Girl in the Red Hood

by Brittany Fichter

  "You only ever think about yourself," Liesel had hissed at him, trying desperately to keep her tears at bay. Immediately, she regretted her words. He turned away silently, but not before she saw the raw pain in his expression. Still too angry to apologize, however, Liesel had stomped away and had gone for a walk instead.

  Ward was not a large village, but there were enough people milling about to call it bustling. The mayor had mentioned that while they couldn't farm for the lack of sunlight, the townspeople made their living by hosting travelers who were taking the shortcut through the forest to the capitol city. Instead of growing their food, the people had their supplies brought in by wagon from the sunnier places outside of the forest. This struck Liesel as expensive, but she quickly realized they could afford it through their many inns, as well as animal stalls, taverns, and wells. Liesel passed by the tailor's shop, the swordsmith, the butcher, two bakeries, and the church as she walked.

  It should have been a pleasant outing. The market was full, and neighbors chatted happily as their children scampered through the streets. The more she walked, however, the more Liesel realized she was not the only one looking. The villagers were looking right back at her as well. The adults didn't even attempt to hide their stares, and some of the children pointed.

  Liesel felt herself blush, probably red enough to be visible even in the gray of the forest evening. Had word gotten out about her fit at the healer's? Or was this how they treated all new people? It wasn't long before she'd decided to return to the cottage as quickly as possible. Since that day, she hadn't left the cottage except to get water from the well or gather kindling for the fireplace. Her grandmother's book had been her sole comfort and companion. Warin didn't allow reading in the evening, as he said it wasted precious candles, but during the day, the book was her only friend. And now her father wanted to take even that.

  "Why don't you go outside?" He frowned at her beneath his dark, bushy eyebrows. Liesel raised her own eyebrows in response and looked pointedly at her hand. Her father snorted. "Won't do you any good hidin' inside when the entire village is in the forest, girl. Wolves mostly stay to themselves. You probably just surprised the one that got you, that's all. Now I want you out of this house for the time bein'. Go."

  It wasn't without irritation or the temptation to say something sharp that Liesel left her beloved book in the cabin. But arguing with her father would be pointless while he was in such a mood. Slowly, she made her way down the narrow dirt path to the main road. She wasn't going back to the town by herself, that was for sure. The open stares had made her feel like she had the plague. So she began down the road in the other direction, the one that would eventually lead her towards the sun. She might not be able to escape the town for now, but she could pretend, even if just for a while.

  After about twenty minutes, a change brought her to a halt. It took her a moment to recognize it for what it was, though. On the other side of the road, deep in the foliage, almost too deep to see, one thin beam of sunlight shined down through the otherwise canopied ceiling. Liesel felt her breath catch in her throat. After a month in the depths of an eternally gray forest, she was starved for something bright.

  After pausing for a moment, Liesel set her jaw and lifted her skirts delicately to begin chasing the bit of sun before it disappeared completely. The forest floor was littered with dead branches and dry pine needles. As she slowly hiked over pile after pile of dead brush, Liesel started to wonder at the wisdom of her decision to make the journey in a dress, but when she finally reached the spot, it was worth it. The sun was weak by the time it made it through the tree tops, all the way to the ground, but its warmth was delightful. Liesel stood where it trickled down onto her face, imagining she was back on the vineyard, when a rustle in the bushes behind her made her heart stop. Nearly frozen with fear, she turned slowly towards the sound. The forest was suddenly eerily silent as Liesel held her breath and waited. Was it a snake, or perhaps a wolverine? There was a story of one of those vicious little creatures in her grandmother's book, one that had attacked a man and taken his arm. Or could it be another wolf? Trying to gather her wits, unable to wait any longer, Liesel lifted a large stick and spoke, but her voice sounded dry and hoarse,

  "Who is it? I know you're there." She immediately felt rather foolish, considering the noise might be an animal just waiting to pounce. It was no animal sound, however, that came from the brush in response.

  "Only if you put down the stick."

  Liesel nearly dropped the stick in shock. It was a boy's voice.

