Das Mädchen in Rot - Chpt 5 [English - US]
Das Mädchen in Rot [English - US]
Description:
Das Mädchen in Rot (German: The girl in red) is a dark version adaptation from the original story wrote by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm. The adaptation tells the story of Nella - a young girl that lived with her family in a tribe and her father was killed by a black Wolf-Being (it's how the tribesman call the werewolves) as he and a friend of him saved the young Nella. After she reached her full age, Nella was summoned to be part of a cult where the grown up women wears a red mantle and depart from the tribe to the Grandmother's house for the Ancestors blessing to keep the Wolf-Beings away from the tribesmen. According to the Oracle, the Grandmother's house is deep inside of the forest - the same where the Wolf-Beings and other dreadful creatures lurk inside, preying upon the visitors that venture without a portion of cautiousness.
My second Youtube channel:
My other Blogspot places:
My Instagram:
Note: Don't you dare to download these images and re-share it without my permission. If you do, please, leave the original author name.
Introduction:
About fifteen full moons ago, an ancient tribe lived in what would become a forest. This tribe was known for worshiping a mystical entity whose form resembled a wolf.
When the first Red Moon rose in the sky, the people of that tribe began to transform into the image of the entity. No one knew what happened to make them become the image of the entity, but it was said that the wind carried various howls throughout the world.
One night, a small group of hunters entered the forest in search of food. And when they spotted the first deer to take back to the tribe, a huge figure appeared and devoured three of the hunters who entered that place, leaving only one of them to tell what happened. He said the creature that killed the others who went with him had the shape of a man, but the head and fur of a wolf.
And it was on that day that the tribe began to fear the wolf creature that attacked our people in the forest.
Chapter 5
Two hours had passed since Nella, William, and Hvit set off for the cave where a sword was kept, capable of killing werewolves, after the traveler mentioned it following the wolf's sudden reaction when he tried to take Nella back to the tribe by force. However, Nella chose to go in search of the sword with Hvit's help, and later William's.
The journey proceeded without any forms of difficulty or complications, although the boy had a bad feeling about the activity of those wolf-headed monsters. He would go ahead, protecting his companion from potential attackers from the front, while Hvit would be behind Nella, protecting her from any attacks.
Nella kept her mother's basket of food for when she needed to eat. With the Great Mother dead at the hands of the werewolf, there was no point in holding on to the rest of her food until it expired. What remained was some bread, potatoes, roots, sprouts, and some water. It wasn't much, but it was enough to last two days in the forest. And with William and Hvit's help, they could rely on the forest animals they hunted.
But one of the hunting episodes didn't end well for Nella. When the Girl in Red gathered some tree roots to make a stew, there was a grotesque scene of William and Hvit tearing a chunk of meat from a deer they hunted recently. The scene made her stomach churn and she felt unwell. William removed the portion of meat from his mouth to speak.
“Sorry, Nella. Hvit and I haven't eaten anything since we left.”
“William, is this how you eat?” Nella said with an expression of disgust and revulsion, covering her mouth and nose with her hand.
“Yes. As I told you, I feed on what you are no longer accustomed to.”
“Yes, but in case you haven't noticed, I prefer meals that are prepared before being served! Eating like that makes you look like a wild wolf!” she replied seriously, turning around to compose herself from the scene.
The boy shifted his gaze to the deer. Seeing the creature's slaughtered body and then Nella, he decided to tear off a thigh and leg, offering them to the girl as an ingredient for venison stew.
“Here, Nella. Take it,” William called, holding out the deer leg to the girl.
Hearing that, the girl was surprised, but a little relieved.
“I… I'll try to be a little more civilized. Like you.”
////
After that conversation, Nella and William prepared a venison stew with the thigh and some other cuts of meat. Hvit gnawed on a rib to clean his teeth and extract the remaining meat.
Nella spooned the potato broth with vegetables and meat from the bowl. It was warm and delicious to her palate. William tried to eat the portion, but after that spoonful, he didn't seem to appreciate it much.
“Is everything okay, William?” Nella asked, concerned at seeing that expression on his face. “You don't have to push yourself if you're not feeling well.”
