Ruby Red

Chapter Two

The sun shone through the thin curtains and illuminated Ruby's bedroom, the only place she felt safe. It seemed to pull her out of her slumbers and wake her up out of her slumber. She stirred under the layer of blankets, all worn down to nothing more than a few stray strands of wool tightly knitted together to stay intact. 

Ruby wondered why hadn't her mother woken her earlier, so she could have gone and come home by nightfall. But that's when she looked outside and judged the time by the angle of the sun, something her father taught her to do. It was a few minutes before sun rise and the world still lay in twilight. The forest was barely visible through the darkness, a clear dark silhouette. 

  Her heart raced inside her chest. She could imagine her Grandmother, sick in bed, shivering violently against the cold as her life ticks away slowly. She lies, somewhere beyond the forest, dying slowly with no one to help her. 

Ruby snatched the red cloak hanging from her bed post and she quickly got changed, throwing the cloak over her. The basket of food and medicine lay at the foot of her bed, a small blanket covered it to protect it from the snow. She quickly checked to see if the clear vials were still there, snuggled against a loaf of bread. 

She knew she must go now. If she didn't, she would have to venture through the Dark Forest at night in order to come home. Her mother would see her urgency; she didn't want to be in the forest at night. 

Her mother lay in a tumble of sheets, snoring quietly. Ruby felt her heat soften slightly. She didn't want to leave her mother, who could barely take care of herself. But she knew how much this meant to her. To save her grandmother would also save her mother's damaged soul from dying altogether. 

Her mother's hair was streaked with grey and the wrinkles circled her sleeping eyes. Even in her sleep, she looked worn down, yet peaceful. 

Ruby wrote a small note with delicate hands. She laid it on her mother's chest of drawers and smiled sadly down at it. 

Dear mother, 

I have left in order to save Grandmother. I will be back shortly before nightfall. Please, take care of yourself. I will come back. I promise. 

I love you. 

Ruby.

The letter didn't seemed to possess any of the urgency or fear that banged in Ruby's heart. It was a simple goodbye letter. The promise she made fluttered inside her heart, sparking new hope. 

********************

Ra's yellow eyes snapped open. Something new coursed in his veins. The passion he had gotten accustomed too was gone, replaced by a burning fire. It seared through his skin and he barred his teeth angrily. His mate, was she dead?

The thought made Ra twist in fury. No one dared touch his mate! He roared, his growl echoing through the forest. The wolves, his pack, stared at him before backing off slowly. They were used to his out bursts of anger and frustration and they learned it was better not be near him during his fits. 

One brave wolf stepped forward. He was different to the other wolves. He was the light in the pack of shadows, his white fur gleaming in the darkness. 

"Ra?" he asked. Ra snarled and the wolf bowed its head respectfully, taking a few steps back. 

Ra's eyes widen as he finally understood what was happening. His mate wasn't gone. She was closer. And the closer she was, the more the passion burned inside him. 

******************

Ruby stepped out into the snow, shivering slightly as she pulled up the red hood of her cloak. She pushed the wicker basket up the crook of her arm. The forest loomed ahead. The only short way to her grandmothers was through the forest. The fear that flowed inside her made her want to run, but she pushed it down and charged on through the relentless storm. 

The evergreen's branches were lined with snow and the sun had just come up behind the forest. The vision of the last time she saw her father surfaced again.....

Ruby wasn't used to all the walking. She was only a child, a mere five year old, and she couldn't quite keep up with her father's strong pace. She cried for him to slow down. 

He stopped and smiled down at her. "We are almost home, my child, we're almost there," he said to her. He lifted his daughter in the air and slung her over his shoulder, where she rested, her head on his shoulder. 

The house standing on the small hill welcomed them and a small figure ran out through the door and came to meet them. Her mother; young and beautiful and not worn down. A smiling angelic version of the women who say by the fire, crying. She hugged her husband and her daughter, tears brimming her eyes. 

"You're back! You're safe!" she cried out in joy. Ruby laughed and was transferred into her mother's arms. The three of them laughed and cried in joy of their reunion. 

The sadness of the memory washed over her but she pushed it down and continued to make her way towards the forest. The last time she saw her father. Where the Demon King waits for her. 

The thoughts bubbled in her mind as she entered the forest. 

AUTHORS NOTE

So did you like? Where did Ruby and her father go? In the next chapter you'll get to see how Ruby reacts to the "love of her life" *air quotes*. Yep. Who doesn't want a mad Demon wolf  dreaming about making passionate love for you who might just have anger management and is seriously jealous? 

How I love you Ra. 

Make sure to comment, vote, fan and dedicate!!!!

Fallen Abyss xxxxxx