The Tale of Brichard and Molly

*"Red Riding Hood"*

A large rumble echoed throughout the woods.

"I know, I know," I grumbled in return, rubbing my aching belly.

It can't be helped. As a Shape-shifter, my metabolism burns faster than the average human. Still…Another protest of hunger, it's annoying! I trudged on. Come on, Brichard, think happy thoughts! Yeah, yeah…happy thoughts. Like, oh, the trees look nice in Harvest Season! Oh, oh, how nice the wild flowers smell. Or how nice it would be to sink my teeth in a juicy, succulent, plump rabbit…

I shook my head fiercely. Brichard, stop it. Keep thinking this way and you'll Change and go into a rampage. Gotta keep yourself together. I reached down and grabbed my flask. Taking a deep swig, I pushed back a low hanging branch. Normally, Changing in the forest wouldn't be so bad. No witnesses. Peace and quiet. I could frolic to my heart's content and nobody would be the wiser. But, I had a job to complete. I couldn't scare the target or otherwise I wouldn't get paid. If I didn't get paid, Mother wouldn't be able to receive her medicine.

Mother…My thoughts drifted to before…Before I left…

"Brichard," her kind eyes surveyed me from her bed across the room. "Don't look so troubled. Everything will be alright."

Shooting up, I shouted, "How can everything be alright?! He knows you need that medicine, Mother, yet he raised the prices…again! He's a horrible man…"

"Calm, son. You know what happens when you get too worked up."

"I know," I growled from the depths of my throat.

Most people would have paled or would have been afraid to hear someone make that sound. It was unnatural coming from a human. And that's what I had always been. Unnatural. Perhaps that's why my father left my mother when I was born. He couldn't stand the thought of having a monster as a son. But not Mother…Mother never flinched or reacted with revulsion. She'd always smile kindly at me and remind me about my temper. My fists clenched. I couldn't afford to lose her. She led a distant life from the village for my sake because people harassed her about it. They thought that with the slightest provocation, I could snap and Change into my other furry self. Yet she fought for me to be treated equal and worked her fingers to the bone to provide for us. And in the end, it got her sick.

I won't let her suffering be all in vain…

"I'll go to the village and find a job, Mother."

Her face fell. "Brichard…If I'm not there, they will…"

I stood firm. My heart raced. I was scared. But I smiled. "Mother, you worry too much. I'll be fine. I'm a Shape-shifter! That means I'm super strong. I've got so much of it, I've got some to spare. I'll handle everything."

She knew I was frightened. "But you remember what the village elders said. They will punish you before everyone and tie you up like an animal if they find you alone. It's too risky going there."

I remembered every word and sneer. They hated me. Called me a freak. Let them call me a freak. They won't be able to stop me.

So, I went to the village. People shut their doors as I passed their homes, scooped up their children, gasped in terrified silence. Still, I boldly asked for work. Even if I begged, it was all the same. They wanted nothing to do with me. Except for one man by the name of Gill. He was the only one to welcome me into his home civilized and face me as a fellow human being. Before I knew it, I was in this place. Going deeper and deeper in the dense forest to find his eccentric and flighty daughter, Molly. Gill explained that she had told him the evening before that she was going to take a walk to her favorite bank where she usually daydreamed and would come right back home within a couple hours. But as the sun set, Molly didn't come home. Right away, he said, he sensed something was very wrong. She wasn't the type of girl to keep secrets or lie or be late. She was an obedient, good although strange girl. When he pleaded with the village elders to help him—to no surprise—they shot him down. They said that knowing the girl, she probably fell asleep in the woods and would return in no time. And he waited but she didn't come. Due to a wagon accident several years prior, he was unable to walk very far. The action itself caused excruciating pain, so naturally he couldn't go out to find her himself.

Giving me a handkerchief that she had crudely sewn to track her through her scent, he said he would pay a hefty amount of coins for her retrieval. So excited by this fortunate turn in my luck, I sped off without thinking of proper provisions and…

Another stomach growl.

"Arrgh, damn it, it hurts. I'm sure I'll find something," I muttered.

Breathing deeply into the handkerchief, once again I experienced that smell. Wet earth and trees and sweet berries and something else…Unique. Stopping, I lift my nose into the air. Taking a great whiff, I grinned. I was getting closer. Looking around, I thought, This sure goes off the beaten path. Why did this girl go in this direction? Doesn't she know that wolves run in packs around here?

