Red Roses - (FCRAs 2016 Winner)

The Grove

Bramble was back, asleep, at the end of her bed, as promised by the next morning. He appeared no worse for wear and, apparently, couldn't understand why she was so annoyed at him.

But that fact that he was back meant either she had dreamed the encounter the night before or she really had made a deal with a strange creature of the night and now needed to go out... there again and finish her half.

One part of her wanted the day to hurry and finish so she could get it over and done with. The other part of her didn't want the night to come.

It was only when she was packing her bag that she remembered she would have to sneak out of the house to get to the forests.

Sneak out? She'd never been the type of child to sneak out.

Of course she knew friends had done it but they were always sneaking off to rendezvous with a boy they had no business rendezvousing with. She never did, with such early starts in the bakery and remedies that needed a keen mind, she needed all the sleep she could get.

Luck – or bad luck – was on her side that night. Her mother went to sleep early – she'd always been one for early night but she had been going even earlier since Rosy's death.

Jean went out. He was the one who would have been awake and noticed her trying to get out of the house without telling anyone but he went out with friends from his regiment and would be spending the night at the pub.

Lorelie could walk straight out the front door – Bramble in tow.

The pair of them kept to the shadows and sped away from the village, into the forest, following the same path they had the night before until they reached the point where Lorelie had lost Bramble and the shadows had turned up.

After that, all they could do was wait.

Lorelie took a seat on a tree root that jutted up from the ground, watching as Bramble chased a cricket, with nothing to do but listen to the night around them.

A chill wind brushed passed and she shivered, pulling her cape closer. Autumn was on its way, the nights were starting to get colder. The harvest was nearly done, soon they have the harvest festival and then it would be battening down the hatches for winter.

Would jean be around over the winter or would he be sent away again once Beldon was better? Was the break only for as long as he needed or was it going to be longer? Or would they not wait for their captain and leave earlier, Beldon returning to them when he was ready?

She pressed her knuckles to her mouth as she watched a patch of moonlight on the ground. Hopefully it wasn't until Beldon was better... but that made her hope for a slow recovery.

She grimaced at the very notion. Such an unprofessional thought... still, if it kept Jean home...

"You really came."

A voice at her shoulder launched her out of her thoughts in fright as she whirled around and brambled yapped at the shadows behind her.

She spun to the voice, saw only darkness then looked up and was met by the same set of glowing eyes looking down at her.

She quickly stood up, grabbing bag and wolf-pup and stepping away.

"I did promise," she said, holding Bramble close.

"Still," the shadow said, "promises are not dependable. Thank you."

"Let's just hurry up; I need to go home soon. I have an early start tomorrow."

"Busy as ever, I'm sure."

The eyes closed then...

A monster stepped out of the trees.