Kurt didnt sleep. He couldnt. Not with a monster on his trail. He glanced at the bone pup in his arms, sound asleep, its bony ears twitching slightly when Kurt shifted uncomfortably on the cave ground.

Coopers brother was a mystery – he wasnt a Wendigo, yet he smelt like one, acted like one and ate like one. He looked too normal to be one of those creatures, he was human, Kurt shook his head in confusion: he knew every single creature that lived in the woods, yet he could not put a finger onto what Blaine Anderson was.

He glanced to the left where the tent was, soft snores coming from inside and a few bone pups shifted around the blue coloured tent, curiousing nipping at it, probably wondering about the snores that came from it.

If Blaine was truly a Wendigo, he couldve eaten them all up – but yet he digressed, and decided to try to frighten them. Kurt frowned; in fact he seemed like he wanted to scare them away. The blue eyed boy scoffed to himself, Kurt was far from being terrified; confused, yes but in truth, he was vexed.

In fact, he was utterly displeased that he could not comprehend Blaines actions – how the creature didnt step near the cave at all; of course it was bone pup territory and Wendigos avoided the usual bony puppies; and their huge mother dog, for many reasons – one of which was that bone pups werent edible.

Kurt turned back and eyed the fresh bone that lay in front of him. Definitely not edible or actually pleasing to gnaw on.

He was bewildered as to why the creature just vanished instead of chasing them right into the cave and just gobbling them up. It couldve (no doubt Kurt would still put up a fight) but it didnt. Kurt sighed – maybe taking up this job offer was a stupid idea after all. It wasnt like him to hope the creature would just leave them alone and they could go back.

He gritted his teeth – but if it did appear, he would not hesitate to kill it.

There was a soft squeak and Kurt turned to see the small bone pup awake, bumping its hard forehead onto Kurts chest. He resisted a smirk – fondly patting the critter before sitting up. He glanced at the sunlight streaming through the cracks of the cave; it was time to set out.

He glanced swiftly at the tent, Coopers snores echoing the cave. Kurt smirked darkly and cupped his hands around his mouth; he let out a loud long howl much like a wolf and instantly, all the bone pups started to howl one by one.

The howls punctuated around the cave, and Kurt heard a loud gasp from inside the tent, the blue improvised house shifting and wobbling as Cooper crawled out, his face in a state of shock, looking around anxiously before catching Kurts mischievous glint. The older man frowned deeply and started grumbling to himself about strangling people.

The younger boys expression quickly returned to a dull and detached frown. He had his fun, now it was time to finish what they started. He motioned to Cooper to pack up the tent.

"Lets go, Anderson." He announced, picking his bow up from the ground. "Its best to leave the forest before night falls. The Wendigo cave should be nearby; we go in, Blaines not there, we leave."

Kurt noticed Cooper freeze in his movements before turning to Kurt, a hurt look on his face. "Were not even going to try?" There was disappointment in those hazel brown eyes.

The chestnut haired boy turned away, ignoring the loud sigh from Cooper – did he not get it? If Blaine didnt want to be found, they couldnt do anything. It was impossible to outwit a Wendigo – even if Blaine wasnt one: god this was confusing Kurt so much he wanted to just call it quits.

"Cmon Kurt. We could at least stay one more day or something," Cooper sounded dejected, Kurt didnt turn back to look at the man.

"Kurt." Cooper called out once more.

Kurt whipped his head to glare at the older man, his ice blue eyes filled with annoyance. "Can you just get your tent and we can leave?" He bared his teeth and threaded out of the cave, shaking his head.

Exiting the bone pup cave, Kurt stepped out into the open, the morning rays bright and warm even in the winter. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in – and heard a happy bark to his right. He glanced to the direction of the noise and spotted a bone pup wagging its tail, looking up at Kurt with its black empty eye sockets.

If it had eyes it would be giving Kurt the puppy dog ones and he snorted at the irony of it.

