"Authors Note: This is a special chapter celebrating Bestiesweek which celebrates the chaotic friendship between Hunter and Luz. In this story, Hunter is 8 years old and Luz is 6."
A New Friend
Hunter
"Alright kid, here's the deal. I am going to do a quick run into town and you are going to stay here and wait for me. Stay within eyesight of the cabin and don't talk to anyone, don't let anyone see you, and most importantly keep your ears covered. Can you do that for me?"
"Yeah," I replied, half paying attention to my aunt and half paying attention to the human world. This was the first time my aunt let me come with her. She was here to run some errands and I was supposed to go with her but she said she had a bad feeling and didn't want to risk it.
She wanted me to stay back home with Hooty but I convinced her to let me explore the area around the cabin. If anything bad happened I could just go back through the door to safety. I really wanted to see the human town but my aunty said that there is a lot for me to learn before I can interact with humans. Today was going to be a test. Aunty said that if I was a good boy and stayed near the cabin today I would be allowed to go with her the next time she ran an errand in the town.
"Of course, you can after all you are your mother's child," she said with a laugh. "Alright, Owlbert, stay with the kid. Hunter..."
"I know, Owlbert is in charge," I replied, looking back at my aunt with a big smile. I wanted her to go already so that I could explore the human world. Even just from the porch of the cabin, I was still able to spot several of the things I wanted to explore. The first would be tasting the snow. I had told Edric and Emira that I would be coming to the human realm with my aunty and that she had said that there would be snow. They had asked me to bring souvenirs and to check if human snow tasted like our snow. I would conduct my exploration and get the souvenirs all while following all of my aunty's rules of course. I also needed to get something for Amity. She didn't know I was coming. We had decided that she was still too little to keep that a secret but I would still get her something nice.
"Alright, wise guy," she said, putting a hand on my head and pulling my hat down to cover my eyes. "You two keep him out of trouble okay?" Both Owlbert and Flapjack replied with a chirp and a hoot. Flapjack perched himself on my head while Owlbert chose to set himself on a tree so that he had a better view of the area.
"Okay then I'm off, take care of each other, and don't do anything I would do," she said with a laugh as she waved goodbye.
As soon as she was out of sight I took a running start and then threw myself at the snow. It felt different from the snow at the knee. It is hard to explain almost like it's not as fluffy. I wonder why? I made a snowball and took a bite out of it. Somehow it tastes different from our snow but I'm not sure how. It's also more icy? I took off my backpack and took out a jar to fill it up with snow. Once we got back home I would show it to my friends. I also took out my notebook to write down my notes. I wanted to take as many notes as possible to be able to describe things to Edric and Emira.
When I was done with that I started looking around for anything else that I could find to take back home to show my friends. The only thing I could see apart from the snow was trees, bushes, and rocks. Maybe if I started digging in the snow I could find some hidden treasure.
When my aunty said that we would be coming to the human world I packed all the essentials I would need to explore. Mama says that a good scout is always prepared. Apart from the jar I also brought a small shovel, a magnifying glass, a notebook, a pen, water, snacks, an extra sweater, extra socks, extra hats, a first aid kit, and the pocket knife aunty gave me for my birthday. Along with my trusty palisman, I have everything I need to explore the human world.
My teacher says that it's important to take as many notes as possible when you are out exploring. So if I want to be a good explorer I should take good notes and plenty of samples.
"Okay Flapjack this is our first exploration of the human world. Are you ready?" The little red bird let out a happy chirp and flew ahead of me to lead the way.
Right, when I started to chase after him I heard Owlbert hoot out a warning. Reminding us to stay close and be careful.
"We will! Byeee!" I shouted running after Flapjack who hadn't stopped. He was as excited as I was to explore the human world. "Wait for me!" He chirped back saying to keep up.
Flapjack and I spend a lot of time exploring together. Usually, it's the forest around our house or my aunty's house. When I get older I'm going to be a scout and eventually take over as the head of the emperor's coven just like mama. This meant that I had to become the best scout ever. I have to train very hard and Flapjack is always helping me. I need to get faster and stronger but also smarter. Mama says that brains beat muscles every time so I have to learn as much as possible.