Walking on, my pace sped as the smell's potency grew. King's Coppers, here I come! Crashing through some thick brush, I tripped. As I landed on my knees, hands on the ground, I cried out.

"Dammit, that hurt!"

Irritated, I growled deeply with true force. "Stupid…ground…"

Stupid big feet…

As I raised my head, a pair of shiny brown eyes stared back at me disturbingly close to my face. Leaping back, I yelled, "Ahh!"

"Hi'ya," the invader of space greeted with a cheery wave.

"Uhh, yeah, hi."

I scrambled. Settling on my bum, I gazed at her. Hair a honey brown, streaks of dark and light tones ran through the bangs chopped above her eyebrows and the wispy, wavy rest that didn't reach beyond shoulder length. Her large eyes were unusually bright and had a smile containing a few crooked teeth. Skin as pale as milk, she was less than a quarter of my height, wearing a bright red cloak and a new-leaf green dress with flouncy white sleeves and a big white bow at the back. A breeze caught her scent and shoved it right up my nostrils. It made my head go all fuzzy and odd. This is…this is Molly?! There is no way this girl is who I am looking for! I was expecting a crying six year old, not a girl my age! On her hands and knees, she came closer, head tilted.

"Who are you?" She asked in a false voice, like she was reciting a line of an old man from a child's tale. Her smiled widened, eyes looking straight at me.

So…so direct…No one had ever looked at me like that. So bright and friendly. Flustered, I stammered, "Brichard."

Sitting, she playfully pondered with pursed lips and a tapping finger upon them, eyes squinting up at the treetops.

"Brichard. I've heard that name at the village. They all make it sound so big and mean. But you're not big or mean at all."

She giggled, doing that looking-at-me thing again. My heart skipped a beat. Why does my skin feel so itchy and hot all the sudden?

"How old are you, Mister Brichard?" Molly leaned forward.

Leaning back, I gulped. "I'm on my eighteenth year."

"Really?" Her eyes gleamed. "I'm on my seventeenth." Another inch closer. An inch too close.

Jumping up, I spoke louder and faster than was necessary. "Molly, your father sent me here to get you. He's really worried and it's probably best we get moving right away or else we'll be caught here at nightfall, which wouldn't good because there are wolves in this forest."

Molly puckered her lips to one side, gazing up at me as if she hadn't listened to a word I had said.

"Molly, did you hear me?"

Hopping up, she turned around. Bending down, she took something into her arms and started to whistle on her merry way away from me.

"What are you doing now?" Irritated, I followed.

"Taking this basket to Granny's. It's full of nummy goodies. She's sick and needs some company until Uncle Hunter gets back from his trip."

Is she lying to me or just plain crazy, living out some dumb daydream of hers?

"Your father didn't tell me anything about your grandmother being sick or you going to see her. Molly, please, cut it out. We have to get back."

"Wilma, my Granny's best friend told me to give this basket to her when I saw her yesterday and that's exactly what I'm gunna do."

Gritting my teeth, I said, "Then let's go back and tell your father and then go to Granny's to give her the basket."

So I can get my money, buy my mother's medicine, and go home!

"No-can-do, Jolly Man, my Granny's sweet as pie. She can't be alone in that cabin by herself. Not with wolves running around out here. One of them might gobble her up."

I slapped my hand on my face. Sliding it off, I forced myself to breathe. It's okay. It's alright. Be cool. Stay calm. You're fine. She's just infuriatingly crazy, that's all. Maybe if you play along with it, she'll come back with you. Yeahhh, that's it…

"Fine. I'll go with you to your Granny's house."

She whirled about. Grabbing the front of my shirt, she declared with passionate excitement, "You will?! Oh, I knew you would. We mustn't dawdle another second then."

Clasping my hand, she marched forward, swinging the gift basket at her side. Why is she…like this? She clenched onto my limp hand and smiled on even though I was completely stiff and awkward. For some reason, touching her like that made everything worse. My heart beat harder in my chest and my stomach hurt and my palms went all sweaty. I know what this must be, I realized. The pain of starvation.

After several hours of me agonizing over my empty belly and listening to Molly prattle about nothing and everything, I had an interesting thought.

"Molly, do you know where you are going?"

"Of course. 'Through the forest, up the hill, stop at the turn, don't take a spill. Walk along the cloves, and there she goes, right at the doorstep of Granny's home.' Granny taught me that when I was little, just in case I ever needed to go to her and Uncle Hunter's cabin."

