Girl in the Red Hood (13 page)

"And what about my family?" He sounded
resentful. "Am I just supposed to leave them behind?" They were
quiet for a moment until Liesel finally whispered,

"That's exactly what you're asking of me,
isn't it?" Liesel said quietly. Another awkward silence ensued, but
Liesel was sure she felt her heart breaking. Finally, Kurt spoke
again, his words slow and agonized.

"How long?"

"One week." The coins in Liesel's pocket had
never felt quite so heavy.

"Give me two," he pleaded, his voice
suddenly passionate. "Give me until the festival!"

"Why? I hate that stupid dance. No one will
dance with me." Liesel was beginning to loathe the festival with a
passion she'd not known herself capable of. The girls at the bakery
had talked of nothing but the Summer Maiden for the past two weeks.
But Kurt's hands tightened their grip on hers.

"I would."

"But you're not allowed to leave the
forest!"

"Hang the rules," Kurt's voice was husky.
"Just...just promise me you'll wait until then. Give me two weeks."
Liesel's breathing hitched with surprise when a hand gently touched
her cheek. It was the most gentle touch she'd felt since her mother
had died. Her heart raced as she wished there was enough light to
see his face. Faintly, she felt herself nod and whisper,

"Alright. I'll wait." To her even greater
surprise, he drew her forward. A quick, warm kiss was pressed on
her cheek before she found herself back out on the road alone. It
was so dark by the time she reached her cottage that she tripped
twice, but it didn't matter. She was smiling like a fool the whole
way. Why Kurt wanted to meet her at the dance, she had no idea. But
she was willing to wait and find out.

***

Liesel fastened the red cord beneath her
chin. Usually she wouldn't need her cloak this early in autumn, but
it had been an exceptionally cool summer. That winter would make
short work of the fall was the popular prediction among the people
of Ward.

A knock at the door made her jump as she
readjusted her skirts. She glanced in the mirror once more, still a
bit shocked. It had been a while since she'd paid any heed to the
girl who stared back at her. In her absence, the girl had gone, and
a woman that looked frighteningly like Amala had taken her place.
Liesel took another deep breath and turned to answer the door.

If her own reflection had startled her, it
was nothing compared to the surprise she felt when she saw Kurt.
The stubble that constantly darkened his jawline was gone for once,
and the clothes he wore were abnormally clean. His hair even looked
as though he might have attempted to brush it. The trousers were
brown, and though old, appeared to be without the usual holes. He
wore a white shirt tucked in beneath a dark blue coat that reached
his knees. Kurt looked out of place in the clothes, uncomfortable
in every way. His obvious discomfort didn't stop him from looking
quite manly though, Liesel thought shyly. It took her aback a
little. The night in the forest didn't count as a visit, as she
hadn't been able to see a thing, but she had only been avoiding him
for a few months. And yet, he seemed years older.

Kurt's own eyes grew large when Liesel
opened the door. He cleared his throat twice before speaking.

"I, uh...I don't suppose you have a ribbon."
Liesel smiled timidly and pulled one from her hair. A faint grin
cracked his anxious face as she held it out to him.

"It was my mother's," Liesel answered the
unspoken question softly as she stared at the red silk. "She wore
it the night she met my father." Liesel had considered using her
old blue one, but had quickly decided against it. It held too many
memories, and buying a new one just seemed to invite disaster.
She'd nearly told Kurt she wasn't coming until she'd found this one
wrapped up in her mother's favorite old dress, the scarlet one she
wore now beneath her cloak.

"I like it," Kurt mumbled. After hesitating
for a moment, he took the ribbon and tied it around his forearm,
the way tradition insisted before offering her his other arm to
hold. Her heart beat fast as she accepted. His arm felt warm and
strong.

As they reached the edge of town, they began
to pass more people, each person staring more boldly than the last.
Kurt looked straight ahead as a soldier might, but Liesel couldn't
help grinning smugly as her neighbors gaped. Kurt was
unquestionably the most handsome young man she had ever seen. And
it was obvious from her neighbors' expressions that they hadn't
expected to see her with anyone at all. Suddenly buoyant, Liesel's
cheeks burned pleasantly when she thought of the kiss he'd given
her two weeks before. And before she caught herself, a wild wish
wondered if he would kiss her again tonight.

