Flashback. In the magic forest. At Red's cabin.
I was hiding in the chicken coop. I don't know why but i thought it was the safest place since i needed some time off Regina.
Suddenly a girl walked into the coop and started collecting the eggs from the chicken.
I accidentally stepped on a chicken and it cried out.
The girl froze and turned around to me.
I stepped out of my hiding spot "I'm sorry. I can go."
Girl "Are you...stealing our eggs? "
I shook my head "no. It was just that, um, last night... There was something out there. There was howling, and... I heard it. And it was so cold, so..."
She smiled " Hey. Come on – come with me. Everyone calls me Red. "
I smiled " I'm Ec- Shadow. "
She raised an eyebrow "Shadow? Really? "
I shook my head "No. It's just that someone's looking for me, so..."
Red smiled " You don't know or trust me yet. Hey, I-I get it. I just need something to call you. "
I nodded "Let's stay with Shadow"
She smiled "okay, Shadow, come on"
We walked out into the forest. Every were was snow.
Red "I just got to bring in some water before we go in. It'll just take a second. "
We stopped at a well.
Me " What was all that howling? "
Red "It's Wolfstime. Killer wolf out there. As big as a pony, but a lot more bloodthirsty. It's been stalking the area pretty regular. It kills cattle and... Hang on. "
she grabbed the rope of the bucket in the well " It sticks sometimes. Could you just..."
I grabbed onto the robe and started to pull the bucket up.
I froze when i turned around to pull.
Red " Look. Look at that. Shadow, look at the water. "
Me "Red"
She turned around. Everywhere were dead men on the ground. Blood was h.
At the tavern. Night.
One of the men who was with the hunting party speaks to the group. I was disguised, well i had a piece of cloth wrapped around my lower half of my face.
Man "The one thing I know, is that last night, was the very last massacre."
They all cheered.
Man " You know, if I had stayed with that party for another ten minutes, I, too, would be among the dead. And, when I think if I'd only doubled back, maybe...I could've caught it in the act. Maybe, I would've been able to slay the creature. "
Granny " You would not. "
Man " Widow Lucas."
Granny " This creature is more powerful than you can imagine. You wouldn't have a chance. Stay inside, hide your children, forget your livestock. "
Man "You said all this before. "
Granny " But, I haven't said how I know. Nearly threescore years ago, I was a child with six older brothers. Big as oak trees, all of them veterans of the Second Ogres War. And my father, the biggest of them all. Come one Wolfstime, he decided to go out and take on the wolf. A different wolf back then, of course, but just as fearsome. They went out there to protect me. I was supposed to be asleep, but I crawled out on the roof to watch and lay down in the thatch. They had the beast surrounded, the seven of them, with spears all pointed in at it. And then it started. It was lunging – not at the men, at the spears. Grabbing with its teeth, breaking the shafts. They stabbed it with the splintered end, but it didn't matter. It tore their throats so fast, that not a one of them got a chance to scream... Or pray... Or say goodbye. When my father died, I tumbled from the roof, and I landed in the blood in front of the wolf. I felt its breath on my face. Then, it clamped its hot jaw on my arm, and I rolled away. "
She pulled back her sleeve, revealing several large, parallel scars "Then, it looked at me with eyes so black, they weren't even there. Then, it walked away. You ever see a wild animal just turn its back and walk away like you don't matter? If this wolf is like that one, there is no defeating it. It's already won just by existing in our world. You don't kill it – you just hide"
My jaw dropped.
At the cottage.
Red and i were sitting on the bed front of the fireplace.
Me "So, your Granny's kind of intense. "
Red nodded " Yeah, a bit. I feel like a rat in a trap. "
I smiled a little " Is this trap keeping you from...being with someone? "
Red asked surprised " How did you know?"
Me "Well, I saw some looks exchanged back there, and, I hate to break it to you, but it wasn't subtle. "
Red nodded " Yes. Peter. We've been friends forever, but... Now things are... Well, changing. "
Me "That must be nice. "
Red " Do you have someone?"
I shook my head " Oh, no. I'm not sure that's in my future. You're lucky, Red. "
Red " I know. And we're talking about going away together. But I don't even get any time with him. Granny's too afraid of the wolf to let me out alone. You saw what the wolf did. Sometimes, I wonder if she's right."
i nodded " Oh, she's right about the wolf. But, she's wrong to use it to keep you from love. "
Red "You think that's what she's doing? Let's kill the wolf. "
Me "Hang on. "
Red " We'd be heroes. "
Me " Red, teams of trained hunters have been killed. Red: But they go at night when it's got the advantage. If we went now, we could find it slumbering in its den and kill it in its sleep. Come on. "
Me "Red, I don't know. "
Red grabbed her coat "I'm going – with or without you. But, you're right – I can't let her keep me trapped forever."
Then she stood up and walked out.
I looked after her and called out "Red!"
She turned to me "yes?"
I nodded "Wait for me"
In the woods.
We were walking around in the forest, trying to track down the wolf.
I saw huge prints in the woods "Red"
She looked at me and i nodded at the steps in the snow.
Red froze "Oh, my gods. How big is this thing? "
Me "This was one stride? From here... To there? "
Red "Come on – over there. Through the brush, and off towards the hill."
