"Woohoooo!" Constance roared, taking his dagger out of a now dead boar's body. "Don't forget," Godfrey said. "Always eat that of which you hunt."

"Now then, you ready to go catch some rabbits?"

"Yes!"

************

'What the hell…' John's face scrunched up, his furrowed brows becoming more defined.

As he sat in the corner of the room, he held his head, wondering about his family. 'Miss Isabella…just wait.'

He pushed off the ground and clumsily walked towards the exit of the room. As he was about to leave, something caught his eye. It was hard to see, so John looked around the room.

John then found an unlit lantern. He walked out of the room, grabbing a candle, and lit the lantern.

He grabbed the lantern and walked to a wall that had a miniscule shine. As if there was a tiny star in the room.

He shined the light on the area, revealing a bow and arrow. He slid his finger down the string, a warm feeling overtaking his heart. "How long has it been?" He asked himself. "You taught me how to protect myself yet…I've done nothing. I did nothing. What must I do?" He looked to the roof.

"Of course…no response as always."

John put his hand on his collar, grabbing a silver cross chain. "No more." He took the necklace off and put it in his pocket.

John placed the bow over his head. Walking over to a desk, he noticed a quiver with arrows. He hovered his hand over it, his ring finger twitching. "I need it." He affirmingly told himself, taking the quiver.

He blew the lantern light off and closed the door to the room. He gazed down at the floor, an audible sigh escaping his mouth, and momentarily laid his back on the door.

After giving himself a moment, he turned a corner, the front door in his sight. "Are you not hungry? I didn't see you eat." The lady of the house spoke, appearing out of nowhere. "No thank you, I am okay." John responded.

"Well, are you going to catch some food with that bow?" She pointed. "…I just want to practice…if that's okay."

Without uttering another word, the lady left from John's sight. Believing that was her way of saying yes, John opened the door. "You may need this." The lady appeared again, a handful of arrows in her hand.

She walked up to John and placed the arrows in the quiver. "You should really count before going out. I mean, you planned on leaving with only five arrows?" She berated John, she pushed the hair out of her face.

John stared at her with a blank face. "What?" She tilted her head.

John turned his head away, "Nothing." He assured her. "…You're ready to go."

John stepped outside, the chilly wind coveting him. For one last attempt at warmth, John turned back towards the house, looking at the lady. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She shut the door.

John walked towards the woods with nothing, but the sound of his echoing footsteps and arguments of the residents. One of the many conversations caught his ear.

"Did you hear?" A bald man sitting at a table asked the other two men. "The King personally said this village is protected."

"The King is great!" Another man exclaimed.

John wanted to be annoyed, but instead, he felt nothing towards the King. After walking far enough, the noises had all become quiet.

"This village is much better than mine." John took one last look, entering the woods.

John had practically always been in isolation, but it's not like he knew this. It simply felt normal to him to only know the people in his village. Now that he's experiencing the world outside, he can't help, but both admire and despise it. It represents all that he couldn't have.

SNAP!

John stepped on a branch, walking further into the woods. He carefully pressed his hands on what he made out to be trees in order to not bump into them.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Shit!" John realized. "I forgot my damn lantern!"

John's lips curled as his face became contorted in rage. "How could I be so stupid!"

"I'm not going back…not ye-" he was interrupted by a high pitched squeal. "What?…" he saw a small outlined figure through the dark.

He immediately pulled the string by the corner of his mouth and took one large breath.

He listened very closely to every sound and soon, he heard the snap of a tree branch behind him. He spun around and let loose, hearing his arrow thump into the ground.

"Where are you?…"

***********

"Hahahaha!" Constance laughed. "Another one!"

Godfrey chuckled, sitting around a campfire. "Good. Now stop before we have too much for ourselves."

Godfrey looked at the fire in front of him, the meaty bodies of two squirrels on a stick. He twisted the stick to roast the back side. "Sorry." Constance responded. "So, when are we going to head back. We've been out here hunting for who knows how long!"

"Your right. Let's finish eating this and we'll head back."

The two waited a few more minutes before Godfrey took the squirrel bodies off, giving one to Constance, both still on a stick.

"This is great!" Constance declared, his mouth full of food.

Immediately after, they both heard a grueling growl surround them. "!" Godfrey grabbed his dagger and handed another to Constance. "This is not your average animal, Constance."

"I think I was able to figure that one out." Constance nervously smiled. "I can't tell where it is."

