Chapter Text
'Be careful of the curse that falls on young lovers.
Starts so soft and sweet and turns them to hunters.'
- Florence + the Machine
Hari stared ahead at the long, icy path, her dark eyes following the trail until it disappeared around the bend and into the woods. The heavy snowfall had covered almost everything, but the path remained clear, taunting the young woman.
'Just put one foot in front of the other', she thought. Unfortunately, this was easier said than done.
Before she could consider the idea further, or act on her somewhat foolish decision, a heavy cloth gently weighed down on her shoulders, serving as a constant reminder of the numerous reasons she would never be able to exit.
A recognisable voice whispered softly in her ear, "You are going to freeze to death."
With a dejected exhale, Hari turned slowly and tightened the ties of her cloak. "I barely feel it," she said truthfully, looking up at her best friend. "How did you know I was here, Jungkook?"
"Did you forget, Hari?" he enquired, the corners of his lips momentarily twitching into a small smirk. "We're connected."
"You're infuriating," she mumbled, turning back around to continue staring at the path.
The peaceful silence returned, and though she was quite irritated, Hari didn't fight against the strong arms that came down over her shoulders.
"Are you thinking of leaving us again?"
In truth, the idea of finally stepping foot on the path and following it to the end was incredibly tempting. The world was large, and Hari was so desperate to escape the stifling walls of their village and discover everything it had to offer.
Unfortunately, though, her courage always dwindled.
"What do you think it's like out there?" she quietly asked.
"Hmm, I've heard many things," her friend replied, resting his cheek against her temple. "There are villages far larger than ours, surrounded by brick walls that stretch higher than these trees. The markets are filled with all kinds of people, selling everything you can possibly think of from their stalls. One man told me he came across a particular stall that sold spices, dipped with colours of the rainbow, some so flavourful that they set fire to your tongue. The sun would shine down on the entire town, warming everyone with its presence."
Before everything began to take a turn for the worst, many travellers would pass through their desolate little village, getting drunk in the tavern and sharing their stories with anyone willing to listen. Jungkook would spend plenty of time with those people, recounting their tales to Hari so that they could travel the world together on those words.
For two young adults who'd never set foot outside their village, those stories meant everything.
"One day we'll leave. One day we'll run away from here."
Hari hummed, acknowledging his words. Jungkook had said it many times, and though the notion itself was sweet, she couldn't ever truly see either of them escaping their cages.
A sudden 'clang' began to echo through the trees, startling both Hari and Jungkook.
"It's happened again," the young woman muttered, removing herself from her friend's arms. "We have to go back."
With great reluctance, the two headed back through the entrance to their village, their dreams of leaving pushed to the back of their minds once more. When the warning bells rang, they had to listen.
The small village of Thornhill hadn't always been so gloomy and dark. There was once a time when their village thrived—a common place for travellers to stop by and rest before they continued their journey. The people had once been so kind and joyful, welcoming to all.
The first incident came exactly six months before. It hadn't been anything too worrisome, though the residents of Thornhill could now all agree that they should have looked deeper into the matter much sooner.
First, their crop fields were destroyed. With many animals in the surrounding forest, the farmers assumed that a few rabbits or other forms of animals had been digging away at the ground, overturning their seeds, and eating away at the vegetables they'd planted. At first, no one thought anything of it, at least not until it became a regular occurrence. It became a great sense of frustration for the farmers who worked so hard to grow their crops, but it was something they were all able to reason away.
Things only became sinister as the months passed by.
One night, while Thornhill slept, a beast crept its way into the livestock. Even now, no one knows what it was. The villagers were all gathered the morning after by the owner and his farmhand, Jimin. A wild animal had somehow avoided all traps surrounding the pig pen and torn apart the poor animals inside, drowning the earth in blood and flesh. The entire situation became confusing and unnerving once it was discovered that the mysterious beast hadn't even eaten many of the animals, but the villagers remained hopeful that it'd just been a desperate wolf in need of food. So, to avoid such a thing happening to the rest of their food, many men volunteered to keep watch at night, taking shifts to ensure the remaining livestock remained unharmed.
Their plan failed.
When the cows were torn to shreds only a month later, a meeting was held in the church to decide what would be done to avoid further damage.
And so the fence was built. The woodcutters were extremely busy for many months, ensuring the village was securely surrounded by thick wooden beams, blocking the village from the forest. They stretched high, almost eleven feet tall, carved into sharp edges at the top. Though the presence of the fence was rather worrying since it meant there was a great threat to their village, the residents attempted to return to their peaceful lives, promised by the woodcutters that nothing would ever be able to break through the barriers.
