The Red Rose Among Thorns

EIGHT

Blake ran as fast as she could down the west wing toward the main hall.

"Wait where are you going?!" Charlie asked.

"I don't care what I said!" Blake yelled, "I can't stay here anymore!"

With that she threw open the front door and ran outside into the courtyard.

"Please wait!" Jenni called after her.

But Blake ignored the small clock and went to get her horse before riding off into the night. She sped off down the path, determined to go home to her village.

But cat Faunus hadn't made it very far when a wolf's howl cut through the air and a pack of them advanced on her. These were the same wolves that had attacked her father.

Blake's horse reared back and accidentally knocked its rider off its back. Blake fell backward into the dirt but she attempted to remount despite the danger she was in.

One of the wolves however took this chance to attack the defenseless girl. It leaped forward in an attempt to bite her but something knocked it aside. Blake was stunned to see the beast in front of her protecting her from the predatory animals. He used his claws, tail, and even horns once or twice to knock the wolves away. But the animals weren't giving up and they began snapping at his legs and cape. Soon the beast was growing tired and one wolf seized this chance to sink its teeth into his right arm. He roared in pain and slammed his body into a tree in an attempt to shake the wolf off him. This not only snapped the animal's neck but it also knocked the beast's mask off his face.

Seeing this made the rest of the pack turn tail and run. Blake and the beast stared at each other for a moment before the monster's eyes rolled up in his head and he collapsed from blood loss. The girl took this moment to mount her horse but she hesitated. The beast had just risked his life to save hers, was she really going to leave him to die?

Sighing she made her decision, laid him across her horse's back, and went back to the palace.

When she got back she and the servants got the beast up to his room and waited for him to wake up. Once he did Blake approached him with a bowl of warm water and a cloth so she could clean his wound out. He, however, had other ideas and began licking the bite wound instead.

"Don't do that," Blake said soaking the cloth in the water.

The beast rolled his eyes and kept licking his wound.

"It'll get infected if you do that," Blake warned.

He ignored her.

"And if it gets infected it'll hurt much more then it already does."

The beast stopped when he realized she was right.

Blake took this opportunity to press the wet cloth to his arm but the beast let out a roar of pain.

"That hurts!"

"Well if you would hold still it wouldn't," she scoffed.

"You know this is all your fault. I wouldn't be hurt if it wasn't for you."

"Oh really you're blaming me?"

"Yes I am. You ran away and I had to come save you."

"Nobody made you save me. And the only reason I ran away is because you scared me!"

The beast opened his mouth to say something in his defense but all that came out was, "I'm sorry."

Blake simply nodded and continued to clean his wound out. After a few moments she spoke up again, "so why did you wear that mask?"

"O-oh that," the beast said using his left paw to cover his eyes, "I just...hate the way my eyes look."

"I don't see anything wrong with them."

That surprised him and he looked at the dark haired girl, "you don't? Really?"

Blake shook her head.

The beast was confused, "but what about my scars? They're ugly aren't they?"

Blake looked up at his eyes and she could very faintly see marks where his fur didn't completely cover his forehead and eyelids, "honestly I didn't notice them. But now that we're on the topic. How did you get them?"

The beast looked down at the ground.

"Oh if you don't wanna-"

"No," he said cutting her off, "my uncle gave them to me. I lived here with him and my mother. You see as a child I never left the castle. Never had any real friends. The only person I was close to was my mother. She was amazing and I loved her more then anyone in the world. When she died it broke me. I was depressed and lonely. I cried a lot and my uncle despised it. He said I should grow a backbone and accept that my mother wasn't coming back. But when I kept crying he kicked hot ash from the fireplace into my eyes. Thankfully my eyes were closed so they weren't damaged, but my face has been scarred ever since. I've always been afraid to show it since then. He would tease me and mock me saying that only a mother could love a face like mine which of course only made me feel worse. My uncle was also a Faunus, which is why I've always hated them."

Blake nodded, "I understand that. But not all Faunus are bad."

The beast nodded, "You're not. You're different. I like that."

Blake smiled slightly, "You would be the first. People at home think I'm odd. Maybe that's why I love reading so much. It transports me to another world where I can be myself."

"It seems we've both been hiding then," the beast said.

The two looked at each other for a long moment when Blake suddenly stood up, "I'm gonna get some bandages for your arm. I'll be right back."

The beast nodded, "ok I'll stay right here."

The cat Faunus stood to walk to the door but not before she cast one last glance over her shoulder, "by the way. Thank you for saving my life."

"Well you're welcome."