The Red Cape

II.

Volume I.

The pair trudged along the forest ground, Rose held back as Hunter took the lead, still feeling cynical. They both jumped in alarm whenever either one of them cracked a small branch or crunched some dried leaves.

They approached a rickety bridge that swayed from side to side as the cool wind curled over the chasm below. Rose eyed the bridge apprehensively. Hunter surveyed the area quietly.

Then he looked up. "We tie a rope to ourselves." He said confidently.

"Pardon?" Rose said, bewildered.

"We tie a rope to ourselves." Hunter repeated. "We string a rope around ourselves and tie it to a knot on top of this side of the cliff, then walk across the bridge."

"What if the bridge caves?" Rose asked.

"That's what the rope is for, to keep us dangling from cliff so we don't fall to our deaths. Keep up, love," Hunter stated.

"I don't know," Rose said uncertainly.

"It's all part of a plan," Hunter explained. "It's going to work, I promise."

"Where's the rope?" Rose asked.

Hunter pulled a coil from in his cloak.

Hunter tied a portion of the rope around a large tree, then around him self, knotting it tightly, then around Rose. He noticed her trousers that were beneath her cape, paired with boots. He looked at her in surprise.

"No offense to you, but I thought that you'd be wearing a dress."

"Well, I couldn't very well be running through the forest with a dress, could I?"

"Point taken."

He continued to work. He finished off fairly quickly. 

"Alright, you first, love." Hunter gestured to the bridge.

Rose looked over to the bridge, and inhaled deeply. Then, she walked toward it gingerly. She placed one foot on it, and the board creaked unpleasantly. She moved another foot forward and she made her way to the middle of the rocking bridge, Hunter behind her.

Then, suddenly, the bridge tipped, Rose and Hunter were sent toppling off of it. Rose screamed as she fell, then they stopped in mid air.

Rose opened her eyes, not realizing she had closed them, and looked up to see Hunter and herself dangling by the rope. Rose breathed heavily.

"What happened?" Rose asked.

"I dunno, the wind must've blown us off it," Hunter replied.

Then, above them, large, ugly figures emerged above them, on the bridge.

"Ogres," Hunter said with distaste.

"Was this part of your plan?" Rose said sarcastically.

"Unfortunately, no."

Rose swore under her breath. Hunter was watching the others intently. Rose looked back up, and saw that the ogres were sawing at the rope that Rose and Hunter were dangling from.

Rose gasped. "Climb!" She shouted.

"What?"

"Look!" Rose said hysterically.

Hunter looked up and a look of realization crossed his face.

Both of them climbed the robe furiously. Rose 's muscles ached and her fingers stung numbly, yet she kept climbing.