A Walk In Oldim Woods(on hold)

Chapter 1: Its snowing

A/N: Hey ya'll, hope you like. This is my first story on Wattpad so you know...try to be nice. Please, please, please tell me if it needs anything (more humor, less, more suspense, more romance, more magic, whatever) I might not listen to your suggestions but hey- I might. Anyway, please comment, vote, follow, do your thing. And thanks for reading! Enjoy! (I hope ;) )

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The girl walked through the forest twirling her basket on her arm, whistling. Such a long walk, she thought, and it was so cold! Why did she have to take Grannie the food today? Couldn't Grannie wait a day so Mother could be free to play delivery girl? But oh no! Grannie was sick, Grannie needed medicine, she needed Mothers home cooking.

And what kind of Grandmother lived in the woods anyway? Red wasn't scared, after all, the trees were just wood and the woods were just trees, but Red was cold and it was getting dark and the natural sounds of the forest and the shadows were playing tricks on her and her over active imagination. She pulled her bright red shawl tighter around her shoulders and her whistling died in her throat as snowflakes started to drift down.

Suddenly, Red heard a snapping sound behind her and whirled around, eyes wide and searching for the source of the disturbance guilty of destroying the unearthly quite. Nothing. She saw nothing yet she knew someone- or something- saw her. And it scared her.

This invisible horror scared the unshakeable Red to her core, terrified her. She wanted to believe it was without reason. She was imagining this presence and the fear was a trick of her mind. She turned and stated speed-walking along the path, her numb legs rubbing together, her eyes fixed ahead on her unseen destination.

Crack! Red spun again dropping to a crouch, heart racing. Her eyes scanned the trees trying to find the source of the noises.

"Who's there?" Red called out, her voice echoing off the bare, silvery trees. "Ace? Seth? This isn't funny."

A bush rustled up ahead and Red jerked around, half way between standing and sitting. Red couldn't take it anymore. "That's it! I'm coming to find you guys; I hope your hiding well!"

And with that Red ran off of the dirt path and into the forest. But caution stilled her, causing her to hesitate for a split second. Mother said straight ahead, not to delay or be misled. She said stay to the path and go to Grannies. Don't stop for anything or anyone and don't leave the path. Red thought, but then again the boys left the path and the woods aren't that big. I'll find the boys, and then we can all go to Grannies together. Grannie'll get the food; we'll spend the night and then come back the next day. And the boys won't be able to say anything about my path-leavings because they weren't supposed to come anyway. 

Armed with this reassurance she trotted off the path and into the woods looking for the boys that weren't there.

***POV change***

Behind her, out of her sight, a large man with faintly glowing eyes stepped on to the path he had seen the red-cloaked girl leave and ginned. Fangs slid out of his mouth and he howled, one long, low note and crept after Reds shrinking form, thinking about dinner.

***POV change***

Red heard a distant howl and froze. Wolves? Wild dogs or coyotes? Something else? Red had, of course, heard about the Wolves of Tay; humans who dressed in black and wore masks and robbed carriages and travelers. But they were just bandits, right? Red wasn't rich; she certainly didn't look like it- but maybe? And some supperstsish people had started murmurings around town about the Wolves of Tay being werewolves. But no. Can't be, just isn’t....right.

And the boys! They were in less danger then her but she needed to find them...now! They could fend of any attack -weather it be wolves or bandits- better together then alone. Also the boys had a way better direction sense. Red knew she would never get back to the path, not now that she was so far into the woods.

"Seth! Ace! Come out now! This is not funny! I am so serious! Boys?" Red yelled into the darkness, cupping her gloved hands around her mouth. Her eyes strained for any movement, any at all but there was nothing there, nothing to see.

***POV change***

Silently the man slid up behind Red and clamped a thick, heavy hand on her left shoulder. He bent his head down close to her ear.

"What are you doing here, girl?" the man snarled in a thick, angry voice.

Red shirked and spun around, stumbling back, her knees buckling under the sudden weight of the hand. "Who are you?" she asked trying to stop her voice from shaking. "Get away from me!"

The man grinned sickeningly, and repeated himself slowly. "What are you doing in my woods, girl?" 

"Your woods?" Red asked dumbly, staring into his eyes, which were a weird shade of yellow and green, and they seemed to glow slightly...but that wasn't possible. No. I'm just tried, Red convinced herself.

"That's right. Mine. What are you doing here and who are you?" the big man asked, trying to figure out if anyone would miss the tidbit that wondered into the woods at night.

"Taking food to my Grandma. I'm from the village of Soen. And since when did anyone own the wood?"

"Recently. Where does your grandmother live?" the big man let go of Red though he took a step closer, making Red step back in cold fear.

"Near the center of the woods, over a huge rise and in the middle of some weeping willows." Red wasn’t sure made her answer the intimidating man, something about his eyes seemed to hypnotize her. "She'll worry if I'm late... bye." Red pulled away and stumbled through the underbrush, finding herself on the path. Now how did that happen? She wondered but never the less she was grateful to have found a way to get to Grannies quickly. She looked back over her shoulder several times but saw nothing. Hurrying along the path she yanked at her shawl, pulling it closer, basking in the meager warmth of the bright red wool as the snow came down harder. 

***POV change***

The man rolled his head and his neck creaked. With a sharp tooth smile he let out a long, deep howl and dropped to his hands. Thick muscles rippled over his body and bones cracked and mended. Black fur sprouted out of his pores and his cloths ripped. Fangs lengthened as did his face, turning into a snout. He gave another howl and took off, winding through the woods parallel to the path, stealthy passing the small girl, who huddled in a blood-red cloak, hurrying to get out of the snow. An answering howl came and with renewed speed he ran and ran, until he got to the grove the girl had talked about.

He stood up on his back legs and the fur retracted into his body. His bones, with a snap, corrected themselves and he trotted over to the house. Stopping at where he knew the barrier to be, he flung his arm out cautiously. Nothing. So, he thought, it was true. The old lady was sick. Wonderful.