Chapter Text
Foolish, had they learned nothing after the girl's last encounter traveling into the woods alone to her grandmother's. She'd been lucky that the wolf was mostly harmless and she had another day to live. But that would not be the case this time around. The Winter had already been harsh on the mortals, except for those who had the means to be above the less fortunate. Little Red Riding Hood's parents had sent her out. Despite climbing up the social hierarchy, still sending her to do small deliveries for the baked goods they sold. Either they were naive or simply reckless and didn't care, it was all the same to him.
Her cloak was the only color in the forest, bellowing from the frigid air, Death spared her once only by mistake. There wasn't an exception, the little girl wouldn't survive much longer out there. Not with how much she was already struggling to maneuver around the snow that almost went up to her legs, not to mention the rocks and tree roots hidden beneath. All it took was the wrong step... The taking of young souls was never easy, but the reaper never stops for anyone. Her time was up.
Red pulled her leg up from the snow when she heard what sounded like whistling, she thought it sounded pretty. Curiously walking towards the direction it was coming from. Until something halted both her and the strange whistling, the sound of howling. The only problem was it didn't sound normal, wolves didn't howl unless with their pack.
He could hear the little girl's heartbeat pulsing faster and smell the fear that was growing.
"Hello?" She called out, only to give away her location as she heard the sounds of feral growling. Red tried to move faster, but her feet were sinking into the snow once again, and her fear only worsened. With a grunt she freed herself but at the cost of losing her boot. The ground beneath her crunched as she ran, but with the difficulty slowing her down. Red tripped over a rock buried out of sight, the rabid animal leaped over and chomped down on her leg.
Screaming echoed through the trees but not one soul was around to hear Little Red's call for help. She kicked and kicked despite the pain she felt, instinctively calling out for her mother... But no one would come. A deep low growling caused the manic wolf to seize his attack, a flash of teeth and fur was all she saw until the towering figure caught the rabid animal in his grasp and SNAP!...
The rabid wolf fell limp as its blood soaked into the snow. She'd never forget the white wolf whose eyes were as red as the blood dripping from its muzzle. Her petrified holler ripped through the air, the little girl ran away from the scene. Escaping Death once more, it was not as planned but just he had saved her. It was clear excluding her grandmother, no one truly cared about the girl.
It didn't make up for the nightmares she would no doubt be haunted by due to his interference... He could only give her borrowed time.
Death is always near, even when you least suspect it. The poor girl laid in her bed as she had for days healing from her leg, but unfortunately suffered recurring night terrors that were met with little to no comfort. Strands of her hair turning white from the stress and trauma. He couldn't help but pity Little Red.
At the moment, she really had nobody to turn to, and wouldn't for much longer since her grandmother's time was beginning to wain and wither.
He would come back for the girl one day, but only after time had healed her wounds.