"Hey Flapjack, hang on a second! Look," I said crouching down to pick up a weird-looking brown egg. When I did I noticed that it wasn't an eg. It looked like it was an odd egg-shaped wooden flower. All of its petals were made of wood. "What do you think this is?"
Flapjack perched himself on my head to get a better look then chirped saying that there were more of those things in the trees. "Do you think it's a fruit?"I asked looking up at the trees.
I wanted to taste it but it would be best to wait until we got back home and aunty Eda was around before I tried eating anything out here. I opened my backpack and put the wood flower in there.
We then continued on collecting anything that looked interesting and making notes in my notebook. After a while, I noticed that it had started to snow. I looked up and realized I could just barely see the cabin through the trees so I decided it would be best for us to go back. I finished up taking notes and packing everything in my bag. I had just put my backpack back on when I heard it. It sounded like someone crying.
"Flapjack..." I whispered. He had perched himself on a tree but flew down to me when I called for him. He chirped quietly saying that he could hear it too. Aunty had said not to let anyone see me or interact with anyone but what if they needed help. As a future member of the emperor's coven, I couldn't just turn my back on someone in need. "Okay, go on ahead and check if it's someone that needs our help. If they don't need us we'll just go back."
Flapjack nodded and then took off in the direction of the crying. I stayed in place but crouched down to stay hidden. Mama always says it's better to be safe than sorry.
A few minutes passed before Flapjack came back. He was flying as fast as he could to come to find me. At first, I thought that he might have been chased but he soon started chirping away furiously. He said that there was a little girl all by herself crying in the snow not wearing any protective gear. He said that she might be lost and needed help quickly.
Aunty Eda had once told me that humans are weaker than witches. That means that there was no way one could survive this cold, especially not wearing anything to protect them from the cold.
"Okay, go tell Owlbert what you saw. I'll go to where the girl is," I said to Flapjack who quickly told me where to find the girl before flying back to the cabin. I took off running following the directions he had given me. Aunty would be mad but a good scout always helps those in need.
As I got closer the sound of crying grew louder. I could now make out what the little girl was saying. She was crying for her mommy and saying how cold she was. I tried to run even faster trying my best not to trip and fall. Eventually, I got close enough to see her and I stopped. She looked to be around Amity's age. If I got any closer I would be breaking all of the rules my aunty had given. Still, this was the first time I had seen a human. Not to mention that she did look like she needed help. She was huddled on some leaves on top of the snow. She had short brown hair and tan skin. She wasn't wearing a sweater or a jacket, she didn't have gloves, a hat, or socks on. She was wearing a short-sleeve shirt, pants, and no shoes. She was shaking violently and I couldn't just stand there any longer. Aunt Eda always says that sometimes you have to break all the rules and take a risk. So I did.
Luz
I'm so cold. I can't stop shaking and my hands hurt. My feet hurt. My face and throat hurt. I'm sorry mommy I promise I won't do it again. From now on I will be a good girl and never misbehave again so please come find me. She doesn't know where I am because I sneaked out of the house. What if she doesn't find me? What if something else does? What if a wolf finds me? I don't want to be wolf food.
Just as the thought came I heard something running fast towards me. I tried getting up to run away but my feet hurt too much and I fell back down. I didn't know what else to do so I let out a scream. Then the sound of running stopped and it was replaced with the voice of a boy.
"It's ok please stop screaming I'm here to help," he said as he rushed over to me. He was an older boy with blond hair covered by a bright red hat. His eyes were pink. I've never seen someone with pink eyes before. He also had a big scar on his face.
Once he was in front of me he took off the backpack he was wearing then took off his jacket and sweater and put them on me. They were so warm. He also took off his gloves and put those on me too. After he reached into his backpack and took out some thick socks and a hat like his and put them on me as well. He then took a sweater and another set of gloves from the backpack and put them on himself. Once he was done he took out another two hats and tied them to my feet.
"Okay that should do it for now we need to get you somewhere warm. Is your house near here?" he asked, starting to shake.
"Um yes but I don't know how to get to it," I mumbled. The boy looked upset but then started to look around like he was searching for something up in the trees. I looked up too and saw a bright red bird the same color as the boy's hat sitting on one of the branches of a tree close by.
