by Waters, Carl
“Yield!” Alison shouted, pointing the tip of her sword at Adela’s chest. “I’ve beaten you fairly, and you must yield to me!”
But Adela scraped a handful of dirt form the ground—so quickly that Angeline barely saw it— and threw it into Alison’s face. When Alison screamed and turned away, trying to protect her eyes, Adela regained her feet and dove at Alison, striking her in the knees and taking her down. She grabbed Alison’s sword, which the other girl had dropped in her pain, and brought the weapon down to Alison’s neck.
“I will never yield to the likes of you,” she hissed. “Never.”
Angeline moved suddenly between them, having seen enough.
“Cheater!” Alison cried. “Again, she must cheat to beat me!”
“She used everything at her disposal,” Angeline corrected. “And that was well within the rules. It is what anyone would do in the field. It is what you must learn to think of, young one. Adela wins the day. But—” She turned to Adela, her face growing more serious. “—Remember that Alison is your little sister. And beware of her safety in the future. The dirt could have done serious harm, and it will not do for you two to become enemies. You are family.”
Adela nodded once. “And I’m happy to remember that, Mother, if she does.”
Angeline nodded at that and then turned away. Yes, her decision was made. The choice was obvious. But what would it do to the girls when she told them?
10
Geoffrey looked up at Louis as they walked, wondering about his friend. Louis was taller than Geoffrey—always had been—and Geoffrey knew for a fact that Louis was also more handsome. Geoffrey himself had been lucky, he’d always thought, that Louis had agreed to work with him rather than going to one of the other woodcutters in the area.
When his father died, leaving him alone with his mother, Louis had turned to woodcutting but hadn’t had a clue about where to do it, or how, or even how to stay safe during the process. But he’d known Geoffrey already—they’d played together as young boys—and had gone to him with his thoughts. Geoffrey and Piers had immediately agreed to teach Louis the lay of the land. Since then, of course, Louis had outstripped Geoff in both size and strength, and it was becoming obvious that Louis was the better woodcutter.
Of course, Geoff had always considered himself slightly cleverer than Louis—at least when it came to safety, and business. He’d quickly taken the lead in their pricing and distribution, and fancied that he did a good job at it. Louis, on the other hand, was the adventurer. And he was proving as much right now.
“They should have let us stay with them,” Louis was muttering, his long strides taking him quickly through the forest. “Those three ladies shouldn’t be in the woods by themselves if something is about. We could have protected them.”
Geoffrey snorted and tried to match his pace to his friend’s. “Methinks Madam Angeline is more than capable of protecting them herself. And Adela is better than you realize with her staff and bow.”
“Adela,” Louis echoed, his voice becoming dreamy. “Yes, she’s quite a girl, isn’t she?”
“No better than her sister,” Geoff argued. “Alison is taller, and prettier besides.”
Louis laughed outright. “And mouthier, and more difficult. No, I’d never agree to be saddled to that one. When I marry, I want a girl who is clever and wise. Someone who watches closely, and chooses her direction with care.”
Geoff glanced ahead of them into the quickly darkening forest and wondered suddenly how much longer it would take them to get home. This was generally a fairly quick walk—doubly so with the Louis’s long legs and Geoffrey’s jog—but they were taking the path, rather than the more direct route, to stay out of the woods themselves. And it was taking them longer than he liked. Looking up, he saw that the sky above them was nearly purple already. The sun had long since set, and they were meant to be at home—with fires burning—already.
“Neither of us will do any marrying if we don’t get home safely,” he observed, worried. “How much farther do you think we have to go?”
“You’ll be home soon,” Louis scoffed. “Is that all you can think about, safety? Cutting wood and being safe for the rest of your life?”
Geoff scowled. He wanted to get home to his father and the fireplace and have a roof over his head. Angeline’s words had made him nervous, and he found himself jumping at every stray sound in the forest. Why would Louis ask such a ridiculous question?