And what will you do then?
The
unpleasant voice of reason asked.
Will you still be able to
leave? And will you ever forgive yourself if you do?
Liesel
decided to ignore that voice as much as possible. Instead, she
focused on the way it felt to hold onto his arm.

As they neared the town square, the crowds
gawked even more than her neighbors had. Liesel felt a shred of
uncertainty wind its way around her stomach as she watched the
people around her. Something was different, she could tell, and it
wasn't just her presence this time. It hit her, however, when she
saw the mayor up on the stage. He appeared to be preparing for the
same speech he'd given the year before, when he looked down their
way and startled. That was when she understood the change. They
weren't looking at her. They were looking at Kurt. And they all
looked terrified.

"Kurt," the mayor said after quickly
regaining his composure. "What a surprise. It is an honor to have
you here with us tonight." Despite his words, the mayor seemed
anything but happy to have the young man there with them. Glancing
around, Liesel noticed families on the outskirts trying to edge
away. Regardless of the way they had treated her for the past three
years, she felt a sudden pang of sympathy for the townspeople. They
were truly afraid. Looking back at Kurt, she tried to understand
why.

He was different, of course. He moved like
one of his beloved animals, and he didn't seem too keen on being in
the middle of the crowd himself, but Kurt's father didn't allow him
to come to town. How would they all know him enough to fear him? At
that moment, Liesel heard her mother's words return to her from
long before.

Be careful, Leese. Many men are not who
they say they are. If something feels wrong, follow your instinct.
The Maker is trying to warn you.
And suddenly, everything in
her was screaming that something was very, very wrong. And yet, she
balked. This was Kurt, the boy who had befriended her when she was
alone, who had brought her as close to her mountain as she could
get. He had kept her alive through an entire winter when everyone
else would have let her die. Kurt had promised to keep her safe,
and so far, he had. He might even love her.

She felt torn. Kurt had always been
mysterious, and his family even more so. She involuntarily shivered
at the memory of meeting his Uncle Lothur. The question, she
decided, was knowing to which side he truly belonged, to the
mystery or to the companion she had come to know and rely on.

Nervously, Liesel glanced up at him. Kurt's
face gave little away, but his breathing was a bit deeper than
usual, and his arm shook slightly. He swallowed hard before
answering the mayor.

"Thank you." It would have been
imperceptible to anyone else, but Liesel detected a slight tremble
in his words as he spoke.

"As a treat for us," the mayor gestured to
the open space in the center of the crowd that had been cleared for
the dance. "Won't you lead us in first dance?" Even with all the
turmoil of Liesel's thoughts, her heart skipped a beat. That was an
honor reserved for the summer maiden, the only dance in which all
would be watching. Kurt hesitated for a split second before looking
down at her. The fear in his eyes was clear, although Liesel
couldn't imagine why he might be afraid. This was all his idea.
Taking her by the hand, he slowly led her towards the center of the
dance floor.

The people, though packed tightly, gave them
a wide berth as they moved forward. Scanning the faces in the
crowd, Liesel quickly located Karla and Mitsi with their parents.
Karla slipped her a small smile. Further down the row, Liesel also
spotted the peddler in his green suit. Out of the corner of her
eye, she saw Kurt give him a slight nod as they passed. To her
surprise, the peddler returned it. How did they know one another?
Liesel wanted to puzzle over such a friendship, but she had no
time. They were suddenly in the center of the dance floor, and
everyone was watching.

Liesel's heart hammered within her as the
music began. Kurt placed one hand on her waist and took her right
hand with the other. Both her terror and her exhilaration soared as
he led them through the first steps of the dance. She shivered
slightly with delight and nerves as she realized he'd never held
her this close to him before, not even when he'd snuck that
kiss.

As they continued to dance, much to her
surprise, the world began to change. It felt as though the air
around them shimmered. Colors wavered, and Liesel's stomach felt as
though she might be ill. The muscles in her arms and legs tingled,
and it was as though she could suddenly run forever and never tire.
Smells were abruptly stronger. Liesel could tell exactly where the
bakery and grain storehouses were, even as they spun. She searched
Kurt's face to see if he felt any of the changes.