“No, Nella. It's okay. Like I said, I'm not used to drinking soup or eating hot food like you prepare.”
Her gaze on her fellow traveler still emitted concern, although he accepted her without any complaint.
“William.”
“Yes, Nella?”
“Why did you do that?” she asked, glancing momentarily at the deer carcass. “Hunting and feeding on that deer like you were a wolf?”
William sighed at that question. “Having lived near the forest my entire life, I've grown accustomed to hunting alongside Hvit. I adopted this lifestyle to become part of nature.”
“But, haven't you demonstrated any illness from living only on raw and poorly prepared food?”
Hvit still held the rib bone between her front paws, chewing on the end with its teeth. Listening to the conversation between the two human adventurers, she momentarily stopped gnawing on the bone.
“No. That's why I have difficulty adapting to your lifestyle and that of your people. I would be called savage and primitive.”
“But William, you're not a savage. Nor are you primitive in my eyes,” Nella said seriously and sincerely. “There are just some customs I can't understand. But I don't want you to take it the wrong way.”
William's eyes were wide. “I understand you.”
William ate another spoonful of stew. Though it was hot enough to burn his tongue, he swallowed the food Nella had prepared. She kept her eyes on him, but then returned her gaze to her bowl, taking another bite of the stew.
“Tell me more about this sword. What's so special about it for the…” Nella said, until she was interrupted by William.
Amidst their conversation, the boy heard something around him. The sound of branches and bushes moving made him nervous. Hvit also became alert.
“William, what is it?” asked the Girl in Red, nervous about his reaction.
“We must go, Nella. If we talk any longer, we risk the werewolves catching up to us.”
The two finished their lunch, with Hvit getting up to pour snow and dirt onto the fire. Nella put the bowls and the small pot in the basket, pouring their contents onto the deer carcass. Then they hurried away.
////
The group ran to a rocky area of the hill. There was more rock and snow, with very few plants emerging from the ground. Nella was a little exhausted from running with William and Hvit. She stopped for a moment, placing her hands on her knees. She breathed heavily and her heart was racing. The boy returned to help her.
“Nella, we don't have time to rest,” he said with a serious and somewhat cold expression.
“I know, William,” the Girl in Red replied, trying to catch her breath. “I'm just not used to running as much as you guys. Especially since I have to carry my mother's basket.”
Seeing his exhausted colleague, William glanced at Hvit, her response coming in the form of a shake of her head. He knew the climb would finish the poor girl off in her current state. In response, he had an unusual idea.
The boy approached her, placing himself in front of her.
“Nella, you can climb on me,” he called.
“What?” she asked in surprise.
“You can climb on me. I don't care if I'll carry you on my back.”
Nella felt nervous and worried hearing that. She knew her guardian was offering to carry her as far as they could go. Turning her gaze to Hvit, she saw the girl nod forward, indicating confidence.
“Okay,” Nella replied, approaching William.
The boy looked at her. Standing next to him, he crouched down, allowing her to wrap her right leg around his waist. Then her left leg, and finally, she placed her left hand around his shoulders, the other holding the basket of food. William's hands settled on her thighs, gripping them tightly as he stood up.
“I want you to hold on tight to me,” he replied, turning his face to her.
“Okay, William. I won't let go.”
With that said, the two travelers ran away from their position. Nella held on tightly to him and the basket. At first, she was startled as the scenery sped past them. The rocks, the layers of snow and ice, a few trees and bushes, and the blue sky covered in clouds.
As they passed, Nella began to enjoy the ride, with William as her mount. The hood covering her head lowered, releasing her long brown hair to flow with the wind. She smiled and laughed, feeling the cloak and her hair blowing. Hvit ran and watched them. She smiled, seeing the girl enjoying herself.
However, something frightened her for a moment. Ahead of them was a crevice, deep enough for them to fall into and be lost in the depths of the earth.
“William, be careful!” Nella called out in fright.
“Hold tight! We're going to jump!”
“What?!” She called, startled to hear that they were going to jump.
Near the crevice, Hvit and William joined forces, leaping forward to reach the other side. Nella stared into the deep, dark hole. This filled her with dread, and she closed her eyes. William and Hvit, however, stared straight ahead. Their gazes were serene and calm, as if this weren't a desperate worry.
