to set the log down for Anna as well as take care of the cut wood and the two of you worked in comfortable silence although there were many questions biting your tongue. Why did Anna have so many books despite her clear illiteracy? Why did she have so many portraits of young girls? Why are was she alone out here? There was one question though that no matter how much you tried to dismiss it was still on the edge of your mind.

Is Anna the rumored Huntress?

Of course, you dare not ask for fear of coming across as rude or even being laughed at for such a query but the question continued to haunt you. You did considered that perhaps the tale was based on her, it was reasonable due to her unnatural strength and height that some weary traveler might misjudge things.

“Anna…” You spoke up for the first time in a while, causing the masked woman to look at you as she got ready to swing. “How long have you lived out here?”

It wasn’t the exact question you wanted to ask but it would provide some answers. She swung down, breaking the wood before responding.

“My whole life,” she responded. You took the wood to the large bundle and brought back a new log.

“Do you ever travel anywhere?”

“No need, home is here and always provides.”

“But don’t you get lonely-”

I was wrong.

She’s going to kill me.

An ax suddenly went flying towards your head, giving you perhaps half a second to come to terms with your quick and painless demise. But a few heartbeats later, you nervously opened one eye to see that you weren’t dead, you didn’t even have a single wound.

Instead, there was a low whine from behind you and you realized that the ax was not at all intended for you but for a wolf. You shakily turned around and stared at the corpse in shock. Its eyes were blank, a telltale sign of death, but its face was mid snarl as it must’ve just begun to pounce towards you.

Anna walked towards the limp canine and with a small grunt, pulled out the bloodied ax.

“Bad winter, skinny and desperate mutt,” she murmured and you realized that the wolf was indeed quite skinny. It seems as if everyone was suffering from this winter, if a wolf was forced to actively hunt humans…

Anna has saved my life twice now. You stared at the other in admiration for a few silent seconds. I don’t know how I will ever be able to repay her…

“Thank you, Anna…” You spoke in a breathless tone, still mentally processing what had just happened. She walked up to you and bent down, matching your height a bit better but you could feel your head tilt up slightly to face her. You gulped, realizing how close you were to each other, close enough to count her dark eyelashes that surrounded those enchanted amber eyes.

“I protect who I can,” she replied and you could feel her hot breath tingle against your skin. Every nerve on your face felt like it was on fire from that alone. “Day ending soon, much was work was finished, we head inside now,” Anna’s tone turned softer and she placed a hand on your shoulder. While there wasn’t any actual skin contact due to clothing, you felt like she burned every nerve she came into contact with and the sensation made you stiffen as you mutely stared at Anna.

Why does she make me feel like this…

You realized that the masked woman was waiting for a response and you swallowed back your sheepishness and in a shaky tone, managed to get out a reply.

“Thank you.” Your breathing quickened as her hand gently shifted from your shoulder to your face, holding your cheek and now you were making skin to skin contact. Her hands were caked with callus, giving it a rougher texture but they still held an unbelievable amount of warmth as her thumb gently wiped your cheek. Every single bit of your being seemed completely stunned, you were a statue under Anna’s gentle touch. You felt too stunned to question what Anna was doing, why it made you feel like this, the only thing you knew for sure was that you wanted more. But Anna moved her hand away suddenly, causing you to nearly whine in protest but you caught yourself.

Anna stared at you for a moment before nodding at her thumb which had a bit of fresh blood on it and you realized she was cleaning it off your face. “So messy… Go clean and relax now. I take care of wolf.”

What just happened…? Your whole body still burned with emotion from that small bit of touch, craving more but of course you restrained yourself and mutely walked towards the cabin, barely registering the fact you were moving. Why… Why do I feel so… So strange?

You were still outside but you felt yourself sweat despite the cold and bitter air. Once you got inside the cabin, you quickly threw off your coat and outside gear, feeling blisteringly warm but despite shredding a few layers, you still felt just as hot. You rubbed your temples as you kicked off your boats, placing them neatly near the door to avoid bringing in any snow and causing a mess on the wooden floors. Once down to your basic clothes, you finally felt a bit cooler although your whole body still felt like it had just been on fire but in a pleasant way.

It took a while longer to get your thoughts collected and to stop thinking back to that moment of contact, now you decided to make the most out of your time alone in the cabin and investigate the books firstly. The room had remained untouched since you last were in it, all the books were neatly stacked together and almost all of them seemed to be journals, handwritten, diaries even.

