Red Riding Hood: The Ruby and The Shadow

Chapter Five: The Night of Celebration

I walked downstairs as I tied the strings if my dress behind my back. I puffed out the sleeves as my fingertips traveled all over my dress, checking if it was just right. I had worked on the dress for a while now, whenever I had any spare time or I was bored, I worked on making a dress.

I learned the basics of stitching and sewing from the village seamstress, Annabeth. She wasn't much older than my Mother, probably 5 years older, but she was still young at heart, which is why I liked her so much. During the summers, I would often time work as her apprentice and I worked for very little. She after all had very little to give. With 4 kids of her own I can imagine why.

So instead she taught me how to sew dresses. I mean, nothing too complicated that I couldn't possibly manage, but just simple two or three layered dresses. It hadn't taken me long to learn, I had lots of practice after all.

"Mother, I'm going now. I've left some soup in the kitchen. I won't take long, the village is just throwing a celebration for Charles. He's become Captain of the guard you know. He's got his own armor now and everything. I personally think he looks dashing." I walked into the living room to see my Mother in the exact same chair she had been in before I came home. And once again she was looking out the window.

"Well... Anyway..." I smoothed down my dress nervously and cleared my throat. "He's meeting me at the village square, I bet he's probably already there, waiting for me, so... Goodbye Mother. I'll see you later." I gave her a light kiss on top of her head and then left.

I walked down the streets alone, but I didn't actually truly feel alone since everybody from the village were in the streets drinking and singing at the top of their lungs. I just shook my head with a grin as I watched everybody throw around pence and drinks. The alcohol kept flowing and everyone laughed and cheered loudly.

"Excuse me, sorry, please move." I pushed my way through multiple people in astonishment. "Geez... Even though this is a celebration, I can't believe how fast everyone got drunk... And it's only 6..." I mumbled to myself as I tried to navigate past all the drunken people.

Children were running around as well, playing a game of tag as they weaved through the crowds with ease. I wish I could be that small right about now. Suddenly something small but fast ran into me at full speed, almost knocking me over completely into the people behind me. "Ooph! Sorry Ms. Robin!" A small child with brown hair and freckles had separated himself form me as he backed away apologetically.

"Yeah, good to see you too Benjamin." I ruffled his hair with annoyance as I scolded him. "Be careful. You might be small but it doesn't mean you could run right through a brick wall if you tried!" He just nodded his head as he pretended to listen to me, looking over the right side of me to see his best friends running off without him.

"Yes, all good. Alright. Sorry." He said distractedly, and I just rolled my eyes. "Oh just go already." I pinched his cheek and he glared at me. I smiled back at him, and he ran past me and back to his friends. I watched in fascination as he and his friends ran off before all sticking their tongues out at me.

"Robin, there you are!" Suddenly someone grabbed me by the arm and pulled me over to them. I turned my head swiftly to see Charles looking back at me. "What took you so long? I was starting to think a drunk man might have kidnapped you. And you look nice by the way."

"Don't be so modest Char. You look beautiful too." I joked as we both grinned at each other. "And me? Kidnapped by a drunk man? Ha, he wouldn't dare knowing the Captain of the guard would feverishly look for me, knowing that I was his only companion other than the gate." I linked my arm with his and we started walking through the crowd. "So what do we do now?" I asked as I tried to avoid people walking the opposite direction. It was a little too crowded for me to be honest, but I was here for Charles. The celebration was all for him, and I would be an awful person for missing it.