The two travelers and the wolf continued straight to the other side of the crevasse. In an instant, they felt their feet touch solid ground. They had reached their destination. Nella still had her eyes closed in fear, clutching tightly to him and the food basket.
“Nella,” William called. “You can open your eyes now. We're on the other side.”
William's companion was trying to work up the courage to open them. Slowly, she opened them, and Nella's view was filled with trees, dirt, snow, and mountains. Nella was surprised to find her alive, as were William and Hvit. She climbed down from her guardian's back and ran to a corner, smiling as they reached the other side of the rift.
“I… I'm beside myself,” said the Girl in Red, stepping forward as she stared at the dazzling surroundings.
William looked at his protégé with a pleasant expression, even with his arms crossed. Hvit approached him, keeping its gaze on the girl. The two shared a brief glance, then turned their attention to Nella.
Confused, Nella turned to the brown-haired boy. “I just don't understand. How did you have the strength to make it to the other side with that leap?”
William smiled, closing his eyes. “Nella, I have a few tricks I'd rather not talk about.”
“Ah, c'mon. Don't spoil it,” Nella replied with a pout. In response, William laughed.
“Come. Let's go while the others haven't reached us.”
With nothing more to say, Nella and Hvit joined William and continued on to the cave where the sword lay. Knowing the forest and the region well, William and Hvit continued on, guiding Nella along a safe and quick path. With them nearby, the Girl in Red felt safe and confident in finding the sword and using it to save her tribe and her mother from the werewolves.
////
As the group continued their journey into the mountains, the spot where they had previously eaten venison stew remained quiet after their departure. Birds sang among the tree branches. The wind gently rustled the leaves. A few animals circled around the carcass of the slaughtered deer, most of them crows and carrion birds.
However, something approached that spot, scaring them away. The black-furred werewolf that killed Nella's father approached the carcass of the animal William and Hvit had slaughtered, sniffing out their scent and that of the pale girl as he swept. But he wasn't alone. With him were two other monsters with humanoid bodies and wolflike heads.
One of them had dark brown fur, a tall but more muscular body, and blind in the right eye due to a scar and sharp claws. The other was of about average size, with gray fur, sharp claws and teeth, and a portion of his left ear was missing. They were after Nella the day she entered the forest and met young William, who wanted to take her back to the tribe.
The two werewolves watched the creature amid the remains of the slaughtered animal. Its snout was stained with blood, and the flesh stretched as it pulled hard to tear off a piece. Its eyes widened, emanating a kind of fury as it realized where the group was.
“They were here! It wasn't long ago that they set out towards the sword.” said the black-furred werewolf, looking at where the group was possibly.
“The sword is surrounded by several obstacles. They wouldn't have the slightest chance of reaching it and using it against us.” said the gray-furred werewolf, approaching the leader of that small pack.
“Don't forget that there's someone with them who knows how to get to the cave. He could pose a threat to us if not stopped!”
“We're going after them.” said the dark brown-haired one, approaching with sharp claws exposed on his hands. “We'll stop them from reaching the cave and taking the Wolfslayer.”
“Take care of this so this problem doesn't get out of hand. But remember: the girl in the red cape who's with them must be taken to the Alpha. So take her alive. The Brown is mine. I'll have the pleasure of killing him myself.”
“And the others who are with them?” asked the gray one.
“Kill them! Devour their carcasses!”
With that, the two werewolves received their orders. They picked up William, Nella, and Hvit's scent from around the area and took off running, their hands acting as paws to propel them toward them with superhuman strength and speed. The black-furred werewolf watched them retreat into the distance.
“You should have died that day, William.” thought that Wolf-Being, his gaze fixed on the horizon. “But know that I will find you and make sure you are dead for good.”
The situation would escalate for the group now, with the werewolf duo racing to catch up with them and prevent them from reaching their intended destination. In their current situation, they had no means of confronting the duo if they were caught.
////
The sun was slowly setting. Nella, Hvit, and William walked across the rocky terrain, covered in dirt, grass, and a little snow. Pine trees covered them with shade, thick branches, and leaves. The air was getting a little chilly, and the sound of water echoed in the distance. A sign that they were near a stream.