It had started to run around Kurts feet in tiny circles, yipping at him. Kurt was not a very big fan of dogs, but he found a strange tenderness of the bone pup at his feet. He smiled lightly. One of the very first creatures that he had met in the forest was the bone pups. He had been a lonely little child ever since his mother vanished and found the company of the overexcited bony dogs very comforting.

He recalled it was a winter day where Burt was in the forest searching for his wife, and Kurt wandered off when he heard the sounds of barking that sounded more like doors creaking. He spotted a pack of bony puppies rolling around in the snow and he had delightedly found them very affable.

When Burt called for Kurt to take leave for shelter from the oncoming winter storm, Kurt had hastily grabbed four bone puppies and stuffed them in his oversized backpack. When they had arrived home and Kurt placed his bag down; immediately four puppies crawled out, blissfully scampering in the kitchen yipping loudly, had Burt Hummel let out a shriek of horror.

Initially Kurt was terror stricken as well, hearing his dad yelling in panic, trying to chase the bone puppies out from the house. Kurt resisted, telling his dad that they were a friendly bunch and that they could do well as pets; when his dad let out a thunderous roar and pointed at the kitchen window where a giant skull was staring into the house.

Kurt remembered his younger self frozen on the spot as the colossal skull opened its mouth to reveal jagged canines, a loud roar emitting from it. Burt was still trying to get the four meddlesome bone pups outside but they were too much for the older man, darting speedily around the kitchen floor tiles and cupboards.

The giant skull was staring into the kitchen, bumping its head against the house, roaring at them. Young Kurt Hummel snapped back to reality when he realized that it was none other than the mother dog. Hesitantly, he put on his winter boots and opened the door, exiting the house, hearing Burt scream loudly for Kurt to come back inside.

Kurt shook his head at the memory, glancing down at the bone pup at his feet.

He could mentally visualize the image of a young boy staring at the massive bone dog, both standing in the front yard of an old house in winter. He evoked that he had walked up to the monster dog and it roared at him nonetheless, but did not attack him; even when he placed a warm gloved hand on its nose and told it that he was sorry for taking its puppies away. Somehow he knew that it was just worried, like how a mother would be.

Burt had exited the house in a hurry, four bone puppies in his arms, all barking at their mother and was astounded at the sight that befell him.

A loud murmur broke Kurts thoughts.

Cooper was trudging out of the cave, looking sorely beaten, dark circles around his hazel eyes and an aggravated look on his face. "Is that thing following us?" He groaned.

Kurt rolled his blue eyes. "Does it matter? He makes better company than you anyway." He gazed back down gently at the bone pup who barked once in reply.

He heard Cooper grumbled something under his breath before the older man stood next to Kurt, eyeing the puppy warily. "Which way?" he questioned Kurt.

The chestnut haired boy paused for a moment, glancing at his surroundings, observing the way the trees bare under the sunlight, empty of life in the winter. He thought for a minute before pointing toward the south.

"The denser areas have the higher probability of the Wendigo cave." Kurt began to walk forward, hearing footfalls behind him and happily barking noises.

He preferred the forest in the morning. It was more peaceful – less dangerous and threatening. At night where the naked tree branches look more like claws; it looked like harmless ribbons decorating the air in the daylight.

"Be warned of bandits." Cooper muttered from behind, "They like to hide in the denser vicinity - keeps them out of sight from others."

There was a loud bark of agreement.

Kurt nodded to himself and hopped over a dead rat.

He heard Cooper wheeze and turned around to see the bone pup nibbling on the dead rats remains, Cooper watching it, a grimace on the mans face. "Be glad its not you." Kurt teased lightly before continuing to trek forward.

There was a long silence throughout the journey, punctured by loud contented barks from the bone pup until they reached a frozen stream.

Kurt scowled when he peered into the frozen ice lake, human bodies trapped underneath the clear solid ice. Cooper let out a soft yelp when he bent over to see what Kurt was doing and backed away slowly.

"Mermaids." Kurt explained quickly, stepping on the ice carefully with one foot and beckoning Cooper with his hand. "Trapping poor souls and devouring them underwater. Shame on these perverts."

Cooper seemed uncertain and glanced up at Kurt, who was rolling his eyes at the other man.