One particular morning, around a month or so after the fence was built, the residents were summoned to a spot outside of the village. One of the regular woodcutters, Namjoon, had been on his morning rounds to ensure the safety of the fence and found something incredibly unnerving during his check.
The suspicion that a wild and desperate animal had been the thing to rip apart their livestock was confirmed. The deep claw marks embedded in the fence were proof enough that some beast had been trying to get inside the village. However, those claw marks trailed eight feet up toward the top of the fence. There had been many sightings of wolves in the forest, but they never came near the village, and no one had ever seen one large enough to create such marks.
The villagers were terrified, and rightfully so. It also hadn't escaped anyone's attention that they no longer received travellers. As a small village in the middle of a rather vast forest, visitors hadn't ever come in large numbers. Three a month had been the average amount, but their last 'guest' had come and gone before the attacks began.
Rumours spread like fire. If a strange beast was lurking in the forest, something with such a great lust for destruction, then it wasn't hard to believe that the lack of visitors was because of it.
Eventually, the residents became fearful of the woods. There would be a weekly gathering where the women would go together to the nearest stream to gather water, praying that the beast would avoid large groups of humans, much like the other animals they knew of. So far, it has worked; no one from their village has been harmed.
There had been a search party once, sometime after the animals were killed. Every man in the village gathered together in an attempt to find and kill the beast, armed with swords, knives, and any other object that could be used as a weapon. They headed into the forest during the early hours of the morning, only to return empty-handed at sunset. They'd found no tracks, no blood, and nothing that could help them find the mysterious animal. It was almost as if it didn't exist at all.
Everyone was scared, and everyone was trapped inside their struggling village.
Hari and Jungkook ran for the village church, thick snow crunching beneath their feet as they moved.
Whenever there was an incident involving the mysterious beast, the pastor would ring the church bells and summon the residents. It was mostly done to ensure everyone knew exactly what was going on, but in the more recent months, it'd been to make sure no one from their village had been taken by the beast.
When the two arrived at the church, they found the pews were already occupied, and the remainder of the residents pressed up against the church walls or sat on the cold floor.
"Hari!" The young woman turned her head when she heard her name, and she found her mother calling her over from beside the pews.
"C'mon," whispered Hari, tugging Jungkook's hand as she made her way towards her mother.
The moment Hari reached her mother, the fussing began. The older woman's eyes darted to every inch of her daughter, her hands gently cupping the youngster's cheeks. "I couldn't find you; you worried me," she lightly scolded, brows furrowed.
For as long as Hari could remember—even before the beast came along—her mother, Hana, had always been rather overbearing. As a child, Hari had always been forced to remain within her mother's line of sight, and could never run along and play with the other children like she longed to. When she grew older it was Jungkook's father, Hajun, who made the woman see some sense. No matter how worried she was for her daughter, Hari would eventually grow to resent her if she persisted with her actions, so Hari was granted some form of freedom.
According to her mother and Hajun, Hari had been quite sickly as a child. From what she could remember she'd been much like the other children, full of energy and eager to explore her surroundings. During her earlier years, she'd been struck by a fever of some kind and she'd been bedridden, unwilling to eat or drink, and consumed by an unbearable pain in her body and head. Fortunately, Hana's mother just so happened to be one of the most skilled healers and concocted a rather disgusting tea that cured the youngster within a month.
Unfortunately, Hari's grandmother announced that her illness would never truly fade away. Even now, at twenty-one years old, Hari still suffered from occasional dizzy spells and awful headaches. Every evening before bed she had to drink at least one cup of her Grandmother's special tea to keep the fever at bay, though her other ailments only worsened once her moon blood came.
Though Hana's worrying and fussing irritated Hari sometimes, she couldn't quite push her mother away because of it. Hana never spoke much of Hari's father, so the youngster had eventually questioned Hajun who - rather reluctantly - admitted that her father had been killed during a raid before Hari was born, in a much larger town they lived in before coming to Thornhill.
Hari couldn't even begin to imagine the pain of having someone she loved taken away from her in such a way, especially when carrying that man's child, and so she accepted her mother for who she was.
"Is everyone here?" asked the Pastor, the question directed to his helper, Taehyung, who shook his head.
"The healer isn't here, neither is her assistant," the young man explained, eyes roaming over the crowd once more.
A few hushed whispers began, many of the villagers expressing their distaste for the healer's refusal to join the town meetings. Some even eyed Hari and her mother, as though they were responsible for the old woman's behaviour.
"No matter," muttered the Pastor, though Hari could see he also was annoyed with her Grandmother. "I'm sure someone will give them the information later."
The room filled with silence and the Pastor looked at the crowd in front of him. He seemed fidgety today, somewhat unsure.