“Water. William, I hear the sound of water,” Nella said as she walked with the other travelers.
“Yes, Nella. There's a stream nearby. Ahead is an old bridge that will take us to the cave,” William replied, walking forward and keeping his gaze straight ahead.
The travelers continued on their way to the bridge mentioned by the brown-haired boy. Nella felt confident that the Great Journey's main objective was to seek the Great Mother, where communion with the Spirits would guide her to the sword to save her tribe. However, with the death of the elderly woman, William ended up being an alternative to pursuing the sword, even though it was an idea she'd discarded after the brief argument with Hvit.
Nella was a little curious about the artifact they were looking for. Then she called William over.
“William, that sword you spoke of.”
The boy remained alert, straight ahead. “What do you want to ask about it?”
“You said it can defeat werewolves.”
“Yup.”
“What's so special about it?” Nella asked, curious about the ancient sword.
“Nothing much, Nella. I just know she's in a cave not far from here.”
That didn't seem like a convincing answer to the Girl in Red. Furthermore, the Elder didn't mention this sword, nor did she even mention that she should carry a sword or other weapon on the Great Journey as a self-defense device in case she was ambushed by werewolves or bandits.
At this, Nella took a more serious stance with him. “William, I feel like you know a lot more about it, but you won't tell me!”
Hearing that, he and Hvit stopped. “Nella, there are things you're not ready to deal with if I'm going to tell you everything I know. About me, about the sword, and about this ‘Great Journey’.”
The girl looked at him with a slight degree of concern, but overshadowed it with her serious gaze as the boy answered.
“And why do you think I'm not ready?! I didn't accept being part of the Great Journey for nothing. I did it for my mother!”
“And you think that sacrificing your life for your mother will save your tribe from the werewolves?! You should have thought carefully before entering this forest,” William replied. His eyes expressed a certain fear and coldness through the furrowed brows and narrowed pupils.
Nella remained silent in the face of all this. With nothing more to say, William turned away.
“Let's go. After we find the sword, I'll take you back to your tribe,” he concluded, resuming the path toward the ancient sword. Hvit remained silent and still after their discussion. She looked more at the girl than at William. Once again, they both chose to follow the brown-haired boy.
////
Four minutes after Nella and William's conversation, the group arrived at a wooden bridge. It looked narrow enough for one person to pass at a time. Furthermore, the planks used to form the floor were no longer in good condition. The wood was aged, partially cracked, and some pieces were missing, making it somewhat risky to cross. The ropes supporting it were covered in moss, dark from the damp and aged. They were tied to stone columns that had been erected many years ago. There was a strong current of water beneath the bridge, making it very high above the current.
William stepped forward before placing one foot on the first plank. He turned momentarily to give a warning to his protégé.
“We're going to cross, Nella. But be careful. We don't know how these wooden planks will hold up after so many years,” William said in his warning. Then he climbed onto the bridge to cross to the other side.
Nella saw the guardian walking ahead, with Hvit following him. Since there was no other quicker or safer way to reach the sword, she chose to follow them. She climbed onto the first plank and continued forward as she walked. It was a narrow and somewhat winding path. The weight of three individuals crossing it from above made the structure sway slightly. Nella's nervousness grew, even more so when she looked down. The current was rushing forcefully, pushing what was within her toward the end like a waterfall.
William and Hvit were almost to the other side of the bridge. The journey seemed to have encountered no problems or interruptions to force them to turn back or stop along the way. And with Nella in the middle of the bridge, the two would need to wait for her to reach the other side and remain together. However, misfortune struck when the Girl in Red stepped on a large, yet weather-weakened plank. The force exerted on it was enough to break it, sending Nella hurtling downstream.
“WILLIAM!” Nella screamed, calling her colleague to help her.
Hearing her cry for help, William and Hvit stopped walking forward and stepped back, seeing her left hand quickly descending through the hole. The boy ran to the spot, projecting his body forward, his left hand reaching out to catch her hand.
“Nella!” he called, his hand reaching out to grab the girl by the wrist and her hand. “I got you.”
“William!” Nella called in fright as she kept her gaze on her guardian. Her feet dangled in the air.
