Hilmert Forest

"Where to?" Joanna asked, pulling Audrey to a corner so her employer or the customers won't complain.

"Didn't I mention some days ago that I am gonna find my master after the completion of our last exam?" 

"Of course not," Joanna remarked with a frown.

"I guess I forgot to do that since you are always running away for the past few days," Audrey said leaning against the glass walls. She went ahead and narrated everything to Joanna.

"You want to go to Hilmert Forest to search for your master? Are you crazy? IAreAuntie and uncle aware of these crazy plans of yours…,"

"Keep your voice down and stop acting as though I said I wanna commit suicide….,"

"What is the difference between suicide and going to a dreaded place like the Hilmert forest?"

"Don't you know that place is a place solely for werewolves and that vampires are not welcomed there?" Joanna asked.

Although the peace treaty was signed after the great war, they were still vampires and werewolves that were against the treaty.

They were so against the peace treaty that the elders and the high ranking humans at that time had no choice but to give in to what they wanted.

Those werewolves that were against the peace treaty left the kingdom and went to a far place to build their homes and this place was none other than the Hillmert Forest.

Werewolves residing there are not governed by the rules of the Twipera Kingdom nor do the human rules apply to them. They are a community on their own. It is said that an Alpha presides over everyone there.

Since the establishment of their community called the Golden Core Pack in Hilmert Forest, they have never staged a battle with humans or the Twipera Kingdom and this was all because of the promise they made.

As long as the human world and Twipera Kingdom do not stage a battle against them, they will continue to remain at peace in their pack.

In this pack no humans or vampires are welcomed there. The place was solely inhabited by werewolves.

And this is why Joanna reacted the way she did when she heard her friend wanted to go to the pack to look for her master that normally trains her martial arts.

"As you know he went to visit his aging mother in the pack three months ago and until today he hasn't returned and neither has he sent a message. I am worried that something might have gone wrong…,"

"And what can you do if you go there, that is if they will not kill you for trespassing into their sacred land?" Joanna asked angrily but not even her anger will make Audrey do otherwise when she has made up her mind.

"I am lacking in my training. I need to at least know whether or not he is alive so I will know if I need to choose a new master," Audrey said grinning. Her smiles made Joanna angrier.

Joanna continued trying to talk Audrey out of what she was planning but all her attempts were futile. Audrey was still hellbent on going there despite all her words.

"Since you have decided to get yourself killed then add me to the list too. Let's die together," Joanna said sarcastically.

"Do you mean you wanna come along too…,"

"What else were you expecting?" Joanna asked, leaning on the glass wall beside where Audrey stood.

"What about your job in the cafe, your father, evil stepmother and stepsister…,"

"Because my eighteen birthday is approaching I already asked Mrs Parker for a week off and she agreed," Joanna proved Audrey's worries were unnecessary.

"And even though I was to go missing for a month I doubt whether my father will notice it so what is there to worry about?" Joanna said in a carefree manner too.

Others would have sounded emotional while saying such words but she has witnessed this all her life to waste her emotions on such things.

If she was to act emotional each time she thinks or talks about her father's lack of concern towards her then that means she would cry every day. 

She is going through a lot already and doesn't have the luxury to waste her tears on such topics.

"But…,"

"Don't forget to come and call me at home when you are ready to leave. I will be waiting for you," Joanna playfully tapped Audrey on the shoulder before resuming her work.

"Over here," a man in the red shirt called Joanna's attention.

"Coming...," Joanna hurried to take the man's order. Audrey watched as her best friend ran about the entire cafe taking and serving the customer's orders.

"Running around is a daughter of one of the most prominent ministers in the kingdom but she looks more like the daughter of a pauper. I wish she was the daughter of a pauper then she would have received lots of love from her parents," Audrey muttered, her gaze still focused on Joanna. She left after standing there for close to ten minutes.

Later that day Audrey went to Joanna's home to get her but she was surprised to see that Anthony was also coming together with them.

According to Joanna, her little brother began crying and throwing tantrums when she told him that she was gonna be away from home. 

He insisted on following her and Joanna after exhausting all her options and had no choice but to give in to what he wanted.

She hoped they would return home before Adhara and Laura return from their three days visit to Adhara's parents home.

That is the only way she would survive for taking the heir of the household to a place like the Hilmert forest.

The three of them left the house after taking some basic necessities with them.

The maids watching them started gossiping after they left.

"Where is she taking the Young Master without asking for the Master's and Madam's permission? Who the hell does she think she is to do such a thing," the maid with blonde hair and freckles on her chin said. 

"Let her enjoy her reign while it lasts because she is gonna go back to being the servant she is after madam returns," the maid with the messy brown bun said spitefully.

She stomped away like she was the one Joanna should have asked permission from.

The taxi they boarded halted when it got to the border that separates the kingdom from the Hillmert Forest. 

From there onwards they began trekking in the forest full of trees covered with snow.

There was nothing to admire about the forest since the ground up to the trees were covered in snow.

Because of the snow Joanna experienced extreme chilliness. They all had to stop walking and wait for her to put on the fur black coat she brought along with her.

They walked for almost an hour plus yet no building came at sight. They didn't even come across any living thing that showed the area was inhabited.

"Aren't we there yet?" The exhausted Anthony cried out after two hours of walking on the snow.

"When you said you were gonna come with us, I recall telling you that the journey wasn't gonna be a bed of roses but you still insisted so you are not allowed to complain ok," the panting Joanna said fiercely. Anthony had no choice but to forge ahead seeing that his comment made his elder sister angry.

Before they realised how long it had been, it was already getting dark.

"Did we perhaps miss the way?" Audrey asked leaning against the tall tree to take a break.

"The map can never be wrong," Joanna assured, looking at the brown map in her hands. "I believe we are on the right path," Joanna assured even though she was also extremely exhausted. 

Out of the three of them she believes she is the most tired.

They took a five minutes break before they resumed their journey.

They were in the region of the forest surrounded by tall trees covered in snow when Audrey heard growls from afar.

"Stop," Audrey ordered startling Joanna with the way she acted.

"What is….,"

"Ssshh…," Audrey puts her index finger on her lips as a signal for Joanna to keep quiet.

The growling became even louder as seconds ticked. As the howls drew closer, Joanna, now able to hear the sound, trembled.

Her heart pounds hard against her chest. Joanna's eyes flutter and she bites her lower lips hard to suppress her fears.

Before the three people knew it they were surrounded by werewolves from all angles leaving them with no escape route.

"What the heck is going on here?" Audrey cursed constantly turning around to avoid being attacked by the fierce looking beings.

"I told you entering their territory was like committing a suicide, do you know understand what I mean?" The terrified Joanna said, hugging her brother tightly for fear that he might get harmed.

.....

END OF MASS RELEASE!!!