To Tame a Wolf: A Little Red Riding Hood Fanfic *ON HOLD*

Six

Hey, guys! Long time, no... write?Sorry I haven't written in this story in a long time, and I apologize that this is such a short chapter. A lot of things have been going on lately, and I'll be moving soon, so that's another thing to add to my to-do list... but, anyways, thanks for the reads/votes! I'll try to update again soon. Peace!

~RobynAster

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    Red sighed in relief, feeling the pain slowly ebb away until it was barely there. She lay in her cot again, in the safety of her bedroom. Well… it wasn’t exactly her bedroom. But, since she was no longer welcome in Hältin, she realized it was the closest thing she had to a home now. No matter if an old, grumpy woman owned it and the girl would have to leave the moment she was done healing from her wounds.

    For breakfast, Red had “feasted” on a banana and chunk of bread. Hardly the meal she was used to. While Wist would have been making the batter and cooking some pancakes, Aariyn would have taken over the juicy bacon and fried eggs. Red’s mouth watered at the thought of the Oakens’ servants’ skills in preparing meals. The old woman’s abilities couldn’t compare. But Red quickly cut off the thoughts before they went farther.

    In her hands, the girl grasped a book around the size of an inch. Apparently having seen she had nothing to do, the old woman lent Red a story for entertainment. Red wasn’t sure what surprised her more: the fact that the woman noticed, or that she sympathized with her. Deciding to put it behind her, she continued reading the lines and tried to immerse herself in the pages of the book. However, it was a difficult task thanks to the dull ache in her back, and the way her mind continued to wander back to Hältin, no matter how hard she tried to keep it in the small house in the woods. Finally, when she felt her arms begin to fall asleep, Red let out an exasperated sigh and let the book fall open on her stomach. She stared up at the ceiling with pursed lips, wondering what to do. Without the distraction of words in front of her eyes, her mind went back to Azure’s party the day before. How alone she had felt at the beginning… how forlorn she had been seeing everyone huddle to her sister’s side, complimenting how she looked, fawning over her beautiful dress, wishing her blessings on this new year.

    But then Red’s mind flipped to Tommy Loni, the orange-haired, freckled boy who had asked her to dance. All because Azure had told him to. As Red dwelled on the subject, she wondered if Azure had never asked him to do such a task, if any of this would have happened. She wouldn’t have rushed outside, and wouldn’t have seen Acorn. Arrik wouldn’t have insisted on her and Azure leaving. The silverback wouldn’t have gotten a chance to attack them, nor reveal Red’s secret white hair. She would be safe in the barn, her red cloak clasped over her shoulders like always.

    But if Azure’s had never told Tommy to dance with you, then you never would have been able to warn everyone about the silverbacks, Red’s conscience argued. Even though it felt good to be able to blame all this on someone, to have a reason for all this, the girl begrudgingly agreed. Who knows what would’ve happened if she hadn’t seen Acorn in time? The silverback wolves would have attacked without warning. Dozens could have been slaughtered. Her friends… her family.

    It was for the best. Her sacrifice to flee to Hush Weald because of her hair was her choice and her choice alone. Red didn’t know if it was one to regret, or one that could have been handled better. But she would have to live with it for the time being. Until things settled down in Hältin. Or until the villagers were less superstitious.

    But Red knew she was clutching at straws. The villagers would always be superstitious; there was no way around it. They would never change after Acteeya and her abominable crime. They would forever live in fear of those who were crippled or had white hair.