"Red! Don't you dare leave me!" Snow called out while chasing after a shadow, running as fast as she could in the inky darkness. It was hard enough for Snow to keep up with Red in the woods on a good day. But when Red's feet were pumping as fast as they could go, instincts driving each perfectly placed step, Snow stood no chance. Somehow, someway, Red's cloak had gotten misplaced at the cottage. Whether it was one of the dwarves being careless or something more nefarious, it was still undecided among them. But currently it would be a miracle if Snow managed another mile without impacting face-first with a tree. She was beyond frustrated, mentally preparing the speech she'd give if she ever caught up to Red.

Snow opened her mouth to call out again, barely managing to sound out Red's name before a hand from behind clamped fiercely over her mouth. Snow's eyes grew wide, elbow instinctively rocking backwards and knocking her assailant in the stomach. Red would be proud. Snow thought.
"Snow! Gods!" A familiar voice exclaimed, doubled over behind the princess. Snow turned, only to find that her attacker was in fact Red. So perhaps not so proud.
"Red! Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you were in front of me." Snow reached out, only to have Red back away and hold up her palms as if to halt her from making contact.

"I was. You're going to draw anyone with bad intentions from miles around with that mouth of yours." Red straightened, rolling her shoulders. Taking a deep breath, Red directed her fiery gaze at Snow. "Listen, Snow. You have to go back now. We'll never find my cloak in time, it's less than a half-hour until the moon reaches it's peak. Go to the cottage, lock the doors, you'll be fine. I should be back in the morning, okay?" Red did her best to reassure Snow, planting a kiss on her temple before turning to go again. But before Red could leave, Snow grabbed her arm firmly.

"I'm staying with you." Snow said adamantly, eyebrows furrowed in anger. Angry that Red would try to leave her behind, even if it was to protect her. Red reeled at her words, visions of Peter flashing in her minds eye. I'm staying with you.
"No, you're not. You're going back right now. This is not up for discussion." Red growled, jerking her hand away roughly. Snow's irrational behavior combined with the full moon was making her more irritable than usual. The last thing Red wanted was Snow around with the possibility of her turning.

"I won't make it to the cottage in time." Snow said, pursing her lips. Red hadn't accounted for how much quicker she was. "We haven't spent a wolfstime apart since I met you, and we're not starting now, my love. I know you can control it if you try." Snow smiled encouragingly, repeating the same line she'd given Red many times before. The problem was that Red didn't want to try. She didn't want to ever turn again. She could just wear her hood, and everything would be fine.

Except things weren't going her way, shockingly enough. If she ran now, she could get far enough away from Snow. Perhaps she could even push her down. "Snow, I-" Red paused, a shudder passing through her body. Red watched as all of her hairs stood on end, looking back up at Snow from under full lashes. Red's eyes were bright in the moonlight, shining like two golden orbs. The wolf was here.

It happened quicker than a breath. One second Red was human, and then she was not. The wolf towered above Snow, bigger than she'd ever seen. She needed to step backwards just to accommodate her friend's growth, her foot catching on a tree root as she did so, hitting the ground with a thud. My, she was making this easy, wasn't she? The wolf took a deep breath, drinking in Snow's scent, it's neck lowering to get a better look at the eager prey falling at it's feet.

"Red. Red it's me, Snow. Your Snow. You can do this, I know you can." Snow spoke loudly, voice thick with emotion. The wolf bared it's teeth, saliva gathering in it's mouth at the prospect of a fresh kill. "I love you, Red." Snow spoke with desperation in her voice, her breaths quickening. She reached out a hand, tangling it in the wolf's fur. Snow looked intently into those amber eyes, watching the pupils contract as they touched. Contracting with what, recognition?

"Red." Snow barely uttered, a smile forming on her face. It was then that the beast drew back, mouth opening wide for the kill. A tiny gasp escaped Snow's mouth as the creature stopped short just before tearing into her neck. It stared at her for just a moment, as if trying to discern what to do.

The beast padded away from her cautiously, resigning to lay down only after reaching a safe distance. A whine escaped it's throat as Snow sat up and started moving towards the creature. The princess settled down beside the wolf, snuggling against the warm fur. "It's ok, now. I'm here, and I'm not leaving. I'll always be right here." Snow's soft voice seemed to put Red at ease, the wolf curling around her protectively. They both stayed like that until the sun rose, then only two raven haired girls safe in each others embrace.