Red and Her Wolf

Chapter 2: False Faces

The next day, Red went to her Grandmother with a rare sincere smile. "Grandmother, I haven't been to the cottage in a while. If you're not using it, may I have it for a day? I know you're busy with the next Council meeting. I would only be underfoot."

Grandmother gave Red a gentle smile, proof of her superior acting ability. "Oh no, Tiffany dear. It would be such a great help if you could join me for the next meeting. There is a new Leader visiting us from the the Blue Forest, and he has such a young handsome son with him. I was hoping you would show him around our quaint Harmony, show him a good time. It would mean ever so much to me."
Red grimaced internally, freezing her smile in place until her cheeks ached. She knew what her Grandmother was hoping for, that the Son would ask for marriage and take Red away, a spy in the enemy's camp. "Of course,Grandmother. I would be delighted to help out. Maybe after that, when things have calmed down, I can go to the cottage. I'd much rather help you, though. When do they arrive?"

Grandmother nodded, her strawberry blond hair already hidden by her Grey Wolf-hide hood. "In a few hours. I would appreciate it if you could change and show off your wonderful smile more."
Red nodded and curtsied as she knew her Grandmother would want. She knew exactly what her Grandmother wanted her to wear, something expensive and figure hugging. Her Grandmother regularly had such dresses bought and placed in Red's wardrobe. Alone, she gritted her teeth and pulled herself into one of the uncomfortable dresses that showed off her dark cleavage and thick thighs. It was the current trend to be slightly overweight, so her Grandmother made sure she had an ample diet of food. Despite Red's efforts at exercise, she wasn't able to quite defeat the weight she gained under her Grandmother's watchful eye.

The white dress hugged her round stomach, flaring out and down to her ankles, all except the slit at her left hip, showing off her white stockings and round brown thighs. Red looked at herself in the mirror, ashamed for being the piece of meat she was.

I wouldn't mind being Silva's piece of meat. Maybe she would gobble me up? She blushed at the thought, donning a short red half cloak and leaving the protection of her room.

"Thank you for being my guide," the Young, maybe 19 year old man with yellow skin and black hair said with a wide smile. He'd looked her up and down as they met, and Red couldn't help but think he was still checking her out as he walked on her left side.

"Of course, Son Nicols," Red said politely, batting her eyes flirtatiously, "It's up to all of us to work together and support each other."

Nicols kept the same look on his face, somewhere between happy and indifferent. "I hadn't realised the rumours were true and that there were no Wolves in your town. I'd heard of course, and my Father would have told me if they struck an alliance, as we did in our Blue Forest, but I hadn't really taken it in. You can really tell though."

Red dropped her smile, her head tilted to one side. "You can? How? How many Wolves are in your town? Do you know much about Wolf magic?"
Nicol's laugh at her sudden change of interest. His eyes kept drifting down to her cleavage, but he replied eagerly. "That's the thing isn't it, there aren't any trees in your town. It's all little gardens and vines and such, but no trees."

Red looked around Harmony on the Hill for what felt like the first time.

He was right. Most houses had a small garden with bushes, flowers and ornaments, but none had trees. It brought to her vividly the large Red tree in the front of each home in the Red Forest.

"What...do trees have to do with Wolves?" Red said hesitantly, instinctively knowing there was a connection yet unable to find the connecting pieces.

Nicol laughed. "The Wolves plant the trees and through their magic, help the trees grow, of course! Trees don't grow by themselves! They need the Wolves to protect them while they're young, until they're tall enough for their leaves to reach the sky and start protecting the Wolves."