@amberly
Angel narrowed her eyes. She frowned. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Do not drag your feet....or else."

She proceeded to start walking away in the northern direction.

Andrew wondered if her manner had more of a tease than he had originally thought. But better not test it, she could probably make good on her vague threats.

He followed along with her today as they hurried through the forest. It didn't seem like he needed to be as distant from her. She had been right, even Andrew's eyes could track the monster by looking for the trail of destruction behind it.

He wondered if the water had made the beast more creature than man. He decided as soon as this was over, he needed to go back to his castle and eat salads and drink one cup of water at a time. Even if it was harder to quench his thirst, even if his skin itched, even if it took longer to heal, he would rather remain human-like. Tend to his grass, play with the dog, read his books, and hopefully walk down to the village now and then. He missed people.

But the water in the spring had healed him so quickly. Overnight.

"Angel, I think that spring has magic in it. I think it makes the beast more of a creature than the man it started as. And I think that includes physical strength. I know you're prepared, I don't doubt you, just...I guess... Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but be careful. I hope you defeat him without without, being hurt yourself."

He found himself stammering and clamped his mouth closed before he could say anything more. She probably wasn't going to like that speech, but it was true. And it needed to be said while he was as human as possible.

@amberly
Angel sighed. She stopped in her tracks. She narrowed her eyes as she looked at Andrew. She frowned.

"I did not get this far being so careless. That monster needs to be stopped. You know that. Besides, if I must sacrifice my safety to make sure that beast does not do any more harm than so be it. Someone has to put an end to it. In this case, that someone is me. I shall be the one to stop its' reign of terror once and for all. Nothing shall stand in my way. Nothing."

She was firm on that. She turned around and resumed walking. His tone and the stammer had suggested to her that, perhaps, he cared about her more than he let on, since their first meeting, like he was growing attached to her, perhaps even fond of her or something. Why though? To her, he had no reason to, none at all.

The creature had made its way to a stream high in the hills. It shifted rocks and lay down to sleep. He let the water clean away his dark blood as he shifted uncomfortably in the night. A daybreak he had debated going up or down stream, and chosen to go down. That would lead him to a river, and rivers had better hunting. Whenever he slipped he howled and growled as he slowly got back to his feet. He did not expect to be followed and forgot about the troubles of yesterday. He thought only of his thirst.

Andrew had been able to see the creature's tracks led to a stream, but as far as Andrew could tell, there they disappeared. It would take a real hunter to follow the creature from there and he stood back and let Angel lead the way. He didn't realize how close they were to the creature mumbling and groaning and sloshing down stream.

@amberly
Angel continued to track the creature down. She was desperate to find it and put an end to its' chaos. She tried not to show it, not with Andrew around. She narrowed her eyes and tried to look for signs of the creature.

The footprints ended at the river. She sighed. However, she saw more signs on the other side as well. She did her best to try and cross the river and then follow it upstream.

She glanced behind her. She tried to see, and make sure, that Andrew was still following.

Andrew had stopped a few times to dip his hands in the water and drink. When he noticed Angel glance back at him, he jogged to catch up with her. No dragging his feet.

About the time Andrew reached her the creature came into view in the distance hauled a shriveled deer to the water's edge. The buck had gouged at the creature and he sought to clean the wound in the water. Though draining the deer had made him feel better than he had so far this morning, just the boost of energy he needed for the day.

@amberly
Angel continued on her way. She continued to track down the creature. She followed the river and soon enough the creature would come into view again. She narrowed her eyes, especially when she saw the deer. She let out a human snarl.

"....monster."

She approached, ready to attack again.

Catching sight of Angel and Andrew the creature roared. It dropped the deer and lumbered toward them. He tryed to keep out of Angel's range with the blade, but to lunge close enough to grab them. Or at the very least swipe them into the river.

@amberly
Angel dodged. She jumped and continued to move. She slashed at the creature with her weapon again. She kept her eyes on it at all times. She glared at it.

"You are going to pay!"

The creature roared back at Angel and began swiping at her more viciously. If he could just get rid of this pest he could go back and heal at the spring. He was reckless, not caring about little wounds if they got him close enough to scratch or hit angel. He started aiming for her weapon trying to get it to fly out of her hand and leave him alone.

Andrew noticed the creature was intently focused on Angel and pulled the fingers of his gloves, and slipped his hands out. He folded the gloves in half and tucked them into his pocket. He quietly walked up the bank into the woods and waited for the battle between the lady and the monster to come close enough he could get ahold of the creature from behind.

@amberly
Angel continued to dodge. She glared daggers. She gave a human snarl. She was furious at the creature.