"How far?" asked the boy. I thought he was asking me but then I saw he was looking at the bird who chirped at the boy like he had understood the question. "Okay, he says that there are some houses close by. You just have to walk straight in that direction," he said pointing into the woods.
"Me? By myself? I can't go by myself," I said, starting to cry again. "What if I get lost?"
"Okay okay stop crying," he said looking worried. He then turned to where the red bird was. Now there was an owl next to it. The boy said something to them then the owl left and the red bird moved to a tree that was in the direction the boy had pointed to earlier. "Alright come on let's go. I'll walk with you to the houses you should be able to make it home from there, right?"
The boy looked uncomfortable now but he was outstretching his hand to help me get up. I took his hand but when I tried to get up I fell back down. My feet still hurt a lot and even with the socks and hats on my feet the snow was still very cold. "I can't," I said, feeling even more scared. How was I going to make it home?
"Hey, it's okay, don't cry, it's going to be okay. Come on, I'll carry you," he said, crouching in front of me. He had moved his backpack to his front and was waiting for me to get on his back. "We have to hurry."
I did what he said and got on his back. As soon as he was sure I was securely on he started walking as fast as he could towards the red bird. When we got close to it the little bird flew on ahead of us. It was as if he was leading the way.
"How come you can speak to birds," I asked, watching the red bird. The boy was so focused I don't think he heard me or maybe he didn't want to talk to me. "I'm sorry."
"Huh? Why are you sorry?" he said, finally breaking his silence. He also slowed down a bit to a more normal pace.
"You helped me even though it was a lot of trouble," I replied, feeling tears starting to form again. "And I'm annoying you."
"Oh no, it's ... I'm just not allowed to talk to hu...I mean strangers," he replied awkwardly. He was a big kid but he was still scared of talking to a little kid like me? His parents must be really strict.
"I'm not allowed to talk to strangers either," I said wondering if my mommy will be mad. I spoke with this boy before I knew who he was. "My name is Luz. What's yours?"
"Um...Hunter," he replied in almost a whisper.
"Nice to meet you, Hunter. Want to be my friend," I said trying to sound cheerful. If we were friends then maybe he could teach me how to talk to birds like him.
"Friend? I ... okay," he said still in a low tone. I have never met a big kid that was so shy.
"Good now we are friends so it's okay for us to talk right?" I asked excitedly. My mommy was going to be so happy I made a friend.
"Yeah," he said a bit more cheerfully. "By the way, what were you doing out here without any winter clothes?"
"Uhhhh, well I. I was playing make-believe." I said feeling scared he wouldn't want to be my friend anymore if I told him everything. Most kids thought I was weird so they didn't want to be my friends. But mommy says to be honest and to just be myself. "...I was pretending to be a snow fairy."
"A snow fairy?" he said, sounding confused. "Why would you want to be a snow fairy? Or any kind of fairy? And why would you not put on anything that would protect you from the cold?"
"Because they are magical and pretty and fun and cute," I replied awkwardly. "And...and snow fairies don't use winter clothes."
As soon as I said it I braced for his response. I already knew what was going to happen. He was going to call me weird and say he won't be friends anymore.
"Apart from magical fairies are none of those other things. They are creepy and scary, not fun and cute" he said, sounding serious. "Also you can pretend to be whatever you want but you have to remember you are not magic and you have a weak human body so you have to keep yourself safe. Plus you have to tell an adult before you go anywhere."
"I know," I said glumly. My mommy must be really worried. "But fairies are not creepy and scary."
"Okay name one fairy that is not creepy and scary," he demanded. Why? Normally by now other kids would have said I was weird or crazy. This was the first time anyone had asked me for more information. And he did seem to believe in fairies like me even if he didn't like them.
"The tooth fairy," I replied with a smile though he couldn't see.
"Tooth fairies are the worst," he replied, outraged. " There's nothing cute about them. They like to eat teeth. So they aren't just creepy and scary, they are also gross."
"No! The tooth fairy is a beautiful lady that gives children money for the teeth that have fallen off and put under their pillow." I countered. "And she doesn't eat teeth."
