Heart [ON HOLD]

Chapter 7: Little Red

The woods are lovely,
Dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
-Robert Frost

"Time off? You mean like, getting time off forever because I'm fired or-,"

Mrs. Galloway shook her head.

"No. She said to give you the rest of the day to yourself. Oh!" Mrs. G rummaged in her apron pockets and pulled out a folded sheet of creamy paper stamped with a scarlet seal depicting a heart encircled by a crown. Cora's eyebrows rose to new heights.

"Is that-,"

Mrs. Galloway nodded.

"It's for you."

Cora took a break from the dough she was kneading and wiped her hands off as best she could on her apron. Then she took it with tentative fingers and broke the seal.

The Queen's handwriting was flowing and crisp, the words formal. It was so precise, so controlled, that it was nearly unnerving. What it said was even more so.

"Miss Cora," she read aloud, "I was not myself the night prior. I frightened you. To make up for it, I have some news for you. I may have found a-," Cora broke off and her eyes became very round. She shook her head.

"That's not possible," she murmured.

"What is it? Keep reading, dear," Mrs. Galloway said.

Cora took a deep breath.

"I may have found a relative of yours. She is your grandmother on your Father's side. She lives in the woods a few miles from the castle. You have the rest of the day off to go meet her. I have enclosed a map to assist you on your way. Please accept this opportunity as an apology for the events of last night."

It was signed with the royal seal.

Cora's fingers were trembling.

"This- this isn't usual for her, is it?"

Mrs. Galloway seemed reluctant to accept it too.

"But if she really did find my family, then I have to go," Cora said, clenching the paper tighter. It was too good. The Queen wouldn't go out of her way to help someone like her. And if she really had found her grandmother, how had she found her so quickly? But she was the Queen of Hearts. She knew magic. She had unlimited resources. Maybe she really had done it. And why would she lie? Cora knew the Queen didn't like her. It seemed counterintuitive to give her good news. There had to be a catch, but she couldn't see it. Not yet.

But what would she say? What would change once she found her grandmother? Would she want her at all? Could she finally leave the castle?

"I'll leave right away," Cora said. "If there's a chance I've got a family, then I need to find them. You can manage without me I'm sure."

Mrs. Galloway nodded.

"There are more than enough hands around here. Kala can take over your duties for the day."

Cora said a quick thank you and rushed back to the servants quarters that she shared with the other maids and grabbed her red cloak. Red was supposed to ward off evil, and Cora was taking no chances, especially where the woods were involved.

On the way out she grabbed a basket and loaded it with a loaf of bread and some other vittles to take as a gift. Within ten minutes she had passed through the gates of the castle and was walking through town towards the woods.

The city was bustling with life. The houses and shops were tall and white washed, and the cobblestone streets were well traveled by people pulling handcarts, driving ox drawn wagons laden with straw, people going about their shopping on market day, and children rolling hoops in the road and getting under everyone's feet. Near one of the market booths were two boys, about six, fencing with sticks.

"Surrender!" one said.

"Never! I'll have your heart and be the best assassin ever!"

"Not if I kill you first! Take that! And that! And that!"

The first boy jabbed his stick at the second boy as if plunging a sword into his gut.

"Missed me! You missed me!"

"Did not. I killed you."

"The Wolf never loses, idiot. You missed."

"Did not!"

"Did so!"

Cora let their voices fade into the city rabble. How could they idolize a heartless killer? The same way that people could love their Queen. Fear.

Before she knew it, Cora had reached a fork in the road just outside the city gates. Both led into the woods, but the road on the right led into the royal forest. Only nobles were allowed to hunt there, but the road on the left led to the side of the forest where the common folks could hunt. Most of the place was flushed of any prey of the natural sort, but there were always rumors of viceful things lurking about the place. The trees dividing the two forests had been heavily notched and mutilated so they grew in odd shapes.

Cora unfolded her map and saw that the path through the forest on the left would take her where she needed to go. She squinted at the red ink that marked the path. It went on for several miles, and branched off the main path after a while onto a less traveled track.

Cora's grip on the map tightened. This didn't feel right, and she didn't like blind faith. But if there was a chance that she had family out there...

Cora steeled herself and started down the path into the forest. It was a pleasurable walk at first. The light streaming through the green leaves danced across the ground and across Cora's red cape. It was warm and lush, with young trees and shrubs hiding under the older, larger trees. There was the occasional bird chatter and it was enough for Cora to reassure herself. But there was still something wrong. She never heard or saw anything. But somehow she felt it. The hair raised on the back of her neck and she wiped her sweaty palms against her cloak. But she kept going, hoping it was just unfounded paranoia.

Gradually, the forest thickened, and after about half an hour, Cora found the trail leading off the main path. But the farther she went down it, the more uncertain she became. The forest grew darker, and the branches overhead were woven together so tightly she couldn't see the sun. There was little growth on the forest floor. There wasn't enough sunlight for that. The birds still sang, but even they were few, and their cries began to sound more eerie. She checked and rechecked the map.

"This can't be right," Cora muttered.

But the map confirmed that she was on the right path. Maybe things would clear up soon.

Cora kept on, but she grew even more concerned when fallen trees began to criss cross her path. Nonetheless, Cora scrambled over the logs and kept going. But it didn't get any easier. The trail became harder and harder to see as the trees closed in. Just when Cora figured she should have gotten to her supposed grandmother's house, she reached a field of dead briars. The thorns were long spikes and it stretched all the way across the path and farther, totally blocking any way forward.

Cora swore.

"Stupid," she said. "Of course she was lying."

She yanked out the map again. Maybe she had taken a wrong turn or something. But she knew before she'd even looked at the map that she'd followed the Queen's instructions too closely.

Cora stuffed the map into her basket and turned on her heel.

But as soon as she had done so, she dropped it.

A scream ripped her throat.

Because standing directly in front of her was the assassin.

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Oh, next chapter's going to be fun!