Hey guys, so I'm posting another story...yes I know, you all probably want to throttle me or throw things...but I assure you, this weekend I will be updating all of my stories that I am currently working on, including a new project that I have undertaken.
If any of you read FireLilly1997's 'Reunited With An Alter Ego' please know that I have 'adopted' the story and will be continuing it, with FireLilly's permission of course. The story will pick up where it left off and if you wish to read the beginning of it, there will be a link in my profile.
Anyways, I recently just watched the latest 'Red Riding Hood' and was intrigued by the story. Granted, it will follow the plotline...somewhat, as the movie, but, but, I will be throwing in monkey wrenches here and there to keep you all guessing. So whatever you thought the outcome was...well let me just begin by saying, WRONG!
Alas, I will leave, let you read and please, comment. If you like this, I will continue to post, if you don't, depending on the reviews, I won't post another chapter. I hate writing stories that get little feedback on, and none too constructive. But I still love any and all reviews the same!
So, I'm done with this insanely long author's note, and will let you read now.
OH! And this story is always going to be in KATARA'S point of view. Ok, I'm done. (also, in the very beginning before the time change in the story, Katara is 8, and Zuko is 10) ok, I'm done, seriously now.
Dragonhorn, Bei Fa Forest, Fire Nation
The moon was full and pale, dim in the early evening sky. Most people in my village feared the full moon, but I didn't. I found comfort in the soft ember disk that hung in the night sky, not caring what dangers it brought to life.
As I skipped down the barren main road, the village leader placed a pallet that resembled the full moon on a small platform. A grim face painted into the wooden disk. Four pillars stood tall around a small alter, flames burning brightly at their tops.
The whining of a pig drew my cerulean eyes downward and there tied to the alter, was a small dwarf pig.
"Full moon," the village leader barked, turning towards the family as they said goodbye to their little pig, "lock up tonight," he warned.
The family consisted of Mai, her brother Tom-Tom and their parents. Mai was a girl of little emotion; her only attachment to this life was the little bouncing baby that she held in her arms, little Tom-Tom. But, as I passed by, with my water bucket in hand, I saw a few stray tears run down her pale face.
"Better the wolf takes the pig than you," our village leader tried to cheer her up, but it did little when the pig whined once more, causing Mai to burst into sobs as she turned her face into her mother's robes.
We live on the edge of a dark forest. Few know our village by name, but many had heard of the terrible things that happened there.
My mother always told me, 'Don't talk to strangers, go get water and come straight home.'
I tried to be a good girl and do as she said…believe me, I tried.
As I dipped the bucket into the small filtered stream, a pair of black leather boots came crashing down into the water, splashing it all over me.
"Katara!" a pale hand stretched downwards towards my face, my eyes met his and a small coy smile danced across my lips. Tan met pale as our hands joined and with a small tug, he pulled me from the stream, taking me deep into the forest.
"Lets go," he taunted, pulling me along side him.
We had made our way into the small meadow that sat just beyond our village. It was the perfect hunting grounds for rabbits. You see I had always been fond of the little creatures, ever since I could remember. When I was a baby, my grandfather had made small boots, cut from the furs of a white rabbit. I was rather fond of them, but soon had outgrown the infant footwear. Since then, I had always desired similar boots, but grandfather wasn't around to forge a pair for me. But my father would. So long as I brought the fur home.
Together we lay amongst the grass and the flowers, the small amounts of water soaking into my clothes. My hands wrapped tightly around a small rope that connected to a small pole, supporting a wicker crate a few inches off the ground. As we laid there in silence, a small rabbit flittered amongst the grass, it's nose wiggling around, smelling the fresh cut vegetables that had been laid out beneath the crate.
"Do you have the knife?" I whispered softly, my gaze lingering on him as he pulled it slowly from his belt.
With a curt smirk, "Right here."
