A Heart for the Wolf: Part Two

Carmine woke the next morning and found herself laying in the bed. She vaguely recalled falling asleep sitting on the floor near the fire, but she didn’t remember waking up at any point and climbing into the bed though.

Did Mannaro put me in the bed? Carmine pondered.

That’s when she noticed he was no longer in the room and the cot was also no longer there. She had hoped he didn’t leave already, at least not without saying goodbye. It would have been rude, especially after the kindness she had extended to him. She got out of the bed and grabbed her boots that she had left nearby. She tied on her cloak and grabbed her belt and bag off the floor, feeling a bit upset at the discourtesy. Just as she opened the door to leave, she nearly bumped into Mannaro.

“Good morning, Carmine.” He gave a dashing smile that made Carmine’s cheeks feel warm.

Carmine grinned shyly, “I thought you had left already, to be honest.”

The silver haired man was wearing a new outfit. His ripped pants were replaced with a sleek black pair, his torso adorned an off-white shirt that laced up near the neck, and a knee length black coat with a light gray fur trim. His once shaggy hair was brushed neatly and away from his face. She thought he was handsome before, but now that she’s seen him all cleaned up, he was even more attractive.

Where did he get those new clothes? I thought he didn’t have any money. Although I suppose I never asked.

“I wanted to make sure you were awake. We are departing soon."

“We?” Carmine let a hint of hope escape her. Was he joining her the rest of the way?

“Yes. I have found a few men traveling Northwest, which is more the direction I need to go, and are letting me accompany them for the remainder of my journey.”

“Oh,” Carmine said softly.

“Do you have everything? I’ll walk out with you.”

Carmine nodded and closed the door behind her. “Um, those are really nice clothes. Did you buy them?”

“I hope you slept well. I personally had a very good rest. This was much better than sleeping outside,” he said, ignoring her inquiry.

Carmine was perplexed as to why he didn’t answer her question. As they were exiting the inn, she heard two men talking with the innkeeper.  She didn’t catch all of their conversation, but overheard that they were traveling with a third man and he went missing overnight. She turned her head to try and hear more, but wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking and her foot caught on a chair, nearly knocking it over.

“Are you coming, Carmine?”

She pushed the chair back under the table and quickened her pace towards Mannaro, pointing over her shoulder. “Yes. Sorry. I was distracted. It sounds like those two men over there lost their friend.”

Mannaro looked over at the men Carmine was pointing at and shrugged. “Yes, well, people go missing sometimes. It’s a hazard of being out in the wilderness.”

She was briefly concerned with his aloofness to the news of a missing person, but the thought left her mind as Mannaro grabbed her hand and led her outside. Carmine squinted from the sudden change in brightness. The sun was rising, there were no clouds in the sky, and the wind had died down. It was a beautiful day  and although a fresh layer of snow had lightly covered the trail, it was still plenty visible. Carmine determined she would be able to reach her grandmother’s house by the end of the night.

Mannaro let go of her hand, putting his on his chest, and bowed his head. “Thank you for your kindness, Carmine. It was a gift to meet you.”

“Oh! You are most welcome! I would have felt awful if I had known someone needed help and I just ignored them. Usually I travel with my mama and have her to talk to. This was my first time alone, so having you to talk with was nice.”

“A young girl like you shouldn’t travel alone. There are dangerous people and creatures out there.”

Carmine chuckled nervously, “That’s… exactly what my mother said to me as I was leaving.”

“She’s exactly right,” Mannaro spoke sternly. “I know you said your grandmother’s house is only a day away from here, but you are a sweet girl. It would be unfortunate for something bad to happen to you.”

He gazed at her with his copper eyes and she felt as if he was staring into her soul. They were piercing and bright. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek as he placed his hand on her chest, below her collarbone, but above her left breast. Her heart began to beat rapidly, feeling as if it was going to leap out of her chest.

“My, my,” cooed Mannaro. “What a big heart you have.”

There was something in his voice. It was different. And that smile as he pulled away. It seemed slightly cunning, not sweet and heartwarming like it had been previously.

“You had better keep an eye on that heart. Someone might try to take it from me. Thank you again for showing me your kindness, Carmine.”

He turned and walked away. Carmine felt a little stunned and was unable to move her feet for a moment.

What just happened? He just kissed me… and put his hand right on my chest. Take my heart from him? What did he mean? What is this weird feeling?

The rest of the walk to her grandmother’s seemed empty. She had enjoyed his company on her trek and suddenly felt kind of lonesome without his presence. Carmine hoped that their paths would cross again. She wanted to ask him what he truly meant in his last words. Even though that final moment was slightly unsettling to her, she still wanted to see him. At least once more.

Carmine arrived at her grandmother’s house with a smile and was greeted with a loving embrace. Her grandmother was definitely surprised at Carmine’s visit. She missed her granddaughter. Carmine had not visited her since winter started and was surprised she had made the trip alone. Grandmother noticed that Carmine was wearing the red cloak she had made and was appreciative to see it being worn.

× × × × × × × × × ×

It had been almost five weeks since Carmine arrived at her grandmother’s home and while she loved the time she got to spend with her, Carmine was looking forward to being back home. Although over the past weeks when she was alone, she found herself thinking about Mannaro. He was a mysterious fellow, but she had become quite intrigued by him. Carmine gave her grandmother a tight hug before leaving and promised to visit again once Spring finally came.