You frowned curiously and pulled out a random book, this one being a journal it seemed. Admittedly, you wouldn’t have taken Anna for a journal writing type but then again, she was a complete stranger so you couldn't assume anything. You flipped the journal open to a random page towards the end and began reading.

Our journey shall be completed soon. The village has sent a delivery documenting the strange phenomenon and we are quite perturbed upon reading deeper of these incidents. A starved and rabid wolf would express more mercy than these findings. Next page includes a sketch of a missing girl from the village.

You quickly clued together that this wasn’t written by Anna, if the grammar wasn’t clue enough but whoever it was… What were they investigating and why would such professional findings be under the ownership of Anna? You flipped the page and saw a small portrait of a young child that was pressed into the book. You gently tugged and peeled it off the page, folding it neatly and placed it inside your trousers pocket.

A low creak of a door opening echoed throughout the house, alerting you that Anna was coming back in and you quickly slid the book back into place. You decided that later you would compare the portrait to all the others within Anna’s home. Could they somehow be connected? You would try to find out.

“There you are,” the deep and soothing voice called out from the doorway and you turned to see Anna standing there, smiling softly at you.

You gave a polite and thin smile back, feeling a bit nervous under her intense gaze that felt almost like lightning.

“Tired?” She questioned while walking into the room and to your horror, heading straight to the bookshelf.

“No…” You felt yourself begin to panic, how could she know? Did she spot you when you weren’t looking? Anna didn’t act suspicious though, merely dragged her fingers alongside the spines of the books. Finally she turned towards you.

“You read, yes?”

You gave a very tiny nod and she nodded back thoughtfully. “Read books if you wish.” Anna pulled out a thinner one, visibly worn and its cover and back were faded. “All but this.” It was small enough for Anna to wrap her digits around, clutching it entirely with her bear like hands and hid any information from view.

You muttered a weak thank you, pausing to drown in your relief of not being caught but a part of you wondered if Anna watched you in secret somehow. She turned and lumbered out of the room with the book in hand, leaving you alone. You eyed the books and the journal indeed wasn’t the one taken but of course, your curiosity grew on which book was taken and why. You had no idea where Anna would be taking the book, you didn’t even know the full layout of her home as you hadn’t seen all of the rooms yet but you considered later on that you would explore around, getting familiar with your surroundings wasn't exactly suspicious at least.

Once collecting your senses, you left the room and decided to go into the living area where the light crackling of a fire could be heard. Looked like your hard work was already being put to use. Near the fire was Anna, she was sitting in the wooden chair and rocking it back and forth in an almost rhythmic pattern. You didn’t have to look at her to feel the large woman stare at you.

“Come sit,” she instructed softly and you felt more hesitant to realize she was patting her lap.

“On…You?” You voiced your confusion and you could see her eyes narrowing.

“Where else?”

Being emotionally drained from the close call you decided to not point out the floor and you could tell very quickly that Anna was going to be stubborn about this. So you simply walked to her and gingerly began to sit down, quite awkwardly and nervously almost as if Anna were a cactus but eventually you begrudgingly sat down and your eyes widened.

By god was she warm, if it weren’t for your nerves you would ask for the other to wrap her arms around you so you could be surrounded by her body heat. It felt more comforting than the fire did. You stiffened at first when you felt the sensation of her fingers gently going through your hair due to being caught off guard by the motion felt so calming as she basically began to pet you. You felt time slow, the world seemed to become still all except you and Anna. A soft and hauntingly familiar hum started up and you could feel your whole body become water under her touch. Everything felt so calm, so comfortable, so perfect. You couldn’t describe it but your whole body seemed to fall under a spell almost, your nerves and stress about everything seemed to vanish with each note she sang. For half a second, you dared wonder if something about this sensation…

Might this dare relate to love?

But even in your lucid state you quickly brushed that nonsense off and simply allowed your body to relax under her care and support. If you weren’t in such a trance, you might’ve asked what song she was humming as something about it was so familiar…

“You poor and pretty little thing…” Her cooing broke the sirens song but wasn’t an unwelcome interruption as her voice still retained that soft and calming ability. “Such harsh season you go through…”

You nodded hazily in response as you felt too weak to speak properly. If you could speak though, you would simply agree with quite whatever Anna said.

“I try to protect,” she sighed and you rose and fell with the movement of her chest. “But I only do so much.”

You felt her hand slowly move from your hair to your cheek, gently gliding across your skin. You felt her rough fingertips go from your cheek and slowly dragged down to your jawline.

