Chapter Text
As the third year of Spring approached, a new sense of determination ignited in Wednesday. She had expected the “mission” to be quick. With the information she received from Agnes, Wednesday had immediately embarked on a journey to the Canadian wilderness. By the end of the first year, the trail had gone cold and she had left the unforgiving wilderness with less hope than she entered with. She returned home with plans of a new strategy, expanding her search further, hoping for anything to point her in the right direction.
It was Spring of the second year when she had found it. A string of animal attacks North of the Appalachian Mountains. A common occurrence in such an area and it would’ve been written off as such if not for the numerous mauling of black bears. There weren’t many other predators that could take on a bear and walk away from it. This time before she set out, she was stopped by her parents in a flurry of concern. The first year, she had her Uncle Fester to accompany her on the dangerous voyage; this year she would be going only with Thing to accompany her. The harsh winter of the wilderness had been enough to give her a case of pneumonia, one she was able to overcome naturally, but severe nonetheless. And so, a deal was made. She would return in the fall, before the first snowfall. It was during this time that she would also continue her school studies at home, seeing as Nevermore was nevermore.
She returned in the fall with frustration and anger burning in her veins. She was close. She felt it. But for every step closer she got, it was as if her friend knew and ran further away.
She must be scared. She thought. The other wolves…they’re after her.
She spent that winter devising a plan. She invited Agnes to the manor and they spent weeks coming up with a way to corner Enid and get her to safety. According to recent sightings, she was spotted once again in the Appalachians. All they had to do was lure her in toward the family cabin located South of the border. They made plans to leave mid-Spring, coinciding with Agnes’s break from her new school. Wednesday spent the following weeks focusing on her studies, making it a point to finish her senior year of school before leaving. She didn’t say it out loud, not to Agnes or Thing, but in her mind she knew. She wasn’t returning without Enid this time. No matter how long it took.
The moment she felt the weather begin to warm, she began gathering supply. Every herb and root and talisman that could assist in finding the wolf was prepared and stored. She read up on the outcasts and spirits they were bound to come across as they ventured deeper into the haunted mountains. It was two weeks before Agnes would be joining her at the manor once more to prepare for the journey, with Thing of course.
Wednesday had only just fallen into a deep sleep after staying up well past midnight, enthralled with her books. It wasn’t unusual for her to dream about Enid. The rare nights when she wasn’t pleasantly submerged in dark nightmares, she would dream of the blonde wolf. Pleasant memories of their bickering that she didn’t even realize she retained until it was all she had left of her. She would dream of her wolf form, saving her over and over again, without second thought. She’d usually wake up from these dreams with the feelings of sorrow and fondness fighting in her chest. But, tonight was different. Tonight, what started as a familiar dream melted into another scene entirely, something she had never seen before.
A vision.
Her gift never returned to its full strength after everything. They began coming back in slight flashes when she least expected, but any semblance of control she once had was lost. She was essentially at square one. She had tried manifesting visions about Enid’s whereabouts, but each failed attempt only weakened her resolve before she gave up entirely.
The world shifted into a gloomy clearing. The snow was beginning to melt away from the recent winter and the sky was dark blue, the full moon illuminating the thick clouds. In front of her stood three werewolves, all with similar patterns composed of various shades of grey. They must be from the same pack, she thought as they snarled viciously at her. Her fists clenched at her sides as she stood stiff as a board. She let out a shuttering breath, frosty air leaving her lips. Slowly she stepped to the side and followed their line of vision. Behind her, on the other side of the clearing, stood a dark blonde wolf, double the size of the three grey ones. Her breath instantly caught in her throat.
Enid!
Her legs were moving before she could even process the movement. Wednesday sprinted across the clearing, forgetting how cold she is, forgetting about the wolves behind her. Her steps faltered when she heard the pounding steps behind her accompanied by ferocious growls. Before she can turn around, her body is pushed to the icy ground as the wolves barrel through her astral form, leaving her dizzy. Her head shot up, anxiety hot in her gut as she realized what was unfolding.
