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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 11, 2012 17:47:47 GMT -8
"We don't have a lot of room, but it's warm and Granny is an excellent cook."
The offer certainly sounded better than another night in the henhouse, or out in the snowy woods with whatever creature was making that awful sound. "You would do that? I can't thank you enough for your kindness, Red. And I will do whatever I can to repay you. Oh, here." She remembered the eggs still clutched in her hands and placed them in Red's basket before following her outside.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 11, 2012 19:08:09 GMT -8
"You would do that? I can't thank you enough for your kindness, Red. And I will do whatever I can to repay you.
"Of course." She glanced over at her companion, "I don't know what you are running from, Mary, but the least we can do is give you a safe place here."
She spied the well from where they stood. Granny would be fixing breakfast about now, she would be in need of some water. Red changed her direction, heading down the hill towards the well. "I just got to bring in some water before we go in. It’ll just take a second."
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 12, 2012 16:17:51 GMT -8
She pulled her cape tighter around her as the cold air enveloped them, staying close to Red as they walked toward the well. After several steps in silence, she finally asked about what had been worrying her all night. "What was all that howling?"
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 12, 2012 18:11:33 GMT -8
Red was surprised at how casual her voice sounded as she relayed to Mary what she knew. She didn't even break her stride down the hill. They had lived under the wolf for so long that it was second nature now.
"It's Wolf's Time," she explained, elaborating when she realized that Mary must not have come from parts that had such a thing. "There's a killer wolf out there. Big as a pony, but a lot more bloodthirsty. It's been stalking the area pretty regular. It kills cattle and- Hang on." By now they had reached the well but as Red reached out to pull up the bucket, the rope caught in the pully. "It sticks sometimes. Could you just..." She gestured for Mary to grab hold of the rope so that she could pull the bucket up by hand.
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 12, 2012 18:23:05 GMT -8
"It sticks sometimes. Could you just..."
"Sure," Snow said, taking hold of the rope. She looked downward to the snow-covered ground to be sure of her footing before she started to walk away from the well. A few steps forward and she noticed a deep crimson color mixing in. She froze and her breath caught in her throat as she looked up to see several bodies along the ground. Men, torn in pieces, their weapons tossed aside like toys. She sensed that maybe Red was still talking to her but she couldn't find voice to reply.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 13, 2012 5:49:43 GMT -8
Red frowned as the bucket raised out of the murky depths of the well. Instead of the clear water she had expected, a thick dark red liquid almost completely filled the bucket. "Look. Look at that..." Red continued to stare into the well. "Mary, look at the water," she urged, not knowing what to make of it. A moment passed with no response. "Mary." She still sensed Mary's presence behind her, why wasn't she answering? "Mary!" When there was once again no reaction from her new friend, Red turned around to see what had caught her attention. "Mary?"
The rope slipped from her grasp and plunged back down into the well. Mary had her back to her and seemed focused on something just over the hill. Red closed the distance between them. She immediately wished that she hadn't as her eyes were drawn to the the unnatural red staining the pure white snow. She suddenly felt sick and her knees buckled, causing her a stumble back before she regained her footing. Members of the hunting party, the men she had just seen at her front door the eve before, now dead and strewn across the forest edge. "Oh my gods..." Red felt frozen to the spot. She knew that she should do something. She had to do something.
Not knowing what other option there could be, Red grabbed Mary's arm and started to drag her back up the steeper hill towards the cottage.
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 13, 2012 6:11:53 GMT -8
She made no attempt to resist as Red pulled her arm, perfectly willing to be as far away from that horrid scene as possible. To know that such death and carnage was only feet away from where she'd slept, that she might have met the same fate if she hadn't found shelter when she did.
"It was the wolf, wasn't it?" she finally asked to break the silence. "You said it had killed cattle but ... Red, did you know those men?"
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 13, 2012 7:32:52 GMT -8
"It was the wolf, wasn't it?" "You said it had killed cattle but ... Red, did you know those men?"