“Hang in there, Nella. I’ll pull you back!”
The boy slowly and carefully pulled his companion up, pressing his right hand firmly against the still-steady board. Hvit stood nearby, watching the boy work to rescue Nella. The moment she was a little too close to the edge of the hole, the wolf would pull her up by the knot in her cloak.
“Just a little more.” William thought, pulling Nella up a little higher.
Even though they had the girl nearby, William's traveling companion smelled something approaching the bridge. And to their horror, it was the two werewolves sent to hunt them. The gray one at the back and the dark brown one at the front. Hvit barked at William, getting his attention while holding Nella's hand.
“What, Hvit?” He asked as he struggled to pull his colleague away.
Hvit barked again, jerking her head forward. William's eyes widened as two monstrous figures stood near the ropes at each corner. Their sharp claws and teeth were poised to cut through them.
“No! Don't do that!” he shouted in horror.
When Nella heard that, she was surprised. “William! William, what is it?!”
The boy turned his attention to poor Nella. “Hold on, Nella! We're going to fall!”
Those words struck a chord in her. Her eyes widened in horror. William yelled at her to hold on. And in an instant, the dark brown one's claws easily cut through the ropes holding the bridge on the other side, and the gray one grabbed the ropes at the back, pulling them toburstthose fragile objects.
The three travelers felt their bodies being thrown along the destroyed bridge toward the current. Nella screamed loudly, her gaze fixed on William as her hand gripped on his tightly, and her mother's food basket fell.
The sky and cliffs receded from them as they fell, darkening slightly as they approached the bottom of the hole. Suddenly, a loud splash echoed, and Hvit, Nella, and William plunged into the icy water of the current. Their bodies sank hard, being swept away by the strong current. Nella opened her mouth in terror as she watched the light disappear from the top of the current with wide eyes. Air bubbles escaped from her mouth, allowing her to drown in the depths of despair. She tried to move her hands, arms, and legs to free herself, but it proved futile, her strength ebbing as she struggled against the current.
Seeing that she was unable to swim to the surface and was being dragged to the very end, William and Hvit approached Nella, grabbing her by the arms. With the girl rescued, the boy lifted her face upward, holding his breath as he swam toward the surface. Thus, he and Hvit joined forces to overcome the difficult obstacle and breathe again.
At the surface, the travelers rose through the icy, violent water. William pulled Nella up, bringing her back to consciousness as she spat out the water she'd swallowed to breathe.
“William. William.” the frightened girl called, trying to stay upright in the water.
“Nella, calm down! You’re safe with me!” her traveling companion replied, holding her as he searched for solid ground.
Hvit surfaced to help them. He swam ahead, with William following his wolf companion, carrying Nella in his arms. Her skin was turning pale from prolonged exposure to the water and cold. William tried to keep her awake as he fought the current.
Finally, they spotted a rocky area. Hvit and William swam with the last of their strength, bringing Nella to safety. When they reached land, they laid her down, watching the girl cough as she recovered from the shock. Hvit shook himself dry, splashing water from her fur in various directions.
William stood next to Nella, noticing her already compromised condition. She was freezing cold and almost white. This didn't bode well for him. Having lost heat during the swim in the current, they needed to light a fire and find something to cover her.
“Come, Hvit! We need to find a place and some wood to light a fire for Nella!” he called, carrying the nearly dead girl in his arms.
The two raced to a distant area of water. Now they were in a race against time to save their companion, who had been traveling since the beginning of this perilous journey.
////
After thirteen minutes, William had assembled a small pile of twigs and tree leaves, with a few stones around it, and then lit a spark with two flint stones. With that done, he had a small flame, which grew as he blew carefully.
As a covering to put around her, he used a carcass ofcaributhathuntednot long ago. Despite the smell of blood and viscera, it was enough to warm Nella. And the fire would keep them safe from the cold and potential predators. William could see sparks coming from the tip of the flames, glowing momentarily before disappearing. Hvit lay curled up on the ground. Swimming to shore had exhausted her. Amid the silence, he heard the sound of someone recovering from the cold. It was Nella.
“William…” Nella called through her coughs.