Please touch me more…

Your mind paused, as if you had to verify for yourself you just had those thoughts. You shot up and stood up as if you’d been shocked, all peacefulness that had previously been built quickly crumbled down and pure shock and horror replaced it instead.

“What is wrong?” Anna asked with concern and you blinked. Of course you couldn’t voice those… Thoughts but you couldn’t just pretend nothing happen.

“Oh um… I… I must begin to depart soon, do you have any form of knowledge when my supplies will be ready?” That was definitely the wrong thing to say because the concern melted away to an almost angry expression.

“Why you plan leave so soon?” She growled and stood up as well but much more slowly.

“I can’t risk the season growing worst and trapping me here until the snow melts,” you explained and your tone grew more nervous seeing the other woman's expression.

“Is that bad thing?” Anna demanded and you quickly shook your head.

“Not at all! I just don’t want to overstay my welcome…” Your voice drifted as you realized how close Anna was to you now. So close and so warm but this time, there was no comfort.

“Stay or you become easy food for skinny wolf.”

Her voice was barely audible but still held dangerous malice in those quiet words. You wanted to hope that was a genuine warning but a part of you wondered if there was a threat in those words.

“One more day wouldn’t hurt,” came the stuttered reply.

Anna didn’t respond back but seemed content enough and sat back down into her chair with a thud and stared at the fire, signaling she was finished with the conversation.

Emotions swirled around in your head, all negative but for strongly different reasons. Fear over the subtle threat Anna gave you, worry over when you’ll be able to leave, and… You couldn’t even begin to describe the last emotion, all you knew was it was caused by your sudden and peculiar thoughts over that tender moment turned sour. You needed to clear your mind. Anna seemed disinterested in talking to you so you decided to head back into the bedroom and look through more of those books.

Chapter Text

Despite the silent treatment, your back burned as you knew if you turned around right then you’d catch the other woman watching you but despite that you kept walking forward. You wouldn’t dare test her anger, not after seeing how effortlessly she killed a wolf. You just tried to focus on the low creaks that the wood groaned with each step you took and quickly get out of her range of view. But even when you felt free from those piercing eyes, the hallway was almost worse with the unsettling portraits. You merely walked with purpose and a few seconds later arrived back into the bedroom.

The door whined as it shut closed behind you but you didn’t hesitate to head directly towards the bookshelf. You doubted you’d somehow be able to guess what book was taken by process of elimination, not even remembering most of the titles but now that you felt like you had a blanket of privacy, you took time to eye through the titles.

Three fourths were a mixture of journals, documentation, or diaries as you previously noted but once looking closer there were a few children's books. Baba Yaga, Father Frost, Vasilisa the Beautiful… All of them being fairy tales. They were ones that you could recall being told long ago.Obviously, Anna had no children of her own so you assumed perhaps these belonged to her own mother as they seemed quite worn by age and being used. You would examine those later if you ever got the chance but instead the journals took your interest.

The one from earlier was pulled out and opened. You flipped over to where the sketch was and the small paragraph written on the next page.

No souls in this town whisper of the beast behind everything. Not even for meat the amount of an elk nor money the weight of a bear. Perhaps in fear of whispering the name and summoning it but it makes our task all the more difficult. But the facts we have are clear. A creature sent from Satan himself is harassing this town and has committed a crime more damned than murder. This is pure slaughter.

You felt your bones chill once you finished reading. It didn’t provide many answers, only more questions as a small part of you felt wary wondering how and why Anna had this. You had checked for any date but found none. You tried to calm yourself with the reminder that that meant this could be from quite literally years ago. After all, it was quite worn and faded… But again there was a gut feeling that wasn't quite convinced yet.

You turned towards the door, checking for any peering eyes but continued once seeing there was no one. You placed the book on the bed for later viewing and decided to skim through another one that would perhaps hold more secrets. The children's book caught your interest earlier and you pulled out one at random, it ending up being the tale of Father Frost. You flipped open to the middle of it. You remembered the story quite well and began to read.

…Deserted by her father, the poor girl sat down under a fir-tree at the edge of the forest and began to weep silently. Suddenly she heard a faint sound: it was King Frost springing from tree to tree, and cracking his fingers as he went. At length he reached the fir-tree beneath which she was sitting, and with a crisp crackling sound he alighted beside her, and looked at her lovely face.

'Well, maiden,' he snapped out, 'do you know who I am? I am King Frost, king of the red-noses.'

'All hail to you, great King!' answered the girl, in a gentle, trembling voice.

'Have you come to take me?' 'Are you warm, maiden?' he replied.

'Quite warm, King Frost,' she answered, though she shivered as she spoke.

