Chapter Five: Found

The night fell swiftly in the Forest, dark and dangerous. The owls and nightingales were quiet, not daring to give away their position to the monsters. Kefla looked constantly over her shoulder, nervous. She had never walked in the Forest at night before. Clemëdri and Mist seemed perfectly at home, though, and flanked Kefla on either side, their lithe bodies moving gracefully and quick.

This is where it makes its den, Mist explained, as they came upon a tree. There was a large hole scratched through the side, hollowing out a small chamber. Inside, a creature stirred and raised its head. Blue eyes burned deeply into Kefla's. The thing slipped out of the hole in the tree at lightning speed. Kefla and the two dragons took a few steps back. The elf was intrigued by the sight of this Demon Hunter. Its fur was long and silky, shimmering in the dim light. It looked imploringly at Kefla. She knew that look...

Flashback

"Daddy!" young Kefla laughs, as Antuir turns around in mock astonishment as he is caught in the act. The cookie jar lid was casually off to one side, and Antuir hastily swallowed the cookie he had been eating.

"What is it, my little Kef?" he asks. Kefla is not fooled.

"You've been stealing cookies, daddy!" she shrieks with laughter.

Antuir gives her an imploring look. "You won't tell your mother that I ate a cookie before dinner, will you?" he wheedles, and Kefla doubles over with more laughter.

Antuir smiles fondly at his little girl and reaches for his bow. "I have to go hunting, now, or there won't be a dinner," he gives her a last wave as he turns to the door. "I promise I'll bring you back a songbird to sing for you. They don't sing all that much, out in the Forest, you know."

Satisfied, Kefla nods. "You bring me back a songbird, I no tell mommy you ate a cookie!" she grins and laughs again.

Dinner did not come that night, nor any songbird. Kefla's mother Ziri turned sad and distant, muttering to herself every time she thought Kefla couldn't hear: "I know he's out there somewhere, I just know...he will come back. Oh, Antuir, please come home..."

End Flashback

The creature was looking at her with that same imploring look. Kefla couldn't shake it off. She expected, any second now, to hear her father's voice, pleading her not to tell her mother he ate a cookie. But the creature before her opened its mouth and let out a mournful sound, like a cross between a wolf's howl and a sad cat.

"Mow-ooo," it said sadly. "Mow-ooo."

"Daddy?" Kefla whispered. The animal's ears pricked up, then flattened. It cowered against the tree, and looked at the ground. Its eyes darted a glance at Kefla, locked for a moment, and then returned to a study of leaves.

Your father went missing in the forest once, didn't he? Mist asked gently.

"Yes," Kefla replied softly. "And here he is. Mother was right. Antuir..."

The animal that was Antuir took a slow step forward. Trembling, he gazed at Kefla with the expression of her father. "Mow-oof," he said.