Red Wolf

Alea iacta est - The Die Has Been Cast

Alea iacta est - The Die Has Been Cast

Sixteen years later - to the day 

Leaves crunched underfoot as I slowly made my way around the tree in the center of our village, one hand wrapping around the thick trunk. I glanced behind me then set off towards the Far East side of the village to meet Gabe, my red cloak flowed behind me and I tried to wrap the soft cloth around my body, but to no avail. Emilina had forbade me from leaving the small garden area that surrounded our hut except for emergencies and the need for materials, but I knew that I couldn't follow such a rule. My life was outside of our hut, away from the constant smoke of the stove or the screaming of the kettle. It wasn't that my mother was an unpleasant woman, it was just that I didn't want to spend my days embroidering and making bread. Life had more meaning than such trivial activities as those. 

I hurried past the recently remodeled houses of the Far South side of the village, looking this way and that as I moved on. I couldn't waste anytime but neither could I afford to be seen by anybody. The dust from the mud road floated up to my nose and I sneezed, quite loud in fact. My hand flew to my nose and I stood there for a second, listening for sounds of anybody coming my way. There was nothing. I took one last look around then fled down the street, it was useless, I wasn't as good at being stealthy as Gabe said I was. 

Ever since the first couple human bodies had appeared inside the well protected single gate, mangled, unrecognizable and bloodied, my mother had begun to fear for my life. I didn't know why, everybody in the village was as much in danger as I was and she wasn't making then stay inside. But I guess I understood, she was protective, ever since that time when I was five and a wolf had nearly stolen me away. That was the last time I ever set foot outside of the village gates. At the time I figured it was my red cloak that had caught its attention but now, when I think back to it, I remember that glint that had shown in those very human eyes, it wasn't interested in my red cloak. No, not even the slightest. 

Many of the villagers, my friend Regina included, thought it was the wolves that had attacked the humans and I have to admit, they all had me convinced. But Railand Arna, the village chief refused to believe it was the wolves. It was like he was afraid, maybe afraid that if it was indeed the wolves that had killed those humans, then the peace and the security he had worked so hard to build, would come crashing down. 

Finally, after a couple seconds of short panting breaths and weak kneed stumbling, I staggered to the small gate that lead to the back door of Gabe's hut. The brown gate creaked as I pushed it open but I ignored it, now that I was safely in the territory of his backyard, there was nothing to fear. I walked up to the door, rapped my white knuckles once against it then opened it and went into the well lit hut. 

I looked around me, candles were flickering everywhere and a warm fire crackled in the hearth. I took a quick peek towards the table where he was usually sitting, but it was empty, a stack of papers had tipped over and a couple of droplets of ink were beginning to stain. My eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement then I realized that the day before, Gabe had been helping his father with the fallen trees just outside of our high walls. He had also mentioned that there was a possibility of him having to stay the night. When he came back this morning - if he did at all - he probably had been extremely tired and had forgotten about our previous arrangements.  

Unconsciously, my feet led me towards the bedroom, the only separate room from the rest of the house aside from the wash/bathroom. I gently pushed open his bedroom door and grinned, typical Gabe. There he was, laying half on and half off his bed without a shirt, his mouth slightly open and brown hair tousled till it looked like a bird nest. I walked over to his bedside and smoothed out his hair then poked him in his chest and said, "Gabe, did you forget about today?" 

He didn't answer and I sighed, then I poked him harder, in between the ribs and said into his ear, "Gabe, time to wake up, it's nearly noon and I'll bet you anything that you've been sleeping for the past six hours." 

A small sound escaped from his mouth that sounded to me like a complaint, he cracked one eye open and then closed it and muttered, "Lemmealone...tryintosleep..." 

I sighed then started to walk out of his room when I turned around and said, "You sure you don't want to come and celebrate my birthday with a bottle of wine Gabe?" I brushed back my brown hair and stared at him for a couple more seconds and then walked out. Feeling defeated, I stomped across the floor to the door and started to close it when a strangled cry reached my ears and I stopped. 

"Hang on a second! Ariadne I didn't mean that! I do want to come!"  

I turned around and watched him struggle as he tried to slip on his boots and a shirt at the same time. I snorted and he shot me a look filled with daggers. After a second, he finally accomplished putting both articles of clothing on and grabbing a bottle of wine off a shelf. Gabe made walked towards me then gave me a gentle teasing pushed out the door. I guess it was payback for my yelling in his ear. 

"So, where to Aria?" He shut the door behind him then rubbed his rough jaw with his hand and waited for my answer. 

I grinned at his use of my pet name and for the first time in twelve years, said, "How about...outside of the village?"