Then King Frost stooped down, and bent over the girl, and the crackling sound grew louder, and the air seemed to be full of knives and darts; and again he asked:

“Maiden, are you warm? Are you warm beautiful girl?”

If you had been a cat you would’ve jumped into the ceiling, startled by the calm voice that came from behind you. Later on you would wonder how in blazing hell could someone like Anna sneak up on you. You swore you heard no noise and wondered if she was part feline with such shocking stealth. You met her gaze and there was a brief pause of silence, neither side speaking and instead staring at each other with mixed emotion.

“Quite warm, King Frost…” One could almost second guess whether or not they heard you speak as you spoke so quietly, so delicately, like the slightest raise in your tone could shatter glass.

“Maiden, are you still warm? Are you still warm, little love?” Warmth surrounded your hand that was along the book spine, a familiar yet comforting roughness coming from Anna’s hand as it gently laid on top of your own. You couldn’t even decide whether or not terror was driving you or something else, all you could do was play the part. That’s what you told yourself after all, you dare not let yourself believe that you could somehow be enjoying this.

“Still warm, O King…” After you finished speaking, there was another pause of silence as that had been the last line between the young girl and King Frost before the young girl had been rewarded with furs, gold, and riches. Before he would kill the young girl's cruel step- sister.

“You know tale?” She quietly questioned and you nodded automatically. You remember hearing it being read to you while you were protected by a cocoon of blankets, sleep slowly eating at you as you would force yourself awake to hear the satisfying conclusion. “Ending always made so sad, so unfair.”

You couldn’t help but be a bit surprised and watched with curiosity as Anna sat down at the end of the bed. “Why is that?” You questioned.

“Unfair that second daughter pay for her mother’s crime of cruelty. Too young to know better,” Anna shrugged. I… Never thought of it like that before.

You would always smile with glee that the evil step-mother got what she deserved, a frozen statue of her equally cruel daughter while the first sister came home covered in gold and riches. The karma seemed fairly given, after all the step-mother had sent the first daughter to be murdered only fair that the same treatment be given to her own. But Anna wasn’t wrong.

“I am sorry for behavior, so lonely here so new faces bring much joy…” You realized she had pulled off her mask, revealing her beautiful face in all of its glory. You took your time studying her, realizing that these moments of her head being naked were rare. If you had more bravery you would reach out and feel those lips, you could only imagine how truly soft they would feel against your fingertips. A small part of you questioned such ludicrous thoughts but you decided you linger on all of that later.

“It’s okay,” you murmured. Despite the conditions back home, you were never void of social interactions. Even if someone was starving, they always had hearts full of friendly neighbors and villagers. Poor Anna, it couldn’t harm to stay awhile then at least.

You would have to go before the season was finished but leaving so soon seemed cruel to Anna. “I truly don’t mind staying, I just worry of overstaying my welcome and taking advantage of all of the hospitality that you have given me.” Anna smiled wearily at that, seeming relieved but there was an odd glint in her eyes.

“You do me favor by being around, no need for such worries,” she assured gently and stood up and spoke up again before you could reply. “Making tea, care for some?”

“Of course, Anna. Thank you.”

You blinked as the larger woman walked a foot closer and patted your head. An odd but touching motion that quickly made you smile at the sign of affection. A peculiar woman indeed but someone with a heart of gold. You sat down on the bed, watching Anna leave the room and glanced at the window. The sun was lower than some of the trees in the sky, a sign of dusk coming soon. You wondered when dinner would be as you could feel the small nips of hunger in your stomach. Perhaps you would request for a snack when she came back but you smiled faintly hearing her familiar hum as she prepared the tea.

Such a beautiful and carrying voice, you closed your eyes to listen to the haunting song and relaxed as you wait. But something suddenly felt off. You couldn’t place it until…

Wait… Where is the journal?!

You realized its absence once you placed the other book down and felt your stomach churn. Did Anna take it? You didn’t even notice her do so and you swore you didn’t see her holding it but where else could it be? You laid flat onto the ground, looking under the bed as you prayed that it may have simply slipped but you looked in vain. You couldn’t help but feel a familiar sense of panic as you wondered why she would take it? There was only one clear reason that terrified you. There was something in it that Anna didn’t want you to see.

“Tea done.” Speak of the devil.

You stood up quickly as you heard the door whine loudly from being swung open and you gave a polite but visibly nervous smile. “Thank you…” You took the small glass cup that she extended to you. The liquid was light brown and steaming hot, tea leaves adding plenty of flavor. Anna gave a small nod, waiting for you to have the first sip and you did to not arouse any suspicion as your panicked expression probably already did that.

