She is Red

The prompt really reminded me of something I wrote months ago, sorry. I think I have writer's block but I did edit this to the point that it reached 3k words. I used this to apply back in upwork but it doesn't seem like they liked it. In the meantime, I'll check more reddit prompts

[WP] I am the wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood" and this is my story.

Everybody knew the tale of how little red riding hood saved her grandmother from the big bad wolf but nobody knew exactly what came after and why such a scene ever happened to begin with. For you to know, I should take you back to when I was still a free wolf. Yes, I was the big bad wolf and I even have stitches on my abdomen to prove it; but enough of that. This is a story of a valiant hero's and my master's humble beginnings and the tale of how she had saved me.

First off, it wasn’t Red who had called for the woodchuck. The woodchuck had arrived when he thought the usually lively house had all its doors and windows shut. I should have observed the household more when I was still scouting the place but my hunger had gotten the best of me. I couldn’t restrain myself further upon seeing the young child walking the woods in such a carefree manner. I had wanted to feast on her right then and there but I couldn’t risk being seen and being executed on the spot.

It was a mistake to give in to hunger at times but I couldn’t suppress my urges further. I made a run towards the cottage she had mentioned her grandmother was. I wasted no time in getting there. The moment I arrived, I was greeted with the sight of an elderly woman that looked to be around her 60s, maybe 70s. The elderly doesn’t appeal to me as much as the young ones do so against my better judgement, I flimsily tied her up and threw her into the attic where I was sure, would keep her from making any noises. I wore some of her clothes and did everything I could to have limited the light. I had no abilities in this state and I was desperate, I didn’t need to eat the girl but I just needed a bite.

As I settled myself on the bed that had the strongest scent of the old hag, I heard her footsteps.

“Granny! I brought the herbs you asked me to gather!”

The child seemed clueless as she approached the bed. I said no words but gestured for her to come closer with one hand as I readied my claws on my other hand. I needed her to get closer. My stomach grumbled and as soon as she was at an arm’s length, I rose from the bed and pounced on her. I had her pinned to the floor, my claws, digging into her soft, plump flesh. Ah yes. Soon my teeth will be the one sinking into that softness.

I almost managed a bite but I did not account the old hag ever having other visitors at all. I never took into account that there were other people that passed this cottage, So the moment this woodchuck saw me, a wolf attempting to eat a helpless child, I knew I was in for something terrible. I just wanted to eat! He could have the old had, I had never wanted to eat the old lady, she was far too old to be eaten. All chewy and tough, bah it's like chewing rubber but youngins, now that's something I'll never get tired of. I had wanted to make a run for it and abandon the idea of eating this lass but the moment I stood and tried to find any other available exit, the blade of his axe greeted me with a blow to my abdomen. I fell over and as expected, flesh and blood oozed from the large wound. Blood was dripping. I was getting dizzy. It wasn't long til I fell in the pool of my own blood and it also didn't take long til everything faded to black.

The moment I came to... well... I never expected to anymore. I had hoped I would be in hell by now with all the kids I've ever eaten but no, here I was, settled in a bed that looked oddly familiar. I tried to sit up but to no avail, I could only yelp in pain. Each movement hurt like hell. And as I was about to force myself up, a pair of hands had gestured me to stay still. It was the girl. The one I had planned to eat. This wasn't right... I was supposed to be dead for attempting to eat this girl. Well, now that I was awake, I still could.

"Why is a kid like you telling a wolf like me to stay still. I could try to eat you up, you know" I muttered weakly, sleep still heavy in my tone

"I know you won't" she said in such a flat tone that it was rather irritating. She was right, I can barely stand up without whimpering. "So I would appreciate if you would let me continue healing you"

I looked at her incredulously. She seemed to have a few screws loose, or so I believed when she had told me that "Why do you want to heal me?"

