Little Red Little Red

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"There's a legend about the wolf. It protects this land from famine and plague, wars and wicked spirits that come to harm us. Last night was a celebration, we leave a ram for it every full moon but this time it's special. The fattest goes to the creature to thank it... but it... it never killed more than the one we give it... Son, are all the sheep killed and eaten?" The lad shook his head. "No, just slaughtered, not a bit of meat missing. " "the whole herd?" She pressed. "Even the injured lamb left in the pin, and the three pregnant ews. " the boy said. "All dead."

"This has never happened before!" The woman said going into a panic. "Tell the mayor at once! And take your father's rifle with you!" She ordered her son as he scrambled around to find the gun. 

[Moonlight_Eevee]

Zoey blinked, listening to the tale. Wow! What a legend! She got excited. "How long has this wolf been alive?" she asked excitedly before feeling foolish about getting excited. This family just lost the whole heard of sheep and here she was acting like an excited puppy! "How about if I help?" she offered. "I love to delve deeper into hidden mysteries and I'm pretty sure I can find why this wolf killed all the sheep."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

"Since the mayor's grandfather built this town. " She says. "You wouldn't kill it would you? Maybe it's upset about something we did or wild dogs got to it and the sheep. Please find out what happened miss, wool is our best trade, and without any sheep, we can't have wool. " she started to cry. "No wool, no money and we'll loose the farm my late husband worked so hard for us to get!"

[Moonlight_Eevee]

(absolutely sorry about that, crazy day at work and I had a massive migraine D=)

 

"No," Zoey said firmly. "I wouldn't dare to think about killing something dear to the townfolk, especially after you guys have been so kind to me. I think it's only fair that I repair the favour of figuring out what killed the sheep." She felt sorry for the kind woman, her husband had worked so hard for this farm! 

[AroaraAngelwolf]

((It's okay, I had company over anyway! missing a day or two is fine with me, but anything more I'd like a note.))

 

"Oh thank you dear, bless your heart." She said gathering Zoey up into a hug, kissing the top of her head before setting her down. "I'll prepare a pack for you, with wraps and food, try to find a safe spot before sun down, or come back here. " she says keeping her promise, packing bread,  dried meat and cheese into a sheepskin bag that hung over the shoulder, she also gave her a blank in a neat role just in case she gets cold. She had a water skin filled up from the well and tied that to the bag. "There.. that should do it." She handed the small light bundle to her showing her how to adjust the strap and attach the blanket so the bag and blanket could rest on her lower back, still able to reach her katana. 

[Moonlight_Eevee]

"Thank you ma'am," Zoey said politely as she waited for the lady to pack everything. She was getting excited and eager to find d out why this good omen wolf was around and why all of a sudden a bunch of sheep died. Adjusting the strap to where she could easily get her katana, Zoey felt satisfied as she headed towards the door. "Don't worry ma'am," she said, pausing at the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can with some answers."

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Bless you dear, thank you so much! " the woman called after her. Outside it was still dark in the thick trees. Everything was calm and eerily quiet. No birds sang, no forest creatures scuttled by in the undergrowth, just the sound of the wind in the tops of the towering pines and her own breath. 

[Moonlight_Eevee]

Zoey listened to the eerie silence for a moment before walking out. She had no idea where she needed to go first, but then again, most of her adventures started out like this. It thrilled her to explore without hardly any knowledge. She started walking towards the woods.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

As she went deeper into the trees, she came across paw prints. Canine. Unusually large even for a wolf. They were about as big as a horse's hoof and half scratched out like something was trying to cover it's tracks but was not using a good tool to do so. 

[Moonlight_Eevee]

Zoey furrowed her brow in shock. She couldn't believe how big these wolf prints were! But then why where they scratched out? A wolf wouldn't worry about scratching out its own footprints, if this were like any other animal out there. This had to be done by a human, right? Looking around, she took a swig of water before going to try to follow the tracks.

 

[AroaraAngelwolf]

The paw prints stopped at the entrance of a burrow covered by branches at the base of a large grass covered knoll. The hole wide enough for her to slip through and deep enough for her to stand up inside. The hole wasn't entirely dark, some sort of light source gave a soft flickering glow like a lantern or two.

[Moonlight_Eevee]

Zoey was afraid, but she knew that she had to solve this mystery. There was a kind lady depending on her. She stepped into the burrow, her hand immediately clutching her katana. She was going to need it if the wolf decided to attack her. 

[AroaraAngelwolf]

There were several lanterns hanging on wood walls. After a couple feet of dirt, the floor turned to wood, and wooden beams held up by carved columns formed the entire top side of the knoll. It was like a extravagant bunker in the woods. Inside, there was a small wooden table, a single stool for a chair, pelts lined the walls to keep in the heat, and dyed wool rugs covered spots on the floor. The light wood floors had spots of dark red that stained them. Blood. The trail continued inward towards a corner barley touched by the lamp light. Blue grey eyes glimmers in the shadows as a heavy wheezing sound came from the massive shape. It shifted with a grunt and a snort.

