Red As Roses, Red As Blood

3: The Hunter.

The screams could be heard for miles.

A certain hunter was sat, sharpening his axes outside his home. Sighing he stood, went inside and reemerged a few minutes later – this time onto the teeth with axes and knives.

A few posts to the left of the house, the man suddenly bent and lifted a hidden hatch in the forest floor, just enough to allow himself to slip under.

There was an extensive channel system under forest. One that the hunter and his ancestors had protected for centuries; sometimes protected with their lives.

Making sure the hatch was locked from the inside, the hunter started his journey. It wasn't a very long walk but it was easy to take a wrong turn in these twisting boroughs. Well, easy for an inexperienced man. Not for the hunter.

A hunter – a true hunter – could walk these tunnels in the dark, without a map. Like this one was. Thousands of generations worth of hunter blood coursed through his veins.

It wasn't long before he'd turned down a tunnel with another hatch at the end. Unlocking it, he emerged and locked it again from the outside. He looked around, spotting what he'd been heading for and made his way to the village.

Three pounding knocks sounded at the gate. The villages froze. They knew what it meant.

Some of the stronger villages heaved open the gates to let the news bringer in. The mayor broke through the crowd, hand outstretched, "Hello, old friend... Have you found her?" The village seemed to hold its breath is one.

"Yes."

"And?"

"You need to start on your defences immediately."

The village heaved a dread-filled sigh as they realised that the girl that sent into the forest every day wasn't coming home.

Immediately, every villager was hands on deck, helping to set up the defences with the hunter overlooking to ensure that they were sufficient.

A few hours later, the village had transformed into a stronghold, with a rotating guard and Watchman system, and seven inch thick walls of copper-plated wood formed a barricade around the entire village, with crossbows readily armed at the top every few feet.

No one was getting near the people inside unwanted or on authorised.

No one was to leave after the hunter either.

And he was ready to leave. But one last burning question needed an answer.

"Why would you send a young girl into that forest every day when you knew what would happen? Not could. Would. You know that they hunt pretty girls. You know why they hunt them as well."

He was met with silence.

Travelling monthly he turned and stated over his shoulder, "fine. But now that it was you who have damned her to a fate worse than death. And, to her family: I want you to know that the girl I found was terrified, confused, so very small and, quite frankly, beautiful. I hope you know whose devices you've left her to and what he's going to do to her."

And then he was gone.

Back to the tunnels, looking hatches from the inside as he found them. Back to his home to check his own defences. And then back down to check the hatches were locked in the direction he heard her scream.

He reached the last hatch without a problem. Satisfied that no one was in the tunnels, he started his long walk back to his home.

The echoing in the tunnels made his footsteps sound louder and longer. He slowed, turning to face the tunnel behind him while still walking.

There were footsteps, but they weren't his. They were loud, dragging and painful footsteps.

Cursing, he unbuckled an axe from his back and prepared himself to fight and kill – they couldn't find these tunnels.

A/N

625 words

Edited 11-04-2020

It's a short chapter but I hope you enjoyed!

Happy reading,

Rayne x