"I admit," I mused out loud, "it's kind of catchy."

"My Granny is going to love meeting you. She's going to be so happy."

When she looked back at me, I didn't respond. I was thinking of Mother. I told Leighla to check on her in case I didn't get back by tonight. Mother's tough and she won't die or anything but she'll be in pain…She suddenly let go of my hand. I looked about, wondering what made her stop walking. Molly stood on her tiptoes, eyes in slits staring into mine.

"What?" Uncomfortable, I stretched my neck to the side. "Why you looking at me like that?"

"You're not happy." She accused.

"Huh? Ya-yeah I am. See?"

I pointed to my upturned mouth. She shook her head. "No, I don't believe you. Your inside face isn't smiling."

"My whuh…?"

Hand on her hip, Molly said factually, "We all have two faces. One we wear on the inside which shows our true feelings and one we wear on the outside which only shows what we want to show. Sometimes it's true and sometimes it's fake. This one," she pinched my cheek, "isn't real."

"Ow, ow, ow, lemme go!"

"Not until your inside face is smiling!"

She began to poke my tummy. I squirmed violently, laughing. "Da-don't da-do that. That tickles."

She stopped. Smiling, she tapped my nose. "There. You're inside face is smiling."
Spinning on the balls of her feet, she swayed back and forth in a song I didn't know. Probably one she made up. I stared at her. She's so weird... I laughed again, this time a real one. I did feel better. My muscles locked as the bones in my ears twitched. That smell…

"Molly." I called urgently.

Lost in her world, she continued to sing on the top of her lungs. Lunging forward, I wrapped my arm around her stomach, the other hand over her mouth. In her ear, I whispered, "You must listen very carefully, Molly. We are being watched by some very angry wolves. I'm going to distract them and when I tell you to run, you run home, got it?"

Slowly, she nodded. Eight of them stepped out of the trees. I stepped in front of her, arms spread. A guttural warning exited my mouth. Back off. The pack's dominant stepped forward, hackles slightly bristled, tail up and curled. He snarled, Wimpy half-breed, I always get what I want. And what I want is to tear her to shreds before your eyes. No half-breed encroaches upon our territory and gets away with it.

I gritted my teeth. A pounding was starting in my head like a drum. Clutching my chest, my vision blurred. One sentence rang out with beastly ferocity from the darkness. She's. Mine.

"Brichard, what's wrong?"

Gnawing off that ugly face of hers will be an absolute pleasure.

"NO," I roared. My blood boiled as an explosion of pain danced behind my eyes. My skull felt like it was going to crack open. I screamed, dropping to one knee. No, not like this…I can't Change when I'm like this! I looked over at Molly's pale face, now watching me, her big eyes no longer shining and carefree. They were filled with fear.

"Run, Molly." I panted.

Clutching her basket, she shook her head.

"Molly, run."

The word 'run' was interrupted by an animalistic howl enshrouded with agony. The ricocheting pain in my head grew until great bursts of lights were all I saw. My spine arched as the bones in my face cracked and snapped, growing and locking into shape. Next my arms, next my legs. My pants dropped to the ground and I tore my shirt off as fur rapidly shot of my pores. A tail grew between my legs. The cartilage in my ears reformed them into two inhuman ones. I collapsed onto four feet. The light dimmed and my eyes locked on the dominant.

I bared my teeth, the hair on my body charged and on edge. My heart beat erratically, fueled by primal rage.

You won't touch her. She's mine.

The other seven paced, boxing me and Molly in. The dominant laughed, lips pulled high.

You idiot half-breed.

In my peripheral, one of his followers launched at my right hind leg. Molly who had been close behind screamed as she fell backwards, landing on the floor. The cry jolted my body into incredible speed. NO ONE HURTS HER. I snapped my jaws around the wolf's throat. Another sprinted at me to my left. I slashed at his side. He immediately reared up and bit down on my ear. The other locked his teeth into my leg. The third charged at me, joining the fight. I whipped my head back. Viciously cutting the wolf that had had my leg, I lifted up to greet the charging wolf. We wrestled. Saliva matted my fur as his teeth desperately maneuvered towards my neck. Getting him on his back, I bit down on his throat until he began to whimper. He slinked away as another swiped a paw at my nose. The skin underneath my right eye and the bridge of my nose broke, quickly oozing blood. In brutal retaliation, my nails caught his eyelid and cheek.

