Girl in the Red Hood (22 page)

"But what about your father?” Liesel asked.
“Your mother said I can't leave if he doesn't want me to." Kurt
thought for a moment before giving Johan a sideways glance.

"Schnartchen?" Johan rubbed his chin
thoughtfully.

"If your sister can slip some in his tea.
Wouldn't do though for them to suspect her after we're gone."

"He hasn't had a strong drink for a while,"
Kurt suggested. "I could offer him some at supper." The suggestion
made sense, but Liesel understood the sudden guilt on Kurt's face.
She had learned of the Schnartchen flower while living with the
Beckes. The purple plant would surely put Kurt's father to sleep.
No matter how hard they tried, no one would be able to wake him for
hours after he'd drunk it. Unfortunately, putting it in a strong
drink would make him appear weak and foolhardy for drinking more
than his share. Sometimes, as a prank, the men in Tag would slip it
into one another's drinks at the tavern, and the next morning,
their wives would come running to Ely's shop, sure their husbands
were close to death. Still, Kurt's plan made sense. For the sake of
the pack, they would have to try.

"Better put some in Lothur's, too," Johan
added. Kurt rolled his eyes and simply nodded. He didn't seem
nearly as sorry to put his uncle to sleep.

Johan agreed to meet them outside of town
just before midnight. As he walked away, however, Liesel caught
Kurt's sleeve. Something was bothering her about the old man.

"Before we go," she'd hesitated, "I just
have a question...about Johan."

"What about him?"

"He's helped us so much that I hate to ask,
but...what is his stake in all of this? Why does he want to help us
so much?" Understanding lit Kurt's eyes as he began to lead them
back towards the cabin.

"Johan's wife died in childbirth. His
daughter was about my mother's age," he said softly. "After his
wife died, the girl was Johan's world. One day, when she was only
four or five, his wolf form had taken over, and while he was gone,
she disappeared. Just wandered off into the forest. I guess," he
shrugged. "I'm told that's why he has given so much of himself to
the wolf. Actually, tonight was the most I've heard him speak in
years. He doesn't spend much time in town, and is usually off in
the woods by himself. My father never really liked him, and after
he helped me send you away, he was nearly exiled."

"Oh," was all Liesel could say.

"When my mother was called to the pack as
the next Pure Blood, Johan somehow realized she was about the same
age as his daughter would have been. I suppose he just needed
someone to take care of. Wild or not, he missed his daughter. So
when my mother showed up, alone and afraid, he took it upon himself
to care for her. He was her closest friend. He never said so, but I
could always tell that it irked Father when Mother would ask
Johan's opinion for decisions she had to make, instead of asking
his."

Liesel just nodded thoughtfully. Though she
couldn't imagine the wild wolf man being close friends with anyone,
she could understand the desperation of the young Pure Blood to
seek it. Johan's gray eyes were a little too bright, and the way he
carried himself was even more feral than Kurt's. But if Kurt hadn't
been there for her when she had been called to the pack, Liesel
would have clung to the first sympathetic soul she could find. And
now that she knew his story, she felt much better about Johan's
involvement. He wasn't going to betray them after all.

Supper was held at the cabin, where
apparently everyone in the family lived. Lora made a thin stew. She
gave a slightly relieved smile when Liesel followed Kurt inside,
which Liesel took to mean she was glad Liesel hadn't decided to
just run. Kurt seated Liesel, then excused himself from the table,
claiming that the pot was too heavy for Lora to carry in from the
kitchen. Lora began to protest until he gave a very pointed look at
Liesel. Just a few minutes later, Kurt returned with the pot, and
Lora followed, carrying the drinks. There was tea for the ladies
and ale for the men. When Kurt's father raised his eyebrows at the
drink, Kurt mumbled something about needing to take the edge off
before the wedding. At that, Garrit's eyes had softened and he
simply nodded, and Liesel had to remind herself not to stare
anxiously as he finished the mug.