  The boy stepped forward slowly, his eyes wary. His dark brown hair was messy, roughly chopped off as if cut with a dull blade, or perhaps just cut very carelessly. The clothes he wore had holes in several places, and looked just a little too short, although that wasn't unusual for boys about Liesel's age, which was what she guessed him to be. The way he moved, however, was the most unusual thing about him. The grace with which he placed his feet as he cautiously stepped towards her was almost feral. Neither of them spoke for a long time. After her legs began to hurt from standing so still, Liesel finally gathered the courage to speak again.

  "Why were you watching me?"

  "I was wondering why you were in the forest alone. Women don't walk these woods alone." His voice wasn't deep, but it wasn't a young boy's tenor either. Liesel raised her chin a bit defensively.

  "And what if I like to walk in the woods?" It was a strange thing to say, as Liesel did not actually like to walk in the woods, these or any others, but it annoyed her that this boy would tell her what she could and couldn't do. He just shook his head in disgust.

  "It doesn't matter. Women don't walk these woods alone. Actually, they don't walk in them at all. It's not safe." The way his brow furrowed made Liesel feel somewhat foolish. Of course she knew it wasn't safe. Her first night there had proven that. She sighed in resignation.

  "We just moved here, and my mother died." Her voice cracked a bit. "No one will talk to me, and I don't know why. Then I saw this patch of sunlight, and I just...I needed something familiar. I needed to escape, even for a little while." The boy watched with wide eyes as Liesel shed the first tears since the night her mother died. Suddenly unable to stand, she fell, crying, on a low boulder nearby. She was immediately angry with herself. She had sworn not to break, not to give her father another reason to reprimand her, and now she was doing just that in front of a complete stranger. Sniffling, she wiped the traitorous tears from her cheek and tried to give him a confident smile.

  "I'm sorry." This time, his voice was less suspicious and his expression was softer.

  "I'll be fine. And my name is Liesel." Liesel struggled to make her voice less tremulous as she looked back up at the small patch of sunlight that filtered through the distant treetops. "I just wish there was more sun. It would be a little more like home."

  "You lived somewhere with lots of light?" The boy was obviously trying to stay cautious, but Liesel could tell his curiosity was getting the better of him. As she nodded, a sudden longing took hold of her. She desperately wanted him to stay, where just a few minutes before, she had hoped he would just let her run back to the cottage. Though he still looked tentative, his eyes were kind, and he was giving her more attention than anyone else had since she'd arrived.

  "I lived on a vineyard with my grandparents." Unconsciously, it seemed, the boy stepped closer as she spoke.

  "What did it look like?"

  "Their vineyard is at the foot of a mountain, so you can see for miles from their front door." She smiled at little at the picture. "The sky is endless. Below it, you can see the city, as well as other towns that lie down the road behind it. The vineyard is green, and laid out in rows, and the air is warm and dry."

  "You miss it." The boy stated matter-of-factly. Liesel nodded again.

  "I never knew I could miss someplace so much."

  "You don't like it here?" This time it was a question, as if the thought had never occurred to him that someone might not w
ant to live in the woods.

  "No," Liesel shook her head so emphatically a tendril of yellow hair fell out of her hood. "Not even flowers grow here. I miss the sun and the colors. I miss my grandparents." He frowned thoughtfully. "Besides," Liesel gave one final sniffle and stood up to dust off her dress, "as I said, no one in town will talk to me." The boy dropped his eyes immediately, as though guilty. Liesel almost asked, but stopped herself, afraid she might scare him off. She wanted at least one person to talk to, even if he was an odd boy from the forest. "Do you live in town?"

  "I live in the woods with my family," he said uneasily. It took everything in Liesel not to ask all of the questions building up inside her head, but she decided against it, again fearing she'd frighten the shy boy away. She couldn't think of why he could be so nervous. She wasn't threatening by any means, at least in a way that she knew of. She had picked up that stick, of course, but really had not the slightest idea of how she would have used it had he been an animal. He must simply be shy, she decided. Unsure of what else to say without overwhelming him further, Liesel finally said,

  "I suppose I should go home soon. It's getting dark, and my father will be expecting supper."