Two jumped on me at once. There are too many. I'm going to lose. As human reasoning surfaced, I heard a whacking sound and the two wolves yelping away from me. Molly stood beside me, her eyes flashing with the basket gripped in her small hands like a club.

"I won't let you hurt Brichard!" She yelled defiantly.

What does she think she's doing?!

One of the wolves took advantage of my distracted attention and pushed me to the ground. There were clinks of glass and the odor of jams as Molly pounded on his skull with surprising strength until the wolf fell, crying in pain.

You bitch! Snarled the dominant but he didn't move. I rolled back onto my feet. Glaring at the others, they submitted before me, whining, tails down, lowering their hindquarters.

What? All bark and no bite?

The dominant surveyed the damage around him, calculating whether taking me on was worth it. He began to step back. I grinned.

Going to run, scaredy-cat?

This isn't over, freak, he barked.

They all fled through the trees.

Hah! That's right! You better flee from the Mighty Bricha—! ...Whoa. The world tilted. Shaking my head, I blinked but the falling sensation wouldn't leave.

"Brichard?!"

My eyes rolled up in my head and my body dropped.

…A cold whoosh of air sent tingles up my spine. Shivering, I curled, gripping the material covering me. My bed feels kind of rocky…Something warm blew on my face within an alarming distance. That aroma! My eyes opened wide. Stars above. I froze. Molly was asleep on her side, hands tucked underneath her cheek. She was so close her nose nearly touched mine. She smiles even in her sleep. My heart thumped from feeling her so near. Her warmth, her scent, her smile. They were driving me bonkers. I wonder what it would be like to hold her and have her smile like that at me…

Blood rushed to my cheeks. What the…? What am I saying? Her crazy must have rubbed off on me.

I also realized another issue as I sat up. I was naked. Or to be exact, naked with Molly's cloak draped over me. Stars above, I hope this thing was on me before I Changed back. Please, please, please be the case…

I halted, staring down at her. She put this on me. I reached up, touching below my eye. She cleaned up the scratch, too. Why? And hitting those wolves that attacked us…Why did she do that after watching me Change right in front of her? Wrapping the cloak around my waist, I slowly stood up and looked around. Swiftly shimmying into my pants after I found them, I couldn't help but watch Molly again. Damn. Flustered, I scratched my head. There has to be something wrong with her. It doesn't make sense. I mean, normal people ran screaming when they saw it last time. But she helped me.

I growled, annoyed. Man, I hate not understanding stuff. Looking up, I sighed. Judging from the position of the moon, it was midnight. I can't afford to waste any more time. I've got to keep moving. I laid the red cloak across Molly. I then slid the basket handle halfway up one elbow and hoisted her into my arms. She was light and fit perfectly. Stop thinking about her, Brichard. You've got Mother waiting at home, remember? Puffing my chest, I responded to my conscious, Right.

I hadn't realized it before, but we were on an incline. This must be the hill from that song. I walked for a few hours in silence. It was strange though. I didn't like having no noise. Molly snuggled into my chest as she raised her right hand and placed it underneath her cheek and smiled. I swallowed thickly, blushing.

Focus, Brichard! I snapped my head up. I was at the top. Eyebrow raised, I said aloud, "Huh. What turn is she talking about? Oh, wow."

Looking down, I could see miles from where we stood. It was really remarkable. Without thinking, I took a couple steps forward, mesmerized.

"Whoa!"

I scuttled back as my right foot almost slipped. "Oh, damn, that wouldn't have been good," I muttered, heart pumping loudly for a few moments.

Gazing over the edge, I said while my voice wobbled, "Now that's an impressive cliff. Lesson learned, Granny. Always stop at the turn."

The rocks at my feet plunged hundreds of feet down, bouncing on the rugged outlay of the hill. Imagining my face as the rock, I winced. "Lesson learned," I murmured again.

Lifting my nose, I detected the next line in the song. Cloves. I walked alongside them for quite a while. It wasn't until sunup that I saw beyond a line of trees a homey cabin with rising smoke coming out of its chimney. I breathed deeply. Drool slid down the corner of my mouth. Food. Careful with my slumbering cargo, I stood before the door. Well, isn't this awkward…I can't knock or anything. Unsure of how the woman would react with a shirtless stranger holding her grandchild at her doorstep, I called out,

"Uh, hello? Uhm, excuse me but I, uh, am here with your granddaughter, Molly…"

The door sprang open. A very short woman with a red ruffled bonnet containing gray hair and a long protruding nose smiled up at me.