Hearing that, the wolf raised her head. William walked over to his mate, standing beside her.
“Yes, Nella.”
“Where… where are we?”
“Well, we're in a forested area, away from the current. Hvit and I managed to get you out of the water, but…” the boy said, trying to find a good reason to finish his speech without making Nella uncomfortable.
“What happened?”
“…for a moment there we almost felt like you wouldn’t make it. But the good news is you’re alive,” he replied, smiling reassuringly.
“Really? Well, I must be lucky.”
“Or the Spirits were with us.”
Nella shook her head. “William, do you know where my basket is?”
William stood up, heading toward the object Nella had mentioned. “Speaking of which, Hvit and I went back to the stream looking for it. We managed to find it, but unfortunately everything in it was lost,” William replied, picking up the basket and lifting it, revealing a large hole in the bottom. Everything in it—food, utensils, pots, and pans—was gone.
That news devastated her. These were the items her mother had prepared with love and care. And now, they're gone. Either they were swept away by the current or they sank to the bottom. William was a little concerned by her dejected expression.
“This is all my fault.”
“What?” he asked, confused.
“It's all my fault,” Nella said, crying. Tears streamed down her face. “I… I shouldn't have accepted this. I should have gone back home, even if it meant tarnishing my name and my mother's.”
“Hey, Nella. Don't say that nonsense. Of course it wasn't your fault.”
“No?”
“No. Even though I gave you every opportunity to return to your tribe, you resisted. You demonstrated that you are stronger than anything in this world. So much so that you convinced me to let you follow your path on the Great Journey.”
Nella wiped her eyes as her nose ran.
“And I bet you can continue on this path until you reach the sword and save your people and your mother.”
“Are… are you sure about this?” she said through sobs and coughs.
“Of course. You just need to be more confident in yourself. No obstacle would be able to stop you from achieving anything you want.”
Hearing her guardian's talk about being a little more confident in herself, Nella was surprised. But then she smiled in relief.
“You know, it seems the Elder… wasn’t mistaken when she told me I was brave enough to accept something like this,” said the Girl in Red, smiling at William, despite looking a little sick.
The two travelers spent a moment talking. Their eyes remained fixed on each other. A kind of romantic and tender feeling blossomed between them. William stood up to approach Nella. When they were almost touching, Nella coughed incessantly.
“Looks like you caught a pretty bad cold after we got out of that rapid.”
Nella coughed nonstop. “I… I'm fine, William. Don't worry about me.”
“Nella, that's no reason to say you're fine. I'll make you something to eat,” the young man said, getting up to look for ingredients to make some kind of medicine. Hvit stood guard at William's request, telling him to call if anything went wrong.
////
Some time later, he returned with several herbs, roots, a honeycomb, and a small hollow log. It was enough to make hot tea for Nella.
William added the herbs, honey, and some roots to the small cup, stirring until it became a thick broth. He heated it to the desired consistency by the fire.
Nella put her right hand over her mouth, coughing, her eyes closed. Dark circles were visible beneath them. Pausing for a moment, she saw the traveler stirring the mixture with a twig as it heated over the fire.
After tasting it a bit, he felt ready to serve her. He removed the cup from the fire and handed it to Nella.
“Here, Nella,” he said, handing the wooden cup to the girl. “This will help you feel better.”
Nella picked up the object with both hands. It smelled pleasant, despite its somewhat rough appearance. Bringing it to her mouth, she gulped down the honeyed herbal tea. It tasted sweet and warm, but not enough to burn her throat.
“It tastes very good. Thank you, William,” the girl thanked him, enjoying the sweet taste of the tea.
“It's the least I can do for you.”
Nella took another sip of that mixture of herbs, honey, and roots. It soothed her throat after the coughs that scraped her sinuses, and it also eased the urge to cough.
“If you need, I'll make you more tea to treat your cough.”
“Thank you. But I think this will help me,” Nella replied with a smile.
With that, William turned his attention back to the fire. He added more twigs and leaves to feed the flame. They could hear the echoing crackle of the wood burning. However, the story of the ancient sword remained unsolved. That's when she called him.
“William.”
Hearing her call, William turned to answer his colleague. “Yes, Nella?”