Slowly, cautiously it began to advance the food, its tiny feet carrying it only a few inches here and there, until finally it's entire small body rested beneath the crate. With a curt smile at Zuko, I pulled the rope with little effort, knocking the pillar form beneath it.
Victorious smiles etched into our lips as we crawled towards the caged animal. With a soft push, the crate was off and the rabbit in my arms. Zuko held the knife to the rabbit's throat, but there was a moment of hesitation, causing me to speak.
"Do it Zuko," I urged him.
Attempting again, he raised the blade to it's throat, his brow knitting in concentration, until a sigh of defeat escaped his lips, "I can't," he whispered to me, "you do it."
I shook my head, "No," pushing the knife back into his hand as I held onto the hare tightly, "you do it."
10 Years Later
I know that girls aren't supposed to hunt rabbits or go into the woods alone. But since we were kids, he'd always had a way of making me want to break the rules.
Zuko was a prince by name, but every year when he would spend the summer in our village with his mother, he was a mere boy, making his way through life out here in the forest. As he got older, he took up wood cutting with my father, uncle and brother, deciding to actually earn his own while living here. It was said that Fire Lady Ursa had a sister who lived in our village, that it was here that she and her sister had been born and raised. And so, every summer since I could remember, she had always been here, her warm smile welcoming all who approached her, and she never forgot to bring Zuko with her.
When we were kids, I saw him more so as a brotherly figure, the love I had for him was something that matched my love for Sokka. But as we got older, that brotherly love that I had harbored for him in the pit of my heart formed into something else entirely. I loved him in an affectionate, burning, passionate way that coursed desire and lust through my veins. It was as if being around him merely set my body of fire.
As I think of all this, I admire the youth before me from behind the bend of an old oak, watching as his muscles rippled beneath his shirt. He hacked away at the branches that stood upright from the fallen tree, his shirt stretching over and across his back tightly, exposing the rippling muscles beneath.
"Zuko," my father warned, leaning against the loading cart, a small canteen in his hand, "the tree will still be here after we eat."
I could hear his smirk and watched as he forced his ax into the stump that once held the grand oak, before retreating with the others for their afternoon lunch.
From where I was hidden, I watched as he approached his place amongst the men, wrapping the remainders of his lunch in a thin black cloth. I couldn't contain the smile that crept along my lips, watching as for the briefest moment, he registered that someone had taken his ax. But he knew it was m. He always knew.
He tossed his lunch onto the abandoned stump, taking a lingering gaze over his shoulder he entered deeper into the woods, advancing towards my hidden place.
With a smile, I jumped from behind the tree, my blue dress swaying around my boot covered legs, his ax in my hand. I tried to look masculine, but it never worked, it only looked silly. But I didn't mind. The summers were the only time we could spend together, and when he wasn't working with my father and the other woodcutters, he was off with his mother or some of the village boys having adventures of their own. There were times that we would sneak away, if only for a little while, to simply relish in one another's presence, to bask in the blissfulness that surrounded us and converse for hours.
I watched him smile as he approached, his tongue licking his bottom lip before his teeth bared slightly, nipping at the flesh.
Placing its base against the ground, I held the blade of the ax in my hand, watching as he coyly approached me ever still.
In a quick swipe of his hand, he reached for the ax, but I slid the upper halfback towards my body, away from him, "Give me that," he demanded playfully.
I couldn't bite back my retort, "What will you give me for it?" I asked, narrowing my lids as my smirk remained firmly on my lips.
I felt him close in on me, his body heat seeping into my clothes. He was tauntingly close, too close for my own good and I gazed up to meet his half lidded eyes as they stared down into my own.
"They didn't tell you?" his breath was hot against my cheek, causing me to blush somewhat.
"Tell me what?" I asked, my eyes lingering on his lips for a brief moment, watching as he spoke.