His golden-brown eyes were staring right
back at her, but he didn't appear to be confused or disoriented the
way she felt. He wore instead an expression she couldn't quite
read, one of sadness, wonder, and determination. The emotion in his
face made Liesel's already jittery stomach flop even more. She
tried to focus on how it felt as he led her expertly through the
dance, but it soon became nearly impossible. Soon she became very,
very dizzy. It was all she could do to hang on and follow
along.

To her relief, the dance was finally over.
She knew it was improper, but she had to lean on him as they left
the dance floor. Once they were well away from everyone else, he
sat her down on a bench, watching her closely as she tried to catch
her breath.

"Are you feeling well?"

"What was that?" She gasped.

"What?"

"Colors," Liesel shook her head to clear it.
"Sparks, as if the breeze were alive. And why am I so dizzy?"

"You feel that?" He seemed shocked.

"How could I not? But what is it?" she
repeated the question. Before Kurt had time to answer, however, the
piercing cry of a wolf filled the air. It was distant but quite
loud.

"It's not time yet! What do they think
they're doing?" Kurt muttered, all talk of Liesel's strange spell
forgotten. His face taut with frustration, he bounded a few paces
back towards the crowd and motioned to someone that Liesel couldn't
see.

As the howling grew louder and closer, the
crowd noticed as well. Murmurs broke out, and the music stopped.
Rather than freezing in fright, as Liesel had done and expected
everyone else to do, however, the crowd reacted with expert calm
and purpose. Parents grabbed their children, and everyone began to
quickly clear the square. Just then, Gil Gaspar's covered cart came
rambling towards them. Kurt had Liesel off the bench in an instant,
holding her in both arms. The dizziness and disorientation
returned.

"Kurt, what's happening?" Despite her
strange sickness of sorts, Liesel felt terror rising fast within
her. He didn't answer though. Instead, he spoke to Gil.

"Take her to Tag. Make sure she stays
safe."

"This is a dangerous ride," Gil said
nervously. "Before we go, I will need the payment we spoke about."
With Liesel still in his arms, Kurt managed to pull a bag of what
sounded like coins from his boot. After tossing them up to Gil, he
ran to the back of the cart and pushed her inside. As he began to
cover her with blankets, she grasped his hand to stop him.

"What's going on?" Fear strained her voice
and made it sound strange. Was he truly sending her away? Tag was
in the opposite direction, nearly at the other end of the forest,
the town nearest the capitol.

"I'm sorry, Liesel," Kurt squeezed her hand
with both of his. Pain lined his face as he reached out and
hesitantly stroked her cheek. "I promised to keep you safe, and
that's what I'm doing. Now get under these blankets and don't let
anyone see you until Gil gets you to Tag."

"At least let me get my book!" Liesel
sobbed. If he was going to push her even further from her
grandparents, the least he could do was give her the one piece of
them that she had left. But he shook his head.

"There isn't time! I'm sorry!" With that, he
began to pile the blankets back over her head, pushing her gently
but firmly into the bottom of the peddler's cart. He paused for a
moment. "And Liesel? Don't look back."

"Aren't you ready yet?" Gil's voice sounded
nearly frantic, even from beneath the sheets. The howling was
growing much closer.

"This is Johan," she heard him say to Gil.
"He will be following you to make sure she gets there safely."

"You're sending
him
?" Gil sounded
doubtful.

"He understands," Kurt said firmly. More
quietly, he said, "Only to the border, and no further, alright,
Johan? And thank you." With that, the cart jolted forward, bumping
Liesel's head in the process.

Liesel was horrified to be going in the
wrong direction, especially as she had been just one day from her
own journey back to Weit. But the sounds of the wolves and the fear
she'd seen in Kurt's eyes scared her too much to protest any more.
What did they want? Another jolt nearly sent her flying out of the
cart. When she landed, however, she landed right in front of a
knothole in the wood, one that gave her a perfect window to the
town that was already shrinking behind them.