"Oh, bless me. The child must have been so tuckered out from the journey she fell asleep! Come in, come in, don't be shy!"

She grabbed my left arm and propelled me into the room. She bustled over to a simmering pot and began to ladle in its contents onto two bowls.

"I know that the walk up here can be a bit difficult so I prepared my special deer stew. Wilma told me last week that if she couldn't come she would send Molly here with some of her world famous jams to cheer me up. Isn't that just the sweetest thing you've ever heard? I wasn't expecting a handsome young man such as yourself accompanying her but, more the merrier, as I always say."

She didn't even ask me why I don't have a shirt on and am wearing no shoes. Or the fact I'm holding Molly.

"Molly said something about you being sick…"

"Oh, goodness, I've been better for quite some time now."

She smiled big as she placed the bowls onto the table. What the…? So this whole trip was for nothing?! Granny looked over at Molly.

"Dear, look what I made. It's your favorite."

The being in my arms swung out of them so quickly, I stumbled forward. The red cloak slid onto the floor after her. She was awake?! She hopped right into one of the chair and began to devour the bowl with gusto. Nailed where I stood, I stared at her. She doesn't even act like she's been asleep. Granny patted the chair next to her granddaughter invitingly.

"Here, give me that and sit down and enjoy. It's a family recipe, you know, dating back before my grandmother was born."

I stiffly gave the basket to Granny. Wary, I glanced at both of them and sat down. Her grandmother's crazy just like her, I decided. But, that wasn't going to stop me from demolishing the stew in front me. In the end, I had three servings and a hunk of freshly baked bread. Tasted like the most delicious meal I had ever eaten. I was about to stand up and thank the kind old lady for the food and grab the girl when Molly began to pop wild berries into her mouth while telling her grandmother random hearsay from the village. You've got to be kidding me. Tapping my fingers on the table, I eyed the scenery out the window. Mother's home alone. I bet she's worried…That's it. I can't take this any longer.

"I'm sorry for interrupting but me and Molly have to leave. Her father is worried about her and wants her home right away and that hike's not a short one, so…"

I scooted back, shot up and reached for Molly.

"Gracious, yes, you must go back. But, not until I pick some more fresh berries to take back with you. They are growing like mad around here and are simply delightful. You two wait here. I'll be right back."

"Whuh…What?"

"Okay, Granny," Molly beamed as her grandmother grabbed Wilma's now emptied basket and left the cabin.

"I can't believe this," I muttered crossly as I sat back down. "At this rate, I'll never get back."

Molly stood up from her chair and then turning around, plopped on the table, legs kicking back and forth. Face low, she made a funny face at me.

"What?" I grumbled.

"Someone doesn't like having fun."

"I like having fun, I'm just frustrated, that's all."

Molly tipped her head back while chanting, "Grumpypants, grumpypants, grumpypants."

"I'm not grumpy," my voice rose.

She grinned at me, eyebrow lifted. I stopped. I couldn't help it. I smiled a little.

"Okay, so I'm a little grumpy. You could hardly blame me."

She blinked. Turning her head, she giggled behind her head.

"What? Hey, what's so funny?"

"I just had a thought. If you had gray hair and wore my Granny's bonnet, you'd look so much like her."

The idea was so ridiculous, I laughed out loud. "If I did what?"

But she was already zooming across the room to find a bonnet to test out her theory. Running back, she placed it around my head and tied a knot beneath my chin.

"There."

Peering at her handiwork, she laughed, "Oh, Granny, how you've changed."

At this point, I decided I wasn't going to go anywhere until Granny got back so I might as well succumb to her insanity. She shifted her feet while making "hmm" noises with a broad grin.

"Granny, what big eyes you have."

I altered my voice into a cackling crone. "The better to see you with, my youngling."

Her eyes danced with excitement.

"Oh, what long ears you have."

"The better to hear you with, my child."

"What big hands you have, Grandmother."

"The better to hold you with, my dear."

Molly reached down and took my hand. My heart skipped a few beats. Heat consumed my body at the touch. Gently inspecting it, she looked up at me. I forgot that I was supposed to be acting and got lost in those strange, warm eyes of hers. Her smile faded. The breath in my lungs suspended as she slowly took the ends of the knot. Pulling at the strings, she slid the bonnet towards the back of my neck. Her elbows rested on my shoulders. She was so close I could hear her heartbeat. It's going so fast.

"Well," she said softly, "no wonder. You're not my Granny at all. You're Brichard."