"There had never been sign of it killing a human before. Only livestock and once in a while some forest animals..." Now that there was distance between them and the carnage, her initial burst of adrenaline was winding down. Red could feel a slight trembling beginning in her arms and legs. She slowed her steps but didn't stop in her eagerness to get back inside. "The men were from the hunting party sent out to kill it. They stopped by our cottage last night before they went out on the hunt- I wanted to go with them but Granny wouldn't let me." The cold realization of that statement didn't hit Red until after she had said it.
"It must have attacked before they made it to the forest. Taken them by surprise," she paused for a breath. The men's corpses were so mangled that they had been barely recognizable. "They were all trained hunters from the village."
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 13, 2012 8:04:59 GMT -8
Trained hunters or no, they had clearly been no match for whatever they confronted that night. "I think perhaps it's best that we get inside," Snow suggested, scanning the trees around them.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 13, 2012 11:00:03 GMT -8
"I think perhaps it's best that we get inside,"
Red nodded, pushing open the door of the cottage. Granny looked up from her cooking as the girls entered the cottage.
"Red, who is-?" But Granny cut herself off when she saw the ashen color of her granddaughter's face. "What's wrong?"
"The hunting party. They didn't make it past our property." Red's voice was quiet but as steady as she could make it.
Granny's face took on a stony look as she muttered under her breath, "Damn fools..." Red watched as Granny removed the skillet from the fire and began putting on her knit caplet. "I'll have to bring word to the village." Granny stopped as her eyes rested on Mary and went back to her original question, "Who is this?"
"Granny, this is Mary." Red put her hand on their guest's shoulder. "She is passing through and took shelter in our hen house last night when she heard the wolf howling. I offered her a place to stay, at least until Wolf's Time is over." She steeled herself for a counter argument but Granny merely nodded, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"That's fine. I will be back shortly." Granny eyed Red sharply, "And keep your hood on." Granny made her way out the door, leaving Red with a look of surprise. Well, that was easy.
She turned to Mary with a small smile, "Well, that was my Granny. I can guarantee that the village will hold a town meeting this afternoon. How about we get you settled in?"
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 13, 2012 15:33:18 GMT -8
"It's nice to meet...you," Snow attempted, but the older woman was out the door before she could say it. She shared Red's surprise mixed with relief that Granny had accepted this stranger's presence so readily. No doubt there would be questions later. For now, there was a crackling fire and the delicious smells of a breakfast in progress.
"Well, that was my Granny. I can guarantee that the village will hold a town meeting this afternoon. How about we get you settled in?"
"I don't wish to be a bother," Snow insisted, content just to stand by the fire. "You've already done far more than I deserve. And I'll only stay till it's safe to travel again. I won't trespass on your hospitality any longer than need be."
She untied her cloak and folded it over her arms. "Have you and your grandmother lived here long?" she asked. "It seems a little scary to be out here all by yourselves."
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 13, 2012 18:43:49 GMT -8
"I don't wish to be a bother," "You've already done far more than I deserve. And I'll only stay till it's safe to travel again. I won't trespass on your hospitality any longer than need be."
"Believe me, it's no bother at all." Red replied, popping the skillet back into the fireplace. She had little appetite after what they had just seen but she could only imagine the last time Mary had a home cooked meal. "It will be nice having another girl in the house. Right now it's just me and Granny. She isn't always the easiest to talk to, especially during Wolf's Time."
"Have you and your grandmother lived here long?" "It seems a little scary to be out here all by yourselves."
"I came to live in the cottage when I was very young, maybe about fifteen years ago? But our family has lived in the village long before that. I think Granny's grandmother was even raised here." Red lifted the skillet higher out of the flame and placed it on the cooking rack bolted into the top of the fireplace. The aroma of cooking bacon filled the room. "It can be a little intimidating living all the way on the outskirts, but Granny likes her privacy. She doesn't care for close neighbors. That's why they chose this spot before my mother was born." Red obtained two plates from the little cabinet hanging on the wall and dished out the prepared eggs and bacon, taking care to leave some for Granny. Then she handed one plate along with some utensils to Mary and sat down at the table.
"If you don't mind my asking, how long have you been traveling?"
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 14, 2012 13:16:42 GMT -8
"If you don't mind my asking, how long have you been traveling?"