The walk back South was pleasant, even without someone to talk to. The weather had started getting warmer and snow was finally starting to melt. Carmine reached the inn, glowing lanterns on the windows beckoning her to enjoy the comfort inside. She stopped outside the front door and dug through her bag to get her coin pouch, only to find it was not there.

She slapped her palm against her forehead, “I knew I should have double checked my bag before leaving Grandmother’s! It’s okay, it’s okay. I’ve slept outside before. It’s not snowing, so I’ll be fine.”

The young woman continued trekking South as the sun started to disappear behind the horizon in the West. Nightfall came quickly. Carmine took shelter under a large tree and made a small fire, using her knife to cut down a few branches that were not wet from the melting snow. She sat there and warmed up near the fire, snacking on a piece of zucchini bread that had been made by her grandmother the day before. Suddenly, she heard a wolf’s howl echo in the distance.

“I didn’t think wolves came this far down from the North,” Carmine murmured to herself as she pulled her hood around her head and slipped on her mittens.

Morning came and a bright sun rose over the horizon. Despite the sun, it was colder than the day before. The blue eyed girl made sure the fire was properly put out and then continued on home. The wind was soft and the few remaining leaves that clung to the trees rustled slightly. It was peaceful out here and she actually enjoyed being out in the woods.

Hours passed and only the sound of snow and leaves crunching under her boots and small critters running through bushes kept her company. She found herself thinking about Mannaro once again.

“Carmine. What a surprise.”

The red hooded girl was startled, yet the voice was familiar. She quickly turned around. It was Mannaro.

“Mannaro! Oh my goodness! You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

“My apologies. That would have been most unfortunate.”

Carmine smiled nervously, “I-I didn’t even hear you walking towards me! Light footed, huh?”

“Only when I have to be,” chuckled Mannaro in a low voice.

Carmine gave a nervous smile. What was going on with Mannaro? He was being so serious. Did he not feel the same way about her that she felt about him? She knew it had been nearly a month, but surely he was still the sweet guy she rescued from the forest.

“I didn’t know if I would ever see you again,” Carmine said sheepishly, her cheeks feeling flushed.

Mannaro placed his hand on her shoulder and grinned. “I had no doubt in my mind that I wouldn’t find you again.”

Carmine’s heart began to beat rapidly in excitement. Although their time together was brief, maybe he had fallen for her too. Mannaro walked past her and she snapped out of being stunned, following a few steps behind him.

“I’m really happy to see you again. Even more so that you look well. It seems no other evil human attacked you.”

“Oh sweet Carmine, there are much worse creatures out in these lands. Humans are mean, but they’re not inherently evil. I also never said I was attacked. Besides, a human could never sneak up on me. I have impeccable hearing."

A concerned look came across Carmine’s face as she thought out loud, “I suppose bears are probably the most dangerous thing around here. I mean, they’re massive man-eating monsters, but thankfully they’re all hibernating still. One of my uncles got killed by one. He was out hunting deer, but got too close to a mother bear’s den.”

“He sounds like he was a careless hunter. A good hunter is light on his feet so as not to draw attention to himself,” retorted Mannaro.

“Well, you seem pretty light footed. I didn’t even hear you come up behind me! Are you looking to hunt around here? I thought you were going North?” questioned Carmine.

“I was going to go North, but I decided the better prey was in the South.”

Carmine gave a half-hearted laugh, “I’d hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there isn't much for hunting out this way. Mostly small critters, although sometimes you can find a good sized deer if you’re lucky.”

“Oh, it’s not deer I’m hunting. There’s something else I’ve been on the hunt for for quite some time. I recently found it though and tracked it back here. And now,” he spoke sternly, with a hint of aggression in his voice. "I've found it."

Carmine stopped in her tracks, suddenly timid. Mannaro turned to face her.

“Your red hood sticks out quite nicely in this white wasteland.”

The irises of Mannaro’s eyes began to glow vibrantly. A deep growl reverberated from his chest. He grew taller, black and gray fur sprouting all around his body. His clothes tore as he grew more massive and was soon towering over Carmine, bright gold eyes peering down on her. His once handsome face was replaced with a long snout that bared sharp fangs. His arms were elongated, his hands stretched out and now covered with fur, razor claws tipping each finger. Although his back was slightly curved, he stood up right on his hindlegs. He was utterly ferocious looking and the saliva dripping off his teeth suggested he was hungry.

Carmine’s eyes widened. Her mouth opened, wanting to scream, but it got caught in her throat. She wanted to run, but was frozen with terror.

She swallowed nervously. “W-What d-do you w-w-want?”

Mannaro snarled, “Your mother warned you about being too friendly with strangers. You showed me your kindness and I grew hungry for your heart.”

“M-m-my heart?” stammered the red hooded girl.

“Yes, your heart. And my, what a big heart you have…”

Before Carmine had a chance to run he lunged at her, plunging his claws deep into her chest. He gave a fiendish chuckle as he yanked her beating heart right out of her body.

She fell to the ground, the snow turning a bright shade of red as blood pooled around her corpse. The werewolf took an enormous bite from the still warm heart in his grasp. He swallowed, the pleasantly tepid blood coating the inside of his throat.

“All the better to feast on, my dear.”