"You won't be if you continue talking so, be silent and listen."

The ground felt different with every rhythmic step the unknown animal took, shaking not only the ground, but Constance's confidence in his ability.

Constance put his back against Godfrey and the two made sure to cover all sides and as the did, a beast emerged from the shadows.

It's dirty sharp claws reflected from the fire and soon an eight foot tall bear stood in front of them, it's brown fur coating its body.

"RUN!" Godfrey screamed. Constance instantly ran in the opposite way of the bear and Godfrey followed from behind.

*********

"A cub?…" John asked himself, taking his arrow out of the ground. Though, it is hard to see, John could still make out a cub up close.

In John's village, bears were commonly seen so, they were easily noticeable for him. The cub uttered no sound and instead, kept attempting to climb a tree, leaving tiny claw marks behind.

John put the arrow in his quiver and tried to focus his eyes on the tree branches. "Berries!" He let out. "So, that's why you keep going at this tree."

"Alright I'll help-"

"RUUUUUUN!" A familiar voice screamed at the top of their lungs. "What the?…"

John then, heard the roars of something he knew he wouldn't want to encounter. This meant he was left with one thing, to run.

The moment he started to run, Godfrey took notice of John.

"John?!" He yelled whilst still running. "W-What the hell is happening?!" John screamingly responded.

"I don't have-wait! Where is Constance?!"

"Why would I know?!"

"Oh God…" Godfrey stopped, placing his hands on his knees. "What is that idiot doing?…You know how to use that bow?" He pointed at John's bow.

John grabbed his bow. "I know enough."

"Good. What was chasing us, a bear. You think you can do it?"

"Can I kill a bear?" John gulped, thinking back to the cub he encountered. "Only one way to find out."

They then, ran back the way they came. Godfrey glimpsed the campfire from far and signaled for John to follow him. It didn't take long for them to hear the roaring of the bear. There was something else as well.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" A maniacal laugh could be heard.

"No…." Godfrey realized who it was, a slight hint of hesitation on his face.

"Stupid bear! Hahahaha!" Constance slashed the bear with a dagger. The bear retaliated with an attack from above. Almost catching Constance, he smirked, believing he could take the bear on.

As the bear and Constance fought on, John had his bow and arrow ready. A perfect shot.

John took a deep breath, looking at the bear, and just before releasing the arrow, he saw the cub from earlier. "The little cub…"

The bear stood tall in one spot, protecting its cub. The distant light from the fire glittered the bear's coat of fur, the cub sitting in the shadow of the bear, making it a perfect opponent for Constance.

"The bear," John looked at Godfrey. "It's protecting its cub, look!" He pointed where the bear was standing. It wasn't moving an inch from its spot because, the cub.

"The cub doesn't care for you, John. Now shoot the damn bear before Constance gets hurt."

John's heart began to race, and once again, he slid the arrow onto the string, pulling it to the corner of his mouth.

"No hesitation, John. If you can't kill a bear, what makes you think you can kill a Dane? You think they don't have children of their own?"

John's hand began to shake, a sense of doubt beginning to overwhelm him.

Fortunately, John was reminded of his new ambition, his cross falling out of his pocket. He looked down at the cross by his feet, a faint light from the campfire on it. "…Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand."

"What?…" Godfrey mumbled.

"Cast all your worries on him because he cares for you." John's eyes hardened, his jaw clenched, and his hands tightened. "Damn you." John cursed, stomping on the cross.

WHOOSH!

The sound caught Constance off guard, reminding him of his training with Adam. Dodging a practice sword and hearing the wind as it passed by your face.

And once he opened his eyes, the bear had been struck, an arrow plunged into its stomach.

"The eyes." Godfrey said.

John followed his friends advice and aimed for the eyes. "Hey!" Constance yelled. "I want to kill it!"

As John took his deep breath, all sounds were like a wind's blur in his ear. He heard nothing, but ringing and the noise of his own breathing. He took one last look at the little cub before taking his shot.

THUMP

The arrow landed directly in the bear's eye. It cried out, looking at its cub, and tumbled. With its last eye, it looked into the cubs eyes, a final solemn roar. "Oh well." Constance uttered, standing over the bear. He brought his dagger over his head and struck it in the bears other eye.

"Constance!" Godfrey yelled. "Hurry!"

After that, they would all return to the house. Though, before that, John would look back for the cub. Only for it to be gone.