Crouched beneath the brush, she struggles to keep her panting silent. Listening for any sound around her. Her heart banging on the inside of her ribs. Her dark red curls fall over her sweaty forehead and she brushes them back, searching through the leaves.

 

Everything is hushed. The bush is rarely this quiet, usually filled with bird song and the sounds of animals going about their business.

 

Scarlet’s cries and the sounds of her pursuer made the wood silent.

 

The branches and prickly edges of the leaves poke at her, telling her to get out. She won’t be here long, just needs a second. She sucks in a few deep breaths through her nose, catching her breath. Trying to find any hint of her pursuer.

 

Nothing. She’s alone.

 

She’d been tricked before.

 

Breath calmer now, she flexes her toes, taking a few more breaths in case she needs to run again. Nan’s house is just a little further. She could make it. It was her only option.

 

Slowly. Carefully. Trying not to rustle the leaves. She slips out of the cover, head swiveling everywhere at once.

 

She takes a few sliding steps forward, placing her feet carefully. Putting her back to a large tree, she casts around. Popping a head out, she pulls back. Her quick look had shown no movement.

 

Keeping her hands touching the tree trunk, she edges around it. A soft crack and she flinches. Looking down at the branch that has betrayed her.

 

A soft growl has her bolting. Racing through the trees, she picks up the crash of feet behind her. Pumping her legs and arms as hard as she can, she dare not look back. The footsteps sound like advancing thunder.

 

A flash of open sunlight through the trees shows through. Nan’s house is right there!

 

She risks a look over her shoulder.

 

Bang!

 

She runs straight into a solid mass that sends her stumbling back, landing on her bum. Her breath rushes out of her. All she can do is stare up at the obstacle she’d hit, a tall, muscular man with bulging arms and thick thighs.

 

‘What’s this?’ he hurrumphs, his eyes widening as they stare past her.

 

She knows he’s seen her pursuer. The furred body tries to put on the breaks, but it’s paws skid on the leaves.

 

Crash!

 

Their bodies collide. The young wolf flops back, just as dazed as Scarlet. It shakes its head, dazed.

 

The man squawks in alarm, thumbing open the strap that holds an axe securely to his belt.

 

‘Chase a girl will you? I’ll show you who the real hunter is.’

 

Without thinking, Scarlet is up and wrapping her little body around his forearm, hanging on for dear life.

 

‘Run!’ she screams.

 

The wolf gets up, but pauses, growling at the man as he tries to pull Scarlet off.

 

‘Go!’ Scarlet yells louder.

 

The man becomes rougher, and the wolf crouches, her hackles raising as she bares her teeth.

 

‘Don’t be stupid, girl,’ the man barks.

 

He pushes Scarlet roughly to the ground, the fall bruising, making her cry out in pain. The man gets his axe out, raising it high. The wolf’s growls escalate as it starts to circle him. The man turns to follow her movements.

 

Scarlet springs up, taking advantage of his distraction, and kicking him in the ankles as hard as she could.

 

He yelps, turning and backhanding her, sending her crashing to the dirt again. The man screams as the wolf darts in, sinking its teeth into his undamaged ankle.

 

As he spun back, raising the axe over the wolf, Scarlet screams in rage and fear.

 

‘What is going on here?!’

 

A small grey-haired woman just appears in front of the man, her legs straddling the small wolf’s body, standing where he intended to swing his axe. Her yell pulls him up short and makes the wolf let go.

 

Scarlet doesn’t need to see the face, she knows that beloved voice. The wolf stills.

 

‘I’m just… It was chasing the girl,’ he protests, pointing to Scarlet.

 

Her eyes slide to the fallen Scarlet and back to him as her lips curls back in anger. ‘Chasing is not hurting. The only one who has hurt anyone is you.’

 

‘It was trying to kill us,’ he insists.

 

‘A little wolf cub was enough to scare a large man like you?’ she sneers. ‘Look at the poor little cub, you scared her,’ indicating the cowering wolf with a wave.

 

‘But I… that’s not…’ he stutters.

 

‘You have harassed my grandchildren. On my property. You will leave this place. Now. Or I will make you leave it.’

 

The man scoffs down at her. ‘You and what army, old woman?’

 

A soft growl curls from the lips of my grandmother. Her eyes turning a bright yellow. ‘Careful, I am no cub.’

 

The man squeaks an odd sound, before turning and sprinting away.

 

Scarlet snorts a laugh at his figure quickly vanishes in the trees.

 

‘Well,’ Nan says, her eyes returning to a lovely oak brown. ‘That was eventful. What did I tell you kids about playing in different forms. Misunderstandings are bound to happen.’

 

Scarlet hangs her head in shame. Her younger sister lets out a giggle. Where the wolf cub had been, a small girl with black curly hair girl sits, grinning. ‘But Nan, it’s so fun to play wolf and prey. Besides, we’re in your woods.’

 

Nan shakes her head. ‘Ebony Wolf, you know full well that hunters and travellers stumble through here sometimes. More and more as the villages grow larger. You’re the eldest, I expect better.’

 

Ebony bows her head, knowing better than to back chat further. She slides a wink to Scarlet who fights not to laugh, and fails. Nan swings on her.

 

‘You’re supposed to take care of your sister, not help her get into more trouble.’

 

‘Sorry Nan,’ Scarlet offers an apologetic smile. ‘It won’t happen again.’

 

‘I hope not, and I hope it’s not too late. You never know what damage that man will cause by telling his story.’

 

‘It was just a game of chase,’ Scarlet says, walking over and taking her hand.

 

‘He won’t say anything Nan, not without sounding odd,’ Ebony stands, dusting dirt off her hands and knees, before taking Nan’s other hand. ‘Besides, a story can’t hurt us.’

 

‘It’s not the stories that hurt, it’s what people decide to do about it,’ Nan cocks her head, staring at where the man had gone. ‘It’s best they never even think of us, for all our sakes.’

 

Scarlet shivers. Squeezing Nan’s hand she tries to sound certain. ‘No one will believe his story, Nan. No one will even remember it.’

 

Nan hmphed. ‘I’ll remind you both you said that someday. Come on, dinner’s ready.’

 

As they walk back to Nan’s hut in the deep dark woods, Scarlet turns to look back at where the woodcutter had vanished. Wondering.​​​​​