Snow struggled to take her time and eat daintily, like the lady she'd been raised to be, but she was famished. "It's hard to keep track," she replied after swallowing a mouthful of eggs. "A few months, maybe. It's gotten colder since I first left. I should have turned south, headed for warmer climes."
She gave Red a weak smile. She had to be careful about how much she shared, but she could start somewhere. "You know the Dark Palace, the kingdom of Queen Regina? That's where I'm from," she said.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 14, 2012 19:37:51 GMT -8
"You know the Dark Palace, the kingdom of Queen Regina? That's where I'm from,"
"You are far from home," Red commented, awed that Mary had managed to make that journey on her own while she had never even left her village. "It is quite a distance to where we are at the far north side of King George's kingdom."
But something in Mary's statement had struck her, "Queen Regina's kingdom? So then the rumors we have been hearing are true. King Leopold has been killed and Queen Regina has taken over the throne for herself?" Red shook her head and explained, "By the time we receive news here, if it actually reaches us, it's not always accurate with all the different messengers it has to go through. We hoped that this was one of those cases. It was no secret what a good and just king he was."
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 15, 2012 10:17:00 GMT -8
"Indeed, he was a great man," she remarked, still feeling the sting of loss. "Our people enjoyed peace and prosperity under his rule. I fear it will not be the same under Regina's reign. But I talk of things that do not concern me." She shook her head and focused on her present state as a weary traveler without country or king.
"You mentioned your mother before...does she still live here with you?" Snow inquired.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 15, 2012 20:04:47 GMT -8
"You mentioned your mother before...does she still live here with you?"
Red shook her head and her eyes took on a faraway gaze, "Actually, she died when I was just a little girl. She went to the woods and there was some sort of accident. My father didn't think he could take care of me while he was grieving her so he brought me here to live with Granny and left the village. I've been here ever since." Red sighed a little bit, "At least, that's what Granny told me. I was so young that I don't really remember much about them." Though her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, it was genuine. "But Granny has always been here and taken care of me. She really isn't as gruff as she appears to be. Well," she giggled a little, "not always anyway."
With an empty plate now in front of her, she looked over at Mary, "When you are all finished eating, we can get something ready for you to sleep on tonight. I think we have some extra hay pallets and we have plenty of extra quilts and blankets. Granny knits the softest blankets."
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 16, 2012 18:59:38 GMT -8
"Anything would be an improvement over my previous sleeping quarters," Snow remarked, but quickly added, "Not that the hen house didn't have its comforts."
She pushed the plate aside, folding her hands on the table and looking at Red with sympathy. "I'm sorry about your parents. I lost my mother when I was young as well. My father remarried, and things were difficult between me and his new bride," she explained, making only a slight understatement. "I know he had the best of intentions, though, and I'm sure your grandmother is just trying to protect you."
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 17, 2012 3:25:14 GMT -8
"Anything would be an improvement over my previous sleeping quarters," "Not that the hen house didn't have its comforts."
"I'm sure that even it would be more comfortable than sleeping out in the snow! Though, if I had my choice of places to sleep, I think that the hen house wouldn't be high on my list either..." Red gave Mary a cheeky grin.
"I'm sorry about your parents. I lost my mother when I was young as well. My father remarried, and things were difficult between me and his new bride," she explained, making only a slight understatement. "I know he had the best of intentions, though, and I'm sure your grandmother is just trying to protect you."
"Oh yes, protecting me is what she is best at." There was just the slightest trace of resign in her voice but it quickly turned around as she added, "But you are right. Like your father, she does have the best of intentions even if the results didn't turn out quite right." Suddenly the corners of her mouth turned back up and she placed a hand on top of Mary's to give it a playful squeeze, "You know, Mary, I do think that we are kindred spirits." It was true too. Other than Rose and Peter, she had never had many friends in the village. It was difficult when they lived so far on the outskirts and for some reason the other girls never seemed to want to get to know her. But she had barely known Mary for two hours and already she felt like she could tell her anything.
Red stood and retrieved a few blankets from a small cupboard, "Was your stepmother the reason that you began your travels?"
