Red Riding Hood

Chapter Two: "Geralf Kruin"

The man hefted his axe to point at the gates, telling everyone loudly. "I've seen them out there. I know what you are up against. I'm still here. You've let their numbers grow by 'feeding' them. What happens when you can't feed them anymore? What happens when you break this 'fragile' truce?" The man let out a deep throaty chuckle, lowering his hand to say bluntly. "You don't get a say in this anymore. This is a plague... and I'm here to clean it up. So, do what you do best. Grovel to your betters." The man raised his hands, introducing himself to everyone. "My name is Geralf Kruin. I do not cower to wolves. I trap them... and I KILL THEM." Geralf nodded to a Huntsmen on horseback by the last carriage. Jack perked up to see the rider unlace the ties and flip it up to reveal that the last carriage was a large cage. The villagers gasped and covered the eyes of their children in horror. Jack's own breath caught in his throat, but he couldn't look away. Inside the last carriage was a naked man that had his arms and neck chained to keep him standing upright with his arms out. At his feet were hundreds of dead bodies. The man had a leather muzzle over his mouth to keep him from talking, but his look of fear was obvious. The man's body was dripping with blood from wounds that he'd suffered.

Geralf grabbed the Sheriff by the collar of his shirt and practically dragged him over to the last carriage as he told him in a deep stern tone. "Look at him! You see that! THAT is just one of the beasts that plague your pathetic village! LOOK, DAMN YOU! Look at those we killed to get here! Do you see the problem now, you blind sheep!" The Sheriff shook his head, trying to tug from the man's grip as he snapped out. "What did you...? This is..." Geralf yanked the Sheriff into his arms, forcing him to look up at the man that was shackled inside. Pointing to his arms and neck, he told everyone sharply. "Look! Those shackles are dipped in silver! See how his skin burns! See how it bleeds?!" Jack could see the man's skin burning and bleeding where the metal touched his skin. Geralf shoved the Sheriff to the ground, turning to face the others as he said in a dark tone of voice. "You've got yourself a werewolf problem. A BIG ONE. If you don't snuff it out soon. They will overrun your walls and kill you all. Anyone that has told you otherwise... is lying." Jack watched one of the female council members step forward to tell the other villagers. "This is a trick. He's trying to destroy everything we are trying to achieve!"

Turning to look at Geralf, she pointed her walking staff at him and snapped out. "Release that man at once! You are scaring the kids with this disgusting behavior!" Geralf nodded, reaching up to rub his neck for a bit as he uttered out coolly. "Yes. I can see how you would think that... Here's the key. Catch." Geralf tossed something to her from his pocket without a trace of concern or care. The woman dropped her walking staff to catch what looked like a small ball. The moment her hands touched it, she began to scream and dropped it. Everyone in the village jumped back with surprised screams, watching the woman's hands burn. The man in the cage, thrashed against his restraints, muffling something out as he stared at the woman. The woman looked down at the ball that was made of silver, before looking up at Geralf. In that short time, Geralf aimed his pistol at her and pulled the trigger without mercy. The bullet struck her between the eyes, and she fell back across the snow, causing more villagers to scream and scramble back from her and Geralf. Geralf holstered his smoking pistol, casually walking over to pick up the ball with his bare hands. Showing everyone that it was safe to touch, while saying confidently. "You should be afraid. The wolves aren't just outside your walls. They're already inside."

Geralf pretended to toss the ball to one of the villagers and laughed when the young villager flinched from him. The villagers backed away from him, whispering about the death of the woman they had known for years and how this had to be a trick. Geralf then tossed the ball at Jack, who caught it without a second thought. The people around him gasped, waiting to see Jack wail in pain. Instead, Jack looked it over in his hands. It was heavy and solid. He couldn't tell if it was entirely silver or just silver plated. Geralf's large hand reached out to take the ball back, leaning down a little to meet Jack's eyes when he asked curiously. "Interesting cloak. Mind if I ask what your name is... Red?" Jack stared into the eye sockets of the wolf skull to see the man's hazel green eyes. Jack was about to answer, when his mother called out a bit protectively. "Jack? Come here. Now." Jack reluctantly turned to face her, until Geralf asked curiously. "You always do what mommy tells you?" Jack turned his head to lock his eyes with Geralf with a fire behind his bright blue eyes. With that one look, Jack could faintly see Geralf smile behind the long maw of his wolf skull.