Similar to most of what you’ve been given, the tea tasted wonderfully and wasn’t even particularly bitter. The boiled water stung at first but your mouth quickly adjusted to the hot temperature and you took another good gulp before speaking.

“It tastes amazing.” You weren’t lying but despite the genuine compliment Anna frowned. You quickly asked “What's wrong?” but you realized what as it didn't take long to figure it out.

The cup fell from your hand and you wondered if it shattered, you couldn’t even hear it. A strange tight numbness was spreading across your body, starting in your throat, as if you were being wrapped up in gauze. You stumbled around, the control over your legs leaving quickly but you managed to get yourself to collapse onto the soft bed. A similar darkness was surrounding your mind, making it harder and harder to remain conscious but you used whatever strength you had left to stare up at Anna. Her lips moved but you heard no words… Was she wearing the mask again? She was becoming blurry it was hard to tell what she was even doing... You could feel your thoughts become more and more sluggish and tiring but despite your drugged state you knew what had happened. You wanted to scream but all you could do was move your eyes and even that simple movement felt so strain.

“Rest little (Y/n), you’ll be safe.” With those calming words your eyelids finally shut, enclosing you in darkness as you feel unconscious.

* * * * *

Waking up after passing out was becoming a common occurrence with you, a common occurrence that you were really beginning to despise. At least now your surroundings were similar as you woke up in Anna’s bed, covered and protected by a blanket. However, despite the warmth it provided, you felt a sinister chill run up your spine as you realized quickly that there was something forcing you completely still. Literally, you could only blink, breathe, and move your eyes around but any other movement as hard as you tried was simply impossible as the same numbness was spread across your body. You would later learn that this temporary paralysis was caused by a plant that had been grounded into your tea.

“(Y/n), are you awake?”

You couldn’t reply even if you wanted to.

“Too strong. Easy to get dosage for little ones, hard to get with you, I am sorry.” Anna sounded disappointed but you only felt mortified. You had no idea where Anna was, the room was pitch black now. What time was it? How long had you been unconscious? You felt sick wondering what had happened while you were knocked out. “You move again soon, this is not forever,” she seemed to be trying to comfort you but you only felt cold at her words.

You looked around and to the left of you, scarily close, were two animal eyes that stared back. They were the shade of autumn leaves, a warm orange but there wasn’t any warmth here.You saw the gaze of a seasoned predator who knew that their prey was up to the mercy of them now, a predator that knew they were in control.

You stared back, wondering if Anna could somehow see you but a small part of you dared to stare back either way despite how intimidated and horrified you were. That only earned you a damned chuckle. “Fierce spirit,” she murmured, “I love it.”

The eyes moved even closer and you felt pressure on your head. You assumed it might be her hand but again, your body was numb so it was near impossible to identify what it was. She could probably swing an ax into you and you wouldn't be able to tell. You saw the glowing eyes vanish as Anna turned away and suddenly the room became lit by the light of a lantern on a hook. There stood Anna right next to it who glanced back at you. Her clothing was... Different. She dressed much warmer, as if she had recently been out but had no mask on and whatever work she had been recently doing caused quite a mess. Anna's face seemed to be cover in some stain but with the combination of still being poisoned and the dimly lit room, you couldn't decipher what it was.

“Hope light is better,” she sat down at the end of the bed, near your feet and extended her hand to reveal something dark in her palm. Dark orbs, they almost looked like rabbit droppings but a sweet scent wafted up to your nose and you felt even more horror.

Deadly Nightshade.

You witnessed youngsters falling victim to the plant's deadly juices, even adults had to be wary of consuming the tasty looking berries on accident on a hunger day. It didn't take much, you knew of some individuals who'd even devoured a stone worth of berries in attempt of concluding their lives if they had too much debt or were already close to their final hours. Quick but you knew it must be painful as they'd twitch and foam at the mouth as their bodies rapidly shut down. It was a vile way to end.

“So careful not to do too much, too much would be very bad…”

Like this isn’t very bad you inwardly retorted.

“I am sorry for rash action but time was running little, I could not risk you leaving too soon. I did all to help you you must know, I know now what must I do for you." The berries were put away and into a pocket. "Before I made many mistakes but no more again. Please (Y/n) understand you will be safe.”

Each word was spoken with genuine warmth, genuine care, genuine love. You loathed at how much your brain seemed to fall victim to Anna’s tenderness, wanting to believe that although deeply misguided, she meant well so shouldn't you forgive her.

