He must suffer each day with the decisions he had made. She knew that he had made them with more than greed and hate in his heart. He possessed sound morals and values. Abstract things she had long ago shed in return for the black soul of vengeance and malice.
She would hold her word to them, and slay the Brothers. But not because they threatened the existence of Germania or some made up prophecy, but because they deserved to die. For what they did to her and her family. These were selfish reasons, but they were the only reasons she needed to suit up and ride into battle.
Red walked to the table and found her knife sheathes. She strapped one to each leg, under her arms, and on her back. She wrapped the sword girdle around her waist. She slid the sword in slowly. She moved side to side, testing the weight and comfort of her rigs. She finally looked up and glanced around the room.
The others watched her, each rigged and ready.
She caught Wolf’s eye, and he nodded. With lightening speed, Red grabbed the knives at her legs.
She twirled them artfully in her hands.
“Let’s go to war.”
Chapter Fifteen
The forest was deathly quiet as the seven rode along the well-beaten path. Not even the gentlest of breezes moved through the dense foliage. The only sound was of horse hoofs on the trampled grass.
But even those sounds had no substance to them, no echo. It was if they were moving through a dense fog, where the air itself felt heavy, thick, hard to move through. It was almost like wading through water.
Red stopped her horse and glanced around them.
The hairs on the back of her neck rose and her skin prickled. She put her hand up to stop the others.
“We are close. I can feel the residue of magic.”
“So can I.” Rapunzel glanced around as a shiver vibrated down her spine.
The horses whinnied and stamped their feet nervously.
Wolf looked down at the ground, noticed dark spots in the dirt, and stained leaves. “This is where we fought the guard.”
Red nodded. “Yes, the blind gate is near.”
Hans looked around him, his neck twisting back and forth. “Where? I can’t see it.”
“That’s the point. You will not find it by looking.”
Red clicked to her horse. They went farther up the path. She was a mere few feet from the others when she felt a cold draft. She stopped, backed up the horse, then went forward. Again, a frigid air moved around her. It seemed to swirl around her like thick gray smoke. Red peered straight ahead but saw nothing.
She backed up an inch, just out of reach of the cold air. She looked again. She saw nothing. She moved to turn around when in her peripheral she saw a white pillar. She turned back, but the image vanished.
The others watched her as she backed her horse up again. She stood in the middle of the path and turned her head to the side, then to the other side.
“What is she doing?” Junior scratched the thick beard on his chin.
“I think she found the gate.” Wolf grinned, and kicked his horse. He rode up to where she was.
Red turned to him as he neared. “I found it.”
“I knew you would.”
“Back up and go behind me.”
Wolf backed up his horse and maneuvered behind her.
“Turn your head slightly to the left and look past me.”
* * *
Wolf did as she said. He turned and tried to look past her. He saw nothing, just Red sitting regally on horse.
He narrowed his eyes, willing them to see past the view. He was about to give up, when he saw something shimmer behind Red. At first, he thought it a beam of sunlight. Then it solidified and became a tall alabaster stone pillar. Then he moved, and saw there were two of them. They were only six feet apart.
But they were there. They had found the gate to Grimm Castle.
Wolf turned in his saddle. “It is here.”
The others rode up beside him. They looked to where he pointed.
“I don’t see a thing,” Hans complained.
“Because you are looking with your eyes,” Wolf explained.
“Well, that’s just stupid. What else are you supposed to look with?”
Red turned in her saddle. “Does not matter. We will have to go through one at a time. The gate is narrow.” She turned her horse around and moved in behind the others. “Wolf can go first. The rest follow.
I will go last.”
They got in a straight line, nose to tail. Wolf at the head, Red at the rear. Wolf slid his sword out and raised it up. He glanced behind him to look at Red.
They locked eyes. Red slid her sword out and raised it up. Wolf nodded. He kicked his horse hard.
“Go!”
Wolf rode hard straight toward the unseen gate.
He turned his head and saw the pale pillars. He headed for them. He went through.
* * *
Red saw Wolf disappear, then Papa and Junior. She concentrated on the back of Rapunzel. She would follow her through. Goldilocks went through. Then Hans vanished just as a shrill cry echoed through the woods. Both Red and Rapunzel turned toward it. A black moving cloud descended on them. Red could hear a loud thumping like someone playing a drum.
She realized too late what the source of the sound was. The thick, hard wings of ravens.
