Snippets

A Sorta Red Riding Hood Tale

The whistling of the trees made the girl, Alice, shiver slightly, her furred haunches twitching out of habit as she bounded lightly over a fallen log. 

She was on her way to her grandmother's home, having gotten word from hawk that the older cervitaur wasn't feeling all so well. They'd gotten in touch, and thankfully it was just a mere cold. But that didn't mean she couldn't still visit, her grandmother loved when she or anyone else of the Red family came down to visit. And while they had family outings often enough, in recent years they'd grown more distant as everyone began heading their separate ways in life. Alice knew it was just a temporary occurrence, but it still felt good to get away from all the change back to the comforts of her first home. 

Her grandmother, unlike the rest of them, stubborn as a donkey they all said in jest, decided to continue living in their ancestral home in Gnarledwood. Most of them having left as the winters got colder in the area, though in spring and summer it was an absolute view to behold. 

The old cottage in the woods was just beyond the Wolven Cap River and while it was a long journey from Alice's home in Trickersteep, along the Orge Tooth Mountains, she enjoyed the view. The road was well-crafted and tended, the dragons and their kin keeping to themselves along their roosts and hunting territories, and she got to collect trinkets and curiosities to share with her brothers and rest of the family when she returned. 

It was like a mini vacation. 

So as she shuffled her travelling bag onto her back to stretch at a small creek, carefully lowering her basket of treats (warmed by ember salamanders to make sure it stayed just right) onto a small patch of moss, she didn't quite notice the creature that had been following her. 

Its dark furred hid it perfectly in the shadows, its eyes watching her sharply, but even when it walked behind her, she didn't quite take note until a warm puff of air hit her neck. She froze instantly, ears flicking up as her nose twitched unnerved. 

There had been no scent or any other noise produced to have otherwise warned her.

The creature regarded her slowly as Alice gazed back at it, its head nearly three feet above her own, gazing downwards at her. 

Her tail flicked and she squeaked in alarm, drawing her red hood over her head, and spun around to quickly lash out her front hooves at the wolf-like creature. 

It snorted and backed up, intelligent eyes looking her over with now a vague alarm. The two stood now still, watching each other, before the larger creature, its eyes rolling slightly, stated in an annoyed tone, "Why how rude. Is that anyway to treat another traveller, deer-girl?"

Alice held up a finger to refute before closing her mouth and folding her hands, it was best to take it slowly as she figured out what she was dealing with. Alice gazed the other over now, its thick build and wolf-like traits reminding her of stories told of wolf shaped demons and of creatures known as Night Hounds or Amarok. They were northern wolfish things that were as smart as they were powerful and deadly. Which was to say lightly, very much so. 

Carefully pulling her bag around her shoulders, and easing her way towards the basket, she stated gently, "I'm sorry. And it is... call me Red. Though, if you wish to speak about rude mannerisms, sneaking up on, and scaring others, is just as rude as reacting to such, wolf." 

The 'wolf' watched, yellow eyes flashing green, "Well I do apologize, though I have no name to give, you may call me as you wish. I was merely curious, I don't see many of you around these parts." 

It gave an amused smirk, and she felt herself go slightly red.

Alice straightened sharply, the basket clasped to her chest as she steamingly stated, "Well at least I come from these parts, I did not come to be put to question! I for one haven't seen a Northern Demon as yourself come down south! So do not play it as though you know me or these lands as easy as your hand, or paw, or whatever have at you. Thank you very much!"