I tried not to let my mouth fall open in shock. Red was the savior. She cured the wolves. She brought peace to Elder. And she didn’t know how to do it again.
“Please tell me you’re kidding.”
Red never kidded. I knew that much, but I had to hope with her new attitude that maybe there were jokes going on too.
“I wish I could, really. I just don’t have an answer. It wasn’t something I could do a second time. All I can do is try to keep everyone safe.” Red shrugged and went back to slicing her bread.
I had no idea what to say to her. She never told me how she saved everyone from the curse, but I assumed it was some grand secret. I wasn’t expecting that she didn’t know how.
Red finished slicing the loaf of bread as she placed the pieces on a plate. She took the plate to the table before she returned to grab butter and jelly. I followed behind her, unsure of what to do.
“So, if Grace turns into a wolf, it might be forever?” I finally found words to keep our conversation going.
Red gave me a sad nod.
I felt anger building in me again. It wasn’t fair. Why did Grace have to give up her life? Why couldn’t she have a normal life? Red said she was keeping everyone safe, but what she really meant was that she was keeping the tree people safe. Grace wasn’t being kept safe; in fact, she was giving up her life to keep the tree people safe too. The wolves had to sacrifice everything, and the tree people just complained and hid in their trees. I had no doubts. Red was protecting the wrong people.
“What are you doing to keep everyone safe?” I finally asked. “Are you helping Micco feed and house the wolves? Are you helping him build a fence? Are you helping him track and cage up the cursed wolves?”
Red bit her lip as I added more and more to my complaint. She understood my point. She wasn’t keeping Elder safe; she was keeping the tree people safe. The lazy tree people that asked her to put her life on the line time and time again. The ones that only found time to complain about the wolves but never help them. Those tree people.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The curse wasn’t her fault. I knew that much. And yelling at her wasn’t going to change anything.
“Are your friends going to turn into wolves?” Red finally asked, knowing I was holding my anger at bay.
“Grace is. She doesn’t feel safe at the village with the wolves and doesn’t want to be a monster.”
Red nodded in understanding.
“But it isn’t fair.” And that was my problem with the whole situation. Grace was giving up everything, and it was likely to be for the rest of her life.
“Life is rarely fair,” Red replied like she knew more than she was letting on.
I had seen Red love the wolves. She cared for them even as she made helping the tree people a priority. It was her that wanted to bring everyone together. She cared for Micco and everyone in Elder. I stared at her more and tried to see it. Why wasn’t she doing more for the wolves? Why was she just letting them be taken by the curse? She broke it once, and I had no doubts she could do it again.
Red lifted up the plate of bread and offered me a piece. I took one and covered it with jelly as I sat down at the table with her.
“The only thing I know about the curse from the last time is that your friend is correct. In her wolf form, she will be free of it. The curse strikes those in human form, forcing them to turn into monsters. The witches called the curse a spirit snatcher as everything that made the wolf human would be gone.”
I couldn’t see that happen to Grace or Nikkan, no matter how much of an idiot he was being.
“And if she blacks out and changes not on her own? She’s cursed then?”
Red shook her head. “The last time, the curse took weeks. People didn’t turn into monsters night after night. It took weeks of occasional losses of memory. As long as she can remember every night and every change, she should be free of the curse. As long as she can change permanently before the first time she blacks out, she can avoid the curse,” Red explained.
“And can never speak to a human again,” I added.
Red shrugged. “I would have chosen the same thing if it had happened to me. I’d rather live my life in silence than kill those I love.”
I studied Red as she took a bite of her bread. She had never mentioned anyone before that she loved. I was the only family she had, and we weren’t technically related as we didn’t share blood. There was never a person in her life that I could say she loved. Micco had been her friend over the winters, and I didn’t doubt he had a crush on her, but she didn’t seem to notice.
We sat in silence and ate the bread she had. There was nothing more we could talk about. The curse was back. Grace was right, and soon my friends would be gone while we fought to find an answer without them.
Red didn’t order me to stay as I stood after finishing my breakfast with her. She didn’t beg either. She understood the truth. I was responsible for myself.
As I neared the doorway, I turned back to her.
“I’ll stay safe.”
Red nodded her head and gave me a strained smile.
“Don’t worry mom; I learned from the best.”
I gave her a grin, and she just shook her head. It was true. If Red could survive as long as she had as the Red before she defeated the curse, she was the best one to learn from. It wasn’t like I wanted to put my skills to the test, but I felt safe in the woods. It was home.
Without a second glance back, I made my way into the woods and began my jog home. My mind was processing what she had told me about the curse and no cure. There had to be something I could do, and I wasn’t giving up, it was just a bit of a shock. Red was the hero of Elder, and she didn’t have an answer. I wasn’t used to that.
It didn’t take long to figure out someone was following me, but from the steps, I already knew who it was. There was only one human that could run as stealthily as my mother.
I changed my course slightly to pass one of the larger trees on my run home. I knew where every tree and sapling stood and which ones I could climb, hide behind, or take a few branches from to take home as firewood. This was my home and my woods. I ran past and caught the lowest branch of the tree I was aiming for, pulling myself up onto the hidden branch as quickly as I ran. I waited as the quiet follower ran past, underneath the tree I was now sitting in.
