Girl in the Red Hood Read Online Free Page B

apologized. He’d simply gone
on as if the whole thing had been just an accident.
    The funeral had been small, just a grieving
husband and daughter, the Holy Man, and the aloof mayor, although
Liesel wasn't sure exactly why he was there. Perhaps he felt some
guilt for playing a part in Amala's death, she thought at first,
although one wouldn't know it from the number of times he yawned
while her mother was buried. It was about all Liesel could take to
have him present, and it helped her realize even more how much she
needed to escape Ward.
    She was desperate enough to break the
silence she'd kept towards her father the night after the funeral.
Liesel had begged and pleaded with him to take them back to the
vineyard.
    "You could even move back to the city,"
Liesel had followed him around as he mucked the tiny stall that
stood behind the cottage for their horse. "You wouldn't have to
worry about me. I could live with Grandmother and Grandfather!
We-"
    "No," Warin had been sudden and fierce in
his refusal. "We're not goin' back." Seeing the look in her eyes,
he leaned down. "And don't you even think of naggin' me about it
'cause my mind is made up. We're stayin' here. Best for you not to
question the wisdom of my decision."
    "You only ever think about yourself," Liesel
had hissed at him, trying desperately to keep her tears at bay.
Immediately, she regretted her words. He turned away silently, but
not before she saw the raw pain in his expression. Still too angry
to apologize, however, Liesel had stomped away and had gone for a
walk instead.
    Ward was not a large village, but there were
enough people milling about to call it bustling. The mayor had
mentioned that while they couldn't farm for the lack of sunlight,
the townspeople made their living by hosting travelers who were
taking the shortcut through the forest to the capitol city. Instead
of growing their food, the people had their supplies brought in by
wagon from the sunnier places outside of the forest. This struck
Liesel as expensive, but she quickly realized they could afford it
through their many inns, as well as animal stalls, taverns, and
wells. Liesel passed by the tailor's shop, the swordsmith, the
butcher, two bakeries, and the church as she walked.
    It should have been a pleasant outing. The
market was full, and neighbors chatted happily as their children
scampered through the streets. The more she walked, however, the
more Liesel realized she was not the only one looking. The
villagers were looking right back at her as well. The adults didn't
even attempt to hide their stares, and some of the children
pointed.
    Liesel felt herself blush, probably red
enough to be visible even in the gray of the forest evening. Had
word gotten out about her fit at the healer's? Or was this how they
treated all new people? It wasn't long before she'd decided to
return to the cottage as quickly as possible. Since that day, she
hadn't left the cottage except to get water from the well or gather
kindling for the fireplace. Her grandmother's book had been her
sole comfort and companion. Warin didn't allow reading in the
evening, as he said it wasted precious candles, but during the day,
the book was her only friend. And now her father wanted to take
even that.
    "Why don't you go outside?" He frowned at
her beneath his dark, bushy eyebrows. Liesel raised her own
eyebrows in response and looked pointedly at her hand. Her father
snorted. "Won't do you any good hidin' inside when the entire
village is in the forest, girl. Wolves mostly stay to themselves.
You probably just surprised the one that got you, that's all. Now I
want you out of this house for the time bein'. Go."
    It wasn't without irritation or the
temptation to say something sharp that Liesel left her beloved book
in the cabin. But arguing with her father would be pointless while
he was in such a mood. Slowly, she made her way down the narrow
dirt path to the main road. She wasn't going back to the town by
herself, that was