"A few weeks ago I sent a letter to the nearest town. I told them in great detail what'd been happening to our poor village, how we were being tormented by a beast in the forest. Today, I received a reply," announced the Pastor. He reached into his coat pocket and retrieved what Hari assumed was the letter. "They didn't have anyone that could help us, but they sent our message to a man who could."
"Who is he?" asked Jin.
"A hunter," the Pastor replied, causing another round of whispers amongst the villagers. "I've only ever heard stories of this man. He's a great warrior, a holy man, dedicated to ridding this world of evil beings. The great beast that plagues our village is something he's dealt with before. He'll save us, I'm sure of it."
The whispers grew louder. Some were hopeful, while others held doubt. Though the Pastor seemed sure this 'hunter' would bring peace back to their village, the rest would require some convincing.
"How can you be so sure?" The question came from Hoseok - or Hobi, as the locals called him. "I thought it was a mere wolf we were dealing with."
The Pastor frowned. "A mere wolf, you say? Mere wolves do not destroy our crops. Mere wolves do not sneak during the night to slaughter livestock without devouring any of it. Mere wolves do not claw away at our high walls and leave marks taller than any man in our village!" He brought down his fist onto the table in front of him, a loud 'bang' echoing throughout the church.
"We are not dealing with a wolf," added Taehyung, crossing his arms as he leaned back against the wall. "We are dealing with something far worse."
Hari shuddered and moved closer to her mother, who soothingly rubbed her arm in an attempt to comfort the youngster.
"I know how scared you all are," said the Pastor, "I am as well. Winter is approaching and our food is running low, so many of us are refusing to enter the woods in fear of this beast. If we don't seek help elsewhere then I fear our village will not survive. Please welcome the hunter, treat him as you would when travellers would pass through Thornhill, our very lives depend on him."
"When will he arrive?" inquired Jin.
"Sometime within the week, so please prepare yourselves."
The meeting was dismissed soon after. The residents poured out through the church entrance, the soon-to-be newcomer the topic of every conversation.
Hari looked up at her mother. "What do you think, mama?"
The young woman hadn't missed the expression on her mother's face when the Pastor announced a hunter would be arriving. If she hadn't been looking at her mother then maybe she wouldn't have spotted it, that split second where Hana's eyes widened, a pained look crossing her features before she remembered where she was.
"I think I need to lay down," answered her mother, staring ahead in deep thought.
As Hari opened her mouth to ask what might be troubling her mother, a hand reached out to gently grasp Hana's forearm.
"I'll take her home," said Hajun, handling Hari's mother carefully as he held her waist. "She'll be fine, go find the boy."
"Don't call him that," demanded Hari, reluctantly handing her mother to Hajun. "He has a name."
For whatever reason Jungkook and Hajun - despite being father and son - seemed to despise each other greatly. It wasn't Jungkook's fault entirely, he simply returned the attitude his father gave him, having now accepted that his father would always keep him at arm's length. Hari often wondered if it was because Jungkook looked so much like his mother, who'd also passed away before he'd been born. Not everyone dealt with grief the same way. Hana kept Hari safely tucked within her arms, and Hajun constantly pushed his son away. He never hurt his son, though Hari assumed he only avoided it since her mother would have some choice words to say had he done so, but she could tell his indifference towards Jungkook had hurt her friend for a long time.
Hari held no strong feelings toward the man. He'd been her mother's friend long before they arrived at Thornhill and the two were almost always found together, much like Jungkook and Hari. He'd always been rather detached from the rest of the village, with no urge to get to know their fellow villagers or join gatherings unless Hana asked him. He'd join the rest of the woodcutters for their daily duties and spend a large amount of his time in Hari's cottage with her mother, often staying overnight. At some point during her childhood, Hari had asked if he was her father, though her mother instantly put down those thoughts. Nowadays Hari considered him a ghost in her home, someone she greeted when necessary but otherwise never spoke to unless it involved her mother.
"Hari!" The youngster turned her head to see one of her fellow villagers, Sana, waving her over. "How are you?" the golden-haired girl asked once Hari was close enough, leading her to where two other girls, Joy and Yuna, were huddled.
"No different than usual," answered Hari with a light shrug.
"I overheard my father talking to one of his friends," whispered Joy, taking a quick look around to make sure no one could hear them. "Apparently this hunter is rather infamous. Some people think he's gone insane, spouting nonsense about demons and things like that. There was an incident many years ago where he murdered almost an entire village, claiming they'd been cursed by the devil."
"Cursed?" repeated Hari, "How so?"
