redhoodandfangs

[redhoodandfangs]

Chapter 2: The Huntsman

I was trying to enjoy my chicken pot pie. The cook had made a fresh batch of pies after I had come down for dinner an hour ago and some jackass had cut in front of me and had taken the last one, so I had to sit around with nothing to do but stare at the cook work like a true creep until I got my food. He appropriately glared at me in return.

I was hungry and the pie was delicious, but the smell of the pipes on the opposite end of the room made my eyes water and the buttery crust of the pie taste like ash. With a sigh, I stood lifting my tray and preparing to retire to my room for the night to eat the rest of my pot pie in peace. 

The inn’s attached tavern was dark and dank and felt more like a cave than a place to eat. The smell of the fresh pies and cheap ale mingled with the stench of sweat, opium, and other nameless drugs. Lanterns were strategically placed around the establishment to allow for the least amount of light possible to be emitted. Stubby candles created halos around each table providing the only source light in the middle of the room. I was certain the sun was still in the process of setting; yet, with the red hued curtains drawn over the few windows on the far wall, I could barely see the ground as I made my way through the tables to the stairs leading to the rooms available for pay by the hour or night, depending on the purpose one might choose to rent for. I was really hoping that the walls of my room were thick.

It really wasn’t my day. I had found and killed the lupinus that had been attacking the sheep of New Molenden before dawn this morning, and the reward would barely cover the costs for my room tonight.

What I would do tomorrow I had no clue. I hadn’t heard any recent news about the lupinus terrorizing towns. I was glad for the break, but not hearing about them was not a good thing. 

I knew they were out there preparing for their next attack. It was only a matter of time before they striked again and I needed to be tracking them, hunting them down before they murdered innocents or worse, bit them.

Walking past two young men seated at a table, I couldn’t help but hear a part of their conversation.

The man speaking had an accent I couldn’t place. He was probably in his mid twenties tall and handsome. His tawny colored hair was short, but unruly as though he had just rolled out of bed with an arrogance that made me want to roll my eyes and there was no way his crooked smile didn’t leave panties and breathy female sighs in his wake. “...said the King was murdered.” I almost tripped, but managed not to fall on my face like a complete idiot and slowed my pace to better hear in on their words.

“By who?” the other man--barely a man-- asked, leaning forward, his shoulder length almost white hair covering the sides of his youthful face. His lanky body shifted with a degree of awkwardness that thoroughly proved his near adolescence.

“They’re saying it’s the Hood. She apparently ran away, abandoned Touland,” the tawny-haired pretty boy said, arms crossed and legs stretched in a picture of ease, even though his words were strained with anything but ease.

Needing to hear more, I turned towards them, “Where did you hear this information?” 

Both men turned toward me clearly jarred by my presence. It was only then I noticed a pipe settled on a small  porcelain plate burning like a foul incense.

A candle no taller than my thumb illuminated their faces as the men eyed me with warriness. Nostrils flaring in a scowl the tawny-haired man leaned back away from me, “they’re talking about it all over town. It happened earlier today.”

“And they’re saying it was Sca- the Hood who did it,” I caught myself as I asked.

The man nodded wariness written all over his face. “There’s already a bounty on her pretty little head too, gold marks and everything. Posters are on the boards in town.” 

I considered this. Gods, it really wasn’t my day.

The man speaking turned back to the younger… man who’s pale eyes had been flicking between me and the pipe throughout the exchange. The kid looked like a ghost. The most uncoordinated ghost ever, but nonetheless a ghost. “The prince’s coronation is at the end of the week, just four days,” the tawny-haired man said, glancing back at me with a hard set of his jaw.

Taking my que, I turned and continued forward, only stopping at the base of the stairs to look back on the floor.

 I looked at the two men again. I didn’t think they were lupinus. A lupinus would have become aggressive after smelling the blood of their kin on me. With my sense of smell being weaker than that of a lupinus, I hadn’t really smelled anything on the two men other than the smoke from their single pipe, but I sniffed again anyway only to verify that the ever growing sweet wreak of drugs was polluting the air. I turned once more and began hiking up the stairs to my room.

Well the news was certainly a development. My lupinus hunting would have to be put on hold, since I was going to be hunting hoods instead. I’d have to pack my bags and leave for Touland tonight after a few hours of sleep. 

Plans and arrangements played out in my head, as I ascended the stairs of the inn. By the time I reached my room, my pot pie was cold.

[redhoodandfangs]

Chapter 1:  The Hood

Red. My skin and clothes were stained red. As I sprinted, copper colored hair and blood drenched cloak streaming behind me, I suddenly understood why the Novians often whispered when I’d stalk down the streets in search of a strong drink and someone to be my… companion for the night, sometimes two. “Le Fantôme Rouge,” they’d whisper sometimes in awe, other times in disgust, “the Red Phantom.” I didn’t particularly love the title. I always thought it made me come across as some sort of soul-eater that frequents the nightmares of young Novians; but now running with furious speed and a grim expression, I could see how the name was fitting.