One of her fingers stroked one of my ears. I couldn't resist. Closing my eyes, I turned my head as she scratched it, grinning like an idiot. Ohhh, that feels nice…Oh, no. My stomach sank. Sometimes when I experienced intense swings of emotion, certain minor parts of my body Changed without noticing. Anxious, I watched her facial expressions. She simply smiled as she played with my furry ear and hair.

"You…You're not afraid?"

"Of what?" She tilted her head, confused.

"Of this," I pointed to my head. "I mean, doesn't this bother you?"

Molly grinned. "Which part? The grayish brown hair? The really pale brown eyes? The tallness? Or is it the big feet?"

My heart beat faster. But I pressed on. "The ears. The fact I'm half-man, half-wolf. A Shape-shifter."

She shook her head. Not even a hesitation. Pouting, she thoughtfully played with my hair. "Nope. Not at all. You're a nice person and a nice wolf so I'm not afraid of you. I've never understood why everyone else is though. All you did was Change because those kids were picking on you when you were little. They backed you into a corner and threw rocks at you. You were only defending yourself. You didn't bite anyone either. You just growled. But those nasty boys told their parents that you threatened to eat them and their families. That was an awful thing for them to say."

She knew all along what I was? I thought all she knew was my name from the village. Yet, she didn't treat me any different. She gave me that smile when she met me. I sat, thunderstruck. I…I have never been smiled at before.

"What's wrong?" Molly implored, forehead touching mine.

"It's just…no one's nice to me and treats me like I'm human except for my mother and now you. Well, your father did, too. I guess, uh…I'm not really used to kindness…Not by anybody."

I shyly finished. Ashamed, I lowered my head. She probably thinks I sound so stupid…

"Well," she beamed, "you're not going to be alone anymore. I'm your friend now."

Friend. I looked deeply into her bright gaze. Trembling, I put my hands on her waist. She didn't tell me to take them off. She didn't look like she was repulsed by me. I don't want this girl to leave me. I want her to stay and keep smiling.

Molly's head sharply turned. Mine did as well. And at that moment, I couldn't get my hands off Molly fast enough and into the air.

"Uncle Hunter, put the arrow down!" She stomped her foot.

True to his name, her uncle wore animal skins on every inch of his body, packing hefty knives and towered past the six foot five mark. Aiming a strung arrow at my head, the beast of a man's growl installed more fear in me than any creature I had ever encountered.

"Back away, Molly."

"Uncle, put it down!"

"Get away from him."

"He's my friend," she yelled back.

"He's an animal, that's what he is. Look at the ears! He may look like a man but he doesn't got the conscious of one. He would have killed ya' if I hadn't gotten here when I did. I saw the way that son-of-a-bitch was eyein' ya'. Like you were a three course meal. Sick bastard, I should just shoot you right now."

Hunter stretched the bow back, his fingers on the verge of letting go. My body stiffened. I didn't care about me. I cared about the defiant, weird girl who spread her arms in front of me and shouted at her uncle.

"Stop it, Uncle. He's not like that! He's nice to me."

He laughed bitterly. "Of course he is. You're breakfast."

Molly stomped her foot again, angry. "You're just like they are, Uncle Hunter! You don't even know him and you accuse of being some monster. It's not fair! He didn't do anything to you but you're being so mean to him. He saved me from eight wolves when they attacked us and carried me all the way here to Granny's. He took care of me. You apologize to him this instant!"

For a little thing, she sure could be intimidating. Glaring at her uncle, fists at the hips, she arched her brow. He put down the bow and arrow but the disgust remained in his eyes.

"I'm not apologizin' to that thing."

It didn't make me mad hearing him say that. A strange, direct calm that I had never experienced before was in me. Maybe it was because of Molly, maybe it was Uncle Hunter, maybe it was because of the whole situation but I found the words that I should have said to those village elders years ago.

"I've got a question for you."

Pointing to Molly, I said in a light tone, "If I am such a brainless, soulless killer, why didn't I eat her in the forest? Would have been easier, wouldn't it? With my supposed insatiable hunger for human flesh, wouldn't she have been no match to my strength and would have been eaten the moment we were alone together?"

Hunter coughed, hiding his embarrassment. "Uh, well…"

"I may have another form but within it beats the same heart. I am a man with morals and dreams. Just like you."

Hunter became speechless. He stared at us both. Molly looped her arm through mine. Startled, I blinked down at her. Smiling, she laid her head on my shoulder, "He's Brichard."