To distract herself, Liesel wondered if
every night was like this, or if this was a special supper because
of her added company. Kurt's father sat at the head of the table
with Kurt on one side and Kurt's Uncle Lothur on the other. When
Lora announced the supper would be rabbit and vegetable stew,
Liesel didn't ask about how they'd acquired the rabbit. She decided
she would rather not imagine it. Instead, she sat between Kurt and
Lora and listened quietly to Garrit's explanation of how the
wedding ceremony would proceed the next day.

Apparently, the seamstress would bring the
dress to Liesel's room in the cabin, and they would prepare her
there. The wedding would take place in the town square, where the
entire pack would be in attendance. As was the custom, the priest
from Ward would be brought in to officiate the ceremony.

Liesel wanted to shut it all out, to imagine
herself instead on the road back to the mountain with Kurt and
Johan, where they hoped to be the next morning. But, she sighed to
herself, if they failed, if there was no way to break the curse,
this would be her lot anyway. She should listen and prepare herself
for that time in case it did come. And despite her assurances to
Kurt that her grandparents would have somehow have heard about the
spell's remedy through their travels, Liesel was suddenly almost
absolutely sure they would fail.

Supper seemed to last forever. Kurt and Lora
attempted to draw Liesel into conversation now and then, but Liesel
didn't feel much like talking. She just wanted to stare at Garrit
and make sure he drank every drop of ale. It seemed like a lifetime
later that Lora began to collect the bowls, and Kurt walked Liesel
to her bedroom. They said little, afraid to give away any hint of
what they were planning. As soon as she shut the door, Liesel laid
down on the floor to peer underneath the door. Sure enough, someone
was standing just outside of her room. A quick peak outside at the
moving torch showed that another body paced outside her window.
Afraid she would draw attention with the pacing she wanted to do,
Liesel laid on her bed so as not to rouse suspicion. Still, she
worried about the guards. Kurt hadn't factored them into the plan
he had drawn out for her. Regardless, after the fire in the main
room had been allowed to die, and the candles in the hallway had
been extinguished, she heard a low voice from the now dark hall. It
sounded like Kurt, but she couldn't make out what he was saying. A
moment later, there was a soft thud on the floor.

"Liesel, open the door," Kurt had hurriedly
whispered. When she did, Kurt dragged in a body. Liesel stifled a
gasp as he pushed the body into the corner.

"He's not dead," Kurt grunted. "He's just
going to give us a head start on our run." Then he motioned for
Liesel to step up on the bed, and in a moment, she was perched on
his back and they were on their way. Liesel was very glad no one
else was awake to see them as they silently made their way out of
town. She felt most undignified, more than she had felt since she
was a child when her father had had to carry her home after she
stepped on a bee. Her grandmother would have given her a lecture on
inviting scandal if she could have seen Liesel clinging to a man's
back like a baby swan sitting upon her mother. Still, it wasn't
unpleasant to feel Kurt's warmth beneath her in the cool of the
evening.

"You just
had
to keep the red cloak,
didn't you," he muttered as soon as they were out of town. She
scowled down at him in the darkness in return.

"I wasn't exactly planning to-" but her
rebuttal was cut short by the low growl from the bushes. Liesel
froze, but Kurt whispered,

"It's just Johan telling us to keep quiet."
And so they ran. They ran for hours, it seemed. Liesel couldn't
help being impressed by the endurance of both man and wolf as they
cut swiftly through the night. Johan changed forms several times,
but he never offered an explanation as to why, and she never asked.
Only in the wee hours of the morning had they heard the first
sounds of pursuit.

***

Kurt was fast, even in his human form. But
how much further could he go at this pace, Liesel wondered. Beads
of sweat trickled down his neck and back as she clung to him. That
he was tired was doubtless. For hours he had been carrying her on
his back. As tired as he must be, however, she doubted that the
tremors in his shoulders had anything to do with his
exhaustion.

"I can run," she whispered in his ear again.
But he shook his head vehemently.

"Too unpredictable!" he hissed back through
clenched teeth. Liesel nearly gave him a sour retort until she
realized he wasn't talking about her, but about himself. Johan's
voice came from ahead of them, his whisper thick with
impatience.