"That's just ridiculous, why would a tooth fairy pay you for your teeth when they can just take them," he said in disbelief. "And what do you think this tooth fairy does with the teeth?"
"She collects them for herself," I replied matter of factly. Had he never heard of the tooth fairy before?"
"She collects them to eat," he mumbled under his breath.
"Nooooooo! Take it back!" I yelled right in his ear.
"I won't apologize for telling the truth. he said, annoyed. "And don't yell in my ear or I'll drop you."
"You're mean," I whispered, afraid that he would drop me and leave me out in the snow. He didn't say anything else and I was afraid that he might be mad at me. I wanted to keep on talking even if we didn't agree. "What do you think about snow fairies?"
"I'm going to tell you something but you can't tell anyone I told you, okay?" he said as he looked around as if he was checking to see that there was nobody else around.
"Okay," I answered curiously. I wanted to know what he was going to say.
"No matter what, you can never ever trust a fairy," he said in a really serious tone. "They will try to trick you to get what they want so if you ever see one run away."
"...has anyone ever told you you're really weird?" I asked. But before he could reply we came to the edge of the forest onto my street.
This was the first time I noticed how hard it was snowing. I had been so distracted by our talk about fairies that I hadn't noticed the snow or how strong the wind was. It was hard to see far away but luckily my house was close. Not far from us I could see my mommy standing on our lawn looking around. She looked scared.
"Mami!" As soon as I called out to her she came running towards us. Once she reached us she picked us both up and carried us to our house as fast as possible. Once inside she set us down on the couch while she went back to close the door. When she came back she had a blanket and wrapped it around me.
"Luz are you okay? Where were you? Why would you leave like that?" she asked too fast for me to answer. She then pulled me into a really tight hug that made it hard for me to breathe. "Promise you will never do that to me again."
"I promise mommy. I'm sorry," I said, hugging her back as hard as I could. "I was really scared but then Hunter came to save me."
Camila
"Hunter?" I asked, looking around until my eyes landed on a young boy who looked terrified. He had a hand on the doorknob and he looked like he was ready to run. "Oh my gosh, mijo I didn't see you. I got carried away when I saw Luz. I didn't even notice you. You must be so scared."
"Um, I have to go find my aunt now," he said, opening the door to run outside. As soon as he did, a strong gust of wind pushed him back inside.
The storm had picked up and the boy looked like was about to cry once he realized he wouldn't be able to go outside. That was until a cardinal flew inside and landed on one of the boy's knees. It started chirping away at the boy which somehow seemed to calm him down.
"Okay," he said to the little bird. He then wiped away the tears in his eye and got up and turned to us. "Mrs. Luz's mom, is it ok if we stay here until my aunt can pick us up?"
"We? Oh, you mean you and your bird? " I replied, realizing that the bird must somehow belong to the boy. "Yes of course mijo. There is no way I would allow you to go back out in this storm or your little friend there. And you can call me Mrs. Noceda."
"Thank you Mrs. Noceda, could you put my backpack outside so my aunt knows which house I am in? I also have snow in a jar and I don't want it to melt," he said handing me the bag.
"Yes, no problem but don't you want to call her to tell her where you are?" I asked, taking the backpack and hanging it on the door before closing it behind me. It really was a miracle that I found these two when I did. I don't want to think of what would have happened if I hadn't been outside to bring them in when I did.
"It's okay she knows I'm here and she'll be here as soon as she can," he replied with a big smile. "Oh by the way my name is Hunter and this is Flapjack."
"Ooh like pancakes?" exclaimed Luz excitedly.
"Pancakes?" questioned Hunter looking at Luz confused.
"You've never heard of pancakes?" asked Luz looking a bit too excited that she knew something this older boy didn't. "Mami, can we have pancakes?"
"Of course, I'll also make you two some hot cocoa. How does that sound?" I asked, looking at the two. Luz looked extremely happy and I could imagine why. This was the first time she had brought a friend over. Hunter seemed excited at first too but he quickly got uncomfortable. "What's wrong, mijo? Do your parents not let you eat chocolate?" I asked. If he didn't know what pancakes were it was possible he might have some dietary restrictions or his parents were just really strict.