“Safety is everything,” he answered quickly. “Safety and security. Where would you be without it? Where would you be if there wasn’t wood to cut, or people who needed it? This is what my father does, and his father before him. This is what I know, and what puts food on my table. Why should I seek to change it? Why would you?”
“I’m simply earning money for my family. But this doesn’t have to be my destiny. Don’t you see?” Louis turned to Geoffrey, passion shining in his eyes. “Don’t you see that there must be more out there? That we could have adventure, heroics … even love? If we just left the forest, there’s a big, wide world out there—a world full of strange creatures and different people! Don’t you ever wish for that, Geoff?”
Geoff laughed, despite himself. “You’re a dreamer, Louis. What would you do, travel the world as an adventurer? Sail the seas? Rescue maidens in distress, as they did in the old stories?”
“All that and more,” Louis answered firmly. “I would live my life as it was meant to be lived. I wouldn’t stay here, spending my time with the trees rather than the people of the world.”
“And that attitude will get you in trouble one day, mark my words. Big dreams lead to big regrets. Give me a nice, pretty girl like Alison and a quiet life with my axe, and I will be quite satisfied. Now hurry, or we may find ourselves in an adventure we’re not seeking.”
“You believe what Madam Angeline said?” Louis asked, chuckling. “That we’re actually in danger out here? She’s merely treating us as if we are her children. You are a fool, and if that’s so, then you deserve Alison. Adela is the better of the two. The braver. The smarter.”
“She’s too serious.”
“Nothing but a mask, my friend, and if you looked closely enough you’d see it. I’d rather have her as my partner than Alison, any day of the week. Don’t worry— ” He elbowed Geoff gently, grinning. “—If we run into any monsters, I’ll protect you.”
Geoff shrugged and saw his turn ahead—this was where they would part ways, and head to their own homes. Secretly, he felt glad to get away from Louis, for this sort of talk made him uncomfortable. His was not the soul of a dreamer, and Louis’s big plans made him feel … dissatisfied.
“This is my turn,” he said. “I will follow Angeline’s advice, even if she is treating us like children, because she has our welfare at heart. You’re welcome to your big dreams and big world, Louis. I merely want to be home by my fireside, where I can feel safe.”
“You don’t actually believe in the monsters, do you?” Louis asked suddenly.
Geoff stopped cold. Yes, yes, he believed in them. The chill up his spine told him that they were out there, in the forest, and that they were dangerous. But he’d never admit such a thing. Not to Louis. “No, of course not. There are no such things as monsters.”
Louis gave him another cocky grin. “Good. Then there’s no reason for you to be rushing home, is there?”
11
Angeline sank to the ground next to the grave, her heart feeling both on fire and cold as stone. Watching the girls train—and now duel—hadn’t quieted her mind in the slightest. In fact, it had just served to make her feel more … unsure. Both girls were incredibly talented, well qualified, and trained. Both would make responsible Hoods, in the end.
But they would be completely different in the post. Which would be better? Which would do the job more responsibly? Which would truly understand what it was to be Hood? Which would survive it? She thought she knew, and she thought that her decision was made … but what if she was
wrong?
“What am I to do, Gavin?” she asked quietly. “How am I to choose? And why aren’t you here to help me, dammit? Why can’t you tell me which girl to choose, or even whether I should choose either of them? I don’t know if I want either girl to have this responsibility. Adela is so very clever, and Alison so talented with her body … but is it my right to curse them with this life? Why shouldn’t they live a normal life? Why shouldn’t they be allowed to be normal girls? I never was, and sometimes I wish … ” She paused, thinking, wondering if she really felt what she was about to say. “Sometimes I wish I’d been allowed to live the life of a normal woman, without werewolves. Without vampires. Without a damned hood following me around.”
