Let's investigate.

You look down to see some large animal tracks on the ground. But... these aren't anything like any animal you've ever seen before. It's more like "animal track" singular, considering it's just one big line drawn through the ground. It almost looks like how a row of freshly plowed dirt looks, but it's way too big for any tool to make, and it meanders back and forth on the ground instead of travelling in a straight line. Whatever made this had to be big, and heavy.

You also notice a small splotch of dirty brown specks on the ground. Dried blood, if you had to guess. The hunter did say he managed to lodge an arrow in the thing's side.

The trail moves from the clearing into the forest. You follow it for a while, the blood marks getting smaller and smaller but the tracks still remain present. Unaware of just how long you've travelled this path forged by some large beast, you find they terminate at the entrance of a natural cave, leading into the side of a large hill. You can't see much further inside due to the lack of light, but the trail clearly goes inside.

This has to be the beast's den, but... am I really gonna go inside?

The sun is starting to set. It's now or never.

You use your fire starter to light a fire outside, and construct a primitive torch as best you can by wrapping some cloth around a branch and lighting it. It won't last long, but if the cave is very deep or branches off into separate paths, you'll have to leave and come back with more supplies.

It doesn't ease your mind that you had to cut up one of your extra shirts for that cloth, but at least you'll have more tinder when the fire starts getting low.

You're able to un-sling your bow off your shoulders and hold the torch in your off-hand along with the grip of the bow, your other hand nocking an arrow into position. It's awkward, and you certainly sacrifice some accuracy, but it works in a pinch.

Standing at the mouth of the cave, your ears perk up as you hear a noise originating from inside the cave.

The echo is distorted from so deep in the cave, but it sounds vaguely human. Maybe a whimper? If the monster attacked someone else and dragged them inside, you need to help them. You're the only one that's going to be this far in the woods for who knows how long.

Starting into the cave, you don't notice that there hasn't been a single ambient noise in the forest ever since you got here.

The cave air gets colder the further away from the mouth you walk. Bow aimed cautiously down the only path inwards, you hear only your footsteps and breath bounce off the walls. The foreign sound from earlier gets slightly louder with each minute. Clearer now, it sounds distinctly female. You round a corner and the walls disappear around you as you can only guess you've entered some sort of natural room or antechamber.

Someone is clearly in distress somewhere nearby.

As you wave your only light source around the room, you let out a small "Hello...?" to try and find the victim. A noise to your left startles you as you turn around.

A bright red shape stands out amongst the dark dirt and rocks around you.

You gasp and nearly drop your torch. You've found your beast, and it's probably not happy you're in its home.

It starts shifting and uncoiling itself from its resting position. You don't want to resort to ****, but you will if that thing means you harm.

The light bouncing off from your torch illuminates another form somewhere in the scales. Red... hair? White skin?

The girl! That thing has her!

You yell "HEY!" as draw the arrow fully. It might be too late for her, but you have to try.

What you see next doesn't fully correspond to the image in your head about this creature.