Ears twitching towards the wall, I straightened. A scream?

"What is it?" She asked, concerned.

Granny. Instinctively, I ran to the door. Molly grabbed her cloak and diligently followed behind. Whirling around, I lifted a commanding finger at her big eyes.

"No. You're staying here."

"I'm coming with you!"

"No, you're not!" I fumed.

Uncle Hunter folded his bear arms across his chest behind her.

"Get your finger outta' her face. You don't get to order her around."

Frustrated, I gushed, "This is not the time for this. I heard a scream in the forest that sounded like Granny's. I'm not having this crazy thing in harms way. She doesn't listen and could get killed!"

Her uncle suddenly changed his target. "He's right. You aren't coming."

"But!" Molly yelled.

"No, buts. Stay!" I pointed at her.

We sprinted out of the cabin. Without a word, he followed me. I sniffed the air. Granny. She's close. As I was about to take another step, I felt a cold metal at my throat. I stiffened.

"Do you really think I'd fall for that trick, wolf-boy? Take me all the way out here, claiming you heard something, when you really wanna kill me."

"What?!" I roared. "Are you insane?"

"Turn around."

I'm done.

I snapped. I really snapped. Spinning around, I grabbed Hunter's hand and jabbed the knife to my throat.

"If you really want to do it so badly, then get it done with already."

The voice that had come out of my mouth was animalistic hostility. I smelled the blood that trickled from where the tip of the knife dug into. Hunter's face had gone ashen. I could hear his heart pump rapidly. Pathetic. I shoved the hand back. Stepping back, I allowed the Change to take over me. Molly's uncle watched with a mixture of dark fascination and fear. With a flick of my tail, I ran off towards Granny. To none of my surprise, the hulking man was able to keep up. As I tore into a clearing, I looked around. She's here. I can smell her but where…?

"Hunter? Hunter, dear, you're home already?"

Quizzical, I looked about. Where is she? Her basket and the berries are over there…Then I stopped. My head turned upward. The old woman had managed to climb up to the lowest tier of a tree. Wiggling her fingers as if there was nothing innately wrong with this fact, she called down, "And you brought Molly's friend with you as well. That's so nice of you."

What the…? She knew what I was all along? What is up with these crazy women? Sighing heavily, Hunter rubbed his eyes for a moment.

"Mother, what in the blazes are you doing up there?"
"There was this terrible, huge bee right over there when I was picking some berries for Molly and her friend."

That's it? That's why you screamed as if you were about to be murdered?

Uncle Hunter walked over to the base of the tree. Hands across his chest, he yelled, "Can you climb down on your own or do you need help?"

"Oh, I think I can manage, thank you."

She smiled innocently as she nimbly came down from the branches. I don't think even I can do that. Taking his mother's hand, he escorted her to her basket. Ushering her across the expanse, he muttered annoyed, "Let's go home, Mother."

"But I didn't pick enough berries."

"I think they will survive."

"You are just like your father."

I padded next to them. Once we came across my pants, I held them in my teeth. Suddenly, I stood still. The others turned back and stared at me. I nudged my head at them to continue without me.

"Where do you think you are going?" Growled Hunter.

Spitting out the pants onto the ground before my paws, I touched my nose to it. Granny beamed.

"Oh, let us give him some privacy. He wants to Change before he sees Molly. What a lovely boy…What an appetite. He ate three helpings of my stew!"

"Oh, Mother," Hunter rolled his eyes. "Let's go."

When they went out eyesight, I Changed back and got into my clothes. By the time I got back, Granny was enthusiastically telling Molly about the bee incident outside the cabin. Molly's head swiveled my way. With a grin splattered across her cheeks, she sprinted at me. Oh no. The little red thing jumped up and wound its arms around my neck. Quickly grabbing her, I stumbled backwards.

"Molly?"

Giggling, she said, "You're back!"
"Of course I am," I replied unsteadily.

Landing on her feet, Molly clasped her hands together. "Can we go home together now?"

Sighing, I grinned. This girl… "Yes, Molly. We can go home."

"Yay!" She clapped.

Spinning around, she pecked a kiss on her Granny's cheek and took the basket.

"Thanks Granny for everything."

"You know you're always welcome here, dear. You too, young man! Don't be a stranger!"

I smiled. "Yes, ma'am."

Hunter grunted as he shifted on his feet. "Hey, you."

I looked at him.