"Oh no, it's just that... Luz's feet are cut and she was out in the cold without a jacket or a sweater, or shoes," he stated in a rather stern tone for such a young child. "You should check on her first."
I looked at Luz who was still sitting where I had placed her on the sofa. She was looking at Hunter with an expression of utter betrayal. But that's when I noticed the jacket she was wearing didn't belong to her, or the hat, or gloves, and her feet were wrapped with hats the same color as Hunters'. I hadn't realized until now that the sweater Hunter was wearing was way too thin for this type of weather. He had given Luz his jacket and extra clothes to keep her warm. Then carried her home. Who knows what would have happened to Luz if this boy hadn't found her.
I sat down next to Luz on the sofa without saying anything. She tried protesting but with one look she stopped. I removed the hats from her feet and saw she was wearing socks that I didn't recognize. They must also belong to the Hunter. When I removed them I saw the cuts Hunter had referred to. They were only minor scratches. Who knows what she had stepped on out in the snow. Thankfully there weren't any signs of frostbite.
"Thank you for letting me know Hunter," I said, trying my best not to cry in front of the children. There was still a snowstorm outside and I had to keep it together for the two of them. Still, the thought that I almost lost Luz was too much. "Okay let's get you fixed up and get you your own clothes so you can return Hunter his. Then we can make pancakes."
I picked up Luz and took her to her room to get her into some warm clothes. I then left and came back with the first aid kit to treat the scratches on her feet.
"Are you mad mommy?" she asked as I treated her feet. When I looked up I saw how scared she looked.
"I'm not mad but what you did was extremely dangerous. If that boy hadn't found you I could have lost you forever. Please never leave the house without me with you, okay?" I asked though it came out more like a plead. I don't know what I would do if I lost Luz too.
"I promise mommy," she replied, hugging me. "I was really scared too."
I wrapped my arms around her never wanting to let go again but I did. "Alright let's go make some pancakes and hot cocoa. Can you walk now?"
"Yes look!" she said jumping off of her bed and running towards the living room. "Hey, Hunter wants to play while my mommy makes us pancakes!"
That's a relief. I wish I could bounce back from this as she can but Luz has always been special that way. Nothing seems to dull her spirits. "Okay, you two I'll be in the kitchen if you need anything.'
I folded Hunter's clothes and brought them with me to the kitchen. He must be a foreigner. I have never seen this type of material before, maybe that's why he doesn't know about pancakes.
As I got started on the pancakes I could hear the children playing somewhere in the house. The first thing Hunter did when Luz approached him was get after her for making me worry. He's such a responsible little boy. I'm very curious to know what his parents are like. As I continued cooking I heard them arguing about mythical creatures. Apparently, Hunter believes possums are mythical creatures or maybe he was just trying to mess with Luz. Once the pancakes and hot cocoa were ready I called them to come and eat. They both came running in and took seats at the table. Hunter's eyes grew big when he saw the pancakes and hot cocoa. So he really had never heard of either of these.
"Alright you two dig in," I said and then watched as Hunter very carefully cut his pancakes. He acted as if he expected them to jump at him. Once he was sure nothing was going to happen he looked at Luz who was eating her pancakes way too fast. He then took a small bite and I saw his eye light up. "You like it?"
"They are really good," he said with a big smile. "Flapjack you should try some too." He then took a small piece and gave it to the cardinal who started chirping happily.
"How did you get Flapjack?" asked Luz with her mouth full.
"When I was little I got lost in the woods playing hide and seek. Flapjack found me and helped me get home. We've been friends ever since." he replied casually while still eating his pancakes and giving a small piece to the little bird after every bite. "He was the one that found you and told me where you were."
"Does that mean he is going to be my friend too?!" asked Luz excitedly. As if to reply the little bird flew towards Luz and perched itself on her shoulder. "Look mami I made two new friends today."
"I see, is that why you were so upset with Luz for making me worry?" I asked which appeared to catch him off guard. He blushed from embossment and nodded his head.
"When I got lost my mama got really scared. She even came back home from work to help look for me," he replied, sounding ashamed. "My mama has a very important job. She is in charge of keeping everybody safe so with me getting lost it could have meant that other people didn't get help when they needed it."
