Love Blossoms in Strange Conditions (Werewolf x Herb)

Chapter 1

He didn't respond to her, but instead went to kneel down to inspect the frosted flowers. Herb held one of them in the palm of his hands, feeling the cold burn him from how incredibly frozen it was.

"So, this seems to be more then just a plant issue?" Herb assumed.

"Now it is. Great, as if enough wasn't happening, we just had to add on the fact that someone could be casting curses on the school, and for what reason?"

"Who knows, but all I know is that these flowers can't be saved. I'm terribly sorry," Herb felt the need to apologize.

"You did what you could, at least we know now."

Herb felt horrible for not being able to do anything for Latte, considering that he walked all this way only to find out that there was nothing for him to do anyway. He gave Latte his last good luck to her, and made his way back. He figured that at least he knew he wouldn't be gone for long now, so he would be able to go to Clover and Snow Sugar earlier than he had planned.

On his way over to Clover, he continued to struggle against the harsh wind. It was beginning to irritate him, causing him to overthink about his own plants. Goodness, I wonder what condition my plants are in after last night, he thought. He would have to worry about them later, as he made it to his door step.

Herb knocked on his own door and waited. No response.

"Hello?" Herb called from outside, "it's me, Herb cookie! I've come home early!"

Maybe they couldn't hear him from the loud wind.

"Hello!? Snow Sugar? Clover?"

Herb shivered from the continuous exposure of the cold, and decided that he had enough of it.

"Maybe they're in the garden..."

He made is way down the rocky path to his garden, attempting to ease his paranoia from his thoughts earlier only to be met with reality.

"What on Earthbread!? That cannot be normal..."

Herb caught sight of an unusual patch of frost with the rest of his garden being untouched. Everything behind the fence was frozen but was suddenly cut off horizontally, making everything behind Herb completely uninfected. He was confused by the unnatural formation of frost, but the broken fence had to be investigated first. This better have not been Snow Sugar's doing, Herb's mind popped up with more possibilities.

He climbed over the broken pieces and made his way forward. For most of the path, he had nothing to follow, until he began to notice that the further he went, the more snow there seemed to be. This helped Herb identify where he should go, as foot prints were visible now.

As he followed, another pair of foot prints were now on the track he was following, along with an unusual streak. Herb only became more confused the further he went, not having any of his questions he had before answered. He almost began to form a headache from it all.

Before he could get a headache though, he suddenly saw some shade in front of him only to look up into a frozen forest littered with patches of thick snow.

"Please don't tell me Snow Sugar went into there..." Herb spoke to himself.

A thick accented voice appeared out of no where. "Nope, fella was too scared-"

Herb jumped, "GAH! Who-!?"

"Relax! It's me!"

Herb turned to see Carrot cookie, leaning against a tree.

"Ah, Carrot cookie!" Herb's heart was racing, "what are you doing here?"

She raised an eyebrow, "I should ask you the same, lookin' for Snow Sugar probably?"

Herb nodded, "yes, any idea where they may have run to? Clover cookie too..."

"Clover? Didn't see 'em. Snow Sugar on the other hand was chasin' a fella, some wolf I believe."

"A- a what!?" Herb huffed in disbelief, "a wolf!? Why, why on Earthbread would Snow Sugar chase a wolf?"

Carrot remained collected. "Dunno, but they seemed pretty happy to see that wolf."

"Happy...? Maybe another one of their friends, but why a wolf? Did they break my fence?"

Carrot blinked, "broke ya' fence!? You too?"

"Huh!? 'Me too?' What do you mean by that?"

"Mine's broke too. I guess that explains why we're in the same place."

"You've got to be kidding me..." Herb covered his face in shame.

"I wish, I wish..."

Herb looked back at Carrot, "is there anything we can do?"

"I'll tell ya' what, I saw 'em run over there," she pointed to the left of Herb, "go that way, maybe you'll find 'em."

"Thank you! And uh, good luck fixing your fence..."

Carrot nodded, "You too."

Herb ran to the direction Carrot pointed, and hoped for another clue.

It didn't take him very long to find another piece of the mystery as he stumbled across a cave lined with icicles on the top. Herb didn't even realize how cold he was at this point, the concern for Snow Sugar was stronger than the burn of the frostbite.

Without thinking, Herb desperately called for Snow Sugar.

"Snow Sugar!? Are you there!?" His voice echoed down the cave. He waited for a response, and one returned from afar.

"Go away!"

That definitely wasn't the response Herb was expecting.

Herb cupped his hands together and shout down the cave, "do you know where Snow Sugar went!?"

Silence followed the echo, taking the stranger a bit to respond.

"Why do you want to know!?"

Herb's eyes widened, were they holding Snow Sugar captive?

"Tell me where they are, now!" Herb demanded this time.

The echo travelled in the cave, but this time nothing came back. Herb waited, but nothing returned.

"That's it, I'm coming in!" Herb announced, marching his way into the cave.

Herb angrily made himself go into the cave, wanting to see what this stranger possibly had to hide from him. His steps making the rocks crack below him, now making his way through as he descended into the darkness.

There, he suddenly tripped and fell face first into the ground. Herb struggled to get up, feeling whatever he tripped on shift around in the blinding darkness. He had tripped on a person?

"Huh? Who are you!? Show yourself!" He lunged out into the dark blindly.

His hands held onto a piece of cloth, assuming to be the thing he tripped on. Herb gripped tightly as the cloth was now dragging him, making Herb realize the cloth belonged to the stranger from the inside of the cave. He felt himself being dragged against the rocky floor, Herb's shoes scrapping against the rocks as he got brought back to the entrance.

"Give... me... back- Snow Sugar!" Herb struggled on.

"Let go!"

With a roaring voice, the figure swung Herb out the cave, landing him straight into the snow. Herb landed with a "fwumph," getting snow everywhere.

Herb spat out the snow, "why you!- how DARE you!"

Before Herb could spew out any more words, he looked up only to find a massive cookie with a long cape and large fur, with noticeable wolf-like ears.