"If you two don't stop arguing, you'll have
nothing left to argue about!" At that moment, a howl interrupted
them, long and shrill, raising the goosebumps on Liesel's arms as
she clung to him. Kurt put his head down and pushed harder. The
branches and underbrush were becoming visible as the gray light of
morning started to penetrate the trees. Liesel was shocked at how
far the men had run in just one night. She didn't have long to
ponder though, as the leaves rustled behind her, giving their
pursuers away. They were only yards behind.

"Kurt!" She cringed, hiding her face in his
neck as well as she could, awaiting the sure attack.

"Almost there," he grunted. Then she saw it.
Up ahead was the forest's edge. Despite her ragged breathing,
Liesel felt her heart flutter with relief. She could see the golden
rays of sun lining the wood's edge with the glorious fire of
morning. Every branch, trunk, flower, and leaf was alight with
it.

Suddenly Liesel found herself breathless and
on the ground, looking up at a very large gray wolf. Before she had
time to scream, another wolf launched itself at her attacker, and
strong human hands grasped her by the arms and dragged her out of
the forest's edge. Within seconds, Johan followed them through,
beginning his leap as an animal and landing it as a man.

It was the first time Liesel had actually
witnessed the change. It was as if Johan was dissolving into thin
air. But before he disappeared completely, the air began to
shimmer, and where a wolf had been, a man took its place. He hit
the ground running. Liesel thought that since they were out, they
would surely rest, but instead, Kurt picked Liesel up again and
continued to run. They finally stopped to catch their breath when
the forest was far behind them, visible, but not clear. They were
far enough that it took a moment of squinting for Liesel to see the
lone figure standing at the edge of the trees.

"What are you doing?" It was Keegan's voice
that called out to them, and it was filled with confusion and
abandonment.

"I'll be back, Kee," Kurt called back. "I
promise."

"But she was the one-"

"And that's why I have to do this," Kurt
assured his little brother, his voice kind. "This has to end."

"It can! I told you Uncle found a way!"

"That's not a way I can live with," Kurt
shook his head. "I promise we'll be back in time. I left a letter
for Father on his desk. Make sure he finds it." Keegan continued to
stare after them, but Kurt turned and began to walk toward the road
without another word. His expression was determined, but Liesel
didn't miss the hint of a tear as he turned his back on his
brother. Johan followed. After one more glance behind, Liesel
hurried to catch up with the men. She tried to rid herself of the
sadness by focusing only on the mountain ahead. It loomed in the
distance, purple and foreboding. She was leaving the death and
sorrow, the loneliness and the failure behind. Liesel was going
home.

15. TO
GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE WE GO

As they walked along the road, Liesel
realized she had forgotten how soothing unadulterated sun felt, how
it wooed one to a lazy sort of peace. It made the fields, the
trees, the road, and the sky itself too bright, too glorious to
look upon for long. With a grin, Liesel closed her eyes, spread her
arms, and ran ahead. She felt as if she could fly.

"Liesel, where are you going?" Kurt called
out nervously from behind her.

"Isn't it magnificent?" She ignored his
question, her eyes still closed. With a smile on her face, she
stopped and began to twirl. She hadn't felt this giddy, this free
since she was a child. "There's so much space! So much room to
move! I can actually
breathe
out here!" She stopped twirling
and looked back at Kurt and Johan. Instead of smiling, though, they
were staring at her as if she had gone mad. Johan simply shook his
head and began walking again, but Kurt drew closer to her and said
in a low voice,

"You shouldn't get too far away."

"I was hardly running away," Liesel pouted,
but Kurt glanced around furtively.

"It's not that. I just don't know how close
we have to stay to keep your protection."

"My protection?"

"We can only travel outside of the forest
with you. That's why Keegan couldn't follow us. We don’t know
exactly how far away you can go. He might have turned while he
tried to reach us."

"And how do you know this?" Kurt let go of
her arm and began to walk towards where Johan was waiting for
them.

"There have been several Pure Bloods that
needed healing, those who were accidentally injured before the
wedding. No healers in the forest would touch them." He snorted.
"The fools thought the magic might stain them. Anyhow the pack
leaders learned that they could accompany the women out of the
forest if they stayed close."