"You have killed too many people! None of whom did you any harm! None of whom wronged you in any way! It is time for you to pay for your crimes!!"

She slashed at the creature again.

"Some hurt!" The creature yelled in retaliation, what did this human know of his wretched tragedy of a life? "Some were guilty! You are hurting me now!" He looked for a weapon, and ripped down a long branch to swing at Angel and greatly extend his reach.

Andrew stepped back behind the tree. Did he really want to see this creature killed? Maybe he could still reason with it. Maybe he could guide it and help it find better solutions. Take him back to his castle and teach it to eat vegetables. Andrew would be occupied keeping the creature alive, but what of this creature himself? What life would his form, his mind, allow him to have? Andrew would be busy, and constantly concerned like he had been with Angel in the house. But maybe this creature would fall into the same sloth and depression that Angel had when she was prisoner.

All three of them desperately needed to find ways to live, to keep themselves going. Didn't everyone need that? If that monster was at all capable of thought, Andrew wanted to give him the chance.

Andrew pulled his gloves back on.

@amberly
Angel dodged. She slashed at him again.

"How dare you?! Most of them were simple farmers, merchants, and their families, just trying to live their lives! They did nothing to you until you attacked them! What about my parents?! huh?! You killed them as well! They were keeping to themselves, in their own home! They kept their distance from most people! They were caring hard working people! And you killed them!!!"

Angel was in a rage.

He growled at the angry little woman and went back to fighting physically instead of arguing. She wanted to get to him, fine, he would make her come to him. The creature moved down into the water and waded out where the current was swift and the rocks on the bottom slippery and shifting. He had to catch his balance a time or two and hoped the woman would follow and not be so lucky. He'd love to see her washed away.

"But you haven't killed people as much lately, have you?" Andrew called from the trees. "Why not? Does it bother you? I can teach you other ways to live. Without killing anyone."

"I will live." The creature hissed through jagged teeth, glaring eyes trained on the vengeful woman.

@amberly
Angel blinked. She turned towards Andrew. She stared to narrow her eyes. 'Is he truly a traitor?'she began to think with a frown. She turned to glare at the creature once again, ready to fight as well as defend herself. She kept up her guard. She did not lower it, not even for a single second.

The creature roared at Angel again, waiting for her to attack again. When she hadn't followed him out into the river he decided to taunt her, hoping to enrage her into stupidly following him.

"I will live," he repeated, "no matter how many people die, especially people like you!"

Andrew growled himself, upset that this was not going to have a peaceful resolution.

@amberly
"I help people!"
Angel shouted back.

"There have been a lot of people hurt, or have had loved ones killed, because of you! They needed help! You needed to be stopped! You still do!"

Angel was not dumb. She was not going to fall for the trap.

"Then come try to stop me!" The monster growled. When Angel didn't advance he kicked at the water and started walking down the middle of the river.

Andrew came out from the trees and followed along the banks. He watched the monster and watched angel out of the corner of his eyes. He could almost feel the intensity of the anger radiating from her. She certainly wasn't happy with him either. He tried to keep his distance from her.

The monster walked farther and farther down the river. The banks on the side became narrower with more trees. The river cut deeper into the ground until it was in a gorge and would become more like a canyon the farther along the river went. The monster slipped, the river rolling and sweeping him down under the water and back up again.

"The water won't kill him. It's part of the curse." Andrew said, wondering how far the river would carry him before he washed up on the bank and found the nearest animal or person to kill.

Angel barely heard Andrew. She growled. She gave chase. She followed along the riverbank. She kept her eyes on the creature. She did not want to loose sight of it. She was still determined to put an end to everything once and for all.

"You're not going to get away!"
She shouted at the top of her lungs as she gave chase. She ran and ran. She was not going to stop. She was not going to give up.

Andrew ran as quickly as he could, but he could not keep up with Angel or the river.

The monster finally tumbled up against a tree fallen into the river. He pulled himself along the submerged trunk, which remained firm. He got his head and shoulders above water and pulled himself out onto the bank. He took great gasps of air to fill his lungs and looked about him for any sign of his hunter. He picked up a rock from the riverbed and threw it at the first thing he saw moving toward him.

Andrew knew there was no way to catch up with the athletic hunter, or with the river. The river! Andrew stopped and yanked off his shoes and socks and splashed out into the deeper water. He was soon being swept along, beyond his own control. But he found his head bobbed to the surface often enough to get gasps of air. It was exhilarating being in the current. He forgot nearly everything else, but he knew, just as the monster did, that there would be a fight when he came out of the water.