“That sword you spoke of. What exactly is it…? Why do werewolves fear it… so much?”
William was silent for a moment. He stared at the fire, sending embers and sparks into the air. A crackling sound emanated from the flames that embraced the branches and pieces of wood. Then his silence was broken.
“You really want to know about her, don't you?”
Nella responded by nodding her head forward.
“Legend says that a mighty hunter came here many years ago. He carried a sword with him,” the young traveler reported. Nella listened to his story, despite her coughing. Hvit rested peacefully, huddled near a hollow tree trunk.
“This sword was not like the others. They say it was made not of iron, but of silver. And silver is poisonous to werewolves. They say the wounds it inflicted burned them from within, corroding and poisoning their bodies. And when it struck their hearts, death was certain.”
“And… what happened to that hunter?” asked the red-cloaked traveler, coughing as she tried to stay awake.
“They say he confronted the pack leader and defeated him, but at the cost of his life. The wounds he received in combat were so deep that he would not have survived if he had chosen to return to his tribe.”
The flame of the fire still burned the wood in that pile, warming and protecting the travelers from the cold.
“He took refuge in the cave, burying the sword for his next successor. After that, no one came to retrieve it. The werewolves knew about it and began to prowl the cave's surroundings. They call it the Wolfslayer.”
“Wolfslayer?”
“Yes. A sword capable of defeating werewolves.”
“This sword, the Wolfslayer, did the Great Mother and the others know about it?”
“I don't know, Nella. Since not many knew this story, it was buried beneath the mists and snow, just like the sword itself.”
“And you are one of them, aren't you?”
“Yes.” William replied, looking at the Girl in Red.
“How?”
William sighed at this. He was afraid to tell her why he knew about the silver sword, capable of killing werewolves. Or even more.
“Nella, I know you're curious to know more about the Wolfslayer. But there are certain things you're not ready to deal with.”
Nella covered her mouth, coughing. “B-But William, I'm ready for anything. No matter… the circumstances,” she replied, looking at the fire, coughing heavily.
William approached Nella, placing his hand on her forehead. He felt her body temperature rise, a sign that her fever was concerning.
“You have a fever, Nella. You need to rest. I'll get more wood for the fire. We don't want you to get sick.”
“Okay. But William, please…” Nella said, feeling hurt and coughing. “…don't leave me.”
William shook his head. “Don't worry. I won't leave you, Hvit.”
Hearing her companion's call, the wolf approached Nella, snuggling around her to keep her warm.
“Hvit will keep you company while I look for more wood,” he replied, kissing the girl's forehead. He then went off to search for more wood and dry branches in the forest. Nella was relieved to receive this kind gesture. It reminded her of the time when she was a child and her parents nursed her for fever. Her mother said a kiss on the forehead cured any illness.
////
In the cold, snow-covered night of the forest's winter, her fever spiked, sending chills through her body. William saw her like this, helping her by laying down beside her, hugging her for warmth. Hvit approached them, lying down next to Nella, using her body and fur as an extra blanket.
Their warmth was being passed on to the Girl in Red. She coughed as her fever continued to subside. William gave her some water to drink. This soothed her throat, albeit in small sips.
William kept the fire going all night, throwing more wood and dry branches on it. And amidst the curtain of snow and icy winds, he sensed something watching them. Looking ahead, a pair of golden eyes peered into the darkness. He could hear a wolf's growl echoing from that spot.
William's eyes narrowed, giving him a look meant to intimidate it. And with his left hand raised, he waved a finger sideways, signaling no.
The creature was still growling at them. Due to the boy's firm stance while protecting his companions, it eventually gave up on them. He kept his eyes on them, but then it turned left, leaving them alone. William kept his gaze on the creature as it sped away. Sensing it would no longer pose a threat, he turned his attention to Nella.
The blizzard lasted through the night. Anyone wandering the forest without shelter or food would have died from starvation, hypothermia, and the creatures of the night, including werewolves. William, Nella, and Hvit, however, relied on a fire to protect them from the cold and these predators.
-x-
Main page where you can find available chapters (Das Mädchen in Rot):
Previous chapter:
Next chapter:
Coming soon
.jpg)
Comentários
Postar um comentário