Suddenly angry, she grabbed a stone, turned, and flung it at the nearest tree. The action felt so good that a moment later she was on her feet, picking up and throwing stones as quickly as she could, channeling all her anger and frustration into the movement. She ducked, grabbed a stone, stood, and sent it flying toward a tree then repeated the action, and again, and again, feeling the blood flowing through her arm and into her body. The tension in her shoulders began to relax, and before she knew it she was throwing more smoothly. Taking aim more carefully, and making sure that she followed through after she released the stones. They began flying farther, hitting the trees with more force, and even taking small branches off with them.
After several minutes, she stopped, breathing heavily, and considered. Yes, this was a valuable skill, and perhaps even something she should teach the girls. One could never tell, after all, when one might be caught in the forest without weapons, or have those weapons disabled in some manner. Being able to use the rocks of the forest as weapons … well, it could have its uses, and no mistake.
She smiled grimly at the thought then turned back to the grave with a wider grin. Gavin had ever been her own rock, and he’d told her more than once that she thought too hard, and would be better off if she acted without trying to consider every angle. Acted off instinct alone. Even now, when he’d been dead for years, his presence was steady and comforting. Almost without realizing it, she’d heard what he would have told her, and now, rather than feeling mental chaos and confusion, she felt focused. Even. Ready.
“You are right, of course,” she murmured. “I should let my instincts lead me. Stop thinking so much. Act as I’ve been trained to. As the Red Hood. But I can’t help but wonder … Gavin, what if you hadn’t been a werewolf hunter? What if I hadn’t been the Red Hood? Would we have been happier? Would you still be alive? What if we’d lived … a normal life?”
A sudden chill ran up her back, and she whirled to stare into the forest, narrowing her eyes. Her hands flew to the staff strapped to her back and tensed. Was there something out there? A stranger, or a creature she hadn’t sensed? An enemy? A friend?
Had the master vampire already found her?
She gripped the staff at the thought, heart racing. If the vampire had come for her, the staff would do little good against it. Wood didn’t harm a vampire, especially if it was wielded by a mortal. Red Hood she might be, but her strength was still limited. And she was very, very mortal.
She strained her ears, waiting, but didn’t hear anything in the woods, and finally relaxed a bit. No, there hadn’t been anything out there. Just a chill. Of premonition, perhaps, or simple loneliness. She glanced at the grave and wished—not for the first time—that her husband was still there in body as well as spirit, to hold her and tell her that it was going to be okay. To warm her on the nights when her soul grew cold; nights when the quilts on the bed were insufficient, and the fire brought her little comfort. Things had been easier when he was there. More complete. Without him, she was …
“Weaker,” she breathed. “I’m growing weaker, Gavin, and I don’t know what to do about it. It is time for another Red Hood to take my mantle, and I do not know if my choice will be the correct one.”
Still, this was not the time to allow herself to slow. There was a master vampire out there, and he meant to kill the innocents of her forest. He would kill her own daughters if she gave him a chance. Which was exactly why she had to find him, and stop him, before he could do any further damage.
Sighing, she brushed her fingers across the headstone, bid her husband a good night, and went home to prepare for the hunt.
12
Geoff turned onto the path home, his mind racing and his heart like lead in his chest. Behind him, he could hear Louis still laughing and making fun of him, calling him names and even criticizing his wishes for safety and security.
“I cannot believe you would rather run home and hide with your father than stay out and have the adventure of your life!” Louis called.
Geoffrey, however, refused to answer, and quickened his pace. No, he did not want adventure. Leastwise, not the sort of adventure that Louis craved. He didn’t know what was out there, but he did trust Madam Angeline, and felt that if she’d told them to go home, then it was right—and safer—that they do so. Louis was being a fool, and nothing more.
As he glanced up, however, trying to catch a glimpse of the sky, he wondered. Was Louis what a boy should be like? Was that taste for adventure and excitement more … normal? Geoff was aware enough to realize that he didn’t follow the standard lines for a boy. He’d never gone out of his way to play rough-and-tumble games with other lads, and he’d been slower than any other boy in the village to realize that girls held an attraction. He’d yet to kiss one, if he were being honest, though he would have given his right hand to have a shot at tasting Alison’s lips.