“No…” She whispered for the first time out loud. “No, no, run Enid!”
But, of course, she didn’t run. The wolf stood her ground, snarling back with twice as much fervor. When all 4 wolves finally collided, there was instant bloodshed. Teeth locking around limbs. Claws tearing through flesh. Wednesday ran toward the brawl with heaving lungs as she tried interfering. She grabbed at the wolves as she yelled pointless threats to no avail.
Because it’s not real. Not yet.
She let herself fall to the ground as she watched the wolves tear each other apart. Enid had managed to lock her jaw around one of the wolves’ neck, killing him instantly. The other two howled with rage as they charged once more. Wednesday felt her throat tighten as she watched Enid stagger on her hind legs, blood gushing out of her stomach. Before the wolves collided once more, she was on her feet, eyes darting around the clearing.
No, I won’t let this happen. It will not happen.
She scanned the area for any indicator of where she was. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the bloodbath behind her.
Rushing water…there’s a river nearby. Pine trees. Mountains-
She’s pulled from her thoughts by the sudden silence. Slowly turning around, she’s met with the tired gaze of the big blonde wolf. There’s still blood gushing from her side as she slowly staggers toward Wednesday as if she can see her. The bodies of the other three wolves lay lifeless behind her, submerged in pools of blood. The wolf grunted in pain as she fell before her feet with an exhausted sigh. Wednesday fell to her knees before she could stop herself, the cold a distant concern compared to what was in front of her. She lowered her head to meet the gaze of the wolf. It’s only then that she felt the hot tears pooling in her eyes and rolling down her cheeks.
“Get up Enid,” her voice is raw and quiet, laced in desperation. “You-you need to get up.”
She knew what she was seeing. Her once beautiful, vibrant wolf, fading before her very eyes. Her chest began heaving as she searched for any hint of recognition in her eyes. The wolf eyes remained clouded, lungs still gasping and panting for air, wound only in the beginning stages of healing. It would be too late before the bleeding stopped. Wednesday took a deep, calming breath before squeezing her eyes shut. She allowed the final tears to fall before her face hardened once more into its normal expressionless mask. Her trembling hand rose slowly, resting on top of Enid’s soft head.
This time, her astral form didn’t give way and her hand buried itself into her fur. Wednesday felt her heart stutter in her chest once more at the feeling. Her first time being so close to her friend’s wolf form and it’s in her final moments. She opened her mouth, ready to make a promise she intended to keep. To find her. But before the words could leave her mouth, she shot up in her bed with her hands still crossed on her chest, prattling off a series of numbers. Her body trembled as all the air in her lungs was forced out. Her hands immediately flew to the pen and journal she kept on her nightstand. Her jaw clenched tight as she scribbled down the numbers seared into her brain, and for the first time in months, Wednesday Addams felt the burning exhilarating feeling of hope strumming through her body.
Coordinates.
She didn’t even wait for the sun to rise before she was out of the door. She left a note for her parents, telling them that she decided to get a head start on her hunt, and a note for Thing, telling him to inform Agnes of the recent developments and that she would contact them as soon as Enid was safe. She crammed everything she’d need in one bag, anticipating a short trip. Her vision had taken place within the next few days, she knew she had no time to waste.
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Melting snow crunched under Wednesday’s black boots as she trudged through the woods. After the plane ride, she got a room at a bed and breakfast near a national park where she planned her route to the coordinates from her vision. The next morning she had begun her trek into the wilderness that was bound to take the entire day. After hours of walking with short breaks in between, Wednesday felt the weight of the journey dragging her down. She took note of the blisters forming on her feet from the steep hills and slippery terrain. Good. She thought. I’m going through all this trouble. I ought to have something to show for it.
Mile after mile, she felt a chill run deeper down her spine as she got closer to the clearing. Her steps faltered as she saw the light of the moon peaking through the trees. Right ahead of her stood the clearing, like an arena awaiting its fighters. She approached with slow quiet steps as she scanned the tree line for any movement. Crouched near a tree, she held herself close to the ground for a few minutes, waiting.
