Red Riding Hood: The Ruby and The Shadow

Chapter One: The Present

28 Years Later....

I walked down the road of the village by the street markets, hearing loud voices overlap each other as they called out for customers. There were many people that congregated around the countless stands that were selling everything from small chickens to pastries and even clothing.

I looked past the clothing rack and saw that they had recently put up a new selection of dresses, aprons and cloaks. I looked longingly to the cloak rack, and saw a beautiful dark brown cloak with beautiful golden designs weaved into it. I've had my eye on it for a while, but I had no money to buy it. Well, I had money, but most of it was directed towards my grandmother.

Every day I would buy her something new to eat and bring it over to her. She was old; she could barely even move anymore. I had told her to stay in bed no matter what, that I would take care of everything for her. By everything I mean dust, sweep, mop, wash the laundry, tend to her garden, harvest what needs to be harvested and then cook her some food if there are enough ingredients.

"Robin!" Someone called over to me, and it instantly turned my head to see who had called to me. My eyes widened as I blushed slightly as I realized I had walked right past the place I was intending to go. "Oops, I guess my thoughts carried me away." I admitted sheepishly as I turned around and went back to the food stand.

"Yeah. You looked like a ghost for a minute there. I wasn't sure whether I should call a doctor or a priest." Arthur joked as he set out freshly baked cakes and pies for me to observe. "So which shall it be today?"

I studied the pastries carefully, each looked magnificent in its own way, it was hard to choose only two. One for me and one for my grandmother. "I think I'll take the carrot cake for myself, and a cream filled galette with powered sugar on top for my grandmother."

"Carrot cake? You?" Arthur laughed as he wrapped up the cakes separately with haste. "We wouldn't want your nose to grow even longer now would we? Pretty soon you'll start pulling carriages." Arthur joked as I laughed along with him. He was the funniest man in the village, along with the only pastry chef. He came a long way from France a long time ago, where he had learned the art of pastry making from his parents. Although his jokes were crude and could easily be taken offense to, most of us had let them slide as it was all in good fun. Well, most of us. He was like a good uncle to me so I was used to his sense of humor.

"Here you are my dear. That will be 5 pence." I reached into my basket and pulled out my coin purse. I opened it and took out 5 pence and laid them flat on the stand. "Last of the month's." I added with a sigh as I loaded them into my basket with care.

"Say, have you seen my son lately?" He asked as he rested his head on his hand that was propped out on his elbow on the stand. "He's recently been promoted from lieutenant to captain. They say the old one retired. Well, all for the better."

"No, I haven't seem him yet, but congratulations. That must make you pretty proud." I rolled my eyes as Arthur beamed with pride at what he thought was his own accomplishment. "Hm yes, Sir Captain of the Guard. What woman wouldn't swoon?"

"Me." I added with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. "And any other woman without a long line of mental disorders." Arthur just looked at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Are you sure Robin? Best not stick your nose up so high, a bird might land in it."

"I'll keep that in mind." I smirked at him as I shook my head playfully and walked away. "I'll tell him you said hey." And with that I walked past the rest of the street market displays and onward to the gate entrance.

Pretty soon I found myself standing in front of the enormous erected gates that towered over the village. Men were on their guarding posts, holding bows and arrows while patrolling the activity just beyond the gate. The dark forest.

"Charles!" I called loudly, earning me a few stares from the men on top of the gates. I just smiled and waved at them as if nothing had happened, and they all awkwardly went about their way of patrolling. "Hey Robin. Why so anxious so see me?" A voice suddenly popped up from right beside me, and I turned and smiled at the man who I proudly called my best friend.

"Hello Char. Oh, what a shiny sterling metal suit! Did you get promoted to arrow buffer?" I joked as he wrapped his arms around my waist and brought me in for a hug which I gladly accepted and gave back. "Your dad's really proud of you, you know."

"Oh, have you spoken to him already?" He asked with a playful side grin on his not yet shaven face. "You know how jealous I get when I'm not the first one you talk to."

"Oh, how ridiculous of me. From now on, every morning I will wait impatiently until sun up, and then I will run like a mad woman quickly over here while squealing with joy. I'll be the morning alarm for both the roosters and you."

We both laughed as we separated and smiled earnestly at each other. "So what did my father say? Did he pressure you into marriage again?"

"Not quite, but almost. According to his words, I have compitition. 'What woman wouldn't swoon?' as I recall." I smiled dashingly at him while he just scratched the back of his head and looked at the ground with embarrassment. "So, is there a line I have to wait in somewhere perhaps?" I turned my head back and forth and pretended to look for the swooning women.

"Of course not. You're my one and only fan. You know he's crazy." Char put his hand on my head and turned it so that I was looking back at him. I smiled lightly as I shook his hand off and put a hand on my hip. "If I wasn't so daft I would say your father is trying to either kill me or marry me off to you. Both are atrocious."

"I don't know, the first one sounds just a little bit worse. That's just my opinion though." He grinned at me as I pretended to think. "Hm, no... At least when I'm dead I won't have to pretend to like you."

Charles immediately scoffed in surprise as he picked me up by the waist and spun me around. "I can't believe you were pretending the whole time! So does that mean you weren't really sleeping at all?" He set me down again and I laughed as I adjusted my dress. "Of course I wasn't sleeping." I responded as I pulled him in for one last hug. "I was praying you'd leave me alone." I whispered sadistically into his ear and he chuckled as we both separated.

"Alright, I've heard you loud and clear. I'll go open the gates." He gave me one last smile and a wave as she strode off for the gatekeeper's lodge. I smiled to myself as I watched him go and sighed to myself as I waited for the gates to open.

The large gates were suddenly pulled open, and the grip on my basket tightened as I strode out of the village. I had done it thousands of times before, but no matter how many times I had gone back and forth through the dark forest, I still felt an undeniable quiver of dread. Of course I wouldn't admit it to anyone, nonetheless myself, but no matter how many times I had told myself that I was completely alone in those woods, I feared that someday a little voice would whisper to me, "not anymore."

A shiver ran through my body and I shook it off as I just turned around with a plastered smile on my face as I waved goodbye to Charles who was watching from afar back inside the village. He waved back to me immediately and with one final glance, I turned back towards the forest, and began to walk back into the darkness.

If I didn't do it, then who would?