Arthur was deep in the heart of a vast, verdant forest, tracking a deer for Mrs. Grimshaw’s dinner preparations. The sun’s warm rays filtered through the tall trees, casting dappled patterns over the moss-covered ground. It was a perfect day for hunting, with the forest alive with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant bird calls. Pausing and crouching down, Arthur spotted a pair of large antlers sticking out from behind a thick bush. Assuming it was the deer he had been tracking, he pulled back the bowstring and released his arrow. The sudden, loud cry that followed, sounding far more human than deer, caused Arthur to freeze in confusion.

Cautiously, he approached the bush, his hand ready on his holstered revolver. What he found stunned him. Instead of a deer, a small girl lay on the forest floor, sobbing in pain, an arrow embedded in her shoulder. Blood trickled down her skin, and what truly took Arthur by surprise were the very real antlers on her head and a small, puffy deer tail on her lower back. She looked mostly human but clearly wasn’t entirely. “Good fuckin’—what the hell are you?” Arthur muttered, disbelief coloring his tone as he stared at the wounded girl.

Arthur’s mind raced. Part of him considered the potential reward for turning in such a creature, a strange hybrid that could fetch a significant sum of money. But another part of him, the better part, couldn’t ignore the fact that he had caused this creature harm, and it was clear she needed help. With a heavy sigh, Arthur knelt down beside her, his gruff exterior softening slightly. “Hold still, darlin’. I didn’t mean t’ hurt ya. Let’s see about gettin’ that arrow out.”