Joy shrugged. "I've no idea, maybe my father will tell me more if I ask, though I doubt it'll go well. He thinks I should focus more on finding a husband."
Hari rolled her eyes, each woman groaning in understanding.
"My mother says the same," said Sana, twirling a long strand of hair around her finger. "With everything going on lately you'd think they'd prioritize other issues, but they won't let it go."
"Although," began Yuna, a slight smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "I was incredibly disappointed to find our healer hadn't attended today's gathering."
"Are you visiting your Grandmother today, Hari?" asked Sana, rather pointedly. "May we join you?"
"I'm afraid you might smother the poor man," she giggled, thinking of her Grandmother's helper. "I'm sure there's a reason he very rarely comes into our village."
The object of Yuna's desires was Yoongi, the man who spent all of his time in the forest with Hari's grandmother, the village healer. He'd arrived at Thornhill almost a year before, though no one knew for certain when he'd arrived. None of the villagers had been aware of his existence until he showed up at Thornhill one day with Hari's Grandmother.
Hari made sure to visit her Grandmother at least once a week, but she hadn't ever spoken to Yoongi, aside from a simple greeting which he acknowledged with a sharp nod. The man preferred the solitude the healer's cottage provided him, choosing to stay away from Thornhill and everyone inside. Unfortunately, he'd been blessed with a certain allure, a particular energy that captured the attention of the younger women. Maybe it was the constant expression of disinterest whenever he passed through their village, or the fact that he was a complete mystery to most, but whatever it was it was enough to pique the interest of quite a few villagers, including Yuna. Plus, the man was incredibly handsome. Many were overwhelmingly curious to know how received the scar across his right eye, but no one had the balls to ask - not even Hari.
"I think my parents are hoping for me to marry Jin," admitted Sana, rather disheartened. "Out of everyone in the village, he makes the most money, I'm sure my mother is throwing hints as we speak."
Seokjin - or Jin as he was called by most - had become rather popular amongst the parents who had daughters. At twenty-six years old, and with a reliable source of income, he became quite the village favourite once he settled in. Jin was quite kind... or at least too kind to outright reject the women who came to him almost daily with marriage proposals, and Hari found it rather adorable when he became so flustered due to the never-ending compliments. It was no secret that he was incredibly attractive, and on many occasions, the young woman had seen him grin to himself when he knew he was being ogled, which meant he also knew how good-looking he was.
Yuna frowned. "You haven't told them about Hobi?"
Sana shook her head. "Not yet, I don't think they'll approve."
Hobi was Thornhill's newer resident. He hadn't been around long, only a few months, but he'd made a great impression on the village. The villager's mood had understandably gone south when the beast showed up and raising everyone's spirits was a little harder to do when people were constantly fearing for their lives, but Hobi made it seem so easy. He couldn't promise things would get better or magically solve their beastly problem, but he had a great way with words. Plus, he'd gotten to know his fellow villagers during the months he'd been around and he'd soon learnt what made them brighten. He'd brought a faint light into their gloomy village that everyone had grown attached to.
Sana's relationship with Hobi wasn't quite set in stone, but it wasn't hard to see the signs of affection if one looked long enough. He was always on the move, never in the same place for too long since many enjoyed his company, so no one ever questioned it when he disappeared from the village for a little while. Sana on the other hand always stuck out from the crowd. With golden curls that fell to her waist and a beautiful crimson cloak her mother had paid quite a bit of money for, it wasn't hard to pick her out from the rest. Many times Hari, Joy, and Yuna had agreed to wear Sana's cloak, raising the hood as they walked around the village to provide an alibi with her parents. Sometimes it became quite the process, but the three were always ready and willing to help their friend sneak out to spend a moment or two with her lover.
Unfortunately for Sana, her parents believed in security more than they did love, and Hobi had no specific profession. He did odd jobs around the village, mostly assisting anyone who needed an extra set of hands, so he didn't earn as much as Jin. If Sana was to ever marry Hobi, as Hari was sure she wanted to, she'd have to do it without her parent's blessing.
Joy smiled. "Did anyone notice Namjoon?" she said playfully, successfully lightening the conversation. "I almost fainted."
"He has been getting bigger lately, chopping wood must be doing wonders for the man's body," agreed Hari.
Namjoon was quite similar to Yoongi, but maybe a little less untouchable. He was rather quiet, and stayed to himself for the most part, though occasionally he could be found inside Jin's workshop chatting away with the blacksmith. If it hadn't been for his friendship with Jin, Hari was sure no one in the village would have approached him. Oftentimes he strode through the village, lids slightly lowered in determination. At his height and with such a strong build he was quite the intimidating figure... unless a person was lucky enough to see him smile - which he did often around Jin. It was enough to melt even the strongest of women.
