Tales of the Big Bad Wolf: The Red Riding Hood Arc (A Fairy Tale)

Chapter Seventeen, A Circle of Light (conclusion)

Elanore and Edmund fell into a companionable silence as they worked. Neither of them complained about the cold conditions under which they toiled or scolded their companion who, in spite of all his noisy energy and enthusiasm, was actually not helping their progress.

Their lack of conversation did not imply a lack of excitement on their part.  In fact, their eyes were bright and their fingers eager as they worked hard to uncover the statue’s surface. So intent were they on their task that they did not notice the sky above them beginning to gently drop more snow.

It was the lion who stopped their digging, singing “Enough is enough.”

Elanore gave one look skyward before her hands drifted towards her cloak to pull the red hood over her head. “You can stop now, Edmund.”

“I gathered that,” he responded wryly as he watched the lion chasing its own tail.  He stood straight, his tall form towering over her.  He pulled her to her feet first before he dusted at the powder settling on his own clothing.  For a moment they looked back at the statue, cold and responsive.  “Nothing appears to be happening. What now?” 

Elanore glanced at the dancing lion, singing a nonsensical rhyme of lions and unicorns loudly enough to chase away the birds that had taken up in the nearby trees. “I don’t know,” she reluctantly admitted.  Possessing magic did not automatically mean that one understood how it was supposed to be used in a circumstance like this.  Everything she had accomplished so far had been largely done under the provocation of the Count.  Without him, she feared she was useless.

The hunter shook his head.  “So you need that creature to tell you how this works.”

Nearby that creature in question continued to sing, his paw beating at the snow three times over as he continued to repeat his odd little rhyme.

She worried aloud.  “Unfortunately, he likes to play as much as he works and obeys when he feels like it.  It may be difficult to ply that information out of him. I’m afraid he has the attention span of a cat or a small child.”

“Cats and children I can understand,” Edmund murmured.   He put his hands in his coat pockets while he studied the frolicking beast.  He drew something from one pocket and brought his hands out in front of him, holding one fist closed as if it held something important. 

The lion stopped twirling about and fixed a sharp gaze upon Edmund. “What’s that you have there?”

“He wants to know what you hold in your hand,” Elanore translated quietly. 

Both stone beast and girl waited for the explanation that must follow.  But Edmund smirked and said nothing, choosing instead to yawn loudly.

“How rude!”  The lion sputtered in annoyance and glared.  However, instead of turning away in indignation the cat began to pace back and forth.  Steadily, it crept towards the humans until it  was sniffing at Edmund’s hand.

The hunter had caught his prey quite easily it seemed.   “Do you want to know what’s inside my palm?” 

The lion said nothing but its tail betrayed his interest by twitching back and forth.

Edmund chided the creature as it fixed its eyes upon his hand. “If so, tell Elanore what must be done to wake your friend.  She will soon be stone like you if you keep her out in this cold much longer.”

“Mean human,” the creature grumbled.  “I can’t smell to see if he even has anything at all! I bet it’s empty!”

"Mr. Lion,” Elanore pleaded.  “We've cleaned off the snow as you instructed but it appears that something else must be done to wake your friend. You had asked me to wake one before for you, but I cannot grant your wish without your guidance.”