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 17, 2012 19:07:51 GMT -8
"Was your stepmother the reason that you began your travels?"
"No," she answered reflexively. "I mean, there were many reasons that I left. They wanted me to join the family business...being a seamstress. And I didn't want to...be a seamstress." It was the first excuse that she could stammer out. Kindred spirit or no, she wasn't ready to share the truth with Red. The fact of her being here might even put the young woman and her grandmother in danger.
"So what else do you do out here?" she inquired.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 19, 2012 18:56:22 GMT -8
"No,""I mean, there were many reasons that I left. They wanted me to join the family business...being a seamstress. And I didn't want to...be a seamstress."
Red knew that wasn't the truth. Mary's clothing, though tattered, had obviously once been fine upper class garments and her manners while eating were unlike any seamstresses that Red had ever met. But she didn't press it. Mary had to have her reasons for not wanting to share the details of her past and Red could certainly respect that.
"So what else do you do out here?"
"There isn't much," Red confided as she carried the blankets and a person-sized straw filled pallet into her bedroom, "It is a little village so it's usually pretty quiet around here. Granny and I get by on what we make from selling or trading our eggs and other goods. When I can get out, I usually go visit-" She suddenly cut off. No one could know about Rose living in the forest but Red had felt so at ease that she almost revealed it to someone who really was a total stranger. Though she had stopped herself, Red couldn't help but feel ashamed at almost betraying her dearest friend and the three women who had become like aunts of her own. "-the, uh, animals in the forest. It really does get pretty lonely out here," she finished with a nervous laugh.
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 21, 2012 18:26:10 GMT -8
"Sometimes it is easier to talk to the animals, isn't it?" she remarked, adding a laugh of her own as she remembered long conversations with the songbirds in the gardens. "It's when they begin to talk back that you should probably be worried." She trailed along behind Red, hoping to be of help. "So you don't go to school, or have lessons?"
As soon as the question was out of her mouth, Snow regretted it. A princess had a parade of nannies and tutors, but Red and her grandmother were villagers. They had better things to do with their time, like basic survival. "I mean, you have friends your own age? People to socialize with? It can't be work all the time."
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 21, 2012 20:25:25 GMT -8
"So you don't go to school, or have lessons?" "I mean, you have friends your own age? People to socialize with? It can't be work all the time."
"I did go to school. There is a small schoolhouse in the village. It's mostly for the younger children to read and write though. I outgrew it a few years back." Red knew they were getting into dangerous territory. She didn't want to lie to Mary. Goodness knows, she had been telling enough lies lately and the deceit was starting to take its toll. She always preferred to be honest when she could. Unfortunately, this secret was not her's to tell.
"I have one or two friends," she continued truthfully. "Granny has been very vocal in town about her opinions on the wolf and it has earned her a bit of a reputation so most of the others my age avoid me as much as possible. There are some who don't seem to mind though."
The sound of the front door opening and her grandmother's stern tone saved Red from having to continue, "Red, come in here. Your guest too."
Red glanced at Mary, "I guess we should go see what happened."
Granny was practically pacing when they entered the room. Things must not have gone well. "There is a town meeting being held shortly. They want you and..." Granny trailed off, not having had paid much attention to their new houseguest in her hurry to leave.
"Mary." Red quickly supplied, hoping the girl wasn't offended.
"...and Mary to come and tell them exactly what you witnessed." Granny turned to look at Mary for the first time and directly addressed her, "If asked, you are a distant cousin come to stay for a few days on your way to King Midas' kingdom. Your brother was to escort you but he was struck by illness and you could not delay your journey. You were in the cottage all night."
Red shot Granny a look that clearly said the girl deserved an explanation so she added, "You are a stranger here and they will be suspicious of you as a woman traveling without escort. With last night's attack, the village is out for blood and will find any reason to have it. We must leave now." The old woman turned her attention back to her granddaughter, "And for the gods' sake Red, put your cloak on!"
Red quickly did as she was asked, knowing better than to argue with Granny when she was like this. She turned to Mary, hoping that Granny hadn't frightened her, "Don't worry. I'm sure it isn't as bad as she made it seem."
