Beastly Love

Chapter 2: The Dead Woods

-- 3 hours later --
I didn't know it would take this long, she thought. She spent most of her time worrying about her father. Would they kill him, lock up some where, or become an indentured servant? Although the servant part probably wouldn't happen. Mostly because her father was to old and needed to loose a few pounds. She reminisced on her fathers face. His crazy white hair that could never stay in place, his button nose, and his wrinkles, although considering the description he aged quite well for a 68 year-old inventor. He did invent some amazing things, such as his wood-chopping machine and his mixing contraption, but his inventions never impressed anyone of importance.
"Ohh, where are you papa?" She said looking through the window in the back of the carriage. She looked to her left, she saw Philipe, his long black hair bouncing along with the horses stride. She turned to the right window, no one. They were passing through a meadow full of colorful flowers. "I could jump out! Escape!" She thought to herself. "But what would happen to papa?" Too many horrifying images popped into her mind. For her fathers sake, she would not jump.
-- 1 hour later --
"Why did we stop?" Jeanne asked. The boy jumped off his seat in front of the carriage.
"There's a tree in the road, my lady." Replied the 15 year-old boy and apparently also the driver of the carriage. Philipe came up behind him, still on his horse, and smacked the boy in the back of the head.
"Don't talk to her unless I tell you to do so!"
"That was uncalled for." Jeanne blurted out.
"I would be quiet if I were you, unless you would like the same treatment as the boy."
Jeanne sat back down.
"Well," said Philipe in a strong male tone, "the horses need watering and it will be getting dark soon anyhow. We'll cut the tree up and use the wood for firewood." Philipe jumped off his horse, tied the reigns on a branch by a creek, and walked masculinity towards her. Jeanne's heart jumped into her throat, she was frightened, and she had a reason to. He opened the door and offered her, his hand. Jeanne felt she had no other option. She hovered over his hand not giving him the satisfaction of touching her. Especially because of their "encounter" in the room four hours prior. He seemed impatient. She stepped onto the ground and Philipe left her side to find an axe in the trunk attached to the back of the carriage. She looked around. "The Dead Woods" an old wooden sign said. Words seemed to have been scratched into the plank with fingernails. The present of the dead trees were uninviting. From the sign and beyond was death. Before the sign and back was life. She still searched for signs of life in the dead part of the woods. --none--
The young boy unhitched the two stallions from the carriage and brought them to the creek. The creek was on the healthy side of the Forrest and then changed directions so that it would not enter the lifeless part of the woods.
"We will sleep on this side." Philipe gestured his hand toward the living side.
"Well at least I know he can make a good decision every once and awhile." She thought to herself. She walked over to an apple tree, she picked a ripe apple and bit from it.
"This is divine!" She said with her mouth full. She took four more apples. Three for the horses and one for the boy. She thought about giving one to Philipe, but that would be showing affection and that was the last thing she needed. She walked over to the horses and gave them each an apple and then she walked to the boy and handed him one.
"Thank you, miss," He looked surprised that she had given him an apple, "you are too kind."
"Tell me," Jeanne paused to find Philipe's whereabouts, when she saw that he was chopping wood she continued, "what is your name?"
"Louie."
"Well, Louie, you are very welcome." She continued the conversation, "these are nice horses. Does your master breed them?"
"My master?" Hey raised his left eyebrow and continued, "you mean my uncle."
"Philipe is your uncle?!"
"Yah, hard to believe right?"
"Well, frankly, yes," she was puzzled, "and what of your father?"
"Died when I was an imphant."
"Your mother?"
"Died in childbirth."
"That's terrible, I am so sorry."
"It's alright, miss, but I wouldn't expect you to understand."
"Oh, but I do. You see, my mother died from the plague when I was 10, and I my father," she paused. "I will likely never see my father again."
"Miss, I'm sorry."
"No, no, it's quite alright," the tension between them grew uncomfortable, "how is your uncle treating you?" She changed the subject.
"I am very lucky to have him as my uncle. He gave me a job,and a place to stay." Louie looked at the ground and tended to the horses again. Philipe had stopped chopping wood and was heading right for them, but before he could say a single word, a howl, almost demonic.
"What was that?" Jeanne asked hesitantly.
"It's only a wolf." Philipe answered while taking off his shirt. He had obviously come over to show her his six-pack and biceps.
"Very impressive." Jeanne said sarcastically. Philipe walked away proudly towards the fallen tree and continued to chop wood.
-Awoooo-
Another howl shot out of the woods. It seemed closer. She looked into The Dead Woods, it looked darker, and fog was rolling in with the night.