Me " You're good at this. "
Red " When there's something I want, I'm good at tracking it down. "
I looked at her, smiling.
---------------
We were following the tracks. It was snowing, great.
Me "Here's another one. "
Red nodded "Right. And then here's... "
she frowned.
I asked confused "what is it?"
Red "This print – it looks like it's... Half-wolf and half-boot. See? "
Me " Wolves don't wear boots. "
Red shook her head "No, they don't."
Me "Then it just continues like it was a man? "
Red nodded "Like it was a man and a wolf. "
Me " Red, what kind of monster is this? "
---
Red" So... "
I nodded "Yeah? "
Red "Wolfstime is once a month on the full moon. There's a story I heard once about a creature- "
I froze "Hey. Aren't we awfully close to the cottage? "
The tracks lead to the side window of Red and Granny's cottage.
Me " Who's gone to your window, Red? "
I looked at her and saw her eyes go glossy.
I froze "Is it Peter? "
No answer.
Me "Red, has he been at your window? "
Red "Last night – before the killings. And he never joined the guys to hunt the wolf. "
I shook my head " But I'm sure he wouldn't have killed them. "
Red " He wouldn't. But when the wolf takes over..."
Me " What about tonight's hunting party? "
Red "They're going to kill him. Or he's going to kill them. "
Me "It doesn't have to be that way. "
Red "What can we do? "
Me "Tell him. If he doesn't know, tell him. Stop him. If he'll listen to anyone, if he'll believe anyone, it's you. "
Red asked hopefully " You think I can save him?"
Me " I think you can save everyone. "
Red "It's going to be dark soon. Granny will be out of her mind with worry if we're not home. She'll go out there. Shadow, this is so bad. "
Me" So do something. "
she nodded "You're right. I have to."
At the cottage. Night.
I was dressed in Red's coat, lying on her bed pretending to be her since she wasn't back yet from meeting Peter.
Granny walked inside "Where's Shadow? Come on, girl – wake up. We best bar the door. If Shadow's not back by now, she'll have to take her chances. "
Then she pulled back the hood and froze.
I sat up, shaking my head " She's in no danger."
Granny " What have you done? "
I shook my head " No, it's okay. It's alright. It's fine."
Granny froze "Where is she? "
Me " She's... Well, she's with Peter. And I know that you don't like him, but that's really beside the point. "
Granny shook her head " You stupid, careless, ridiculous girl."
I shook my head "No. You don't understand. Peter isn't... This is going to be difficult to accept. You just have to trust me. He's the wolf. "
Granny"You think Peter is the wolf? "
I nodded " Yes. This terrible creature is also human. It's okay, though. He won't hurt her. She's got him tied up. "
Granny " He's tied up? Oh, that poor boy."
In the woods.
Granny and i were walking through the woods, trying to find Red.
Me " You knew?"
Granny nodded " Of course I knew. Her mother was one, too, before a hunting party killed her. I thought maybe Red didn't get it, but when she was thirteen, it started. I paid a wizard for that cloak – keeps her from turning. But, she doesn't wear it, and she's found some way out of the house. "
I asked confused " Why didn't you tell her? "
Granny "I didn't want her to have that burden. It's a terrible burden. "
I sighed " That story you told... "
Granny "That was her grandfather. He marked me that night. Then came back, found me, turned me. "
I asked confused "Turned you... You're... Granny? How are you tracking her? "
Granny"By smell. I still have that, even though the rest of it has faded away. Gods, I was a fool to think I could keep this from her. I am a fool and I have cost so many lives. "
I shook my head " But you didn't mean to. That's the main thing. "
Granny " Is it? "
She handed me the lantern and took her crossbow out.
Granny aimed it " Here – a silver-tipped arrow will drop her. Shh! Follow me. We're approaching from downwind, so we have a chance. "
We slowly walked down the iceline.
I saw a wolf ripping apart Peter.
Suddenly the wolf turned around and lunged at us but Granny shot it, dropping it to the ground in front of them.
Granny " Cloak!"
I threw it over the wolf.
Then i looked over at Peter.
Granny "It's too late. He's gone. "
Red stood up " Who's gone? "
Granny"Get up, girl. Get ready to run. "
Red asked confused "What's going on? "
Me " Come on, Red. "
The hunting party was heard shouting in the background.
Granny "Don't you hear them? "
Me "We have to go. "
Red asked confused "Go? I don't understand. "
I shook my head " No, I'll explain it later. We must hurry."
Red asked confused "What? I'm confused. What's happened? Where's Peter? "
Me "He wasn't the wolf. "
Red froze, knowing exactly what i was talking about "Granny? "
Granny" I was wrong to keep it from you. But, now, you have to go. Red. Go. "
The shouting got louder. Torches were shining through the trees.
Red sobbed out "It's me? Oh, gods, it's... It's me."
Granny " Red, go. "
Red shook her head "I don't want to go like this. "
Granny" You have to. "
Red shook her head, sobbing "No, no, no, no... "
I grabbed her before she fell to her knees " It's okay. It's going to be okay. "
Granny "Shadow, there's no time."
I nodded "I know. I'll get her out of here."
Then i carried Red with me into the woods.