Sera’s dark hair bounced as she ran. The recent cut to chin length was the main reason I could hear her. Her steps were silent, but her swaying hair that didn’t seem to fit in a ponytail wasn’t as quiet as her feet. I could hear the hair swish in the wind. And there was her scent. I knew she was human.
Sera kept running like she was following me, though I knew otherwise. I wasn’t down there to be followed. She’d soon figure out that I wasn’t farther ahead.
After she left my view, I could hear her stop. I hopped down from my tree and leaned against it as I waited for her to backtrack.
“Why are you following me?” I asked when I knew she was close enough to hear me but not be seen.
Sera walked out from the trees, not pretending to be shy that she was caught.
“I was ordered to,” Sera replied. She had the same honest tendencies as Red.
“Because she thinks I’ll do something to get in trouble?”
Just like Red. She sent a babysitter to keep track of me. Nope, she didn’t think I was grown up yet.
“Because she cares about you,” Sera replied with a huff.
“If she knew me at all, she’d know I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself. Go back to her and help out where she needs you,” I told Sera. I had seen Red and knew she needed the help more than I did. Sera stayed precisely where she was.
I pointed with my finger back the direction we had come from, but Sera just stared at me. Typical Sera, she listened as well as Red did.
“Go on. I don’t need to deal with your snark and sarcasm. I have enough to deal with.”
And I did. I was the one that
had to tell the wolves they could live as wolves for the rest of their lives until the curse was broken, and by the way, there’s no way to break the curse. Not exactly the job I wanted, but I wasn’t about to keep it from them. They deserved to know their fate: be taken by the curse or be a wolf for the rest of their lives.
6
9th March
My quiet simple hut was far from being quiet since Sera came back with me and stayed with Grace and me. She wasn’t really invited, but she took no as well as my mother did. Strong personalities seemed to be a requirement for being the Red. No matter what I said to her, she was determined to stay, and I knew enough to not waste my breath trying to get her out.
Sera didn’t leave me any alone time with Grace to let her know what my mother had told me. Grace took it better than I expected. She only had one request—that we spend her last day as a human enjoying it. Sera seemed to like that thought and eagerly joined in making plans on how we could spend Grace’s last day as a human. I fell asleep listening to them debate what were the best activities.
The sun had just risen, and they were already back at it, chatting away, planning their perfect last day. Grace and Sera found that they actually got along great and had more in common than either of them knew. Prejudices had kept them from ever talking before, but I had a feeling it was different now. Sera seemed to understand Grace better now that she knew what Grace was giving up to protect everyone. Just like Sera, Grace was thinking of all of Elder.
I pretty much stayed out of their chatter. It wasn’t like they needed my input anyway. Within only a few short moments of meeting, they figured out that their shared love of food meant I was a terrible host.
“There’s a baker in Azren that has the best tarts, every flavor,” Sera gushed. Graced licked her lips.
There was no way the food at my place was going to compare to all Sera was describing to her. I could cook when needed, but I preferred my life to be outside and not spent at a stove. Actually, I think Nikkan cooked more than I did, so I really didn’t have much to offer them.
“If you guys promise to stay here and pack, I’ll run back and get us supplies,” Sera said, wagging her eyebrows at the word supplies. We all knew she meant food. She hadn’t stopped complaining at my diet of bread and dried meat since she came the day before.
“I thought you weren’t allowed to leave me alone,” I replied. “And with a dangerous wolf.”
I motioned to my dangerous wolf, Grace, and she gasped and swatted at my arm. She put on a fake pout as she looked from me to Sera.
“The curse only happens at night,” Sera scolded me. “And look at Grace. She’s as far from being a rabid beast as you can get. In fact, I think maybe you and I are closer than she is.”
Grace nodded with the pout still on her face.
“We’ll stay here,” Grace assured Sera, probably just to get the treats Sera had been telling her about since the moment she arrived. I raised an eyebrow at Grace but said nothing as Sera nodded and ran off into the woods.
Sera didn’t wait for us to say more. She was probably afraid we would leave without her, or maybe she really wanted to get going on our day. Either way, I was alone with Grace, at least for a little bit.
“Are you sure you want her to come with us? She’s not exactly a fan of wolves,” I asked, knowing Sera was too far away to hear our conversation.
Grace smiled shyly.
“I like her,” she said quietly.
I nodded. The version of Sera Grace was seeing was someone to like. She was laughing and giggling. Sera was telling Grace about the world Grace had always longed to be part of, and it was just what Grace needed to hear to be distracted from real life. I personally wasn’t used to Sera being friendly or agreeable, but Grace deserved to have whatever last day as a human that she wanted. It was her party, and I wasn’t going to let my opinion of Sera interfere with that.
“Okay. Then let’s get our bags packed and be waiting for her.”
Grace nodded as her cheeks returned to their normal color.
