The Wolf's Den

Path 2: Ryland, Chapter 5

        As it turned out, Tom Thumb was six foot three inches compared to her five feet and six inches and Red's 54 inch height. As he opened the door, the man that was Tom Thumb, a brunette with dark eyes and a rich smile, full of not too much teeth and a lot a warmth. "Well, Red, who'd you bring with you this time? She seems so new."

        "She is," Red said, a nod subtly. "May we come in? We'd like to talk to you in private, if that's alright."

        "Sure, come on in. Must be serious with what you're using for a tone."

        "Thank you, Tom, we wouldn't want to invade your space without asking."

        "Yeah, I know, Red. Come on in, you two."

        Once the door shut, she sighed in relief. At least they were safer here than the hallway. On further inspection, Tom lived in a cozy, simple room with a joining room for a bathroom and kitchen, as well as a small bedroom, just as Red's had been. Continently, all doors were labeled in huge, black sharpie. As it appeared, he was just cleaning up from a meal, lunch in all likeliness, and hadn't dried his hands, which were dried on his jeans. After catching him chuckling at her studying him over, she flushed slightly and looked away, not even bothering to stammer out anything stupid.

        "Are you finished being girly? I want you to tell him what we need him to do," Red said, clearing her throat.

        Ryland, after a moment, nodded and smiled sheepishly to him in a sort of silent apology. "Right, ah... We need to get my sisters, Tilli and Adrieve, back, but we have no idea where they are." Clearing her throat, she met Tom's gaze, feeling braver than before to continue. He was just a guy, that was it, right? Just a guy. "We're going to recruit the seven brothers'--- the goat kids, and we need your help to make sure we're safe, an' all."

        After a moment, he spoke again, nodding slightly in thought. "Well, alright, I don't see why I can't? My folks got out without me and I've been here ever since. If you'd like to start now, we can get the seven brothers' to help, and see where that takes us. How about that?"

        "That sounds fine, we'll have everyone we need and the brothers' live in a large room, so we can talk more there." Red nodded, clearly relieved Tom would help them, while studying Ryland strangely. "Not so bad as you thought, no?"

        "Now then, to the most important thing at hand," he said, a grin brightly. "Who are you, then, Miss Green Eyes?"

        "Her name's Ryland, and you can stop trying to flirt with her. We have a mission to do."

        "Aren't you eight-years-old or so, Red? Why are you being so mature right now?"

        "Grandma told me about hormones and what they did before she fled for her life. We don't need that right now."

        With a sigh, Tom smiled apologetically to Ryland and chuckled slightly, amused but not amused. "Well then, give me ten minutes to get everything ready and we can head out. That or 30, but we'll be fine. The Wolfe can't get to any neutrals, that's one of his rules. The second one, anyway." A shrug, he left the room, leaving Red and Ryland alone.

        "No ogling him, you understand? You can do that when we're free if we all make it out alive, with your sisters, too, of course. Tom's our only hope, and we need his help. If you keep distracting him, he won't be able to help us. Tom has a weakness for pretty girls like you."

        "I'm not that pretty... But I'll try, for you, at least. Odd, being led by a child when I should be leading."

        "Well, ladies," Tom said. "Ready to go?"

        Red answered for all of them by opening the door and leading her two companions out.