  "Wait," he half turned towards her as if waking from a stupor. "Will you be coming back tomorrow?" Liesel weighed his expression before answering. Was he trying to avoid her, or did he really want to see her again? She sighed.

  "Truthfully? Not if I can help it."

  "Why?"

  "I...," she paused, "I am afraid of the wolves." It felt foolish to talk about the wolves in broad daylight with another person, one who lived in the woods no less. She hadn't talked to anyone about the wolf bite, not even her father. She'd tried to tell him, of course. No matter how hard she worked, however, the moment she tried to tell him about the actual wolf, aside from what the hunter had told him, her voice caught in her throat, and she just couldn't get the words out. To her surprise, the boy snorted and shook his head.

  "I'm here. They won't attack." Liesel thought that was one of the strangest things she'd ever heard anyone say. She looked dubiously at the boy again. His voice was beginning to change, but he certainly didn't have the body of a man yet. What did he think he was going to do if one of those giant beasts found them? He looked so confident, however, that she decided not to challenge him.

  "Well," Liesel bit her lip hesitantly. "Do you want me to?" Her heart beat unevenly as the question rolled off her tongue. If he said no, she would be spared the dangers of the forest that might come with a companion who thought himself impervious to wolf attacks. And yet, there was something about him that drew her nearer, made her want to look more deeply into those kind eyes and draw out their secrets.

  "I suppose it would be alright." He shrugged carelessly, but Liesel didn't miss the nervous glance he threw up at her while staring at the ground. She couldn't hide her smile.

  "Then I suppose I'll be back." Liesel turned to head back towards the road.

  "One more thing," she turned to see him staring after her with a quizzical look. "Why is your cloak red?"

  "My mother liked red. Why?" He shook his head.

  "It's just an odd color to wear in the forest, unless you want everyone and everything to see you." Liesel touched the cloak gently. He was right of course, but...

  "It was my mother's when she was a girl."

  "Huh. I still think it's strange." And without another word, he was gone. For the first time since she'd arrived in Ward, Liesel felt warm, and it wasn't from the rays of the sun she'd basked in either. Having someone to talk to, and better yet, someone who wanted to see her again, made her feel just a little at home in a way she hadn't felt since the her grandmother's last embrace. By the time she got home, Warin had already returned from the blacksmith's where he worked. He was already pulling his boots back on, however.

  "I forgot the cornmeal today while I was out. Come with me. You can tell me what else we need. Your mother always did these things," he muttered. As angry as Liesel still was with her father, she felt another stab of pity for him. He had depended on Amala in so many ways. Nodding, she smiled, and for once, it wasn't forced. As they left the cottage, she decided not to tell him about the boy just yet.

  "So, lass, have you made any friends?" Mayor Odo's voice made Liesel jump and then cringe. How had he found them? His house was on the other side of Ward. "Ah," he laughed, "I can tell you have by that expression. Who did you meet?" His smile was friendly enough, but there was something in his eyes that made Liesel think otherwise. Unfortunately, her father chose that moment to suddenly be as interested in her welfare as the prying mayor. She could see him giving her a long sideways look as they walked. She sighed.

  "I don't know his name, actually." It was only as she spoke, however, that she realized it was true. She had given the boy her name, but he'd never shared his. An idea formed, so she continued to talk. "He's about my age though. He has hair the color of bark, and brown eyes. He's probably half a foot shorter than my father. Do you know him?" Perhaps the nosy mayor might be helpful after all. She was dying to know the boy's name. "Oh, and he said his family lives in the forest." At this last mention, the mayor's face suddenly paled. Even Warin noticed.

  "Is there something wrong with his family, Odo?" He scowled at the short man. The mayor shook his head vehemently.

  "Oh, no! Kurt's family is very nice." Liesel allowed herself a small smile. So his name was Kurt. It fit him, she decided.