"Oh, I made a grave error inside that church," declared Yuna, taking another look around before leaning in, and gesturing for the other girls to do the same. "I locked eyes with a particular farmhand." The women groaned in unison, understanding their friend's suffering all too well.
The farmhand, Jimin, more commonly regarded as the great menace to the young women for how unbearably beautiful he was. On their first meeting, Hari could remember him exuding an air of innocence which was emphasised when he smiled, his round cheeks quite the adorable sight. He'd always been quite a happy man, despite having been the first witness to the brutal slaughter of their animals, even now going about his day as if it hadn't impacted him at all.
However, the women had now concluded that Jimin's innocence was not all there was to him. Hari wasn't sure if he'd just been on his best behaviour during his first few months in the village to prove to the locals that he wasn't a troublemaker, but as he grew comfortable with his surroundings something changed. Nothing sinister of course, but he took every opportunity to remind the girls that he was, in fact, a man as well. Sana had been the first to witness this 'change'. Before the beast's arrival, when Jimin had still been tending to the animals and doing chores on the farm, the young woman had paid a visit to the farm with her mother to retrieve some milk. At first, all had been well, Sana greeted Jimin the way she normally would, and her mother told her to fetch the milk with Jimin while she paid the farmer. According to Sana nothing had been amiss... at least until she was alone with the farmhand.
The women still remembered the details of Sana's story to this day, mainly since it'd had their attention gripped from the moment it began. One moment Sana had been chatting pleasantly with the young man about something or other, and then she'd been stunned into silence. Jimin hadn't said anything out of the ordinary, or made any inappropriate remarks, but Sana explained that it had everything to do with the way he looked at her that afternoon. Hari's incredibly flustered friend had described the moment as best as she could, but the remaining women remained dubious... until they were on the receiving end of it.
To this day there was a mutual agreement between the youngsters; Never under any circumstances were they to make direct eye contact with him.
"How on earth are you still standing?" asked Joy.
Yuna smiled. "I was lucky enough to be sat in the pews. I just hope I didn't leave a mark."
The women broke into a fit of laughter, Hari having the good sense to shush the bunch when she realised a few remaining villagers were eyeing them with curiosity.
"If your parents could hear you now they'd send you away to a convent," giggled Sana.
"If the young men there look the same way our dear shadow looks then it won't be all bad," said Yuna, her dark eyes glancing pointedly at something - or someone - over Hari's shoulder.
'Ah yes," thought Hari, having almost forgotten about the remaining 'bachelor' of Thornhill.
Taehyung was the only man in Thornhill that Hari couldn't quite feel comfortable with. On his arrival to Thornhill, he'd immediately asked to speak with the local Pastor, refusing the drink and food that was offered to him by the welcoming villagers. He'd arrived with nothing and remained utterly silent as one of the residents showed him where the church was. No one in Thornhill knew where he came from or why he came, but from that day on he could always be found beside the Pastor, just as quiet as he had been from the moment he came. Thus, he earned the nickname 'shadow' by many of the villagers.
Hari didn't believe that he posed a large threat. She trusted that the Pastor wouldn't have allowed him to stay if that was the case. What made her uncomfortable was how observant he was. Taehyung didn't speak to anyone in the village, and in turn, no one spoke to him, but Hari had caught him once or twice.
It'd been after one of their many gatherings. With everything that was going on it wasn't abnormal for the Thornhill residents to seek comfort and reassurance from the Pastor, and on this day he'd been chatting away with an elderly woman, Taehyung standing at his side. From a distance, it seemed like the young man was listening to the woman as well, but a closer look said otherwise. His head was tilted slightly to the right, and for a split second, she saw his eyes dart to the side, where Hana and Hajun had been whispering amongst themselves near the church entrance.
From that day on, Hari always did her best to stay well away from Taehyung if she was talking to someone. After all, no one knew why he'd come to Thornhill, and he made no effort to mix with the rest of the village. Maybe Hari was just being unreasonably distrusting of Taehyung, but she couldn't see her wariness coming to a close anytime soon... no matter how handsome he was.
"While we're on the subject of men, what's going on with you and Jungkook, Hari?"
The young woman blinked when she became the centre of attention. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"You know what I mean," said Joy. "You two have been connected at the hip since you were children; you can't possibly tell me you haven't noticed how well he's grown."
It was true. Since Hana and Hajun were extremely close, it only made sense that their children followed the same path in their relationship. In every memory of her childhood, Jungkook had always been by her side, mainly since her mother had always kept her close by for the majority of her younger years and Jungkook had always been trailing behind his father. Jungkook had been Hari's very first friend, almost a brother, and so she'd tried her best to keep seeing him that way.
