(3/5) RTTE Seasons 3 & 4 (AMDH)

The Search for a Father

After Ann recovered from the dehydration, she started to work again. After a long and exhausting day, she, Viggo and Ryker were standing in front of Viggo's tent, discussing the day when a Terrible Terror flew in. "Hmm, Terror Mail..." Ann said as the Terror landed on her arm and crawled to her shoulder. "From who is it?" Ryker asked her. "Looking at the handwriting, I'd say it's from Jake. I wonder what he needs this time!" She said with a grin. 

Viggo and Ryker continued to talk as Ann read the letter. Viggo looked at her when she read the letter and she let a gasp of disbelief. Her eyes rolled away, became weak and fell to the ground. "Ann? Ann!!" He shouted and caught her just in time before she would hit the ground, she had fainted. 

"What was in the letter?" Ryker asked being concerned about his little sister. Viggo laid Ann down gently, grabbed the letter and read it, but he also couldn't believe what was in the letter. "Ryker, read this!" He said and his brother took a look at it and read it out loud. 

"Ann, you have to come quickly! We got a good look on Saba, your father's tiger! She has been seen walking around the edge of Wakeworth Woods. Your father must be alive and on the island still! We have to find them! Come to Muzona as quickly as you can, now that the tracks are still fresh." 

Ryker looked up and couldn't believe the message. "I can't believe this. This is great news for her!" Ryker said in complete astonishment. "Yes, we better look for him, but not before she is feeling better." Viggo said and Ann slowly regained consciousness by groaning a bit before she opened her eyes. 

"Hey, it's okay, baby. Take it slow now." Viggo said, but saw that she started to cry and he held her close. "I want to go! Now!" She said. "Shh, we will go as soon as possible. You just need to regain strength now and then we will be ready to go." Viggo said. "I'll prepare a ship right away." Ryker stood up and walked off towards the docks. A few hours later, and the ship being ready, they left in a hurry for Muzona again. 

Once arrived, Jake came greeting them. "Jake!" Ann yelled and hugged him in relieve that he saw a sign that her father was alive. "Just come straight to the point. Where did you see Saba?" "Come with me!" He said and ran to the point where he saw the tigress. 

The paw prints were still carved in the soft sand, leading to the bushes and trees. "We have to follow those tracks if we want to find your father, baby." Viggo suggested. "No, I know my father and he will hide wherever he is able to. If we have searched in one place and he sees the opportunity to get back there while we search somewhere else, he will. There's no way we will find him that way, so I will go alone and explore the island." She said with confidence. 

"I'm going with you!" Viggo objected. "Sweetie, I know you want to protect me and make sure I'm okay, but believe me, if you're going with me than I don't think my dad will show up. I need to face him alone." She insisted that she was going alone and turned around to face the forest. "DAD! Wherever you are, come out! I'm coming to see you!" She screamed to the forest. 

Ann went to pack for the night. Food, water and clothes went in the bags her dragon carries with her. "Are you completely sure that you're going alone?" Viggo asked her again. "Yes sweetie, you don't have to worry, I have Luna with me." She said and walked to him. "I will be alright." She said, laying her hand on his cheek and gave him a kiss. He wasn't sure if she spoke the truth. A few minutes later, she left into the woods together with Luna, where she searched for hours to come.

When the night fell, Ann and Luna made up a place where they could sleep. She collected some wood which Luna lighted up, giving them some warmth. They were about to sleep when Ann heard something in the bushes. She held her hand ready to grab her dagger as she listened to the sounds. Was it a boar? A dragon perhaps? She pulled her dagger ready when she saw a glimpse of what it was.