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 22, 2012 14:56:27 GMT -8
Snow looked at Red with wide eyes. She was going to need help remembering that backstory that Granny had just bestowed upon her. Or maybe she would get lucky and no one would ask questions. Not likely since a group of their own men had just been killed. Snow had almost forgotten the horror that was not so far from this warm cottage.
"I suppose it's best to be prepared for the worst, though," she remarked, draping her own cloak over her shoulders. She added a scarf to cover the lower half of her face. Not exactly a stellar disguise -- Robin would be ashamed -- but she worked with what she had.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 26, 2012 5:32:40 GMT -8
When they arrived back at the cottage, Granny immediately shooed the two girls into Red's room to warm themselves by the fire. Red removed her cloak and gestured towards her bed, "You can sit, if you want."
She placed a few more logs into the fireplace, strengthening the fire that they had left burning low during their visit to the tavern. The extra warmth was a wonderful contrast to the biting cold outside. But the only thing on Red's mind was Peter. She wished that she had been able to talk to him before they left. More than ever, she hated the way that Granny kept them apart. With the fire tended to, Red took her own seat on the end of the bed.
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 26, 2012 18:03:15 GMT -8
"You can sit, if you want."
"Thank you," Snow replied, removing her own cloak and unwinding the scarf from around her neck. "I do hope I made a good impression on the mayor. I would hate to not be invited back for the summer solstice." It was rare that she treated anyone with the royal disdain of her birthright, but a lowly bureaucrat who thought he knew better than someone who'd actually survived an encounter with the wolf deserved it.
"So...your granny's a little intense," she observed, holding her hands up in front of the fire.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 26, 2012 18:24:23 GMT -8
"So...your granny's a little intense,"
"Yeah, a bit.." They both knew that was very much an understatement. She stole a look through the open door, to ensure that Granny wasn't within hearing range. The older woman was seated in her rocker, far into the kitchen. Though satisfied that she wouldn't be overheard from there, Red still dropped her voice when she continued, "I feel like a rat in a trap."
She wasn't sure why she was confiding this to Mary, who had probably been through much more than Red could even imagine. She had a good life with Granny, she was provided for. How she wished that was enough.
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 26, 2012 18:31:17 GMT -8
Snow smiled in understanding. How often she'd wished to see the world beyond the castle walls. But now that she knew how cold and cruel it could be, she longed for the safety of home. At least Red wouldn't have to learn the hard way. Though she had a feeling there was something, or someone, that made the girl want to be away from her grandmother's watchful eye. And no dire warning nor ravenous beast could fight it.
"Is this trap keeping you from…being with someone?" Snow inquired, keeping her voice low as well.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 27, 2012 10:24:17 GMT -8
"Is this trap keeping you from…being with someone?"
"How did you know?" Red asked, eyes wide with surprise. She hadn't mentioned Peter to Mary, at least that she could remember.
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Post by Mary Margaret on Sept 27, 2012 12:26:25 GMT -8
"How did you know?"
So she had guessed correctly. "Well, I saw some looks exchanged back at the tavern between you and the handsome boy with the bow and arrow," she said. "I hate to break it to you, but it wasn’t subtle." And if Snow had observed it, likely Red's grandmother had done the same, with a slightly different reaction.
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Post by Storyteller on Sept 30, 2012 18:39:05 GMT -8
"Well, I saw some looks exchanged back at the tavern between you and the handsome boy with the bow and arrow," "I hate to break it to you, but it wasn’t subtle."
Red chuckled as her cheeks grew a soft shade of pink. She didn't think that she had been so obvious back at the town meeting. Perhaps Granny had been too absorbed in the matter of the wolf....even as she thought it, Red knew that the chances of that were slim. Especially after her attempt to speak to him when they had first arrived. From now on, she would have to take more care. But she would worry about the consequences later...for now Mary had introduced her favorite topic of conversation.
"Yes," With only a slightly embarrassed smile, Red responded to Mary's question, "Peter. We've been friends since we were children but recently things have been...well, changing."
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