"Mermaids hibernate in the winter." The boy sounded exasperated.

There was a thud that caught the attention of both of them. Swivelling to the direction of the noise, Kurt spotted the bone pup trying to cross the frozen lake, slipping carelessly on the ice and whimpering in panic.

He reached over to carry it in his arms before glancing coldly at Cooper, who was tentatively stepping on the ice.

"Hurry up." Kurt grunted, walking across the stream and reaching the other side of the winter forest. As he let the bone pup on the ground, it had begun to snow slightly. Kurt stared up into the white blanketed sky – cloudless and cold.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Hastily, he turned to his left, a hand on his bow only to find himself glancing at the hazel eyed man.

"I really hate winter." Cooper complained, steadying himself on Kurts shoulder.

"Wendigos love winter." Kurt retorted, shrugging Coopers hand away and trailed forward, whistling for the bone pup as it waddled close to them, quietly bouncing upon the snowy ground.

"Blaine hated winter." Cooper sighed from his left, the older man shaking his head, snowflakes falling from it and the bone pup rushing over to nip on the white flakes.

Kurt kept silent.

"I really need to find him, Kurt." The older man sounded tired and Kurt couldnt help feeling a tad sorry for the guy. "I know its really not your problem," Cooper scratched his head miserably and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But hes my only brother."

There was a pause.

"My family isnt a happy one. He makes them happy – well mostly us and not our father, but still." Cooper gazed wearily at Kurt.

"I miss him and he makes the family whole."

Kurt scoffed under his breath, "Sentimental arent we?" He grumbled, rolling his eyes.

There was a long pause once more. (And a few happy barks)

"Wendigos come out at the night." Kurt heaved out, avoiding another dead rat. "In the day, it stays in its cave." He sidestepped another dead rabbit.

"If Blaine is a Wendigo, he will be in that cave." He could literally see Coopers face light up in cheerfulness, "We find him, we take him home and Im through with your business." Kurt rolled his eyes once more. He stopped for a moment, bending down to scratch the bone pups ear, emitting a blissful bark from the creature.

"So we do have a chance in finding Blaine after all?" Cooper asked hopefully, a happy glimmer in his eyes.

"Dont keep your hopes up." Kurt stood back up, glaring at Cooper, shaking his head at the older mans excitement.

They continued their trek forward.

"Thank you Kurt." Cooper murmured after a moment, "I really do appreciate all this."

Kurt snorted lightly.

"You are a good person you know that." He added after a while.

"Even after killing those bandits?" Kurt smirked darkly, turning to Cooper, who shook his head.

"You ruined the good moment!"

"They deserved it!"

He knew Cooper was enjoying their friendly little banter, judging by the grin on the mans face. Before any of them could continue their fun, a loud sickening crunch and an ear-splitting agonizing wail echoed in the forest.

The both of them froze.

Kurt whipped out his bow but was stopped by the screech of dread from Cooper, whose jaw had dropped wide open, the hazel pools suddenly filled with distress and Kurts eyes followed the direction of where Cooper was pointing out.

Kurts blood ran cold at the sight in front of his eyes.

In the middle of the pathway slightly to their right, was the bone pup, crushed into pieces by the impact of an animal trap. That would explain the multitude of dead rabbits and rats.

Hunters.

Kurts blood boiled as he rushed forward to the dead bone pup. Its paws and ears were pounded into small tiny pieces, its skull left on the snowy ground, the empty sockets now filled with soulless black holes. He reached out to touch the cold bones of the happy creature that was following them, his heart torn into shreds, an innocent life gone.

Anger rose in his throat like bile.

"Kurt." Cooper sounded scared and confused, "Will it be okay?"

Kurt turned to Cooper slowly, his ice blue eyes glinting with rage. He couldnt control the building anger in the pit of his stomach and whipped out his bow and arrow, aiming for Coopers heart. Startled, the older man raised his hands up in surrender, backing away slowly.

"Kurt." He murmured, "Kurt what are you doing?"

Kurt narrowed his cold eyes. He let the arrow fly.