But he’d seen the way she looked at Louis. Tall, strong, and adventurous Louis. Was that what she wanted—a fool who would risk his life, and perhaps those of others around him, just to taste danger and excitement? Wouldn’t any rational girl prefer safety and the security of knowing that she had a home, and a man who would come back to her hearth every night? Was it really so wrong to think that? Was it … cowardice? Or intelligence?
Perhaps he was wrong, though. Perhaps adventure wouldn’t be so bad. He would talk to Louis in the morning, he decided. Perhaps consider joining him on one of his ridiculous plans. As long as they weren’t too outrageous. Or too dangerous.
Suddenly he realized that he’d been walking in shadow for some time, and his eyes flew to the sky. Yes, he realized. Purple, with only a hint of red left. The sun had set, or was very close.
And he was still two miles from his house, if he judged it correctly. Two miles from safety.
The abrupt sound of snapping twigs rang out to his right, and he jumped, his heart hammering. When he peered into the shadows, though, he saw nothing, and rather than going in to investigate—as Louis surely would have done—he pressed on, his footsteps shuffling through the dead leaves on the path. Get home, get home, he told himself. Get home, shut the door, light the fire, and warn his father not to open the door to any strangers. And that would be that.
By why, oh why, couldn’t home be a little bit closer? Why had he agreed to spend so much time in the forest with Louis that evening? He always made it a point to be home at sunset, so that he could go over the next day with his father. Why had he ignored that policy, today of all days?
The rushing of the wind through the trees above his head put a quick end to his questions, though, and he burst into a run, dashing headlong for the safety of home. He’d never felt so terrified of the dark in his life, and the worst part was that he didn’t even know what he was frightened of. But there was something dangerous in the woods tonight—Angeline had said so. And he wanted nothing to do with it.
You’re a man; act like it, a voice said suddenly in his head, and he could recognize Louis’s words when he heard them. Yes, it was just the sort of thing Louis would say, and probably had said on occasion. That axe at your side is more frightening than anything in the forest, the voice continued. And the animals around you are more wary of you than you are of them.
“Well, and it’s not the animals of the
forest that I’m worried about now, is it?” Geoff huffed out loud, pumping his arms harder to increase his momentum.
Then, right when he was hitting his peak speed, a woman stepped out of the forest, right in front of him. Geoff slid to a halt, shocked at this sudden appearance. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, with long, flowing red hair, a face like an angel, and the most alluring eyes he thought possible. Prettier even than Alison. His eyes traveled slowly down her body and then back up. She wasn’t dressed for the forest, that was for certain. Her dress was thin, and she had no coat or mantle.
What was she doing out here alone?
“Please,” she said in a low, dusky voice. “Please, I need help. I seem to have lost my way.”
Geoff gazed at her, suddenly feeling … well, more adventurous than he had in a long time. “I’ll see you home, gladly,” he said, offering his arm. “Where do you live?”
She took his arm and gave him a sly grin. “Everywhere.”
At that moment, two men stepped out of the shadows, both smiling in a way that made Geoff feel distinctly uncomfortable. The men were just as handsome as the woman was beautiful, but his gut told him not to trust that. Now, as he glanced at the woman, he realized that his gut had been telling him the same thing about her. Beautiful, yes, but also … otherworldly. Untrustworthy. Dangerous.
Confused, he dropped her arm and took one step back, and then another. One more step took him hard up against a tree, though, and when he whirled around, startled, he saw that it wasn’t a tree at all. It was another man. Also smiling.
“What’s your name, son?” this man asked.
“G-G-Geoffrey,” Geoff mumbled, wondering why his tongue wouldn’t work right. Surely these were just some helpless travelers, lost in the forest. Surely they were smiling only because they’d found someone to help them. Surely.
