Chapter 6

"Where could she be..?" Paul quietly asks himself, unsure where exactly the pair should be looking.

What does he mean? Aren't we following Matilda's path already?

The girl wears a confused look. The two of them were clearly on the right path. The grass was slightly patted down where someone had passed through. Along with that, there were plenty of snapped twigs and lots of uplifted dirt.

The girl subtlely led him, unsure if he actually didn't know or if he was just playing.

It's so obvious to her though...

"Why do I get the feeling that you're the one doing the leading here?" Paul asks, noticing that whenever he tries to move in another direction, she would steer him back down the one they had been following.

Because she is leading him!

The girl looks surprised. Maybe he wasn't joking after all.

Could he really not see the trail Matilda left?

"AHHH!!!"

A piercing scream interrupts both of their thoughts.

"Matilda!"

Paul immediately takes off running, his legs moving as fast as they can. However, his speed pales in comparison to the girls. She runs far ahead of him at a speed he could never hope to reach.

"Wait, it might be dangerous!" he shouts, but the girl continues her sprint, unconcerned.

The scream came from just up ahead! She can get to Matilda much faster than Paul, so she can save her before anything bad happens!

The trees would appear like a blur to anyone else moving as fast as the girl, but to her, they were crystal clear. She could easily make out her surroundings despite her inhuman speed, dodging any low-hanging branches and easily hopping over any obstacles on the ground.

She was far ahead of Paul now, but she could hear something just ahead, a growling noise followed by the cries of a woman.

Matilda! She must be just ahead!

The girl runs as fast as she can, a speed impossible to comprehend any normal human running, and she easily crosses over a hill, revealing Matilda and what frightened her.

Wolves, three in total. Were they hungry? Why not hunt animals then? The year was still ripe for hunting, and plenty of wildlife was around for the taking.

If not food, then what did they want with Matilda?

She didn't pause to think about it. Instead, she had already moved between Matilda and the wolves.

"A girl!?" Matilda yells with shock.

The girl ignores her entirely, her hand drawing her sword from its sheath.

"What are you doing, get back before the wolves attack!" Matilda screams.

Again, the girl ignores her. She moves on pure reflex, her body taking up a fighting position, her sword perfectly level with the wolves.

While Matilda continues to cry out to the girl to get back, the girl carefully watches the movement of the wolves.

They're cautious of her. She appeared much faster than they could follow. Should they run, or should they fight?

They bare their teeth and growl a low growl. There would be no running on their end.

Slowly, they inch forward, but the girl stands her ground. She isn't the only one who doesn't plan to run.

If she runs now, they will get Matilda. She won't let that happen. Not after everything Paul has done for her.

She'll kill them instead.

Her hand tightens around the grip of her sword as her ruby red eyes narrow, glaring pure death at the wolves.

They pause at the sight. Should they be attacking her?

Their doubt was clear to her through their movements. They are cautious now, unsure of exactly how they should proceed. They can sense the danger radiating off of the girl. Even still, they don't run.

Are they protecting something? Why else would they stand their ground despite their uncertainty? The girl didn't know.

Matilda was quiet now, recognizing that the girl was stopping the approach of the wolves. Finally, the girl could listen.

The only reason the wolves would hold their ground despite their fear would be because..!

Quiet yelps ring out from just past the wolves. They are high pitched, cute sounding. The girl sees the source of the yelps raise their heads from behind a bush a few meters back from the wolves.

They're protecting their babies!

It all makes sense now, why the wolves would attack despite the plentiful prey, why they would hold their ground despite the oppressing fear. They have something to protect.

And so does she.

No one needs to die. She just needs to back up with Matilda and leave the wolves alone.

The girl drops her murderous glare, and the wolves seem to steady, but still they hold their ground. A mutual agreement has formed between her and the wolves. They won't attack as long as the two make no sudden movements.

Slowly, the girl backs up, one step at a time.

"What are you doing?" Matilda asks, her voice barely a whisper.

The girl answers quickly. She holds her hand up behind her, shooing Matilda back, and she seems to understand, as the girl listens as she begins to back up as well.

Together, the two take slow steps back, one at a time, and still the wolves don't move. They will let them go.

Just as the pair reach the top of the hill where the girl had come from, the girl can hear Paul running up from behind them.

"Matilda, what's wrong-"

"Shh!"

Paul's quickly asks what happened, but Matilda is just as quick in shushing him. Still moving, the pair, back down from the peak of the hill, the wolves disappearing from sight.

Now they need to leave. She knows it. The wolves will not appreciate them sticking around.

Quickly, the girl grabs both Paul and Matilda's hand, pulling them back in the direction of the house. Her face was very clear in the message it wanted to relay. They need to leave.

The two don't argue, and together, they quickly start to make their way back to the house.