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Helm took a pull from the flagon of wine at his side, wiping his mouth he shook his head in sorrow. “No, Red, we have accepted our fates and have done our duty with honor and conviction. We will not tarnish that with such a selfish, ignoble deed no matter how much the injustice and anger may eat at our hearts.”
“Still, I—”
“This is none of your concern, Red,” Grimm sternly replied.
Grimm’s reply stung. Once again, I was reminded that they were the pack, the enchanted beasts who had fought time and time again side by side, becoming brothers if not in blood then in deed. While I? I was the village’s offering. The sacrifice. Their reward.
Despite their possible anger, I refused to be brushed aside so easily.
“Well fine. What about the villagers? It has been several hundred years. Perhaps they have learned some new knowledge which could free you? I’m certain if they were told that you are still human and not the enchanted beasts they think you to be, they would help.”
“The answer is no, Red. This is our fate. We accepted it long ago. Now it is time you slept,” said Grimm sternly.
Disgruntled, I stood up. Wrapping the furs around me, I stomped back into the cave. Grabbing some furs from the other piles, I created my own bed, not willing to sleep nestled against one of the wolves like I had grown accustomed. This was not right. The villagers were living their lives, safe in the protection the wolves were offering, unaware of the sacrifice these men were still making for them. It was not right. I resolved to go in search of the forest witch myself. Perhaps if she heard an appeal from a woman on the wolves’ behalf, she could think of something to help that would not require the sacrifice of another innocent.
The thought of venturing into the vast forest on my own to find a magical witch did give me pause. If I were to be taken over by the dark force again, there would be hell to pay with the men…that is, if I survived the encounter. No, seeing the witch would be my last resort. I would go to the village first. I would plead with the elders. My grandmother might be deaf to my plight but she wasn’t the only one who wielded power in the village. I would head out tomorrow at my first opportunity. I would make them listen to me. I had to at least try.
A twig snapped.
I froze, not daring to breathe.
Nothing. All was still.
I took another hesitant step. Then another.
When I was far away from the den, I stopped to put on the simple skirt, blouse and leather slippers the wolves had provided for me. Wrapping myself in my red cloak, I drew up the hood as protection against the frosty morning air. Rubbing my numb hands together, I took a moment to get my bearings, then headed in the direction I thought led to the village. It was so silly really. It had come to me last night. The wolves couldn’t approach the villagers for help because all they saw were their beast forms. But I could! I would simply tell the elders that the men still lived inside the beasts. I would impress upon them the correct thing to do was to break the curse. The thought of my grandmother’s reaction when I returned sent a shiver down my body which had nothing to do with the chilled air. There was no doubt in my mind she’d sent me away with the hope I would never return. Well, this wasn’t about her. This was about righting an injustice. Somehow, somewhere, I felt as though my mother would be proud of me.
I continued to walk for what felt like hours. The warm yellow glow of the sun could be seen peeking through the treetops, but none of its warmth reached the forest floor below. My soft leather slippers were becoming tattered and torn, offering little protection from the rocks and branches littered about.
Beginning to doubt I had chosen the correct direction, I crawled atop a high boulder and looked around. The dark, gnarled branches of the trees seemed to move and shift. It was probably the wind, and yet…it wasn’t just the branches. The trunks of the trees grew wider, closer to one another. Slowly the small glimmer of sunshine through the trees was blocked out. It was as if the trees were closing in on me.
The trees were moving!
With my heart in my throat, I tried to will my body to move. As I searched below for a soft spot to jump off the rock, a dark mist began to slither and swirl across the ground. Black with streaks of sickening green, the mist became thicker.
