Raven (Book One of the Dark Lycans Series)
Chapter Twenty-One: "Just Great"

"Who's next?"

The rogues looked between each other quickly, fear filling their eyes. I shrugged.

"Very well, if no one will volunteer, then I guess I will just have to choose for you." Smirking, I put my sword back into its sheath, and grabbed the crossbow slung across my back. Without missing a single time, I shot all of the rogues in the chest, but three. I grabbed three pairs of silver handcuffs, from where they were hidden on the back of my belt.

Positioning my crossbow so it was pointed threateningly at them, I made each rogue place their arms around separate trees and handcuffed their wrists together. I grinned at their hisses of pain from the silver burning their skin.

"Don't go anywhere, because I don't really want to have to chase you." I sighed tiredly. I turned around to see the two children sitting on the ground, staring at me with scared eyes. Walking slowly, I neared them but stopped when they staggered backwards.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." The boy glared at me.

"Do you think I'm stupid? You just killed a bunch of rogues, and you are the female Hunter that all werewolves hate. Why would we trust that you're not going to hurt us?" He shouted angrily.

I raised an eyebrow at his outburst, then laughed.

"I'm not that heartless! And besides, I just saved your lives." I smiled at him. He peered at me suspiciously.

"Thanks for that, I guess." I shook my head and chuckled.

"What can I do to prove that I am not going to hurt you?" The boy thought for a moment before turning back to me.

"Give me a weapon, so I can defend myself if you turn on us." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"That's it?" He nodded, and I just shrugged. I pulled a long dagger from my boot, and threw it to the boy's feet. He picked it up carefully, and turned it over in his hands.

"It's the only weapon I have that is small enough, and doesn't have silver. If you like, I can even train you to use it properly?"

"Why would you do that?"

"If I didn't, then there isn't even a small chance that you would even be able to stand one second against me."

"Why are you so good? You told the rogue you were only 14," he asked.

"I have been training for a very long time. Oh, and what are your names?" I asked.

"My name's Max, and this is my little sister Lisa. I'm nine and she's six." He gestured to the little girl who was clinging to his side.

"It's nice to meet you two. Now let's get you guys some food, and then you are going to tell why you where being attacked by rogues." When I said 'food', Lisa looked up at me. I could tell she was hungry so I took out the dagger that was strapped across my chest. It was the smallest of my weapons at four inches long.

"How do plan on getting food? By catching it?" Max asked in disbelief.

"Yup. Why, do you think I can't catch something to eat?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. He suddenly looked very guilty.

"I have never heard of a 14 year old girl that can survive in the wilderness with nothing but weapons, so I guess you could say that I doubt you." Max replied shyly. I burst out laughing from his expression.

"I'm sorry, you just look so guilty!" I breathed between laughs.

"You scared me for a second. I thought you would be mad at me fof suggesting that you can't do anything." He looked up at me, and my laughing immediately stopped when I saw his frightened face.

"I'm going to say this again okay? I am not going to hurt you. Forget about what I do, alright? The only reason I am here, is to take care of you and your sister, until we replace your parents." I reassured the two siblings.

"How did you know we were taken from one of our parents?"

"Well, I don't see them anywhere near here. Also it seemed like something rogues would do." I shrugged.

"Yes, our mom was fighting some of them, and they snatched and brought us here. Where ever 'here' is?" He sighed, defeatedly.

"We're in the middle of a forested area that goes on for hundreds of miles, so your mom would have better luck replaceing us if we just stayed in one spot. There is a river nearby, we will go there, and set up camp. I'll stay with you guys until your mother comes." I smiled and held out my hand for Max to take. He nodded and I pulled him to me.

Lisa hid behind Max when I tried to look at her.

"Lisa, its okay. I'm not going to hurt you. The rogues didn't hurt you did they?" Max turned to Lisa to comfort her.

"No, they didn't. But they didn't exactly throw us a party." Max replied before whispering something to Lisa. Lisa nodded and stepped out from behind Max.

"Now, its a short walk to this river, and I'll try to get some food on the way there." I said before leading the two children the way I originally came.

I walked a few meters ahead of Max and Lisa, my feet quiet on the grass. Looking around in the trees, I spotted a small mule deer. It was grazing with its head facing me. Luckily, it wasn't too far.

I turned to the children and made a motion to be very quiet, and pointed to the deer.

Raising the arm with my small knife, I aimed it towards the deer. In a swift, swinging motion, the knife was buried into the deer's side.

I ran over to where the wounded animal was laying on its side, gasping for breath. Quickly, I took another knife from my belt and slit the throat of the dying creature.

"Found dinner!" Max laughed, and Lisa smiled. The deer wasn't very big, so I was able to have it laid across my shoulders. It was a five minute walk to the river.

Several meters from the river was a small fire pit I made the previous night. I laid the carcass down and started to collect some wood for a fire.

"Come on, you guys can help me get some sticks for the fire. Oh, and I need to tell you guys one more thing about me. Many people want me dead, so you two need to be very careful, and don't trust anyone but me. Okay?" I spoke as carefully as I could. I didn't want to scare them, but they needed to know.

"Okay." Max said, while Lisa just nodded her head with scared eyes.

"Come on, let's go get some wood. Grab as many large sticks as you can carry." I led them through the trees, grabbing kindling and wood as we walked.

I stopped when I heard a cracking noise, and smelled the air. Wolf.

"Get down!" I yelled to Max and Lisa while dropping the wood and taking up my crossbow.

The siblings fell to the ground hugging each other. I checked to make sure they were down, before locating the werewolf. I felt his presence in a tree and shot in that direction.

He fell out of the tree and to the ground, an arrow lodged in his throat. I felt a slight pain in my stomach, near my right hip. I heard a scream, and turned to see Lisa's mouth agape. Looking down to her finger, I saw her point to my lower stomach. I looked down towards my right hip, and saw the tail of an arrow.

I've been shot.