But another part internally kept yelling at yourself that she had poisoned you. What type of person did that? And what did she mean before she made many mistakes?

But then again listen to how heartbroken she sounded! Anna cares about you…

Does someone who cares for you poison them?

“(Y/n)?” You realized your eyes must’ve reflected that you zoned out and Anna smiled once you looked at her.

“Perhaps leave you to sleep will be good… I will be near, have no worry.” The bed groaned softly as she stood up and gave you one last sad smile before unhooking the lantern and exiting the room, leaving you in darkness once again.

Chapter Text

You were ashamed to admit that you did eventually fall back asleep. You blamed it on the poisonous mixture in your tea as it felt like your mind was going a mile a minute before you suddenly blacked out. But fortunately by the time you woke up, most of the side effects were gone. You could move, you weren’t numb, the only remnant was a very slight tingling sensation in your body but wasn’t anything to complain about.

Sunlight spilled into the room from the partially open door so you could finally look around the room. No Anna in sight. Did she underestimate the effects of the plant? You weren’t planning on staying long enough to find out and stood up, making your movement as quiet as possible.

You gingerly took small steps toward the door, praying and begging for the floor to not creak under your weight when you realized that you weren’t going anywhere. At first you were startled by a sudden choking sensation around your throat but instead of finding someone holding you still, you felt some wiry material tied tightly around your neck. Your stomach filled with dread as any hopes of sneakily running away were quickly cut short. You followed the line of wire, your heart dropping as it was clear that your only method of getting yourself free would be somehow cutting it as it was tied to a high up wooden plank that stretched across the entire room, being part of the building foundation and you felt even more disappointment at how far out of reach it was for you. Perhaps if a ladder were to magically appear, you may somehow reach it but otherwise you would have to focus on cutting the wire leash.

But as you looked closer, you noticed something somehow even more disturbing. The wood had marks in it, marks around where the wire was tied around, marks that you couldn’t have caused. It was such a small detail, something that earlier you might’ve chalked up to being the fault of the builder, but not now. You knew what those marks meant. You weren’t the first to be trapped here. You wanted to somehow pretend this may be a giant misunderstanding, not give into the fears that had been eating you up secretly the moment you arrived here, but at some point you knew you had to accept the facts.

The Huntress is real… And I am at her mercy. You shakily sat on the bed, trying to think of what to do. You couldn’t get an arms length away from the bed without the wire beginning to choke you and there wasn’t anything useful within reach. You wanted to just scream at the helplessness of your situation but you dare not make a sound in case Anna was near.

You gripped the wire and tugged it, figuring you might as well try but as expected it didn’t go well. You pulled and pulled until your hands grew white and your palms burned and had a red mark from the leash.

“I cannot even break it, don’t hurt yourself.” You didn’t turn around, you didn’t even move, you felt your body completely lock in place out of pure terror. You could just barely hear the quiet steps, the sound of Anna’s boots just barely scraping against the wooden floor and you could decipher that she was moving closer behind you. “I will protect you, little one.”

You resisted shivering, feeling her breath tickle along your neck. You absolutely despised yourself for the strange thoughts that suddenly popped into your mind and quickly shook them away as you finally moved to face Anna. She wore a thick coat with gloves, her pants and boots absolutely covered and snow so she must’ve been outside very recently. She wore a white mask that resembled a wolf with beautiful red patterns that were painted on it but the mask seemed stained by something dark. Something that you tried not to think was blood. It hid her face better, being bigger overall alongside the large snout but you could see those horrifyingly beautiful eyes stare at you.

“Why?” Your voice croaked as you probably hadn’t even used it for quite some time now.

“Why what?” The wolf headed woman questioned, tilting her head like a curious canine.

“Why don’t you just kill me? Some teasing me with these false promises, I beg of you Huntress please show mercy and make whatever it is you plan to do quick and I will give no fight.” Not all words were true, you would certainly try to book it if you somehow got the chance but you were sick of these mind games Anna played. But to your dread, your words seemed to only enrage the Huntress. Before you could really register what happened, a quick but powerful push shoved you onto the bed and you couldn’t sit up as Anna positioned herself on top of you, one hand dangerously pressed against your throat while the other pressed roughly into your wrist.

“I do no such things! All are lies, If I wanted to kill then you be killed already,” she snarled while glaring down at you. All her warmth and gentleness left quite quickly. You flinched at each word practically, not even trying not to shake anymore as you near expected to be slain right there and then. “Behave little one, I am much patient but we all have limits.”

