Red Roses - (FCRAs 2016 Winner)

The Huntsman

"Jeez you've grown up," Leon said as he picked up another muffin from the plate between them, "How old are you now?"

"Seventeen," Lorelie said, taking a sip of her tea.

"And I last saw you when I was, what, fifteen? You must have been around eight years old when I last saw you." Leon started laughing. "You're not still a brat causing your mother all sorts of problems with those made-up medicines, are you?"

"Shut up," Lorelie sneered, "I'll have you know, I'm the best medical minds in the area."

"Oh I have no doubt about that, you always have a flare for concoctions," Leon said.

"What are you even doing back?" Lorelie asked, "The last I heard you had moved away and lost contact with everyone." She straightened up. "Are you coming back home?"

Leon smiled at her and turned his attention to the muffin he was picking apart. "No," he said gently, "No, I'm not. My home is up north now and I'll return there soon."

He glanced up and laughed at Lorelie's expression.

"Don't look so crestfallen," he said, "I'll be in contact this time."

"It's been nearly ten years and this is the first I've heard about you."

"I needed to get away," he said softly. A tremor passed through his eyes and he looked back at his plate. "You weren't the only one hurt in that attack. It took me years to recover myself enough to go back to my work. Mental scars are almost worse the physical ones."

"Physical?" Lorelie copied, looking across his face and hands, not seeing any signs of damage.

Leon smirked at her. "The kitchen is hardly the place to be stripping off my shirt," he said and Lorelie sneered at him. He chuckled and sat back. "I didn't mean to be away for so long, but I just couldn't come back."

His eyes drifted down to the side of the table, to the floor where Bramble lay snoozing, half tucked under Lorelie's skirts.

"Those forests were always... different," he muttered, "there were things in there I wasn't willing to go back and face when I was still in my teenage years."

"But you're back now," Lorelie said, "When did you come back down south?"

"About a month ago, actually," Leon said, returning his gaze to her. "I was doing some work down here when I was contacted and asked to come back."

"Oh really? About what?"

Leon glanced at her then leant forwards and settled a hand over hers, squeezing gently, his gaze catching hers. "I'm sorry about Rosy."

Lorelie looked at him in shock, then her hand curled into a fist under his and she made to pull back but he caught her, holding tightly, forcing her to look at him again.

"And the other girls," he continued, "I'm sorry about the three you've lost so far... but that is why I am here."

Lorelie looked away and then his words settled. She stared down at the table top for a moment, then her eyes slowly widened and she looked at him.

"That's why you came back?" she said, her voice dropping.

He smiled. "You and I both know the job of Huntsmen was not to control poachers and provide game meat," he said, his voice also dropping and he leant even closer to her. "I don't suppose you remember what I told you about the light and the darkness."

"There are a great many dark things in these woods," Lorelie said and Leon leant back, his eyebrow lifting. "But," she continued, "There is always a light side. Huntsmen will keep that light alive, no matter what happens because light can always exist in darkness – while darkness cannot always exist in light."