Joy's words rang true, much to Hari's dismay. Of course, she'd noticed the changes. As a child, Jungkook had always been on the thinner side, with big doe eyes that made every woman in the village rather broody. Hari could still recount how his cheeks turned pink every time one of the villagers gushed over how adorable he was. During their teenage years—around the time Hajun had demanded his son start 'pulling his weight', as he'd so wonderfully put it—Jungkook spent less time at Hari's side and more time in the forest, chopping wood with his father and many other men.
Hari hadn't noticed the subtle changes until many years had passed when it suddenly crashed into her with the force of a raging bull. When they were both eighteen years old, she'd gone to his home to find him, accidentally entering right as he'd been washing. The moment she realised what he'd been doing, she covered her eyes and turned, but the damage had already been done. She could vividly remember questioning her sanity on the way home, utterly annoyed that she couldn't seem to remove the sight of his muscular frame from her mind.
"Hari!"
The young woman flinched, realising she'd fallen back into that particular memory while her friends were awaiting her reply. Though if the knowing grins on their faces were anything to go by, it was safe to assume they already had their answer.
"Has anyone seen Jungkook?" she asked quickly, hoping to divert their attention from her rather humiliating moment.
"I think I saw him heading off with Jin," said Sana. "He's probably getting his axe sharpened."
Hari nodded. "Alright. I suppose I'd better go see Grandmother, let her know we'll be expecting a visitor soon," she said, giving the girls a small wave.
"Say hello to Yoongi for me!" shouted Yuna, loud enough for any loitering villagers to hear.
Hari laughed and looked back over her shoulder at the mischievous woman. "Of course!"
Hari's grandmother was, quite possibly, one of the most disliked people in Thornhill. The old woman was brutally honest and didn't care much for the average formalities and casual greetings. Whenever she took the time to enter the village and visit Hana, many residents would avoid her, desperate to avoid being on the receiving end of her harsh, piercing stare. Hari had heard a few rumours that her grandmother was a witch since she was so easily able to make another person feel less than their worth with a mere glance, though the young woman knew otherwise. The villagers of Thornhill only ever saw one side of her grandmother, whereas Hari had been raised around a different version.
Of course, Hari could see what everyone else saw. She wasn't blind to the no-nonsense energy her grandmother gave off. She'd been subjected to it as a child when she was being rather bratty and irritable. However, Hari's grandmother was also kind and considerate, though this was mostly displayed through her actions rather than words, and the young woman knew she was always welcome in her grandmother's home.
One of the many other reasons the Thornhill villagers didn't like Hari's grandmother was because she adamantly refused to live within the fence. The old woman's cottage was only a few minutes outside of the village, but there had been quite an outrage from the villagers when she announced that she would not be joining them inside the barriers. It'd been the only gathering Hari's grandmother had attended, in which she explained that she would not be uprooting her belongings and abandoning her herb garden because of a 'feral dog'. Her words had caused quite the controversy at the time, though Hari and Jungkook had found them incredibly hilarious.
It was a good thing Hari's grandmother was extremely skilled at what she did; otherwise, she would've been cast out by the entire village at this point.
Hari shivered as she made her way down the familiar path, wrapping Jungkook's cloak tighter around her body as she trudged through the thick snow. The snowfall had been growing heavier as the days passed by, and while it created quite a beautiful sight through the window of her home, it wasn't quite as soothing having to travel through it.
The young woman breathed a sigh of relief once her grandmother's cottage came into view, using the remainder of her energy to hurry through the snow and up the steps. She quickly stomped her soaking feet on the top step, removing any snow that might be stuck to her lower half. "Grandma?" she called out, pushing the door to the cottage open.
"Good afternoon, little one."
Hari closed the door behind her, removing Jungkook's cloak as fast she could manage and placing it on the hook near the door. She removed her shoes and held them between her fingers, heading for the hearth and hoping they'd warm up by the time she had to leave. "I'm assuming you heard the bells?" she said, approaching her grandmother after she'd laid her shoes near the fire.
"Of course I did," replied her grandmother, stirring what Hari could only assume was a broth of some form. "What happened this time?"
Hari raised her brows. "If you made an effort to attend, then you'd know," she teased, her stomach growling as she caught a whiff of the broth.
"We both know my presence would only cause further discomfort," her grandmother stated. "Go sit; I'll bring you a bowl."
Hari smiled and headed for the rocking chair near the fire, curling up on the furs just as she did when she was a child, draping one of her grandmother's knitted quilts over her cold legs.
"So tell me, what happened?"