The castle’s corridor was long enough that I was becoming disoriented with my own reflection racing beside me. Mirrors of all different shapes and sizes littered the walls of the Hall of Truths. I scanned to my left looking for a blue twinkle. There! I turned left sharply heading face first into the sapphire rimmed mirror straight into my own reflection. My momentum too great to slow, I rammed into the mirror’s frame my shoulder cushioning the impact as the rest of my body passed through.

When I was younger, King Illian Marais often told stories about some of the mirrors in the hall being magical. They had been just stories to everyone else in the castle, myths for common folk to fantasize about, but I would often stay up all night secretly studying them trying to figure out which ones did indeed have magical properties. The mirror I ran through now happened to be a portal of sorts. It led out through a mirror just outside my chambers on the other side of the castle. A very convenient trick when evading the Elite- the king's twelve personal guards… well, eleven now. I could totally understand why they would be pissed. Not only did I kill one of them and knock out two others, they found me in a rather compromising position drenched in the King’s blood.

Still moving too quickly to stop myself, I ended up slamming into the wall opposite the mirror I had exited causing my teeth to sing. With a groan of both pain and annoyance, I caught myself before I could fall to the ground like a complete fool and stumbled to the door next to the mirror.

Turning the door handle, I frowned when my bloodied fingers almost slipped off, but I managed to open the door and slip inside after glancing down the short hall in case of any immediate threats.

My room was situated at the very end of the hall in a more isolated part of the castle. I had requested my chambers be moved a few years ago. I didn’t like when courtiers passed outside my doors frequently and while I did attend court and knew them all well, I preferred to keep my relationships with them professional and physical.

Now, the room’s location would likely be my saving grace. I locked my door and took a deep breath. Shit. I was in so much shit. I knew I was innocent, but the way the guards found me holding King Illian with his blood splattered on my face, yeah I was royally fucked.

The King’s voice rang in my ears as death had ransacked his body “Find your grandmother. Tell her- tell her she was right: I was a fool. Take this. Don’t tell anyone. Don’t let anyone stop you, not even my son. You- you must leave... now.” I reached up, hand clasping the small metallic pendant of the necklace King Illian had given me. I didn’t have time to study it before the three Elite guards had run into the room, so I had slipped it around my neck to worry about later. While I wanted to study it now, I knew it wouldn’t be long before the Elite came to my room and saw the blood on the wall and door handle outside.

I wanted to scream and mourn the King’s death. Afterall, he was like a father to me. In fact, he was the only sort of father figure I ever had and now he was dead. The king was dead. Fuck. 

Many thoughts passed my mind as I pressed my back to the door panting: what am I going to do? Bash will have to ascend the throne. What am I going to do? There was so much blood. What am I going to do? The king is dead. What am I going to do? The king! 

With the king’s last words sounding a lot like desperate orders, I already knew where I was going, but once I left, I knew there would be hell to pay upon my return. Possibly even death itself will greet me; running from a crime scene covered in blood is a little more than suspicious. Not to mention leaving Touland and abandoning my duties is a likely death sentence on its own.

To grandmother’s house I go! Great. The last time I saw her, we parted on bad terms to say the least. She was not my favorite person. Although, I had never met anyone who liked my grandmother. Perfect. To grandmother’s house I go.

I raced to the bathing chamber. Once I left the castle, I couldn’t possibly wander the streets covered in blood, so I  would have to risk cleaning here. I tore off my clothes, grabbed a towel, wet it under the faucet of the tub, and quickly smeared as much excess blood off that I could. By the time I was done, nausea had rendered my mouth dry. I wanted to puke. Not because there had been blood on me and frankly it was still on me, but because it was the king’s blood. It was utterly and completely wrong. He was dead and I was running away. Even if I was running on his orders, it felt dishonorable to flee, to leave his body half desecrated on the chilled marble floor.

I had to get him out of my head for the time being. I could cry later, so I tripped on the corner of the Novian rug in the center of my room and approached my dresser. I practically jumped into my underthings. I grabbed a pair of brown leather leggings, a soft white shirt, and an extra set of under garments. Everything else I needed was already packed in my satchel. Opening the door to my closet, I heard the warning bells chime letting every guard know that there was an intruder in the castle. I wonder who that was supposed to be? I couldn’t help the snort that passed my lips at my own predicament. Soon they would be locking the gates, but that would be no problem for me. I knew more than a dozen ways in and out of the castle grounds. I just needed my supplies and I’d be on my merry way.

My hand patted the ground of the dark corner of my closet frantically until my fingers gripped the long handle of my bag. I crawled out and shoved my extra clothes inside it. Sitting on my ass, I pushed my satchel away and shoved my feet into the boots lying precariously close to the fireplace. I had one more thing left to do before I went off on my little adventure in nothing but my white underthings and boots.

I knew I couldn’t leave without any sort of explanation for Bash. Bash and I didn’t always get along, but his father just died. I felt dirty enough just leaving. The least I could do was tell him what I could, even if he wouldn’t believe what I had to say. I rummaged through my desk and after finding an inkpot and an envelope from an old thank you note- likely thanking me for giving them a good first fuck- I wrote my very short note in the red ink:

Bash-

I didn’t kill your father. He ordered me to leave. Be back soon.

