It had been ten years since I saved Natalia from those men in the woods. I had become a bit of a town legend, seeing as though I killed every man that entered trying to find Natalia. I couldn't help it, it was either me or them. I had been injured quite a lot in those fights, but Natalia had always patched me back up. I loved her, I would get hurt hundreds more times to protect her.

One evening another man came into the forest, screaming into the trees. "Come out you evil wolf and face me!"

As always I walked out towards him, ready for another fight. This time however, he dropped his sword and held out his hands. No man had ever done that before. "Wolf, I know you aren't 100% beast. Beasts cannot understand English. Show your true form to me, so that we may have a real fight."

I was confused, but I did what was asked. I ran behind a tree and came out in my regular shape. I had on a shorter and lighter dress for fighting, and any exposed skin was covered with chain mail. Around my neck my red hood was tied.

The man laughed, holding his chest and wiping his eyes. "A girl! The fearsome beast is nothing but a woman! This will be an easy fight."

I instantly hated this guy. I stepped forward and drew my sword. "Yes, it will be."

He swung towards me chest, but I was to quick. I went under his sword and slashed towards his middle, cutting a small red smile into him. He didn't stop fighting, and lunged at me once more. It caught my arm and made me drop my sword from the shock. He tried to strike a finishing blow but I grabbed his sword. I could feel the iron cutting into my hand, but I was still able to pull it out of his hands and into mine. He became confused and I used this chance to kick him in the chest, throwing him onto the ground.

I held his own sword over his neck, smiling at his terrified face. "You should really think twice before being such a show off. If you had put in some more effort, the fight would have lasted longer. I would have won no matter what though."

He began to cry, which caught me off guard. "Please lady, please don't kill me. I have a son and a wife who both depend on me. My little boy is only ten years old. Spare me, please have mercy!"

I wasn't about the kill this man, not after what he just said to me. I backed away from him and threw his sword back towards him "Go then, but never return. Spread the word to the entire village, if they attack, I will attack back."

He nodded and ran off back to town. I waited until he was out off sight, and then I followed him. I had to make sure he did exactly what I told him to.

When I finally reached the village, I saw nearly everyone in town standing around a small stage used for county fairs and singing. The man I had just defeated in to forest was standing on it, yelling at everyone. "There is a beast within the forest! She is dangerous, and will attack anyone who attacks her!"

I was satisfied. It seemed that he had gotten the message across. I made my way back into the forest. Natalia was making a stew.

I stood in the crowd, my father was yelling on the stage. Apparently he had just gotten into a fight with the legendary wolf. I was listening intently, brushing my blonde hair out of my eyes every few seconds so that I could get a good look at the motions he was making.

"Because she is so dangerous, we cannot sit by while she is that close to our village! We need to kill her! Kill the wolf!" My father turned his message into something much worse.

"KILL THE WOLF! KILL THE WOLF!" Everyone around the stage was now chanting along with my father. I was surprised. My father said she attacked people who attacked her. Nobody else.

I held my hand up, getting a nasty look from my father. "What is it boy, speak up!"

I brushed my hair out of my eyes again and cleared my throat. "You said she only attacks people who attack her first. Can't we just leave her alone?"

People in the crowd began to whisper among themselves, silently doubting my fathers plan. I could see the rage building up inside of him. I was going to pay for this later.

My father looked back out at everyone, waving his hands over his head. "Don't listen to the boy! He's just a child, he doesn't know better! A beast is a beast, no matter what. Do we really want something like that so close to our children, our livestock, our town?!"

The crowd was back on my fathers side. They wanted to kill that wolf that was only protecting itself. I had to do something. Innocent things don't deserve to die, not even a wolf.

I snaked my way through the crowd, and made a running dash into the forest. My father didn't notice me, he was to busy forming a riot.

I was about ten minutes into the forest when I heard the crunch of leaves. I stopped walking, frozen in fear. I was instantly regretting my decision of running away, when I saw a pretty young lady with long brown hair and green eyes walk out in front of me. She had on woman's fighting clothes along with a red hood.

"Boy, what are you doing in the forest? Don't you know there is a beast here?" She had a soft and concerned look on her face.

"I'm here to warn the beast, the town is planning on killing her!" I couldn't let her take me back to the town.

She smiled a little bit and walk towards me. "You're talking to her." Her smile faded and she brushed away some hair from my neck. She gasped as he saw a huge black and blue bruise on my neck. "Who did this to you?!"

"My father. If I do something wrong, or I say something wrong, or if he's had to much to drink, he hits me and mother." I felt like I could completely trust this girl, even if she did just tell me she was a beast.

She shook her head and took my hand in hers. "Come with me, your having some dinner with my girlfriend and I."

Natalia was a bit concerned when I brought a little boy into the cottage to have dinner, but when I told her about the bruises and how he had come to warn me, she warmed up to him. She even added some healing drops into his bowl of stew. It was going to help any cuts or bruises anywhere on his body heal up overnight. He was a nice boy. Calm, polite, and very curios.

"How do you turn into a wolf?" He asked, shoveling some of the stew into his mouth.

"I was bitten when I was ten. Do you know the story of the little girl swallowed whole by the wolf?" I really enjoyed the company I was getting from him.

"My mother tells me that all the time! She gets emotional though. I guess she doesn't like the idea of a child my age going through that. Especially with her grandmother." He stared down at the bowl, twirling the mixture with his spoon.

"Well, I was that little girl. I was never swallowed whole, I was just bitten. I couldn't return home, so the wolf that saved me made up that story so people wouldn't look for me." I had never told anyone that I was the lost little girl. Well, I had told Natalia, but my story didn't reach as far as the capitol.

He gasped, a surprised look filled his face. "That's so cool! I would have never guessed that you where the beast! Oh... I'm sorry. Wolf."

I shook my head and took another bite of stew. "Don't worry about it. It makes me sound more threatening."

He laughed a little bit more, his eyes seemed a little red. "Why do you stay here? On the border between forest and deep forest?"

Natalia took my bowl and replaced it with another full one. I thanked her and turned back to the young boy. "The wolf that attacked me is part of a very evil guild. If people go to far into the forest, they would be instantly torn apart. I live here so that if they get to far I can scare them back. I also fight off any wolfs from that guild. Oh, forgive me, I don't know your name, and you don't know mine! Call me Red."

The boy rubbed his eyes and yawned. "My name is Dudley Cantilla." He closed he eyes and slumped into the chair, fast asleep.

Natalia laughed and walked over to him, taking the bowl and setting it into the washing bucket. "Looks like the sleeping root I slipped into his stew is finally working. He can sleep in my bed for the night, as long as I can sleep with you in yours." She kissed my cheek as I stood up, smiling at me.

"That will work. Poor boy, nobody deserves to have a father as crap as his." I picked him up and laid him into Natalia's bed. I slipped of his shoes and tucked him in, making sure he wouldn't get cold.

Natalia grabbed my middle in a hug. "If we ever get the chance, we should definitely have a kid."

I laughed and pulled away. "Sure. The first baby in a basket that lands on our doorstep, we can keep."