Red As Roses, Red As Blood

5: The Hunted

I watched as he slid under the hatch but the house.

I waited. Then I shattered the door to the tunnel.

Time for the hunter to become the hunted.

Silently, I followed his echoing footsteps unnoticed. I waited until he relaxed – he obviously thought he was safe, that no one could get down here.

I made my footsteps slower and louder as he walked back down the tunnel towards his house.

I grinned as he slowed and turned around. I snarled as he unbuckled an axe, my eyes trained on the blade.

"Come on sweetheart, don't make this harder for yourself. I know what he does to girls like you. This is mercy and you know it."

"Really?" I growled, "you know what it feels like to be torn to shreds and unmade then made again? I really don't think you do. But either way he won't be doing anything else to me." Poor, poor Hunter. He looked so confused. "His flesh was divine." My laughter run out through the tunnel as he paled, "what? Didn't think that pretty, little Red could do such a thing? Didn't think that she would fight back?"my laughter turned darker, " didn't you know I would rather bury my teeth in my own neck, little boy?" As I mocked him, I stalked closer and closer. He could see the blood on me now. Dripping from my hands and jaw. Saw it soaking my clothes, my cloak.

Red as roses.

Red as my cloak.

But oh so much sweeter.

He almost dropped his axe as he jerked backwards, "but they said the females were weak," I snarled, he trembled, "that they were for breeding."

I cackled, "Oh they said that did they? They told me that she-wolves were for breeding, sure, but they also said that everything that should be and is feared lives inside a she-wolf. That we were savage and twisted and evil. That we were murderers, executioners, torturers. I for one prefer what they told me over what they told you. I mean I am the one that the Wolves bow to after all."

His fear was tangible in the air as I explained what I did to deserve the loyalty and submission of the Wolves of Markwood forest.

The sound of his heart was deafening when I told him who I blamed for what happened to me when I explained what I was going to do when I got to them.

His axe clattered to the ground and he sank to his knees.

I grinned as I stalked forwards.

Then I stopped, confused.

"I am so sorry." Why was he apologising? I tilt my head and he continues, "I shouldn't have left you. I am sorry. I should have hidden you, I should have done anything else. I know that now. I told them - the villagers - that they were fools send you into that forest when they knew what was in it and you clearly didn't. You were so scared and small and I thought it'd be easier to leave you to die than to help you. I regret that. It's no excuse."

A grin formed on my face as I snarled, "are you trying to be freed from your death?" He shook his head rapidly, "then what do you want?"

Then he explained.

Explained the history of the hunters. About how he didn't know that he didn't know what the wolves did to people, to girls, even though he'd been taught. He explained about the tunnels being an escape route for people that only the hunters knew about. About how hunters didn't have names and about how they had to kill the previous hunter if they weren't already dead because only one person can know the secrets of the tunnels at army one time.

He explained about what he was taught about the wolves. That they were monsters, and unfeeling and that they had to die no matter what because they chose to be evil. He explained that he knows that what he was taught was wrong because nothing short of being forced could make me evil. I cackled as he said that - I had no idea who I was before the skin and bone and blood and pain.

A/N

722 words

Edited: 11-04-2020

Not as long as I would have hoped but I'm pretty proud of this! Hope you enjoyed!

Happy reading,

Rayne x