Hunt - Red Riding Hood Retold

Part 3

THREE

Rosa hurried home. She told herself it was because of the lateness of the hour, but in her heart she knew the truth. Her wild imagination had been so caught up in her grandmother's tale that more than once, she fancied she saw a shadow lurking behind the trees, following her home.

She tried to distract herself by practising, as her grandmother had said, but her magic didn't seem to want to cooperate today. Snow started falling, too, and she couldn't be sure if the flurries were her powers at work, or the natural movement of the breeze.

Snow already lay thick on the ground in the village by the time she reached it. She reached for the door of her family's cottage.

"Lule, I told you to put down your sewing and cut up the vegetables for the soup!" Mother scolded.

"Why can't Rosa do it?" Lule whined.

"Because she's still at your grandmother's, and if the snow keeps falling like this, she might not be home until morning. Your father's bringing fresh straw for our beds, and as soon as he gets home, I'll be busy dealing with that. Do you want supper or don't you?"

"Yes, Mother."

Rosa drew her hand back under her cloak. She hated cutting onions, and there were always so many for the soup. Let Lule do it for once. Rosa could take her grandmother's package to Edda in the meantime. Maybe when she came back, the soup would be ready and she wouldn't have to make it this time.