Finding A Home Amongst The Wolves

Might as well be haunted

~Snow's (POV)~

It's been three days. In five minutes it'll be four and in five minutes I'll be gone. Somethings wrong, I knew something was wrong from the first time Xena mentioned this mission. I'm going after her and I will bring her back.

I pack light or should I say nothing at all and look over at a sleeping Blake. He's going to be mad when he wakes, but what can I do? Xena needs me, I feel it in my gut. Opening the bedroom door I poke my head out and count to three before slowly easing my way out the door, down the hall and, down the stairs. I take slow, agonizing steps just to make sure I wake no one or alert no one who's already up.

Finding myself at the last step I take the four steps to the front door and open it. It creaks as I open it causing me to flinch and freeze in place, for cautious reasons. When no one bursts down the stairs I walk out and shut the door behind me. Standing on the porch I close my eyes and tap into the bond I have with Xena. Filtering in through our bond is her current direction and some of the fleeting pain I've been feeling on and off for the past four days, now only this one might be the worst.

Not wanting to waste another moment for both mine and Xavier's sake I take off into the woods, making sure to avoid wolves on patrol. As soon as I pass the border to Blake's territory I shift and throw caution to the wind, running with everything in me. A good three hours of running, not thanks to me having to take the minimal number of rests, I find myself about five states over, deep in the woods of what seems to be hunter territory.

What's a hunter you ask? A hunter is a human who goes after Other creatures, although their main targets are wolves they will go after vampires and the occasional Were. Witches aren't normally on their radars, mainly due to their small numbers and the fact that they're really good at hiding.

So the question is why is Xena on hunter property?

Feeling her from a different direction I turn in my running and head off into that direction feeling her get closer with every step taken. I round a bend too fast and have to skid to a halt before quickly backpedaling and climbing a tree. When I get high enough I extend myself over a branch looking down at a little cottage below me. 

Not only is Xena's scent coming heavily from this cottage, but this cottage is also heavily guarded. It's going to take a lot of planning and perfecting in order for me to get in undetected, get to Xena, get her out and leave without being found out. So here I am, laying on this tree, looking down at the cottage below me, looking for openings.

I was almost too lost in my thoughts to hear one of the men's cell go off, almost.  Tuning in my hearing I listen in on the conversation. Only hearing bits and pieces I deduct that his boss has found something he wants taken care of and he leaves with the majority of the men, only leaving four behind to guard the house.

Realizing I'm lucky right now I feverishly begin to look for an entrance, knowing lady luck wont be on my side forever and they'll be back. Looking over the cottage I notice a tree that stands close to the cottage and one of it's branches just so happens to extend well over the roof of the cottage.

Jumping down from my branch I land lightly and begin to circle around toward the tree. Stopping in the woods opposite the tree I do a quick look around before bolting for the tree and climbing it. Crawling as far as I can go I balance on my haunches, getting ready to take the leap. I leap the short distance to the roof, landing lightly and immediately begin to look for an entrance almost as soon as I had landed. Seeing a skylight I shift back into my human form and crawl over to it making sure I stay as low as possible. 

Sliding the skylight back enough for me to go in I hang on the the edge and slide the skylight back as far as I can get it without breaking my fingers and drop down noiselessly onto a tiled floor. Looking around I see that I had landed into what looks to be a master bathroom, not the best place to land if you think about it but nothing I can do about it.