Summer is here! Thank god! This means I should be able to do more writing finally, I've missed it.
Anyway, to our new chapter
I estimated we must have gone about four kilometers when we found a cave to hide in. Red had yet to stop crying, but I had to set her down in order to light the fire. It took several tries with the flint to get it to light. I stiffly stood, and turned to check on the girls. Red was curled up in a ball, silently continuing to cry. "Jacques" I looked at Snow. "Your chest…" I looked down, now remembering the large scratches. I pulled at a piece of the leather, cringing slightly. "Take off your jerkin" She ordered.
"Snow-"
"Now" I sighed and did as my charge instructed. The jerkin dragged against the open wound, which was not a particularly pleasant feeling. Once the shirt was cleared as well, Snow went to the mouth of the cave, gathering a handful of snow. She came back, and knelt in front of me. I let her place the cold substance on the wound, serving a dual purpose. It would help to numb the pain as well as clean the wound. When Snow White went to the front of the cave again a small whisper called out
"I'm sorry"
I looked over at Red. She was staring at the claw marks, knowing she made them. "It's not your fault" I told her.
"Is Peter dead?" I didn't respond to the question, which answered it for me. "I killed him…oh gods…I killed Peter"
"No you didn't" I said strongly. "Red, what killed Peter wasn't you. It was a monster, not you. Do you think that you could have used your hand to make these claw marks? You did not kill Peter. It was not your fault." Red looked down, and all conversation was over for the time being.
Using what was left of my shirt, Snow and I created bandages to wrap around the claw marks. Once that was finished, we both sat there, watching Red fall into an unsteady sleep. "Jay" I didn't look at her. "Jacques, how does someone…become a werewolf?"
I didn't answer right away. I knew the stories well enough, the place where I was born had a werewolf a decade before I was born. "When a werewolf bites or scratches a victim, they will also become a werewolf. It can also be passed down through parents to their children, which is how I'm guessing Red became a wolf"
"You're going to turn."
I nodded. "Unless I kill myself before then"
"No-Jacques-you can't do that" Snow stood. "What happened to it not being Red's fault?"
I knew she wouldn't react well to this. "Snow, she has an enchanted cloak that she can wear to prevent her from turning. I don't have anything. If I turn, I'll hurt you" I met Snow's eyes. "I can't risk ever hurting you"
"We'll find a cure, a spell-something." Snow looked at me. "I can't lose you too Jay. Mother, Father… they're both gone. I just have you Jay"
"It's dark magic Snow" I didn't know how we could counteract the curse. "And I am fairly certain that only dark magic can counteract it"
"Then we'll find some"
"Are you ready to pay that price?" I snapped at her, standing quickly. "We can't afford it!"
"But I can't lose you. I'll be alone"
"You'll have Red"
"And how will she feel if I tell her that you killed yourself because of the curse? What's going to stop her from doing the same thing?" I knew that what Snow was saying was true, but I didn't want to admit it. "Jacques, I need you here."
I sighed, turning to the girl who now was almost the same age as me. "I'll find something." I promised. "And I'll pay the price for it, not you Snow" I kissed the top of her head. "I will not abandon you now"
Not a lot happens in this chapter, but it's framing for the next. Who do we know that deals in dark magic?
Please leave me a review, so I know what you think. And I can't wait to get back into the grove of things!