WARNING: MATURE/ADULT CONTENT
This is a short story involving some of my OC's. I hope that you enjoy it!
LITTLE RED RIDING PERAN PART 1
There once was a girl named Peran who had blood red hair, and crystal blue eyes. She was the daughter of a hunter in a small village, where man wolves from the mountains ravaged their lands. Once a month Peran had to make her way through the Darkened Forest to her elderly grandmother's cottage nestled next to a stream.
Every time she made the trip she was adorned with a small dagger on her hip in a scuffed leather scabbard, a basket filled with food and necessities for her elderly grandmother, and a small sack of food for her journey. Peran's father always lectured her about the dangers of the Darkened Forest and of the maliciousness of the man wolves that plagued them. This time he wanted her to be especially careful since she just reached womanhood and she may be captured as one of the beast's mate.
Peran assured her father that she would not stop except to rest, that she would not interact with strangers, and that she would avoid any signs of the man beasts at all costs. Peran began on her way to her grandmother's at the break of dawn, around noon she stopped at a clearing on the side of the road to take a quick rest.
She sat there on the soft, lush grass, taking a moment to enjoy the breeze blowing through her hair. It was early summer, the plants and animals were full of life and promise. Peran watched as pale yellow butterflies fluttered past and bees made their way greeting every flower. She knew that she had to make it to her grandmother's before night fall, so she grudgingly stood up from where she sat.
As she bent down to grab her basket, she saw a length of shadow dash through the trees. Peran swore that the shadow had been that of a giant wolf. She hurriedly grabbed her sack and basket as she headed back toward the road. The dagger swaying back and forth across her hip as she ran, reminding her that she had it if she had need of defending herself. She would never admit it out loud that she had always wondered about these man wolves that she had never seen.
Often times she would catch herself mildly fantasizing about them, if they were human with canine accents, or like wild wolves that walked upright. The thought of them also terrified Peran, if she ever came across one they could just as easily kill her as well as take advantage of her maiden hood. Peran would probably die of fright if she ever happened upon a full pack.
"Did I startle you?", came a lilting voice. Peran quickly turned on her heels to see a man with warm brown eyes, and hair as dark as midnight grinning at her. "Um, no, wait…do I know you?", Peran asked her blue eyes wide and doe like. Who was this man? Where had he come from? "I didn't mean to scare you off back there.", the man said while still smiling.
He saw the frightened and confused look on her face. He took a few step towards her and watched as she firmly took a step back. Not only did the scent of her fear entice him, but she was favorably attractive as well. With her red locks highlighted golden in the sun, her soft pale skin underneath her tight traveling gear revealing the suppleness of her body, as her sapphire blue eyes looked into his. "I was hunting wolves in the forest and saw you running off, I thought that I should check on you. It would surely be a tragedy to hear of a maiden such as yourself being harmed, and sheer recklessness on my part."
Peran studied him closely. Other than his slightly cocky attitude he had a kind face, and he was rather strongly built. Yet the cautions of her father ran through her head. Not only about the man beasts roaming the country, but also the dangers of human men.
"Thank you for your kindness, but I must be off. I have somewhere that I desperately need to be before sundown. If I don't make it there I will assuredly have the whole town looking for me." Peran watched as the man's smile slowly vanished and his eyebrows began to crinkle in a frustrated sort of way. Hoping that if he were some sort of thug he would be discouraged by her words, she turned to begin her way down the narrow road through the Darkened Wood. When she felt a warm hand on her wrist, "Please miss my name is Daniel, let me accompany you to your destination. I am a huntsman and I know my way through these parts with my eyes closed. I am also highly skilled in combat."
Daniel nearly snarled when she jerked her arm away from him and gave him an indignant look, "I do not care for your name or trade, and I mostly do not care for some strange man grabbing me like a child. I am more than capable of taking care of myself. I am Peran daughter of Hasphard the Master Hunter. Now be off with you I grow weary of your charity." She watched as he straightened himself and curtly bowed his head, "As you wish mistress Peran daughter of Hasphard. Perhaps we shall meet again on a better day." Peran could have sworn she saw a fang glistening on the side of his mouth as Daniel spoke before retreating into the tree line on the side of the road.