Her Eyes Burn Red (INCOMPLETE PROJECT)

Chapter 1

The woods were silent, the air still as snow dabbled in the air. The Piccario brothers were at my side, their bows aimed at a buck scraping its antlers against the bark of a thin tree. Odd behavior for this time of year. The sun was hidden behind the thick clouds, the light enough for me to tolerate; just an itch on the back of my neck that hardly bothered me.

"Shall we?" Velken flicked his gaze in my direction, and I gave him a nod before he released an arrow into the buck's neck. It galloped in panic before falling to it's death in the brush. Nikolai and Kristoff jumped over a fallen tree to gather the deer into a wagon we had waiting on a trail. We'd hunted enough food for most of the main village butchers, it was good to last for a good part of a month before we'd have to venture out to hunt again. As much as I enjoyed hunting and forming stronger bonds with the Picarrio brothers trust, I had Solin waiting for me back home.

We mounted the horses and rode back to to the kingdom, taking the day's catch into the square where butchers and bakers met us for exchange.

"We can take care of things here." Damek said, giving my shoulder a pat as I unloaded the buck. "Go look for Solin, no doubt she's gotten herself into some new situation."

"If you think you can handle things then." 

"Definitely." Jarek groaned at he lifted a deer onto his back and carried it off with a woman; whom I knew at Sasha, the butcher's sister. Jarek had taken a liking to her after a mishap and fire at a bakery. 

"Alright." I said goodbye and took a horse to ride up to the castle. Bram came down the stairs to meet me, shaking his head. "What's wrong now?"

"Solin. She's in the kitchens again, the cooks say she isn't a bother but spending a whole day in there cannot be good."

"I'll go see to it." I chuckled and jumped down, handing the reins to him. "Can't be too hard to pull her away."

"I have been trying all day." Bram tossed the reins away and followed me inside. "All she does it tell me to leave and continues on with whatever mischief she's been up to. Forgive me, but I do think it may be time that she take her leave in bed, she is nearing the end of her pregnancy and this much involvement may not be healthy."

"Bram, you worry too much." I laughed and shook my head. We turned down a thin hallway and descended a flight of stairs to where the servants lived and operated throughout the castle.

"Vlad, I worry because this is a second chance for you to have a normal life. Anything and everything makes me worry because of both you and Solin's history of fairly reckless behavior." He said.

"What else do you expect?" I smiled and turned to enter the kitchen. 

"Read it to me, my eyes are tired." Solin was standing next a table, Lillian was beside her, squinting down at the dough before them.

"It says to fold into pocket and fill." Solin's eyes glanced up over a rather large book in her hands and smiled at me. "How was the hunt, boys?" 

"Thank you dear." Lillian took the book from Solin and went to pounding at the dough with her fists.

"It went well." She met me halfway before I kissed her gently, and wrapped and arm around her waist to pull her close. "Bram was just telling me about how much trouble you were getting into today."

"Oh really?" Solin turned to him, his face was a bit flushed. "What kind of trouble?"

"Solin, please listen; you are in no condition to be doing any of this-"

"Bram, please stop talking about it." 

"I won't so long as you refuse to listen to me. You go bumbling about and trampling into the kitchen most days with no concern for the kitchen staff or yourself." Bram folded his arms across his chest. "You hardly take care of yourself, let alone that heir you carry. I wouldn't be surprised if something horrid befell both of you-"