"You take care of her, ya' hear?"

Smirking, I nodded. "Yes, sir."

Hunter twitched, pointing a threatening finger at me. "If anything happens to her, I'll go down there and skin you alive."

"I understand."

"Come on, Brichard, Father's waiting for us!"

Suddenly impatient, Molly grabbed my hand and tugged me onwards. This time, I held it back.

Two bewildering, headache-inducing, frustrating, wonderful years went by after that day. Needless to say, I got the money from Gill and was able to get my mother's medicine. It didn't take much longer after that to get right back on her feet, healthy as come be. And because of Molly's uncle who convinced the village I wasn't a lunatic with ears and a tail with no human conscious, I was able to get a job as a carpenter. Molly didn't let a day go by without coming to visit me or demanding I see her. I, of course, couldn't say no to her and obeyed. Well, that is, until about a week ago and a half ago…

I lied to her saying that I was requested to do a project out of the area and wouldn't be able to see her for a week. She took the news like anything else. Her confusing, absolutely logical-less way. She turned to me, looked straight in my eyes and told me not to see her for two days after I came back home. When I asked her why, she said that I should rest and spend time with my mother after having been gone for such a long period of time. I was unable to fight back such a selfless answer and conceded to it.

And now, here I was. Standing before Gill and Molly's home, tucked in the corner of the village where wild flowers ravaged the yard. Every breath I took felt like it wasn't enough. No much how much I swallowed or cleared my throat, it remained constricted. My heart was beating so hard, I was surprised it hadn't burst yet. Wiping the sweat from my palms onto my legs, I inhaled and took a shaking step to the door. Before I even reached it, out bounded my Molly in a red dress with a brown apron, hands coated in flour, hair swaying in the wind, smiling that beautiful, bewitching smile.

Shoving a fistful of flowers at her, I stammered, "Here."

"Brichard, they're so pretty."

She took the bundle close. Dipping her nose deep into them, she beamed.

"Thank you!"

Going on her tiptoes, she kissed my cheek.

"So, how did the project go?"

"It, uh, went, uhm…well."

Putting her hands behind her back, she tilted her head up at me.

"Is there something you want to say to me?"

Heart galloping behind my ribs, I gulped. How does she always do that?!

"I, uh, yeah…I do…"

Sweating profusely, I reached into my pocket. No, no, you don't do it like that! With a clumsy drop to one knee, I shook as I grabbed the slick thing in my fingertips. I took it out and thrust it upward before I could run.

"Molly, will you become my wife?"

I'm such an idiot. I had a whole speech planned…It wasn't supposed to go like this at all!

She stared at me. Then, she laughed. It wasn't one bursting with joy. It was a laugh directed at me. My stomach plunged but like the idiot I was, my hand didn't lower.

"Brichard, you can be so funny sometimes."

Even though she gazed at me with pity, I just couldn't give up. Shooting up, I took her hand. Vehemently, I said, "I know I'm not rich and I'm not really normal but I love you with all my heart, Molly. If you stay with me, I can't guarantee there won't be hard times but I'll promise to take care of you and be with you until the rest of your days. So, please, say yes."

Molly gently took the ring from my hand. Sliding it on her finger, she wordlessly reached up and kissed me. She had never kissed me on the lips before. Fingers stroking the hair at the nape of my neck, she smiled wide at my dreamy expression.

"You're so silly, Brichard. It's taken you two years to ask me when we're already engaged."

"What?"

"Didn't I give you my handkerchief after you took me home from Granny's that day we met?"

"Yeah, but…"

I don't see how that has anything to do with this discussion!

"When a woman gives her handkerchief, it's a symbol of her everlasting promise to the man who receives it."

"Huh?"

So, are you telling me that I worried till I had gray hairs for nothing?! I saved for two years and searched through three towns until I found the perfect ring for you, woman!

As if she had read my mind, she giggled. Kissing me again, she declared, "I love you, Brichard."

Sighing, I chuckled, "I love you too, you crazy woman."

Molly threaded her fingers through mine. Pulling me to the door, she said with a broad grin, "I can't wait to tell Granny and Uncle Hunter."

"What about your father?"

"He already knows."

"How?"

She wagged a finger at me. "I told him so. I knew you were lying to me about your project and were actually getting me a ring."

"How…? Damn, I was so careful, too…"

She laughed and laid her head on the side of my arm. I couldn't help it. I sighed and smiled. What could I say? That was my Molly for you.

THE END