  "What do they do out there?"

  "They're hunters," Odo examined a sack of potatoes very closely while he answered Warin's question.

  "I thought you said huntin' in this area is forbidden!"

  "It is, but...Kurt's family is very old. In fact, they own much of the land around the town. It's best just to leave them alone." But her father was already shaking his head.

  "Liesel, I don't want you-"

  "No, no, no!" Odo interrupted him. "She'll be perfectly fine. The family just tends to keep to themselves, that's all. The boy needs a friend, though. He's a good boy. Liesel will be the perfect friend for him with you living at the edge of town and all." Liesel held her breath as she looked at her father. While she'd never been one for disobeying direct orders, she didn't know if she could keep her sanity and live much longer without some conversation. To her relief, however, Liesel's father finally nodded his head in assent.

  "I suppose that will work then, if it gets you out of the house sometimes." Liesel grinned in spite of herself. Her father had succeeded in separating her from her beloved book, but Liesel was suddenly very glad to have a reason to leave the cottage. Besides, she thought, she might not have to give up her book after all. She had an idea.

  4. FORGOTTEN DAUGHTER

  Liesel felt nervous until she finished her chores and set off into the woods the next day. What if he didn't come? The boy was certainly unusual, but there was a warmth about him that Liesel found herself craving. She really didn't see how she could survive much longer without a friend.

  Liesel had never known the meaning of loneliness before her mother died. She'd grown up with friends all over the city, and even after Amala had fallen ill, the girl always been able to find one of her grandparents to follow around the house or through the fields. And while Liesel wasn't prone to idle chatter, she liked hearing other people speak. Living with the silent Warin was beginning to take its toll on her. She walked even faster as she sent up a prayer to the Maker that Kurt would indeed return.

  To her delight, he was already standing where she'd left him, staring up at the small patch of sunlight and wearing a thoughtful look.

  "You said yesterday that your grandparents' home has lots of sunlight. There are other places around the world like that as well, are there not?"

  "Yes," she walked up as close to him as she dared and looked up at the beam, too. Without turning, he simply nodded.

  "I knew it. Father was wrong. You know how I knew?" He finally turned his serious golden-brown eyes on her, and without
waiting for a response, grabbed her wrist and began dragging her deeper into the forest. Liesel allowed him to lead her, although a wiser voice in her mind that sounded much like her mother's wondered how far she should let this strange boy lead her into woods she barely knew. And yet, the heat of his hand was comforting in a way Liesel had never felt, and she didn't want to hurt his feelings, so she let herself be led along until she heard water.

  Without warning, they burst out of the trees and into a clearing that laid just at the edge of a waterfall. Liesel gasped as she looked up at the waterfall and saw a large patch of blue sky above it. Unimpeded, blinding sun spilled down into the water that lapped the sand not far from their feet. The roaring of the water was mesmerizing as it crashed down into a sparkling blue pond three times wider than Liesel's cottage. The waterfall itself was about as tall as the church steeple back her in old city, and it was nearly as majestic in its bearing. Liesel found herself grinning ridiculously as she looked up in awe at the clear blue sky she'd missed so much.

  "What is this place?" She had to nearly yell for him to hear her over the crashing of the water. He waved her over to a log on the other side of the clearing, a bit further from the noise.

  "I found it when I was small. My mother had told me stories of places with lots of open sky, and I wanted to see for myself. My father says this is as big as it gets, but I never believed him." He looked at her, his eyes suddenly burning with curiosity. "Tell me," his voice was reverent. "Tell me about all of those other places!"

  "Well," Liesel thought for a moment. "I haven't been to many of them myself, as I’ve only lived by the mountain, but I've read stories..." He nodded eagerly, so she continued. "In one kingdom, the rulers have greater powers than our king, or any other king, possesses. The man who is king now made a grievous mistake when he was a prince, and his entire kingdom was thrust into darkness. They would have all perished if it hadn't been for a merchant's daughter, who brought the magic back with the strength of her heart. Then there-"