You gave a tiny nod at the clear threat and felt relieved as Anna’s hand moved away from your neck, allowing you to breathe more comfortably and without the constant worry of being suddenly choked. But you still felt a strong sense of terror as she remained on top of you, holding you in pace. You swallowed back thick saliva, trying to think of something to do but physically you were under her control. If you fought back, wiggled or squirmed(like you even could with Anna on top of you), she could kill you right there and then for testing her patience. So you didn’t, you remained quiet, still, you wanted to turn into a statue as in you could clearly see Anna staring at you in your peripheral vision.

But you couldn’t look back, wouldn’t look back…

Her eyes are the color of topaz.

As the two of you looked into each other's gaze, the room grew deathly silent. Neither of you breathed for the risk of even the most quiet breath ruining this moment. You could practically hear the soft scratching noise of some mouse scurrying away. Anna’s hand moved back towards your neck but this time moved up, her fingers cupping your jawline now. The touch was like frostbite against your skin. The fiery gaze softened although still held onto its intensity. Instead of eyeing you like prey, curiosity replaced that hunger.

You felt cold wood press into your cheek as Anna leaned in closer, her wooden mask forcing minimal space between you two. You genuinely couldn’t even tell if you were thankful or not for that anymore, you couldn’t tell what the hell you even wanted. One minute you felt sick and terrified, the other you felt a dangerous sense of safety, and then another small part of you…

She means well, doesn’t she?

You felt outraged to even think that but you didn’t have time to feel ashamed as Anna stole your attention once again.

“I will never hurt you.” You couldn’t lie that for a second, the shortest second, a small part of yourself believed her. You believed that the Huntress would keep you safe as she had been doing, that she did have her heart in the right place, that this erratic behavior was simply a result of her isolated life. But you remembered quite quickly that this woman killed countless men and devoured countless children and it became easy to remind yourself to never fall for her lullaby and promises, never fall for her sweet words no matter what. Even if you wanted to.

The two of you remained locked in place once again but this time it was cut short as Anna must’ve grown impatient. She frowned softly at you as she got up, taking all the warmth you had with her and you instantly felt a degree closer without her body heat to provide a sickening sense of comfort. But with her observant eyes she noticed you shivering and sighed.

“Want fire?” You took a second to realize you had to reply as your mind was absolutely scrambled from whatever just happened and gave a tiny nod. Fire would be good… You blinked, a sense of urgency now snapping you back into reality as you realized that this could be your chance to escape. Fire would melt the wire, couldn’t it? All you needed was even a simple lamp or candle, just a small flame and you’d be able to melt it or at the very least thin it out enough that brute strength could break it. A very small spark of hope ignited in your chest and you prayed to god that it didn’t show. Anna’s gaze lingered on you for a second, her expression unreadable, but eventually she walked away and left you alone in the room.

You had to remain focused, you couldn’t let your excitement show, you couldn't get distracted… You had to remain focused. You paced around the room a little bit, as far as the wire leash would permit, as you waited anxiously for Anna to return as time grew longer and longer without her in sight. 

And longer.

And even longer.

You felt sick, wondering perhaps if it was some twisted way of her messing with you and wasn’t going to even return. It would be cruel, perfect for someone like her to do but that small spark of hope you had immediately began to burn into a large flame as the door swung open.

But it wasn’t Anna.

“Help me!” It was a man maybe in middle years, old but wasn’t weak. He wore winter gear that seemed to have been white and brown but was covered in red splatters. As your eyes examined him you realized where the red came from. His left hand was missing. What replaced it was a disturbingly flat stub, blood practically pouring out of it and when he angled it just right, bone was just barely visible.

You took a step back, absolutely shocked to see another human and one in his condition. But before you could even collect yourself to try and do something for him, there was a quiet swishing noise and you screamed.

Going through his back and sticking out of his chest was an ax. Blood stained the surrounding clothing quickly and began to drip onto the floor as if the wound was a tap and the blood was water. The man’s face seemed frozen as he was killed too quickly to even react to the pain and you could count exactly three seconds before he collapsed onto the ground, right into a puddle of his own blood. Behind where the man used to stand was her.

The Huntress, a beastly woman who devoured children and killed men with absolutely no mercy, a demon sent from the darkest pits of hell, a monster who’d destroy whole villages. The wolf mask was more red than white, most of her body was covered in the sticky liquid of the man she’d just murdered. One hand was empty while the other clutched an ax, ready to throw just in case her first shot didn’t kill him. Her eyes had no warmness, no tenderness, her gaze was now sharp and hungry. And now she was looking at you.

