Forgetting Red

Grannie

Wolf

I didn't like this. I didn't like that these two where leading me to grandmother's house, which was actually more of a giant hotel. Don't get me wrong. I loved Grannie. I just didn't like being treated like a pup by someone I out aged by 400 years. Though I shouldn't be too hard on her. Poor women had to try so hard to find a place that we could all stay. The city was too dangerous. Not to mention we all felt more at home in the woods. With the trees around us and the fresh air. She finally found it and just wanted to make sure my tendency to act without thinking wouldn't mess it up for us. Though this forest was paying the price.

The trees where no longer green. They were slowly dying and not just because it was fall. No. Our secrets and our darkness was causing the forest to die in order to protect us again. It was something that would soon give us away to our enemy. I had told Grannie that but she felt safer in the forest as did our people. At least we had fall and winter to cover our tracks for now but come spring the forest would not be in blossom. People would start to question.

"Hey you still in there?" Meyrick waved his hand in front of my face and I grabbed his hand to stop him from doing that. Fleck was flying above us keeping an eye out for anything. "What do you think Grannie is going to say?" The fox asked and I chuckled.

"You mean after she scolds me." I said and Meyrick chuckled at that as well. "I don't know. So far I haven't seen any of them around. Let's just hope it stays like that." I said and we kept walking.

Sure we would have been scared if we were humans. Walking in the woods at night was not one of the smartest things to do. But we weren't humans and it was very hard to kill us. Plus I was the Big Bad Wolf. What did I have to fear besides the enemy? I wasn't even really afraid of them but I had people that I had to protect so I needed to keep an eye out for anything wrong. I knew I couldn't go risking myself. Otherwise we would be one fighter short. And as much as the other forest folk annoyed me, I had an obligation to them. To keep them safe. To get Red back. To make a new home for us. And most important of all to not get caught.

A smell pulled me out of my thoughts. I knew that scent. Sharp, musky...smelled of...timber. I stopped suddenly though and inhaled deeply. I prayed that I was mistaken. Unfortunately I wasn't'. I grabbed Meyrick's shoulder and stopped him. He looked back at me with a raised eyebrow and I shook my head. Fleck swooped down onto my shoulder and I inhaled again. The smell of fresh cut wood and metal overloaded my senses. My eyes closed and my head tilted to the side. Something was close to us. It was a very bad something. I gestured to Fleck to look ahead again and the crow took off.

Meyrick's muscles tensed as he got ready to take off. Mine did the same. We both waited silently and tried to hear what was coming. I could hear Meyrick inhale and I looked over at him. He looked like he had just been caught in a trap.

"Wolf..."

"I know." I whispered back and nodded my head. "I want you and Fleck to get out of here if things get bad."

"Like hell I am going to let you have all the fun." The fox whispered and I growled low in my throat. Meyrick huffed and knew I wasn't joking around. He was to take Fleck and get the fuck out of here. I was not going to let them get hurt.

We waited a little bit more before Fleck landed on Meyrick's shoulder. He was shivering and I could hear his little heart beating rapidly in his chest. "Two miles out." He said.

"OK. You two need to go...."

"No we need to go together." Meyrick interrupted. I snarled at him my claws already coming out again. "If you expose yourself now it will definitely give us away. Grannie's is five minutes that way if we run," He said as he pointed east. I growled and looked in the direction of the scent. "Wolf please." My head snapped towards the fox and I could see it on both their faces. They were scared.