Red Roses - (FCRAs 2016 Winner)

The Monsters Within

A hunting horn bellowed through the silence of the forest, scattering birds from the trees and sending small creatures racing away into their dens, burrowing away as baying dogs snuffeled back and forth.

"Rotten day for a hunt," Lord Burgon said from the back of his horse, looking into the trees ahead, dappled by autumn sunlight.

"These forests are never good, you'd think the animals were actually clever," Lord Rodden said beside him.

"My Lords, I really must protest against hunting in these forests," one of their men said nearby, twitchy as he looked around.

"Oh come now, man! Rose is in court for the next few weeks, he won't know if we hunt a little, it's hardly fair that he keeps all untouched hunting ground to himself."

"But Sir, everyone who has hunted these forests has talked about demons and—"

"Nonsense," Rodden cut in, "What better way to keep other hunting parties out then to spread rumours?"

Burgon laughed. "Typical of the courts, arrogant toads."

"And if his brother should be visiting Rose Castle?"

"The Lord and Lady Braydon Rose happen to be back at the lady's family home, I know this because I visited there myself just yesterday," Burgon said.

"Now there's a toad," Rodden said, straightening, "Old Braydon comes out of nowhere and snatches my lady from right under my nose."

Burgon snorted with laughter. "Oh yes, your lady because she gave you such attention. Remind me again, wasn't the first and only proposal she ever accepted before Rose that Cliffwood fellow?"

"A minor setback, I grant you," Rodden said, waving it away before pausing. Something shifted in the air.

A silence settled around the forest and all fifteen members of the hunting party looked ahead, down the path and the eerie silence that stretched towards them, leaves catching in the winds and racing down the path.

Then a dog let out a harrowing howl and action exploded around them as a fox burst from the underbrush and bolted away down the path, dogs tearing after it. The horn sounded again and the hunters gave chase, plunging into the forests, thundering from the path, lunging over fallen trees, under hanging branches, through streams and foliage.

The fox weaved in and out of the sight, running with all it's might, a yowling echoing from its mouth as it squealed and cried, the dogs barking and snarling after it, almost catching up then falling behind as the fox drove onwards, heading deeper and deeper into the woods, the canopy of the trees closing in above them, darkness taking the place of sunlight. The trees, bent and twisted, shifted in the winds as they picked up, clawed branches hovering overhead, hollows in the trunks watching the procession of death tear past.

At the back of the pack, the young servant who had already voiced his worries pulled his horse to a stop. Something made him look around, chills creeping up his back as he looked around.

The wind tumbled past him and he spun around. He was certain he had heard something in the breeze, like a voice?

Impossible, there wouldn't be anyone out here. The only people who might be in the forest were the servants of Rose Castle but they wouldn't be out here... would they?

No one really knew where Rose Castle actually was. Unless one of specifically invited, no one had ever stumbled across it, the residence of that castle kept to themselves, they wouldn't be creeping in the woods.

Something whispered right behind his ear and he recoiled backwards, pulling his horse back.

There were voices in the air. There were definitely voices in the air, but there were no bodies to possess them. This forest had to be cursed, a home for demons like servants from other uninvited hunting parties had claimed.