You felt the wall against you as you backed up out of terror, watching Anna lick her stained lips clean of blood and walk forward to pull the bloodied ax out of the strangers torso. The sounds of her boots stepping in and out of the pool of blood was sickening. As she got closer, the smell of blood was stronger and impacted you enough that you could feel yourself gagging.

“Did he harm you?” You wanted to scream enough with these mind games, enough with playing with me, just kill me but you gathered every bit of courage you had to squeak back some sort of pitiful and coherent response to the murderous beast. You knew she always expected a response.

“Fi-fi-fine.” You could play along too. Anna’s breath smelled horrid which wasn’t something you would care about if it was any other human being. You didn’t want to think about why it suddenly held a salty and rancid scent, you refused to think about it because the more you would think about it, the more you would think about what you’d been eating since you got here. You tried to focus on something, anything, to not throw up but all you could see was a gory mess, all you could smell was vile, all you could hear was the disgusting wet noises of blood continuing to gently drip out of the corpse, and all you could think about was the fact you may have very well eaten human meat-

That was the tipping point, your knees grew weak and you felt bile rise out of your stomach and onto the wooden floor. You hacked, coughed, teared up as everything that was in your stomach left promptly. That only added to the already disgusting mess and you forced your eyes close. You could maybe tolerate the smell but if you saw what was in front of you… Just thinking about it made you gag.

“I know not pretty… Shh… It’s okay…” You felt something warm wrap around you, obviously Anna, as she tried to comfort you. Her arm was wrapped around your waist and you could feel her body against your own as her other hand gently over and along your hair. You should’ve refused or fought back, that was what you wanted to do, but at some point a human being needed comfort no matter who it came from. That didn’t mean you let yourself get comfortable but you didn’t struggle away. You didn’t know how long the two of you stayed like that, at some point you must’ve begun to cry as you felt something wet drip down your cheek. You prayed it was tears at least. But you felt ashamed, realizing how much you were leaning into Anna and felt your body want to lean into her. She felt so warm and cozy and each time you tried to shift away, your body felt chillier.

Besides after not eating for some time and having puked whatever was left, you were weak so it was the smart thing to do after all…

“Don’t run, little mouse.” You wondered why Anna said that before you heard a small snapping sound and you opened your eyes finally to see that the wire leash was cut.

Now was your chance. You could make it, you would slam the door in Anna’s face to perhaps stun her for a split second and then just run as far as your legs would take you. This was the chance you had been waiting for, all you had to do was run.

But you didn’t.

So pathetic.

“Follow me.” And you did.

You were extremely cautious when exiting the room, doing so quickly just so you wouldn’t see the mess. Your skin burned with shame as you continued to follow behind Anna. You shouldn’t listen to her, you knew that but yet you could feel yourself continue walking. Eventually you were led to the living area and there was a fresh fire. It already began to warm you up although you still felt cold from the scene you’d just witnessed. You were about to sit on the ground near it but felt something tug at your neck. The wire. You turned to see Anna tying the wiry leash onto a similar spot, a wooden blank built into the frame of the ceiling that was far out of your reach.

“Must keep you safe,” she rumbled once catching your gaze. It provided less leniency before but gave enough distance so you could sit in one of the chairs. You didn’t protest or even respond, you just mutely sat down on the nearest chair.

I’ll think of an escape plan soon… That same phrase continuously ran through your head, an excuse for your behavior towards Anna that put you slightly at ease although you were absolutely sickened still. Seeing that man murdered without even a second of hesitation… You swallowed hard and just tried to focus on the movement of the flames to avoid throwing up again.

“Hungry?” No, you weren’t. You gave a small shake of your head with visibly disappointed Anna but she seemed merciful enough to not force you to eat anything. The Huntress turned and you watched her go towards the room, presumably to take the body and dispose of it. You mindlessly fiddled with the wire leash, twirling it around your finger and squeezing yourself until your finger went pale. You repeated that with each finger on your left hand, watching the tip grow whiter and whiter. Anything to avoid the smell of a dead body and vomit that wafted by as Anna walked passed you with it slung over her shoulder.

She went outside with it, maybe that was a sign Anna was really going to dispose of it but some gut feeling wouldn’t let you believe that. I should be escaping now. You were alone, you would be able to sneak out, it was such a perfect opportunity but you were mentally too exhausted to even consider it.

Tomorrow… Tomorrow I’ll escape.

But that wouldn’t be the last time you told yourself that.