 

A massive cream white wolf laid on the ground. It had three cuts under its left eye one on it's ear, two more near the elbow of its front leg. A large gash ran from shoulder to flank, and three more deep cuts on it's hind leg all on the left side, the right side was hidden by darkness, but judging from the amount of blood soaked fur, it was in bad shape. 

[Moonlight_Eevee]

(omg, I'm so so so sorry I haven't been able to do stuff properly due to work. I should be able to start doing stuff normally after tomorrow)

 

Zoey stood in slight awe at the size of the wolf. Before trying to assess the cuts. She let out a small, sharp whistle to alert the wolf that she was there, her hand was still on the katana. This was probably the most stupid idea she ever had in her life. This wolf could probably kill her with one swipe of its paw, but figuring that this was the wolf, she knew she had to help. But what had happened? What happened to the creature that attacked it?

[AroaraAngelwolf]

I understand, family from out of town is up here.  Going to be gone for a couple days. Oh and this is the wolf

http://arkinangelowolfe.deviantart.com/art/Custom-for-ArkinAngeloWolfe-692939517))

 

The wolf  snorted and got to his feet moving four steps growling when she whistles, legs trembling and moving lowly like his paws where stuck in tree sap. After his blue grey eyes studied her, and seeing she was as weary of him as he was of her, his lips lowered over his ivory colored teeth before his back legs gave out and he thudded to the floor on his belly yelping at the jolt of pain that the sudden movement caused yet his eyes remained on the interloper.

Now in the light of the lanterns, his right side had a bite on his back leg, tufts of fur missing and a sharp branch sticking through the skin of his shoulder. He most likely had internal damage too. Whatever got to this massive wolf nearly got the best of him. 

[Moonlight_Eevee]

Zoey slowly moved her hand off her katana, slowly raising her hands. The wolf certainly couldn't attack, so if she could show it that she meant no harm, maybe she could help it. "It's okay," she spoke softly and slowly. 

[AroaraAngelwolf]

A sigh from the beast ruffled the fur on the bear pelt that lay on the floor a couple steps in front of it. It gave another snort, then a look as if it was trying to express a sarcastic is that so? to her. His shoulder twitched nose wrinkling in pain as he turned his head, casting his eyes to the corner where a lantern sat upon a small table for one. There was herbs hanging to dry, long strips of soft leather and warn yellowing linen folded up in a basket woven of sweet grass. He continued to 'point' at them until she got the message. I need help.

[Moonlight_Eevee]

Zoey tensed as the wolf gave a snort but then gave her a look. She blinked curiously, was it trying to tell her? She looked over at what the wolf was looking at in the corner. Why would a wolf need a table in its den? She placed a hand on her chin, highly puzzled as it kept looking at the woven basket before she finally got the message. Did the wolf want it? She moved to retrieve the basket before moving back towards the wolf. 

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Once again, the beast tried to struggle to it's feet pulling a roll of leather from the  basket and trying to wrap it around its leg, however it's movements where restricted by its injuries. It wined again, paws slipping in the slowly pool of red forming around it's feet, once again sliding to the ground , only this time in a more controlled movement. 

[Moonlight_Eevee]

Zoey tilted her head, watching this wolf as it tried to wrap leather around its leg. It slid back down onto the floor, wining. Removing the water pouch and other stuff from her and placing them against the wall, Zoey also removed her katana before moving back over to the wolf. "Let me see," she said.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

He snorted and studied her  before stretching out his leg with a wince. His grey blue eyes never left her, as if he was still assessing the woman, yet allowing her to tend to his wounds. 

[Moonlight_Eevee]

Zoey picked up the cloth and started to wrap his leg. "I was sick when I stumbled into the village," she said. "A complete stranger and yet they took me in and healed me. I'm guessing you were trying to stop whatever was attacking the kind old lady's sheep judging by your state." 

[AroaraAngelwolf]

It nodded and snorted. "And I failed" Came a voice. It seemed to resonate around the room, but it was hard to tell weather it was in her head or going through her ears. "I protect my people. However, if i continued to fight.... They would have lost far more then the sheep that night. I retreated to fight another day. It is unlike anything I have ever seen. You must warn the people, to gather their animals inside the gate, and stay there... " The wolf was looking right at her face, and nobody else was in the room.

[Moonlight_Eevee]

(I am so sorry work and life got completely in the way and I have no excuse for not posting)

 

Zoey paused as a voice was heard as she stared at the wolf. Was that the wolf? She stared, almost dumbfounded as it did speak. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to tell them," she said. "I'll be back, hopefully with food for you." Zoey got up, turning to go back to the village to warn the people.

[AroaraAngelwolf]

Bring more wraps too. I'll need a lot more than this. Thank you kind miss. The voice sounded again. With a leg wrapped up he was able to twist and yank the branch from his arm, getting up and limping to another basket picking up some rags and went back to clean up the blood. By this time, the smaller cuts stopped bleeding and the larger ones where simply oozing instead of a steady flow. He started rubbing the rags on the floor as she left. After he got it mostly clean (the stain would be difficult to scrub out) he slipped into another hidden hole that lead down to a underground river where a pool was made as a bath/ laundering area. He eased himself into the pool and staid there to soak, letting the flow of water clean away the blood from his creamy coat.