Oren shook his head and croaked:
Maybe before I die I will do at least one good deed. I will save you. And my soul will be sent to heaven. But my heart is still heavy
Marianne did not know what to say to this.
You have to leave these places. Go east. Oren tried to nod in the right direction. Sooner or later you will go out on the road. On it you will come to the city.
Marianne shook his head. Tears ran down his cheeks.
Only to the east! Do you hear? To the East!
Oren fell silent, closed his eyes. It seemed that he had already departed into another world, but his chest was still faintly heaving.
Stay away from anyone you meet Oren said in a very weak voice. There are different types here. Trust no one and
The chest froze. Orens lips never moved.
Oren Headley.
Marianne slowly climbed off the blood-soaked body. He looked at his bloody palms. He felt very sorry for Oren, he was impressed by the death of this stranger. To distract himself from his worries, he began to wipe his hands on the snow, not noticing the cold.
A familiar sound sounded somewhere. Motorcycle motor.
The roar of the engine grew louder. Marianne stood up. Someone was riding a snowmobile on the ice of the lake. Another appeared after him. Marianne wanted to wave her hands and scream. But Oren can no longer be helped.
What if they are yesterdays robbers?
They will be glad if Marianne falls into their hands. He was afraid of any person in these places. If hes already figured out anything, its that he must stay away from everyone in this forest.
Marianne hastened to retreat from the open area, then rushed to his camp. They may not have noticed him yet. The sound has become quite loud. Marianne bent down by the tree and looked at the lake.
On the snowmobiles there were people dressed in white overalls winter camouflage. They raced across the ice of the lake and were in full view. Having approached closer, we slowed down and parted in different directions. Then one, the one that was closer to the dead body, screamed. People on snowmobiles drove up and rushed to Oren.
Marianne heard the words of one of them:
Who was that? Who attacked you? Was it a werewolf? Speak! Have you seen a werewolf here?
Hes already dead, dont you get it?
Yes, I just gave up the spirit. Did our werewolf do the job?
Ha, this is too cool for a sucker!
And they both burst out laughing. In their hands, the people were holding some kind of short shotguns wrapped in white cloth. The first poked his weapon at the snow nearby.
Look. What is it? It looks like scales. Aha! So the trail goes on the ice. Saber-toothed fish!
There are still traces.
Two men in camouflage stood with their backs to Marianne and, bending over, looked at the find.
Marianne rushed to his camp, seeking cover.
He jumped to a hole dug in the snow a hole in which he slept at night, and rushed into it. He began to quickly dig deep into the snow. One second, one more. Time is too short. Marianne hit the roof of the hole. She crumbled, covering him with lumps of snow.
The young man listened.
The snow was thin, and the light of the setting sun filtered through it.
Marianne was afraid that his hiding place was not enough for him and people in camouflage would notice him. And the snow could crumble unevenly, somewhere stronger, could bare legs or shoulder and give Marianne.
The footsteps came very close. And then he heard something that overtook even more fear, if he had not been scared half to death.
Loud frequent puffing. This man was sniffing the air. The wheeze grew louder. Marianne held her breath. He was smelled. A small lump of snow in front of my eyes shifted, opening a small hole outward. Marianne saw the shoes of a man who had approached.
You are not looking there, Ersus! His breed should be looked for in the trees, not under them. Look, the branches over there were jammed. It was as if someone was climbing on it.
Footsteps rang out a little further. The boots trampled in place.
Nobody. Ugh. Zero again!
Look, there are traces too. Lets see there?
Wait, Im behind the snowmobile.
There was silence for a minute. The boots were out of sight, and Marianne hoped they were finally gone. But he was afraid to get out of the snowdrift. The warm breath melted the snow, and the hole in the snowdrift became larger. Marianne huddled all over his jacket.
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!
Ill 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 guys trail? No?
He seemed to have sunk into the water.
Well, well, the man from the radio grinned. And I cant 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. Lets go. Its 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. Whos 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 directors words about the secret order Olburgskiy Tribunal.
These are people from the Order! Theyve caught Junia, theyre 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 hunters 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.
Mariannes 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.