"Because I need a familiar. Soon my grandmother will put me to training but before that, a familiar is needed. I don't think I would enjoy the ones she chose. But you, you're different" she was really something was what I thought. To have wanted the enemy as an ally. I was sure at that time that she hit her head too hard when I pounced on her or something but to be called different... did she know? That I was not purely a wolf?

A soft hum was the only response I could give her at that time but now that I think about it, it might as well have been the first time I was ever chosen and not shunned when even those who were supposed to be my own kind have shunned me.

For quite some time, I pondered on how she thought of me as something different. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I could barely put up any protests. I let her heal me and care for me. I still wasn’t allowed to hunt nor bite off her fleshy arm. The food I was mostly only allowed was soft human food that was coated with some animal blood so as to make the taste more palatable for me.

Weeks passed until I was able to at least sit up and walk around in the confinement of that small room that I later learned on, was the attic I threw the old hag into. And it took a few months before I was able to run again to my full speed. In all that time however, I would continue to run away from them the moment I could. I even plotted some really great escape plans that seemed fool proof in my head but each and every time my attempts would fail. Every time I would try to make a run for it, there she would be, hunting me down as if I were a prey for the hunt. I thought it funny at first how our positions had changed from our first encounter but as I made more and more attempts, it just grew frustrating.

It was probably the 100th time that this game of hunt commenced and once again, I was caught. I honestly thought my escape would be a success this time after I had remastered the old techniques passed down from our tribe. But I guess I underestimated her… yet again. She had gotten faster and better at finding my tracks no matter how well I try to hide my trail and presence and it seems that the more I tried to escape, the more she would improve.

"Be my familiar" was all she would tell me as she had once again put that cursed body harness around my frame. I remained silent seeing as I couldn't shift yet because the injury would not allow it but I was certain it will soon.

I was dragged back to the room we had now come to share after a heated argument we had a few weeks earlier, when I made my first escape attempt. Since then, she would always keep her eyes on me, even when she slept she stayed alert that it was terrifying. She was acquiring the skills of a fine warrior indeed. It was as her family wanted. But to have a lone exiled wolf such as myself as her familiar seemed so shameful. I was a accused of things I never did in my tribe. I was an exile. I almost ate her. Guilt had weighed on me since I woke up in her care and I had wanted nothing more than to escape from this child.

That night, the moon was at its fullest and I was sure that my body could bear with the shifting now. I turned to see the bed adjacent to mine and saw that she was already sleeping. It would make it easier but I know she would jostle awake the moment she senses something off. I couldn't go out, I couldn't escape and the moonlight was reaching my bed.

I had no intentions of shifting in such a confined space but with the light radiating the room completely, it was a problem. It wasn't long til a howl escaped me and my bones and joints had started realigning themselves. I had forgotten what it felt like to shift back and after so long off not being able to, my bones and joints grew rather rigid. The popping sound caused by my bones shifting jostled her awake. I didn’t care, I was just thrilled I could have my human form again-

She woke. And without a second’s delay, was rushing to my side with a blanket. She was in awe. But until now, I could never tell as to what amazed her. Was it the shifting or was it the fact that I was not purely wolf. It didn't seem like she had anticipated that the wolf that had originally tried to devour her was a male no older than she apparently was but it seemed like nothing about me could faze her.

"I knew you were different" she had whispered in my ear softly as she had come to wrap the blanket around my exposed figure.

I nodded. I was tired, close to dozing off but I still had the last bit of energy to at least do something in return for her. It was the least I could do for all the trouble I had caused her since our first encounter.

"I accept being your familiar" and so with the last ounce of my energy, I leaned close and sealed the contract with my lips pressing against her, as it has been done since ancient times. Her soft lips were the last thing I could remember before sleep had taken over me. When I woke, my head was settled on her lap and she was caressing my hair whilst smiling warmly at me, as if I were the most precious thing to her.

