Red Eyes - PruCan

Wolf's Eyes

Her paws padded on the forest floor, calming her nerves a bit as the chilled wind rustled her white fur. Julia let her crimson eyes wander the scene in front of her and let out a very small grumble. Her eyes scanned across the small shacks, stores, and cottages littering the countryside ahead of her. She wasn't pleased with having to do this, but she figured getting Madeline something that was bought from the market instead of hunted to it's death would be a nice surprise. She transformed into her human self and pulled a cloak out of her bag, draping the cloth about her shoulders. It was then that she pulled a pair of contacts from her bag, bright blue. It was common where they lived for people to be born with white hair and blue eyes so she used this to blend in. She used the cloak to hide any features of hers that may seem abnormal, such as her very muscular body. She timidly advanced into the village, trying hard not to show the obvious fear that she was feeling as she cautiously trailed her eyes over each person's face. She stopped in front of a meat vendor's stand, the man gave her a hardy smile.    

            "Hello Madame! Come and browse my selection of the finest-quality meats!" He boasted, his cheerful smile comforting Julia slightly.

            "Is there anything in particular that you are looking for? Let me know I might have it stored away." He offered. Julia smiled, looking at the steaks and ribs and all sorts of fresh-cut meat spread about this man's stand.

             "I think I will take two salmon filets." She said, her eyes caught on the lovely pink color of the fish. The vendor nodded, taking two filets, wrapping them up in paper before handing them to Julia. Julia gave a small nod of approval, paying the man four silver coins and giving him a friendly nod before heading to the next market stalls. She browsed a bit more, buying up some fresh fruits and vegetables for their dinner for a few days. She stopped back by the meat vendor for two steaks that she was tempted by to cook for dinner tomorrow. It was then that a baker's store caught her eye and she ventured inside, the smell of it alluring even before she opened the door. She was almost drooling over all of the fresh breads and rolls and decided that this would be a great treat for her and Madeline's dinner that she had been so carefully arranging in her bag today. The baker smiled at her, his smile just as bright and wide as that of the meat vendor's.

          "Bonjor my friend! Welcome! Welcome! Can I interest you in some fresh baked breads? Or perhaps, if you have a sweet tooth, a sweet roll or crème puff?" He asked, gladly gesturing to the cases of freshly baked goods. Julia felt her mouth start to water. She hadn't had a sweet roll or crème puff in so very long. She gave a nod to the man, purchasing a loaf of fresh bread and a few sweet rolls and two crème puffs, immediately digging into one of the puffs. She took a bite and let out a soft, delighted hum at it's wonderfully sweet taste. She hadn't tasted anything this divine in a long time. The baker gained a suspicious look on his face as Julia smiled and then gave a gasp. 

          "My goodness! Your teeth look as sharp as a wolf, girl! I would suggest you...get that looked at." His tone darkened and Julia's eyes widened. She quickly thanked the baker for her food and left, walking as fast as she could out of the village without attracting too much attention. Once on the edge of the woods she was able to breath again, shaming herself for losing her concentration in a moment of delight. She knew that it was bad news to lose focus of her control at all, let alone in a village. She would have to go to a different village for a while to avoid the suspicions of the baker. She put the contacts and cloak back in her bag in a separate place from the food and morphed back into her wolf form. She shook herself and and trotted off into the woods again. She felt so much better with her paws trodding on the fresh-fallen snow of the forest floor, the chill of the ground on her pads bringing her back into her self. The villagers though, they weren't the same as the ones before. They still gave her the most fearful feelings all the same. In the past she knew the humans of the village to be cruel and fearful of wolves, especially the one's that were half human. Julia shivered in fear as her thoughts wandered to her younger brother, the much smaller and more fragile wolf. She could still remember Ludwig's wolf form clearly. He looked more Golden Retriever than wolf, his golden fur shown in the sun and his eyes were blue as the summer skies. She shook her head then, trying to rid herself of the memories that stung so fiercely. She finally caught sight of the small cabin and gave a gentle sigh, letting her breath create a large cloud of smoke from her nostrils. She morphed back into her human form and pulled out her house key, walking into the house quietly. She put her bag down in the kitchen and placed the foods all in their proper places, smiling as he lay the salmon out on the counter to be prepared for dinner. She wondered then where Madeline was and turned towards the bedrooms, eyes widening when she saw the old oak door wide open. She walked into the room and saw Madeline had the pictures out and was reading her young brother's journal. She felt her heart break at the sight of Ludwig's face staring back at her from the small wooden frame. She broke down in front of her, letting her weaker side show for the first time. She fell to her knees and into her embrace as she sobbed, the loss of her precious little brother still a fresh wound on her heart. Her brother had been her whole world and losing him was the biggest shock to her soul. She finally pulled back a bit, her arms wrapped about Madeline's waist.