I dug under the basket I had all my clothing in and found the two sacks Nikkan, and I used when we went on trips. I shook them both out and, thankfully, found them empty of anything gross or embarrassing.
“Here,” I said as I handed one to Grace.
She was already folding my thin blanket gently. She placed it in the bag I handed her. I turned to dig through my clean laundry for a few sweaters. It was just the end of winter, but that meant the nights would be cooler. I didn’t have a tent or anything extra to keep warm since I ran warm all the time, even while sleeping. Sweaters would have to do for my cooler companions.
It looked like the weather was going to cooperate with us, and the typical spring rain would hold off a bit longer. That was good news for us. I’d hate for Grace’s last day as a human to be filled with rain and storms. We would have a beautiful, clear afternoon and night and time to enjoy everything we could before she chose to change.
“Sera will be back soon,” I assured Grace as she looked to the door.
She bit her lip and nodded. My words didn’t comfort her at all. I looked at the door, too, and realized who she was looking for.
No matter what we were doing, I was pretty sure Nikkan wasn’t stopping by today or for a long time. He was mad enough to drag several wolves to our place to get Grace; I was more than confident he was staying away as long as he could. I only hoped eventually he’d let me explain it all, but that wouldn’t do Grace any good. She would be a wolf, and there would be no way for her to speak to him about it to confirm my story.
“It’s his loss,” I told her as I found the sweaters I was looking for and tucked them into my bag.
Grace bit her bottom lip and nodded as she chewed on it. I was coming to recognize that as her thinking face.
“He's a brat, but that’s nothing new. He’ll come back around,” I reassured her of what I was only hoping. He’d always come around in the past.
“Why couldn’t he just talk to us?” Grace asked. “Why did he have to such be a jerk?”
I smiled. She was getting as angry as Nikkan was over thinking there was more between us. There was much anger, but it was over nothing. Communication didn’t seem to be their strong point.
“He just cares too much about you,” I answered. “And he’s always acting on instinct. His wolf side wins more than not. You have to understand that.”
And that was the truth about Nikkan. Maybe that was why he and I got along for many winters. I could accept all the crazy he did because of his wolf. If he were an average human, I might have actually been the one mad at him, but he wasn’t. He was part wolf, and that was a part that controlled a lot of what he did.
He once explained it to me. He had two people inside his head, him and his wolf. Most of the time, he was thinking for the both of them, but there were times it was just easier to let the wolf take over. I had a feeling the wolf took over a lot more than he let on.
She nodded. “But sometimes I wish he was more a man than a wolf.”
I wasn’t sure I agreed with that. The combo Nikkan was of man and wolf made him Nikkan and not anyone else. I don’t know if he would be the same person more human-like. Though I would have to agree if he spoke more instead of getting mad, that would have saved us from all the drama between us.
I packed the last of my dried meat and my flint to start a fire since we’d be sleeping outside overnight. Grace took the food from me and packed it in our bags. I nodded as I grabbed a few of my hunting knives and my bow and arrows. I was tempted to take my gun too since the cursed wolves could be out, but Sera assured me we would be far enough away from all that to care.
After we had everything packed that we could think of, Grace and I waited for Sera outside of my hut. I was tempted to leave a note for Nikkan in case he came back or changed his mind early, but I didn’t. Mainly I didn’t want anyone else following us. I wanted Grace to have one last perfect day as a human and not one last day as a human
being scolded by overprotective wolves that didn’t really have her interests at heart but, more so, in protecting themselves.
It didn’t take Sera long to run to the village and back. She returned with a pack of her own on her shoulder that was almost as full as our two bags combined. I held up my bag in an offer to switch, but she just shoed me away as she hurried over and pulled Grace to a stand.
“Is it easier to run as a wolf or a human?” Sera asked Grace, offering to take her bag.
“Wolf, but I want to enjoy as much as I can as a human,” Grace replied and slung her pack over both her shoulders.
Sera grinned, grabbed Grace’s hand, and then took off running without a second look back to see if I was following. Of course, I was. Even when she was nice, Sera was a pain to me. At least, she was friendly with Grace.
Grace and Sera ran ahead of me through the woods as Sera led the way. I kept a watch out for any wolves that could be following us, but the woods were clear. We were alone on our adventure to make Grace’s last day one worth having.
They kept the pace light; probably Sera didn’t want to push Grace too hard. It made for a nice run. I had no idea where we were going, but that didn’t matter. I knew the woods of Elder like the back of my hand. I was at home. If I thought about it, I probably could guess where we were going, but I didn’t care. Grace had made plans with Sera, and I was sure the future Red of Elder was going to make Grace’s last day perfect.
Spring was finally here. The air was warmer, and some of the trees and early bushes had full leaves already on them. I could hear animals around us and ones coming out after their winter slumbers. The woods were alive and not in the same scary way the tree people talked about it. It was alive with life and new beginnings, which was ironic considering we were marking Grace ending her life.
“This is a short cut,” Sera explained as we neared one of the edges of the woods.
Castiel: Son of Red Riding Hood (Kingdom of Fairytales Boxset Book 3) Page 14