________________________________________

That very morning, we went to meet the old hag that had to train the both of us. And honestly, if I thought escaping Red was hell, I was mistaken- Surviving her grandmother’s training was far worse-

She had thrown everything she could at us, forced us into desperate scenarios where we had to make use of all our abilities. And quite frankly, we were both amazed how we survived our two years of training with her when she had kept claiming that it was only the basics. Neither of us had an idea how having to escape the deepest depths of a dungeon on our own was basic but through the training, we learned better than to even argue back.

After she had declared that she had nothing more to teach us, we took some day pondering on what to do next. That was when the old hag had given us weapons. Weapons only we could use for she had them forged from an acquaintance of hers. She had urged us to travel since. And for the proceeding years, we were sent from master to master so as to fulfill whatever warrior oath she had taken when her family had sent the both of us off.

It was rather challenging for me whenever we would have to be under the care of a new master because not all of them were so accepting of myself. But with each passing master, she would assure me my worth. That I was no less a familiar than any of those so called noble beasts despite the kind of creature I was. It was simply amazing how she would defend me each and every time. And with each passing day I found myself adoring her more and more.

She had grown more radiant and beautiful as the years passed by. And 10 years after that faithful day, neither of us expected that she would be the image of a true warrior. One ever beautiful even when clad in armor. One who always had that blade by her hip and one whom I had always accompanied on whatever quest she chose to seek. There was still, of course, one more quest that we both had yet to try. And that was a life of peace and love.

I had no intentions of asking her to live a life of peace with me when we were in our youth. She lived for the adventure and I could see it in her eyes whenever we would go on a conquest. I never got tired of seeing her excitement with each fight, or even duels. She was a warrior through and through. But what I definitely hated was when we needed to cooperate with other teams and form parties. In those times, I would never assume a human form and would instead assume the wolf form so as to ward off the unpleasant men that ever approached her. My precious Red.

With the years catching up to us, we had thought that continuously travelling needed a break. We still travelled from village to village and from town to town but unlike before where we would barely stay a few weeks, we started staying at places for months at a time. We still continued to train and we somehow did each village a favor by doing regular rounds of patrolling in the mornings and in the evenings.

I had no objections since she was insisting on doing it anyways but to me, each moment with her was far too precious to be spent alone. I would like to believe that to some degree, I was just being protective but she would just laugh and tell me that it was in no way protective, but rather, I was being clingy. I hated to think so when I was part of the wolf tribe. But when her eyes would crinkle into thin crescents and she would let me hear that melodious laughter of hers, I wouldn’t dare argue back.

At times, I had wanted nothing more than to convey my feelings for her, especially when we both arrived at the age of thirty. We were no longer that young then and I was sure she had wanted things for herself too. I was sure I wanted to already. I was sure by that time that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

In the more recent years, my head was filled with nothing but thoughts of having her, being with her. There would be times, idle moments where I would simply gaze off into the distance and daydream of a future together. Oh how I wished.

At times I would invite her to patrol on the afternoons instead just to have an excuse to watch the sunsets with her. When we would, she would always lean her frame against mine and I would try to keep her as close to me as possible. I never tell her how much I cherish those peaceful moments.

Routinely, we would stand over the edge of the valley, doing our usual rounds of patrolling over the village we had temporarily decided to settle in, but for that day I had asked her a question that had been on my mind since the day I had shared all my burdens with her.

"Will you form a contract with me, red?"

"What would that be this time? We still have the original one in effect" She looked at me with shock. Never had I opened up the idea of forming a new contract or any form of contract, actually but here I was, asking.

"Will you stay with me forever?" I had gotten on my knees, gazing up at her whilst I held both her hands in mine.

When I saw that same smile I had seen the day she saw me shifting, I already knew the answer and just simply mirrored her smile as we both leaned in to seal our newly formed contract with a kiss that would mark the start of many more wonderful adventures.

“I love you, Red” Was all I could manage to tell her before her lips pressed against mine again. This time, it held more force and need than the last and with just that simple gesture, I knew that she had harbored the same feelings I’ve had towards her for quite some time now. Although I’m still curious as to when it all began but I’m sure that I would find out with time. After all, we had a life time figuring out more things together, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.