Rue

Chapter 1

My fate was to be the greatest king my people would ever have. Those were the last words my mother had said to me as she lay in the snow, her blood covering her like a blanket.

I thought of that day as I looked upon the corpse of the girl in the red cape. She was no older than fifteen. Her parents must have told her to wear such a bright color to warn hunters who frequented these woods, so she might not be a target. She attracted the wrong type of hunter.

She lay on her back, her ribs fully exposed. Her arms were torn to ribbons; her legs no better. The color of her skin matched the snow. Most of her blood surrounded her body. I lowered myself beside her, my bloody hand hovering over her face. My fingers brushed her cold eyelids closed so I no longer had to see her lifeless blue eyes. I closed my own eyes, my hands shaking. I had done this.

The tears had long stopped; such accidents had been occurring more frequently. All had been with animals, though. This was my first human victim.

I stood up and scanned the area. Around the girl's body were dozens of paw prints. Further up the trail, the prints were spaced out, accompanied by the girl's as she had tried to dash to safety. They ended where she lay.

I looked up. The sky was gray, its endless blue unseen for days. Although the snow had stopped falling for now, in an hour or so, it would probably start again. I prayed to Aldreina for a blizzard so my tracks might be covered.

I dipped off the trail, ducking into the thick woods. The trees would provide cover from the wind, but the icy temperature kissed my skin and made me shiver. I took a deep breath, tasting the air. The scent of blood was heavy, but to my relief, there were no other human smells in the area. Running into someone now would be hard to explain—seeing me wandering about in the forest, in the nude, would give the villagers something to talk about. They would label me mad and have Uncle lock me away for good.

I let out a small sigh as I made it to the half-frozen river. It would be easy to cross if I was quick. I splashed the cold water on my face and arms. Still fresh, the blood washed away with ease. I scooped my hands in the icy water, lifted it to my lips, and gulped it down. It quenched my incredible thirst for a moment, but my throat still felt dry. The taste of blood still lingered.

I had to keep moving if I was going to make it back before noon. I tested my bare foot on the icy river, adding more weight until I stood on it fully. I surveyed the gap in the ice on the river's edge, debating whether I could clear it without falling into the water. The ice under my feet groaned, letting out a snap. Taking the chance, I leapt. The impact was absorbed by the fluffy snow on the other side.

What felt like an hour of walking passed by until the small cabin came into view—a one-room structure hidden behind several trees. Large gaps had begun appearing between the boards, and the windows couldn't be seen through the dirt and years of neglect. It was one of ten cabins scattered throughout these woods. Each one was built the same, constructed by my father eighty years ago. He should have lived to see two hundred. He was murdered at one hundred and ten.

I leaned against the wooden door, pressing my ear to its slit surface. None of the hunters ever wandered this far off the trail, but I wanted to assure myself there was no one inside. I opened the latch. My eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness. The small table with two chairs sat in the middle, unmoved, with a fireplace to the left. A cot with my pile of clothes on it was pushed against the far wall. Other than that, the place was empty.

Snatching the clothes, I pulled on my trousers and white shirt, happy they had not been ruined, and yanked socks over my cold feet, followed by the fur boots my mother had made me before she passed.