The second of the people started the engine and drove up to the first.
The boots appeared again.
– Well, what did you find?
– There is no one there!
– I’ll inspect that site now! – The end of the phrase was drowned in the roar of the engine. For a minute, a roar was heard in the area, now moving away, now approaching. The man who was near Marianne moved to a nearby tree.
There was a radio click and characteristic noises. Then a new voice came from her, like a growl:
– How are you? Get on the guy’s trail? No?
– He seemed to have sunk into the water.
– Well, well, – the man from the radio grinned. – And I can’t get better. I caught Junia Claire!
Junia Clare! Parallel class girl! And what is she doing here?”
Marianne could not believe his ears.
– Wow! You are clever. And where is she … – But the voice from the radio interrupted the man in camouflage.
– Which of you was torn to pieces by howling during the day? You are giving yourself away! Show your presence!
– I could not resist. There will be a great moon tonight. I can already feel it.
– Come here, to me. I need your help. She bites like a street cat! And without howling! – The crackling in the radio was gone.
– Ersus, did you hear? – Shouted the first from afar. – Let’s go. It’s clean here!
– I could say to the radio, – grunted the displeased Ersus. The footsteps hurried away. There was the rumble of snowmobiles. Then he began to move away.
Chapter 7. Who’s here?
“Junia!” Marianne snapped something inside. Fear of new robbers faded into the background. Thoughts were now only about the girl.
“Is Junia here? Why? Where from? Was she grabbed by one of these men in white camouflage?”
Marianne the director’s words about the secret order “Olburgskiy Tribunal”.
“These are people from the Order! They’ve caught Junia, they’re hunting the likes of Marianne. These are the Hunters. So Junia is also a werewolf?”
Previously, Marianne was sure that the circumstances were unfavorable only for him. He had to run and hide in the ice forest. But it turns out that Junia also left school, and now she is even worse than him. It is not known what she experienced and what awaits her. The tone of the unknown hunter’s voice, coming from the radio, did not bode well and did not like Marianne. Junia is the only person who was dear to him now. And she was in trouble.
Marianne climbed out of his den and looked after the figures on snowmobiles disappearing into the darkness, heard the invariably fading sound of engines. Now this is the only thread leading to Juniya.
Marianne’s appearance was rather intimidating and shabby. It seemed that he had climbed the mountains for several weeks and lived in the forest. All the clothes were torn and dirty. The face is smeared with blood. He got dirty as he wiped away his tears. In addition, he dropped one of the snowshoes somewhere.
It was impossible to hesitate, and Marianne rushed after him. I had to throw off the second snowshoe, otherwise it was inconvenient to run.
Dusk was gathering over the forest. The sun shone with a red glow behind the distant trees, and the moon was not yet there. The next hour was expected to be dark. It was easier to run along the track of a fresh track, and it was not difficult to see the tracks from snowmobile tracks. It was lighter on the ice of the lake than under the trees in the forest.
Marianne fled into the unknown. He had no idea how he would look for hunters in the dark forest.
“They talked about the moon. She would rather ascend.”
Far ahead, two beams of yellow light loomed. The people on the snowmobiles turned on their headlights. Another minute, and these rays of hope disappeared from sight. They seemed to turn right. Marianne raced as fast as he could. With every minute the hope of tracking down the hunters in camouflage faded away.
The snowmobile trail crossed the entire lake from west to east. Soon Marianne passed the middle of the lake, turned ashore and headed up the slope. Here the snow was deeper. Marianne slowed down and walked, breathing heavily. He needed a little respite. It looks like the hunters in this place also had to slow down. This was evident in the tracks. There was still a chance to catch up with them. “Am I not going into their hands myself?”
Now, if the howling resounded over the trees again, Marianne would have known that these people were not so far away, but there was a silent silence in the forest.
The moon appeared in the sky. The whole world seemed to bloom with a pale blue and silver light. Marianne perked up.
A fabulous landscape opened up before him. Large trees with crooked rhizomes protruding from the snow rose high up. The moonlight penetrated the interweaving branches of the crown of blue snow, casting spider webs, fantastic laces of soft shadows at Marianne’s feet. Cold snowflakes shimmered like diamonds. An owl hooted overhead. There was a faint rustle of wings, and a shadow slipped between the trees. Marianne lifted his head, but could not see the bird. But I saw the moon. It lit up his face. Its light penetrated into the eyes and spread through the veins.
Marianne felt heat all over her body. It stabbed my fingers. Marianne began rubbing his palms, then thrust his fingers into the snowdrift. The pain disappeared, melted away with warmth. It seemed that now the hands were numb, something squeezed his fingers. The snow eased this sensation. Marianne wiggled his fingers, checking the sensitivity. It became easier and even pleasant. The pain and tingling sensation disappeared. Then Marianne tried to dig the snow with his hands. He liked it and found it funny. It was ticklish. There was no more heat in my hands. The snow must have cooled them.
But in the rest of the body, there was still a bursting pressure. Marianne took a deep breath of the frosty air, took his hands out of the snow, looked them over and gasped in amazement. Long, slightly curved claws protruded through the mittens. Suddenly, it also hurt in my eyes. Marianne closed his eyes and pressed his knuckles against his eyelids. The pain was gone. He slowly opened his eyes. Nothing has changed around, the vision has remained the same. But what happened to the fingers?
Now Marianne sat down carefully in the snow and wiggled his toes. Feelings were common, except that the shoes were a little stinging and tight. Probably, there were no claws on the legs. At least, if they grew up there, they were not as long as on their arms.
Marianne was excited and very interested in the transformation in her own body. How will he live with such nails? It is impossible to write notes with them. And generally hold a ballpoint pen.
Hoping that this transformation will not last long, because he is a werewolf, Marianne felt lightness throughout his body in a minute. He stood up, felt a surge of strength and energy. The state of health was excellent. I wanted to jump and run. Marianne looked curiously at the nearest tree. He was drawn to do something. Marianne jumped as high as possible and grabbed the trunk. The claws on the fingers firmly and confidently held on to the bark. He climbed up. He liked it too. Lips spread into a smile. He figured out how stupid it looked from the outside.
Marianne quickly climbed to the very top.
– Blink, can you see that? I have grown claws!
He looked at the hand. A fluffy little ball slid over it.
– They