Liek awoke with a start. Something was different.

As he looked around, he realized that he was no longer blind. Waves of relief washed over him, and he let out a deep sigh. Cale had told him that his blindness would eventually clear up on its own. However, Liek's relief soon turned to nervousness. He was no longer in the woods.

He was in somebody's bed. He looked down at his arms and saw also that his wounds were dressed. Before he could think about his surroundings any longer, the door in front of him opened and a man with his daughter walked in.

He wasn't particularly large, but he wasn't small either. This man looked like he had been in many fights when he was younger. He was very well-built, and his arms had several deep scars on them. His daughter bore a striking resemblance to her father, with her boyish hair and sharp features.

"Ah, yer up! You were in a bad way last night, boy. You were nearly dead when we first saw you."

Liek jumped out of bed. His clothes felt strangely loose.

"Yer clothes were nothin' but rags when we first saw ya. I'm lettin' ya borrow some of mine. What happened to you anyway, boy? You try to wrestle a bear?"

Liek remained silent. This was the home of a human. It would be so easy....

He would jump him and slice him open just under the belly, which would let his intestines spill out. One more slash would sever the aorta, and he would die within seconds. His daughter's neck looked easy to break.

Wait, what was he thinking? This human saved his life! Surely he too was a good man. He had brought Liek into his home, dressed his mangled arms, and gave him new clothes. The man spoke again.

"It would be polite to answer, lad. We can't be calling you 'boy' all the time, can we? What's yer name?"

Liek hesitated. Would it be wise to tell a human his name? After thinking about it for a few moments, he decided that it wouldn't hurt.

"Liek."
"Liek, eh? Strange name for a lad. Name's Isaac, and this is my daughter Hannah."

The man smiled and brought his hand forward. Liek wasn't quite sure what to do, so he did the same. The man gripped it and squeezed firmly. Liek squeezed back. The man winced.

"Oy! Ya got a grip that could crush a walnut! I like that." Isaac smiled.

Liek let go of the man's hand. Something felt different. He looked down at his hand, and his eyes grew with horror.

His thumbnails were filed down. He brought his hands closer to his face, and rage grew in the pit of his stomach.

"What..... what happened here?" Liek whispered.
"Oh, yer nails? Nasty looking things. We had 'em filed down so ya couldn't hurt yerself with 'em. Hard as rocks, they were."
"How..... HOW DARE YOU!?" Liek roared.

Liek's entire body vibrated with anger. He nearly shot his hand forward to rip Isaac's throat out, but instead he clenched his fist and slammed the ground. Hannah shrank back.

"YOU TOOK AWAY MY ONLY WEAPONS!! If they find me, I'll be dead in an instant!!"
"If who finds you? Who's looking for you?"

Before Liek could answer, he heard a cough in the doorway. Liek turned and all color drained from his face. Standing in the doorway was a tall figure with long black hair, and two long thumbnails.

He was a werewolf.

"Hello, Liek." He grinned.



to be continued....