With Love and Finesse,

S

I didn’t actually know when I’d be back, but I knew I would return. I had to. Touland was my home and Nova was my kingdom. My blood oaths bind my loyalties to Nova and its people. Even if a new king would soon be crowned, I felt as though King Illian’s dying words were perhaps the most pivotal words he had ever ordered. I needed to go on this silly little quest even if it meant I was found guilty and executed for abandoning Nova. I felt it in my gut and I always listened to my gut.

Multiple pairs of footsteps sounded from outside my door. They were still distant enough to tell me the guards hadn’t entered the hall, but they were closing in quickly.

I grabbed my satchel off the floor and started for the window. Swinging open the window, I scanned the ground below. There were only two guards standing in defense positions as if the alarm bells themselves were going to attack them. 

I rolled my eyes then grinned. I also asked to be moved to this room because the new guards were always stationed here. It was an overlooked area of the castle and no guard ever wanted to be stationed there, so the new guards were left to take the shifts. This meant two things for me. One, I could admire the beautiful male forms of the younger guards instead of the wrinkles and gray hairs of the middle aged guards. And two, the guards here were inexperienced. I would easily be able to slip past them undetected. Not that I couldn’t fight them, but it would be better to leave without any more dead bodies in my wake and I couldn’t risk anyone knowing where I had escaped from.

I ran my hands on the smooth stone ledge just outside as footsteps neared the door to my room. I had a matter of seconds before they found me in there practically naked, not that I minded. I pushed myself up and stood with ease and grace on the ledge and inched to my left pressing my bare back to the cool stone. With my right foot, I kicked the window closed just as the sounds of wood splintering reached me. 

Did they just break down my door? I had left it unlocked so they wouldn’t destroy a perfectly good door. Oh my gods. Imbeciles.

 I had a tendency to break my doors, usually on accident. Mr. Farik, the carpenter, had come to expect me every few months and always had a new door saved just for me. My sixteenth door had been my favorite, but this one had been a close second. 

With a frown, I looked down past my feet. I was five stories up and if a normal person jumped from this height they would splatter on impact like the eggs the street jugglers in Touland purposefully dropped on the shoes of noblemen that gave only a single copper for the show. Lucky me, I wasn’t a normal person. I jumped before anyone inside or outside could spot me, and rolled on the ground coming to a crouch behind a bush near the two guards. 

Ouch. I may be able to jump five stories, but damn the landing was still very unpleasant.

The guards were still looking down the path to the right. They hadn’t heard me land behind them over the bell chimes. 

Keeping to the shrubbery, I wove in and out of leaves and branches scraping my exposed limbs and stomach. A rose bush, drying as winter approached, proved problematic when a thorn cut the sensitive flesh of the swell of my breast. “Yowie!” I hissed more annoyed than anything. Now there would be a distinct blood stain on my pearly white undergarments. 

After strategically navigating some more rose thorns from bushes that had been massed in the corner outside the castle, I reached the walls surrounding the castle. Scaling it would be no big deal, but scaling it without being spotted would be much more difficult. I would have to be quick. Looking up the five story tall wall, I groaned exasperated.

The gods were definitely laughing at me. I had just jumped down five stories, and now I had to climb it back up only to jump down again. What a horrible joke.

I saw a shaded area to my left and decided it would be the best place to climb. I crawled past one more rose bush scraping my back. 

My gaze dragged up the wall. If I scaled the wall as I was dressed now, my fiery hair and white undergarments gleaming in the midday sun would blatantly give me away. I might as well scream for the guards to come get me. Instead, I reached into my bag pulling out a thick brown cloth. It was well known across Novia. So much so that my family members were named after it: hoods. I hardly ever wore my hooded brown cloak. It was heavy mostly in reputation. I preferred to keep it stored away in my bag in case I needed it for a mission. Now seemed like the best time to dawn it.

I carefully wrapped the clock around my shoulders. The fabric scratched at my neck as I fastened the buttons at my throat and threw the hood over my head. Immediately, I felt a charge of energy thrum through my veins and goosebumps pebbled my skin in response. 

The hood could make me stronger and faster when worn, another reason I didn’t like to wear it. I wanted to train without it so I would never be reliant on it when it truly counts. 

Without wasting any more time I began to climb. The magical properties of the cloak quickened my ascension and even if the wall was a dark grey color, the brown of the cloak in the shadows was a much better alternative than the attire beneath it-- or more accurately lack of attire.

I didn’t dare look over my shoulder and at the two guards. As dimwitted as they seemed, I was still rational enough to fear that they might spot me, so I focused on getting over the wall as quickly as I could.

With the cloak, I had scaled the wall in less than a minute, which was much faster than it would normally take for me to climb to that height. Sitting at the top of the wall, I swung my legs over to the other side where my escape was visible. 

I had little supplies, but I knew where I had to go. Even if my grandmother will be less than happy to see me, I had to see her for the King’s sake. And so, after only a moment of hesitation, I jumped for the second time in the last five minutes  from an unreasonable height and landed in the cover of the woods.