"The pastor sent a letter to the nearest village," the youngster began, muttering a quick 'thank you' when her grandmother handed her the bowl. "He's asked for outside help."
"Really? He'll be waiting for some time."
"He sent it off a few weeks ago," explained Hari, swirling her broth with a wooden spoon. "He said a man would be arriving within a week, some sort of hunter."
A sudden 'bang' caused the youngster to flinch, her eyes slowly trailing towards the door. When she realised who it was, she glowered, though the blonde-haired man was unaware as he removed his cloak and boots.
"Are you out of your damn mind?" she scolded. "I almost dropped my food."
As per usual, she was ignored by Yoongi, who dropped down into the chair opposite her own.
"Hari," her grandmother called, pouring another bowl. "You said a hunter would be arriving."
"Ah, right," muttered Hari, swallowing another spoonful before she continued. "The pastor said he was a holy man and that he'd dealt with something similar to our beast before."
"Is that so?" her grandmother wondered, joining Hari and Yoongi near the fire once she'd given him his broth. "How do you feel about that?"
Hari paused for a moment. "I'm not sure," she admitted with a small shrug. "The pastor seems pretty hopeful, and so do some of the villagers, but I spoke to Yuna after the gathering, and she overheard her father talking about it. Some people think this hunter is insane. She said he murdered an entire village many years ago and claimed the people he killed had been 'cursed by the devil', whatever that entails."
An audible scoff passed through her grandmother's lips. "I know exactly who they're talking about."
"Really?" asked Hari, her eyes alight with curiosity. "Is it true then? Can he really help us?"
"Your friend's father was correct, as was the pastor. The hunter's presence will surely end the attacks on Thornhill, though I don't know how many will survive it."
The youngster frowned. "What do you mean?"
Her grandmother released a long sigh. "He holds a rather strong belief system, and he's quick to use others' fears to his advantage. As long as those in Thornhill follow his orders, they'll remain safe."
"And if they don't?" asked Hari, though some part of her knew the answer already.
"Once, a very long time ago, I was passing through a town quite far from here. It was a beautiful place that bordered the shoreline, surrounded by a large brick wall to keep the tide away. It was quite soothing, though I find the peace this forest provides much more endearing."
"Anyway, there was a much smaller village just outside of this town. The people there were... intriguing, to say the least," her grandmother said, a wistful smile gracing her features. "They followed a different set of rules than those in the town. The townsfolk believed in the power of God and that he was the only one capable of judging and ruling them. But those in the village believed in a goddess—a goddess of the moon."
"A goddess?" the youngster asked, quite taken aback. She hadn't had any opportunities to learn about other beliefs. The only form of religion they had in the village was the pastor, who was very much a man of God. The idea of a woman being worshipped... well, it certainly captured her interest.
"Yes," said her grandmother in amusement. "They didn't believe in the destruction of nature. These people were truly appreciative of everything they were given, holding a wonderful feast every full moon to thank their goddess for their food, clothing, and even their homes. They were good people, though looking back on it now, I must say they might've been too good."
Hari swallowed. "What happened to them?"
"The hunter," her grandmother spat, something as simple as his name leaving a bitter taste on her tongue. "Some people in this world refuse to accept that others don't follow the same path that they do, and he was one of them. He couldn't stand the thought that others held different beliefs and that there might be a great power like the one he followed. He'd always made his feelings about them clear, and some agreed with him. At first, he'd been nothing more than a nuisance, gathering in the centre of the town with his lackeys in an attempt to convince everyone in the town to send the villagers away. Then something happened that made him snap."
"There was a young woman in this town—quite infamous, I must say. If she was supposed to be doing one thing, then you'd surely find her doing anything else. She was incredibly bright and kind, but she had no interest in town life. Many thought she'd grow out of it as she got older, but it only got worse. She didn't want to find a husband and settle down with him; she wanted to get out of town and see what the big world had in store for her."
"I don't blame her," muttered Hari, understanding the woman's desires all too well.
"Unfortunately, she became one of the prettiest girls in the town, so there was no shortage of men hoping to gain her hand in marriage. She rejected them all; she'd made her feelings perfectly clear that marriage was not something she wanted at that time, but a good majority of those men went straight to her parents, hoping to convince them to hand over their daughter. Thankfully, her parents were reasonable people. They didn't want their daughter tied down to a strange man she'd never love; they wanted her to go and find her own way in the world, wherever it might be."
"Did she leave?" asked Hari.
Her grandmother smiled knowingly. "Not in the way I'm sure you want her to. Your mother will kill me if I play into your fantasies, little one."
Hari pouted. "Fine," she mumbled, disappointed. "So, what did she do?"