"They've arranged for you to marry Jet Lazar," there was a tint of malice hidden beneath his words, and I felt a heavy weight bore down upon me. They've arranged for me to get married? It was a foreign concept to me, arranged marriages, and presumably, I had wondered why I had been chosen to marry first. There was still my eldest sister, Erdesa who had yet to be married…and most of the time, it was the eldest daughter given to the eldest son.
Sighing with remorse I handed the ax over to Zuko, my hand making contact with the bark of the tree that I had so well hidden myself behind, "Well my mother finally got what she wanted," I paused, looking over my shoulder, "money."
Zuko followed my steps as I walked around the old oak, "Jet gets what he's always wanted, you."
Again, that heavy weight rested in the pit of my stomach…the idea of spending the rest of my life with Jet Lazar…with a man I didn't even love, let alone know…it was unthinkable.
Breathlessly, realizing the situation I had just momentarily found myself in, I whispered, "So what do we do now?"
For a moment he circled me, like a predator stalking its prey, "Do you want to marry him?" his breath brushed against my exposed ear, causing a slight shiver to run down my spine.
"You know I don't."
He came close, our bodies barely grazing, "Prove it," he bent his head down towards me, our eyes meeting and I could not contain the faint smile that graced my lips as my heart sped up.
Curious, I pushed closer to him, like a curious innocent child, "How?"
Again he pushed closer to my body, his lips lingering dangerously close to my own, "Run away with me," he whispered, pulling his head back from my face, causing me to blush slightly at our proximity.
"Where would we go?"
His hands wrapped around my body, synching softly around my waist, "Anywhere you want, if only for a little while. The ocean, the mountains, the palace city," my breath hitched, knowing where this may lead. We'd travel only during the summers, when he was allowed the allotted freedom to roam the countryside with his mother, but indefinitely, we would have to return to the palace city…after all, Zuko was a prince, born to lead this nation once his father passed on.
"You afraid?" he seemed to sense my momentary distress, but I quickly recovered.
Defiantly, I pushed closer to him, "No," and suddenly I felt his weight against my own, our bodies colliding before I could feel the soft grass beneath my back.
"Oh no?" he was on top of me, his hand roaming from the line of my waist, slowly up my bodes, before resting softly beneath my breast, "Really? You'd leave your home, your family…your whole life?"
Fidgeting beneath his touch, I leaned forward, supporting my weight on my elbows, "I'd do anything for you, Zuko."
And as soon as he was on me, he was pulling himself away, smirking down at me with that signature look I had grown so accustomed to, "I thought you'd say that," there was amusement in his voice, causing me to get slightly annoyed, if only in a pleasant manner.
I stood abruptly, my hands making contact with his chest, pushing him playfully, "Did you?"
He pulled me into his chest, wrapping his arms around my waist as our lips finally, after several sensual attempts, made contact, "Lets do something about it," he breathed into my throat as his lips grazed the tender flesh.
My eyes grazed the area, searching for an escape for the pair of us.
Across from where we stood, rested two of the wood cutters horses, grazing peacefully on the meadow grass, "It'd be half a days ride before anyone knows were gone," I offered a simple solution. Our escape only a mere couple yards away.
His eyes glanced over at the pair of horses, amusement lightening his golden orbs as he slowly pulled away, "I'll race you," he challenged me and in an instant I had pushed him off, gathering my dress's skirt in my hands before making a dart for the horses. Zuko not so far behind.
As we raced playfully towards the horses, a deep, resounding gong echoed throughout the forest, forcing my heart to plummet into the pit of my stomach. The only time the gong had ever been sounded was nearly two decades ago…during one of the darkest times in our village's history.
Dragonhorn had long since been plagued by a werewolf, but since I was a little girl, there had never been any instances where the stories that I had grown up listening to had actually become a reality…that is until now.
I halted in my run, my blood running cold as I put the pieces together, the gong only meant one thing, "The wolf," I whispered haggardly…spirits, were the legends true?
So, what do you guys think? Continue (Y) or (N) and if so, what did you like about the chapter?