Hmmm, I wonder if his mother works in law enforcement. That would explain why he seems to be so responsible at such a young age. "It sounds like your mom has a lot of responsibility but you know no matter what you will always be the most important thing in the world to her. So no matter what she will always worry about you. It's not a bad thing, it's just what mothers do. We will always worry about our children because we love them."
"That's what my mama said," he said looking a bit sad. "She is going to worry a lot when she finds out I was here."
"And that's why we won't tell her," came the voice of a woman from the front door. She was tall with bright orange hair tied back in a ponytail. She had a jacket that looked like a larger version than the one Hunter was wearing. And her eyes were a bright golden color that I have never seen before. "Hey, kid I thought I told you to stay put."
"Aunty Eda," he yelled excitedly and ran to greet the woman. "I'm sorry but there was a little girl and she needed help and then the storm."
"It's ok I'm just messing with you,' she said with a small smile then lifted the boy into a big hug. "Owlbert told me everything. You did good so don't worry. If your mom knew about this she would be proud of you."
"You think so?" he asked happily.
"I know so. Now, where is your stuff? We need to get going or she'll start to wonder where we ran off to." she replied putting him back down.
"Oh I have his clothes here," I said, grabbing them from the counter. Hunter quickly ran to me and started putting on his jacket. "Please you should stay a while the storm hasn't let up yet. It would be dangerous to go out like this, especially with a child.'
"No worries we'll be fine and besides this kid is tough just like his aunt," said the woman flashing a big grin.
"No, you're leaving already?" cried Luz who was still sitting at the table. "But you haven't finished your pancakes."
"Sorry, kiddo but we have to get going. I was only in town for a short visit we should have left hours ago." replied the woman though she directed her answer to Hunter who had perked up at the mention of pancakes.
"I can wrap up the pancakes so you can take them with you and I can give you a cup so you can take the hot cocoa with you." I said getting his plate before his aunt could say no."
"If you were only here visiting, does that mean we won't see each other again?" asked Luz, sounding heartbroken. Even without looking at her face, I could tell she was crying. It hadn't even crossed my mind until she said it. This was the first friend she had made and now she was about to lose him. "But but you said we were friends and now you're going to leave."
"We are friends but..." replied Hunter not knowing what else to do. "Aunty..."
I turned around and saw Hunter's aunt place a hand on Hunter's head while she faced Luz. "We have to leave right now but that doesn't mean we won't come back another day. I come here often and I can bring this one along from time to time."
"Really?" asked Hunter, surprised.
"Yeah but we have to run it by your mom first," she said, smiling at him. "Now go say goodbye."
I put everything in a bag and walked over to Hunter's aunt to hand it to her while the children said their goodbyes. "Thank you for allowing the children to stay friends. It really means a lot to Luz. Also what Hunter did today...he saved my daughter's life. I..."
"There's nothing to thank me for. You know that kid never breaks the rules and isn't afraid to call out someone who has regardless of how much bigger than him they are.." she said as she watched the children who were exchanging something. Hunter gave one of his red hats to Luz while Luz gave him one of the bracelets she was wearing. "Today he broke almost every single rule I gave him for his new friend. I know it doesn't sound great but I'm proud of him for that."
"Okay, aunty, I'm ready. Bye Mrs. Noceda thank you for the pancakes," said Hunter standing next to his aunt.
"No problem, you can come by any time and I'll make you more," I replied. He got a big smile on his face then his aunt ushered him out the front door. The storm appeared to have settled down now.
"Bye-bye Hunter see you next time," shouted Luz from beside me. We both waved goodbye to the pair who started walking down the street. I had assumed that his aunt had driven here but she must have walked in the storm. Maybe she was staying close by.
As they walked away I heard her asking Hunter what had happened. He explained how Luz was pretending to be a snow fairy to which his aunt replied "Why would she want to be a fairy? Those things are creepy."
"Mami, Hunter and his aunt are weird" whispered Luz who had overheard as well. "But I really like them. Did you see his aunt had a gold fang?"
"Yeah, I saw," I replied. "They definitely come from an interesting family. Come on, let's get back inside and finish those pancakes."
"Okay!" shouted Luz excitedly before running back inside.
I closed the front door behind me as I wondered what our next interaction with that family would be like.