"Fate can be incredibly amusing. The young woman's curiosity was endless, so naturally she found herself in the village of the moon followers. She wanted to know everything about them, and so their chief granted her permission to learn their ways from his oldest son."
"Ah," the youngster sighed. "I think I know where this is going."
"Fine. They fall in love. Then what happens?"
Her grandmother's smile fell. "It came as quite a shock when she told everyone she was marrying a man from the village. The relationship between the townsfolk and the moon followers had always been quite neutral; they tended to stay out of each other's way most of the time, so this marriage was quite controversial. A lot of people were mainly stunned to see the woman who'd sworn she would never marry until she'd seen the world jump into it at the age of eighteen."
"Some saw this as a great opportunity for peace. Two weddings would be held. One inside the town church, where the young woman was born, and the other under the moonlight in the forest, where the chief's son was raised. The people were so excited, from both sides. Of course, some were against it, those who were afraid of the changes this merger would bring, but for a little while everything was good."
Hari's stomach turned. "They didn't marry?" she quietly asked.
"They married," her grandmother reassured. "I still remember how beautiful it was. During the ceremony, all the women cried. They'd all seen this free-spirited child grow into a wonderful woman, and seeing her get married was extremely overwhelming. She wore her mother's wedding dress and had daisies carefully pinned into her hair. She was glowing ."
"The townsfolk had prepared a lovely feast for after the wedding, held in the centre of the town. It was quite the sight—moon-followers and townsfolk drinking together and sharing stories, learning each other's ways and traditions. The bride and the chief's son looked so happy, they couldn't take their eyes off of each other for more than five minutes."
Hari was startled when Yoongi jumped up from his chair. The blonde-haired man remained quiet, as he'd been the entire time, though something in his rushed movements puzzled the youngster.
"He's not a big fan of this story," her grandmother explained, her voice hushed so that he didn't overhear.
Hari nodded and watched as Yoongi pulled on his coat and boots, slamming the door behind him as he left.
"Anyway," her grandmother continued, settling down in the chair Yoongi had occupied. "Sometime during the feast, a few of the moon-followers came to me, asking if I had anything to soothe stomach pain. I assumed they weren't feeling well because they'd had too much food and wine, but I was wrong. One by one, the guests began shaking, as though they were buried in snow, and their eyes rolled into the back of their heads. There were so many people, and I was unprepared, and when they began drooling foam, I knew something truly terrible had been done."
"The moon followers were incredible people. They were stronger than the average man in the town; their senses were far stronger than they should've been. Everything about them was otherworldly. However, there was a particular flower that the moon followers were affected by. A small amount of this flower mixed into their tea would have them bedridden and on the brink of death for at least a month or two, assuming they didn't have a healer that was skilled enough."
"They died one by one. The chief, his people, and even his son. Their veins were raised and glowed purple, and their lips turned the same colour. The townsfolk were terrified, they tried their best to help, but nothing could be done, and some were scared the same would happen to them. What was once a joyful night of celebration had become a brutal slaughter."
"The hunter did it?" asked Hari.
Her grandmother nodded. "Of course. He'd slipped a few leaves from the poisonous flower into the wine. It wasn't just the moon followers that suffered either. Anyone who'd had a mouthful of that wine was subjected to horrible stomach pains and nausea; some older townsfolk passed because of it. He didn't even hide the fact that he'd done it. I remember holding a woman in my arms at the time; she had to be around your age, and the blood she'd coughed up before succumbing to the poison was still on my dress. My mind could barely process what'd happened when this beast of a man stood proudly in the middle of all the bodies, spewing absolute nonsense about how he'd done it for the good of the townsfolk, that these poor people had been devil worshippers."
"He looked so proud of himself. I could see in his eyes that he truly thought he'd done a wonderful thing, that he'd rid the town of evil. When those from the town became ill because of the wine, he said it was a necessary sacrifice for the good of the world. The townsfolk were in so much pain, between burying their family members and even those of the moon-followers, that no one was willing to believe his words. The hunter was chased from the town; a handful of those that'd agreed with his acts followed him, and the rest of the town did their best to come to terms with what was left."
Hari sniffled. "What happened to the bride?"
"She died," her grandmother stated. "Oh, little one," she gently muttered, reaching forward to wipe away Hari's falling tears. "I didn't tell you this story to cause you pain. You're a grown woman now; there's no need for me or your mother to hide the truth from you. I told you this story so that when the hunter does come, you know to stay alert. I have no idea what will happen when he comes, but I need to know you'll do everything possible to keep your family safe. Can you do that, Hari?"
"Of course," the youngster managed to say. "I'll do whatever it takes."