Rapunzel’s horse reared back as the birds attacked.
Red had to steer her horse to the left so they did not collide. The birds swarmed over them. They pecked at her skin and yanked at her hair and clothing. She waved her sword around, trying to swat at them. She managed to hit a few, but they were too close for the sword to be effective. Red sheathed it and withdrew a knife from her leg.
She briefly glanced at Rapunzel before the birds attacked again. She was in dire need. The birds had uncurled her hair and they were pulling on it like ropes. A couple was entangled in it, unable to move.
She would soon be pulled off her horse, or worse, lifted into the air like a child’s kite.
Red rode to her side. She swiped at the birds with her knife. She stabbed one and it fell to the ground.
She swiped at the others, but they flew out of harm’s way, strands of Rapunzel’s golden hair in their hooked beaks.
“We must cut it,” Red yelled over the shrieking of the birds.
Rapunzel's eyes shimmered with tears, but she knew that Red was right. Her most prized possession was now her mortal liability. She nodded.
Red unsheathed her other knife and handed it to Rapunzel. Red grabbed her hair and cut it close to her head. The raven flew off with its golden trophy. It squawked in triumph. Rapunzel sawed at another chunk, tears silently falling. She closed her eyes as it fell to the ground. She grabbed another handful and continued to cut.
The ravens fled with their acquired treasure. Red sheathed her knife and looked at Rapunzel. She sat unmoving, the knife still clenched in her hand. Her hair was chopped to pieces. Some long strands still stayed, but most had been cropped close to her head.
“It will grow.”
Rapunzel handed Red’s knife back absently. “I know.”
“We must hurry. A flock of ravens means evil is not far behind.” Red turned her horse and positioned back in the middle of the path. “You will have to follow me.”
Rapunzel did not move. “You go.”
“Don’t be a fool. Something is coming.”
“It is Morgana.”
“How do you know?”
“She has imprisoned me long enough that I know the feel of her.” Rapunzel turned her solemn face to Red. Her eyes were bright and clear. Her mouth set in a stern frown. “I will not run from her again. I need to break the chains that bind me to her.”
Red nodded. She knew of those chains. She had her own to sever. Red kicked her horse and rode to Rapunzel. She unsheathed the knife from her leg and handed it to her. “The blade is sharp. The steel is strong. Let your hand guide it swiftly.”
Rapunzel took it. She touched Red’s hand briefly.
“Take care, Blood Red. See that you fulfill your destiny.”
Red nodded. “Destiny or not. I will have my vengeance.”
She kicked her horse and rode hard toward the gate. She glanced behind her briefly as she neared the white pillars. She saw a dark form appear before Rapunzel. Morgana. Red raised her sword and vanished through the ivory gate.
Rapunzel did not watch as Red disappeared. She was intent on watching the dark form amass before her. Morgana smiled up at her.
“I knew you would return, my darling Rapunzel.”
Red felt a cold air run through her as she passed the ivory gates. It was like an icy hand reaching into her body to caress her organs. She came through on the other side sword still raised. The others were there grouped together before the bridge to the castle, already in battle. Twenty armed guards on foot surrounding them.
Red sent up a war cry as she sliced through two unsuspecting guards. They had not expected her to come through the gate. They fell to the ground, mortally wounded.
The others sent up their own war cry, and charged the guards.
Junior fired off his crossbow, impaling two guards.
Iron Hans pushed through the crowd, his mace swinging violently. Papa sliced through three guards with his mighty blade. Wolf knocked a guard into the air with one swing of his powerful ax.
Goldilocks was exchanging swing for swing of her sword with two guards. Metal clashed against metal.
It sang through the clear cool air like a ringing of a funeral bell. One guard swung down instead of up.
He sliced at her horse. The horse crashed forward and Goldilocks was thrown off. She landed in a heap on the hard ground. Two guards advanced on her.
Red charged toward her flailing her sword. She reached down and unsheathed her leg knife. She flung it at one of the guards. It hit its mark. The guard fell, the knife sticking crudely from his throat.
Goldilocks rose to her feet, blood trickling down her cheek. She raised her sword and stuck the other guard through the gut.
Red flanked her. She leaned down and offered her hand.
Goldilocks shook her head. “No. You must make it to the castle. My fight is here.”
“Mine too.” Junior rode up on Red’s other side.
Papa was beside him. “And mine.”