She must be hiding nearby-
Her thoughts are cut off by the growing sound of growling inching up behind her. In the blink of an eye, she turns around on her feet, pulling a silver dagger out her sleeve. She’s met with the angry eyes of one of the grey wolves from her vision. She slowly backs away into the clearing as the wolf makes deliberate, threatening steps toward her. Its teeth glinted in the moonlight as its lips remained tucked in a ferocious snarl.
She saw the wolf getting ready to pounce and her grip on her dagger tightened, ready to dig into its neck before it could get to hers. The wolf launched from a few feet away from her and she planted her feet, preparing to meet the weight of the large wolf. Before she could plunge the blade into the wolf’s jugular, the back of its neck was encapsulated in a dark blonde muzzle full of razor sharp teeth and it was thrown into the air, then onto the ground with a sickening crack. Wednesday watched with wide eyes as the grey wolf slumped to the ground, eyes vacant and tongue hanging out its mouth. Her eyes darted up to the bigger wolf now standing just a few feet away. Her breath caught in her throat as she dropped the silver dagger, putting her hands out in front of her. Despite her eyes glowing a radiant gold instead of their normal crystal blue, Wednesday recognized her immediately.
“Enid,” She said softly as she took small steps closer to the wolf. The hair on the back of Enid’s neck stood up and a snarl remained on her face as she kept her eyes locked on her, front paws digging deeper into the dirt. “It’s me.”
Wednesday crouched to the ground, trying to look as nonthreatening as possible. Enid took the opportunity to slowly lift her muzzle to the air and take several quick, deep breaths. In a matter of seconds, her tail began wagging and the bright gold of her eyes began morphing into a bright crystalline blue. With her hand still raised, Wednesday slowly pushed herself to her feet, but before she could plant both feet on the ground, she was pushed onto the wet forest floor and met with a face full of fur. Enid, unable to contain her excitement, tackled her to the floor and buried her muzzle into her neck in an attempt to hug her. Wednesday, unable to contain her own satisfaction, allowed the wolf a few moments of comfort, even taking advantage of the moment for herself and burying her hand in the wolf’s soft fur.
For real this time.
Sensing another presence, Wednesday’s eyes snapped up toward the trees.
“Enid, behind you.” she said as she reached back, grasping her dagger once again. Enid’s head swung around immediately and almost instantly locked on the target. She let out a low growl before jumping away from Wednesday and darting toward the wolf lurking just beyond the treeline. She sprang up from the floor, sprinting after the two wolves, not wanting to let Enid get too far out of her sight. She managed to keep track of the wolves for just a few seconds before something was barreling into her side.
The Third wolf.
She was thrown into the clearing from the tree line, hitting her head against the floor. Her dagger slid across the wet, icy floor as her head started throbbing. With blurry vision and a brain-splitting headache, Wednesday pulled another dagger from her sleeve and with a practiced precision she threw it, plunging through the wolf’s eye. Her jaw clenched in annoyance.
I was aiming for the heart.
The wolf howled in pain as it pawed at its face, trying to pull the dagger out. Because of the silver, with every pass of his paws caused more burning pain. After clawing what seemed like half of its face off, the wolf yanked the dagger out of its face and let out an earth shaking roar. With a blind rage, it charged at her with a vengeance.
From the corner of her eye, she could already see Enid running at full speed toward them on all fours. Her face was drenched in crimson and her eyes once again shined gold. Enid had intercepted the wolf, shoving it to the ground. It slid a few feet away and tried to get back on its feet, scrambling like a newborn deer. Enid leapt to the mutilated wolf and stood beside it on her hind legs. With a sharp growl, she dug both front paws into the side of his neck and slowly pulled him apart, his head rolling away and his body dropping to the floor.
Wednesday rested her head on the wet floor beneath her after having watched the entire ordeal play out in front of her. Through the pain in her head and the blur in her eyes, she had watched with excitement and pride as the last wolf fell and Enid walked away without a scratch. She felt her consciousness slipping as the light from the moon was overtaken by black spots. The last thing she saw before slipping away were bright blue eyes filled with worry.